A/N: Thank you everyone for the kind reviews :) you are all so wonderful and I hope that more people will learn from your kindness and be kind to all authors of fanfiction. I would also like to apologize for taking so long to update. This chapter has been incredibly difficult to write...I think my muse has been off somewhere with Loki. Anywho, please enjoy :)
Loki and Ava stayed in the healing room for a while, so that their chambers could be cleaned up. Once their chambers were cleaned, they returned to them, Ava still needing to rest, but not wanting to stay in the healing room all night. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in the healing room for the night, just to be on the safe side?" Loki asked Ava, when a servant came in to tell them that their chambers were cleaned and ready.
"I just want to go back to our room." Ava replied. "And sleep in our bed."
"Okay." Loki agreed. He then helped Ava up out of bed and kept an arm wrapped around her waist as they walked from the healing room back to their chambers. They walked into their chambers and Loki closed the door behind them. He then used his magic to change them both into their night clothes. He scooped Ava up into his arms and carried her over to the bed and laid her down. "Do you need anything, my love? Anything to eat or drink? A neck or back rub perhaps?" He asked, wanting to take care of his wife and unborn child.
"Just you in this bed with me, holding me." Ava answered with a smile.
Loki kissed her forehead and then climbed into bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Are you sure there's nothing I can get for you?" He asked.
Ava smiled. "Loki, I am fine. If I need anything I will let you know, okay?"
"Okay." Loki agreed. "How are you feeling?"
Ava let out a small sigh. "To be honest…scared."
"Why?" Loki asked, pulling back to look at his wife with nothing but concern in his green eyes.
"You remember how I told you Vena saw us having a powerful child?" Ava inquired.
Loki nodded. "Yes…why?"
"Well…when I was trapped in her lair…and I first used the power of our child…it broke this spell of darkness she had on the lair…and I met this spirit of light…she told me more about our baby." Ava explained.
"Like what?" Loki asked.
"How our child is the chosen one." Ava answered. "Our child is going to be the ultimate force for good and light magic…and the ultimate protector and defender of the nine realms…that's why Vena wanted to prevent us from conceiving this child."
"Our child is going to be that powerful?" Loki asked, completely surprised.
Ava nodded. "And it scares me…I mean what if I'm not a good enough mother for this baby? And it is likely that evil forces will be after our child while he or she is still very young…what if I can't protect him or her? I mean I can now, by using the power only because I can share right now because he or she is still in my womb…but once this baby is born, I won't be able to do that."
Loki placed his fingers beneath Ava's chin and coaxed her face up to look at him. "Ava, my love, you are going to be a wonderful mother to our child. I can't think of anyone more perfect to be the mother of such a special child. You are kind, caring, fiercely intelligent, clever, loving, and everything a mother should be."
"Fiercely intelligent? Clever?" Ava asked. "If I were either of those things, she would never have been able to take me from you in the first place."
"Ava, my love, you are. How else would you have been able to pick up those things I taught you so quickly? You were also smart enough to marry me." He added the last part with a playful grin.
Ava couldn't help but to smile back. "I guess you've got me there."
Loki pulled Ava's lips to his for a gentle kiss. He broke the kiss after a few moments, but still held his wife close. "I love you and I love this baby." He told her. "I can't think of anything that could make me happier."
Ava smiled. "We love you, too. I am happy to be having your baby."
They snuggled up, Ava's head resting on Loki's chest, and fell asleep. They both wore peaceful happy smiles as they slept, dreaming happy dreams of what their child might be like.
The next day…
"A grandchild?! I finally get a grandchild!"
Ava laughed at her mother's excitement. "Please mother, don't hold back your excitement." She said, a smile on her face.
Gail grinned at her daughter. "It is not everyday a mother finds out she is going to get a grandbaby to spoil. This is the most exciting news I have received since I was told you were coming home." She then pulled her daughter into her arms for a hug and kissed her forehead.
"It is very exciting." Frigga agreed from her seat.
The three women were having lunch out in the garden. Loki was out in the training fields with Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstag. Hagar was somewhere in the palace having a disucssion with Odin.
"So, how does Loki feel about becoming a father?" Gail asked, curious how her son-in-law was handling the news.
Ava smiled. "He's already taking his role very seriously. It was a bit of a fight with him to let me out of bed this morning. After me fainting yesterday and everything he is very worried and being a bit protective."
"It was also difficult to convince him he should go and join his brother and friends in the training fields." Frigga added.
Gail laughed. "I believe most men get that way. I remember when I found out I was pregnant with you, your father was so protective."
"Odin was, but then he wasn't quite as protective as Loki is being." Frigga said.
"Well, he is the king." Ava replied.
"True, that does tend to pull his focus away from his family." Frigga agreed with a sigh.
Just then they heard laughter coming from one of the paths that led from the training fields and into the garden. "Fandral, there is no need to be angry." Thor said, a note of laughter in his voice.
"It is not my fault you always fall for my tricks." Loki said.
"But now I am soaking wet and my hair is ruined." Fandral said, angrily.
The group then came in view of the three women sitting at the table. Fandral was indeed soaking wet. He also happened to have some kind of aquatic plant in his hair and a glare on his face. "Oh Fandral, you know you don't wake up looking like you usually do." Sif said. "You can change and get cleaned up as usual."
"I see you six are playing well together as usual." Frigga said, a fond smile on her face.
"It is only Loki and Fandral who do not play well together." Thor replied, grinning.
Loki just rolled his eyes and walked over to the table. He bent down and kissed his wife on the forehead just before sitting down next to her. "How are you feeling, my love?" He asked.
Ava smiled at her husband. "I am fine. I am pregnant not fatally ill."
"Pregnant?" Sif asked, this being the first she or the warriors three had heard the news.
Ava looked at Loki. "You haven't told them?"
"No...I thought I would keep it a surprise for the feast where Father intends to make the announcement in three days." Loki replied.
Ava gave Loki a sheepish grin. "Whoops."
Loki just chuckled and kissed her cheek. "It is alright my love."
The rest of the group sat down. "Well, this means there will be a little trickster running around the palace before much longer." Fandral said. "I'll be steering clear of the palace while that is happening."
"Why? Are you afraid of being outsmarted by an infant?" Loki teased.
"Oh goodness." Ava said.
"What?" Loki asked.
"Well, if Fandral is right and this baby does take after you...I don't know how well I'll be able to handle you and a mini you." Ava teased.
"Don't worry, I can teach you everything you need to know about having a mischievous child." Frigga assured Ava.
"I wasn't that bad." Loki replied. "It was all just a bit of fun."
"Tell that to the poor servants you terrorized." Frigga replied with a soft chuckle.
"And to my hair." Fandral added.
"It was all really just in fun." Loki replied, feigning innocence.
Ava laughed and leaned over to kiss Loki's cheek. "I've always loved your tricks...as long as you're using them on other people that is."
Loki chuckled and kissed his wife's forehead. "I'll make sure to tell our child not to use them on you."
"Just on Uncle Thor and Fandral." Ava replied.
"Hey!" Thor and Fandral said in unison.
Loki and Ava just laughed. Everything was wonderful.