THE INCARNATION


Chapter 18: Year Fifteen: Succession


Jane lay in the hospital bed. The hum of monitors and interminable beeps of machines held a steady rhythm around her, reminding her she still breathed, that her heart still beat. She inhaled deeply through the oxygen tubes running into her lungs.

Up, down. Up, down. In, out. In, out.

With all the strength her depleted body could sustain, she clung to the pair of bundles carefully balanced on her bare chest. With each breath, the pair heads rose and fell. They were so light she could barely feel their weight. She could feel their warmth, their tiny movements as they yawned and wiggled their limbs within their tightly wrapped blankets.

They were too small, too weak, too early. For a time, there, Jane thought none of them would survive. The hum of machines reminded her that she still lived and the low, golden glow of magic enveloping each newborn showed why their little hearts kept beating, despite their premature entrance into their shared world.

By the swish of a long skirt against the tiled floor and the quiet pair of footsteps, Jane knew she wasn't alone in the hospital room. Graceful hands took one baby from her and held the little being up so Jane could see the little face. A pair of blue eyes, so very familiar, peered down at her from that aged face and gave her a sincere, hesitant smile. A little squeak of protest emanated from the infant in her arms and the eyes cracked open, showing an echo of the exact same inhumanly beautiful shade of blue.

"Oh, little darling. It is time for you to eat and you must allow your sister some time to have her mother all to herself. It is also time for your amma to have you all to myself," she said. Then she placed a kiss on the little nose and swept across the room. Her golden skirts against the sterile hospital room jarred Jane's sense of cognitive dissonance and she forced herself to blink again, just to ensure it wasn't all a vivid, disjointed dream. No, Frigga, the Allmother of Asgard remained in the room with her, sitting on a blue plastic chair in the corner of the white room. A series of bottles stood on a nearby table. With a swish of a hand and a shower of gold, the contents of each bottle changed color before she lifted them to the mouth of the boy in her arms.

The arrival of the Queen of Asgard in her hospital room was only one of a long series of surprises that left Jane feeling like she had no capacity for shock left in her. She really shouldn't be surprised by anything these days. A trained dragon as a French chef? A pair of flying goats playing football? Butterfly milk capable of turning wood to gold? Sure, why not? After all she'd been through the past few years, she'd believe almost anything.

It had all started with that trip to the ER almost two years ago. Those routine blood tests showed more than the strain of influenza afflicting her. She came home in a righteous fury, ready to impale Thor on his hammer if she couldn't manage to pummel him with the relic.

"Thor! What did you do?" She screeched, without so much as a preamble.

He looked at her with a half-guilty, sheepish expression on his face. "I'm sorry?" he asked, more as a question than a statement. Then, as if recollecting himself, his eyes grew wide. "Oh! I forgot to buy the stamps! With your illness and the school fieldtrip and Erick's birthday party, it completely slipped my mind! I'll take the letters to the post office directly! Your recipients will not be overly inconvenienced, yes?"

She stamped her foot and glared at him. "Not the stamps! I don't care about the letters."

He grew befuddled again. By the frantic movements of his eyes, she knew he was groping through his memories, searching for the cause of her irritation. She let out an exasperated breath. "Thor, I thought we agreed. No more children. Why would you use your Mjolnir pendant without telling me? We've been through this before. We have to both agree. I'm too old for this!"

Thor's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand."

"I'm pregnant."

"I thought you said you were past childbearing years."

"Yeah. That's what I thought - until I met you. Now, tell me why I'm pregnant again? We've only ever conceived when you use your magic mojo necklace. Tell me the truth. What did you do?"

He lifted up his hands in a show of surrender and gaped. "I swear by the throne of Asgard that I did not participate in your current pregnancy… I mean… uh… I suppose, if you are with child, then I did participate somehow, or, at least I would hope it was only my participation that assisted in your condition, but not in the way that you are accusing…"

"Thor…," she interrupted, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him.

"I swear to you, I have not utilized my pendant since Erick's conception."

"Ugh, Thor! If you weren't such a terrible liar, I would accuse you of lying!"

"Perhaps I am ignorant of its effectiveness and should keep it farther from the house? If my pendant has proved too efficacious, it was entirely and completely unintentional on my part."

"Thor!"

He shrugged and came to wrap his arms around her and she buried her head in the familiar pillow of his chest. There, she closed her eyes and listened to the familiar cadence of his heartbeat. She drank in the scent that clung to his clothes, no matter what detergent she used to wash them. She sighed.

