(A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to update, but I haven't had much time, and when I have, I haven't had any inspiration. Sorry if this one is a bit jumpy and rough, but I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate the individual epilogues, and Bruce's was unfortunately the hardest one to write. I didn't focus on him a whole lot throughout this story which made it tough, but hopefully these epilogues will get a bit better as we continue on with the more well-established characters! Thank you so much for your patience with me, and thanks for reading!! Stay safe and healthy everyone!)
*
(August)
"I want you to meet Abigail."
Just those six words alone were enough to make Bruce's heart drop.
The arm he had wrapped around Caroline as they watched a movie, stiffened. Caroline, at feeling him tense, turned so she was facing him.
"Bruce, I really like you. We've been dating for several months, I think it's only right you meet my daughter. She really wants to meet you," Caroline explained, voice soft.
"I... I don't know that I can. I'm not good around kids," Bruce stammered, shifting his weight away from Caroline, who now sat up with a concerned expression on her face.
"Hey, I've seen you with Harry and Peter. You're great with them," she reassured, reaching out to touch his arm. But at seeing him flinch back, she lowered her hand once more, trying to keep the hurt out of her expression.
"That's... different. They're teenagers. Around younger kids, I'm... I'm dangerous."
He said the last word in a whisper, as if he were ashamed. Caroline's heart broke as she listened to how guilty Bruce sounded.
"Hey, listen to me," Caroline grabbed his hands seriously, making sure that his gaze was meeting hers.
"I've met dangerous people. I've brought them into my daughter's life before, and I swore I'd never do it again. That's why I'm trusting you to meet her. You're not dangerous, Bruce. You're the sweetest, kindest, gentlest man that I've ever met. You'd protect us, not harm us, and I trust you."
Bruce glanced down at their hands, Caroline's smaller ones on top of his.
"Can we meet in a quiet place? Somewhere that won't be overstimulating? I just... I don't want to go anywhere that could cause me to, well... you know," Bruce asked finally, looking back up to meet his girlfriend's eyes.
Caroline's face broke out into a wide grin.
"Of course, baby," she leaned in and gave him a soft, sweet kiss.
"And... Nevermind, sorry," Bruce cut himself off.
"No, what is it?" Caroline redirected. "I promise I'm not going to judge you."
"I was just going to ask- and we don't have to- but... do you mind if we do it soon? Like, today? I just... I don't want to talk myself out of it. And, I promise it has nothing to do with my relationship with you. I love you, and I do want to meet Abigail, I'm just... I'm scared," Bruce rambled, voice fading as he admitted the truth.
"There's nothing to be scared of, Bruce. You won't hurt her," Caroline assured.
"What if she doesn't like me?"
There, the question was out in the open. The full reason that Bruce was afraid.
If Abigail didn't like him, what would happen with Caroline? If Abigail didn't like him, he wouldn't feel as though things could progress any further, as much as he loved her. He wouldn't be comfortable proposing, or finding a place to move in together with her, not if Abigail didn't like him.
But maybe he was jumping the gun. They had only been together for four months, and here he was thinking about moving in together and getting married. For all he knew, Caroline didn't even want to get remarried. He couldn't say he would blame her after her last marriage.
He was spiraling, just thinking about it.
"-Bruce!" At hearing his name, Bruce snapped out of his thoughts, meeting Caroline's concerned stare.
"Are you alright? You completely zoned out," Caroline's thumb traced circles over the top of his hand absentmindedly.
Bruce blew out a long controlled breath.
"Sorry. I was just thinking. What were you saying?" He apologized.
"She's going to love you, Bruce," Caroline repeated, and he nodded along as though trying to convince himself to believe her.
"I sure hope so."
*
"The library?" Bruce glanced at Caroline quizzically as she guided him up the steps towards the entrance of the large stone building.
"It's Abigail's favorite place, and I reserved a sound proof conference room for this afternoon so that we have time to chat without being interrupted or distracted," Caroline gave his hand a squeeze, but a shadowy look passed across her face and she suddenly looked very shy and timid.
