After her kidnapping, Loki refused to allow Annalise out of the Waldorf despite her indignant protestations. She stood in the middle of her room, hands on her hips as she glared at her husband.

"You are indefinitely on bedrest."

Annalise blanched, "You don't even know what that is."

Loki narrowed his eyes, "Perhaps the specifics are unknown to me, but you are in need of it, of that I'm sure."

The King strode towards her and easily lifted her off her feet, carrying his squirming wife to their bed and gingerly setting her on the mattress before promptly pinning her down.

"You will obey me in this. You are willful and obstinate which I allow against my better judgement because you are my Queen, but this is nonnegotiable, Annalise."

Squirming for a moment more, she took in his earnest expression. Her glare eventually softened and she nodded in surrender.

From then on, Loki insisted on overseeing her care. The King assembled a team of five OB/GYNs, two Internists, and a slew of nurses, techs and technology to monitor her around the clock. Mostly around the clock. Loki wasn't above debasing his wife while on "bedrest;" he continued pumping her full of his coveted Asgardian essence. When such occasions arose, he simply cleared their rooms of all medical personnel. Because Annalise wasn't on bedrest for a medical reason (aside from Loki proclaiming her unfit for general movement) her care team approved Loki's sexual escapades.

Despite her beyond-qualified birthing squad, Loki insisted on watching over her whenever able. Often she'd wake to his penetrating gaze bearing into her from across the room, as was the current situation. The heavily pregnant queen sleepily rolled over with a deep inhale, rubbing her eyes and stretching. She gasped when she saw the gleaming green eyes of her husband who was seated in the corner of the darkened room, his gaze focused on her. Annalise buried her face in her hands in frustration.

"Loki," she groaned.

"Yes?"

"I'm just sleeping. You don't have to watch me. You almost gave me a heart attack."

Immediately Loki stood and made his way to the door.

"Pregnancy raises the risk of heart attacks. Let me fetch a doctor," he stated over his shoulder.

"I was being sarcastic!"

He shook his head and reached for the door handle, "I'm ensuring your safety, Annalise. Both of yours."

She'd had enough of his being a mother hen. "Don't you dare leave this room," she hissed.

Loki froze mid-step and spun slowly, quirking a brow at Annalise, "Issuing orders is not part of bedrest, my dear."

"But it's part of being your Queen, and more importantly, your wife."

The King hesitated as he twisted his wedding band around his finger before finally nodding. He strode to his plush chair in the corner but Anna's clear voice stopped him in his tracks.

"If you insist on watching me, would at you least come to bed?"

"I can see you better from here," he explained as he situated himself.

"I know you can. Get in bed," she snapped.

She could feel him hesitate.

"Loki, I'm hormonal and pregnant and tired. Please, just come lay with me."

There was a moment of silence before the King conceded with a heavy sigh, rising regally from his chair and crossing the room. He toed off his boots, unbuttoned the top of his shirt and crawled onto the canopied bed next to his wife.

"Come here," she rolled onto her side and held her arm out behind her, reaching for him. Loki crawled across the bed, taking her hand, which she wrapped around her belly as he slid his body behind hers.

"Thank you," she murmured as her eyes fluttered shut.

Loki made a noise somewhere along the line of a grunt as he propped his head up on his hand, staring at her intently as if she would suddenly rise and run away. Idly he rubbed her belly, soothing both himself and his wife. She wiggled, scooting herself closer to him as he held her. He had come so far as a spouse, she thought with a sleepy smirk as she drifted back to sleep.

x

Annalise was rudely awoken by a spirited kick to her bladder a few hours later. Grumbling, she stumbled to the bathroom and did her business, stopped to wash her hands and wiped them dry on her nightgown as she padded back to bed. When the first strike hit, she managed to catch herself on a bedpost, but the second knocked her to her knees. Her ears rang and she was too stunned to hear Loki fretting as he jumped from the bed to her side. She groaned, completely disoriented and confused. Annalise tried to get up but faltered, falling against Loki as he helped her onto her feet. Another blast shook the room and startled both of them, but Loki refused to address the attack or so much as make eye contact with his wife until he quickly checked her body for harm. Finished with his exam, he looked at her pointedly.

