The Soul Is The Hardest To Heal (October 2001)

Tony felt the heat of the sun on his face. And then, as he slid his eyes open, the pain of the glare from it as it shined through the windows. He shifted and then grunted as the pain of his body suddenly began to flare through him like fireworks into the sky. He whimpered as his senses began to come to life. He wished though that they hadn’t as his leg began to throb horribly. Especially his knee. He was covered in sweat. He had been having a nightmare where he was melting into the ground. Loki was laughing at him as he sunk lower and lower. His legs just melted, his bones just popped from his body. It was a horrible dream and he groaned again as he felt with his hand. He noticed he still had on his wrist communicator. He selected Isabella.

Isabella’s wrist comm went off and it was Tony’s voice. “I’m sorry to disturb you darling,” he began and then his voice became unintelligible as he sputtered angry insults at her. Logan, Natalya and Kate were right there at the table. Logan was holding Serena as he played Solitaire with her. He even covered her ears and his eyes bulged at what Tony had said.

Isabella had spent the morning on the phone with T'Challa. She and Tony had met him two years ago when they had helped him regain the throne of Wakanda from his cousin. She trusted T'Challa and the two of them were close friends. She had needed someone to talk to and he had been more than willing to listen. However, his concern over what was happening was apparent and he informed her that he was going to come to New York. Isabella still couldn't get in touch with Dr. Strange. She didn't know where he was, but she wished he would come back soon. They could certainly use his help...his and Thor's. 

Kate was concerned for her friend and had tried to get Isabella to sleep, but Isabella couldn't. She was extremely worried about what was happening and so she just continued on. She was afraid if she went to sleep that she would awaken and Serena would be gone or dead. She was in the kitchen making some tea when suddenly her wrist comm went off and she heard Tony's voice. The things he said made her angry...angrier than she already was at him. She turned off the kettle and walked down to their apartment. She walked in and closed the door behind her and then walked down to their bedroom. She walked in and looked at him. 

"There is no need for you to speak to me like that Tony."

By the time she arrived Tony was just staring at the ceiling with tears in his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot and there were red rings around them as well. He was making an odd sound as he breathed. He turned to face her and his face was one, big cringe as his eyes began to water. She could see his mouth working. He was trying NOT to scream at her. He knew he had done this to himself. He had gone off on his own and likely deserved what he got. But god...did he HURT! His composure broke however, and he turned back toward the ceiling as he began to cry.

Isabella was so worried about Tony. Tony was her life. He was everything to her. He was her best friend and her husband. They were partners in everything and she needed him. They had survived a lot together and Isabella had remained strong through it all. But now...seeing him laying there in pain, even though she knew he had done it to himself, was almost too much for her. She moved over to him and she carefully got into bed beside him. She gently wrapped her arms around him and held him.

Kate had moved her things back into Steve's room. She felt their relationship was stronger than ever now, but she knew that Isabella and Tony needed them. They needed to step up. She was with Steve in their room and she looked over at him. "Isabella is going to be busy taking care of Tony. I think you and I need to start taking care of the Tower and helping to take care of her."

Tony sobbed onto her shoulder as his body was wracked with pain. To make it worse, he begged her to make it stop. He had never felt pain like this before. And he wanted a release. Anything to stop it.

"I can make grilled cheese sandwiches? Oh, and burgers and fries. Things like that," Steve said as he moved his hand under her shirt and rubbed her back. he held a book in his other hand and he folded it and held his place with his thumb. "Maybe Logan and I can do the cooking and cleanup after if you and Natalya handled the other stuff? Isabella has several cookbooks. There is a chili recipe in there. Do you like chili?" Steve asked as he set his book down then shifted toward her. He lifted up her shirt and began to kiss the small of her back as he rubbed the back of her left thigh and her bottom.

Isabella didn't know what to do. She normally felt confident, or could at least fake it, but hearing Tony beg her to make the pain stop was almost too much for her. She got up and grabbed her phone and stepped into another room to call her parents. They were both doctors and she hoped they could help. Her father picked up and she started to cry.

"I need your help. Please come to the Tower...please."

Kate smiled as she felt Steve's hand snake under her shirt to touch her skin. She felt whole again now that she and Steve were back together. She listened to his suggestion and she nodded. They also had Sarah to help take care of Serena. "I do like chili...as long as it doesn't have beans in it," she told him with a smile. She closed her eyes slightly as she felt him kiss the small of her back. "I guess you're feeling better."

