Tony stared at his completed Mark XLIII armor with mixture of anticipation and apprehension. Ever since the Battle on the Norco and the destruction of his suits, he had known that this time would come. That was why he had started to rebuild in the first place. But now that the moment had arrived, the internal conflict growing inside of him had reached a fevered pitch.
"Second thoughts?" Martha asked, coming up behind him. She leaned against the railing in his workroom and watched him intently.
"Second. Third. Fourteenth." He exhaled sharply through his nose as he turned to face her. "I'm not new to this, but I can't help feeling like I'm out of my depth."
"You're afraid." It was a statement rather than a question and a truthful one at that.
"Kinda ridiculous, huh?" Tony scoffed softly and reached into his pocket to check that his Rubik's cube was still there. "Imagine Tony Stark being scared of anything."
"There's nothing wrong with being scared, love," Martha assured him in a tender voice as she stepped further into the lab. "You may be Iron Man, but are you still just a man. Being scared is just part of being human. It's how we deal with the fear that counts."
Tony walked over to her, meeting her halfway. "I don't suppose taking an extended vacation is a viable option, is it?"
Martha smiled warmly at him. "I'm afraid not, but you already knew that," she answered as she lifted a hand to caress his cheek. Tony closed his eyes at the contact and leaned into her palm. "But the good news is that you don't have to go it alone. You have your team and you have me."
Tony opened his eyes to find her brown ones staring at him. "You really should consider going into motivational speaking."
Martha huffed. "I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. These sorts of things just sound better when they come from a different source."
"Well you're a pretty great source," Tony retorted. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Probably the best source," he added as he nuzzled her neck.
"What are you doing?" Martha moaned softly. "Don't you have more pressing matters to deal with rather than trying to get a leg over?"
"This is a pressing issue," Tony insisted as he shifted their positions so that her body was pressed flush against his to further illustrate his point.
Martha let out a breath chuckle. "Cheeky!"
Tony stopped kissing her long enough for Martha to relax with her head resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face in her hair. There was something he needed to say so he took a few moments to choose his words. "Pep and I used to have this thing we did," he began but stopped suddenly. "Not that I'm comparing you to Pepper," he added for clarification. "It's just in case...you know...if things were to take a turn..."
"I refuse to accept that," Martha cut in defiantly. She lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes. "You better come home to me, tin man."
Tony smiled weakly. "Always," he vowed before giving her temple a kiss.
Martha remained in his arms for a long time afterwards and eventually they made their way back up to their bedroom. Tony promised to come back to her in one piece, but on the inside he knew that he couldn't guarantee such a thing. Anything could happen to prevent him from keeping his promise. Not just the mission itself either. He could step outside of the Tower and get into an accident like his parents. Or even worse, something could happen to her while he was gone. So despite her assertion and his promise, Tony silently said his goodbyes to her and Bohr just in case. He told her repeatedly that he loved her and spent the better part of the evening showing her just how much he meant it.
When the time came, Tony left with the other Avengers to dismantle what was left of Hydra's bases. The nerves returned during the flight over the Atlantic. Tony supposed that was a typical reaction. He reckoned it was a bit like driving a car again after being in a bad accident.
Tony tucked himself into a corner with his Rubik's cube while the others went through their usual pre-mission rituals. Natasha checked her weapons while Clint put the plane into cruise control long enough to preen over his bow. Steve went over the battle plans with Thor, who would likely end up just following his instincts in the heat of battle. And Bruce kept to himself, mediating or perhaps praying to someone or something out there in the universe that the mission could go off without unleashing the beast.
Being Iron Man was a bit like riding a bike. Once the suit was on, Tony's instincts naturally kicked in and, as Martha reminded him, his team had his back. One mission quickly turned into two and then three and four and so on. Before he realized it, Tony had been back in the habit for a full year.
The last battle in a long fought war against Hydra came in late April as the team infiltrated a Hydra research base in Sokovia. Maria Hill had fed them information that flagged the base as the secret location where high ranking Hydra operative Wolfgang von Strucker was conducting his illegal experimentation on human subjects. It was also where they finally managed to find Loki's scepter, which had been missing in action since the Battle of New York.
All in all, the mission was a successful end to a long lasting campaign. It wasn't the smoothest of victories though. Strucker wasn't alone, not that they expected him to be. They hadn't counted on two of his enhanced subjects to be running point though. Steve had a brief run in with the girl and Clint took a bad hit off the boy. Bruce didn't have any encounters, but he was always a little rattled any time the mission called for a code green.
As for Tony, he found himself face to face with his greatest fear when he discovered a Leviathan carcass and Chitauri armor in an underground bunker beneath the base. Without warning, Tony felt himself being pulled into a waking nightmare where he stood over the corpses of his teammates as the Chitauri prepared for an even bigger attack than the initial one they had planned for Manhattan. Somehow, he brought himself back to reality long enough to secure the scepter and rejoin his team aboard the quinjet.
Once they got back to the Tower, Clint's injuries took precedence. Tony called Helen in from Seoul to see to him. He was sure that Martha could have been of great help, but while the Avengers were battling Hydra in Sokovia, she had been summoned to London on UNIT business. "Tell Clint he's in my thoughts," Martha told Tony over the phone. "And don't worry. I'll be home in time for your big do."
