A/N: This one...gets rough in the end, but it's got to happen. Unfortunately the event is what builds Jennifer into who she becomes...*sniffles* :'( Though I've never really read in black and white how Bruce handles it, I'd imagine he'd be bothered by it too, just not to the same extend as Jen.

(OH! And Fanficiton spellcheck doesn't like the spelling of ballet! I'm like, 'what? Excuse me? You don't know dancing forms when you see one?')

Guest: I know! That would be awesome if that's where Tony was taking Bruce! Ugh! You gave me all these feels. lol

E: You're very welcome. I like to write back to my buddies. :)

Banner'sLove: You're writing a story?! I'm so excited!...Dr. Strange? mmm, maybe. :)

Thanks for reviewing everyone!

Chapter 25

She rolls her eyes when she hears the phone continuously ringing, biting the skin off her cuticle as she takes a glance at the clock.

Her mom walks by, mug in her hands as she watches her daughter from the hallway. Elaine moves back to avoid suspicion, taking note of Jennifer's disappointed facial expression as she no doubt get nothing but an answering machine;

"Hi Bruce, it's Jenn, just calling to say 'hi'. Hope everything's great in college. I miss you and...hopefully we can see you soon. Bye."

Elaine waits until she hangs up the phone, eyes watching her teenage daughter head for the mirror as she pins up her ballet bun. She keeps a smile on her face as she enters the room,

"Hi."

Jennifer looks over her shoulder, tossing a bobby pin back on her dresser as she spins to sort through her dance bag, "Hi."

She breathes a heavy sigh, hesitant to bring it up, "You called Bruce?"

Her daughter nods, snapping in response, "Yes."

"You got the answering machine?"

Jenn tosses her bag onto the floor before plopping beside her mother, "Is he mad at me?"

"Sweetheart, why would he be mad at you?"

She sighs, eyes wide and expressive, "Because he's not calling me back! We've talked once since he started his nuclear physics course! And that was on the anniversary of Aunt Rebecca's death so it doesn't even count!"

Elaine contorts her lips, gentle hand rubbing over her daughters back, "Honey, you know he loves you. Bruce is just very busy with school."

She snorts, "Yeah. He can't even take 5 minutes out of his busy schedule to call?"

"He will."

Jennifer shrugs, responding in a calmer tone then before, "When? When I die?"

"Jennifer! Don't talk like that."

She sighs looking up at the clock, "We're going to be late mom."

Elaine nods, pointing towards her costumes, "You want me to throw those in the car?"

Her daughter breathes another heavy sigh, picking up her belongings, "No, I've got it. That's another thing, it's Saturday. He can't even come to my recital? He knows how important this is to me."

Her mom reaches over to give her a quick hug, "Don't think about it so much Jennifer. He loves you, and I love you. And right now, the only thing that matters is you having one of the best performances of your life."

She smirks, "And Dad's coming?"

She nods, "Yes, but Susan can't make it. She says she sorry. I think she's got a date."

Jenn rolls her eyes, "Who cares. No loss."

Elaine tries not to laugh, slipping a closed envelope on the desk. The dancer's scholarship would be a surprise for the 10th grader when she got back from her show, with an extra little note from a proud mother and father. Jennifer deserved it for all the work she put into her artistic hobby and future career.

"I love you Jenn."

Her daughter makes her typical silly face, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head;

"Love ya Mom."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She made him smile when she stole his notebook, skimming through the pages as she read aloud;

"Let me see what the infamous study-holic Bruce Banner has to say about his Nuclear discovery."

He smirks, "Susan Jacobs! Please give it back."

She snickers, baiting him to reach up and grab it though he never complies. She's obviously disappointed when he skims through his textbook, readjusting his glasses as a thick lock falls over his forehead. Susan contorts her lips, short hair bobbing with her movement as she returns the book over the bed;

"Is that all you do? Study?"

He glances upward, big eyes roving about the room slightly startled by the tone in her voice, "Why?"

She crosses her arms, "Oh, I don't know. Because for the past month we've been, 'together' that's really all you've done."

He shrugs, hurt by her tone, "You're exaggerating."

Susan narrows her focus, shifting in her position before standing up and heading for the door;

"Where's your roommate?"

He jumps up to follow her, "Out. Susan where are you going?"

She rolls her eyes before heading down the hallway in her simple attire, frustrated with her friend.

Bruce follows her out and through the hallway in the hopes that she'd open up, "Miss Jacobs? Is it something I said?"

She whips her head around, arms dropping to the sides, "No. It's just,' she closes her eyes, 'how come we can't have a physical relationship? You never touch me! It's like I have a disease or something."

He narrows his focus, flabbergasted by her choice of words, "What?"

"You never hug me, or hold me, you never even kissed me! Do you even love me?"

He stammers, cheeks flushing red. He knows he hates contact, nervous to hurt anyone or to be hurt in return, "Of course I do..."

She throws an arm in the air, "Well, you never proved it!"

Susan knew it was risky to approach such a strange young man in the first place, over a month ago. She didn't know the slightest thing about him when she suggested they spend the evening together, other than his reputation of being extremely intelligent and single.

