Author's Note: Yay! You all survived the last chapter. Sorry it was so sad :( this one is much more pleasant though! Sorry if it is a little choppy, that tends to happen when I write late at night. Caitreylove yes, that last chapter was less than happy. Hope you didn't find it to be too depressing.


"Loki… Loki!" Sigyn called out as she tried to still her thrashing husband. "Loki wake up!"

Loki didn't respond, but continued to convulse. Sigyn knew he was past waking up gently this time, so she slapped him as hard as she could. Loki's eyes finally snapped open, and his pupil's dilated. It took him a minute to steady his breathing, but once Loki realized that he was in the safety of their bedroom he pulled Sigyn into an embrace. She just let him hold her as he always did when he had these nighttime fits. Sometimes he just needed to keep her close for a minute or two, while other times he needed to hold her much longer. Sigyn could hear his heart beating rapidly, and she knew that this was going to be one of those nights where he would need to nestle her against him for quite some time. He never wanted to speak after being awoken from his nightmares, not even to tell Sigyn what they were about. She clearly remembered the first time he had shot up in bed panting and sweating. It was after one of his many secret missions for the War Council, and Sigyn assumed that it was something he had done or witnessed on the mission that frightened him so badly. There was also the possibility that it was not just that one mission he dreamt of, since it was likely he had seen and done many things that would haunt him for the rest of his life during his long stint of working for the War Council. The first nightmare had occurred well over a decade ago, and had apparently been rather tame compared to the ones Loki had now. He had gone from sweating and tossing a bit, to outright convulsing and sometimes mumbling or moaning. Sigyn had begged him over and over to tell her what he dreamt, but to no avail. The most he would allow her to do was wake him using whatever means necessary, and allow her to stroke his hair to put him back to sleep. This evening was no different. Loki held her, and then she put him back to sleep by running her fingers through his hair. She stayed awake to watch her sleeping husband's form for quite some time after he had returned to his slumber.

She was growing more and more worried about Loki. He was under an immense amount of pressure from the War Council, and the upcoming announcement for the date of Thor's coronation wasn't helping things. Thor and Loki had already been told of the set upon date, but neither she nor Frigga was privy to the information yet. Loki had assured her that the date was still some time in the future, but it did mean that they could begin looking for a residence outside of the palace. Sigyn knew that Loki was more than happy to see Thor take the throne eventually, but she also knew that he believed Thor was far from ready for the task. He had stormed into their chambers one evening after having words with Odin on the matter, and had ranted to Sigyn all about it. He had voiced his concern to the AllFather that Thor was not prepared to take the throne, but Odin had brushed him off saying that the coronation was far enough away for Thor to learn the skills he still lacked. Loki had still suggested that the date be pushed back, at which point Odin had made it very clear that the decision was not Loki's to make and that he should stick to his place while leaving matters of the throne to him. Loki had given up trying to convince Odin that he was correct in this matter, but Sigyn knew that the whole thing still bothered her husband. She had some hope that his anxiety would diminish when the day was finally announced publicly, but she had a deep-rooted feeling that it wouldn't. Despite Odin's wisdom, Sigyn couldn't help agree with Loki about Thor's readiness for the throne. She truly loved her brother-in-law, but Thor was no king. Not yet. He was still rash and immature. He had the makings of a good leader, but he lacked a certain humility. Frida had once told her that any good leader wished to serve those they led, and would do so sacrificially. Thor was far from sacrificial, and it was that singular trait that led Sigyn to believe that in reality Loki would be the better ruler of the two. Loki knew what it was to sacrifice of himself for little or no personal gain. Sigyn's opinion on the topic held no weight however. Loki didn't want the throne, and Thor was the natural choice to ascend since he was the eldest.

Sigyn eventually snuggled up next to Loki and drifted off to sleep as well. The next morning dawned and Loki was already awake with his arm draped contentedly across her body.

"Good morning, My Love." He murmured into her ear.

"Good morning. Feeling any better?" She enquired.

"Infinitely better."

"Are we going to join your family for breakfast today, or will we take it in here?"

"Which would you prefer?"

"You know I don't care either way."

