Bruce walked in the front door of the Stark residence and nodded. "Very fancy."
Stark shrugged. "I know. Much more high-tech than yours, don't you think?"
Bruce gave a small smile. "If you say so."
"Pepper is out of town on business, so it's just us men."
"And girl!" Morgan chirped as she came barreling around the corner. "Damian says you speak geek too, so no leaving me out of the science talks, kay?"
Bruce chuckled. They did indeed "speak geek" for a while, discussing the latest in arc reactor and nanotechnology. But eventually that got boring and they fell into a comfortable silence.
"How did the Avenger's react to your return?"
"Pardon me?" Tony asked.
Bruce looked at him coolly. "How did your teammates take the news you weren't dead anymore?"
Tony looked about the room nonchalantly. "They were pretty quiet."
"You didn't tell them, did you."
"You know, it really never came up."
Morgan rolled her eyes. "3000, of course it didn't!"
Bruce sighed. "Tony, I respect your decision to stay out of the public eye. But these are your teammates, people who knew you personally. Your death hurt them; they didn't lose an American Icon, they lost a member of their family."
"I'm glad you think I'm an American Icon."
"Don't change the subject. They need you; the world needs you."
"Eh, they've done fine without Iron Man. Besides, my boy Spidey's doing just fine."
"Right, they're all fine. Thor hasn't lost his entire family along with a close friend. Clint's family never lost their favorite Aunt and the closest thing Clint had to a sister. Banner's not missing his favorite science buddy or the woman who saw him as more than a monster. Wanda won't miss Vision, a man the world saw only as a machine. Rhodey isn't mourning his best friend. They're all fine, and I'm sure that knowing the man who died for them is back among the living won't give them one less life to weep over."
It was Morgan who came to her father's rescue. "Hey, should I have F.R.I.D.A.Y add ice cream to the shopping list?"
Grateful for the distraction Tony looked up to find Morgan peering upside-down at him from the counter, the fridge still wide open.
"Nah, don't bother, I've got some stashed… you know what," he said suddenly getting up, "let's just go get some right now!" Tony decided with a little more enthusiasm than necessary and Bruce let their previous conversation drop.
Morgan insisted on wearing a disguise just like her dad's when they went out together. Bruce smiled as he noted the matching hoodies, shades, and ratty sneakers.
As they browsed the ice cream aisle, Morgan said. "Hey, 3000, we should get some for Pepsi?"
"Pepsi?" Bruce asked.
"Mom."
"Ah"
Tony reached for a carton of strawberry ice cream only to have Bruce stop him.
"Allergic to strawberries, remember?"
"Right. Wait, how did you know that?"
"I have my sources. Might I recommend sending some white lilies to her hotel? I saw a florist a block from here."
They bought their ice cream and stopped by the florist's. Bruce had to swallow back his laughter when the florist asked Tony who the flowers were from.
"Uhhh…nderhill. Mr. Underhill."
Morgan fought valiantly to contain her giggles until they were outside.
Morgan was in the backseat, happily munching on ice cream straight from the carton. Tony was in the driver's seat of course with Bruce on the passenger side. Certain Morgan was sufficiently distracted by her treasure, Bruce spoke.
"Bucky wants to apologize."
Tony barely managed to remain impassive. "Oh?"
"My butler, the man who raised me, Alfred, they were friends in the war. Bucky was friends with my dad too. He comes over a lot to talk with Alfred."
"What does he say? That he's sorry for?"
"A lot of things. Killing your parents for starters. He feels horrible about that. Did you know he offered to let Pepper press charges after Captain America left? That he was willing to be executed for his crimes under Hydra's control but knew Steve would never let that happen?"
"Pepper didn't mention that."
"Probably because it never came up."
"Yeah" Morgan piped up "He told Mommy and me he was sorry. That he was sorry he killed my grandparents and hurt you. He was crying and everything. He comes by and makes sure we're ok."
Bruce nodded. "It eats at him that he never got to tell you those things in person, Tony."
Tony didn't respond.
Tony lay in bed, his beautiful wife by his side, pondering. He'd asked her about Bucky. Pepper had said she was worried about the man, that helping them seemed to be the only thing that kept him going some days. She had honestly forgotten to mention it, especially since he hadn't done more than call since Tony came back.
"I know you don't like him, Tony, and I'm not saying you have too. But please don't hate him. He has nightmares about what he did to your parents; it wasn't his fault. Let him make up for it as best he can."
Tony could do that.
Funny how being dead gave you a different perspective, calmed you down. Now that he looked at Bucky without the anger and drama tingeing his thoughts, he could see a bit of the man Steve had known. Through Morgan's eyes, he saw a funny guy with strong morals who was broken. Maybe even someone he could find a friend in.
But not if he was dead.
Which brought him back to tonight's musings.
"Pep?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you, I dunno, happy?"
Pepper rolled over to look at her husband. "What do you mean?"
"That I'm, you know, not Iron Man anymore? I know it was always a sore point in our relationship…"
Pepper said, "I thought I would be, if you had asked me five years ago. I thought I was happy with our life after the blip when you stopped playing hero. But I wasn't. There was always this niggling feeling I couldn't quite place. When you put back on the armor to go bring back half the universe, I finally knew what it was.
"Sure, I wish it had never happened. You becoming Iron Man and all the hurt that came with it. But it did, and you know what, you are a better man for it. I would have never married the man you were before."
"Ouch!"
"Oh be quiet and let me finish." Pepper rolled her eyes and kept going. "Being a hero is a part of you now. It's not just something you can stop doing because you feel you've done enough; you keep going until you physically can't. Once you start on that path there is no going back. And I could feel that it wasn't quite right, you not doing hero work."
"So, no?" Tony asked.
"No."
"Do you want me to start again? Being Iron Man, I mean."
"I think that's up to you. I will support you either way."
Tony looked up at the ceiling again. There was silence for a time and Pepper had nearly fallen asleep when Tony spoke again.
"Should we tell the Avengers?"
"That you aren't dead?"
"Yeah."
"It's your call, but I think it's only right."
The rest of the night passed in silence.
Well, Doctor Strange thought, if Tony doesn't tell them, I will! It wouldn't take away all the pain, the mourning, the tear filled nights, but it would make it better.
The vision ended and Strange groaned. He still didn't know how he was going to protect Morgan. But he recognized this kind of ending though; the vision was far from over but he needed sleep.
Stephen staggered to his room, the Cloak of Levitation wrapping itself around him soothingly. He collapsed onto his bed and let sleep take him.