Eir checked over Persephone and stated apart from being in need of a bath and a warm meal, the toddler was fine and well. She immediately told the brothers where to find you, and swore that none would lay hand on Persephone so long as there was breath in her body while they searched. With that promise, the pair went to the city once more and they were shocked to see the house you were supposed to be in, pristine and intact.

"I do not understand," Thor stated, staring at it.

"Neither do I, but nevertheless." Loki walked forward and to the door, he barely touched it and gasped as it immediately swung open, revealing dust and rubble. "The floors collapsed." He called your name and searched around where was safe to stand.

"There is a child's crib." Thor noticed, pointing to Persephone's bed. "It is intact, so they slept on the top floor."

"Where is the adult bed?" Loki looked around; he could not find it.

"I am not sure. Did she not have any staff?"

"Only Helena," Loki explained.

"The handmaid she had at the palace?" Loki looked at Thor when he spoke, his words causing him concern. "She was found, dead in the market."

"Persephone stated that she could not wake up, meaning she is here, in the house; keep searching." Loki took another cautious step, before hearing something akin to a groan. "What was that?"

"Under your boot Loki." Thor pushed Loki out of the way. "She's here."

"Sweetheart, please, please wake up," Loki begged as he tore the rubble that had you half buried out of the way, he realised then it was the remainder of the stairwell.

"Loki?" You groaned, your whole being aching. "Per-per…"

"She is safe, Eir has her."

"I… noise, explosions, ran, needed to get her out of her crib…"

"She is fine, she found me, and got me to find you."

"Odin…"

"He will not harm her," Thor promised. You turned to see the blonde warrior looking at you with kindness. "I will defend her with my life."

"I…" you tried to stay conscious.

"Just rest for now darling." Loki smiled sadly. "I will get you to Eir." He lifted you up and began to gingerly make his way over the unstable rubble and to the door.

"Loki, if she falls asleep, she may not wake up," Thor whispered as you dozed in and out of consciousness.

"Bring her to Eir." He handed you to Thor. Thor looked at him reluctantly. "She will not make it otherwise Thor, I will follow after."

"Loki…please do nothing foolish."

"I am following after you, I am not abandoning them."

Thor looked at him for another moment before nodding slightly and getting Mjölnir to bring you both to the palace, wondering if Loki would stay true to his words and return, or if he would flee, knowing you were both safe.

Everything ached, all you could remember was the thunderous sound of a battle shaking the city, followed by the crashing sound of buildings falling. Helena had been sent to market to retrieve some food for your dinner and Persephone had been napping. The moment the crashing sounds echoed through the home, you rushed up the stairwell to her bedroom, then came a thunderous noise, and the house shook, taking the three wooden floors with it, collapsing the lot, just as you had made it to Persephone, and you felt something hard and heavy strike your head before you fell unconscious.

When your eyes opened once more, you looked around, the room was half in darkness, though there were some in it, you remained still and listened.

"I do not care if anyone believes my intentions, she is my daughter and I state she is coming with me."

"Loki, you are being foolish, you cannot care for her, you know nothing of raising a child." Odin dismissed, you tensed at hearing he was present, but knowing Loki was there meant you knew Persephone was safe.

"So long as I treat her fairly and do not tell her to hate her heritage, I think it is safe to say I will be far better qualified than you." He snarled in return.

"Enough," Thor interjected. "This is neither the time nor place for this argument. You are her father, and as such, it is only right you care for her Loki." Thor concluded.

"Norn's, you, the voice of reason for a change, Ragnarok is upon us." You smiled internally at Loki's comment.

"She will require adequate care," Odin added. "Maids, tutors, everything."

"Why? Why are you doing this? You despise me and here you are, all intentions to assist in the care of my child, my illegitimate child at that."

"You were betrothed, and although you are supposed to wait for the wedding for such actions, it means your daughter is indeed your heir, as for why…" you heard something akin to paper being opened. "She had this ready in case she passed."

"Mother demanded it." Loki's voice was tight.

"You have assisted Thor is saving the realms, and your willingness to assist others while looking for your family are redeeming acts enough for your child to be cared for."

"But what of me?" there was a slight acceptance in Loki's voice.

"The crime you committed…"

"What of Thor's attack on Jötunheim, or are we to forget that little tantrum?"

"And of Midgard? Thor did not attempt to enslave a realm."

"Because complete and utter annihilation is far less terrible." Loki threw his eyes up. "So long as I am allowed my family, I will leave the city, go to a small dwelling in the country and be of no concern to you any longer." Odin scoffed. "What?"

"You expect me to believe you will go with your daughter and live as a farmer?"

"What would I know of farming, no, I will live off the substantial proportion of that mountain of wealth you have as a result of my work with the armies over the years and care for my family; after you make her my wife."

"You think she would have you?"

