A/N: This is sort of AU. Timeline differs but characters are the same. Title and story was inspired by Sophie Kinsella's book Remember Me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kinsella's Remember Me, Marvel, or any of its characters used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. I do not make any profits from it.
A tall, slender woman slid over a glass of scotch across the counter towards Tony Stark who grabbed it and downed the entire thing in a matter of seconds. He slid it back to her and waited as she refilled it. He's been at the bar in his kitchen for a while now; it was nearing midnight. He doesn't know how many glasses he's had but they weren't enough to make him forget that it was December 16, the anniversary of Howard and Maria Stark's death. On days like these, he usually drinks himself to sleep alone but his personal assistant was working late and he decided she could be quite useful for the night.
She proved herself useful assisting him in the bar and she was useful in his bed too. He filed a mental note in his head to let her go first thing in the morning. He can't work with someone he's slept with.
Tony lay there after, unable to sleep; the memories of his mother's piano playing filled his head. It was too deafening. After an hour, he finally got up. He could do with a drive. He wasn't too drunk.
He found himself speeding across an empty highway, the wind whipping in his eardrums and competing against the piano sounds that still resounded in his head. He slowed when he reached the intersection; the light was about to turn red. He may like the thrill of driving a fast moving car but he had always been careful. He told himself that he didn't need to be in a car accident too. Just think of headlines, Car Accident Claims Another Stark. He smirked at the thought. Obie would never survive.
The light finally turned green and Tony pressed on the gas pedal. But another car traveling at a speed much faster than his came out to meet his Audi in a collision.
Tony swore he heard piano music in the distance.
…
A groan escaped his lips. Damn did his head hurt. He hoped that the other driver is having a field day with Stark Industries' lawyers. The nerve of him to run a red light.
"He's awake!" a man cried out.
"That's good," said another, a woman this time. "Better call Hogan."
Tony opened his eyes but a piercing light cause him to immediately shut them back tight. He tried to lift a hand to shield his eyes in an attempt to open them again but his limbs felt heavy and sore. What injuries had he sustained?
"Turn it off!" he growled at anybody nearby.
He could hear people scuffling about and talking again.
"You sure you didn't mess with his brain, doc? Looks like he has mood swings," piped another person.
Doc? Tony thought, so I'm at a hospital.
"We'll know when he's fully awake, Mr. Barton. Now, I suggest you all move back a bit," replied the man Tony assumed was his doctor.
Tony groaned again. This time he succeeded in covering his eyes with his hands. "Turn the damn lights off and get me some Advil!"
"Nope. No need to verify. That's Stark all right," he heard that Barton guy say.
The blinding light, the annoying voices, not to mention the throbbing pain in his head made Tony want to pass out. Then, he felt his hands being gently removed from his eyes. It was strangely familiar and that calmed him.
"Tony, it's okay. We dimmed the lights." It was a woman talking, a different one from the voice that he heard seconds ago. For a moment, Tony could've sworn she sounded like his mother. The warmth and love radiating from this woman's touch and tone was too similar to Maria Stark's.
But she's dead. It can't be her, he thought.
Tony just had to open his eyes now. The need to know who this woman was overpowered the pain of the blinding light.
He opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was her hands clasped around his atop his stomach. When his eyes had adjusted, he noticed a wedding band and an engagement ring on her finger. He knew those rings! He would fiddle with it all the time when he was younger, constantly asking his mother why she had to wear two of them.
A thought crossed his mind. Could this woman really be Maria Stark? Was their accident all just a nightmare?
His gaze moved further up, searching for the woman's face and ignoring all the others. When he found it, his face fell. No. It wasn't his mother. She was dead. But who was this woman wearing his mother's wedding ring?
He stared at her. Even in low light he could see that freckles peppered her face. Her eyes were green (Tony couldn't tell what shade exactly), and they were puffy and red. She had clearly been crying. Dark circles were under them. And her hair… her hair was red. And she was beautiful.
Hmm, I rarely get redheads, he thought.
Then, fresh tears spilled down from the woman's eyes, staining her cheeks. She collapsed over his body in a heap of sobs; he felt his hospital gown grow slightly wet from her tears.
This is uncomfortable.
"Oh, thank God, you're okay! I thought you weren't going to make it!" she cried, the gown muffling her voice. She drew back and planted a kiss on his forehead, on both of his cheeks, and then hugged him tightly saying "I love you" repeatedly.
He had no idea who this woman was and Tony had decided long ago that the best way to deal with women who claimed to know him was to feign recognition and get to know them along the conversation. That way, he avoids unintentionally offending them.
He patted her back and said, "It's a bit too early in the relationship for I love yous, isn't it, Ginger? But if you're an example of what I wake up to whenever I wind up in a hospital, I might just have to keep getting into accidents."
The woman pulled away, looking weird and confused, making Tony think he should have just come clean and admitted he didn't know her. Ginger (which is what he decided to call her) turned to someone behind her. His lab coat told Tony he was the doctor. She quickly moved away from his bedside and wiped her tear stricken face. "I'm sorry, John. I should give him to you for examination first."
The doctor gave the woman an understanding smile and then turned to Tony. He was Asian or of Asian descent and had an air of knowledge surrounding him that made Tony feel at ease. Compared to Ginger, at least this was someone Tony knew was supposed to be in his room. "Hey, Tony. How are you feeling? Follow the light for me please." This John sat on the side of the bed, hovering a flashlight across Tony's eyes.
Tony did as he asked and said, "I feel like my head was hit with a hammer."
John chuckled, clicking his medical flashlight off and inserting it in his coat pocket. "That's good!"
Tony eyed the man. "Good?" His opinion of him quickly changed. Did Obie know his doctor was quack?
John explained, "Feeling pain is better than no pain. It mean's your brain's receiving signals and that it's not messed up. Now, I'm going to ask you a series of routine questions to make sure there's nothing wrong with your neural functions."
Tony nodded cooperatively.
"Can you tell me your name, please?"
Tony smirked cheekily. "Tony Stark. Billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist."
John smiled at the attempt at humor. "Do you know where you are?"
"In a hospital." Tony shrugged. "Probably in Malibu. Am I right?"
"New York, actually."
