Here it is... please don't hurt me. I finally figured out a believable plot, be proud. I do NOT own anything Avengers, except the movie, that's cool.
"So how is she?"
Bruce looked up from the book he held in his hand, trying, and failing, to hide the wince at the sound of Tony's voice. It was hoarse, raspy and painful. Personally Bruce would have preferred listening to chalk over a chalkboard than that.
"You shouldn't be talking." Bruce admonished, lightly flicking Tony's hand where it rested on the hospital bed.
It had been three days since the disastrous break in at Tony's Malibu mansion. Steve was already mended, still a little sore, but healed, he had been discharged from the hospital the night previous, much to Tony's chagrin. Tony in fact had already tried an escape already – Pepper refused to let him check out AMA – not that he had been too successful, he couldn't really do anything with a broken leg, his right arm useless in a sling and his older leg injury uncooperative as well. Tony was completely at the doctors' mercy.
Well, a doctor, and not necessarily a medical doctor. Despite Bruce's many protests Tony still insisted that Bruce be in control of all his health matters, next to Pepper.
Tony reached out and flicked Bruce back, "I'll be quiet when you tell me how she is."
Bruce frowned at him, gazing at him over the rim of his glasses, Tony returned the gaze with the beginnings of a scowl marring his face. Sighing, the book in his hand forgotten, Bruce leaned forward, still holding Tony's gaze, and bit the inside of his cheek. Tony's eyes flicked between Bruce's wringing hands and his face, he cocked an eyebrow, concern pooling across his brow.
Bruce took in a breath, hesitating, preparing to speak, "Yeah, she'll be fine." He quickly sat back and picked his book back up. Tony scowled.
"You're an ass."
Smirking, Bruce looked back up at Tony, "Relax Tony, the wound was superficial. It may ache or hurt in wet or cold weather, but the muscle damage was minimal, although they said it would scar, her fur will eventually cover that. Unlike you, she was very lucky."
The man huffed, "You didn't need to draw it out, I thought she had died." That was definitely not a pout forming on Tony's face. Or maybe it was. It actually made Bruce feel bad for teasing his friend. He opened his mouth to reassure him.
"Thought who had died?" Bruce looked up, Pepper stood in the doorway, a to-go cup held in her hand. She glanced between the two men in the room, "Thought who died?" She repeated, "Thought she died, no not so much." Pepper stepped aside as Thor came into the room carrying a furry bundle.
"I have brought the Lady of Iron!" Thor declared proudly before setting the slightly disgruntled dog onto the bed next to Tony's propped leg. The dog immediately huffed, before plopping down on the opposite side of her injury, her head resting on Tony's left knee. Tony smiled.
"Thanks big guy." He said while looking up at Thor's radiant face. "Is that for me?" Tony said, looking pointedly at the cup in Pepper's hand.
Nodding she handed it over, ignoring Tony's squeak of glee, "This is because you have been good for approximately 12 hours, but," Pepper leveled a finger at Tony, making sure he retained eye contact, "I will take it back if you do not remain good, that includes talking." Tony gave a salute before guzzling half the scalding coffee in one swig.
"Is Lady allowed to be here?" Bruce asked, watching the dog as she raised her nose to sniff towards the breakfast burrito Tony eagerly grabbed from Pepper's hand.
Pepper shrugged, "I don't know, and I don't care at the moment. Thor brought her in, and no one seemed willing to tell the God of Thunder he couldn't bring a dog in." Tony held out a fist towards Thor, who, misunderstanding the gesture, took it in his own and shook it, Tony just shrugged before flicking a chunk of sausage at Lady, she snapped at it in the air.
Taking the seat next to Tony's right side Pepper arranged a stack of papers on her lap before speaking, "So the cleaning crew should be finishing up tomorrow, they boarded up the window Natasha broke," Pepper ignored the scowl Tony sent her, "Your special interactive glass is being sent from the Stark Industries warehouse in northern Texas and should take longer to install than regular glass window panes. I'll have some engineers from Stark Industries come over to help with that since you can't be expected to get up on a ladder to help put it in." Tony bit down on the burrito to keep himself from complaining, "I, or I guess Clint reactivated the security box, you're going to have to find a better security system for your security system Tony, putting it on the property line lining the cliff side obviously wasn't enough of a deterrent. And I have had Jonathan release a statement to the press about the break in."