They would figure it out. They always did. While not the path she expected her life to take, she couldn't say it was the first time they'd been dished up unexpected events. They always made the most of it. She swallowed down the bittersweet taste of regret on her tongue as she calculated how long she could manage to continue full time research with a newborn in the mix. She'd just gotten into a new rhythm and embraced her new life stage and now they would be starting over again.

"All will be well, my Jane," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "I do not understand how or why, but I do know that all will be well."

She stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Thor's lips. His beard tickled and she let out a giggle. She felt his answering chuckle reverberate through his chest.

"I know," she answered. She even believed it.

Then, at least, she believed it.

It was harder to accept when the pregnancy failed to follow typical stages of development.

"Twins!" the doctor told her, on that first visit. She shouldn't have been surprised by that, but she couldn't help it.

"Ugh! Seriously, Thor?" she had hissed back to her husband. She planned to kick him in the shins once she was allowed to sit up again.

He shrugged. "They run in my family. My father had twin brothers and his father before him."

"Two sets of twins? That first set almost killed us!"

"The greater surprise is that Erick was not a twin."

"You aren't making me feel better."

"Twins are a gift! A show of a man's stamina and strength and a mother's fertility. They are a great honor!"

"Thor…," she said in warning.

Thor leaned over to kiss her to stop whatever she was about to say next and then squeezed her hand.

The children proved the most receptive of the news.

"I hope we get more sisters!" Rose squeaked in delight.

"I want brothers!" Erick said, nearly bouncing on his heels in excitement.

"Well, you got a fifty-fifty chance of being right. Whoever guesses right gets to share your room with the new siblings," Jane answered. At their shared groans, she laughed. "I suppose Erick is almost big enough to stay in the trailer… or maybe it's time your father and I move back into the trailer and let you hooligans take over the house."

They still had time, Jane kept reminding herself. At only ten weeks gestation, it would be some time before they needed to tear apart the whole house and throw the family schedule back into the blender to figure out their new normal. At least, that's what she thought, then.

Until that third visit to the doctor.

"The fetuses are not developing anywhere near as much as they should," the doctor said, concern in her eyes as she moved the measuring tape around Jane's bare abdomen. "Their heart rates are a bit abnormal as well. We will need to schedule another ultrasound and run some tests to ensure all is well."

It may not have been the most professional way for the ultrasound tech to handle such a delicate situation, but her surprise overtook her training. She burst out her observations as soon as she saw the screen.

"What in the world? I've never seen anything like it!"

Her subsequent attempts to mask her outburst with a façade of normalcy was stopped by Jane's glare and Thor's frown.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's just… it's like the hearts have an additional chamber. The brains are not developing normally. Then, here and here – there are two additional organs that shouldn't be there and that's just the beginning! In all my years, I've never seen anything quite like it!"

Tears began to settle in the corner of Jane's eyes as she stared at the colored screens. It was Thor's sudden exclamations of words she didn't understand that distracted her from the moving, wriggling images.

"What was that?" Jane asked. "I don't think you were speaking English."

"I don't believe there is an English equivalent – or even a Midgardian equivalent in any language. Your biology does not include those organs. I spoke what they are called on Asgard. The Aesir use that one near the lungs to survive in low-oxygen environments and that other enhances our metabolism in times of starvation," he said as he pointed at the enlarged image on the screen.

"Thor, are you trying to tell me that our kids aren't human?" Jane hissed.

He gaped at her. "I am not sure what I am telling you. I was simply identifying those additional organs. I am not an expert on Aesir biology, but I know enough for that."

It was at this point that they realized the ultrasound tech was still in the room… and her eyes were so wide they might as well have been pizza dishes. Jane groaned and recognized they probably should have had this conversation after the appointment… without an audience. Though, in hindsight, it was already too late. This wasn't even the beginning of the end of their human charade.

No, in truth, any hope of staying under the radar was shot the moment Loki moved into their trailer. For awhile, Jane suspected he had tried to be as ostentatious as possible, just to blow their cover in as many ways as possible. However, only Louis was in on the secret, so far, and so she hoped that was the end of the breach.

Covering up half-alien kids growing at almost half the rate of a human kid proved nearly impossible to keep hidden for long.

