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Hope you all enjoy.

Pride & Empathy

Chapter 4

The door to her room swished open. Alexa made an irritated noise in the back of her throat, refusing to take her eyes off the TV.

"I swear to god Tony, if you ask me one more question I will beat you with my IV."

An uncomfortable cough sounded.

Alexa turned horrified. "Oh, Doctor Banner, I'm so sorry—I thought you were—well—Tony." She gave him a sheepish smile, one he returned.

"Don't worry," he said, walking over to her bedside. "I find myself wanting to beat Tony with all sorts of objects throughout the day." His tone was casual, but his eyes creased with amusement.

She let out a loud laugh. "Glad I'm not the only one."

He moved around the bed and began scanning the monitors. He could feel her eyes study him as he clicked around the monitors.

"Anything in particular bothering you today?" he asked, eyes not leaving the computers.

"Other than the fact I haven't been allowed to get out of this bed for a week and Tony's general presence in my life, no."

Bruce sent her a look.

"What? I think I'm well enough to at least walk around my room."

"You're leg is still broken."

"Well, hobble around my room then."

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Doctor Banner. One lap. Just one measly, tiny, little lap. It can't hurt, right?" she reasoned.

"Actually it could. You could rip your stiches, keep your ribs from setting right, and—"

"Okay, okay, I get it—bad stuff could happen, but what about my mental health?"

Bruce raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. I'm going crazy trapped in this tiny bed in this tiny room with only the TV to entertain me! If I don't move around soon, I'm going to start hatching an escape plan, and I guarantee I will get more injured during that than with a simple lap around the room with your doctor-y supervision." Her lips turned up smugly.

Bruce let out a breath of air, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. His patient was going to be the death of patience.

His eyes wandered the room, as his mind turned, trying to think of a way to discourage or distract her. The papers he had brought in caught his eye.

Tony had shoved them on him this morning, saying he was getting nowhere with Alexandra.

You're going to have to get her to talk. Fury is breathing down my neck, and I'd like to have something to rub in his face. You're the only one she likes enough to talk to with an IQ comparable to mine. And if you tell Pepper I said that, I will deny it.

Bruce rubbed his eyes, remembering the way Tony's eyebrows had waggled suggestively at him. He really didn't want to do this. He knew what it was like to want to keep some matters private from the world.

"How about a trade?" he said finally.

"What sort of trade?" she asked suspicion lining her voice.

Bruce grabbed the papers and pulled a chair to her bedside. "You talk to me about what happened the day of the invasion—" Her mouth opened to protest, but he cut her off with a look. "Actually talk. No dodging questions, no pretending you don't know anything."

Alexa crossed her arms and huffed. "And what do I get from this deal?"

The corners of his mouth quirked upward. "I'll get a wheel chair, and we'll go on a little field trip."

Her face lit up. "Really? You're serious?" He nodded.

She stuck out her hand, pinky extended. He raised an eyebrow as if to say 'really?'

"I want a pinky promise," she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world for a twenty-five year old to expect. "There's no deal unless you promise."

He kept his expression skeptical but extended his hand and wrapped his pinky around hers. She shook their hands, and for a moment all he could think of was how warm her finger was.

Bruce quickly retracted his hand. He coughed nervously. "Right, so, uh, how about you talk me through the day of the invasion?"

Her face fell. She blindly looked around the room, brows furrowed and lips pressed.

At her hesitance he tried something different. "Let me show you these pictures."

He reached into the folder and pulled out several images of Tony's apartment before the repairs, handing them over to her. He studied her face while she took them in. With each photo her eyes widened a fraction more.

"This here is the spot we found your sister," he elaborated, pointing to a spot where all the scorch marks began. "The electricity follows the wall and led to Loki here."

"Your sister did this," he told her as gently as possible. "We just want to know how."

Alexa took a deep breath and shuffled through the pictures. "I don't know—really, I don't. She doesn't even know."

"But you have a guess, don't you?" Bruce peered at her over his glasses. Alexa stared at him a few moments before letting out a breath of air. "Yeah, yeah I do."

Bruce wrung his hands. "Look, I can try mention anything to Tony unless it's credible. I will check it out and do some research and if it comes back conclusive only then will I go to Tony. But it the meantime we can begin running some preliminary tests—"

"No!" she all but shouted at him.

Bruce flinched away, shoulders hunched and head ducked, as he instinctively pushed away from the bedside.

By her wide eyes and startled expression, he could tell she was just as shocked at her exclamation.

"Sorry that was…it's just…no tests."

He moved back towards her forgivingly, but his countenance grew even more solemn.

"Alexandra, you're sister…she could be in danger. The electricity could have had an adverse effect on her body and—"

"Look, I know my sister. She won't do it. She's scared and confused, and she's completely clammed up. She gets angry when I try to bring it up. If we try to ask her now she'll fight that much harder. Give me some more time…I'll try to reason with her—try to make her see that it's necessary."

He frowned. "I can't give you much time. We've already had to wait a month for your permission as her guardian. Not only could she be a danger to herself, but to everyone around her. We can't take that risk."

