Yeah. Yeah, they liked it well enough. It was nice to do touristy things, you know? Look at the city through the eyes of someone who's only ever seen it on tv. What they all really wanted was for me to go back home with them and do all the usual Christmas stuff leading up to the day, but... [A shrug, mild.] Something came up. Big something came up. Several somethings came up, and now I've got a sort of partner sort of apprentice.

You'd like her. Kate. You'd also get real annoyed with her, but she's got a good heart. I think she even made friends with Yelena, in a way.

[And it's all...complicated to feel and think about. That it was Christmas and now he's spent several what-feels-like-months here in this place in decidedly not Christmastime. That he had to vanish from their lives again, but at least it beats the other way around.

Seems like they're all going through some changes, though, the longer they all stay here. He has to wonder if Banner's got anything going on--like he needs more transformation in his life. His brow furrows, and he reaches out a hand to brush the back of his fingers lightly along the skin.]

You okay? It hurt at all?