"That's alright with you, though, right? If-if not, we can go somewhere else, I just-"
"Caroline," Bruce stopped in his tracks, forcing Caroline to stop with him. His voice was soft and patient as he continued.
"It's the perfect place. Thank you," he smiled fondly at her. She blew out a small breath and glanced up for a moment as she collected herself.
"Sorry. It's just... Ryan hated it when I would do things without consulting him first. I know you're not like him, but... it's hard sometimes. To break the old habits of doubting every. Single. Thing."
Bruce's chest tightened at the mention of Caroline's ex-husband. She had told him about the things that Ryan used to say and do, and Bruce's heart ached for her.
There was a part of him that was scared, too, knowing that she had moved from one monster to another. The difference was, Bruce knew that the monster side of him was never, ever, going to be directed towards the ones he loved.
The automatic sliding doors opened before them as they reached the top of the steps, and Bruce unconsciously ran a hand down the front of his shirt to check that all of his buttons were done.
"She's going to love you," Caroline reassured. They made their way down a quiet hallway to a staircase, climbing to the second floor in silence.
"She walked here from school, which is just down the street, so she's probably just working on homework," Caroline rambled.
They stopped outside of conference room 2, and Caroline turned to Bruce with a smile.
"You ready?" She asked with a small laugh.
"Let's do this," he gave her a small kiss.
Caroline knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open, and a petite blonde girl turned towards them. Her face was nearly identical to her mother's with a smattering of freckles covering her cheeks and nose.
"Hey sweetie," Caroline rounded the table and planted a kiss on top of her daughter's head. "Abigail, this is Bruce."
Abigail's green eyes crinkled as she smiled, and Bruce couldn't help but notice that they looked exactly the same as Caroline's do when she laughs.
"It's nice to meet you," Bruce smiled, unsure of how he should act. Was he supposed to shake an eight year old's hand?
"It's nice to meet you too. My mom has told me a lot about you," Abigail extended her hand out to the scientist, and Bruce accepted it, thankful (yet surprised) that she had initiated it.
"What are you working on?" Caroline rounded the chair and stood behind her daughter, placing her hands on the eight year old's shoulders.
"I finished my math worksheet, so I'm just practicing my spelling words. I got moved into group four, which has the hardest words!"
"That's my girl," Caroline grinned, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.
Bruce stood there, a smile beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth as he watched Caroline interact with her daughter. He knew that she was a good mom, but seeing it was different. It was evident how much she loved being a mother.
It was also reassuring to see how comfortable Abigail was around him already. He had been worried that she would have been closed off and hesitant to share her mother with someone else-- especially a man that could potentially become a father figure in her life. But she had already engaged Bruce in a comfortable conversation, and things were going smoothly.
"So I was thinking about an afternoon snack. I know this really great ice cream place that's just down the street, what do you say?" Bruce prompted, looking hopefully towards Caroline.
"What do you think hon? Are you up for some ice cream?" Caroline directed towards Abigail before she shot Bruce an affectionate look.
"Moooom," Abigail rolled her eyes. "I'm always up for some ice cream."
*
(Two months later-- October)
"Oh Bruuuuuuce," Tony's voice sang as he sauntered into the lab. Bruce was hunched over his work desk, scribbling furiously on a notepad.
"Not right now Tony," Bruce spoke, not even looking up from his work.
"Yes, yes right now. It's 1 in the morning and your phone has been ringing for about five minutes now. Friday informed me that it's important you answer."
Bruce spun around, mind racing and fearing the worst. Tony passed the vibrating phone to the scientist who hit accept call and answered.
"Hello?" Bruce's voice was thick with concern, but the voice that responded on the other end was smooth and relaxed.
"Is this Dr. Bruce Banner speaking?" A man with a thick Swedish accent asked.
"Yes, this is he," Bruce shot Tony a quizzical look, and the billionaire just shrugged.