"I'm not worried, Doc."
"I reckon not. You lot defeated Hydra after all. Seems like you'll have to find something new to occupy you time," she teased.
Tony's thoughts flashed to the nightmare he had during the mission. Steve's dying words echoed in his head. 'You could have saved us. Why didn't you do more?' It was true. There was more he could do. More he should do. And the answer to resurrecting the previously abandoned Ultron problem might have fallen into his lap. He and Bruce had been unable to figure out the missing piece on their own, but upon inspecting the scepter, they were able to discover a net of neurons that could be configured into an artificial intelligence they could use finish the program.
"I might have an idea or two."
For three days, Tony and Bruce toiled to no avail. All attempts at integration failed and with Thor planning to return the scepter to Asgard after the party, they were officially out of time. Feeling defeated, Tony retreated to his bedroom to get dressed for the party. He gave Bohr a scratch between the ears before disappearing into his the bathroom for a much needed shower.
When Tony emerged, he found Martha in the process of getting dressed. "When did you get here?" he asked.
"About an hour ago," she guessed. "I came straight from the airport, but I just wanted to check in with Clint before I came up to get dressed. Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're not dressed already."
Tony secured his towel around his waist as he approached her. "I was just working on some last minute stuff in the lab."
"Does that brain of yours ever stop?" Martha teased as she leaned in for a kiss.
Tony clung to her lips for a long moment before pulling back. "As a doctor, I expect you to know that when the brain stops the problems start."
"Smartarse."
"Guilty." He stole another quick kiss before disappearing into his closet to get dressed.
"I saw Helen before I came up. Is she staying for the party?"
"Yep." He called out to her.
"Good. We didn't get much time to chat the last time. I'm still keen to see that Cradle of hers in action. Preferably without any of you lot getting injured though."
"Clint's gonna be fine physically. It's the personality that's incurable."
Martha chuckled softly. "You know, I've grown to be rather fond of Clint since meeting him and the rest," she confessed.
Tony popped his head out the closet door to look at her. "If you rank me below Barton, that's a deal breaker," he warned.
"You're still my number one," she assured him.
"Good," Tony retorted as he retreated back into the closet.
"What about Pepper?" Martha continued. "Is she still out of town?"
"Yea, but your sister will be here tonight," Tony reminded her.
"Of course she will," Martha retorted. "Tish never misses a party. Especially if it's one she helped plan."
After Tony had passed Tish's resume along to Pepper, it didn't take long for the elder Jones sister to be offered a position within Stark industries. She had relocated to New York last spring and Martha was appreciative to have family so nearby. Pepper was also thrilled because Tish really was good at her job. So good that Maria and the Avengers had made use of her services on occasion, like for that night's party.
"Rhodey will be thrilled," Tony informed Martha as he exited the closet half dressed. His shirt was half buttoned and he was carrying a suit coat and a vest, both of which he promptly discarded on the bed before holding up two ties for Martha's approval.
"Oh?" Martha questioned with a raised brow while giving the ties a once over. "Does he fancy her?" She selected the darker colored one on the right.
"There's definitely something going on there," Tony commented. He draped his tie around his neck and dropped the other on the bed before doing up his buttons up the rest of the way. "Whenever she's around him it's like I suddenly cease to exist. Do you have any idea what that does to my ego?"
Martha chuckled softly as she tied his tie for him. "You're such a delicate little flower," she teased.
"I really am," Tony agreed with smirk. "One of those really annoying ones with thorns that require constant watering and pruning."
"Well my little rosebud, in my sister's defense, she's always been a flirt and Tish does love a man in uniform. Maybe Rhodey just wanted to bask in the pleasure of her company."
Tony shrugged. "Who knows? But if he plays his cards right, he might just sweep Tish off her feet and he and I can be brothers for real."
"Rhodey and Tish would definitely make for an interesting match," Martha agreed as she smoothed down his lapels. "But for the two of you to become brothers officially, I think you might need to consider that there's an important step you're missing."
"What?" Tony feigned offense. "You don't think she'd say yes to a marriage proposal from him?"
"I'm not sure if Tish would say yes to a marriage proposal from anyone."
"Rhodey isn't just anyone," Tony shot back, now sounding genuinely offended on behalf of his best friend. "Hell I'd marry him if he would stop playing hard to get. Granted, I probably wouldn't make the most ideal Air Force husband and they're more than likely still pissed about that whole armored suit situation, but I know my honey bear could smooth that one out."
Martha huffed softly. "Are you done waxing bromantic?"
"For now."
"Just so you know…I wasn't calling Rhodey's worthiness into question. I wasn't even talking about him or my sister at all, in fact. I just wanted to point out that this grand scheme of yours is operating under the assumption that by marrying Tish Rhodey would magically become your brother."
Tony nodded. "Kinda how the whole brother-in-law thing works isn't it?"
"Yes, except for one very important detail. You and I aren't married."
Tony scoffed dismissively. "That's a technicality."
Martha scoffed right back at him. "It's a blooming big technicality."
