bruce banner, LIFELINE

the truth.

Parker couldn't function. She held the landline to her ear even when all she could hear was the static indicating the end of the call. Bruce was alive.

She stood in her childhood kitchen for a while, she was in shock. A shock that was neither good nor bad, a shock that simply paralysed all her actions and thoughts in her head. She was numb.

He was alive, she heard the voice that for so long had only narrated her dreams. She thought it would be possible to forget, to let the ghost of Bruce Banner go. Turns out she wouldn't have to. It was really him, all of her dread and paranoia for one second drained away as she fumbled for the right words to say.

She told Bruce she loved him but she was too late.

Her Bruce was alive but the words that he said stung as much as hearing a eulogy at his funeral. He sounded hurt and angry but the words had come out with a certainty the doctor normally reserved for telling somebody they were dying. He might as well have told Parker that.

She didn't know what to feel, an emptiness filled her like an expanding void and she slumped her back against the wall. She dropped the phone and it dangled on its cord, it didn't quite reach the ground. Parker let her body fall down, she didn't acknowledge the scraping of her clothes on the tiles over the sound of blood flowing in her ears.

Bruce had managed to save Parkers life only to kill it ten seconds later. She didn't even cry. She thought she would have, even if it was out of joy at the beginning. The void of her emotions stayed like that for a while until one thought filled it; Parker Miller wanted a smoke.

She wanted one right now and nothing was going to stop her. This was only her second day at home and she had never allowed herself to fully re-settle in. Last night, her Aunt and Uncle made the siblings go out in the city to  celebrate her return with a family meal. Peter chose where they went; Chinese restaurant. Parker thought she had weaned herself off salty soy sauce and noodles but it turns out old habits just can't die sometimes. Her blood pressure spiked and for a while she didn't think about her past; recent or long ago.

But good things must end, the thought of leaving Dr Banner in Calcutta haunted her along with the anxiety that every shadow that passed the corner of her eye was the archer. Parker no longer had the normal life she craved for, in fact, nothing seemed to be going her way recently.

----

"You took out your piercings Catherine?" Aunt May smiled at Parker who ran her finger over her nose and lips, the holes were beginning to permanently cover up, "I am glad darling."

Parker smiled and swirled the noodles on her fork, God, she remembered having those studs, it felt so long ago.

"Just the lobes now Aunt May, you were right as well, the lips did hurt." At the time Parker refused to admit her pain, she had asked Peter to steal aspirin from Uncle Ben's private stash.

The siblings shared a look before Peter spoke, "You also owe me ten bucks Ben,"

Their Uncles eyes widened before glancing at a confused Catherine and reaching out for his wallet. Peter leaned over and plucked the bill from his hand triumphantly, "Pleasure doing business with you Ben."

"And that was...?" Parker watched Peter kiss the Founding Father on the bill and put it in his pocket before grabbing a handful of prawn crackers.

"I bet you would have stopped smoking," Peter revealed between mouthfuls, he swallowed, "And I want to thank you for making me ten dollars richer."