"Hello Dr. Banner, my name is Göran Hansen, and I'm calling on behalf of the Nobel Committee of Physics. We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a Nobel Prize for your work pertaining to Gamma rays and radiation. Congratulations Dr. Banner."
Bruce spluttered, unsure of what to say. He hadn't even realized that his work had been nominated. But to find out that he was the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize-- he was stunned.
"Wow. Thank- thank you so much Mr. Hansen. It's truly an honor," Bruce responded, still unsure of what to say. On the other end, the man laughed.
"The Committee is going to start calling in about 30 minutes, Dr. Banner, and the press shortly after. If I were you, I'd put on a strong pot of coffee and down a few cups. We will be in contact with you soon. Congratulations again."
Bruce thanked him once more before ending the call and setting the phone down on the table and slowly turning to Tony, who was sporting a questioning look on his face.
"What was that all about?" Tony questioned, taking in the shocked expression on Bruce's face.
"That was the Nobel Committee of Physics," Bruce's voice started out flat before his face broke into a smile and excitement burst through his words. "They just called to tell me that I've won a Nobel Peace Prize!"
Tony's face dropping into a momentary expression of shock before he bounded forward and pulled his friend into a tight hug, slapping his back in a congratulatory manner.
"Holy shit, Bruce, congratulations! Oh my God, this is amazing!" Tony was elated. He couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the award.
Bruce ran a hand over his face in an attempt to refresh himself a bit. He glanced at the digital clock sitting on his desk and saw the time 1:09 staring at him.
"Holy shit," Bruce muttered to himself. "I can't believe that just happened."
"Believe it buddy. You deserve it," Tony squeezed his shoulder proudly. "Can I do anything for you?"
Bruce let out a small chuckle, remember the words that Göran Hansen had spoken to him on the phone.
"Yeah-- can you put on a pot of coffee? It's going to be a long night."
*
(Two months later-- December)
Bruce anxiously straightened his tie for thousandth time, staring in the mirror to make sure he looked perfectly polished.
"Come on Bruce, you look fine," Tony reassured, swooping in a grabbing his friend by the arm as he guided him away from the mirror.
"You know I hate public speaking. What happens if something goes wrong and I freak out and then the Other Guy decides to come out to play?" Bruce ranted nervously, earning a 'really?' stare from Tony.
"You really think that just because you might stumble over a word in you Nobel Peace Prize acceptance that the Other Guy is going to come out?"
"Well it's not like he normally asks for an invitation, Tones."
"I am not one to endorse drinking to calm the nerves anymore, but man could you benefit from a stiff one right now," Tony scoffed.
"I think you're going to do great, Bruce," Harry spoke as he entered the room with a small knock. Bruce smiled kindly at the teenager and tried to heed his words of encouragement.
"Hey dad, all guests are supposed to be taking their seats now," Harry turned to Tony, who clasped his hand on Bruce's shoulder proudly.
"You've got this big guy."
Tony and Harry made their way out of the small dressing room that the venue had allowed each award recipient to have. Bruce wasn't sure if this was a typical gesture made by the Committee, or if Tony had managed to pull some strings to allow him a place to go to avoid the overstimulation of the crowd gathered in the lobby. Either way, he was grateful.
Looking back in the mirror, his hands found their way to his tie again as he waited for someone to come tell him it was time to take his seat.
A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts, something he was grateful for. Caroline entered and nearly took his breath away. She was wearing a dark green floor length dress that perfectly suited her body's every curve but still allowing her to remain respectful and professional for the ceremony.
"You look stunning," Bruce spoke, taking her hand in his and motioning for her to twirl. She let out a small laugh and complied, allowing Bruce to see the silver cross-straps that intertwined over her shoulder blades.
"You clean up pretty nice yourself," she teased as she ran her hands over his shoulders, smoothing imaginary wrinkles in the perfectly pressed suit.
"I heard you were getting nervous down here so I thought I'd come see if I can help."
"I'm alright, I think. Just nervous about my speech," he patted his jacket pocket where he had written down some talking points, just in case. "Harry said that they were telling guests to go take their seat, do you need to go?"
