Chapter One

He wasn't sure what he'd expected or if he'd expected anything at all really. He hadn't had time to think about it as he'd stared down his own living nightmare that threatened everyone and everything that he loved. A cheap trick and a cheesy one liner… funny thing, it really did sum him up in the end.

As the world faded away, Pepper's forced smile the last thing Tony saw, something else he couldn't quite make out started to take its place. Apparently this is what death was. Good to know. Maybe he'd see Nat. Get a chance to tell her they won and that the others were safe. Or maybe he'd see his parents. There was a lot he'd like to say to his father, and none of it what he would have said just a few years before. He loved him. He knew he'd done his best. It had been cathartic a few years ago to say those words in a simulation, but after meeting him in the past he thought he believed it now. He wanted to believe it now. Maybe his father would actually be proud of what his son had become.

The face that greeted him wasn't his fathers. It wasn't his mother or Natasha's. That quiet, knowing smile reached his eyes in a way Tony had never seen in life, and he felt himself echo it just a little. "Yinsen."

The older man nodded over to a table with a backgammon board laid out, two barrels like the ones they had sat on in the cave so many years before set up for them. Tony wasn't sure if it had been there a moment before but, to be fair, he wasn't even really sure where he was.

"A middle ground of a sort," Yinsen answered the unspoken question and took a seat.

Tony followed, sitting opposite of him and watching him carefully. "Like Purgatory?"

"Not quite."

Well that wasn't helpful. He let his gaze sweep the space as Yinsen set the board. As far as he could see they were the only ones there.

"Stark."

He turned back, startled by the tone that sounded like he had called his name a couple times before he had actually heard it, and saw the set of offered dice in Yinsen's outstretched hand. "I don't get it."

The older man lifted a single brow in an amused expression. "I seem to remember you having a good grasp on the rules of the game."

"I mean why I'm here."

"To play. And to talk. I have missed out talks, Stark."

Tony swallowed hard, finally taking the dice and rolling. 6-3. Not bad. "Me too," he confessed softly as Yinsen picked them up. "A lot's happened."

"I know." He rolled, landing only one point lower. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Everything. We have time."

Tony pushed a long breath out through his nose and reached for the pieces for his move. As they played, he spoke. He told Yinsen about getting home, about how he'd found out that his mentor was the one that had been selling his weapons under the table and how it had been the attack on Gulmira that had pushed him to creating the Iron Man suit. He told him about Pepper and Rhodey and Happy, the Avengers, and about Harley and Peter. About Morgan. His breath caught at his daughter's name and his jaw clenched, trying to keep some semblance of composure. He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to her. Not really. He'd left a video in case the worst happened, but it wasn't the same. He'd never see her again. Never be able to hold her and tease her. He wouldn't get to watch her grow up or go to school. He wouldn't get to watch he change the world like he knew she would.

"So," Yinsen murmured, "you're a man that found everything."

Tony cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. "Guess I did."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Tony looked up from where he was clutching the dice. "Because I did whatever it took to save them," he answered.

"And you died a hero."

"I died to save them."

"You've come a long way, Stark. You certainly didn't waste your life."

"You gave me a second chance. I took it." He tosses the dice down.

"So that's it?"

Tony looked up at him as the dice settled out in the board, not bothering to look down. "What'dya mean?"

"I seem to remember a stubborn streak in you. One that wouldn't give up so easily."

"Not really my call anymore, is it?"

Dark eyes flickered down to the board. "Isn't it?"

Tony followed his gaze down to the dice to see the winning roll. His lips quirked up, but the snarky comment died on them at the kind smile Yinsen wore. The younger man blinked hard in question, but as he opened his eyes he found himself in a completely different setting.

He was flat on his back and staring at a ceiling directly above him. The lights were too bright, the sound of the machinery deafening, and he couldn't breathe. He tried to reach up to his throat, but found his right arm unresponsive and his left tethered to…. something. He wasn't sure what yet. Every last thought was consumed with the understanding that he was choking and he needed to make it stop.

Another alarm sounded as Tony tugged harder against whatever was tying him down, fingers finding something long and smooth inserted into his mouth and supposedly running down his throat. Getting it out was the next goal.

He could hear shouting in the distance and his name broke through the gaze of it. Mr Stark was followed by Tony. That voice. That voice he knew.

Pepper didn't seem to care what the people around her were telling her to do. She pushed past a man in a white coat and Tony felt her hand catch his as she came into his line of vision. "It's okay. Tony, babe, it's okay. Just breathe."

