Authors note: First let me apologize right now. I have hit a writers block regarding a couple of growing years between the couple. I feel if I continued to cover as much as I am regarding their lives this story will never end...that being said I have skipped a couple of year for this chapter. I hope the insight reference I have to the past couple of years will be good enough and this chapter is the longest I've done (a little over 3000 words) to try and make up for the jump. Enjoy.

Sydney loves fiction: hey happy you've caught up! There will be an update on Jane and Thor just not this chapter :p and we finally get more of the twins from a different POV :p

Sorceress of the trees: thanks. I was looking for a sweet factor.

Poodle warriors: I made small mentions from time to time but no biggy. :p easy to miss. Now Thor's gonna take charge!

Loki's dreamer: I imagine Thor being a little different with Jane. He wasn't all loud and stuff in the movie all the time and that's were I base the attitudes from the best I can. :p

Kat snowstorm: yay. Happy you love it!

Doctor Loki love: you love it and that's my biggest concern. :) and by that I mean I am always concerned someone will not enjoy a chapter and I am glad you did. Hehe. I wanted to write a little something different and Thor made a good perspective.

Max is a chick name: yes an envious Thor over Loki is quite a switch. Lol

Chapter 76: life moves on

Fours years, two months and three days. That's how long it had been since the terrible time they lost their unborn baby Alexis to a villain they could not find and still had not found. The hunt for that person had long ended leaving a heavy question in the air.

For the few years after they had done so much to try and remember the fear that loss caused but like everything time was an enemy. Slowly they began to forget how much danger could be around them. Soon the palace began to feel like the safest place in the world.

There here was no new pitter patter of little feet. Cephera, after all this time, still had not conceived another child and she was frustrated. She longed so much for another now. She was more ready then ever. It wasn't for the lack of sex for that was something that never lacked where Loki was concerned. Cephera feared her ordeal with her first loss had caused permanent damage and she would never have another.

For over a year she went back and forth in her mind to have herself examined but couldn't bring herself to do so. She was afraid of what she might find out. But she had made up her mind. Tomorrow she would leave for earth and she would see a Midgardian Gynecologist. She hadn't told Loki her plans. He knew of her worries but she was afraid he would not consent to her spreading her legs for a doctor of any kind male or female.

She had told no one close to her aside from Natasha who had agreed to go with her for support. She felt if she told anyone close to her then too much worry would surround her and she had enough of that as it was.

Cephera stepped out of the bedroom with her worried thoughts always touching in the front of her mind when she heard happy cries and a few not so happy yells. The moment she stepped out Cephera fell hitting the floor hard. Stunned and confused she looked around and saw two Asguardian guards also on the floor.

Her eyes went from them to the floor and the realization her ass was very cold. The entire floor from as far as she could see was frozen. She didn't have to ask or even think about the cause. She could hear the laughter of her children from down a different hallway.

The guards were now on their feet and were slowly shimmying their way to her. She ignored them however and laid her hands flat to the floor. She concentrated hard and sucked out the magic in the ice and as it vanished she heard one of the guards grunt in surprise as his slipping feet hit the steady marble floor.

Cephera got to her feet and heard a very familiar 'uh oh' sound from both her kids. "Kids come out here." She called. "Don't make me chase you it won't end well." She said sternly. The guards made it to her side. "How bad?" She asked while she waited for her children.

"Well when the throne room froze up four nobles fell and were rushed to the medics area, 8 servants also were brought there with head injuries and several other guards remain frozen in place." Cephera sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

After a moment she looked up through her bangs and saw the twins looking around the corner wide eyed and caught. She beckoned them to her with a movement of a finger and they careful walked her way.

"Do you understand why you are in trouble?" She asked them.

"It was her idea!" Devian said softly and pointed to his sister. "No one was suppose to get hurt." He said.

"I thought it would be fun." Diana crossed her arms defiantly. "People getting hurt was an accident. Accidents happen." She said looking off to the side and huffing. Diana had developed a bit of an attitude as of late. Cephera didn't appreciate it.

She took hold of both children by the ears. "Listen now and listen good. You have to be more careful with your magic. You have been warned about this before. It may have been an accident but those people didn't ask to be hurt." She let go of them. "I want you both in your room until I speak to your father. Until then you are to use no magic. You'll be lucky if after today you'll be allowed to use it at all." She pointed behind her to send them off. Diana glared straight ahead were Devian had his head hung. Today was not a good start.

Diana swung at Sif and she dodged it effortlessly but Diana was ready for it. She spun and struck the warrior woman in the side. Sif grunted on impact.

