He walks on air for the next few days. Even the struggles of working around his arm seem inconsequential. He knows what he is doing. He knows where he is going. He knows all the next steps, and the future unfolding in front of him is full of potential.

Progress is being made in all directions. "The Quantum Tunnel is almost finished," he tells Steve, the next time they cross paths in the common room. "So now all we gotta do is figure out your plan for returning things."

Planning becomes an all-hands-on-deck meeting, because they want the best possible odds of success. It is one of the first times Tony has gathered with everyone, the usual crew and all the returned Avengers. They gather in one of the meeting rooms in the Tower, and his eyes brighten as he looks around the table.

Scott is there, but Cassie isn't today. Tony knows that both of them have been back in San Francisco with her mother and step-father, as well as their recently returned friends. They are lucky that Stephen is willing to portal everyone around for now, because otherwise, Tony wouldn't want to bring Scott back here, even briefly.

He is not the only one who has been away. He knows that Sam has been back to see his sister and his nephews, and from what he hears, they had managed to survive the Dusting as well as possible. He suspects that they, just like a large majority of the country, have been hit hard by what had happened, so he isn't surprised that Sam has been spending the majority of his time with them.

Bucky had gone to see his sister too, actually. Hannah had been Dusted like him, so she is busy trying to get rehabilitated after her sudden return. Tony would offer her a place in the Tower, but fortunately, Hannah had returned to find she still had a home. Apparently, Bucky's great-niece had taken possession of the house. According to Bucky, she had moved in with her two children, because the Dusting had made where she previously lived unsafe. Obviously, things will have to be figured out now that Hannah is back, but she at least has somewhere to stay and people to look after her right now.

Pepper had gone to check on her parents too, and she sits next to him with a tablet laid out on the table. Even now, as they wait for the meeting to begin, she is busy managing SI and their Post-Dusting response. A lot of Stark employees had reappeared, and they are doing their best to help support them—as well as their current and new employees—but it is a big undertaking.

It would be a lot harder without Pepper though. He knows she has been working just as much as—if not more than—him, and he nudges her with his good shoulder. She looks up and he flashes her a smile. "I'm not going to be the one to have to tell you to take breaks, am I?" he murmurs as Rhodey comes in and takes a seat on his right.

Pepper huffs and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, before pointedly ignoring him and going back to her tablet. He bites back a laugh and turns to nod at Rhodey. Rhodey smiles at him and reaches up automatically to clasp his shoulder. Tony can see him hesitate for a moment when he realises it is his bad arm. He almost tenses, but then Rhodey follows through with the gesture. It is gentler than it would have been, but Tony grins at the touch and relaxes easily into it.

The skin of his arm is still more sensitive than it used to be, but he is careful to keep up with the massages and exercises he needs, so it is getting better. His eyes jump to where Bruce is sitting next to Stephen, and he knows that he also has his own regiment for his damaged arm. With how chaotic things have been, they haven't been able to find a physiotherapist yet, but he has JARVIS searching, since he knows the sooner they get one the better.

Rhodey turns to say something to Rocket next to him, and Tony follows his gaze down the table. The rest of the Guardians are there—including Gamora, who he hasn't really met—and the group singlehandedly manages to raise the noise level of the room by several decibels. He can't find it in himself to mind though, because Nebula is there sitting among them and looking almost pleasant, in her aggressive, defensive way.

His eyes catch on her skeletal hand, and he knows he still needs to fix that. He had been putting off any repairs for now though, and focusing all his attention on the Quantum Tunnel. His eyes shift from Nebula to Peter, who is also chatting and gesturing easily with the Guardians. Considering how they had fought together, and now live in close quarters, it probably isn't surprising that the group has bonded. He has even heard that Peter has joined Clint's efforts in giving Quill a crash-course on Earth pop culture (which is just about as chaotic as one would expect it to be).

A laugh bellows out from beside the Guardians, and his eyes travel to Thor, who is busy talking to Groot, the tree. He hadn't met Groot before the Dusting, but Thor had met all the Guardians before this. He had been spending a lot of his time in New Asgard with the newly returned Asgardians, but now that he is back in the Tower, he seems to be making up for lost time and reacquainting himself with them.

