when it rains

Dahlia rested her hands on her stomach and sighed as she glanced around the cave where Heimdall had asked her to stay while he gathered people to bring to safety. It wasn't hard for her to believe that Loki had been impersonating Odin over the last four year, what was hard for her to believe was that Odin had hidden a sister from Thor and Loki for all this time and that she was so awful. It was also hard for her to accept that this sister none of them had known about wanted to take the throne so badly she would kill and destroy all of Asgard. Of course, to make matters worse somehow she and Thor had gotten separated and she had no idea where he'd ended up or what was going on anymore. Because before she could even get an answer Heimdall was pulling her away to this cave and telling her to stay there and things would be explained to her when he could, which was not helpful in her current situation.

"Val, I hope your dad is okay," Dahlia said glancing down at her stomach and sighing. She knew that one thing she should not do right now is stress because she didn't want to harm her baby, and that was a lot harder said than done currently given she had no idea what was going on.

"Lady Dahlia," she heard behind her before the turned to see Heimdall walk in with a group of people following behind him, and they all looked rather frightened. She smiled at them all hoping it would at least calm them a little, but she was sure it wasn't helping. Though before she could say anything more Heimdall was pulling her aside to explain everything to her.

She nodded her head to him in understanding, the people of Asgard needed her right now. They were without a ruler and at the cusp of a possible war against someone claiming to be one of their own and so, of course, they were scared. Even she was scared, but thankfully for them, she had been born to be with Thor which made her the queen they could turn to. Not that she felt ready, but at the same time she remembered Frigga telling her once that no one was ever ready to take the throne and rule, but they did it. And it would seem now was the time for her. "Heimdall, if you are able to talk to Thor can you give him a message?" She asked feeling a wave of relief wash over her just knowing Thor could get her message.

"Tell him Val and I love him, that we're okay, and to be careful because we need him to return to us in one piece," she said knowing it might've sounded silly because she was Thor knew those things, but it was helpful for her. And maybe hearing that his wife and their unborn daughter needed him in one piece would help him somehow. This was nowhere close to how she had pictured things would be going when she was expecting her first child.

Thor would be forever thankful for Heimdall and his friendship. It was odd because they felt more like brothers than he and Loki ever had. Thor wasn't related to either of them by blood so he wondered if it was simply the way that they were built. Loki was all about tricking and lying to people. Sometimes it was harmless, sometimes it wasn't. He remembered the tricks that Loki would play as a child. Those had always been harmless but the older they got, the more harm that Loki's games caused. Broken bones, bruises, and more. Thor had thought that Loki was the worst sort of sibling at one point but that thought had gone out the window the moment that he'd learned of Hela, his sister.

As far as he was concerned, if Odin had turned his back on Hela, Thor didn't trust the woman. He never would - from the get go, Thor had been ready to tear Hela in two. She had just continued to give him more and more reason to hate the woman. The very idea that an Asgardian would want to destroy his home angered Thor like nothing else ever had. Even if Thor had been ready to give the throne to Hela without a fight, his wife and unborn child were on Asgard.

They were all the reason the Thor needed to fight. Despite losing his eye, despite losing his hammer - he needed to fight for Dahlia and their baby. His own pride and self worth could be questioned later, once he knew they were safe.

It was odd, that a long lost sibling had brought the two brothers together. Thor stood beside Loki as they approached Asgard, the pair both equally tensed as they stood, ready for the battle that was to come. It would not be pleasant but Thor would do what he needed to keep his family and his people safe.

"Well, brother, I never thought we would fight alongside each other again..." Loki said, nearly sounding triumphant as their home planet came into view. Thor fixed him with a hard glare, slowly shaking his head.

"We have to save our people. By whatever means necessary. Whether that means fighting alongside you or against you, it doesn't matter. What matters is... our future," Thor spoke, his voice taking on a hard edge. He needed to get back to Dahlia, he needed to see that his wife and baby were fine. If they weren't... there was nothing that would stop him from killing every person responsible.

Dahlia found herself pushing her worries of Thor to the back of her mind because she had other things she needed to focus on, like helping Heimdall getting their people off of Asgard. They needed to be protected from Hela and they were all turning to her for that because if not her then who? Therefore she had to worry about them and couldn't worry about if she was ever going to see her husband again. That was one of the things about being King or Queen of anywhere, your feelings had to be put on the back burner a lot so you could properly take care of your people. And Dahlia had known that from the get-go she wouldn't have married Thor all those years ago if she hadn't been sure that she loved him and that one day she would do whatever necessary to be the Queen both he and the people of Asgard needed her to be.

