The Midgard Woman

Six Years Later...

Early dawn broke over Jotunheim, the sun tingeing the snow-covered landscape with a blue blush as it rose, slowly, through the parting clouds. Everything was still and silent, not a bird in the sky, not a stirrance over the frozen waves of the lake, even the flags of the palace didn’t wave because there was no wind, for once. The realm gave off an aura of peace in its quietness.

This was Jotunheim whilst its inhabitants were still asleep, a Jotunheim that was only just beginning to wake up.

Or so it seemed.

The doors creaked open, quietly, as the soft patter of small feet crossed the stone floor, intermixed with the occasional giggle and hushed whisper of “Shush!” before the young Prince was startled out of his sleep by the collected cries of “Wake up! Wake up! It’s today!” and the feeling of three small bodies colliding into the mattress.

Blinking, Loki glanced up sleepily and smiled, before turning his attention to his wife. “Georgiana, I don’t want to alarm you, but we seem to be under attack.”

“Mm?” Georgiana raised her head. “Then we must do as we always do, Loki, launch a counter-attack.”

So saying, she turned about and grabbed the nearest young boy, who squealed as she began to tickle his ribs. “Mother!” he complained, kicking his feet. “Stop! Please!”

Loki smiled as he watched Georgiana immediately let up on their son and kiss his cheek, lovingly. Hela crawled into the space between them whilst Nari grinned and tried to catch hold of his brother’s feet. Vali protested with a “Get off!” and attempted to kick free.

“Alright, that’s enough now,” Loki told them, though not in a scolding tone.

“Well, come on!” Nari tugged at his arm. “It’s today!”

Georgiana laughed as she let go of Vali. “They won’t even have arrived yet, Nari, we’re hardly going to miss them.”

“But I want to meet Uncle Thor when he gets here,” Nari pouted.

“Is he really bringing someone this time?” Hela asked, her eyes alight with anticipation. “A woman?”

“Yes, he is,” Loki confirmed, “a Midgardian, just like your Mother.”

He caught Georgiana’s eye and smiled at her. Returning it, Georgiana added with mock sternness in her tone, “Yes, so no mischief.”

“Boring,” Nari muttered with a sigh, rolling off the bed.

“Listen to your Mother,” Loki told him.

“Yes, Father,” Nari replied, obediently.

“Come on!” Hela sprang up, a little bundle of energy just like Georgiana had been at her age. “Grandfather’s not up yet either!”

“Don’t-” Loki began, but the triplets had already run out of the room. He sighed and shook his head, turning to Georgiana. “He’d let them get away with murder.”

Georgiana laughed and leaned forwards to kiss him. “So much for a bit of a lie-in before our visitors get here.”

Loki grinned at her. They both knew that sleep could go hang as long as their three children were happy. They were worth the sleepless nights and every other minor irritation that came with starting a family.

“We’ll have plenty of time to sleep when they’re older,” he replied. “Besides, when we told Thor and his family “the morning,” we weren’t exactly specific, so I suppose it’s a good thing they woke us early.”

“You would do anything for them, wouldn’t you?” Georgiana smiled, nuzzling up to him.

“As would you,” Loki reminded her.

“Mm, I don’t know,” Georgiana replied. “When it came to actually having them, they did push me to the limit a bit. It was somewhat touch-and-go then.”

It had been something of a frightening experience for all concerned anyway, although Urd confided to them both later that first-time births always were. The majority of it was a blur for Georgiana, who remembered mainly the pain that had come with the giving birth, three times over, as well as the panicking that she wouldn’t be able to even deliver the first one.

“You’re almost there, you’re doing well,” Urd told her. “Just one more big push should do it.”

“You can do this, love,” Loki said, gripping her hand firmly in both of his own.

“What do you bloody know about it?” Georgiana gasped through the pain. “You don’t have to go through things like this!”

Loki shook his head, knowing that her anger was just due to her hormonal imbalance, and kissed her forehead.

Then, in one great rush, it was over, for the minute, and Urd smiled at her. “Congratulations, you have a very healthy baby boy.” She wrapped the fussing little thing in a blanket and handed him to one of the other nurses, before turning back to the young couple. “Now, I think we’re ready for the second one.”

“No,” Georgiana moaned, closing her eyes and turning her head away. “I just had one. Leave me alone.”

“Georgiana,” Loki murmured, thinking that that was so like her, as he leaned down and kissed her forehead again, “I know you’re in a lot of pain, right now, but when it’s over, we’ll have our children. And you’re going to be the best Mother in the whole of the Nine Realms. I know it.”

Weakly, Georgiana murmured “Flatterer,” with a small smile, before preparing herself for the next delivery. It was a little easier, although not much, and soon Urd had declared that they had two healthy boys and it was time for the last baby to be born. Focusing solely on her husband’s words, Georgiana managed to work her way through the pain for the final time, feeling that it was something she never wanted to go through ever again.

“It’s a girl,” Urd smiled, wrapping her up. “Just as healthy as her brothers.”

Georgiana managed a smile, although her entire body felt weakened and she leaned against Loki, who wrapped her in a tight embrace. “I am so proud of you,” he murmured.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you ever make me go through that ever again, I will feed you to a Bilgesnipe,” Georgiana murmured back, closing her eyes.

