I can't stomach explaining more than absolutely necessary, so I start at just earlier today when I got the call, although the rest is pretty clearly implied. I feel like I have to force my words out, pushing past every instinct in me that is telling me to stop. I don't have a choice, and how much worse can it really get?

When I finish explaining and get up to the point where Loki found me, obviously leaving out the conversations after that, the panic about losing the kids is even stronger. I try to push the panic away not wanting to show this panic for a second time in front of them, I already feel weak enough.

"I didn't mean to hurt her, I just needed her to let Scarlet go. I can't let any of the kids get hurt." I finish, my words struggling to form.

It is quiet for several moments while the words settle in. Suddenly, Tony pulls out his phone and starts typing. Instantly my heart rate picks up. He is going to turn me in.

"No please- please don't- I can't- I would never be able to see the kids again. Please I need to make sure they are alright, I-" I desperately plead with him.

"Finnley, calm down. I am not calling the police, I am contacting my lawyer." He pauses and continues typing. "I have some of the best lawyers available, I am sure we can easily get you cleared on self-defense. I also am going to make a few calls, I am going to get those kids placed somewhere together and in a place that I can guarantee you they will be safe. I am also going to figure out how we can get temporary guardianship of you until the trial and you are all cleared."

I don't know what to say.

"You... you would do that for me?"

"Of course, we would." Tony looks at me with a surprised look, as if that should have been obvious. "You are a good kid, we are going to fix this."

I subtly nod and look down at my lap where I am ringing out my hands.

I look up again when Peter speaks up from next to me. "Finney... I- I am so sorry. I am so sorry you had to go through that, I should have... I should have done something. I should have-"

I cut him off. "Please Peter, don't apologize. You did nothing wrong, I didn't want anyone to know, I couldn't. It's not your fault, this is on me."

Loki quickly turns his head to the side to face me. "No. This is not on you. It was not your fault either. The only person at fault is that wretched caretaker."

Father holds harsh eye contact, making sure that I take in his words. My eyes well slightly as I nod and wrap my arms around myself, feeling so small. He takes me into another hug, the hugs that I love so much, and makes me feel so safe and like all my problems can not reach me as long as I am in his arms. He pulls me into his chest and rests his chin on my head. As he does I hear several literal sit-com-worthy gasps from around the room, but I ignore them.

When we finally part, I look around the room and find everyone's faces wearing extremely shocked or very concerned and nervous expressions. Even Uncle Thor wears a shocked, wide-eyed expression.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Tony buts in with his usual comment. "What happened to Dark and Scary? When did he go all soft?" he speaks sarcastically to the rest of the room.

Loki simply glares at him, sending him a look that could kill him beyond dead, but says nothing.

While Father is attempting to kill Tony with his eyes, I look over at Uncle Thor, he looks a bit different from the last of the short memories that I was able to string together of him. When he notices my eyes on him, he meets them with his own. He has a questioning look on his face like he is searching for something that is on the tip of his touch but can not find it. He moves his eyes between me and Loki, curiously. Eventually, he lands back on me and smiles. I wish we could tell him.

"Anyways..." Tony says while trying to break away from the deadly eye contact with Loki. "Finnley, you can stay in one of the guest bedrooms for now. You will be in the one right next to Natasha. And get some rest kid, you need it."

I nod while still fidgeting with my hands. He is right, I really do need to rest. An actual genuine and comfy bed sounds like Valhalla right now.

"Natasha, can you show them to their room?" Tony continues.

Ms. Romanoff nods and asks for me to follow her, which I gladly do, desperate for sleep. I send one last glance back at Father as I leave the room.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As we walk down the hall Ms. Romanoff does so impossibly stiff with her hands clenched, digging into her palms. I can practically feel the rage radiating off of her and I fear that it is because of me, that I did something wrong.

Gathering some confidence, I speak without turning towards her and instead keeping my eyes on the floor. "I'm sorry."

She abruptly stops and whips her body toward me. "Why are you sorry?"

"I- you are mad. I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry for lying and snapping at you earlier, for all the trouble you went through, for-"

She cuts me off and looks at me with a softening expression. "No, Finnley, I am not mad at you. You did nothing wrong." She pauses for a moment and collects her breath. "I am angry, yes, actually no I am infuriated," she speaks with a burning rage in her voice, "but I am not upset with you. I'm upset with what you had to go through." I watch as the emotion that she always does so well to hide away makes its way onto her face, and the amount of anger that does causes me to shiver. She has to take a deep breath to calm herself before she speaks again. "I am going to kill her. When this is all over I am going to kill her for what she did to you and the others. You are just kids."

There is something dark and haunting that passes over her face, a type of recognition and understanding. I look at her and when I see her, something clicks in my mind. I realize that she really does understand, and I wish she didn't.

We walk in silence the rest of the way, but it is a comforting one. When we finally stop in front of a door and Ms. Romanoff shows me to the room that I am supposedly staying in, my jaw falls to the floor. The room is massive and absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a slight step up from my little Harry Potter-esque cubby hole.