As she led the people to the ship that Heimdall had promised would be waiting for them she couldn't help but look around just to see if Thor was anywhere near. Surely he was here somewhere, probably off fighting Hela, and she would've heard by now if he wasn't. "Hurry, onto the ship now," she called to people as she motioned them all in front of her wanting to make sure that everyone made it onto the ship before her.

"My lady you need to get on the ship as well, come," Dhalia heard someone say to her as they walked up and tried to pull her along with them. And she appreciated being looked after, but if her people were safe then she needed to make sure Thor was okay because she could finally take the time to worry about him.

She smiled at them and nodded her head as she pulled her arms away, "I will, I have to make sure my husband is okay first. So you get on the ship and I will be right behind you. I promise," she told them before she turned around to head back towards the palace, only that wasn't what happened.

"Sorry, Dahlia but I can't let you go any farther," She heard before she was being forced to the ship.

"I can't leave him! You have to let me go to him! What if he needs me?!" She yelled, trying so hard to fight Loki off but it wasn't working out.

Loki shook his head as he forced her onto the ship with himself. "What my brother needs is you and your baby to be safe, I don't think allowing you to run off into a battle you can't fight in would be smart considering. So you're going to sit your ass down on this ship with the people of Asgard and if this ship leaves without him then so be it," He told her knowing they both wished it was going differently than this, but Loki had made a promise to his brother to save Dahlia and the baby at all costs. Even if that meant forcing her to leave him behind, and Loki wasn't going to even think of crossing his brother, not this time, and not with this.

Thor had made Loki promise him that he would get Dahlia to safety. That was the only thing that Thor truly wanted, after his peoples' safety. He didn't care if he lost everything, so long as his people and his Queen were safe. If he lost either of those things, Thor didn't think he would be able to live. Dahlia had been everything to him, from the moment that they had met. He hadn't understood it then and even now, he didn't fully understand how his entire world could rest in one person's hands. Dahlia had the power to crush his heart and Thor was perfectly content that way, he loved her more than life itself. She had reminded him that there was more to life than simply being the God of Thunder or the Prince of Asgard. They were important but not everything.

As much as Thor and Loki were often at each others' throats, it hadn't meant a thing in the past few hours. Loki had promised to keep his family safe and despite their differences, they were going to come together to defeat Hela. The thought was just a bit painful because they didn't want to kill a sibling but sometimes, that was just the way the world worked. Accept it or not.

When Thor realized what they needed to do, he'd told Loki the plan and just like that, they were off on their own missions. Thor would not leave this planet until he was sure that Hela would perish. It had gone unspoken but he had a feeling that Loki understood it. Thor had always been about protecting his people and the ones that he loved.

Thor watched as his people continued to board the ship that would take them to safety, Hela's grip on him keeping him in place. His fight was dwindling and he knew it - he didn't want to give in but if Loki was on the ship, Surtur was released. That was enough solace for him.

But then he realized what he was giving up - Dahlia and his unborn baby. THor was a lot of things but giving up on his family, he simply couldn't do. Regardless of just how defeated he felt, the thought of leaving his wife and child, Thor couldn't do it. He let out a roar as he leapt forward, just as Surtur burst through the surface. Already the ship had started to pull away from the bridge.

If Thor wasn't on that ship in the next few moments, he would die right alongside his sister. Ragnarok would take more than just Hela and Asgard.

Dahlia covered her mouth to try her best and muffle the sob that escaped her when she felt the ship start to move with Thor nowhere in sight. She was sure that Loki wasn't lying in this instance and Thor had likely made him promise to keep her safe but that didn't mean she had to like it. Even if it made all the sense in the world she would never like this plan. How could she though? The plan was literally to save the people of Asgard even if that meant giving up his own life, and Thor giving up his own life to save his people was honorable it was exactly what a great king should do, but it meant leaving Dahlia widowed right before their baby came. It meant leaving her with a living reminder every day of her husband. It meant Dahlia had to rule the people of Asgard alone and take care of their child alone unless she found another suitor willing to become both king and father. And she didn't want that.

Dahlia would rather rule and raise her precious Val alone than find someone new to marry. Thor held her entire heart in his hands, and the thought of having to ever give even a piece of that to someone else broke her heart into a million pieces.

"You're not getting off this ship," she heard Loki say as he moved in front of her to block her from the door. "I made a promise to my brother that I intend to keep. I'm sorry that he's not here yet but these people need you regardless of that. And we both know that you're not going to just abandon them, not when you know they need you the most," he said hoping himself that Thor somehow miraculously found his way to safety on this ship and they could simply move forward. She knew Loki was right, as much as she wanted to abandon ship she wouldn't.