"Very good. You're learning quick." Sif complimented her.

"I have a good teacher." Diana replied. Today was a good day to get out frustration over the day before. After her idea had gone sour with the ice rink they had been forced to attend to the hurt in the infirmary and then make formal apologizes.

Diana didn't think she should have to apologize for doing magic. It wasn't her fault they were so powerful. But her mother just didn't see it like that. She only saw the things that were bad about it never the good. Even though her father had agreed to the punishment she at least knew he was proud of her power.

Diana had a vision. She would one day be the most powerful and strongest woman known in all the realms. And no one would try to harm her family, not ever again.

Even though she had been younger she still remembered her mother getting sick that breakfast. She still remembered worrying she'd never wake up. They still visited Alexis' memorial and it only strengthen Diana's resolve to want to be able to protect her family.

Diana wondered what her brother was doing right now. Probably reading a book. He was a geek as Tony would call him. Diana liked Tony. He had the right idea. Tell it how it is. Diana admired the handsome inventor. Her mother would bring her and her brother with her every now and then to spend time with her Midgardian friends.

Her father never went but he made it clear he didn't like Tony Stark and it seemed Devian took a page from that book. No matter how hard she tried to stop him, Devian always pulled stupid jokes on Tony.

"Again?" Sif said snapping Diana out of her thoughts. She nodded and got in to a ready stance.

Cephera sat impatiently in the doctors office. The doctor's assistant had placed her there with Natasha and they were waiting for the doctor to come in. "Calm down. I'm sure it's fine." Natasha told her.

"I can't. I'm too worried." Cephera told her shaking one leg. Finally a different woman walked in.

"Hello I'm Dr. Winikin." She said. Cephera stood and shook the woman's hand.

"Hi." She said. She was aware she was shaking and the doctor noticed as well.

"What brings you here today..." She checked her file. "Cephera." She finished.

"I have been unable to conceive and would like a full check up to determine a possible cause." She said it rushed. She was afraid she would hesitate to long if she didn't speak fast.

"Do you currently have any children?" She asked jotting notes onto her file.

"Two. Twins. Six years old." Cephera said keeping it short and to the point.

"Any other pregnancies?" The question was expected.

"One other. Four years ago." She was relieved when the doctor didn't ask what happened. How do you tell someone your unborn baby was murdered?

"I want you to undress and put this on. I'll be back in a moment. Lie down on the table when you're done dressing." Dr. Winikin left Cephera alone with Natasha.

"She's nice." Cephera said as she prepared herself to put on the hospital dressing gown.

"Meh." Was all Natasha said in response.

Cephera got up onto the table and led down. It was a short time before the doctor came back. "All ready." Cephera nodded. "I'm going to do a physical exam on your abdomen first. I'm checking for any abnormal swelling." Cephera tried to calm herself as she felt the woman press her hands across her stomach and down her sides. Her facial expressions were hard to read so Cephera looked at Natasha instead.

"Ok. I need you to bend your legs, put your feet flat to the table and move your bum to the edge." Dr. Winikin said as she pulled on gloves. "When was your last Pap test?"

"Ummmm. Never." Cephera admitted. It wasn't something that existed in Asgard and she didn't even know what it was.

"You should make sure to get one at least once a year. Just relax. I'm going to use my fingers to do an internal exam." Cephera felt a flush come to her cheeks as the woman sat on a stool between her spread legs. The last person to get that close to there aside from Loki was the physician who helped her in the birthing room. "I wouldn't worry. Sometimes it's normal for a woman not to get pregnant after a few years of trying."

"So if everything is ok with me, what then?" Cephera asked. The woman examining her insides didn't answer right away. She used her opposite hand to press into her stomach again.

"You've nothing to worry about." She finally said withdrawing her hands away and rolling back in the chair to throw out her gloves. "You're already pregnant."

"What?!" Cephera said sitting up so fast she knocked the pillow to the floor. "I can't be...my ma..." She stopped. She almost spoke of magic to a mortal.

"Come with me to the other room. We can do an ultrasound." The doctor left and Cephera scrambled off the bed to follow with Natasha behind her. How could she not have known? Maybe the doctor was wrong. Maybe it was a tumour. Cephera felt sick at that thought.

She lay down on the next table and gasped when the cold gel made contact with her skin. She kept her eyes pinned to the monitor and Natasha had placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"There we go." The doctor said after a short search of the wand over her abdomen.

Cephera blinked. It was indeed a baby. Not a tumour. A small child was actually growing within her. Cephera began to cry. It wasn't until she settled down that the doctor spoke again.