Wow. Did I drive that far? "Hmm. New York, huh? You know they have nice pizza here."
A snicker in the room alerted Tony to the other voices he had heard earlier. There were a total of five people minus Ginger and the doc. Tony scanned their faces hoping for a familiar one. There was another redhead standing next to Ginger, a blond giant, a ruffled looking fellow with glasses, a rugged man with his arms folded who Tony just knew was the source of the snicker, and one guy who looks eerily like Captain America but that couldn't be him. He looked around again. Where was Rhodey or Obie?
"Nice to know your appetite's still the same, Stark," smirked the rugged man. So, you're Barton.
"My heart gladdens that you continue to prevail over every battle, my friend," said the blond giant and the others echoed similar sentiments.
Before Tony could ask who any of them were, John continued, "Do you know what happened to you, Tony?"
Tony nodded, "Yeah, some dumbass ran a red light damaging my Audi beyond repair, and now I'm stuck here with strangers in my hospital room. And not to point fingers or anything but," he pointed a finger at the Barton guy anyway, "you landed me in here didn't you? Why else would you be here."
Barton cocked an eyebrow at him making Tony change his mind about blaming him. He moved his finger to point at the ruffled man with unruly hair and glasses, "Or maybe it was you. Why else would you all be here if not to make sure I don't die and you don't have a lawsuit in your hands. Well, listen, buddy, er, buddies, I'm suing anyway." The fact that they ruined his mourning drive was reason to sue enough.
The group of strangers looked at each other and then to the doctor and Ginger, who he noticed fiddled with the rings on her finger. Tony immediately didn't like what she was doing.
"Tony… those are your friends," Ginger told him anxiously.
Tony barked a laugh. "My friends? Yeah, like I'd be friends with Hamlet over there, or Captain America. You look so much like him, it's creepy. My old man would've loved to meet you." Turning back to Ginger he asked sourly, "And who are you? Don't think I didn't notice my mom's rings on your finger. Did Obie ask you to do this? No, wait. It was Rhodey wasn't it?" He didn't appreciate his mother's rings being used as props in the prank they're playing on him.
Ginger's eyes widened and began to bristle with tears. But Tony didn't have the heart to be sorry for being irritable and rude, not when he had every reason to be. His parents are still dead and he had just been in an accident.
"Tony, could you tell me what year it is?" asked the doctor in a polite tone. His interruption allowed for the other redhead to pull Ginger away by her elbow and whisper something in the latter's ear.
The patient rolled his eyes. "I thought we were done with this, doc. It's 1998." Tony ignored the gasp coming from Ginger's direction. "Can I leave now?"
John shook his head, frowning, "I'm sorry, Tony. We're going to have to extend your stay by a few days to run some tests."
The idea of staying longer in this room with these strangers only served to intensify Tony's headache and annoyance. "What? Why? Is there something seriously wrong with me?"
"We're going to know in a few days. But for now, you're presenting symptoms of memory loss."
Memory loss?
Tony laughed, "Good one, doc. I think you're the one forgetting who your patient is. I'm a genius. I don't just forget things. Sure, I forget names of women now and then like Ginger over there. I probably met her once but not seriously enough for me to remember. But that doesn't mean I have amnesia."
"Tony," began the unknown redhead but the doctor shook his head indicating that she not say anything. He reached for the bedside table and handed Tony a newspaper.
"It's June 9. And the year is 2016."
Tony looked at the date of the paper. June 9, 2016 just like the doctor said. If this was a prank, it was a very good one. Still, he tossed it aside and said, "I don't believe you."
"Stark, the healer does not jest," said the blond giant, his voice booming and worsening Tony's headache, "tis the year 2016."
"Listen, Shakespeare, maybe you're the one who's in the wrong timeline," Tony snapped. He turned to the doctor. "You can cut the crap, doc. I feel fine. Now, I want two things: to get out of here and a cheeseburger."
"No," Ginger stated firmly, stepping out from where she was, her arms folded across her chest. "You're staying. You're getting an MRI and seeing a neurologist—"
Immediately, Tony sat up straighter; his head tingled with pain at the sudden movement. He ignored it and glared at the woman. "I'm sorry. You're a pretty face and all but I don't think you're allowed to make any decisions for me. If I do have memory loss or whatever it is you claim, I am still of sound mind albeit I can't access certain memories. I can make medical decisions for myself. And I am deciding to leave right now."
John was about to step in again but the door to the room opened, revealing Harold 'Happy' Hogan, Tony's chauffeur slash bodyguard.
Tony breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into the bed, "Hogan! Finally a familiar face!" If there was someone who can clear all of this, it was Hogan.
"Boss, you're awake! Nice!" He walked towards him but Ginger grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Happy," she warned him with a shake of her head. Then, she gave a cry as if remembering something. "Where are the kids?! Oh, God! Happy, he can't see them. He'll—"
Kids? What kids?
"Daddy!" A young girl came running into the room, another toddler right behind her. It was a boy this time, and older by maybe two years. Both clambered onto his bed before anybody could stop them and before Tony could make a decision as to how he feels about having little humans within his person.
The girl placed both of her hands on his cheeks, taking extra care to be gentle as her eyes swept over his face. "Are you okay? Mommy said that you have a booboo because of the bad guys."
"And that Friday had to show the 'Vengers your location to save you," added the boy.
"And Uncle Thor flew so fast! His hammer went whoosh!"
"But you wouldn't wake up and they had to bring you to hospital and mom was so sad!"
"I thought she'd run out of tears! And Grandma stayed with us for days but Aunt Nat called Uncle Happy who picked us up and now we're here," the girl finished, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.
Tony stared at both of them, his eyes glazed, not understanding a word of what was just said. All he knew was that he was about to pop a vein with this headache of his.
Just when he was about to throw a fit, hands lifted both kids up from the bed and to the floor. It was the Captain America dude. "Take it easy, you guys. He just woke up and the doctor still needs to do a check up. Why don't we all go wait outside, okay?" he motioned to everyone in the room, "Uncle Happy and your mom will stay."
The kids cast another glance at Tony before nodding. The girl blew a kiss at his direction while the boy waved. Then, they left the room with the rest of the strangers.
