Hello everyone!

So sorry for the long delay between the updates. Life's kind of hectic right now. But writing is one of my main pleasures, so here is a new chapter. I hope you'll like it!

Guest: Thank you for reviewing ! You can never be late for that! ;) It's always encouraging to hear from readers, even more so when they are so faithful! As for Anna-Grace's reaction, from the way I see it, she's trying to not think about it, because if she did, she would lose her mind. Moreover, there's nothing she can change about Bruce's situation. What she can deal with is making sure Bruce is happy and concentrating on him makes her not think about everything else. I think I see it as a form of denial and survival : you're in a extremely stressful situation, someone is depending on you, so you shut out everything but what you can do for that person. Moreover, Anna-Grace doesn't have the strength or skills to deal with anything but Bruce's happiness. It's kind of a win-win situation : she can't deal with the fear, insecurity and complexity of Bruce's situation (she would indeed be panicking constantly if she did), but she does have the strength and capacity to help Bruce. So all her energy goes into that single task, erasing the others. Does that makes sense?

I enjoyed Thor-Ragnarok for its humor, but I have to admit I always liked his special universe and style (kind of like opera, drama or theater, or a mix) so I regret this change. Hence the mixed feelings. And I'm not really convinced by Valkyrie (I loved Jane Foster). However I enjoyed seeing more of Bruce, and his relationship with the other characters especially Thor! What did you think? What about Black Panther? I haven't seen it yet. And Avengers Infinity War? No spoiler but I thought it was an incredible movie!

Back to the story, here is the new chapter! Please tell me your thoughts on it!

Chapter 18

In the Eye of the Storm

Days had passed since the birthday parties, then weeks, then months. Anna-Grace hadn't known the Avengers were waiting for Bruce to Hulk out, that had never even crossed her mind. She was too at peace at Neverland, the homey feelings making every Neverland lodger but Natasha feel secure. How could they not?

However, Natasha had been prepared: if Bruce did not hulk out before, Christmas time was bound to bring the green boy out. With the Avengers' vigilance backing her up, she had been ready for the disaster. Because they all knew something had happened at Christmas when Bruce was 4, involving Brian and a Christmas gift. That had happened long ago, and only Nick and Natasha knew the details, but for Bruce that was yesterday. This had to be a recipe for disaster: a small Bruce Banner, while having a Hulk inside, could not deal with the emotions such a memory brought back. But Bruce did not Hulk out, and Natasha now knew why.

The boy's emotions had indeed been an insane rollercoaster ever since the discovery, but Anna-Grace had been able to help him go through the dizziness while controlling herself, despite the inner turmoil the Christmas time brought forth.

Even that night.

The one Bruce had told his savior exactly what had happened that fateful Christmas night so long ago. And if Natasha later destroyed the tapes of that particular night, she knew she would never forget listening to Anna-Grace's quiet sobs, ones so quiet only the best recording devices could catch them, ones so heartbreaking the spy knew exactly what had caused the mother's distress. She had immediately gone to knock on the family's apartment door, the look on her young friend's face fixed on her mind for ever: the reddened eyes and the small smile that graced Anna-Grace's face when she saw Natasha at her doorstep.

Yes, that smile explained why Bruce had not Hulked out. That particular smile best defined Anna-Grace's strength: her resilience. Her heart was broken for her boy, but she was only letting it go while he couldn't listen to it, so that when he would be with her again, she would be strong enough to offer him shelter.

Yet, when a friend showed up, a friend who knew why and who Anna-Grace was crying for, there were no masks, only gracefulness for the presence.

So when Anna-Grace opened her door, gave that small sad smile to Natasha and went to the kitchen to put on the kettle, Natasha knew as she closed the door that no words needed to be exchanged for their silent understanding to go deeper than it already was. And as they spent the night siting on the couch in the living room, cups left untouched, the spy knew something was happening that could never be destroyed.

The shadows over the toys on the ground, the drawings on the floor, and the cover and cushions dispersed across the room, slowly changed, transformed, and passed by as the Moon rose and fell, letting the Sun take its place in the sky. And as the shadows moved, Natasha savored the silence. As she allowed herself to feel the pain she could sense in her entire body over her lost childhood, over Bruce's lost childhood, over Anna-Grace's lost youth, she knew the tears she couldn't let go were slipping down Anna-Grace's cheeks. And as they bore the pain and sadness that should've been Bruce's that night, they knew that when the shadows would disperse, only their newborn closeness and trust would remain. The kind that can only be born on the battlefield. And what better battlefield than the heart of a lost boy?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And thus Christmas came and went by but Bruce Banner did not hulk out.

Tony worked on his researches, to no avail. Clint took care of losing the ex-husband in the snow of Russia, in the rain of England, and in the sun of Spain. Steve and Nick coordinated while managing all the numerus SHIELD and Avengers events. And Natasha stayed at Neverland, slowly gaining her place in the little Neverland group.

