The bus door starts to close when a dark figure steps on the top step and blocks the door.

"You getting on, ah not? It's rainin, gonna be a wicked pissah out thah", the bus driver spits out in Boston slang, grateful to be headed home.

"Boooostinnn", the figure moans, body and head covered with a black hoodie.

"Yeah Bawstin...you getting on ah not? I can't leave the doah open all day...you need a ticket, ya got ya ticket?"

Eyes as red as flame set in a face of blackened, charred skin face the driver.

"Oh, ah, yeah, get on..."

The demon pulls up his hood and sits directly behind the driver, who closes the door.

Sam POV

I'm in a cave, surrounded by smoke and mist, but I recognize it almost instantly. The place where Loki spent so many years chained up, poison dripping in his face. I instantly know I'm dreaming, but that isn't a complete comfort.

"Hello, Samirah."

I turn to see Loki dressed in jeans and a baseball jersey. "What do you want?", I ask.

"Is that any way to greet your father?", he asks, crooking an eyebrow at me.

"You tried to kill me, you tried to kill Alex, and all my friends, and now you're trying to kill her again, and kill her child too. You're no father of mine", I spit.

"Don't believe everything you hear", he starts. "And I AM your father, Samirah. You'll see the resemblance sooner or later."

Odin was right. It didn't take long for dear old dad to come to me for what he wants.

"I would never harm my own flesh and blood...", he starts again.

"I remember when you ordered my heart to stop beating, my lungs to stop breathing...", I hiss.

Irritated, he waves me away. "Bygones", he says. "All parents and children have arguments. In fact, I've come to help you. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you...YOU, a living breathing fertile woman, married for four years now, and no child...and your transgender sister, transgender DEAD sister, knocked up almost instantaneously...it must be...trying."

"What it is is wonderful, what I am is happy for her", I yell.

"Well, of course you are, you're a good sister. But...I know how much you want one of your own. I could...be of a small amount of help with that, you know. I've been both mother and father...both the impregnator and the pregnant. It's an amazing feeling, Samirah. Let me help you. Let me put a spell on you and Amir, just to help you conceive, nothing more."

"I want nothing from you!", I scream.

"Now I know you want this, Samirah..."

"Everything from you comes with a price."

"No price, no price, for my little girl. I just want your help keeping in touch with Alex and my new grandchild. She doesn't have your forgiving nature", he wheedles.

"You mean you want me to deliver my sister and her baby to you so you can deliver them to Surt in exchange for rule of Muspellheim..."

"You're very well informed, darling. But perhaps not as well informed as you think. I WILL rule Asgard one day, child, you know it's true, you know it's true. You can feel it. In your heart", he says.

The terrifying part is what he's saying sounds true.

"And the warning I gave to Magnus is real. This will cost her life, and unfortunately there's nothing I can do about that...I was only trying to warn them..."

"You mean it will cost her life after you turn her over to Surt!", I scream.

"You're becoming boring, dear. If you're not going to listen to me, I'm not going to waste my breath. But this is more complex than you think it is. If you won't accept my advice or my help, perhaps you'd give my grandchild a small gift from their loving grandfather..." He holds open his hand and a small stuffed snake sits in his palm. Suddenly it transforms into a real snake, a vibrant green one, and it leaps out his hand toward my face.

I scream, but don't reach for it, so it turns into bright green powder as the illusion shatters as it hits the floor.

"Sorry, sorry, I never can resist that joke", he says, howling with laughter. "You should have seen Thor's face...nevermind. Just think about what I said. For the child's wellbeing, for the child's potential, I need to know my grandchild", he says.

"You're nothing but a liar", I hiss.

He smirks hard. "Yes, Samirah, and you're nothing but honest. About how happy you are for Alex. No jealousy. No hard feelings." He blows green dust in my face. "I'm not the only liar in this family...sweetheart."

I sit up in bed with a gasp.

"Sam? Sam! What's wrong?", Amir asks. He knows by now I don't gasp in my sleep for no reason.

"Nothing, just a dream", I reassure him, and he rolls over.

Just a dream. There is no such thing where the gods are concerned, and I have no doubt I was really just in that cave with dear old dad.

It's shocking to me he thinks I could be manipulated so easily. That I would turn over my own flesh and blood to him and to Surt in exchange for his help. Which would turn out to be anything but, and have a million strings attached.

In fact, it's almost ridiculous. He had to know I would never do that. The words he said also sounded altogether too true, and suddenly I'm terrified for Alex. "This will cost her life."

Well I'm certainly not getting any more sleep tonight. I stare at the window until the sun comes up, then head to Valhalla.

Alex POV

I glance over at Magnus to find him sitting up, staring at me.

"Morning", he says.

"You're creepin me out...", I say, but it's too clearly a lie to finish the sentence. He's looking at me like...he loves me.

I know I look like a rumpled leprechaun right about now with three inches of black roots because I can't dye my hair. I pull the covers over my head. I have to tell him something.

"You need something?", he asks.

"No, I just wanted to make sure last night actually happened", I say.

"It happened", he confirms.

"Could I put my head on your belly?", he asks.

"Huh?" I know I'm making a face at him.

He doesn't wait for me to answer, but snuggles his cheek against my baby bump.

"Is the baby kicking? It would be just like my kid to kick me in the face", he jokes.

"Nah, nobody's kicking anything at 3 months", I say.

"Oh, well this is nice anyway."

"Magnus..."

"Yeah..."

"I have something to tell you..."

"This doesn't sound good", he says, "On a scale of 1 to 10..."

"I think the baby is like me", I blurt, and he sits up when he sees me crying.

"Alex! What's wrong? What do you mean?"

"I mean I keep trying to tell if the baby is a boy or a girl, to sense the gender you know, but sometimes I feel a male energy, and sometimes female, I think our baby is gender fluid too." My voice is squeaking.