"You need to leave."

Annalise bit her lip, wary of separating from her husband. Despite the Asgardian DNA now woven into her makeup, providing her with a stronger and more durable body, she had no fighting skills and would only be in the way when it came time for combat, assuming that was the direction things were heading. And that seemed pretty viable. With a nervous sigh, she nodded and glanced back towards the master bathroom.

"There's a titanium panic suite hidden behind our bathroom," she murmured.

Loki took a moment to look at his little Queen in awe, pleased at her brilliance in self-preservation and preparation in creating a safe haven within the castle.

"Good girl. Go," he reluctantly pushed her towards their bathroom.

She caught his hand and ineffectively pulled on his arm until he got the message and closed the distance between them. She stood on her tiptoes and gripped his shirt, yanking him down to her level. Though her belly got in the way, they worked around it and she kissed him fiercely, surprising Loki as she molded her lips against his. He responded in kind. The two parted only when a fourth explosion echoed throughout the walls of their rooms. Annalise turned to flee but found herself stopping and looking over her shoulder.

"Be careful. Or I'll hurt you."

"Go, now, little peach," he murmured with a small smirk as he transformed into his armor. He grabbed a satphone and quickly punched in a number, then barked orders into the receiver.

She watched him for a moment longer before dashing to the panic room. She was surprised to find her gaggle of a medical staff, several Chitauri and a few stray agents waiting for her. A woman stepped forward.

"The King summoned us," said the nurse.

Grimly she nodded, rubbing a hand over her belly. Gaining admittance to the room only after all ten of her fingerprints were accepted, she stepped into the suite and ushered her crew inside before sealing the door behind her. Her stomach rolled. They should've known his rule had been too easy. They were fortunate her kidnapping was only that—And it seemed their luck had run out.

Ignoring another twinge in her lower belly, Annalise racked her brain for possible attackers, though she was fairly positive it was the Avengers. She began flipping every switch and pressing each button she could find, turning on lights, ventilation and monitors featuring twenty separate camera views of the interior and exterior of the Waldorf.

The Queen glanced around her. Had there been a source of natural light, the lofted area would actually be charming. The open space was gigantic, the immediate room fully furnished with a plush suede sectional and practical-for-disaster stainless steel light fixtures and tables. The secret quarters boasted both a master and spare bedroom, as well as two bathrooms with every toiletry one could ever need. She could see through the clear glass panels of the commercial refrigerator that the food they had was fresh; the beast of a machine was restocked on a weekly basis in case of emergencies such as that at hand. The Queen glanced warily at the huge generators in the corner next to the water reserve, which were prepared to filter in clean air and provide electricity should her palace lose power.

Turning back to the screens, she smoothed her hand over her belly in annoyance when she felt another pang. She caught sight of Iron Man hovering near the south wing, talking into a communication device on his wrist. Loki appeared to be issuing orders form their balcony, certainly because if Tony Stark was in her city, there was a good chance that the rest of the Avenger crew was near. Squinting, her eyes raked over the different screens, searching through the rubble with irritation for the source of the blasts. Anna caught sight of the back of the Black Widow scaling the still-intact far west exterior wall, mounting what looked like a block of C4. She glared. When would people stop destroying her blasted palace?

