A/N: This may be my last chapter until March, because I will be studying for the bar exam, so I tried to make it a good, long one.
I gave you guys a little bit of sexy because, well, I was feeling some kind of way. And I really enjoyed making Odin not so much of a jackass; of course, he wouldn't be Odin if he didn't have "a purpose to everything he does." Finally, Loki grew so much during the first story, but this pregnancy has really thrown him for a loop. It will give both him and Grace new closeness, but also new conflict. It's my hope that you will all feel what they're feeling and take this journey with them.
Special thanks to Julia B. for help naming the science-y things I created (obviously the Soul Forge came from TDW, of which we do not speak), and to Jeff M. for his help with math and with putting into words the ideas I had in my head but couldn't spell out quite right.
If you do like what I've done here, please leave comments. I just like knowing people are reading this!
Song: "Better Than I Used To Be" by Tim McGraw
"Grace, we must go," Loki pleaded.
"Loki, we can't. Or at least, I can't," she replied. "I already took a weeklong vacation a month ago. I can't ask for more time."
He sighed. It had been two weeks since Grace had told him she was pregnant, and yet she wanted to go on as though life had not changed. She was starting to be more like her normal, strong-willed self, but she still had nearly debilitating sickness that deeply concerned him. He understood she had been to a doctor, but the symptoms seemed to be getting worse.
"I know you feel it is unnecessary, but I have a dreadful feeling about this. Can you not simply explain to Tom that you are with child?"
She grabbed a box of cereal and tossed it into the cart. "I could, but that starts a whole thing and I'm not ready for the thing yet. It's going to be difficult enough to try to make ends meet on just your salary when I take time after the baby's born. I don't want to take any more vacation now than I need to."
He threw a canister of oatmeal into the cart and checked it off the list. "But you do need to take this time. Why is it so difficult for you to understand that?"
She shot him a withering look. "You want to try that again, without the attitude?"
"I apologize for the tone, but not the sentiment. It is not solely because of my concern for you. I am also concerned about the child."
She turned the corner, heading into the ice cream aisle. She was already having cravings, or at least that was what she told herself to justify eating entire pints of Chubby Hubby. "I know you're concerned, but I feel fine, other than throwing up three times a day. I've been through this before."
"Not with a half-god," he shot back. Then, he grabbed hold of the cart and stepped in front of it, blocking her way. "There is no precedent for this, Grace. I've told you that."
She hated when he made good points. How could she really be sure the baby was okay? Her pregnancy with Amy was fairly easy, not counting the labor. But she had to admit, she had no idea what she should expect with this one. Just because it was normal now didn't mean it would continue to be normal, and wouldn't it be better to be prepared?
"Okay," she finally conceded. "You're right. Let me talk to Tom. Maybe I can fake a family emergency."
"Well, it wouldn't exactly be a lie." He was satisfied with her acquiescence for now. "But please, promise me you won't delay"
"I promise. Just promise me that if they say I'm fine, we can get ready for this baby like a normal couple."
"I would like nothing more."
Tom, of course, had no issue with giving Grace the time off. She hardly ever took vacation time, and he also knew from experience that life had a hilarious way of being inconvenient and unexpected. If only he knew, she thought, as Loki folded shirts and put them into his suitcase. They had agreed to go over a weekend, with Grace's parents taking Amy on the presumption that there was an emergency in Loki's family. Thankfully, they didn't ask what it was.
"Do you think the Asgardian doctors will know anything?" she asked.
He tossed a pair of boxers toward the suitcase and missed entirely. Grace put them where they belonged. "I suspect that if anyone will know how this pregnancy will play out, an Asgardian would know more than any human physician," he said. "At the very least, they will be more equipped to deal with it."
"I don't really like the idea that this pregnancy is just something to deal with."
"You know that is not what I meant. I simply mean to say that—"
She placed a hand on his arm. "I know. I know, I'm just—now you have me worried."
Loki furrowed his brow. "I am sorry. I did not intend that. I realize I am probably being overly cautious, but—"
"You're worried and being careful. I appreciate that. I just don't want to hear any bad news."
At that, he stopped packing and took both her hands in his. He wanted his next words to carry as much weight as possible. "Grace, regardless of what any doctor says, Midgardian or otherwise, I will be here to bear the joys and sorrows with you. You shall always have me."
She sat on the bed and pulled him down with her. "I know. But I want you and this child. And speaking of that, we need to have a conversation I don't want to have."
Concern lined his face and flooded his voice. "What is it?"
"I want this pregnancy to work," she said, her voice cracking. "But if we get to Asgard and they say it's not possible—I mean, if they say I won't survive…"
He didn't say anything at first, because he didn't want to say the wrong thing. He knew the choice he would prefer, but he also knew that as the person whose body and life would be at issue, she should be the one to make the ultimate decision.
"Grace, I am sure it will not come to that. I am sure the healers on Asgard—"
She held up a hand. "Loki, we don't know that. You've said it yourself, there's no precedent for this. And as much as I want to have this baby, as much as it would mean to me to create a life that's from both of us, I can't—I can't leave Amy, or you."