"Just two day—just give me two days, and I'll work it out with her. Please."

Bruce couldn't help but give in. He didn't stand a chance against those pleading blue eyes.

"Okay," he sighed. "Two days and then we start running tests. And I'll try to keep Tony off your back."

She relaxed into her pillows, her eyes full of gratitude. "What would I do without you, Doctor Banner?"

Bruce looked away and coughed. "Um, well—"

Alexa laughed, a light sound that caused a warmth to spread through his chest. "You're not terribly good with this interrogation thing, are you?"

His lips twitched humorously. "No, no I'm not. I've normally been on the other side of this conversation."

Alexa raised an eyebrow and grinned teasingly. "You, Doctor Banner? A troublemaker? I wouldn't believe it."

Bruce looked down at his twisting hands. "Yeah, well, I'm sure you wouldn't believe a lot of things about me…"

An uneasy silence settled over them.

"I can lick my elbow."

Bruce's head snapped up, and he looked at her incredulously. "What?"

She shrugged lightheartedly with a bright smile. "I can lick my elbow. It's something no one believes until I show them. Want to see?"

For a moment he was downright stunned, and then he let out a soft chuckle. "Sure."

Minutes and too many laughs later, Alexa had showed off her elbow licking skills, and Bruce had shown her how he was able to wiggle his ears.

"You look—so—so—hilarious" she gasped, her laughter leaving her breathless.

Bruce smiled and wiggled them again.

"Stop—I can't—I'll never stop laughing!" She reached out and pushed his shoulder lightly.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay."

They stared at each other for a few moments, grinning like fools and breathing heavily from their laughter. Bruce realized with a jolt that he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so carefree.

The spell was broken though when Alexandra glanced down at the photos on her lap and became somber.

"I suppose you still want to know my idea, huh?" she asked with an edge of hope that he didn't.

He simply nodded his head, not wanting to dash her hopes verbally. She breathed deeply.

"All in the name of freedom, right?" she said with a small smile. He returned it.

"Right, okay, well…I'm not really sure where to begin. I mean it requires a bit of a…back story." She glanced at him questioningly.

He motioned for her to go on. "I've got time."

"Well, uh, my family is from New Mexico, a tiny speck of a town called Galisteo. It's in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I escaped as soon as I could, and ended up coming to New York for college. A little over a year ago—something…happened. There was a gas explosion, and the town was destroyed. Only a few survived…my sister was one of them. My parents weren't so…lucky.

"They all had been in their car, and some power lines somehow fell on it during the explosion. They were electrocuted—at least that's what I was told by the officers. Really the only thing I was sure of was that my sister suffered electrical burns, and through some miracle survived what my parents didn't. That's the only thing I can think of…Though now my sister is terrified of electricity and lightning. It reminds her too much of the accident. She even sleeps in my bed when there are thunderstorms."

Bruce sat back in his chair and tried to absorb everything she had just told him. He folded his hands under his chin.

An electrical accident…a gas explosion…a town leveled…New Mexico…

Why did all of it sound eerily familiar?

His eyes drifted back to her, and a part of his heart clenched. She looked as if she were in pain. Her face was all scrunched up, and her hands were clenched in fists at her side.

"Alexandra…are you okay?"

He reached out to touch her shoulder, but her head snapped up before he could. He was startled by her smile.

"Of course! It's time for my prison break! I held up my end of the bargain. Now it's time to hold up yours."

He was stunned for a moment, but returned the smile, indulging her.

"I'll go find a wheelchair."

He pushed away from the bed and headed for the door but hesitated for a moment.

"I'll keep my promise."

He glanced back to see her smile softly at him, appreciatively.

"Thanks, Doctor Banner."

"It's—just Bruce is fine."

"Then, I'm Alexa."

He nodded, all but running out of the room before he made a fool of himself by staring any longer.

"Oh Lizzy," Alexa sang, as Bruce pushed her off the elevator. "Guess who busted free just to come see you?"

According to Bruce, Lizzy had been placed on the 'guest' floor, or at least one of them. The floors came fully equipped with numerous bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room. But, as the only guest, Lizzy, her thirteen year old sister, had the entire floor to herself.

Alexa really shouldn't have been surprised by what she found.

It was as if a small bomb of clothing and food had gone off. Bits of popcorn and chips covered the carpet and couch in front of the huge flat screen TV along with what appeared to be every type of candy wrapper imaginable. Lumps of clothing were strewn across the backs of chairs and across the floor, adding bursts of color to the chaos.

"Elizabeth Marie!"

"No! No! Don't come in yet—" Lizzy froze once she caught sight of her sister and Bruce. "Opps—too late…"

"Too late, indeed. Now, get your butt over here," Alexa commanded.

"I think I'm okay over here."

"Elizabeth," she growled.

"Look it's just that the maid hasn't come today and—"

"A maid? When have we ever had a maid?"

Lizzy smiled brightly. "Mr. Stark has one. So we have one."

"A maid does not mean you get to trash the room. This isn't even our home and—" Alexa choked on her words, spying something colorful out of the corner of her eye. Her face turned bright red. "Is that—is that what I think it is?" she finally forced out, shock coloring her voice.