"I will if you want me to, but I can also stay and escort you out," she offered, and Bruce felt some of the anxiety leave his body.
"I would love nothing more," he smiled, taking her hand and giving it a small squeeze.
Someone wearing a black t-shirt and headphones appeared in the doorway to the dressing room.
"Dr. Banner, 2 minutes," he spoke before quickly hurrying away.
"Almost time," he took a deep breath, the panic quickly returning.
"Hey, look at me," Caroline spoke, squeezing his hand back. "You've already done the hard part to win this award. Now all you've got to do is go say thank you to everyone who helped you out, and thank the Committee for selecting your work. I've heard you talk about your research before and how passionate you are about it, and I've heard you talk about how supportive your team is. I promise that it'll all come easy to you once you're up there because I've heard you do it a thousand times already."
Bruce leaned in a gave her a kiss.
"Thank you. I love you," he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers lightly.
"You're welcome, and I love you too," she smiled.
He grasped her hand and they began their way out the door and down the hallway towards the stairs.
"Just one more thing," she spoke, giving him a sly smirk.
"What's that?"
"Whatever you do, just don't forget to thank Tony because God, you would never hear the end of that one."
Bruce tossed his head back in a deep laugh.
"You're not wrong about that one," he remarked as he helped Caroline lift her dress to climb the stairs.
As they ascended the steps, a cacophony of noise grew louder and louder, but Caroline's hand squeezed his hand tighter and tighter.
"Thank you," he mouthed. She just smiled in return.
They spotted the tables that the team had staked claim at, and Bruce was thankful that everyone he wanted in attendance were able to be there. They had sworn that they wouldn't miss it for the world, but sometimes the world had other ideas. Tonight, however, the stars had aligned and not a single person was missing.
Caroline, Abigail, Tony, Pepper, Harry, Peter, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Bucky. Heck, even Phil Coulson and Nick Fury had snuck in and were sitting a few tables back in support of him.
Looking around at all of the people who had supported him through long nights in the lab or made sure he was taking time to separate his work from his every day life, it touched something inside him.
And he finally felt ready.
*
(March)
Bruce was getting ready in the bathroom when he saw Caroline enter the bedroom in the mirror. She walked over to the bed and sat down, slowly.
"What's wrong?" Caroline's face was buried in her hands and her shoulders were hunched. Bruce made his way over to the bed and took a seat.
"I just got a call from my lawyer, the one that handled the whole... ordeal with Ryan, and she told me that he was just released from prison and is out on parole. He was supposed to spend ten years in there, and it's only been seven and a half. How does that even happen?"
Bruce immediately wrapped her up in his arms, taking deep breaths to make sure that he was calm. The last thing this situation needed was for him to get worked up and angry.
"I'm so scared Bruce. What if he wants to try to get partial custody of Abigail?" Caroline's voice broke, and Bruce pulled her in tighter.
"Shh, it's going to be alright. We're not going to let that happen. If you're worried about it, I'll ask Tony to set us up with the best lawyer he knows."
"He's entitled to see his kid, I can't stop that. I just-- I don't think I could face him to even discuss it. She's been all mine for her whole life. Is it selfish that I don't want that to change?"
"No. You are anything BUT selfish, Caroline. Everything you've gone through, every hardship and challenge along the way, every sacrifice you've made, has been to make life better for Abigail. You're a good mom."
She buried her face into his shirt, inhaling the scent of laundry detergent and cologne that Bruce had just put on.
"How do I explain it to her? She was only a few months old when he went to jail, and it's not like we've been going for regular visits."
"What have you told her? About... everything?" Bruce asked, treading carefully. He didn't want to sound accusatory towards Caroline for any decision that she had made to protect both herself and her daughter.
"Pretty much everything, just not in detail. I explained that her dad was not a nice man and didn't treat me kindly, and he went to jail because of it. I told her that he was going to be in prison until she was 10, and once he's out we can discuss whether or not she wants to meet him. But she's never shown any interest in meeting him, or even acknowledging that she has a dad at all."