He tried to hide the relief he felt. "I would support whatever action you chose," he said, "but I would be lying if I said that I am not relieved for your decision. I would rather lose the life inside of you than lose you—for my sake as well as for Amy's."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It would be selfish to force her to grow up without a mother. I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, I don't want to have to make that choice in a panic."
He kissed her, lightly, reassuring her. "I love you, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you and this child remain in this world." Then, he glanced down at her suitcase. "Do you ever pack lightly?"
She laughed, glad for the tension to break. "How long have you lived with me?"
"I will never live with you long enough to understand why you require no less than a dozen socks for a three-day excursion."
She shrugged. "Ever hear the expression, 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst?'"
"What, exactly, do you imagine going wrong that would require this many socks?"
"We're going to another planet to make sure I can carry a half demigod to term," she said. "I have no idea what to imagine."
He shook his head in resignation and zipped the bags closed. "Now that you are fully stocked on foot coverings, are you ready, darling?"
"Okay. I think I'm good. Do we have to leave at a certain time or is—"
"We need only call Heimdall, although I highly recommend we do so from outdoors," he said. "The Bifrost, as you know, tends to make a bit of a mess." He was right. The last two journeys had left Asgard's emblem burned into the grass in the park.
"I'm ready when you are."
They dragged their luggage to the courtyard and Loki looked to the sky. "Hold onto me, and your bag."
"Loki?"
He glanced down at her. "Yes?"
"Do you realize this is the first time we've done this together?"
He hadn't realized that until she said it. "Ironic, isn't it, that you have traveled to Asgard for me twice, each time with everyone except me?"
She smiled. "And now, I'm traveling with you and half of you."
He looped his arm around her waist and clutched her to his heart. "Heimdall, bring us to Asgard." Grace looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Begrudgingly, he added, "Please."
No matter how many times she traveled via the Bifrost, she never quite got over the novelty, nor could she manage to walk from it as easily as anyone else. While Loki had the ability to strut right out of it, she always seemed to stumble, like she was slightly drunk. Her bag went flying, but Loki, with his quick reflexes, caught it midair.
"Good evening, Highness," Heimdall said. "And to you, Lady Grace."
"Surprised to see us back so soon?" she asked.
A slow, almost imperceptible smile crossed his face. "Not in the least."
It was then that Grace remembered that the gatekeeper, with his stunning amber eyes, could see and hear anything he wished in the universe. The thought of that was slightly unnerving, really, so she attempted to put it out of her mind most of the time. She suspected, however, that he knew exactly why they had returned so soon.
"Have Mother and Father been informed of our arrival?" Loki asked.
She was about to ask how that would even be possible when Heimdall responded, "Indeed. But they believe Lady Grace should rest before any conversation is to be had." With a nod, Loki picked up their bags and Grace followed him onto the bridge.
"I am not looking forward to this walk," she said, staring at the palace in the distance. At least this time she wasn't carrying a sleeping toddler, but the journey was no less daunting. In her condition, she tired far more easily.
"I will deny ever saying this, but it is at times like this that being Thor would be useful."
She laughed. "Better hope Heimdall didn't hear that, or I suspect the entire kingdom would hear about it." Just then, she realized their suitcases were gone. "Loki, where—"
He waved his hand across his body and suddenly, the luggage reappeared in front of them, only to disappear just as quickly when he reversed the motion. "Being me can also be quite useful. How do you think I concealed the ring from you for two months?"
Her mouth dropped open. "How did I not know you could do that?"
He smiled mischievously. "I have many powers you have not yet seen."
She slid her hand into his as they walked, and he could feel the thin metal band on her finger against his palm. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you've got the rest of my life to show them to me."
Their arrival at the palace was as quiet as it had been the last time, for which Grace, exhausted, was terribly grateful. "Are we going to have separate rooms again?"
"The only reason for that was because my chamber has no nursery," he replied. "There is no need this time. Asgardians do not have the same moral qualms that humans seem to regarding cohabitation before marriage."
"Good. I don't know if I could be in that huge room all alone."
As they walked, Grace noticed that Loki was not in his Asgardian clothing. He still wore a pair of dark jeans and eggplant-hued button-down. She wondered whether it was intentional, or if his mind was so occupied with other things that he had simply forgotten to change. Did he have a store of Asgardian apparel here? She hadn't noticed a closet in his room last time. And she hadn't worn anything but her own clothing when they were here together, other than the dress he had sent her for the banquet. Did people judge her silently for that? Did they think she was too different, not worthy of the Prince of Asgard? What would the kingdom, and—more importantly—his parents, think about her bearing the newest royal baby?
These were the thoughts swirling in her mind as they entered his chambers, which had been prepared for their arrival. The fire was crackling, glasses and a pitcher of water on one of the bedside tables, sheets turned down. She wondered if Dagmar had done this, or if she was even a servant anymore.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
"I am. Seems to be the natural state of things lately." When he looked stricken, she smiled. "That's a thing that happens to women with fully human pregnancies."
His face relaxed a bit and he manifested their bags again. From one of them, he pulled a case of toiletries and handed it to her. "If you would like to refresh yourself, I will handle all of this."
