Precious Cargo, Conclusion: Home Again, But Thinking (An Epilogue)
Summary:
Tony gets into trouble at the local Christmas market — and unfortunately, Morgan is with him.
(In case you missed it: Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five // Part Six // Part Seven // Part Eight // Part Nine)
--*--
Home Again, But Thinking (An Epilogue)
The past two days had not been the worst in Pepper’s life with Tony Stark. Actually, on the spectrum of Reasons to Worry About Tony (trademark pending), this weekend’s abduction fell near the “routine” end of the scale. Thanks to the Children’s social media post, she learned fairly quickly that her husband and daughter were both alive — and that the former was in adequate enough shape to slyly kickstart his own rescue. In other words, she’d had more reasons to hope this time around than she ever had during the long weeks Tony was stranded in space after the Halving — or the three months he was imprisoned in Afghanistan.
But did that mean Pepper had been able to sleep - or eat - since Tony and Morgan had gone missing? No, of course not. Not on your life.The haggard look in Tony’s eyes in that video was all the nightmare fuel she’d needed. So in lieu of self-care, she’d spent hours monitoring the Avengers’ chatter as they circled upstate New York in search of their former second and still-current benefactor. And as soon as they’d found him, it took her two seconds to leap into her car in her loungers and head for the Compound at speeds that rivaled Tony’s at his most exuberant.
Pepper snuggled closer to her partner, burying her face in his shoulder and gently wrapping her arm around his chest. Several hours had passed since Rhodey carried Tony into the med bay, and Tony had not yet come to. All the same, Pepper wasn’t especially worried. Dr. Bahadouri had scanned Tony from head to toe, had concluded that none of his injuries - though significant - were life threatening, and ultimately chalked up his collapse to stim withdrawal and profound over-exertion. “Let him sleep,” Bahadouri had said, and everyone in the room had readily agreed.
And as for Morgan? Despite the kidnapping and the trek through the backwoods, she was completely unharmed. No frostbite. No hypothermia. No cuts or bruises. No sign at all that her life had ever been in danger. Pepper didn’t know the entire story yet, but she suspected that was entirely Tony’s doing. From the looks of him, her crazy, self-loathing - and secretly tender-hearted - hero had thrown himself in front of every threat and had taken the hits himself. Just like he always did. Just like, Pepper suspected, he always would. A terrifying prospect — but one she signed up for with eyes wide open.
Pepper waited, quietly pondering the weight of infinity, until the Monday morning sunshine filtering through the window blinds finally coaxed Tony out of his slumber.
“Pep?” he croaked blearily.
Upon hearing his voice, Pepper rose and smiled down at Tony, smoothing a lock of gray hair behind his ear. “Hey.”
Tony blinked some more in the light, moaned — then, with a sharp intake of breath, tried to sit up himself. “Where’s Morgan? Is she —?”
“She’s fine, Tony. Rhodey and Nebula are watching her now.”
Tony slumped back against his pillows, chest heaving, a cascade of unnamed emotions playing across his face. Pepper pressed her hand against his cheek in an attempt to keep him grounded.
“Everything’s okay now. You did it. You got her out.”
Releasing a shaky sigh, Tony closed his eyes, clearly struggling to take comfort in Pepper’s words. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Morgan never should’ve been there in the first place. I should’ve done a better job keeping her safe.”
“Tony, no one could’ve foreseen that the Children of Thanos would show up in our village — or that they would find the means to disable your armor. Not even you. What is it Dr. Nolan keeps telling you? You’re not superhuman. You’re not a fortune-teller. You did your absolute best — and I think your torn ligaments, broken ribs, blistered feet, and dozens of ugly bruises ought to prove it to you and anyone else.”
Tony swallowed and twitched his head in acknowledgement. “Did Nat get anything from Casper?”
“You mean Mr. Stone? Well, that Long Island explosion was not an accident. Somebody in that lab is a mole — for Hammer Industries.”
“Fuck me. I thought they were basically defunct.”
“They were — until Stone came along. Looks like the rest of Justin’s C-suite has had it in for you for years. Stone offered them the financial resources to settle old scores, and they accepted. Enthusiastically.”
“Guess we’re going to be busy with the clean-up for a while.”
“I will be. And the Avengers. And law enforcement. You, on the other hand, are going to be resting, with your feet up, at home.”
“Right.”
Again, Pepper lay down beside Tony and gathered him up in a careful hug. “This isn’t hurting you, is it? Your chest looks like you got hit with a pile driver.”
Tony grunted. “Just about. But it’s okay. You’re totally worth it.” Then, after an extended silence: “Do you remember the question I asked you at our first anniversary dinner?”
“Of course.”
“Well, has this weekend changed your mind? Are you still happy you married me — even though I’m Iron Man and everyone’s apparently out to get me?”
“I was hoping your retirement would be quieter. But yes, I’m still happy I married you. Every day, you give me more reasons to love you. Why would I ever give you up?”
--*--
Thankfully, Christmas and New Years passed uneventfully. Thankfully, Tony behaved and stayed off his feet. But he was far from idle. In his designated seat in front of the fireplace, ensconced in a nest of fluffed pillows and feather-soft quilts, he fiddled with his Starkpad, pursuing a brand new idea.
“It’s something for Morgan,” he explained one evening when Pepper asked what he’d been working on. “Something she can carry in a locket if I can’t be with her. Right now, her name is ILYA. But I might change it if I can think of something better.”
“ILYA?”
“I’ll Love You Always. I’m trying to stuff everything I can think of in here so the AI can grow with Morgan as she gets older. But I don’t know. I can’t shake the feeling I’m going to forget something important.”
“Hm.” Pepper sat down beside Tony and rested a warm hand on the back of his neck. “Well, you still have time, right? Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Oh, no, no, I’m not expecting anything to happen. I just —”
“— like to be prepared.”
“There you go, finishing my sentences again.”
“There are shirts in your closet, Tony. I made sure of it.”
“But what about the shadows under the bed?”
“I swear, if you scare Morgan with that imagination —”
“I’m kidding, Pep. I promise.” But there was an undercurrent of something else in Tony’s grin. Pepper could see it. She knew the man too well.
“Okay,” she decided, resolute. “I think we need to put aside the future for a few hours and just focus on the now. I’ll make hot chocolate, have FRIDAY put on the dumbest no-think movie in her library, and we’ll both relax. Think you can do that with me? At least for tonight?”
Tony’s expression contained multitudes — but he nodded. “Anything for my girls.”
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