At first, it wasn't so hard. Switching doctors, dodging calls, and avoiding visitors could keep questions to a minimum for a bit, but that was only a short-term solution. It's a little hard to cover up an abnormal pregnancy when it turns out the pregnancy is going to last years rather than months.

Over three freaking years.

It wasn't fair.

"If they were Aesir, you would carry them for seven years," Thor informed her, most unhelpfully.

"Thank God they aren't fully Aesir! Seven years? I would die."

She wished that was an exaggeration, but as months progressed, she didn't think it was. Based on what could be discovered about their rate of development, Thor assumed they were not fully Aesir.

It all made sense, though, when she finally managed to calculate the rate of development backwards.

Freaking Loki.

Of course, it was all Loki's fault.

She was convinced he did it on purpose. She raged and threw things at a wall. She shouted at Loki as if he was in the room and she threatened to build an Einstein-Rosen bridge just to go to Asgard to kick his ass herself. Afterwards, she blamed most of her excess tears and fury on her unending fount of pregnancy hormones coursing through her body. Then she plotted her revenge all over again.

Yet, no matter how she raged or roared, Loki never showed his smug face or so much as sent a cosmic "joke's on you" card. She wasn't sure if his absence at this point was a relief. Sometimes, she found herself hoping he'd appear, just to mess with their address and keep the pizza delivery guy away. Yet, he never did.

She rather missed his interference when SHIELD began to turn up in her neighborhood. She quickly realized that whatever magic sparkle shielding spell or mind-messing mojo Loki had put over their house to keep Thor's identity a secret would not handle the breach her alien offspring wrought. Soon, it was not just her doctor's office calling her but agents in dark glasses and scientists with scanners and test tubes. Realizing they could not approach their house, agents began to accost her and Thor at the grocery store and the elementary school and the neighborhood park. It wasn't until Jane agreed to visit the SHIELD base and speak with Agent Coulson herself that they were given any reprieve.

What could they do? Thor really couldn't lie to save his life and it's not like Jane could pretend she wasn't two years pregnant with alien spawn. They didn't know what else to do so they told the truth.

"He's a banished alien prince stuck in a human body… a very human body… and we've been very normal and boring. Then his brother showed up, turned me into an alien, and I got pregnant while I was an alien. I'm not an alien anymore, I promise."

Yeah, no matter how Jane tried to explain it, she could not deflect SHIELD's displeasure or allay their suspicions. To say SHIELD was displeased to discover the presence of an undocumented alien within their jurisdiction would be an understatement. They were even more upset to find out that travel and communication between realms occurred on a regular basis, all without their knowledge or detection. Day after day, Jane and Thor were interrogated over every action and decision they had made in the last fifteen years… and beyond. Any hope of returning to their anonymous existence was blown to bits when agents began to call up each of their friends and co-workers to find out if they were in on the secret and if they could corroborate their story.

Darcy was the only one who benefited from these external interviews. SHIELD showed up at her door with a large check in exchange for all her research and a contract to hire her for more work in the future.

"I am officially the top social science researcher on extraterrestrial political systems! Can my life get any cooler?" she exclaimed. "Oh, yeah. Soon, I'll be the honorary aunt to the next Percy Jackson and Hercules. My life is officially the best ever!"

Jane snorted at that and rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you can benefit from my life falling into complete and utter upheaval."

"Maybe they'll be able to cast little lightning bolts or have their own pet unicorns or something."

"Perfect! A toddler who wields lightning! There's absolutely nothing that can go wrong with that!" Jane retorted.

It wasn't only Darcy who was caught up in the novelty of her growing twins. It was only a matter of time before a swarm of white lab coats descended upon the Foster-Odinson family and insisted on running tests over each and every member of the family in their lab and studying them. In minutiae. They even took samples of their fingernails.

It wasn't all bad. As the twins grew, Jane began to appreciate access to a high-tech medical facility with doctors used to all manner of weird and wonderful who were also sworn to secrecy. Jane realized she would need their help, if she was going to survive this.

While the twins grew painfully slow, it soon became apparent they would also grow stronger than human fetuses. As they quickened, Jane could barely hold in her winces as they kicked and moved against her delicate muscles. She also struggled to keep up with their nutritional needs. No matter how much she ate or how many vitamins she took, she kept losing weight and showed signs of malnutrition. Then there was the bone-crushing fatigue. She was so tired all the time that she could hardly function.

