Chapter 2
The battle was bad. It destroyed the compound. Your dad is hurt and they’re having to bring him into the city just to have a medbay. At least that’s what Happy told you when he said that he needed to take you and Morgan back into the city. “Is he going to be alright?” You ask, Morgan not understanding what’s going on.
“I hope so, but I don’t know kid.” You want to reach out to your mom and see if you can get anything more out of her, but you know she’s probably dealing with the actual situation so right now, you’ll focus on keeping Morgan distracted on the ride back into the city.
“Y/N,” Morgan’s voice comes from her booster seat.
“Yeah?” Your left hand is spinning the opal ring on your right hand distracted by your worry for your dad.
“Where did you go?”
“Hmm?” Seeing as you had spent all afternoon with her since Happy brought you home, you’re not sure what she means.
“Daddy would never tell me where you went. He just always said you went away.” Oh. How do you explain the Blip to a five year old?
“Um, I’m not sure where I went.” Her face mimics your dad’s when he doesn’t believe you. “It didn’t feel like I was gone. It felt like I was asleep. Like I closed my eyes and then next thing I knew I opened them up and it was five years later.”
“Did you dream while you were there?” Morgan asks all serious.
“If I did, I don’t remember it. It would have been a long dream right? So maybe I just don’t remember it.”
“If I slept for years, I would want a really good dream and then juice pops.” Morgan smiles. “Do you think Daddy will get us juice pops in celebration since you came back?”
“Maybe. I think it deserves juice pops for sure.” Happy pulls into the garage under the tower and it feels like coming home. Right now, all you want is to see your dad and your mo- Pepper, and then Peter. Everyone else is secondary. You need your family. After pulling your seatbelt off, you climb out of the car and swing Morgan into your arms. Sure she’s old enough to walk on her own, but there’s something comforting about having your little sister in your arms. Happy and you walk into the elevator. “FRIDAY, medbay please.”
“Certainly Y/N.” Morgan rests her head on your shoulder as the elevator rises. Once you get to the medbay, you’re surprised to see how many Avengers are actually here. But you push past them all until a familiar face finds you.
“Y/N.” Peter breathes out and pulls you into his arms. “Should I ask about the kid?” He whispers in your ear as he holds you close.
“I have a little sister now.” You explain, feeling his arms around you. Morgan lifts her head and looks at Peter.
“You’re Peter.” He tilts his head ever so slightly as he lets go of you to look at your sister.
“I am Peter. Who are you?”
“I’m Morgan. Daddy showed me your picture. Do you know where Mommy is?”
“Yeah I do. Come on.” Peter takes your hand and leads you towards the end of the hallway, where you see your mom standing with her arms crossed listening to Dr. Cho explain something. She spots you and says something to Pepper.
“I’ll do what I can.” Dr. Cho says before making her way back into the room behind Pepper. Pepper turns and sees you holding Morgan.
“Oh thank God.” You’re pulled into Pepper’s arms. She places kisses on your head and then Morgan’s.
“Where’s Daddy?” Morgan asks, reaching for your mom. Pepper pulls Morgan into her arms.
“Dr. Cho is working on him. We can see him in a while. Right now, let’s go sit down.”
“Mommy, Y/N came home like Daddy said she would.” Morgan says as if Pepper hadn’t already seen you.
“I know. Daddy is pretty smart.” Pepper’s arm drapes around you as her other holds Morgan close. She walks towards a couch and sits down. You lean into her side as you sit down, having missed the feeling of your mom even though it feels like you just saw her yesterday. Morgan sits in Pepper’s lap and tells her all about what you and her have done so far.
“I love having a big sister. I’m going to tell everyone at school tomorrow that I have the best big sister ever.”
“I think they’ll love hearing that sweetheart, but it might be a couple of days before you go back to school. Daddy is hurt and he needs his best girls around for a bit.” Pepper explains. The seat on the couch next to you sinks down as Peter takes a seat next to you. You reach for his hand, but they’re filled with two cups.
“Thirsty much Parker?” You tease.
“Coffee for you and Miss Po-Mrs. Stark.” Peter corrects himself.
“You can call me Pepper, Peter. Especially after everything that we just saw.” He offers her the cup and she takes it. You look at Peter and he smiles at you before asking something.
“Is there something wrong with my face?”
“You’re covered in schmuck. But besides that no.” You reach a hand up to run along his cheek. “How are you?” You can hear Morgan talking to your mom beside you, but right now your focus is on Peter.
“I’m perfect now.” He passes you the coffee and then takes your other hand in his. He lifts it to his lips and places a kiss on your knuckles. His left arm drapes around you and holds you a little tighter than normal, but you don’t mind it.
“Astrid didn’t Blip.” You say after a few minutes.
“So she’s twenty now?” You nod.
“She’s at NYU according to Betty.”
“Betty didn’t either?” You shake your head.
“I saw Betty at school. And MJ and Ned.” Peter relaxes a bit. “They’re all fine. It’s just weird.”
“I can imagine babe.”
“I think Betty is more upset that we have to restart the school year than anything else.”
“But we already took midterms?” Peter says.
“Should have told Dad to bring us back after midterms.” You joke.
“I don’t think he could wait any longer. He hugged me when he saw me.”
“My dad? Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?”
“Tony Stark? Pretty sure there is only one of him.” Peter says. “I think he’s accepted that I’m your boyfriend.”
“Well that makes life easier.” You tease back, placing a kiss on Peter’s cheek, not caring that it’s covered in dirt and who knows what else. You lean your head to lay on his shoulder. “So like are all the Avengers here?”
“I think everyone is waiting to see how your dad is doing. A few people had to get some stitches and such after the battle, but he’s the only one with a bad injury.”
“What happened?” You ask, looking for answers.
“He snapped Thanos.”
“Who?”
“The guy that caused the Blip. Your dad basically Blipped him and his army. But his suit wasn’t meant to take that kind of damage. So his arm is fu- messed up.” He glances over at Morgan before correcting his language. Your head pops off his shoulder at hearing this. You go to stand up, but Peter’s arm is pulling you back towards the couch and even without the super strength, he could stop you. “Dr. Cho won’t let anyone in right now. They’re working on saving as much of it as they can.”
“He might lose his arm?”
“There was so much power coursing through the stones that it marked him up pretty badly. They thought his heart stopped for a moment. We thought we were going to lose him. But he kept fighting. Had a good reason to if I say so myself.” His own fingers trace along your cheekbone. You glance around the waiting area of the medbay and spot many faces you recognize- Steve, Wanda, Clint, Bruce… kind of, Uncle Rhodey, Thor. But there are so many faces you don’t recognize. And there’s one face that’s specifically missing that should be here. You search around looking for red or blonde hair.
“Where’s Aunt Nat?” Peter looks around, but doesn’t spot the ex-assassin either. “Did you see her at the battle?”
“There were so many faces, I don’t know half the people that I was fighting with.” You push out of Peter’s arms and this time he doesn’t stop you. You make your way across the room to where Clint stands. When he spots you, he pulls you into a hug.
“God, it’s so good to see you back here kid.”
“Where’s Aunt Nat?” You see Clint’s face fall. “Clint where is she?”
“She sacrificed herself for us to be able to get the soul stone. A soul for a soul.”
“What? No. You can’t mean that.” Clint pulls you in and holds you close as the tears bubble up and spill over. She can’t be gone. Your Aunt Nat has been here for everything, she never would walk away without a fight. This can’t be real, but the look on Clint’s face tells you otherwise. He’s hurting as much as you are.
“She wanted to bring everyone back. She wanted to bring you back.”
“But she’s gone now. That’s not fair.” You cry into Clint’s chest.
“I know. Trust me, I know.” You don’t know how long you’re crying in Clint’s arms, but eventually the room has a silence drop over it as Dr. Cho makes her way towards Pepper. You untangle yourself from Clint’s arms, wiping the last of the tears from your face before walking back to your m-Pepper.
“He’s stable. His arm is probably never going to work again, but-”
“But he’ll live.” Pepper’s voice is calm. “Can we see him?”
“He’s on a lot of pain med and he’s sleeping, but I think it would be fine if you, Y/N, and Morgan want to see he’s alright.” Dr. Cho nods as she explains that the three of you can see Tony. She walks the three of you to the door that Tony is behind and you find yourself holding your breath. The door opens and around your mom you see a man that resembles your dad. His hair is greyer. There’s more crinkles to his face. But he’s still your dad. Although the scariest looking part is his right arm. Dark lightning strikes are running up and down his arm. It’s strapped to his body with a sling. Dr. Cho’s words about it probably never working again ring in your ear. Morgan’s brows furrow as she looks at your dad.
“Daddy’s sleeping?” Morgan asks your mom.
“He is. He’ll be fine though. Just needs some time to recover.” Pepper explains. “Like when you got sick and you had to sleep for a few days, remember?” Morgan nods. Seeing your dad in the bed though makes you wonder if this is how Nana and Pops felt all the times you were in a coma. Did they hate seeing you in the bed, looking pale, and not being able to do anything? They had to have. Pepper steps into the room and goes to stand on the side of the bed where your dad’s good hand is. She takes it in hers and draws small shapes on the skin. “Tony, when you wake you, you’ll have so many visitors. Right now it’s just me, Morgan, and Y/N. But the entire Avengers initiative is waiting outside to see how you’re doing.”
You take a cautious step into the room. It’s the same one you were in when your blood sugar dropped too low that one time in the tower. But you’re on the other side now. You’re the family of the person who is sick- or in this case injured. But you’ll stay with Pepper and Morgan and wait until your dad is awake and threatening to blast Peter with his gauntlet.