ok ok short chapter, ik, but I'm halfway thru the next one 

please comment and vote!

INTERACTING WITH THE HULK, MISSING HER FLIGHT, INSULTING QUICKSILVER - was there anything Spencer Banner couldn't do?

Well, sleep for one - she couldn't do much of that. There's something about finding out her dad is the Hulk that totally messes up her schedule.

But that's fine, you know because Spencer doesn't need sleep. The last thing she needs right now is to be unconscious and vulnerable, so don't blame Spencer for sitting at the labs at 3 AM. She's literally just trying to make it through the night, okay?

And plus, she's got tons of stuff to learn now. For starters - how Bruce turns into the Green Giant? What's the catalyst for the transformation? And possibly most urgent - does she do this too?

(It took Spencer an embarrassing amount of time to recognize the idea that if Bruce had a genetic mutation, then she could have it too.)

She wished she realized it earlier though - Bruce's sympathy would have made a lot more sense, and plus, she could have used the "I might be a danger to society so screw off" line on Pietro.

But whatever. Fast forward to now, at 6 AM, when Spencer Banner was sitting in a vacant lab, scrolling through the SHIELD database she was like 90% sure she hadn't been cleared to see, trying to figure out what was going on.

Spencer Banner should be mad.

She knew that, and she knew it well. She should be angry with her dad for lying or scared because of what he was, or in shock or something. And maybe she was all three of those things, but Spencer's mind didn't have time to recognize any of that.

Because yeah, she should be angry and scared and shocked, but half of those emotions were rooted in the very inability to process the situation. So that's what Spencer was doing: understanding the situation.

That's all she had to do. Understand what was going on.

The research on Bruce's condition was long and extensive. And quite frankly - very traumatizing. Spencer didn't know that everything was so... bad for Bruce.

So it was 5 AM, and Spencer was sitting cross-legged in one of the many, many unused labs. And for the first time in maybe forever, Spencer had her glasses on.

Because this was serious stuff, and she didn't want to miss any of it. 

So this all meant that Spencer being born wasn't supposed to be possible. And it was extremely dangerous that it did happen. She could be extremely dangerous, and she didn't even know it.

But she didn't want to think about that. Spencer wanted to understand. So she kept reading. All about the research and the gamma rays and the nitty-gritty details of the science of it all. Because that made it so much easier to process.

She was just getting into the good, confusing, full-brain requiring stuff when there was a knock at her door.

Her stomach jumped for a second, but when she looked up from the tablet, she didn't feel scared, she felt annoyed.

It was Natasha.

The woman clearly noticed Spencer's distaste - it wasn't exactly like she was trying to hide it.

"Bruce is looking for you," the woman mentioned, leaning against the door frame.

Spencer decided she would not be pulling her attention off the tablet, and instead, replied tastelessly, "He'll find me himself."

Instantly, Spencer felt bad. She wasn't sure why she felt bad, but she did, and her head involuntarily snapped up to see Natasha Romanoff watching her, her face blank. Spencer hated that look, and she didn't feel so bad when she looked back down at her work.

"You want me to leave you alone," Natasha guessed. She was right, of course, but that stupid smirk at the end of her statement had Spencer on edge of losing it.

Her eyes still glued on the screen, Spencer nodded. "Definitely."

Natasha nodded, too, lifting herself from the door frame. "I'll tell him I saw you," she said.

"I'm sure you will," Spencer mumbled under her breath.

And then Natasha was gone, but before Spencer could have full peace, her phone was ringing.

It was her mom. She'd been calling her a lot, and Spencer was well aware that she felt horrible about the situation. As she should, Spencer would think, but instead of giving into the chance that she would forgive her mother for 16 years of lying in a two-minute sob session, she elected to ignore her.

Which isn't nice, she knows. But it's what seems fair to Spencer right now, so it's what happens.

"Spencer?"

Well, the devil works fast, but Natasha Romanoff works faster.

After a second's hesitation, Spencer pulled her eyes off of the screen in front of her and glanced over her glances to Bruce, who was standing in the doorway, trying to make himself smaller. Spencer never used to understand that before - why Bruce was always curling into himself, avoiding touch or expression, but it was starting to all make a lot more sense.

"You didn't sleep last night," he mentioned, and Spencer just blinked. He rubbed his neck, wincing at his own words. "I wanted to make sure you're alright. I've tried calling you," he mentioned, gesturing to Spencer's phone which was ringing with another call before she silenced it. "Is that your mom?"

