Loki's Saving Grace

Chapter 1

Loki snarled with rage as he heard his father's verdict. How could Odin send Thor to Midgard? Loki needed his brother; couldn't the Allfather see that? Or maybe that was why Thor was banished in the first place.

Loki paced around his chambers before feeling the contents of the magic-hidden-bump on his stomach kick him. A thought struck the Trickster and he sunk onto a couch, agony coursing through his veins. Thor would miss the birth. Loki whimpered at the thought and a tear formed at the corner of his eye. His brother, his lover, would not see their child come into this world. He would miss the joy of their child's first word, first step, first kill.

Loki was angered, for Odin, he knew, would not allow Thor to come back; not until he gained a 'sense of humility', at the very least. However, Loki knew Thor could be humble. Thor was consistently what most Asgardians would call 'weak' but in reality was humble, but only really around his brother and his friends. The god of thunder was never humble, though, when around his father, Odin, or in any situation that could lend any potential danger to Loki or their child.

Thor only went after the frost giants of Jotunheim because they had been close enough to get to Loki. They had unknowingly threatened the Trickster's and the Thunderer's unborn child. Odin had taken Thor's act of protectiveness as an arrogant prince's disobedience. Loki had tried to explain Thor's actions, tell their father about the pregnancy, but his protests were waved off almost immediately. Thor had been banished and now Loki was in his chambers, seething silently.

All of a sudden, Loki rose fluidly and stalked from his rooms. He made his way to his father's throne room. The guards, too surprised at his presence, let him through accidentally, against the king's orders of having nobody enter without his permission.

"FATHER!" Loki demanded. His father looked up from the man he was conferring with. Dismissing the adviser, Odin called his youngest son forward.

"What is the problem, Loki?" Odin spoke, eyebrows knitting together in his confusion.

"The problem? The problem is that you banished my brother Thor to live among mortals! You took his power and left him helpless!" Loki growled.

"You know as well as I that he needs to learn humility if he is to be a fair and wise king." Odin recited this calmly and it was said like a well-delivered line in a film. This only served to anger the younger god further.

"You are wrong! Thor is the most humble man I know! He may not seem like it to you, but he only acts that way because he wishes to protect me and our—! He cares for this family and this realm!" Loki barely caught himself from telling the Allfather of the child he carried and continued smoothly.

Unfortunately for the lonely Trickster, Odin caught the slip. "He wishes to protect whom?"

"I, father. I am but a child to him. The way he looks at me—" Loki was interrupted by the king.

"—is like a piece of meat. I had my suspicions. And you have confirmed them with your rage, storming into my throne room and defending Thor." Odin sighed and rubbed at his wrinkled forehead. "I must tell you something, something important. Please do not try to speak until I have gotten everything out." He paused and sighed again, taking a deep breath as if to steady the soon-harsh blow of his words. "Back when Jotunheim and Asgard were at war, well, just after I had defeated Laufey, I wandered into one of the temples. Lo-and-behold, I found a frost giant baby, a runt compared to the inhabitants of Jotunheim. He had been left to the mercy of the cold, for no one wanted a useless-to-them runt of a child, and frost giants, from birth to their first year of life, are susceptible to cold. He would have died, and I, showing mercy, took him back to Asgard with me to become part of my family. Thor took to him as a younger brother and dubbed him Trickster, Loki Odinson."

Loki looked on at his 'father' in undisguised horror. "I'm…a frost giant?" Loki whispered. "But…what would happen if I decided to have a child?"

Odin smiled grimly. "The mother would die from the growth unless the child would be born a 'runt' as well. If you were to carry the child, the creature would become more than half-frost-giant, most likely, and either Laufey would claim him or the Asgardians would call for his death. I am sorry to say, son, that I would agree with my subjects."

The pregnant Trickster glared balefully at his father and turned on his heel, making his way out of the throne room without dismissal. Loki muttered under his breath as he found his way to Heimdal, the gatekeeper of the bifrost.

"Heimdal, step aside." Loki ordered.

"Are you betraying the king, going against his wishes of banishing your brother to Midgard?" Heimdal intoned, staring off into space as per usual for the powerful god.

Loki wanted to lie, but felt that it would do him no good, even though it was one of the things that he ruled over. "Yes. I am going down to Midgard to stay with my brother. Asgard is currently too dangerous for me."

Heimdal nodded once, curtly. "Come on, then." He turned and made his way into the bifrost, the frost-giant-runt following him. Loki stood in a relaxed, open position, not much different from that of an actor onstage, waiting for Heimdal to send him to the land of mortals. Heimdal spoke before sending him off. "Tell your brother I will be watching for the both of you. And remember, I will not bring you back if I believe it to be dangerous to our realm." Loki answered in the affirmative and Heimdal sent him off to Midgard, humanity, and Thor.