Author's Note: Hello! First of all, I would like to apologise to anyone who has had any difficulties accessing this story. Somebody mentioned receiving notifications about updates but not being able to see any. I was having the same issues with basically any story on the site for around a week but it all seems to be resolved now so I am hopeful that is the case for everyone.

I also wanted to say thank you again for the lovely reviews, and to everyone following and favouriting this story. The support is very much appreciated.

Just to confirm, there is a time skip here to Endgame. I was not emotionally prepared to deal with the events of Infinity War. However I am currently working on a story that deals with the aftermath of Infinity War for Tony and those closest to him which I hope to upload once I have finished sharing this story.

This chapter is set during The Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, and post-Endgame. From here on out, the story is no longer compliant with the MCU timeline. For my own purposes, The Battle of Earth takes place in the beginning of June 2023 instead of October 2023.

Snap

As the chaos of the battle continued to rage all around him, Tony experienced pain such as he had never known, as the power surging through him burned his body inside and out. Yet this was the only way, the one future of fourteen million, six hundred and five possibilities where they would win. The only way to save the world. The one future where his family would be safe.

The genius thought of Pepper, the beautiful and brilliant woman who had become his wife. She was always cool, calm and composed, even in the battle they were currently fighting, though it was the first time that she had donned her Rescue armour. She had held him together when he felt as though he were falling apart, loved him when he had been unable to love himself.

He thought of Morgan, his perfect little girl. She had all of her Mother's grace, and all of her Father's genius. She had saved him at his lowest point, her birth the second chance that he didn't believe he deserved. He so badly wanted to be there, to see all of her firsts, to see the woman she would grow up to be. Yet he knew if he didn't do this, she would never get the chance to have any of those moments at all. He had to do this for her.

He thought of Peter, the boy who he had not even realized he had loved until it was too late to tell him, to even acknowledge it. The kid, his kid, who he had brought back and held in his arms, solid and alive, and Tony had to make sure that he would never be taken away again, not like that, never again like that.

It was all the resolve he needed as he locked eyes with the Mad Titan, who had realized just too late that he no longer possessed the stones.

"And I… am… Iron Man."

Tony snapped his fingers.

There was a strange numbness as his awareness returned, hearing voices as though through water. Gradually, they became clearer and slowly, Tony opened his eyes, gasping lightly as he did.

"Tony?" a voice asked softly from his left, and he turned towards it. Pepper sat by his side, tearfully gazing down at him, her lips forming an uncertain smile.

"Pep?" he rasped, and her smile won out, even as a sob escaped her. "How…?"

The red head shook her head, tears splashing his hand as they flew from her face. She opened her mouth a few times to try and explain but it was clear she was too overcome, eventually clamping a hand over her mouth as her other hand held Tony's.

Tony allowed himself to scan the room, noting the presence of Dr Strange and a young female he had only seen in a picture before, after the dusting. Princess Shuri of Wakanda, sister of King T'Challa, was stood opposite his bed, reading through information on a hologram and casting occasional glances in his direction. Finally he returned his gaze to Pepper, noticing for the first time the figure stood behind her.

"Rhodey…," he murmured, and his best friend smiled.

"Hey Tones," he spoke quietly. "You gave us all a good scare." If he hadn't been so tired, Tony would have mocked the suspicious wetness around his friend's eyes. As it was, he only offered a weak smile in return before blinking slowly and returning his attention to Pepper, who had managed to compose herself.

"Morgan?" he asked, and the beeping of the machine beside him monitoring his heart began to increase. Pepper tightened her grip on his hand.

"She's here. Happy's watching her. We haven't brought her into see you yet. We wanted to wait until you'd woken up. We didn't want to scare her."

Tony nodded, blinking slowly once again. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious but he still felt ridiculously tired. He watched as Pepper frowned lightly, swallowing before she spoke again.

"Tony, we almost… we almost lost you, and your injuries… Well, they were really bad. Your arm… they couldn't…," she trailed off, tears leaking from her eyes once more.

Tony turned his head and glanced down at his heavily bandaged shoulder. He felt strangely unperturbed by the absence of the arm that should have been there though whether it was due to the heavy medication he was on or the realization that an arm was a small price to pay when he had wholly expected to die, he couldn't decide.

"Don't worry Stark, I will make you a great prosthetic," a heavily accented voice supplied, and Tony turned his attention to the Princess still stood beside her holograms. "You will wish you had had it all along."

The grin stretching her face seemed out of place given the scenario but Tony couldn't hide his own small smile at her words. He turned back to Pepper, who looked confused by her husband's lack of reaction to his missing limb. He had to ask about one more person.

"Kid?"

"He's fine, Tony," she answered with a small smile but Tony frowned.

"Where 's he?"

"Once he knew you were stable, we sent him back to New York. He needed to see his Aunt, but he's fine Tony, really," she answered, starting to look concerned as his heart rate began to increase again.

"Tones, you need to calm down," Rhodey stated, edging closer to the bed. Tony was vaguely aware of both Strange and the Princess drawing nearer as well but he had to make them understand before he drifted back into unconsciousness.

