Hey guys, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I wanted to start off by thanking all you whom have reviewed and put this fic in your favorites thus far, it warms my heart that this fic is loved even if it's not that far into the plot yet. Plenty of reviews make my day, and I love how you all pitch in your own thoughts and ideas.

Alright now this chapter has Loki making a few more friends, ones who help him realize he can heal better if he has support from those who understand him, in a way. Tony and Fury have a chat, and then I warn you there will be a cliffhanger at the end. Loki has opened up a bit thus far, and I will let him open up a little more in this chapter.

Warning: mentions of past bullying

I don't own the Marvel characters.

Enjoy!

"Morning Nat."

"Clint, Bruce." the redheaded former Russian assassin entered the kitchen early one morning, hoping to start the day off easy unless she got a last minute call from Fury. It was supposed to be her day off, and normally while most spies don't take days off Fury ordered her to take it. Barton was off too, but he would have to leave early in the morning for whatever other business there was with SHIELD.

"You're up a little late aren't you? Usually you're up before the crack of dawn." Nat smirked.

"I was, I just didn't leave my room until I smelled coffee." she had on a long violet robe, underneath some average woman pjs. "Anyone seen Stark?" Bruce rolled his eyes.

"He's never up this early, well except a few times but that's all."

"I wouldn't be so sure; I mean Loki has him up more than usual, even more than Pepper could ever do."

"I heard that." speak of the devil Pepper walked into the kitchen with Steve. Everyone was still dressed in their night clothes or at least something similar but decent. "Tony's knocked out, I think he spent most of the night on those suits again." she rolled her eyes.

"His one true love…never lets anyone else have them." Steve sat down at the table.

"Anyone seen Loki?" Nat looked at the others.

"I asked Jarvis just a bit ago, he's still asleep so is Kira. Jarvis will tell us when he wakes."

"Ms. Potts."

"There we go…yes Jarvis?"

"Mr. Loki is awake, he seems ill though. My readings indicate he has a slight fever and his heartrate is a bit unsteady."

"Did he have another nightmare?"

"Not from what I can tell Ms. Potts." Pepper sighed.

"And the baby?"

"Still sleeping, healthy."

"Good, please tell Loki to stay put someone will go check on him."

"Of course." Jarvis 'went away'.

"I'll go, think someone can make some food for Loki?"

"I will, there's some oatmeal in the cabinet." Pepper stood up.

"I'll help Bruce, just need to be careful." Natasha had her mixed feelings on Loki, though she didn't think he was a danger to them. He showed up a battered mess, with a newborn too. Tony took him in, gave him a roof and food, and he seemed grateful but he kept his distance. She didn't fully trust Loki, but she would keep an open mind.

"Ok." she and Bruce knew where Loki's room was, Jarvis would grant them access. Nat knocked on the door, and Loki answered. His face was flushed and his eyes were weary.

"Morning Loki, can we come in?" he nodded and let them pass. "Jarvis said you have a slight fever, will you let Bruce examine you?"

"I don't…" he paused as his swayed slightly, but Bruce helped him stand.

"You look terrible." Bruce stated. "Listen, just a quick examination on you and Kira, and we'll see how it goes alright?" after Loki gave a quick nod Bruce helped him over to the bed and Nat checked on Kira. She felt the baby's forehead, it didn't feel warm. She was sleeping fine, so damn adorable.

"Kira seems fine, of course I'm not a doctor."

"How do you feel Loki?" Bruce felt his forehead again. "You're about burning up."

"Weak…tired."

"Any chills? Nausea? Aches?"

"My head…it feels heavy…and it throbs." Bruce hummed after listening to his heart, and checking his eyes, ears, and throat.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes…like a hammer to my brain."

"How long has it been hurting, and where did it start?" Loki pointed to his temples. "It's either a nasty headache or a migraine, so you'll need to stay in bed the rest of the day."

"I need to care for Kira."

"You won't be any good if you aren't well." Natasha stood up. "Jarvis and I will keep watch over her."

"I…"

"Loki you need to rest and regain your strength." Bruce made him lay back. "I'll get you some painkillers from the infirmary, and you'll need to stay hydrated and eat light foods. Dry toast, some soup, and water, but most of all…rest."

"Kira…"

"Agent Romanoff is more than capable of handling a month old baby, she's good with them."

"If it makes you feel better I won't take her out of the room. I'll feed and change her with you around, but you have to stay in bed." Loki stared at her.

"You won't leave?"

"I won't unless necessary." she promised.

"Alright."

"Okay then, you two sit tight and I'll go get the meds and the food. I'll let Pepper know what's going on too." Bruce left them alone.