She was quick to stand to her feet, wipe her eyes, and push Loki out of the way however when she heard someone land in the ship, however. "Thank Valhalla," she breathed as she closed the space between herself and Thor as quickly as possible. Nothing mattered more to her right now than being close to him. She didn't care that he was covered in sweat and blood she cared that he was alive. She didn't care what he looked like or how he smelled, she simply cared that had made it back to her. They could worry about everything else later, right now she needed to be close to her husband so she didn't go into a panic.

There was a brief moment when Thor watched the ship start to pull away from the bridge. His entire lifetime seemed to flash before his eyes as he thought about everything he would be losing if he didn't catch that ship. Surtur would destroy Asgard, there was no doubt about that, and Thor right along with it. Thor was mighty but with no weapon, he was nothing compared to Surtur. Even he knew that. That moment slid into acceptance because at least he'd done his job well. At least his people would be safe with a worthy queen to help rule them as they searched for a new home. As the acceptance sank through him, Thor realized with horror that his child would grow up without a father in its life and he was not about to allow that.

Anger surged through Thor and that was all it took as he threw himself into the air, dropping onto the ship moments before it sped away from his home planet. Thor's body ached from his fight with Hela, his face void of emotion and he was sure that Loki was the first to notice his missing eye. He heard the sharp inhale his brother made before Dahlia's arms slid around his waist. He exhaled slowly, breathing a small sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Àst," Thor murmured into her hair, his eyes closing as he held her to his chest. He inhaled slowly, so relieved to be holding Dahlia in his arms. There had been a few moments where he had thought this was never going to happen again. He couldn't even begin to describe just how relieved he was. Dahlia was safe, his people were safe, and he was with them. Thor was just as nervous about the future as they were, he had no clue what it held but at least they could figure it out together.

"You need to rest. Today has been long," Thor spoke suddenly as he pulled himself away from Dahlia. "Rest will be good for the little one," he murmured, resting his hand on her stomach.

Dahlia rested her hand gently on top of Thor's as she looked up at him resting her other hand on his cheek. "You need to rest much more than I do," she told him trying to take in everything at the moment. Her husband was standing before her alive, but he looked beaten down and different than when she'd seen him last. And she could tell that he had a lot on his mind and heart. "Come with me," she said before taking his other hand in her own and trying to lead him away. "We can rest together, everyone on this ship can rest for the time being. I'll help get you cleaned up and we can worry about what we're going to do with our people then. There isn't much we can do at the moment anyway," she said wishing that they could just land the ship back on Asgard now that Hela was probably gone and go about their lives but that wasn't the case. Dahlia knew they had to find a new home, they had to rebuild somewhere, but right now was the time to worry about that. Right now the people of Asgard were safe, they were tired, and everyone aboard the ship needed to try and rest.

It wasn't up to the people to decide what happened next, it was up to her and Thor because even though still nothing had been made official with a crowning ceremony he was the rightful heir to the throne and she was his queen. And Dahlia had every intention of making the best choice for their people, that's what a good queen did but before she could make any kind of rational decisions for her people she wanted to make sure that her husband was okay. She needed to make sure that Thor was taken care of. They were a team and she couldn't have her other half, the other valuable member of the team, running around on fumes. She was also more than sure that their people either already did or would understand that the pair of them had to take care of each other properly so they could also properly take care of the kingdom, wherever they ended up.

Once she had led him into the room she was claiming as theirs and sat him down in the chair placed in the corner and took a seat in his lap so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Today was a victory," she said softly kissing his neck. "In more than one way," she told him as she moved his hand to rest on her stomach again. "And Val and I are both happy that you're still alive,"

"Do you feel that?" She asked him smiling as she felt their daughter moving around in her stomach, "I'm sure she's doing flips because she knows you're here,"

Dahlia was allowing herself to believe that everything was going to work out, she was letting herself believe that this was just one set back. They'd figure everything out though, they'd go somewhere new and safe, they would rebuild their lives and their kingdom, and everything would work out just fine. Losing their home was just a small set back. "Would you like to take a bath? It might help your muscles feel better,"

Thor let out a reluctant sigh when Dahlia pointed out that there wasn't much that they could do at the moment. There she went again. His wife was always the source of reason in his life, she helped calm him down in moments of rage or sadness or anything of the sort where his emotions spiked. Thor had been known as a man that had struggled with his impulses. It had never bothered him before he met Dahlia but the change had been nearly immediate. Thor had grown as a man and had wanted to be the sort of husband that Dahlia could be proud to call hers. It had taken hardly any time at all for Thor to realize why he'd changed.

