Chapter 56

Toni guided Vision through the halls carefully as she moved with purpose. Vision had been staying with her at the Tower, as did all the Avengers, but it was more than that with him. She wanted him to know he had a home here at the Tower as well. With her and her family. Because he was family.

JARVIS had taken to having a son spectacularly, spending hours and several processors with him, communicating in their own private servers as he taught him about the world Vision was born into. And she was grateful to him for that. While Toni could offer him all the perspective she could about the human experience, she couldn't truly offer him what it was like to be an android in this world. And JARVIS could.

Still, he had yet to meet some of his family, due to there always being something else to do since the Battle of Sokovia. But now that the fighting was done, that the world was recovering, and she had some free time, she could properly introduce Vision to the bots.

The minute she opened the door, DUM-E sprinted towards them, waving his arm about in excitement.

"DUM-E, at least let Vision enter the room," JARVIS said, and DUM-E pouted at them. She stroked his arm tenderly. "Vision, meet my oldest child, DUM-E."

"Nice to meet you," Vision said, looking at the bot in wonder. DUM-E beeped at him and Vision smiled, "Yes, I suppose I rather am like you, aren't I?"

"He can understand DUM-E?" Ava said in surprise. It had taken her years to properly understand her bots.

"DUM-E has code in him," Toni said softly, "Even though he doesn't speak in English, he can speak with a version of binary."

"Vision, meet U and Butterfingers as well," she said, gesturing to her slightly younger bots who were standing behind DUM-E, unsure of how they should act. This is Vision, he's the newest member of our family, and he'll be staying with us."

Vision looked a bit overwhelmed and she looked over at her cousin, "Ava, why don't you get the systems set up for our tests and we can get started. Barnes should be here shortly."

Ava nodded, as she ushered the bots with her, promising to give them upgrades as she sweet talked them.

"Vis are you okay?" she asked him softly.

"I find myself slightly to be overwhelmed," Vision said, emotion filling his voice, "I know you did not intend to create me, as you did with the others, and you did only out of necessity. And yet you still welcome me into your home and allow me to meet your family. You treat me with kindness and offer me a family. And I suppose it's far more than I expected."

"You are family," Toni told him firmly. "Even if you came into existence in a time of war, don't think that any of us don't want you here. Because we do."

"I thank you for that," Vision said with a smile.

"Now, why don't you get to know the bots, while Ava and I get to work?" she offered, and Vision agreed with a nod.

"You okay?" she asked Ava, as her cousin was looking over the semantics for the Binary Augmented Retro-Framing device. While it was still in a prototype stage, she knew they'd be able to get started with it.

"This would have been so much easier if Bruce was here," Ava said, looking down. "He was always more into biology than me. He would have solved the problems we were having in hours. I don't blame him for disappearing, but I miss him still."

"I know," Toni said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Bruce will come back when he's ready. But until then, you have to keep living your life. You can't be on hold until he returns."

Ava gave her a gentle smile, as there was a knock on the door just then. Ava moved to answer it, and Toni watched as Bucky made his way into the lab.

"Bucky," she said with a smile, "Thanks for making your way over."

"Anytime if it means I get to spend the day with two beautiful ladies," Bucky said with a wink. He grew somber then, "You're doing me a huge favour, Toni. And even if none of this works, I'm more than grateful that you're trying."

"We'll give it our best shot," Toni promised him, "We need to break the conditioning that was done to you. We need to undo everything they've done to you, and that means exposing you to a lot of the horrors of it. Of course, without any of the torture, but you're going to have to relive those memories. A lot of which I'm sure you've blocked out. It's not going to be pleasant by any means. And I want you to know that if you ever want to stop, or if you don't want to continue the procedure, no one's going to think badly of you. Not when you've endured so much more than the rest of us could ever even imagine."

"Thank you, Toni," Bucky told her softly, "It's going to be okay. Do whatever you must to help me break free of this. I don't want to be HYDRA's plaything any longer. I don't want to be something that they can control. I've done horrible things under their commands, and I cannot do it any longer. I cannot be that any longer. I'm willing to do whatever we must to completely break free of this."

