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"Your vitals are good—more than good actually." Bruce said as he slipped the blood pressure monitor off my arm.
I sighed. I'd only just got out of hospital and was looking forward to being home and having some normality, and here I was with Bruce, Tony, Vision and Wanda in what was supposed to be our escape from reality.
Tony studied the tablet he was holding that was analysing my new DNA. He tapped a few things, passing it over to Bruce to look at. Bucky sat worriedly next to me as he squeezed my hand.
I could tell he just wanted all our bad luck to stop. I knew he didn't want me to be like him, but it was too late now. Luckily Annabel had fallen asleep after wearing herself out with crying.
"Looks like the alterations found in Walker's DNA, as well as Barnes and Cap, are fully evident in yours now too." Tony muttered as his eyes drifted to Bucky seeing him scrunch his face a little.
Bucky knew this would happen, but I think he hoped we'd have more time and not so soon post-partum.
"What does this mean for Laurel, Stark?" Bucky asked quietly and I rested my head against his shoulder, hearing his steady heartbeat and sharp inhales.
I felt like I was having to be extra careful with what I touched or how I moved suddenly, afraid to break everything. I hadn't held Annabel since. I wanted to be sure she'd be ok.
"It means that things are different now. It appears her genes have already stabilised so its a case of Laurel...learning to deal with this now and her new abilities." Tony said thoughtfully, as he gave me a weary smile.
"Look kid, the good news is you're alive, your daughter is here and well, you've got each other. I know it must be weird but eventually when you come back to work, we will train you, we'll make sure it's ok." Tony stated as he tried to reassure me.
I nodded my head weakly. I hadn't even thought about how this would affect work whenever, and if ever, I decided to return. I guess I was more use now to the Avengers than ever.
"What about those pains?" Wanda asked from the sidelines as she still had worry across her facial features.
I know that had scared her seeing me like that.
"Likely as the genes mutated...or adapted however you want to phrase it. Similar to what I get in that second I turn into the big guy." Bruce said knowingly.
I nodded.
"So I won't get them again?" I asked tentatively.
Bruce shrugged. "I can't say for definite but now your DNA seems stable I wouldn't think so."
"What about Annabel...I mean, is she safe around me?" I asked quietly, sadness lacing my voice and making me feel ashamed to even ask that.