Thor was a man of action, he did not like to sit and wait to react to something. Action did more than sitting and planning ever would. Maybe there were times where planning made those actions more effective but Thor had yet to find a situation that he couldn't solve by swinging his hammer hard enough and putting up a big enough fight. The thought enough alone was enough to make him smirk as he looked down to Dahlia.

"Why are you always so smart?" Thor asked quietly, brushing his fingers through her hair. He was relieved that she said nothing about his injuries for he wasn't ready to confront the idea that he was missing an eye. Or Mjölnir yet. "Always so ready to tell me to slow down," he said with a lighthearted sigh. He gave her a gentle squeeze, deciding to follow after her without much of an argument. His presence aboard the ship seemed to help calm his people, at least a bit. They were in this together, they would figure it all out in due time. Thor would have it no other way.

Thor groaned as he was urged to sit in the chair in the corner of the room. The moment that Dahlia sat on his lap, his arms slid around her waist and he breathed a small sigh, resting his cheek on her shoulder. Thor smiled lightly as he felt Val quick. Pressing his hand gently against Dahlia's stomach, Thor gave a nod of his head. "I do hope so," he answered softly, brushing his thumb over the fabric of her dress.

Nodding at the suggestion of a bath, Thor glanced toward the tub in the corner of the room. "I think there is nothing in this world that sounds better than a bath at the moment," Thor said, chuckling as he looked to her slowly. "You may rest. I won't be far... just in the corner, her murmured, nuzzling in her neck.

Dahlia rested her head on top of Thor's with a sigh of contentment. Simply knowing that he was alive and right there with her eased all the anxiety she had been feeling the last two days. Not knowing if she was going to see him again was the hardest thing she'd had to do in a while. She knew that Thor was considered an Avenger of Earth, she knew he put his life on the line all the time for his people. Dahlia also knew that Thor would give his life to protect everyone. She had accepted that about him a long time ago, she didn't think it was a bad thing that he had such a passion to protect the people he needed to. It was stressful more than it normally would have been however over the last two days because she was expecting his child and the thought of bringing their daughter into a world where she would never know her father broke Dahlia's heart.

"If I don't tell you to slow down I don't think anyone would," she told him softly. The last thing that Dahlia wanted was for Thor to go into any mission half prepared, or all action. She knew that he was the type of man who did that, she understood that he was a warrior and he'd fought in more battles for Asgard than most. She respected that about him and she didn't want him to feel like she didn't. However, Dahlia was a woman of patience. She thought things through all the time. She always made sure to slow down and make sure that she was being more efficient. And she would admit when the time was right to just go into something without much planning. But she also knew when things needed to be talked over so that the best decision was made. So she was thankful that he was deciding to take the night to rest, let his head calm down a little, and talk things over with her so they could make a smart decision together about what to do with their people. It had already been a long day and there was no point in making it feel longer if they could put things off until the morning.

"I will do my best to rest," she said before she climbed off of his lap and made her way to the bed. "Try not to stay up too late yourself though," she told him as she pulled the blankets around herself. "We have a big morning and need to be smart about things,"

Making herself comfortable anymore was nearly impossible, and would be until Val was out, but she always tried. Dahlia might toss and turn throughout the night but she wouldn't give up the fact that she was going to be a mother for anything. This was one of the biggest blessings of her life. "I love you," she whispered to Thor from the bed glancing over to smile at him as she watched him get into the tub. "And I'm so thankful you're still here with me,"

Thor let out a dry laugh, nodding his head slowly. He ran his fingers through Dahlia's hair, an affectionate smile settled on his features. He would not give anything for the moment that he was in. As odd as it sounded, Thor was content to sit here with Dahlia on his lap despite how sore his body was. Every part of his body held a dull ache to it but if he had Dahlia here in his arms, he knew that she was safe and that was all that he really wanted. Thor was pleased to know that he had managed to do his job and he'd done it well. Loki had even stepped in and had helped where necessary. Thor knew if he had worried about Dahlia instead of focusing on defeating Hela. Even still, Thor's mind was reeling from the knowledge that he'd had a sister but he hadn't been able to stop long enough to consider the ramifications of that.

His hand shot out when Dahlia turned to head over to the bed, his fingers wrapping loosely around her wrist. "Where are you going? You can't go to bed without kissing me," he declared in a playful tone. Thor looked up, leaned up to press a light kiss to to her lips. Thor squeezed her hand gently before dropping his grip. He let her retire to the bed as he moved slowly toward the heated tub in the room. Thor was exhausted and he wanted nothing more than to sleep but he knew that if he didn't soak his muscles, he would regret it even more than he already was going to tomorrow.

