Hi, I'm back with another sad Endgame fic! Yay! *Sobs quietly in a corner* Not another fix-it. When Tony changed his mind about time travel because of Peter I half expected him to tell someone then someone to tell Peter at the end of the film so here we go!
Tony got out of his car and faced Steve.
"We can do it," he said, "We can bring everyone back while keeping the others here."
Steve looked at the small watch looking bracelet in Tony's hand and quietly asked, "What changed your mind?"
Tony began walking into the compound, not answering Steve's question.
"Tony!" Steve hurried after him, "What changed your mind."
Tony cast a sideways glance at Steve then abruptly said, "That's for me to know and you to never find out."
Steve dropped the subject and followed Tony into the compound. When everyone heard Tony's plan they set to work immediately to build the machine, gather their friends and make the suits.
Rhodey came up to Tony while he was working on the time machine.
"You changed your mind." Rhodey stated watching Tony work.
"Yeah," Tony replied, "Funny thing, huh?"
Rhodey folded his arms and raised an eyebrow, "Care to tell me why?"
There was a moment of silence where Tony was clearly contemplating whether to tell Rhodey or not.
Then...
"Because of the kid," Tony explained looking at Rhodey for the first time in their exchange, "I might have Morgan, but I'm missing another one of my kids. And I'm going to get him back!"
Rhodey clasped his hand on Tony's shoulder, his eyes slightly wet.
Peter stood in the Stark kitchen, his eyes red from crying, his hands shaking slightly.
He was holding the photo Tony had left on the side, the one of them both when he received the Stark Internship.
He jumped startled when Rhodey came to stand next to him.
"He wasn't going to do it you know?" He said to the grieving teenager, "When we first told him the plan he refused, said he had too much to lose."
"He did though," Peter whispered, "He had a home a family a daughter!"
Rhodey gripped the teen's shoulder just like he did when Tony was dying,
"When I asked him what changed his mind," Rhodey paused then carried on his voice cracking, "He said you, you changed his mind, Peter"
Peter looked up at Rhodey in shock, "But I was dead how could I have changed his mind?!"
Rhodey looked at the kid sadly, "You don't have to be alive to inspired someone." He whispered.
Peter looked back at the photo grief and guilt crashing through him as he gazed at the frozen picture of his mentor, who had sacrificed so much just so Peter, and Morgan, could live in a world of peace.
Just like Tony always wanted.