Loki jolted in his seat as he woke up from a nightmare. He blinked rapidly until he registered the sun's rays peeking through the window. He sighed and looked up to see Lucy sitting up in bed eating a bowl of cereal while watching TV with the volume set very low.

"Morning Papa." Lucy greeted when she noticed her father wake up.

"Morning." Loki groaned as he popped the joints in his back. That chair was just uncomfortable.

He turned at the smell of eggs, sausage and bacon steaming on the table. "Where'd the food come from?"

"I went down to the breakfast hall and brought them here. I knew you'd be hungry when you woke up." Lucy answered.

Loki's eyes widened, "You went down there, alone, by yourself?"

"You were still sleeping, I didn't wanna wake you." Lucy explained as Loki stood up and sat beside her with a worried and scared expression. "Did you talk to anybody?"

"Not really. They didn't even wonder why a little kid was there." Lucy shrugged. It was pretty busy this morning, so no one noticed her among the other guests.

Loki sighed and knelt to her level. "Lucy, you can't go anywhere by yourself, it's dangerous." Loki said worriedly. "We can't trust anyone right now. Next time you need to go somewhere, you wake me up. Understand?"

Lucy felt guilty for scaring her father. It's been almost a week since they started traveling together. After the attack that took place in their home, Loki has been on edge, and hardly sleeps. They were currently in Miami. It was quite sunny, and the city was fairly busy and populated. So, chances of their pursuers coming after them in broad daylight and in crowded places is minimal. Loki kept a barrier around their room in case they come inside the hotels they were at.

"So, where are we going today?" Lucy asked as her father sat down and took a small bite of breakfast.

"I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas?" Loki asked since he wanted her to enjoy the sights on this bright sunny day.

Lucy hummed, "Sea glass."

"Sea glass?" Loki enquired.

Lucy nodded, "You find them at the beach. They're shiny like jewels and are fun to collect."

"I see. After we're done with breakfast, let's get ready for a fun filled day at the beach." Loki said with a smile as Lucy grinned enthusiastically at the idea of collecting shiny things.

"Thor, we got something." Tony announced as he entered the common area where the team gathered for breakfast as Thor was about to eat a pop-tart.

Thor's eyes widened as he dropped his food, "You found them?"

"We found Lucy." Tony said as he went over to the screen and pulled up surveillance footage of a hotel lobby where a little girl who looked no older than five followed a crowd to the breakfast lounge.

"Lucy." Thor whispered, relieved to see the little girl alive and well. The camera switched to the breakfast area where Lucy, with the help of an adult, got her cereal and a plate of eggs and bacon then left towards the lobby again.

"Wait, is she by herself?" Steve asked when she noticed none of the adults escorting her.

Tony switched to the elevator camera and saw Lucy watching the numbers until they hit the third floor. She left with purposeful steps as the camera showed her going down the hall. She stopped in front of room 314, taking a moment to set her breakfast plates down to take out a card key then opened the door. Quickly, she picked up her breakfast and entered the room.

"Which hotel are they at?" Natasha asked as she watched the footage.

Tony quickly looked up the information and answered, "Victoria Plaza. Miami."

Natasha and Clint entered the hotel room thanks to their skills and looked around. Thankfully the housekeeper has yet to clean this room.

"They checked out this early afternoon." Natasha stated as she scanned the room for anything suspicious.

"This chair is normally at that table there." Clint noted as he sat in the chair beside the window and the bed, pushing the curtain aside as he glanced out the window.

"A perfect place to stand guard all night. Only Lucy slept in this bed." Natasha added when she saw a very small indentation in the mattress.

Clint stood up from the chair and entered the bathroom, he paused when he saw dried blood on the tiles and used medical equipment in the trash can. He saw something hidden beneath the bloody napkins and bandages and dug through them until he found an empty blood bag.

"Natasha, I think I found something."

Natasha appeared and stared at the bag before pulling out an evidence bag where Clint dropped it inside.

"Ma'am, are you certain you have no idea where they went?" Steve asked as Thor accompanied him, looking anxious as he stared at the receptionist at the desk.

"No, they never said anything. They mainly kept to themselves. I didn't want to pry. The father did look pretty pale though." The receptionist, Maggie from what her name tag told them, glancing between the two men.

"Ms. Maggie, please this is important, he's my younger brother and he needs my help. Even if you don't know where they'll go next, can you at least remember which direction they went in?" Thor asked, looking desperate as the young woman stared back.

Maggie then remembered, "The little girl said something about collecting sea glass at a beach. The closest one is not too far from here."

Steve nodded, "That's perfect, let's go. Thank you very much ma'am." He said as he pulled Thor away from the desk.

Clint and Natasha left the elevator and joined their two comrades, "Your brother got hurt, and we found an empty blood bag in the bathroom." Clint informed them as he held up the evidence bag.

