Moving On

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers or the characters. Marvel does. Please don't sue.

AN: This takes place shortly after Ultimate Avengers 2 and contains major spoilers. So if you don't want to be spoiled, see the movie or don't read this.

Please remember to review. Send them to me at or post them on the fanfiction website. Thank you and enjoy.

The fireworks ended and the cleanup began around the world. The Chitari had been vanquished. The world had been saved. Once again the Avengers were heralded as heroes. For many it a moment of great triumph, but for some it was bittersweet.

The party at the Triskeleton lasted well into the night. General Fury led the festivities, praising his team for their bravery and courage. Thor brought a helping of Asgards finest mead, most of which he consumed. Knowing his father Odin was not happy with him, a little drinking was just what he needed. But he had no regrets. His teammates praised him, giving him a sense of belonging he had not felt in a long time. He laughed and boasted of his exploits, enjoying his new home among mortals.

Tony Stark was his usual suave self, enjoying a few fancy drinks while socializing with the General about a new round of contracts between SHIELD and Stark Enterprises. After showing his resourcefulness with War Machine, Fury was very interested in a new round of deals. They were sure to make Tony billions, which would make his shareholders happy. And now that he was part of the Avengers, he had the perfect medium to be Iron Man.

Steve and Natalia spent most of their time in each others' arms. They were making up for the strain they had endured lately. Steve had been going through some rough issues lately, but after facing Kleizer he had a new hope in his eyes they hadn't seen since he had been unfrozen. He had been stubborn and arrogant, putting his life as a soldier before his friends. It nearly cost them their lives, but they pulled through. Now with a new love in Black Widow he had plenty of reason to be happy.

Betty kept to herself for the most part, holding back her distraught feelings about Bruce. Even though she watched him die, no body ever came up. Fury's men found massive holes in the ceiling. They said they could only have been created with great force, which led everyone to believe that the Hulk had come out. There were search teams already scouring the city, but there wasn't a trace of either Bruce Banner or the Hulk.

But while Betty had hope for Bruce, Janet Pym had none whatsoever for her late Husband, Hank "Giant Man" Pym. They had been on the rocks, fighting and yelling constantly. She gave up supporting him. He pushed her away. She ended up in a coma because of their bickering. Yet in the end he sacrificed himself to save the world, all to prove to her that he could be the man he had to for her.

He was cocky, arrogant, and a downright jerk at times. But she loved him. Their marriage was never all that stable, but she never doubted there was love between them. Now he was gone. They'd never get a chance to make amends. They'd never get a chance to kiss and hold each other. She hated him for being so pig-headed towards the end, but loved him for stepping up when it counted. In the end she had a lot of mixed feelings and it was going take time for her to get over them.

She was still looking over his memorial, running her hands over his picture. General Fury promised to give him a fitting burial at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. It was nice of him given their past animosity. He even asked her to speak at the service. But as she looked at his picture she wouldn't know where to begin.

"Hey Jan, want another drink?" asked Betty, coming up from behind her.

"No, I think I've had enough," she said indifferently.

Betty walked up besides her and cast a sympathetic glance.

"How are you holding up?" she asked her.

"Honestly, Betty…I don't know," said Janet in a distant tone, "Our marriage was on the brink. I thought it was over between us. But then he just…he had to be noble and sacrifice himself. And to prove what? That he loved me?"

"He did love you," said Betty, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, "I think he wanted to show that more than anything."

"That's just it…" she said, tears welling up in her eyes, "He didn't have to!"

Janet pulled away, holding back a wave of sobs. Betty wisely let her go, watching sadly as she walked off to be by herself. But before she left she looked back just in time to see Steve and Natalia share another kiss. It was a sight that sent her over the edge. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran away so she could beak down in peace.

Her actions didn't go unnoticed. Tony, who was sitting with Fury and Thor, saw her run off with the tears streaming down her face. Curious, he got up and approached Betty.

"Still grieving, I see," he said, gulping down the last of his drink.

"Her husband is dead, Tony!" said Betty bitterly, "It's not something you get over in the span of one night."

"Hey, was I being insensitive?" he said in his defense.

"When are you not?"