And with Thor comes…a new addition. Tony's eyes skate over the dark shape of Loki sitting next to Thor, a faint scowl on his face. He isn't blue anymore, and Tony hasn't really had the opportunity to ask after that apparent skillset.

He feels a habitual spike of mixed feelings upon seeing him. Loki had helped them during the battle, and had apparently not been the mastermind behind the Chitauri attack on Earth, but his presence is still a little uncomfortable. Tony isn't sure how much they can trust Loki, but…well, he can at least trust that their interests align for now.

Loki had evidently been against Thanos' crusade, and Tony knows that he had been determined to keep the stones separated. So, it isn't too surprising that he might be willing to help them now. After this, he has no idea. But that is a problem for later.

Besides Loki and Thor, there are no other Asgardians present. Both Frigga and Valkyrie are busy in New Asgard settling the returned Asgardians, but it is probably a good thing they hadn't come. The room is full enough. As it is, Clint and Natasha have to squeeze in next to Bruce, and the Guardian's side of the table is more of a conglomeration of people standing and sitting, rather than something orderly.

Steve doesn't seem to mind the semi-regulated chaos though. Tony can see him sitting up at the front, his head bent as he says something to Bucky sitting next to him. Bucky is sitting on Steve's left, like usual, which conveniently means that his good arm is next to him. The construction on Bucky's arm had also been put on hold for now, but once this is finished, Tony imagines it shouldn't be too difficult to build something like what they had had before.

He watches as Bucky chuckles at whatever Steve had said, and Steve grins, before pushing away and standing up. His eyes scan the room, and the noise levels drop as the occupants begin to quiet down almost automatically. Tony settles back, impressed despite himself, and he waits for Steve to get started.

Steve's eyes meet his, and his mouth twitches. "Well," he starts, "looks like we're all here."

Tony bites back a snort of amusement. His statement couldn't be truer. The only people missing are Carol, who is busy seeing to friends and space stuff, Fury, who is busy seeing to government stuff, and T'Challa and Shuri, who are busy in Wakanda.

To be honest, they probably didn't need to bring everyone in on this meeting, but since most of the non-essential people are living in the Tower already, it had felt natural to invite them along to be part of the final chapter of their mission against Thanos.

Up front, Steve begins to outline their plan. "As you know," he says, the glass behind him lighting up with the alternate timeline points they had jumped to, each matched with the stone they had taken, "we need to return the stones back to where they came from." He nods towards him. "Tony tells me the Quantum Tunnel is ready, so now we just need to make sure we can get the stones to where they belong.

"We know I'll be the one taking the stones back," he continues, before looking over to Scott. "And Hank has been getting the Pym Particles we need." Scott nods, and Tony can see Steve mentally outlining his plan as he talks. Steve's eyes come up to meet his again. "Before we start, I just want to confirm that we can get back to the timelines we visited? We won't be creating more new ones?"

Tony's mouth crooks up and he shakes his head. For a second he has the urge to cross his arms, but that doesn't work well with his sling, so he just shrugs one shoulder. "The GPS has the data from our previous jumps," he explains to the room at large. "Since we've already been to those other timelines, we should be able to navigate back there so that we can return the stones."

Steve nods and taps something on the console, the images behind him resolving into a picture of the scepter, the Tesseract cube, and the Power Stone orb. "Alright," he says, glancing up at them. "With that taken care of, we have to figure out how to replicate these."

A surprised silence falls over the room, and Tony sits up. Right, he had forgotten about that. Thanos' attack on their base had pretty much destroyed everything but the stones. If they are going to return them, then they need to figure out how to get them back in their original containers.

Steve taps another button, and a picture of his other-self returning the scepter pops up on screen. "We know the other-timeline returned the scepter as it was," he says, looking back at the image before regarding them again. "We don't know if their circumstances were the same as ours, but either way, returning the stones the way they came is probably best."

Tony's eyes narrow and he leans forward. "When JARVIS scanned the scepter we got back, he said the material was newer than the original staff."