Bruce wrinkled his nose, "Whose Jonathan?"
"He is our, well my, new PA." Pepper said, her eyes darting up from her Starkphone to meet Bruce's eye. "Tony scared off the last one. And he's gay Tony so you don't have to worry about his male lizard brain." Pepper supplied at Tony's alarmed face.
"I also talked to your doctor." Tony perked up, "He says that since you have been so wonderful, and yes he used sarcasm, you can be discharged tomorrow once you are able to prove that you will be a good boy. Also," Pepper shuffled the stack of papers again, pulling out a small manila folder, "I had Happy start a background check on all the employees who have access to the house, someone knew about that security box and what it did, so someone must have told Holt something. And that actually brings us to the last order of business," Reaching over Pepper handed the manila folder to Tony's waiting hands, "S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to identify the man who broke in. His name was Zachary Holt, and no, that is not an alias. He's had about a dozen of those, but that is his name. He is a well known… well, let's just say he's a hired gun." Tony flicked through the brief file before passing it along to Bruce, who barely glanced at it before Thor took it from him. "They are trying to work out who hired him."
"Yeah, like that worked so well last time." Bruce snarked, "Did Fury just give you this?" He said waving his glasses at the file clutched angrily in Thor's hand.
Pepper shook her head, "No, he gave it to Natasha, who gave it to Clint and he gave it to Steve. You can guess how long it took me to convince Steve to hand it over." Tony smirked.
Bruce leaned back into the chair sighing. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, he was so ready for a soft bed and a nice warm dinner… and a drink.
"Are you alright Bruce?" Pepper was watching him closely, Tony, beside her, was looking at him with the obvious expression of the one who initiated Pepper to ask that question. He sighed again.
"Yeah," he nodded, "m'fine, just tired." He squeezed his eyes before blinking rapidly and sniffing.
"Maybe you should go and get some rest Dr. Banner." Thor's deep, solid voice boomed in the small pristine hospital room. The demigod stood, the plastic chair he had been sitting on squealing in protest. "Please, I will go back with you. We must all get some–"
"Oh my goodness!" came a squeak from the door. The occupants of the room turned in surprise. A nurse in pepto bismol pink scrubs stood at the door, a tray of food clutched in her hand. "You… you can't have a dog in here! It needs to be outside." She glanced around at the group of people, her eyes stuttered on the image of Thor, who had his arms crossed across a ridiculously firm chest and the beginnings of a demigod glare emerge, "Oh, um, I mean…."
"This," Thor's voice boomed causing the nurse to jump, "is the Lady of Iron, who fought bravely in battle to save our friends. She will stay as long as she likes."
"Uh…" Pepper stood up quickly as tears began to form and well up in the nurse's eyes, she took the young women's hand, quietly explaining the situation to the nurse before lightly pushing her towards the door. Thor watched carefully as the nurse slowly turned out of the room with a disconcerted expression on her face, the tray of food now resting in Peppers' hands.
Bruce lightly chuckled as Tony smiled, and then frowned when the suspicious looking mound of food slapped down in front of him, Lady scooting across the bed to get to it. Pepper flicked her to stop her. Tony, however, appeased the chastised dog by handing over a forkful of what Bruce suspected was supposed to be a piece of pot roast.
Tony then, in order to appease Pepper, stuck a forkful of "pot roast" into his own mouth, dramatically gagging when Pepper looked away, causing Thor to boom in laughter and effectively alerting Pepper of what Tony was doing.
Tony swallowed painfully before pointing towards Thor accusingly, "You made the pretty, blonde nurse cry." Pepper leveled a glare, "Ugly, dirty haired nurse," Tony amended, "Very, very ugly nurse." He stuck a fork of food back into his mouth and continued to chew.
Pepper smiled.
No pitchforks, more will be coming, I promise... when, I don't know; how, still don't know... but I'll get there! Thanks for waiting!