"Hogan, what the hell?" Tony asked the minute the door closed.
"What? What's wrong? You don't like the room?"
"I don't give a shit about the room! Who are those people? Who is she?" he pointed at Ginger. "Tell me those children aren't mine and you got them from an acting school or something. Ugh, my head feels like it's about to explode! Where the hell is Obie?" While Tony rubbed his head, the doctor filled Happy in on the situation.
"Wait, so he doesn't remember anything?" asked the chauffeur when John was done.
"He remembers things until 1998. I'm afraid, however, that beyond that there's nothing."
"I'm right here. Stop talking like I'm not!" growled Tony. "And cut the act, okay! It's 1998 no matter what that newspaper said. The last thing I remember is I was driving and I got hit by a car. That's it!" but the three faces he looked at said that that wasn't it at all. He was suddenly nervous of what they might say to him. "Isn't it?"
"Pepper, Mr. Hogan… Tony, you have retrograde amnesia. It's—"
"I know what it means," Tony said, "I can't access pre-existing memories but I can make new ones."
John nodded. "Usually this only lasts for hours, but it could go on for weeks or months depending on the extent of your brain injury. Tony, we don't know what was done to you, but we do know that you hit your head pretty hard. We won't know for sure how long the amnesia will last."
"Great. Just great," Tony sighed, looking away from them. He found himself finally taking notice of everything surrounding him. There were drawings pasted on the walls, flowers as well as get-well-soon balloons in one corner. Next, he studied Hogan. His mullet was gone; in its place was a crewcut. He was stockier, the lines under his eyes indicating that he was more stressed, and his eyes… even if everything was set up and faked, Hogan's eyes betrayed an age that could not be a result of using makeup or contact lenses.
"It's really 2016?" Tony asked his old friend.
Hogan nodded.
"And she's… are you… are you my wife?" he asked Ginger hesitantly, not yet willing to believe that in a course of one night he's suddenly married, has kids and new friends he doesn't know about.
She nodded and added, "And those were your children."
Yeah, let's not forget the children.
A hand settled on Tony's shoulder. It was Hogan. "Tony, I know this is a lot to take in and I know that having a wife and kids are the last things you thought you'd have at the age of…" he paused, mentally calculating how old Tony thinks he is. "28. But you still have your old friends here: Rhodey's still Rhodey. I'm still Happy. But you have new friends too, some of which you've met. And you have children who love you, a wife who's the best thing that's ever happened to you, believe it or not...We're not giving up on you. So, don't give up on us, alright boss? There must be things we can do to help you remember. Doc?"
Tony turned to the doctor in time to see him nod. "We can surround you in familiar environments, have you do familiar tasks. Older memories are usually recovered first, and then more recent ones, until you recover everything."
"See, boss? Nothing to worry about. Just think of remembering as a new project. You like those, right?"
Tony didn't answer. All his life he knew everything; his knowledge about things was what set him apart from the rest. And now… he doesn't know anything at all. What he does know is useless in this time, useless in navigating his way through the new century, useless in…he risked a quick glance at Ginger…marriage or being a father. He wondered at what happened in those years he's lost. What made him settle down? What made him decide to have kids? He's always been convinced he would make an awful father. What changed his mind?
Finally, he asked Hogan, the only familiar person in the room, the only person he can trust, "If I agree to start on this… project, can I go home?"
Hogan looked at John and Ginger. Tony doesn't know what went through her mind that changed it, maybe it was how despondent and confused he looked, but Ginger nodded yes.
"You can go home."
Tony noticed John frowned at that statement. He still probably wanted to run the tests.
...
It turns out "home" wasn't the same 1998 mansion Tony remembers. It isn't even in Malibu at all. According to Hogan, it was a building, well, he called it a facility and apparently Tony occasionally lived there with those strangers in the hospital. He had to ask again in case he didn't hear it right because since when did he ever share anything with anyone?
They were currently on the drive home to said facility but it was rush hour so they were stuck in traffic. And Tony did not do well in traffic. His headache had subsided but he was antsy to get home, hoping it would spark some memories.
He leaned over to the front seat with the intention of bothering Hogan who was driving, but the latter was speaking to someone on his phone. He glanced at Ginger who sat in the passenger seat and she had a phone to her ear too. Were these two talking to each other or something?
He settled back down in a huff.
"Does it hurt?"
Tony jumped; he forgot the two munchkins were seated with him in the backseat, sandwiching him between them.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked the girl, her eyes sparkling at him. He filed a mental note to ask Hogan for her and her brother's names. He couldn't call them "girl" and "boy" forever.
She gladly repeated her question, "Does it hurt?" she motioned to her own head.
Tony shook his, allowing himself to talk to the only people in the car who'll notice him. "Not anymore. But I still can't remember stuff."
She nodded her head slowly, "Uncle Bruce said you lost your mem'ries and you can't 'member me or Philip or mommy or any of the 'Vengers and that we have to be patient with you." After a moment, she cheerfully said, "My name is Maria and you're my daddy."
That brought a smile to Tony's face. She must be named after his mother. It was apt; the toddler had blond hair just like the late Mrs. Stark. He suspected it would turn a shade similar to Ginger's when she got older. Her eyes were blue with flecks of green, or were they green with flecks of blue?
"Um… It's nice to meet you, Maria," Tony said, awkwardly offering his hand to her which she took with a giggle and shook up and down. After he severed the contact, she surprised him by leaning over to his other side, looked at her brother and whispered loudly, "it's your turn."
Tony waited for the boy to introduce himself like his sister did. Unlike she who was blond and seemed carefree, the young boy had brown hair like his dad, had brown eyes too, and looked pensive. It made him look mature for his age and every bit the older brother. Tony wondered at what he was thinking, probably if whether or not he should treat him like his dad or a stranger.
The kid's mouth eventually curled to form a shy smile, "I'm Philip." His voice was so low that if Tony hadn't been sitting next to him, he wouldn't have heard him say his name at all. He found the shy act quite different from the exuberant ball of energy that Philip was back in the hospital.
"Nice to meet you, Philip," replied Tony. He tried to think of something else to say to the kid but wound up empty.
They continued the ride in silence until Philip asked in his low voice again, "You really don't remember us?"
