Love Without End

Chapter Thirty Nine

Tony and the kids went out to dinner. Bruce was somewhere doing something. I swear he's avoiding me. I don't know what I did. Fury had requested Bucky to join him. And that left me alone. I sat on the couch with a book, the news on the tv. I had just stopped crying, and then the news anchor started talking about another terror attack. I looked up from the book to watch the video on the screen.
"Why is this happening?" I choked out, starting to cry.
Then of course Bucky and Fury both walked in. I quickly dried my eyes and stood.
"Can you give us a minute?" Fury asked Bucky, and he turned out. "Come here." Nick said, and I walked into his arms, starting to cry even harder. "Hey, JARVIS, can you turn off the tv, please?" He asked.
"Yes sir." JARVIS said and the tv went off.
"I know." Fury said gently, and I kept crying. "I know..."
I finally calmed down. "Did you need something?" I stood up straight.
"I'm sending you under cover."
"Okay. Where?"
"You speak Arabic, right?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. You're going to Paris."
"That's French."
"Yes, but the people you'll be with speak Arabic."
"All right. When?"
"Bucky has your file. I want it memorized by Sunday and you're shipping out that evening."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"I have to talk to Tony first. And Bruce's birthday's Tuesday, so it has to be after that."
"I'm fully aware. I've no doubt you can return for that one day."
"Okay. I still have to talk to Tony."
"Tony already said no. But you must go."
"Okay."

"You aren't going." Tony said.
"I am, Tony." I crossed my arms.
"Dad, I think she can take care of herself." Imani said.
"Uncle Nick said she had to." Angela added.
"I don't care." Tony said. "It's dangerous, and I don't want you to go."
"It's just terrorists." I said, like it was an every day thing. "And it's not even one of the big ones."
"Fury said ISIS is next on the list."
"That's not what I'm doing now, though."
Angela started to cry. I glared at Tony. "I guess it's not that bad, you're right." He glared right back as he put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."
"I won't be gone as long as I was last time. And I'll be back for your birthday, Bruce. I promise."
"Okay." Bruce looked down.
"Why are you handling these people before ISIS?" Imani asked.
"These people are wreaking damage far for frequently than ISIS." Bucky explained. "They're smaller and localized, but the effects they produce are catastrophic."
"Oh." Imani said, tapping his fingers nervously.

I walked downstairs the next morning, and Bucky was still asleep on the couch, his metal arm hanging off and covered with colorful magnets. One was on the floor, so I picked it up and put it back on.
"I don't know who did that," I said as I walked into the kitchen, "But you missed a spot."
"Dang it." Angela said.
Tony reached across the table and handed her a hot pink magnet.
"That should do it." I said.
Angela ran back in the living room.
I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not through with you." Tony said under his breath as I kissed his cheek. "I don't want you to go."
I continued getting my breakfast without acknowledging that he said anything.
Tony flipped through the mail. There was an envelope addressed to "Iron Man" that he opened. He took out a child's drawing of Iron Man and the War Machine. Tony smiled and carefully folded it and put it back in.
"What the hell?" Bucky said from the living room and we all went in, smiling. Bucky started laughing. "You or your mother?" He asked Angela.
"Me and Dad." She laughed.
"Can Mandy come over?" Angela asked, as we went back into the kitchen, Bucky casually picking magnets off of his arm.
"Sure." I said before Tony could say anything. "You can have someone over too, Mani."
"No thanks."
"Too bad. Find someone."
"Yes ma'am."
Imani had a kid named Andrew over. They sat together in band, I think.
"Daddy?" Angela asked. "There's a concert in the park. Can we go?"
"Bring your brother." Tony said.
"Um, no." Imani said.
"Go."
"Yes sir."
As soon as the kids left, Tony cornered me in the study (my lair). "I don't want you to go." He said.
"I'll be fine, Tony. Get Bruce and Bucky in here, JARVIS, please?"
"It's dangerous!" Tony continued.
"Hush." I put my finger to his lips. He snapped at it, and I laughed as I jerked it away.
A minute later, Bruce and Bucky came in.
"Can you guys please tell Tony that I can take care of myself?" I insisted.
"You can." Bruce said. "But maybe we shouldn't press our luck with terrorists." He went to stand beside Tony, united against me.
"Bucky?" I tried.
"I think you can do it." He said, standing beside me.
"Thank you. I'm glad somebody has faith in me." I crossed my arms and glared across the desk.
"It's not that we don't have faith in you, it's just that we want you safe." Tony said.
"She will be." Bucky said. "I'll be right outside the compound if she needs help."
"Lovely." Tony said.
"Tony." I snapped. "Are you only coming because Fury wants me 'safe'?" I asked Bucky.
"Pretty much."
"If they don't have good food, you're gonna have to bring me some."
"At your service." He smiled.
"Okay." Tony said. "Fine. How long will you be gone?"
"However long it takes." I said. "Angela and JARVIS are in charge when I'm gone." I said as I walked out. "JARVIS, you think I can do this, right?"
"Of course, Mrs. Stark. I think you can do most anything you put your mind to."
"Thank you." I smiled.
JARVIS helped me memorize everything. Yay for catechism.
"I believe you've got it." He told me.
"Thanks so much." I said.

"Bye, baby." I hugged Angela.
"Bye, Momma. Love you." Her voice cracked, and her eyes were wet.
I smiled and kissed her head. "Love you too. You're in charge, okay?"
"Well, duh."
Imani hugged me. "Bye, Momma. Love you." He said.
"Love you too, sweetie." I kissed his forehead. "Take care of your dad for me, yeah?" I smiled.
"You got it." He smiled a little bit.
"Bye, Bruce. Love you." I hugged him and kissed his cheek.
He hugged me quickly and pushed me away casually. "Bye. Love you too. See you."
"Yep." I gave him a weird look, which he ignored.
"Behave yourself." I told Tony.
"Always." He smiled a little bit. He was still giving me that I-don't-want-you-to-go look, but I ignored it.
"Love you." I hugged him.
"I love you too." He hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. As I pulled back, he kissed me. "Are you sure you're comfortable with him in the plane by yourself? Do you trust him to be your only back up?"
"I trust him as much as I do you."
"Are you sure?" He held my gaze.
"I'm completely comfortable, and couldn't ask for anyone better. You have to stay here."
"I know."
"I want you to have faith in him too."
"If you both come back unscathed, I will."
"We probably won't be. I know you find it hard to trust him, and I don't blame you, but you and I both know he's reliable."
"I know. Bye."
"Bye." I smiled and walked over to Bucky, and we started to walk away.
"Wait!" Angela said, and we both turned around. She ran up and threw her arms around Bucky's neck. "Bye, Uncle Bucky."
I saw him trying not to smile like it meant the world to him.
"Bye, kid." He said.
Imani walked up and shook his hand. Bruce followed his lead. Eventually, Tony came too. "Bring her back." Tony told him.
"Of course."