Gratefully, she headed for the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face and looked in the mirror for a long while, studying herself. The water dripped from her chin as if she had been crying steadily for hours. She looked as exhausted as she felt. Although she had tried to soothe Loki's fears, this was definitely a different level of tired from her last pregnancy.
Hopefully, she thought, this is temporary. Very temporary.
She dried her face and brushed her teeth, then came back to the bedchamber, finding him in bed already with a book. "You look comfortable," she said.
He looked up and half-smiled. "It no longer feels quite like home." He flipped the sheets up on her side of the bed as an invitation. "But it will suffice."
She glanced at the slowly dying fire next to her. That was when she noticed the wardrobe. "Was that there before?"
"It was," he said, "although you had no reason to take notice, I suppose. Your nightclothes are on a hook inside the door."
She turned to him again. He was not wearing a shirt, which was normal for him when they went to bed. For some reason, however, her breath caught in her chest. The lean muscles in his arms flexed slightly as he set his book aside, the veins in his hands suddenly more pronounced. His dark hair fell into his face, but he made no movement to push it back, as if he had gotten so used to it that it was simply natural that it was there. He looked so effortless. So normal.
So human.
She suddenly, inexplicably, needed him. Desperately.
Instead of opening the wardrobe, she walked slowly toward the bed, discarding her sandals and shirt along the way. "Grace?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought I remember you saying you were tired."
She bent at the waist to push her jeans down the length of her legs, stepping carefully out of them. "Not anymore."
He watched her, mesmerized by her fluid movements, almost as if she were playing a melody with her body. Usually when they made love, he would undress her, take his time enjoying the seduction. But tonight, it seemed she was determined to seduce him on her own. And, judging by the blood rushing to his groin, it was working.
She climbed into the bed and crawled over to him, immediately pressing her half-naked body into his, kissing him so deeply that it took him by surprise. He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck, unhooking her bra in one motion with the other. His lips crushed against hers, as he cupped her breasts in his hands. Her hand, meanwhile, made its way to the waistband of his pajama pants. He magicked them away; he did not—could not—tear himself away from her.
Suddenly, he flipped her onto her back and climbed over her, long fingers wrapped in her hair. He gently turned her head to the side, allowing him to graze her neck with his teeth. She shuddered, drawing her nails down his back, trying to close every inch of space between them. The way he tasted, smelled, felt, it was as if it was their first time all over again. She wrapped her legs around his so that they were as intertwined as could be, their bodies touching in every place possible. She could feel how hard he was and knew how much he must have wanted release, but she didn't want this to end. Her body was so alive. Every nerve, every muscle, every neuron in her brain was on fire. His breath was somehow both hot and cold as his kissed the hollow of her clavicle.
He wanted to move lower, to kiss and lick and suck his way down her body, to bring her pleasure that would take her to the ends of the cosmos. But something about their bodies tangled together kept him exactly where he was. He was so absorbed in the way her skin felt against his that he didn't even realize how hard he was. He no longer cared about his basest desires. He craved only what they were sharing in that moment. The physical intimacy of exploring her, kissing her, merely touching her, was the least important part of how he was feeling.
In their most frenzied sexual encounters, she would invariably call out his name in ecstasy. In return, as he found his release, he would proclaim over and over: You are mine. You are mine! Yet in all the times he had been inside her, he could not recall them being this connected to each other—so intimate that it was as if their souls were making love.
She pulled him back to kiss him again, biting his bottom lip, marking him. Her eyes were full of hunger and longing and the brilliance of a crisp, blue autumn sky. Her cheeks flushed a breathless pink as her hair splayed on the pillow, damp with the heat of their passion. He ran his hands up her sides until they joined hers, fingers laced as tightly as their bodies. Without warning, she writhed underneath him in a way that nearly made him cry out for her and craned her neck up so their foreheads touched, lips only millimeters apart.
"You are mine," she whispered.
And then he couldn't think, couldn't stop even if he'd wanted to. This was the most explosive, erotic experience in all his years, and he had no control left in him. He had lost himself to her, but it was the sweetest surrender of his life. Breathlessly, he said words he never thought he would want, much less need to say; against her neck, into her ear, and finally while looking directly into her eyes, he repeated them like a prayer.
"I am yours. Yours. Only yours."
Grace awoke the next morning to the light streaming through the balcony doors. They had both fallen asleep easily the night before, too exhausted to shut the heavy drapes. Just as well, she thought, as she knew they had a long day ahead of them. Besides, waking up to Asgard's light was much more pleasant than an alarm clock. She rolled onto her side and saw Loki's eyes just beginning to open.
"Good morning, darling," he said sleepily. "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "I think you're just fishing for compliments. Last night was—"
"Quite different," he finished. "I do not believe I have ever seen you so…" He couldn't even finish the sentence. There were no words to describe what had transpired the previous night.
She sat up on the edge of the bed and grabbed her crystal necklace from the nightstand. Then, she reached skyward in a deep stretch. He watched her back lengthen, the delicate muscles moving under her perfect, pale skin. "Will there ever be a day when you do not become more beautiful than the last?" he asked.
