Loki's surprise, not caring was more difficult and trying than he had thought it would be, so seeking you out for advice as how to do so successfully, he went to the common area, knowing you tended to work there, on the basis that usually, should the Avengers, or band of merry idiots as he referred to them, have cause to require a press release, it was better to be where they would conjugate before or after their expedition to get as much information as possible to make a statement, however, true of false it needed to be. However, there was no sign of you in the common area, much to his surprise, he had heard you state you were going to be there for the morning, and indeed, the satchel that perpetually seemed attached to your hip was in your usual seat, along with your tablet, which was still on, and a half drank, still slightly warm cup of coffee.

Concerned that there was foul play afoot, he recalled you telling him that you resided on Level forty-seven and where on the floor your rooms were, so he turned on his heels and headed straight to the elevator, pressing the relevant floor button and waited.

The hallways of the forty-seventh floor were plain, with no indication of who resided there, but he made his way to where you had stated you lived, and sure enough, there on the wall beside a door, was a small plaque with your name and title on it. Knocking once, he realised it was slightly ajar and pushed it in. the room was something akin to an office, though clearly hardly used, there were filing cabinets and a few chairs placed in a manner that indicated that it was used for interviews, but there was no sign of life. Loki was going to leave again, thinking you were not here when the wheels of an overturned office chair caught his attention. Walking over to it, he noticed it was near a door he had not realised was there. It was clear then, that you had made the front room of your rooms your office, and your private quarters resided behind it, so heading to the door, he knocked on that and waited. Again, there was no sound; confused, he turned to leave. As he took the first step, a peculiar sound hit him; straining his ears, he listened harder, sure enough; he heard another; a sound that seemed to be filled with agony, coming from the other side of the door. Terrified as to what was on the other side, he turned and taking one of his trusted daggers in hand, he burst in it, surprised to find that it was unlocked. The scene that met him startled him into standing and staring in silence.

The room was in disarray, furniture and paperwork lay in piles of rubble around the room, feathers from the cushions floating and littering the room as though a blanket of fluffy snow around it. The furniture was broken, overturned and in no way repairable by mortal standards from what he could see, but none of that was what truly concerned him. In the centre of the disaster zone, sobbing violently, you knelt, your arms wrapped around you, tears streaming from your eyes. Stepping over the rubble, glass and wood crunched under his strong boot as he made his way to you, he knelt in front of you, calling your name gently, but you just continued to sob. Though he did not know the reason for your more than out of character behaviour, he knew you could not remain where you were, there was a small shard of wood cutting into your knee as well as fragments of broken glass. "Come on, I am taking you out of here." He stated kindly as he lifted you into his arms as though you were as light as the feathers that littered the room. You did not notice, still consumed by anguish.

Gently he carried you in his arms, through your rooms, down the hall, and to the elevator, pressing the required button with his elbow and held you against him, curling you in, not knowing what caused your actions; doing everything in his power to soothe you, telling you that it was only him and that whatever it was, it would be okay.

Finally, he made it to his quarters and sat you on his sofa, but as he tried to pull away, he realised that you were actually gripping onto his jacket, not letting go, your knuckles white with your death grip, so he took you in his arms again and turned to sit down himself, you on his lap, his arms cradling you against him as you continued to cry. After a while, you fell into a restless sleep, but your hands did not yield their grip on him as you did so; all the while, Loki simply tried to sooth you.

Your eyes stung when you woke, you did not even recall falling asleep, the next thing you noticed was the strong arms around you, holding you in against someone, though whom, you did not know. With your nose blocked from all the crying, you could not even smell who it is, most of the Avengers having colognes that made them distinguishable. Your whole body ached, your chest felt as though it was on fire like your lungs were wrapped in razor wire, and every breath cut them more, also your fingers felt stiff, though that made little sense also.

"It is alright."

You frowned for a moment, recognising the voice. "Loki?" your own voice was slightly cracked.

"Yes, it is alright, I took you from your rooms, they were ruined."

"What happened?"

"Well that, you will have to tell me, for that is how I found you and them."

"I…" then it came back to you, or what you could recall anyway. The anguish, the pain of Sam's words, of how she wished you dead; after five years, she had not forgiven you, after five years she still hated you. "It doesn't matter." You sniffed, using your sleeve to rub your eye.