Tony took a breath. The entire situation would have been easier to handle if he was dealing with adults. But he had two toddlers looking at him expectantly, hanging on the words that are gonna come out of his mouth. He glanced at one of them and then at the other. He may not like kids very much but he knew enough to know that whatever he said was going to either break or make their lives.
"I'm sorry, kid," he started, "I don't remember anything right now." At the crestfallen look on both of their faces he quickly added, "Aw, come on. Don't look so sad. Who knows? Maybe I'll wake up with my memories tomorrow." He smiled at them encouragingly and he hoped that the fact that he himself didn't feel very encouraged didn't show.
Tony hesitantly put a hand on both of their shoulders and then gave it a slight squeeze. When he moved to retract it, the little girl leaned against his side and curled up beneath his arm. He stiffened at the response he got but he didn't want to push her away, not with their mother with them.
Philip, on the other hand, stared at his sister. He seemed to be deliberating whether or not to mirror what she did. After a while, he opted to just lean against Tony.
Tony looked ahead only to see Ginger observing their interaction. He caught her eye and he thought he might've seen a flash of contentment, but it was gone a second later and she turned back around to face the road.
The three stayed that way until the car pulled up at a mansion. Climbing out, Tony did not miss the big A on the wall of his New York home.
"What's the A stand for?" he asked Hogan who held the door out for them.
"Avengers!" cried Maria, skipping ahead of him towards the entrance door.
"Avengers?" Tony muttered under his breath. What an unusual name for a home.
They entered the building, his eyes sweeping over the room. The first floor was a reception slash lobby giving him the impression that the place wasn't just a residential space; it must also double as a corporate office. He did one more sweep at his surroundings. The woman at the front desk didn't look familiar, neither did the man who just gave him a nod. The doorman's name came up blank.
Tony followed the rest of his companions to the elevator, nodding uncomfortably at the well wishes the staff directed at him as he passed. Once inside, Ginger explained that his permanent address was still his Malibu house; the facility was just being used for his job. Tony didn't get to ask her what job he did in 2016 that required him to have housemates because the elevator dinged open and they all filed out to a living room.
Right in the center was a coffee table and it was surrounded by armchairs and loveseats. Rising from one of them and walking towards him was James Rhodes. This caused Tony to fail to notice the two children run off somewhere accompanied by Hogan.
The pilot gathered Ginger in a hug first after which he moved to Tony.
"Rhodey!" Tony cried, "Look at you! Man, you look older and uglier." He clasped an arm around his friend's shoulder, grinning as they walked over to the sofas. His spirits took on a much positive turn at the presence of a face from his past.
Rhodey laughed, accepting the jibe. "I'm gonna choose to forgive you for that comment because apparently you're a bit empty in the noggin."
"Hogan told you, huh?" asked Tony as they both sat down while Ginger took a seat on the armchair across from them.
With a shake of his head, Rhodey replied, "Pepper actually."
"Pepper?"
Rhodey slowly turned his gaze towards Ginger, waiting for her to say something.
"I'm Pepper," she admitted, a blush rising to her cheeks.
What kind of a name is Pepper? Tony thought but didn't say. Instead, he told her, "Ginger suits you better. I mean… because of your hair and all."
She didn't reply, making the air around them turn all kinds of awkward. Tony pressed his lips together, willing for someone to say something.
Ginger cleared her throat and stood up, excusing herself. "I'm gonna go… check on the kids. Rhodey, you… you catch him up?
Tony caught her voice quiver at the end and he couldn't help but feel bad for being the cause of it.
Beside him, his friend nodded, "Yeah. Don't worry. I got this, Pep."
She forced a smile to her face and then left them alone, the click of her high heeled shoes echoing in the silence. Once she was out of sight and earshot, Tony dropped his head to his hands with a groan. "How did I get here, Rhodey?"
"You took a car." That quip received a slap and a glare from Tony.
Rhodey got up, "I think it would be better for me to show you." Without another word or a sign that he would wait for Tony, Rhodey headed to the elevator. Tony scrambled to his feet and followed suit.
"You don't have a video about my life, do you? Because that would be weird although very convenient," stated Tony, quietly enjoying the smooth movement of the elevator car as it went down to the basement.
"Sorry. I'm not YouTube."
The elevator opened and they got off.
"What's YouTube?"
Rhodey didn't answer.
Tony followed him down a hallway, passing by a gym, a lap pool, and a room labeled "Weapons Room" and then finally into a circular room that housed what looked to be life sized action figures lined up. There were two benches at the center and towels on the shelves in the corner. If Tony didn't know any better, it looked like a locker room that had costumes on display. Upon closer inspection he saw that they were more like robotic figures. They were all stored behind glass and beside each one was a nameplate and a control panel.
He folded his arms and angled his head to the side as he studied one before him. It was strapped to a mannequin and it resembled a bird's wings; it was painted in different shades of gray but had red streaks.
"Is this carbon fiber?" he asked himself, appreciating the material. He looked at the nameplate. it said 'Falcon'. He turned to the one next to it and it said 'Iron Man'. This one looked like… well, a man. A muscular man. Although, he doubted it was made out of iron. It was smoothly made and polished in a way that made its muscles look like it rippled in action. It was painted red and gold, and had rectangular slits for eyes. In the center was its heart.
Power source? Tony guessed.
There were others more in the room, all in different designs and colors, some of them looking like they belonged in a Hollywood dressing room. Was that Captain America's uniform?
Tony raised an eyebrow at Rhodey, "This is supposed to bring back memories?"
"This, right here," Rhodey pointed at the Iron Man, "is you. This is your job aside from being a full time husband and father."
Tony looked at the Iron Man again and then back at his buddy, "I dress up and play robot?"
Rhodey scoffed and looked incensed at the insinuation that Iron Man was a robot. "Uh, no. This is not a robot. You asked me how you ended up in this point in your life, well, it started with this." He pointed at the figure again. "In 2008 you were kidnapped during a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan and were held in captivity for three months, forced to make weapons for terrorists."
Tony blinked in surprise. When he asked for his life story, he didn't think it would be that much of a story. "How'd I get out?"
Rhodey jerked his head in the direction of the Iron Man.