He sighs, despiret when she turns her back on him again. It was the closest he had ever been to feeling normal in a halfway decent relationship, or so he thought. He shut those big brown eyes pain building up in his chest as he suffers through a distant memory, feeling a slap across his face or a punch across his body. He hates contact, his past teaching him to fear such a thing.

Susan's on her way out before he reaches over, forcefully grabbing her shoulder. Not even Bruce was aware of his own strength or of his ability to cause her to scream, immediately releasing her as she bolts in the opposite direction.

He felt dizzy, the scream plunging in a direct route from his eardrums to his heart. When he closes his eyes a second time he can feel his heart palpitating, or hear his mother's shrills before his vision starts to fade. He takes off back for his room, collapsing on the bed face down in a fit of blended emotions, too weak to scream or cry. He feels numb, a tingling sensation burning in his finger tips as he relives through the words of his father;

'Worthless.'

'Mutant.'

'Demon.'

...A word and a story for every hour until he finds himself curling up and craving solitude more than anything else.

"Bruce! Wait!"

He's ready to run, when he hears her behind him, though she seems much calmer from the night before. Her smile is what causes him to relax, eyes dropping up and down her frame, nervous for what she could possibly want.

She stops in front of him, hands nervously rubbing against her books, "I'm sorry about last night, when I yelled at you. When you grabbed me, ugh, it sounds wierd. Bruce when you grabbed me, it didn't feel like you. You startled me I guess, I didn't know how to handle it."

He shrugs, casually ready for her to move along as he situates his stuff and sorts through his chemicals, "I'm sorry Susan, but you scared me too you know."

She sighs, "I know I did, but I really didn't mean to. Clearly you're just a very sensitive person, and I didn't mean to get you upset. I'm just not used to, that."

He smirks nervously, cleaning his lenses with the end of his lab coat, "Sorry...no...it's fine Susan. My mind is too busy with school at the moment to think about anything else."

She nods with a smile on her face, "I know, and that's okay. You're a good guy and you'll find someone else.' she reaches over, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, 'You'll be an important scientist some day. So, I guess I'll see you around the campus in passing and what-have-you. Good luck Bruce."

The boy gives her a smirk, heading back to his work, "You too."

. . . . . . . . . .

It's late by the time he gets back to his room, equations burning in his mind as he reads a note left by his roommate:

'Banner,

If you choose to go to bed instead of working on another stupid project, please leave the light on! I can't see when I'm wasted, AND I've got a date tomorrow afternoon and I'm using the room so make yourself scarce.

Sincerely,

D-'

Bruce rolls his eyes and quickly crumples the note, eyes spotting at least 7+ unheard messages flashing over the answering machine.

He frowns, holding his forehead as he parks at the desk, his mind somewhere between his father's taunts and the upcoming exam as he clicks a replay:

'HI YA COUSIN! It's Jennifer, call me back when you get a chance, nothing important.'

'HI YA COUSIN! It's Jenny, you never called me back so I called again. Just saying Hi. okay, Bye.'

'Hi Bruce, it's Jennifer. Um...it's a Saturday. Do you have class on Saturday's too? Anyways, call me back please. Nothing important.'

'Hey Cousin, guess who? Um, yeah...call me back? I'm having a problem at school. Hope all is well.'

'Hi Bruce. Resolved my problem in case you were worried. Um, My friend David is coming to my recital so, I thought you might feel a little more comfortable with another boy if that's why you won't come. Please call back? Okay, talk to you later.'

'Hi, call me back please? I miss you.'

'Bruce, Daddy's not supporting my dancing career. Would be nice if you called back, I could use some encouragement.'

'BRUCE! Guess who got a cat? And guess what I named it? Tiger! Call me back.'

'HI BRUCE! Guess who got the leading role?! Please please please try to come! Call me back for details!'

He's startled when her voice changes, and his heart drops when she's on the brink of tears. The tape replays it as being from 'one month ago':

'Bruce, it's Jennifer. Something happened, please call me back.'

'It's Jennifer, Bruce I know you're busy but this is really important. Please call me back.'

'Robert Bruce, it's Jennifer. I know I just called but I really need to talk to you.'

'Bruce, this is really important. I need help, please! I need you, please call me back.'

'Bruce, mom was killed in a car accident last week. Her funeral is this Saturday at the local funeral home, down the road from the house at 7. Even if you can't come, I want to talk to you. Daddy's heartbroken over it. Please call for him at least. I still love you like you're my older brother. I don't want to wait until something like this happens to see you again. I'll talk to you later.'

He shakes his head in disbelief, heart palpitating as he looks up at the calendar, exactly two days late. Bruce clenches a fist pounding into the table before he reaches for the phone. He dials quick, a lump forming in his throat when he hears nothing but the answering machine. He takes a swallow, holding his head in an attempt to remain composed;

'Jennifer, it's Bruce. I'm...so sorry to hear about Aunt Elaine, and I didn't get back to you quick enough. I'm sorry I got the message late. I'll be home all day, otherwise I'll try to call you later. I love you Jenn, hang in there...'

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She's too distraught to answer the phone, tears streaming down her face as she cries into her pillow, just listening to his voice as he talks to a dial-tone.

She pushes up to her hands and knees, sniffling and struggling to inhale as she whispers over his 'hang in there';

"I miss you Bruce..."