Hey ya'll! Here's chapter 24, things are going good right now for everyone, which is nice, but I wouldn't get too comfortable with it. You never know what could happen next! =D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Marvel. Obviously. I hope you like this chapter!
"You know, if you're going to stand there, I'm sure there's more you could be doing then just staring at my ass." I said to Bruce, who I could practically feel standing behind me. It was the day after we had gotten there and I was currently looking for a secret notch on the trunk at the bottom of the bed.
"I'm kind of enjoying myself right now." he said and I straightened up making him sigh. I turned around and looked at him; he simply smiled and walked over to me. "How did you talk with your grandmother go?" he asked and I sighed as I rested my forehead on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around me and I groaned. "That well huh?"
"No, it went fine, aside from the part where my grandmother informed me I'm a mutant who was practically born to work for SHIELD." I said before I looked up at him. "Oh, and we're going to my parent's house in an hour." I said before patting his shoulder.
"Is that a good idea?" he asked. "I mean they've been led to believe that we're dead for all this time and just showing up- with two kids, one of which isn't even ours- no less, that could shock them..." he shrugged.
"Okay honey, number one, I may not have given birth to her, but Amanda is mine," I said as I held up a finger. "And number two, they think we were witnesses to a mob hit and had to go into witness protection."
"They bought that?" he asked and I shrugged.
"It's New York, anything could happen." I said as I waved my hand.
"Where are the girls?" he asked and I nodded to the window.
"Outside." I said and he nodded as he walked out and looked outside. The girls were running around in the very large yard, playing some form of game that resembled Indiana Jones by the way they were shrieking about golden temples and giant rocks.
"And Thor is downstairs watching tv, and Erik is in the basement with MeeMaw doing some SHIELD related work, which gives us an hour of nothing to do." he said as he moved over to me.
"Oh," I said before he kissed me. I kissed him back, but when he pulled back he seemed to sense my hesitation.
"What's wrong?" he asked and I smiled gently.
"Nothing, nothing, I just- MeeMaw asked me to go over some things, for SHIELD." I said softly and he sighed.
"You can't look over things for them. Next thing you'll know they'll have you suiting up and fighting alongside us." he said as he sat on the side of the bed.
"Hey, I could kick some butt." I said as I held up a karate looking stance. He laughed and raised an eyebrow as he got off the bed. "What are you doing?" I asked as he stood in front of me.
"Come on, let me show you what you're doing wrong."
"Since when do you know karate?" I asked and he frowned lightly
"It's not karate, it's common sense, come on, try to attack me." he said and I looked at him hesitantly. "You're my wife, I'm not going to hurt you." he said rolling his eyes. I sighed and frowned at him.
"You're serious right now honey?" I asked and he nodded.
"Just, try it." he said, and I nodded before I took a stance again, and attempted to punch him. He caught my arm easily and pulled me close to him. "Wrong." he said before kissing me.
"How would you know?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow, shooting me a semi amused half smile that just made me want to jump on him.
"I wasn't just learning breathing techniques in Rio de Janero." he said as he let go of my arm. "Turn around," he said and I did as he said, before standing behind me, he corrected my posture, and the way I held my arms before he stood back in front of me. "Okay, try again." he said and I nodded before I went to throw a punch, he caught my fist easily since he knew it was coming, but this time he looked proud as he pulled me closer. "Good job." he said, before dipping down to catch my lips with his.
I sighed into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck, his hands moved down my sides lightly, before bringing them up my sides, slowly pushing my shirt up. His fingers lightly tickled my skin making me bite his lip lightly in surprise which drew a heated groan from him as I moved in, pressing my body against his.
I slowly parted my lips, letting him run his tongue against my lips, his met mine, and we moved back, I hit the trunk at the bottom of the bed and pulled back from the kiss, before turning so he had his back to the bed, he sat down on the trunk and I climbed on top of him, straddling his legs with mine, he wrapped one arm around my waist, and used the other to guide me back to his lips. His hand ran down my body before resting on one of my legs, I was working at unbuttoning his shirt, while his hand slid up my leg, under my skirt, and the tips of his fingers softly brushed against my panties.
I groaned, thrusting my hips into his, he repeated the motion and I started to unbuckle his belt when I heard a shout from down the hall.