"Okay," Toni said with a nod, as she pulled out a pair of glasses. "This is the Binary Augmented Retro-Framing device Ava and I have been working on. Or better known as BARF. It's going to project your memories in front of you, as if you were back in that moment. But you'll be able to interact with people and objects and the memory will play out in whatever direction you chose to take it. It's based on the concept of exposure therapy where you face whatever it was that brought you trauma. It's not going to be pleasant, and you'll have to relive some of your worst memories. We'll be here with you every step of the way, and you won't be alone through any of this."

Bucky nodded, "I understand. I can't say that I'm looking forward to having to relive those memories. But if this is what gives me my free will back, then I'm willing to do anything necessary."

"You're a brave man," Ava told him. "To have to endure the things you have once, and then be willing to do it again."

He offered her a kind smile.

"Shall we get started?" he asked, and she gave him a nod.


Toni never made any of the decisions in her life lightly. Even from a young age, she always knew that there would be consequences for every action. For anything she ever considered doing, she always did so knowing the full cost of her actions and what it would entail.

It was why every time she snuck into her father's lab, she did so knowing that he wouldn't be pleased when he inevitably caught her. But she did so despite the risk as it was worth it for what she was gaining.

It was why every time she came up with a new product, she'd refuse to release it until it had been fully tested and any bugs were worked out.

It was why she knew when she put on the armour every day that there was a chance she wouldn't come home. But she did it anyways, because the lives she saved were worth risking her own.

But she was tired.

Toni Stark was exhausted.

And as she stared at her screen while JARVIS ran the simulations for her newest suit while she tinkered with a Stark personal computer, trying to make it sleeker, but still provide enough substance for a consumer while also looking at the latest charts from the Maria Stark Foundation, she finally snapped.

It was too much.

There was too much to do, and she was just so tired of trying to balance it all. Sure, she'd juggled things her entire life, but there was a difference between being CEO of a company and the head of R&D and balancing both of those, and still trying to be a full-time superhero at the same time.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten a solid night's sleep.

She needed a break.

It was why she'd set up FRIDAY after all, because there was too much load on JARVIS' plate. And even with her two AIs working perfectly together, it didn't lighten the load on her plate and make her life any less difficult. No, she was still just as exhausted. And frankly, she was so tired of trying to manage all of it, and she wanted nothing more than to take a break.

"Toni?" she heard Steve's voice call out as he carefully entered her lab. "JARVIS asked me to come down here. He sounded concerned about you. Are you okay?"

His face dropped when he saw hers and she wondered just how exhausted she must have looked.

"Sweetheart when was the last time you took a break?" he asked her gently, pulling her away from her workstation and towards the couch in her lab.

"I don't know, Steve," she said softly, "And I think that's the problem. I don't know when the last time I took a break was."

"Talk to me," he told her, "What's going on? What can I do to help?"

"When I made Iron Woman, I did so to take down the bad guys," she said after a moment. "The really bad ones. The terrorists and the ones harming innocent people. The supervillains. But I always did that in my spare time. But since SHIELD fell, I've been doing it more and more, trying to help bring down HYDRA, while also making sure SHIELD functions efficiently. And still producing designs for SI, while being its CEO. And I'm tired Steve. It takes a lot out of me."

"Maria can handle SHIELD," Steve said after a moment, "She's more than capable, and since it functions out of SI, you could ask her to report to Pepper. She's been saying for months that she wouldn't mind helping you out more, and maybe it's time to let her. You always did say Pepper Potts was the most capable woman you knew."

"She is," Toni said with a nod. "And while I probably will do that, I'm not all that certain that it'll be enough. I think I want to take a step back from the Avengers."

He blinked at her.

"You want to give up Iron Woman?" he asked, uncertain of her implications.

"No," she shook her head, "Not full time. Just go back to what I used to do before I joined. I want to fight in the battles that you need me for. Fight when the world is ending or if a supervillain is threatening humanity. But for missions like taking down HYDRA, I'd like to take a step back. I know it's selfish of me, and I don't want you to think that pulling away from you or the team. It's not that, I promise. But something's gotta give and I can't keep running myself ragged like this."

"I know," he said with a nod. "Okay. If that's what you want then I'll support you, Darling. Just know that you always have a place on the team, whenever you want."

"There's more," she said, taking a deep breath. "I made Stark Towers to house SI, but to also be a housing unit for me and my family. For Peter to have a room in and for Harley to always have a place to stay. Aunt Peggy and Uncle Daniel, despite their insistence to live in their own residence have a floor here, and Harry and Ava have both lived here almost full time since I've built it. I have thousands of employees here who come in every day. And since the Avengers, it's been attacked twice."