Idly Annalise rested a hand on her tummy, wincing as another uncomfortable sensation twisted in her abdomen. She toyed with a piece of hair, wrapping the soft strand around her finger while she gazed at the monitors in search of her people. She hadn't been able to hear any screams while she and Loki were in their rooms, and the monitor screens were still bereft of life aside from the Black Widow and Stark. She prayed her charges were safe. If the Avengers operated as they had in the past, civilian casualties were heavily avoided and she'd have been surprised if her people had been injured, but still wanted them to seek safety elsewhere. A wave of emotion hit her, making her chest tighten as she turned to the tallest of the aliens, and spoke quietly, bracing herself against the wall as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

"I need you to see everyone out of the Waldorf. Every civilian. Personally. Find a way out of the palace, away from the fighting. Evacuate them quickly and take them somewhere safe. Do whatever is necessary to ensure their wellbeing."

She fought to keep her voice from cracking. Her poor New Yorkers. None of them deserved this chaos. With a deep breath, she steeled herself and glanced back at the Chitauri. If not for a subtle gleam of intelligence in the creature's eyes, she wouldn't have thought it understood her. However, it bowed its head, chittered, and turned to leave. Annalise jumped when the cool fingers of a nurse grazed her elbow.

"My Queen—."

"Not now," Annalise muttered, scrubbing her face with her hand. She felt like she hadn't slept at all. When she felt another pinch in her lower back she cried out softly in surprise.

"My Queen."

"What!"

"You're going into labor, your Majesty," the nurse explained quietly.

"Oh, no. No, no, no." she glared down at her belly, adamantly shaking her head. "We are not doing this now. We're waiting until your father comes back so he can experience himself the result of pumping Mommy full of his Asgardian essence," she grit between clenched teeth as her lower tummy spasmed.

As if on cue, her water broke and she let out a string of expletives as it drenched the lower portion of her nightgown. In somewhat of a daze, she allowed her care team to herd her to the master bedroom and onto the bed as her first truly painful contraction ripped through her. She cried out, her fingers digging into the silk of the duvet which was surly ruined by now. Vaguely she heard someone coaching her on breathing, but she ignored them and titled her head back in frustration as the nurses tweaked her position on the bed until she was comfortable. Well, as comfortable as could be expected. Never had it occurred to her that Loki would be absent during the birth of their child. Her heart fluttered with anxiety as she came to terms with the fact that he not only was he going to miss it, but that he was missing it because he was off risking his life to defend their home.

x

Loki flexed his fingers around his glowing, blue-tipped spear as he surveyed the scene before him. Enough buildings still lay in ruin from the first Battle of New York that his view into Central Park was clear from his bedroom balcony. The Avengers, minus Thor, who was still in Asgard, it seemed, stood arranged in a semicircle around Captain America, who was surely giving them an inspirational pep talk. They were prepared for battle, respective weapons drawn, from firearms to shields to Stark's God awful armed machine-man. Their Hulk's beady eyes wandered to the King, and he glared angrily at Loki and his army as the beast gnashed his teeth, clearly eager for destruction and death.

Behind the team of merry of miscreants sat several of their aircrafts, all of which Loki decided would wreak glorious havoc once hit with explosive Chitauri blasts. At the thought, the King pursed his lips, annoyed at having to destroy parts of his city once again. Their coming to his home was preposterous. That Black Widow wench blasted gaping holes in his palace, in his wife's palace, and she was going to pay. They would all suffer greatly for jeopardizing the safety of his family. It would be weeks before he finally finished killing any of them, save for the Iron Man. His death would come today. The arrogant machine man had mocked Loki in Stuttgart, and he wasn't going to allow the imbecile to walk away this time. Benevolence no longer suited his ruling style. His dark nature threatened to poison the man he'd become.

Loki's knuckles turned white as his fingers curled around the spear, glancing back at the hordes of Chitauri gathered behind him. The King summoned only half of his American army, leaving the rest to maintain order in his largest cities. This battle wasn't about destroying New York City or conquering the world; he'd already done that. This time they assembled to aid him in bringing an end to the Avengers.

