It's a Small World After All

Bruce was glad Tony had let him have some quiet time by himself with Jen. He needed time to think-without everyone staring at him waiting for him to Hulk out. He felt responsible for her being in this room. If they hadn’t seen each other-she could have been on some other assignment-and not have been shot and beaten. Even though he knew she was a grown women who stayed on her own accord and could have left any time she wanted. She had bruises all over her face and sides but even with all the bruises-he thought she looked beautiful. Bruce was unconsciously stroking her face with one hand as he loosely held her hand in his other. Normally he would have left by now-his fears and self-doubt would have made him think he was keeping her safe. But he knew the Hulk wasn’t going to let him leave this time-even if he did Hulk would bring him back. A man clearing his throat made him look up at Gibbs standing in the doorway holding two coffees.

“May I come in?” he asked.

Bruce cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes “Of course Agent Gibbs” he said.

Gibbs looked at Bruce with a smile “Gibbs please-or Jethro once I am more comfortable” he said with a chuckle.

Bruce smiled and took the coffee that Gibbs handed him “Ok and Thank you” he said nodding to the coffee.

They just stared at Jen’s body in the bed for lack of anything else to talk about. There was another knock at the door they turned to see Hetty was standing in the doorway staring at them. They both raised an eyebrow at her.

“Mr. Stark has just shown me the footage of the interrogation that Captain Rogers and Agent Coulson are preforming” She says in way of a greeting.

“And-anything” Gibbs said.

“Nothing anyone can use in a court of law of course. They are hired goons-who obviously are not going to divulge their boss’s name. Apparently the gun they used was built with a combination of old Stark weapons and Hammer products-whatever that means. As of now useless information” Hetty concluded annoyed.

Hetty paused then smiled at Gibbs “I am glad you come back-I was afraid I was going to have to send DiNozzo out to look for you” she said.

“She’s not to blame for me not being ready to be a father-or an uncle - to her-that’s on me-just another thing to add to the long list” Gibbs said.

“We all have regrets in our lives Gibbs-the thing some of us never figure out-is to let go of our regret and not let in run our lives” Hetty said. “I’ve always thought that was a smashing idea-don’t you agree Doctor Banner?” she said with a straight face.

‘She Knows’ Bruce thought as he looked at Hetty from over his glasses. “I am afraid living with my regrets has worked in my favor lately Ms. Lange” he said dryly.

“Hetty please-“she said “and all I meant by that-is that I hope Genevieve won’t be one of your regrets” she added.

“If I thought that I wouldn’t be here” he said.

Hetty looked at him then smiled “Good-I am glad” she said.

Gibbs looked between the two knowing he had missed some important piece of information and not liking it.

“Ok what am I missing” he demanded.

Bruce sighed and knew it needed to be said.

“Have you wondered why I was living with the Avengers Gibbs-well- I am an Avenger-I turn into the Hulk” Bruce stated waiting for Gibbs to react.

Jen walked toward the door and face planted into a snowy field. She jumped up then realized she didn’t feel cold. She also was alone-Kelly was nowhere to be seen. She looked across the field and all of a sudden that house appeared again-so she assumed she was supposed to go inside. She opened the door and was hit with the smell of jasmine. She walked inside and peeked into the living room again-no one. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to go look in each room or just stand there.

“Come in the kitchen” a women softly called from off to her right.

She walked into the kitchen and was meet with a women sitting at the window seat sipping a mug of something. The women looked up as Jen walked in smiling and standing up to greet her.

“Genevieve I am so glad you are here! I am Becky come I’ve made you some tea” Becky says as she pointed to the mug waiting for her.

“Thank you” she says automatically-trying to place the women-and having no luck.

Until the women looked down and smiled softly-she immediately flashed to Bruce. He did the exact same thing. Her eyes widened when her mind finally made the connection. This women in front of her was Bruce’s mother! She must have looked like a statue and the Becky gave a little nervous laugh-again just like Bruce.

“Yes I am Rebecca Banner” she said.

Jen didn’t know what to do-or say. She had no idea why Bruce’s mother would be one of her ghost.

“So you are my ghost of Christmas yet to come?” Jen asked.

Becky looked confused for a second then giggled when she made the connection.

“Yes I guess I am” she said.

Becky sighed and grabbed her hand gently “I want to thank you for loving my son. I have been so worried for him. He was such a lonely child-then when I” She trailed off not being able to say it. “When I left him the way I did. I was afraid he was going to end up like Brian” she said.

“You weren’t to blame for that-Brian was the one to blame-you and Bruce were the victims” Jen said.

Becky nodded “Yes I know that-but that’s not the point. The point is he built walls and moats and a dragon in the form of a nine foot green man-not letting anyone close-friend or otherwise. You came in causally both times he needed you the most-even if he didn’t know it. You’ve scaled the wall-swam the moat and befriended the Hulk-so they both love you. And he does-he’s just afraid to tell you” she said with a smile.