As soon as the door closes, I instantly fall face down onto the bed and sigh contently when I sink into the soft mattress. I try to quiet my mind, which is swarming with thoughts so that I can get the rest that I so desperately need. So much has happened today, my entire life has changed in more ways than one and I have no idea how it has changed, the only thing I can do is wake up tomorrow and find out. I just hope that it is for the better.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I wake in the morning to the smell of a delicious breakfast from just down the hall. When I eventually and begrudgingly pry my eyes open, hissing at the light that is blinding me, I find myself completely wrapped and twisted in the silk sheets and smothered by the gigantic comforter, all while seeming to have twisted myself in possibly inhuman ways while I slept. That was no doubt the best sleep I have gotten in a long time.

With the hope of the food that I smell down the hall, I untangle myself from the blankets and walk out of the room, still in my clothes from yesterday that I have not been able to change out of and not even addressing the mess of bed head I have. As I stumble into the common area the first thing I see is Mr Barnes cooking a whole assortment of french toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, and a massive bowl of fresh fruits; my mouth waters. Looking around the room further I see some of the others lounging by the counter bar seating or dining table, and I see Father lounging in the living room nursing a cup of tea and a book silently by himself. When I walk in, he looks up over the top of the book slightly and I can see the slight smile that he brandishes in his eyes. I smile back and he then turns his eyes back toward his book, instantly getting absorbed into it once again.

Admittedly, I obviously wish that Father and I did not have to hide our bond, I finally got part of my family back and I wanted to enjoy that. Although... I am also able to admit that there is a slight thrill in hiding it. It is like our own secret, a joke that we are able to laugh at behind closed doors. Maybe it is the mischief bloodline running through my veins, but I realize that this could also be quite fun. I wonder how many jokes we can make before they find out, and I am already scheming on how fun and dramatic it could be if they ever do find out. That makes me smile again as I look away from Loki and back toward the others, who are completely oblivious.

Eventually, Ms. Romanoff is once again the first one to notice me still standing in the doorway. She beckons me over to the stool beside her and I happily obliged, mostly following the smell of food. As soon as I sit down, she pulls my stool closer and spins me slightly so that my back is to her and starts to run her hands through and tame my dark copper hair, which I had to sadly change back from my naturally black hair so as to not draw any questions. It is a motherly gesture that I find myself melting into and absolutely adoring.

I also find myself loving the casual conversation happening around me, it is a calming atmosphere that I sink into with a smile. Eventually, the food is done and Mr. Bares gracefully carries it over to the dining table where everyone else, everyone besides Loki that is, gladly takes a seat as well.

The moment that the food is placed on the table everyone suddenly becomes a pack of savage animals and starts greedily reaching for the food and smacking away hands as they fight for the best piece of bacon. I sit back slightly with wide eyes and a fond smile on my face, it reminds me of the good mornings at the orphanage, the only difference is that there is much more food than we would have there.

Once the desperate fight for food calms down slightly I reach out and grab some, definitely much less than the amount that most others have piled onto their plates. Once I take a bite of the french toast, my eyes go big once again. This may be the best food I have ever eaten. Well, besides the roast fish dishes from Asgard, those were to die for. And those breakfast pastries from Alfheim, I would gladly survive off of nothing but those for centuries.

"This is the best french toast I have ever had, thank you so much, Mr. Barnes," I say, barely resisting to speak before I can swallow.

"Affirmative. It is Barnes' recipe." He responds with a blank emotionless face, staring right back at me.

I smile slightly and nod, but confusion laces my eyebrows. When Mr. Barnes turns back down towards his plate once again, I look to Ms. Romanoff sitting to my left who is already looking at me with an understanding expression.

Without even asking she starts to explain in a more hushed voice. "Split personality." She explains simply and I make an 'oh' face. "After HYDRA and his trigger words being removed Bucky and The Winter Soldier... separated, in a sense. That is the very simplified version at least. He is not like the HYDRA version of The Winter Soldier, he is just honestly a big angsty, overprotective, and moody cinnamon roll, but he can still come out as a trigger response. He goes by Winter."

A/n - I know that this is not necessarily how DID works. Usually, it develops only in early childhood, and I really do not want to spread any misinformation about it by writing this (there is already so much out there). This is just a fictional story and obviously, things are not going to be completely accurate, but DID is a real thing that I recommend you do your own research about if you are interested in it.

"That makes sense," I say with an understanding nod before turning back to my food.

For the rest of breakfast, I simply enjoy mostly listening to the conversations happening around me, occasionally joining when someone asks me a question directly. When everyone finishes eating and starts to stand up bringing their dishes to the skin, I think of something.

"Hey, Tony?" He turns toward me, humming in acknowledgment. "I'm guessing I am not going to school today?"

"No, sorry kid. Technically you are still wanted, I am still trying to sort it out with the lawyers, it should be set by tomorrow at the latest. That also means that you should stay in the tower for today, it's just the best for right now." He says with a guilty look.

I quickly brush him off, waving my hand. "It's ok. Unlike Peter, I do not like school, surprising I know. So I really do not mind missing a few days," I say lightheartedly.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───