Last Will And Testament
May found solace when being with friends and family.
She always had.
As she spoke to Ned Leeds' parents, Dulce and Nina, and MJ's mother, Louise, she felt the grief die down just a little. It wasn't gone by any means, but at least it was manageable.
"It'll be lonely without her." Nina was saying with a downcast look. "She loved our cooking."
Dulce smiled sadly and put an arm around her shoulders. "She did. She always looked out for Ned, too."
"She loved those boys."
Louise nodded in agreement. "She helped out in the cafe as well. I'd have been lost without her."
"She did?" May asked.
"All the time. If Michelle got sick or I was too busy then (Y/n) was there in a heartbeat. She donated all she had sometimes to keep the place running."
-
The Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop was a cozy little place.
It was warm and open and Louise took pride in keeping the cafe up to the best standards. It was her childhood dream to own a quaint yet homey place like this and now in adulthood she never wavered from that dream.
You were sitting at the counter with a steaming mug of warm coffee and the famous quiche from the menu. It was one of the very rare days where you didn't have to be at SHIELD or take care of the kids and so you took the day for yourself to simply relax. You enjoyed the atmosphere of the cafe and had become quickly acquainted with Louise due to how often you were there.
So when you noticed Louise stressing out after receiving what looked like a troubling phone call, you were understandably concerned.
"Is everything okay?" You asked softly.
Louise shook her head as she put down her phone. "It's my mom."
"What happened?"
"She had a fall again."
"Oh, God. Is she okay?"
"They think so. An ambulance was called and she's in the hospital for scans. I can't leave her there but I can't take Michelle either. And with the hospital bills these days, I'd have to sell this place just to pay half!"
"Hey, it's okay." You quickly set down your mug and stood from your stool to walk over. "I'll help. Name anything, I'll do it."
Louise sighed. "Ellen, I couldn't ask you to do that."
"I'm offering. I know it can't be easy running this place and being a mom at the same time so please. I'll take care of MJ, I'll take over here for a bit, I'll even contribute with the bills. I don't want you struggling if I can help."
"You're too good for this world, you know that?"
"Trust me, I'm not. I'm just a good friend."
"I don't want to put you out."
"You wouldn't, I promise. Just go see your mom now and I'll cook for MJ when she finishes school. I'll bring Ned and Peter too."
Louise considered you for a moment before ultimately nodding. "Thank you, Ellen."
"Of course."
-
Louise smiled as she remembered particular moments such as that.
"She was too good." She said.
Dulce nodded in agreement and then looked to the swing set on the far side of the grounds where the kids were sitting. Ned and MJ were comforting Peter as he cried.
"Poor boy." She said. "I can't imagine how he feels. Losing his parents and then (Y/n)."
May looked over as well with a pained gaze. "He always wanted a sister. For days all we could hear was his crying. We never realized how much he loved her."
"What's happening to her apartment?" Nina asked. "I'm sure you have so many memories there. Will it be sold again after the clear out?"
"Honestly..." May hesitated and shook her head. "I don't know at the moment. I'll have to discuss it with Ben and the landlord. I don't think either of us has the heart to let it go."
"I understand. It can't be easy."
"No. Apparently (Y/n) has a lawyer she talked to about this. We'll see him too I hope."
On cue, Ben appeared. He had previously been talking to some of his friends from work and then Mr. Delmar before Foggy had approached him.
"Hi, honey." He said to May, kissing her cheek softly. "The lawyers are here to talk about (Y/n).”
She didn't reply but did take a very shaky breath and nodded to show she understood. Ben then called for Peter to come over as well.
"Are you sure?" She asked, nervous. "I don't think he's old enough to hear this."
"I know." He assured her. "It's just for a little while, in case she left something for him."
"We could just have the lawyers call us."
"They're here now so we might as well deal with it while we can. I'm sorry."
She sighed, then nodded again. "Okay. I guess so."
Once Peter came over, they parted ways with Dulce, Nina, and Louise and joined Foggy who greeted them with a sheepish 'hi' and his condolences. He led them over to where a group of people stood.
"They're here." Agent Hill called.
Soon enough, the Parkers were officially introduced to Tony.
"This is May and Ben Parker." Hill explained. "And their nephew, Peter."
After simple greetings were exchanged, Matt also introduced himself.
