Heaven Sent (Loki/Asgard Fanfiction - Aislinn's Story)

Chapter Seventy-Six

       

Nothing in any of the nine realms could possibly have prepared Aislinn for just how much labor pains hurt. They weren't so bad at first. Every fourteen minutes. Less than a minute long. No problem. She got up, she walked around, they eased up, she relaxed.

Then her water broke and the pains increased. Swifter. Harder. Less time between them.

Oh, gods... this... ow...

Still, she was able to move around. Not quite as easily as before, and her back hurt a lot more now, but she was able to walk, breathing through the pains.

By the time she heard Steve's SUV pull into the driveway, she was almost in tears, she was so relieved. Her contractions were seven minutes apart and sharp enough that she could barely move from the intensity of the pain, lying sprawled on the sofa, trying hard not to panic.

The front door opened and Steve came in, calling, "Ash?"

"I'm right here," she gritted as the next contraction swept through her.

He dropped his bag on the tile and dropped to his knees beside her. "Ash? Honey?"

"It hurts..." she whimpered through gritted teeth.

"It's okay, baby. Let's get you to my truck and—"

"OH!"

"Breathe, honey..." He smoothed her hair away from her face. "You want me to call nine-one-one instead?"

"No... I'm okay. Just give me a minute."

The pain finally subsided and he helped her sit up, then to stand. As she did, the next pain hit, furious enough that she doubled over, digging her fingernails into Steve's forearm. "Oh... damn it!"

His free hand came down onto the small of her back. "Okay, baby... everything's going to be okay. Small steps and we'll stop when you need to, okay?"

She nodded, blowing out against the pain. "Okay." She relaxed against him, swishing her hand and explaining, "My bag."

"Oh, right." He brought the hand he held to his lips to kiss it. "You ready?"

"Ready."

Step. Step. Step. She was out on the front porch when the next pain swept through her. "Steve!"

He stopped, wincing as her fingernails dug into his arm. "Easy, baby," he said, his voice low, the hand on her back rubbing her aching muscles gently. "We're almost there."

She looked up. The Denali seemed miles away. "We are not almost there—oh!" Without meaning to, she sagged against him, her knees going to sponge as everything inside her twisted into a huge knot. "Holy Hel, this hurts!"

"A few more steps, baby."

She glared at him. "Let me punch you in the balls and then you can try taking a few more steps," she snarled.

"Sorry, honey. I'm just trying to help."

Thank the gods, the pain subsided and she let her eyes close for a moment. "I know... and I'm sorry. But, Steve, this really hurts."

"I know." He rubbed her back again. "You've got a few minutes, so why don't we—" He gestured to the Denali.

She nodded, gritting her teeth as she took another step. "What class did I pull you out of?"

He grinned at her. "Sex Ed. I was in the middle of answering the age old question of why boys call girls who won't sleep with them prudes and the girls that do sleep with them sluts and promising a roomful of sophomores that no guy ever died of blue balls."