Steve nodded grimly at that. "I'm just grateful no one was hurt either time," he said.

"But we can't guarantee that it won't happen in the future," she pointed out to him, "We have no way of promising the people here will never be at risk. And with Wanda, Vision, Pietro, Rhodey, and Wilson now joining the Avengers full time, you have to admit it's getting cramped on the Avenger floors."

"What's your solution?" he asked her.

She pulled up a blueprint of a former SI warehouse and showed him the designs she had drawn up on them, "The Avengers Compound. Equipped with a running track, three training rooms, a weapons room, meeting rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. I'm not kicking the Avengers out, I promise. But I think that given the risks on the Tower, and the growing size of the Avengers, it makes sense that we get a larger, more isolated place."

"Would you stay here?" he asked her gently, rubbing his fingers over her hand.

"It's close to the city," she told him, "If I'm stepping back to be more involved with SI, it makes sense that I spend most of my time here. But you don't have to stay there either. You can come home here, and I can spend some nights there. I know it's not the same but-"

He interrupted her, "It doesn't matter to me," he said carefully, "I love our current arrangement, and this is our home. But you're right that the Avengers need their own dedicated space. As long as I get to come home to you every night, then that's all that matters to me, and is all I ask for. I don't care where I am. I support you, Toni, both with taking a step back and with the compound plans. We're in this together, you and I."

She leaned up and pressed her lips against his, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap.

"I love you," she said to him and he stroked her face tenderly.

"I love you too, Darling," he promised her.


Since getting pulled out of the ice, Steve had been visiting Peggy Carter on a semi regular basis. And since she'd moved back to New York to be with her children once her memory was restored, those visits grew more frequent.

Bucky being brought back into the fold meant that he'd taken to joining them when they met up for lunch or went out.

A part of him might always love Peggy, he supposed. She had been there through one of the biggest changes in his life, when he gained the super soldier serum. But that time was gone. She'd lived a full life, and he'd met Toni and fallen in love with her.

Despite their history, she had become one of his closest friends, and he often looked forward to their weekly meetings.

"Peggy," Bucky said warmly, as he bent down to kiss the older woman on the cheek. Despite still being wary of himself in large social settings, he was able to convince his friend to join them, knowing that Bucky had always liked Peggy, even back in the war.

"Always the charmer," Peggy laughed, as Steve hugged her gently, "Sit down gentlemen. Let's get some lunch, shall we? I'm rather hungry and given that I'm no longer looking after my figure in my old age, I have no qualms about eating my share of breadsticks."

"You look as good as ever, Pegs," Bucky winked at her, "I don't think a few breadsticks will ruin that."

She winked back at him, "I'm sure Daniel will agree," she said, as the waitress came over to their table then. Steve ordered himself some spaghetti, as he handed her back his menu.

"So how have you been Peg?" Steve asked her, crossing his arms, "It's been a little while since I've seen you, given everything that's been happening lately."

"I've been well," she said with a nod, "But I didn't ask you to lunch today to make small talk with you. I asked you here since I have a bone to pick with you Steven Grant Rogers."

"Oh?" he asked, raising his brows in surprise, "What about."

"My Goddaughter," Peggy said simply, "It's been a few months since you asked Daniel and I for our blessing to marry her, and every time she calls, I expect to hear the good news. And yet you still haven't proposed. Why is that?"

"I was going to," he defended, "That night of the party, where all her loved ones were there. I was going to pull her aside at the end of the night and ask her to be my wife. I had it all planned out in my head. But then Ultron attacked, and the moment passed. I couldn't bring myself to ask her after she lost her child that night. And then we got pulled into the battle to bring Ultron down."

"And you did," Peggy said simply to him, "It's been a month since you brought him and the aftermath is mostly wrapped up. So what's stopping you from proposing to her now?"

"There never seems to be a good time," he admitted, "She might have gotten JARVIS back, but she's still grieving. The entire ordeal was hard on her, and I just want things to get back to normal."

Bucky snorted at that.

"What?" Steve asked him defensively.

"Even I know that's a bullshit reason," Bucky said, "Your life involves fighting bad guys and aliens on a regular basis. What's normal to you now? Just an average day of attacks? I hate to break it to you Steve, but if you're waiting for normal, you're never going to get it. Your lives are anything but normal."

