A/N – There is a point when you find yourself trying to cram your story in the wrong mold. This took a while because I needed to change paths a bit. This is the next to last chapter. Hope you have enjoyed reading and thanks to all who have favorite and reviewed this story. Song for this chapter is Lost by Coldplay.

Pepper smiled, "Of course you can…"

Tony looked up from his laptop, "Are you going to yell at me again?"

Bruce didn't quite meet Tony's gaze, "I'll try not to Tony, you just hit a nerve."

"I do have that effect on people…okay come on in. I'll call room service for some coffee."

Bruce began emptying the contents of the bag onto the coffee table. Tony retrieved a chair from the little writing desk for Bruce, who collapsed into it dropping his head into his hands. "So much for a nice dinner, you two probably should've just stayed in New York."

"No," Pepper interjected. "We haven't seen you in what seems like forever. We had to see you."

"Well now you've seen me and know why I can't go back. I'm still too unstable especially when people insist on trying to fix me when I didn't ask for their help. I'm well aware that I carry a very dangerous monster inside, but I'm not helpless." Bruce took in a deep breath, held and released it. He did this several more times before he felt safe enough to resume talking. "I assume you can fly back in the morning. Sorry I wasted…"

"Stop apologizing!" Tony yelled, and then quickly adjusted his volume, "No one expects you to be perfect. Hell you've managed to deal with the other guy better than most people would have. I saw how much control you had in the restaurant; I couldn't do that on my best days. I've never thought you helpless Bruce. You so much stronger than the rest of us; Cap, bird boy, the demi god… hell you're probably even stronger than Romanoff and she has a lot of control. But that doesn't mean you can't use help. And that was all I was offering, help."

"No other agendas Tony?" Bruce arched an eyebrow, "Is Mr. Stark becoming altruistic?"

"Will you two stop arguing, I don't want a repeat of dinner…"

"No. I want to answer this Pepper. Yes, I had an agenda, I always have one. You want to know what it was Bruce? I set all this up, went to Fury for a favor, flew halfway across the country, for one reason. To make it so you could come back to Stark Tower…"

"Why? So you have exclusive access to the other guy? Think you can control him? Good luck, because I've been working on this for years before you came around…"

"I could care less than a shit if the other guy was around. He serves a purpose, he's a good fighter, he saved my ass, but if tomorrow you couldn't change into him I'd still want you in Stark Tower. You are so much more than what you carry inside. You need to learn to accept that there are people who care about the man and not the monster." There was a polite knock at the door. "Oh thank god, coffee."

Everyone was quiet as they drank their coffee. Bruce got up and wandered back into his room, coming back minutes later changed into something more casual. "I was feeling a little over dressed for the occasion." The truth was he stalling; he didn't know how to react to what Tony said. Since the other guy appeared, people have wanted him almost exclusively for his expertise on Gamma radiation. If it wasn't for the Tesseract he's not sure S.H.I.E.L.D. would've brought him in. And when the final battle came it wasn't Bruce to rescue with a gun, or an arrow, or his fists; it was to unleash the monster back into the world.

"So what if I wasn't in Stark Tower, what if I was say, in the woods of Vermont but still kept in contact. Would you still care about the man and not the monster?" Bruce still didn't believe that Tony didn't have another agenda, everyone had multiple ones.

"I wouldn't be happy, but I would learn to accept it and probably email you incessantly…"

"Why wouldn't you be happy Tony? No ability to monitor and experiment on…"

"Fuck the big guy Bruce. I wouldn't be happy because I'm selfish. I like to keep everything that important to me close, very close. Why do you think Pepper lives in the Tower? I mean besides the fact that commuting in New York is a nightmare."

"I'm important to you?"

"Yes, you are my favorite lab partner, Dummy doesn't get my jokes. You're a really great person, we both think that. I can't put it into words but there is just something missing when you're not there. I mean I can get along fine if you weren't there I just preferred you were."