The fatigue alone would have kept her from continuing her day job, but being trapped in a super-secret government facility for weeks of interrogation had already taken care of that. She supposed it was for the best. She rather hoped her research could have benefited from their sudden exposure– if not for the taint of suspicion SHIELD held her in. Apparently secretly harboring an alien fugitive didn't give her any brownie points in SHIELD's book. Somehow, carrying on an extended love affair with the extraterrestrial prince and bearing his alien love children made SHIELD even less likely to take her astrophysics work seriously.

It was her womb and the beings encased within which drew all their attention and focus, not her theories on Einstein-Rosen Bridges. The scientists in the lab nearly drooled with the possibilities for research this opportunity presented and came out armed with hypodermic needs and test tubes en masse. After all, Rose, Dahlia, Erick and Thor were terribly, horribly terrestrial. There was absolutely nothing about their physiology that raised any questions. For all intents and purposes, they were completely and utterly human.

The twins in her womb were not. Well, partly not. And that part that was not drew SHIELD to her like flies to honey and she didn't know how to wriggle herself out of their cloying curiosity. The tests she was forced to endure had grown more and more intrusive and SHIELD began curtailing her freedom in ways she found intolerable. She did not know what would happen if she refused to follow their directives or where they could go if SHIELD decided she was not "allowed" to leave. She was even more worried about what would happen when the twins were born. The organization that stole all her life's work without batting an eye would have not compunction about squirreling away her offspring in the name of "global security" and "science." That was a fate she could not tolerate, no matter what.

Before she could grow any more concerned, a certain Asgardian prince showed up in their living room one night out of the blue. At first, she didn't know whether she wanted to punch him or hug him. Obviously, she decided violence was the best course of action. Later, after slapping him in the face, she could admit to herself she was relieved to see him.

At first, Jane was convinced this was all part of Loki's plan. The man overanalyzed everything. Of course, he knew exactly what would happen when he turned her into an Aesir. This was all part of his plan to throw their lives into perpetual chaos for his private entertainment.

After his hours of questions and apologies, she was less convinced, but he was such a convincing liar, she was hesitant to truly accept his innocence. Weeks later, he still insisted it was an unintended consequence and he would do all he could to mitigate its effects.

She was still tempted to punch him in the face every time she saw him. She tried it a few more times, till she realized it hurt her more than him. It was somehow satisfying to try.

She grew less inclined to strike him on sight when he obtained some glowing green Asgardian moss. At first, she suspected it was some kind of psychedelic substance, despite all his claims that it was a "vital nutrient for Aesir babes." When she finally worked up enough nerve to taste it, the bitter taste nearly made her vomit. However, her energy immediately improved and within a few days, she was feeling almost normal again – or as normal as a beached whale can really feel. She didn't completely strike out the theory that it had some kind of mind-altering properties, but then again, she wasn't sure if her outlandish dreams were caused by pregnancy hormones, the moss, or Loki's irritating presence.

It was some weeks later that Loki stormed the SHIELD headquarters on their behalf. He forced his way deep into their underground bunker, fury clouding his face and magic sparking from his fingertips like an avenging angel.

"How dare you intrude in the affairs of a Son of Odin and treat Aesir babes as beasts!" he shouted through the halls to any who could hear.

He spent the next two weeks in closed-door meetings with none other but Director Fury himself. Loki refused to share all the details (or what threats and bribes he used to accomplish his purposes), however at the end of it, SHIELD backed off. They offered extensive (though not very sincere) apologies to the Foster-Odinson family, released Jane from attendance to tests and meetings, and no longer visibly followed their every movement.

When Jane asked about it, Loki's eyes glinted with a dark green sheen and he grinned. "I simply insisted on forming the first Midgardian-Asgardian treaty ever to be signed. It is very simple. If they wish for Asgard as allies, then they will leave you be. If they so much as move a stone of your firepit, a legion of Einherjar will surround the House of Thor and your enemies will find themselves on the wrong side of the Bifrost."

"But Father…," Thor began.

Loki interrupted him with a frown. "Father should have developed the treaty himself before banishing you to these soils. We transgressed Midgardian autonomy by not treating this realm with the same protocol we would treat affairs with any other realm. Father could not banish you to Nidavellir without getting permission from the Queen's Spokesman. Why should Midgard be any different?"

