"But why can't I see them?" Sam questioned. The boy had woken up between crisp, stiff sheets in an unfamiliar white room. A gentle-faced woman was sitting at his side who, though kind and altogether polite, had refused to let him leave or go see his foster parents.
"Don't you worry about them, dear. Everything's going to be fine," she responded, giving him a smile.
"What's going on with my brother? Is he okay?" Panicking now, Sam thought through every scenario that could be happening; most of them included Dean being critically hurt. "Please, I need to see Dean!"
"I'm sorry, Sam, but I don't have any information on him yet. As soon as I do, I'll let you know." The woman gave a sad smile as she tried to comfort the distraught boy.
"Tell me what's going on!" he demanded.
"Everything's going to be fine," the woman repeated.
"Stop saying that and tell me the truth! " Sam was scared. Really scared. Something must have happened, and this woman wasn't telling him anything.
"You don't need to worry, Sam. Why don't you read a book while we wait?" she suggested.
Sam pulled the pillow over his head and groaned in frustration. She didn't get it! He just wanted Dean. He needed to know his brother was okay. He needed Steve and Tony to tell him Dean was okay, and to hold him if Dean wasn't. He needed his family.
"Lose the kids? Is he serious, Tony?" Steve gaped at the door Mr. Wilson had just slammed shut behind him.
"He said, 'if we're found guilty,' Steve. We didn't do anything, so they can't take anyone," Tony growled as he began pacing the length of the conference room.
"But what if they do? What if, despite us never touching a hair on his head, they decide that we hurt Dean?" The blond man collapsed in a chair, running his hands through his hair.
"They won't! I have the best lawyers in the world, Steve. They aren't touching our kids!" Tony pulled out his phone and started typing furiously.
"Tony," Steve whispered, "I can't lose them. We can't lose those kids." Tears gathered in his eyes. "They have complete jurisdiction over Sam and Dean! Even if they don't find us guilty, they're gonna take them away!"
Steve started crying in earnest now, doubling over in his chair. "I can't lose them, Tony! I can't!"
"Shh, baby, breathe." Tony abandoned his anger and rushed to kneel in front of his husband. "It's gonna be alright. We just have to make them see that we would never hurt a child. It's not going to be that bad! Sweetie, we have the best kids in the entire world. They'll tell the courts that we would never!" the engineer comforted the weeping man. "Everything's gonna turn out just fine."
Steve gasped suddenly in realization."Oh, God! Tony, we could lose Loki! They're not gonna give a severely traumatized child to suspected child abusers! We promised him a family!" Steve started sobbing even harder, too distressed to listen to his husband's words.
Tony surged forward and wrapped his arms around the love of his life, squeezing tightly and simply offering his silent support.
When two uniformed police officers appeared at the door of the Stark residence, the occupants were–understandably–worried. When those officers then insisted on having individual interviews, all hell broke loose.
Natasha and Clint both flat-out refused to leave the other alone with unknown adults. Thor also protested, explaining how Bruce had trouble speaking to authority figures and demanding that he be allowed to stay with him–to avoid 'a lot of unnecessary problems.'
The officers decided to do the interviews in groups of two.
"I feel incredibly safe with Steve and Tony," Natasha stated bluntly, poised gracefully, face blank.
"Our parents have never raised a hand to us!" Clint shouted in outrage.
"Dad keeps me calm; we talk about physics. Papa gives the best hugs," Bruce mumbled.
"The audacity you have shown, coming into our home and accusing our parents of such a grievous act!" Thor bellowed.
The officers didn't stay long.
"Natasha, what's going on?" Clint asked his sister, bright-eyed and scared. "It sounded like–"
"I know," she interrupted, not even wanting to hear the words out loud.
"It's not true," Bruce offered, voice strained. "It's not true. Dean went to the hospital because he had a fever, not because he was bleeding. Although, there are injuries that could cause a fever…" he trailed off.
"Sorry, Bruce, but that's not helping," Nat chided softly.
"What do you think happened to Dean to make them think Dad and Papa could hurt us?" wondered Clint. "Do you think Dean's okay?"
Thor placed a comforting hand on the boy's back. "Samuel confided in us that someone he knew was hurt. I knew it had to be Dean, but to what extent is our foster brother injured?"
"All I know is that it wasn't Dad or Papa," Nat growled through clenched teeth. After a moment, she hung her head and admitted, "It might've been me though. What if I bruised his ribs when I took him down the other day, and they think the injury is from them?" In an uncharacteristic show of vulnerability, the girl looked worried and ashamed at her possible guilt.
"Dad already assured you that his hospital stay has nothing to do with you, Natasha," Bruce commented. His reminder, based more in fact than in emotion, was actually the most reassuring thing he could've said.
"Whatever may be happening, I am confident that our parents will inform us when they feel we must know."
"Thor, the police asked me if Dad or Papa ever touched me inappropriately! I think we need to know!" Clint's voice was getting louder, the stress of the situation finally affecting the young boy, to which Thor gave a small smile.
"We know the truth, little brother. The rest will follow."
"Tell me what's going on!"
"Sam, please sit down."
"Let me out of here! I need to see my brother!"
"Please–"
"I want my parents!"
"I will fight for those kids, Steve. I swear to you: I will fight for them until my dying breath."