"You wanna get married? Alright. Let's do it," Tony said quickly. "Let's get married. How about tonight? It's already a party. It'll just be one more thing to celebrate. Do you have a white dress?"
Martha rolled her eyes. "Tony..."
"I wonder if Cap is able to legally marry us or does that require a different type of captain," he thought out loud. "Aren't there usually ships involved? Hmm. You know what? Maybe Rhodey would be a better choice. I'd rather have him as my best man but..."
"Oi," Martha cut in as she covered his mouth with her hand. "What makes you think I even want to marry you in the first place?" she challenged.
The question itself drew Tony up short, but the playfulness of her expression allowed him to relax. He curled his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away from his lips. "So you like living in sin then, do you?" Tony retorted. "Because wasn't that the main reason you said you were reluctant to introduce me to your mom?"
Martha scoffed softly. "No, I said it was one of the reasons. Believe me, there are plenty of other issues about our situation that my mum might take issue with."
"Such as?"
"The age difference, for starters, and the fact that you're closer in age to her than you are to me." Tony winced. "Yea and she wouldn't exactly be keen about the danger in your life either," she added. "She seems to think that I'm drawn to reckless men." Tony lifted a brow in askance. "No comment," Martha answered cagily as she pulled away to finish getting ready for the party.
Martha's mom may have been onto something about her taste in men. Tony was definitely reckless. Despite of all his planning, so was Steve, on whom Martha still had a tiny crush. And if her stories about the Doctor were any indication, it was definitely a recurring trend. But it wasn't as if she was one of those cape chasers that hung around the Tower looking for a thrill. If anything, Tony was certain that it wasn't his destructive nature that attracted Martha to him. The dark part of his mind still questioned what it was that kept her around.
"So why are you still with me?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Martha was checking her reflection in the mirror, but turned to face him at the question. "Relationships are about choices. I'm here with you because you wanted me around and I've chosen to comply because I love you and I'd rather live my life with you than without you. Simple as."
"Well I appreciate your compliance," Tony said and then waited for a brief moment before bringing the conversation back around to the previous topic. "So you wanna make an honest man of me or not?"
"Why buy the cow when the milk is free?" she joked, returning her gaze to the mirror.
Tony moved to stand behind her. He looked her reflection in the eyes through the mirror. "You wouldn't just be buying the cow. You'd be buying the whole damn dairy and all its subsidiaries."
"I don't need the bloody dairy or any the rest of it," Martha shot back fiercely. She exhaled quietly and turned to face him again. "The cow is enough," she insisted as she fiddled with his tie. "Even if he doesn't believe it."
Tony stared at her in awe and shook his head slowly. "I don't deserve you."
"Damn right you don't," Martha agreed so quickly that her answer left him feeling a bit stunned. "And do you know why?" Tony could think of a couple of reasons but she continued speaking before he could offer any. "You don't deserve me because people aren't bloody rewards that you earn for good behavior," she told him seriously. "Which is a good thing for you because your behavior borders on reprehensible at times."
"So you do have a thing for bad boys," he accused.
"Who doesn't like a bad boy with a heart of gold," she retorted. "Or gold titanium alloy as it were."
Tony cracked a smile. "You're cute, you know that?"
Martha nodded. "I have the mug to prove it."
"How's this for proof?" Tony asked before pulling her into a lingering kiss.
Martha exhaled slowly when they broke for air. "Feeling reassured yet?" she questioned as she stroked his nape.
"If I say no will you kiss me again?"
"Not if we plan on making it to this party on time."
"I don't really see the problem," Tony replied, pulling Martha flush against him. "I like to make an entrance anyway."
Martha laughed. "I'm really not trying to milk the cow right now," she protested halfheartedly.
"There's a mental image," Tony said as he nuzzled her neck. "Is it such a bad idea? I mean milk does a body good, right?"
"Jesus," Martha responded with a sound that was partially a moan but mostly an exasperated sigh.
"Are we switching from cows to religious metaphors now?" Tony reached behind her back and drew the zipper of her dress down slowly. "Because I'm not particularly devout about anything, but I wouldn't mind worshipping you like a goddess."
"We don't have time for worship."
"I can be quick."
"Is that how you think a goddess is meant to be worshipped?" Martha scoffed and pulled away from him fully. "You really aren't religious." She turned her back to him. "Could you do me up?"
Tony sighed softly and zipped her dress up. "You're killing me."
"Look at it this way," Martha began as she turned to face him once more. "After the party, you can worship me properly."
"And will you answer that question?"
"You didn't actually ask me a question," she pointed out with a grin.
"Will you…"
Martha cut him off with a finger to his lips. "I expect that to be done properly as well."
Tony took her by the hand and kissed her palm. "I hope you know I'm operating on faith right now." He stepped away and retrieved his vest from the bed, slipping it on. "That's never been my strong suit."
"I think you have more faith than you give yourself credit for," Martha insisted. She picked up his suit coat and eased it onto his shoulders. "Your devotion is appreciated though and as proof of my benevolence..." She leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear.
Tony let out a breathy chuckle. "You might make a religious man out of me yet."
Martha laughed and took him by the hand. "Come on. Your guests are waiting."