"Need to… Need to see… the kid…," he trailed off as his eyes slipped closed.

The next time he woke, he was more aware and didn't feel as though he were about to fall asleep again imminently. He scanned the room once more, only to find one person present. The Princess smiled at him.

"How are you feeling, Stark?" she asked, drawing closer. "Are you in any pain?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I feel…," he trailed off, unsure how to answer. He was strangely numb- the medication he was on, which he guessed must be Wakandan, was working incredibly well.

Shuri nodded, tapping a button that moved his bed, raising him into a sitting position. She then shifted to his bedside, raising a cup of ice chips towards his face. She seemed ready to assist him and was surprised when he lifted his left arm to hold the cup himself, although her hands hovered nearby until he lowered the cup. She took it from his hands and set it down on the unit beside his bed.

Stepping back, she smiled. "Your family are outside. I'll let them know you are awake." Without waiting for a response, the young genius strode from the room, only to re-enter moments later, followed by Pepper, who had Morgan in her arms.

His daughter gazed at him wide-eyed, clinging to her Mother until Pepper had sat down in the same chair she had occupied the last time Tony had seen her, adjusting Morgan so that she was sat on her lap.

"Hey Morguna," he murmured. He watched as her lips turned up in a small smile and he reached his hand towards her. Shyly, she glanced at her Mom.

Pepper's gaze flickered between the two of them before she gently edged Morgan towards the bed. "Be gentle," she whispered and Morgan nodded as she settled next to Tony's side.

Wrapping her small arms around her Dad's waist, Morgan looked up at him with those intelligent brown eyes. "I love you, Daddy."

Tony wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as he smiled. "Yeah? Well, I love you 3000!" He listened to her giggle and lifted his gaze to Pepper, who smiled tearfully back at him. He was so glad to have them both there- safe and whole and perfect.

He felt Morgan shift beside him and glanced down to watch as she peered around to the other side of his body, eyes resting on his shoulder. He tensed as he waited for her reaction but when she looked up at him, there was no hint of fear in her face- only curiosity.

"Can you still make stuff with one arm?" she asked. Tony blinked down at her, as he marvelled at how her mind worked.

However, before he could answer, Shuri approached the family. "Your Daddy is going to have a new arm- a special one that I'm going to make for him. Would you like to see?"

Morgan's eyes lit up and she looked at her Dad, then her Mom for permission. When they both nodded, she scooted to the edge of the bed and Shuri scooped her up in her arms, walking to the other side of the room where she had been previously, already swiping at holograms and talking animatedly.

The two adults watched fondly for a moment before their attention turned to each other.

"She's amazing," Tony murmured. "She gets that from you."

Pepper smiled. "And inquisitive. That she gets from you."

Tony grinned, reaching for his wife's hand, lifting it to his face and pressing a kiss to it.

"How are you?" he asked, looking at her carefully. She looked pale, and tired but she smiled.

"I've just been worried about you. You're looking better though. We just need to focus on getting you better."

Tony frowned, but nodded. Then he asked, "Where's Peter?"

Pepper's forehead creased. "Tony, he's in New York."

"I need to see him."

"He's fine, Tony. Once we knew you were okay and once he was given the all clear, we sent him back. He needed to find May," she said patiently.

However it didn't escape Tony's notice that she had said 'we sent him back'. It sounded like he hadn't wanted to leave. And if he had to be given the all clear, he must have been injured. Not to mention how traumatized he must have been from everything…

"Shh, Tony, calm down. Take a deep breath," he heard distantly and he realized Pepper was rubbing up and down his arm, taking exaggerated breaths of her own. He tried to copy and only as it began to slow down did he realise that his heart had been racing.

"Pepper, I need to see him. On Titan, he was so scared. I need to know-," Tony tried to explain but Pepper cut him off.

"None of them remember the dusting, Tony. You don't need to worry."

Tony frowned. "Did the kid say that?"

"They've all said the same thing. There was a moment of knowing something was wrong and then they were opening their eyes, as though they had just fainted," she told him patiently, her hand never ceasing it's calming motion on his arm.

"But did Peter say that?" he pressed, and he could tell from Pepper's face that she was getting impatient but trying to hide it.

"I don't know Tony, but why would he be any different? You're stressing yourself out for no-!"

"No, Pepper, for Peter- it was different. Everyone else disappeared in seconds but for him, it was minutes. He-," Tony broke off, swallowing the lump in his throat so he could finish, so that he could make her understand. "He stumbled to me as it happened. He held onto me, he begged me and I couldn't…" He took a shuddering breath. "His body… it tried to heal itself and he held on. God, he held on but he…"

He couldn't continue, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head because for five years, he had tortured himself for how the kid had suffered and how he had been unable to do anything to stop it.

"Tony," Pepper whispered, and he tore his eyes open to look at her. She was crying silently, watching him with pained eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want it to be true," he answered. "If I didn't say it, it didn't have to be true. But now he's back, and I… I need to know. I need to know he's okay."

