I Thought You Were Different: Part 6

Torn

After getting Sam's call about Bucky, you were suddenly torn; he was your best friend, and he needed you like never before. The sound of his broken and fear-filled voice was echoing in your mind to torture you into action, but your son was also on a mission that he couldn't possibly be prepared for. If he was planning to storm the Siberia Hydra base on his own, it was clear that he wasn't thinking right. He was acting out of his own worry for his father, and it would cloud his judgement. If the building were still abandoned, as you had last seen it years ago, then he would be okay; but if it wasn't...

"Dad, I promised Sam-"

"I know, go ahead," Tony reassured, "I'll check on Ant, and if there's anything going on that we can't handle, I'll call you right away. I promise, no delusions of grandeur here, honey. I'm gonna get him home safe."

"Thank you," you sighed, trying your best to calm your nerves, "I'll be on my way as soon as I'm done and find Steve."

"Okay, I'll have FRIDAY keep you in constant surveillance. I need you to do one favor for me though."

"What's that?" you asked, eyeing him skeptically.

"Don't tell Pepper what I'm doing, okay?" Tony tried to give you his best, convincing smile, his eyes actually sparkling somehow as if it would help his case by stunning you into submission. He knew that he could get you if he was endearing enough, and he was definitely giving it his best effort. What he surprisingly didn't realize was that after all of the years together, you had developed an immunity to his methods.

"Ha!" you scoffed. "No deal, old man! I won't offer up, but if she asks me, then I'm spilling it. I don't need her wrath either!"

"Chickenshit."

"Oh, I'm the chickenshit! Okaaaay, right. She's not my wife, pal, I'm not scared of her at all. I'm just not going to be an accomplice when I know how strongly she feels about you and that damned suit. I don't blame her though, I still have nightmares about that stupid glow in your chest," you said, rolling your eyes as you tapped the nanotech housing. "Now I have two of you wearing it."

"Sweetheart...I thought you were okay with this...with Ant?"

"I'll never be okay with it, Dad. But he's an adult and it's what he wants. I suppose I don't blame him, because all I ever tried to do was to make you proud of me, and he's just doing the same. He gets that from me too, apparently."

"Honey," Tony stepped closer, taking your arms in his grip, "there's never been a day that I haven't been proud of you. Or any of the kids. Hell, I've even been proud of Steve here and there."

"Woah, I need to get this down on the calendar. Momentous occasion."

"Mmm hmm," he scoffed, hurrying to kiss your cheek and giving a hasty hug before turning to leave. "Alright, I'm off. Go see Sam and Bucky and let them know that if they need anything, all they need to do is call me, okay? I'll call you the second I have your boy in my sights."

~~~

When you arrived at the hospital shortly after seeing your father take to the sky, you weren't fully prepared for what you were about to see, or what you were about to take on. Sam had called you in full distress, sounding like you had never heard him before, and of course you feared the worst. Steve had fallen to this mystery condition first, and the fear that you were feeling was suddenly pale in comparison to the strains of pain and pure terror beneath Sam's voice. You stood outside of your friend's room, taking a deep breath to calm and prepare yourself for the certain onslaught of tears that were already building in your eyes, gently pushing the door open with a loud gasp as your senses took in the first barrage of information.