The light that streamed in through the blinds pierced his closed eyes. It was bright enough to wake him up. He blinked a little and groaned at the light, then turned his head after squinting at the offending sun. After he did so, his eyes finally connected to his brain. His breathing sped up as he took in his surroundings.

This wasn't his room. His room was...different. This was someone else's. Did someone find him? Tony pressed his eyes closed and thought back to what happened.

"The portal." He whispered, sitting up quickly and moaning at the feeling of his head protesting wildly to the motion. He sucked in deep breathes and tried to push the pain back.

"Morning." Tony whipped his eyes open and his breathing stuttered as he caught sight of the origin of the voice. He watched as she took a startled step back.

"Pepper?" He couldn't help the awe that slipped in his voice. Pepper was here. She was standing right there. Maybe-

"There's a Pepper were you're from too?" She asks, killing the hope that bubbled inside Tony's chest. He swallows and nods lightly.

"I'm assuming there's a Tony here as well?" He asks, watching her stiffen and fiddle with her ring.

"Not anymore." Tony flinches at the pure pain in the words.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes softly, eyes dropping to the covers his legs still sit under.

"Blue eyes huh?" Tony scrunches his forehead and lifts his eyes.

"What?" Pepper blinks and smiles a little.

"You've got blue eyes. Our Tony had brown." Tony nods at the odd piece of information she gives him. "Why are you here?" Tony sighs, trying to stop the light chuckle that bleeds into the room. "What's so funny?"

"You're just like my Pepper. Always right down to business." He tells her, smiling softly at a memory. This Pepper doesn't react, and he doesn't expect her to. He clears his throat and shifts on the bed, crossing his legs and piling his hands in his lap. He fiddles with his ring so he doesn't tap them against the reactor. "The answer is simple. I don't really know. I opened a portal but I didn't know what it would do. I didn't know where it would put me." Pepper blinks at him.

"You made a portal?" Tony nods. "I guess that's not the craziest thing you've done." Tony furrows his brow. "My Tony figured out time travel." Tony's eyes widen and he scrambles onto his knees.

"Time travel." He breathes out, hands gesturing wildly. "How? When? What did he do with it? Is there still a machine around? What about-" He stops abruptly at the sadness in Pepper's eyes. "I-I'm sorry." He whispers out, lowering himself down and fisting his hands in the sheets. "I didn't mean to overstep." Pepper sniffles.

"It's fine." Tony can imagine her wiping tears from her eyes and he gives her a moment before looking up again. "So. A portal?" Tony nods and opens his mouth to give her more information before a voice cuts in.

"Momma!" Tony's eyes shoot to the doorway and he pushes back the tears that threaten to flow.

"Morgan?" He whispers. Pepper rushes to stop the girl from bursting into the room, but she's too fast. Morgan stops and stares and Tony can't help the shaky breath that leaves his body. "Morgan." The girl gets a huge smile on her face and rushes to him. She pays no mind to how he might be feeling. Pays no mind to the reactor shining in his chest. She just barrels right into him and wraps him in a tight hug. Tony's hands flail around her, not wanting to touch her because this isn't his kid.

"You're back." Tears pour from Tony's eyes and he can't stop them. Through the tears, he can see Pepper press a hand to her mouth. Tony wraps his arms around Morgan and presses his face into her hair. His shoulders shake as he holds her and he can't stop the sobs that rip through his throat and out his mouth.

He doesn't want to let go.

He doesn't want to lose her again.