Glancing toward Dahlia when she spoke, Thor's smile grew a bit. "I love you, too, darling'," he spoke quietly, resting his head against the side of the tub. "Not even the Goddess of Death can take me from your arms. You're stuck with me for the rest of eternity," he said, his lips quirking upward in a grin. "Sorry about your fate, sweetheart."

Thor lingered in the bath for as long as he could, until the water started to grow cold. He struggled to find the energy to stand, pushing himself to his feet after several more minutes. Thor limped over to the bed, biting hard into his lip as he lowered himself into the bed. Thor exhaled lowly, reaching out to grab Dahlia's hand. His fingers laced through hers, reaching up to brush his thumb delicately over her skin. Thor hoped not to wake her because he knew how much she had struggled with it over the past few months but he couldn't resist holding her close so that he could remind himself that Dahlia was here. That Dahlia was safe and he didn't have to worry about her for the time being.

Dahlia smiled and scooted herself closer to Thor when he'd joined her in the bed. "There's no one I would rather spend eternity with," she whispered before she kissed his arm and closed her eyes again to try and sleep. Sleeping had been the hardest thing for her in the last couple of months. Either she wasn't comfortable, the baby wasn't comfortable, or she was getting sick leaving her with little sleep. Plus over the last few months, Thor had been having his nightmares about the end of Asgard which hadn't helped either of them. All the things they had been dealing with combined really had not equaled out to much sleep at all. But Dahlia had hope that tonight, now that both she and Thor were in the same bed, his nightmares were hopefully over, and their baby was due any day that they would get at least one night of restful sleep. Though deep down she knew it was very unlikely. She needed to have hope for something to help her get through this.

The following morning, after at least a little shut-eye, Dahlia turned to face her still sleeping husband. She gently rested her hand on his cheek before she kissed him and smiled. It broke her heart to see him so beaten, to see him with one less eye, without his gorgeous long blonde locks, and to know that Mjölnir had likely been destroyed at some point in the battle. But even with all the sad things she couldn't help but be thankful because he was there with her, he was alive, and Gods willing he would be there to watch his daughter grow up. Things had not gone how they had wanted the last few days, not even close actually, but what mattered to her most at the end of everything was that they were still together.

"Love, take your time getting up," she spoke softly as she just ran her hand over his face. "But don't take too long, because we have things to take care of before we go and address the people," she

Figuring out the next step was going to be a tough one because they had to get somewhere safe that would be open to accepting them. They had to go somewhere that would also have a space uninhabited and big enough for them to rebuild. Somewhere they could all see themselves making a living. And Dahlia knew it would likely be earth, the issue was where on Earth were they going to go? They could figure everything else out on their own. The people of Asgard needed a place away from everything else. They weren't a people who would do well being integrated into everyday society, they were a people who would do well on their own. Building themselves a new kingdom they could make prosper. So hopefully they could figure something out once they arrived.

Before they even worried about telling their people they were going to earth, before even making that assumption on her own without talking it over with Thor, Dahlia wanted to take care of a few other things. They needed to get Thor's eye cleaned up, get him a nice eyepatch and patch up a few other places. It even looked like there were a couple of places that while they weren't bleeding anymore needed to be treated, maybe even stitched up so they wouldn't start to bleed again later. She was to put it simply, going to take care of her husband before they went and confronted their people. She felt like the people needed to understand that their King and Queen were taken care of and in well enough condition to be in their current position.

[ hope this was good ]

Thor had tried desperately to keep his nightmares to himself, he didn't want to risk Dahlia stressing out any more than the current situation had already put them in. With Hela's arrival, there was so much going on and he knew Dahlia was stressed about it all. She was so far along in her pregnancy that stress was a major factor. He didn't want anything happening to his queen or his baby girl. The idea of causing either of them pain was enough to bring Thor to his knees. Thor was many things but a loving man to his family was at the top of the list. He would do anything and everything that he could to love them and to keep them safe.

Stirring when Dahlia touched his cheek, Thor groaned as he reached up to rub his cheek a bit more firmly. He winced as his fingers brushed against his missing eye, squinting as he opened his other. Thor let out a sigh as he eyed Dahlia, Thor didn't say anything else, just trying to enjoy the sight in front of him. Dahlia was here and she was safe, as was his people. That had been what he was aiming for from the beginning. He had suffered a whole lot of loss but at least he'd been successful in his attempt to keep everyone safe. Thor didn't bother holding back his sigh as he rolled onto his back, eyeing the woman in front of him.

