Chapter 62: The Birth Of Reuben (Loki's POV)

(Loki's POV)

I run through Asgard, trying to go to the Rainbow Bridge to get to Midgard. What I'm about to do might seem foolish, but my daughter needs me.

It's early January, and it's not even sunrise yet, but I know my daughter needs me.

She could go into labor with her first child at any moment, and that child was not conceived with her consent.

"Heimdall. Open the bridge. I need to go to Midgard."

"What business do you have on Midgard, Loki?"

"My daughter needs me."

"You know what Amora would say."

"I know, Heimdall. Please. Allow me this request."

"Go."

"Thank you, Heimdall."

Heimdall opens the bridge and I go to Midgard.

No one notices that I've just appeared on Drago Bludvist's ship.

I disguise myself as one of Drago's guards.

I do my work as Drago instructs, keeping a watchful eye on my daughter from afar. She's walking around the ship, one hand on her back, the other on her belly.

"Attention! Eret will be delivering another batch of dragons in a day or so, so be at the ready to receive them." Drago tells us around midday.

"Yes, Drago." We all say. I glance over at my daughter, and she's leaning up against the side of the ship. Her water breaks.

Drago approaches her, and I fear the worst for her.

Surely, despite being a madman without conscience or mercy, he wouldn't kill a laboring woman, would he?

"Go to my chambers. Stay hidden until Eret leaves." My daughter nods at Drago's command.

It's then I get an idea, and I disappear when I'm sure no one is looking and I reappear at my daughter's side.

"Drago, with all due respect, she shouldn't have to go through this alone." I say, disguising my voice as Anthony. The real Anthony is hidden underneath Drago's bed.

"Very well. Anthony, take her to my chambers. Make sure you both stay hidden until Eret leaves."

My daughter and I both nod at Drago, and I lead Becky to Drago's chambers.

"Anthony, you didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense, m'lady. I may not be a woman, but I will try my best to help you in any way I can."

"Thank you, Anthony."

"You're welcome."

~.~

That night, Drago is too busy to sleep, so I stay with my daughter in Drago's chambers, getting/giving her anything she needs.

"Keep your breathing nice and deep, m'lady." I tell her through each and every contraction. I've been through this before, so I know exactly what to do to help my daughter.

The night is long, each contraction seeming longer, one after the other, although I have assured Becky time and time again that the length of the contractions have stayed the same, increasing in length and strength every few hours.

She barely sleeps, with me holding her in the bed, and I know that, all the while, she's wishing she was with Eret during this difficult time, or that he was with her.

What I wouldn't give for that to be true.

During the night, my daughter gets up, needing to move around during the contractions, and, after her water broke earlier today, the contractions will only get worse.

I'd give anything to take her pain away.

At one instance, she's leaning against the wall of the cabin, swaying with the movement of the ship, and I'm putting pressure on her back to help her during the contractions.

At another, she's sitting on the bed, our foreheads touching, her gripping my forearms, and there's complete and utter silence, except for the two of us breathing, mine steady, hers not as steady.

"Anthony, I can't do this anymore."

"Yes, you can, m'lady. I'm right here, and I won't leave you. I promise."

The night drags on, and, the next day, Eret arrives.

My daughter tries not to cry out as the next contraction seizes her. I shush her, quietly reminding her to breathe.

Eret asks Drago where Becky is, but Drago dismisses him after a slight argument.

"May I get you anything, m'lady? Water? Perhaps something to eat?" I ask.

"No, thank you."

Drago suddenly comes into the room.

"How is she doing?"

"Contractions are about two minutes apart. It'll be soon."

"I'll have someone stand outside the door, so let them know when the child is about to be born. I'd prefer to be present when my child is born."

"Of course, Drago." Drago gives my daughter an evil smirk and leaves.

What I wouldn't do to destroy that monster and set my daughter and all the rest of Drago's victims free.

"Anthony, I can't do this…I can't bring Drago's baby into the world. I know nothing about raising a child."

