AN: This is a sequel to Til My Soul Is Dust, and as far as I know this will be the final story of this series.

I had planned to have it mostly finished before I started posting but I have no discipline. I hope this story will be accepted even if you don't quite agree where it goes in future chapters.

I will update as I am able and I hope I will have this finished before Avengers Endgame is released!

Rhodey couldn't help the wince that crossed his face when he pushed open the door to the Bounce House Indoor Trampoline Park, and his ears were bombarded with a cacophony of talking, shouting, and high peeled squeals of laughter. Still all of the noises were those of happy children having fun, so everything considered, Rhodey knew he couldn't complain.

For Morgan third birthday, Pepper had decided to rent out the indoor park, and invited the families employed by Stark Industries to come help celebrate her little boy's special day. Now because of all those invited, he couldn't see Pepper right away for the sea of people. Instead of just standing right in one spot, he made his way further into the room, weaving around kids, as well as dodging the adults he encountered. He had to walk for a little bit and had just stopped to scan the room again when he felt someone bumped into him from behind.

"Oh excuse me, I'm… Mr. Rhodes!"

Inwardly rolling his eyes, he turned around, smiling, ""Hello, Peter… and one more time it's just Rhodes, James, or even Rhodey if you prefer." He had added that last option to the list only recently in hopes he could convince the kid… err soon to be young man to finally drop the mister bit whenever he addressed him.

"And one more time I have to say no can do, Mr. Rhodes!"

This time Rhodey did roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Say by any chance were you looking for Mrs. Stark?"

"Yeah, do you know where I can find her? I just got here and for obvious reasons I haven't been able to spot her so far." He gestured towards the crowds of people.

"Sure! She's over in the cafe slash snack bar area over…." Peter pointed in the direction of the area, "there!"

"Thanks, Peter."

"No problem. Mr. Rhodes."

With the assumption that his favorite nephew and godson would be with her, Rhodey made his way towards the cafe. As he walked, he took a little time to look around at the playing areas.

They had trampolines of various shapes, sizes, and skill levels for every age along people dressed in what he guessed to be the park's uniform. The uniforms were all standing by watching the kids and sometimes adults at play, making sure no one did anything dangerous or against park rules. He also saw what looked like a **rock** climbing wall for the older kids and teens with a few of them scaling the high wall, with each of them secured in safety harnesses. On the other side of the climbing wall a trampoline basketball court had been set up with batting cages and even an arcade set up on the other side of it. It was a full house and each available activity had someone doing them.

He finally reached the cafe after half a minute of carefully wading through, and pulled open the door. The cafe was like the rest of the building meaning it was pretty full too but didn't have as many people as the main area of the park. He was glad because it meant he almost immediately spotted Pepper. She was seated at a table with a woman that he knew to be Peter's aunt, May Parker . He didn't see him at first and was wondering where Happy was when the man appeared carrying with a food laiden tray in his hands which he set down on the center of the table.

Morgan was standing up in his seat and had just about to make a dive for the food when Pepper wrapped an arm around his little waist. At seeing this, Rhodey shook his head, and thought once more how **much** this little boy was like his father. In both appearance with his dark hair and dark brown eyes along with how very mischievous the little fellow could be, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Morgan Anthony Stark was indeed the son of Tony Stark.

"Hold on there, little man! What do you think you're doing?" he heard Pepper say as he moved closer to the table.

"Hung'ee, Mommy!"

"I know, sweetheart. But Mommy doesn't want you to get hurt by falling off of your seat. Now I want you to sit back down and Mommy will give you your food. Okay, sweetie?"

"Okay!"

"That's my boy."

Rhodey waited until Pepper had placed Morgan's food which was a hot dog with ketchup only and a bag of Garden Salsa Sun Chips in front of the little boy to draw the group's attention by clearing his throat. All heads turned in his direction, and a certain little boy began to squeal in excitement.

"Roey! Roey! Roey!"

Then it really was all Pepper could do to keep the very excited and newly three year from taking a tumble from the chair. Again she grabbed him around the waist to steady him while his godfather moved around the table, and scooped up the little boy, hugging him close.

"So, how's the birthday boy today?" Rhodey asked when Morgan pulled back in his arms, "Having a happy birthday today, champ?"

"Uh huh! D'best ever!"

"Good! I'm glad to hear that!" He looked at Pepper.

"We're about to have lunch. Want to join us?" she asked.

Rhodey nodded, and eased Morgan back down in his seat.

