DAY 10: 1700 HOURS

She heated up her TV dinner in the microwave; Loki was already picking at his, confused on exactly why a TV dinner was considered a delicacy on Earth. She may have told a little white lie, and by the look on his face, he could tell.

She never let him out of her sight, and while she slept, she had Steve Rodgers, AKA Captain America, watch him for her. Not to mention the countless security cameras she had installed about two weeks before.

"Speedy Gonzalez," came the tinny voice out of her radio she tapped her earpiece.

"Yeah, Cap, go ahead," she offered.

"Chicken Hawk's at checkpoint one."

"Let her in," Bella ordered.

"She has not been cleared," he reminded her. She sighed.

"Look here, you overpaid American wanker, you let my daughter in here or I clear you off the face of the planet, super soldier or no," Loki looked up at her from his perch on the leather lounge, sensing trouble. He remembered a man that they called 'Cap', Captain America, who dressed in tights and looked although he was wearing a costume for a version of All Hallows Eve run by the San Francisco Mardi-Gra committee.

"You," she looked directly at Loki, "behave."

He shrugged, "you're the boss."

"Damn right."

A few seconds later, a young one entered the building, dressed in jeans and boots, a baseball jersey around her shoulders. This was her daughter. She was a beautiful child, with black hair and dark olive skin like her mother, but bright blue eyes. She seemed to force a smile out of herself as she entered.

"Hi, Mom," she said.

"I thought you were spending a couple of weeks with your dad," Bella said, confused.

"I was," said the young girl, "however what father forgot to tell you was that he had a prior arrangement sorted out with a roulette table at the Silver and Gold casino and a dancer by the name of Misty Blue," the sass was strong in this family, "at least I hope it was a dancer."

Bella sighed, "Sophia . . ."

"Yes, I saw the news," Sophia replied immediately, "is he your detail?" she glanced into the lounge and smiled at Loki, "is that really the Destroyer? I bet it is."

Loki avoided eye contact.

Bella didn't show anything, "I don't want you talking to him, Honey."

"But I have questions," Sophia whined.

"Tough," but then she appraised her daughter, "how did you get here from Virginia?"

"I put my ass on a bus."

"What?" Bella snapped.

"I'm too young to fly by myself," Sophia shrugged, getting in from the cold and shutting the door, shuffling into the lounge to stand in front of the open fire.

"That's it. Daniel's pushed me far enough!" she looked like she was going to explode, and not in the good way either, "I am calling your father," she addressed Sophia then, "you," she turned her attention to Loki, and tossed him her phone, "call Fury."

Loki picked it up and analysed it for a moment before figuring out how to operate it as Bella practically punched a number into the hard line phone in the hall. Loki searched for the name Fury in the phone book, and Sophia just smiled at him. He dialed, choosing to ignore her.

After a couple of rings, it was answered. So was Bella's.

"What is it Rodriguez?"

"Guess again," Loki said simply.

"You inconsiderate jerk!" she shouted through the receiver, "She could have died! She's only a kid. Do you have any idea what could have happened to her?"

"Loki!" Fury practically shouted.

"Not in danger, huh? Try murderers, try any number of my enemies, not to forget all the loan sharks on your ass," Bella continued shouting, "I'll kill you, you hear? If anything happens to her on your watch, I'll feed your balls down the garbage disposal while they're still attached, got it?"

"I am calling as a courtesy," Loki said, "to inform you that my keeper is on the telephone, threatening justifiable homicide, and we have a guest," he glanced at the young girl, "Chicken Hawk is here, and that little detail may cause you to seriously rethink the positioning and strategy of your protection detail. I also need somebody to come over and change my water."

Sophia chuckled behind her hand, and Loki smiled.

"I will take that under advisement," Fury bit at him and hung up.

"I'd tell you to go to hell, but I wouldn't want to ruin the neighborhood for when I move in!"

The dial tone squeaked in his ear before he hung up himself, "adieu."

"Yeah, you'll see me very soon, dirt bag," Bella held a hand to her hip, "in court." She slammed the phone down so hard on the cradle; he swore the ground shook for a moment.

Her face was red as she entered the lounge, and she held her daughter close for a long time.

"Mom," Sophia sighed, "you didn't have to do that. I'm here, I'm home. No muss, no fuss."

"No muss, no fuss?" she asked, "you could have died. You don't know just how dangerous it can be, I do," she sighed, "I can't lose you, baby."

Sophia sighed, "Mom, you have to lighten up," Loki looked between the two, "I understand you want to protect me, but what you worry about isn't going to happen," Sophia continued, keeping her voice completely blank, "every day, cops are going to shoot me, bums are going to rob me, the assholes that father owes money too are all going to kidnap me and demand ransom, and the whole world is just going to fall right into the fucking sun. But it hasn't happened yet. No matter what you or anyone else says, there is no need to be afraid every second of every day. I can look after myself."

"Sophia, Honey, I don't think you understand how dangerous it is. There's a bigger picture."

"There's always a bigger picture, isn't there?" Sophia yelled back, "there's always something I'm not old enough to understand. But I do understand, Mom. You're like the misery chick with supercharged PMS, since Dad sucks, you're trying to be both parents, and you're driving me up the wall!" she sighed exasperatedly.

"Go to your room," Bella shouted.

"Mom . . ."

"Now, Soph," she ordered, "we don't have to have this fight again."

"Apparently we do, because you don't get it."

"Go. To. Your. Room!" Bella ordered.

Loki looked up as the small girl left, marching up the stairs like she was walking towards the executioner's block.

Bella turned, "what are you looking at?"

"Nothing," he squeaked. He didn't want to be caught in the middle of this, but subconsciously, he thought of his 'parents'.

Apparently no matter what style parents you have, they will inevitably drive you mad.