A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews. Especiallyyou, Pallyndrome, for reviewing every chapter. This one is for you.

Chapter 8

Loki's eyes fluttered open and didn't know where he was. The room was all white, and his head hurt like hell. Loki winced and reached for the bump on his head, then realized his left wrist was wrapped.

"Hey." It was a soft, comforting tone. Loki looked to his right and smiled at seeing Tony there. "You're alright. Thor's been here all night." Tony gestured with his nose to the other end of the room by the window, where Thor was sleeping soundly on a chair, snoring softly.

Loki laughed lightly. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I thought I'd be the one to tell you." Tony licked his lips, and forced a smile. "The cops have been waiting. I told them everything that happened. All you have to do is confirm."

Loki nodded shaky.

"I'll go get them." Tony whispered softly, then he left the room.

At the sound of the door closing, though it was a very quiet shut, Thor's eyes popped open. Loki laughed at the sight of Thor seeming lost for a small moment.

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty."

"You're awake!" Thor slowly got off the chair and made his way over to Loki. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better." Loki frowned. "What happened?"

Thor's face saddened. "Tony told us what happened, everything. One of your kidnappers stuffed his knee onto your back. He cracked three of your ribs. That is why you were feeling the pain."

Loki softly nodded, remembering exactly when he felt pressure on his back. It was moments before he was flipped over and that man tried to . . . Loki gulped deep. "Will I be o.k?"

"Of course!" Thor sounded so sure. "They gave you some pain medicine, and wrapped your ribs. All you have to do is take it easy for a little while."

Loki scoffed and gave a small laugh. "Yeah, take it easy."

Thor frowned confused. He was about to say something else, but the door suddenly opened. Thor sighed and nodded to Tony who had gestured with his head for Thor to follow him as two police officers walked into the room.

Loki looked down at the wrapped wrist as the cops walked closer to the bed.

"Loki Laufeyson?" The first cop spoke. The teen nodded.

The second cop spoke. "I am Officer Fury. This is Officer Mike. We just want to confirm a few things. Your friend already told us every thing, but we need your side of the story. Now, we understand you were taken during a home invasion?" The cop waited for Loki to answer.

"Yes." Loki's voice was low, and he watched as the first cop write on a small note pad.

"And have you seen the men before tonight? You didn't let them in."

Loki frowned confused. "No. They just . . . got in the house. I don't know how."

The Officer Mike whispered something and handed the Officer Fury something. Officer Fury walked closer and handed Loki a small photo.

"Do you have any idea how he got this?"

Loki's brows narrowed and he grabbed the bent photo. He unbent the photo and his breathing quickened. "This was in my room. That's my father." He looked towards the cop, his eyes filling with worry. "They didn't go upstairs, how did they get this?"

The cop reached for the photo and Loki leaned away. "This is literally the only thing I have left of my father and me, now."

Fury's eyes saddened. "It's evidence. I promise, you can have if back when we're done."

Loki gulped dryly. He really didn't want to hand over the photo. It was taken on Laufey's birthday, and Loki had successfully baked his father a cake, at the age of 6. Of course, Frigga decided to keep it a secret that she helped a little with the dangerous stuff, like the stove and helping Loki to crack eggs, and measuring. But otherwise, besides being a little lopsided the cake was delicious, and Laufey was grateful for it.

But Loki knew the cops needed to find out the reason the men had this photo, so he sighed and reluctantly handed the photo over. "Please, make sure I get it back?"

Fury never took his eyes off the teen when he nodded. "I will."

Just then the door opened and a nurse walked in holding a tray. "O.k, I need the two uniforms out so I can check Loki. And he needs to be nourished."

The cop looked over and nodded in "We're about done. " He turned back to Loki. "Take it easy. We'll call if we have any more questions." Just as the cops walked towards the door Thor and Tony walked back inside. "I've called Frigga and my father. They are on their way back from their honey moon."

Loki's eyes widen. "You called them?"

"Yes. They are worried. Both of them."

"Sure." Loki scoffed. He could only imagine the look on Odin's face when Frigga called off the rest of the honey moon not even half way through. Loki brought his legs up and hugged them to his chest. He barely even moved as the nurse checked his IV and, then his breathing then his eyes.

"Loki, I need you to put your legs down so I can check your ribs."

Loki almost didn't hear, but his body knew he had to move and he stretched his legs out and he leaned back. At the nurses hum, Loki looked at her as she ran fingers across his ribs and looked through the portable X-Ray machine.

"This isn't your first break." She noted.

Loki shook his head. "No." It was almost a whisper.

"Do you mind telling me what happened?"

Loki exhaled and turned his head away from the nurse, and stared at Thor, then at Tony. Tony blinked, his dark eyes staring almost into Loki's soul. Almost like Tony could read Loki's mind.

"Loki, what happened?" Tony asked worried. "Who broke your ribs?"

-FLASHBACK-

Loki nibbled at his sandwich as he read the necessary chapters in his history book. He was happy that his school was one that let kids outside during free period. It gave him the much needed alone time, away from everyone who tormented him. Today the creeps decided they didn't want to go to class, and Loki only sighed exasperated when his book was flung from his lap. His eyes moved up towards the blond standing a few inches away, Loki was truly annoyed.

"What do you want now?"

"I caught you staring at me, freak."

Loki rolled his eyes and leaned down and grabbed his book from the floor. "Don't flatter yourself, Terry. You are not my type." Loki breathed. Again his book from flung from his grasp.

He was sick and tired of it. He was sick of trying to hide out every day and not be able to find a little piece. Why did this boy find it so interesting to bother Loki? Every single day Loki would eat his lunch outside the lunchroom, or do his classwork sitting in the front roll so his teachers could see his horrible encounters with Terry. Loki stood up and stared the blond in the eye.

"Maybe it's time you come out and tell everybody you're in love with me." The blond said with a emotionless expression.

Loki brows narrowed at that. "Why don't you tell every one that you followed me home yesterday and begged me to go to the bonfire?" He responded darkly.

Terry's friends gasped and ooh-ed. Instigators, the lot of them were.

Loki saw it coming, he didn't know how, but Loki knew Terry was going to reach for him, and Loki grit his teeth and sent his knee to the other teens groin.

Terry gasped and yelled at the impact and noticed when Loki ran for it, and the blond teen jumped in his car and followed after.

Loki could swear his feet weren't going anywhere. He felt like he was running in slow motion. He chanced a glance behind him and saw Terry's group of five friends almost catching up to him. He sobbed scared. Why did he kick him? Why didn't he just run to begin with?

Loki stopped when he reached the street, thanks to the red light. He yelped when he was grabbed and punched in the face. The punches to the face, the kicks to the stomach, his hair being grabbed, none of it was compared to what happened next.

Loki was flung across the busy street.

-END FLASHBACK-

Loki flinched and shut his eyes, it was as if he could hear the tires of the car. He could hear the sound of bones breaking. He heard his own screams.

"Brother?"

Loki looked towards Tony and licked his lips. "I stuck up for myself." He finally answered the other teens question.

Tony blinked at the response.

"I stuck up for myself, and it didn't go the way I planned. That's why I had broken ribs." He then looked at Thor. "That's why my mother home schools me."

Tony just nodded. Knowing that Loki seemed to not want to talk about it anymore.

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