The call that made Bruce's heart break came at 9:32 pm on a Friday night. He'd picked up the ratty old flip-phone on his desk in surprise for he'd only given that number to a certain few people and he wasn't sure that any of them would be calling him this late at night, if at all. Yet, against his better judgement, he answered the device by flipping it open and holding it to his ear.

By the time he'd slammed the phone shut and thrown the damned thing onto his desk, Bruce was met by a pounding headache and overwhelming worry and grief. He lurched towards the bathroom, his head pounding and palms sweating as his stomach did flip-flops.

He threw himself down on his knees in front of the toilet, he began dry heaving and for the first time since he'd become an Avenger, he couldn't catch his breath. He winced at the wet, gasping noises that came from his bum lungs as he tried to fight back the overwhelming tears that threatened at the corners of his eyes.

"Dr. Banner? Would you like me to inform Sir of your condition?"

JARVIS spoke from above him and Bruce blinked, owlishly at the ceiling before shaking his head, mutely. He really didn't need anyone else seeing him like this. An overbearing and painful sense of guilt settled itself in Bruce's chest. He hadn't spoken to his older twin brother in months, not since he'd left India and now...now he was almost gone. Succumbing to the same disease he'd struggled with during their childhood...severe Cystic Fibrosis.

Bruce himself had mild CF and had managed to get by on daily nebulizers/inhalers, his vitamins, his pancreatic enzyme capsules and huffing or coughing episodes when he was alone in his room. That always helped him loosen the mucus in his chest and managed to keep the Avengers in the dark about his condition.

But not his twin brother, not Rodolfo 'Rudy' Banner, he always had to have several mucus loosening therapies a day and he was always so much worse off than Bruce. Yet the twins spent a limitless amount of time together, they were more than twin brothers, they were best friends..or they had been.

They had all known that one day, Rudy would succumb to his disease but Bruce had been hoping with every year that he passed, Rudy would live too. They were meant to be alive together, to die together! They came into the world together so they should leave together too! But...that wasn't going to happen. Rudy was dying and Bruce had to go be with him and their family.

Bruce reached a quivering hand to his forehead and wished that the horrible pounding would cease. They were going to take his twin off the ventilator on Tuesday, he had to be there. To hold his older sister, comfort his older brother and say some words at the funeral that would undoubtably follow soon after. This would break her, his big sister Tatiana and it didn't help that she was pregnant. The father of her baby...well...he wasn't exactly 'in the picture' and he couldn't let her lose her child because of this. He would have to leave in the morning.

Bruce staggered as he pushed himself up and off the bathroom tiles, lurching towards his room where he snatched his inhaler off of the desk and took a few puffs, before going ahead and grabbing his duffel from the back of his closet. He grabbed a few pairs of clothes and proceeded to stuff them inside the bag, along with his meds and other assorted things. He made sure to set his ratty flip-phone on his night table incase Tatiana called him again.

But Bruce couldn't sleep that night, it was impossible. Every time he would drift off, his hand would reach across the bed for Rudy. They had slept in the same bed every night until they both went off to different colleges. For the first time in a long time, Bruce missed the familiar weight of his identical twin beside him. And he was reminded of those nights when he would sleep with one hand on Rudy's chest, just to make sure his brother was still breathing.

Oh, Rudy.

-TimeSkip-

When Bruce got out of bed the next morning he felt like utter hell, warmed over and when he looked in the mirror he realized that he looked like it too. The bags under his eyes had bags of their own, and his dark fluffy hair stuck up in every possible direction except the correct ones. Bruce groaned and ran a hand over the stubble on his chin. He knew he shouldn't go home like this, it would worry Tatiana and she really didn't need anymore stress.

Speaking of home, how was he going to get to Mexico on such short notice? Yes, he was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico. He assumed that he would have to ask a favor from Tony, because he didn't totally want to hop over the border to get there.

Bruce just sighed in frustration as he pulled on a purple shirt, pants, flip flops and a pale tan jacket before swallowing his pills dry, grabbing his stuffed duffel and clomping noisily down the stairs and into the kitchen. Where the rest of the Avengers were sitting around the table.

Thor was happily munching on some pop tarts, Natasha was trying to stab Clint's hand with a fork every time the archer tried to steal her food, Tony was drink a cup of coffee, Steve was drinking coffee as well but was also reading the morning paper as Bruce walked in. They all looked up at him and their eyes widened at his appearance, and the physicist cleared his throat, softly.

"I have to leave to-."

"Nope! Stop right there, Brucie-pie! You aren't going anywhere."

Bruce was cut off by a clearly angry Tony Stark, who got up from the table with a huff and came over to glare at the slightly shorter man who cowed at his gaze. Bruce tried to open his mouth to explain but ended up being cut off again.

"Tony, I was just-!"

"No, Bruce! Why can't you just understand you have a family here?! We all care about you!"

Bruce rolled his eyes at the genius, he wouldn't let him explain! He wasn't leaving forever! Why didn't they trust him?! Bruce tried to speak again, determined to finish his sentence.

"I'm just going to-."

"Bruce. Please, you're not going to hurt any of us!"

This time it was Steve who cut him off, and Bruce glared at the super soldier, who to his annoyance didn't bother to flinch at all. Bruce finally let his duffel fall to the floor and his eyes flashed green in anger as he yelled angrily.

"I'm not going because I want too! I have to go take care of some family problems, okay?!"

He snapped, in frustration before trudging over and and plopping himself into a chair, making sure to calm the Other Guy before he said anything else. Bruce rubbed at his temples to calm himself and was surprised when he felt a warm hand placed on his shoulder. The shy physicist looked up in confusion to see Clint looking at him, the blond archer's brow was furrowed in concern.

"What happened?"

That question came from Steve who was looking at him from around Clint. Bruce just sighed and leaned further into his hands, not looking at his team as he whispered into his hands.

"My twin brother...he's dying. Well...he's always been dying but now he's really dying. They're taking him off life support on T-Tuesday."

He groaned as he said it, it was so much more final after he'd said it and if anything it made him feel even worse. Bruce physically willed himself not to crack in front of his friends, for their sake and his own. He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, and suddenly another hand was on his shoulder.

"I am deeply sorry, Shield-brother Bruce."

Thor boomed softly and Bruce looked up into to concerned eyes of the god. Bruce gave him a small smile as he shoved himself up and forced a wider smile onto his face. Then he looked at Tony, the billionaire's expression had softened greatly.

"Tony, can you get me a flight to Vera Cruz? I should go home to be with my family."

Bruce asked, hopefully and Tony looked confused as to where Bruce wanted to go.

"Mexico? You're Mexican?"

Tony asked and Bruce nodded quietly, he kind of thought it was obvious. But it clearly wasn't by the confused looks of the team.

"How did I not get that?! But yeah, I'll book one of my planes for all of us."

Tony answered as he whipped out his phone and began texting rapidly. Bruce smiled in relief but then his brow furrowed and he registered just what Tony had said.

"Wait...All of you?"