Lorenzo grew very concerned when he heard Isabella's voice. "Izzy, whats wrong? What's happening?" He asked.

"Mhm, I am," he said as he softly peeled down her pants just enough so he could plant his lips on her hip. He had missed Kate, missed the passion that existed between them. If she didn't stop him half of her yoga pants were going to be slid down to below her butt. Steve was obviously in the mood for sex and he was going to do some work to get her in the mood as well.

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Frank was on his side and Ava was nicely spooned into him. He was lightly rubbing her belly over her shirt and kissing her neck and the back of her jawline. He hadn't decided if he was in the mood for anything more yet. He just wanted to soothe Ava, lull her into relaxation, for now. "We can talk to Isabella about where we can get married. Do you want a dress? The whole deal?" he asked.

Isabella tried her best to explain to her father what was going on. She was clearly very upset. Her cool, calm demeanor was gone and she felt herself slipping further and further away from that. "Tony's in so much pain and I don't know what to do to help him. Please come...please. I can have Happy pick you up."

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Kate knew that there were other things that she and Steve should probably be doing, but she also knew that they needed to re-establish that intimacy between them. She wanted that feeling of passion back. She didn't stop Steve from pulling down her yoga pants. Steve had gotten bolder when it came to sex over the time they had been together and she liked that quite a bit.

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Ava had experienced a bit of morning sickness that morning for the first time, but she was starting to feel better. Frank was behind her and she was spooned against him. She smiled as she felt him rub her belly. She was still in shock that she was pregnant, but she was extremely happy and excited as well. 

"I don't want anything big or complicated. I'd rather it be small and simple. All I really want is to just be married to you. However...I do want a ring."

"Elena!" Lorenzo yelled as he covered up the receiver. "Well, I have...a few things here...I can bring them and we can take a look at him. Ok? We are coming Izzy, be there as soon as we can," He said and hung up the phone.

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Steve took the book she held out of her hands and he tossed it onto her bedside table. He turned her onto her stomach and shifted so that he could get her pants off. Her panties came with them and her backside was left bared to him. She heard him unbuckling his own pants and felt the bed shift as he negotiated out of them. He was going to just get right to it though he did put his hand down between her legs to see if she was ready for him. She was and she felt his weight upon her and then felt him slip inside with only a little hesitation.

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"Then lets go tomorrow. We'll have to stop by the warehouse for some cash though," Frank said. He did not even have a credit card. "Are you feeling better?" he asked. He had never heard her wretch like that before and it worried him. His first wife did not have morning sickness at all.

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Isabella's wrist comm went off and she saw that it was Richard. "I've got this Isabella!" Logan shouted from his and Natalya's room as he answered Richard's call instead. Tony had fallen asleep again but she could tell it was an uneasy sleep. He was very warm too. As if he had a fever but she knew there was no infection. He was sweating but that was likely from the pain he was feeling.

Isabella couldn't sit. She was too anxious to sit and she moved back to their bedroom to check on Tony. He was asleep, although it wasn't restful. She could see he was sweating and she put her hand on his forehead and could feel how warm he was. She hoped her parents would get there soon. She heard her wrist comm go off and sighed because she didn't want to deal with whatever it was. To her surprise and relief though, she heard Logan say he would answer it. She looked back over at Tony and hoped that whatever Richard was calling about wasn't bad.

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Ava nodded a little when Frank asked her if she was feeling better. "Yes, I'm feeling much better." She was quiet a moment before speaking again. "Have you talked to Micro yet?"

Franks's hand paused it's rubbing when she mentioned Micro. "No, I am not relishing that conversation. You know how focused he is on getting Rawlins. He will be very upset with us," Frank said but Ava knew he really meant, 'at her'. Ever since she was brought into the mix, Micro had been difficult. She had overheard arguments between Frank and Micro and some of those were quite serious. Frank didn't like him saying bad things about her and Frank defended her every time. She had come between them but Frank would not have it any other way.

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Logan was very surprised at who it was and he had made a decision to allow him to enter the tower. He could not fault Bruce for what he's done and he sympathized with him in a way. he asked Bruce to sit in the living area until he could talk to Isabella. Not 15 minutes later Richard called again and again he said he'd take care of it. To his relief it was Isabella's parents and he told Richard to admit them.