Thor began to worry as he sped up his pace, "He and Lucy are at the beach. Steve and I will catch them there."

"You two take that to Bruce, what Loki was using that for cannot be good for him." Steve ordered as he and Thor literally ran towards the beach which was a normal thirty-minute walk from the hotel.

Lucy laughed as she carried a small pouch, running away from the approaching wave that crawled onto the beach.

Loki smiled at the sight as he carried his own pouch which had seashells and sea glass. It wasn't full, but he can't complain as he watched his daughter crouch down to pick up a large smooth green glass.

"I got one!" Lucy declared as she held it up for all to see, smiling in victory.

Loki laughed, "Yes you did." He scanned the piled of rocks at his feet then bent down to pick it up, "And we got another one. It's blue!"

Lucy bounded up to Loki with an excited grin as she held her yellow sunhat to her head, "Lemme see!"

Loki crouched down on one knee and presented it to the little girl whose green eyes shone in delight. "It's pretty."

Loki grinned as he gave it to her, "And it's yours."

Lucy stared at the big blue sea glass in her hand, "But you found it Papa."

Loki never stopped smiling, "Exactly, a beautiful gift for a lovely princess."

Lucy looked up and saw something over her father's shoulder, "Uncle Thor."

"Yes, it's just like his eyes." Loki said, not noticing the two men coming up behind him.

"Are you sure?"

Loki froze as a familiar voice appeared beside him and crouched down in front of Lucy to get a better look at the blue glass. "Because I'm sure this one is too pretty to look like mine."

Lucy stared at her uncle then held up the blue sea glass and compared it to his blue eyes. "In a certain light it does."

Thor glanced at the green sea glass in Lucy's other hand, "And I believe that one is my brother."

Lucy giggled before she looked down at the two rocks in her hands, "This one looks like Uncle Thor's eyes, and this one is Papa's eyes."

The three men laughed as the sweet girl placed them in her pouch. "You wanna help us collect sea glass?"

"It'd be our honor ma'am." Steve said with a smile as Lucy took his hand and led him to one of the piles where they saw something shining.

Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, "Your father and I will look over here." He said as he pulled him towards a different part of the rocks.

Loki tried to ignore his brother as he scanned the rocks for treasure. "What are you doing here?"

"Collecting glass from the sea." Thor answered as he pushed rocks aside with his shoe. "I came to find you and Lucy. You disappeared without a word. I got worried."

Loki sighed in annoyance at Thor, "I'm fine brother." He caught sight of a brown jewel and bent to pick it up, the long sleeves of his coat rode up to reveal some bandages and blood seeping through.

Thor grabbed his arm and pulled the sleeve down further, his eyes went wide when he saw scars along his skin, from needle pricks and bite marks ranging in different sizes.

Loki wrenched his arm back and quickly covered his skin. He glanced at Lucy and was relieved when he saw her back was turned as she and Steve searched the rocks.

Thor watched the fear in his brother's face and saw how pale he looks under the sunlight. "Loki, what happened to you?" He asked, worried about the man who looked between him and the small girl then up at the sun which will soon be hidden by an abundance of clouds.

"It's none of your concern. Lucy and I have places to be right now." Loki said as he picked up the pouch he dropped when Thor grabbed him.

Thor stopped him from walking away, "You're hiding something."

"I'm not." Loki hissed as he glared at his brother, but the image of him became blurry. He shook his head and blinked rapidly.

"Loki, someone attacked you that day? What was it?" Thor urged as he held his shoulders.

"We can't stay here without the sun; we need to leave." Loki's breath became uneven, the loss of blood, lack of sleep, and being under the sun was taking its toll on his body. He felt the world spin around him as he tried to focus on Lucy, but her image began to blur, and it became harder to discern through the garbled voices.

"Loki?" Thor called his name worriedly when his brother began to sway, and his eyes glaze over. His legs gave out under him, but Thor caught him before he could hit the ground. "Loki!"

Lucy turned around and shot to her feet, "Papa!"

Steve followed behind the girl as they dashed over to the brothers.

Thor cradled his younger brother as he knelt on the sand, Loki's breathed heavily as he stared at the space above him. "Loki, can you hear me? It's me, Thor."

"Papa?" Lucy came to her father's side as she touched his face, her face filled with fear and worry.

"Lucy..." Loki hyperventilated as he struggled to speak, "...stay in sunlight...stay in the sunlight..."

Thor and Steve glanced at each other, trying to interpret the man's meaning before Loki fell unconscious.

Thor sat at his brother's bedside in the infirmary at Avengers Tower. The pale man was dressed in a white shirt and pajama pants as he was hooked up to an IV drip and heart monitor. His arms were on full display, showing off all the scars he never had before he fell off the bridge.