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"
"Shit." Bruce breathed as I climbed off of his lap and fixed my shirt, skirt and hair. His hair was sticking out at every angle from me running my hands through it, and I chuckled as he went into the bathroom while the door to the bedroom flew open.
"What's wrong Kayla?" I asked and she grinned holding her hands behind her back. "Whatcha got there?" I asked slowly and she slowly moved her hand out from behind her back to show she had caught a snake. "Oh!" I was surprised, and little horrified. "Go put it back honey, put it outside!" I said as I led her to the doorway.
"But mommy I want to keep him!" she protested.
"You can keep him- Outside!" I said as she pouted, then stomped down the hall, the little corn snake carefully cradled in her hands. I shuttered and heard the water turn on in the bathroom. "Honey?" I called through the door. "What are you doing?"
"We're going to your parents soon." he responded. "I'm taking a shower." I sighed and nodded even though he couldn't see it. The moment was over, and I decided to go searching for that secret compartment in the trunk again.
When we got to the house I could see cars out front, and hear people out back talking. There were some people on horses in the pastures, and there was an area that looked like it was set up for barrel racing. I sighed as I looked down at Kayla who was looking around with wonder. I then smiled seeing the familiar car of Tony's. A few kids I didn't know went running by, and I looked at MeeMaw who Thor was helping out of the car. Amanda walked over to me and I looked at her.
"What if they don't like me?" she whispered and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Impossible sweetheart. You're family. MeeMaw has already decreed it so."
"So?" she asked and I gave her shoulder a slight squeeze.
"So, you've got a lot to learn about MeeMaw and her decision making powers in the family." I said and she smiled slightly unsure, before we walked up to the house. I looked at Bruce who was holding my other hand; he laced our fingers together as Amanda slipped out from under my arm and went to hold hands with Kayla who now stood holding hands with both Amanda and Thor.
"Are you ready?" Bruce asked softly and I shook my head honestly.
"Who decided a huge gathering would be best for us to come back to?"
"The party was already planned," MeeMaw said as she opened the front door. "You guys coming was just a bonus." she winked at us before stepping into the house. As we stepped inside memories hit me like a wall of bricks. The smell, the way things looked, god it was almost overwhelming. I didn't realize my grip on Bruce's hand had tightened until I felt him lean in, and kiss my cheek.
"Breathe." he whispered and I looked at him, before smiling and taking a deep breath.
"Bout time you guys showed up," Tony said walking out of the kitchen. "I was starting to think you started up to Canada without me."
"We've still got a couple of days before that happens Tony." I smiled.
"Well, what's the rush?" he asked sarcastically.
"Where's my mom?" I asked and he nodded to the kitchen.
"She's alone, something about kicking everyone in the ass so hard they wouldn't be able to- okay, okay, I'm shutting up!" he said as I smacked his arm.
"Do you mind if I go in there alone?" I asked Bruce who shook his head.
"Of course not." he said and I smiled at him before I turned to Tony.
"Take Thor and Erik outside, show them around."
"Show them around, really? Come on guys, let's go see the field." he said feigning enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen.
"Tony, I told you, I don't need you standing over my shoulder telling me how to do everything." my mom said when she heard the door swing shut.
"I'd like to think I'm at least a little bit cuter than Tony Stark," I said and she tensed up. "Of course, that is arguable." I shrugged and she turned around.
"Sammy." she said in a tone of disbelief.
"Mom, the knife." I reminded her teasingly and she threw it on the counter before I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. She held me crushed into her chest for a long time as I buried my face in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." I whispered and she pulled back, cupping my face as she looked at me. "I'm so so sorry Mom." I said.
"Sammy, sweetheart, your life was in danger," she said soothingly as tears rolled down my face. "If I was in the same situation, I'd have done the same thing." she assured me. I just nodded, and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, thanking god Dallas had me invest in waterproof mascara a long time ago. "You and Bruce, you're alive, that's the important part."
"Oh mom, it wasn't just for us." I sighed and she frowned lightly.
"Sammy, what are you tellin' me?"
"It's a girl." I said holding my hands out with a smile.
"Oh my god, you couldn't give me any warning, anything?!" she asked in surprise as she put a hand to her heart. "I mean, even that government guy, Phil what's his face, he couldn't even tell me?" she asked and I shrugged.
"I think they didn't want the mob finding out so they could try to track her down and use it against us." I shrugged and she nodded after a moment of thought.