She thus observed how Bruce was the sun of Neverland's life. He was always learning more each day. Never had the image of a sponge absorbing again and again been more accurate than in those circumstances: the more he learned, the more the adults tried to teach him, and the more Bruce felt confident enough to ask and understand with his formidable intelligence. Of course, Anna-Grace openly marveled at his intellectual strength, taking comfort in it, which was duly noted by the boy. Thus, Bruce took solace in her joy and tried to give her reason to express her affection. The full circle was on, healing tiny scar after tiny scar in each lodger's heart.

If peace slowly crept into every lodger at Neverland, despite the fear and the past, it couldn't be said so for the Avengers.

Steve's promised meeting to Tony never happened as life, as it always does, got in the way. Missions, super-villains to defeat, secret organizations to lead, secrets to keep from everyone - from the general public and leaders in various institutions to SHIELD agents and the New Avengers - had the bad habit to charge your calendar in never ending new possibilities.

Thus, tension rose in Stark's Tower. Fractions appeared, words intended to hurt were said, and arguments were exchanged over trivial matters, like who got to eat the last part of pizza or who got to sit on the couch for the traditional movie night. Such events might be usual in a 'house' full of extremely powerful people, somewhat high egos and dire stress release needs. But the frequency of the incidents was surprising, as well as how Steve and Tony were not left out of the serious bickering.

Things got so tense that they all went away for "missions", avoiding the Tower and the obligation to meet - thus hindering even more the planning of stated above promised meeting. It felt like the Cold War all over again, except that this time, the main protagonists kept changing. No one talked about what was on everybody's mind, so no one knew what the other thought. Hence the frequent disputes. And no one wanted to be the conciliator on this one, even Fury, who had fled the scene, swearing in his non existent beard that he'd rather face the Winter Soldier again than deal with this insanity…

So for once, Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, called in the Avengers to talk through their feud. He was, after all, the only father in the team, the only one used to arbitrate stormy debates between opposing sides of a family.

The meeting took place in the same back room as their last one, and Clint casually arrived last. However, Natasha knew him too well and didn't miss his slight hesitation upon entering the room, nor the way he examined with disappointment how everyone had chosen their seat according to their current view on the sore point. Of course, she knew he had hoped the tension wouldn't appear too quickly, and arriving last was one way of avoiding bringing up the reason behind the meeting too soon. But it felt personal for everyone, and Natasha was glad to sit beside Steve. They may disagree on the best option, but at least they were not completely at odds, like they were with Tony who sat opposite them, next to a Nick who clearly wanted nothing more than to leave.

Natasha smiled at her friend, hoping to appeal to his friendly nature so that he would sit beside her, looking like he chose her side. Of course, it was also in his nature to contradict her, so he sat on the presidential seat, between Steve and Tony. And he had the nerve to cross his arms, lean on his chair to swing on it, and raise an eyebrow at her furious look! Tony smirked at her, her failed plan clear as day to everyone, and she knew she could start an argument on a tension rose, thick as Russian snow, and things would've escalated quickly had Clint not given a discreet cough. Everyone turned to him, the only one who truly looked as calm as he felt inside.

What justified such behaviors? Why did these people lose their nerves so easily? No one wanted to say it, but the answer was plain and simple: the Bruce Banner case. They all knew now little Bruce heard a voice called Hulk in his head, and if they could all remain professional before, this got close, too close. What do we do if the kid hulks out? was on everybody's mind. And no one wanted to have to deal with a little Hulk or its aftermath. No one.

The tension was so thick, it felt like it wasn't just a stupid family dispute anymore but a feud from which they could never come back. Clint sighed and leaned on the table, locking all eyes on him.

"Look, guys," he started, his gaze pausing on each of his friends' eyes, "we all love Banner."

His speech was slow and steady, getting into the heavy tension, diffusing it as if was just smoke.

"We all love how no matter what we do, he'll keep thinking extremely highly of everybody else but him. We all love his interest in us, his patience, his calm, his altruism, to name but a few."

His stare landed on Natasha, who couldn't stop herself from adding inwardly His love, knowing Clint was thinking the same. She diverted her stare. She couldn't lie to Clint.

Her friend continued softly:

"We all want the best for him, be it him as an adult, or him as a kid. But we have to plan the worst case scenario now." His eyes were on Tony now who looked with close attention at his hands.

Steve sighed and leaned on the table: "Fine, Clint, so what now?"

"Let's decide where the kid should live if there's reasonable risk he might hulk out."

The tense silence came back, lasting for exactly 10 seconds - Natasha counted - before all voices rose in a mad cacophony.

"Guys…" said Clint uselessly before he yelled, "Guys!" obtaining the dense silence again. "Why don't we take a poll to see what each one of us thinks?" As no one answered, he added: "Alright, then, Nick, what's your favorite option?"

Nick looked around the room, glancing over the faces staring at him, clearly reluctant, before he sighed, as if he knew his opinion wouldn't matter anyway on this subject: "Avengers HQ." He raised his hand to calm the objections before they could even be said. "I know, you don't like it, but it would be the safest place for everyone involved."

All knew this, but none liked it.

"Tony?" asked today's chairman.

