I am a terrible person. I specifically said that I wouldn't devote my time to new stories when I'm already trying so hard with the ones I already have posted. Yet, here I am. I'm doing this story for me though, I needed this. My heart is aching after 'Endgame'. For those that have not seen the movie yet, turn away now. I don't want to spoil anything and there are tons of spoilers in this story.

Are you gone yet?

Seriously, spoilers are coming...

*SPOILER ALERT*

I am completely not ready to say goodbye to any of the original Avengers we've grown to love over the years. But least of all am I ready to say goodbye to the legend that started it all, Tony Stark. His story has been a magnificent one, and according to my dad(who is such a mega Iron Man fan) his story couldn't have ended any more epically better. That doesn't make me any less heartbroken though... So, I've decided to write this story as a way to 'cope'. I can't figure out a realistic way to bring Tony back, but there is piece of Tony that has been left behind for all of us fans. So that is where this story begins.

This is my first time writing anything for this universe, so go easy...

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my semi-original ideas.

Though I will probably never show this to him, this story is dedicated to my personal super hero.

Dad, I love you three-thousand.

Prequel

"That was a great speech Mor."

She feels her mothers warm embrace engulf her as soon as she makes her way through the busy crowd. Pepper always had the strange ability of knowing exactly where to find Morgan at all times. Even amongst this giant crowd of graduates all in the same colored gowns, she spotted her almost instantaneously. Mothers intuition or something.

"Your dad would have been real proud of you. Graduating from his alma mater, wow. " Happy Hogan had never been much of a sentimental guy, but at a young age the Stark girl had completely stolen his heart and he had never quite been the same.

"Are those tears I see in your eyes?" Studying Hogan's aging face, a soft smirk crosses Morgans face, "Don't be getting too soft on me now Happy."

"I'm just saying," he clears his throat in an attempt to regain control of his emotions, "He would have been real proud of you kid."

"He graduated from MIT at seventeen, I barely managed to at twenty-one. I don't know how impressed he would be."

Pepper lets out a soft sigh before reminding her daughter once again, "It's not a competition Mor."

She understood her daughters desire to measure up to her fathers greatness, but at some point it was becoming too much. She hated the thought of her daughter constantly feeling the need to live up to someone that was in so many ways larger than life. Morgan was always too focused on trying to be him, Pepper wasn't entirely sure she'd even discovered who she was yet. But hell, who by the age of twenty-one has any clue who they are? She did fear Morgan would lose herself in her quest to live up to Tony though. Which, considering his own demons he built from his upbringing, she knew he would hate.

Morgan stared at Pepper with dark, solemn, eyes. Her mother just didn't get it...

"Congratulations Morgan."

A faint smile dances across the young women's face as she's approached by someone all too familiar. "Peter Parker," She hugs him quickly, "I didn't expect you to come." She had specifically taken the time to personally handwrite his invitation and mail it off, but she never expected he'd show up. He was always busy with spider-man this, and Avengers stuff that.

In the absence of her father, Morgan had really taken to admiring the many positive role models she was surrounded by. Peter included. He always talked about Tony with as much admiration as she did. She loved that, amongst many other things, about him.

Morgan had always seen Peter as somewhat of an older brother figure. So when she realized that she had developed real, romantic, feelings for him in her late teens she was obviously mortified and did all she could to bury them. Peter was ten years older than she was and would never return said feelings so it was in her best interest to squash them immediately. And she did, until she would see him again. Every time she was around him, all those confusing, school-girl feelings came flooding right back.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this." He looks around at the masses of people celebrating around them, "Mr. Stark would've..." He trails off. After all this time he still felt terribly bringing him up in front of them. He mourned the loss of his mentor still, he couldn't imagine the pain Pepper and Morgan felt daily. Peter's eyes lock with Morgan's. With her dark features, she looked so much like him. "He would've been really happy to be here."

Morgan can see a hint of tears start to pool in Peter's umber eyes. It said so much about the type of person her father was that people still mourned the loss of him all this time later. She only wished she could know more about him; understand him better. What she would give...

"So, what are your plans now?"

At Peter's question she finds herself hesitant to respond. She had been focused on graduating and hadn't thought about much else other than that. She didn't want Peter to think she was some dumb kid that didn't know what she was doing, but.. "I don't know really. I'm going home for the summer, to be with my mom." The thought of spending the entire summer in her childhood home honestly bored her out of her mind, but her mother had begged and she had a hard time telling the woman no.

"That's nice." Peter had only paid a handful of visits to the Starks residence over the years. Since the day of Tony's funeral it had always been hard for him to return. "Well, if you ever find yourself in the city you'll have to give me a call. I found some old stuff of your dads awhile back, if you ever want to check it out."

"Thanks but we already have so much stuff thats gone completely untouched all these years."

"Untouched? You're telling me that in all these years you haven't played around with all his gadgets. I would think his lab would be like a playground for you." Peter found himself somewhat jealous, he would love a chance to see all of Tony's many projects up close and personal. The creations that man thought up, his mind was truly like no other.

Morgan on the other hand didn't share his enthusiasm. She had no desire to dig through her dads stuff. Everything had remained just as he left it, and she preferred it that way. She would hate to screw up any of his hard work, even if he wasn't coming back for it.

"Well, offer still stands...if you change your mind, you know where you can find me." Turning to face everyone else Peter smiles. Even now, as a grown man, he still had that same boyish smile that he had when he was fifteen. "I really hope you're all doing well, and that you enjoy having Morgan home. Thank you again for the invite." And with one last wave he's gone, almost as quickly as he appeared. Leaving Morgan with flushed cheeks and a slightly faster beating heart.

"Always was such a sweet kid." Pepper shakes her head as she thinks back to when Tony first started bringing Peter into the fold. That seemed like just yesterday. Time had passed both so quickly, and also so painfully slow. "Let's get some food I'm starving." She drapes one arm over her daughter's petite frame as they walk to their car. "What do you want? And please don't say-"

"Cheeseburgers!" Hogan and Morgan sing it almost in perfect harmony, much to Peppers chagrin.

"Out of everything you could possibly choose, that's really what you want for your celebratory lunch?"

Her stubborn daughter doesn't budge an inch, shocker.

"Fine, it's your big day."

Hogan holds the car door for the ladies as they slide into the backseat.

"Yes it is, thank you very much." Morgan quips with just the perfect amount of familiar arrogance.

"Whatever you want kid, you just graduated college. I'll get you one-hundred cheeseburgers if you want." Hogan sniffles as his tears threaten to roll down his cheeks. He places his dark lens frames over his eyes to hide his shame. He wouldn't cry in front of the ladies. He had a tough guy reputation to uphold after all. However, later when they were all back home, with stomachs full of cheeseburgers, there he would cry. Cry happy tears that the little girl he's watched grow over all these years has accomplished something so monumental. But then he would also cry for his friend Tony, because he sacrificed all of these special moments with his daughter so that they could all live to experience them.

Well there we go, something very short and sweet to kick it off. I did kind of hint at some obvious plot points to come in the story. Next chapter(the first official chapter) will be much longer and set the story up properly, I promise.

Thank you to those that are giving this story a chance, I'll try to make it a good one I promise.

Btw, before I get too deep into the planning of this story... I need to know if those of you reading would be interested in seeing other 'second generation Avengers' come in to play with this story? Let me know what you think in the reviews.

xo Eva