"M'lady, I know you can do this. You've survived Drago's wrath so far, and I will be right here beside you. I know I'm not Eret, but I will do everything I possibly can to help you."

"Thank you. If I don't make it…"

No…my daughter must make it. She must survive this birth so she can be with Eret again.

"You will make it, m'lady. I'll make sure of that."

"Anthony, if I don't make it, please tell Eret that I love him. Please, Anthony, promise me that."

I sigh.

"I'll tell Eret, m'lady. You have my word."

"Thank you."

A man named Gustavo – also told by Drago to help Becky – comes in to check her progress.

The two words we never thought we'd hear grace our ears:

"It's time."

Gustavo goes to tell the guard outside, and Drago soon arrives. His evil smirk never stops looking at my daughter, like he's enjoying her suffering. Can't say I'm surprised at that.

Gustavo is in charge of delivery, while I'm still by my daughter's side.

As she pushes, I can tell my daughter is filled with regret – she'll never see Ruffnut and Tuffnut again, even though they already think she's dead, but she's sure those two have a sliver of hope that she's still alive.

An hour passes before the head emerges without slipping back in.

"All right, m'lady. I'm going to need you to stop pushing and just breathe. Let the contractions push for you." Gustavo tells her. I grip my daughter's shoulder to give her the strength to not push.

"Try to relax, m'lady. Focus on your breathing and try not to focus on the pain." I whisper to her.

Soon, she can push again, but I can tell she's feeling too tired, too weak, to keep going.

"Keep going, m'lady. You're doing so well." I tell her. She shakes her head, feeling that she can't go on.

"M'lady, you have to push. You can go on. You can do this."

I can tell she's about to refuse again when, with me supporting her, she suddenly musters up her strength and pushes harder than she ever has in the last hour.

"Good. Good. Keep going, m'lady. Just like that."

She pushes again, and she doesn't stop.

"One more big push, m'lady!"

She keeps going until we both hear the angelic wails of her newborn baby.

"You've done it, Becky! He's so beautiful, m'lady! It's a healthy baby –" Before I can finish my sentence, and, before Becky can steal a close glance at her son, we see Drago's infamous bull hook metal piercing through the baby's skin repeatedly, and all becomes quiet.

My daughter shakes against me, in complete shock.

The afterbirth is soon delivered and Drago leaves, a bag in hand, probably carrying that sweet baby boy's remains. The state of shock my daughter is in leaves her speechless and helpless, too weak to do anything to help her son. If there was ever a chance, anyway.

Tears well in my eyes, and I can't help but start to break character, but I begin to hear Drago's footsteps approaching. Quickly, I change places with the real Anthony, going to the back corner and turning invisible, and Drago comes back in, a sword piercing through the real Anthony's skin, leaving him dying from his wounds on the floor. I can't leave, even if I wanted to.

I hear my daughter cry out in protest, but Drago just leaves again, with no sign of coming back anytime soon.

Helpless and still too weak for her to even move from the bed, the real Anthony grasps my daughter's hand.

"M'lady, now's the time I make you promise me something. Promise me you'll keep on fighting."

I see my daughter shakily nod, acknowledging that she'll keep the promise.

Anthony's grip loosens on her hand, and she breaks down, not caring about the consequences from Drago.

I know what you're thinking: why did I sacrifice an innocent man to save myself? Because my daughter needs me, even though she doesn't even know me yet. I know Anthony did nothing wrong to deserve death by Drago, but what else could I have done that wouldn't have put my daughter in even more danger?

My hand covering my mouth, I get back to Asgard. Thor is there to greet me.

"Brother, where have you been?"

"My daughter…she's suffered a great loss. And I can't do anything to comfort her."

"Loki, I am so sorry."

"I wish I could be there for her now, but I can't."

"Go get some rest, Loki. You've had a long couple of days." Thor tells me. I can only nod, as, that night, I cry myself to sleep, wishing I could be there for my little girl, in my true form.