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The big couches hid people who were sitting in them from anyone who wasn't down in the living area. It was a sunken space, 3 steps that led down to it. It was circular in shape with alot of seating space. The projector system didn't pivot though so if you wanted to watch tv or a movie, you had to sit in the 3 couches that faced the screen. Natalya had moved past Bruce and he smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hello Natalya, Logan still giving you headaches? You are...looking well," He said kindly.

Ava hated that she had come between Frank and Micro, but Frank had chosen her and he had made the decision to step away from this life. She knew Micro was going to be upset, but there was nothing she could do about that.

"I know," she said with a little sigh. "So, what are you going to do now that you are done being a vigilante?"

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Isabella was not sure about allowing Bruce in the Tower. She was already dealing with so much and having to deal with him as well was not something she was looking forward to. However, Logan promised her that he would handle him. She could only hope that Bruce wouldn't 'Hulk Out' in the Tower. 

Isabella couldn't have been more relieved when her parents arrived. Ever since marrying Tony, Isabella had always been careful about her appearance. She was constantly being photographed and she had an image to uphold. She always looked polished and elegant, even when just lounging around. Today, however, she looked a mess. She hadn't showered in days, nor slept in days. She was wearing yoga pants and a tee-shirt and her hair was up in a messy bun. She wore no makeup and her eyes were red from crying.

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Natalya hadn't seen Bruce Banner for about a year, but she was happy to have him back. Natalya didn't care for most people, but there was something about Bruce that just drew her in. Perhaps it was because he was misunderstood as well...just like Logan and herself. Bruce didn't judge her for the things she had done in her past and he was always kind to her. There seemed to be a little fascination that he held for her and how she had been created, but he never tried to 'study' her.

"Everyday," she responded with a smile. "So, has Logan gotten you up to speed on everything that's happened?"

When Lorenzo laid eyes on his daughter he nearly gasped. He set down his medical bag and hugged her. When she began to sob he held her tighter and Elena got in on that. The commotion had drawn Bruce's attention. Logan did not expect Isabella to break down like this but he supposed the damn had to break eventually. She had been through so much in such a short time. Kate and Steve were just leaving their room and everyone stood in silence as Isabella cried on her father's shoulder.

After she calmed down, she showed Lorenzo and Elena to her and Tony's room. Elena looked at his eyes and checked his ears with a scope she had. Lorenzo checked his bandages, especially the knee. It was swollen and red but there was no infection. The medbot had done a good job but he told Isabella that it was going to be a painful recovery and he'd be in a wheel chair and crutches for weeks and weeks.

Lorenzo pulled from his medical bag a bottle of pills.

"Now Isabella, these are strong pain relievers. Addictive to say the least and not to be taken with Alcohol. Stick to the recommended dosage. If you think he might try to self prescribe. Remove that temptation from him," He told her.

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Steve, Logan, Natalya, Kate and Bruce exchanged hellos and Steve shook Bruce's hand. "Is this a social call Bruce or is there something you need?" Steve asked plainly. Bruce was a very dangerous man. He could destroy the tower if he Hulked out on them. "Well, after Moscow I've been more or less on the run," He said. "I just need a place to stay for a little while. A degree of separation, if you will from those hunting me," he said gravely. He looked hail but also tired.

Isabella stood by and nervously paced as her parents examined Tony. Serena came out of her room and smiled happily when she saw her grandparents. "Grandma!" she squealed as she ran over and Elena picked her up. She looked over at her daddy. "What's wrong with Daddy?"

Isabella listened closely to her father. When he mentioned not taking them with alcohol she began to get nervous. Tony had started heavily drinking again and she was going to need to keep a close eye on him. She nodded in understanding. "Thank you for coming."

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Kate glanced at Steve when Bruce told them he was on the run and needed a place to stay for a while. The team was already dealing with a lot and she hoped he wouldn't cause any problems. However, she knew Steve well enough to know that he couldn't easily turn away someone who needed help. 

"Well, we have plenty of room here. We can get you set up in a guestroom."

"Natalya...will you get Bruce settled in please?" Logan asked. Bruce had a small, shoulder satchel with him and he picked it up. He knew they got off well so it seemed the logical choice.

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"Well, there is no infection but his knee...'it' put pins in?' Lorenzo asked. He was always amazed by the medbot's abilities. He moved over to Elena and the baby and Serena put a tiny hand out and set it on his mouth. "Yum yums," Lorenzo said and Serena squealed with delight.