Steve's eyes brighten and he nods solemnly. "Exactly," he says, before shifting his stance. "But…I asked JARVIS already, and he said that most of the metal that made up the staff, and the orb, are not from Earth." He waves a hand at the Tesseract. "That's not even talking about figuring out how to make that."

Tony's lips press together, and he sits back, his eyes on the images. If the materials are not from Earth, then it isn't like he can just recreate the pieces in his lab.

"So." He looks up as Quill speaks, the man slouching in his chair like some kind of space cowboy. "What you're saying is these other-timeline people must have figured out some way to rebuild the stuff, and we just gotta do that too."

Tony flicks his eyes over him. He hasn't talked much to Quill since they had undone the Dusting. He has heard a little from Nebula about his attempts to reconnect with Gamora though, as well is his desire for his ship back. Before Steve can respond to Quill, Rocket interrupts, addressing that very topic.

"And when you go back, you'll be getting my ship back, right?"

Tony sees Quill's face twist incredulously at Rocket's personal claim over his ship, and judging from the smug expression on Rocket's face, he knows exactly what he is doing. Steve nods and cuts through any sounds of protest from Quill.

"Scott tells me we'll have enough Pym Particles to power his shrinking disks," he says, sweeping his eyes over the Guardians and watching Quill settle back, still glaring sulkily at Rocket. "We'll be able to get the ship back just fine."

Steve moves on before any more interruptions can derail them, his expression straightforward and business-like as he talks. "What we need right now, is a way to rebuild the containers the stones came in, ideally in the materials they originally were."

Silence falls for a moment, before Thor speaks up. "What about Asgard?"

Tony looks over in surprise, and he sees Loki scanning Thor too. His scowl is gone, replaced with something more neutral, if not slightly interested. He is pushed back from the table a little, as though distancing himself from them, but he stays quiet as Thor continues.

"Our Asgard is destroyed," he says, his gaze steady. "But the other timeline is not. If you go there first with the stones, they may be willing to help you."

Loki scoffs and folds his arms as Thor looks back at him. "That's only if father agrees to it," he says, a veiled sharpness to his voice. "You know how he is about mortals."

Thor's brows draw together, and he makes a noncommittal noise. "True," he concedes. "But Steve will have the stones with him. And mother will be there to reason with father." Loki doesn't exactly look convinced, and Tony can see him thinking as Thor glances up to Steve. "You say your other-self returned the scepter the way it was. Asgard seems the likeliest solution to me, and if he was able to convince them, then you should be able to as well."

Loki sits back and crosses one knee over the other, his eyes focused on Thor. "And how will he get to Asgard?" he counters sharply, his eyes narrowing. "He doesn't have your power, and Heimdall is unlikely to respond quickly to an unknown call, especially someone carrying something so dangerous."

Tony would scowl at Loki's tone; except he is kind of right.

"What about the Convergence portals?" Clint speaks up, shooting a look at Loki, before focusing on Thor. "Wasn't that the backup plan?"

Thor shifts uncomfortably. "That would work if he simply needed to sneak into Asgard," he says, rolling his shoulders. "But if he wants an audience with Odin…and if he doesn't want to be hunted as an intruder…it would probably be best to come up with Heimdall's permission."

Next to Clint, Natasha folds her arms. "And will Heimdall let him up?"

Thor glances back at Loki, and the two of them communicate silently for a moment, before Loki sighs and rolls his shoulders. He sits up, his arms still folded as he flicks his hair back from his face. "I…might be able to help with that," he admits slowly, his eyes sweeping over them as though calculating the pros and cons of revealing even this much.

Tony isn't sure what he sees, but it must satisfy him, because he sits back and continues talking. "I can mark him with my seidr. A callsign, if you will. That will ensure Heimdall notices him, and it should intrigue enough people to allow him to be heard, and believed."

"Seidr?" Tony echoes, and Loki rolls his eyes his way.

"Ma-gick," he drawls, and Tony shoots him his own eye-roll in response. This Loki is a far cry from the lording figure who had tried to take over Earth six years ago—which makes sense, given what they know of Thanos and the scepter now—but it is obvious that dealing with Loki is less of a walk in the park, and more of a trip through a forest of stinging nettle. The spines don't have to poke you, but they are there, and on the defensive, and probably lurking ten steps ahead of you, without you even knowing.

