Yep, definitely Loki's kid.

Chapter 22: You Definitely Are My Kid

"Father?"

He hums quietly in response, still not lifting his head from where it has sat on top of my head for the last several minutes as we simply hold each other.

"I love this and would love to just stay here like this forever, but I kind of still have a slight issue... I sort of have the police after me."

"Oh, that is right." He pulls back slightly to look at me. "Can you tell me what happened?" He speaks so softly and calmly that it throws me off.

"I-" I try to start, but my breathing picks up, suddenly even just the thought of retelling it sends me into a panic. The same thoughts that were running circles around my head before the bombshell of other thoughts were dropped, which temporarily distracted me, come back in full force.

Loki's face grows concerned and he quickly reaches to rub up and down my arm, trying to soothe me. "Hey, hey it's ok. I'm right here, just take your time."

I take a few minutes to settle my breathing and thoughts. Once I get them to calm somewhat I try to gather my words to try and tell him, I need to tell someone.

"Um-" I try to begin but the words get caught in my throat and tears spill from my eyes.

I can't. I can never tell anyone. If I tell anyone, me and the kids will all get separated. That has been my one rule, I can't tell anyone, it is the one rule that I can not break.

You idiot, you are already going to get separated, and it is all because of you.

The thoughts berating in my brain do not help calm my nerves or my tears. I would not even know where to start.

Would I start at tonight, when I heard how scared the kids were on the phone? Would I start with when I got to the orphanage and saw how all the kids were cowering alone because I wasn't there for them? Would I just start when I stabbed her without a second thought? Or would I start from the very beginning when I got to that hellhole? But then how would I even begin to start any of those? None of them seemed like a good place to start.

"If you would prefer, you don't have to say anything. I can just... look." Loki says, gesturing to my head.

Still taking in quick, rapid panicked breaths, I make a decision and nod, not even knowing if I would be able to get words out even if I wanted to.

I just need someone to know.

Loki slowly places his hands on my temples once again, then looks at me silently for confirmation. I nervously nod my head and close my eyes. Unlike last time, this time I get pulled into my mind along with him, pulled back into the memories that I always hoped to leave behind.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The first thing that I see is the very recognizable day that I first arrived at "Santina's Center for Adoption." I had just gotten out of my last foster home, which had 10 other kids there along with me and was a nightmare, and now I was walking into yet another whole new nightmare.

It speeds through most of the day from when my social worker dropped me off and I was introduced to Ms. Santina, who seemed nice enough at first, but even just later that day that was quickly proved wrong.

It began even from that very first day there, and it only continued to get worse when slowly more and more kids showed up and I stuck up for them. It speeds through all my memories of the entire 2 years there. The most prominent moments and the ones that stick out the most are the bad moments with Ms. Santinia. I can tell the days simply from these scenes. Sadly these scenes are the main way that I remember the days, they are the most recognizable parts. I can recognize the day that I got my first job by the scene that took place in the hallway, the stains are still there to this day. I can recognize the day I started high school at Midtown by the scene in the basement. I remember my 16th birthday because that was the day that Zendaya arrived and I offered myself up so she wouldn't get hurt. The scenes don't stop, they just continue day after day and I can pinpoint every single one by seeing what happened that night when I got back to the orphanage.