Chapter 37: Sun to Clouds

Brigid awoke the next morning to find her husband laying next to her. She smiled as she watched Loki's bare, ivory chest rose from beneath the golden sheets as he slept. He looked so peaceful and beautiful as he lay there that Brigid did not want to wake him. Brigid slowly leaned down and kissed him, and Loki stirred awake.

"Mmm, good morning, my darling," he said. "I trust that you enjoyed your night."

"Indeed, I did," Brigid replied slyly. "You looked so handsome just laying here, that you were tempting me again. You are the only man I know who is dangerous even in your sleep, my love."

"Well, I have had years of experience," Loki laughed. "but you do bring up a tempting offer, my love. Tell me, are the children still asleep?"

"Like kittens," Brigid replied.

Loki smiled seductively. "Then let me ensure that we are not disturbed."

Loki waved his hand, and the door locked clicked shut, much to Brigid's pleasure.

Under the sheets, Loki got on top of Brigid and his lips met hers. "Are you well, this morning, my love?"

"I'd be better if you wouldn't talk and continue to take me," Brigid said.

Loki giggled. "As you wish, my love."

Loki's lips met hers once more and they became one. Loki's lips left hers when he traveled down to her neck, lingering there for nearly an eternity, driving Brigid insane.

"Oooh, you are so cruel!" she moaned.

"Oh, I can be and do what I want, my love, but cruel, no," Loki jested.

Loki continued his play with her neck, smiling as Brigid moaned under him. After an eternity, Loki released her neck and made his way to her belly, leaving kisses all over.

"I truly do miss the baby kicks," Loki said, feigning sadness as he continued to lavish Brigid's belly with kisses.

"Well, if you continue, you may not have to for long," Brigid said.

"As you wish," Loki replied. "I should be happy to bring another Lokison into the world."

"As will I," Brigid replied. "So continue."

Loki smiled and continued on, ravishing Brigid from her belly down to her thighs and further, and back up, all while Brigid moaned in utter pleasure.

"My turn," she whispered.

She flipped Loki around on his back, and Loki smiled, encouraged by her ferocity.

"You are certainly a spirited one, my love," Loki said. "I knew I chose well."

Brigid's lips collided with his before she went on to torment his neck.

"Oooh," Loki moaned. "I suppose I deserve this. But you, are a terribly wretched woman."

"Indeed," Brigid giggled.

She continued to torture Loki's neck, kissing and sucking him there like a mosquito draws blood from its prey.

"Will you surrender?" Brigid asked.

"Never!" Loki cried.

"I thought not," Brigid giggled.

Much to Loki's pleasure, Brigid continued to torture his neck with kisses. Before long, she moved on to his chest, much to Loki's delight. She peppered his chest with kisses and then moved forward to his abdomen and further on, as Loki gasped and moaned.

"You are the wickedest woman in all the Nine Realms!" he gasped.

"Thank you," Brigid whispered.

After an eternity tormenting her husband, Brigid collapsed on top of his bare chest under the sheets, a pleasured smile upon her face.

"You are the most devious god in the Nine Realms," Brigid sighed. "but I love you all the more for it."

"I knew you would," Loki said, pleased.

Later that afternoon, another contest was held. Once again, Brigid and Loki as well as their children had top seats with the Grandmaster. Fenrir, being ever distrustful of the licentious Grandmaster, sat close by her King and Queen. The Grandmaster, as ever, was grateful for his guests.

"Well, well, you made it!" Grandmaster greeted warmly, gesturing Brigid and Loki to sit. "You never cease to disappoint!"

"Well, we do aim to please, my friend," Loki said humbly.

"Miss Fenrir, are you well?" Grandmaster asked.

"I will be once you go away," Fenrir said.

Grandmaster chuckled and turned his attention away to the children running around. "My, my, look at these wonderful cherubs running around! They're beautiful!"

"Well, they are the children of gods, so they are bound to be beautiful," Brigid replied.

Grandmaster noticed Baby Thor as he fed in Brigid's arms. "Well, he's a big guy."

