25.

She was pregnant.

She was having a baby.

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, Olivia turned to the side and lifted her shirt to reveal her still flat stomach. Her hands instinctively rested on her stomach. She wondered what it was like in there.

Dark. Warm.

The baby probably wasn't even a baby yet, so it probably didn't know what it was like in her womb.

"Maybe a sea monkey," she said. She snorted with laughter.

She was having a baby.

The idea was absurd to Olivia. She never thought that she would be a mother.

She knew that, sooner or later, she was going to have to tell Nick Fury. The child - her child - was the half Frost Giant, immortal child of Loki Laufeyson, the god who tried to enslave the Earth.

Olivia dreaded the day she'd tell him. She knew that SHIELD would consider her baby a threat.

She was certain that her baby wouldn't hurt a fly. Not intentionally, anyway.

Olivia sighed.

Things were different now she was pregnant. No one could quite look at her the same, like they were scared she was a timed bomb they were waiting to go off. They gave her pitying looks and rarely made eye contact and avoided certain topics of conversation. She tried not to take it personally; they were just scared.

"Like me," she muttered, dropping her shirt.

For a moment, Olivia had considered moving away from New York, starting a new life.

But she couldn't do it alone. The Avengers were her family now and New York was her home. Running away from her problems weren't going to solve them.

Plus Thor would never forgive her if she denied him access to his niece or nephew.

There was a knock at her door and Olivia frowned.

"Come in."

It opened. Darcy poked her head inside the room.

"Hey," she said with a smile. "Dinner is ready. You want to come eat with us?"

"Yeah," Olivia said with a faint smile. "I'm eating for two now, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Darcy joked.

The smell of Chinese take away lingered in the air, making Olivia grin; she loved Chinese food.

Everyone was gathered around the table, with Tony sitting at the head. Thor was sitting next to Jane, sharing a story that she, Steve and Clint seemed engrossed in. Natasha was pouring herself a drink and Bruce began to hand out food. There were two spare places.

Olivia hesitated slightly.

Looking up, Tony grinned at her.

"Hey, Liv, come and sit down," he called. "I saved you a spot."

He gestured wildly towards the seat next to him and, with a fond smile, Olivia sat down next to him.

"Would you like a drink, Olivia?" Steve asked her.

"Oh, yes please," she said happily.

"How are you faring, Olivia?" Thor inquired pleasantly. "Has being with child taken its toll on you yet?"

Olivia blushed.

"If by that you mean cravings and morning sickness, then yes, it has."

"Ugh, no sick talk at the table please," Tony said with a grimace, spooning some noodles onto his plate.

"Would you prefer it if I talked about my breasts getting bigger?" Olivia asked innocently. Tony smirked.

"Uh, hello, I think I quite obviously win in the big boob competition," Darcy called from across the table. Steve blushed.

"Must we talk about . . . the female anatomy when we're eating?"

"What's up, Cap?" Clint teased. "Not man enough to talk about breasts?"

Olivia giggled at the look on Steve's face.

"Stop teasing him," Natasha said with a smirk.

"Oh no, keep teasing him," Tony said enthusiastically.

"You get used to it eventually," Bruce said in quiet sympathy.

"I've known Darcy for years and I'm not used to her," Jane said with a grin. Darcy stuck her tongue out.

"So what warranted take away?" Olivia asked Tony. "I thought it was reserved for special occasions."

"Yeah, well, we haven't been very nice to you recently," Tony said uncomfortably. "This is our way of apologising."

"For being such gits," Darcy added.

Tears welled in her eyes and Olivia grinned at them all, wiping her eyes. She hated it that everytime someone did something nice for her, she wanted to cry.

"Jeez," she said with a shaky laugh. "I really wouldn't worry about it. It's forgotten, y'know? I don't care, you don't care, I'm pregnant and hormonal and I'm just going to eat now."

To emphasise her point, Olivia bit into a vegetable spring roll.

"You truly are a peculiar woman, Olivia," Thor told her with a grin.

"Yeah I know, I feel sorry for this baby." Olivia looked down at her stomach. "I think I might call it Bilbo if it's a boy."

"Bilbo," Natasha repeated flatly. Jane grinned.

"Like Bilbo Baggins?"

Olivia grinned back. "Yeah!"

"You cannot call your kid Bilbo," Tony told her.

"Why not?"

"The poor boy will be teased for life," Bruce said with a small grin.

"Oh well, he'll get over it."

"What about if it's a girl?" Jane asked. Olivia shrugged.

"Perhaps an Asgardian name?" Thor suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Olivia mumbled, unsure. She was a bit reluctant to give her child an Asgardian name, though she wasn't sure why.

