Edited 6/16

"Mom...Aunt Cate...I think it's important for you to know something about Bruce."

After the talk I had with Bruce a couple nights ago, I called my mom and Aunt Cate, and we all decided on a time to meet. Now that Bruce and I stood in front of them, I was a scared shitless of how they'd react. My hands shook. I chewed on a piece of loose skin on my lip. Bruce wrung his hands and used one of his breathing techniques to calm himself down.

Aunt Cate shifted in her chair. "Oh? What is it?"

"Um, well, before I start, I just want to say that Bruce loves me very much and I love him, too. He's been very caring and loving towards me. There's something you need to know. Bruce...um..."

"Spit it out, Addison," Mom pressed. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"No. I mean, kinda? Um, Bruce is-is-is one of the Avengers."

"Excuse me?"

My stomach began to churn. Nausea swept over me. I glanced at Bruce, my eyes pleading for help.

"Ma'am, I'm in the Avengers. I'm the Hulk, actually," said Bruce. "Well, he's part of me. We're the same. Um, how do I explain this? I got into an accident a few years back and I was poisoned by gamma radiation. Something went terribly awry and it caused my DNA to freak out and I turned into a large, green monster called the Hulk. So now, whenever my pulse gets too high, I turn into the Hulk."

"That being said," I reached for my fiancé's hand and he placed it in mine, "Bruce...Bruce is friends with Tony, that's how Tony Stark and I met, and-and the two of them are super geniuses together...and...they found a temporary fix for Bruce. That's how I got pregnant...because before...Bruce couldn't...um...he couldn't exactly do...it...without his pulse getting in the danger zone."

"Tony and I worked very hard to create a combination of chemicals that will counteract the gamma radiation effects for a period of about two to three hours. Before this, I relied heavily on breathing techniques to slow my pulse whenever I found myself getting more excited or upset than I'd like to. I have learned how to control my pulse and the Hulk, so you have nothing to be afraid of when it comes to Addison. I will not attack her again."

Mom stood up. "Again? What, you mean to tell me you've hurt Addison before?"

"Mom, it was an accident. It was before he and Tony discovered the serum. We kissed and things got too heated—"

"Wait a minute," Aunt Cate narrowed her eyes, "this wouldn't happen to be that time you showed up to work with a messed up wrist and cuts would it?"

Bruce nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Afterward, I made sure Addison was okay. I'm not sure if she told you, but I'm a doctor. When we got home, I stitched her up, and I made sure her wrist was handled properly. I care very deeply about Addison and I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

"Mom, Aunt Cate, please hear us out. Please be okay with me and Bruce. I love him very much and, whether or not you approve of him, I want to be his wife. I-I-I will be his wife. I'm already carrying his child—"

Mom sucked her teeth, "Addison Marie, out of all the foolish things you've done, this one takes the cake."

"Mom, please."

"See that's the problem. You think being pregnant is fine and dandy, but it's not. You can fend for yourself if Bruce lashes out again and hurts you. You're an adult, but what about the baby?" Mom folded her arms. "What if that...that thing comes out of him? Huh? One bad day and he smashes that baby of yours and then what? Hm?"

"Hey!" My pulse raced. "Don't you dare paint Bruce as a villain! I've thought of the possibility of Hulk hurting our baby. Bruce and I both have. But I know that will never happen. Bruce would rather die than to harm our child!"

"How can you be so sure? You've known Bruce for a year maybe? You don't know what that thing is capable of!"

"Mom, stop it!"

Bruce touched my shoulder, "Sweetheart, the baby."

I shook him off and stepped towards my mom. "No, Bruce, I'm not going to let her talk about you like that. I know damn well what Bruce is capable of when he's the Hulk. I've seen it myself. Sure he can destroy, but he can also care! He's one of the Avengers, mother. He works with Tony and a whole crop of other people for the greater good! You weren't there when Hulk hurt me. You didn't see the remorse on that giant man's face when he saw who I was. How dare you? How dare you call him a thing! That thing is my fiancé. That thing is a human fucking being!"

"Don't you use that type of language with me, Addison Marie Grimmshaw!"

"It's about to be Addison Marie Banner!"

"Oh, the hell it is!"

"Honestly, Jenna, you need to relax!" interjected Aunt Cate. "You need to apologize to Bruce for calling him a 'thing'. That's rude and completely uncalled for!"

"Why do I need to relax?" Mom turned to her sister. "Addison is in a relationship with a man that turns into a giant monster that smashes everything in its path, and I need to relax?"

"Yes, you do. I can think of a woman who got pregnant by a man that dropped out of school, did every drug imaginable, and spent most of his time in and out of juvie. Do you really want to preach to Addison about her choice in men?"

Mom shot her sister a look.

Aunt Cate chuckled and held out her hand to Bruce. "Bruce, you have my blessing."

Bruce shook her hand, "Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it. I really do. I love Addison very much, and it means a lot to me to have her family know the truth about me, and accept me for who I am."

"You're welcome, son. We're a family that accepts people. Isn't that right, Jenna?"

Mom rolled her eyes.

"Please?" I pleaded. "Mom...Bruce hasn't hurt me since our anniversary, and he never will. It was an accident. He's not an abuser. He didn't do it on purpose. You can trust Bruce because I trust him, Aunt Cate trusts him, and the Avengers trust him."

After a few quiet minutes, mom sighed, "Fine. I trust you with Addison. However, I need you to be very careful. Kids will raise your pulse and you'll lose your patience, as you can see from what just happened. I need you to be careful with my daughter and my granddaughter or grandson. I think...I think you can handle it. After all, you've kept your patience with Addison for this long."

I scoffed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying, with your anxiety, we've all had to be very patient with you and accepting. There's no doubt that Bruce has had to as well. I just want to make sure that he's going to be as patient with your child as he is with you."

"I will be," Bruce nodded. "I will be patient with our child and I won't hurt him or her. You have my word."

"Good. Well then, welcome to the family, Bruce."

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