"You know. Hela had me convinced that she was going to defeat us," Thor started, his face scrunching a bit. "That Ragnarok was inevitable and that she had brought it. And I suppose in a way... she did," he murmured, shrugging his shoulders. Hela had been the root cause of all the chaos that they had been going through over the past few weeks. "Without her, my brother and I would not have had to release Surtur," Thor was half mumbling at his point, just trying to sort out the thoughts that were racing through his mind. Thor's mind was a jumbled mess.

"Do you think Father is proud?" Thor asked suddenly as he turned toward Dahlia, wanting to spend as much time as just the two of them as he could. He would lead his people to a successful future, Thor had no doubt, but he needed time with Dahlia. That was the only thing that he kept thinking. "Gods, I am so happy that you're safe, Dahlia. Don't think I could have lived with myself if something happened to you."

Dahlia looked at her husband and sighed as she nodded her head. "Of course, he is," she told him. "You put your life on the line to protect everyone on this ship, and you did everything in your power to stop your sister and save the planet. And even though our planet is gone you saved our home. Because home isn't a place, it isn't found in a building or on a certain planet. Home is your people, it's where your people are and we are all here together and safe because of you. And there is not one doubt in my mind that your father is proud of you," she told him wishing that things could have ended differently, she wished that this was not the outcome they had to live out however she would take this ending an infinity times over the living on a planet without Thor. This ending as different as it was kept the pair of them together, and she was happy for that. She wasn't going to allow herself to be devastated over the outcome when there were so many things that she could turn to that reminded her that this was far better than they thought. It might not have seemed that way right now, but she had to tell herself that it was.

"I'm happy you're safe as well," She told him wanting so badly to stay like this forever with him. She wanted to pull the blankets up over them and keep herself hidden away in the chambers with Thor away from everyone else. She wanted to put all of their duties on the back burner for a while and simply focus on Thor and their expectant baby. Not the kingdom and what their future looked like. She wanted to hide herself and Thor away and keep him to herself for a bit. She wanted to protect him from questions that he didn't want to answer, or from all the flirtatious gestures she felt he would receive given everything that had happened. There was no fear in her that Thor would leave her or find someone else because their bond was forever, but she couldn't keep herself from feeling very territorial either way. She did not like other women trying to put moves on her husband, especially since she was expecting his child any day now, and given that she'd been so worried not even twenty-four hours ago that she was going to lose him forever.

"Love I know neither of us wants to think of this or want to move from this spot. But I really need to clean your eye so it doesn't get infected, we can get you an eyepatch on it too. I want to make sure all your wounds don't need any special treatment. And I need to take care of you. Gods I was so afraid that I was going to lose you. I don't want to feel that way ever again. It was the scariest thing ever, and then Loki forced me onto this ship without you and wouldn't let me leave and I was so afraid that I would never see you again or be able to care for you, or love you, and I didn't like it. You're not allowed to leave me, okay. You're just not. I refuse. We are together forever,"

The tension in Thor's shoulders seemed to ease as Dahlia talked about the pride she was sure his father felt over his actions. In truth, Thor had been concerned for nothing more than Dahlia's safety and his peoples' safety. It had been selfish, Thor thought, because there had been a moment where he thought he would sacrifice everything if it meant keeping Dahlia safe. The thought of Dahlia or his child being harmed was enough to turn his stomach, even now. Thor's hand reached out, his fingertips brushing against Dahlia's bump. His touch was so gentle, almost betraying his fear of what could have happened. He could have lost everything, including the family that sat in front of him. "Thank you, darlin'," he murmured quietly, flashing her a gentle smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes but he was trying to at least appear normal.

The battle had taken far more out of Thor than he had originally thought it had. Even now, Thor didn't really think too much about that reality. Thor was quiet, simply enjoying Dahlia's presence until she spoke up again. Thor groaned at her first few words, not liking the wa this conversation was going. He was sure that whatever was said would sour his mood, not wanting to do anything but relax in bed. It wasn't very often that Thor had the luxury of simply relaxing. He wished that they could stay here longer but Thor's attention pulled toward Dahlia as she continued to speak.

"I made him promise," Thor admitted carefully, turning onto his back so that he could face Dahlia fully. "To keep you safe. If.. if the worst were to happen, at least it would end with the knowledge that I had kept you safe. That was all that really mattered to me," Thor said, letting out a small laugh. It was an admission he would never tell anyone else but Dahlia was his wife, she knew everything there was to know about Thor. She knew him better than Loki, than either of his parents would have even. "Keeping you and Val safe, above all else."

