Chapter 7

This is set during post Age of Ultron. Mild Spoilers.

AN1: A HUGE THANK YOU to my Friend Emily who is editing this story and who is helping me figuring things out when I get stuck, So THANK YOU.

AN2: Thank you so so much to everyone who reads this story, it means so much to me.


As soon as Steve hears Natasha say Tony's name he is positive that just for a second he feels his heart stop, "What happened? Is he okay?" Steve ask and even Sam turns to look at Steve worried as he can hear the fear in his voice.

"We're not exactly sure, but we know that something has happened. You need to get to New York, get to the tower as soon as possible." Natasha informs Steve, it being clear that that is all she is going to say. Honestly even if Natasha had more answers for Steve she probably wouldn't have given them over a connection that she isn't sure is secure.

"I'm on my way." Steve says hanging up his phone and heading back to the cockpit.

"What's going on?" Sam asks.

"Something's happened to Tony. We're going back to New York." Steve informs Sam.

"Wait. This is the first solid lead we've had in months and you want to drop it, waste what could be our only chance to get him back, for Stark?" Sam asks surprised as knows that Steve will do whatever he can to help his friend but he's seen more than once the lengths Steve will go for Bucky.

"Tony's my son." Steve reveals, wanting Sam to understand, "And he's Bucky's. If Bucky was himself he would tell me to go to Tony, that he's the one I need to help right now so that's what I'm doing. It's what I have to do." Steve says as even with the little that Natasha said he knows it is bad and Steve knows without a doubt that Bucky, and Howard and Peggy would want him to go to Tony; and as much as he wants to find and help Bucky Steve is sure that he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't go to Tony.

"What can I do?" Sam asks, getting over his shock as he knows that there is more important things that the hundred questions he has for Steve.

"Call Rhodey, see if he'll tell you anything." Steve asks, as even though he very much doubts it he hopes that Rhodey may say more than Natasha.

"Sure." Sam responds.

"Please be okay." Steve thinks to himself.


After Pepper left him alone in his lab Tony just started creating, while he had his computer read to him everything that can be found on Bucky Barnes/The Winter Solider. Honestly he wasn't sure what he was doing, All he knew was that he needed to do something and so he started to combine different things together, not really paying attention to what they were, and thinking about how different things could have been if he was told the truth when Peggy and Howard agreed to.

About an hour after Pepper left Tony adds what he didn't realise was a piece of Chitauri metal to what he as creating and the second he does an electric blue portal starts to form.

"Not good." Tony says as he quickly tries to shut down what he created, but instead of succeeding he gets pulled inside.

After a few agonizing minutes where all he sees is blue and white and electricity Tony feels himself hit the ground.

"Huh, portal travel is sobering who knew." Tony says to himself as he looks around and as he does he finds that he is an alley instead of in Avengers Tower, "I'm really hope I'm still in America." Tony says to himself as he stands up and brushes himself off, noticing that even though he is sober he is hurting all over. Once he is sure that he can Tony walks down the alley and to the main road. When he gets to the end of the alley Tony sees the street is pretty empty but all the cars parked on the road look to be older, getting an idea about what is going on Tony pulls out his phone to find, like he was suspecting, that it doesn't work, "I've timed travelled." Tony realises, and as he looks around he realises something, "Hang on, I know this place." He realises and as he spots a newspaper truck he rushes over and without the person seeing he steals one of the papers. Once he is down another alley Tony opens the paper and when he sees what is on the cover he feels his blood run cold as he sees, 'Howard and Maria Stark die in Car Accident on Long island.'


Three hours after Natasha's call Steve and Sam land the Quinjet at the tower. As soon as the plane is landed Steve runs inside.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Steve asks Natasha who is waiting at the dock.

"Where not sure." Natasha admits, "Tony was up in his lab when suddenly what looked to us as a blue light filled it, by the time Pepper, Rhodey and I got up there he was gone." She explains as they walk quickly through the corridors, "We've managed to get into the security feed and it looks like Tony was sucked into a portal."

"What kind of portal?" Steve asks, trying not to worry.

"We're not sure." Natasha admits, "Selvig and Jane are working on it." Natasha says, "With the Vision offering any help." she adds.

"Do we know anything more?" Sam asks as they arrive at one of the backup labs.

"Not yet."

"Dr Selvig, Dr Foster." Steve greats as they walk in, "What do you think happened?" he asks.