"Then let's make an appearance in the dining hall, I have a feeling Mother will scold us if we take our breakfast in bed three days in a row." Loki determined.

Sigyn smiled and wiggled out from underneath her husband's arm to go get dressed. She could feel Loki's eyes studying her as she went to her wardrobe and picked out her outfit, and she turned to face him.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?"

"I am in no hurry, not when I have such a lovely view from my current position." He answered with a boyish grin.

Sigyn rolled her eyes playfully and slipped into the washroom to change. She pulled her gown over her head, and smoothed it out. She wasn't sure why, but all of her clothing seemed to be fitting tighter lately. She hadn't gained any weight, and her dresses were the same measurements she had always worn. She studied herself in the looking-glass and sighed. The dress looked just as it should, so she wrote it off as her own imagination. Loki was dressed and ready to go by the time she had finished her hair. Arm in arm the pair made their way to the dining hall, and took their seats at the breakfast table. Thor was surprisingly the only one there.

"Mother and Father not dining with us this morning?" Loki asked Thor as he sat down.

"I am not sure. I can't imagine why they wouldn't." Thor replied.

"Perhaps they wished to have breakfast in bed." Sigyn remarked playfully as she served herself as much fruit as she could reach.

"I wish I could convince Frigga to take breakfast in bed occasionally, but apparently she prefers to spend more time with her sons than her husband." Odin remarked teasingly.

Sigyn almost spit out her mouthful of food at the AllFather's voice. She certainly had not been expecting him to walk in on her little jest.

Frigga sent Odin a little smirk and Sigyn smiled at the pair. There was no doubt in her mind that she and Loki were the most in love couple in the Nine Realms, but there was no denying that Odin and Frigga were very much in love as well. Thor and Loki tossed little smirks at one another before shrugging their shoulders and rolling their eyes. Apparently after hundreds of years they had grown accustomed to their parent's lovey dovey teasing. The meal passed pleasantly, but Sigyn just couldn't seem to eat enough fruit. Loki noticed her disappointed look once all of it was gone, and he slid the pieces on his plate over to hers. Sigyn gave him an embarrassed smile before popping the pieces greedily into her mouth.

"I'll have to inform the cook to purchase more fruit and less meat." Frigga teased as she watched Sigyn eat the last of Loki's fruit. "You've hardly touched any food that wasn't fruit for the past several days I've been told."

Sigyn blushed. Had Loki told his mother that? It would have been difficult for him not to notice her strange eating habits.

"It has been an odd craving as of late." She admitted.

"I do hope you are not trying to lose weight." The Queen teased.

"Of course not," Sigyn replied with a smile "though perhaps I should be."

All eyes at the table were trained on her now.

"All of my dresses have been feeling a tad snug as of late." She admitted.

"They have been?" Frigga asked curiously. "How long ago did you start to notice it?"

"A week or so ago…"

"I see, and, forgive my next question, have you been regular these past few months?"

Sigyn understood the Queen's politely phrased query well enough.

"Well no… but I have been irregular before." She pointed out.

Frigga stood from her seat and went to sit next to Sigyn. The Queen stared deeply into her eyes for a few moments, and Sigyn did her best to hold eye contact with her. Frigga finally smiled and cupped Sigyn's face in her hands.

"I think you should go see the healers." She stated.

Frigga grasped Sigyn's hands, and Sigyn looked towards Loki, who looked just as bewildered by his mother's pronouncement as she was. She then glanced at Thor, whose face was lit by a large grin, and Odin, who was leaning back in his chair with a contemplative yet kind gaze. Sigyn wasted no time in rising from her chair and taking off towards the healing rooms. She heard Loki rise right behind her. Several of the healers looked up rather startled when she rushed in.

"Am I pregnant?" Was all she could get out in her excitement.

One of the older women smiled at the question that she obviously couldn't answer without a little more information, and she took Sigyn by the hand to lead her to a seat. Loki came in as Sigyn was being asked questions by the woman. Once Sigyn answered them all Loki immediately inquired if she was pregnant or not.

"It is very possible that she could be." Was all the healer would say. "We will need to use the soul forge to know for certain."

