Bruce reaches to take Natasha's hand, the twosome standing near the open window as they fly off. Romanoff lays her head against his shoulder and remains lost in thought. The silence between them almost awkward.
The two jump slightly over an intruding mini mob, hearing Jane complain over being hungry to Thor and Rogers. Natasha chuckles as they walk through without acknowledgment and whispers;
"I missed this."
Banner grips her hand a little tighter, more vacant in his thoughts then she is. The large windows expose an outside world that's flying by way too fast. He glances downward, fist pressed up against the cool glass with his fingers stuck in his curls. Natasha leans her back up against the glass to focus her undivided attention on Bruce;
"What are you thinking about."
He shifts his stance, tugging at his hair;
"Just thinking."
She nods, "This isn't exactly what this trip was supposed to be."
His fingers release their hold, scoffing through his half grin;
"No it wasn't." He allows her to wrap her arms around his waist and lay his chin over her head as he holds her. With a deep inhale he picks up on her perfume, soft red hair brushed up against his cheek;
"So. I guess the training program is next for us..."
"I suppose."
He nods, shoving a hand into his pocket, "We're going to need a read out on every kid."
She grins, "Hey. We went from 0 to 60."
"Gosh."
Natasha chuckles slightly over the fear in his tone, "At least they don't come home with us at night."
"Does that make you happy Tasha? Is this what you want?"
She grins, lifting a shoulder in a slight shrug, "It's unexpected. I think it could be fun."
"Fun,' he scoffs, 'It's lot of work."
Natasha lingers in their embrace. As her eyes close she briefly revisits her other world, thoughts shifting toward Izabella.
"You never explained what happened between you and Izabella."
He shrugs, unsure if he wants to go into scientific detail, "My, radiation triggered her abilities. Tony was able to control it and aid her in bringing you back to this world."
"So, a sort of telepath, transportation power?"
"I guess. She said she could control it in a way. She protected you Natasha. Blonsky had her captive and she chose to use her abilities for good."
She smiles, face still pressed up against his chest. With a gentle hand she glides over his bandages with slight regret. Had she aimed for Ivan to kill, maybe it wouldn't have happened. With a hard swallow she holds him tighter;
"I have you both to thank."
His hand brushes her back as she moves her upper body to look up at him as he continues;
"What was it like? To travel dimensions. Do even you know where you were?"
Romanoff shakes her head;
"I'm not sure. It felt familiar. The doppelgängers were enough to unnerve. Some of the spies said it felt so real. It took some convincing to get them to leave."
He rubs her shoulder, her hands still tight around his waist;
"Did you need convincing?"
Romanoff tilts her head, eyes piercing his soul, "There were moments when I worried my resolve would slip. I had everything there. A none murdering Alexei, I met you, I had family. I had a son- Jason- well, that Natasha has a son named Jason. Well behaved."
He grins, brushing a stray hair behind her ear, "Of course he was. Probably looked like you."
She lifts her shoulders with a slight chuckle;
"I did threaten a couple of people along the way. I was always eager to come home to you Vrach."
Natasha allows him to pull her close as she lays her head back into his warm chest. With a deep inhale she whispers;
"I know what happened with Blonsky. I know you lost control for a moment-"
He whispers gently, "I don't care."
"I know. Are you ok?"
She feels his body tighten slightly within her grasp and feels his chest rise and fall. Natasha looks up once more when she falls to receive a response, "I know he triggered you. I don't blame you for what you did. And Fury lifted Hulks ban..."
"Natasha,' he shakes his head, pausing for a whole second before exhaling, 'Are you ok?"
"Let's let the dead stay dead."
He bites his cheek, tenderly brushing his thumb on hers, "You sure?"
Natasha catches his hand, planting a soft kiss over his skin, "I'll talk when I'm ready to talk. Which isn't now, in front of the eavesdropping team."
He glances upward, spotting the group quietly drinking in a circle. The body language on Clint clearly showing he had momentarily been spying. Bruce nods;
"Fair enough."
"Do you forgive me for leaving?"
"What's to forgive,' he laughs, slight playfulness returning to his tone, 'Unless you have something to tell me."
She wrinkles her nose playfully;
"I may, have kissed your doppelgänger."
"Natasha Romanoff..." He Shakes his head, lips slightly curled upward.
"Completely on accident, I should add."
"You cheater."
"Never. You're just so kissable in every form."
He scoffs, eyes wider as she slips from his grip and drags his hand behind her. She tilts her head away from them as if urging him to follow;
"You! Little liar."
"Me? I never lie. Unless it's business."
He follows her lead, heading toward the back of the plane toward the guest quarters. Natasha pauses, dropping her arms at her sides when Tony reaches to grab Banner's arm. She sighs once Stark starts discussing a chemical compound, eliciting an immediate response from the doctor as he pauses to contemplate an alternative option. Natasha rolls her eyes playfully;
"Can I have my husband now?"
"One second." Tony mumbles. She lifts her foot to knee the engineer in pure play but slight irritation over the large group.
Natasha can't help but roll her eyes, still in play mode over hearing Jennifer across the hall;
"Bruce I need a minute when you're done with Tony."
Natasha releases a sigh and moves to take a swing toward Tony. Barton catches her fist and pushes her forward. She scoffs;
"You don't want to battle me right now."
Clint smiles, "Oh yeah? Mid fight with your boyfriend?"
Natasha takes her stance, letting him punch at her open hands;
"No. I just wanted a minute with him. Alone preferably."
"You just had a minute. He's in high demand."
"Apparently."
"Fury might be hiring Olga onto SHIELD staff."
Her eyes widen happily, "She deserves a role."
Darcy shouts from her place at the sofa, startling Steve who holds her binders; "We're landing in a couple hours everyone!"