At Thor's open-mouthed expression, Loki laughed and turned to Jane. "Lady Jane, you accuse me of oft belittling your realm and yet neglect to address the deficiencies in your vaunted warrior. Please, inform the Heir of the Nine why Asgard should have a working treaty with Midgard."

Rather than rising to Loki's bait, she sat forward a bit in her chair and forced Loki back to the topic she truly wished to discuss.

"So, they will actually leave us alone?" Jane mused, unsure whether to feel more dubious or hopeful.

"As much as you prefer to be left alone. Your condition is rather unusual, so you may benefit from the knowledge and insights of their healers as you progress. However, I leave it to your discretion whether you wish to seek them out or keep to your own counsel. Thor, also, if you wish to utilize your knowledge of Asgard to Midgard's benefit, you may seek out a position as a consultant or emissary of some kind. I did not inquire into the particulars, however, the position will be compensated and based on your willingness to accept it. There should be no compulsion of any kind and if there is even a hint of mistreatment, they will be answering to me… and I will not be pleased."

"I wonder," Jane mused, thinking to herself.

"What?" Thor asked.

"I wonder if they could help us sort out your citizenship mess. You know what a quandary we've been in? We can't get you a Green Card or citizenship without papers from your home country – which don't exist. In case anything happens to me, you'd be in a bit of a mess. It would be nice for you to be legal enough to be able to get a job that isn't so physically demanding, too. You aren't getting any younger and construction is pretty grueling."

"I will overlook the assault on my strength and eternal youth and instead focus on your desire for our well-being," Thor answered, with a rueful glance at his brother.

Loki didn't bother to hide his smirk at his brother. However, he addressed Jane with his answer.

"I know nothing about cards of any color but I do believe SHIELD's current knowledge of your true identity could be used to your benefit, now that they are wary of Asgard's involvement. I have discerned from their agents that Asgard is not the first extraterrestrial contact they have on record and they have been keeping close observations on a number of other beings, including the Skrull. I believe Thor's knowledge, if we can dare give the fluff in his head such a designation, could be useful."

By this point, Jane had decided she no longer wanted to inflict physical pain on Loki. In fact, she was so grateful that she threw her arms around him in a teary-eyed hug and was genuinely sad to see him return to Asgard.

By the time Loki left, Thor was officially on the SHIELD payroll and part of the same committee as Darcy Lewis. It paid better than construction and the benefits were a hell of a lot more to speak of, but she secretly thought she preferred seeing him in his torn, messed jeans than the dark suits he now wore. He even shaved.

They never did manage to inform SHIELD of Thor's connection to Mjolnir. Perhaps it never came up. Perhaps it was Loki's subtle sense of irony. Perhaps Thor still preferred not to admit to his mark of shame in public without need. In any case, Mjolnir remained where it lay, in the flickering, florescent lights of the tavern, taunting patrons to display their worthiness to their companions.

They could never quite go back to being "just human," not after so much happening, but at least they were able to forge a new way of being that in some ways felt a more genuine reflection of their Asgardian/Midgardian family. The subsequent conversations with all their acquaintances proved a bit awkward. They had to switch the kids to a new school and even considered moving for awhile. Thor refused.

"I am tired of hiding and pretending to be something I'm not. This is who we are. Let us embrace it and see where the bilgesnipes lay after they finish their charge."

Jane let out an exasperated huff but then accepted his invitation into his open arms. He squeezed her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"All will be well, my Jane."

"I know."

It was harder to hold to that hope when Jane grew ill. The virus should have been simple enough for her immune system to fight. However, she was already so worn down that it hit her harder than it should have. When she woke, gasping for breath and unable to sit upright, Thor panicked and took her to SHIELD's medical facility in the middle of the night. She didn't ask to leave and they didn't send her home. No matter what treatments they gave her, she only grew weaker and weaker. Soon, they feared they would have to deliver the babies, though based on their size, they were barely more than the equivalent of six months gestation.

"If we don't, Jane will die. She can't continue as she is," the doctor said. "Her body is shutting down. I can't promise we can save the babies, but this is the only way we can save Jane."

That night, Jane lay on her hospital bed hooked to machines, her eyes greedily taking in the sight of her husband and three children nearby. With each unsteady breath, she tried to burn them into her memory, as if by doing so, she could carry them with her forever. Weakly, too weakly, she grasped each of their hands in turn. Her intubated larynx could not force out any words and so she used her fingers to sign the words she wanted to make sure to say.

"I love you."

"You will live, Jane," Thor said, his own tears streaming down his rough cheeks as he knelt beside her. "You must live. Please. I can't… Jane, do not leave me here alone."

"I love you," she signed again. Then she rested her fingers around his wrist and let her heavy eyelids fall closed.

Her chest rose and fell, rose and fell. Up and down. Up and down.

Still she lived and so there was hope.

She held her hands on the soft, vibrating mound of her abdomen for as long as she could. She could feel the press of their feet, the hard bumps from their little heads, their strong and vibrant twists and turns. For now, they still lived. So little was known of their anatomy or what treatments could support them that the doctors tried to prepare her for the worst. So, she held her hands as close to them as she could, trying not to think about anything but the sensation of their movements within her.

It was only an hour before the scheduled inducement that two uninvited beings appeared in her hospital room in a flash of light. She woke up with a start. In their Asgardian clothes and armor, so tall and stately, Jane thought she was dreaming. She knew one was Loki. She recognized the woman beside him from Thor's brief communications with his mother. She had talked to Frigga many times over the years, but seeing her in person was an entirely different experience. The only way Jane could explain it was that Frigga filled the room with her presence in a way that turned the profane hospital room into hallowed sanctuary.

"Greetings, Lady Jane," Loki whispered into her ear as he knelt before her. "Do not fret. All shall be well soon."

Frigga came and bent down to place a kiss on her head and then she took Jane's hand in hers. She felt Loki's hand rest on her shoulder and a steady warmth flooded her entire body. Within a few minutes, Jane was asleep.

There was no way to tell how long she slept or what occurred during her unconsciousness. The next time she woke, she found Thor beside her, anxiously holding her hand. She blinked into the light of the room and squeezed his hand, causing his heavy eyes to open and he sat up straight.

"Jane! There you are!" he said. He clasped her hand tighter and he stared into her eyes, unwilling to look away. "I thought you would never awaken again. You have no idea what a relief it is to see those beautiful eyes of yours. Oh, Jane! Are you truly still here with me?"

She blinked again and tried to look around. However, her head felt so heavy she couldn't do more than look to the door. She tried to nod in response, but she could not. Instead, she squeezed his hand in answer.

Then, unconsciously, she moved her free hand to rest against her stomach. Instead of a wriggling, moving mound, there was only a deflated expanse of flesh, sore and silent. Her heart nearly dropped to the floor. Her eyes grew wide and panicked and begged Thor to answer her with her eyes.

His smile was as fragile as it was sincere – as if a broken vase glued back together again. "The twins are fine," he said. "They are with Mother. You do not need to fear for them. It is for good reason that she has sometimes been called the 'goddess of motherhood.' You could not ask for a better guardian for our young ones."

Jane gave a sigh of relief and her eyes fluttered closed. If she ever managed to speak again, she would have such a store of questions that it would take Thor a month to answer. She looked forward to the day she could ask them. Today was not that day. It only took another moment before she was asleep.

Another month passed in that hospital room before she was released to go home. She was still so weak that Thor had to borrow a wheelchair and carry her from room-to-room all day and night. However, that blasted tube was out of her throat and her lungs filled with air all on their own and she knew she would be ok. Somehow. Sometime. She would be ok.

To her surprise, her house was cleaner than she had ever seen it. When Thor brought her home, she stared around the living room as if it was the wrong house and she arched an eyebrow in his direction. He laughed.

"Mother put Loki in charge of the older children and tending to the house. I was tasked with your care. She took on herself the care of the babes."

"Maybe I will renege my prohibition on Loki staying here," Jane said. "I've never seen it this clean."

"I think you are right."

"Are the kids ok?"

"They have been very worried. Knowing you are soon to be home with them has strengthened their spirits and they will soon be well."

She was soon pummeled by three very relieved children and Thor could barely pry them from her arms for her to sleep again.

"Dad has been so worried! He even forgets to eat and Uncle tied him to a chair three times to make sure he ate," Erick told her.

"Did he now?"

"When he refused to sleep, Uncle putting a sleeping spell on him and he collapsed right there in the living room, where he stood. He nearly knocked over the bookshelf," Rose added in. "Uncle had to carry him to bed or he would have slept all night, right there on the floor!"

"Wow! I can't say I'm surprised. By any of it."

The following days saw Jane resting in her own bed, in her own house. Thor brought her food at regular intervals and helped her wash and take care of herself. Loki brought in the children to visit her a few times each day and Frigga spent the greater part of each day with her, both babes in her arms.