Thor stared at the man with sadness and confusion, he can't understand what happened to him, or who did that to his little brother.

"Uncle?"

Thor looked up and saw his niece in her snowflake pajamas holding her stuffed bunny. Her long hair was tied back in a braid.

"Lucy, you're supposed to be in bed." Thor said as he checked the time and saw that it was 9am.

Lucy frowned, "I can't sleep."

Thor sighed through his nose and opened his arms for her.

Lucy immediately walked over to the muscled man and was picked up and settled in his lap while clutching her toy to her chest. Thor held her close, yet he could've sworn she was a wee bit smaller since her last carried her.

They both watched Loki as he slept. "He never sleeps anymore." Lucy said as she leaned against her uncle.

Thor nodded, "After what he's been through, I can't blame him."

Lucy stroked the ears of her bunny, "Are you mad at Papa?"

Thor glanced down at his niece, "No, why would you think that?"

"You were arguing before he fell." Lucy stated, watching her parent with her green eyes.

Thor adjusted his hold, so the little girl was looking straight at him. "Hang on, we weren't arguing, we... had a little disagreement. I was worried about you and your father and want to keep you both safe." He sighed, "I just wish he came to me when something was bothering him."

"He was afraid you'd get mad at him, and you wouldn't like him anymore." Lucy said, her eyes holding wisdom and sympathy beyond her years.

"Now why would he think that?" Thor asked as Lucy looked down with a guilty expression, still clutching her bunny.

"Because... he lied to you."

Thor was hardly surprised, "And what did he lie about?"

Lucy swallowed, "You won't like me if I tell you."

Thor's eyes filled with sadness, "Lucy, look at me." She turned her green gaze up to her uncle, "I can never hate you. We're family. We always have each other's backs. No matter how much we fight, we're there for each other. Just as I am here for you and your father."

Lucy watched him with trusting innocent eyes and swallowed her saliva. Her throat felt itchy, and her mouth was dry. She's thirsty, and it's bad luck that her father is sleeping right now. She looked down at the large hand holding hers then glanced at the skin on his arm, it was smooth, with only hints of battle scars on the flesh.

She swallowed several times to rid that ache as she stared at the arm, she knows she shouldn't, it's against her Papa's rules. But she's thirsty, so thirsty.

"Lucy?" Thor asked when the little girl became silent and looked slightly pained.

Lucy looked up with a guilty expression, "Uncle...I'm really sorry."

Thor didn't understand what Lucy was apologizing for, and he didn't have time to react before he felt something bit his wrist. The pain lasted for a millisecond then faded as the sound of soft breathing and sucking filled the room. He watched in complete bewilderment as his niece sank her sharp teeth into his skin and drank his blood steadily, clutching his massive arm with both hands. Normally when something bites him, his first instinct is to pull his arm back, but that wasn't the case. It didn't hurt at all, like something numbed the area at his wrist the second she bit him.

After a few more seconds of feeding, Lucy removed her teeth and licked the excess blood off her uncle's arm, her saliva closed the wound. She let out a small burp and yawned, her eyes half-lidded and face full of contentment. She held her bunny close and curled up against her uncle, falling asleep instantly.

Though surprised at letting a little girl drink his blood, Thor held her close like the baby she is. He glanced down at the bite mark and realized it wasn't bleeding anymore, but it left a small indentation on his skin.

"Well, that actually explains a lot."

Thor looked up and saw Tony standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the Prince of Asgard and bloodthirsty kid.

"Yes, I saw the whole thing." Tony answered before he could ask as he came closer and got a better look at Thor's arm. He released his hand then glanced at Loki's arm covered in bitemarks, ranging in different sizes.

Tony sighed and nodded, "It makes sense now." He glanced at Thor's questioning gaze, "That blood bag Barton and Romanoff found, it was Loki's blood." He turned to the sleeping child, "He was feeding her."

Thor's eyes widened as he glanced at his brother's scars. "You mean, Lucy's..." He looked down at his slumbering niece.

"Vampire. Or at least something close to one." Tony sighed and shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not sure what to call her. She didn't burn in sunlight. And I never really encountered one in my life. This is a first for me."

Thor had more questions than answers as he stared at his sleeping brother who is this child's primary food source.

Tony laid a hand on Thor's shoulder, "We'll get answers out of him when he wakes up. I'll watch over him while you put Lucy to bed."

Thor nodded gratefully then slowly stood up, "Thank you Stark." He cradled the small child to his chest as he carried her out of the infirmary towards her bedroom.

Yep, that's right, Thor finally found out what Lucy is. We'll get to the explanation in the next chapter. Also, I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for two years. So many things happened, I couldn't focus, and I have a hard time holding onto inspiration for a period of time.