I dozed off around the time I read about the first time I met Peter while fighting the tentacle monster. I woke up before the sun was even out. The compound was silent so I assumed everyone was still asleep. I found the fresh change of clothes Ellie had left. I guess she decided to keep it simple and comfortable. She left me a white button up and some dark wash jeans and tan flats.
.
After I made sure I didn't look completely wrecked I walked out of the room and back to the kitchen/common room area. I looked through the cabinets and the fridge and started pulling out eggs, bacon, milk, and bread before getting started on breakfast. The silence was getting annoying.
"Friday can you play some music, I hate cooking in silence." I said.
"Yes boss." Friday answered before playing something from my playlist.
"Perfect." I said as I started whipping the eggs and milk together to make the batter for French toast.
The music list got to Hello, Goodbye when I started heating everything up and I was singing and dancing and so distracted with what I was doing I didn't notice someone walk in until I flipped a slice of French toast up in the air and looked in front of me as I caught it.
"Uh… how long have you been sitting there?" I asked Connor.
"Around the end of the guitar solo of Jukebox hero." Connor said with a smirk.
"Oh." I said.
"Is that French toast?" Connor asked.
"Yeah with berry compote, eggs and bacon." I said putting the plate in front of Connor. He didn't hesitate to grab the toast and bite into it. the look of joy on his face almost made me laugh.
"Mh…" Connor moaned.
"It's just French toast sweetie. I make it for you every…" I started.
"Saturday or before a big soccer game." Connor said tearing up a bit.
"I'm guessing your dad and I keep up the tradition huh?" I said.
"His brunch isn't as good as yours Auntie." Connor said.
"You don't have to flatter me for an extra slice, there's way more where that came from." I said handing him another slice and pouring him another cup of coffee. "So what are you doing up so early kiddo?"
"More like what am I doing up so late." Connor said.
"Pulled an all nighter?" I asked.
"I lost track of time." Connor said. "I've been working on integrating stem cells to nanotech to make fully functioning organs. I managed to make miniature beating hearts…"
"Uh, he's taking about the heart again." Ellie said mockingly as she walked in.
"I made a beating heart." Connor said proudly.
"That's only half a centimeter big and only beats once a minute." Ellie said.
"I have got to see that." I said as I served Ellie a plate and then put it in front of her.
"Is that…" She started and Connor just nodded with his mouth stuffed. "Ah," She exclaimed before digging in.
"Wow you guys really like French Toast." I said.
"More like Connor's used to living off coffee and granola bars and Ellie can't cook without setting off the smoke detectors." Aiden said going straight for the coffee maker.
"That was one time." Ellie said.
"And every Thanksgiving and Christmas since." Connor added.
"Are we talking about how Ellie almost killed us last Thanksgiving?" Bucky said walking in.
"Very Funny." Ellie said. "Uh, this is so worth the extra miles I'm going to have to run later."
"One cheat day won't make a difference. Besides you look great." I said.
"You're the best aunt ever." Ellie said hugging me.
"Oh you're a hugger." I said hugging her back.
"Morning." Steve said walking in.
"Morning." I said readying another plate. "Breakfast is served."
"Something smells good in here." Wren said appearing out of nowhere.
"Hey sweetheart, I made breakfast." I said.
"I already ate." Wren said awkwardly.
"Oh, well there's a ton of coffee." I said trying not to show how much it stung that my son grows up to hate me.
"Thanks…" he said slowly walking over to the coffee maker.
"So now that everyone's here, we need to figure out what we're going to do about me." I said.
"I looked through the archives and besides Aya there's no one else who can time travel." Connor said.
"Not necessarily. There are a few options we can check out but first I need to ask is Thor on Earth or am I going to have to go outside and yell at the sky until Heimdall finally beams me up?" I said. Connor and Ellie just looked at me like I was crazy and Steve, Bucky and Aiden just exchanged look I recognized as a silent conversation.
"Where else would Thor be?" Connor just answered.
"Oh I don't know, Asgard maybe?" I retorted.
"Actually…" Ellie started before she was interrupted.
"We'll give him a call." Wren said giving Bucky and Steve a look.
"Thor has a phone? That I want to see." I said.
"He lost a lot of phones, and almost switched back to ravens." Steve said.
