Chapter 1
“It’s okay Tony, you can rest now.” Pepper smiled down at Tony, holding back her tears. She needed to make his last moments good ones. He looked up at her, and then closed his eyes. The arc reactor flickered and then died, leaving only the fires from the battle to illuminate the dead hero and his grieving family. Pepper let out a sob, clutching Tony closer to her body as she felt Rhodey wrap his metal encased arms around her, trying to pull her away. It felt like she was dying too, everything was fading from view and she could hardly breathe. She could hear Rhodey screaming something as she fell to the ground still holding Tony’s body. She took a breath, and then-
Nothing. She couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything, couldn’t feel anything. Where was Tony? He’d been right there in her arms, but now she couldn’t find him. Suddenly she heard- something. It was speaking but it didn’t sound like any voice she’d heard before.
“-time is yet to come.” The voice’s cadence pitched oddly, almost musically, but also as if millions of people were speaking at once. She struggled to find the source when it stopped and laughed. “You will make everything right, but do not worry. You will never be alone again. Goodbye my Merchant.” Pepper saw a light in the distance and ran towards it, feeling someone grab her hand. ‘Tony!’ she thought, relieved to have him with her again. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on when another voice broke through the silence.
“Sir, the telephone. I’m afraid my protocols are being overwritten.” What? She remembered this, this happened years ago. She was abruptly aware of the fact that she was standing in the old tower in New York, holding a glass of champagne. She turned towards Tony, dropping the glass and flinging her arms around his very alive body. He dropped the phone he was holding and hugged her back so fiercely she could hardly breathe. They slide to the ground still holding each other, when Phil’s voice filtered through the phone.
“Mr. Stark we need to talk.” What was even happening? Had she died too? Was this some weird version of the afterlife, where they were forced to relive horrific events? Oh no, if she was dead, what would happen to-
“Morgan, where’s Morgan?” As usual, Tony was one step ahead of her.
“Sir, Miss Potts, I am detecting an unusual energy signature in the penthouse suite, and Agent Coulson has just arrived.” Jarvis. He was there too? She had suspected the AI was a little more human than Tony liked to admit, but she didn’t realize he was able to go to… Heaven? Hell? Valhalla? Wherever they were.
“Mr. Stark, this is an urgent matter- “Phil cut himself off. “Is everything alright? Has something happened?” Pepper looked at him, the worry in his voice oddly noticeable.
Tony gripped her tighter and then let go, standing up. She stood up shakily beside him.
“We’re fine Phil, just a bit of a shock. This is about the Tesseract, right?” Tony seemed less shaken than her, but she could hear the waver in his voice.
A look of pure relief crossed Phil’s face. “Oh, thank god. You’re back too. I thought it was just me.”
Before Phil had stepped out of the elevator, he had been slightly concerned. Just a smidge. Very tiny amount of concern and no amount of nervousness whatsoever. Oh, holy hell, no he was terrified. This was going to be the first time he’d seen Tony and Pepper since he came back. He thanked whoever or whatever brought him back that it had happened during the Thor debacle rather than when he had been watching over Tony during the palladium crisis. When he called, he had gotten through, but the phone was face down somewhere, and he could only hear muffled sounds. Still speaking into the phone, although probably futilely, he got off the elevator. His concern went through the roof, albeit the concern was now for Pepper and Tony rather than for how foolishly he might act in front of them. The two were curled up on the ground clutching each other, and Pepper looked terrified. Tony looked better, but only in comparison.
“Is everything alright? Has something happened?” Phil asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. Based on the look Pepper gave him, he wasn’t successful.
Tony stood up, and Pepper followed, planting herself at his shoulder. “We’re fine Phil, just a bit of a shock. This is about the Tesseract, right?” Tony’s voice, oh Tony’s voice. It had been so long since he’d heard it in person. And it wasn’t just him anymore, Tony had called him Phil. He felt every worry and concern he had about this meeting fall away. They were back too.
“Oh, thank god,” he breathed out “You’re back too. I thought it was just me.” If the situation had been any less serious and traumatic, he probably would have laughed at their faces. As it was, he knew he wouldn’t forget it for as long as he lived, and he would live much longer this time around.
Behind him the elevator dinged and he turned around, mouth dropping open in surprise.
“Daddy? Mommy?”
“Where are we?”