Elizabeth (Betty) Ross (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
labcoatgirl) wrote2012-05-26 04:10 am
labcoatgirl) wrote2012-05-26 04:10 am
Storyline with Bruce (hisotherguy)
[going over her lab notes again]
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[Bruce didn't want SHIELD to harass Betty, she had probably long-since moved on. As much as he ached to see her again, he worried that he would always be snatched from her when they least expected it.
On the other hand she must have seen the news, at least talking to her would bring her some closure. When he sees her in the waiting room, he only just manages to keep his excitement contained in a big smile.]
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[She turns and....there he is. Her eyes lighting up as she smiles back in relief. She'd been so worried about him since he disappeared. Betty hurries towards him, slowing as she gets closer and searching his face to see if he has changed since he's been gone.] Bruce...
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[He reaches out and lays his hands on her shoulders gently, then pulls her into a firm hug. He does not quite know what to say. He still has to pinch himself to believe that he is standing here, holding her. After a few deep breaths to calm himself, he pulls back just enough to face her.]
How are you, Betty? [His expression sobers. In that question he wanted to hear all about their years apart and, more recently, how SHIELD had treated her on her way to meet him.]
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[She hugs back, her hands around the back of his neck and a single tear running down her cheek. He seemed older but he was still the same Bruce Banner she fell in love with.]
I'm...I've been ok. [Not exactly true, but she's managed. Her hand going to the necklace around her neck, another smile coming to her face. She'd gotten it back in the mail from him after they had pawned it.]
[Deep breath] And you?
--------------------------------
[After living in modest conditions for the past few years, and working late into the night, there were a few new fine lines around his eyes. Betty still looked radiant through her concern. He nods, with some relief, at her answer and grins again, at the sight of the necklace.]
I'm glad you got this back, it wouldn't have looked this beautiful on anyone else. [He could just talk about her all day but he understands that she needs some answers.]
Things took a dive a while back but I think they're getting better now. I can't hide from them [he gestures at the agents stationed nearby] but I may not have to anymore.
--------------------------------
[She does like seeing him smile, he doesn't do it near often enough in her opinion. Not since the Hulk changed everything.
Betty looks to the agents as if noticing them for the first time. That worry is back, was he under some kind of arrest?] Who are they? Is it because of what happened in New York? I saw some of it on TV...
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[He could not help but smile when Betty was around, she brought out the best in him] Apparently I'm part of a team now, started by SHIELD. It isn't ideal, having them tail me, but at least they keep the government off my back. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement this time.
They needed me, and in New York they needed him too. He is still dangerous but he is, I am, getting better at directing all that anger.
--------------------------------
[She's amazed and pleased to hear all of this. It's better than she could have hoped for him. Well...tailing agents aside.]
That's good, I'm so glad to hear that. [Betty knows the Hulk was dangerous to others...but he did know who she was. He was still part of Bruce.] They're treating you alright though? This team you're a part of? Are there other scientists? [The list of questions might not stop.]
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At first I wasn't too happy about them forcing me out of hiding but I've been given a lab, accommodation, everything I could want. Although, the company could be better. [No disrespect to Tony but Betty would always be his favorite lab partner.] The other team members are people with unusual gifts. I think the only ones you'd be familiar with are Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, the original super soldier.
[He tries to explain all the events of the past week to her coherently. It isn't easy.] Until now, I didn't think anything could surprise me anymore. You saw the porthole above New York, right? Apparently all the trouble came from another realm.
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[Betty definitely didn't go around poking people with sharp objects while working with them.] The Tony Stark? What do they have you working on? Or are you allowed to say? [If there were agents and Tony Stark involved, it could be something secret.]
[Betty nods] They confirmed in the papers, an alien invasion. Hard to believe but....you actually fought against them?
--------------------------------
Pepper is in on everything Tony knows, actually she knows a good deal more than he does. They may just make you sign a Confidentiality Contract. [Fury had assured Bruce that Betty would be safe and he would hold him to that.]
The big guy held his own against them, and I didn't suffer too much for it either. There was barely a scratch on me when I woke up.
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[She nods, of course she wouldn't mind signing something like that. The less people knew about Bruce, the better. He didn't need another man like her father chasing him for the same reasons.]
[Betty smiles at that, remembering the first time they woke up in the cave. She'd marveled at that same thing, how he could have been through such a fight and not have a mark on him.] Higher metabolism at work.