Tony's hands dropped to his sides. "This? I got out using this?"
"Well, not that exactly. What you're looking at is a much advanced version of the suit of armor that you built using a box of scraps in an Afgan cave."
Tony whistled, now fully appreciating the piece of modern technology in front of him. "Damn. I bet those terrorists crapped their pants running."
Rhodey nodded. "Oh, yeah."
Tony looked at the suit again, seeing it in a new light since he now knew it wasn't just there for Halloween decorations. "This baby probably fetches millions at the DOD! I mean, this is Stark Industries' main weapons line now? Clothing our men in suits of armor?"
"No, no."
Tony whipped around to face him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. So, what does he do?
"You don't trust just about anybody with the suit. Not even me at first… Look, Afghanistan changed you. You never told us exactly what happened over there but what I do know is that you saw Stark Industries weapons being used to kill Americans when it was designed to protect them. You realized that you didn't want to be part of an industry that was comfortable with zero accountability." Tony made a face at the cheesy line of words, causing Rhodey to hastily add, "your words not mine. Anyway, you stopped weapons manufacturing and got into energy."
"I did what?!"
"You stopped building—"
"—that was rhetorical. What the hell was I thinking? Obie approved of this? You approved of this?"
Rhodey licked his lips and pressed them together. "Well… let's just say the stocks dropped. And it turned out Obadiah's been selling weapons to terrorists under the table. He conspired to kill you, and when he saw that you escaped Afghanistan with that suit, he made his own and clobbered you with it. After defeating him, you realized the Iron Man suit was too dangerous in the wrong hands. Anyway, you've been fighting crime with it ever since."
Tony steadied himself by putting a hand on the glass separating him and the suit, not quite believing what had just been said, "I… Obie? But he's… he's been with me… he was dad's closest friend! I can't believe—he wouldn't just—I need to talk to him." He turned to leave the room.
"He's dead."
Tony halted. He felt Rhodey move closer to him from behind and put a hand on his arm. "Official story is he died in a plane accident. But what happened was he got caught in the explosion during your fight."
Tony felt like the ground was just pulled out from under him; it felt worse than finding out it was 2016 and he had settled down. When his parents died in '91, Obie was there to give him life. Obie was there to walk him down his inheritance. And he expected Obie to help him recover his memories. But Obie was… a traitor?
Tony continued to walk out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Rhodey cried, hurrying after him
"To get a drink."
They both wound up back upstairs where a small kitchen was situated a few steps away from the living room.
Tony opened cabinets and coolers, realizing that his hands knew exactly which glass to use and where the hard drinks were kept.
Rhodey shook his head with a chuckle. "Figures you'd remember your liquor."
"I must come here a lot," said Tony, pouring the liquid into the glasses. He handed one to his friend, and then took his own and raised it up. "To… Tony. Your Tony. For all the hell he's been through."
"To 2016 Tony," echoed Rhodey. They brought the glasses to their lips and drank, sitting down right after.
Tony let the drink burn in his throat, giving him the strength to get on with the night. Settling the glass back down on the table, he asked, "So, what else have I been up to?"
Rhodey then told him that he's a full time superhero, made Ginger his CEO, and he is a team member of a private organization known as the Avengers, a group composed of skilled individuals tasked to fight battles the run-of-the-mill soldiers couldn't win.
Tony rolled his eyes, finding it all hard to believe. "Making someone else CEO, that I can believe. I never enjoyed the job, anyway. But being a superhero and fighting battles? Pfft. What battles were those? Godzilla?"
"Something like that. Aliens, gods, other dimensions," Rhodey replied, swirling the newly refilled drink in his hand.
"Footage," Tony demanded, "or it never happened."
"They're all up on YouTube."
Tony threw his hand up. "There it is with the YouTube again! What is that?"
Rhodey laughed and patted his back. "Let me show you." He clapped his hand twice and the surface of the bar table glowed, showing a heads-up display. Tony's eyes widened with a twinkle, impressed at the technology.
Not too bad, Stark.
Rhodey typed a url in the address bar revealing a website with the word YouTube in the upper left corner. He then typed "avengers battle of new york" in the search bar and multiple video results came out. He picked one and they watched as a green giant thing roared, trying to get smaller creatures off its back. It moved out of the camera's focus and two new people moved into view. Tony recognized them as the Captain America guy and the other redhead in his hospital room; they both fought back to back as the former threw his shield at something and the latter fired using a handgun. Suddenly another person joined them. He landed from the sky; his red cape and long blond hair made him stand out. He raised a hammer in his hand high and several sparks of… was that lightning he just summoned?
Rhodey paused the video, saying, "This is YouTube. And these are aliens, gods, and other dimensions."
Tony played the video back, studying the green monster again. "This green thing is an alien?"
"No, that's Bruce. He's your best friend in the lab."
Tony remembered Maria mention an Uncle Bruce back in the car. "It's a scientist? How does it even fit in the lab?"
"It's a he and he's Bruce Banner, expert on gamma radiation. That's the Steve Rogers—long story—Natasha Romanoff who is completely human but is a killer spy, and there's Thor, the Norse God."
Tony shook his head lightly, the Obie bit momentarily forgotten due to the new and interesting knowledge that aliens and gods exist. He touched a few more videos and found one that showed the Iron Man flying a missile into the sky. "Is this what I was doing when I wound up with my memories lost? Superheroing? Avenging?"
Rhodey frowned and Tony knew he wouldn't get any answers. "We don't know. Bruce and Thor located you in Chile unconscious. You were probably on a mission of your own. You spent a week there in a coma before we transferred you here in New York. Even Friday, your user interface, didn't know what happened. Your suit ran out of battery at the end of it so we didn't get anything useful from the log."
Tony took another drink. "There isn't going to be a bad guy that I haven't killed going to come after me, is there? Because if you haven't noticed, I'm not superhero material at the moment." He gestured to the paused Iron Man video. "That isn't me. I mean, it's cool and all, and I can't wait to get my hands on it but…"
Rhodey shook his head. He understood where Tony was going. If an enemy were to return, Tony would be very vulnerable without his memories of Iron Man. "Don't worry. Your secret mission is over and done with. The charred remains you left in that mountain in Chile is proof of that."
