A/N: I want to send out a big thank you to Loki's best friend for helping me with this chapter :) I also want to thank everyone who has been reviewing, I love hearing from you guys.

The months passed and Loki made a full and complete recovery. The citizens now saw Loki for the hero he was. The baker even kept his word about delivering pastries to the palace every day, which kept Ava happy. There was only one person who still had a problem with Loki and that was Fandrall. It was all because Loki had Ava's heart and Fandrall had never even had a chance.

On this night there was to be a feast, celebrating the peace and prosperity that had settled over the nine realms. Loki and Ava were in their chambers getting ready. Loki wore his now regular clothes of black, green, and gold leather and metal. Ava was pulling on an emerald green dress which flowed out over her belly, which had swollen to quite a large size.

"I'm not going to the feast." Ava said, after looking at her reflection.

"Why not? Are you not feeling well, my love?" Loki asked.

"I feel fine…I'm just fat and hideous." Ava answered. "I'm as big as a Bilge Snipe."

Loki walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her belly. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"I'm ugly." Ava countered.

Loki kissed her cheek. "No. You are the most beautiful woman. I personally think I would like to keep you pregnant all of the time. Motherhood is very becoming of you." He said. "The glow in your cheeks, the shine in your hair, the special twinkle in your eye, the swell of your breast, and your stomach growing with the life we created together. The life that came as a result of our love. There is nothing more beautiful."

Ava smiled. "Well, when you put it like that…"

Loki grinned and kissed his wife again. "I love you, my darling."

"I love you, Loki." Ava replied, snuggling back into Loki's embrace.

Just then Loki felt a small thump under his hand. "Is that…"

Ava smiled. "The baby is kicking."

The smile on Loki's face grew. It was the first time he had felt their baby kicking. Usually Ava would say that the baby was kicking and as soon as Loki would put his hand over Ava's belly, the baby would stop. They stayed there for a while longer, feeling their baby kick.

"We should probably get to the feast." Ava said with a sigh.

"Probably." Loki agreed, kissing her cheek once again.

They then left their chambers and headed out to the feast, Ava waddling with her large belly. They arrived at the dining hall and took their usual seats. Farbauti and Frigga sat beside them and Thor and his friends were across from them. "Ava, you're looking absolutely radiant." Sif told her with a smile.

Ava returned the smile. "Thank you, Sif."

"Sif is right you are absolutely glowing with happiness Ava. Oh I can't believe that my little girl is about to become a mother where has the time gone." Frigga said.

"I know what you mean I can't believe that my baby boy is going to become a father. It seems like only yesterday that he was just born and now look at my baby now all grown up and so handsome and married to a wonderful, loving and beautiful girl and he is going to be a father and I know that he is going to be a very good father. " Farbauti said.

Loki and Ava had to keep from rolling their eyes. Their mothers had been getting increasingly emotional over the last few months of the pregnancy. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be getting emotional. Ava thought to herself.

Fandrall didn't have any problems rolling his eyes and making a show of his distaste for the entire thing. This, of course, earned him a punch in the shoulder from Thor. "What?" Fandrall asked.

"You need to learn to behave better." Thor replied.

"Well, I am sorry that unlike you all and the rest of the kingdom, I am having a hard time accepting a frost giant, his mother, and the fact that he turned our beloved princess into his whore." Fandrall replied, loud enough for everyone in their group to hear.

Thor was about ready to go, kick-ass big brother on Fandrall, when Loki spoke up. "That is enough from you." Loki said. "If you don't want to accept me fine, but the least you can do is show Ava respect. Yes, we were together before marriage, and yes Ava became pregnant with my child before we wed, but none of that matters. You will not say such things about my wife."

Thor had to hide a smile of approval at Loki standing up for himself and for Ava. Fandrall just sat in shock, surprised by Loki standing up to him. He would be lying if he said that he weren't impressed. Of course he wasn't ready to admit that aloud, he could barely admit it to himself. He decided to get up and leave the feast then, heading for his home.

Ava just sat silently, taking everything in. She really had no clue what to think. Fandrall had been mean to her when they were children, then he started being nice when they were older, and then once he found out Loki was a Frost Giant, he was mean to them both. It was confusing how it all changed.

A few days later...

Ava sat on a bench in the garden, reading a book. Thor had taken Loki to the training field. Ava was enjoying her book when she happened to hear someone coming her way. She debated about looking up, but decided just to read instead. She was in a mood to be left alone, unless it was Loki, she didn't want to talk to anyone.

"I should have known that I'd run into you here." Said the familiar voice.

"Well, this is my home." Ava replied, not even looking up from her book. "I do tend to get around it."

Fandrall let out a sigh. "Look, I think I owe you an apology for what I said at dinner the other night."

"Are you being sincere or is it because Thor gave you another thrashing?" Ava asked, still not looking up from her book.

"Sincere." Fandrall answered. "Your brother hasn't lain a finger on me."

Ava sighed and closed her book. She looked up at the warrior she had known all her life. "Look, I'm used to your mean little quips. They mean nothing to me." She replied, sending her book away with her magic and then slowly and awkwardly pulling herself to her feet. "I just wish you would show Loki some respect. He is loyal to me and to Asgard. He is a hero to the people. Why can't you accept that? Accept him?"

Fandrall looked down at his shoes. "Because if he'd have never been around, I may have had a chance with you."

Ava was taken aback for a moment. "So, that's what all of this is about? You're jealous?"

"Well..." Fandrall began, "It's true. If Loki weren't around..."

"Then I would still be betrothed to Vinius more than likely." Ava replied. "And even if that weren't the case and I was free to choose, I still would not have chosen you. You're too much like a really mean, creepy older brother to me."

"Did you just use the word creepy to describe me?" Fandrall asked.

"Do you have a better word to describe a brother who would want to court his sister?" Ava replied.

"But I don't think of you as a sister...even if you think of me as a brother." Fandrall replied.

"Oh come on, not even when we were kids? You didn't think of me like an annoying little sister?"

"Well...maybe just a bit." Fandrall replied.

Ava nodded. "And that's why you were always mean to me. Of course, I do have to thank you for being mean to me."

Fandrall wrinkled his brow in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if you hadn't of been so mean to me, I wouldn't have run off on my own and stumbled into the Jotunheim and met Loki."

"Wait, what?" Fandrall asked. "I'm the reason you and Loki met?"

Ava nodded. "You remember that day you were all supposed to go to the mountains and I was going to go with you and you had a fit about me going?"

"And then you ran off and we spent the day looking for you." Fandrall replied. "After Thor beat me to a pulp."

Ava nodded. "I ran off and had my own adventure...which landed me in the Jotunheim."

"So...it's all my fault?" Fandrall asked. "I never had a chance with you because of what I did before I even became interested in women."

"Trust me, even without Loki, you never would have had a chance." Ava replied, giving him a look and then waddling off.

Fandrall just stood there lost in thought for a moment. "I am not creepy." He muttered before walking away.