Maria holds her head, sprawled in the furniture with a cold compress over her head, "Thank you- didn't care to know. I was really enjoying my nap."
Stark turns toward the raven haired lawyer who greets him with a goofy grin full of sarcasm;
"Hey, nice face, Happy can give you a ride home from the tower."
She lifts her phone, responding to a text, "I'm good but thanks. I like Uber."
Tony shakes his head, "I'm offering something nicer-"
"I'm really fine. I'll just call one once we land, Bruce! Can I chat with you a minute."
Natasha responds from her eavesdrop, now punching at Barton as she counts down loudly;
"60, 59, 58..."
Jennifer sarcastically lifts a finger, excusing herself from her cousin to intrude on the mini battle between Barton and Natasha, throwing a playful kick;
"I was about to ask if you wanted to grab lunch and a drink with me but go ahead and keep battling each other."
Clint laughs, "I'll join you."
Natasha leans to view Bruce who waits behind the threesome, leaning up against the wall with a slight smirk;
"How about it Vrach? Any random cravings for Vodka?"
Jennifer shakes her head toward Natasha, eyes wide as if it's a horrible idea to ask;
"He doesn't drink. But you do, wanna come?"
Bruce wrinkles his nose, completely repulsed by the very idea. Natasha smiles to herself, reaching to link her arm in his;
"We're good."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maria heads up the disembark, waiting the door much to Clint's dismay who waits beside her.
Natasha lingers in an embrace with Olga as the spies surround her with an applause befitting royalty. She grins and nods to the group.
Fury grumbles something to Rogers while Jane drags Thor along to exit to craft.
Tony leaps off the craft with a hop in his step, greeting Pepper with a sweet kiss and the baby snatched up abruptly.
Darcy stays with the kids, teary eyed as she bids them goodbye. Brice waits for Natasha near, the back of the room pushing back on training room suggestions from a SHEILD agent with Izabella and Brody at either of his sides.
"Izabella?"
The girl wraps her arms around Bruce and turns to leave and answer the call. With an extra step forward she turns around with another idea.
"Izabella."
The girl jumps, giving Bruce one more hug he returns with a chuckle and urges her to go. Romanoff pats her shoulder as she steps next to her husband and leans an elbow over his shoulder. Bruce snakes an arm around her lower back and keeps her close, continuing his conversation with the agent until Fury shouts for all to exit. Natasha gently taps his chest;
"Come on Vrach. You can keep working from home."
He grins and shifts, taking her hand once she reaches for his. Jennifer walks behind them, heels clicking with her luggage over one elbow;
"Don't mind me."
Natasha shakes her head, "I mean I don't. What time is your Uber?' She looks over her shoulder, wanting to spend time with a normal Banner relative, 'Can you come in for a bit."
Jennifer steps off the plan after the Banners, gathering with the rest of the group outside of the tower;
"I wish. Hubby really needs me home and my flight is in an hour! I've been away long enough. I miss my baby...speaking of babies!"
Walters steps forward to take Antonia from Tony while Pepper runs toward Natasha to greet her with a warm embrace;
"Welcome home."
"Thank you."
"When Tony told me what happened- I can't imagine."
Bruce rubs her shoulder lovingly and takes a step toward Stark with a slight exasperated sigh;
"I really don't want to talk work anymore- or talk at all."
Tony laughs, "I get the feeling. But what about my idea of a memory reader? Something that'll track the progress of each individual powered teen?"
The group waits on the ground, each member with their counterpart. Outside the tower Jennifer holds Antonia in her arms, bouncing her over one hip while Pepper engages with Natasha in a deep conversation.
Tony observes the human she-hulk with his baby, over protectively guarding her with every playful drop. Walters lifts her phone once it starts buzzing, her hair slicked back in a tight bun;
"Looks like my Uber is here. Time to go."
Tony scoops his baby girl, cradling her lovingly. Jen salutes the team, pushing Stark with a playful nudge;
"Watch over my cousin,' she shakes Steve's hand, Maria's next, 'Stay...patriotic..? I don't know, stay away from the bullets."
Jen steps toward her cousin, wrapping her arms around his frame with a tight squeeze. She whispers genuinely;
"I love ya. Stay in one piece. Let's not wait for the next tragedy to connect."
Bruce nods, giving her shoulder a tender grip in reply before they share a smile;
"Get home safe. Give my niece a hug."
Jen smiles and opens her arms for Natasha;
"Come out for Christmas. You can give it to her yourself."
Romanoff chuckles, "Don't stay away too long."
Walters steps back, her heels clicking along the pavement with a final wave toward the group;
"Ok I have to run for real now. And my phone's ringing, 'hello?! Oh! I mean...WALTER'S LAW how can I help you today?'"
She kicks herself for the sole purpose of inciting a chuckle from her cousin and gives the team a final wink before climbing into her car.
Pepper waves back, "Safe travels."
Bruce hugs his wife close, feeling her head fall into his chest as they watch her drive away.
Tony steps forward, tapping Banner on the shoulder;
"Fury wants us to look at building specs."
He nods, ready to follow. He grabs Natasha's hand who then grips onto Peppers elbow. Potts adjusts the child on her hip, chuckling as she's dragged along;
"Oh my gosh you guys. Tony! They just go home! Give them a minute to breathe!"
Barton waves sarcastically before shoving a hand into his pocket and revealing a key. He lifts it while addressing the group;
"Well. Too bad they left this little baby accessible. Anyone want to take the Ferrari out for a spin."
Maria grumbles, her voice drowned out only mildly by Steve and Jane;
"No!"
"Clint no."
"Barton!"
Thor shouts, raising his arms enthusiastically, "Yes!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .