This is my final update of 2021, so have a Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully 2022 will be better.

Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter.

Ellie Bishop: At this point, Sam and Bucky have seen it all. They could get invited to have a drink with God himself and I doubt it would phase them at this point LOL!

San Francisco

Morning

At the place where he and Janet had placed their house, Hank Pym stared out at the ocean as he felt his daughter walk up next to him.

"So how's Scott?" Hank asked after a few moments.

"The same. He's not returning my calls, and Maggie tells me he doesn't really talk to her or Jim much either. I just…I don't know what to do Dad," Hope said with a heavy sigh.

"Scott lost the person he loved most in the world. It's hard to come back from that," Janet said as walked out of the house, joining her family in looking out at the ocean. "Just give him time Hope. Be there for him when he lets you. It's all you can do."

The three of them were silent before they heard a familiar noise. Looking over to the side, they saw a car roll up onto the property. It shut off and Sam got out of the driver's side door as an unfamiliar red haired young woman got out of the passenger's side.

"Sam," Hope greeted in surprise as the pair walked over to them.

"Hope. Mr. Pym, Mrs. Van Dyne," Sam greeted once he reached them. "I'm sorry to show up like this unannounced, but we really need to talk to you guys."

Avengers Compound

Same time

"So they really think they can do it? Get the stones back and undo this? Bring everyone back?" Wanda asked as Bucky sat in a chair by her bed, bringing her up to speed.

"Willow seems to think so, but I don't know. I hope but it all seems too good to be true," Bucky told her.

"But we have to try," Wanda said knowingly and Bucky nodded.

"We gotta try. We owe Steve and everyone else we lost that day that much at least," Bucky sighed.

Los Angeles

Same time

In his basement apartment, Spike was playing a video game when he heard someone knock on the door. Pausing his game, Spike got up and walked over to the door. Opening it, Spike wasn't at all surprised to see who stood on the other side of the door.

"Hello Spike. May I come in?" Hamilton inquired.

Pym/Van Dyne residence

Not long after

"Young lady, I'm not sure what you are, but you are no witch," Hank said once Willow had finished her tale as the group of five sat around a table in the dining room.

"Why not?" Willow asked, not seeming bothered his disbelief.

'Because there's no such thing as magic," this came from Hope as she backed up her father. "Magic is simply something in fairytales that people used to explain things they couldn't explain until they discovered science."

"A few years ago, no one thought aliens existed either," Willow pointed out. "Have you ever thought that magic is just science you don't understand? Sometimes, there are things in the world that have no logical explanation."

"Mom, you've been quiet," Hope said as she noticed Janet had been strangely silent.

"I'm simply waiting for you to let our guest continue," Janet said, surprising her daughter and husband.

"Honey, you don't actually believe this do you?" Hank asked incredulously.

"What I believe is that Willow is right, there are things in this universe that simply have no logical explanation. If she says she is a witch, then who are we to say she isn't? But I don't believe she came down here simply to tell us that the world is even bigger than we imagined," Janet said pointedly and Willow nodded.

"You're right, I didn't," Willow confirmed. "Over three months ago, Thanos used the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life. He said he destroyed them. He lied."

"Wait, what?" Hope exclaimed in shock.

"The way Willow and her friends tell it, Thanos sent each stone to a different dimension, each one controlled by these demons known as the Senior Partners," Sam broke gently.

"So you know where the stones are then," Hank said, his voice no more than a whisper.

"Not exactly where, no. That's why I need your help," Willow said.

"Why us?" Janet asked gently.

"Mrs. Van Dyne, you were trapped in the Quantum Realm for over thirty years," Willow said.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Hope exclaimed in shock.

"Long story short, the ghost of my ex-girlfriend showed me in a vision. But that's not important," Willow said as she turned back to Janet, who was watching her curiously. "The Quantum Realm is a portal. Each time someone wants to travel from one dimension to another, they pass through it without even knowing."

"Like an inter-dimensional pit stop," Janet muttered and Willow nodded.

"The thing is no one has a way to navigate it. But what if we did? What if we could enter the Quantum Realm from our dimension and exit it into another?" Willow asked and the three Pym/Van Dynes caught on to where she was going with this.

"Like one of the dimensions where the stones are," Hope muttered and Willow nodded.

"If we could navigate the Quantum Realm, I could use my magic to locate where each one of the stones is," Willow said.

"We get the stones, we snap our fingers and bring everyone back," Sam added. "Is it possible?"

"Anything is possible Sam. But there is risk," Janet said as she looked over at Hank, who had a hand to his chin as he looked thoughtful. "Henry?"

"She's right, it's dangerous," Hank said after a moment. "If we're off, even by a little, it could result in your collective demise."

"Dad," Hope said gently and he looked up at her. "We can bring Cassie back. We owe it to Scott to try. Please."

For several moments, Hank was silent. Then, he gave a slight nod.

"I'll need equipment. And someone besides my wife and daughter who can understand a word I'm saying," Hank said as he turned back to Sam and Willow.

"Pepper Potts is a friend; she'll give you anything you need. And I have a nuclear physicist and the king of Wakanda on speed dial, plus Willow has a friend who's a scientist. We have you covered," Sam promised, relieved Hank had agreed.

Los Angeles

Same time

Spike opened a beer, sitting down at his table as Hamilton stood silently across from him.

"The Senior Partners have taken your offer under consideration," Hamilton told him. "But before they agree, you must prove you are sincere in your intentions."

"I thought I did that yesterday. Remember, I tried to kill Angel?" Spike reminded him.

"And you convinced me. But the Senior Partners require a show of good faith before they are convinced," Hamilton explained.