Tony was taken aback. He knew he wasn't Betty's favorite person in the world. She seemed to have beef with guys who enjoyed the fruits of capitalism.

"So are you going to go talk to her or what?" he asked her.

"No," said Betty morosely, "She needs to be alone."

"Now who's being insensitive?" smirked Tony.

"I'm being serious, Stark. She lost someone close to her today. Say what you will about Hank, but he really did love her."

"I know. I was there too, remember?"

"Then you should know enough to leave her alone."

Tony shook his head and sighed. He and Hank weren't exactly best friends, but he vividly remembered watching him take on legions of Chitari while he destroyed the core of the mother ship. He probably wouldn't have made it through without him. He gave his life for them. Tony had almost given his as well. For that reason he understood more than Betty ever could.

"Well if nobody's going to talk to her I guess the burden's on me," he shrugged as he followed Janet's path.

"Wait, did you just listen to anything I said?" said Betty in an appalled tone.

"Sorry, Betty, but when it comes women I follow my instincts."

"She's a grieving widow for crying out loud!" she exclaimed, "You can't just…"

"What? Try and cheer her up?" he quipped, "Yeah, that makes me a real jerk. Just look at it this way. If she gets angry at me at least she'll have something other than grief."

His cocky poise irked Betty to no end. But he had a point. Maybe Janet could use some cheering up. She wasn't sure if Tony was the best person to do it, but anything at this point was better than nothing.

Janet found a vacant office and collapsed to the floor in a fit of sobs. Her legs refused to carry her. She fell to the floor hugged her knees while she cried her heart out. Mixed feelings or not, her husband was dead. She never cried this much before in her life. It hurt so much. For all his faults he loved her enough to die for her.

She didn't know how long she cried. It must have been pretty long because eventually she couldn't do it anymore. Her face was awash with the stains of tears. All the hurt and anguish she kept pent up while trying to make sense of everything that happened was coming out. Some Avenger she was. She couldn't hold herself together even in triumph.

"Damn you, Hank!" she cursed under his breath, "Why did you have to do that? Why did you have to be so selfless after being so selfish? Why…why did I have to love you so much?"

Janet buried her face in her arms, trying to numb it all away. This pain was unbearable. She wished it wasn't so hard. It was just too much. All she could do was cry it all away.

Suddenly, the door to the office opened and Tony Stark stepped in.

"Hey, how you holding up Jan?" he asked casually.

Janet looked up with a scold, showing him the tears in her eyes. It pretty much told the story.

"Sorry, bad question," he said, "Let's try again. Want some company?"

"Not really," she said flatly.

"Fair enough," sighed Tony, "Can I at least say something?"

The distraught woman looked up at the billionaire playboy. He had his hands in his pockets and a semi-serious look on his face. It was hard to decipher his intentions. Fighting his battles in the confines of an oversize suit did that to a guy. But she heard him out.

"Fine. Just say it already and leave me alone!"

Tony sat down next to her and was silent for a moment. Janet was still sobbing so he gave her a moment to collect herself before he began.

"A lot of things go through your head when you think you're about to die. Whether you've been diagnosed with an incurable condition or you're going into a suicide mission nobody expects you to come back from, it's not easy coming face to face with death. I should know. I've been there more than once."

He now had Janet's attention. She turned towards, seeing a look of sincerity in his eyes as she listened closer.

"And I'm not the only one. We both know Cap's story and how he stopped that nuke. But I always wondered what was going through his head that day. So back in Wakanda, I asked him. And he told me he went in knowing he was going to die. He went in the same way Hank went in, ready to sacrifice his life for something greater."

Janet felt another twinge of pain at the harsh reminder. She sobbed again, wiping more tears from her eyes. But Tony continued.

"I've been in costume long enough to know the risks of this line of work. I try just as hard as everybody not to think about it. But ever since Iron Man Mark I, I wondered if I would ever end up making that kind of sacrifice. And even with everything I've got to lose, I almost did it."

His memory flashed back to the skies of Wakanda as he diverted the mothership from the people below. He pushed his suit to the limit and it still wasn't enough. He ended up draining the power cell that had been keeping him alive and he would have followed Hank too if it weren't for Thor. Janet remembered that moment as well and finally broke her silence.

"So what were you thinking when it happened?" she asked him.