"I know this is a hard and trying time and I'm sorry to have to discuss this now, but there are a series of requests that (Y/n) had if she were to die. There's an office inside the cathedral we can talk in."
Tony took a moment to let everything sink in. However, as he went to talk, he noticed Harley again. The boy looked as if he was trying to sneak away.
"Give me a minute." He told the others, disappearing instantly.
Harley seemed as if he was trying to hail down a taxi, and he was attempting to be subtle about it. It didn't work.
Tony crossed the cemetery grounds, his hands shoved in his pockets as he avoided the eyes of the onlookers. It was easier than having to force a smile or muster up yet another thanks for their condolences. Harley was still trying to catch the eye of a taxi driver as Tony stopped behind his old friend.
"Well, well, well." He spoke up, surprising the boy. "Hello again."
Harley froze in surprise and whirled around. "I'm not here."
Tony raised a brow. "Unless I've hit the blind age in the last minute, yeah, you are."
He looked down, not knowing what to say.
"I know what you're doing." Tony told him.
Harley seemed like he wanted to argue but ultimately backed away from the road as he raised his head again.
"Don't tell my mom." He mumbled.
Tony walked over, managing a small but genuine smile. It was one of the only few he could muster up that day.
"And what would I not be telling her?" He teased.
"You know..." Harley trailed off for a moment. "That I snuck all the way to New York to go to a funeral."
"Alone?"
"Yeah. Alone."
"What are you now, like... Ten?"
Harley frowned. "Eleven and a half."
He sighed. "Jesus, kid."
Tony then glanced over to where everyone else was still waiting for him to return. He looked back at Harley.
"Stick around for a little bit, alright?" He asked. "We'll catch up later and you can tell me how that potato gun's going."
With a sad but subtle and excited smile, the boy nodded. "Okay."
"Good one. I'll see you later."
He put a hand on Harley's shoulder and gave it a light and comforting squeeze. Then he turned around and headed back to everyone else.
"Everything okay?" Pepper asked once he came back.
Tony nodded. "Yeah. Just an old friend."
"That boy?" Roberta questioned.
"Yeah, long story. Actually, can you keep an eye on him?"
"Of course, dear. What's his name?"
"Harley Keener." He nodded in thanks. "He's a good kid."
She smiled. "I'm sure he is."
As this took place, some others were having a discussion over another grave.
Fury's one.
Steve and Sam were reminiscing on the fall of the Triskelion and how the aftermath and cleanup was going.
"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before." The real Fury spoke up, appearing beside them.
"You get used to it." Steve confessed.
He nodded in agreement. "We've been data mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight. I wanted to ask if you'd come."
He hesitated, still looking down at the grave. "There's something I gotta do first."
"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."
Sam also thought about it for a few moments. "I'm more of a soldier than a spy."
Again, Fury nodded, shaking both their hands. "Alright, then. Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me. Right here."
He motioned to the grave.
"You should be honored." Natasha spoke up, joining them. "That's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."
"Not going with him?" Steve asked.
"Nope."
"Not staying here?"
"Nah. I blew all my covers. Gotta go figure out a new one."
"That might take a while."
"I'm counting on it." She gave him a smile before showing a file she had tucked away in her jacket. "That thing you asked for. I called in a few favors from Kiev."
She handed Steve the file as the others watched. It was a very old collection of notes and personal entries from long ago, and, hopefully, it would allow him to find his long lost best friend.
"Will you do me a favor?" Natasha asked, causing him to look up. "Call that nurse."
Steve scoffed in amusement. "She's not a nurse."
"And you're not a SHIELD agent."
He looked down, knowing it was very true. "What was her name again?"
"Sharon. She's nice."
Then, with a loving smile, she kissed his cheek softly. Steve also smiled at the gesture before he looked down at the file in his hand again.
"Steve." Natasha said. "Be careful. You might not want to pull on that thread."
"You're going after him." Sam stated, noticing the file also.
"You don't have to come with me." Steve said.
"I know. When do we start?"
"Before you go-" Fury chimed in, drawing their attention. "You might wanna stay behind until after Stark is done with (Y/n)'s lawyer."
Steve looked at him, curious. "Why?"
"Because she didn't just leave something to her father, she left something to the whole team as well."
They each shared a look.
"Now I best be off." Fury continued. "I think you should tell the others."
"We will." Natasha said.
-
In the private office inside the cathedral, your last will and testament was finally being told.