"She's a smart kid. She knows right from wrong and even without you spelling everything out for her, she knows that what Ryan did to you was wrong. Kids have a stronger moral compass than we give them credit for, and I'm sure that her lack of interest to get to know him comes from her knowledge that he treated you poorly," Bruce spoke, running his thumb over Caroline's hands in a soothing way.
Caroline looked up at him, and she brought a hand to cup the side of his face.
"You are amazingly smart and kind and loving, and I can't tell you how much you've helped us both, whether you realize it or not."
Bruce smiled, leaning into her touch slightly.
"I love you. And I promise you, we'll get through this together," Bruce swore.
"Together," Caroline repeated, mulling over the word. "I like the sound of that."
*
(Three weeks later)
Bruce pushed the cart down the aisle, jokingly speeding up towards Abigail. She laughed and jumped out of the way as she played along with Bruce's game. Once a week, the two of them joined Caroline as she went grocery shopping, mostly because she refused to make a list and would inevitably forget half of what she needed without Abigail there to remind her.
"Do we have pesto sauce?" Caroline questioned, staring at the shelves of pasta sauces.
"No, we used the rest of it last week," Abigail replied, rolling her eyes at Bruce who stifled a laugh. Since first meeting her, she had come out of her shell and Bruce loved every second they were together. There were times his heart swelled just thinking about the amount of love he had for the two of them. He couldn't imagine loving two people any more.
"That's right. I made that shrimp pasta-- we should do that again, that was really good," Caroline remembered, grabbing a few jars and placing them in the cart.
"And extend an invite next time. That sounds delicious," Bruce chuckled. Between Harry and Caroline's cooking he was going to have to start joining the team when they went to the gym every day.
They were still laughing and joking when they turned the corner to the next aisle, when suddenly Bruce stopped dead in his tracks.
At the end of the aisle was a man whose face was all too familiar, despite the two having never met. Bruce would recognize the face from the mugshot he had spent hours looking at while having Tony do background check after background check.
Ryan stood at the end of the aisle, reading a grocery list. He hadn't noticed the presence of his ex-wife and daughter yet, but Bruce knew that as soon as he looked up, there was going to be a confrontation.
He just hoped it was peaceful.
"Caroline," Bruce spoke, voice low and warning. He stepped in front of Abigail casually to shield her from Ryan's view.
"Hmm?" Caroline hummed, staring at the spice rack, not at all aware of what he had seen. She turned to look at him and her eyes immediately landed on Ryan.
Bruce watched as all traces of the joking, confident, bubbly woman that he had grown to know and love suddenly slipped away. Her face fell and Bruce's heart broke at seeing the lasting impact that her ex-husband had on her, turning her into a timid and terrified shell of the person he knew.
Her face was pale but she managed to rip her eyes away from Ryan and to Bruce's face. His eyes were turning a brilliant shade of green, and she reached out to hold his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut quickly and focused on her touch to reground himself.
"What do we do?" She asked, looking behind her to see if they could make a getaway without him noticing. Behind them, there were two older ladies with shopping carts, blocking the end of the aisle as they chatted.
At the end of the aisle, Ryan looked up from his list and glancing down the aisle. His eyes landed on Bruce and then Caroline, and slowly recognition appeared on his face.
But instead of looking angry or upset, he looked surprised and slightly scared.
"Caroline?"
Caroline looked towards Bruce, who turned around and made sure Abigail was still tucked behind him. She remained unaware of the situation that was at hand, and Bruce pleaded that Ryan would retreat quickly.
"Ryan," Caroline's voice was hard as she spoke.
"How- um.... how have you been?" Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets as he awkwardly tried to converse.
"Fine, now."
There was a bite to her voice, and Bruce felt goosebumps forming on his skin. He just wanted to get out of there and tuck the two of them safely away from the man who had hurt them.
Ryan's eyes shifted to Bruce and then subtly down to his hands, presumably looking for a wedding ring. As he looked down, he noticed the eight year old hiding behind the man.
"Oh my god... Abigail?" Ryan's voice was thin, almost as if he were on the verge of tears. He took a step forward to get a good look at her, but Bruce put his hand out and made contact with his chest, stopping him from moving any closer.
"That's close enough," Bruce's voice was uncharacteristically low, almost more of a growl.
Ryan held up his hands in surrender and took a step back.
"Look man, I don't want to start anything. I promise, I don't want to make a scene," Ryan explained.
"Bruce, it's okay," Caroline murmured. "Abigail, hon, come here."
Abigail peeked shyly from around Bruce, moving over to her mother who protectively wrapped an arm around her.
"Oh Caroline," Ryan breathed, "she's a spitting image of you."
He let out a sad laugh, remorse in his eyes. Bruce had a brief moment of pity for the man that was quickly replaced with anger at the thought of Ryan hurting the woman that he loved.
Caroline paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond, before tentatively saying, "she's got your laugh."
Ryan's eyes grew misty, and he blinked quickly to will away the tears.
"Abigail!" A voice that belonged to a little girl down the aisle from them exclaimed.
"It's a girl from my class mom, can I go say hi?" Abigail asked tentatively, not sure of what was happening at the moment.
"Sure hon, go ahead," Caroline encouraged, letting go of her daughter and watching her like a hawk as she made her way past Ryan who wistfully watched her go. He coughed, trying to get rid of the lump that had settled in this throat.
"I'm sober now. Have been for 7 and a half years. Can't really drink in prison," Ryan's attempt at a joke fell flat, and he quickly continued. "I'm really sorry for everything I put you through. You didn't deserve any of it, and I've been to thousands of hours of therapy since the police arrested me that night, trying to figure out why I did it."
He paused, looking around in shame, afraid of bystanders hearing what he was saying.
"I'm not going to try to file for custody- I'm not going to put you through that," he said quickly before continuing with a bit more caution. "Say the word and I'll leave you alone, and you'll never hear from me again. I owe you that much. But... if you would are okay with it... do you think I could see Abigail sometimes? We could meet up somewhere? You can be there- both of you, if it'd make you feel better. I just... I want to step up and be in her life. Please, Caroline?"
Bruce reached for her hand, giving it a small squeeze. He hoped she understood what he was trying to say-- that he's on board for whatever she feels is best for her daughter. That he would support her in any decision that she makes. That she shouldn't feel pressured into doing anything that she doesn't want to do.
The look she gave him was one that indicated she understood, and she took a deep breath.
"I think maybe we could arrange a meeting point somewhere. IF, and only if, Abigail wants to," Caroline finally responded.
Ryan blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.
"Hold on just one second," he took a few steps down the aisle toward his cart and grabbed his shopping list and a pen. He scribbled something down quickly and made his way back to Bruce and Caroline.
"This is my phone number and my current address. The place I'm staying is a dump, but it's all I can manage right now. I just got a job at the deli down the street from where it's at though, which is nice. Anyway, just... let me know what you decide. And if I never hear from you, I promise I'll respect your decision and leave you alone."
Caroline reached out with a hand that was trembling slightly and accepted the paper from him.
Ryan turned to face Bruce as he buried his hands in his pockets.
"I know I don't know you man, but you seem like a good guy. I just wanted to say thank you, for being a father figure to Abigail when I wasn't. I obviously don't know a lot about your situation, but I can tell she trusts you."
He held out his hand for Bruce to shake, and for a moment, Bruce wondered what would happen if he just kept the man hanging and refused to reciprocate the handshake. But it really seemed like Ryan was trying, and even though Bruce knew that he would never trust the man or fully forgive him, he needed to be civil towards him.
Bruce extended his arm and shook Ryan's hand. He couldn't help but squeeze his fingers just a bit too firmly before releasing his hand from his grasp. The look on Ryan's face indicated that he understood the message.