She laughed and started to put the necklace back on. "Just wait until I'm nine months pregnant, my ankles are the size of flotation devices, and I can't walk without waddling. I'll look like a penguin."
He crawled over to her, kissed her neck, and secured the clasp. "Then you shall be the most beautiful penguin in all the galaxy." He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned her head back on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, taking in the moment like he would never get another.
Just then, he noticed something change on her body, where his hands lay. "Grace, I do not mean to alarm you, and it may be my famously overactive imagination, but is—is your abdomen—"
Before he could even finish, she put her hands over his. "Cold?"
"Well, yes," he said. "How long has it been that way?"
"It seems to happen in the mornings, mostly. Like it's waking up or something."
He got out of bed, magicked his pants back on, and came around to face her. "I should have been clearer. What I meant was, how many days has this been going on?"
"Maybe three. I figured—well—given that you're…" She stumbled over her words.
"You assumed a Frost Giant's offspring might be colder than the average fetus," he finished. She nodded. "Grace, I am not upset in the least. I am fully aware of my parentage. It is no longer hurtful to me if you bring it up. But you should have told me."
She, too, got out of bed. "I know, I know. No precedent."
"I do not mean to be neurotic." He went to the wardrobe, and pulled out a bathrobe, wrapping her in it. "Is that better?"
"The cold doesn't actually bother me as much as you'd think," she said. "It might even help during the summer when I'd otherwise be sweltering."
He didn't reply, but Grace thought she saw a moment of doubt in his eyes. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "Would you like to bathe first? After last evening, I feel we could both use a hot bath."
"You can go first. I'm going to—"
Before she could finish, she ran to the bathroom, throwing herself on the floor and hanging onto the toilet for dear life. Loki was right behind her, holding her hair out of her face and rubbing her back gently, just as he had the last few weeks. It was maddening, being so incapable of helping her. He was hopeful that the healers here could, at the very least, alleviate these symptoms and make her more comfortable.
When she drew her head up, he got her a glass of cold water. She drank it slowly, terrified she would just throw it all up again. At first the sickness had just been after she ate. Then it was the smell of food. Now, it was for seemingly no reason at all, multiple times a day. She was sure it was also contributing to her exhaustion.
"I'm sorry," she finally said.
He crouched down to help her up. "You needn't apologize, love. But I believe you should bathe first after all. Perhaps it will ease the symptoms until we visit the healing room later."
She shook her head. "I'll do it later, after we see the doctor. That's what I was about to say before I puked."
"Do you feel unable? Because I would be more than happy to assist you." Just as the night she told him about the pregnancy, she appeared as though she was holding something back. "Grace, I know that look. What is it?"
"You're going to think I'm nuts."
He took her hand. "There is nothing you could say that would make me think you mad. Please tell me."
She took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that taking a bath will hurt it," she said, embarrassed at her own words.
"What?"
She sat on the edge of the tub. "Well, I mean, it's half-Jotun, right? And Jotuns live on a freaking ice planet. I don't want to risk overheating it."
"Darling," he said, as gently as possible, "I may not be certain of this pregnancy's complications, but I am quite sure that a hot bath will not harm the baby."
She was incredulous. "You've spent two weeks telling me that there's no precedent for any of this, and then turn around and tell me you're sure about this one thing? How's that work?"
He cocked his head. "Have you forgotten that, while this baby may be half-Jotun, I am entirely as much?"
"Oh, yeah, totally forgot," she deadpanned.
"And how many hot baths have I taken? Some of them with you, might I add."
"Look," she said, a bit frantic, "when I was pregnant with Amy, they told me to only take short, warm baths. Because I can take a hot bath no problem, as a grown adult. But a fetus can't tolerate it—and that's a regular human! So, just because you, a fully-grown Frost Giant, can tolerate hot water doesn't mean a half-Jotun fetus can. I'm worried about even showering in warm water!"
He considered this. "I suppose it would not be unreasonable to ask," he finally said. "Do you have any thoughts as to what happens if you are correct and even warm water is unsafe?"
"Then I'll do what I've been doing for the last two weeks."
"And that is?"
"Take a lot of cold showers," she shrugged, adding, "but if we keep having nights like last night, that might not be such a bad thing."
After witnessing how ill Grace had become, Loki had tried to delay taking his own bath until after they saw the healers, but she had practically shoved him into the tub. She insisted she was fine and that the hour it would take for him to bathe and dress would have no effect on her health. He decided not to argue but took the shortest bath of his life. Ten minutes after he had gotten into the tub, he was out of it, wrapping a towel around his waist and drying his hair with another.
"Grace," he called, heading back into the bedchamber, "once I have dressed, we can depart for—"
He stopped mid-sentence when he entered the room. She had climbed back into bed, still wearing the bathrobe, and was fast asleep. He stood staring at her for a minute; she looked so peaceful, even though only half an hour earlier she had been huddled on the floor getting sick for what he assumed was the first of multiple times that day. Her hand rested on her belly, as if she were cradling the baby. It pained him to have to wake her, but he knew that the sooner they saw the healers, the faster she would feel better. He finished dressing and sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her gently.
