I think I added to the drama factor a little too much in this chapter, but oh well! Hope ya'll enjoy!

Chapter Seven~

Sunlight filtered onto my closed eyelids causing me to stir from my sleep. The overwhelming warmth from Hulk's body had gone to be replaced by the scent of sandalwood and aftershave. I knew that imposter Bruce was back and from the warmth covering me that I was in my bed. A hand brushed aside some of my hair as his voice asked,

"Better?" I only snuggled closer into his side and breathed,

"I'm sorry." here he pulled me upright with him, sitting up and staring at me confused as he asked,

"Why Sara?"

"Because I love you too." the spark from the ball and the night of tickle torture was back only brighter than before as his face filled with joy. But his joy was my pain and I felt fresh tears start to fill my eyes as I shook from his hold and tried to stand saying as I did,

"I love the imposter and not the real Bruce!" then turning towards his dumbfounded face I screamed,

"I'm this hollow bitter human being! You're nothing more than a figment of my imagination, a production of the REAL Doctor Bruce Banner made to kill me slowly! And you're winning because I can't stop my heart from bleeding, bleeding for you." by the time I had finished I had fallen back onto the bed on my knees, my hand squeezing his face as I tried to breathe normally. His shocked face and eyes, though warm cinnamon brown eyes stared down deep into my soul as they filled with tears. One tear leaked out of his eye as he held my hands with his before saying,

"I love you." and then he was kissing me; all of our emotions pouring into it mixing with tears and bitter pangs of loss. After several long sensual kisses I pulled back and let my head fall to his chest as I cried. His head fell atop mine and we held each other for several moments, silence filling the chilly room. Swallowing after my tears were spent, I removed myself from his hold saying,

"Come on, we got work to do." he watched with confusion as I got clothes and headed for the bathroom. When I came out he was gone so I left the room and headed for the kitchen where I found the others. Steve and Clint were arm wrestling, Natasha and Pepper talking over a magazine, Tony and Thor having an eating contest. Imposter Bruce wasn't there.

"Hey what-" Natasha tried to say but I cut her off saying,

"What, are we all just hanging around playing when there's a fight to win? Why are we sitting on our asses when the Avengers are needed!?" it was then they noticed how I was dressed; in black jeans and a t-shirt that simply read in white letters 'SHIELD'.

"But I thought you didn't remember?" asked Clint coming to stand by my side.

"I don't, doesn't mean I'm not still part of the team." I said sharply before going over to Thor and asking,

"Tell us about Thanos. We'll need everything YOU remember." he chuckled lightly before taking both my shoulders and saying,

"The strength in you is enough to confound the mind Lady Sara." and then he told us everything he knew, all the details he had been able to put together about the alien. Apparently when Loki, Thor's brother and evil tyrant who wanted to rule the Earth, it was he, Loki who was actually being controlled, manipulated by Thanos to do his bidding. When Loki was on trial on Asgard, wherever or whatever that was, he begged for mercy after the spell on him had been broken by the Healer of Asgard. Odin, Thor and Loki's father granted him only one leniency; tell what he knew of Thanos so that Thor could come and warn the Earth and her people.

"So he got mercy?" asked Tony with a growl when Thor took a moment to breathe.

"Yes and no friend, he is still in prison for what he did not to have a friend in the cosmos. The only condition my Father gave him was that should he proven innocent for several eons, longer than any of you will live, than and only than he will be released."

"Wonderful, as long as I don't have to face him again." Natasha said as she took Clint's hand into her own.

"So, Thanos was controlling Loki the whole time, like with me and Selvig?" Clint asked to which Thor nodded stating,

"Only with much more power friend."

"So where exactly is this alien dominator?" Tony asked walking around the room but making a wide circle around me when he came to me, apparently thinking I was mad at him still.

"He resides on a distant star away from Earth but closer enough that he can arise whenever he pleases." Thor said as he crossed his arms over his muscular chest and sighed deeply. Apparently he knew of the star and wasn't too thrilled that Thanos was so close by. Neither it seems was the gang for they frowned with anger.

"So he can show up anytime he wants?" I asked and when Thor nodded I shuddered.

"That's why we need to be prepared. SHIELD is already monitoring the Earth for any and all otherworldly activity but we need to keep our guards up, he may come here." Natasha said and we all agreed.

"Hey, where's Bruce guys?" I asked suddenly not having seen him since I told him I—well—

"I haven't seen him since he went to find you last night." Steve said but Pepper jumped into the conversation having been on the sidelines saying,

"He went to the lab, I saw him go." nodding, I went towards the elevators but Pepper chimed,

"I think he wanted to be alone Sara." turning, I found them all having gone from pissed the hell off and ready to fight to crestfallen and sorrowful. They knew, they just had to know. Sighing, I nodded and put on a brave face saying,

"Training anyone?" and for the rest of the day we trained leaving imposter Bruce to his own devices. We didn't see him at lunch when we took a moment to calm down, nor did we see him when we stopped for dinner. It was at dinner that Pepper dragged me aside along with Natasha for a 'girl talk'. After going to my bedroom and Pepper locking the newly fixed door she asked,

"What happened?"

"I don't know," I started taking a seat before explaining what had gone down the night before. Pepper had been there when he Hulked out and ran knowing she probably wouldn't help the situation so when I told what had happened she nearly flipped a gasket.

"What happened this morning though?" asked Natasha who had dropped the hardcore attitude from training for her motherly concern. Looking away from her and Pepper towards my desk I spotted a note that wasn't there before. Standing, I went for the desk and picked it up to Pepper saying,

"Oh my." I read the note once, twice, three times before reading it aloud so they both could hear,

"Sara, we need time apart; you need time to remember and I need time to try and heal my heart. Your simple confession must have killed you inside, and it killed me too. I don't want us to step around and over the eggshells but I need to know how you feel, really honestly feel by the end of the week. Friday at midnight come to my room and tell me in a simple 'yes' or 'no'. That will be all I need to hear." by the time I finished I had dropped the note to the floor and was hyperventilating.

"Oh honey!" Pepper cried rushing to my side and enveloping me into a hug, even Natasha joined in.

"What do I do?" I asked when I pulled back.

"What do I do?" they both looked at one another before it was Natasha who said,

"You tell him how you honestly feel. I'd hate for you two to not end up together, he loves you so much, probably ever since he first met you. I bet he saw a future with you, the stereotypical white picket fence, children and a porch swing where you two could grow old together. I wish I could have that, please don't lose it." her words shocked me into silence, on some level I knew she was right. Somewhere in the recesses of my brain I could see and feel things I hadn't felt before or in the weeks I'd been here. They were memories, memories of what my life had been before. Who I was, who I had become, who I became and who I'd lost. Still in my SHIELD t-shirt having not changed since this morning, I felt every shard of glass that was my mind fly back together before I remembered one thing, him.