"I'll leave you alone now, let you get back to your shopping," he stepped away from where Bruce and Caroline stood. "Thank you for hearing me out."
Caroline just gave a small nod and folded up the note with Ryan's information, placing it in her purse. Ryan gave the two of them one last weary smile before retreating back to his cart and quickly making his way out of the aisle.
Caroline let out a big breath and Bruce wrapped his arms around her, heart breaking as he could feel her trembling.
"I don't know what to think," she muttered into his chest. "I don't know why I was hoping that when I saw him it would be this big showdown. I was almost hoping he would be cruel and nasty, that way I could feel validated in my feelings that I've been holding on to all of these years. So that I wouldn't feel guilty about keeping Abigail away from him. But he seemed so... remorseful and respectful. I wasn't prepared for that."
Bruce, acutely aware that they were in the middle of the aisle in a grocery store, turned her so she was tucked against the shelves, shielded as much as possible from the prying eyes of passing shoppers.
"Your feelings are completely valid, whatever they may be. You were the one who experienced pain and suffering at his hands, and the emotions associated with that don't just disappear. And, you have a daughter that you love and are trying to do whatever you can to protect her from getting hurt. You are allowed to feel whatever emotions that you feel, and you're allowed to make whatever decision you think is best for Abigail," Bruce hushed, stroking her hair soothingly.
Caroline pulled away from Bruce and gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Abigail came skipping back down the aisle towards them, blissfully unaware of the impact of the conversation that had just gone down.
"Mom, who was that?" She asked, looking around to make sure Ryan was gone. Caroline shot Bruce a look, and at his nod of encouragement, she turned back to Abigail.
"That was your dad, sweetheart," she spoke carefully. "What do you say we grab some ice cream and head home? There's a lot I think we should talk about."
Abigail, understanding that the middle of the supermarket was not the place to have this conversation, nodded in agreement. She began her way towards the frozen foods aisle, determined to get there first so that she could select the ice cream flavor.
"Thank you," Caroline whispered to Bruce as they followed her.
"There's no need to thank me," Bruce replied. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."
*
(December)
"Bruce! If you don't hurry your ass up, we're going to be late!" Tony's voice echoed through the lab, causing Bruce to let out a groan.
"Three minutes, that's all I need!" He insisted, not taking his eyes off of what he was working on.
"Nope, no can do. You can finish that when we get back if you really need to. But look at you, you're not even dressed."
"All I need to do is put on a jacket and a tie," Bruce finally looked up at Tony, brows furrowed.
"That's what you're wearing to the wedding? Yeesh," Tony wrinkled his nose.
"Wow, thanks," Bruce looked wistfully at his desk, but decided that it would be okay, just for the rest of the night. "Guess I need to go change."
"I'll text Peter to grab a suit from your closet- kid's got surprisingly good taste when it comes to formal wear. You can change on the plane."
"Don't you think it's a little ridiculous that you're taking a plane to get upstate?"
"Hey, it's carbon footprint is virtually non-existent so I don't want to hear it," Tony snapped, no malice in his voice. He turned and made his way out of the lab, Bruce on his heels.
"Laura is going to make fun of you," Bruce laughed.
"She's got wedding-on-the-brain so bad she won't even notice there's a plane. Doubt she'll even notice we're there with the way she'll be drooling over Clint," Tony made a gagging expression, but he smiled. Everyone was excited that the team's chronically single member had finally met his match.
"So when are you thinking about popping the question to Caroline?" Tony asked casually, causing Bruce to almost trip over his own feet.
"Whoa man. I mean, where did that come from?"
"You two have been together for almost two years now, and you're pretty serious. You're together almost every night of the week, Abigail is pretty attached to you, and I've never seen you like this about anyone. So excuse me for asking an obvious question," Tony held up his hands defensively.
"Do you think she'd say yes if I asked?"
Tony just laughed.
"Yes Bruce, yes I do."
Bruce pondered this the rest of the way to the roof and during the plane right. And he hated to admit it, but Tony was right, both about the suit (Peter's selection was better) and about Caroline. They had been dating pretty seriously for a while, and had already made some big decisions alongside each other.