"We're still determining that." Jane answers, "We know that Tony was sucked into a portal but whether it moved him in time, or space, or both we don't know."

"When will you know?" Steve asks.

"Couldn't say, it could be hours, days, weeks or months." Erik explains.

"That's not good enough." Steve says angrily, not being able to think that he's lost Howard, he's basically lost Peggy and Bucky and now he may have lost Tony too.

"Calm down Steve." Maria tells him, still not knowing the truth so not knowing why he is reacting how he is.

"My Son has been sucked into a portal, how exactly am I meant to calm down?" Steve asks not caring about what he is saying because he is worried about Tony. At Steve's words Maria, Fury, Jane and Erik look shocked while Natasha, Pepper, Rhodey, Sam, Wanda and Vision don't look surprised at all.

"Your Son, do you want to explain that one Rogers?" Fury asks, actually surprised which isn't something that happens often.

"That's what happened four days ago Tony found his true birth certificate." Steve explains, "We went to Peggy and she told us that she and Howard were together since 1946 but no one knew; because Howard, Peggy, Bucky and I were together during the war Howard worked for almost twenty years to find a way to make a child that was biologically all of ours and he succeeded, with Tony." Steve explains, "Tony's my son, so I am not going to calm down, and I am going to do whatever it takes to find him." He says causing everyone to realise just how serious he is.


For a few minutes Tony just stares at the newspaper, barely believing what he is seeing.

"I'm in 1991." He says to himself then realises something, "Which means SHIELD, or worse Hydra probably would have been able to detect how I got here, not good." He realises, "I've got move." Tony says and he drops the paper and walks back onto the main street, doing his best not to draw attention to himself.

For a few minutes Tony walks, doing his best to keep an eye on everything without drawing attention to himself, "I need help." He thinks to himself, "But who SHIELD's compromised, Obie is at Stark, and Dad's gone." He thinks sadly, "Peggy." He realises, "She's the only one I can go to." He realises as even with how angry and hurt he is Peggy is still the only one he can trust, she is the only person who can help him, "This is going to be interesting." Tony thinks as he knows that getting Peggy to believe him is going to be almost impossible, he just hopes he can. Because he knows where he is Tony also knows that he is close to the house he grew up in which means he isn't too far from Peggy's.

Ten minutes after he decided on where to go Tony arrives at Peggy's, the same place where he knows his younger self is currently sleeping. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what could happen Tony walks up the steps and to the door and knocks. As he hears movement Tony takes the few seconds he has to look around to make sure he wasn't followed.

"Yes, can I help you?" Peggy asks and thanks to all the years that he has known her Tony knows that Peggy is suspicious.

"I hope so." Tony says and Peggy just gives him a look, "This is going to sound crazy, believe me I know that, but I'm Tony from the future and I need your help." Tony says being pretty sure that Peggy will appreciate the bluntness.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Peggy asks, looking at Tony suspiciously as while she can admit that he looks a lot like Tony she has spent too many years as a spy to believe something like that so easily.

"No, but I can prove it." Tony says, "The day after my ninth birthday I showed up at your door upset because for my entire birthday Dad had to be the person he was outside the house because there were people around. I didn't want to talk about why I was upset but you got me to. You told me that sometimes we have to have to wear masks, both literary and figuratively, to protect ourselves and others and that Dad loved me; that I was the most important thing to him." Tony explains, "And then you took me to what you called a special place, which I know now to be S.H.I.E.L.D, and you showed me old news real footage of Steve, showed me so much old Howling Commando stuff. When you took me home you told me that no one could know what we did because you would be in a lot of trouble if anyone knew so I promised you that I wouldn't tell anyone." Tony tells Peggy.

"Tony." Peggy says shocked, believing what Tony is saying.

"Yeah."

"How are you here?" Peggy asks as she lets Tony into her place.

"I'm still working on that but I guess creating something while drinking and angry doesn't end well." Tony explains as he steps into Peggy's place, not being able to help but smile at the fact that it is exactly how he remembers it to be.

"Why were you angry, why were you drinking?" Peggy asks.

"Because four days ago I found out that you and Dad had been lying to me my whole life." Tony explains.

"You know the truth." Peggy realises as they walk over to the couches and sit down across from each other

"About the fact that I have three fathers and you're my mother, yeah."

"Four days ago?" Peggy says surprised as even though she has been considering holding off on telling Tony she can't really see herself waiting that long.