"Honestly, Jan, I wasn't thinking much. Most of what I did was impulse. My entire mind was focused on getting that ship away from those people," he admitted, "But if there was one thought that ran through my head it was this…I was making a difference. A rich man dies and a bunch of innocent people live…seemed like a fair trade."

"That's…surprisingly noble of you, Stark," commented Janet.

"What? I can't be selfless?" he quipped.

"Sorry, but it's just not a quality you find in most cutthroat businessmen."

"Point taken," admitted Tony, "But I guess what I'm trying to say is…I know what this sacrifice meant to Hank. And in many ways he was even nobler than me or Cap. He wasn't out to go down in history as some great hero. He didn't have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. All he cared about was proving to the woman he loved that he could be the man he had to be. In the end that's why he did it. It was all for you."

Tony's words touched her on a profound level. Tears welled up in her eyes all over again. It was so clear to her now. For all their disagreements and petty squabbles, he never stopped loving her. And in the end he was willing to die to show her.

What happened next caught Tony completely off guard. In a wave of sobs Janet threw her arms around him, buried her face in his shoulder, and cried her heart out. The billionaire was shocked. At first he hesitated to do anything, but eventually found himself embracing her in a show of comfort. He didn't know the first thing about consoling a grieving widow, but he knew a thing or two about grief. Sometimes the best thing to have was a shoulder to cry on.

Together they sat, Janet clinging to Tony's comforting grasp. He didn't' say anything. He just held her so she could let it all out. Some, namely his many ex-girlfriends, believed he was insensitive. But hearing this woman cry over the loss of a loved one struck him more than he could have imagined. He always saw Janet as being strong, not just for being the wife of Hank Pym but also for jumping at the chance to be a hero. For her to be willing to show weakness around him of all people spoke volumes.

"Hank…" she cried through her sobs.

"It'll be okay, Jan. It'll be okay," he told her softly.

She cried a bit longer until she was emotionally drained. They sat in silence as she worked through this agony. She still clung to Tony's arm, needing someone to hang onto. He managed a friendly smile and helped wipe away her tears. Such a gesture helped sooth some of the pain. If she wasn't in such a distraught state she would have laughed. Of all the people in the world she could have found comfort in, she got her condolences from Tony Stark. It seemed so wrong, yet so fitting at the same time.

When the sobbing finally ended, Tony helped her up. She was still distraught, but she looked better now. As much as he hated to admit it, he kind of enjoyed comforting her in her darkest hour. It seemed wrong to want to be close to a woman who just lost her husband, but that didn't make it any less meaningful.

"Feel better?" he asked her.

"I'm getting there," she said, wiping her eyes of remaining tears, "Sorry for the breakdown."

"Don't worry about it," assured Tony, "Every superhero is entitled to one. It comes with the job."

"Do you stop trying to charm your way around women?"

"If I didn't it just wouldn't be me," he shrugged.

"Even around a grieving widow?"

"More like a grieving friend."

Janet smiled. It was the first time she smiled all day. She even laughed. It was a good sign that she was on the road to recovery. Tony said what he had to say and it helped her in more ways than he intended.

"Thanks for the talk, Tony," said Janet in a warm tone, "I really needed it."

"Hey, we're all in this crazy scheme together," said Tony with a grin, "It helps to have someone to lean on."

"That it does."

Then Janet surprised Tony again. She slipped her arms around his neck and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. It wasn't romantic or passionate, just a friendly gesture from a grateful friend. The look on his face was priceless. There was just something about seeing the cocky Tony Stark so bewildered that brought a smile to her face.

"I'll see you later, Tony," she said, walking off into the halls of the Triskeleton, "Maybe we can get some coffee later."

"Sure," said Tony, still in a daze, "Coffee sounds nice. Goodnight, Janet."

"Night Tony. Thanks again."

Tony watched until she was gone, a smile never leaving his face. Hanks death had touched a lot of people, but it touched Janet the most. She was going to need the support of the team now more than ever. But if what he saw was any indication, she was going to be just fine. Tragedy may bring a lot of pain and heartache, but it could also bring people closer together in the long run. In the end that was the greatest legacy Hank could have made with his sacrifice.

The End

AN: Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review.