"Yeah," she agreed, her words breathless and emotionless and so light that Spencer was sure they'd dissipate in the air before they could reach Bruce. Whether or not he heard it, Spencer couldn't tell.

"You know," Spencer said, finally, her eyes still on the tablet, "I knew your dad was an asshole, but I didn't realize it was this bad."

Bruce looked relieved. Spencer had cussed and insulted a person - two things she never dared to do in front of bruce, but he just looked relieved.

He didn't comment on Brian or anything, but he did glance down at the electronic, and asked, "Were you reading about it?"

"Yeah," Spencer agreed, her voice cracking for a split second. "I just... I figured I should probably know everything."

"Right," Bruce agreed, his eyes not on her.

"Because it might be easier to process if I understand," she added lamely.

Bruce nodded again.

She found the nerve to include, "Especially, 'cause, uh, it's genetic."

Bruce did look at her this time, but could only hold her stare for a split second. Then he looked anywhere else and nodded, and Spencer didn't know what to do. She couldn't even find words to ask what she wanted to ask.

Thankfully, Bruce spoke before she'd force something out.

"You haven't eaten," he noted, and Spencer didn't say anything. "I thought we could, uh, leave. Here. We could get breakfast," Bruce suggested, and Spencer nodded. "In the city."

"Sure," she agreed because she was 97% sure that was the first time Bruce genuinely tried to reach out to her when things weren't going well. It must be easier for him, now, with everything in the air.

It had to be a lot harder to look his daughter in the eye, but maybe the guilt was finally lifting from Bruce's chest.

✰✰✰

THE CAR RIDE COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

Bruce had wasted a good minute trying to convince Spencer to play the radio or something, but despite her disinterest, his insistence eventually resulted in Spencer putting on the first station she could find.

Which was country music.

It was so awkward Spencer let out half a laugh. Bruce smiled, and then laughed under his breath until Spencer switched the channel.

Since Spencer had never actually visited Bruce before, she'd never been in NYC before, either.

The compound was almost in a rural area, and now, Spencer could finally see the big buildings. She could finally see what she'd come here to see, and for some reason, it was completely underwhelming.

Spencer and Bruce ended up outside of this small cafe, nestled in tall buildings pressed against each other.

When they walked in, Spencer was immediately surprised that this was the place Bruce had chosen - it definitely didn't seem his style. It had hanging plants and pastel walls and exposed brick, and just as Spencer was about to suggest they go somewhere else, Bruce was talking to a waiter.

Yeah, Bruce Banner had made a reservation.

The same guy that used to tell seven-year-old Spencer that Chuck-E-Cheese pizza was totally not better than his macaroni and hot dogs. The same guy that used to shift uncomfortably at fancy restaurants Spencer's mom would bring them too for birthday dinners.

He had chosen this restaurant, and then made a reservation.

So surprised, Spencer almost missed the fact that Bruce was walking towards a table.

She jogged after him, finally falling into step.

"You picked this place?" she questioned, and Bruce glanced over to her, with a nod.

"It's, uh, vegetarian," he explained, and instantly diverted his eyes, slipping into the booth the woman had led them to.

For a moment, Spencer paused. Like really paused, because oh my God, did she for sure have the genes for Hulking Out or something? Why was Bruce trying... so hard?

But then she slid into the opposite side of the table, taking the menu Bruce was handing her.

"You should know something," Bruce said, after a moment, and Spencer instantly took her eyes off of the menu to look up at Bruce, who was shifting his shoulders. "It was wrong of me," he started, taking a deep breath, "not to say anything. You deserved to know about all of this, Spence, I know - but if it's any consolation," he offered, his hands pressing flat against the laminated menu, "I was trying to protect you."

Protect you.

Spencer nodded before her voice could find the word she wanted. "Right," she agreed, with a crack, and Bruce studied her face. "I get it, but it wasn't fair - it's still not," she emphasized. "I'm not a genius or anything," she told him, "but I'm pretty sure I could have understood this. Or I could have tried to."

Bruce nodded but didn't say anything. Spencer figured that's because he had nothing else to defend or add, which was slightly relieving because Marin was quickly running out of her confidence juice.

"We all handle situations wrong at some point," Spencer excused, her eyes skimming her options. "But usually those situations don't last 17 years."

Bruce said something that sounded like an apology, but Spencer was speaking over him.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, Spence?"

"This whole thing definitely constitutes dessert."

"Definitely."