Spike took a deep drink of beer, having known it wasn't going to be that easy. He and Angel had known that it would take more than a single fight between them to convince the Partners he was going bad again.

"Just tell me what I have to do," Spike said as he put his drink down, steeling himself for whatever it was.

Avengers Compound

Same time

Faith was in the living area, smoking a cigarette. She'd been left on her own more or less since Willow and Sam had left in the Quinjet. Angel and Connor were checking out the training area while Fred had hoarded herself in the lab, eager to see the technology the Avengers had worked with. Dawn and Lorne had mentioned something about making lunch. Knowing Dawn, Faith silently wished Lorne good luck.

"You know those are bad for you."

Lowering the cigarette from her lips, Faith looked over at Bucky as he entered the room.

"Well, women in my line of work are lucky to live passed twenty, so," Faith shrugged.

"I guess," Bucky said, sitting down on the couch near her as he looked at her oddly. "Have we met before? You look…familiar."

"Don't think so. But I was a wanted felon a few years back, and I broke out of jail about a year ago, so you might have seen me on the news," Faith shrugged.

And now Bucky remembered. She was the super powered woman wanted for murder in Sunnydale. Her story had broken right around the time Bucky had been breaking free from Hydra's brainwashing. Her story had stuck with him at the time because Bucky had seen something of himself in Faith. She didn't seem crazy or evil to him, just broken, like him.

"Right, now I remember," Bucky mused as Faith stared at him, as if daring him to make some comment about her past.

"You're not gonna ask why I'm not in prison?" Faith asked after Bucky didn't say anything else.

"I'm the Winter Solider. I'm the last person to judge someone on their past," Bucky pointed out.

"Guess so," Faith said feeling…strange.

Everyone but Angel had always judged her on her past. It was an odd feeling to not be judged on what she'd done. It was freeing and yet…

"I killed a man," Faith found herself saying, taking Bucky aback. "I didn't mean to, I thought he was a Vampire but…I didn't handle it very well, and it wasn't helped by everyone trying to butt in, make me face it. I just…I snapped I guess, went on a rampage, joined the bad guy. Hurt Willow, little D and the others."

"But not anymore," Bucky noted. "They seem to trust you now."

"It took me a long time to get there," Faith told him. "Everyone had given up on me…except Angel. He was the only one who tried to reach me without any wanting something from me. He just wanted to help me because it's what he does, who he is."

"I know the feeling," Bucky said lowly, thinking of Steve. "When everyone else gives up on you, one person's faith that you can be saved…"

"It means everything," Faith finished and he nodded. "I guess you get it to."

"Yeah, I do," Bucky said after a few moments.

San Francisco

Same

In his ex-wife's house Scott sat around the kitchen table with Maggie and Jim, an uneaten slice of cake in front of each of them.

"I don't know about this," Scott finally said. "Celebrating Cassie's birthday without her…it feels wrong."

"Maybe that's why we should celebrate it," Maggie said softly. "I don't want our daughter to become something we never talk about Scott. I want us to be able to remember everything we love about her and laugh, not to lock it away because it's too painful."

"I get what you're saying, I want that to. I just…I don't think I'm there yet," Scott said carefully. "And I don't think you are either."

"I don't think any of us are," Jim said lowly. "Honey, maybe we should just try this again next year."

"Okay…okay," Maggie said softly, sighing heavily. "Next year then."

Not long after, Scott walked out the front door, heading to his car when a voice called out to him.

"Scott."

Scott stiffened, turning towards the voice. Hope had walked out from behind a tree and was walking towards him.

"Hey," Scott said awkwardly.

"Hey," Hope echoed.

"What are you doing here Hope?" Scott asked after a moment.

"We found something," Hope said and Scott stiffened. "A chance, maybe."

"Don't," Scott said thickly, confusing Hope.

"Don't what?"

"Don't give me hope," Scott said emotionally, his face and eyes broken.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you sooner," Hope said softly.

Hope walked over to him, taking his face in her hands. Scott seemed to sag against her, clinging to her as though afraid he might fall as Hope brought their foreheads together.

Los Angeles

Mid-Afternoon

Spike walked down a dark corridor, hearing grunts of pain following the sound of wood beating skin. Rounding a corner, Spike saw a wall of flames. Steeling himself, Spike rushed forward, jumping through the flames.

Landing on the other side, Spike saw three cloaked figures, using clubs to beat a man. The man was shirtless, blood all over his chest with ruined jeans and a bag over his head.

The cloaked figures stopped as they saw Spike. Spike stalked over as the three figures took a few steps back. Reaching the man, Spike helped him to his feet before removing the bag from his head. Spike couldn't keep the surprise off his face as he saw who it was.

"Spike?" Wood asked weakly as he saw him. "Never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm actually glad to see you."

For a moment, Spike simply stared at Wood. Then, his face changed to his vampire face before he leaned over, biting into Wood's neck violently. Wood gasped in pain as Spike drank greedily from him before Spike released his neck. Spike leaned back, his chin coated with Wood's blood before he grabbed Wood's head and twisted. There was a sickening crack as Wood's neck snapped and Spike dropped his body to the floor.

"Well done Spike," one of the cloaked figures told him as Spike breathed heavily.

"Is this enough? Have I proven myself to the Senior Partners?" Spike demanded angrily.

"Yes, you have," another of the figures said. "You passed the test. Angel's out and you're in."

The Quantum Realm will still play a large role in the Heist, although obviously it won't be the same as it was in Endgame.

Let's be honest, that little show was never going to gain Spike favor with the Senior Partners. Spike would have to prove that he was going back to his old ways. And, just like Drogyn was a test for Angel; Wood was a test for Spike. Even though there's no love lost between them, the Partners know no one would take it lightly that Spike killed him.