***And Another Update! Finally getting closer to the part I have been wanting to write ever since I started this story! Enjoy!***

"Who's hungry?" Tony's voice broke through the learning haze that had fallen over Loki and I. The sudden call made me jump and bring my hand my heart, the pen I was holding went clattering to the floor. I stare wide-eyed at Tony, blood pounding in my ears. For a moment, I saw the man in black in place of Tony.

A cold hand touches my shoulder, and I try to leap away from the touch, but I end up falling to the floor. Pain races through my side cause me to cry out.

"Please no,' I whimper over and over again. I was back on the street, and then I was back in my old room. Hiding in my wardrobe. I could hear my father loud footsteps getting closer to my door. "Please no."

Instinctively, I shut my eyes and put my hand over to head to ward off any blows that I am sure to come.

"Aithne," A voice calls softly to me. I know this voice. This voice is safe.

"Shortcake, you are safe here. I promise." Another voice calls to me. I know this voice too. This is a safe voice. I know this. Despite reassurances to myself, I couldn't open my eyes. A door suddenly slams open, I scream and try to scramble backwards. I can only go so far before my back hits something hard. Pain once again ruptures through my side cause me to curl into myself. I can feel the tears start to make tracks down my cheeks.

"Please no. I'm sorry. Please." I beg, barely audibly.

"Alexis, can you hear me? Can you tell me where you are?" A safe voice asked softly.

"In...in my wardrobe."

"No, you aren't Shortcake. Can you feel what you are sitting on?"

I crinkle my nose in confusion but am surprised when I put my hand to the floor, I don't feel the rough carpet that covered my wardrobe floor. Instead, I feel something soft and fluffy.

"I...I don't understand," I whisper.

"Shortcake," the voice sounded closer. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

I shake my head. Confusion still distracting my sense.

"Come on, Shortcake. You just need to open your eyes for me.

Slowly, I force my eyes open. At first, it is blurry due to the tears still running down my face. I swipe a hand across my eyes, and I see a man first. He's on his knees, just a metre away. His eyes I found were comforting.

"That's good, darling." The man says as he shifts a little bit closer. I instantly put my hands up to stop him from coming any closer, and he does stop. He raises his hands up in surrender. "Alright. I won't come any closer. But, do you know who I am?" he asks. His voice is still soft. Still safe.

I stare at him, trying to remember when memories come trickling back into my mind. A car hitting me. Carrying me. Avengers. Red and gold suit. Flying.

"Tony Stark," I whisper. "Iron Man."

He smiles and nods, "That's right. Can you tell me where you are?"

"Avengers Tower. Safe."

"Exactly. You are safe here," he confirms. "Can I come closer?"

I nod, and I watch as he slowly creeps closer and stops just in front of me.

You know where you are?" he asks again, putting a hand of my knee. A feeling of comfort and security envelopes me from that small touch.

I nod, wiping my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I sob quietly, as I try to calm myself down. Suddenly, I see Tony move towards me, and I feel myself enveloped in his arms.

"Don't say that. You have nothing to apologise for. You're safe here. I promise. No one is going to hurt you here, " Tony whispered reassurances in my ear as I cry into his shoulder. "Just let it out, sweet."

Wrapping my arms around him, I can't stop the sobs that seem to come from the very core of my being. They wrack my frame and soon the pain in my side is not easy to ignore, but I manage in favour of the comfort I am getting from Tony.

I didn't know how much time passed until I felt I could bring myself back under control. Finally quieting down, I stay wrapped in the safety of Tony's arms.

Tony pulls back and sits back on his knees.

"Now, are you feeling a bit better?" I nod, remaining ignorant to the pain in my side. The feeling of a broken or cracked rib wasn't unusual for me.

Tony stares and then sighs. "Did you get hurt today, Shortcake? Apart from the obvious scratches? I know you said that you weren't hurt before, but I think that that may have just been the adrenaline of the day."

I shake my head quickly. My ribs weren't anything to fuss over.