Tony, Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey were sitting on one side of a table with the Parkers on the other side and Matt and Foggy at the head of it. Hill was waiting outside with Roberta and Harley.
"Now that we're all here..." Matt began. "Mr. Stark, (Y/n) wanted you to know that the Parkers were the family she was assigned to watch over. She always spoke fondly and said family comes in all forms and that you're always allowed more than just one in your life. She thought of both of you as her family."
Tony watched the Parkers curiously, thinking back on seeing them earlier. He had suspected right from the start that it could have been them solely because they were some of the most heartbroken looking people in attendance.
He looked at the boy again. Peter.
He was shy and nervous, hiding behind his aunt and uncle and only occasionally peering out at everyone else.
"(Y/n) also told me that she didn't want Peter to sit through this longer than he needed to." Matt added. "She was worried he was a bit young for it all."
May nodded in understanding. "She left something for him in particular then?"
"Yes, she did."
He nodded to Foggy who took a small and square neatly-wrapped box from his bag. With a friendly smile he offered the gift to Peter.
"It's okay." Ben told him, encouraging his nephew to accept it. "It's a present from (Y/n)."
Everyone watched curiously as Peter gingerly took the box into his own hands.
"What is it?" He mumbled.
"(Y/n) said it was something you always wanted." Foggy explained. "It took her a while to configure but she said it would be worth it to make you happy."
Peter sniffled as he found a part of the wrapped box to tear. He was careful, as if handling glass, and hesitated with each movement until finally he could open it.
Inside, on a velvet cushion, was a watch.
It looked fancy, the color scheme black and red, with a shining face that gleamed in the light. Peter stared long and hard as his bottom lip trembled.
The others waited with bated breath for him to tenderly place the watch around his wrist. His hands trembled too much for him to do the strap and so Ben helped him with it. Then, as it was secured around Peter's arm, the face of the watch began to glow.
A pale blue hologram shot up from the face of the watch, catching everyone with the glow. Much to their surprise, a female voice came from the hologram.
"Hello, Peter Parker. My name is Karen. I am the natural-language user interface created by Ellen Campbell, otherwise known as Miss (Y/n) Stark. I was designed to work alongside and aid you in your everyday duties."
Peter gasped in surprise alongside May.
"W-What is that?" She questioned. "I don't... What's a user interface?"
"It's... Some kind of hologram?" Foggy guessed, not knowing what it was either. "A video?"
"An AI." Tony stated, gazing at 'Karen' in genuine awe. "She made her own AI. That's... Amazing."
-
It was over a year ago now that Peter had discovered who you really were.
He had been dropped off at the apartment building by Ned's moms after school and was heading straight to your place since May and Ben were attending a party at the hospital May worked at. It was adults only so you had volunteered to watch over him immediately, and it wasn't like he was ever going to say no to an evening with his honorary big sister.
When you didn't answer the door right away he simply found the spare key and let himself in since he knew where it was.
"Ellen?" He called out.
The apartment was silent.
He frowned and dropped his bag, continuing to call out your name for a minute before finally someone responded. Only, it wasn't you. It was another voice entirely.
"Good evening, Peter." The voice didn't seem to have a source. "I am glad you got to Miss (Y/n) Stark's residence safely."
Peter stared with bulging eyes as he spun around wildly in an attempt to locate a person.
"W-Where are you?" He asked fearfully. "How do you know Ellen's name?"
"Forgive me, Peter. I did not mean to scare you. My name is FRIDAY. Miss created me to be her artificial intelligence service."
"What? That means... Ellen... Made you?"
"She did."
After this processed, he calmed a little, reassured by the explanation. After all, something made by you wouldn't hurt him.
"Are you alright?" FRIDAY asked. "You appear to have elevated breathing and heart spikes."
Peter found himself staring at the ceiling as he talked. "I'm okay. It's just really cool."
"Me?"
"Yeah! I mean, (Y/n) - Ellen - she has her own AI?"
"Miss is very talented."
"She's awesome!" He grinned. "How did she do it? Do you have a code? Are you portable or just for the apartment? How long did it take?"
"I am sure Miss Stark will explain everything." She replied.
"Oh! Yeah. Sorry. Where is she, by the way?"
"I am afraid she is stuck in traffic. She said, and I quote, 'This goddamn traffic is killing me. Get your douche canoe out of my lane before I kick your ass into next year, you twit-womble.'"