He couldn't. That was the problem. There was something…. he tried to reach for his throat again, but she wouldn't let go. Instead she pulled his hand up, pressing a kiss to his fingers. "It's a breathing tube, Tony. You're okay. It's there to help."

"Ma'am, we need to-"

She shot the owner of the voice a glare that silenced him instantly, her expression softening as it turned back to him. "Hey. Look at me." He did, feeling some of the panic subside. "You're in the hospital. We made it. You're okay. You're going to be okay."

Tears stood in her eyes, but her smile wasn't forced. It was relieved, and slowly the pieces started to fit into place. He was alive. If Yinsen had been there or not, he couldn't be sure, but somehow he had managed to hang on until they had gotten him help. He tried to whisper her name, but only managed to choke against the tube again and she squeezed his hand. "I'll be right here when you wake up," she promised and moved so that he could see a doctor pushing medication into the IV. It didn't take long until he felt himself slipping back under.

They hadn't been able to tell her when or even if he would wake up. Pepper had ushered Peter out of the room for a much needed cup of coffee ten minutes before, knowing that if she didn't make the kid stretch his legs he would sit there all evening with her. It had become their ritual over the last two weeks: he would get off of school and immediately hop the train from Queens to Manhattan. A few days she was pretty sure he showed up before the school day should have ended, but she couldn't bring herself to chastise him over it. Peter would sit with Tony while Pepper would take Morgan for dinner and connect with Happy or Rhodey so that one of them could take her for a bit so that she could return to the hospital room. It wasn't like she was going to go home and sleep in her own bed anyway. That's when Peter was expected to head home, but he rarely did. There had been several nights that he'd fallen asleep in the chair and wouldn't budge. Pepper tried to get him moving when she could bring herself to do it, but she understood. She didn't want to leave him either.

And the one time she had he had woken up in a panic, fighting the tube down his throat and nearly hurting himself. Pepper shook her head as she stepped out into the hall where she'd left the kid. Leave it to Tony to wake up with a bang.

Steve Rogers stood with him, but Peter's attention tore over to her instantly and he stood. "Is he okay? Is he-?"

"He's alright," she assured him quickly, offering Steve a quick nod to greet him. "The doctors needed to sedate him to get the tube out and check on him. They said he'll be in and out, but we should be able to see him as soon as they're done."

She could see the relief flood through him in the way the tension left his shoulders and they sagged, the weight of the last couple weeks leaving the teenager looking as tired as Pepper felt. "Good. That's good, right? So he's out of the woods? Dr Palmer said him waking up would be a good sign, right? So he'll be okay?"

Even exhausted, his energy was overwhelming. "Yes, she seemed to think so. Steve, how are things going on your end?"

"I think we've got everything in place," he answered. "Bruce is running some last minute tests on it this evening. Or was. He's on his way over now."

"He's not thinking of going himself, is he?" Pepper asked. She knew he felt responsible for returning the stones, but between his own injuries and the fact that he'd been instrumental in saving Tony's life with his research into gamma radiation, she didn't want to think about the possibility of losing him in this. Ten seconds on their end, from what she understood, but what if something went wrong? They needed him. Tony needed him. He was awake, but that was really only the start on the road to recovery.

"Oh, no. He's staying here. I'm taking them. First thing in the morning if everything stays on course. That's why I wanted to…" Blue eyes darted past her and she couldn't help but think of the strained relationship that he had had with her husband the last handful of years. They'd put it behind them to finish this, but she could see why he might question what that meant now that it was over. No one held a grudge quite like Tony Stark, but no one forgave like him either.

Pepper reached out, her light touch pulling him around. "If you have a little bit, I'm sure he'd love to see you."

He flashed her a hesitant smile. "Thank you."

Several of the medical staff filed out of the room and a doctor stopped. "Ms Stark? He's coming back around if you wanted to-"

Peter was nearly a blur as he bounded towards the door, slamming to a stop before he crossed the threshold. "I, uh….. you should probably see him first," he said awkwardly.

"How about together?" she offered and his face lit up.

"I'll wait out here until you've had some time with him," Steve offered and Pepper managed a grateful smile as they ducked in.

