Author's Note: The Avengers and Spiderman belong to Marvel.

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When the robot home-health aides didn't need every millisecond of his time, Bruce researched time travel. Since Jack wouldn't give him the answers he needed, Bruce, a physicist, would just get the answers on his own. Then again, Jack was a former time agent and not a scientist, so he knew how to use a time machine, but didn't know the science behind it. Tony teased Bruce about his research. Bruce didn't want to build a time machine, since Jack and Martha had both traveled in time, it was kind of like rebuilding the wheel. He just wanted answers. Stephen Hawking's thought experiment about a man shooting himself through a time hole kept him up some nights. All Bruce's answers seemed to lead to more questions.

People didn't want their home-health aides too human because they stopped being cute after a certain point and entered uncanny valley. The product to hit the market had wheels because they were more stable than legs and a built-in drawer for medical equipment. Bruce thought the home-health aides looked a bit like Rosie from the Jetsons, but the AI was smart enough to keep a lonely person company while giving basic medical care, bathing the patient, preparing meals and feeding the patient.

The Avengers were needed to kick some mutated weirdos's butts, snake people of all things. When Hannah arrived at Stark Tower to see Steve being bandaged by Bruce, Hannah stared at Bruce's naked feet. Then she returned to holding Steve's hand.

"I'll be fine," said Steve. "My sped-up metabolism means I heal fast."

Hannah's eyes went back to the doctor's feet. "What happened to your shoes?"

Bruce had put on a lab coat over his ripped pants. Since the other Avengers needed him to help with their cuts, bruises and a broken bone (Steve's), Bruce couldn't waste time looking for shoes that fit. "Steve?"

"It isn't my place," Steve said, winching only a little.

"I'm an Avenger," explained Bruce.

"You were brought in because Dr. Selvig was indisposed," said Hannah.

"That's the lie Fury told the agent sent to get me," said Bruce. "He had a cage waiting."

Steve smiled, although Bruce could see he was biting back the pain from his broken collarbone and all the bruises healing while Bruce watched. Looking at Hannah's hand in his, Steve said, "Bruce has a problem saying the Hulk. We're used to him calling him things like the other guy, our green friend and the big guy."

Hannah looked at Bruce's ripped pants and naked feet. "You're a scientist. You build robots."

"The engineers on my staff built them," said Bruce. "I have some androids in my lab I built myself. The human body is a remarkable feat of engineering. I copied many of the systems."

Steve said, "Let Bruce show you around."

Hannah looked at his feet. "Shouldn't you get some shoes on?"

"I've walked miles with bare feet and my torn pants say Hulk more than the bare feet do." Bruce looked down at his lab coat, ripped pants and naked feet. He held his hands to keep them from shaking from nerves. "Now that I'm no longer practicing medicine, I'm not as worried about it leaking. I'm a private person and I don't want the attention, but the people here respect me as a scientist and that isn't going to change because I experimented on myself when I was young and foolish."

"I assume you can control it now," said Hannah. "But that wasn't always the case."

"He comes out when I want him to for the most part." Bruce hit the up button for the elevator. "It took lots of meditation to get to the point. I also use medication when deep-breathing may not be enough."

"That photographer?" said Hannah. "It makes sense now."

"Rhodey pulling him off me doesn't give him any proof of his outlandish claims," said Bruce. "And the Daily Bugle seems to need more proof than some kid thinking I look like a certain green monster."

"You going outside gave him proof," said Hannah.

"Proof of what?" asked Bruce. "Tony told our guests that I'm nervous around strangers. A photographer gets in my face and I leave. Nothing odd about that. If a photographer accused you of being a monster when you were minding your business, you would be shaken-up, too."

Hannah looked at the elevator. "I suppose."

"I almost fell off my seat when Tony said that the other guy doesn't do black tie and then he said he was Ironman for anymore that has been living under a rock for six years." Bruce smiled. "It didn't help that I was stoned."

"You aren't stoned now?"

"No, changing into the other guy makes me tired," Bruce admitted.

"You can rest," said Hannah. "I'll reschedule the tour for a later date. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks." Bruce watched Hannah head back to where Steve was resting. Then, he went to the penthouse to get some sleep. He fell asleep thinking about time travel. Nothing in science said time travel was impossible - difficult - impractical, but not impossible. An average-sized man becoming a hulking beast was impossible since it violated conservation of mass. Jack and Martha had time traveled - they had met time-traveling with this Doctor not named John Smith. Bruce fell asleep thinking about fixed points in time.

Bruce woke to find himself wrapped around Tony, who must have joined him in bed while Bruce was still sleeping. "Wake up; I need to talk."

"Huh," said Tony.

"I can't go back in time and prevent my accident because, if the Hulk didn't subdue Loki, Natasha wouldn't have been able to close the portal. I never saw it that way before. I matter. The Hulk matters."

Tony kissed Bruce's cheek. "You matter. You matter to me and all those people buying Carrie Caregivers. You are perfect the way you are."

"The Hulk killed people."

"He's better behaved now," said Tony. "He did call Spiderman Bug Boy and throw one of the Snake people at him."

"He did?" asked Bruce.

"It's OK because Spider Brat leaped out of the way then trapped the Snake man in a web."

"Should we tell Steve who Spiderman is?"

Tony laughed. "No way."

Bruce grimaced, not wanting other people to tell his secrets. Parker had the right to his secrets even if he was bad at keeping them. Tony and Pepper knew then Tony told Bruce. Well, Pepper told him, too, but that was after Tony had told him. Well, Tony didn't exactly tell him, but Tony had said something to Parker to shut him up.

"Let the old man argue with the teenager," said Tony.

"If you don't count the time Steve spent frozen, he isn't that much older than Parker," said Bruce. "Scary thought. I could have a child Parker's age."

"We would not allow him to run around in spandex," said Tony. "Our child would be better behaved."

"Do you want to adopt him?" Bruce traced a finger along Tony's chest.

"Not adopt," said Tony. "But I could offer him an internship."

Maybe, Parker would like working with robots. Carrie Caregiver was an awful name for a robot. He was sure a lot of people would renamed their robot, but then, people use the word 'password' as their password. Bruce didn't do marketing - they hired people to do that. And their pre-orders said the name was spot on or people needed a caregiver robot and didn't care what horrible name marketing gave her.

The End

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Author's Note: I may write a sequel with Spidey Brat. I've been a fan of Spiderman since the series ran on Fox in the 90's. I'm a fan of Mary Jane and only know Gwen from the one movie. So I'm not sure how that will work out. However, with Peter promising Gwen's father that he wasn't going to see her, he may be trying to avoid Gwen more than see her. Then, of course, Gwen has other plans. :)