This Time Around (Sequel to All Over Again)

Chapter Fifty

CHAPTER FIFTY

It was a glorious afternoon, with plenty of sunshine sparkling off the water's calm surface. At the water's edge, Selig and Aislinn were busy building a sand castle. McKenna sighed as she sank back in her chair and reached over to thread her fingers through Loki's. "This is absolutely perfect."

"Indeed." He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, then lifted her hand to brush a kiss over the back of it. As she shifted and grimaced, he let out a soft chuckle. "Active?"

"Very." As she glanced down at her belly, it changed shape twice and when Loki's hand came to rest over the knee or elbow doing its best to burst through her skin, everything went calm. "How do you do that?"

He smiled at her. "I'll never tell."

"Twins, Loki. Your mutant Jötunn seed caused twins this time. And all I wanted was a nice, uneventful pregnancy."

"Maybe it was your mutant Midgardian egg, love, and not my fault." He winked, his thumb sweeping lightly over her belly. "Or nature just figures that we've already proven ourselves more than capable of dealing with one infant at a time and this is its next challenge."

She sighed, covering his hand with hers. They found out she was having twins a week after they returned from Alaska. And not only was she having twins, but they were twin boys. She was doomed.

Loki, on the other hand, could barely contain his glee at the thought of having two more boys. "Not only did I break the tie," he told her with a proud grin, "I made sure there wouldn't be another one. Tie, that is."

"I'll remind of that when they are old enough to drive you insane," she replied, much to the amusement of the ultrasound tech.

That was eight weeks ago. Now, at almost four and a half months in, she was counting down the days to her due date, which was only a little over a month or so away. She couldn't see her feet, and laying on her back was impossible, but she didn't care. They were on a beautiful beach in Asgard, a safe distance from S.H.I.E.L.D and everything H.Y.D.R.A. Grant Ward was dead. The children were safe and sound and happily splashing in the warm surf. Loki was there. They were all together and that was all that mattered.

Loki bent over to whisper something to his sons and her belly went still. Then, he came up and brushed her lips with a kiss, whispering, "I love you, darling girl."

She smiled, threading her fingers through his hair to brush it away from his face, and whispered back, "I love you, too, Loki. Now, why don't you go help them before Selig buries Aislinn alive?"

He chuckled, brushed her lips with another kiss, and rose to make his way down to the water's edge, where both Selig and Aislinn pounced to knock him into the surf. McKenna sighed softly as she settled back and just watched them play.

THE END