Emily had spent 3 months with Tony and Pepper, before taking up the offer to run, work and live at one of the Stark properties in New York. She'd been here nearly 2 years. Billy was now 7 and Jamie was 4, they were in the room across from her office, doing school work with a tutor Tony had hired for them. Emily was busy with the charity work. There was so much to do, so many people had needed help after the blip. She was pulled out of thoughts when her phone rang looking at the caller ID it was Nat. They had started these weekly check-ins from the first week she had started living with Pepper and Tony.
"Hey you."
"Hey, how's the house?"
"The same as always. The kids are having their lessons, I'm trying to get through a load of charity paperwork. What about the compound."
"Fairly quiet, everyone is out on assignments."
"Are you going to join us for dinner this week? I'm doing lasagne." Emily stood and walked towards the large floor to ceiling window.
"Of course. Is Steve coming?"
"I hope so. He promised Billy he would see him."
"Great. Sure you don't wanna move back in here."
"Nat…. i like it here. It was a fresh start, no memories."
"I know and I understand. So friday at 6?"
"Yeah, see you then. Stay safe."
Thursday morning, Emily was in the kitchen getting a coffee when she heard a voice behind her. She turned to see Steve and Nat stood there, it was then she also noticed Scott Lang, impossible. Her eyes lit up for a moment, if he was back, then Bucky. Steve noticed the look on her face, he shook his head and the light went out of her eyes.
"Someone want to explain?"
They all sat down and Steve, Nat and Scott told her everything. She sat shocked for a minute, her coffee now cold. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Billy and Jamie ran in. They jumped on Steve and Nat.
"Why aren't you in your lessons?"
They both looked at their mother. "Billy heard uncle Steve and wanted to see him. I just followed."
"I bet you did young lady."
Jamie smiled at her, her and Billy had traits from both her and Bucky. They were very good at getting their own way, it worked on nearly everybody but Emily.
"Right back to it." The "but mum's" started then, Emily stood up then, hands on her hips. Billy and Jamie walked very slowly back to their lessons. Emily made sure they made it there. When she arrived back, Steve handed her a hot coffee. "Thank you." She turned back to the others. "So you're saying, we can travel through time. We can change this, bring them back."
"In theory."
"Scott you're gonna have to give me more than that."
"We need to be able to control it. If we can do that, then it will work."
"Then there is only one man we need."
The drive to Tony's cabin took a few hours. The kids loved riding in the back of the SUV, Emily had given them Ipads and snacks to keep them entertained. Tony looked at them all as they got out of the car. The kids ran over to him and hugged him, Emily scooped Morgan up and hugged her. Tony then hugged her and went to greet the others when she put Morgan down she and her two ran into the house. Tony was already talking to Steve, Nat and Scott. She could see Tony shaking his head, she knew he wasn't in. She grabbed his hand and turned him to her.
"Please Tony, this is my chance to get him back."
Tony placed his hand on her face, there were tears forming in her eyes. "I can't, i'm sorry."
She sunk to her knees in front of him. "I'm begging you. I want my husband back, I want my kids to have their father. I want Jamie to meet him."
Tony pulled her up, he held her close, he kissed her forehead. "What if we lose everything? I can't risk that. Move on, marry Steve, you guys can raise the kids, have more. You both love each other, he'd look after you. I love you, but I'm sorry."
Emily shouted the kids and walked back to the car. The drive back was quiet. Emily took the kids into the house, but as she looked around she knew she couldn't stay here anymore, she felt betrayed by Tony, she understood that he was scared, but she had been scared since the day Bucky had gone. Telling her to move on wasn't what she needed to hear. People kept throwing chances in her lap, how could she give up, she knew the Bucky wouldn't give up on her.
She packed some stuff up and the kids packed up some toys, she loaded them into the car and drove to the compound. The idea was to try and get Bruce to help she just hoped he wouldn't give up as easily as Tony. Luckily for her she got a text from Lang saying that they had talked with Banner and he had agreed.
Emily nearly died when she saw him come into the compound, he was the hulk but not, he was the hulk with Bruce's mind. He pulled Emily into a hug. Her kids just stared at him.
"Is that Billy? Oh my god, he's huge and this must be your daughter?"
"It is, this is Jamie. Say hi to Bruce." The kids both said hi. Quietly not really sure of the man in front of them. "Okay kids let's go unpack and then mummy needs to do some work for a bit."
A lot of the technical stuff went over Emily's head. But Bruce seemed to think that he could give this a shot. It took two weeks to assemble everything they needed, watching them try was the hardest bit, everything that could go wrong went wrong.
On the first day of the third week Steve all but stormed outside in frustration and Emily went to be with the kids, her heart slowly breaking with each failed attempt. This wasn't going to work. She had lost him completely. She was sitting with the kids, watching them play and colour, when she heard footsteps behind her but didn't turn, she didn't look at the person as sat down next to her.
"On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do you hate me right now?"
She turned to face Tony. "About an 11."
"That high, I was thinking about 7. So if I told you I knew how to do it, that i'd figured it out, how much would that number change?"
"I'd say till I had proof it might work I could be persuaded to go to around an 8."
Tony took hold of her hand. "I want to bring them all back, I want to bring him back for you, for them, but i can't lose what i've got."
"I understand that. I just miss him so much Tony. he is the love of my life."
"I understand that, I'm so sorry for the part I played all those years ago for keeping you apart."
"You didn't know what was gonna happen."
…...
They needed to assemble a whole team, Nat was going to find Barton and everyone else was heading home. Tony was busy giving orders and building this 'time machine'. It was to be the main focus for now. Emily tried to stay out of the way, her and technology barely got along. She spent a lot of time outside with the kids. She watched them playing in the compound grounds, she was lost in thought, thinking about the days in Wakonda when her and Bucky would lay in the long grass, Billy asleep between them, the perfect little family. As she sat there she imagined what life would be like with him back, him running around chasing them, being a father again. She was brought out of her thoughts by someone sitting down next to her.
"I've phoned Pepper, told her to expect you and the kids."
Emily looked at Tony. "I can't leave you all."
"You can. You have to be a mum for those kids."
"Is this your way of telling me this might all blow up in our faces?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Tony smiled at her. She was very good at reading people. "I'll make you a deal, I'll take the kids, but i am coming back."
"Emily, what if….." She cut him off.
"I can't keep living like this. I need to be here, win or lose. This is my...our last chance and if it works then i will be the happiest girl in the world, if it fails maybe it will be the closure i need to move on, finally."
Tony put his arm around her shoulders, he understood. "Fine, I best make you a suit, your part of the team now." He kissed the top of her head.
Emily took the kids in, they were packing some bags when Steve and Nat came in. Emily smiled at them both. Nat went over and helped them, Steve was lent on the door frame.
"So Tony couldn't talk you out of it."
"Did you really think he could?"
"No, but i thought it was worth a shot."
"I'm taking the kids, they don't need to be here for any of this but i will be back."
Steve gave her a look, he knew there was no changing her mind, she was so like Bucky in that way. He put his arm around her and they walked over to the kids. They go with her to load them into the car, both kids giving Nat and Steve huge hugs. Emily drove the car off and they headed to the cabin.
Pepper and Morgan were outside ready to meet them, Billy and Jamie were out like a shot. Emily got their bags out of the boot and walked over to them, Happy came out of the house and headed over to her and Pepper. Pepper hugged her, as did Happy.
"Tony said you guys would be here till they…." Pepper trailed off, she was clearly worried about Tony.
"Actually I'm going back. I'm sorry to just dump the kids on you, but I need to be there. I need to know, win or lose."
Pepper touched her arm, she understood. This was it, the last chance they would have. Emily looked over at the kids, they had no idea what was going on, they were just happy to be at the cabin, they loved it here. Pepper noticed the look on her face.
"I promise they will be safe here."
"I know they will, you and Tony have always been good to us. But I have one more thing to ask."
"Anything."
"If anything happens, if things go wrong, if….. Will you look after them? I can't think of a better person."
Pepper pulled Emily into a hug. "Of course i will. But you are coming back. You and Bucky."
Emily gave her a smile. She walked over to the kids, she pulled them both into a huge bear hug. "You both be good for Pepper and Happy ok? I'll be back really soon. I love you both so much." Emily kissed them both on the forehead and then climbed back into the car and started to drive back to the compound. She wasn't sure if she stopped crying or if she just ran out of tears. The compound was a hive of activity, as she came in she saw everyone working to try find the stones.
They were trying to figure out dates and times, she couldn't help with that, she had no idea about the stones. She went to her room and started tidying it, not that there was any need to; she had no idea why she did it, maybe it was just her need to feel useful. She was putting some of the kids' stuff away when Steve appeared. He watched her for a few moments.
"I think we got it all figured out."
She turned to him then. "Good, let me know when you need me."
Steve walked over to her then and put his hands on her arms. "You're staying here. Your gonna ….."
"Steve…."
"No, you're gonna listen to me." She felt the grip on her arms grow stronger, he had never been like this before. "You are gonna stay here, watch the machines, for you we're going to be gone all of 10 secs. If it works, and god i hope it does you will have your husband back and i will have my best friend back. If we fail, then you and I will go get the kids. We'll find somewhere to raise them, together and we will try to build a life together. It's the least I can do, Bucky would do it for me."
"Steve, i love you but it's not….."
"I know. I know you will never love me the way you love Bucky, just like i will never love you like i did Peggy. But we love each other enough to make a life together, if not for us, for the kids."
Emily looked at Steve, he was an old fashioned gent through and through. He wanted to do right by her, the kids and Bucky. She pulled him down and kissed him, he pulled her close and kissed her back, both lost in each other for a brief moment.
"I didn't expect you to do that."
Emily touched his arm. "Lets just say that was my way of sealing the deal. Just do me a favour Steve, bring you and him back ok. That way I get him and one of my closest friends back."
"I will try my hardest."
"Thank you."
Emily kissed his cheek and left the room with him. She watched them get ready, they all gave her a hug, Nat came over last.
She gave Emily a huge hug. "We got this. I know this is it. We're gonna bring them all back."
"God, I hope so."
"I'll see you really soon."
Emily let her go and watched as they took their places. She watched them disappear and within seconds they were all back. She looked at everyone and her eyes landed on Clint last, Nat wasn't with him. The questions started then, Emily just stared into the space where Nat should have stood. How had they lost Nat. The explanation went way over Emily's head, whatever these stones were, she wanted to get them out of their lives for good, all they had ever done is cause pain.
They all suited up again, this time Emily did too, the next argument was who was to wear the gauntlet, Bruce won out in the end. They all braced themselves as he clicked his fingers. Everyone stood there, had it worked, Emily wasn't sure what she had expected, it was Scott that spoke, but Emily didn't hear him, she turned as Clint's phone rang and a look of surprise spread across his face. Before they even had the chance to celebrate there was a loud explosion and parts of the compound started to fall around their feet. Steve jumped over the top of Emily protecting her from the blast then helped her up and out into a safer area.
"Thank you, but what the hell just happened?!"
Thor and Tony came and stood with them. As they turned they saw the ship coming into land and then they saw Thanos. Emily felt several emotions flow through her body all at once, she wanted to kill him.
Steve gave her a look. "We can all feel your anger."
"Shit, sorry."
She tried to pull herself together. She had never lost control like that before, she felt shaken by it.
"Don't be, just focus it all on the battle for us and we might just win."
Stepping out of the rubble that had been the compound the avengers stepped straight into the fight. Emily used everything she had, she had creatures turning on each other, the ground shaking beneath their feet. She really wanted to take a shot at Thanos, but she couldn't get near him. She did everything she could, she saw Thor's hammer go by and when she turned it was Steve who had thrown it. She watched as Thanos beat Steve down, she was too far away and too occupied herself to help him. She was slowly making her way over as Steve got to his feet, he paused and she watched in awe as several portals opened up behind him. She was running now, her legs burning at the effort, she saw T'Challa, Suri, Sam. Bucky, where the hell was Bucky? He had to be with them, he had to be. She saw him then, he was walking towards Steve. She was so excited to have him back that anything that came into her path was moved swiftly out of the way. This included creatures, broken pieces of earth moved and even broken pieces of space crafts that had crashed to the ground during the first part of the battle. She was next to Bucky in moments, he looked at her.
"Good to have you back Barnes." She said with tears in her eyes as she reached up to touch his cheek.
Bucky stared at her, she had changed, her hair was shorter, her body was fuller in places, but she was just as beautiful. Before he could reply shots began to fly over their heads again, they turned to fight again. It felt so good to be back by Bucky's side. She wasn't gonna leave him, she wasn't losing him again. She heard Steve then.
"AVENGERS...assemble!"
They all ran towards Thanos and his army. This was it, the fight of their life. They gave it everything. Bucky kept a close watch on her as best he could as they fought, she seemed different, her powers seemed stronger somehow. He watched as she was fighting back to back with Wanda, she grabbed Wanda's hand and he felt everything shake, every creature collapsed. At that moment she had never looked more beautiful.
Then Thanos's army started turning to dust, what was going on. They moved slowly towards where Thano had been standing, it was there they found Tony. Emily grabbed on to Bucky's arm, She fell to her knees like everyone else, as the realisation of what he had just done hit them. He just gave his life for them. She looked over at Pepper who was kneeling at her husband's side cradling a sobbing Peter.
"Oh Tony." She whispered under her breath. "Thank you." she wasn't really sure what happened in the moments after that it was all a blur of pain, sadness, relief, hope, wonder and god knows how many other emotions.
…...end of chapter 10