Still, right now Loki is willing to work with them, so he will take the risk of being stung.

Up front, Bucky's eyes flick between Loki and Steve, and Tony can practically see him sifting through everything he had been told about the trickster. He hadn't been there for the Battle of New York, but he knows enough about it to be concerned. Especially if it is Steve.

"And we can trust you?" he calls, meeting Loki's gaze evenly. "This seidr or whatever won't hurt him?"

Loki returns Bucky's look with a cool gaze. "The stones need to be separated," he says simply. "They are not meant to be used like this, and they cannot be kept here. If this is what is needed to get rid of them, then…" he waves a hand. A look of exhaustion flies over his face as his hand drops. It is almost too quick to be seen, but Tony is reminded abruptly that Loki has apparently been on the run for nearly all this time, and has only just recently come back from being killed by Thanos.

He thinks Bucky sees the look too, because he settles back a little, and nods his acceptance. A breath of tension goes out of the room, and Steve gathers their attention again.

"Alright," he says, raising his chin. "So we have a plan to rebuild what we need. Hopefully it will work. If not, then we might just have to accept returning the stones as is. It will be strange for the other timelines, but they will at least have the stones, which is the important part."

He glances over at the screen displays. "If Asgard is the first stop, then I can jump to another timeline afterwards."

"Wait." Steve looks up as Loki speaks up again. Tony glances over in surprise, and Loki himself looks a little annoyed at having to speak again. "There is another thing you will need to do in Asgard." His eyes jump to Thor, and he raises an eyebrow. "The hammer will need to go back."

Thor's mouth turns down in the shadow of a pout, and Tony gets the impression he is watching more sibling telepathy as Loki and Thor stare silently at each other. Loki remains motionless, his arms folded and his eyebrows raised, before Thor huffs and looks away.

"He's right," he concedes, and Tony sees the barest flash of surprise pass over Loki's face at the admission.

Steve nods at the two and makes a note on the holo-screens. "That shouldn't be a problem," he says. His mouth twitches and he looks up. "I'm sure that will be a sight for that timeline."

Thor grins, and even Loki looks amused at the prospect. Tony himself lets out a snort before he can stop it. His eyes glint as he glances between the other Avengers. He can't even imagine what the 2013 Asgardian timeline will think when Steve shows up, wielding Mjolnir, carrying all the Infinity Stones, and telling a tale of time-travel.

It will be impossible not to influence that timeline, but, he has a feeling Asgard will probably be able to handle it.

Steve lets them laugh for a moment (although the Guardians look a little lost for most of it, which isn't surprising. Tony doubts they know why wielding Mjolnir is such a big deal.) Soon enough though, they are back and focused on the next parts of the mission.

"You'll need another ship for the 2014 ones," Bruce says, his fingers flexing in his sling as he speaks. "And you'll need enough shrinking chips to bring that ship, and the Guardian one back home."

Steve nods, glancing over at Scott. "The shrinking chips are taken care of," he reminds them. "Hank should have enough Pym Particles to power as many as we need. So, we just need a ship."

Quill speaks up, his voice pointedly sulky as he shoots a glance at Thor. "Maybe he can use an Asgardian escape pod."

Sam chokes on a laugh, and Tony sees Steve's lips pull up in a smile. "That could definitely work," he says, much to Quill's surprise. His eyes jump to Loki and Thor. "If it can be spared."

Thor nods and agrees immediately, and the rest of the time-travel details aren't too hard to work out. Steve gets as much info from the others about their trips as he can, so that he can plan how to return the stones. They are not exactly sure how he will return the Soul Stone, but if all else fails, he can just…leave it there. As long as he doesn't have to die doing it, they will be fine.

After that, the meeting wraps up. As they begin to disperse, Tony notices Steve's eyes resting on Sam for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he glances back towards the holo-screens of the stones.

Steve notices him watching, and smiles, and Tony lets the look go for now.

oOo

With the Quantum Tunnel finished, and with the plan made, there isn't much else needed before they can get started. He has JARVIS design a case for Steve to carry the stones in—just so they aren't rattling around—and they have to wait for Hank to finish up with their Pym Particle order, but once that is ready, there is nothing stopping them.

