Chapter 1 – Invitation

Tony looks at the phone in his hand, spinning it between finger and thumb as he debates whether or not to make the call. He isn't sure what is bothering him more: the voice he'll hear on the other end, or the fact he'll have to make it on such an antique. Trust that man to send him what was in all likelihood the oldest phone he could get his hands on.

Frustrated he lets it fall onto the table in front of him and leans back on the sofa, hand automatically reaching out for a glass, before remembering that he hasn't poured himself a drink. He'd told himself he couldn't until he'd made the call.

Stupid idea, he grumbles under his breath. Sitting forwards again and running his hands over his face.

'Are you intending to use the cell phone at all this evening, or are you just going to look at it?' a monotone voice says from the side.

Tony sits up, startled by the intruder into his thoughts, and sees Vision standing in the doorway, the mind stone glowing on his forehead. He shakes his head as the humanoid takes a seat opposite him. 'I will, Vision, I promise. I'm just-'

'Stalling?' Tony knows that Vision doesn't mean it to be accusatory, but he hears it anyway. Feels as though that's all he's been hearing recently. 'What is it that's making you not want to call?'

Afraid to look Vision in the eye, knowing he can probably read his thoughts with that damn stone anyway, Tony sighs again. 'I'm scared,' he admits.

'Of Captain Rogers?'

Tony shrugs, wishing even more that he'd allowed himself that drink. When he dares to look up, he sees a patient face and eyes asking him to explain. Sometimes it's easy to forget that, before he became a sentient being, Vision was JARVIS. Vision knows him better than anyone, even Pepper; which meant he was the most patient with him.

Also made him the world's worst nag when it came to his self-destructive habits. He was still able to predict when they'd happen almost to the minute.

'They do say that a problem shared is a problem halved,' Vision comments, leaning back in his chair.

Tony snorts. 'They also say curiosity killed the cat, but that doesn't seem to be stopping you.' Vision merely angles his head slightly. Tony looks down at the phone on the table in front of them again. 'What if it's not enough?' he asks quietly.

'You won't know until you call him, and you've given Captain Rogers plenty of time to read through the documents,' Vision counters.

Tony nods, and links his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees and pressing his mouth to his hands. It's been four days since Steve would have received the document. The document that has taken over Tony's life for the past six months.

The document that cost him any future chance with Pepper. But that might just bring back the rest of the team.

For six months Tony has worked non-stop on getting the Accords changed into something that he hoped Steve and the others could live with. Or at least come back and help him change more. He'd argued, he'd bargained, he'd asked - he couldn't quite make himself beg - with the Secretary General and the rest of the appointed UN Council, slowly getting changes.

He'd done it alone. And he was tired. But he couldn't stop. He'd promised Vision he'd get Wanda home. Get them all home.

'Tony,' and boy did it still feel strange hearing his old AI's voice call him that, 'you did not ask me to take those papers to Wanda to just stare at the phone Captain Rogers gave you. You've never stopped during a plan before, even when it's been an extremely ill-advised one; why are you starting now?'

Vision's right. He's always known that his 'requests for leave' have been to go and meet Wanda; he's never mentioned it so that they can all have deniability if it ever went tits up and they got caught. When Vision had been preparing to leave the last time, only seven days ago now, he'd given him a folder asking him to pass it on to his 'girlfriend' to pass on to their 'mutual friend'. Even in the facility, at least during the day, he'd been worried about using names in case any of the day staff overheard.

'I promise I'll bring them all home,' that's what he'd said. The humanoid hadn't said a thing, just nodded and tucked the folder into his bag and left. He'd returned four days ago. Four days for Wanda to have given the folder to Steve and for the super-soldier to have read it.

A folder containing the newly agreed Accords. They would be separate from the UN as before, but would not be able to perform missions without express consent and would still be answerable to the Council. They could, however, go somewhere if the need was deemed great enough without prior consent. Tony had purposefully left that as ambiguous as possible. He'd argued for weeks that if something like New York happened again they couldn't sit around and wait for a panel to make a decision or too many lives would be lost.

He'd eventually convinced enough of the Council to have it changed, but they would be treading a fine line for a while. He almost wished there could be a New York style event just so he could prove his point.

Almost.

'Tony?'

'I promised you I'd bring them home, Vision,' Tony says, finally looking the humanoid in the eye, 'I'm not going to back out now.' Before his courage fails him, or before he decides he really does need that drink in order to make this call, he grabs the phone from the table and flips it open. Bringing up the contacts he just sees one name. Steve.

Tony raises an eyebrow at Vision. 'Mind giving a guy a little privacy?'

Vision smiles slightly and nods, standing up to leave. 'Not that you'll need it, but good luck Tony. I hope Captain Rogers appreciates what you've been doing as much as we do.'

'So do I,' Tony mutters as he's left alone. Taking a deep breath he closes his eyes and presses the call button, lifting the phone to his ear.

There's silence for the longest time, and just as Tony is about to pull the phone from his ear and give up on the ancient piece of technology being able to connect, the ringing starts. He can feel his heart pounding, and just has long enough to be grateful for the fact there's no longer any shrapnel in his chest when the ringing stops.

'Tony?' he can't help but close his eyes and breathe a small sigh of relief when he hears that voice. He hasn't heard it in a year.

'Yeah, it's me Cap,' he says, wondering if he sounds as unsure as Steve does. 'I thought I'd check up and see how you were getting on with the homework I sent you.' He tries to bring some of his usual humour into the conversation. Trying to find a safety net.

'The new Accords? I've read them,' Steve slips into his Captain voice and Tony feels a cold drop of dread settle in his scarred chest.

'What do you think?'

