Come Back To Me

9

"Maggie! Mags!" Steve's voice called down the hallway as he came running back, still in his Captain America uniform. My head snapped in his direction and a smile spread across my lips. He had finally returned from his mission after two days and I was glad I didn't have to be alone any longer.

I was currently outside of Bruce's laboratory waiting for news of Jamie's possible mutation. He had been working with her since that morning, and the sun was already beginning to set outside. I hadnt gone home, even after my talk with Tony. I had hardly slept. But I was glad that Jamie would be okay. Steve approached with a grin, but it flickered for a moment when he got a clear look at my features. "Woah, Mags. Are you feeling alright?" He slowed his pace and stopped beside me in the hallway.

"Yeah. Just tired." I dismissed with a shrug.

"Have you slept?" he arched a brow.

"Not much." I answered truthfully, crossing my arms over my body. Steve sent me a disappointed stare. "Dont even start." I rolled my eyes.

He sighed through his nose and leaned against the wall. "How's Jamie?" he asked in a lighter tone.

"She's awake. Bruce is with her right now. He said he would come get me when he's done." I answered. As if on queue, the door to Bruce's lab swung open and Bruce stepped out with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

"I figured it all out. You have to come see this." He said. My head tilted and I gave Steve an unsure glance to which he shrugged. Hesitantly, I inched forward and followed Bruce into the lab where Jamie sat behind a large table in the center of the room. Steve stepped in behind me and Bruce quickly made sure to shut the door. "Stand right there by the door. Stay quiet and stay still." Bruce ordered. My brows knitted together and I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, but Steve and I complied and stood silently beside the door. Bruce moved to a small cage in the corner of the room and opened it up, lifting a small white mouse out of it. I watched curiously as to how the mouse would be of any use. Gingerly, he held it in his hands and moved to sit in front of Jamie, across the large table.  Her eyes stared down at the little rodent as Bruce carefully placed it on the table. The tiny mouse scurried around, peeking over the tables edges and sniffing about the surface. "Jamie, just like before. Go ahead and show them what you can do." Bruce said slowly. Jamie's steel blue orbs shifted up to look at Bruce and her head slowly nodded.

Her small eyes flicked closed and her brows furrowed in concentration, her hands clenched up in her lap. Suddenly, the little mouse that was once scurrying freely around the table crawled to the middle of the table, sat down, and looked up at the doctor like a trained puppy. "Jamie, can you hear me?" Bruce asked, keeping his focus on the mouse. The tiny creature moved its head up and down as if it was nodding. My hand flew up to my mouth to conceal a gasp as I watched. How was any of that even possible? "Now listen carefully. I would like you to climb off the table and bring me my pen from the floor over there." Bruce instructed the mouse, and tossed the pen he held in his jacket into the corner near my feet. Dr. Banner sat back as he watched the mouse scurry to the edge of the table and make its way down the leg, and onto the floor. My eyes were wide with amazement as the mouse scampered near my feet and took the pen in its mouth, dragging it back over to the table. The small animal pulled itself up the leg of the table and moved closer to Bruce, dropping the pen in front of him, looking up to the doctor for approval. "Good job, Jamie. Now please, take the mouse back to its cage." Dr. Banner requested. Just as he had said, the mouse scurried back down to the floor and crawled over to the cage Bruce had taken it out of and crawled up the thin metal bars into the cage. Bruce smiled and stood up, moving to the cage and closing the door. "You may be done now." Bruce said calmly.

Jamie blinked her eyes open and sat up straighter in her chair as she relaxed, the little white mouse beginning to go back to its usual scampering in the cage. Bruce looked back at me with a grin. "What was that?" I asked, my mouth slightly ajar. Jamie stayed quiet and smiled at me, letting Bruce explain.