Nichum Avelim is the concluding part of a Jewish funeral where mourners all agree to go to a certain house after the service where Shiva is observed. Mourners are comforted.

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews you've written on this story. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and new year :-)

Sorry this chapter is going to be a very sad one. (Grab the tissues)


It was Scott who spoke up as soon as they got back to the mindscape. The memory of Ana Jarvis's death and Tony's report caused certain suspicions to arise in his mind.

"What were Howard Stark's motivations for trying to reproduce the Ant Man suit?"

Scott bit his lip awaiting the Being's answer. From what he knew about Stark, the timing of SHIELD's disastrous replication of Hank's suit was a year after Ana Jarvis died.

There was no way, even with Howard Stark's mind, that they would've succeeded in making nanobots and effectively using embryonic stem cells to rebuild organs back in 1988, no matter what Tony's paper suggested. The closest thing would've been the suit - which Hank found Stark trying to replicate in '89.

The Being straightened and nodded to Scott before addressing the others.

"You are right Mr Lang. Howard Stark's motivation for trying to replicate the suit was to try to bring Tony's report to life. They didn't have the technology to create nanobots, or the methods to extract and use primate embryonic stem cells; but in Howard's mind, Hank's technology could at least half help to make Tony's theory an actuality. He didn't tell Hank his reasoning for doing this, so it irreversibly fractured their friendship and they became sworn enemies. Hank took Howard's action as a betrayal."

Scott looked to the floor, suddenly feeling extremely guilty about his treatment of Stark on the Raft.

"Hank Pym always said you could never trust a Stark." The kicker was that Stark senior turned out to be "betraying" Hank for his own child, but Scott had hardly given Tony a chance at all, based entirely on who his father was.

Scott grimaced.

That was an extremely dick move.

He hoped he could at least try to make it up to Tony when they got out of here. Stark did keep his family safe from Ross after all.

"How do you know that?" Bruce breathed, "That can't have come from Tony's mind."

The Being raised an eyebrow at Bruce then turned to Thor.

"Before Earth, I stopped off in Valhalla and Helheim to collect some background memories from the dead, which I can use to extend your understanding if needed."

"Then your target was Friend Anthony all along. He is your reason for coming to Midgard, is he not?"

The Being smiled, "Very good, God of Thunder. However, we are getting slightly off topic. You wish to know what happens to Mr Jarvis don't you?"


The world twisted around them, changing to what seemed to be a graveyard where a funeral was taking place.

Watching with a closed off expression, Tony wrapped the hand closest to Jarvis around his in a surprisingly gentle gesture of support. Ana's freshly filled grave, piled high with a variety of flowers, was blessed by the Rabbi as he concluded the service. He then led the majority of the mourners away to their cars, to continue on to the Nichum Avelim.

Jarvis had a death grip on his handkerchief but did nothing to hide the tears trailing down his face or the fact that he was shaking. Peggy stood on Jarvis's other side, alternating her gaze between the grave and Jarvis to see if her support was needed.

Looking up, seemingly searching the retreating crowd, Tony's eyes narrowed as it was only then he realized Howard was absent.

I'm going to kill him.

"Tonio?" Maria whispered softly, she stared at her son as she noticed his expression change, "Are you OK? Do you need a breather?"

"O-oh I think there's going to be trouble." Rhodes commented noticing the look spreading over Tony's face.

However, the look of rage disappeared swiftly into the stoic mask he wore before and he replied, "Where's Howard?"

"Your father will be back in a few days." Maria's eyes snapped back to the grave whilst she replied in a brittle voice, clearly conveying as much disapproval at his absence as Tony was feeling.

They noticed almost immediately that the next scene was set the same day; they could tell because Tony was still wearing the same outfit, although it appeared crumpled, and he was now sat on his suit jacket which he had draped over the piano stool. It appeared to be much later. The room was just lit by the dimming blue natural light from outside. Despite this Tony made no move to turn on any of the lamps or light up the room.

He was seemingly content with glaring holes into the door and the clock that hung by it.

Some of the team startled slightly as the door began to unlock, but Tony made no form of acknowledgement; only his eyes narrowed, to a point where many of them were wondering if he could still see.

"Where the fuck were you?" Growled Tony, glaring up at his father who had just come in through the door.

"Hello to you too Anthony," Howard retorted sarcastically before his voice turned more stern. "Don't talk to me like that. I'm your father." Howard unceremoniously kicked the door shut as he dumped his suitcase onto the lounge table, before crossing into the kitchen.

Tony followed him like a dark rage-filled shadow, then lent against the doorway as he watched his father make a drink.

"Maybe you should act like a father and I'll treat you like one. Where were you?" Tony hissed at Howard in a vitriolic voice.