Lizzy went pale. "Uh—see there's a reasonable explanation for—"

"Why are my bras on the coffee table!" Alexa shouted.

Bruce felt the blood rush to his face.

Lizzy winced. "I was doing a little testing…"

"Those are my bras!"

"I know that," Lizzy said finally, annoyance leaking into her voice. "You don't have to keep repeating it." She huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

"I can repeat it as many times as I want until I figure out why the hell you have my bras," Alexa cried, waving her arms.

"It was a scientific experiment!"

"They're my bras! They don't get to participate in anything without my approval!"

"Well you weren't using them!"

"That doesn't matter! They're mine."

"You touch my stuff all the time!"

"That's because you leave your stuff all over the apartment! Trust me when I say I wouldn't touch it if I had a choice. But I, unlike you, can't stand to live in a war zone!"

"It's part of my genius!"

"It's a mess."

"You don't understand me!"

"Yeah because you're a brat!"

"No because you're an old grandma!"

"It's better than being on the verge of puberty!"

"Yeah, well at least I know my boobs are going to get bigger!"

Alexa gasped and crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You better start counting the days until I get out of this chair 'cause that's how many days you have left to live!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!"

"Go to your room!"

"Make me!" she sneered.

"You have five seconds before I e-mail your little journal thing to that boy you like!"

It was Lizzy's turn to gasp in horror. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Five…"

"You don't even know the password!"

Alexa rose an eyebrow challenging. "You really want to take that chance?"

"Four…"

"I don't even like anyone!"

"Does the name Luke Harper ring a bell?" Alexa said with a smug smirk. Lizzy's jaw dropped in outrage.

"Three…"

"I hate you!"

"I love you too, squirt." Alexa sent her a kissy face.

"Two…"

"Fine!" Lizzy let out a cry of frustration and stomped away. "I'm only leaving because I want to get far away from you!"

"Good!"

After her sister disappeared around the corner, Alexa slumped back against the chair and let out a sigh.

Face burning, Bruce cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well—uh—that sure was…something."

"It was something, wasn't it?" Alexa laughed brightly, causing Bruce to think back to the medication he had given her that day. He couldn't recall giving her anything that would make her…loopy.

"That, my friend, is a classic example of sisterly love."

He raised an eyebrow. "Love, huh? It—uh—looked a little different from here," he told her.

"It's a sister's sole duty in life to make sibling's life hell." Alexa turned and patted his hand. "It's okay. It takes having a sister to understand."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. His eyes drifted over to where Lizzy had just been standing. He couldn't stop himself from being a bit surprised. From what he had seen before he expected a more…maternal interaction.

"Don't worry about it—it surprises most people too. I guess everyone assumes after what happened I'd just take over and become my mom, but it doesn't work that way. We've been sisters for thirteen years. It's not something you can just stop…" she trailed off, the smile fading from her face.

Bruce felt guilty for even thinking it. Of course she couldn't just replace their mother—it'd be impossible.

Alexa tapped his hand again to get his attention.

He glanced down to find her smiling up at him again. "Luckily I've had thirteen years of bossing her around to help," she said, voice smug.

He chuckled softly. "I can tell."

Alexa nodded, signaling the close of the subject.

"Well, now that normalcy has been restored, where to now, Doc?"

"Uh—well, are you going to…" he trailed of, glancing at the colorful objects on the far table before quickly averting his gaze. His face became hot.

"What—oh…" Alexa ran a hand awkwardly through her hair, squirming in place. Why did her sister have to grab the neon, lacy ones? "Uh—how about we just leave those there for the time being?"

"Uh—right." He gulped and tried his best not to glance back at the pile. "Good plan."

With some extreme will power, he turned the wheelchair around and pushed her back into the elevator, never looking back once. If he could keep the Hulk in check, he was sure he could do a better job of keeping his hormones under control.

"Uh, Bruce?"

He turned to her, startled out of his thoughts.

"Are we going to just sit in the elevator?" she teased.

That was when he realized he hadn't pushed a button.

"Oh—right."

He moved to do so, but then paused.

"Actually, I have no idea where to take you," he admitted sheepishly.

She laughed. "All of Stark Tower at your fingertips, and you don't know where to take me?"

He gave an uneasy smile and shrugged. "I haven't really done much exploring. And it's just that most of the areas I frequent are, well, classified."

Her mouth popped open. "Oh."

"Sorry." He began wringing his hands.

"Don't worry about it—it just means we'll have to explore together."

She covered her eyes and reached out blindly for the buttons. "I choose…you!"

The button for the twenty third floor lit up, and the elevator began moving downward.

She sent him a mischievous smile. "It's time to live life on the edge."

He chuckled. If this was living life on the edge, what the hell had he been doing for the last couple of years?

He stared down at her honey colored hair as they waited.

There was something about her—something carefree. He would call it childishness, but she was anything but a child. It was different. It was like a breath of fresh air or a warm ray of sunlight. She had an approach to life that was…honest. She enjoyed it, and in turn it seemed to flow out of her. Was it as simple as that?