I could picture him trying that. "So is dad joining us or is he at the tower?" I asked and everyone either looked away or gave me sad looks.
"Uncle Rhodey's at the ranch." Connor said trying to lighten the mood.
'Tony's on vacation." Aya answered appearing out of nowhere like usual. "Second or more like twentieth honeymoon I think."
"Pepper and Dad got back together?" I asked.
"Back together?" Wren asked confused.
"They took a break back in 2016." Bucky answered.
"Yeah, past me's currently out getting drunk with him right now." I said "And is probably going to be really mad when I get back."
"Because you weren't there?" Ellie asked.
"Because she knew it was going to happen." Wren said giving me a scornful look.
"No spoilers." I said.
"I have rounds, we still on for lunch?" Wren asked Ellie.
"Yeah I'll text you when I'm in the lobby." Ellie said before giving Wren a quick kiss before he teleported away.
"No freaking way." I said surprised at what I had just seen.
"Auntie?" Ellie asked.
"You two are together?!" I exclaimed.
"Spoiler Alert." Connor commented.
"Y-yes, Wren's my soulmate." Ellie said nervously lifting the sleeve of her shirt to reveal Wren's full name on her wrist.
I just started at her before turning to Aiden. "Pay up." I said putting my hand out.
"You're worth every penny sister." Aiden said handing me a twenty.
"What just happened?" Connor asked confused.
"After months of time jumping and getting sent back and for the from the future, your dad and I came up with a drinking betting game that Aiden later joined in on." I started.
"Essentially Nora would tell us something that stuck out to her and we'd all guess some explanation as to how that came to be. Once she saw a few years ahead and saw you three during a play date and you and Wren were practically attached at the hip. I bet it was because how close you were in age." Aiden said.
"Your dad guessed childhood crush and I went with something your mom said about imagining our kids ending up together or even being soulmates." I said.
"So you're not mad?" Ellie asked.
"Besides lumberjack Steve this is the only other highlight of this entire mess." I said.
Bucky snorted at that comment and Steve shot him a look.
"He is good to you right? Because if will smack him if he's not." I said.
"He's the best." Ellie said smiling reminding me so much of Jess.
"Good." I said giving her a smile in return. "Keep him in line for me."
"I'm going to go call Thor." Steve said.
"I'll check in with T'Challa and Shuri, maybe they have something that can help." Bucky said.
"In the meantime maybe we should get you some clothes ." Aiden said looking at the ill fitting white button up and capris I was wearing. "You look like a forty year old soccer mom."
"Sorry about that. You're a little more gifted in that area than I am Aunt Nora." Elli said gesturing to my chest.
"That's what happens when you have kids." I said.
"I'll take her, I need to run a quick errand anyway." Aiden said.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Steve asked.
"It should be fine as long as she doesn't draw attention to herself and since she doesn't have any powers that shouldn't be a problem." Aya said.
"Let's get going." Aiden said.
"Company card." Connor said handing Aiden a credit card.
"Not sure this qualifies as a business expense." Aiden said.
"Occupational hazard." Connor said with a shrug.
"The occupational hazard is right here." I reminded them.
"Let's go." Aiden said starting to walk out.
"Laters." I said before following after him. I followed Aiden to the garage. He took out a glass out of his pocket. After a second look I realized that was actually his cell phone. I kind of wanted one now. He tapped on the glass for a bit and suddenly a black sports car came to us without anyone driving it. "Dad upgraded you?"
.
"Came with the car." Aiden said with a shrug before opening the door. I got in and buckled up. As soon as I did he sped out of the garage.
"What's the errand you need to run?" I asked.
"Work related." Aiden said.
"So you signed up with the Avengers?" I asked.
"Is it really that hard to believe?" Aiden asked.
"No just always thought that Snow was going to be your last mission before retiring." I said.
"It was for a while but the normal nine to five life… that's not who I was made to be." Aiden said.
"Did you ever settle down or are you still sneaking out of girl's apartments before they wake up?" I asked.
"There was someone a few years ago. Her name was Abby. We dated for a few months, even lived together for a year but I couldn't give her what she wanted and I wasn't going to hold her back." He said.
"I'm sorry." I said.
"That's life. I'd better get used to it considering I'm going to be around to watch everyone die and then some." Aiden said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"What's the first thing you notice when you look at me?" Aiden asked.