"Indeed," Brigid replied. "He's a strong lad."

"You do have the most beautiful children," Grandmaster said. "If only I had the right woman, I'd love to have some myself."

"Well, it is never too late, my friend," Loki said.

"I like your optimism," Grandmaster said.

Grandmaster offered Brigid and Loki a drink and toasted with his own.

"To friends and opportune moments," he said.

"To friends and opportune moments," Brigid and Loki said.

As Brigid and Loki watched the contest with the Grandmaster, Fenrir kept her eyes on the Grandmaster, not liking one bit how he was staring at Brigid or her children.

After the match, Brigid and Loki were alone with their children, watching them play and run around in circles endlessly. For them, their was no better sight then to watch their children play for hours on end.

Brigid and Loki approached their children.

"Who's going to catch us first?" Brigid asked, as she and Loki ran circles around their children.

Bruce, Tony, and Frigga chased after their mother and father, giggling as they did.

"Me! Me!" Frigga cried.

"I'll catch you first!" Bruce said.

"Me first!" Tony said.

Brigid and Loki ran in circles, faster and faster, as their children raced on their heels.

"Come on, children, we're getting away!" Loki teased.

The children tackled Brigid and Loki in a giggling heap.

"Oh, you got us, well done!" Loki said.

Brigid embraced her children. "I love you, and you, and you!"

"Love you, Mama!" the children said.

Loki got to his feet. "Who's going to get Papa next?"

Loki took off as Brigid and the children took off in circles after him.

Later that evening, Brigid and Loki enjoyed another night alone as Fenrir tended to the children. During the past few days, Brigid took the time to teach her husband the Midgard game of Blackjack and he had progressed very well in the game. This particular evening, Brigid put her own spin on the game as she sat down to play with Loki.

"Ah, another round, my love?" Loki asked. "Can you beat me this time?"

"Don't forget I have an edge on you," Brigid said. "I thought I'd put my own spin on it. Strip Blackjack."

"This should be interesting," Loki replied. "Do tell."

"I pay up, I strip. You pay up, you strip," Brigid said.

"Sounds excellent," Loki said.

"Very well. Let the games begin," Brigid replied.

Using his magic, Loki "cut the deck" and dealt the cards.

"Twelve. Stay or hit?" Loki asked.

Brigid tapped the table, indicating to hit.

Loki turned over a ten. "Over. Pay up."

Brigid sighed as she snapped her fingers and her cape disappeared.

"Eight. Stay or hit?"

Brigid tapped the table.

"Five."

Brigid tapped the table again.

Loki turned over a king of hearts and his cards. "Twenty-three. Over. Pay up."

Brigid groaned and took off her boots next.

"Eleven. Stay or hit?" Loki asked.

Brigid tapped the table. Loki turned over a queen of spades while he had eighteen.

"You're over again, my dear."

Before she could "pay," Brigid caught Loki's wrist. Much to her chagrin, she found a card hidden in his sleeve.

"What's this?" she asked.

Loki smiled coyly. "You win?"

"I suppose I shall have to ensure that there are no other tricks up your sleeves," Brigid said, as she freed the buttons on Loki's tunic and tossed it across the room.

She and Loki collapsed on the bed as Loki giggled under her.

"I say you win this round, my love," Loki said.

"Indeed, I do," Brigid said.

Loki laid back and grinned as Brigid enjoyed her prize all night.

Although Brigid and Loki wished to stay in the sun, it was not to be. It started two days after their rendition of Blackjack. Brigid awoke to stabbing pains in her stomach and she was running off to the bathroom. Loki was awakened by the sound of her retching and heaving. Loki remembered all of Brigid's morning sicknesses with their children and he was terrified.

No, he thought as he heard her retching.

"My love, my love, what's wrong?" Loki asked as he ran into the bathroom.

Brigid was slumped over the toilet and her face was robbed of all color.

"Fenrir, Fenrir, help!" Loki cried.

Fenrir burst into the bathroom to find the weakened Brigid. "Help me get her on the bed."

Loki and Fenrir carried an unconscious Fenrir to the bed.

