Unbroken

Chapter 58

Everyone was in shock when they heard what Thor said. It was impossible, Laufey can't get loki back to Jotunhiem even if he was able to capture him, Odin cut off all travel between the realms when the war ended. So how did laufey plan to kidnap Loki, and why was he using an Asgardian agent?
"Thor, Laufey can't get here, and his agents can't get there. How was he planning to take Loki back?" Odin asked. Thor nodded a bit like he was expecting that question.
"Apparently there are other secret paths between the realms... paths that are hidden from Heimdall's sight" Thor explained.
"So then why send an agent? Why not come after loki himself?" Frigga asked, trying to convince herself that Loki wasn't really in any danger.
"Laufey doesn't know where the paths are. There's only one person who knows the locations of the hidden paths" Thor told them.
"Who?" Trinity asked, she wasn't sure if she should speak, but she was brought here for a reason so she'd asked the questions she had.
"Surprisingly, the only person who knows about them is Loki" Thor said. Everyone was surprised once again. How is that possible?
"Loki? How does Loki know?" Odin asked.
"I have no idea, but he does. And Laufey sent his agent to kidnap loki and force him to say where the hidden path is" Thor explained.
"Well then we need to talk to loki and find out about this path" Odin stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"That's the thing... I don't think we should tell Loki about any of this" Thor said "that's why I wanted all of you to know, we need to prevent loki from finding out" he added. Everyone was quiet for a minute, how could they keep all of this from him? That'd be difficult and next to impossible.
"Why can't we tell him? He should know what's going on, it's his life" Trinity said after a very long silence.
"If he knows, he'll panic" Thor told her.
"Well maybe he should panic a little bit. He's not as delicate as you people tend to think, he's changed a lot, he doesn't need to be treated like he's made of glass anymore-" Thor cut her off short.
"Which is exactly why we need to make sure he doesn't find out that Laufey is involved. Loki has finally been able to put Laufey behind him, if we bring it up now then it'll all be for nothing" Thor explained. Trinity seemed more upset by this than Thor was anticipating.
"You really think he'll fall apart that easily? He didn't fall apart when he found out that Laufey was sending messages to the king, he was able to be logical. He's not so fragile, he'll work it out in his mind" she insisted "and he shouldn't be kept in the dark, how can he be careful if he doesn't even know what danger he's in?" She challenged. Thor shook his head, ready to argue back, but Odin spoke first.
"She's right Thor. Loki needs to know, for his safety and everyone else's" Odin told him. Now it was Thor's time to be upset, how could they possibly think that letting Loki know was a good idea?
"If Loki's knows-" Thor started to speak but Odin interrupted.
"Then he'll be better prepared for what's to come. If a war breaks out and it's centered around Loki, but he doesn't know what's going on then he'll be a liability to himself and to the realm. Laufey is trying to take him back, he's sent messages and has now sent an agent, and it all has to do with Loki. Keeping Loki in the dark will only create a weak link in the chain of caution and preparation" Odin said, which silenced Thor's arguments. Thor knew his father was right, he just didn't want him to be. Loki had only had a good life for a little less than a year now, why couldn't Laufey wait before messing it up again? Why couldn't Loki catch a break?.
"Fine. Should I tell him right away then?" Thor asked. Odin shook his head.
"I don't want you to tell him at all. I want Trinity to tell him. He'll take bad news better if it comes from someone he's more.... intimate with" he said. Trinity's face got a little red and Thor wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or outraged.
"The most intimate thing Loki and I have ever done is kiss. We never-" Odin didn't let her finish.
"I didn't mean it that way. I simply meant that you and Loki share a special relationship that none of us could ever achieve. He's in love with you" Odin stated simply, like it was no big deal.
Trinity wasn't sure if she was satisfied with that, she didn't appreciate his use of the word 'intimate', it gave everyone a certain impression that was incorrect.
"Very well. I'll tell him, but when?" She asked.
"Right away. If he's awake, then go tell him now" Odin instructed. She nodded a bit and left the room. She wanted Loki to know the truth, but she wasn't looking forward to telling him.
"Thor, assemble the council, we need to discuss what actions to take next" Odin said to Thor as they also left to go take care of the growing issues.
Trinity got back to the healing room and opened the door slowly, she half hoped loki would be asleep so that she didn't have to deliver the bad news, but when she came in, he was very much awake. And he was giving the other healers a bit of a hard time.
"I don't need all this, I'm fine" Loki said as he pulled off the last remaining tab that had been monitoring him. He was still a little bit drowsy, but they'd taken him off all the medication except the IV in his hand, and he was awake enough to be annoyed by all the restrictions.
"If you say 'fine' one more time I'll have you sedated. You need to-" Trinity cut the argument off right there.
"Leave him alone" she said "he doesn't need all that, just leave him be." She said as she came over and stood next to him, helping him peel off the remaining tabs.
"Thanks..." Loki said, relaxing a little bit more. The healers had adjusted the bed so that he could be sitting up, but he was still laying back against the back of the bed "what did thor want?" He asked her. She turned everything off and turned to the rest of the healers.
"Leave, all of you. I need to talk to him alone" she told them. They were all a little concerned, but they left anyway.
"Is... is everything alright?" Loki asked Trinity once everyone was gone. She turned to him and sat on his bed facing him.
"Loki... I-" she couldn't find her words now. She'd gone over what to say to him in her head on the way here, but now she couldn't. She saw the big bruise on his chest and remembered how she felt when she thought he was dead. She'd managed to keep herself in one piece, but when she thought she lost him she was heartbroken. She couldn't loose him, especially not to laufey, she couldn't let that horrible man torture Loki anymore.
She moved closer to Loki, he was so scarred and she didn't want anyone to add anymore. For a few minutes she didn't look at his eyes, she traced the scars across his chest, lightly touching each one with her finger. How could someone do this to another person? How could someone look at loki and only see a canvas on which to paint a picture of pain? And how could Loki live through it? How did he find the motivation to stay alive? How was she so lucky to have him here with her now?
"Trinity... what happened?" Loki asked, his voice was low, almost a whisper. Trinity stopped tracing his scars and her hand came to rest on the bruise over his heart. She then looked up into his bright blue eyes.
"I love you" she said softly, then leaned forward and kissed him gently. She felt pain rising in her chest. What if laufey got him back? She couldn't loose him, not again. She broke away from the kiss after a moment, they were still so close together that she could feel Loki's breathing, and their foreheads were nearly touching.
"Trinity... what happened? Tell me.." Loki said softly, seeing that her eyes had become glassy. Trinity kept her hand on his chest, but put the other a around his neck as she took a shaky breath.
"Laufey is coming for you. He's found a way to get here, that man was one of his agents. He's actively trying to take you back" she said, pulling away just enough to see his face. She was expecting him to be stricken with panic and anxiety, she was expecting him to pull away and run to his chambers, but he didn't. He didn't look afraid, but her hand was over his heart and she felt his heart rate suddenly increase to a very fast speed. He was terrified but was trying to hide it for her.