Together, they had decided that they would allow supervised meetings between Ryan and Abigail. These seemed to be going pretty well so far, and despite Abigail being shy and Ryan not knowing what to say or do around her, they were starting to build a relationship.
Together, they had decided that Bruce would move some of his stuff over to Caroline's place, splitting his time between the Tower and her apartment. At one point, the time was split pretty evenly 50-50 between the apartment and his penthouse at Stark Tower, but now the time was more 80-20 with only one or two nights a week spent at the penthouse so he could see the team and work later nights in the lab.
Together, they had decided to go on their first vacation all together back in August before Abigail started school. They had ventured to Michigan where they spent a week camping and hiking, soaking up the beautiful scenery the state had to offer.
Together, they had slowly merged their individual lives into one, and Bruce had a hard time picturing them ever separating their lives again.
"What are you all doing next Wednesday?" Bruce blurted out, catching the attention of everyone on the plane. Steve, Bucky, Peter, Harry and Tony all looked at him expectantly, waiting for the explanation of why he needed to know their whereabouts for the upcoming week.
"I'm going to need some help picking out a ring."
*
(July)
She was a vision dressed in white. Bruce couldn't believe this was real life. Couldn't believe she was real life.
The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. He hadn't fumbled his vows, Tony had remembered the rings, Steve had officiated perfectly, and Harry had been quick to provide a tissue when he noticed tears streaming down his face.
Now, he watched as Caroline danced with Abigail, Harry and Peter. He had taken a moment to grab a drink and was now just watching everyone that he loved in his life enjoy the celebration. Natasha had even convinced Laura, who was well on her way to heavily pregnant, to get out on the floor and dance with her. Barefoot, of course- he couldn't expect her to keep heels on all night.
Steve stepped beside him, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.
"I think I need you to pinch me," Bruce chuckled, taking everything in. "Is this really my life?"
Steve laughed softly.
"This is really your life," he confirmed. "Soak it up. Take it in. Enjoy every moment of it."
"There were so many times in my life- so many times that I felt broken and alone... and at those times, I never could have imagined that my life would lead me here."
Steve smiled sadly, completely understanding what he was talking about.
"This life we lead, it came at a price. But it's also provided us with so much. A team that loves and supports one another, and takes people under it's wing that are in the same boat," Steve watched as Harry and Caroline danced together.
"There are moments where it's hard to believe, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Every path that crosses and every relationship we build, they all happen for a reason. And I think, despite how shitty it felt at times, every bad thing that's happened to both you and Caroline lead you to this moment, right now."
Bruce looked at Steve who was now staring at Bucky across the room. He smiled, knowing that the words applied to their relationship as well.
"Thank you Steve."
Steve's gaze returned to Bruce, and he smiled. "Okay, okay, enough with the sappy stuff. Get out there and dance with your wife."
"My wife," he shook his head in disbelief. "That's going to take some getting used to."
Bruce made his way out to the center of the dance floor to find his wife right as the DJ switched to a slow song. Harry and Peter reached out to one another and waltzed off to another part of the floor to dance together. Laura had gone to sit down, so Natasha extended her hand to Abigail and was dancing with her.
Leaving his beautiful bride standing in the center of the dance floor. Her face lit up when she saw him, and Bruce extended his hand out to her.
"Mrs. Banner, can I have this dance?" He asked, bowing slightly and earning a laugh.
"I would love nothing more."
*
(A/N pt 2: After working on this epilogue for MONTHS [it might be over a year now], I am finally done with it! Do I like it? Jury is still out on that one. But it's done, and I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! I know I focused on Bruce and Caroline's relationship a lot in this one, but I wanted to give him a happy ending and this is where it lead me! ANYWAY, I hope that you all are doing well, and I'm hoping that maybe it won't take me so long to write the next epilogue [but it probably will]. In the mean time, thank you for reading and stay safe and healthy everyone!!)