"Sit dere! Sit dere, Unca Roey!" Morgan exclaimed, pointing to the empty seat beside him with his little finger.

"Sweetie, Peter is sitting there," the little boy's mother pointed out gently.

"Oh, that's okay! I'm sure Peter won't mind moving to a seat over when he gets back from the men's room," May interjected.

Suddenly Peter appeared, and having only caught the last part asked, "I won't mind what?"

"Moving a seat over so James can have the seat next to Morgan."

Peter shook his head, "No, of course I don't mind!"

"Thank you, Peter, but it's not necessary."

"Oh it's no problem, Mrs. Stark."

"Well, if you really don't mind…"

Peter stepped over to the next seat and motioned for Rhodey to take his former seat. With a shrug, Rhodey sat down, and watched as Peter grabbed his food from the tray which was a double piece of pepperoni pizza with an orange soda to wash it down with. May took some sort of submarine sandwich, Happy grabbed a hamburger, while Pepper had a salad. After they all got their food and drinks, there were only two items left on the tray which was another hamburger and a plain hot dog.

"You can have one or both of those if you want, James," Pepper said, "Or we can get you something else."

"It's okay, I'll take this," Rhodey replied, taking the hamburger.

With that, they all ate in companionable silence, conversation only picking up when everyone was almost finished with their food. Since having some birthday cake was planned for a little later on in the day, Pepper brought their attention right back into the rest of the activities by asking, "So what do you want to do now, Morgan?"

"Balls! Balls! Balls!"

The only balls Rhodey could think of were the basketball ball court, which was already occupied by teenagers at the brief glance he got at it. But if playing on the court was what Morgan wanted to do, he's sure the kids would absolutely do it if asked.

He jumped when he felt a touch on his shoulder, and looked over Morgan's head to see Pepper's slightly concerned eyes watching him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Pepper looked like she was going to question that, but shook her head, and instead said, "I think a certain birthday boy has a question he'd like to a favorite uncle of his." She putted an encouraging hand on her son's back, and said, "Go ahead, honey."

The little boy suddenly got uncharacteristically shy, and dropped his head as he mumbled whatever it is he wanted to say to his godfather.

"What was that, buddy? I didn't quite catch it."

Instead of answering his uncle, Morgan looked over at his mother. Pepper smiled, and running a hand over his brown locks said. "I think what Morgan was trying to ask you, is if you will go to play with him and Peter in the ball pit after we're finished with lunch?"

"Is that what you wanted to ask me, champ?"

The little boy nodded, "Uh huh. Will you, Roey?"

Although he didn't know how much of a good idea it was for him to go inside of a pit full of plastic balls with his leg braces on, but Rhodey still nodded, "Of course I will, sport! Sounds like fun!" He hugged the tyke, and then looked over at the boy's mother, "But where **are** the ball pits? I didn't see anything that look like one when I came in."

"They're on the top floor," Peter answered the question before Pepper could.

She nodded, "That's where Peter and Morgan were playing before we all got hungry and decided it was time for lunch."

"They're loads of fun! Right Morgan?" Peter asked, holding out a hand to the little boy.

"Wight! Woads fun!" the little boy exclaimed, slapping the teen's hand in a high five.

The tyke's happy excitement made them all smile.

They stayed at the trampoline park for another few hours until Morgan had played himself, along with his godfather and Peter, absolutely out. They had started out in the ball pit but had wound up in one of the areas intended for the smaller park guests. If he questioned the wisdom of getting into the balls with his leg braces, Rhodey knew that he really couldn't get on the trampoline with them. In that instance, Peter had taken over playing with the boy, and to everyone's surprise, Pepper had joined them.

Although he knew she would deny it later if anyone else brought it up again, Pepper had been quite good. She had even been able to show off a few jumping tricks that Rhodey could tell even had Peter impressed.

Now they had just pulled up back at Pepper and Morgan's house. The little boy was completely passed out in the backseat, and his mother was half passed out herself. So before she could walk around the car to unlatch Morgan's seat buckle, Rhodey had beaten her to it. He not only unfastened the seat belt but lifted the little boy into his arms.

"Oh you don't have to do that!" Pepper murmured, shaking her head, "I can take him inside."

But the little boy's godfather shook his head, "It's okay. I got him, Ginny." It still felt weird calling her Ginny but it was something she had requested in the months that followed Tony's death. Likewise, he had asked her to please call him James for the same reason she had made her request, and that was hearing the nicknames Tony had given to each of them were now painful to hear on a regular basis, especially since they knew he would never be the one to say them again.

