Second Chances - Book 1

Chapter 10: Visit

"Come on, Bruce. I just wanna get home." Natasha spoke, her tone airing on the side of impatience. She had been officially discharged just 5 minutes prior, and in that time Bruce had been packing away the get-well-soon presents she had accumulated over her hospital stay. 

While Bruce worked as quickly as he could without fumbling and making more of a mess, he understood her urgency. It wasn't just home she was wanting to get back to. It was also Vinny. He had stayed with her during the days, but on the nights he would return to Vinny to give the little boy some sense of normality with his shifting routine. It also gave him time to monitor his healing process. He likened it to how an axolotl would regrow a limb. By the evening before Natasha's release, Vinny already had a fully functioning arm and behaved as nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 

Of course, any loud noises would upset him. Bruce, Laura and Clint all put it down to a fear of association. The attack came after a thunderous loud noise, after all. 

Natasha had dressed in the attire Bruce had bought along for her in the time it took him to get the last of their items bagged and ready. She certainly couldn't grumble at a pair of sweatpants, luckily quite baggy around the thighs, as well as a vest top with a black hoodie to go over the top. In any other circumstance, it e for incredibly comfy loungewear. 

Sliding herself off of the bed, Nat picked up some of the bags much to Bruce's disapproval. "There's no way you're carrying all these outside yourself in one trip. I can help, you know?" She mentioned with a soft smile. Despite her reassurance, he still looked incredibly unsure. "Relax."

"I just don't want you to strain yourself," Bruce spoke as he looped the handles of the rest of the bags over his arms. While he appreciated the help, it wouldn't ease his concern.

"You're acting as though I'm not gonna pick up Vinny the moment I see him." Natasha arched a brow, to which Bruce would nod somewhat in the fairness of her point. She was perhaps the toughest person he knew, and a stab wound certainly wouldn't be enough to keep her down for very long. 

The trip out to the car was painstakingly long for the Widow. Bed rest had certainly left her a little more weakened than she would like, but nothing would prevent her from seeing little Vinny. It had been far too long since seeing him in the flesh. Talking to him over video calls had sufficed for long enough.

Bruce took over in loading the bags into the trunk, having insisted that Natasha get seated in the car. More specifically, he ensured to put extra emphasis on the passenger side of the car. He knew her well enough by now to know she would break every speed limit on the way to the Barton's farm. As she was requested, Natasha perched herself in the passenger seat, buckling herself up in preparedness. 

Shutting the trunk, Bruce rounded the vehicle to the left to get in. As he got the car started, he glanced over to Natasha who looked ever so impatient. "I'll get us there as quick as possible." He assured her as he set off. While he wasn't so eager to go over any speed limits, he was however meeting them readily. 

"I just feel.. guilty."

"You shouldn't. If it weren't for you... well, I don't even want to think what might have happened to him." Bruce spoke, shaking his head a little.

"I just don't understand. It was Bucky." Natasha spoke, looking over to Bruce. She caught the brief tensing of his hands on the wheel. "I thought.. I thought HYDRA fell when SHIELD did." She shook her head, furrowing her brows some. "What happened to him?"

"Steve had him transported to some facility. Look where that got us." Bruce spoke, and Natasha could tell Bruce wasn't entirely pleased by that just by his tone. "He hurt both you and Vinny. That... That just crosses a line." He seethed. "And now no one knows where he is."