"Nothing, you look exactly the same as you always do." I said.
"Exactly." Aiden said. It took a second for it to click.
"You're not aging." I said. "I thought you were using your powers to look younger."
"No apparently whatever crap Snow was injecting into me to keep me brainwashed mixed with my abilities altered my DNA. I'm not aging and unless someone does something on purpose to kill me I can't die." He said. I put my hand over his and gave him a comforting squeeze. "I did Abby a favor huh?"
"I learned a long time ago that it doesn't matter how much time you have with someone, what matters is how you spend that time." I said.
"Still doesn't make it easier does it?" Aiden asked.
"No." I said as the city came into view. "Where we heading to?"
"Bronx, I owe someone a reward." Aiden said and I just gave him a look.
"You put out a hit on someone?!" I exclaimed.
"No! Someone gave me some intel for a mission." Aiden said. "What do you take me for?"
"You said Bronx and I just assumed since that's the only reason we ever go there." I said.
"That's not the only reason." Aiden said as he parked in front of a very familiar bar.
Sister Margaret's
Aiden got out of the car and I followed him out.
"What do you think you're doing?" Aiden asked.
"Going with you on your errand." I said.
"No you're not." Aiden said.
"But…" I started arguing.
"The less you know about the future the better. Stay. I'll be right back. Start looking for clothes." Aiden said handing me his phone and going in not even letting me argue.
I hate being out of the loop… and my own time.
I leaned against the car and started swiping through the outfits Friday suggested. I got bored pretty quickly and decided to start looking things up but Friday wouldn't show me anything.
"Access Denied. Code Cronus Protocols Enforced." Friday said.
"Override." I said.
"Override not accepted, unauthorized user." Friday said.
"I designed those protocols, dumb phone." I said. I started getting the feeling that I was being watched. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw a red bulk. Probably a pizza delivery guy or something. Then I saw something come move closer to me and try to poke my cheek. I instantly slapped it away before it could touch me.
"Ah! Not a ghost! Not a ghost!" It shouted.
I looked over and saw a man dressed in a red leather jumpsuit with black patches on his face mask and white eyes.
"Wah!" I jumped up surprised.
"What the hell are you? Zombie? Clone?" He asked.
"Who the hell are you?" I said.
"Why am you?" He said and I looked at him confused. "Oh come on, you really don't recognize me? I'm hurt." He said exaggeratingly.
"How am I supposed to recognize you, you're wearing a mask." I deadpanned.
"My angelic voice should be enough. I am the world's biggest pain in the ass." He said. No freaking way…
"Wade Wilson?" I asked.
"In the flesh." He said. "Did Lady Death bring you back for shits and giggles or is the world ending again?"
"Lady Death?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, you know the grim reaper? Took you to that fun amusement park in the sky after space Barney snapped your neck." He said.
"A space dinosaur killed me? Wait I'm dead?!" I exclaimed.
"As a doornail. By the way thank you for your service." He said with a salute. "Now I got to go meet up with the British Invasion. He's not as fun as the original. Ciao." He said before going inside.
Third Person's POV-
Aiden sat at the bar tapping his foot impatiently for Wade to show up.
"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" Weasel asked.
"No I'm driving. Can that idiot ever keep an appointment?" Aiden said.
"Wow, you called him an idiot instead of Arse." Weasel said emphasizing the last word with a mockingly British accent. Aiden shot him a glare that sent chills down his spine.
"No he's just got a hot date with a dead heiress. Or is it formerly dead heiress?" Wade said.
"The woman is like a sister to me." Aiden said annoyed.
"Kinky." He said and Aiden morphed his arm into a blade holding it against Wade's throat. "Joking, joking!"
"I don't have time for this. Here's your money." Aiden said.
"My second favorite color is green." He said pulling the money out of the envelope Aiden had slid to him and smelled it.
"So how'd you do it?" Wade asked.
"Do what?" Aiden asked.
"Bring Iron Spawn back from the dead?" Wade asked.
"Goodbye Wilson." Aiden said getting up and walking away.
Nora's POV-
I'm dead… I'm going to die… Oh shit.
No wonder everyone looks at me the way they do. They weren't expecting to ever see me again let alone crash through a wall. Oh shit no wonder Wren's avoiding me like the plague, I died. I left my son an orphan. I abandoned my baby! He hates me. I'm the world's worst mom!
