Chapter Text
Try to keep my balance
But I still fall
But how'd I fall so hard…
Promise - Romeo Santos
-o-
Chapter 122: Feeling Better
"Feeling better?" Thor asked as he watched Bruce and Ana make their way back into the living area of the apartment.
Bruce had a tight hold on his wife's hand and was indeed looking much better than he had the hour previously. If the relaxed smile on his face was anything to go by. Ana, on the other hand, was looking slightly dazed on her feet, her legs even had a slight tremor to them and she was leaning against her husband for support. Valkyrie was grinning as she watched the two of them, trying so very hard not to laugh.
"Good," said Thor, not giving them a chance to answer as he got to his feet. "We should be heading out. We have the plan all set." He focused his gaze on Ana. "Lady Ana, you and Banner will go with Valkyrie to the holding cells for the fighters. A friend of mine named Korg is there, he'll need help to start the revolution. While you are there, Loki and I will be sneaking into the garage to get one of the Grandmaster's best ships. What was it called again?" He looked at Valkyrie in question.
"The Commodore," she said in reply, glancing at the god of thunder. "It has the best shields of all of his ships. We'll need it if we're going to be flying through all that debris to get to the Anus. Once you get the ship, we'll more than likely run into some opposition so we'll meet with you along the way."
"All right," said Bruce as he looked at his wife, who was still looking a little unfocused. "Sounds like a plan…"
Ana blinked and looked at the others, finally coming to herself as she took in a breath to relax. "Oui, it should work…" She took in another breath as she glanced at Bruce. "So… When do we head out?"
-o-
The plan had worked well.
While Thor and Loki had headed off to the Grandmaster's palace, Valkyrie had taken Bruce and Ana in her ship and headed over to the coliseum where the holding cells were. The Asgardian woman had knocked out the power source to the matrix of the prisoner's enslaving discs before they headed toward cells. With Ana and Erin back in sync, they had conjured a gateway directly into the holding cells and located one rock being by the name of Korg.
When Valkyrie had called out to the Kronan in question, asking if he was Korg, the rock being had an unintentionally adorable quality about him.
"Who's asking? I know you're asking but was there anyone else?"
Ana, who had been standing behind Valkyrie and maintaining the gateway, let out a huff of laughter.
Korg focused his gaze on the other woman and a sparkle of recognition appeared in his eyes. "Oh! You're the Red Lady. Glad to see you aren't a mindless, raging monster anymore."
Ana didn't respond to that comment but a lick of Erin's anger at those words had spilled over, her smile disappearing.
Valkyrie, seeing that her companion's temper was on a tight leash, quickly tossed Korg the rifle she had been holding. "The Lord of Thunder sends his regards."
Korg caught the rifle, staring at it a moment, before he cocked it back. "The revolution has begun."
-o-
It didn't take long for the escaped fighters to start causing a ruckus. Soon the majority of the Grandmaster's soldiers were heading over to the holding cells to try to contain the revolution. While all of this was going on, Thor and Loki were making good on their end and sneaking into the garage that held the Grandmaster's fleet of ships.
Now, it was just a waiting game for the others.
The moment that they would take the ship, they would be racing toward the Devil's Anus and heading off this garbage rock. Ana could say she couldn't be happier at the prospect. Sure, they would be heading to Asgard to fight Thor's evil sister but it meant they were one step closer to finally heading home.
To finally head home with her missing husband in tow, the very thought of it brought such a smile to her face. She couldn't wait to see the looks on Beccie and Luc's faces when they finally saw their father again…
"We'll be home soon," she heard Bruce say in her ear - as if reading her thoughts – and his hold tightened around her waist. They were sitting in one of the seats in Valkyrie's ship and Bruce had been adamant on keeping his wife on his lap. It was an impractical way of sitting but Ana was not going to deny her husband or herself the comfort of being close together. They had spent two years apart after all. Propriety could go to hell for all she cared.
"Once this is all over, we'll finally be home," he said as he nuzzled her neck and took in a breath. "I can't believe I've been gone for so long…" He pulled away from her and looked at her, his soft brown eyes studying her face as if committing it to memory. He took a moment to swallow, looking conflicted about something.