"Are you trying to seduce me again, Mr. Stark?" Bruce said, hoping to derail the conversation. It was making him antsy, confusing him, and causing him to lose focus. He could feel the other guy trying to seep in through the cracks.

Pepper spit out the coffee she had just taken a sip of. "Again? Did I miss something?"

Tony waves off the question, "It was when I went to get him to come back and he misunderstood my compliment. You're trying to change the conversation Bruce. I'm not letting you do that."

"Then I can't talk anymore." Bruce took another deep breath but was unable to hold it and shuddered out the breath. The next inhale was shaky, followed by a quick exhalation out. "I can't do this, too confused, can't focus."

"What's confusing Bruce?" Pepper said her voice full of concern.

"How I feel, how I feel about… I'll be right back" Bruce got up and quickly walked through the adjoining door, seconds later they heard the door to his hotel room open and close.

"Feel about what?" Tony asked Pepper.

Pepper didn't answer but pointed to Tony. Tony shook his head and pointed to Pepper. Then both of their eyes widened as they realized a third option. Both Tony and Pepper pointed at the other then at themselves.

"Poor Bruce," Pepper whispered.

When Bruce's bare feet hit the hot asphalt of the parking lot his thinking came into sharp focus. He was being extremely stupid. Not wanting to go back into his room, he made a quick move back to the sidewalk around to the front of the building and set on one of the stone benches flanking the front entrance.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Bruce muttered. Anger he knew how to deal with, science he was a genius with, but apparently he had the interpersonal skills of an awkward teenager. All that time alone he had lost more than he thought.

Could this be the cause of all his problems? Couldn't be, he knew he enjoyed the company of Tony and Pepper. The fact that they considered him a friend made it even better. But feeling anything more for them? Of course not, Pepper was off limits. She was Tony's girlfriend, although he had to admit not exclusively if the Europe trip was any indication. As far as the issue of Tony, Bruce had never been attracted to men, ever, so anything he felt for him was strictly friendship with maybe a little hero worship. Right?

"Focus Banner," Bruce hissed at himself. "Focus on what you need." Two thoughts came immediately to mind, stability and safety. Stability was for himself, when he was stable the big guy was easier to control. Safety, of course, was for everyone else and keeping the other guy away from them. The most stable he had been since India was in Stark Tower, as long as he didn't think too much about others motivations and his own feelings on the matter. Bruce knew now what he needed to do, focus on stability, focus on getting…home.

Bruce entered his room, slightly surprised to find the door between the rooms still open. He gets to the door frame and both Tony and Pepper look up "Um Tony, if we did do this sparring thing, when would it be and what would it entail?"

Tony smiled, "Whenever you want. We could do it tomorrow if you are willing to fly. And I suggest flying because I'm told I'm annoying to be around if a car ride is more than an hour. As far as what it would entail, I wanted your input on that."

"And no people around."

"Nearest people will be on base 50 miles to the south of our location. Its government land. We can have them do a scan beforehand if that would make you feel better."

"That's okay. Let's do this tomorrow before I change my mind."

"Great. Okay, I need to make a couple calls and then we'll work out the details of the exercise…"

Pepper yawned, "Why don't you all do that in Bruce's room. Normal people like me need sleep.

Tony and Bruce debated the details of the next day's exercise. Tony pushed for more extreme maneuvers, while Bruce kept simplifying the plan, not trusting the other guy. Sometime before dawn they finally arrived at a compromised plan they both could live with. After a short nap, Tony woke up Pepper and they got dressed, packed and checked out of the hotel. Soon they were on the road headed to a private air strip where they would board the plane to Nevada.

"Are you still sure about this Bruce?" Pepper inquired.

"Not sure but I need to do this. Everything I've tried so far hasn't worked."

"Tony, do you think you could arrange for me to stay on base while you two have fun? I'll go crazy in a hotel room."

"Okay although I would think that a hotel room would be more comfortable. You are not going to know what is going on anyway. No monitoring of any kind like I promised."