His alien creatures were eager for a fight. Organized in pairs and trios on their vehicles, they were armed with superior guns, nasty axes and gleaming swords. Loki ordered one of the mammoth airborne skeletal animals to be on standby in case the Hulk became unmanageable this time. At the very least, it would be enough of a distraction for him to capture several of their "heroes". The remaining whale-like savages rested safely beneath the ground, hibernating until he had use of them.

The sound of clicking caught his attention. He glanced at a monstrous beast at his side who had become his second in command since Barton's death.

"Destroy their aircrafts first. I don't want any of them escaping. Then distract the monster."

The King nodded at the general, who chittered at the other Chitauri. They all promptly rose on their Jet Ski-like flying machines and took off as a pack. Loki's mouth curled into a cruel smirk as the scene before him erupted into blasts of blue-white bolts of energy. He heard the Hulk roar and watched as it charged forward, batting at one of the airborne crafts. Several blasts of energy forced the creature back, stumbling like the oaf he was.

Loki mounted his own vehicle.

"Take me to them," he ordered the Chitauri manning the machine.

Immediately they rose and flew smoothly into Central Park. Loki leapt from the craft and landed gracefully on his feet, the fresh grass cushioning his jump. Confidently he strode forward as Captain America launched his shield at him, which he easily shot down with a bolt of blue from his spear, sending the defensive weapon flying. The Captain's attack was followed immediately by an aerial assault from Stark, which caught Loki off guard as he was forced to his knees by the formidable blast. Rolling out of the way of the second shot, Loki jumped to his feet and deflected yet another attack from the Soldier, but doing so distracted him so that Stark had time to rocket away, flying in an arc and gaining speed as he returned like a boomerang and bowled into Loki. The God flew backwards, smashing into the remains of an uprooted tree. Angrily he slashed at the mangled wood, cutting his way free and marching back the way he was thrown.

"Might as well give up. You're undermanned this time, Loki," Stark called from the air.

Loki smirked. The Iron Man had always been delightfully ornery. The King grasped his weapon tightly, urging power into the weapon as the tip glowed a brilliant blue. After several moments, as Stark flew at him once more, Loki launched a giant bolt of energy, this time sending his enemy flying. As the machine man landed, he heard a muffled voice with a British accent coming from the suit.

"Sir, your suit is on the brink of malfunction. Please return to Stark Tow—."

JARVIS cut out as Loki ripped the mask from Iron Man's face, glaring down at the surprised idiot.

"I've had enough of your games," Loki snarled as he nimbly gripped Stark with a hand on his jaw and the other on top of his head. Stark began to respond in sarcasm, but the King brutally cut him off as he snapped his neck. He heard several shouts of objection from the other Avengers, but he paid them no mind as he zeroed in on the Hulk. The green beast had taken out a quarter of his army. Chitauri, alive and dead, lay scattered on the freshly laid sod of Central Park. Shaking his head in disgust at the incompetence of his swarm, Loki strode forward.

The Hulk caught sight of the despot and carelessly flung the alien in his hands into a pile of smoldering rubble. It bounded forward, and though Loki got a shot off, the animal backhanded him several hundred feet away. With a growl Loki swiftly got to his feet and spun his spear in his hand, adjusting his grip as the monster lumbered forward once more. This time, he agilely dodged the Hulk's swipe, aiming a kick at the beast's knee. The animal roared in fury, but didn't falter. It appeared Loki's blow only served to enrage him further as he swung again, barely missing him.

Loki no longer cared to play games. As the green creature barreled towards him, Loki sent out three duplicates to distract it. As he'd hoped, the Hulk veered off to attack one of his doubles. Loki lingered nearby, waiting for an opportune moment to attack. Allegedly, the creature couldn't be killed. Loki sought to challenge that claim. When the animal opened his arms to smash, the King took advantage of his exposed chest. He leapt at the creature, burying the tip of the spear into its heart. It screamed in anger and fell backwards, but didn't die immediately. It twitched on the grass, and slowly its eyes reopened. This time, they glowed blue.