"Bruce, what is it?" asked Ana, shifting slightly in his lap to study him.
"Do you…" He paused and swallowed again before he continued. "Do you think you'd be able to share any memories? Of Luc and Beccie? I… I want to see them, what I missed… If it's too much, you don't have to but… I thought until we get home it – I…" He broke off, not knowing what else to say and trying hard not to break down in front of the Asgardian woman who was sitting in the pilot seat and doing her best in giving some semblance of privacy.
At the hesitant way in which he asked, Ana could feel her heart nearly breaking. She turned around in his lap until she was straddling him and she leaned forward to press a warm kiss against his brow. Without a word, she reached out toward the back of his neck and clasped her hands securely. "You don't need to ask, mon amour," she said, her voice shaking from the effort to keep from crying from the heartbreak she felt from him.
She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, a gentle red glow emerging from her hands. They both closed their eyes as the happy memories Ana shared with her husband began to flow…
A two and a half year old Luc was giggling as he ran down a hallway, his little nude butt for the entire world to see, while Betty chased after him. "Luc! Get back here right now! You need a bath!"
Beccie, at the same age, throwing her dinner at Ana and giggling at the sight of mashed potatoes now dripping from her mother's face...
"We need to pee pee in the potty, Luc," said Ana as she kneeled beside a little potty chair, her deep brown eyes watching her son with love. The little boy let out huff and shook his little head, not wanting to use the big boy potty…
Luc and Beccie were sleeping peacefully while Ana leaned over them, singing softly into the darkness as she reached out to brush their dark brown curls…
The memories went on this way, Ana showing Bruce all the moments that Luc and Beccie had, each milestone, each crying fit, each joyful laugh, each moment when their enhanced abilities would show...
She could feel him trembling beneath her as his hold around her tightened. The tears were streaming down his cheeks and there was a slight hitch in his breath as the shared memories played.
The final memory that played was the one that set it all into perspective for Bruce. It was of a familiar bench beside a lily pond with a fountain in the middle of it, a secluded garden that Bruce hadn't seen in so long. It had always been one of his favorite places…
"Mama, are you going to find Daddy?" Four year old Beccie asked, her wide brown eyes studying her mother with a wisdom that seemed far beyond her years.
Ana looked down at her daughter and a sad smile appeared on her lips. "I am," she said. "He's somewhere very far away and he can't find his way back to us. If I can find him, I can bring him home."
"You have to leave us again," said Luc, a tiny frown appearing on his young face. "You'll be gone a long time, won't you?"
Ana hesitated as she looked at Luc before she gave a nod. "To find your Daddy, yes…" She took in a breath as she looked between the twins. "But… if you don't want me to leave, I won't. I love you my sunshines… I won't ever leave you if you don't want me to."
The twins were silent as they stared up at Ana, their gazes studying her, before they looked at each other.
"Go find Daddy," said Luc as he looked at his mother.
"We miss him too, Mama," said Beccie as she reached out to take her brother's hand. "Bring Daddy home…"
Ana glanced down at them before she pulled them closer and placed a warm kiss on their cheeks. "I promise you, my sunshines… I will find Daddy and we'll come back to you both."
A shaky sigh escaped Bruce as the last of the memory faded and he held his wife tighter, pressing a kiss against her lips. "I am so sorry," he murmured against her lips. "I'm sorry I left you all alone…"
Ana shook her head as she moved closer against him. "No more apologies Bruce… Let's just go home to them."
Bruce gave a nod as he pressed another kiss to her lips. "We'll take care of this mess and then we're heading home. Nothing will tear me from you this time… I won't let it. You promised them and now I'll promise you. We're going back to them."
Ana gave a tearful smile as she dropped her hands from his neck and gripped the front of his shirt. She tucked herself into his arms, her body curling in as she felt the weight of everything from the last two years come back. All those days and nights she had been without Bruce and now she finally, finally, got him back. It was too much…
Bruce didn't say a word as he held her close, pressing a warm kiss against her curls as he listened to her sob.
It had been a long journey but they were close.
A few more steps in the right direction and they would be home…
They just had one more fight and then they'd be free.