"Yeah well, I feel better at least being in the same zip code." Tony patted Pepper's hand.

"It's going to be fine Pepper, just a little sparring practice."

They were all quiet on flight to Nevada. Pepper insisted on giving both of them a hug before they got on the helicopter to be dropped off in the exercise zone. Tony waited until the helicopter had left before suiting up.

"Last chance to back out of this craziness Tony, if things go wrong there is…"

"I have JARVIS on board as usual. Strictly to monitor the suit and my vitals, I got it covered. Are you ready?"

"As much as I'm going to be. Be safe Tony, leave me here if you need to." Bruce walks past Tony, between steps five and six Bruce leaves and the rage monster is out to play. Tony blasts about twenty feet straight up in the air. He looks down to see the Hulk, while looking around him, hasn't moved. He circles around just out of reach but all the other guy does is just follow him with his eyes.

"I don't think he's sees you as an enemy sir," JARVIS states answering Tony's unasked question.

"Well fuck, this was unexpected." Tony shoots one of the trees behind Hulk with a beam. Hulk turns and runs to that area as if to find what Tony was shooting at. Finding nothing he punches at some of the trees in frustration. "It's like playing fetch with a dog," Tony sighs. "I guess I could shoot him, which should get him to attack."

"That may prove to be unwise sir. He may not understand the difference between provoking and an ally turned enemy. That could make future missions difficult."

"There is that." Tony randomly shot in a couple of directions to keep Hulk busy. Then he landed back on the ground to think about how to fix the problem. Tony gets a few seconds warning from JARVIS before he has the big green rage monster towering over him letting out nearly ear splitting bellow. Tony slowly backed up, not wanting to provoke an action this close, the other guy didn't move but roared at him again. "Think he's annoyed I sent him after non-existent targets?"

"Possibly or he's upset that there aren't more targets."

"Let's go with more targets." Tony shoots into a few more random areas then tries to get into one area before the other guy does, to see if he is perceived as an enemy. The big guy just rushes past him after a moment's glance, trampling after the 'real' enemy. "JARVIS when we are done here, save a record of this whole exercise. I'll show it to Bruce some day when he will actually believe this wasn't my intention."

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

Tony kept up imaginary enemy fighting for another hour or so. When Tony took another break Hulk came back and bellowed at him. However, Tony could tell that there just wasn't as much punch behind it as before and decided maybe this was enough play for today. Tony opened the face mask of his helmet and tried to remember how Capt. Rogers spoke to Hulk in the field, since it seemed he was the one who could get through to him.

"Um Hulk, good job. Hulk stop. Hulk done." Tony felt like an idiot but it seemed that the rage monster understood and just stood there breathing heavily. After a few minutes he seemed to start to deflate and moment later he was Banner again, barely able to stand. Tony caught him before he completely collapsed and helped him down to the ground. "JARVIS let the base know we are ready for a pick up, and let Pepper know we are both okay."

By the time the helicopter arrived Bruce could stand mostly by himself. However, by the time they were back on Tony's private jet headed towards Las Vegas, Bruce was fast asleep.

"I couldn't get anything on the first floor but did manage to get a fairly private suite on the higher floors. It'll be real quiet up there." Pepper took a moment to glance at Tony before continuing her watch over Bruce "Are you sure he's fine?"

"Yeah, being the other guy wears him out. Sleep and lots of food and he'll be good as new."

"So how did the sparring go? The suit didn't look like it had a scratch on it. So upgrades are good?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't touch me. Apparently Hulk doesn't hit team members anymore."

"Interesting, you should tell Bruce. So what did you do out there?"

"Played fetch."

Tony was relieved when they finally got Bruce into bed at the hotel. He had looked so exhausted that Tony wanted to carry him but knew Bruce would've objected so he just lent a much needed shoulder. After getting most of Bruce's clothes off and him under the covers, Tony decided to lay down beside him just a few minutes to make sure he was okay. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of Bruce's snoring and the distance sound of Pepper in the main room on a conference call. All was right in his world.

