AFTER MOURNING OVER LOKI FOR WHAT FELT LIKE HOURS, THE REMAINING TRIO MADE THEIR ACROSS THE LAND UNTIL THEY HIT A CAVE OPENING. The three of them walked through the cave silently, none up for the conversation - especially Thor and Astrid. 

Though Jane spoke up anyway. "He's going to unleash it." She spoke to Malekith absorbing the Aether. "Not just on Asgard or on a star, Malekith is gonna destroy everything." She spoke in worry.

Thor furrowed his brow. "How? Jane, how?!" He questioned. 

"I saw him on Earth. Why would he go to Earth?" Jane explained.

Thor sighed, knowing the reason. "The Convergence." The cosmic event that occurs every five thousand years when all the Realms are placed into alignment. The very reason the Dark Elves failed to secure the Aether the first time against Odin's father all those years ago. 

Astrid grimaced. "Oh, Nords."

"God. None of this would have happened if I hadn't found the Aether." Jane blamed herself. 

"Then Malekith would have only possessed it that much sooner." Thor approached Jane, looking tenderly into her eyes. Astrid turned from the scene, not in the mood to see her friends act lovingly after she had just lost her love moments ago. 

After a few minutes, music could be heard echoing through the cave causing the three of them to look at each other in confusion. 

"It's not me." Astrid dismissed as the two looked at her. Jane soon fished in her jacket pocket and pulled her mobile phone out to find out the source of the music was her ringtone. 

"Hello?" Jane spoke as she answered the call. 

"Hi, Jane. It's Richard." The small voice on the other end spoke out. 

"Richard?! Where are you?!" Jane asked frantically. 

"I'm still in the office. It's...It's been a crazy day here today." He answered. 

Jane removed her ear from her phone and put him on speaker phone, holding her device up to get a better signal. "Oh my God! This is amazing." She whispered in amazement. As the two continued conversing on the phone, Richard spoke of a dinner date, hoping to have another with Jane to which she agreed. 

Astrid approached Thor, patting his shoulder with a tight smile. "Are you alright, dear?"

Thor sighed harshly. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" He asked sarcastically.

Astrid held her hands up in defence. "It's not my fault so don't take your anger out of me." Astrid sighed in defeat as she watched Thor's stern profile. She turned back to gaze out the entrance of the cave at the sandy horizon where they had to leave Loki's body. "At the end of the day, Thor, we have each other to lean on. We need each other." 

Thor turned to her to see her saddened expression causing his own to appear back to his face. "I'm sorry, Astrid. I'm... I'm just frustrated. I shouldn't have snapped at you of all people. Are you alright?"

Astrid smiled at his apology, her way of saying she forgave him. "No, but I'll live, just as you will."

Thor sighed heavily as he looked back to Jane still on the phone but bent over picking up some discarded keys. "I think after this fight, we need a drink."

Astrid chuckled. "Agreed."

"Uhm... sorry to interrupt but come this way," Jane spoke with a wary glint in her eyes. Astrid shook her head at both their jealousy. They both loved each other very much. He would never leave Jane for Astrid, and Jane wouldn't leave Thor for this Richard fellow. Both were so idiotic that it made Astrid laugh. 

The blonde goddess patted her friend's shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about with this one, dear friend." She approached where Jane had gestured, and walked into an invisible veil that separated Svartalfheim and Midgard. 

· 　⠀⠀✧. *　　 * ⋆ 　 .
· 　　 ⋆ 　　　 ˚ ˚

ASTRID, THOR AND JANE WALKED INTO HER APARTMENT WHERE DARCY WAS SAT RESEARCHING. As soon as the door opened, Darcy whipped her head to see the source of the noise.

"Jane! Where have you been!? You can't just leave like that! The world's been going crazy.." Darcy lectured Jane as the older woman entered the home. Astrid and Thor stood in the doorway, Thor gently placing his hammer on the coat rack causing Astrid to chuckle under her breath.

"So polite of you, I didn't know you had it in you." Astrid teased. "You are trying to make a good impression, aren't you..."

Thor groaned softly. "Shut up, you little evil woman." Only causing Astrid to chuckle more behind her hand.

As Jane spoke to Erik about the scientific research he has been conducting in her absence, Astrid looked around the same apartment living room. "It is so tiny in here, how does one move around?" She muttered to herself.

"We basically live on top of each other." Darcy whispered her reply.

Astrid frowned with a tsk. "How horrid."

Thor spoke to Erik. "Are you well, Erik?"