"Oh Alex." He runs his hands through my hair. "You're usually so confident, this new you, a bundle of hormones, is confusing for me. Do you think I care if our child turns to be transgender? It's way too early to even think about gender, the baby isn't born yet, Alex, but if our child is transgender, I think it's great, they're lucky enough to have a parent who can help them. Most kids are nowhere near that lucky."

"Fuck", I whisper. "Why can't you be an asshole occasionally so we're closer to a matched set?"

He cuddles me and tucks my head under his chin. "You have to stop worrying. I know, I know, you're a mother, mothers worry, but try", he suggests.

"I want our baby to have your nature", I blurt. "Warm and kind. Not like me. Not guarded. Not...mean."

"I'm plenty guarded...you can't be too open on the street", he says, settling his head between my new breasts. "I want to spend the rest of our lives here. Don't call me until Ragnarok. Actually, don't call me at all."

A knock on the door.

"Nooooo..." he moans

"Everything okay in there?" Sam calls.

"We have to get up", he moans.

"We also need to meet with the gang", I confirm, "You're not the only one who's been left out of the loop. Of course, in all fairness, I left them out too. I need to know exactly what Sam knows about what Loki is planning."

"I'm jumping in the shower", he says, and runs away as fast as possible.

I throw on the leggings and sweatshirt I wear nearly every day and throw open the door.

"Well...good morning." Sam is waiting in the hallway, raising an eyebrow at me. "How did it go last night?"

"It went really...well actually..."

"You're back together?"

"Yesssss..."

"Oh thank the gods, I knew it, I knew Magnus would be okay with this eventually. He didn't pass out or anything he did?" she asks.

"No, actually he was completely in control of himself, he was...masterful actually", I observe, hearing the surprise in my own voice.

"I'm sorry, what? This is Magnus Chase we're talking about? Masterful?!" she asks.

"Yeah, I know, it was weird. But he was. He was almost...possessive."

"But you hate that", she observes.

"Usually, yeah, but last night it was nice. I felt...wanted."

"That's fantastic! Now what are we going to do about these clothes", she asks.

"Just because I feel comfortable with Magnus doesn't mean I feel comfortable revealing stuff to everybody.", I point out.

"I'm your sister!"

"I know, but it's just different with Magnus...I'm carrying his child. He's a part of me now. We could never be completely separate again", I say and can't stop smiling.

I watch her eyes as my hand travels to my stomach and her jaw clenches. "Hey, are you okay?", I ask, watching her dark brown eyes start to swim in unshed tears.

"Of course I am. Let's get to breakfast. Magnus will catch up."

At Café 19, everyone is sitting down and tucking into breakfast, but they all stop and look up when they see Sam and I coming.

"Hey, long time no see", Halfborn says. "Can we talk about this now? Is it out in the open now? Because I want to talk about this."

I crook an eyebrow at him.

"First, I think it's weird but cool, totally cool, that you and Magnus are having kids or whatever...and number two, if it's a boy, you have to name him after me", he offers.

"Not a chance, berserker", I inform him.

"Oh come on...Halfborn Chase! Or Halfborn Fierro! I'm a modern guy..."

Everyone cracks up.

"You're no fun. So where's the proud father?" he asks.

"In the shower. Next question?" Silence.

Mallory has snuck up on us slowly.

"I just want to say...congratulations", she says unsteadily.

"Thank you, I mean it." While I was trapped in my own emotions, I never imagined my cohort would have so many of their own about this.

"Change of subject. Surt. Loki. Why would do they want my baby?" I ask Sam pointedly.

"Our parent wants to trade the baby for rulership of Muspellheim", she says.

"That makes no sense. Why does Surt want the baby?"

"Odin thinks it's a prophecy, that the baby is destined to be harmful to Surt, possibly even slay him", she says.

"Good for you, baby, wow, I'm impressed", I say, rubbing my stomach. "Still doesn't make any sense though. It's a fiery barren wasteland, no one wants it, including Loki", I say.

"It's a stepping stone to Asgard. Or maybe the baby is...something Loki said..."

"You met with him?!" I yell.

"No, no, no, of course not. Sorry, I should have said. I had a dream last night, and he visited me. Said it was important for the baby's potential to know him", she says.

"Yeah, uh huh...our parent doesn't care who he hurts, and he's NOT getting a chance to hurt this baby", I state.

"Jaevla rett!", Halfborn yells out.

"Whaat?", T.J. asks.

"He said 'right'", Sam answers.

"Well, a little more than that", Mallory jokes.

"I think our best solution is just to get Loki back in the walnut", Mallory says, "Surt can't come to Asgard, he's powerless without Loki."

"Agreed", T.J. says.

"Because that was so easy the first time", Halfborn rolls his eyes.

"Not impossible", Mallory says, sneering at her love.

"You don't think he's gonna notice when we throw a nut at him again?", Halfborn snarks.

"We should just throw you at him!", Mallory yells.

"Now children...", Sam says, trying to calm them. "You're both right actually, we need to recapture Loki, but he'll never fall for the same thing twice."

"I think I should ask him to come talk to me", I say, shocking them all.

"Alex, it's too dangerous!", Sam yells.

Everyone mumbles their agreement.

"You're crazy", Halfborn adds. "He already tried to kill you once."

"Yes, but that's why it's the perfect plan. He wants this baby soooo badly...I don't think he could resist an invitation to meet with me, even if he did have suspicions. And I don't think we'll ever get him where we want him otherwise. You can have the whole thing set up wherever I meet him before we get there...capture him when he comes for me..."

Silence. It's dangerous, but a plan no one can argue with.

"NO WAY ON EARTH THAT IS EVER HAPPENING!" Well, almost no one. Magnus is out of the shower.