A/N: This was suppose to be the last chapter, but it became kind of a fluff chapter because I didn't want to delete anything. Enjoy!


The silence became unbearable and Bruce opened his eyes. He saw white - white blankets, white walls, white tiles - telling him he was in a hospital. Sitting up in the stiff bed, Bruce felt the headache that always accompanied one of his episodes.

The door to his room opened and a young nurse walked in reading her PADD. She had short blonde and naturally pink lips that seemed to perfect to be real; she wasn't the type of nurse he expected to see. Looking up at Bruce, she smiled. "Good, you're awake. How do you feel?" She looked him over and Bruce became self-conscious - he wasn't sure why.

"I have a headache, but other than that I feel fine." Bruce answered.

"Good," she studied the machines next to his bed, "your vitals are normal, too. I will get you something for your head."

"Thank you." Bruce replied.

The young nurse left the room and closed the door behind her only for it to open again and allow someone else into his room.

"Hello, Bruce"

Bruce looked at the doorway to see Natasha. "Natasha. You're here!" He noticed the band aid on her head from where she had hit the wall. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that." She came to stand next to his bed.

"How long have I been asleep?" He asked.

"Two days. The doctors were worried you wouldn't wake up, but I explained how Hulking out affects you." Natasha replied.

"Thanks," he smiled, "what have I missed?"

"Nothing really." Natasha shrugged, but Bruce saw something in her eyes that told him she was lying.

"Natasha," he warned, "don't be a spy right now. Tell me what's going on."

She looked at him, surprised that he could read her. "We captured Qaseem after you changed back and we locked him up in a SHIELD facility, but he wants to talk to you."

"That's it? Then let's go." Bruce tried to get out of the bed. Natasha pushed his shoulders back to the mattress.

"Not yet. You need to heal. We don't know what other affects his drug had on you. The doctors are trying to cleanse your system." She revealed.

"Nothing's wrong with me. I have a headache which is normal after an episode." Bruce argued.

"Just take it easy. Qaseem isn't going anywhere." She rubbed his arm.

"Fine. I'll take it easy." Bruce agreed. "Can we get some food though?"

"I can call the kitchen." Natasha offered.

"Actually, can we go to the cafeteria? I'm tired of lying in this bed." Bruce pleaded, his chocolate eyes hoping for a yes.

Before Natasha could answer, the young nurse from earlier walked in with Bruce's pain pills. "Here you go, Dr. Banner." She handed him the pills and a cup of water.

"Thank you, nurse." Bruce tossed back the pills and took a drink to wash it down. "Uh, nurse..."

"Stanley. Eliza Stanley." She gave him her name.

"Nurse Stanley, would it be all right for me to eat lunch in the cafeteria? Miss Romanoff will help me." Bruce nodded toward Natasha.

"I don't think that will be a problem. It would be good for you to get some exercise. Just don't overdo it." Nurse Stanley affirmed.

"Thank you, Nurse Stanley." Bruce smiled.

"You're welcome, Dr. Banner." She smiled back and left the room.

Bruce turned to Natasha, who was watching the nurse leave with a look Bruce couldn't quite decipher. She seemed bothered by something. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "are you ready to eat?"

"Yeah," Bruce pulled back the sheets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up slowly, trying to keep his balance. Natasha handed him a thin robe that he slipped on over the thin hospital gown he had been put into.

"Let me help you." Natasha put her arm around his waist, and Bruce put his arm around her shoulders as a natural reaction to the movement.

"Is this for me, or a warning to Nurse Stanley?" Bruce asked with a grin as they moved out into the hallway.

"What are you talking about?" Natasha countered, helping him down the hallway.

"I saw the look on your face after she left my room." He prompted.

"What look?"

"You were jealous." Bruce accused. "It's okay to admit it."

"I wasn't jealous of Nurse Stanley." Natasha emphasized the name as she scoffed at his statement.

"That's okay. I was never in to nurses." Bruce squeezed her shoulders and leaned into her.

"Good, because I was never in to scientists." Natasha claimed as she hit the elevator button to take them down to the cafeteria.