"Why would she not, she carried my child and declared on more than one occasion of late that she still loves me, so why would she not?"

"It is one thing to say these things when there is a cell between you both and you cannot touch her again, but now…"

"How dare you?" the three men turned to look at you, Loki rushing over to you as you tried to sit up and assisting you. "You think you know anything of me and my thoughts."

"Well seeing as you decided to not reveal your condition to anyone here..." Odin began.

"I had no choice, it says more about you than it does me if I feared you."

"And Thor?"

"You have him convinced that the only true path is to try and win your favour." You growled. Thor looked slightly insulted but said nothing. "I had to protect her."

"I would never have harmed her." Odin seemed genuinely hurt by that implication.

"You cannot swear that even Frigga knew it a possibility. That is the only reason you are doing this now is because you want to prove her wrong."

"That is not true."

"Have you completely altered your opinion since before, when you stated, in my presence no less, that Jötnar are barbaric, even partly bred ones."

"I was not aware…"

"What, that I still loved him, that our daughter, a part Jötnar child, grew within me, would you have had more tact then? That is hardly an excuse."

"I think we need to lower our voices," Thor suggested.

"Do not interfere Thor." Odin barked.

"He was trying to hint not to speak in a degrading manner in front of a child," Loki growled. He turned and smiled kindly. "Come here Sweet Pea." He knelt down; and a moment later, Persephone came around the corner looking at the tall man that had been so aggressive to her parents, fearfully.

Odin looked back at the little girl as curiously as she looked at him. "Her eyes…"

"Are one of her most beautiful features." Loki glared at him, daring him to say anything to the contrary.

"You think I would belittle one so small?"

"You did it to me." Loki held his daughter against him.

"You are never leaving go of her, are you?" You smiled, elated to see Loki so determined to be with your daughter.

"Not even for all the wealth in all the realms."

"What of when she meets someone?" you laughed at the look of horror on Loki's face.

"Fear not brother, I will assist you with that task." Thor nudged him slightly. You had expected Loki to tell Thor to go jump off the Bifrost, but you laughed again as he accepted the older man's offer with a nod. "She is awful adorable looking."

"She is a demon when she chooses to be, though." You smiled proudly.

"With a name such as Persephone, how could she be?"

"Her name means 'chaos bringer'," Loki informed him.

"Norns' you asked for trouble with that Loki."

"I did not have any part in naming her. I did not realise she existed until after Midgard."

"You did not…" Thor looked at his brother and his partner sadly.

"So, can we be left to live out lives?" Loki decided he had enough of the conversation, instead deciding to put an end to his misery.

"The palace to the North, it is yours as you see fit to do with, you leave for there tomorrow. If you wish to be wed, I will perform the ceremony this evening, it will be made to suggest it took place before the child was conceived. There you will remain to live life as you wish, but if I hear one word that you are up to anything Loki, I swear you will be put in a cell that will not allow you the option to see your child, am I clear?"

"Crystal." The prankster grimace-smiled. "Now, let us prepare for this ceremony then." He turned to you. "Did you mean what you said before?" you nodded, looking at him, causing him to smile and look at Persephone. "How about we get you the prettiest dress on the realm for this?" not knowing what event her father was referencing, but liking the idea of a pretty dress, Persephone nodded enthusiastically. "Well, let us go then." He placed an arm around you, knowing you were still tired. "I will bring my girls to the seamstress."

Watching them leave in awe, Odin and Thor simply stared. "'My girls'? He genuinely loves them." Thor commented in disbelief.

"I genuinely hope so, for if he does, there may be a chance for him to truly redeem himself," Odin stated, turning to tell the guards of what was to occur that evening.

"Why did you not stop him that day he first came to you, saying he had died?"

"I have never seen a dishonest being so genuinely terrified and distraught. That look is only possible in the most truly honestly worried souls." Odin replied. "I knew, whatever it was he was going to do, there were intentions behind it that were of threat."

"And you will let him to live in peace to the North?"

"That palace is never in use, no one goes there because it is colder there."

"You know what I mean father."

"You do not understand the threat of losing your family to a man Thor, the idea that you will never see your wife and child again, it is very much a deterrent." The king replied as he walked away.

"If I move I will explode." You groaned, trying to get comfortable as you sat on the balcony of your home, watching as Persephone was getting riding lessons from her tutor.

"Was Persephone so big?" Loki asked, watching your rotund stomach with interest.

"No, that is how I am able to tell that this one is your male heir." You poked a place where the child had just kicked. "Norn's I am ready for him to be born."

Loki smiled and rubbed where your hand had been a moment before, loving that his son responded immediately to his touch. "Soon my darling."

"It is all your doing."

"I had warned you what would happen were I able to touch you one more time. Oof!" he had not anticipated you elbowing him but laughed at your displeasure.