While Peggy didn't *intend* on being up well past midnight, cleaning up the after effects of having talked Bruce Banner out of a rage, she's never been good at being hands-off. So, she's there with Bruce every step of the way. Bringing him in on the helicopter, preparing the cell at the brand new, barely functioning prison. Talking him through the logic of it, the promise of keeping the world safe from him. Betty is allowed into the prison, but not his cell. Not the depths of everything. She can see through glass, but that's about it, especially as he sleeps. Peggy's gone back upstairs to finish some paperwork and ensure the locking mechanisms are fully in place. But, eventually, there is no work left to do. And someone actually lets her know that her old friend, doctor, associate and Bruce's once love is there.
While Peggy might have been considered heartless lately, she can't be that heartless. She can't let Betty stake out alone. So. She's prepared two proper English cups of tea and now carries them quietly down the hall to the observation area where Betty has been put. "…if you're going to pull a proper vigil, and I know you will, you might as well have tea for it…" Peggy murmurs softly.
*
Betty is a mess. Her hair is matted. Her eyes are bloodshot. Her body aches. The black, white, and yellow dress she wears is rumpled. Everything about Betty is off. But then, she's been like this for weeks. Her hand presses against the observation glass and her dark eyes stare openly at the sleeping figure on the other side.
She swallows hard as her other hand rises beside the first. "Thank you," she whispers in return. The lump in her throat grows. "Is… is Bruce okay? What happened? Peggy…" she frowns deeply. "God, Peggy, what happened?"
*
The middle aged director isn't looking *much* better but, despite personal issues and an organization she's barely holding together, Peggy never really lets anyone see her bleed. Her hair is carefully combed from having been so wind mussed by hanging on that ladder. She's still in the same pant suit from earlier, barely even wrinkled from the incident. Other than a trace of lines around her eyes and bags under them, she looks the commanding, charismatic leader she always has been. Just a rather… More round version of that leader.
She hands the tea over gently, her now free hand coming to rest on Betty's shoulder in a tender, worried touch of fingertips. "Betty…it… he'll be okay. Yes. He's… healthy, as much as he can be, all things considered. He's not hurt. He just… he lost control again. Badly. But… it's still Bruce. He still recognized me. We were able to talk him down… "
*
Betty's breath rakes against her throat. "He doesn't belong in there," she looks over her shoulder. "He needs… freedom. He just needs freedom to do his research, to live, to…" her cheeks flush brightly. The tea is accepted, but the squeeze at her shoulder has Betty virtually collapsing into the Director.
"Thank God. Thank God the General didn't get him. General Ross hasn't tried to extradite him yet, has he?" the worry lines at her eyes deepen at the mention of her father. It doesn't take much to make her feel even more childlike, and increasingly anxious.
*
While Peggy is Director, she is also a mom. Her arms open almost automatically as she feels Betty lean against her. She wraps that arm fully around the smaller woman, hugging her in close and tight, her cheek pressing against Betty's hair as he tries to wrap the woman up in her own warm softness. "Hey, Betty… Breathe. Just take a moment and breathe. He is alright. He is not in the General's hands. You are alright too. Just breathe…" Peggy whispers, reassuring and coaching at the same time.
"Bruce… he's so scared of hurting someone. He wants to be in there. He… he doesn't see a way out. If… if we can figure out a better way to help, we will, but… This is what he wants. He knows it's too dangerous to go free…"
*
Betty sobs. Her breath hiccoughs loudly as she tries to control and bottle her emotions. "N… no… no one wants to…" her shoulders quake and her boy shakes "… no one wants to be in there…" She inhales a sharp breath, and her body quivers with the emotion and news.
There's comfort in the Director's arms, but it doesn't change what's happened or the fact that Bruce Banner belongs in no prison. "You… no one can contain the Hulk. We can't contain the Hulk. Bruce needs… to learn to control it. To work with it to…" she doesn't finish the thought.
*
Peggy only lets go for one SECOND to set her cup of tea down on the little window ledge. Then she's wrapping both of her arms tightly around Betty and letting the woman sink full bodied in against her, even if her rather pregnant frame isn't the most comfortable shape, they'll manage. She holds on tight, her now second free hand combing back through Betty's dark hair, as tenderly reassuring as she can manage in this situation.
"…Betty…Betty… trust me. Look at him. He's *sleeping*. He's *at peace*. For the first time in a long while. I know it hurts and I know you don't want to face it, but he does want this… And… we've got that crystal. It should be able to hold the Hulk. Yes, he needs to learn to control it, but until he can… this is what he wants. I promise you…"
*
"He… He…" Betty sniffles loudly. "He's good. Bruce Banner is… he's the best man I know. He does not belong in a place like this, he belongs… he belongs somewhere free. Somewhere good. He needs — " She lifts her head from Peggy's embrace to eye the sleeping Banner. There is something peaceful about the way he rests in the room. Her shoulders slump. "I… I care about him. Do you understand that? He really doesn't belong in there. He can control it, he just needs to deal with his temper."