Tony did not expect to be so nervous about it.

It is only a small cluster of them—not the entire Tower—that gathers in the lab on the day of the mission. He is there to watch over everything with Bruce, and Loki is there too, to do his magic spell thing. Thor had come with him to return the hammer, but he had opted to stay upstairs after Loki had snapped something about 'not needing a babysitter'.

He is dressed in a black suit, instead of his traditional Asgardian clothes, and he waits by one of the metal tables with a look of vague impatience as they get ready. Tony is pretty sure the expression is mostly there for their benefit though, because for some reason, U has taken a liking to Loki, and had situated himself right next to his table. Loki is good at appearing as though he doesn't take any notice of the robot, but Tony had definitely seen him patting U's claw when he thought nobody was looking.

He shakes his head in amusement and looks over to where Steve is standing next to Bucky and Sam. He is dressed in his regular uniform, instead of his old shield one—because that is what his other-self had done, and his replica had been destroyed with the compound anyway.

Tony smiles softly as he sees Bucky pull Steve into a one-armed hug. He can see that he is just as nervous as he is. As much as this needs to be done, they can't guarantee that something won't happen to Steve while he returns the stones, and he will be all alone, with nobody to help him, should something go wrong.

He can see that Steve is aware of their worry, and he offers Bucky a small smile as he pulls back. "Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back."

Bucky's eyes brighten and he shakes his head. "How can I?" he says, clasping Steve's shoulder in a self-comforting gesture. "You're taking all the stupid with you."

Steve's smile widens and softens all at once, and he returns Bucky's gesture comfortingly, before turning to Sam. "Do I gotta say the same thing for you?"

Sam snorts and shakes his head. "How 'bout you just worry about yourself and those stones there." He nods towards the metal suitcase at Steve's feet and folds his arms. "You all packed up? You got your granola bars, juice boxes?"

Steve laughs and pats one of his many cargo pockets, where Tony knows a whole collection of protein bars are stored. "I'll be fine." He clasps Sam on the shoulder much the same way he had Bucky, before turning to where Tony and Bruce are waiting next to the control panel.

"All set up?"

Tony nods, trying to keep his nerves from being noticeable. "Yup. All good. Just waiting for you to make the jump." Steve's eyes are warm when he looks at him, and he has a feeling he has picked up on his inner feelings despite his best efforts.

"Alright then." He turns to where Loki is waiting. Tony expects to see the usual aloof expression of boredom on Loki's face as he comes forward, but he is surprised to see mostly concentration.

He tenses a little as Loki raises his hands to start the spell, but Steve holds still, looking calm as they put their trust in the trickster. Loki doesn't chant anything, he just waves his hand, a trail of green smoke following the movement as he stares intently at Steve's chest. A faint green glow settles over Steve's whole body, before it fades away, and Loki steps back.

"There," he says, nodding in satisfaction. "That should get their attention."

Steve nods in thanks, before rolling his shoulders experimentally. "Feels okay to me," he says, before turning back to where the suitcase and Thor's hammer is waiting for him. He activates his Quantum suit before scooping up both items and moving to stand on the small platform of the Quantum Tunnel. He looks over to him. "Ready when you are."

Tony breathes out steadily as Bruce presses the buttons of the controls. "Alright," he says, and Steve sets his shoulders. "Going quantum. Three…two…one."

He hits a button, and Steve disappears down into the Quantum Tunnel. Tony holds his breath as Bruce fiddles with the controls. "And returning in, five…four…" Bucky leans forward in anticipation, tension piling up as they wait to see if the mission had gone well. So much could have happened. He is all alone there, if something goes wrong— "three…two…one."

The lights of the Quantum Tunnel flash bright and blinding, and the next second, Steve is standing there, looking breathless as his suit folds away. He has scruff on his cheeks that hadn't been there when he left, and he looks tired, but otherwise unharmed. He smiles when he sees them, shifting his grip on a new round leather carrying case by his side.