"She was violently ill," Loki said fearfully. "She's only been like that before our children were born."

Fenrir nodded. "I will examine her myself, my King."

Loki nervously stepped outside the bedroom as Fenrir began her examination. He ran his fingers through his hair, hoping his fears were not coming true. He would love any child, but a child of Grandmaster would be a lasting reminder of the torment that madman put her through. Little Frigga came to his side just as his anxiety reached its height.

"Little Princess, shouldn't you be playing?" he asked.

"Want Mama," Frigga said.

"I'm afraid Mama is ill, little one," Loki said, taking Frigga on his lap.

"Papa sad?" Frigga asked.

Loki shook his head and smiled. "No, just scared, little one. But Mama will be alright. Can you go play with your brothers for me? I'm sure Mama will be happy to see you playing when she gets better."

Frigga kissed Loki and scampered off to find her brothers. Just as she did, Fenrir was standing in the doorway of Brigid's chamber.

"Fenrir, what news?" Loki asked anxiously.

"The Queen is not pregnant, my King," Fenrir said.

Loki sighed before he spoke again. "If she's not pregnant, then what happened to her?"

"Grandmaster," Fenrir replied bitterly. "He spiked her drink hoping to drug her but he was unsuccessful. She's resting now."

Loki entered Brigid's chambers where he found her sitting up in bed. "My love, are you alright?"

"Yes," Brigid said weakly. "Fenrir told me I had some bad wine."

"Indeed," Loki replied. "There won't be a repeat of that again."

"I thought we were almost blessed again," Brigid laughed.

"It's a lovely sentiment," Loki said.

"One day, it will be more than sentiment," Brigid said.

Suddenly, Brigid and Loki heard screams, "Mama! Papa!"

"The children!" Brigid and Loki cried.

The two raced outside to find Fenrir being held back by at least fifty zombie-like guards with glowing green eyes and her children held at knife point by Hela and Skurge.

"No!" Brigid screamed.

"Hela, what are you doing here?" Loki demanded.

"Why don't you ask your little all-seeing friend?" Hela replied. "He was tough, but in the end, he cooperated."

"Hela, enough. Leave my children out of this!" Brigid growled.

"You want them? Come get them," Hela taunted. "Oh, but don't do anything stupid. Aunt Hela doesn't want to make a mess."

Hela cut a smile line of blood in Frigga's throat.

"What do you want?" Brigid demanded.

"Volunteers for my army would be nice," Hela said. "And your guard would be a lovely addition. Think it over. Say no, and I'm afraid Auntie will have to get messy after all. If you make up your mind, we will be in Asgard."

"You sick hag!" Brigid spat as she ran forward.

Hela signaled her men and they pushed forward, pushing back Brigid, Loki and Fenrir.

As Loki, Brigid and Fenrir battled Hela's minion's, Hela snuck away as Tony, Bruce and Frigga all screamed as Baby Bruce cried out. "Mama, Papa!"

"No!" Brigid screamed.

Too late. Hela and the children disappeared in flash of light.

"No! No!" Brigid cried.

Brigid took out her knives. "I'll kill her. I'll destroy her if she touches them. If I have to die doing it-"

"My love," Loki soothed.

"We go there and we destroy her! We kill her now!"

Loki took her shoulders and held her. "My love, please! We will get our children, I promise!"

Brigid nodded, believing the word of her husband. Suddenly, Topaz approached them.

"Lord of Mischief, the boss wants to see you," Topaz said. "Apparently, he's not very happy with you."

"What did we do?" Loki asked.

"You might want to ask your brother the Lord of Thunder," Topaz replied.

Loki and Brigid tried their best to hide their fear as they were taken to face the Grandmaster. Whatever he was unhappy about that Thor did, it did not bode well for them. And now their fortunes were doubly turned now that Hela had taken their children. Sakaar was now more and more unwelcome for them.

A/N: Uh-oh! Loki and Brigid are in trouble and their children are gone! What will they do? This chapter is for my readers, favorites, reviewers, etc. This story is for you and would be nothing without you!