"Well like it or not I am your father and I did not raise my son to be such a disrespectful brat."

Tony barely kept the retort down. You didn't raise me at all.

"Maria told me when she died but I was in the Arctic leading the search party. I can't just drop everything Anthony! I needed to organise the other searchers so they wouldn't need me and I could get back here."

"Then give up." Tony snarled before pausing and sneering maliciously. "Were you in love with him or something?"

Everyone looked to Steve then who turned bright pink, appearing mortified.

"No, what the hell gave you-" Howard gave him a withering look, almost as if he couldn't believe Tony was saying something so stupid.

The team all felt something inside their chests shrivel, but Tony barrelled on. "He must have something pretty special about him for you to be almost constantly over there, to constantly choose him over your alive friends and family who need you!"

Howard glared at him ferociously; they now knew where Tony picked up that look, not that any of them would tell him that.

He downed his drink before slamming it on the side.

"He was one of my best friends. You lost one of yours recently," Howard spat as Tony's eyes became downcast and stared instead at his father's feet. "What wouldn't you do to get her back?"

With that Tony's anger vanished; his expression became pained and the team felt the wound of Ana's death be reopened, fresh feelings of grief and sadness bubbling to the surface.

"They're dead dad."

They all found themselves looking at Tony when he said that. He sounded more vulnerable than any of them had ever heard.

Recognizing what he did to his son, Howard frowned before reaching up to grab another glass from the cabinet, setting it on the side before pouring a generous helping of the whiskey he had been drinking into it.

"Try this Tony." Howard pressed the drink into Tony's hands with a small smile on his face as he patted his shoulder. "It'll make you feel better."


The world was black until Bucky felt someone shaking him.

"Five more minutes Ana..." Bucky heard Tony grumble groggily.

"Sir."

His eyes snapped open to Jarvis's very pale face. Sadness and guilt pinched him sharply, clogging up his throat.

"I'm so sorry J. I thought that..."

"You thought I was Ana." Jarvis's expression became closed off, though it did little to hide his red puffy eyes which indicated how upset he was - and how badly he slept. "It's understandable; we used to wake you up on alternate days after all."

"Yes um..." Tony fidgeted with his sheets as he looked down, squishing and distorting the Captain's face on his bed sheet so he looked like a product of bad plastic surgery. Bucky, if he was him at that moment, would have smirked as he pictured Steve looking horrified at his twisted face.

"Shall we go to the labs?" Jarvis asked, failing an attempt at a smile. In Bucky's honest opinion the face Jarvis actually made looked more painful than if he had let himself frown. "We haven't got anything important to do today and I know how much you love going down there."

"Follow me." Tony was about to get up before Jarvis stopped him.

"Sir, you haven't had your breakfast or gotten changed yet, I have to insist that you do both those things before we go."

Gold flew across his vision and he suddenly found himself in normal casual clothes, in Tony's lab, with Jarvis at his heels.

They both truly smiled for the first time in weeks as Tony showed off his inventions. Walking around the room, he glanced to his idea book, seemingly debating with himself before handing it to over.

"You never cease to amaze me, young sir." Jarvis sounded awed as he began flicking through the book, his eyes drinking in the extraordinary ideas littering the pages.

Tony's answering grin truly felt like it could break Bucky's face.


"Is Jarvis OK madre? He looks really unwell."

Glancing at Jarvis cleaning the kitchen table through Tony's eyes, Bucky could see how right he was. The previously healthy Butler now appeared almost skeletal. His eyes, once a bright brown, were ringed with dark purple circles and appeared dull against his pallid face; and his trademark once well-fitting, dapper suit hung limp across his shrunken frame.

"I don't know," Maria frowned across at her friend, as she readjusted the shoulder strap of her bag before regarding Tony with a fond expression. "Antonio, perhaps I shouldn't have let him come back to work straight away. I know how you grieved teroso and that's the healthiest way of doing it - but Jarvis just isn't. He's giving himself more and more things to do, and focusing on looking after us because the harsh reality is that someone he loved and cared for over 40 years is gone now."

"I can't imagine that." Bucky felt Tony's face contort into a worried frown, considering Maria's words.

"Keep a close eye on him for me today won't you? I think he hurt his arm when he was trying to polish the ornaments on the top shelf earlier."

Giving her son a kiss on the cheek goodbye she swept out of the room.

It was only as Tony moved closer he noticed Jarvis had stopped keeping one arm very stiff by his side and his eyes seemed to glaze over in pain.

"J? Jarvis?"

"Sir. Can you get me an ice pack please?"

Jarvis gripped his arm and took deep labouring breaths, lowering himself onto a chair in the kitchen.

How badly did he hurt his arm?