"Grace," he said, "we need to go."
She stirred slightly. "Hmm?"
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Wake up, darling."
She turned onto her side and her eyes fluttered open. "Oh…" she said, looking slightly disoriented. "I'm sorry. I just meant to lay down and rest while you were taking your bath."
He smoothed her hair away from her face. "It's all right. But we really must go."
She sat up slowly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I know. Would you be able to grab some clothes for me so I can brush my teeth?"
"Certainly," he replied, and helped her off the bed. "Do you have a preference for—"
She waved him off. "No. Whatever you think will be fine for this appointment."
"All right." He watched her walk, a bit unsteady on her feet. "Are you able to make it there without assistance?"
"Yeah. I just feel like I'm moving underwater."
"Perhaps," he said, with worry in his voice, "I can request that they come to our room rather than our going to them."
She smiled, appreciative of his thoughtfulness. "It's okay. I need to keep moving. Don't forget, we have a toddler at home. I can't just sleep all day, every day."
"You are quite possibly the most headstrong woman I have ever met.
"One of the reasons you fell in love with me, right?" she replied as she closed the bathroom door.
One of the many reasons, he thought.
"So, what do you think they're going to do?" Grace asked as she and Loki walked down a long corridor toward the palace's medical wing. This was a hallway she hadn't explored on their last trip, but then, she hadn't had a reason to. "Is there an Asgardian version of an ultrasound or something?"
"Truthfully, I do not know. I have not exactly had much reason to inquire about maternity care."
She laughed. "I would hope not!"
"I do believe there are midwives who can tell us more about what symptoms you may experience that are specific to Jotun pregnancies," he said. "I would like to know whether we should come here for the birth or if a Midgardian hospital would suffice."
"Lord, I hope it's the second option. I can't imagine making that trip through the Bifrost when I'm about to give birth."
He hesitated, contemplating his next words. "Perhaps this is not the opportune moment to mention this, but Mother and Father are going to meet us."
She stopped dead in her tracks. "Excuse me?"
"I do not wish to unnerve you. Mother in particular is concerned, and Father wishes to keep apprised of the matter."
She was still aghast. "And he has to be there for that? Can't someone just send him a message? Usually doctor appointments aren't group activities, and I don't need my future in-laws in the room while someone is prodding me with God knows what."
He squeezed her hand. "It will not be invasive, I assure you. And they are merely concerned. It is their grandchild after all, and one which has been conceived under extraordinary circumstances."
"Not to mention it's the heir to the throne, after you and Thor, right?"
"Only if my dear brother does not do what is expected of him," he said. "They are not concerned about the implications for the realm, Grace. They are acting as our family, not as royals."
She remained skeptical but realized she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter. The important thing—the only important thing—was the safety of herself and the baby, and the only way to ensure that safety lay ahead of them. She let him lead her onward until they came to a set of stone pillars, beyond which she could see a large, glass table and dozens of an Asgardian approximation of test tubes, which floated in the air near the opposite wall. There were also medical instruments that she did not recognize, but that didn't surprise her.
Suddenly, someone behind them cleared their throat. They turned to find a woman standing just outside the door. She looked around Vivian's age, though Grace knew she must be several thousand years old, and she wore her hair in a braid that wrapped around her head like a crown. Her face was kind and she smiled warmly.
"Your Highness. Lady Grace," she said, "I am Leea. I was summoned to attend to you today."
Then, from behind Leea, appeared a familiar young woman with dark eyes and long, blonde hair. "Dagmar!" Grace exclaimed, instinctively hugging her.
Dagmar looked shocked but returned the gesture just the same. "It is good to see you again"—she glanced at Loki, slightly apprehensive—"Grace."
Leea swept into the room, her long blue dress grazing the stone floor. "Dagmar will be assisting me today. As you know, her area of expertise lies in preparing the ladies of the Court for royal events, but the queen suggested you might be more comfortable with a familiar face."
Grace smiled broadly. Maybe Loki was right; perhaps his parents really were just concerned with her and their grandchild. "Okay, so what do you need me to do? Do I need to change into a hospital gown or something?"
Leea looked slightly confused, but Loki intervened. "It is a Midgardian robe of sorts, worn by patients in their hospitals."
"Oh, no," she replied. "It is not necessary for you to change your clothing, but if you could remove your jewelry, that would be helpful. Then just lay down and try to relax."
He helped Grace onto the table, and she handed him her ring and necklace. Then she laid down and Dagmar slipped a pillow under her head. She expected to feel cold glass against her skin, but it seemed like the table was heated somehow. She tried to do as Leea said and relax, but it felt like she couldn't release tension from any of her muscles. She suspected it was because she desperately wanted to know what was to come.
While Leea and Dagmar were across the room preparing for the examination, Loki took her hand and kissed it. "My love, I will return shortly. I am going to see about Mother and—"
"Allfather!" Leea exclaimed as Odin marched into the room. She sank into a low curtsey alongside Dagmar, who looked rather frightened. Frigga followed closely behind and went directly to Grace's side.
Loki bowed his head. "Father. Mother."
Grace started to sit up, but Odin held up his hand. "Be still," he said gently. "I must speak with my son and the healers."