Tony is distracted from the unexpected object as Bucky surges forward, his eyes determined as he searches Steve for any signs of injuries. "Are you alright?" he demands. "Did it work?"

Steve grins as he pulls Bucky into a brief one-armed hug. His eyes sweep over them as he pulls away—his gaze seeming to linger a little longer on Sam—before he nods. "Yeah," he says, sounding relieved. "It worked. Everything is back to where it is supposed to be."

oOo

It feels a little strange, once the stones are returned. That had been the last major mission they needed to complete to truly finish undoing the Dusting, and now that it is over…well, they can try to get used to living life again.

The first thing Tony does, is he dismantles the Quantum Tunnel. He has Peter help him again, because his right arm is still pretty shaky. It is getting better, he is able to keep it out of his sling for longer periods, but he is still relieved when JARVIS informs him he had found a physical therapist that he and Bruce can start seeing.

Fred is a lanky red-head that had returned from the Dusting to find his old job on shaky ground. He is more than happy to have steady work helping him and Bruce, and it is a weight off Tony's shoulders to know he is actively working to improve his arm.

With the growing range of motion in his arm and fingers, he feels confident getting to work on Bucky and Nebula's replacement arms. He still mostly has to rely on one arm (and Bucky has plenty of tips for that), but it is comforting having that to work on while the world figures itself out. A lot of things are still up in the air, and there is only so much the Avengers can do about it.

He focuses on the projects he can control, and tries to make his peace with the changes happening around him. "I think the Guardians are just waiting on Nebula's arm before they leave," Steve tells him. The two of them are in his lab, the setting familiar as they relax and chat about recent events.

Tony hums absentmindedly as he tweaks the blueprint for the plating he wants to construct for Nebula, and Steve fiddles with his pencil, his sketchbook out in front of him as he talks. "I think Thor's fixing on joining them actually."

He looks up in surprise. "Really?"

Steve nods, going back to his drawing. "He doesn't really need to stay here, for New Asgard," he explains. "Frigga is here, and Valkyrie." He shrugs thoughtfully. "After everything…I think he might need a change of pace."

Tony can understand the sentiment. "What about Loki?" he asks, zooming in on a section of the blueprints, scrutinizing it closely. "Do we know if he's sticking around?"

Steve shrugs again. "I actually asked Thor that too," he says. He pauses to erase something. "He said he wouldn't be surprised if Loki slips away to do his own thing. Apparently Loki used to 'travel the realms' a lot in his younger days."

"Well, as long as he's not causing trouble here," Tony replies, wondering privately if the two brothers will run into each other a little more than coincidence allows on their travels. He smiles and switches from Nebula's blueprints to the ones for Bucky's arm. Those ones had been pretty simple, since he had already built it once. He looks them over, thinking about how everyone's lives around him seem to be settling down.

He glances up at Steve. "What about you?" he asks. "Are you going to go off into space too?"

Steve chuckles and shakes his head. "I think I've had enough of that," he says wryly. His expression clears, and he shrugs, looking down at his drawing. "But…I think I'm going to retire, again. Officially."

Tony isn't really surprised. Steve had more or less retired a few years ago when the Accords had come in. He had had to step up again once disaster hit, but no doubt he wouldn't mind standing back down with Bucky. "So you're going to set down the shield?" he asks as he checks over the internal mechanisms of Bucky's arm.

Steve pauses, and rolls his shoulders. "I'm thinking of giving it to Sam, actually." Tony looks up, and remembers suddenly the round carrying case Steve had brought back with him. He had been speaking more metaphorically, but he has a feeling Steve is speaking literally. Steve breathes in. "He says he has to think about it," he continues, nodding in understanding. "And I think he wants to touch base with Natasha and the Accords first… But, I think…if there is going to be a Captain America…then it should be him."

Tony nods thoughtfully. "Yeah," he says after a while. "I can see that."

Steve smiles softly, before looking him over. "What about you?" he asks. "You have plans now that the Dusting is over?"

Tony looks down at the ring on his finger, and he smiles. "Yeah, I do."