[She wants to ask but not sure what the answer would be.] Are you...back to stay? I know the General was reassigned awhile back. [She doesn't even call him her father anymore. Not after what he did to Bruce.]
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[It was just as well Bruce could rely on the other guy in a fight. He felt a little guilty that ordinary SHIELD agents went through rigorous training to do a fraction of what the Hulk could.]
I will probably be transferred a lot. At least you can see me without worrying about either of us being arrested because of it. [That in itself was a blessing. He really wanted to give Betty a quiet suburban home but, for now, this was the next best thing.]
I don't want to ask any more of you, you've already sacrificed so much.
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I'd like that. [She likes that idea a lot. Bruce not having to worry about people chasing him is a huge blessing.]
[Betty gives him a look, shaking her head] Don't, just don't. I would do it all again if you asked me. You're the one that's been through so much.
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[He purses his lips when he sees the look in her eye that he had come to know so well, he's not going to argue with Betty. It was impossible for anyone to change her mind once it had been made, but he loved that about her.]
I'll admit it has been rough at times, but everything seems better when I come back to you. I'm glad I can come back to you now.
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[Her heart takes a leap at that, there had been days when she thought he may never come back again. And she always did like being there to help him when she could.]
[Betty reaches to take his hands in hers as if she might worry he'll run off again.] Where have you been keeping yourself before this? [She'd imagined him traveling the world to stay one step ahead of anyone following him. He had gotten so good at hiding and knowing how to stay off the grid.]
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[He holds her hands firmly, hoping to reassure her. He would be moving, yes, but there would be no more running.]
I'd been working as an unregistered medical practitioner in slums all over the place, most recently in India. [He shrugs.]
It was hard work, but fulfilling.
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[She lights up with a smile] I could see you doing that. I'm a little envious. [She would have wanted to work with him. But he'd needed some time away, as much as she had missed him. As much as they had missed each other.] Your expertise, you were a big help I'm sure.
[Betty gives his hands a tug, an unspoken request to take a walk while they talk. The agents will probably follow but she can ignore them so long as they keep their distance.]
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You would have done even better, you have a great bedside manner. [He follows her eagerly. He had been cooped up a lot recently, by his own choice. Bruce had a habit of becoming absorbed in his work. There was alien technology to be studied and radiation levels to be monitered.]
There is a public open space not far from here, I can take you there.
[The agents don't move immediately. They had some understanding of personal space; he suspects they will be watching from a distance.]
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hope you dont mind me using some stuff from the movie's book
That sounds good. [She lets go of one hand to walk next to him, holding hands as long as he doesn't mind. Betty knows since the radiation accident, Bruce tends to keep everyone at arms length.
She's quiet for a moment or two] ...Samson and I decided not to see each other anymore. [The psychologist she had been seeing when Bruce had first gone missing. Samson had been supportive but...he wasn't Bruce. And he eventually realized this.] I haven't seen him since you left again.
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Sure, lead the way.
Really? Wow,um, he must miss you. You're a special woman, Betty.
[He does not know what to make of this. He liked Samson, he could not have hoped for a better man to take care of Betty, but he can't help feeling elated at the news. He scolds himself for being selfish.]
I have to admit that I am... pleased even though I know I shouldn't be. I'd like for us to reconnect, now that we have a chance.
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[She had thought he would want to know. Him coming back like this, she hadn't known if he felt any differently about her or not. It would seem neither of them had changed.]
I kept hoping...I mean, if there is someone else... [She didn't want to presume there wasn't without asking first.]
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[He can't help laughing out loud at that.] No one could replace you, Betty. You've been there since before I even had the green problem and you haven't given up on me since.
Sure, I've met well-meaning people over the years, but I can't let any of them in. You've already reached too deep inside. [She could have forgotten him, he would have understood, but the fact that she hasn't means the world to him. He wraps an arm cautiously round her waist, readjusting to the closeness.]
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[She hadn't heard him laugh in ages. It breaks any unknown tension left and Betty fits neatly in his arm, putting her head on his shoulder with a relieved smile. Things were working out for him...for them at last.]
What sort of research have you been working on? Anything interesting? [She would love to hear about it.]
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[He missed moments like these, just walking with her down the street as though they were an ordinary couple.]
It seems that SHIELD is as interested in me for my mind as they are in the Hulk for his strength, which is refreshing. [He realises Betty has always appreciated him in such a way.]
