You Could Make a Case for That

This is an interesting theory. Apparently the line everyone thought Pepper said in Infinity War "I'm going to--" was not actually Pepper saying she was pregnant (going to have a baby), but Friday saying she was losing contact with Tony "I'm going too". Someone suggested that Pepper and Tony never actually had a baby. Instead, Morgan's parents were collateral damage from the Snap - not Snapped themselves, but victims of one of the many accidents that occurred when cars, planes, boats, and trains suddenly had no one in control of the vehicles. Tony and Pepper raised Morgan as their own. If the last five years were reversed, Tony's perfect little family would disappear. So of course Tony had to make sure Morgan's parents never came back to life.

Another person pointed out online that the kids born since the Snap still had a chance to be born, but the children and adults who died in the wake of the Snap would never have the chance to come back. So...

Pepper rarely got the chance to be alone with Morgan. Since Tony basically ignored the world and stayed at the cabin, he had Morgan with him most of the day and night while Pepper had to manage Stark Industries and try to sneak some of Tony's billions to the people who were actually helping to rebuild the broken world of the last five years.

Now she sat on the side of her daughter's bed. She reached out and stroked Morgan's hair. Pepper smiled and said, "I know you're awake."

Morgan smiled and opened her eyes. She sat up and asked, "Mommy, isn't it past your bedtime?"

Pepper answered, "Yours, too." Then she reached out and hugged Morgan.

Pepper said, "Morgan, do you know what family is?"

Morgan nodded and said, "You and Daddy. And Happy and Rhodey. And Friday."

Pepper nodded and said, "That's right. All of us have been so blessed to have you in our lives. We love you so much."

Morgan said, "I love you too, Mommy."

Pepper's eyes filled with tears as she patted her daughter's back and said, "I want you to know, honey, that no matter what happens, I will always be grateful for my bright and beautiful daughter."

She looked at Morgan, smiled, and said, "Even when she blackmails her daddy for a juice pop right before bed."

Morgan bit her lip and said, "It was just one--"

Pepper said, "And it will be just one week until you can have another one - after you eat your vegetables."

Morgan pouted, then nodded and kissed Pepper on the cheek. "Okay. Good night, mommy."

Pepper kissed Morgan on the forehead and said, "Sweet dreams, Morgan."

Pepper had found the burner phone years ago, along with Steve's phone number. She'd written it down at the time but had never had a reason to use it. Until now.

She pulled out her own burner phone and dialed Steve's number. When he answered, Pepper said, "Steve, you have to listen to me. I don't have much time."

Steve said, "Pepper? Is everything all right? Do you need to talk to Tony? He's with Natasha and--"

Pepper said, "No, Steve. Tony can't know I talked to you. I'm guessing he cut a deal with you all in exchange for the time travel technology, right?"

Steve answered, "Yes. We can't reverse anything. We just bring the Snapped people back."

Pepper closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered the day Tony and she had picked out Morgan from the nursery full of children whose parents died after the Snap. She remembered reading Morgan's file, how her bio parents were a kindergarten teacher and a computer programmer. How all three were in an auto crash caused by the driver of another vehicle suddenly disappearing on a highway. Morgan had survived without a scratch.

But Morgan's parents...and so many other mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children...they would never get a chance to come back. That wasn't right. Pepper's heart was breaking at the thought of losing Morgan and the years Pepper had with her. But it just wasn't right.

Pepper said, "Steve, Tony probably said that he didn't want to lose his daughter. But, Morgan's NOT our biological daughter. Her parents were killed right after the Snap. If you let Tony have his way, all those people who died because of the Snap will NEVER have a chance to come back. But if you reverse the last five years somehow...then they WILL come back."

Steve said quietly, "And you'll lose your daughter. Pepper, are you sure?"

Pepper nodded and said, "Yes, Steve. I'm sure."

Bruce held the gauntlet in his hands. He heard Tony telling him not to change anything in the last five years. He also knew why. Bruce knew Tony had ignored the chaos and pain in the world after the Snap. Built a perfect life for himself. But what about everyone else? Did they have to pay the price of Tony Stark's selfishness?

Only now did Bruce understand just how much power he had. He could remake the universe however he wanted it. And he wanted EVERYONE to survive.

So he Snapped.

Dr. Strange jerked awake on Titan. He knew SOMETHING had happened. He looked around, but everyone was exactly as they were when it was his turn to sleep.

It wasn't until the Guardians repaired their ship and brought everyone back to Earth that he found out what happened.

A duplicate Hulk - wearing a gauntlet like Thanos's but with ALL the Stones - had appeared on the Wakanda battlefield in the middle of the fight. That Hulk had yelled, "EVERYONE SURVIVES!" and killed Thanos with a single blow. A dazed Gamora, Loki, and the Asgardians killed by Thanos suddenly showed up as that Hulk - and all of Thanos's army - dissolved as the Infinity Stones in the Hulk's gauntlet disappeared one by one.

No one who had been there could explain what happened. But Vision and the Scarlet Witch both said they felt SOMETHING powerful ripple through them and the universe in that moment.

Dr. Strange looked at the Time Stone, now safely back in the Eye of Agamotto. He could remember the 14 million futures he'd glimpsed. This wasn't one of them.

In THIS future, King T'Challa worked with Colonel James Rhodes to expose the Raft and Thaddeus Ross and get the Accords abolished. Shuri worked with her assistant Bucky Barnes to develop new technology to help the world. Bruce Banner, Loki, Valkyrie, and Thor joined the rest of Thor's people in making a home in New Asgard. The Guardians said good-bye and returned to the stars. Peter Parker returned to Queens and his high-school life. Pepper Potts broke up with Tony Stark - for good this time, it seemed. So Tony Stark spent a lot of time sulking. And Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, and the Vision continued to work behind the scenes to keep the Earth and her people safe with the help of their new allies. Dr. Strange was looking forward to hosting them in his sanctuary the next time they were in New York.

Dr. Strange hadn't seen this future. But everyone had survived. So he wasn't going to complain.