Epilogue

They have their wedding at Clint's farm, a year and a month after the Dusting first struck. It is different than he thought it would be in the before-times. Before, they hadn't been planning to use Clint's farm, but now, the space is open, and private, with enough room for the entire wedding party.

And everyone is here. He smiles as he surveys the rows of chairs set out in the field facing him. Nebula sits amid the rowdy crowd that the Guardians make up, the gold of her repaired arm flashing in the sun. Tony hadn't been sure if the Guardians would come, but they had contacted Thor on the off-chance that they would be able to make it, and the invitation had been accepted enthusiastically.

He never would have imagined having aliens at his wedding, but somehow it just…fits.

Thor isn't among the Guardians, he is standing with the rest of the groomsmen beside him, his shoulders filling out the black suit they had had made for him. Tony's smile grows as he looks down the line. Steve stands immediately next to him, and Bucky, Rhodey, Bruce, and Clint follow afterwards before Thor finishes up the lineup. Bucky's replacement arm is mostly covered by his suit, but Tony can see the gleam of his silver fingers as he clasps his hands in front of him.

Across from them, angling off from an artistic lattice arch woven with flowers, Pepper's bridesmaids line up. The dresses are elegant, but practical, given the farm location, and the red of the fabric compliments Natasha's red and white streaked hair. She is smiling and standing next to Shuri, Laura, and Alexandra, one of Pepper's friends from work.

He hears a hearty laugh, and he looks out in the crowd. He can see T'Challa talking to Sam, the king dressed in black formal wear from Wakanda, elegant silver embroidery curling around the cuffs of his sleeves. Further back in the crowd, he can see Stephen and Wong sitting together, while Scott stands nearby, keeping an eye on Cassie as she giggles with the Barton children. She is dressed in her own red flower girl dress, and Tony sees Scott check his watch before moving to guide Cassie through the aisle to a white tent, where the rest of the wedding party is waiting.

There is another, larger white tent further back, and he knows that tables and chairs have already been set up inside, ready for the lunch afterwards. A lot of the food inside had been made using local ingredients, and even fruit from Clint's farm, but the cake… He grins as he remembers the cake. That is chocolate flavoured…with one special layer that is coffee flavoured, because now that he can get coffee again, he is not wasting a single opportunity to make up for his unintentional fast.

Familiar music begins to play, and he glances up to the speakers draped in gauze and artificial flowers. The crowd of friends and family on Pepper's side, and heroes and aliens from his side, quiet down and turn to look down the aisle. His chest expands in anticipation, and his grin practically splits his face as the procession starts.

Cassie comes first, her hand clasped in her dad's as she scatters red and pale-yellow petals from a basket dangling from her elbow. She had been very insistent on that being part of a flower girl's job, and her face glows with happiness as she steps off to stand on the bridesmaid's side.

Behind her comes Peter, looking proud and sharp in his suit, a red corsage pinned to the lapel. Aunt May beams as she watches from the audience, and Tony mirrors the look as Peter comes to stand on his side, a ring box clutched in his hand.

A hush falls over the crowd, and he looks up. The whole world comes into focus. Pepper smiles radiantly as she steps down the aisle. Her white dress brushes the top of her feet, but doesn't drag on the ground, and Tony knows that she is wearing sensible flats as she walks across the grass. At her elbow, her father beams proudly, his eyes shiny as he guides his daughter down the aisle.

Tony's throat swells as she comes closer, and he would be lying if he claimed his eyes weren't misty as well. Pepper's father lets her go and steps back to sit with her mother. Pepper steps towards him and his hands come up to clasp hers as they stand in the archway, the officiant behind them. Pepper runs her fingers over the scarred skin of his right hand, and she smiles blindingly bright at him.

Behind them, the officiant starts the ceremony, but Tony only has eyes for Pepper. The sun shines off her strawberry hair and reflects the golden field around him. They exchange vows, the air twinkling in the perfect moment. Peter comes forward, and they exchange rings, a blanket of absolute rightness settling over him as he looks into Pepper's eyes.

"I do," he promises with every bone in his body.

"I do," Pepper repeats, the promise sealing itself into their clasped fingers.

Tony understands now why some people call their wedding day the happiest day of their life. The moment of being surrounded by all his friends and family and the love of his life had been everything he could have wanted.