The brown genius glanced at his friend before looking down again, musing. All eyes were on him, he knew it, but he wasn't playing with it like he usually did. When he talked, his voice had a calm tone no one expected from him:

"Avengers HQ wouldn't do it, Nick, as long as Bruce's a kid. It might be one of the safest places on earth for him, but it also would be one of the most stressful." Laughing bitterly, he added "Actually, you want him to hulk out? Bring him there. At least we'll be fixed!" No one laughed with him, but the tension dropped a notch.

"So, what's your best option?" asked Natasha, still guarded.

Staring at her, he answered: "Stark Tower. It's safe, can be adjusted for the needs of a 5-year-old kid having particular powers, while still looking like a house and not a jail."

There was a truth to his words none could deny. Knowing this, the man under the Iron Man added with his trademark smirk, humming "and it's in NY!" Natasha rolled her eyes, hiding her crooked smile but everyone noticed the infinitesimal shoulder relaxation.

So Clint intervened again:

"Nat? What do you think?"

"I'd rather he was at your house, hidden from the world, far from cramped cities, and in a family friendly place. Avengers HQ would never fit, Bruce would be too scared, as would be Williams. The two of them stressed out? Recipe for disaster. As for Stark Tower, it's too close to the public eye for my liking. And who knows who's watching? Wouldn't it be like saying to all our current or future enemies, 'Hey, look, we have a fragile little kid we care about, why don't you come and attack us? Maybe you could kidnap him!"

Clint was obviously not enchanted by her choice, but chose to continue the circle, and asked the Captain what was his take on the subject.

"Your house or Stark Tower. Sorry, Nick, but Avengers HQ is too stressful for a kid as emotionally fragile as Bruce, without even taking Williams into account. I'd prefer Clint's house, like Natasha, for the family friendly space hidden from the world. However, I'm not sure Williams would agree on being taken so far out of escape routes. My second choice would then be Stark Tower, for the reasons Tony explained."

Steve had been so calm in sharing his preferred options and answering everyone else's opinions, so relaxed and respectful - like only he could do - that the tension in the room finally dispersed for good.

Clint sighed, peacefully this time. He hated having to lead any kind of groups. It seemed like he could soon pass the mantle on this one.

"Alright," he said. "The options laid out were Avengers HQ, Stark Tower, my house. I guess it means we agree on Neverland not being ideal?" At everyone's nods, he continued. "I don't like the possibility of a Hulk, no matter how small, around my children. Too many variables, not enough certainties. Besides, Nat, I'm sorry, but Bruce had a target on his back the minute he chose to work on gamma radiations. Him being a kid doesn't change that. Stark Tower might be the safest place on our hands." Turning to Nick, he added, "Avengers HQ is too risky. We would have to justify Bruce's presence there. Who knows what word would get out, and who would hear it?" Finally, looking at Steve, he said "Lastly, I agree with you on Williams' probable reluctance to moving to my house. It would certainly be too far from her few friends, somewhere unknown, taking out of her hands too much control. Considering how close she is to the kid, we better make sure she's on our side."

A short silence dropped in the room, without the tension that always rose with it the last couple of months.

Nick was the first to break it:

"Fine, Stark Tower seems like the right compromise. Nat?"

All eyes on her, she quickly thought about it. Pros and cons were made, even though she already knew what she would say: "Ok, let's go with Stark Tower."

Tony grinned, even after Nat gave him a false death stare. But she understood him. She loved living in the same establishment as Bruce; it felt like she hadn't completely lost him. She knew Tony wanted his friend back, too. Selfishness aside, this was the best option, between safety, security, and a stressless environment for the kid. And his adoptive mother.

Natasha finally relaxed, thinking peace might finally come back to the Tower. After all, she might be living at Neverland for now, she still had to drop by every now and then, and feeling like she was entering a war zone was not her favorite cup of tea, despite rumors.

However, Clint disagreed, and asked the question that would've caused unrest in the following days had he not intervened:

"So, when should we ask the Williams family to move out?"

All turned to Natasha who felt the heavy burden come back, heavier than before. She didn't flinch, of course, but the silence that suddenly reigned in the room spoke volume. They all knew how difficult it would be for Natasha to have to disrupt the Neverland peace. No one wanted to make Bruce or Anna-Grace uneasy.

However, that last thought was what gave Natasha the confidence she needed. She had gotten to know the young mother very well. She was an excellent reader of character after all, if not the best. And she knew her reports had gained, without the mother even suspecting it, the favor of the Avengers: they all liked Anna-Grace now, and only waited on meeting her to express their sympathy and friendship. The blonde woman who was taking care of their friend certainly couldn't realize it yet, but she would never be alone ever again. Not when each of the Avengers old members considered himself as a friend and guardian of the lady and her boy.

So, Natasha smiled tenderly at her friends, and said:

"It will be difficult. She will hate it, but I'll tell her today. She'll come to understand it; we only have to give her time."

"And if Bruce hulks out? Time might be exactly what we do not have…" argued Steve.

"If Bruce hulks out, she'll realize how her boy needs protection. She'll agree to whatever I say." Natasha answered calmly.

The phrase settled in the room, marking the end of the meeting. The Avengers had spoken.