"Okay, Loki did you pump any milk?" Loki nodded and pointed at the mini fridge in the corner of the room. Natasha walked over and saw three full bottles inside, as odd as it was for a man to have breast milk it was the main source of nourishment for Kira. They didn't know much about her…anatomy, but Loki's body despite its weakened state made enough for the little one to eat. He would pump up to six bottles a day, sometimes four.

"Aahh…" Kira started to wake up, she wanted her mommy.

"Here we go." Natasha picked the little one up and checked her diaper. It was dry; Loki must've changed her sometime before. "Time to eat little one." she sat down on the rocker, and placed the nipple at Kira's mouth to which she gladly suckled.

"She likes you." Natasha looked over to Loki, still laying down but staring at her.

"She's a sweet baby, but you're her mom."

"Yes, but she still likes you and Ms. Potts." Loki closed his eyes for a minute. "I still don't understand."

"Understand?"

"Why you're all helping me, helping us." he looked at Kira. "No one has ever stuck their necks out for me like this…not even my…foster family."

"Well we couldn't just leave you there, and I don't know what Asgard thinks of us mortals but we don't just leave a man down when he needs help." she paused, and decided to ask. "We know the Norse Myths, but what's myth and what's fact we don't know."

"You wish to ask me about my life in Asgard."

"You don't' have to tell me everything, it's just talk. Anything you tell me doesn't leave this room."

"And what about Jarvis? Or Barton?"

"Jarvis is run by Tony Stark, but if you ask him he will keep it quiet. Tony's not one to spill secrets though, so he won't pry. Clint, well he will likely find out on his own…he's good at reading people. I wouldn't worry though." Loki looked away, but turned his gaze back to Natasha quickly after.

"What questions do you have?"

"Well for one…what's Asgard like?" Loki snorted.

"It's what you would likely read in the myths, completely gender based to where the men are meant to fight and provide for their families, while the women bear children and keep house to please their men. The men train day in and day out, and drink when they finish to tell countless tales of battle over and over again, and the women just praise them like they're the sun itself."

"You're not a warrior though, correct?"

"I am a seidr bearer, or a sorcerer if you prefer. I could never lift a weapon made by an Aesir, nor could I be strong and fight like one so I stuck to my books and magic. It didn't go well with the other warriors though."

"You were adopted by Odin, the king and his son Thor was heir." she'd read up some of the myths, she knew Loki had been adopted but had questions about his heritage.

"Yes." his eyes hardened. "It was far from glamorous as some might imagine. Being the son of the king does not mean you have eternal happiness, at least that's what I learned at an early age. Thor was always praised for everything he did, whether it be battle or at the very least mere laughter, he always got the glory and the love. I was belittled because I couldn't fight like him, though I didn't exactly express it."

"Showing emotion in warrior society is a sign of weakness." he stared at her. "I learned that when I was young, very young."

"Oh?" she might as well tell him, he opens up to her she'll open up to him to help.

"I was raised in a place called 'The Red Room'. I didn't have any family, and I was brought there when I was small. When I was eight years old I began training, combat, acrobatics, and schooling to become an assassin, the most dangerous there was. We didn't have anything special like birthdays or parties, every day it was training. The stronger ones moved up but the weaker…" she paused.

"Killed." Loki spoke as if he read her thoughts.

"Yeah, and it never changed. We would often have dance lessons, learn a routine and do it over and over again to make us stronger. To make us…unbreakable." she looked down, Kira was about finished with her bottle.

"You were raised as a tool of war."

"Yeah, but it's different now." that was all she would say, and Loki didn't push.

"The children of Asgard are not allowed to fight until they reach an appropriate age, they have to be adolescents. Thor and I would often train with the same tutors, but while they were impressed with him they treated me like I was fragile. Of course I asked Odin to have different tutors, but he didn't see reasons why. Mother, his wife Frigga, taught me magic and let me study…and it was seen as a feminine nature." he growled.

"Thor didn't help you?" Loki scoffed.

"That fool thought I would grow out of it, and be more like him and Odin. More or less I became good at throwing daggers, and I knew healing arts so I could help if one of his friends were wounded in a fight. I struggled a lot in fights, and yet Thor kept it up to push me further…he just didn't understand."

"Did his friends tease you?"

"That's a minor way of putting it." Loki looked away. "Two of them, Sif and Fandral, were the worst of them all. Sif is the only female warrior in Asgard, and she was praised just like Thor because she didn't want to be like the other women. I tried to befriend her because I thought we had common ground, but she was like them. She hated me because I was different, and she was jealous of the bond Thor and I had as children."