Peter burst out into giggles at that. Not only because it was definitely a thing you'd say, but because the flat tone of FRIDAY's voice somehow made it even funnier.
"A delay of fifty-two minutes is expected." She added.
Peter composed himself, but was admittedly dejected because of the update. It would be boring without you.
"Did she say anything else?" He asked.
"Miss did mention she would bring your favorite pizza and finish the keyboard project to make up for her delay."
He smiled at that.
He then proceeded to spend the next hour of waiting chatting away to FRIDAY and asking all sorts of questions as he worked on his homework for the weekend.
As soon as he heard the lock click he sprung to his feet with a toothy grin plastered on his face.
"Ellen!"
You barely had time to close the door behind you before he barrelled into you at top speed with a tight hug. You couldn't help but laugh, holding a warm pizza box in one hand and your work bag in the other.
"Hey, kiddo." You chuckled, dropping the work bag on the floor so you could ruffle his hair. "How've you been?"
"Alive." Peter shrugged. "I really missed you, though."
"I missed you too, Pete."
He stepped back and noticed the pizza, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. You playfully rolled your eyes and handed him the box which was thrown open in seconds.
"Am I forgiven?" You asked with a laugh.
Peter, already with a mouthful, nodded enthusiastically. "Always!"
You smiled and sat next to him on the couch. "Sorry about the traffic. Things were hectic."
"I get it. Too many douche canoes out there, huh?"
Your eyes widened. "What?"
He smirked. "I got your voice message from FRIDAY."
"Oh... Oh! Right, uh... Don't tell your aunt and uncle. I'm on thin ice after the pool incident."
"I promise. As long as I get free pizza for life."
"Sure thing. Anything for you." You relaxed in the seat. "So you met FRIDAY?"
He nodded. "She's super cool. She said you created her years ago."
"I did."
"No way! How?"
"Weeks of insomnia, rock music classics, and a whole lotta free time."
"Can you make me one?"
You playfully shrugged. "I don't know."
He pouted, putting the pizza box down to grab your arm with both hands.
"Please." He begged, shaking your arm several times. "I'll be so good! I'll clean the apartment, I'll bake you cookies, I'll make you something too! Anything!"
You laughed as he started listing all the possible chores he could think of.
"Relax, child." You said. "I'll see what I can do."
His entire face lit up.
"Thank you!" He threw himself at you in another hug. "I love you so much, Ellen!"
You held him close and kissed the top of his head. "I love you too, Pete."
-
"Miss Stark wanted me to assist you with whatever you may require." Karen explained.
Peter, shaken from the memory, tried desperately not to start crying again. He couldn't believe that even after all you dealt with in your life, both as Ellen and as (Y/n), that you still found the time to make him something he asked for over a year ago. He wished he could thank you in person.
"I hope we can be friends." He said after mustering the courage to talk again.
"I'm sure we will." She replied. "Miss Stark made sure we were compatible as friends were she to have to leave."
It was horrible to have to see such a young kid mourn the loss of someone who clearly meant the world to him. It was hitting Tony particularly hard. He didn't even know the kid and yet the thought of you making such an important gift for him just showed how much you loved Peter. Because of this, he couldn't help but feel as if he had to know him, to understand what it was like being so close to you.
If this was just the first gift, he couldn't help but wonder what else lay in store.
-
A little while later, Peter had been sent out of the room to stay with Roberta and the others while the rest of the will was read and the mementos given out.
"(Y/n) left a message." Matt explained near the end. "In the case of her death she wanted to leave something personal, to tell her family what we can't."
Foggy had placed a laptop on the table by now and positioned it so everyone could see. Right away the screen showed an image of you sitting in a very big and comfy looking chair with a warm smile.
The mixed feelings could be seen all over in the room. Tony reached for Pepper's hand, scared to hear your voice again, to hear what you had to say to him.
"Everyone ready?" Foggy asked.
A few more mixed looks were exchanged but ultimately each person nodded. With this permission, he pressed play.
"Hi, everyone." You greeted.
Immediately the nerves could be heard in your tone. You were scared, or worried, yet it was clear you wanted to appear casual and collected.
"This must be weird, huh? I'm pretty sure you'll only see this if I, uh... Well, if I kick the bucket." You paused, yet forced out another smile. "I mean, that's the plan anyway. If I do happen to be on the highway to hell or stairway to heaven, then I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you're probably sitting there watching this as part of the will I'm writing. Who's shocked, really? After all, us Starks don't tend to get a long life span."