Sigyn was taken to the instrument in question and Loki paced the room nervously. Sigyn could easily read the amusement of the healers as they watched her husband's nervous reactions. Sigyn watched as the projection of her inner systems appeared above her, and she almost cried with joy at the sight of a small growing baby in her womb. Loki's expression morphed from a look of surprise, to awe, to fear, and finally to excitement.

"Is it a boy or a girl!?" Sigyn asked excitedly.

"It is still too early to tell. You are only about eight weeks along…"

Sigyn didn't wait for the healer to finish before she jumped off the stone slab and threw her arms around Loki. She was laughing and crying all at the same time. After almost twenty years of trying, she was finally pregnant. Loki wrapped his arms around her and almost lifted her off the ground in his excitement. The healer was finally able to get the pair to sit down and discuss the next steps Sigyn would need to begin taking in preparation for the baby. Sigyn secretly hoped that Loki was paying attention because unfortunately she wasn't. The pair headed straight for their chambers after receiving the news to discuss whom they would tell first.

"I'll have to tell my parent's first obviously, then Frida and Hallsteinn, we can tell Fandral and the others all at once I suppose…"

She chatted on and on, but she didn't really think Loki was listening. He just ran his hand gently over her abdomen.

"Loki?"

He raised his head upon hearing his name.

"Yes?"

"Is something the matter?"

Loki smiled and then kissed Sigyn lightly.

"Nothing is the matter, Darling. I just can't believe that after all of this time we are actually going to be parents."

Sigyn smiled.

"It does seem a bit unreal doesn't it?" She mused as she placed her hand over Loki's.

"No more training, we should have stopped weeks ago." Loki mused.

"I'll probably have to give up riding for a time as well." Sigyn added. "Roan will be rather upset with me."

"I'm sure he will understand when he sees you in a few months. He'll probably be glad that he won't have to carry the extra weight." Her husband teased.

Sigyn gave Loki's arm a playful slap.

"Speaking of gaining weight, I'll have to modify my wardrobe at some point."

"A task I am sure both of our mother's will be more than willing to assist you with."

"And a name! We will have to choose a name soon!"

"Soon?" Loki asked with a grin. "We don't even know if it is a boy or a girl yet."

"Well we can make two lists. One with male names and the other with female…"

"We will have to furnish the baby room." Loki pointed out.

"You're completely right." Sigyn went to Loki's chest and began rummaging through it.

"What are you looking for?" He inquired.

"Parchment and a quill. We really should begin making a list of everything that needs to be done to prepare for the baby." She explained.

"It would be easier if we just went to the study, since I keep both of those things in my desk." Loki noted.

Sigyn let out a laugh. Of course that would be simpler, she just was too excited to think straight. She was about to close the chest when she spotted a leather tome. It seemed rather familiar, so she slyly opened the cover slightly. She just barely caught a glimpse of the title before she heard Loki walking over to her. It was the Prose Edda. She had almost forgotten about that book… almost. Sigyn swiftly shut the chest and turned to face Loki with a smile.

"Shall we go to the study?" She asked lightheartedly.

Loki offered her his arm in response, but there was a loud knock on the door before Sigyn could take it. Loki gave Sigyn a knowing look.

"Thor." He whispered. "Shall we tell him, or should we keep it a secret till we have informed our parents?"

"He probably won't give us any choice but to tell him, so we might as well." Sigyn replied.

Loki nodded and went to answer the door after his brother gave a second loud bang on it.

"So am I to be an uncle?" He asked the moment Loki opened the door.

"Its good to see you too, Thor. I see you decided to waltz into my wing of the palace without informing me of your intentions first." Loki responded.

Thor gave one of his infectious smiles.

"Forgive me Loki, but curiosity caused me to forget my manners."

"Forget them? You never had them." Loki retorted with a mischievous smirk.

"Don't tell mother." Thor rejoined.

"Your secret is safe with me." Loki promised in his ever-teasing manner.

"Now enough banter! Am I to be an uncle?" Thor asked again full of enthusiasm.

Loki shot a look at Sigyn to affirm that it would be fine to tell his brother the good news, and she gave her head a little nod of approval.