"She wanted Thor, and you were in the way." he nodded.

"The wench went so far as to humiliate me when Thor wasn't around, one day I was reading a book my mother gave me under my favorite tree in the gardens, and she came over with two others and snatched it. Fandral was there too, and she gave it to him. I demanded it back, and they laughed at me…saying knowledge was a waste on me. Fandral opened it and tore out some pages, and Sif threw it in the mud. They then started throwing mud and rocks at me, and I tried to fight them off but was overpowered."

"You didn't tell Thor?"

"He wouldn't have believed me, he never did. I remember the night I got back at Sif, it was after she'd shoved me into a pit in front of several other warriors. Nightfall came, and I snuck into her room and cut off all her golden hair. I had hoped she would be bald, but when her hair grew back black like mine, it was even better." he laughed at the memory.

"You were bullied while Thor was loved, Loki you should've told someone."

"Don't patronize me Ms. Romanoff; it wouldn't have mattered if I did. Thor never knew the real me, though he may claim he did. Frigga was the only one who ever loved me, even after…" he paused. Right after he went quiet Kira finished her bottle.

"Hey." Bruce came back with the meds and food. "Sorry it took so long, Tony was asking questions."

"Kira's finished, I'll burp and change her." Natasha stood up and walked over to the drawers with Kira's clothes inside, and after picking out a cute pink outfit she sat back down and Kira burped seconds afterward. Her diaper was changed and her clothes were on, now Natasha had to ask something else. "Loki you need to rest, do you mind if I take Kira out of the room for a bit?"

"Sure, Jarvis keep an eye on them please?"

"Of course Mr. Loki." the computer responded back. He didn't want to keep Kira locked in here with him all day, if he was sick he didn't want her getting sick too.

"I'll be back in two hours, promise." Natasha smiled at him and left with the baby. She walked out into the little sitting area, and there sat Tony and Clint. "You heard all that?"

"Yeah." Clint spoke. "Just wanted to keep watch on you both." he smiled at Kira.

"I'm surprised he talked to you." Tony sipped some coffee. "Took him a while to open up to me."

"He's probably sick of just talking to you." Clint laughed. "I'm a bit surprised too though."

"What's he got to lose?"

"I don't know Nat, I know the guy's down on his luck but I still have my doubts."

"Barton I think we can at least give him the BOTD, he can't go back to Asgard and he's not caused any trouble. You know I don't go around sharing my tales with everyone."

"Yeah, but still. Hey Jarvis pull up the feed with Banner and Loki please?"

"Mr. Stark do you wish me to do so?" the computer had to double check with Tony.

"Go on Jarvis." Tony's main screen turned on, and they were viewing the spot between Loki and Banner.

Loki's room:

"Here we go…how's that feel?" Banner had given Loki the medicine just a few minutes ago, and it seemed to be working. His body, his headache went away but the nausea only let up a bit.

"Better, but still sick." Loki mumbled.

"Yeah well eat the soup and drink the water, it'll help." Banner checked him over again. Loki remained silent for the time being, but he was still plagued why these mortals would help him so much. He wanted to get better, but once he did where would he go? Would they make him leave? Stark had already said no, but still.

"I am a monster." he whispered but Banner heard him.

"What makes you say that?"

"My kind is naturally monstrous, I should've realized it sooner." he thought back to when Odin told him the truth that day in the vault. When he touched the Casket of Ancient Winters, and his hands turned blue…he thought it was a curse, but Odin told him no. He told Loki he found him abandoned in a temple, and he took him as a weapon of war. He raised him alongside Thor, and never showed him the same amount of love as his golden heir.

"Is it because of your father?" Loki glared at Banner.

"He's not my father, he never was."

"Sorry, is it because Odin didn't tell you anything?"

"Exactly."

"Yeah well Loki if you see yourself as a monster, then you'll probably fit right in here." Loki stared at him. "Natasha is a former assassin for Russia, Clint has a troubled past that almost got him killed, Tony is the son of a man who used to build weapons for all kinds of agencies and followed in his own footsteps for a while, and me…well I'm a science experiment gone wrong."

"How?"

"I have another side of me, the 'Other Guy' I call him. I'm actually the good side, but when I'm threatened or feel angry he comes out. He's huge and green, and you don't want to get on his worse side." that would be all he'd say, but Loki could tell there was more. "We're all monsters Loki, or we were…" Banner gave a light smile. "Yet we're all here protecting Earth from its most dangerous threats."

"You don't understand…"

"I think we might, at least some of us might. They seem to like you."

"They don't know me." Loki shook his head.