I got so lost in my head I didn't even notice Aiden had come out of the bar.
"Hey. Nora?!" Aiden said.
"Uh yeah." I said snapping out of my daze.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah just… taking it all in. Fashion wow." I said.
"Elle is probably more qualified to help you pick up something more with the times for now let's just get you some of the basics." Aiden said. "You can order everything else online."
"Sounds good." I said half-heartedly. I'm dead, I'm going to die that's so not good.
"I think if we head downtown, Barney's or Saks will have everything you'll need and we can grab lunch before heading back." Aiden said.
"Yeah the one thing you can count on during time travel is that the food does tend to get better." I said with a forced smile.
"Any requests?" He asked.
"Surprise me." I said leaning back and looking out the window.
Third Person's POV- Metro General Hospital
Wren was sitting in his office reading through patient files and doing some research on a new experimental treatment for his patient. He had lost track of time and didn't even realize it was lunch time until there was a knock on his office door.
"Come in." He said.
"Hey." Ellie said.
"Hey, I thought you were going to text when you were in the lobby…" he started before looking at the time. "Oh shit, Elle I completely lost track of time."
"I figured. You still trying to figure out how to pitch the arc heart as a viable treatment without sounding like you're turning her into a robot?" Ellie said.
"Gramps lived with shrapnel embedded in his chest for years and the only problem he had he fixed creating a new element. Why is it so hard to get people to agree to put a fully functioning artificial heart in the chest of a six year old girl that could potentially make her live longer than her congenitally defective heart, an average healthy heart, or even a heart transplant?" Wren said frustrated.
"Maybe because the heart's never been used in children or it could be that her parents are trying to get her used to not sleep with a night light." Ellie teased. "Put it all away, you need to eat."
"Is that…" Wren said.
"Yes I know it's a sin to eat steak out of a disposable to go plate but we never manage to make our reservations so suck it up." Ellie said.
"Thank you." Wren said kissing her making her smile.
"So you'll never guess what happened after you left." Ellie said.
"Hm?" Wren hummed.
"We kissed before you left." She said.
"Like we usually do, sometimes more." Wren said taking a bite and moaning. "Uh, it melts in your mouth."
"She figured out we're together." Ellie said and Wren stopped chewing.
"How'd she take it?" Wren asked.
"Pretty good considering she won twenty bucks off Uncle Aiden." Ellie said.
"How?" Wren asked.
"Aunt Nora, Dad and Uncle Aiden apparently had a betting game where Aunt Nora tells them about the future and they guess how that happened. She apparently guessed we'd end up together." Ellie said.
"Hm" Wren said before taking another bite.
"That's it?" Ellie asked.
"What am I supposed to say?" Wren said.
"Oh I don't know, how about say you're happy we have your mom's blessing?" Ellie said.
"I guess." Wren said.
"Okay, Spill. What's going on in that big head of yours?" Ellie asked.
"Nothing just wasn't expecting any of this. Seeing my mom twenty-five years after she died. I'm older than my mom. How fucked up is that?" Wren said.
"At least you didn't have to make sure your father was conceived." Aya said appearing with Steve and Bucky.
"Watching Nora be Howard's wingman was fun." Bucky said.
"Dads?" Wren said. "What's going on? Wait, where's mom?"
"She's fine. Aiden took her shopping." Steve said. "We wanted to check up and see how you're doing."
"I..." Wren started.
"And before you say it you're not fine. Anytime you're in the same room as your mom you find any excuse to teleport out." Bucky said.
"I'm handling it." Wren said.
"You're avoiding it would be a more accurate description." Aya said making Wren glare at her.
"You really have to look like her when you're here?" Wren said annoyed.
"I look the way she did when she became my host. It's a habit." Aya said. "Stop deflecting."
"What am I supposed to do here? Mom needs to go back to her own time and we're going to help her do it but that also means we're sending her back to die." Wren said and Bucky and Steve exchanged sad looks. Ellie hugged him and rubbed him back trying to comfort him. "How am I supposed to be okay with that?"