"I am constantly covering them in magic," Frigga explained, when Jane asked about the golden glow enveloping each. "The magic helps them grow and stay alive, though they are so young and fragile. I must always stay nearby so that they are well. If I neglect to sustain the spell, they will wither away."

"I'm so glad you are here," Jane answered, tears in her eyes. "I'm so grateful you came."

"The pleasure is all mine," Frigga answered. She brought the twins over to the bed and settled one on each side of Jane. "There is no joy that can compare to seeing my children and grandchildren well."

Frigga sat on the bed next to Jane and began to sing a song in her natal tongue. Jane was not sure if it was Vanir or Aesir but the haunting melody was one of the most beautiful she had ever heard. She drifted off to sleep to the sound, her dreams full of cascading waters and golden pillars and endless stars.

It took two months before Jane was finally strong enough to walk around the house on her own. She reveled in the freedom this gave her and the sense of autonomy that returned. She might not be up for a marathon yet, but she could help Erick with his math homework and laugh at Rose's attempts to imitate Loki's accent.

She was folding laundry and sorting it into piles to go to the various rooms when she heard the door creak behind her. Frigga entered and came to sit on the bed nearby. She watched Jane fold for a few moments before she began to match socks together.

"Jane, there is something of great import I must speak with you about," she said, between pairs of socks. She didn't look up at Jane but remained diligently focused on her task. "You know I must return to Asgard soon…," she continued.

Jane nodded, her heart suddenly in her throat.

"You also know these babes must stay nearby for their care," Frigga continued. Her graceful hands paused on the two pink socks they held and she looked up. Her blue eyes gave her such a penetrating, intense stare that Jane had to close her eyes to fight back the tears that threatened to gather.

"For how long?" Jane whispered, her focus suddenly on the nearby crib and the two slumbering forms prone within.

"Jane, these babes will not reach full maturity for perhaps half a century," Frigga urged, her voice growing gentle and low. "How many decades of incontinence would you like to endure? How much of the storms of puberty can you manage in your dotage?"

Jane swallowed thickly, a single tear falling down her cheek. "What are you saying? Tell me straight."

"According to Asgardian law, a mage is responsible for the lives of any babe he intentionally or unintentionally creates when casting spells. By honor, Loki is responsible for the offspring of his brother in case his brother is unable to care for them. Thus, by both law and honor, Loki is bound to the lives of these babes.

"It is highly possible your young ones may live over a thousand years. While it is too soon to tell, it is very likely they have innate magic and it is nearly assured their strength will be greater than any Midgardian. If you will grant your permission, I recommend you permit Loki to taken them as his own fosterlings. They will join his House, take his name, and be raised as his own. Under his protection, they will have access to all Asgard has to offer and they will not be in danger of the attention they would receive if they remained on Midgard."

"What does Loki think?" Jane asked with a resigned sigh. She could pretend she hadn't expected this, but she knew she would be lying. Part of her hoped Frigga would remain until the twins were strong enough to be on their own. Another part of her knew this was unlikely to be possible.

They were so beautiful. Those dear, perfect, sweet little faces and their tiny, perfect toes and fingers. She had only seen into their dark blue eyes once before she was completely and utterly taken by them both. However, she knew Frigga was right. Jane celebrated her fiftieth birthday in the hospital. Even if her children developed at a normal human rate, she would struggle to keep up.

"This scheme was of his design. If you were to ask him, he would convince you of its pragmatism and inherent mischief. Do not be deceived. He acts out of his affection for his brother, his desire to make amends, and, truly, his devotion to these young ones."

"What pragmatism or mischief could there be in this?" Jane asked.

Frigga laughed. "Loki would be the first to inform you it is not wise for Asgard to remain with only one heir. The next possible successors to the throne are my husband's aged brothers. Their sons are even less worthy of the throne than my sons during their worst of blunders. By taking these babes, he ensures there are two more possible heirs in the line of succession."

"Asgard would allow a half-human on the throne?" Jane asked in surprise.

"What could be more fitting than Asgard's Jotun king appoint his Midgardian kin as successors to rule the Aesir?" came another voice from the doorway. A dark head peeked into the room and smirked at their expression. "What? As this conversation involves me, I find it is fitting I be present for it to speak for myself."

