Can't Keep Suffering

Bruce Banner was awoken suddenly from screaming from the other room. Without missing a beat, the scientist jumped out of bed and sprinted down the hall towards Pamplemousse’s room.

The thirteen year old was still screaming and crying when Bruce finally flung open the door and rushed to her bedside.

“Pamplemousse, honey, are you okay?”

“Daddy?” she asked, voice sounding reminiscently small and pathetic. “Daddy?”

“Shh, sweetie, I’m right here,” he said, rubbing her back and pulling her into his lap. “I’m right here, you’re okay, I promise.”

“I had another bad dream.”

Bruce nodded. “I know, honey.”

Clint and Steve rushed in too, followed closely behind by Thor, Tony, and Hetalia.

“Is everything okay?” Hetalia asked as Clint took Pamplemousse’s other side.

“Yeah, she’ll be okay,” Bruce said quietly, planting a kiss on his daughter’s head. “She just had another nightmare.”

“Another?” Tony asked, cocking his head and rubbing his tired eyes. “She’s been having a lot lately.”

“Agreed,” Steve added. “Is there anything you need from us?”

Bruce shook his head. “No, I think Clint and I can handle this. We’re...we’re just going to be up kinda late tonight.”

Steve and Tony shared a nervous, but knowing glance.

“Are you sure?” Thor asked, taking a single step inside the young girl’s room. “I would be happy to assist.”

“Nah, we’ll be okay,” Clint added, nodding his head. “Go back to Jane, Thor. Spend some time together.”

Thor nodded and followed Hetalia, Steve, and Tony out of the hall and back to their rooms.

“Pamplemousse?” Clint asked, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Honey, can you hear me?”

Pamplemousse nodded, signaling that she wasn’t having another night terror as opposed to a plain nightmare.

Clint looked to Bruce for guidance. When his lover gave a single nod, Clint knew that tonight was to be the night.

“Sweetheart, what was your nightmare about?” Bruce asked.

Pamplemousse sniffled. “I was really little. CJ killed my family. She even skinned my puppy.” She looked up at her father, eyes full of tears. “That was just a nightmare, right?”

This wasn’t the first time she had asked Bruce and Clint this question in the past two and a half years. Each time she asked, Clint always spoke up and reassured her that it was, indeed, just another bad dream.

But this time, Bruce cleared his throat and told her the truth.

“No,” he admitted. “No, honey, it wasn’t a bad dream.”

Pamplemousse cocked her head to the side, eyes filling over the brim with fresh tears. “What?”

Bruce gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “Sweetie, we need to talk about something important. We need to talk about why you don’t have a family of your own.”

When Pamplemousse didn’t respond, Clint continued for Bruce. “You see, honey, when you were really little, your real dad worked for SHIELD and your mom was a teacher. You had an older brother and everything.”

“What...what happened to them?”

Bruce continued rubbing his daughter’s back. “They were killed one night.”

Pamplemousse averted her gaze. “By CJ…?”

She looked up at Clint this time, hoping his answer would be different.

“Yes, dear,” he finally managed to choke out. “Yes, she did.”

It was then that Pamplemousse started full on sobbing. “But I thought she was my friend!” she choked out between sobs. “Why would she do that? That’s…that’s so….”

Bruce went to answer, but Pamplemousse just kept going.

“She practically raised me!” she shouted. “She killed my family and then raised me? What kind of terrible person would do something like that?!”

“Shh, it’s okay,” Clint cooed.

“No it’s fucking not!” Pamplemousse screamed, throwing her white-knuckled fists into the soft fluff of her purple comforter. “That bitch!!”

Her body slumped forward as her screams became sobs. Bruce pulled her close, letting her sob into his shoulder. They stayed like that for three hours; she sobbed violently as Bruce and Clint both rubbed her back and placed kisses on her head.

“I…” she whispered softly. “I can’t...I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“I know, sweetie,” Bruce said quietly.

She finally looked up, her red eyes locking with her dad’s brown eyes. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “I’m scared about how my life’s gonna turn out.”

“Hey,” Clint said suddenly. “You don’t need to be scared about that. You’re a strong young lady. You’re smart, beautiful, and you’ve survived thirteen years. I know you’ll do wonderful things in life.”

Pamplemousse sniffled and gave a small smile. “So my name isn’t even Pamplemousse?”

Bruce chuckled and shook his head. “Your name is Jasmine. Jasmine Victoria Irving.”

“Jasmine,” she mused. “I kinda like that name. Can I keep it?”

“Honey, you’ve always had that name,” Bruce said, still chuckling a little. “On your government issued stuff, it says Jasmine Victoria Banner.”

“So Pamplemousse is just a nickname?”

Bruce nodded, kissing the top of his daughter’s head. “Maybe we should all get some sleep. It’s been a rough night.”

Pamplemousse nodded, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Agreed. It’s bed time.”

Clint ruffled her hair. “Good night, kid,” he said with a snide look.

Pamplemousse giggled and shoved Clint. “Good night, ‘Mama Bird,’” she replied.

Bruce chuckled and shook his head. “You guys are crazy. Good night baby girl.”

“Good night, Daddy.”

****

“Straighten up! We do not sleep until you get this right!”

Rien pushed her strawberry-blonde hair out of her face. It was slick with sweat, as was the rest of her body.

“CJ, please,” she begged, spitting out blood onto the ground. “You’ve already sufficiently kicked my ass tonight. Can’t I just go to bed and wallow in my own self-pity.”

“Absolutely not!” CJ commanded. “We will stay awake until you put my ass to the ground. We’ll go all night if we have to! Now stop being a pussy and fucking hit me already!”

Rien shrieked, lunging forward and roundhouse kicking CJ in the face, causing her to fall to the concrete floor in a small pool of her blood.

CJ moaned as Rien panted, feeling her heart pounding in her temples.

“I’m going to bed now,” the teen spat as she shoved her hands in her pockets and turned towards the door.

As soon as she was out of earshot, CJ gave a small chuckle to herself. “She’s almost ready.”