"Thor!... Your brother's not coming, is he?" He spoke wearily. No wonder since Loki did mess with his mental state back when he invaded New York.

Thor looked down. "Loki is dead."

Without missing a beat, Erik breathed. "Oh, thank God!" Both Thor and Astrid frowned at his exclamation. "I... I meant... I'm so sorry."

Astrid hummed. "Excuse me... I need some air." She excused herself to the balcony. 

"I didn't mean to-" Erik began to Thor but the blond god waved him off.

"It's fine... she'll be fine. Loki meant a lot to her, I think."

Astrid looked up at the night sky, her face scarred and bloodied from the attack on Svartalfheim. She sighed. "Such a fool. You can't be dead, really... you've done this before. And you've done it again." She laughed to herself. "And you'll keep doing it, won't you?"

She thought about the night they spent together in her palace. She thought of the dance they shared at the ball. She thought of all his flirtatious words and touches that made her heart skip a beat. "I hate that you make me feel this way... it's... so maddening and hopeless." She spoke to the starry sky. "I hope you are still alive..." She muttered. "So I can slap you." She sadly chuckled. "Or kiss you..." Astrid cursed. "Nords, what a fool I am."

Just then, a strange pain blossomed in her abdomen causing her to double over. "W-What?" She cursed. She clutched her stomach tightly as the pain increased. Then she felt the urge to empty her stomach. Astrid covered her mouth with a furrowed brow. What is happening to me? 

She hunched over one of Jane's potted plants to emptied her stomach, noting that she will apologise to the owner later. She entered back into the apartment and tried to ignore the pain and need to vomit and joined the conversation the group were having - the plan of attack. As much as she wanted to listen, she could not focus. Her body was begging her to release anything - vomit, blood, urine. 

"Sorry.." she muttered quietly to Thor and hurriedly rushed away to find Jane's toilet. After an agonising tour of her small apartment, she finally opened a door revealing a white pristine toilet. 

She rushed forward and flung the lid up and spewed her guts. "Oh heavens..." She groaned. "What is happening?" She muttered. 

"You're pregnant." A voice said behind her causing her to jump.

"Ah!" Astrid cursed and twisted her head to see Freyja had appeared before her (possibly from sensing her friend experiencing pregnancy pain) with a knowing smile plastered over her face. "What do you mean I'm pregnant? I can't be... I'm too busy to be pregnant."

Freyja chuckled. "That does not change the fact you are pregnant."

Astrid stood up shakily. "No no, you must be wrong... I'm not."

Freyja held her up. "You are... and if you think you are in a right state to fight tomorrow, you are sorely mistaken, my dear."

Astrid frowned. "I have to... it's the Aether-"

"And Thor will handle it." Freyja calmly spoke. "You need to come back to your palace and rest. You know godly pregnancies do not last long before the baby arrives. Judging from when you last had intercourse, I'd say you're nearly halfway there."

Astrid shook her head and took a breath. "Wait wait." She closed her eyes. She recalled her conversation with Frigga the day she died, about how she knew Astrid and Loki had made up - her reason being 'she was the Goddess of Motherhood'. "Oh my... I'm pregnant?"

Freyja smiled. "Where's the lucky person? It's Loki, isn't it?" She grinned. 

Astrid looked down at her stomach and held it gently, her hands shaking. Her worried expression turned sad as tears fell from her eyes. Freyja instantly saw and hugged her friend, she didn't need to hear Astrid's word to know something had happened to him. "It's alright... I'll be here for you."

"T-Thank you..." The blonde whispered. "I need to go speak to Thor. I'll... come home. Wait here." She mumbled. 

Astrid opened the toilet door to see Thor already standing there concerned. "Astrid? Freyja?! What is going on?"

"Thor!"Freyja smiled. She knew Astrid very well and she knew she wouldn't want to tell anyone about her pregnancy. At least not yet. "I've come to collect Astrid. Menvollr needs her."

Thor furrowed her brows. "But-"

"Ah ah," Freyja smiled. "You'll be quite alright by yourself. You're a big, strong god... I'm sure you can manage, no?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then it's settled! Come on, Astrid. Open up a portal."

Astrid did as she was instructed back to Menvollr. Freyja entered first. Astrid turned to Thor. "I'm sorry... I'll explain later. Good luck. Come and visit me and tell me all about the battle when you've won please?"

Thor slowly nodded still confused. "Alright... See you soon."

With that Astrid left leaving a confused Thor behind.