"On the contrary, you have been holding onto me as though terrified for your life, in fact, you still are." He commented, which you realised, was the truth.

You tried to let go, but when you tried, you were overwhelmed with panic for a moment and stopped trying. "Sorry." You stated quietly.

"Do you wish to talk about it, often that is a remedy for such things?" He offered.

"Why do you care?"

Loki took a moment before answering. "Because here, no one is as nonjudgmental and optimistic as you, you have faith in me when others do not think me capable of caring in the slightest. If there is something that causes one such as you such upset, it is truly a terrible thing, and such things should be shared, for only then can you move passed it."

"It's my own fault."

"How so?"

"If I had not been born..."

"I do not follow."

"She would not hate me, and she would be still here."

"Now I am utterly confused." Loki was forced to admit.

"I cannot tell you."

"Why not?"

"You will never speak to me again."

"And why is that?" he asked raising a brow.

"I can't."

"Now I am insulted."

You took a deep breath. "My sister hates me, even after five years." Loki frowned, having not known that you had a sister. "She rang earlier, telling me that she hoped that I die."

"What made her say such a terrible thing?" he asked kindly.

"I'm a terrible person."

"No, you are not, ask any here."

"It's my fault she is dead."

"Your sister that called you?"

"My mother." That struck Loki. "I am the reason she is dead."

"Tell me everything."

And so you did, of the fights, the words said and the times you and your mother fought for your sister in vain, of the way your father put you on a pedestal, loving you more than Samantha, how in truth, Samantha was the better daughter, of how you could not take how crushed you felt under the his adoration and her hatred, of how your mother actually understood you and the terrible position you were in, and finally of the night she died, and the terrible argument, and the last conversation you had had with your mother that morning, where she told you she loved you and were both important. And all the while, Loki listened, not saying anything, not giving any indication for you to stop, so you didn't.

When finally, you came to the confrontation with Sam's fiancé earlier in the week and then her phone call earlier that day and its content, he held you closer to him. "You really think any of this is your doing?"

"Who else's could it be?"

"Your father's, your sister's and in some part, your mother's," he answered. "Your mother had a duty to get rid of your father for how he treated your sister, your father should never have treated you both in such a manner and your sister should not treat you in such a manner when you clearly tried to help her."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Why do you think I would hate you?"

"Because I am just like Thor."

Loki erupted in cold laughter. "You are nothing like Thor, that comparison is beyond ridiculous." He stated. "Thor never stood up for me, he never tried to take some of the blame, you tried."

"Not all the time, sometimes I would just hide so I would not have to deal with it."

"That is understandable," Loki admitted. "How are you so bright and optimistic if this is what you had growing up?"

"I was just so glad to be free."

"That too is comprehensible."

"But to be free, my mom had to die."

"That was not your doing."

"But if I was not born…"

"You wish to compare stories, I will beat you any day; the day Frigga was killed, the beast that killed her passed my cell, I told him how to get out of the cells, he went and killed her, I really am the reason she is dead."

"Did you know he was going to kill her?"

"No, I did not; I thought he was going after Odin."

"Would you have told him if you had known?"

"Of course not." Loki seemed appalled by the mere idea.

"Then in truth, it was not your doing."

Loki paused for a moment, thinking of what you had said. "Then we are equal, partially to blame for our mother's deaths in our own minds."

"I really miss her."

"I can appreciate that sentiment."

You felt exhausted, having unloaded everything in such a manner. "You know, I never told anyone else here any of that."

"I will not reveal anything to any of them." He promised.

You yawned, curling in against him as tiredness took over and you began to drift back to sleep. "Why do people think you are so bad Loki? Your actions were, but you're not." You mumbled as you drifted off.

"I wish they all thought that little one." He sighed to himself. When he was certain you were fully asleep; he gently lifted you up and brought you to his room before placing you on the bed, putting a spare blanket over you before leaving the room. He closed the door gently to ensure not to wake you before going to the elevator to go to your floor once more to begin cleaning up. When he got there, he was somewhat unsurprised to see the Avengers were in the front area of your rooms, seeming somewhat panicked.

"There he is." Barton snarled on seeing the God.

A moment later, Thor had him held against the closest wall by the throat, Mjölnir in his other hand, "What have you done?" he roared.

"What are you doing you imbecile?" He snarled back as best he could with a burly hand around his throat.