"You're not and it's okay to feel sad, guilty, hell you can be angry because there isn't a right way to feel about this. We don't live normal lives son, and it makes our lives hard but that's life." Steve said. "If just makes us appreciate the few good times we get a lot more. You have to take the good with the bad."
"What about this situation is good?" Wren said.
"You met your dad before, now you get to meet your mom on your terms." Bucky said.
"She was once in the same position you're in right now. If there's anyone that understands what you're going through right now its Nora." Aya said. "I've never met anyone as strong or resilient as her. She's lost so many people she's loved but even in her darkest days she never lost her way. No one understands sacrifice better than her"
"I don't think I can do it." Wren said.
"You won't know unless you try." Ellie said.
"Just think about it. I know it's hard and it hurts but it's better to have something to hold onto than to live with the regret." Steve said.
"She loves you Wren, there isn't a single thing she wouldn't do for you. You're her entire world." Bucky said.
Nora's POV-
posts/2017/11/14/5a0afe077f0a057dbc017a0c/m_
After basically buying an entire department store and changing into a cute short floral dress in the car we ended up at a sushi bar. I ordered a dragon roll but I wasn't really hungry. Not even the mango mochi tempted my insatiable sweet tooth.
I just couldn't get what Wade said out of my head.
"Earth to Nora." Aiden said.
"Yes." I said.
"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" Aiden asked as he kept driving down the highway. "You've been off since we…"
"How long have I been dead?" I asked the car swerved before Aiden slammed the breaks.
"What?!" he exclaimed. "Where did you hear that?"
"Outside of Sister Margaret's from Wade." I said.
"I'm going to kill that fucking idiot." Aiden growled holding onto the steering wheel so tight his knuckled turned white.
"So it's true." I said.
"…" Aiden stayed quiet.
"How long?" I asked.
"Nora…" Aiden started.
"How long?!" I shouted.
"It'll be twenty five years next month." Aiden said.
"Twenty five years?" I asked tearing up.
"You weren't supposed to find out." He said.
"I kind of figured." I said. "Would explain why everyone looks like they're seeing a ghost every time they see me. Why Connor almost started crying when I served him French toast for breakfast. Why Wren can't stand to be in the same room as me. He hates me."
"He doesn't hate you it's a complicated situation." Aiden said. "It's a lot of mixed feelings."
"I abandoned my son Aiden the one thing I was afraid of." I said.
"You didn't abandon him. Life dealt you a shit hand and you did what you had to do for the greater good." Aiden said.
"But not Wren's." I said.
"Including Wren's." Aiden said.
"I die when Wren's four so I was twenty seven." I said.
"A few months short of your birthday." Aiden confirmed.
"Dad?" I asked.
"He died a few years ago, long term complications of the palladium poisoning mixed with his love of scotch." Aiden said. "He took Connor on as a protégé after Wren made it clear he was more interested in following in yours and Wren's footsteps of being a surgeon and named him his successor for the business and the mantle of Iron man. He was never the same after you were gone but he put on a brave face for Wren."
"So he raised Wren after I died?" I asked.
"He was there for Wren but you know Tony." Aiden said.
"Showed up for the big ones but not a full time parent." I said remembering what it was like growing up only seeing Dad once a year.
"It took a long time after for Tony to pull himself together. He actually went to therapy, completely quit drinking and started to put his life back together. Got Pepper back and married her but by that point Wren was happy where he was." Aiden said. "Maybe it didn't it happen exactly the way you pictured it but Wren grew up with everything you wanted him to have, safe and loved"
"Doesn't make it any easier to accept." I said.
"Guess I better let everyone know the cats out of the bag." Aiden said pulling out his phone.
"No." I said.
"No?" He asked confused.
"Can we just keep this between us? I can't take the coddling I know they're going to try to give me if they know I know. Everyone needs to stay focused on finding a way to send me back." I said.
"That wouldn't stop them and you know it." Aiden said. "What's this really about?"
"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." I said.
"For every cause there is an effect, you've mentioned it various times." He said.
"Except with time traveling I see the effect before the cause." I said.
"And?" Aiden said.
"I know that I die yet we're still in this future. The instant you make a decision to change something the effect should be instant yet I'm still dying." I said and Aiden's eye's widened.
"Aya said you were a fixed point in time." He said.
"No matter what I was always going to die at that exact point in time. I knowingly walked into the fight that kills me." I said.