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"Well, Avenger pay is considerable. If we stayed here for a while. maybe until the baby was born, we could buy a place of our own. After that, I could start my own construction company maybe," Frank said. "I mean, what do you think? You and I are equals when it comes to these decisions," he said. Ava was so easy going she usually just went along with what Frank wanted. But he wanted to know her mind on this.

Natalya nodded and smiled at Bruce. "Right this way. Oh, I'm expecting a generous tip by the way," she teased before leading Bruce down to one of the guestrooms. The guestrooms were smaller apartments. They each had a separate bedroom, bathroom, and living room and were fully furnished. Isabella had picked out the furnishings herself and each guestroom had a slightly different look. "I'm glad you're ok Bruce," Natalya told him.

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Serena was 3 years old and quite the beautiful child. She was already very intelligent and Isabella was raising her to be respectful and not become a spoiled child. She loved her grandparents and she played with Lorenzo's stethoscope. 

"So...he's going to be alright?" Isabella asked her father.

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Ava thought about Frank's suggestion. She smiled at him. "Isabella always did say she thought that you would make a great Avenger. I think it's a good idea and with Tony off of his feet for a while I think they could probably use the extra help."

Bruce set down his bag on the bed then bounced a bit on the bed. He had been in the tower before, soon after it was built but it had changed. It was very nice, Isabella had great taste. "I'm not...ok, I mean. If I were I wouldn't have just about every major law enforcement agency trying to get their hands on me. I hurt alot of people in Moscow but that's not really why they want me. I was defending myself. They want whats inside me," Bruce said.

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"Well, that remains to be seen. Tony has a hard road ahead of him," Lorenzo said. "Are you certain you're up to this?" Elena said as she drew closer to Isabella then reached out and brushed some strands of unkempt hair from her face. "You're a wreck...do you need us to stay, a while? We could take Serena?" Elena asked.

Natalya watched Bruce. She came to sit down on the bed next to him. "For nearly my entire life the SSB used me and then SHIELD got their hands on me and they used me. I know what that feels like and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I promise I'll do what I can to make sure they don't get their hands on you."

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Isabella's first instinct was to ask her parents to stay. However, this place was already packed and T'Challa was on his way. However, having them take Serena would help her and would give Sarah a much needed break. "I'll be alright. But if you could take Serena for a few days that would be very helpful. I know Sarah has needed a break for a while and I'm going to be so focused on Tony."

Bruce smiled and looked down at the floor. Natalya was an incredibly beautiful woman and though Bruce's ex-wife had been beautiful, she was a cringer compared to Natalya. Bruce was a scientist and so he didn't always know how to express himself to women. It wasn't that she made him uncomfortable. It was just that he knew he could get lost in her dark eyes. He saw pain in them. Pain and strength at the same time. "I appreciate that Natalaya," Bruce said as he got up the courage to look at her again. He was always soft-spoken with a voice that drew the ear. He never seemed excitable and no one wanted him to be anyway.

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"Then it's settled," Elena said. "Have Sarah pack up enough for a week and we have stuff too," Elena said. Lorenzo shifted to talk softly to her. "Tony is a willful, difficult man. There is no shame in asking for help. Please do so if you need to. You are always on our minds and in our hearts, Isabella," Lorenzo said and kissed her cheek.

Natalya smiled at Bruce. He was so incredibly different than Logan. He was soft spoken and mild mannered. It was strange to think that The Hulk resided within him. "Well, I know that you are used to Isabella's cooking, but we're trying to take some things off of her plate so she can take care of Tony. That means that Logan and Steve will be doing most of the cooking. I think it's going to be grilled cheese and tomato soup tonight."

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Isabella nodded and felt a few more tears come to her eyes. She forced herself to hold them back though and went to go talk to Sarah. She helped Sarah pack up enough things for Serena to stay a week with her grandparents. Sarah started to pack Serena's favorite stuffed dog, but Serena took it and walked it over to her parent's bedroom. She walked over to where her daddy was laying and she tucked the dog under his arm.

Serena didn't want to leave her mother and she fussed until Lorenzo gave her a strawberry sucker. They left quickly, without alot of preamble so that Serena did not start crying. If that happened they all knew Isabella might not be able to part with her. Sarah seemed unhappy about the separation as well but she knew she could use a week off and badly. This job had pretty much consumed her life. Like Happy or Richard, who she was sweet on, the Stark's were demanding employers but they paid extremely well and they took care of them like they were family. Sarah looked at Isabella.

"Are you certain, you will be alright?" Sarah asked. When Isabella said she was Sarah decided to get out of dodge quickly.