Loki smirked. So, it was true. The oaf couldn't be killed, but he wasn't immune to the energy of the Tesseract that powered his spear. The beast got to his feet, stumbling slightly as he caught his bearings.

"Hulk."

The curled lip was the only indication that the Hulk held onto anything remotely… him as he turned obediently towards Loki.

The King motioned at the remaining Avengers.

"Collect them."

With a forced nod, the green creature surged forward, smashing the remains of an aircraft as he neared Captain America.

The death of Stark and the change in the allegiance of the green fiend seemed to dampen the spirits of the Avengers. Loki watched heartlessly as his army, aided by the Hulk, started bringing down the rest of their team. Quite busy luxuriating in his mayhem, Loki didn't hear the alien approach. When it clicked from behind him, he almost ran it through with his spear.

"What?"

The creature chittered and Loki stiffened, growing pale as it communicated.

"She's in labor? Now?"

The beast nodded and motioned back at the Waldorf.

"Take me to her."

x

Loki wasted sixty seconds fighting with the identification panel that led to the panic room before hoisting his spear into the air, ready to drive it into the blasted machine when the door finally opened from the inside. A nurse ushered him in and he thrust his weapon into her hands as he removed his helmet. The poor woman spluttered and almost dropped the spear, which went very much ignored by the King as his long strides took him further into the suite. He wheeled around when he heard muffled curse words coming from one of the far rooms.

"Let me see her."

"This way, your Majesty," the woman bowed awkwardly, as if unsure how to show respect. She led him to the master bedroom, where he came upon Annalise sitting up in the bed, her cheeks pink from exertion and surrounded by staff. Anna swore again and clenched her eyes as one of the nurses counted as she pushed.

Loki was slightly horrified. Not by the view, but at the ordeal his wife appeared to be going through. In a rare instance, he was uncertain. What was his role? He was jarred out of his train of thought as his wife snapped at the flock of doctors and nurses, sending most of them scurrying away. He couldn't help but smirk. His little spitfire. His first step was tentative, but as he closed the distance between them, his confidence grew. Loki drew up a chair at her bedside, raising a brow when she tried to wave him off without looking at him.

"I will not leave, little peach."

He was certain he smelled like battle, of sweat and grime and blood from minor injuries, but it would take much more than a 5'2'' woman to drive him away. Annalise turned to growl at him as one of the women tried coaxing her into pushing again. Her brows, furrowed in concentration, rose in surprise as her eyes came to rest on Loki. Immediately her tiny hand shot out and sought his, squeezing as she heeded the woman demanding she push.

"Good girl," he spoke quietly, smoothing her hair from her face.

It took several more grunts and cries, but minutes later a tiny, squalling, pink form was placed in his wife's arms. Loki frowned and his chest tightened, a sensation unfamiliar to him as he watched the miniscule child in Annalise's arms.

"It's a girl," Anna crooned softly, stroking the baby's cheek with the back of her finger.

Loki leaned forward, wiping sweat from her brow and attempting to clandestinely catch a glance at his offspring. Though his actions were subtle, she immediately realized his intentions. Placing a kiss to the baby's forehead, she shifted towards her husband.

"Hold out your arms," she commanded softly.

Defiantly Loki's hands balled into fists, but the glare she shot at him prompted his fingers to relax. Obediently, to his dismay, he cautiously held out his arms.

"Hold her head," she said as she gently deposited the squawking infant into his capable hands.

Loki's heart all but stopped as he doubtfully clutched the bundle to his chest, fearful of harming her in some way. Annalise guided him so he held the baby securely, and confidently let them both go. His eyes grew wide in dread as the diminutive body of his daughter relaxed in his arms. After several moments, when she remained unbroken, the King finally began to relax. Though wavering, he offered his child a small smile as he became more sure of himself.

"I'm glad you're here," Annalise murmured sleepily.

The words he said under his breath were almost inaudible, but not quite. Her lips quirked into a smile as she drifted off.

"As am I."