"We should have a party!" Tony said enthusiastically.

"No."

His grin was quickly replaced with a scowl.

"So when are you going to tell Fury?" Natasha asked, still smirking. She leaned back in her seat, sipping her wine.

"I don't know, I guess I should do it sooner rather than later."

"We could hide the kid for you if you like?" Darcy offered.

"I don't think Fury would like that," Steve said.

"Fury doesn't like anything."

"Does Fury like alcohol?" Olivia asked hopefully. "I could get him drunk and then tell him!"

"Fury doesn't accept drinks from any of us," Tony told her.

"And even if he did, trying to out-drink him would be like getting in a drinking competition with Thor," Clint added. Thor smiled good naturedly.

It was no secret that Thor could certainly handle his drink better than the rest of the team. Olivia sighed.

"I'll think of something."

Olivia liked sitting on the roof of the tower. It was quiet and peaceful. She could think without being interrupted.

The sound of footsteps interrupted her peace. She looked over her shoulder and grinned.

"Hey there, stranger," she said to Thor, climbing to her feet.

"I haven't disturbed you, have I?" he asked, hesitating slightly.

"No," Olivia said truthfully. "I could do with some company, actually."

Smiling, Thor pulled Olivia into a warm hug, which she gratefully returned. She let her head fall against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"I am so sorry," he said, his voice rumbling. "Loki is a fool to have discarded you in such a careless manner."

"It isn't your fault, Thor," Olivia mumbled. "Don't take responsibility for him."

"I feel responsible for him. He is my brother."

"I understand."

Slowly, Olivia pulled away, looking at the city. The bright lights disturbed the dark sky, but she liked it.

"Do you think it's true?" she asked quietly. "Did Loki really just . . . use me?"

"No," Thor said firmly. "I know my brother and I know that he cared for more than he has ever cared for anyone."

Olivia wasn't convinced.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked at Thor.

"So how was Asgard? I never did ask."

"It was good to see my father and mother once more. I will be returning shortly."

"Why?"

"To begin the search for Loki," Thor said gravely.

"Oh."

"I hope you do not mind, but I informed them of the nature of his relationship with you."

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "Well, as long as you didn't tell them that I was some . . . Midgardian whore who seduced their youngest son."

Thor smiled. "I can assure you that I did not."

"Well that's alright, then."

"My father is . . . sympathetic," Thor said delicately. "And my mother is stunned that a mortal woman tamed Loki."

"I hardly tamed him."

Sighing, Olivia's arms tightened around herself.

"What am I going to do, Thor?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant," she said. "I'm having a baby, Loki's baby." She stared up at him desperately. "What am I going to do?"

His hands either side of her face, Thor looked Olivia straight in the eye.

"You are going to be a mother," he said sternly. "You are going to raise and love your child like the kind, strong woman that you are."

"But - "

"There are not buts about it, Olivia. You will be a magnificent mother."

"How can you be so sure?" Olivia whispered.

Thor smiled. "I do not know. I believe in you."

He kissed her forehead, a kind brotherly gesture, and Olivia realised that this was the comfort she'd been so longing for. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning against him, and Thor hugged her back. Together, they gazed up at the dark sky.

Dear Loki,

I know you're not going to get this letter, so I don't know why I'm writing this, but I guess it helps. Kinda.

So.

I'm pregnant.

Yeah, I know, it's crazy isn't it? I'm pregnant. With your baby, obviously, because I'm not a skanky whore like some people. I'm going to have a baby and we're going to be parents, how mad is that? This . . . thing inside me is actually a part of me and you. Weird, huh?

So, I'm scared. Terified, actually. I never thought that I could be a mother, y'know, but this is crazy because our baby is half a Frost Giant.

I'm scared that I won't love our baby.

I guess that I'll get used to it in time. I'll have to, won't I? I mean, you're somewhere and I'm here and you're probably not going to come back for a long time.

Even if you're not going to get this letter, I thought you should know.

. . .

I miss you.

Please come back, Loki. I'll be waiting.

All my love,

Olivia.

Everyday we wake if it takes too long
Just tell me something new
Forget about the sunshine when it's gone
You can think it's right, but it feels so wrong
Just show me something true
Forget about the sunshine
Forget about the sunshine when it's gone.
~Sunshine, The All American Rejects.

Thank you IvyLinkin, TheDoctor'sAmazingCompanion, VioletK, MissPadawan, Smileychameleon, Repenned and Smiele for reviewing the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or added this story to their alert - your support is appreciated.

This is the last chapter of Forget About The Sunshine, but not the end of the Loki/Olivia story! The sequel will be posted soon - The Shadows Prove The Sunshine!