There were sad smiles around the room as you attempted the joke.
"I'm alive for now, at least. I hired lawyers ahead of time because... I don't really know... Just because. I want everything planned. After all, who knows how they're going to die? I could try the cool thing and sacrifice myself. I could be in a car accident. I could even slip on the stairs. You just never know until it's time. Maybe the threat from all those years ago will finally follow through and I'll be assassinated." You tried to smile again but it didn't work that time. "Sorry to keep joking. I think that's another Stark thing. Humor to protect against fear."
You sighed, taking a slow breath.
"I am scared, I won't lie. But not of death. I'm scared to lose you. Dad, Pepper, Happy, Uncle Rhodey... Ben, May, and Peter. You've all changed my life in some way and I think in the end I'm better off for it. I'm glad my two families get to meet each other. I'm sorry that Peter can't stay for this but he's just a kid and I can't put him through this kind of thing again. He's suffered enough. I hope he likes Karen."
There was a silence.
"Uncle Ben, Aunt May." You closed your eyes for a moment. "I love you both so much. I'm leaving you my SHIELD salary. All I saved up, it's yours. Every 60k note."
The couple were shocked and shared a stunned look. Tony and the others were also quite surprised, mostly because of how generous it was and just how much it was to give away.
"Of course she did." May whispered.
"We can't." Ben said. "We can't take that."
As if you were actually in the room, you began talking again.
"I know, I know." You chuckled. "I know you're going to say you can't take it or it's too much or something like that. But please, for me. You're amazing people and I want you to have it, and I want Peter to have it. Send him to MIT. It's where he's always wanted to go. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you who I was, May."
You sighed.
"There's a lot of reasons, but mostly because I wanted to protect you. You loved me like a mother and I was so scared I'd lose you if you knew the truth. Fury also made the call, and I respected it. You didn't ask, so I didn't tell. I'm so sorry. I'm glad we had some good times, though. Cooking dinner for Ben and Peter was always my favorite thing to do with you. And thank you, Ben, for knowing who I am and keeping my secret. I can never thank you enough for everything you did for me. You might have been ordered to accept me, but I like to think I was genuinely loveable"
Ben and May both smiled sadly. Then there was a pause, and you looked down at the ground.
"Thanks for letting me look after Peter, by the way. I know it can't have been easy letting a stranger into your lives and trusting me with your nephew, but you did. I was vulnerable back then and I guess part of me still is with everything that's happening, but your family was the best gift I ever got. I'm just a normal person with you, and that's a feeling I love."
By the end of the dedication, May could feel tears brimming her eyes. She turned to her husband and leaned into his embrace as Ben watched the rest of the video sadly.
Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy watched the Parkers both with curiosity and gratitude. They had each missed you dearly but knowing you were so looked after by loving people was a kind of solace for them.
Tony couldn't say the same. He was also grateful, that much was true, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. He was supposed to protect you, you weren't supposed to be forced into the care of strangers. Still, he was hoping he could talk to them after everything to see if they could help him understand what you were like.
"Now comes the real tear-jerker." You spoke up again, drawing everyone's attention back to the video. "Pepper, Happy, Rhodey... And Dad. I have so much to say but no one to hear it and that's the worst part of all this hiding. Still, talking to a camera is easy compared to everything else, I gotta admit. It's been so many years now... Six, I think? I've lost count. The days all sort of merge into one eventually. But the least you deserve to know is that I never stopped missing everyone. Every day I thought about you and what could happen if I came back. I just... I never found the will to make it happen."
You looked up again and your eyes sparkled with emotion. You spoke so softly that your voice was almost incomprehensible.
"Uncle Rhodey... You were my best friend growing up. You and Mama Rhodes were just... Amazing. Incredible. Thanks for looking out for me, from dropping me off on the first day of school and picking me up on the last, even though you had all those military duties going on. You're a good guy, and you deserve something pretty damn awesome for everything you did. So I'm leaving you my car."
You finally managed another smile.
