"Bro..."
"Hmm?"
"After Christmas this year, I'll be thirty-six!"
"It's fine."
Lake understood the meaning behind Betty's words, but he smiled and comforted her. "Let me quietly tell you something. Do you know how old Katherine has to be before she's considered an adult?"
Betty blinked. "How old?"
"Two hundred."
"What?"
"That's right."
Looking at Betty's bewildered face, Lake smiled faintly. "So it's fine. Thirty-six is still very young. How about this? I guarantee that when you're two hundred, you'll still look exactly as you do now. You won't age at all. Are you happy now?"
Betty opened and closed her mouth.
Happy?
Happy my ass.
This is something I traded my entire life's happiness for.
I'd rather...
I...
Betty turned and walked toward the greenhouse, saying in a muffled voice, "If you won't help me, I can think of a way myself."
Lake turned to look at Betty's back as she entered and said, "Really? Then I'll look forward to it."
Actually, after Christmas this year, Bruce Hulk Banner, who was still hiding out in the country of Asan, would be brought back by people sent by General Ross. The reason they had not gone this year was that no one had expected the Chitauri to stop and take a break.
Of course.
Betty had been kept completely in the dark about this. This time, after Lake picked up General Ross at the airport, General Ross had secretly mentioned that his foolish sister had been using the family phone to call Bruce's Satellite Phone. Every time, she would remind Bruce to be careful and make sure he did not expose his whereabouts.
When General Ross mentioned this, he had done so with a smile. He had even tentatively asked Lake about the possibility of Betty and Bruce getting together.