"You're a little over two months along." She told her. Cephera closed her eyes. Nothing could have made her happier and so worried. The arrangements put in place for this very situation would now come into play. Before she began to show too much she would be sent on a family visit to Mechanova with Kat and the children in an attempt at avoiding detection from whoever it was who might still be out there plotting to hurt them.

Everyone was extremely excited for the news. She had told Loki when she got back and he had rejoiced as silently as possible. They broke the news to his parents in the privacy of their chambers and his parents told Thor. They left the children for last and Kat was there as well.

It had been decided they would wait till the middle of the next month to move her to her families. They wouldn't know until she arrived. Until then everyone was pretending nothing was different. The kids had the hardest time containing their excitement. Even though Cephera had a strained relationship with Diana lately it seemed the new baby made it go away.

Cephera was careful to do nothing to hint at her condition. Everyday was just another 'boring' day.

"Please!" Devian begged.

"Not now Devian. I promised your grandmother I'd help her today." his mother said sighing. "When I'm done we can go." She assured him.

"I can't wait till then. I want to go to the beach while the sun is out." He whined. He gave his mother the biggest wide eyes he could but she wasn't moved by them. Devian used them to often.

"Tomorrow then." She bargained. He huffed and she watched him sit down on his bed. "I promise tomorrow." She said and frowned sadly. He watched her leave to go meet his with his grandmother.

Devian sat on his bed sadly. He really wanted to see the beach but leaving the palace was forbidden. After fiddling with his blankets he stood and thought about it. No one had to know he went. He could be back before supper.

Devian smirked. He wasn't as good at teleporting like his sister but he was capable of getting as far as the kitchens. From there he could easily get outside through the servants passages. Diana and himself knew those passages inside out. They used them often.

He did exactly what he wanted and soon found himself outside in the warm air. When he made it to the beach he ran through the sands barefoot like his mother liked to do. He enjoyed going to the beach with her. Lying down and letting the water rush up over you was fun and running down the sands was freeing.

He watched the sun dipping lower and lower. The tide was coming in and he stood in the gentle waves closing his eyes. He enjoyed the fresh air for only a few moments before he found his face shoved into the water.

He was ready to yell at his sister for her mean joke but when he was unable to resurface he began to panic. He flailed his arms around in an attempt to get free but soon he was choking on water. Devian teleported but was stopped when he was thrown face down again.

Whoever it was was fast. Devian felt weak. He coughed under water inhaling more. The last thing he remembered was seeing a fish swim by and wishing he had listened to his mother.

Loki was with Thor when he was fetched by the guards. The urgency with which they rushed into the room made Loki get to his feet immediately. He thought of his wife instantly and his insides twisted.

"Prince Loki. You're wanted in the infirmary." The guard announced and Loki was gone instantly. He vanished leaving Thor behind and reappeared in the main healing room.

He looked around. Servants were bustling around. "Were is the physician?" He growled loudly. One servant pointed her eyes fearful. He moved passed her and stopped when Cephera came out of one of the rooms.

Her eyes were red and puffy and she was breathing heavily. Loki took hold of her confused. "What is it?" He asked.

"Devian, he didn't listen." She said sobbing. Loki left her and rushed down to the room she had come from. He saw Heimdell there and he saw his son. His son, to Loki's relief, was breathing.

"What has happened?" Loki demanded.

"Your wife came to me in search of your son. We located him on the beach unconscious." It was Heimdell who spoke. Loki knelt next to the bed Devian was lying.

"He ingested a large amount of water." The doctor said. "He was lucky to have somehow ended up on shore." Loki heard the strange undertone to the healers voice and looked up.

"You suspect something?" Loki asked as Cephera re-entered the room.

"I think someone found him before your wife and the gatekeeper. I think they may have rescued him." The healer said.

Loki looked at his wife. She had calmed a little. It seemed her hormones were a little over active. He stood and took hold of her into a hug. "I didn't think he'd go alone. I should have checked there first." Cephera said burying her face into his shoulder.

Loki didn't blame her. Devian was usually well behaved in such matters. He would have expected it of Diana but not Devian. Diana was no doubt still with Sif. Loki decided he wouldn't bother her. Devian was alive there was no need to worry at the present time. But Loki was eager to hear what happened when he woke.

He would have a few words with his son about breaking the very rules set in place to keep them safe.

AN: And there we go. Long enough? Worth the jump? I was actually very unhappy. I had to rewrite this chapter. I lost the whole thing when my iPad crashed. I can't tell you how frustrated that made me. I almost threw up my hands in defeat but I remembered all my readers and sat back and began again. I hope it's suitable.