Jen was stunned. She thought she was falling for him-but to know that he loves her too-even if it didn’t come from his mouth-just floored her.

“Will you be able to stay with him when he gets scared? When he lashed out-with words-or works for hours to days at a time? Or when he leaves when something happens that he didn’t expect” Becky says. “He’s getting the third degree from your “parents” so I feel I need to do the same” she adds with a smile. “If you decide to wake up -something will happen that will shock the both of you. Oh it’s a good thing-don’t worry-just something neither one of you expected. He will freak and he will leave-but he will come back. Will you be able to deal with all of that?” Becky finished with a smile.

Jen couldn’t wrap her head around all of what she asked. She knew the women was only looking after Bruce but so many images were running through her head she couldn’t form any words. She just look at Becky nodding dumbly.

Gibbs looked across at Bruce waiting for the punchline that never came.

“Wait-you’re serious? How?” Gibbs asked.

“It was an experiment that went bad-I can control him-and he loves Jen-probably just as much as I do. And you two shouldn’t have been the first person I told that too” he said looking guiltily at Jen’s face.

“Ok but how do you grow into a 9 foot green-man?” Gibbs asked.

“It’s his emotions-his anger or fear fuels the transformation to the Hulk” Tony Stark says from the doorway.

Bruce frowned “Thank you Tony-but I would have gotten there- eventually” he said.

“Just cutting to the chase big guy” he says with his trademark smile. “By the way your boss is looking for the two of you-something about the two of you interrogating one of the men-I don’t know I stopped listening” he adds looking between the two agents.

Tony came and sat down as Hetty and Gibbs left to go see what was going on.

“Do you want me to lock the door?” he asked looking at Bruce. “It’s just us at the moment-Fury pulled the others to interrogate the men. And they don’t need Jane or I until they find whatever gun they used-so us” he finished with a shrug.

DiNozzo knocked on the open door “Sorry-just wanted to let you know that we are leaving for a bit. I am going so Gibbs or Hetty doesn’t kill of these men they are supposed to be interrogating. I will get back as soon as I can” he said.

Bruce smiled “It’s ok T-Tony’s here. All we are doing is the waiting game now. Go make sure either one doesn’t murder someone” Bruce says.

DiNozzo smiled “sure thing-I can bring you both some food back?” he asked before he turns to leave.

Stark looked up at him and tried to smile “can you call us when you are about to leave? I am not sure about Bruce-I am not hungry now-but I might be later?” he asked.

“That sounds like a good plan” DiNozzo says and writes down Stark’s number then leaves.

Stark was messing with his phone when he realizes Bruce was staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Thank you” Bruce says.

Tony looked embarrassed “I told you I was going to try” he said.

Genevieve was staring at Becky-not sure at what she was supposed to do. She admitted she loved Bruce-despite his issues and all of these problems that are going to be coming to them in the future.

“Bruce isn’t the only one with trust issues- you know” she says.

Becky looked at her expectedly-waiting for her to continue.

“I was raised in an orphanage and with my uncle-who I NOW know is my father! Then his wife died and I was sent between three or four family members. It gives you a complex” Jen says looking down at her mug.

Becky smiled and stroked over her forehead noticing her smile “I used to do this to Bruce when he got stress headaches. A boy of 6 shouldn’t get stress headaches” she says to Jen.

“It feels nice” Jen commented. “I do love him-even if he runs-I’ll be there when he comes back” she paused in thought. “Actually I’d probably follow him and tell him to stop acting like a child-but I’d use other words” she added with a smirk.

Becky laughed “good-Banner men are a stubborn bunch-just as a warning. But something tells me you will handle it just fine” she says as she hugs Jen. “Now all you need to do is wake up-it’s been two days”

Jen flinched “what?” she asked confused-she was suddenly in a white room.

“You need to wake up” Becky says then it morphed into Bruce’s voice.

“Honey Please-you need to wake up-it’s been two days” Bruce says again.

She felt his beard rub along her knuckles as he kissed each one. She could smell the antiseptic of the hospital mixed with the smell of Bruce. The she felt his lips as he kissed her forehead. Then she felt pain-her sides were extremely sore and her stomach was burning and tight. She tried to open her eyes-nope not yet. Tried her fingers next-she must have moved one because she felt Bruce freeze.

“Jen?” he asked getting closer and rubbing her cheek. “Are you trying to wake up? I felt that-I felt you rubbing my palm. Come on honey-try to open your eyes for me” he pleaded to her.

She wanted to-she was really trying. Okay it’s just like when she has to use her powers-summon all your strength and-dull muted light flooded her senses-which normally would be fine-but it’s was sensory overload. She blinked and flinched trying to get away from the bright light. Her vison wasn’t working yet-all she saw was shadows but knew the man in front of her was Bruce.