"You are."

Thor pulled Loki into what looked like a bone-crushing hug for a few moments before pulling back.

"May I?" Thor asked while indicating Sigyn.

Loki took a step out of the doorway to allow his brother into their chambers and Thor approached Sigyn.

"Congratulations, Sigyn, you will be a wonderful mother." Thor remarked before pulling Sigyn into an embrace as well.

His hug was a little tighter than was comfortable for Sigyn.

"The baby Thor… remember the baby…" she reminded him.

"Oh yes, forgive me!" Thor replied, while loosening his hold on her. "I would hate to accidentally crush the mother-to-be."

"Thank you, though I do appreciate your enthusiasm."

Thor pulled away from Sigyn and looked back towards his younger brother.

"So was mother thrilled with the news?"

"She doesn't know yet, you are the first person we have told."

"Really?"

"Yes, we just came back from the healing rooms less than half an hour ago." Loki explained.

"Thor, I know that it might be difficult, but we would ask that you not tell anyone the news just yet." Sigyn added. "We would like to have a chance to tell our parents, and my brother and sister before we make a formal announcement to the Realm."

"Of course." Thor promised. "Your secret is safe with me, now I'll leave you two alone so you may go and share the happy news with the rest of the family."

Loki gave Thor a nod of appreciation, and the 'god of thunder' sent the pair one last smile before heading down the hallway back to the main corridors of the palace.

"Do you think he will keep the secret?" Sigyn inquired of Loki.

Loki gave a little shrug.

"Possibly. He knows it is important to me, so he likely will."

Sigyn smiled.

"Well perhaps we should go inform your parents just in case he can't hold his tongue."

"Perhaps that would be a good idea. I am not sure I could survive the verbal lashing mother would give me if she heard the news from a gossiping palace servant."

Sigyn strode up to Loki and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Then let's go give them the good news." She stated.

Loki and Sigyn found the AllFather and Frigga in the gardens, and they delivered the happy news to them there. Odin, not one to display his emotions in grand gestures, merely smiled at the pronouncement, while Frigga didn't hold back her enthusiasm one bit. Frigga did cut her happy outburst short however, on discovering that Sigyn's parents had not been informed of the pregnancy yet. She quickly dispatched Loki and Sigyn to tell her family. They rode horseback to her parent's home despite Loki's protesting, though they never went above a trot. Signy had seen their leisurely approach so both she and Halldor were waiting for them in the courtyard when they arrived. Signy gave both Sigyn and Loki a firm hug, while Halldor hugged his daughter and shook his son-in-laws hand. The foursome then went to the sitting room were they could talk in comfort.

"So what brings you both out for this little unexpected visit?" Halldor inquired in a tone that bespoke he had some suspicion as to why they were there.

"Loki and I have some rather exciting news to share with you… we are expecting a child." Sigyn answered.

Halldor and Signy sent smiles towards Sigyn and Loki, and though they were genuinely happy, Sigyn could sense that small flicker of apprehension. Even though Frida had successfully given birth without any problems, it still seemed that the memory of Arnora haunted her parents.

"So when is the baby due?" Signy enquired.

"The healers said this morning that I was probably around eight weeks along."

"And I presume your parents already know." Signy remarked to Loki.

"We told them right before we came here. Thor knows as well… he was actually the first to find out. He practically knocked down our door in excitement after we returned from our trip to the healers."

Signy smiled and grabbed Halldor's hand.

"Have you begun to discuss what preparations will need to be made for the baby?" Halldor inquired.

"Some, though we haven't had any real-time to sit down and begin planning. I am sure that is how we will spend the rest of our evening after we have gone to inform Hallsteinn and Frida." Sigyn replied.

"I noticed you road Roan here." Signy mentioned.

"I did… I thought it would be safe this early in the pregnancy as long as we rode slowly."

"You should be fine to ride at a trot for a while longer. I rode almost till giving birth with all of my children, and it didn't cause any problems. Just be careful when you ride Roan, and under no circumstances should you ride any other horse. The danger while you are pregnant is that you might possibly be tossed or kicked by one that spooks easily or is unfamiliar with you. Roan knows you well enough to know when he needs to take care of you." Signy determined.