"Aithne. You are lying." Loki suddenly pipes up in the background as he stands and makes his way over to where I was leaning against the wall. "I am the God of Lies and Mischief, after all. I can know when someone is lying." Loki gaze did not waver from my own as I tried to deny it.

I sigh and bow my head and then nod slightly. "My ribs. They hurt."

"Alright Shortcake, I'm going to take you down to see Bruce. We shall see if he can fix you up."

I nod and try to stand up. A sharp stab of pain rockets through me as I go to push myself up. Biting my lip, I stop myself from crying out.

Suddenly, I feel arms under my back and legs, and I was being lifted from the ground. I freeze, before looking at who was carrying me.

"Loki? I can walk." I say to the god who had picked me up. He was taking care not to put pressure on my side that was causing me pain.

Loki just glances down at me before starting to head out of the room. I hear Tony stand as well, accompanied by several mutterings of getting old. "You are in pain Aithne. As your friend, I have to try and help alleviate that pain. And I am guessing that your pain levels have risen since your fall from the couch and walking is probably not the best for you at this point." We get to the elevator and Tony pushes the button for us to head to Bruce.

Once in the elevator, Loki begins to speak again. "I also apologise for anything I did to make you react like that to my touch."

I shake my head at him and go to say that it wasn't his fault, but Tony beats me to it.

"No, Loki. It wasn't all your doing. She just had a flashback of the day. Most likely starting with when I startled her from her discussion. It's just what happens when a person goes through something traumatising. It haunts them"

Loki nods, as the elevator stops at Bruce's lab. "I am aware of what she was going through, but I thought I may have caused it. After all, even men who have seen hundreds of battles have these 'flashbacks' as you call them."

Tony and Loki walk out of the elevator and into Bruce's lab, where Bruce was bent over a computer at the far wall.

"Brucie!" Tony calls out, as Loki gently places me on a table in the centre of the room. Bruce glances behind him, before finishing what he was doing on his computer. Turning around, he walks over to us and stops beside me.

"You okay?" he asks, as he looks at me. "How's your head?" He reaches up and gently touches the side of my head, to try to have a look at the cut.

"My head is okay."

Bruce just looks at me and asks, "Do you have any type of headache at all?"

I shrug. "I have a little one, but it's just an annoyance really."

"Give me a number between one and ten of the level of pain for your head."

I give it a little bit of thought, before replying, "3." It really wasn't that bad. Just a slight throbbing.

"And how about your ribs, Shortcake?" Tony pipes up from where he was sitting on a stool.

Bruce glances between Tony and me. "What about your ribs, darling? Did you hurt them today?"

I nod. "I thought I was okay, but during the movie, my ribs started to hurt a bit. Then I fell off the couch."

Bruce shakes his head. "You really need to be more careful, sweetheart. Now I need to have a look at your ribs, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. We have a medical level downstairs where a female doctor can look at you. And probably where you should have been taken first." Bruce turns and glares at Tony who just grins.

"I may have forgotten about that. It is a recent addition, after all."

Bruce turns back to me, rolling his eyes. "So would that be more comfortable for you? You will be seen by our friend, Dr Cho. She's lovely, and she looks after all of us when we get injured."

I nod. As much as I am beginning to love the men around me, I didn't want them to see me like that. A woman would be better.

Loki goes to pick me up again, but Bruce stops him. "Alexis, are you okay to walk on your own? Or was it better when Loki was carrying you?" His eyes scan me for an answer. "I don't want you to aggravate those ribs anymore than you have to."

"I think I can walk." I slowly try to slide off the table to the floor, but sharply inhale as I put weight on my arms. Loki swiftly takes me into his arms again, making sure to not be putting pressure on my ribs.

"I think that it is best if I carry her," Loki decides. "Prevent her from doing any more damage to herself."

"Alright, let's get this lovely young lady all patched up shall we?" Tony says as he leads the way out of the room. "Jarvis. Tell Dr Cho that she has an incoming will you?"

"Of course, Sir."

***I hope you enjoyed this short-ish chapter. Always keen to hear what you thought!***