Frigga clicked her tongue, but then patted the side of the bed next to her. "Come and have your say, then."

Instead of sitting beside his mother, he jumped onto the bed, nearly upsetting the laundry basket, and he sprawled out against the pillows with his feet balanced on a pile of Erick's pants. When Jane tried to push his feet off, he responded by kicking the neatly folded stack onto the floor in a tumbled mess. Jane groaned and swatted his feet. Before she could bend over to retrieve them, Loki snapped his fingers and the next moment, all of the laundry disappeared.

"Hey! What did you do?"

"Sent your interminable pile of garments where they belong."

"Ugh. Thanks. I think," she answered and she sat on the bed, her body angled so she could see both Frigga and Loki. Without the pile of pants, Loki balanced his feet on the empty laundry basket, forcing the basket to topple over so he could settle on the other side of it. He propped up his head on one arm and looked over at her.

"As I was saying," he continued in a tone dripping with intentional irony. "Is it not even more fitting that the Midgardian blood in their veins hails straight from the House of Odin while it is their Midgardian dame who grants them Aesir heritage? No, I would not miss this opportunity for all the Nine Realms. I can think of no better heirs for Asgard's throne than those sired by a mortal Thor Odinson and his Aesir Midgardian wife."

"I'm not sure upsetting Asgard is the best reason to adopt my kids as your own…," Jane said, her brow furrowed as she considered it.

Loki grew serious. "No, Jane. The mischief is only an unexpected boon. I offer because I believe it to be just and honorable for all involved. This benefits not only myself. When Thor returns, he will be greatly relieved to be reunited with some of his kin and he can choose to maintain them as the rightful successors or no."

"Loki, what if Thor never..."

"He will return. Simply because I refuse to be king and I will move all of the Nine Realms to make him return if I must. You see how neatly I am sidestepping the council's meddling in my affairs? They will have no need to insist I take a bride I do not want or hurry me into producing half-Jotun offspring. I appoint your progeny as my heirs and all are satisfied."

"And you laugh at the irony for the next thousand years," Frigga observed with an arched eyebrow. "And irritate your father for far longer."

"There is that. I cannot deny the appeal."

"What about the All-Father?" Jane asked. "He cannot approve."

Frigga took her hand and leant towards her, and earnestness coloring her eyes. "The All-Father cannot go against Asgardian law. These babes are half-Aesir and thus automatically have Asgardian citizenship. In addition, as sirelings by the intervention of an Aesir mage, they are also Asgardian citizens. Loki has full right and responsibility to adopt them as his own. By our own laws of succession, any children of the Sons of Odin– whether by blood or law – fall into line of the throne."

"Would Asgard ever accept them?" Jane asked.

"Would Midgard?" Loki retorted.

Jane sighed. "I suppose they would be out-of-place, no matter where they are."

"They will not appear different from other Aesir," Loki said. "These are not the first halflings in creation. While their Midgardian background may be a disadvantage at times, they will not face direct ostracism for it. Also, I will remind you, they would be part of the royal family and this helps offset some of the worst disadvantages they could face. Of all Asgard, I would the most informed at what challenges those of alternate heritage face when challenging Aesir pride. I have thought much upon this. I believe this is best for everyone involved."

"Would I ever see them again?" Jane asked, not bothering to stem the flow of tears that now dripped freely down her cheeks. She kept her eyes fixed upon the crib, her heart already breaking at the thought of the crib lying there, empty and unused.

Frigga let out a rich, hearty chuckle. "Of course! In fact, I will insist upon it. As part of the fostering ceremony, it can be included in the terms of agreement. They should know Midgard and Asgard both."

"I will also insist on full disclosure of their background," Loki added. "I do not wish for them to grow to adulthood and find their true identity has been kept a secret. They will know which realm birthed them and under what circumstances."

Frigga clasped her hand against his knee and gave him a squeeze, her expression turning apologetic. "I believe that is wise."

Jane took in a shuddering breath. "You are right. I know you are right. I know this is best. Can I just say that I still hate it? A lot?"

Frigga leaned over to place her arms around her and held on all the tighter as Jane sobbed into her shoulder. "Nobody expects you to delight in the separation from your babes. Think on it further. Speak with Thor. If you do not agree, then the babes will remain with you and stay in your care."

Frigga continued to stroke her hair until the babies woke and she left Jane to pace the room, her heart in turmoil as she forced herself to think about all that Frigga and Loki said.