Thor's smile was a bit more genuine this time around as he pushed himself closer to Dahlia, despite the groan that fell from his lips. "Yes, my love. I will not leave your side for anything. No one, nothing can take me from you. Not even Ragnarok," Thor said, his lips quirking upward in a small smirk. "But. Get a servant to help me. You are too far along. You needn't worry about me. You need to rest as much as possible before we get to Earth. I am sure Tony Stark will provide somewhere for you to rest and to.." he trailed off, not quite liking the idea of not being there when Dahlia gave brith. "While our people get settled, hm?"

Dahlia scooted closer to Thor and gently took his large hand in her own and laced her fingers with his. "I can't help myself," she told him laughing softly. "I have an at times overwhelming desire to take care of you, and I know that anyone of our servants could patch you up just as fine and possibly even better than I ever could. But I've spent so much time alone with you over the last few years patching you up myself after a battle or whatever that I just feel like I should. And maybe it will make Val come sooner because honestly, I want her out. I'm tired of being pregnant," she sighed.

She had enjoyed being pregnant for the most. There was something exciting about knowing that there was a child growing inside of her that one day she and Thor would get the honor of raising. It was amazing to feel her move around and it was sweet when Thor would feel her belly or talk to her belly, and she knew that Val could hear him because every time Thor talked to her Val would move around more than normal. Dahlia had enjoyed every bit of it really, until recently. Now it was to a point where Val moved around so much Dahlia couldn't sleep, it was hard to get comfortable in general, and she always felt so tired. She was also always hungry and for the most random foods, though that had been the whole time it felt like it was getting worse though. And Dahlia was simply ready for Val to come out. She wanted to see her little girl, she wanted to hold her and just finally get to meet her daughter.

"If it will make you happy though I will go and get a servant," she told him not wanting him to stress himself out worrying about her because she was worried about him. "I love you," she said before she quickly pressed her lips to his and rested her free hand on his cheek. "I love you so much," she rested her forehead against his for a moment truthfully wanting to soak up just a few more moments with him before they actually did need to get out of the bed. She knew that they couldn't put things off forever, even though they wanted to. Dahlia also had a feeling that if they didn't leave their room soon someone would come looking for them. And they couldn't do that to the people who needed them. They shouldn't leave their people in the dark about their plans or what was happening. Everything needed to be addressed, where they were going, how long it would take them to get there, what the plan looked like once they got there, what the near future looked like until they arrived. Everything was changing and it was going to be hard, but as long as they all stuck together surely everything had to work out.

"You are too good to me, darling," Thor murmured as Dahlia took his hand in her own. He breathed a small sigh, his lips twitching upward into a slight smile. It wasn't much but it was all that Thor had the energy to give. He was quiet as he listened to Dahlia speak, not really listening to what she said so much as to the sound of her voice. It was a reminder to him that Dahlia was here and she was safe. His wife, his queen, the mother of his unborn child was safe. He couldn't have possibly asked for any more from the Gods. Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, Thor gave a small nod of his head. He didn't like the idea of Dahlia stressing over him while she tried to get him all cleaned up but he knew his wife well, he knew that it would make her feel better. He exhaled slowly, grimacing at the pain it caused to shoot through his ribs. Yes, they would take weeks before they started to feel better but Thor didn't care one bit. He had been successful, that was all that really mattered.

"Grab a bucket and a clothe," Thor instructed in a low voice, revealing just how much of a fight that he didn't have left in him. Or maybe it was that Thor loved Dahlia and didn't want to argue with him. That was quite the possibility as well, anything was when it came to Thor. He sighed, running his fingers down her side before he turned slightly so that he could face Dahlia properly. "If it will make you feel better to get me looking a bit prettier, who am I to deny you?" Thor joked quietly, his fingers following after Dahlia as she moved to stand. It wasn't until she was too far away that Thor let his hand drop.

Gritting his teeth as Dahlia started to wipe the blood from his skin, Thor set his hand on her thigh. He was quiet, trying to remain as calm as possible. He didn't want to make Dahlia feel bad for simply trying to get him in better shape than he was at the moment. "Tell me of the moment that you realized you were in love with me," Thor spoke, his voice quiet. He wanted something to distract him from what Dahlia was doing. And truly, he was a sucker for any story that Dahlia would choose. He didn't think anyone could blame him for when you were truly in love with someone, the sound of their voice was like music to ones' ears.

Dahlia did her very best not to let seeing her husband in the shape he was in affect her. This was easily the worst she had ever seen him and it was hard to see him like this, she hated it. Dahlia hated seeing him broken like he was. She knew she could rest easier knowing at least they were together and both of them were safe.