Bruce gasped and chocked back a sob and kissed her quickly on her cheek. “Oh honey welcome back. Keep blinking-hold on-T cut the lights and get a doctor-she’s awake” he called excitedly. “Tony’s about to cut the lights-see there you go-much better” he said calmly stroking her knuckles.

She looked up at him then frowned when doctors came in and Bruce wasn’t in front of her anymore. She whined and reached out for him.

“SHH” Bruce said “It’s ok- Let the doctors look at you-I am right here” he said from somewhere in the room.

She calmed down and let the doctors poke her and shine pen lights in her eyes. Then they started to ask her questions.

“Can you tell me your name?” One asked.

“Genevieve” she rasped

“Do you know where you are?” another asked.

“A hospital” she answered.

“Good-good” he responded.

“What year is it? A third asked.

That made her pause “2014” she said finally remembering.

“Very good” he said writing something on his clipboard.

“Rest Ms. Gibbs let me talk with Dr. Banner” the first doctor says then all three and Bruce all leave- and the room goes from noise to too quiet.

She watches as they talk with Bruce through the small windows. He seems to be keeping his cool-so it must not be any bad news. He looks over and sees her looking at him-and he flashes her a smile. She watched them shake hands and Bruce walk back inside. He didn’t stop until he was in the chair as close to her as he could-without climbing in beside her- and he was cradling her face. She smiled at him.

“Hi” she says softly.

He laughed “Hi” he said right back.

She looked around confused-Bruce smiled softly watching as she was trying to connect the dots.

“Do you remember why you are here?” he asked.

She squeezed her eyes in concentration-trying to remember. Nothing. She shook her head no.

“Do you want to?” he asked.

She shook her head no. “My head is starting to hurt” she whispered.

Bruce hands moved to rub his thumb across her forehead-and she immediately flashed to Becky doing that to her ‘I used to do this to Bruce when he got stress headaches’. She flinched and leaned back to look at Bruce in shock.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked nervously.

“No” she said. “How long was I out?” she adds.

Bruce waited for a minute then started stroking her face again. “You’ve been here for three days-you were brought in and had surgery and were asleep for two days” he replied.

There was a knock on the door-DiNozzo sticking his head in “Hey so I called Gibbs and Hetty and Tony for you” he says looking at Bruce then smiles at Jen. “Welcome back” he adds at her.

Bruce tensed for a second “I forgot-thank you T” he says with a smile.

Bruce looked from the door to Jen-then to his hands. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her. But she just smiled-so she didn’t seem to mind. So he tried something bolder-he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. He smiled when she tried to kiss him back-but her lips weren’t working right yet. That and her heart monitor was starting to beep faster-if he didn’t stop one of the nurses was going to come in.

“Sorry-I am sorry-I shouldn’t have done that yet” he said short of breath.

Jen just smiled goofily at him. She wasn’t complaining.

Bruce smiled “I was thinking” he said continued to rub her palm “After you get out and heal-and after the party I am sure Tony is going to want to throw-we should take a trip together. Some place remote-maybe in the mountains-Canada or Alaska-maybe some log cabin? What do you think?” he asked.

Jen looked at Bruce-her brain flashing to a brief memory of a cabin. Why was she flashing to these random images? Her face must have looked impassive for too long because Bruce’s face fell.

“We don’t have to-it was just a thought” he said.

“Please stop” she said softly. “Why am I flashing to random images?” she asked.

Bruce looked at her thoughtfully “You’ve always had premonitions in your dreams-did you have premonitions when you were under?” he asked.

Mike on the beach flashed before her eyes-then Kelly and Becky in a cabin in the snow. That’s what it was. She nodded at Bruce.

“That’s what it is-I had some visitors when I was asleep” she said. “I will go anywhere you want to go-but I like the idea of a cabin” she adds shyly.

Bruce couldn’t help the huge smile that broke across his face. He smiled and kissed her knuckles. “You need to get better first-then we can start looking at places” he decides.

Jen’s eyes started to droop-she was getting tired -but was trying to fight it. She just woke up and she didn’t want to miss anything. Bruce noticed her fighting to stay awake.

“Honey lay down-you’ve still healing” he says.

“Not tired-don’t want to fall asleep” she mumbled.

“I didn’t say sleep-did I? Just rest your eyes. I promise you won’t miss anything. Your body is healing-which will make you sleepy” he says coaxing her like a child trying not to take her nap.

“Wait I need to tell you something” she mumbled.

“What hon” he asked.

“I love you” she said so close to falling asleep.

Bruce smiled and kissed her forehead “I love you too Jen-with all our heart” he said.

Bruce watched as she smiled at him then fell asleep. He meant when he told her he wanted to take a trip together. They had some more to talk about-of course. With his job-both with Tony and as an Avenger-plus hers-he wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. Maybe she would take Tony up on his job offer-if he was serious about it that is. But he knew he wanted to be with her-Hulk too. He didn’t know how he knew –but he knew this was just the beginning of their lives together. And for once he couldn’t wait.