He was awakened later by a violent twitch from the body next to his. He looked down to see Bruce's arm lying almost protectively across his stomach, his hand clenched into a fist. Bruce twitched again and Tony gently began stroking Bruce's arm. Bruce pulled his arm back, opened his eyes and, with effort, unclenched his fist. "Sorry."

Tony turns on his side to face Bruce, "No apologies remember. You okay?"

"Yeah just a nightmare, why…"

"About what?"

"Harlem… Why are you in bed with me?"

"Just making sure you were okay. You seemed more exhausted than usual after a visit from the other guy."

"Yeah," Bruce's eyes widened, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"Not one scratch, hell he never touched me. Apparently I'm on the Hulk's 'No Smash' list. I suspect the rest of the team is on it as well."

"Interesting," Bruce stretched and ran his hand over his face, "wonder why I'm so tired then."

"Oh that's because we played fetch for a couple hours."

"Fetch?"

"Yeah, I shot at imaginary targets; he'd go looking in the direction for hostiles, destroy a few trees and rock formations in the process. I told you I'd let him burn off some energy. So do you feel him still?"

"I'm always aware he's there Tony. But," Bruce lay quietly for a few moments, "he's not pressing to get out. Hell, I would almost say he seems strangely content or quiet or something. But still I'm not letting my guard down."

"I wouldn't want you to, at least not about this."

"Hmm?"

"Nevermind. I bet you are starving. I should order room service, I'm sure Pepper is probably hungry as well. Do you want to eat out in the main room with us or I could bring it in here to you…?"

Bruce smiled briefly at the idea of Tony bringing him dinner in bed but shook the idea away, "I think I'll eat out there. I'll be sleep again soon enough might as well enjoy being upright for a while. I need a shower, can you just order me whatever you think I would like and I should be out before the food comes up."

"Is half the menu okay?"

Bruce chuckles, "Sure, and a pot of coffee."

Bruce turns his back to the showerhead letting the hot water relax the knots in his shoulders, tension leftover from his dream. He muses about how nice it was to wake up and find himself in a bed and more importantly someone next to him. He vaguely remembers the trip from the field to the hotel but he does remember that every time he opened his eyes, Tony or Pepper was there. Usually when he woke up from being the other guy he was either alone or someone was screaming or hitting him, many times both. The worse was when he'd wake up in a cell or with a gun pointed at him. He much preferred waking up like this.

Soaping up his arm, his fingers graze against his skin reminding him of the feeling that woke him. Tony finger touching him, apparently trying to soothe him from the nightmare he was having. Now he regretted pulling away, but he had been confused between the dream and the touch and couldn't remember where he was. It was nice being touched; it was nice having someone not run away when he was having emotions. He closed his eyes while continuing to rub small circles along his forearm, imagining it was Tony comforting him from the nightmare. Soon his mind wandered about where else those hands could rub comfort into. Bruce eyes opened suddenly and he focused his thoughts more to scrubbing the Nevada dirt off his skin.

"Of course," he says as he opens the shampoo bottle and is immediately greeted with the barely there floral scent that reminded him of Pepper. He seemed to not be able to escape these two. How did they so become entangled in his life? Was it simply the fact of living in Stark Tower or was there actually more to it? He hadn't thought about any relationship, which this was not, in his life this much. Stuff just kind of happened. But now that he toted around a rage monster he felt the need to be more cautious, more introspective. "I should've studied Psychology," echoes against the walls of the shower. He pours the shampoo into his hands and begins to lather his hair while he imagining touching Peppers hair, allowing his fingers to glide gently through her hair, maybe even curving his fingers around her hair and… He vigorously washes his hair, as if to wash the images out of his head. Then after finishing his shower with a very cold water rinse, hastily dresses and joins the others in the main room.