In the back of Tony's head, he found himself disagreeing with Rhodey. He tipped that off to paranoia and decided to ignore it. "Do I do that often? Fly solo? I thought I had teammates." He glanced around, "Where are they anyway? They seemed to be ever present in my sickbed."
"Oh. Around. This place is huge. They're probably keeping their distance knowing you'll throw a sissy fit."
"I resent that."
Tony turned back to the heads-up display and typed his name. Most of the results were of him fighting battles, some were TMZ videos, and buried in the later pages was one that said Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark on Capital Hill. He touched on it with a 'hmm' and watched himself walk out of senate committee accompanied by applause.
"Glad to see your Tony's been giving the government a migraine. I couldn't have done it better myself," he commented with a smirk.
They watched older TMZ videos for entertainment purposes; there was one that showed him running around in the nude which Rhodey said was a side effect of one of his experiments. A few more drinks in and they were both doubling over in laughter at the footage, their sides aching.
Wiping away the tears spilling from his eyes, Rhodey asked, "Are you good? I mean… you seem good now, but how are you processing all of this?"
"I'm still at the Afghanistan part, to be honest."
They both chuckled.
"There you are."
They stood and turned around to find Ginger standing behind them. She was carrying a sleeping Maria whose head rested on Ginger's shoulders and her mini legs were locked around Ginger's waist. Philip was in the same state in Happy's arms. Beside them was a woman Tony hasn't met… or has no memory of.
"We're leaving to drive my mom home and then we're flying back to Malibu to ready the house," said Ginger.
Tony looked at the unknown woman again. So this was the grandma. Her hair was a darker shade of red compared to Ginger's, almost brown, and there were fine lines on her kind face.
The woman dropped the duffel bag she was carrying to the ground and walked over to him. She didn't hug him like the children did. No doubt she had been briefed on his situation. She lifted a hand and then after a thought, brought it back down. "I'm Mary. I'm glad you're back. Even if it is like this... You take care of your head, now, okay? I know you have high alcohol tolerance but you wouldn't want to wake up to a hangover tomorrow. And don't get back to work too quickly. Give your family a break."
She was right. It would take far stronger alcohol and more drinks to get him and Rhodey drunk.
Tony nodded at her. He supposed this woman was his mother now too, being married to Ginger and all. Hmm. He could do with a mother figure.
She walked back over to her daughter and grandkids, and picked up her bag.
"You go home tomorrow too," Ginger continued. It wasn't a request. "We think… I think it'll be better if you recover at home."
"No problem," said Tony, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, I'll see you."
They said their goodbyes and the two men sat back down. Tony watched Ginger enter the elevator and he said to Rhodey quietly, "Tell me about her." He wanted to know the woman that was his wife and mother of his kids. What was it about her that was so different from the several billion other females in the world? Was their relationship like his mom and dad's? Did they love each other or was it a marriage of convenience? Was she from a wealthy family and marrying her merged their companies together?
The elevator doors closed and he focused his attention back to the man beside him.
"I don't think I should," began Rhodey.
"C'mon. What? We don't kiss and tell?"
"I don't want what I say to shape your opinion of her. I mean, I want you to get to know her yourself—"
"—and I will. I just need something to go on."
"—I want you to fall in love with her again on your own."
"Whoa," Tony held a hand up, "don't go getting way ahead of me, platypus. I just want some small facts. You know, her likes, dislikes. Does she eat cheese, for example."
Rhodey gave him a straight-faced look. "Does she eat cheese? Really? You want to know if she eats cheese?"
"She could be lactose intolerant."
Rhodey rolled his eyes.
When Tony realized he wasn't going to give anything up, he said, "At least tell me if she's the real deal."
At that question, Rhodey immediately stated, "Oh, she's real. She's the realest woman you're ever gonna meet… or get for that matter."
Tony waited for him to go on, but he didn't. "That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?"
"You managed to get to know her fine without me 17 years ago. You can do that again." Rhodey picked up his glass and sipped.
"So, we've known each other for 17 years, huh," said Tony, suppressing a mischievous grin. If he said the right things and took his time, Rhodey would let something slip soon enough. "And in those 17 years, at what point did she trick me into giving her the keys to my kingdom?"
Rhodey's eyes flashed with anger. "She's not a gold digger, if that's what you're getting at. She didn't even like you romantically when you first met! Why she ever married you is one of the 7 wonders of the world."
Tony let a grin break out. "There we go. So, she's not a plastic, Barbie girl, although with those legs it's debatable. She didn't fall for my charming good looks when we first locked eyes. And we've known each other for 17 years. Anything else you want to not give up?"
Rhodey scowled at him, but eventually relented. "She's not a gold digger."
"Yeah, I got that. What else?"
"She's not one of your Stark Girls. You can't just wink at her and expect her to swoon. You gotta work for her affections."
"And how long did it take me to get her to throw herself at me?"
Rhodey ignored the question. "She's not someone you can flirt or BS your way out of arguments and definitely not when you two got married. She doesn't appreciate it when people reduce her to her gender. She doesn't run from a challenge or even a threat; do you know how many times she risked her life—personal and public—for you?"
"Not unless you're planning on telling me."
"She doesn't like big grand gestures. She doesn't like it when you don't clean up your superhero mess…" and the rest of the night went on like that, hearing what Ginger was not instead of what she is because that was for Tony to find out.
It was near 10 in the evening when they cleaned up and Tony was shown to his room. There were a few discarded clothes hanging on a chair, pictures of him and his family on the bedside table, and gadgets scattered on his bed. He let the latter fall to the floor as he removed the cover of his bed. He could figure out their function some other time. He plopped down on the mattress, just wanting to continue processing.
He wasn't kidding to Rhodey when he said he was still coming to terms with Afghanistan because he really was. What happened to him that changed him so much to abandon weapons manufacturing, abandon his dad's legacy? Sure, Rhodey said he saw his weapons used against Americans, but it's one thing to actually see that happen and live it, and another to just have the story recounted to you.
His thoughts turned even more restless when he thought of Obie. Tony didn't want to believe it but there was no reason to doubt anything that Rhodey said to him. He was going to have to dig through the archives when he gets home.