"He's right," Peggy told him gently, "Steve, your lives are hardly normal anymore. The things the two of you go through on a regular basis is so much different than the rest of the world. If you keep waiting for the world to give you your moment, you're going to miss it. Like Harry and Natasha did. The world isn't going to hand you anything. It's up to you to take the moment for yourself and make it yours."

He sighed at that, knowing the two of them were right. Who knew how long it would be until the next big attack happened? And besides, he loved Toni. There was nothing he wanted more than to make her his wife, if she agreed of course.

"You're right," he said with a sigh. "Of course you both are. Okay, I'll propose to her soon. I just need a new plan for how I want to do it, given my old one has gone out the window now."

"Well we may be able to help you there," Peggy said, conspiringly, as she leaned forward.


Wanda wasn't all that sure what to do with herself now.

Since receiving a pardon from the United Nations, she'd spent most her time at the new Avengers Compound Stark had set up. She had to admit, the woman moved fast. Within a month of making her intentions known to make a compound, the building was fully set up and ready to go.

It was impressive, to say in the least.

Even with Pietro needing time to heal from his injuries, he still recovered and he still had his speed. And while Pietro was having the time of his life, taking advantage of the new training facilities, Wanda had no idea what to do with herself.

Her magic had made her special. It was what gave her purpose and gave her an advantage.

Without it, she had nothing.

She was nothing.

She wasn't even sure why the Avengers let her stay anymore, beyond needing to keep an eye on her. There was nothing useful about her anymore.

She wasn't a hero, and she had nothing to offer the team. She wasn't good at anything else.

And she knew it was really only a matter of time before they realized it too and decided to do something about it. About her.

Her entire life, she and Pietro had had a connection. They were twins. They shared everything. And then they had been given powers. They were special. They were chosen. They were more.

And now they were different.

She didn't want to be bitter that the stone had let him keep his powers. Not when she loved him. And yet she was.

But he hadn't abused his powers as much as she had.

He hadn't cursed Stark and the rest of the Avengers, giving them traumatic visions. He hadn't set the Hulk loose on a city full of innocent people. He hadn't tried to tear the Avengers apart as much as she had.

He wasn't innocent by any means either.

But he wasn't as guilty as she was.

He wasn't as dark as she was.

"Get up," she heard Romanoff say, and she looked up to see the Black Widow standing over her, offering her a hand.

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask. What did they want with her? Was this it? Had they finally decided that they'd had enough? Was this the end of her time here?

"I've had enough of you feeling sorry for yourself," Romanoff rolled her eyes, "You lost your powers. So what? The world isn't over for you. You have to get back on your feet and keep going. If you allow yourself to fall down every time life shoves you and you refuse to get back up, then you're never going to make it very far. You'll be on the ground lamenting away your life while it goes on for everyone else."

"I'm nothing without them," she said, hating that her voice sounded so small. "I have nothing."

"You're still here," Romanoff said, not unkindly. "You're alive. Do you think it means that you cannot pull your weight with the Avengers if you don't have powers? I don't have any powers. Neither does Clint or Harry. We have ourselves and our training. And we keep up with the rest of the Avengers just fine. So can you, if you let yourself. You just need to believe in yourself and your abilities. And you need to get up off the ground and train. I'm offering you a chance to do just that."

"You want to train me?" Wanda asked in disbelief.

"I'm offering to train you," she confirmed, "To give you a chance to prove to yourself that you can be far more than what you are now. But if you want to stay there, on the ground, then feel free to do so. No one is going to make you fight. No one is going to coddle you either. You're a grown woman, and you can make your own decisions. So what is yours going to be? Are you going to stay there on the ground, feeling sorry for yourself? Or are you going to get up off the ground and fight for yourself? Are you going to take a chance on yourself to prove to yourself that you can be more than you are now?"

She weighed her choices in her head.

She knew that the older woman was right. She was mopping around. And it would only get her so far.

The Avengers were offering her a chance, a real chance, to make things right. Not just to fight by their side after she fought against them initially. A chance to join their team and to be one of the good guys.

To fight for the rest of the world as opposed for herself and for her revenge. And all she had to do is was join them. To take Natasha Romanoff's hand.

And so, she did.