The doctor followed her as Peter moved towards his mentor with as much restraint as he seemed able to cobble together. Pepper watched Tony's lips twitch up on the left side, the burns on the right side of his face making it difficult for him to smile fully. The doctor at her side spoke quietly, explains that Dr Palmer would want to do a more thorough examination as soon as she was in, but his vitals looked as good as could be expected. As they had anticipated, he had very little movement in his right arm and the burns that stretched down his right side would hinder mobility. Physical therapy would be required to get any sort of movement back and they had already sent Dr Banner the newest set of information so that he could adjust his own treatments that he'd prescribed that had kept Tony alive.

Pepper half listened, but found her attention tapering off to the excited teenager that was telling Tony some story with a full range of motions, hands flying and he was bouncing just a little. He didn't stop until Tony reached his left hand up, clumsily reaching for him. The dam seemed to break as the teen took it and tears started to spill over. "I was so scared, Mr Stark."

"Ms Stark?"

"Yes?" Pepper answered automatically.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you. For everything." She waited until he was gone and steeled herself. Tony already had one blubbering person leaned over him. She'd be damned if she made it two.

Poise carefully back in place she crossed the room and found a set of dark eyes on her. "Hey, Pep," he greeted hoarsely and her poise shattered cracked instantly. Peter had the good sense to move out of her way as she circled around and took his outreached hand. "Those tears aren't for me, are they?"

The laugh escaped and she leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. "I thought we'd lost you."

"Too much to come home to," he answered. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Morgan?"

"She's with Happy. They're on their way."

Tony gave the smallest of nods. "Can't wait to see her."

"There'll be plenty of time." She glanced back at the door. "Steve's here."

"Cap?"

"Yeah."

"Huh." The sound was quiet and he seemed to be settling back into the pillows a little deeper.

Pepper's phone buzzed, signaling Happy's arrival. "I'm going to go get Morgan. You want me to send him in?"

Tony gave the barest of mods and she caught Peter by the jacket sleeve. "Why don't you come help me?"

"What? You don't need me to-"

"Give them a moment," she pressed and Peter seemed to clue in and nodded, following her out of the room.

Steve lingered at the door, blue gaze fixed on what looked like a sleeping man inside. Not for the first time he was struck at how many similarities there were between Tony and his father, even now that Tony was a good twenty-five years older than Howard had been when Steve had first met him. Stubborn, brilliant, and oftentimes reckless, it was hard not to care about the man, even when he drove him up the wall.

A pair of brown eyes very similar to Howard's cracked open and Tony offered a small wave. "Cap."

"Hey," the older man greeted as he crossed the space. "How're you feeling?"

"Oh, I'd say I've been worse, but I outdid myself this time." The rough chuckle ended with a cough and a wince. "Rumour is that I'll live."

"You better. Not sure the world could survive without you."

That earned him an amused snort. "Better stop playing hero, huh?"

"I said that a long time ago," Steve countered, not sure if Tony was being serious or not.

"And I never got an apology for it."

There it was. The blond shook his head, chuckling. "Seriously, Tony. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks. You too." He cleared his throat. "Kid said you're taking the stones in the morning?"

"Yeah. That's the plan."

"Good. No reason to screw with time any more than we have. Maybe that'll help set it straight."

"We hope so."

"We've probably messed with time enough," Tony said softly, but his gaze flickered up, catching Steve's. "No regrets though. I think we did good, all things considered."

"We did. Listen, Tony -"

"Daddy!"

The squeal from the door drew both men's attention and Morgan Stark bounded into the room, her mother right behind her. "Remember what I said. Gentle."

The little girl slowed down by the bed, but didn't stop. She was just careful as she climbed up. "I knew you'd wake up," she told him and Tony's smile was soft.

"Yeah? You tell them all that?"

"Yeah."

"C'mere," he prompted and she instantly snuggled down against him, burrowed into his uninjured shoulder and holding on tight. Tony looked back up to Steve. "I'll see you when you get back, yeah? Try not to get lost. We need you."

The words hit hard, the meaning even harder. The forgiveness was stretching on past necessity. Tony was choosing it, not just resigning to it. Steve offered him a smile. "I'll be back before you know it," he promised and turned to leave his friend with his family gathering around him. He would be okay. He might never be made physically whole again, but he'd be okay. After being willing to fall on the grenade for them, he deserved that much at the very least. Now it was Steve's job to make sure that others didn't suffer because of what they had had to do.

TBC

Notes: I have been trying to tell this plot bunny no for too long and it just wouldn't listen, so here we go.

Next time: Steve's trip does not go as planned for anyone involved.