"That makes sense." she said. "What's her name?"
"Makayla. Makayla Antonia Banner. Oh, and mom, we've sort of taken in another girl. She was a runaway, her father kicked her out because she's a mutant-"
"Shhh..." she looked out the window. "Sherriff Bradford's here tonight, and he has to take mutants to the registering place." she said.
"No, that's mutants who are over 18." I said.
"And if they're under 18, their parents can decide to sign them up."
"Jesus, really?" I asked with a frown, she nodded and I shook my head. "Well, fuck that, my daughter is not being signed up, and when all of this blows over, it'll be one of those scary things you read about in text books, like the holocaust and slavery. Which, essentially is what it really is." I shrugged.
"Well what's my other grandbaby's name?"
"Amanda." I responded before I went to the door to the kitchen and waved them inside. Amanda and Kayla walked into the kitchen holding hands and Bruce followed up behind them.
"Oh my lord, they're just precious." Mom said with a grin. I smiled as she cupped Amanda's face, and smiled at her. "Sweetheart, you're just cutest thing you know that?" she asked and then without waiting for an answer she knelt down in front of Kayla. "And you, you're just a doll aren't you?"
"My uncle Steve says I'm Shirley Temple with red hair." she said and I laughed as the back door opened.
"Hon, are those steaks ready yet?" I looked up as my dad walked into the kitchen. He froze seeing us before he looked back at me. "Well aren't you tan?" he asked and I smiled. "You wear sun block?"
"Yes sir."
"You reapply?"
"Twice."
"Did they reapply?" he nodded to the girls and I grinned.
"Every hour."
"On the hour?"
"Naturally." I shrugged and he smiled before he walked over and pulled me into a hug that could give one of Thor's a run for its money. "I guess there's no tapping out of this one is there?" I groaned as I hugged him back.
"Good to see you baby." he said and I smiled, feeling a little winded after the hug.
"Bruce," Dad said when he finally let go of me. "How've you been son?"
"I've been alright," he said as he went to shake dad's hand, only to get pulled into his own rib crunching hug. "Oh, it's good to see you too Nate." he said as he managed to pat dad on the back before Dad let him go and clapped him hardly on the shoulder.
"Now, who have we here?" Dad asked as he walked over to Amanda.
"My name is Amanda Sorrenson." she said shyly.
"Well it's nice to meet you." he said as he kissed the top of her hand and then pulled her into a hug. She giggled into his chest and then he knelt down next to Kayla who was looking up at him with a grin. "And you are?" he asked and she looked at me.
"Tell Grandpa your name honey." I said and she took a breath.
"My name is Makayla Antonia Banner, but it used to be Makayla Antonia Roberts, and Thor calls me My-Kayla warrior of Midgard, and Mommy calls me Princess Kayla." she said and I heard Bruce softly chuckle.
"Well then," he said as he stood up. "It's a pleasure to meet you your Highness." he bowed deeply and she giggled.
Leaving people is hard. Reunions are harder. Reunions when you're keeping secrets, that's the hardest of all. There's the questions, the awkwardness, and the emotion, god so much emotion. I never noticed how strongly I felt these things, but I had never been in a situation like this before. I had never felt so much emotion in all my life.
I must have looked overwhelmed, I was; I was light headed, I was dizzy I didn't know which way to turn without someone trying to talk to me, to ask me twenty thousand questions... Relief came in the form of Natasha Romanoff.
"Excuse us," she said as she took my arm at the elbow. She took me from everyone, and led me towards the pasture where some of the kids were riding horses; they pretty much ignored us as she leaned on the wooden fence and looked at me. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just... A lot going on there." I said nodding to the crowd of everyone. Thor was hanging around my mom's brother who was grilling, Tony and Pepper were sitting at a table, Tony was talking to a small group of men, all of whom had looks of confusion on their faces, Bruce was talking to Rick, Abby's husband, Pepper was off somewhere doing I don't know what, Kayla was playing with a group of kids, everyone had something going on.
"It's more than I ever had." Natasha muttered and I looked at her.
"I don't know what it was like for you growing up Nat," I said slowly. "But it doesn't have to be like that anymore." I said and she looked at me before she smiled softly.
I know there's more to Natasha than just being an awesome assassin. P.S. Don't get too comfortable. HAMMER and HYDRA will be back real soon. Please remember to review!