Pepper nodded. "I'll talk to Strange. I'll ask him to bring him here," she told him, and Tony sighed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers.

Over the next week, Tony spent more time awake and had plenty of visitors. He could walk short distances which meant he could use the bathroom by himself but it usually exhausted him so he hadn't requested to leave his room. He had, however, been able to look at and work on the designs for his prosthetic with Shuri, which had kept his mind occupied for the most part.

Morgan spent hours with him every day, bringing plenty of books and puzzles to keep them both amused, and asking questions which showed intelligence and maturity far beyond her years, making the genius both incredibly proud and terrified in equal measure.

At least once a day, he asked Pepper if Peter was here, if he was coming, and every day she assured him that Strange had returned to New York and would return with the kid, reminding Tony to be patient. Every day he reminded her that patience had never been one of his strongest virtues.

So when the door opened and finally revealed those familiar Bambi eyes and that shy smile, Tony felt tears spring to his eyes. Because his kid was here, alive and whole, hovering in the doorway with all the awkwardness he had always had, and Tony wanted to hold him and never let go.

"Hey kid," he said, voice gruff with emotion.

"Hey Mr Stark," Peter replied, his voice trembling as he stepped further into the room, closer to the bed where Tony was propped up. Still Peter seemed unsure, shifting his weight from foot to foot at the end of the bed, his eyes wide. "Um… how are you… how are you feeling?"

Tony could feel the corner of his lips tug up in a smile. "I'm good, Pete," he answered. Then he stretched his left arm towards the chair beside his bed. "You gonna sit down?"

Peter shuffled around the bed to take the appointed chair, his eyes never leaving Tony. His hands fidgeted constantly, and Tony was torn between the warm rush of nostalgia at the familiar gesture and wanting to grab both hands in his own to make it stop, because the kid only did that when he was anxious, and Tony wanted to make everything okay.

As the silence stretched on, Tony asked, "Are you okay?"

Peter looked startled. "Me? I'm… I'm fine, Mr Stark. I was given the all clear weeks ago. I got off pretty lightly. I probably should have-,"

"Kid," Tony interrupted, "you did great." He watched as Peter chewed on his lip, dropping his eyes to his lap and the older hero could only sigh. "After Titan," he pressed, and he didn't miss how Peter's entire frame went rigid at the mention of the location of his demise, "are you okay?"

"Titan was five years ago, Mr Stark," Peter answered quietly, and Tony's heart clenched. He had forgotten how stubborn Peter could be, and if anything, the realization that he had forgotten something about the kid made the ache even more intense.

"Not for you," Tony murmured. Peter didn't move, his eyes trained on his fidgeting hands. "Have you talked to anyone? I know they all said they don't remember but… if it was different for you-,"

Tony cut off abruptly when Peter's head snapped up, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. He looked terrified. "How do you… I mean, why do you think… why would I be different?"

The billionaire reached for the kid's hands finally, clasping one in his own and he made sure he held the kid's gaze. "I was there Pete. I saw you… I saw how it happened. I know you," he paused and took a deep breath. "I know you… felt it."

Peter blinked, tears leaking from his eyes and when he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. "My Spidey sense went crazy. And the pain… my body was trying to heal but it couldn't… as soon as it fixed it, it started again."

"I know," Tony murmured. He tugged gently on the kid's wrist, trying to draw him closer but Peter held his position, using his free hand to swipe fiercely at the tears on his face. Tony tried to ignore the stab of hurt at the kid resisting but maintained a gentle hold on his hand as the kid composed himself.

"I, uh," Peter cleared his throat, "I met Morgan, Mr Stark." Evidently Peter wanted to change the subject and although Tony was reluctant, he didn't want to push the kid. There would be time to talk later and he didn't want to drive the kid away when he had just got him back.

"Yeah?" he acknowledged.

"Yeah. She's great, like, really great. I can't believe you're a Dad now!"

Tony smiled sadly at Peter. "I already was, Pete."

Peter's face scrunched in confusion. "Oh," he muttered. "I'm sorry- I didn't know. I don't think you mentioned that before."

Tony shook his head. "I'm talking about you, Pete."

Peter looked stunned, and opened his mouth but before he could begin rambling, Tony once again tugged on his wrist, this time when the teen wasn't braced and prepared to resist. This time, the genius released his hold, only to wrap his arm around the kid's back and hold him against his chest.

"You're my kid, Pete. Maybe not by blood but… Oh God, I missed you so much kid!" Tony paused to take a shuddering breath, and he felt Peter relax in his arms. "I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too… Tony."

Tony squeezed the kid even closer to him, huffing out a laugh. It wasn't 'Dad' but it was an improvement on 'Mr Stark'.

As they held each other, Tony's thoughts drifted back to the day Peter had been taken away from him, when the kid had first arrived on the scene as that huge alien was about to crush him, something the kid had said suddenly played in his mind.

"Hey, Pete?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not allowed to go on anymore field trips."

With his face buried in his mentor's shoulder, Peter's laugh was muffled but Tony decided it was one of the most wonderful sounds he had ever heard.