'I think whoever you got to look over them has done a pretty good job, Tony. But you have to get Secretary Ross to agree to them, not to mention a committee-'

'They're in effect from Monday,' Tony cuts him off, voice not quite as steady as he'd hoped. 'Secretary Ross already agreed, with a bit of persuasion from the Council.'

There's a pause on the other end. 'They've already been agreed?' Tony hates the suspicion in the other's voice.

'Yes,' Tony clears his throat, trying to get rid of the lump on his vocal chords. 'That copy I sent you was one I was given to keep after it was signed and agreed. I'll just have to tell Ross I misplaced it if he ever asks.'

'Who did you get to take a look at them? Was it Pepper?' Steve asks, curiosity entering his voice and some of the 'Captain' tone leaving it.

'No,' he replies.

'Then who-'

'I did.'

There's silence on the other end of the phone. 'You changed them?'

'Yep.'

'You got the Secretary and the Council to rewrite the Accords?'

'Starting to get a little offended here, Cap. You don't think I can hold my own against Ross?'

He hears what he hopes is a breath of laughter on the other end. But that could be wishful thinking. Still the knot in his chest eases slightly. 'I'm just surprised you got him to agree with you.'

'Never underestimate my powers of persuasion, Capsicle.' Tony closes his eyes and leans back, imagining for a second the other man is here in the room with him and they were back to how they were before the Accords. 'Steve, do you want to come home?' Suddenly he doesn't have the energy to dance around the question.

There's a brief pause. 'Of course I do.'

'Do the others?'

'Tony, what is-'

'Just answer the question, Steve,' Tony tries very hard not to snap. 'Please?' He adds in a softer tone.

Steve sighs. 'Yes.'

'Can you live with the new Accords? Even if we try and change them more in the future?' he knows he must be sounding a little desperate.

There's another brief pause. 'Yes.'

Tony lets himself smile. 'Do you trust me, Cap?' There's a heartbreakingly long pause, so he adds. 'Do you trust me to get you all back home safely at least?'

Another pause, and Tony feels like crying. He's about to hang up when he hears the quiet, but firm 'Yes.'

'I'll be in touch, Cap. I'll have to work on getting everyone back one or two at a time, and I'll need to make sure they agree to any terms. You willing to work with me on this?'

'Keep me updated, Tony,' is the all the response he gets before the line goes dead.

'Missed you too, Steve,' he mutters as he pulls the phone from his ear. Looking over at the bar as he flips the phone closed and puts it back in his pocket, deciding he's earned a whiskey. A large one.

'How did it go?' Vision is in the doorway, Rhodes next to him. Tony just shrugs.

'Is he happy with the Accords?' Rhodes asks, taking a seat at the bar as Tony pours the three of them a drink. He nods in response.

'Did he say they will be coming home?' Anxiety creeps into Vision's voice.

'He said they want to,' he responds, handing each of them their glass.

'Then I'd say that's a victory, Tony,' Vision says, raising his.

'We've got a long way to go, but Vision's right,' Rhodes says, raising his glass as well.

'I'll fix it and I'll get them home. You two focus on keeping what's left of this team training, alright?' Tony says, clinking his glass with theirs.

'Tony we're all that's here apart from the kid,' Rhodes says, fixing him with a firm look. 'We can help.'

Tony downs his drink and shakes his head. 'This is my mess,' he responds, 'Let me fix it Rhodey.' Then he walks out before either of them can argue, patting the pocket where the old phone sits, reassuring himself it's still there. Just like he's done every day since it first arrived.

Tony looks down at his phone as a message comes in. Setting his project to one side, an upgrade for Rhodes' suit, he opens it.

Alone and ready for video as requested.

'FRIDAY make sure no one comes in, black out the windows to the workshop and notify me the second something looks like it's trying to break in.'

'Sure thing, boss.'

'And make sure the soundproofing is on.' Then he makes his call. 'Your Majesty,' he greets the man on the screen.

T'Challa waves his hand. 'I think we're a little past the titles, Tony. What is it you need?'

'I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me find something I've lost,' he answers amiably, hands waving around as his nerves increase.

'And what would that be?'

'My team,' Tony answers quietly. 'I suspected they went with you to Wakanda. I never asked because if I had it confirmed and Ross found out I'd never have been able to keep the changes made to the Accords. At least I knew they were safe.'

T'Challa considers him in silence. 'Steve showed me the new Accords,' he says eventually, voice even.

Tony looks away guiltily. 'I'm sorry. I should have consulted you about them before taking them to the Council. I didn't think it was a good time to bring them up. So soon after they were initially made I mean.'

'You mean so soon after my father's death and my succeeding to the throne?'

Tony winces. 'I was trying not to be so blunt.'

T'Challa fixes him with an assessing look. 'You would not have worried when I met you before.'

It feels like a test. Tony looks up at him. 'I've changed.'

The king nods. 'I could see that from the Accords. Steve told me you'd been the one to change them. He didn't say you'd done it alone.'

Tony's eyes narrow. 'I didn't tell him. How did you know?'

He smiles sadly at him. 'You look tired, Tony.'

He squeezes his eyes shut against the traitorous wetness that springs up at those words. Nodding, rather than confirming it aloud, he merely says, 'I want my family home.'

T'Challa nods. 'What is it you want me to do?'

A/N: Hello everyone. This is my first venture back into fanfiction in a while, I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. I know Tony may seem a bit OOC at the moment, that's partially on purpose, partially because I've been struggling to get his tone right in these situations. I hope you can forgive me.

I'm intending to update each week, either Friday or Saturday, and I do have a few chapters all ready to go. Do let me know what you think by reviewing – reviews are what we live for after all!

Hope you enjoyed it!

L x