*
As Betty lifts her head and pulls enough away to look at Bruce, Peggy's fingertips come down from her hair to rest against the side of her cheek, "Betty… listen to me. Do you trust me? We've… known each other a long time. I wouldn't lock him up if it wasn't the best thing for everyone — himself included. I know he doesn't belong in there. It won't be forever. I promise that. But right now… that's what he needs." Peggy murmurs softly, fully letting her go now so she can step around and take Betty's shoulders, turning her to entirely face the sleeping Bruce. "Look at him. Really look at him. Has he seemed that peaceful to you in a long time? Let him have his repose… let him have a break. He needs it."
*
Betty steps backwards again. She presses her hands to her face and shakes her head warily. Her hands damp with tears are slid over her dress. She stares at Bruce again. "I think…" she murmurs softly "…he deserves peace, but we can't," her head shakes. "What the General wanted what the General tried to do, we can't… Bruce can't… we can't try…" her eyes darken.
*
"…I don't know if you trust the General. I don't. But… I do trust us, Betty. Bruce included. He's… he has choices in this all. But we're going to get him the help he needs and be *safe* doing it. For everyone. Don't you see that it's what he wants? Betty… Take a breath and think beyond your own little box. Put yourself in his shoes…" Peggy coaches gently, her hands remaining firm but warm on Betty's shoulders.
*
"He's my father, I know my father," Betty hisses. "I trusted him. He lost that trust. He quickly lost that trust. I lived with him for fifteen years. I grew up under his thumb." She emits a soft sigh. "I trusted him. He breached that trust." The hands on her shoulders aren't stabilizing for once. "What people want, what their goals are, the Hulk cannot and should not be replicated." On that point, she won't be moved.
*
While that touch might not be stablizing, Peggy is trying to make it reassuring. She gives a soft squeeze of her fingertips, her thumbs brushing across the caps of Betty's shoulders. She's trying to get the woman to relax even if the conversation seems to be shoving her in the opposite direction "I know, Betty… I know. We're not trying to replicate it. We're just trying to help Bruce. I promise. Help him get control. Help him… so he doesn't ever risk hurting anyone else again. It's killing him… to be a danger to people. You know that."
*
A vague nod follows Peggy's words. Betty steadies herself and finally tucks into the cup of tea. She reaches for it and brings it to her lips as she finds even a hint of stillness. "I think…" she starts and then stops. "I think I can help him. Maybe. He also needs to be able to help himself. Doctor Banner is brilliant. He really is."
*
As Betty seems to finally steady herself, Peggy lets go and steps around her side, reclaiming her own cup of tea. She leans her generous frame into perching on that half window sill, feet probably killing her to still be wearing those high heels after this long a day. But she's not leaving Betty here alone, not yet. She looks up to the now calmer woman. "Yes, he is… and I think he will be able to help himself. I…" Peggy frowns a bit deeper, "Betty, you are a brilliant doctor, but do you really think you could work on this project… without bias? I don't know if it'd be healthy for you OR for him for you to… to be on this."
*
"I can work on any project without bias, Director," Betty replies as evenly as she can manage. Her lips turn downwards. "We all have bias, but I am not… compromised by this. It fuels me. I want to help Bruce. I need to help Bruce. You, of all people should know what this means to me."
Her lips press into a tight line. "I worked on this case before I knew I was working on this case. I know Bruce Banner as well as or better than anyone. This case matters."
She emits a soft sigh, "Besides. My job always requires me to negotiate bias. I need to. Otherwise I wouldn't have any success in this position. I patch my coworkers all the time." Her throat clears, "And remind the Director to follow up for her physical. That baby still requires attention, Director. Getting out of a helicopter while as pregnant as you are… unwise."
*
A slight huff escapes the Director's lips at the comment about the helicopter. "I calmed him down. It worked. Besides, I'm not an invalid. I do what I must. The baby is fine." Peggy insists with a slightly dismissive wave of her hand. She makes no promise about that physical, but she certainly doesn't want to dwell on the subject either. Peggy was rather awful at taking care of herself, no doubt.
"…You aren't going to do anyone any good if you exhaust yourself staying up here the whole night through. If you manage a full night's sleep and return *ready to work* and 100 percent? I'll consider keeping you on this project. But right now, you are a wreck, Betty. Exhaustion makes people prone to errors, you know that. You wouldn't let any of your coworkers work in the state you are in now and I can't let you either."
*
"Alright," Betty agrees reluctantly. "I… will head to the on-call room," for now, anyways. Once Peggy is gone? Yeah, Betty's probably going to sleep on the floor here. "Thank you for looking out for me. I do appreciate it, Peggy. I need," she manages a weak smile, "people like you in my life. This place, you, rescued me. I wasn't okay… I… thank you." She forces another smile before treading back towards the medbay.
*
Another, momentary pause and then Peggy dares to lean forward, pressing a slight, motherly kiss to Betty's temple. "…Full night's sleep. Bruce is resting, and you should too. Then… we'll get to work in the morning. It'll be alright." She squeezes Heather's shoulders one last time and then lets her go so the woman can walk away towards Medbay. Peggy sighs, letting out a slow breath and looking back to the sleeping man in the cell. She'd have to juggle a few more things now, but at least the hardest part was done…
*