At the moment, my main task is monitoring the gamma radiation levels in New York. They've been in decline since the porthole closed so it seems there is no risk of people being poisoned. [Which was a huge relief to him. He is about to tell her about the rest of his research when, suddenly, a thought occurs to him.]
Maybe you can apply to work with me? Even if it is only on a part-time basis?
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Good. [They should be utilizing him for his mind. No one knew gamma radiation like he did. The fact he was out and about in public like this spoke well of Shield. Even if the agents were keeping tabs on him, they were keeping a considerable distance.]
I could, do you think they would need another scientist? [Working together again, she would never pass that up.]
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[SHIELD was one of the less invasive agencies Bruce had been involved with. He understood that there were still ruthless people working behind the scenes but he felt Fury had the Avengers' interests at heart. He was aware that there were precautionary measures in place to contain the Hulk, but Betty did not need to know that yet. The main thing was, they wanted him alive in either state and they did not express an interest in experimenting on him.]
You'd be an asset to them, to me. If you're working with them they may trust you more, give you a little more space.
[He does not want to force her to leave a job she may love, but he senses that staying close to him is what she wants. Just then, he looks a little embarrassed.]
We've been talking about me so much, I don't even know whether you're still working at the University.
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[She smiles fondly at him, happy to be a help to him in particular. Science was her passion as it was his, but she would always love him more than her work.]
I don't suppose you could give me a reference when I hand in a resume? [Betty teases lightly]
I am still working there but it's part time and my interns can cover for me easily. My research, I can take with me anywhere. [She'd been working on alternate cure ideas in case he should ever need her help again. But it would seem he was adjusting well to living with the Hulk instead of looking for a way to get rid of him.]
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I hardly think you will need any recommendation, you are a great success in your own right.
[He does not ask after her research, suspecting she is still pursuing a cure for him. He can't have her thinking that all of her hard work would amount to nothing. Bruce had not lost all interest in a cure, he was just no longer pinning his hopes on it. It put less pressure on Betty.]
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[She stays close at his side as they walk, enjoying the moment.] We always did work well together. [Betty looking up at him, searching his face. As if memorizing it all over again.] You seem more...I don't know... [Not as paranoid? More in control? She hoped that was the case.]
--------------------------------
[Bruce didn't want SHIELD to harass Betty, she had probably long-since moved on. As much as he ached to see her again, he worried that he would always be snatched from her when they least expected it.
On the other hand she must have seen the news, at least talking to her would bring her some closure. When he sees her in the waiting room, he only just manages to keep his excitement contained in a big smile.]
--------------------------------
[She turns and....there he is. Her eyes lighting up as she smiles back in relief. She'd been so worried about him since he disappeared. Betty hurries towards him, slowing as she gets closer and searching his face to see if he has changed since he's been gone.] Bruce...
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[He reaches out and lays his hands on her shoulders gently, then pulls her into a firm hug. He does not quite know what to say. He still has to pinch himself to believe that he is standing here, holding her. After a few deep breaths to calm himself, he pulls back just enough to face her.]
How are you, Betty? [His expression sobers. In that question he wanted to hear all about their years apart and, more recently, how SHIELD had treated her on her way to meet him.]
--------------------------------
[She hugs back, her hands around the back of his neck and a single tear running down her cheek. He seemed older but he was still the same Bruce Banner she fell in love with.]
I'm...I've been ok. [Not exactly true, but she's managed. Her hand going to the necklace around her neck, another smile coming to her face. She'd gotten it back in the mail from him after they had pawned it.]
[Deep breath] And you?
--------------------------------
[After living in modest conditions for the past few years, and working late into the night, there were a few new fine lines around his eyes. Betty still looked radiant through her concern. He nods, with some relief, at her answer and grins again, at the sight of the necklace.]
I'm glad you got this back, it wouldn't have looked this beautiful on anyone else. [He could just talk about her all day but he understands that she needs some answers.]
Things took a dive a while back but I think they're getting better now. I can't hide from them [he gestures at the agents stationed nearby] but I may not have to anymore.
--------------------------------
[She does like seeing him smile, he doesn't do it near often enough in her opinion. Not since the Hulk changed everything.
Betty looks to the agents as if noticing them for the first time. That worry is back, was he under some kind of arrest?] Who are they? Is it because of what happened in New York? I saw some of it on TV...
--------------------------------
[He could not help but smile when Betty was around, she brought out the best in him] Apparently I'm part of a team now, started by SHIELD. It isn't ideal, having them tail me, but at least they keep the government off my back. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement this time.