"How are you feeling?" Frigga asked.
"Oh, you know, fine, all things considered," Grace replied. "Bit nervous."
Frigga smiled encouragingly. "I assure you, nothing done here will cause you pain."
Meanwhile, Odin had beckoned Leea, Dagmar, and Loki to the other side of the room for a private conversation. "What have you learned so far?" he asked Leea.
"We are just about to begin the examination. We need to use the Essence Wand and the Soul Forge."
Loki immediately locked eyes with her and spoke with a sharp edge to his words. "The Soul Forge? She does not have an infection."
"Highness, forgive me, but the Forge will not only tell us whether she or the fetus have infections but also will process the data from the Essence Wand. It is not often used this way, as we rarely have occasion to need it for that reason."
"Is it likely that infection is present?" Odin asked.
"We do not know what we are dealing with, Majesty," Leea said, as Dagmar handed her a vial of blue liquid that she then poured into a cup. "We will also be able to extract samples of her existing symptoms to tell us not only how to treat them but perhaps what to expect in the future."
Odin nodded, dismissing them. Although Dagmar returned to the table, Odin and Loki remained across the room, away from where Leea was working. Typical men, Grace thought.
"I think they are trying to stay out of the way," Frigga said, almost as if reading her mind.
"Some things are universal, I guess." She looked at Dagmar. "Do you remember when I said that it would probably be impossible for a human and a demigod to reproduce?"
Dagmar smiled at the memory. "I do."
"Well, I guess I was wrong." She hesitated, and then asked, "Dagmar, I need you to tell me something, and I'm asking you because I know you'll be honest with me."
"Of course."
"Do you think—do you think it's likely that this pregnancy can work?"
"Well, we clearly cannot know what is possible, much less what is likely," Dagmar said quietly, but she smiled. "Then again, I never thought it possible that I would be more than a servant until recently."
Meanwhile, Odin and Loki silently watched Grace, Frigga, and Dagmar as Leea prepared the potion Grace would need to drink. "I believe congratulations are in order," Odin finally said.
"You are not disappointed?"
"Disappointed? No. Surprised? Quite."
"Well, I always endeavor to be unpredictable," Loki replied. Then, he lowered his voice. "You know, I told Grace that you and Mother are here out of concern as grandparents."
"Do you believe otherwise?"
Loki turned then, to face his father. "I am sure Mother is."
Odin frowned. "Do you truly think so little of me?" His voice betrayed a hint of sadness. "After all this time?"
"You are my father, but you are also the King of Asgard, Protector of the Nine Realms. It is not that I do not trust you. But I do not think it improbable that there is another motive for your insistence on being here. History informs that belief."
Before Odin could respond, Leea walked past them with what looked like a cup of tea and handed it to Grace. "Drink," she instructed.
Grace took a sip. It tasted like peppermint, and although it was cold, when she drank it, it warmed her through. "What is it? I don't mean to be annoying. I just like knowing what's going on."
"Of course," Leea said with an understanding smile. "Tis a potion. It will allow us to see not only you but also the fetus. We will also be able to view your symptoms, which we can extract to determine their expected duration and severity, as well as possibly predict future ones. We had to improvise slightly, however."
"Improvise what?" Loki suddenly appeared at Grace's side. She had almost forgotten he was in the room.
"Well, the potion is meant to allow us to view"—Leea hesitated, glancing back at Odin, who nodded—"Asgardian fetuses. We have never had the need to see a human fetus before, or a Jotun one, for that matter."
Loki stiffened slightly, then looked at Grace. "I am sorry that it sounds as if we are experimenting on you."
"Honey, I'm having a baby that is only partially human. I kind of expected to feel like a science project."
Dagmar laughed. "I told you she was funny," she said to Leea.
"It will certainly make this much easier on all involved," Leea said. "The more relaxed you are, the better we will be able to observe what is going on inside you."
Once Grace had finished the potion, she laid back down, suddenly slightly dizzy. "Am I supposed to feel like—"
Leea raised her hands. "You may feel a bit dizzy, perhaps nauseated, for a moment. It will pass." Suddenly, a blue, shimmering silhouette of a human body appeared above Grace. It hovered above her, almost like a translucent, three-dimensional mannequin.
She was astounded. "Is that me?"
"Yes." Leea moved her hand across the silhouette. It rippled slightly, and then an invisible screen of some kind appeared in front of Leea with writing and symbols that Grace did not understand.
"Well?" Odin asked, suddenly appearing at the end of the table at Grace's feet. "What do you see?"
Leea moved her hand again, this time upwards. "I see no sign of infection in her. Now, prepare yourselves…"
Suddenly, the silhouette split. Grace's image was still there but had moved to one side. Loki heard Frigga gasp quietly, but his eyes were fixated on the portion that had splintered away and was now hovering so near him that he could have touched it. He thought back to the night Grace told him she was pregnant, of how he had been angry with himself and terrified that he had contributed to the making of a monster. Even up until now, he had been secretly worried that, despite what he told her, he would not be able to feel the way he should about a being he had helped create.