"They can try if you let them, take it from me. After the other guy was made I tried my best to hide, away from where no one could find me to lay low. I became a doctor so I could help people, and I learned to meditate so I could keep him under control. Natasha found me after a while and Fury offered me a place in the Avengers, and it wasn't easy."

"You're here though."

"Yeah, because I've got help…and friends here; Steve is a soldier who slept in ice for seventy years, and he's just as good as the rest of us. You just have to focus on your daughter and yourself, so eat up and sleep when you're done. Those meds will make you feel sleepy after a full stomach." he patted Loki's arm.

"Banner." Bruce stopped. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Loki watched the man leave and sat up to start eating the soup before it went cold. He wondered why they shared their stories with him, but he shared part of his too. His senses told him he could trust these people, but he still kept his guard up.

He would think on it later, if he felt better when he woke up he would go and speak to Stark.

Meanwhile:

"Hey Nick." Tony walked into his favorite living room where Nick Fury and Pepper were waiting on him.

"Stark, how're your guests doing?"

"Well Kira is a baby which is normal, and Loki…well Loki is ill but alright otherwise."

"Ill?"

"He's still weak from before, but Bruce is helping."

"No problems?"

"Zilch." Tony looked at Pepper. "He had a rather warming talk with Bruce and Nat earlier." Fury frowned.

"What'd he say?"

"Well basically that he didn't have a happy childhood and he's angry at his adopted family for lying to him. He's asleep now though."

"Yeah well keep an eye on him still, but I need to ask you Stark. When he's recovered what do you want to do?" Tony shrugged.

"He seems fine staying here, could make him an Avenger."

"Stark you don't know him, can't just have him join when we don't know much about his past."

"Well maybe if he's up to it he'll share, and we can test him too." Pepper stared at Tony.

"Tony I'm surprised at you, you trust him?"

"Don't you?"

"Stark…" Fury started but Tony wouldn't hear any of it.

"Look guys I feel sorry for him and I trust my gut. He's got a kid why put her in danger if he wanted to start trouble?"

"Tony we're not saying he's evil, we just need to be cautious."

"I know but come on guys, Fury you said it yourself he needed help. I get the council might not like it but you've got bigger problems than me babysitting a Norse God." Fury sighed.

"Maybe, but I'll consider it. If he cooperates and talks, then we can decide if he'll join or not; one note though, we don't know if any other Asgardians will show up. If anything he could've done something up there that might jeopardize his stay here. I'll have Phil stop by when he's ready, just don't freak the guy out."

"Wouldn't dream of it, and Fury…anything new on the tesseract?" Fury shook his head.

"The thing just glows and sits there, but Selvig is keeping watch on it."

"What about the council? They were intending on using it for…" Pepper was interrupted when Fury held up his hand.

"Right now we aren't, since Loki showed up I don't want to risk anything or anyone else popping out of that thing. It's in a new area, only certain people have access to it and the council right now doesn't know about Loki."

"What'd you tell them?" Tony frowned.

"Nothing yet, they still think we're running tests but I can't keep quiet for long. If Loki can talk before they find out, then it might make things easier. I'm not saying rush, but we don't have a lot of time. When he gets better I want you and Nat to talk to him, try to at least have him tell us if anything or anyone will come after him because we need to be prepared." Tony wasn't so sure on that, it was one thing to get Loki to talk, but to be prepared for something they had no idea about, anything that could risk the Earth's safety…it was a long shot.

"Okay I'll do it, but don't expect an immediate answer right away. And if the council does show their face around here, then I'll do what I must to protect Loki and Kira. The others will too."

"I know, just a warning. I need to get back but call me and I'll send Phil when he's ready." with that said Fury left the room and Pepper and Tony were alone.

"Hey Jarvis."

"Yes sir?"

"How's Loki now?"

"Still sleeping sir."

"And Kira?"

"Ms. Romanoff is with her now, seems to be attached to the child."

"Okay, tell me when he wakes up."

"As you wish sir." Tony sighed.

"This ain't gonna be easy Pep."

"I know Tony, I know."

I hope you liked it, next one will likely be up after I update two other fics.

Next chapter we have another time skip, but not too long. Tony and Loki are going to talk it out and Loki will decide what he has to do to ensure his safety and Kira's. Coulson will appear, but will Loki talk to him? The council…will they find out? Basically means…what's Loki going to do if he has nowhere else to go?

I know the characters seem non-canon, but hey why not? Tony, Natasha, and Banner all seem to understand what Loki's gone through, but he still has trust issues. Loki's going to make a new choice next chapter, but you'll have to wait and see.

R&R

Later!