"Here," Tony passed Jarvis the ice pack, who placed it up the inside of his arm. Tony stared at it and bit the inside of his cheek "J, you need to take care of yourself. Ana wouldn't want to see you like this."

"She's not here Sir," and Tony winced. Jarvis groaned and clutched his upper arm before looking back at Tony, regretful. The words spilled out from an unwilling mouth. "Sometimes I wish it were... I know it's selfish, it's stupid, exceedingly illogical, but I wish she hadn't left me here… alone. For these past few weeks I've felt as if a hole opened right over my heart."

Tony looked stricken while Jarvis rubbed his chest.

Alarm bells were going off in Bucky's head. Those were heart attack symptoms. Shit. Can't Stark get a break?

"You're grieving J, more so than any of us." Tony stopped before continuing earnestly, "You still have us, you know, Madre, Dad, Pegs and me."

Jarvis's breath hitched as he smiled in return. "I told you it was stupid Sir."

Patting Tony's arm quickly, Jarvis suddenly let out a pained hiss through his teeth, clutching his shirt tightly as his face went grey.

Stark connected the dots then.

"Heart attack," Bucky felt their mouth move as Tony ran out into the hall and grabbed the landline to dial the emergency services.

Lowering Jarvis to the ground, he watched the man wheeze and hiss as he hurriedly told the operator where he lived and to get the ambulance there as soon as possible.

Ripping his jacket off, he placed it under the butler's head and tried to open up his airways.

"T-t-tony, stay with me." Jarvis grabbed his hand as he gasped for breath, each pant becoming more laboured and agonising.

Nodding, Tony clenched his hand as he kept talking about his inventions, Maria and her charities, and his memories with Ana and Jarvis.

"I'm gl-glad I m-, met you, sir. Y-you have brightened our lives i-in.. ways I could not.. have foreseen-"

"You better not be saying goodbye J." Tony's voice might be softer, then, than he had ever spoken.

"O-of course not. I will never leave you."

Trying to curve his mouth into one last smile for Tony, it soured, turning into a grimace that showed the agony he was in.

His hand became limp in Tony's as all the strength left it.

Jarvis's dark eyes widened, freezing in their pained state and becoming unseeing while the rest of his body shuddered one last time and went completely limp.

Panic and horror felt like it ran straight up Bucky's spine. It had been a long time since the Winter Soldier had felt that at witnessing a death.

"J! JARVIS! No, no don't do this to me."

Tony's hand pressed firmly on his wrist and then his neck.

Feeling numb, Bucky heard Stark swear both out loud and internally before thinking I wish my first kiss was under different circumstances but here goes nothing.

"I'm so sorry for this J."

Tony pressed his mouth to Jarvis's and pushed as much air into his mouth as possible before pumping his chest 30 times.

He had originally learnt how to do first aid when he had learnt about Ana's condition. At least it would be useful now.

Tony paused to grip Jarvis's wrist, and Bucky felt his face drop as he still felt nothing even with his fingers pressed against Jarvis's neck.

Suddenly the kitchen was full of ambulance crew, who took over. One of them led Tony out of the room but not before he saw the defibrillator cause Jarvis' body to arch unnaturally upwards.

He sat against the wall, praying to a God that he was convinced didn't exist. Fear turned into an icy block in his stomach.

"Shocking ."

The defibrillator shocked Jarvis again. His body didn't respond.

"Shocking."

After the machine had worked and someone had tried to resuscitate him once more, the dreaded words were uttered.

"Code blue, time of death 12:25pm."

"No. No. NO!" Bucky felt Tony launch his body towards his friend in the other room. A couple of the paramedics stood in protest to try and prevent him coming in, but the head doctor told them to stand down. Tony slid his way past them, crashing to the floor at Jarvis's feet.

"We'll give you five minutes." Bucky noted the doctors left the room.

"J? This isn't funny. Please wake up." Tony shook his butler roughly by the shoulder, uncaring of the tears dripping down his face. He hugged Jarvis tightly to his chest. Gradually he became distantly aware that someone nearby was giving a strangled scream that sounded like they were dying. It took Tony exactly one minute to realize he was doing the screaming.

He had never felt so hollow in all of his life.

This is what dad meant about weaknesses.

He realized it with a jolt, while the paramedics began to pull him with them.

Distantly he felt them wrap a foil blanket around him, guiding him out the house with Jarvis' body, murmuring things as the world began to turn black around the edges.

"He's going into shock-"

"Mr Stark can you-"

"Unresponsive-"

"Erratic heart rate - breathing."

The world darkened completely, and Bucky felt one of the paramedics catch his violently trembling body at the same moment that he felt his soul being torn away from the memory. There was time to hear one last haunting thought.

I feel like I've just died too.