Loki´s heart was broken; his beautiful wife had died during the angels attack on Asgard. He had been away on Earth with the twins whom had just turned eighteen that year on a mission with the New Avengers team.
Diane had finally given them permission to join the Avengers´ missions as long as their father went along with them. Most of the original avengers had retired from action but they continued taking part of the team training their children who had become the new members. Steve and Natasha´s son Chris fought alongside of his father and had become very good friend of Eydls and Even. Clint´s daughter Helen was the new Hawkeye. Tony and Pepper´s son Antony Junior who was his father´s spitting image was bound into becoming the new Ironman much to Peppers dismay. Thor´s children Asmund, Ronald and Ingrid were still too young to join the team but they were eager to follow their cousin’s footsteps
“Why was she outside the palace?” He kept asking himself
-She went down as a true warrior- Sif had told him. It didn´t made him feel any better, over the years she had asked him to train her so she would be able to protect herself, she kept getting into unexpected trouble whenever she was alone and eventually grew tired of having to wait for Loki and the twins to rescue her.
As he caressed her hair he asked out loud – What were you doing out there? – He was interrupted by Thor walking in.
-I´m sorry brother, are you ok? – He knew he wasn´t but he felt compel to ask him anyway.
-No, I´m not. I don´t think I´ll ever be all right again. It took me over a thousand years to find her, I´ll never be that lucky ever again- his eyes glistered with unshed tears –Do you know what she was doing outside the palace?-
-Not for sure but I would guess she was shopping for gifts for you and the children. They found her satchel.-he replied as he offered Loki Diane´s pouch.
Loki just stared at the bag but he wouldn´t take it for Thor, shopping, why? There wasn´t any birthday or anniversary coming soon. He just couldn´t understood why she had gone by herself.
Thor noticed his brother kept pensive and placed the pouch beside Diane´s body.
-Promise me you won´t do anything foolish- he finally pleaded
-Eydls and Even already made me promise when I asked them to leave me alone with their mother – Loki sighed.
-Then I´ll leave you to your thoughts brother –Thor replied as he gently placed his hand on Loki´s shoulder. He was worried Loki would take on a suicidal mission to avenge his wife.
Minutes after Thor left Loki finally forced himself to look into Diane´s pouch. She had been all over the market judging for the contents of her bag, she had bought the twins favorite candies, a small brass horse figurine undoubtedly an addition to Samantha´s collection, an ancient looking spell book had to be for him, at the bottom of the bag there was a small very neatly wrapped package as he fumble with the wrapping its contents fell with a metal clink sound and rolled under the bed. As he reached down to retrieve it he felt his heart sank it was a small golden baby rattle, the design was beautiful embedded with gold and gems, truly fitted for a prince.
He knew Thor and Jane weren´t expecting another child at the moment, and he couldn’t remember that any of their friends were.
She had wanted to talk to him early that day but she was interrupted by the twin’s arrival announcing the Avengers needing their help to deal with Latveria. She knew Loki still hold a grudge against Doom for kidnapping her and he was thrilled at the opportunity to cross him again. She smiled as she told him to go with the twins –We can talk after you kick Doom but, don´t worry it can wait-. If he had knew that was the last time he would see her alive he wouldn´t had left, he hoped to be wrong, it would be too horrible. Even if it meant tearing his heart even further he had to find out.
Sygn, he needed to find her. He started looking for her he knew she had to be somewhere else in the healing rooms which at the moment were full with both asgardian warriors and common folks who had been injured during the attack. He finally found her in the storage room as she was getting more medicine.
-Sygn- he called her attention, thankfully she was alone- I know you are busy but I need your help, I know this will seem unimportant with everything that´s going on but I need to know, is there a way you can use the soul forge to find out if Diane was pregnant?-
Sygn was surprised by his request, she wished he hadn´t asked her – I don´t need the soul forge Loki-she sighed as she looked at the floor not daring to look at his face –I know she was-
Loki didn’t know his heart could hurt more than it already did –How? – He managed to ask.
Sygn looked up at him –She came to me yesterday, she wasn’t sure. She wanted me to check her, she didn´t wanted to get your hopes up in case she was wrong. I asked her if she had any symptoms after all a long time had passed since the twins. She confessed she hadn´t then explained me how you´ve been able to sense the twins minds while still on her womb and she felt envious because she didn´t felt them at all, she told me –I´ve been feeling someone in my mind, at first I thought it was my imagination but I think he´s reaching out.-
-He?- Loki interrupted her
-I asked her the same question-Sygn replied a sad smile on her face
–I can’t explain it- she confessed to me –But if I´m really with child I know he´s a baby boy, I just know it-
-And it turned out she was right she was two months pregnant.-She hated telling him, it was hard enough to lose his wife and now he knew he had lost a child too.
Loki remained emotionless –Thank you Sygn, I think I need some fresh air- he told her as he walked away.
His lack of reaction worried her more than if he had broken down- Wait Loki- she tried to caught up with him but he had vanished. “He must have teleported, I need to find Thor, I fear that finding out will push him over the edge. How did he knew?”- She kept asking herself as she frantically looked for Thor.
Loki had teleported himself back to his old chambers; they were farther apart from Thor´s and the twin’s chambers, he felt safe to vent all his grief out there.
Losing a child as well as his wife made the pain unbearable, he started trashing the room throwing everything he could to the floor, he flipped the bookcases, broke all his old potions vials. He didn´t even cared or looked what was he grabbing as he tore everything apart until he cut his hand with an old but still sharp dagger, he just stood there staring at his injured hand as his blood dripped onto the floor. He knew he had promised but ending his pain was too tempting. As he took up the dagger and placed it´s point over his heart he closed his eyes; he was shaking. He suddenly felt Diane´s hand on his face; he opened his eyes in surprise. –Please love, don´t –Diane ghost pleaded –If you do that we´ll never be together again- her body glittered, her presence was transparent but he could feel her as she were alive. She was dressed with a white gown over which a golden armour was placed. She had died as a warrior he remembered, she was in Valhalla. She was right if he killed himself he wouldn’t be able to see her again.
-Why didn´t you told me? –He reproached –I wouldn´t had left your side-
-I´m sorry, I thought we would have time-she confessed –I know you are in pain, but you don´t have to worry about us, we are ok. It was quick.-
Loki was about to ask her when she called a young boy´s ghost he hadn’t realized was at her side –Loki, he´s our unborn child Locke-
He looked about six years old, he must have looked like that if he had lived that long Loki guessed, tears flooded his eyes as he felt the tiny hand touch his face –Father – he could sense ancient magic and wisdom on his sons voice- Don´t despair. He smiled at him –Everything will be all right, we´ll be together soon enough. Have faith in yourself and in my blood siblings, search for your sister …-
-My sister? – Loki frowned he had no sisters, Laufey had no daughters neither did Odin.
-Sleep father, it will all came back to you-Locke said as he laid his hands on Loki´s eyes. He suddenly felt asleep.
Long forgotten memories of a green skinned woman appeared in his dreams –… he used one of the infinity gems to resurrect her …-the words echoed his mind.