"I hope it's still around when I'm gone, anyway. I don't know if it'll survive and I guess that would make this pretty disappointing, huh? But no, it's a good car. Reliable. I've got faith it's still going strong. Agent Coulson actually gave it to me on my 18th birthday. Look after it, alright? And, spoilers, it can fly." You dramatically paused, grinning a little. "Was that gasps of awe I just heard? It's true, though. Trust me on that. So, yeah, pretty cool. Thanks for everything, Rhodey."
Tony and Pepper shared a look. Not only were you a celebrated engineer and SHIELD confidant, you also had a flying car? What else had happened while you were on the run?
Rhodey was trying his hardest not to let tears fall. He couldn't speak, and, even if it was just a recording, he nodded to the screen in promise to look after the car.
"Happy, you're next." You then said, jokingly adding a haunting tone to your voice. "Although you were there for my dad, you also never wavered from protecting me too. Thanks for that. When my dad was busy with work stuff or other people couldn't make it, you looked after me. I also want to say thanks for not telling anyone about my hospital visit. It's okay now because everyone knows the truth, but you made good on the promise and I appreciate it. So don't beat yourself up or think my death is your fault in any way because I swear it isn't."
Your smile slowly dropped and you became more serious.
"Keep on living, Happy. Protect my dad, protect Pepper, and look out for yourself as well, okay? That's important. Don't retire, though. I can totally imagine you still kicking ass when you're one hundred. Maybe find a girlfriend, though. You're my family and I want you happy, just like your name. Promise me that."
Happy looked down at his hands, thinking on your words carefully. Was it okay to feel relief that you really didn't blame him for anything? Was it okay to feel some margin of peace knowing you could never feel animosity towards him for keeping quiet? He did crack a smile thinking about how you wanted him to get a girlfriend, though.
"Pepper." You said, moving on. "I don't have words. I miss you so much. So much. Whether you intended it or not, you were the mom I never got. You looked after me like one and I'll never forget it. I think that when I get sad I'm reminded of our happiest moments, like you comforting me after I saw my first sad movie, or you putting up my first A+ grade on the wall. I'm proud that you're CEO now, and that you've got a good relationship going with my dad. I'm rooting for you."
There was a pause.
"I'm gonna leave my apartment to you." You explained. "I've lived there for years now, and it's got a ton of memories that I don't want being lost. I've known you my entire life and I think you're the only one who's going to keep it homey and clean. You and Dad can go there for days off or something, I don't know. You can spend time with Ben and May and Peter if you like, I'm sure you'll like each other. As for the furniture and clothes and stuff, you can donate it all or keep some or whatever you like. I trust you to do what you think is right. Thanks again for being the mom I always wanted."
Pepper closed her eyes, being the only one unafraid to show her tears. She held Tony's hand as she cried and did the same as Rhodey, nodding to the laptop screen as if you were really there. Even if she had all the money in the world and all the material objects she wished for, she would never turn down that apartment. She would look after it with everything she had.
You took a long breath and Tony knew it was now his turn. He wasn't prepared at all and squeezed Pepper's hand for both preparation and comfort.
"Dad." You said.
Your own voice trembled.
"We didn't get the best start, I know. Whether you were too busy or I was too much, I'm not sure. But I'm older and... Sort of mature enough to think better of it all. I grew up angry and alone despite having everyone I needed right there in front of me. I could see everyone, but I was still blind to it. That's on me." You paused to take a shaky breath. "I wish I was different. Maybe we could've got a better start if I tried harder or tried less to get your attention? I don't know. Maybe nothing would change at all."
You sighed.
"Still, I hope I can see you again without the fear of being killed or losing you. There's been times where I've seen you, you know? On the streets, on the news, times where all it took was a reach and we could meet each other again. But I was scared. I've left something for everyone, and now it's your turn. I hope it's a good one. For one, you get my apartment with Pepper."
Tony nodded once to himself, glad but also sad that he was included at least. Even after your last goodbye, he couldn't help thinking you still hated him. Yet knowing you loved him throughout it all hurt, too.
"You also get something else." You added. "Before I lived in the apartment, I had somewhere else that I called home. Even after I joined SHIELD and moved into the city, I kept the place as my own vacation hole. I'm leaving this place to you and the Avengers. It's big enough to serve as a base or just an intelligence building or whatever you want to do with it. Fury and Hill know about it. If they're still around, they'll show you I hope. Keep an eye on it."
You gave them all one final pause.
"Thank you. Everyone. I hope I can have some shred of forgiveness for hiding this whole time. Thanks for everything. I love you.”