The Aftermath

Chapter 3

"Y'know, when you said you were coming, I thought this might be something more pleasant," Tony sighs after your group runs Scott's time travel theory by him. You reach out to squeeze his hand and don't miss how his eyes snag on the ring that now graces your finger or how they are slightly clouded when they flick back to yours. "The theory makes sense...in theory," Tony says hesitantly but you can feel his trepidation. His voice lowers as he continues, his eyes silently begging you to understand. "But I can't risk it." Steve starts to object before you hold up a hand to shush him, waiting for Tony to continue. "I can't chance losing what I have now", his eyes flickering to the doorway that Morgan and Pepper had disappeared through when you had started this discussion and you nod your understanding. "But, if we do this right...you'll still have all of this," you say gently. "But if we don't? If so much as one little thing goes wrong?" You stay silent, not having an answer for that. "We owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try," Nat speaks up from behind you.

With Tony out, your group decides to visit Bruce for his help. "You three go ahead," you tell Steve as you walk with him towards the car. "I'm going to try and talk some sense into Tony." Steve glances doubtfully back towards the cabin. "It seems his mind is pretty made up (Y/N)," he says doubtfully. You shake your head slowly. "If you think he isn't haunted by the thoughts of Peter everyday, you're wrong...he just needs to see that there's a way to ensure that we don't mess up the current timeline." Steve smiles slightly as he catches on to your train of thought. "And the only way to ensure that is if he is the one working on it." You nod before pulling him to you and giving him a long kiss goodbye. "Be safe and give Banner my love," you tell him as he climbs into the car.
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"Tell me you aren't doing this for him." Tony says as the two of you walk around the lake that's on the property. "Tony," you groan, "this isn't about me. Or you for that matter. This is about the half of everything that just got wiped out of existence." Tony sighs and takes your hand, pulling you along to sit at a picnic table he has set up by the shore. "All the same (Y/N), tell me that there isn't some small part of you that isn't doing this for him." Your silence is answer enough. He sighs and rubs a hand over his face before looking at you. "I...I don't know Tony. Maybe. But it's more than that and you know it. Think about Peter. Think about the billions of life forms across the universe that were wiped and never given the opportunity to live." Tony's face goes cold at that. "Don't....please don't use the kid against me."

You cup his cheek gently as you hold his gaze. "I'm not Tony....but can you really tell me that if there was even a tiny chance to get him back...to give him a shot at living his life, that you wouldn't take it?" Tears brim in his eyes as he lowers his face. "But Morgan..."
"Tony, that's why we need you. If there is anyone who can help us figure this thing out without compromising our present reality it's you." The silence that stretches between the two of you seems to last forever before he finally responds. "Fine but I'll need your help."
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A few weeks pass before you and Tony crack the secret to time travel and head back to the complex to join the rest of your team. Joyful tears are shed as you embrace friends...family that you hadn't seen since the events with Thanos. "I've missed you," Steve whispers into your ear when you take your place by his side, sliding your hand into his and leaning up to press a kiss to his jaw. "Not nearly as much as I missed you," you whisper back playfully. "And how do we know that this works?" Rhodey calls out, drawing your attention back to where Tony is explaining the basics of the time machine. "Like any great invention, we'll need to test it out."

"I'll do it," Clint steps forward immediately, his expression set in determination. "Clint-" you start but when he turns his eyes to you, you read everything that lays beneath them. "Of course," you say softly and for just a brief moment, his face softens and you see a thankful glimmer of the man he had been before. To everyone's relief and elation, the test runs perfectly with Clint coming back with an expression of awe as Scott, now the unofficial den mother, administers orange slices. "Now, we just need to figure out when and how to get the stones," Steve announces as the team breaks apart for the evening to rest and brainstorm.