The idea of going home—to his Malibu one—calmed him. Yeah, he loved the technology in the facility but it didn't feel homey. Plus, he wasn't ready to accidentally run into his special, superpowered teammates yet. But was he ready to bump into Ginger and the children during meal times or in different hours of the day in the Malibu house?
Ginger… he could learn more about her tomorrow.
He turned to his side and he could see one of the pictures staring back at him. He closed his eyes. Home, he was certain, would bring him some semblance of comfort. If things got too overwhelming, he could always hide from the children and his wife in his workshop. And with that, he fell asleep, his mind devoid of dreams.
...
After a plane ride and a car ride, Tony and Rhodey finally arrived at the mansion the next day just after lunchtime. Tony didn't show it but he liked what he saw as he got out of the car; his house was still the same, exterior wise. It still stood on the edge of a cliff over Point Dume, overlooking the sea. It didn't look like it had been majorly remodeled except for a probable paint job.
Nice to see no world catastrophe brought you down, baby, he thought as he entered.
He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Rhodey to bump into him.
The interior wasn't the same as he left it in 1998.
Tony took a few steps forward, looking left and then right. "Where did my waterfall go? I had a waterfall right there! What happened to my waterfall?" he asked wild eyed and throwing his hands up in the air.
"It was a hazard," said Ginger, walking into the foyer/living room. She had her strawberry blond hair up in a ponytail and was wearing jeans and a polo shirt. Tony noticed she looked different. She wasn't taller than him anymore (not that he'd ever admit she was) because she was now wearing sneakers in the house. She looked well rested; her eyes and her voice lost the vulnerability that was previously present in them. She seemed… better or in better spirits than yesterday's Ginger; yesterday's Ginger looked lost and fumbling her way through. This Ginger gave him the impression that she was ready to take on a challenge.
And maybe that's it, Tony thought. He remembered what Rhodey said about her last night. "She doesn't run from a challenge or even a threat." His situation with his memory loss certainly meets the definition of a challenge and threat to her life's stability.
She's ready to take me on.
All that went through his mind in seconds as he walked closer to where she stood. "What, people fell into it? There was nothing to fall into! It's water falling against glass!"
"The kids kept sticking their hands in the water and then stuffing them in their mouths. It was a health hazard. Plus, after the two or three times that you blew up the house—"
"—I blew up the house?" he turned to Rhodey for confirmation but noticed he looked a bit guilty. He didn't know why. "Why would I do that?"
"—we decided not to keep the waterfall."
His shoulders fell. "I liked my waterfall." And everything else that's gone, he silently added. He noticed his couches have been rearranged, a fireplace and a few paintings were added.
He turned to Ginger who stated, "It will please you to know that the basement hasn't been touched by any other hand except yours." She inclined her head in the direction of the staircase leading down to his workshop.
He might as well have this tour of his house now rather than later, he decided, walking towards his man-cave with Ginger following, leaving Rhodey in the living room.
The workshop smelled like grease and sweat, just the way Tony remembered it. There was a round, steel platform in the center of the room. For what purpose, he didn't know. There was that 1932 Ford that he's pleased to know 2016 Tony hasn't finished working on either; it was the last project he and his dad had ever worked together on. To finish it would mean a lot of things that Tony wasn't quite ready for.
"Welcome home, boss." Tony jumped. Instead of the crisp British accent of his AI, Jarvis, greeting him, it was the voice of a woman with a Scottish accent.
"That's Friday," explained Ginger
"Friday? What happened to Jarvis?"
The AI replied, "My predecessor was uploaded to the synthetic being known as the Vision."
Tony turned to Ginger with a bemused look on his face. "Jarvis got a body and called himself Vision? That's grandiose of him."
"It's not that much of a surprise given that you created him," she fired back in a teasing tone.
Tony smirked, liking this Ginger much more than yesterday's version. He continued to see what else had changed in his shop. He noted there were other Iron Man suits behind a glass wall, new car models in his garage, and apparently he took down the Barnett Newman painting and replaced it with an Iron Man one.
Ginger was right, he had to admit. All the changes in his workshop were changes he himself would have made through the years.
They moved upstairs to the bedrooms. His, unfortunately, looked and felt different; it had a woman's touch to it now, courtesy of Ginger no doubt.
"I moved some of my stuff to the guest room. I figured you wouldn't want to sleep with a stranger."
"That has never been a problem before," Tony said, his lips curled. He meant it as a joke. In all honesty, he was glad he had the room to himself. Even when he brought women home in the past, he was never comfortable staying in bed with them after accomplishing the deed; he would leave them to go down to his shop.
"I know," Ginger said, understanding what he meant, "Who do you think kicked them out every morning?"
Tony slowly pointed a finger at her, a questioning look on his face.
She nodded.
"You're my PA?" he asked, surprised. Rhodey never said she used to work for him.
"Was. For 11 years."
His eyes widened, "Wow! 11 years? You know that's the longest—"
"—longest a PA has stayed with you, yep."
"And then I made you my CEO," he said.
Now that he thought of it, he could definitely see himself getting sick of running the company and then handing it off to her. Hell, she was probably running the company for him while she was his PA. She must have been an exceptional one for him to have kept for 11 years. So exceptional he married her?
Tony moved to look at the shelves in his room. Like his bedroom back at the Avengers Facility, there were photos and other trinkets. He held up a trophy encased in glass. Inside it was some kind of circular object that said "Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart MK I" written around it. Beside it was another labeled MK II.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "This from you?"
She nodded. "These are smaller chestpiece versions of your arc reactor that stopped shrapnel from entering your heart. It's what kept you alive in Afghanistan and for a few years. But after the palladium in it poisoned you, the shrapnel was surgically removed."
Tony rubbed his chest. "So that's what the scar was… Hmm, I was actually half machine." He didn't know what to make of that. He thought he had survived Afghanistan without a scratch. If he needed an electromagnet to live, he wondered at what else had happened to him there. He studied the chestpiece again. This must be what powered his suits which means that the arc reactor technology worked. No wonder he went into energy. The arc reactor technology is clean energy.
He set it back down and followed Ginger into another room she said was the kids' workshop. The said munchkins were inside playing with their Uncle Rhodey.