"You know I was kidding when I said half the menu was fine." Bruce said as he saw all the food that was on the table.

"That's not all yours rage boy, Pepper and I haven't eaten either."

"You didn't have to wait for me."

"Yes we did," Pepper points for Bruce to sit down. "I want all three of us to have a nice meal together. No arguing, no leaving, agreed?"

Tony and Pepper talked mostly business during dinner. Stopping ever so often to make sure that Bruce was okay, getting enough food, topping off his coffee. On one hand, it felt nice being taken care of, but on the other Bruce was wondering how it would be living in Stark Tower once the shine of being the man with the monster inside wore off. Would they ignore him, would he become just another Stark employee banished to one of the lower lab levels? Could he accept it when he was put on the shelf with all the other curiosities of Tony Stark? Would it be more difficult to keep the monster inside if that happened?

"Anything wrong? You've been holding that piece of bread in the air for a couple minutes now." Tony inquired.

"No, nothing wrong just lost in thought."

"Fantasizing about what could've happened there in bed with me?" Pepper immediately smacked Tony in the back of the head. "What? Tell her Bruce, I'm right aren't I?"

"Everything isn't about you Tony…although I was partly thinking about you, and you too Pepper. And no Tony, there wasn't a bed involved..."

"Oh other furniture, I never pegged you as kinky. Ouch! Pepper if you cause a concussion my hospital bill is coming out of your salary."

"Like you'd ever go to the hospital. What were you thinking about Bruce?"

"Well, I know you are probably heading back to New York tomorrow and I have to decide whether or not I'm coming with you."

Tony was still rubbing the back of his head, "I thought that was a done deal. I mean didn't today's exercise help at all?"

"I think it helped a lot. I'll probably know more in the coming days but yes it seemed to take the edge off a lot. I would've never thought that would work. And then there is this whole new data about him not attacking you that I've got to try and understand at some point. But that's not the only issue here."

"What is the other issue?"

"You two. I'm not used to having friends. I wasn't exactly all that popular before the other guy came along. And now I have two wonderful people who seem to think I'm worth having around. It's confusing to me and I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting to the newness of being friends with the freak wears off."

"You are not a freak…"

"Yes he is Pepper, and hey guy with an arc reactor in his chest over here, I'm a freak too. But then I was a freak before this. People who prefer the company of numbers and machines over other human beings are freaks. Really the only reason people act like I fit in now is because of the money and probably the whole Iron Man thing. So when the newness of you being around wore off, yes it wore off long time ago, what happened Bruce is that you became part of my life. I expected you to be somewhere in the building, probably in the lab. I actually looked forward to drinking a beer with you and having those great conversations where I didn't have to dumb it down or try to one up. It was nice having one other person in the world besides Pepper who didn't care about my money, my prestige, or my cool toys. Someone that seemed to care about me no matter how much of an ass I can be." Tony sighed "How many times am I going to have to explain this to you before you actually accept it?"

Bruce just stared at Tony, he was waiting for him to break out in laughter or at least plaster on one of his insincere smiles. But no, Tony just looked back at him, sincere and almost as if he was holding his breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pepper broke the silence.

"Newness wore off a long time ago for me too. I admit at first you were kind of a replacement friend. I missed Phil…Agent Coulson a lot. Most people look at me as Tony personal secretary or someone to fear, but Coulson treated me as a friend and you do as well. It wasn't all about Tony with you and that meant a lot. And I feel like Tony, I expect to see you around the Tower now and am sad when I don't. I think when you come back, if you come back, maybe we should do stuff together just you and me. We both could probably use more friends."

"I…I don't know what to say."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh "Say you're getting on the fucking plane tomorrow and coming home."

Bruce took a deep breath and let it out, "Okay I'm getting on the plane tomorrow."

"And coming home. Say it."

"And coming home."

Tony clapped his hands together, "Great, now finish up your food, I'm in the mood for a movie."