Hostage to Love

Too Soon...

"Loki, I... I feel uncomfortable, I need to..." Ari never finished the sentence. She tried to stand and fainted in a heap at the foot of the throne.

"HEALERS!" Loki shouted."GET HER TO...NO WAIT, I'LL DO IT!" In seconds, Ari was in his arms, and he teleported them to the healing rooms.

Laying her on the bed, he stood up, holding her hand. "She said she wasn't feeling well and then..." he broke off as Ari started to come round.

"Loki? What....oh no....oh no, no, no, not now!" She grabbed her belly, and her face crumpled in agony. Her eyes flitted to Loki's, and they were full of fear. "It's too.... ohhhhhhh!"

Loki began to panic inwardly. Was this his fault? Was it his Jotun DNA doing this to her? "Help her, please help her." This wasn't a Prince commanding; this was a husband begging. A man, terrified to lose the love of his life.

"We will help her Your Highness, please, give us a few minutes." The healers bustled round, their basic Vanaheim version of a soul forge springing into life.

He paced back and forth, watching as they took readings and spoke to her calmly as she moaned and cried. At one point, they held her as she vomited into a bowl, and he wished they hadn't had quite such a big lunch.

As time wore on, Loki's patience wore thin. Ari was getting more and more upset, "Loki? Where's Loki? Please, I need to....." another scream and the orange figures projected above both writhed in mid-air.

Loki pushed his way to her bedside. "I'm here, my love, I'm here." He said a cool hand on her forehead, and she looked at him, her eyes reflecting his own fear.

"It's too soon, Loki. The baby... it's not ready... I should have had at least another eight weeks. Loki, I'm scared. I'm so sorry...." she began to cry, and the healers gave her a little sip of something to calm her.

"Shhhh my love, you have nothing to apologise for. Nature always takes over... even for Kings and Queens..." he smiled softly, not feeling an iota of it. Nature could go to Helheim if it was hurting his beautiful girl.

Loki waited till she'd closed her eyes and calmed a little before he moved away, taking the healer with him. She looked as grave as he'd ever seen and his heart twisted.

"We can not stop the labour, but she must remain calm. Her heart rate directly affects the baby. If she tires, so will it." The healer looked at Loki. "All we can do is make her as comfortable as we can. We think it's possible that her body feels the baby is ready because it's a ...."

She trailed off, not quite sure how to finish a sentence that included the words 'frost' and 'giant'.

Loki stared at her, then looked down at Ari, who was drenched in sweat and bearing yet another agonising contraction. "Will... she deliver normally?" He was terrified but had to know.

The healer looked at him and motioned for them to step further away. Taking Loki aside, she turned her back on Ari.

"We don't know. The baby has grown very large in the last weeks, perhaps... too large." She almost whispered, the implication unbearable. Loki looked at her in horror, then at his wife, who was screaming again.

"Can't you... cut her somehow?" He almost collapsed at the thought of his darling being cut open. He'd heard it done but had no idea what it entailed.

The healer shook her head. "There is no one on Vanaheim knows how to do it. Well, not and have the mother survive. Just keep her calm, we're trying out best Your Highness. We won't give up."

In a stride, he was back at her side. "Darling, it's going to be ok. You're going to be ok, the baby will be fine. It's just got too impatient to be inside you now. It's keen to meet its beautiful mother." He drew up a stool and sat by her , holding her hand. She looked at him, in a brief lull between the pains, her eyes as beautiful as he could ever remember.

The palace ground to a halt. Staff huddled in corridors and held their own loved ones close. Women cried, and men looked worried and uncomfortable. The building echoed to the screams of a Queen they feared they were losing.

It took hours. She screamed and cried and clung onto his hand as her body tried in vain to evict the baby that meant the universe to both of them. Blood soaked the bed, and Loki tried his best to keep her spirits up, telling her how Thor would be a man-puppy around the baby. How Jane would be a wonderful Godmother and how he would spoil not just his little Prince or Princess but his Queen. For the rest of their days. It all seemed to no avail.

"Loki," she swallowed, her throat parched, and he helped her take another sip of the healers' draught. "Loki, if you have to make a choice, my love, choose the baby." Tears formed in her eyes, and before she could say any more, another scream ripped itself from her body.

"No, Ari. I will NOT lose you. I can't lose you." Loki cried angrily "you cannot and WILL NOT leave me. I... forbid... it..." Now, he broke his heart.

Time passed. Even on Asgard, Heimdal saw what was happening and was afraid.

Ari was weak now, blood loss and exhaustion beginning to take its toll. She barely made a noise anymore, just her face and the hand that held his, giving any indication when she was in pain.

As Loki sat, her hand to his lips, a hand placed itself on his shoulder. He looked up into the faces of his big brother and Jane. Loki had never been one to show emotion easily. Now though, he stood and hugged Thor tightly. Jane slipped into his seat as he was gently led away.

"Ari? Ari, it's Jane." She spoke softly, wiping a dampened cloth over Ari's forehead. She turned to Thor, "Take him for some air, I'll sit with her. If anything changes, I swear I'll come for you."

Thor nodded and virtually dragged Loki from the room. "We will just stand outside, brother. Jane will take care of her. I promise." They walked slowly into the corridor, and Loki turned to him.

"Im killing her. It's my fault. If she dies, it will be my fault." He sobbed into Thor's shoulder. This was nothing either of them had ever been prepared for, and if ever there was a time they needed their mother, this was it.

Back in the room, Ari opened her eyes. "Jane? Is that you?" She tried to smile but failed as another contraction bit. She swore quietly, and Jane could see she didn't have much left.

"Jane. You...must promise...make him do it..." Ari took a breath, then continued,"if it becomes a choice... you MUST make him save the baby." She squeezed Jane's hand, and Jane nodded.

"I know Ari, I know. But it won't come to that. I promise, though." She smiled at Ari and said,"You know, even now? You make me ashamed! You've been in labour. How long? And your hair is STILL better than mine!"

The two women laughed quietly, and Ari winced, gritting her teeth. "Look after them, Jane. Thor, Loki, and the baby. Please?"

Jane smiled, "once they get the doctor here to do the cesarean, you'll be fine. You can look after them yourself."

"The what?" Ari looked at her, vaguely aware she'd heard the term before. Jane stared in horror.

"Isn't that what you're hanging on for? The doctor - healer - to arrive? I mean, how else...." she looked at the healers in the room, and they suddenly all looked very uncomfortable. "Do NOT tell me none of you know how....THOR! WE'RE LEAVING FOR MIDGARD NOW!!!"

Jane jumped up and rushed outside, grabbing Thor. She called out, "Heimdal send us to Midgard. Midtown Hospital New York. NOW!"

As the Bifrost began to carry them away, she called back to a stunned Loki, "Just keep her going till we get back. I PROMISE we can do this."

Loki stood and watched as they disappeared, then turned back to the room. This was their last hope.

As he walked in and saw Ari talking to midair, he wondered if they weren't too late already.