Natasha lay on top of the bed, too heartsick and exhausted to get under the covers or into more comfortable clothes. Five months. She had been searching for Bruce Banner for five months, rarely hearing anything of substance, usually just people talking about an American doctor who had passed through, only once seeing an actual picture of him, taken as he leaned over a young woman in labor, helping her through the contractions. The picture had been taken by the woman's younger brother, who had taken it upon himself to care for her and the unborn babe after the father had died. The young man was hiring himself out to the few tourists in the Solomon Islands, and a camera had become a necessity for that. The look on the young man's face as he talked about the doctor who had saved his sister and niece's lives was admiring, he talked about saving enough money to become a doctor himself and moving them all to a better neighborhood. Natasha had given the man money for letting her look at the picture, but no amount of money would convince him to part with it, Natasha could understand that, she felt the same way. Natasha knew she would have a much easier time of it if she'd brought a picture of him, but she didn't want to expose him to any curiosity, as it was she was just a woman interested in Americans, not unheard of in this part of the world.

That picture was two months ago, and today she had hit another dead end. At the last village she'd heard of Americans in the area, three of them, five weeks ago, two of them having brown curly hair. But here the trail stopped, no one she'd talked to had seen any Americans, and there were no more villages this side of the mountains. She'd stayed here for three days, asking around, not wanting to give up hope, but today she had to admit, he hadn't been here. She may have stayed longer, but her questions were starting to raise suspicions, and there was a group of men who eyed her with calculated lust, nothing she couldn't handle, but it would be better for everyone if news of her didn't arise anywhere. After coming to that decision she forced her body to relax, and she did what she did every night.

She thought of Bruce. Not as she'd last seen him, as the Hulk flying away from her, or even when she'd kissed him, right before pushing down a shaft to force the transformation, right after he'd rescued her. But the Bruce she's seen at the Barton's farm, the resigned longing in his eyes, wanting her and trying to push her away. She held that image in her mind, reliving those moments when she thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd give in and hold her.

tap tap tap

Before Natasha had registered more than it was coming from the window she'd rolled off the bed in the opposite direction, grabbing her gun as she went, coming back up in a ready pose.

There was a hand in the window, a right hand she noticed, and waving gently at her. She stood up carefully, waiting to shoot until she saw who it was.

"Natasha?"

She froze, she wasn't going by that name here, no one in this country should know that name, unless…

Bruce stepped carefully into full view, arms above his head, barely visible in the darkness outside, but it was him. Natasha rushed over to the window and opened it, staring at him.

"I heard you were looking for me. Or rather, I heard that there was a beautiful woman looking for an American doctor around here, and when I saw you…" His voice trailed off as Natasha said nothing, just staring at him. "Can I come in?" Wordlessly she stepped back, allowing him to climb into the room, she shut the window behind him, then pulled the curtains and went to light a candle. Natasha's heart was beating so fast she was sure Bruce could hear it, she could barely believe he was here, turning around she looked at him, at the uncertainty in his eyes as he glanced away, looking anywhere but at her.

"I heard there was someone looking for me when I came in town for supplies, I figured they'd be at the inn, so I came looking, I didn't mean to let anyone see me but when I saw it was you…" She faced him then, "Why wouldn't it be me?" she asked. "I thought you'd be busy, I couldn't imagine Fury sending you after me." "He didn't." Bruce started and stared at her, "Then, why are you here?" Men, Natasha thought, holstering her gun, could be so dense. "Because." was all she said as she stepped up to him and kissed him.