"We had been courting for a few months and I could tell that you were a lot different than the boy I'd grown up around. You were a lot more mature. And one night during our courtship we were finally talking about our families. We had moved on from ourselves and I found it admirable that you could still talk so highly of your brother after everything he's done. You would even stand up to your own father who was the king of Asgard in regard to your brother who had tried to kill you on more than on occasion. And even though I know over the years you've picked up a thing or two from him and you might not have trusted him all the time but you always loved him even in the difficult moments." She told him as dipped the cloth back into the bowl of water to wash off another section of blood. At least he was starting to look better, more like a semi-whole version of himself rather than the beaten-down version she'd started off with.

"And to me, that was amazing because I remember thinking that if you could love your brother that much how much could you love your wife? Or your children? You were clearly maturing a person and I knew even then that one day you were going to make a wonderful king. And I realized that night that I loved you. Not for your good looks, the fact that you were the crown prince, or that every eligible woman in Asgard was hoping you would decide to court with them. But because you had a special heart, a tender heart but also a strong heart. You are a man who would love his wife and their children with so much of himself that they would always know what it felt like to be loved by you, and I wanted the person who felt that kind of love from you to be me,"

Dahlia had finally finished washing all the blood off of everywhere other than this eye. She'd decided to save that area for last. So she dipped her cloth back into the water one more time before she started to wash his face off to make sure it was clean before she went to put a patch over the empty eye socket. "All done," she told him before she decided to take a moment to just be with still with him, so she sat next to him so she could lean over and rest her head in his lap.

Thor still hadn't quite managed to wrap his head around what all he had accomplished. There was a period there where he had thought that Hela would succeed. And even if he managed to defeat her, that he would have fallen right alongside her. Thor would have gladly done it, too. It would have meant his peoples' survival. He would have laid his life down so that they could continue to live. Dahlia would have been their rightful Queen; she would have done well. Thor knew that with every ounce of his being.

Letting out a content sigh, Thor pressed himself closer to Dahlia as she began to speak. His eyes shut and he let himself listen to her voice tell the story of the moment she realized she had fallen in love with him. It reminded Thor that he was more than just a God with a duty to his people. That he could love and have a family of his own, outside of the people that looked to him for guidance. A light smile played on his lips as he opened his eye, finding her gaze. Despite how broken he still felt, there was a small twinkle in his eye. "That's why I love you," he declared in a soft voice, sure of himself as he spoke. "Because you looked beyond everything else, that people see. They see that I am the God of Thunder, of Fertility, and they know of my titles. They know nothing else. But you love me for it all."

Reaching down, Thor's fingers played with Dahlia's hair as she rested in his lap. He wished that he could lie here for the rest of their lives; living in nothing more than this moment. "How is the little one?" Thor murmured, reaching out to set his free hand on her stomach. His smile grew as he felt a little kick. "Did sh let you rest much last night?" Thor asked as he looked up to her. He was more than ecstatic to meet Val.

"I think... we will have to settle on Earth. It is the best place for us to be able to settle, I think," Thor said softly, a slight frown forming on his lips. "I have not been in many places on Earth so I don't know where that may end up being but I'm sure that we can find somewhere. Earth is large, there has to be somewhere that we can take our people where we are able to thrive."

Dahlia was content with things how they were. If she could decide what the near future looked like she wouldn't leave this room or Thor's presence. She found solace in him. Nothing in all the universes made her feel more comfortable than simply being near her husband. All the stresses of being pregnant, becoming the queen, and losing their home planet raged on around her and without Thor right by her side she wasn't sure she'd make it. At least not at first, and not for a long while. "I think she's as ready to come out as I am for her to get out. I can't wait to mee her and finally hold her in my arms. I want to see her little face and I so badly want to meet our little girl."

She rested her hand on top of his hand that was on her stomach and she smiled. This moment was so perfect that knowing it had to end made her a little sad because she truly didn't want it to. "I suppose we have to go tell everyone what the plan is then." She spoke softly wondering how everyone was going to take it. It would be different she was sure of, but hopefully, the earth wouldn't be different in a bad way. Dahlia had only been to earth a handful of times herself as well and none of those times had been to explore for a new home. Of course, she'd never seen herself living there. This would be a wonderful opportunity she supposed to finally explore parts of the earth. They would, after all, need to find somewhere big enough for every one of Asgard to inhabit and rebuild.

"I'm sure one of the other Avengers will know of somewhere we can all go to rebuild Asgard. Somewhere safe where we can also govern ourselves and where we won't be a bother to others. Where we will also prosper. And it will be an adjustment no matter where we go but I'm hoping for the best."

Dahlia knew that things would take time, she had a feeling that for at least until they found a place for everyone to settle their people would be staying wherever Tony Stark could find to accommodate them, or really whoever could find them somewhere. And she truly didn't care where that was as long as they were all together.