They needed me, and in New York they needed him too. He is still dangerous but he is, I am, getting better at directing all that anger.
--------------------------------
[She's amazed and pleased to hear all of this. It's better than she could have hoped for him. Well...tailing agents aside.]
That's good, I'm so glad to hear that. [Betty knows the Hulk was dangerous to others...but he did know who she was. He was still part of Bruce.] They're treating you alright though? This team you're a part of? Are there other scientists? [The list of questions might not stop.]
--------------------------------
At first I wasn't too happy about them forcing me out of hiding but I've been given a lab, accommodation, everything I could want. Although, the company could be better. [No disrespect to Tony but Betty would always be his favorite lab partner.] The other team members are people with unusual gifts. I think the only ones you'd be familiar with are Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, the original super soldier.
[He tries to explain all the events of the past week to her coherently. It isn't easy.] Until now, I didn't think anything could surprise me anymore. You saw the porthole above New York, right? Apparently all the trouble came from another realm.
--------------------------------
[Betty definitely didn't go around poking people with sharp objects while working with them.] The Tony Stark? What do they have you working on? Or are you allowed to say? [If there were agents and Tony Stark involved, it could be something secret.]
[Betty nods] They confirmed in the papers, an alien invasion. Hard to believe but....you actually fought against them?
--------------------------------
Pepper is in on everything Tony knows, actually she knows a good deal more than he does. They may just make you sign a Confidentiality Contract. [Fury had assured Bruce that Betty would be safe and he would hold him to that.]
The big guy held his own against them, and I didn't suffer too much for it either. There was barely a scratch on me when I woke up.
--------------------------------
[She nods, of course she wouldn't mind signing something like that. The less people knew about Bruce, the better. He didn't need another man like her father chasing him for the same reasons.]
[Betty smiles at that, remembering the first time they woke up in the cave. She'd marveled at that same thing, how he could have been through such a fight and not have a mark on him.] Higher metabolism at work.
[She wants to ask but not sure what the answer would be.] Are you...back to stay? I know the General was reassigned awhile back. [She doesn't even call him her father anymore. Not after what he did to Bruce.]
--------------------------------
[It was just as well Bruce could rely on the other guy in a fight. He felt a little guilty that ordinary SHIELD agents went through rigorous training to do a fraction of what the Hulk could.]
I will probably be transferred a lot. At least you can see me without worrying about either of us being arrested because of it. [That in itself was a blessing. He really wanted to give Betty a quiet suburban home but, for now, this was the next best thing.]
I don't want to ask any more of you, you've already sacrificed so much.
--------------------------------
I'd like that. [She likes that idea a lot. Bruce not having to worry about people chasing him is a huge blessing.]
[Betty gives him a look, shaking her head] Don't, just don't. I would do it all again if you asked me. You're the one that's been through so much.
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[He purses his lips when he sees the look in her eye that he had come to know so well, he's not going to argue with Betty. It was impossible for anyone to change her mind once it had been made, but he loved that about her.]
I'll admit it has been rough at times, but everything seems better when I come back to you. I'm glad I can come back to you now.
--------------------------------
[Her heart takes a leap at that, there had been days when she thought he may never come back again. And she always did like being there to help him when she could.]
[Betty reaches to take his hands in hers as if she might worry he'll run off again.] Where have you been keeping yourself before this? [She'd imagined him traveling the world to stay one step ahead of anyone following him. He had gotten so good at hiding and knowing how to stay off the grid.]
--------------------------------
[He holds her hands firmly, hoping to reassure her. He would be moving, yes, but there would be no more running.]
I'd been working as an unregistered medical practitioner in slums all over the place, most recently in India. [He shrugs.]
It was hard work, but fulfilling.
--------------------------------
[She lights up with a smile] I could see you doing that. I'm a little envious. [She would have wanted to work with him. But he'd needed some time away, as much as she had missed him. As much as they had missed each other.] Your expertise, you were a big help I'm sure.
[Betty gives his hands a tug, an unspoken request to take a walk while they talk. The agents will probably follow but she can ignore them so long as they keep their distance.]
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You would have done even better, you have a great bedside manner. [He follows her eagerly. He had been cooped up a lot recently, by his own choice. Bruce had a habit of becoming absorbed in his work. There was alien technology to be studied and radiation levels to be monitered.]
There is a public open space not far from here, I can take you there.