Sigyn and Loki spoke with her family a little longer before going to visit Hallsteinn and Frida. Hallsteinn and Aldís were more than happy to hear the news, as was Frida and Markus, but Sigyn was fairly certain that Sigrún was the most excited.

"I wanna see it! I wanna see it!" Siggy begged.

"You can't see it yet Sigrún." Frida stated in a exasperated voice.

Sigrún was quite the handful even when she was on her best behavior, so this tantrum was not exactly something Frida wanted to handle at the moment.

"Why!?" Siggy demanded.

"It's not here yet." Sigyn explained to her demanding niece.

"Why isn't it here! Why didn't you bring it?" She asked Loki in her most pathetic tone.

Sigyn watched her husband freeze. Sigrún was always able to get anything and everything she wanted from Loki. Sigyn was seriously beginning to hope that they didn't have a girl because she knew Loki would give in to her every whim, and would be completely incapable of disciplining her.

"Well we did bring it… in a way." He tried to explain.

"Show me!"

"We can't really show you because it is in here." Loki expounded while placing a hand on Sigyn's abdomen.

"Why is it in there?" Sigrún asked curiously while climbing onto Sigyn's lap.

"Because that is where babies are… made…" Loki stated a bit reluctantly.

"In her tummy? Is that where you made me?" Sigrún asked while looking to Frida.

"Yes, that is where I made you." She responded.

Sigrún returned her gaze to Sigyn's stomach, and began to poke it.

"Sigrún do not poke your Aunt." Markus scolded.

"But I wanna touch the baby…"

"You can touch the baby when it gets here." Markus stated.

"When will the baby get here?"

"In about seven more months…" Sigyn answered.

"Seven months!? I don't want to wait that long! Make it faster Aunt Sigyn!"

"Believe me Siggy, I would if I could."

"Can I listen to it?" Sigrún inquired.

"Sigrún, you can't…"

Sigyn gave a little shake of her head to silence Frida. She didn't want to ruin all of Siggy's fun.

"Of course you can Siggy, just put your head right here." Sigyn encouraged.

Sigrún placed her ear to Sigyn's abdomen and listened very attentively. The adults in the room sent amused smiles to one another as she tried to hear what the baby was "saying."

"Can you hear anything?" Loki finally pried.

"Yes, but I can't tell you because the baby doesn't want me to." Sigrún stated in a confidential manner.

She pulled her head away from Sigyn's stomach and tried to sneakily poke her again.

"Sigrún." Markus warned.

Sigrún shot her father a guilty look, and hopped off of Sigyn's lap to run to the safety of her mother. Loki and Sigyn didn't spend too much longer at Frida and Markus's before heading back to the palace for dinner. The meal was a happy occasion, and Sigyn found herself being extremely cautious about everything set in front of her. Should she eat the meat? Would the baby be ok if she ate as much bread as she usually did? What food could potentially harm the baby? Fortunately Frigga was there to assure her and guide her through the meal.

Stay away from the more acidic fruits.

Don't eat things with too many seasonings.

Better to choose the meats that looked overcooked rather than those that appeared to be undercooked.

There seemed to be a lot of rules to follow, but Sigyn assumed they wouldn't seem so daunting as she progressed in her pregnancy. As she snuggled up to Loki in bed that evening, journal in hand, she couldn't help but feel sleepless. She and Loki were about to embark on adventure unlike any either of them had ever experienced before, and only one question came to her mind…

"Are you scared?" She asked out of nowhere.

Loki closed his book, and set it on his lap.

"The truth?"

Sigyn nodded.

"Yes, I have no idea if I have the makings of a good father. You?"

"There is a living, growing being inside of me… I think petrified would be a better word."

Loki smiled.

"Then we will be frightened together." He comforted before placing a kiss on her forehead and opening his book once again.

Sigyn began to write the details of the day in her journal, but there was one detail, one observation, that she couldn't write with Loki looking over her shoulder. Their baby wasn't like any other baby on Asgard.

Their baby was part Frost Giant.