When they entered, Maria ran towards him, her small frame hurled against his bigger one.
"Hi, daddy!" she breathed, looking up at him. She gave Ginger a quick glance and a "Hi, mommy," before looking back to Tony.
"Hi," he said, now learning that this kid was touchy...and clingy.
"Hi, dad," said Philip quietly before burying himself in his work which was disassembling two Nerf guns.
"So, do you 'member anything?" Maria asked, pulling Tony over to where she was having tea with Rhodey and two stuffed animals.
"Nice tiara," Tony said to his friend as he took his seat, purposefully not answering the girl's question.
"You're gonna get one too," whispered Rhodey.
Sure enough, Tony did get a tiara.
With Ginger supervising, Tony learned that when you drink pretend tea with a little girl you also have to talk to said little girl's stuffed toys and put your pinky up when drinking. You also don't slurp.
It was a while before he managed to extract himself from it, claiming he go play with Philip. The boy's idea of fun was more along his line of work.
Tony sat next to him, "Watcha doin'?"
"This one," Philip held up one Nerf gun, "shoots darts. And this one," he held up the other, "shoots water." He put them both down. "I'm putting them both together."
"So you, uh, make things too, huh?"
Philip nodded wordlessly, keeping his eyes on his project. "Sometimes, we make things together downstairs."
"Yeah? Like what?"
The boy tore his eyes away from the guns and looked at him, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Well, we made a jetpack backpack once."
"Really? How did that turn out?"
A full smile broke out, "It works!" He then proceeded to enthusiastically tell his dad all about how they managed to make the machine much to his mom's frustration. Now, this was the boy he met at the hospital, Tony thought.
"Tell you what, you join me downstairs again and we continue working on whatever it is we were working on before the accident."
Philip frowned. "Mom said not to tinker until you're better."
"Well, sometimes, mom doesn't really know best," Tony replied, pressing a finger to his lips.
Philip grinned. Tony found that he liked it when he grinned.
A few hours later, Ginger hustled them down for snacks. She had prepared sandwiches.
Maria was seated across from Tony telling him all about her best friend, but he wasn't really listening. He was busy staring at Ginger who was leaning over the girl from behind to cut the sandwich into smaller pieces. He noticed her hands were bare of any accessories; Maria Stark's wedding and engagement rings weren't on Ginger's finger anymore.
He tried to suppress a smile as he took a bite of his sandwich. He knew the rings' absence didn't imply anything about his marriage with Ginger. He knew she deliberately didn't wear them because he was uncomfortable with the thought of a stranger wearing them. He continued to stare at her, grateful for what she did. It almost made all the other changes in his house seem insignificant.
Almost.
Ginger looked up and caught him staring at her. She blushed but kept his gaze.
Tony nodded his thanks at her which she accepted with a nod of her own. He didn't know how but he would make it up to her.
After eating, Maria asked Ginger if she could play the piano for Tony which he approved before her mother could say anything.
"She plays?" Tony asked Ginger while Maria scurried over to the piano in the living room.
Philip answered for his mom, "Yeah and it's noisy! She never stops and it's the same song over and over again!"
Rhodey ruffled the boy's hair and said, "I think her playing's cute." And when Maria began, Tony thought so too. She played a clumsy version of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Her playing wasn't that of a child prodigy's, that's for sure, but it was innocent and child-like; her enthusiasm alone made it sound sweet to anybody's ear.
It made Tony think of his mother again. She loved playing the piano and would do so whenever he got back from boarding school. Her music always filled the house and that's what he sorely missed when she died. Now, this tiny version, this Maria, was doing the same thing, filling music in his house.
"That was beautiful, bug," he told his daughter after, giving her a tight hug. If he wasn't too preoccupied with the memory of his mother, he would have noticed he called her 'bug', a nickname he would use only for her.
Later in the afternoon, when Rhodey left and the kids were having their nap and Ginger was doing some CEO work, he went down to the shop to consult his archives.
Friday was very helpful although she weirdly reminded him of Ginger. He shook his head trying not to think too much of her.
The archives in his private server confirmed everything Rhodey and Ginger had said; it showed him the terrorist ransom video, the Iron Man Mark II test videos, his and his dad's S.H.I.E.L.D. files, Ultron and a lot more that overwhelmed him to a point that he skipped dinner and retired early for the night.
He lay awake for hours, unable to sleep. His mind heavy and fussing over things, small and big.
His sheets smelled different and they felt rough on his skin. His pajamas had changed too. Obie tried to have him killed… all for a position? He missed his waterfall. Chitauri… wow. At least Dum-E and U are still dunces. All those deaths and it was because of him. Was this the same ceiling back in 1998?
Finally, Tony got up, grumbling. He grabbed a jacket and headed down to his garage.
"Friday, if anybody asks, tell 'em I went out for donuts," he instructed.
"Yes, because sugar will really help you to sleep at 2 in the morning," the AI said sarcastically.
Tony rolled his eyes. She was no different from Jarvis.
"Just do it." He got into one of his cars and drove out. He checked in at a hotel, not caring in the least that he was in his pajamas with just a jacket to cover it up. He just wanted to sleep without any distractions. How is it that his own home, which he was so sure would bring him comfort, only brought him insomnia and anxiety? He hated that he was mistaken. He's Tony Stark. He's always right.
He closed his eyes, the sheets of the bed not bothering him, the ceiling not distracting him, and the pillow supporting the invisible weight pushing against his mind. He began to relax at the thought that his empty dreams would help him through the night. But once again, he was wrong; his mind had other plans.
A/N: This fic has been on my mind for about a year now and I have only just decided to actually work on it. I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think with a review!
Character notes:
Pepper - She's no longer the weepy red faced vulnerable woman in chapter 1 because she bounces back when bad things happen. Remember when Tony was kidnapped in Iron Man 1 and she wasn't too emotional when he came back? She pulled herself together to be his PA. So, she's pulling herself together here too. And because she's dealing with an older version of Tony, she's acting the same as she did before they ever got together.
Philip - He's older and so, is more perceptive than Maria. Plus, he's pretty smart so he doesn't know how to act towards Tony yet in the beginning.