But those feelings no longer existed. The fear, anxiety, and self-doubt evaporated. What he was looking at was no bigger than a strawberry, its limbs fully formed, with the tiniest fingers and toes he had ever seen. He couldn't tell much more beyond that, but it didn't much matter.
From the second he saw it, he was in love with his child.
"Oh my God," Grace said, without a hint of irony. She put her hand over her heart and looked up at him. "Loki, that's—we made that." She began to cry, and Dagmar handed her a handkerchief. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, still processing the cascade of emotions pouring over him. He gripped her hand like he was holding on for dear life.
"I love you," he said, simply and quietly, and he meant it, more than ever.
Meanwhile, Leea was carefully studying measurements on the invisible screen. "Excuse me for a moment," she said as she left the table. She returned quickly with what looked like one of those wands they used at the airport for random security screenings.
"What's that?" Grace asked.
"Your world's closest equivalent would be a spectrometer," Odin said, coming around to Frigga's side as he carefully observed the floating images. "We are measuring the child's life force to determine its composition."
Frigga laid a hand on her husband's arm, as if to remind him that he may as well have been speaking another language. "You see, my dear, each race of beings is comprised of different energies, which we call life forces. A human's life force is completely different than an Asgardian's."
"Or a Jotun," Leea added. She moved the wand slowly over the tiny ball of light still floating in midair.
"So, this is going to show you how much of the baby is human and how much is Jotun?" Grace asked.
Leea nodded. "This is also the part where I extract samples of your symptoms to examine them. Be as still as you can." Grace watched, mesmerized, as Leea waved the wand over her image, pulling out bursts of colors that were absorbed into the wand. She suddenly felt much lighter, and much less exhausted. Before long, Leea waved the invisible screen away. "All right. I need to run these through the Forge. Hopefully I will have results within a few minutes."
"I would like to monitor the progress myself," Odin said.
"Of course," Leea replied with a curtsey. They both went back to the other side of the room, having a quiet conversation about the testing process.
"May I get anyone anything?" Dagmar asked.
"No, thank you," Grace replied, as did Frigga.
Dagmar glanced at Loki. "Highness?"
He snapped back to attention. So lost was he in the wonder of his child that he had lost track of what was going on around him.
"I—oh, no, thank you." The truth was that the only thing he wanted was to know what lay in store for all of them.
Frigga, realizing that Grace and Loki needed a moment alone, gently drew Dagmar away from the table by the arm. "Come, Dagmar. I must discuss the upcoming banquet with you while we have a moment; several of the ladies have requested your services."
When everyone was out of earshot, Grace looked up at Loki. "I can't believe what we're seeing up there." She was on the verge of tears again.
"Up until now, I believe I subconsciously still doubted it was possible," he admitted, looking from her to the hologram and back again. Then, he laughed quietly. She was immediately taken back to the first time she heard it. They had been in the park, near Strawberry Fields, and she had made some dumb joke referencing the first night they'd met—she couldn't even remember what she'd said, but she remembered the sound of his laughter. It was melodious and genuine. And despite the passage of time, she had never grown tired of hearing it. She hoped the baby would have that laugh.
"Do I want to know?" she asked.
A hint of mischief sparkled in his emerald eyes. "Oh, I was just thinking that Stark once made a quite sarcastic remark about my 'performance issues.' It is too bad he cannot see how wrong he was."
She rolled her eyes. "Your sense of humor is twisted sometimes, you know that?"
He echoed her earlier words. "One of the reasons you fell in love with me, is it not?"
Suddenly, she realized that she felt much less exhausted and nauseated than she had in weeks. She wondered if it had to do with Leea extracting samples of her symptoms. Thankfully, it was then that Leea and Odin returned, expressionless. Before the older woman could say anything, Grace asked, "Do you have to put what you took out back in?"
Leea shook her head. "No. But I cannot take all of the symptoms from you, either. Your body will simply continue to generate them. However, for the short term, those you have now will be lessened."
Loki seemed even more relieved by this than Grace did. "Well, that was not exactly the treatment I was expecting, but it will do, won't it?"
"As long as I'm not throwing up everything I eat, I'm good," she said. "Can I sit up now?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," Leea said. "I just need to…"
She lifted both her hands in the air and brought them down. Suddenly, the images of both Grace and the fetus disappeared. Grace sat up, feeling slightly saddened at the loss of the image of her child, but anxious to know more about the pregnancy. Leea called out to Frigga, who dismissed Dagmar and returned to the table. Grace was disappointed that she was unable to say goodbye to the girl who had been so kind to her, but she knew this would not be the last they would see of each other.
"So," Loki asked anxiously, "have you discovered anything that may be helpful to us?"
"I am quite surprised to say that we have learned even more than I expected. Would you like me to begin with the good news or the bad?"
Grace's stomach dropped. She looked at Loki, whose face had gone pale. She expected him to take the lead, but it appeared as though he was, for once, incapable of forming words. "I—we might as well start with the bad," she finally replied.