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Tony finally woke up and, as expected he was in alot of pain. Isabella was in the bathroom when he called her. When she finally came out, like before he was nearly unhinged. His temper was agitated and insulting. When she asked if he was hungry he nearly lost it with her. Lorenzo told her though that the pills had to be taken with food. Taking them on an empty stomach was not good for the body. Tony was inconsolable and impatient but he listened when she told him everything that was going to happen. Ofcourse he agreed to whatever she said as long as she took the pain away.

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The tomato soup was out of a can but the grilled cheese was pretty good. They were all there and Isabella and Tony's meals were brought to their room by Steve. Everyone else sat around the table. Frank knew who Bruce was but had never met him. "So, what happened in Moscow? I read a little bit about that. The Hulk tore apart the city," Frank said.

Parting with Serena had been extremely hard, but she knew that this was what was best for her. Serena would be doted upon at her grandparent's house and spoiled. She just hoped that they would be able to handle her for a week. Serena could be a handful sometimes. She was extremely intelligent and curious and that meant she often got herself into trouble or got frustrated easily. 

Isabella was in the bathroom when she heard Tony call for her. When she reached him she could tell he was on the verge of losing it again. She told him she had pain medication, but that he had to take it with food. He was impatient, but she finally convinced him to eat some of the grilled cheese sandwich and soup Steve had brought them. She didn't eat much herself. She was too focused on Tony. When he finally had eaten enough she took out one pain pill and let him take it with water. "So Tony, you can't take these pills with alcohol. I need you to understand that."

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The grilled cheese and tomato soup was a comforting meal after what the team had been through. Natalya sat next to Logan and across from Bruce. She looked over at Frank after he asked Bruce what had happened in Moscow. "What happened wasn't his fault."

"I heard you ok?" Tony said impatiently. And once she gave it to him he took it quickly. Tony was a terrible patient and worse when he had to stay in bed. Both were going to be the situation for a while. He was not himself but he still said hurtful things to Isabella when she was just trying to help him. He apologized, often but then the pain would hit him and he'd lash out again.

"So, where's Serena? I'd like to see my baby," Tony asked.

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Bruce smiled politely at the question and he glanced at Natalya briefly. "I was there trying to curb the rise in infectious diseases in the region. I requested a specific pharmaceutical to supply the medications and the local government had a deal with another. Well, they tried to assassinate me," Bruce said and shook his head. "Someone, tried to shoot me in the back of the head while I was asleep," he said and wiped his face with his hands. He looked tired and drawn talking about this.

"I could do nothing to...control what was happening. There was so much anger, so much rage," he said. "The police shot at me...it was not a good situation," Bruce said. Everyone was just mesmerized by his story.

"So, how do you control it normally?" Logan asked. "I mean, when people aren't shooting you in the head," He asked. He felt Natalya's nails on his thigh though she smiled at him warningly. Bruce didn't answer the question either.

Isabella knew Tony hated being stuck in bed, but that was going to be the case for a little while. Then, it would be rehab. He certainly wouldn't be getting into his suit anytime soon. She stuck the bottle of pills into her pocket so Tony wouldn't be able to get a hold of them and take too many. Thankfully, he couldn't get out of bed so the no alcohol thing should be easy as long as he didn't bribe anyone else to bring him some. 

"Serena is staying with my parents for a week. Sarah desperately needed some time off and I'm going to be taking care of you. She left you Happy though," she said as she nodded to the dog. Serena had named it after Happy Hogan. 

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Natalya could sense that Bruce was uncomfortable and didn't want to answer the question so she quickly changed subjects. "Bruce, I don't think you ever met Ava when she was here briefly. Ava and Frank are getting married and having a baby. Ava has this amulet that I think you will find fascinating. It grants her the powers of the 'White Tiger'."

Ava took off the amulet and gave it to Bruce so he could look at it if he wanted.

Bruce perked up at this. "It's good to meet you Frank and Ava...the White tiger, I know of this. Based on a legend, a Jade Tiger Statue from the fabled kingdom of K'un-Lun? There was a paper on it, though I can't recall where I read it," Bruce said.

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Tony looked at the dog and was saddened that he would not be able to see his baby girl. He loved Serena dearly. She was always able to cheer him up or drive him nuts. He was happy that Isabella wasn't going to give him a hard time about what he had done. Veronica was destroyed. Once he ejected, what was left went up in flames.

"So, did it work?" Tony asked.