Let it Snow (B. Banner)

Chapter Fifteen

Neva walks along the fence surrounding the new orphanage, this is it, the end. The Avengers will go back to their tower and go back to being heroes and she will....go back to the North Pole. She will have to leave them. Leave Bruce. She looks across the yard to where Bruce is stood with Steve, the two of them talking softly. She's only just found him. Only just shared feelings with him. How is she supposed to leave? Bruce looks up and across at her, he waves and smiles at her. Neva smiles back and hopes down from the fence. Her staff at her side, she touches it to the grass and then lifts it over her head towards the clouds. Snow begins to fall. It would not be Christmas without it. She smiles up at the sky and nods to herself. Her work here is done. The children are happy and safe. Neva approaches the other Avengers, Bruce glances to her sadly, he knows what this means for them, for all of them. Job done, time to move on. Steve gives Neva a small smile.

"So..what now?" Steve asks, all of them aware that there is a sense of goodbye in the air.

"Sleep" Tony points out. "I need to sleep, first time I've ever admitted that" he looks at Neva and nods. "Thanks, Bauble" Tony tells her softly. "I knew you'd do good" she nods back at him.

"This was fun" Clint offers. "Same time next year?" he teases. "Just without the whole fire thing" he adds. A year. They will have to wait a whole year to see her again. Bruce takes her hand as the others walk away, giving them this moment.

"You know you don't have to leave" he tells her, she gives him a small smile.

"I have to" she argues. "I have a business to attend to, and I should return to the Pole to let them know how it went" he nods, understands those points. "Doesn't mean I can't come back" she adds, he lifts his eyes to hers. "If you want me too....come back"

"I would like that" he whispers warmly. "I'm not ready to say goodbye" she steps closer to him and touches his cheek.

"Never goodbye, Bruce" she assures him. "Christmas comes every year" he chuckles and nods.

"I don't think I could wait 11 months to see you again" he admits, she hugs him tightly, Bruce's arms wrapping around her.

"It's only 11 months" she whispers, he closes his eyes and holds her tighter before pulling away. He kisses her, fingers in her hair, holding onto her. She pulls back and smiles sadly at him, a few snowflake tears on her cheek. He brushes them away and takes a deep breath. He knows that he is being selfish in wanting her to stay with him. To stay and never leave. But she has a life, a life she was living long before they met, long before he was even born. He cannot just expect her to change everything for him. She takes a step back from him and nods, more to herself than anyone else. She pulls a snowglobe from the satchel at her side and closes her eyes. Every inch of her screaming not to go. But she has things to do, places to be, a home to get back to. Neva throws the snow globe and disappears through the portal which closer behind her. Bruce lets out a shaky breath and looks down.

"How are we going to get back?" Natasha asks, they'd portaled here, to where ever here is. And now they are stuck.

................

Neva hums as she walks around the globe in centre of the workshop, the lights seem to be glaring at her rather than sparkling, but she thinks that is just her mood. She feels lonely. Even surrounded by all of the yetis and the elves, she is alone. This doesn't feel like home any more. Jackie appears at her side.

"You love him" Jackie points out. Neva nods in agreement. She is pretty sure that she does love Bruce. "So go to him" Jackie tells her. "What are you doing here? When he is back there?" she asks and touches Neva's cheek. "Go...be happy..." Neva smiles at her, her eyes welling with tears. "It's okay, we'll be okay...and we'll be here....always will be" Neva hugs her mother, Jackie hugging her back before pulling away. "Now...go" Jackie pushes, Neva nods and hurries out of the room.

...................

Bruce groans slightly as he leans against his bedroom door. He didn't think it would be this hard. It's only been hours and he already hates it. She is such a light, a bundle of joy and happiness and it's like it's all been sucked away without her presence in his life.

"That wasn't a happy groan" A voice states, Bruce spins and finds Neva leaning against the wall along the hall, she spins her staff in her hand and smiles. He lets out a breath and is moving towards her before he can even think about it. She smiles when he reaches her, his hands finding her face. He kisses her, really kisses her, her fingers clutch to his arm as she kisses him back. Even just a few hours away from one another was more than enough.

"You came back" he points out when he pulls back from her, she nods and touches his arms.

"I came back" she agrees, the two of them share a look and he smiles and kisses her again. She came back. For him.