The Tragedy of Mary Jane Stark

Coping

Before the Tragedy after Thanos

Rushing through the semi-empty hospital halls, Tony Stark came looking for room PW19. Pepper's labored screams could be heard from the hall. He ran into the room, holding a pink balloon. He tied the balloon to the chair to free his hands. Giving them to Pepper.

"I told you she wouldn't pop without me." Tony smirked grabbing his wife's hand.

"Your late." She huffed out. "Happy had to drive me."

"I know but the contracting manager lost the specific red paint I ordered for the one bedroom, I had to find it myself. I'm sorry I'm here now." Tony said wiping the sweat off Peppers forehead with a damp rag. Tony looked tired. Deep purple bags under his eyes. His facial expressions only ever looked half enthusiastic, not the same as before.

"For their bedroom?" She looked up at him with sorrow in her eyes. Tony's face dropped, the twinkle in his eyes disappeared.

"Yeah." He whispered. Than Pepper started to scream in pain, which caused Tony to scream.
                                         *

8 hours later a little bundle of joy was brought to the world.

Morgan Jane-Parker Stark.

Pepper was sleeping soundly in the hospital room bed allowing Tony to be alone to hold his new born daughter.

"I'm going to do better this time. I promise Morgan, I'll be there for everything. You'll be my number one priority." He kissed the new borns head.

It had only been 13 months after Thanos, well you know, when Morgan was born. After Cap and the other remaining avengers found Thanos, just for the stones to be gone. The world was willing to except fate. Nothing could be done, you couldn't reverse it.

Tony understood that. He needed to let go; he had too. But couldn't. The first words he had spoken to cap in years was 'I lost the kids'. It was hard on everyone so he pretty much bottled up his feeling of loss and grief.

Constantly doing things to keep his mind off it. Building a beautiful cabin for Pepper and him, getting married to pepper (a small wedding of course). Wong didn't dust so he was able to attend.

But pepper could see he was not as okay as he projected himself out to be.

When first designing the cabin when she was a few months pregnant, she was finally really able to see how hurt he was.

"Four bedrooms?" Pepper said reading Tony's plans.

"Uh yeah, one for us, one for her," he said poking Pepper's belly with the pencil "and uh two guest bedrooms." Tony said refusing to look Pepper in the eyes.

"Two? I thought we decided on just one. And Why would the second guest room need a queen sized bed? I thought we wanted twins for the guest room." After all the years of being with Tony, she could tell when he was hiding something. "And a balcony in the fourth room too? Pointing west?" Pepper knew exactly why he was making a fourth room.

"She loved to look at the sunset so I thought a balcony would be a nice way for them to see it." His eyes started to get glossy. Pepper took a deep breathe. Understanding that Tony needed to make a bedroom for Peter and Mary. To cope.

"Okay. Four bedrooms it is." She swallowed hard. She desperately missed Mary Jane too, she had watched the girl grow up and was her only mother figure she had. She grabbed Tony's hand and squeezed it. "It's okay, how bout we design that room together."

"Yeah okay." He closed his eyes. Afraid if he were to open he might cry.

"I know it's hard Tony, but we," she pointed to herself, her stomach, and then to Tony, "we got really lucky. All we can do is be thankful for what we have." She bit her cheek, not wanting Tony to see her cry. He needed her to be strong for him.

"There's actually sale on the straw berries, over production again. You sure you don't want any honey." The old cashier smoked her cigarette while scanning Tony's items.

"No that's okay, my wife is allergic to strawberries." He said smirking at the memory of him, buying her strawberries because he knew her and strawberries were some how correlated.

"So just the Daises and the lego set? Yah came out here at 4:30 in the morning to get flowers and a toy huh." The unamused cashier took his card from his hand.

"Yep, anniversary today. My kid and her boyfriend, always like to celebrate with them." Tony rubbed his hand under his nose.

"Mhm, receipt in the bag?"

"Yes please." Tony grabbed the bag, "have a good day ma'am." Morgan was around 4 months old now. She was restfully sleeping in her crib when Tony left. Their cabin had been built and fully furnished for nearly two months now.

Unlocking the cabin door, Tony quickly entered the house in hopes not the wake the baby or worse Pepper. He silently creeped towards the room in the house they do not use. Nailed on the door was the necklace Peter had bought Mary Jane for their one year anniversary. The one Tony used to match her bracelet. Mary had apparently left it at home the day of the field trip.

Tony opened the door to this room. Walls painted red. A nice queen sized bed with a black comforter just waiting to be used. When he lost them, Tony took everything from Mary's apartment, everything personal to her and filled this fourth bedroom full of all her pictures and clothes. Pictures of her and Peter with some friends, he couldn't tell you their names. One of the frames housed a drawing, a rough sketch of Mary shining her bright smile, seeming to be laughing. And Peter looking right at her, them holding hands.

Tony set the picture frames down. He took wilted daisies out of a vase and replaced them with the ones he had just bought. Daisies were Mary Janes favorite. Tony opened the lego set he bought and diligently built it. Peter loved Star Wars legos. He set the lego set next to the vase of flower and moved one of the picture frames near it too. A photo of them kissing, before Thanos the photo made him barf, not literally. But it was their first picture they took, after getting together.

"Hey kids," Tony swallowed hard, trying to contain himself. " it's been three? Four? One of the two. Well it's been how ever many years since you two got together." He was rubbing his head now. "I just- god I wish you were here." He was trying his best to compose himself. "I'm sorry I couldn't be better. I should have died, Strange shouldn't have gave him the stone. But there's nothing I can do now." He took a deep breath. "You would have just graduated too. I'm sure you two wouldn't have gone anywhere, you would have stayed in New York. Maybe did some online classes."

"New York is really missing its friendly neighbor spider-man. God and May. I haven't spoken to her since the memorial service we held for the fallen Avengers. Yeah kids you were part of the avengers. Unfortunately it was just a funeral service, not being a part of the actual team really. You do get a really gorgeous view of the sunset in this room. It's yours. If you come back you can have it. If you come back Mary I promise I won't take your suit, I know I told you I'd take it away but that wasn't fair of me. I'm sorry I never let you help build the suits I'm sorry. It could have been something for us to do, I don't know why I was so worried. If you come back we can make a new one together." He pleaded wiping his damp eyes.

"Tony?" He heard along with a soft knock on the door.

"Sorry Pep, it's their anniversary I had to celebrate for them." He said not looking back at her.

"Tony," she walked over to him to rub his shoulders. "This is not a healthy coping mechanism. Buying things for people who aren't here to use it. The pictures and the room are one thing, but buying them legos and jewelry is not- maybe we can find a better way to cope."

"Like what." He still wouldn't turn to face her. Just continued to stare at their pictures.

"Well, some people find it therapeutic to write letters, to them. I know your not a pen and paper type person but maybe you could do something like that." She said putting her head on his shoulder.

"Okay, I'll try it." They were interrupted by the cries of little Morgan. "Here I'll get it." He said getting up, having a difficult time tearing away from the picture.

He has to get better, if not for himself, than for Morgan.