But several months later, that golden scene is about to have some competition. He had done his best to prepare for it. He had read all the books. He had gone to all the classes. He had even set up a few individual sessions with Judith just to work through his doubts that he can actually do this.

He breathes out as he stands next to Pepper in the hospital bed. Her hair is sweaty against her forehead, but her eyes are bright as she sits up, looking towards the nurse. The woman steps closer, a small bundle in her arms.

"Here she is," she says gently as she sets the swaddled form in Pepper's outstretched arms.

Pepper cuddles her into her chest, and Tony's breath hitches as he catches sight of the tiny face. Her eyes are closed, her nose wrinkling as she squirms and gets used to being out in the world. She has a shock of brown hair on her head, and her little hand curls around her blanket, her fingernails mind-blowingly small. Her eyes blink open, squinting in the light, and Tony's knees go weak.

He sinks down into the chair next to Pepper, speechless at the wave of love he feels towards the tiny life in her arms. "She's beautiful," she whispers, and he nods dazedly. His eyes prickle, and he sucks in a wet breath, leaning forward to rub a gentle knuckle against her cheek.

His hand trembles a little, but he had worked for this, and he is able to hold it steady as he looks down at his daughter.

"Hi, Morgan," he breathes, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "I'm so happy to meet you."

They sit like that for a while, simply existing in the quiet, beautiful moment as they revel in the child in front of them. They speak in low whispers, leaning in close to Morgan as she peers up at them. She is so small, and tiny, it is hard to believe she is real. His heart nearly bursts when Pepper hands her over for him to hold, and the whole world focuses down on the warm bundle in his arms. She isn't heavy, and even if she was, he has been working with Fred to bear weight with his right arm.

He could sit like this forever.

After a while, Pepper leans back, a warm, tired smile on her face. "I think you can let the rest of them in now."

A smile pulls at his mouth, and he very gently transfers Morgan back again. She squeaks and wiggles at the movement, and he takes another moment to simply admire her, absolutely enraptured. Finally, he stands and heads for the door. Out in the hall, the Avengers and Pepper's parents are crowded in the plastic seats, waiting as patiently as they are able. Their collective gaze meets his as he steps out, and his smile widens.

"Alright," he says, gesturing them inside. "Come and see her."

The Avengers stream into the room, spreading out as they admire Pepper and Morgan. Tony grins as he sees Steve lean over to look at her, an absolutely soft expression on his face. Clint is a few feet away, standing with Natasha and telling Bucky and Pepper's dad about the birth of his own children as they wait their turn.

Tony looks up as Bruce and Sam come over to stand next to him, and Rhodey comes up on his other side, smiling as he nudges his shoulder in congratulations. Tony breathes in, his eyes bright, his chest expanding and ready to burst with how happy he is. He watches Natasha step forward along with Pepper's mother to coo at the baby, and Steve eases back, catching his eye.

Tony grins, his happiness mirrored in those around him. He looks around the room at his friends and family, and he can't imagine anywhere he would rather be. A few years ago, he doubts he could have imagined himself here, and after the Dusting he had almost despaired at ever getting here.

But he is here, and right now, he doesn't need to know what the next steps are. He is exactly where he wants to be. And here is right where he intends to stay.

The End.

AN: I hope you liked the ending! It was fun planning how Steve would return the stones. Since this timeline is so different, and since he didn't go back to the 70s at all, he didn't really have any reason to even think of going back to Peggy.

I hope you enjoyed the epilogue. I was glad I could introduce Morgan, since we haven't been able to see her until now.

The journey for this series has been epic. I never imagined I would write a series this long, but I've been doing it for two years! Thank you to everyone who read along the way! If you're curious, I have a tumblr post on my blog that goes into more detail about my process and experience writing this series (there is a link in the AN of this story on ao3).

But wait! There's more!

I don't plan to officially continue this series into phase four, but I will be releasing another story in this series. It is called "Alternative Options" and I have posted the first chapter already. It will be a collection of oneshots, missing scenes, and alternate scenes in this series. Every chapter will be different, but I'm pretty excited!

Thank you again!