You get an update too, a little short compared to last time's but still better than no update at all

;)

Alex

After half of 1995 I was bored again and remembered a small boy who was being abused by his elder brother, I arrived to Massachusetts with Child Services right behind me, being a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative still had its perks, within a week I managed to get the Ward parents imprisoned for abuse, Christian and Grant Ward got shipped to a Rehabilitation Center, from there I asked Agent Coulson, who had been working with me on the case, to keep an eye on the Ward brothers for I had an inkling that they could prove to be interesting; little Thomas Ward was promptly adopted by a young couple who couldn't have children.

I went back home after feeling that I had done the right thing, and perhaps Grant Ward would grow up to be a respectable human being instead of some Hydra scum.

Phil Coulson was an interesting man to talk to, I discovered. He was a big fan of captain America and when I told him who I really was he almost fainted, I smirked and then proceeded to tell him stories about my past, he was a good kid with a good heart and I was going to make sure that he led a happy life, even if I had to kill certain trickster myself.

"I can't believe you have told so many people" said Peggy while she took a sip of her tea. I was visiting her farm. We were both sitting outside on a small table under an umbrella having tea.

"Awe come on Pegs, its called networking besides I trust them and they are good kids" I said with a smile, Tony who was now 7 was tinkering with Bucky's old motorcycle. I was taking care of the small boy for the week as Howard and Maria were out of the country for some charity thing; Jarvis and Murdock were subsequently given that week off to do something other than trying to keep young Master Tony safe. Bucky was overseeing the small genius often offering commentary on the 'repairs'.

"I guess that if you trust me they must be good then" she said; I nodded.

"Besides you had to see Phil when I told him, he almost died" I said with a grin, she rolled her eyes. We suddenly heard an engine and turned to see Bucky staring wide-eyed at Tony who was looking far too smug for his own good.

"I thought it was off for good" said Bucky, Tony looked up at him.

"Nothing is ever really broken uncle Bucky, there's always a way to fix it" the boy stated minding his words carefully, Howard always told him that he had to speak perfectly so people could understand him, I hated him for that.

"I see that now champ, now after all this hard work I think we both deserve some ice cream, and then if your aunt Alex says so I will take you out for a ride" Bucky said looking at me with a smirk, Tony turned to look at me with wide brown eyes, my eyes, I couldn't help but to smile.

"Come here pipsqueak" I said, Tony ran to my arms and I hugged him, pressing a kiss to his hair as I did so "I'm really proud of you duckie, you know that right?" he nodded happily, I pressed another kiss to his hair "If uncle Bucky gets you hurt on that bike of his, then I will hurt him, okay?"

"Uncle Bucky will keep me safe" Tony said, I raised an eyebrow "Nothing risky" Tony assured me.

"Fine go enjoy your ice cream and ride with uncle Bucky while us ladies here discuss world safety and vaguely related topics" I said, Tony scrunched his face.

"Why vaguely related?" he asked, Peggy laughed.

"Because that gives us a wide range for gossip duckie" she said with a smile on her face, Tony looked confuse but shook his face but went with Bucky into the house. "You're good for him" Peggy said after a while, I looked at her.

"Well Pegs, he's mine and someone has to be good for him while Howard goes mad as he tries to find Steve and Maria drowns in social galas, my baby will not grow up having abandonment issues" I said, Peggy adopted a sad far off look on her face.

"Sometimes James and I wonder if it was the right choice" she started "Allowing you to give him away that easily, I love Howard, but he doesn't really deserves such a sweet child"

"I think that none of us do Pegs, sometimes I wish I had kept him with me, but he's a Stark you know and I made a promise" I said, I hear the engine and laughter and turned just in time to see Bucky and Tony take off in Bucky's bike.

"I fear for James" Peggy said after a while, I looked at her confused "He doesn't age as I do, he looks barely forty while I look like this"

"Oh Pegs, you never told me" I said, she gripped her tea cup tighter, I could see the lines of her skin "If I could do anything for you Pegs"

"Doesn't your magic works?" she asked, I looked unsure, I didn't do potions and usually relayed on fighting related spells and tactics, never potions not larger range rituals.

"I don't really know, I would have to look into it, but if I find something you'll be the first to know" I said offering her a smile.

We resumed our previous conversation the mood slightly dampened, mortality was something I never bothered with, but Peggy had reminded me that she was an aging mortal, she had reminded me that she could die one day, and I wasn't sure that I would ever be ready to let her go, not in this lifetime.