"Are you sure, James? I know he exhausted you today!"

"Yes, I'm sure," he said before starting forward towards the house.

Pepper watched him, shrugged, then looked at Happy, "Do you want to come inside? I mean we're going to wait to cut the cake a little later..." Of course she was referring to Morgan's special birthday cake that she intended to serve to their inner circle only. Oh she hadn't left the families at the park out entirely since she had ordered enough cupcakes for everyone who had come to Morgan's birthday to eat there or take home two a piece, "But if you want to come in for some coffee or something, you're certainly welcome to."

Happy shook his head, "Thanks but I think I'm going to go take it easy at my place. You're not planning on leaving the house again today, are you?"

"No, we are home for the day. I have nothing else planned that will take us out in public."

"Okay then."

"You are going to come back later when we cut the cake and Morgan blows out the candles, right?"

"Yep, wouldn't miss it for the world. About what time should I come back?"

Pepper glanced at her watch, "Since I am going to wake Morgan up in about an hour if he doesn't wake up on his own before then, I'd say about three o'clock." A three o'clock time gave her an extra thirty minutes to make sure her little boy was up, and would be okay to go for the cutting of his birthday cake.

"Okay, I'll be back at three then. Call me if-"

"If I decide that we're going somewhere else. Yes, I will call you if we do. I promise, Happy."

With that, the security man walked over to the golf cart parked by the house, got in, and was off in the direction of his cottage located on another part of the property. Pepper watched him for a few seconds, then went inside of the house where she found Rhodey sitting on the couch with his head back and his eyes closed.

"I put him in down on his bed," he said without opening his eyes.

"Thank you. Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good, thank you."

Pepper considered getting herself something to drink but then decided doing what her friend was doing sounded better. So she went over to the armchair next to the couch, curled up in it, and said, "FRIDAY, if I fall asleep don't let me sleep more than thirty minutes. If Morgan shows signs of waking up, let me know right away."

"Will do, Mrs. S."

"Thanks, FRI."

"You're welcome."

Pepper was awakened by FRIDAY about thirty minutes later and was informed that Morgan was sitting up on his bed. As she got up to go get her son, she asked Rhodey, "Will you please call Happy and tell him that we'll be cutting the cake a little earlier than I said?"

He nodded, "Sure. Were Peter and May supposed to come over?"

Shaking her head, Pepper paused at the start of the hallway, "No, it's just going to be us since May has to work later tonight and Peter has something else that he has to do too - so I'll save them both a piece of cake for the next time they come over for a visit."

With that, she disappeared down the hallway.

Rhodey reached for his phone, called Happy as she requested, and slowly got up from the couch, stretching. He hadn't really fallen asleep like Pepper had but he hadn't moved since sitting down on the couch. He felt a little stiff but he supposed that was from playing so hard with his godson earlier that, and he supposed, there was fact he was getting older.

Just as anyone who really knew Tony would expect to happen, Morgan entered the room like a tornado, interrupting his godfather's musings. An instant smile was on Rhodey's face as the little boy ran over to him and attached himself to one of his godfather's legs.

Although he was pretty steady on his feet with the walking braces Tony had made for him, the adults had agreed that Morgan grabbing his uncle by the legs wasn't a good idea. So when she followed her son out at a much slower pace, Pepper's frowned a little when she beheld the scene. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't when Rhodey held up a hand.

He looked down at the little boy, "Morgan, buddy, remember what Mommy said about you hugging your old uncle's legs?"

Morgan looked at him, giving him a look that made Rhodey want to take back what he just said. Instead he pressed on, "I think Mommy said that you shouldn't be doing that because you might knock me down without meaning to. Now I know you don't want to knock me down do you?"

Morgan shook his little head, "No, Roey." He dropped his arms from around his godfather's leg, "Sowwy."

He put a hand on the little boy's shoulder, "It's okay, bud. Just try to remember in the future okay?" They had explained Rhodey's injury, as best they could, to the little boy. Morgan was without a doubt an exceptionally bright and they were pretty sure he had a basic understanding. Still he was a young, little boy, and there would be times they'd need to gently remind him.

"Okay."

Pepper saw this as her cue to make her presence known, and came in while asking, "Who's ready for some cake and opening presents?"

"Me! Me! Me!

"Well, let's go to the kitchen then."