Body and Soul: The Endgame Fix

Part 13: Open and Honest

Summary: Bruce calls Lee and Peter arrives to talk about more than science. Nat gets the local scoop from Darla and Shelly at the salon before heading back home with a new haircut and an old color.

Note: It's the afternoon of Monday, October 30, 2023.

Part 13: Open and Honest

Bruce leaned on the gate and watched Nat and the pup disappear around the bend in the road. He needed to talk to Lee and give him the good news, but he wondered if he should text him or bother him with a call since they'd talked just that morning. He'd contact Pepper and Hap later after Morgan was in bed. News tended to travel fast on its own in their circle, so he'd leave it to Nick and Clint to let the rest know. Natasha could call or visit Steve when she felt ready. He was still a little too mad to talk to the old shit himself, but Bruce wouldn't discourage her. There were things they all needed to know going forward, and Bruce was completely in favor of Nat putting her specific skill set to work if that's what it took to get some straight answers.

After a few minutes of debating back and forth, Bruce texted Lee and asked if it was okay to talk on a secure line because he had some good news. Besides sharing the joy, Bruce wanted to keep Lee informed since the psychiatrist understood how devastating the breakup and the fake Natasha's death had been. In less than a minute, his phone rang and Samson was on the other end.

"Hi, Bruce. I'm waiting here in the car while Betty is in the store with the kids. What's up?" Lee asked.

"Well, this is almost beyond belief, but something really, truly wonderful has happened. The Natasha I've been dealing with for the past five years and who died two weeks ago wasn't the real one." He could hear Lee's breath catch. "The real Natasha was kidnapped and replaced when I first came down to meet with you a few weeks after the Decimation."

"My God! Oh, my . . . God. That explains a lot Bruce." Bruce could image the shocked look on Lee's face. "How? If you can tell me of course."

"I was over at the Compound site by the lake earlier today, and I got some surprising readings when I was scanning the area and going over rebuilding plans. There was a ship or vessel hidden in the deepest point in the lake, and Nat had been kept in stasis there. The thing uncloaked and let her go. I was able to raise it out of the lake and then others showed up to help."

"You found her? She's alive?"

Bruce grinned as he pictured the astonished look on Lee's face. "Yes. She's staying here at my house with me. Sirius is taking her for a walk into town right now."

"That's wonderful! How are you doing?"

Bruce thought for a moment, running his injured hand through his hair. "It's almost as if the last five years didn't happen, but of course they did. I was concerned she'd freak out at how much I've changed since she last saw me, but she rolled with it. We haven't gotten to discussing the details yet, but I'm probably more worried about how she feels than I need to be. Nat has always been such a rock. She's a bit guarded, which is understandable, but so far, my . . . my appearance doesn't seem to bother her. I mean, we both loved her, so on my part, that's stayed the same. I know the changes are a lot for anyone to process." He gave up trying to stand still and began to pace along the drive. "I just keep getting these flashes of rejection from before, even it didn't come from her. No panic attacks yet. Just some anxiety as I try to catch her up and we go over the difficult parts. I should have more faith in her."

"That's normal behavior, Bruce. It's okay to be cautious. You had a difficult time and the impersonator was hurtful and toxic when she wasn't being manipulative. You didn't deserve that. It will probably get easier as you sort out things with Natasha. How do you think she herself is doing?"