[The agents don't move immediately. They had some understanding of personal space; he suspects they will be watching from a distance.]
--------------------------------
hope you dont mind me using some stuff from the movie's book
That sounds good. [She lets go of one hand to walk next to him, holding hands as long as he doesn't mind. Betty knows since the radiation accident, Bruce tends to keep everyone at arms length.
She's quiet for a moment or two] ...Samson and I decided not to see each other anymore. [The psychologist she had been seeing when Bruce had first gone missing. Samson had been supportive but...he wasn't Bruce. And he eventually realized this.] I haven't seen him since you left again.
--------------------------------
Sure, lead the way.
Really? Wow,um, he must miss you. You're a special woman, Betty.
[He does not know what to make of this. He liked Samson, he could not have hoped for a better man to take care of Betty, but he can't help feeling elated at the news. He scolds himself for being selfish.]
I have to admit that I am... pleased even though I know I shouldn't be. I'd like for us to reconnect, now that we have a chance.
--------------------------------
[She had thought he would want to know. Him coming back like this, she hadn't known if he felt any differently about her or not. It would seem neither of them had changed.]
I kept hoping...I mean, if there is someone else... [She didn't want to presume there wasn't without asking first.]
--------------------------------
[He can't help laughing out loud at that.] No one could replace you, Betty. You've been there since before I even had the green problem and you haven't given up on me since.
Sure, I've met well-meaning people over the years, but I can't let any of them in. You've already reached too deep inside. [She could have forgotten him, he would have understood, but the fact that she hasn't means the world to him. He wraps an arm cautiously round her waist, readjusting to the closeness.]
--------------------------------
[She hadn't heard him laugh in ages. It breaks any unknown tension left and Betty fits neatly in his arm, putting her head on his shoulder with a relieved smile. Things were working out for him...for them at last.]
What sort of research have you been working on? Anything interesting? [She would love to hear about it.]
--------------------------------
[He missed moments like these, just walking with her down the street as though they were an ordinary couple.]
It seems that SHIELD is as interested in me for my mind as they are in the Hulk for his strength, which is refreshing. [He realises Betty has always appreciated him in such a way.]
At the moment, my main task is monitoring the gamma radiation levels in New York. They've been in decline since the porthole closed so it seems there is no risk of people being poisoned. [Which was a huge relief to him. He is about to tell her about the rest of his research when, suddenly, a thought occurs to him.]
Maybe you can apply to work with me? Even if it is only on a part-time basis?
--------------------------------
Good. [They should be utilizing him for his mind. No one knew gamma radiation like he did. The fact he was out and about in public like this spoke well of Shield. Even if the agents were keeping tabs on him, they were keeping a considerable distance.]
I could, do you think they would need another scientist? [Working together again, she would never pass that up.]
--------------------------------
[SHIELD was one of the less invasive agencies Bruce had been involved with. He understood that there were still ruthless people working behind the scenes but he felt Fury had the Avengers' interests at heart. He was aware that there were precautionary measures in place to contain the Hulk, but Betty did not need to know that yet. The main thing was, they wanted him alive in either state and they did not express an interest in experimenting on him.]
You'd be an asset to them, to me. If you're working with them they may trust you more, give you a little more space.
[He does not want to force her to leave a job she may love, but he senses that staying close to him is what she wants. Just then, he looks a little embarrassed.]
We've been talking about me so much, I don't even know whether you're still working at the University.
--------------------------------
[She smiles fondly at him, happy to be a help to him in particular. Science was her passion as it was his, but she would always love him more than her work.]
I don't suppose you could give me a reference when I hand in a resume? [Betty teases lightly]
I am still working there but it's part time and my interns can cover for me easily. My research, I can take with me anywhere. [She'd been working on alternate cure ideas in case he should ever need her help again. But it would seem he was adjusting well to living with the Hulk instead of looking for a way to get rid of him.]
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I hardly think you will need any recommendation, you are a great success in your own right.
[He does not ask after her research, suspecting she is still pursuing a cure for him. He can't have her thinking that all of her hard work would amount to nothing. Bruce had not lost all interest in a cure, he was just no longer pinning his hopes on it. It put less pressure on Betty.]
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[She stays close at his side as they walk, enjoying the moment.] We always did work well together. [Betty looking up at him, searching his face. As if memorizing it all over again.] You seem more...I don't know... [Not as paranoid? More in control? She hoped that was the case.]