"Yeah." Tony says, "You decided not to tell me because I didn't handle what happened to Dad and Maria well and you didn't want to turn my life upside down again." Tony explains, "But that's not the right choice. I, younger me, deserves to know. Waiting will only hurt me more. You need to tell me the truth, and soon." He informs Peggy.

"I don't want you, younger you, to be hurt because of the truth." Peggy tells Tony.

"So older you told me, but telling me will hurt me more in the long run." Tony tells Peggy, "Believe me, I know." He says and as she looks at Tony Peggy sees the look in his eyes and sees that he is telling the truth.

"I'll tell you." Peggy informs Tony.

"Thank you." Tony says gratefully.

"So if you're from the future then I guess we need to figure out a way to get you back there." Peggy says to her son.

"Yeah, we do." Tony comments, "I'm actually surprised that I haven't already disappeared." He admits.

"What do you mean?" Peggy asks.

"I came here because I was angry and drunk after finding out the truth. If you tell me the truth earlier then I would have no reason to get drunk and accidently create a time portal." Tony explains, "Unless…." He says trailing off.

"Unless what?" Peggy asks.

"Unless this always happened." Tony says, getting an idea, actually being glad that there was a time in his life when he was interested in time travel as it means he is familiar with all the scientific theories.

"You think a version of you have time travelled before?" Peggy realises, catching on to what Tony is saying.

"Maybe." Tony answers, "Can you honestly see yourself waiting twenty four more years before telling me the truth?" Tony asks.

"Honestly, no." Peggy admits, "But if you say I did then I must have had a very good reason."

"Peggy, what's going on?" A voice asks and who Tony recognizes as his younger self walks out of the other room.

"I'll let you talk." Tony says getting up walking and towards the kitchen.

"Peggy, who's that?" Younger Tony asks.

"He's you, from the future." Peggy explains, knowing that Tony is smart enough to figure it out on his own.

"Time travel's possible." Younger Tony says looking excited about that and because he knows himself and what mindset he was, is, in at the moment Tony knows what he is thinking.

"Why is he, me, here?" Tony hears his younger self say as he walks into the kitchen.

"He's here to tell me that I've made a mistake by not telling you something." Peggy explains.

"You've been keeping something from me?" Younger Tony says his voice sounding angry.

When Tony gets to the kitchen he spends several minutes just looking around and as he does he notices a shadowed figure pass by the kitchen window. It takes Tony a second but he quickly realises what it is and he goes running back into the living room.

When he gets to the living room Tony knows that Peggy has told his younger self the truth as he has tears on his face and is looking both angry and hurt.

"Get down." Tony tells Peggy and his younger self.

"Why? What's going on?" Peggy asks as pulls younger Tony down so that they can hide behind the couch.

"Someone's outside. Where's your gun?" He asks Peggy, asking where not if she has one as he knows enough about Peggy now to know that she definitely has a gun hidden.

"Lock box on the bookshelf." Peggy informs Tony and he rushes to the shelf and gets it.

"Why are you so worried about a figure outside?" Younger Tony asks as Tony checks to make sure the gun is loaded.

"Because in my experience a figure creeping around at dawn never ends well." Tony explains, "I'm go see who it is." Tony says heading towards the door.

"Be careful." Peggy requests and Tony nods.

Tony gets to the door just in time for it to burst open and before he can ever react Tony finds himself getting thrown across the room.

"TONY." Peggy yells in terror then she turns towards the person who sent Tony flying and she can't believe her eyes, "Bucky?" she asks in shock.


"Okay you need to do something other than pace, like now." Sam tells his friend as for the last two hours Steve has been pacing back and forward in the lab that they are in.

"Give me something to do to find Tony and I'll happily do that rather than pace." Steve responds.

"We're looking Steve, but it still might take a while." Jane informs Steve.

"We need to find a quicker way." Pepper says, "If Tony could he would have contacted us by now." Pepper tells everyone.

"Do you think so? After the last few days?" Maria asks.

"Considering that Tony knew Pepper at least was here and worried then he would." Rhodey says knowing that for a fact.

"So that means that he can't contact us and we should start to worry." Steve says, "Wanda, have your powers been able to tell you anything?" he asks as while Jane and Erik have been working on the science side Wanda has been attempting to use her powers to find out something, to find out anything.

"He's not here anymore." Wanda answers.

"Then where is he?" Steve asks, "Where is Tony?" he asks.

"He's in 1991." A voice that Steve has known his entire life says and Steve turns to see his best friend, "With me." Bucky adds, looking directly at Steve.