Loki just smiled and held her closer. A few moments later, Laufey was admitted into the room, just as the nurses were handing over their babies. Taking their younger son in her arms, Georgiana smiled down at his peacefully sleeping blue face, and was reminded instantly of Loki in their youth, and of that day he had finally revealed his heritage to her.

“Everything’s alright?” Laufey asked, anxiously, approaching the bedside.

Loki looked up at him and smiled. “They’re all fine.”

Georgiana looked up at the Jotun King and smiled. “They’re absolutely perfect.”

“And you’re alright?” Laufey checked. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit sore, and I can’t seem to stop crying, but I’m alright,” Georgiana replied.

“Your Majesty,” Urd said, approaching him with the third bundle, “would you like to hold your granddaughter?”

Laufey was surprised but eagerly accepted the offer. The tiny girl blinked up at him, curiously, her small red eyes scrunching as she tried to focus on his face. He found himself reminded of a time like this many years ago, when Farbauti had given birth to Loki.

“What are you thinking of naming them?” he asked.

“Nari,” Loki replied, indicating the boy he was holding, and then the one Georgiana had, “and Vali.”

“And for the girl, we were thinking Hela Farbauti,” Georgiana smiled.

Laufey smiled, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “She would be honoured to know that.”

“Come on, then, my love,” Loki murmured, breaking into both of their thoughts. “Let us prepare for this ordeal.”

“Ordeal?” Georgiana laughed and swatted at him. “He’s your best friend, remember?”

Loki just gave her a mischievous grin as he climbed out of bed, and Georgiana found herself wondering whether she had told the right person off, as far as mischief was concerned.

By the time they were both ready, their children had come running back into the room freshly washed and dressed, and having sneakily stolen some apple tarts from the kitchens, for which they were being pursued by one of the maids. Loki always knew that it was fruitless getting too cross with them, because he could never do that for too long with them, and neither could Georgiana. Anyway, in this case, no harm had really been done and once it was all cleared up, the five of them made their way outside and across the snow-white plains.

The children ran on ahead, their black hair whipping about in the wind as they raced one another. Though, like their father, they had been born with the blue skin and red eyes of Frost Giants, they had also, like their father, been taught to use magic from a very early age, so they were currently wearing their Aesir forms. In these forms, they all looked very like their Mother, they had her eyes and Loki was prepared to swear that Hela also had some of her facial features, but they still retained his raven hair, Hela’s tumbling over her shoulders in wild waves like Georgiana’s whilst Nari and Vali wore theirs short and neatly combed back.

“There!” Hela squealed suddenly, pointing ahead to the flash of rainbow lights that signalled the arrival of their guests. “The Bifrost!”

“Hela!” Loki called in a warning tone, jogging to catch up with her. “Don’t get too close, or you’ll be sucked in and dragged Valhalla knows where.”

All three children immediately stopped and watched the silhouettes of their guests form within the lights until four people stood before them, three familiar and one a newcomer. The triplets immediately ran to Thor, who chuckled and crouched down in front of them.

“And what have you three been up to while I’ve been away?” he asked, fondly, glancing at Loki behind them. “Running your Father ragged?”

“Someone has to when you’re not here,” Loki quipped.

Georgiana smiled as she walked up to hug Frigga and then turned to the young woman, who looked slightly nervous about being in a strange place. “And you must be Jane, am I right?”

“Yes, it’s very nice to meet you,” Jane replied, taking the hand offered to her and relaxing a little at once. “I’ve heard a lot about your...realm.”

Thor looked up at her and grinned and Georgiana noted the look that passed between them, a look that she knew only too well, a look that she and Loki exchanged every day. The look of love.

“Well, we are honoured to have you here as our guest,” she replied, turning to Odin. “Laufey’s waiting for us in the courtroom.”

“Come on!” Hela tugged at Thor’s arm, and he smiled and allowed her to drag him along, with her brothers close behind. Loki watched them, fondly, trying to remember why he had ever disliked Thor in the first place...oh, yes, kidnapping my wife, but I forgave him for that a long time ago. Their friendship, “brotherhood,” Thor always insisted it was, and perhaps he was right, just seemed to have grown stronger after their battle with the Dark Elves, and consequently the relationship between Asgard and Jotunheim had never been stronger.

The day passed in cheerful tranquillity, old friends catching up and learning of new things, and people. Georgiana discovered that Jane was from America and took a liking to her instantly, finding a kindred Midgardian spirit in her, which Loki was happy about. Sometimes he wondered if she missed her people on Midgard, even though she always insisted that here on Jotunheim with him and their children was her home, so having someone close by from her own realm to talk with would be good for her, he decided.

“Do you think she might be the one, then?” he asked Thor as they watched the triplets playing quietly together away from the boring grown-up chatter.

“I think so.” Thor turned to him. “Look, when you fell in love with Georgiana, did you...just feel like you knew?”

“I felt like the missing piece of my heart had finally been found, yes,” Loki replied. “Does Jane make you feel like that?”

“Yes.”

“Then marry her.”

Thor laughed. “Well, it worked for you, Brother.”

Loki grinned. “Am I allowed to say I told you so?”

“Certainly not,” Thor grinned back.

Loki turned his head, glancing at Georgiana and Jane as they bonded. Georgiana glanced his way, suddenly, and smiled at him. He returned it, and then said, with genuine feeling, “I’m happy you’ve finally found your own Georgiana.”

“I’ve found my own Midgard Woman,” Thor corrected him.