"All right. I should begin by saying that we cannot predict every symptom you may experience. And as I said before, I cannot keep the symptoms from recurring. For the next day or two, you will feel better, but the extraction process is only temporary. Based on what I extracted, and the way it reacted when put through the Forge, you will experience all the symptoms of a human pregnancy—nausea, exhaustion, shortness of breath, and the like—and the symptoms will be severe, more severe than if the fetus was fully human."
Grace was instantly horrified by this idea; she had barely made it a month with this nausea. How could she stand it for nine months? But then she realized what that meant: the pregnancy was safe to carry to term. "Okay, well…that's not as bad as it could be, I guess."
"That, however, is the extent of the bad news. Are you ready for the good?"
"After that, there's nowhere to go but up," Grace replied.
"Please tell me the Jotun-to-human ratio is at least somewhat balanced," Loki said, startling Grace, who wasn't expecting him to ask something like that.
"Your child's life force is comprised of approximately 70% human essence and 30% Jotun."
Color returned to his face, but his brow remained furrowed with concern. "What does that mean?"
"From what we can tell, and what I can predict, it will have the overall appearance of a human, including its rate of growth after birth. To the eye, your child will appear as any other human would. As for the Jotun portion—"
"Wait, back up," Grace interjected. "You said its rate of growth after birth will be like a human. What does that mean about its growth before birth?"
"Ah, yes, of course. The date of your conception was when?"
"The doctor—the one on Earth, I mean—said it was sometime in—in mid-April. Maybe the fourteenth," she replied, blushing slightly as she remembered that there were still other people besides Loki in the room—specifically the king and queen. She knew they knew how babies were made, of course, but there was something weird about acknowledging she and their son had made one while in the palace. It was like having sex in your parents' (very opulent) house. Thankfully, neither Frigga nor Odin reacted to this revelation.
"Well, judging from the progression of the fetus' growth, it seems that it is developing at an advanced rate from a normal human pregnancy. To put it quite simply, it has been six calendar weeks since you conceived, but the fetus is as developed as a human would be at nine weeks."
"Does that mean I'm going to be pregnant for less than forty weeks?"
"My best estimate," Leea said," is that you would be ready to deliver the baby at six, perhaps six-and-a-half months. Which brings me back to the symptoms. While they will continue to be severe, they will last for a much shorter time. Your nausea, for example, will likely pass within the next two weeks. As to the cold in your abdomen—"
"I presume that is from my side," Loki said.
Leea nodded. "While the child will look human, it will nevertheless possess many Jotun traits. It will prefer cold temperatures and have an increased resistance to injury. There is also the potential for superhuman strength, although that will need to be assessed after it is born."
He wanted to be sure he understood completely. "But—it will not be capable of transforming into a purely Jotun form?"
"No," she replied. "That I can say with absolute certainty. Were that going to be possible, the life force analysis would have shown it. I see no evidence that it will have the distinguishing features of a Frost Giant."
When they first arrived in Asgard, all Loki had wanted was to know that Grace could safely carry the child. Yet he also felt an immense sense of relief in knowing that his child would not have to conceal its true nature.
"If I may," Frigga said, "would you recommend that Grace return here for the delivery of the child, or would a Midgardian hospital be sufficient?" Grace couldn't help but notice that Frigga had phrased the question in almost the exact words that Loki had used earlier. He truly was his mother's son, just as Amy was, in many ways, her father's daughter.
Before Leea could answer, Odin spoke for the first time since she had delivered the examination results. "I believe the child should be birthed here." Loki, Frigga, and Grace all turned to look at him, hoping for an explanation. "The child may be a Frost Giant and a human by essence, but it will be of Asgard, a member of the royal family."
"It will also be a member of my family," Grace replied without even thinking. The last time she spoke to the Allfather plainly, he had been amused. This time, she worried he would not be quite so forgiving. However, Odin had developed an affection for her, especially after having met his existing grandchild.
"It is not my wish to discount your family's attachment to this child. You may bring whomever you wish to the palace to attend the birth, and they will be treated as our family. But," he said, a serious look on his normally impassive face, "I must insist on this—command it—as King of Asgard."
Loki stared at his father, knowing there was in fact something more going on, something that had nothing to do with grandfatherly concern. He determined he would find out what exactly it was, but that would take some time and possibly clandestine investigation. But for now, he needed Grace to let it go, so he put a hand on her arm, squeezing a warning to her.
She opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly, turning back to Leea. "Thank you. You have no idea how much of a relief it is to know that the baby and I are both safe."
"I am glad to have been of service," Leea replied. "Is there anything else I can answer for you?"
Loki was about to say no, but Grace stopped him. "There is one other thing, actually."
"Yes?"
"I need you to settle an argument. Just so I'm clear, hot baths aren't safe, right?"
Leea furrowed her brow. "Warm showers would be fine," she said, "but until the child is born, I would strongly discourage hot water. Even human fetuses cannot tolerate submersion in hot water for extended periods of time, as I am sure you know. With partial Jotun composition, this fetus would be completely unable to, even for a few minutes. A fully-grown Frost Giant, yes. This fetus? No."
Grace shot Loki a triumphant look, knowing he would roll his eyes and pretend to be irritated. But, his mind on his father's command, Loki was too distracted to give even the illusion of annoyance.