"Aunt Alex, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" asked Tony as I tuck him in for the night, he was currently coursing his freshman year of Highschool, at seven years.

"Do you not want to go?" I asked softly, he shook his head.

"I don't like it there, they make fun of me" he confessed, I sighed and sat on the bed next to him, running my hands through his hair softly.

"Then I will talk to your father about homeschooling for you, what do you think? We can tell him about how those teenage dunderheads only dampen your learning habits, and then tomorrow I can take you to the zoo and make the paperwork for your homeschooling" I offered, Tony lit up and smiled at me.

"Really?" he asked, I nodded.

"Yes, as long as you're asleep I'll call him, now go to sleep duckie" I said still running my fingers through his hair.

"You're going to stay?" he asked; I nodded.

"Until you fall asleep" I said, he seemed to ponder this.

"Could you read me a story? Dad says I'm too old for stories, so Jarvis doesn't really reads me anymore, and mom doesn't really like to read much" he said, I stood from the bed to a small bookshelf I kept on Tony's room in my mansion.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" I started as soon as I regained my spot on the bed, Tony smiled at me and I kept reading with a smile on my face.

Almost an hour later I walked out of Tony's room leaving the door slightly open behind me in case he woke up and needed something, I walked into my study and called Howards telling him that I was going to pull Tony from school and was going to hire professors so they could homeschool him, at first he argued about having Tony home all day until I said that I could have Tony over for school hours at my place, he seemed to relent and promptly I started figuring how I was going to décor the room that was now going to become a classroom for Tony. Howard told me that I had to handle the paperwork of Tony's academic life from now on, as he was too busy to do so, I rolled my eyes but accepted the terms. After our conversation I took a quick bath and called Mortimer.

"You called Mistress?" he asked.

"Yes, I need your input with something" I said as I reviewed some paperwork from my dealings as mistress of death, because the death caused paperwork, too much for my liking. Mortimer took the seat in front of me.

"How could I make Peggy immortal?" I asked; Mortimer looked impassive.

"You should know that such thing is impossible, eventually everyone comes to me mistress" he said, I sighed "Even you"

"Yes I know that, one day I will welcome death with open arms, once my purpose is served and the world regains balance, I learned that in the training" I said, Mortimer shook his head.

"One day you will become one with death and mortal affairs wont matter anymore mistress" he said, I raised an eyebrow, "Immortality is a fickle thing, you because of who you represent are, in a way, luckier than others, but death walks alone through eternity, you are still young, in a few centuries whatever ails you today will be but a speck of dust in your windowsill"

"But while it matters I need my friend with me, so please do tell me how can I prolong her life" I said, Mortimer seemed to think.

"Asgardians have their golden tree, a bite from an apple can grant youth and a prolonged life to its eater" he said, I smirked.

"Do you think you can get me one? Both Bucky and Peggy could have a bite"

"Not Maria and Howard?" Mortimer asked accusingly, I avoided his eyes.

"I'm a terrible human being, I know" I said looking down.

"You're not human Mistress, you're just a terrible being" he said, I could hear cheek in his voice. "But you recognize that not everyone can live forever, so an apple I shall bring in a months time a bite for James Barnes and a bite for Margaret Carter-Barnes" he said.

"Could Tony have a bite?" I asked; Mortimer raised an eyebrow.

"He is your son Mistress, young master Stark has the genetic complexion of what you would call a demigod, him having a bite would probably mean nothing to him"

"An apple a day?" I asked.

"And a bite for Anthony Stark" he said, I grinned "And I suppose that when the time comes a bite for any stray that you find in your way and a bite for one Steven Rogers" I nodded, Mortimer disappeared.

A month later when I presented Peggy and Bucky with the apple and asked them to keep a secret they both embraced me when Peggy after eating her share regained her youthful appearance and Bucky lost a few years too. I told them to take vacations and forget about the world for a while, and so with magically forged papers Megara and James Black left America to enjoy a few years to themselves while Peggy Carter-Barnes and her husband James Barnes both died tragically in a fire. Howard and I were both present for the funeral, but just for show, as a select few, including the commandoes, the Pym's, Howard, Jarvis, Fury and I knew that Peggy and Bucky had just eloped, I also had to explain Tony the importance of secrets and fake deaths and he was very happy when he learned that his favorite pair of uncles were not dead.