"Where is she?" Stark demanded, one of his propulsion blasters aimed over Thor's shoulder at him.

"Asleep."

"Explain. Now." Rogers ordered

"I fear I am not a liberty to do such," Loki replied nonchalantly.

"Brother, I am not in a gaming mood."

"I had nothing to do with that," he indicated to the other room, where Romanov was still standing in the door of, "and I removed her from it because of the risks of injury it posed to her."

"How did it get that way so?" Rogers demanded.

"From what I gather, she did it."

"You expect us to believe the happiest, most bubbly person in the whole of North America, did that?" Stark scoffed.

"When she was at the hospital with you the other day, she had a conversation with a man, did she not?" The billionaire looked at the God, not saying another word. "She was upset after it, was she not?"

"What do you know?"

"That encounter, coupled with a phone call today caused her to relive something she had buried behind that façade she keeps, they cracked through it, and she could not control it."

"You expect us to believe a man and a phone call caused her to do this?" Barton scoffed.

"No." those gathered looked to Tony. "She really was shaken up by what that guy said, she stopped talking, and she looked fit to break into tears."

With Tony's confirmation, Thor released Loki, who rubbed his neck for a moment. "Her personality is a stark contrast to her life before here, and that is all any of you are privy to unless she chooses otherwise." He growled, walking into the room and immediately setting about using his seidr to repair everything within it.

"Stark?" Rogers looked to him, "You're sure this is alright?"

"Hey, private rooms aren't recorded, all I got from Friday is that Loki came in and brought her out, nothing more, he was only in there less than a minute."

"That is enough time to do that damage, he has fixed it in half that."

"I can hear you." Loki barked.

"I actually believe him, you didn't see her the other day, she was like one that had seen a ghost." Stark reiterated. "Friday said she is in his rooms, but that is easily confirmed."

"If any of you cretins think you are going to my rooms unattended, you have another thing coming," Loki growled coming back out but holding fresh clothes for you also.

"Fine, Sparky, you go with brother dearest and confirm his claims, intercom us if there is a problem," Stark ordered.

"Of course, Loki." Thor indicated for Loki to take the lead. Scoffing again, Loki walked forward and passed his brother. They went into the elevator and pressed the button for Loki's level. "What occurred Loki?"

"I do not fully know." He replied, looking straight ahead and not to his adoptive brother, who was looking at him. "What she explained to me after, I am not going to divulge, it is her story to tell."

"Why you, though? Why tell such things to you?"

Loki rounded on Thor, anger etched in his features. "Perhaps because I was the first one she saw after, the one that took care of her."

Thor stared at him open mouthed as he disembarked the lift, "You took care of her?"

"Why do you think I have damp stains on my leather?" he asked, as though stating the obvious. "She was crying, actually, I think it more accurate to state she was sobbing."

"She never cries."

"Hence the ability to recognise the severity and magnitude of her situation." Loki snarked. "Now, be quiet, she is more than likely still resting." He ordered as they entered the rooms.

Still not fully able to compute Loki's words, Thor did as requested and remained quiet as he went through Loki's living area and to his sleeping quarters. There, on the bed, you lay, your face blotchy and red from crying, and your hands firmly gripped to the pillow.

"Satisfied?" Loki whispered before going to the bed and slowly peeling back the blanket so to assess your wounds. He used his seidr to call forth the medical supplies required to tend to your cuts and grazes, before using it again to magically dress you in the clothes that he had acquired from your rooms. "She just needs to be left to rest." He stated as he and Thor made their way to the living area once more.

"I cannot comprehend this." Thor shook his head in confusion.

"That is nothing unusual; you can hardly comprehend most things," Loki replied in a dismissive tone; Thor look set to argue but he raised his hand and silenced him. "Do not dare wake her." He warned.

"Why do you care?"

"Because before she was a welcome change from everything here, happy, optimistic, but now, I see she is far more akin and familiar."

"That is a cryptic and concerning statement, even for you Loki."

"I will do nothing to harm her, which is all you need concern yourself with."

Though still uncertain, Thor felt the need to report to the others that you were indeed safe. "When she wakes, make sure she eats and drinks."

"Because of course, I would never have thought of such on my own, seeing as I am positively moronic." Loki rolled his eyes. Not wanting to get into an argument, Thor simply left, leaving Loki to just wait for you to awaken.