"Ha. Funny. A spy with a sense of humor." Bruce remarked as they stepped into the elevator. "Did they teach you that in a class?"

The elevator doors closed and Natasha let go of Bruce's waist. She turned him to face her then slammed him against the wall. Bruce grunted before starting to laugh. "Okay. My bad."

"I was never into scientists," she paused and smirked at him, "until I met you." Natasha said.

"So you were jealous?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"I was cautious of the woman giving you pills from an unmarked container." Natasha released her hold on Bruce and faced forward in the elevator.

"Right," Bruce put his arm around her shoulders again, "or just jealous."

"Leave it alone, Banner." She warned as the doors opened.

"Not in this lifetime, Romanoff." Bruce remarked. Natasha stepped out from under his arm rolling her eyes as Bruce hobbled after her – a little unsteady on his own.


A few days passed and Bruce was able to walk on his own without support. He would take walks throughout the hospital and watch the different people interacting; they seemed happy even though they were in a place that was usually surrounded in sadness and death.

Walking back to his room, Bruce happened to cross paths with Nurse Stanley. He hadn't seen much of her since the first day he woke up. "Hello, Nurse Stanley."

"Hello, Dr. Banner. Looks like your walks are treating you well." She looked him over.

"I guess," he shrugged, his hands in his pockets, "they help me relax."

"Well, you didn't hear this from me," she leaned closer to whisper, "but I think you are being released today."

"Really? That's great." Bruce gave a small smile.

"What's wrong?" Nurse Stanley asked.

"This will sound bad, but I like it here. It's peaceful. Once I'm released, it's back to being stressed out all the time." Bruce answered.

"I understand. The same thing has happened to me then my husband reminds me that I can't control everything."

"Husband? You're married?" Bruce was surprised.

"Yes. For five years now." She looked confused and then worried. "Oh, I'm sorry if you thought that I was interested in you."

"No. No." Bruce chuckled. "I didn't think that and I'm not interested in you, like that."

"Oh, good." She released a nervous laugh.

"I should go pack." Bruce pointed toward his room.

"It was nice getting to know you, Dr. Banner." She stuck out her hand.

"You, too." Bruce shook her hand then walked to his room.

Inside, he found Natasha sitting on his bed. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked drawing her attention.

"I came to get you. You're being checked out." She stood from the bed.

"Want to help me pack?" He offered.

"I don't want to be in the way." She moved toward the door, but Bruce pulled her to him. He kissed her hard. It was their first kiss since they had been reunited, and Bruce was holding nothing back.

He pulled away first, "I'll be out in a minute."

Natasha smiled and left the room so Bruce could pack. He grabbed his small duffel bag out of the closet. Clothes had been brought in for him by someone – Bruce guessed it was Natasha.

Once all of his belongings were in the bag, Bruce walked out of the room to join Natasha. Placing an arm around her shoulders, they walked toward the exit. They passed Nurse Stanley and she waved at them. Bruce waved back with a small smile gracing his lips. Natasha nodded as they passed, and Bruce laughed to himself at her coldness.

"Why are you laughing?" Natasha asked.

"Because, for a spy, you're not very good at hiding your jealousy." Bruce smirked.

"I'm not jealous of your nurse." Natasha denied.

"Good, because she's married." Bruce walked ahead of Natasha to the car that was waiting for them. He held the door open for her.

Natasha caught up to him and hit him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Jerk."

Bruce shook his head and followed her into the car. "So where are we going?"

Natasha stared straight ahead as the car began to pull away from the hospital. "To a secure facility nearby."

"Perhaps the facility where SHIELD has been holding Qaseem?" Bruce questioned.

"You are smarter than you look." Natasha joked.

Bruce shook his head at her comment and stared out the window for a few moments. When he didn't speak, Natasha nudged him with her elbow. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I can call Fury and we can do this another day."

"No, it's okay. I want to talk to him. I'm just not sure he wants to listen." Bruce became solemn and went back to looking out the window. He wasn't seeing anything just watching as the shapes of the world flashed by him. Bruce thought he was ready to face Qaseem, but was he really?