Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters that may be used or any Marvel storylines or arcs.
Claimer: I only own the character Elizabeth Jones (Lowri Jones and any other names she uses) and her story past, present and future.
Recap
Lowri sat down properly and let herself relax for once, her limbs felt loose and her breathing was easier, her stomach didn't hurt and she watched the crumbling city fall from the sky.
She was there, alone, for seconds before her peace was disturbed.
She heard someone call her name out from behind her and she heard loud footsteps. Lowri looked behind her and saw it was Steve, she turned just as he came to a stop and he offered her his hand.
He pulled her up quickly and she fell into him. Her hands were flat on his chest and his hands gripped her upper arms.
"Whoa!" She laughed as she got her balance. "Hi there."
Steve didn't say anything, instead he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that seemed to last for a very long time.
Lowri clasped the fabric under her hands and he gripped her tighter. The air around them grew heated as the kiss did, she pressed herself closer to him and he wrapped one arm around her.
She had no clue as to how long they were stood there, wrapped up in each other's arms. Eventually, Lowri pulled back and looked up at him, her chest heaving to match his.
"I told you I wanted to kiss you again." Steve said gently, he looked down at her with adoration in his eyes and Lowri smiled, she went onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"And I'm glad you did." Lowri breathed out. "I thought I was a goner when the city dropped." Steve held onto her tighter.
"Let's go inside." Steve said softly.
The days that followed the incident in Sokovia were busy and no one had time to think. But one thing was clear, the first date was put on hold until everything was settled once more.
There was a lot to deal with in the aftermath, there was the media hounding them night and day in the Avengers Headquarters in the Stark Tower, there were other countries demanding answers over what happened and there was the issue of certain team members wanting to retire.
Tony was the first to retire and then Clint joined him, Clint chose to retire to focus on his family as the newest edition to his family was going to be joining them shortly and Tony felt as though the entire Ultron thing was his fault and he should stay out of things for now on.
The Stark Tower was not going to be home for the Avengers anymore, as Tony was retiring, he wanted the Tower to become his company's sole use, so, he offered a large plot of land in Upstate, New York to use as their new Headquarters.
This plot of land turned out to be one which had a storage unit filled with all sorts of goodies and another building used for Stark Industries when Howard was running the show, there was even an office.
Behind this office was an apartment and this had been Lowri's during the late 1940s and early 1950s. After she had left the Howling Commandos, Lowri went into hiding, firstly staying with Peggy Carter and her family before moving into an apartment behind Howard Stark's office in this building where she stayed for a few years before new documentation was made for Lowri's new identity and she could come out of hiding.
Plans were drawn up to expand and update the site but first, Lowri and Tony checked the chosen building out. Mostly so they could have a private chat.
They talked about Bruce's disappearance using the jet, they talked about how Ultron was not Tony's fault, they talked about the chances of Tony finally settling with Pepper and they talked about the chances of Lowri finally settling with Steve.
There were two buildings on site but only one would be updated into living accommodation since the other could be used as actual storage. There was space for a serene garden, adequate training grounds and enough space to store a jet.
The storage unit was going to have a science division installed at one end of it as well so Stark Industries would still continue its work.
The building that was going to be converted into living accommodation had been home to Howard Stark's offices where he carried out most of his work after his stint at the SSR.
"Did you know that your dad had his own secret room down this corridor?" Lowri asked. They were at the top of a sad-looking corridor, the walls were showing age with dents and marks, the windows were dusted over and the carpet was of an old-taste. "He'd come down here when the workload got too big and he'd have a drink in private."
"But this is a dead end." Tony pointed out.
"Well, no, there was a storage room here." Lowri said, gesturing to a broken door on their left, halfway down the hall. "And this one was like a supply closet." She gestured to a door on her right, close to the bottom of the hall.
Lowri stepped down the hallway first, remembering from when she made the journey the last few times she had been here.
"Do you know your way in?" Tony asked as he followed her down the hall. "I'm sure there was nothing on the plans about a secret room."
"It's hidden, Tony." Lowri said. "Howard wanted it off the plans, so, your mother wouldn't find it if she came to visit. And so no one else in the building knew it was there."
"So, you don't know how to get in? Did Dad blindfold you or something?" Tony asked jokingly.
"No, I'm waiting to see if you really are your father's son." Lowri replied with a knowing smile.
Tony rolled his eyes at Lowri and took a step backwards so Lowri had full-view of the dead-end. Lowri stepped closer to the wall with a smile on her face.
"The trick is pressing at the right angle and sliding it." Lowri said, she pressed her hands against the wall with slight pressure and the wall gave a click, Lowri slid the door to the left to reveal a dark room.
"Bloody hell you were right." Tony said, Lowri stepped back so Tony could walk in first.
"Did you not believe me?" Lowri asked jokingly. "The light switch is just on your right."
Tony stepped in and turned the light on, staring at the wide room with equally wide eyes.
"Actually, I did. But wow. Dad hid a lot." Tony said slowly, he stepped into the room further and looked around the room.
Lowri stepped in after Tony and looked around the room. There was a large pale oak table pushed up against one of the walls with a thick layer of dust, the matching chairs were stacked to the side and the bookcases were full of old volumes and treasures. There was a desk with a few books, files and photos on the surface and photos adorned the wall.
Tony stepped closer to the bar that was against the left-hand wall and peered at the aged bottles.
"Dad knew his drink." Tony said, he pulled a face at them. "None of which I like."
"He did." Lowri confirmed. "Ever wonder where you got that talent from?"
"You need to stop." Tony laughed. He stepped over to the desk. "It's crazy how this has all sat here for the last few decades."
"And the alcohol has only gotten stronger." Lowri said with a knowing smile.
"No way." Tony said, he stepped over to the desk and peered at the photos. "Dad kept these old baby photos." Tony picked up one and looked at it with a smile growing on his face.
"Your dad was rather sentimental." Lowri remarked, she stepped closer.
"No, no, no. You don't get to see any of my baby photos." Tony said quickly, stepping backwards and he shielded the photo from Lowri.
"You forget," Lowri began, she smiled at Tony. "I'm your Godmother. I've seen you as a baby. I knew you as a baby. And I'm pretty sure I changed a few diapers."
Tony blanched and turned from Lowri, shoving the photo onto the desk again.
"Ewww. Too much information." Tony groaned.
"I'll leave you alone," Lowri said, she laughed as she walked towards the door. "Close the door after you." She called out.
Lowri stepped out of the secret room and headed for Howard's old office. She likes his old office, as well as the typical room where he used to meet and greet people, behind that office and through a connecting door, there was a whole entire apartment. There was an outdated kitchen, and outdated bathroom, a living area where bookcases lined the walls and a large spacious bedroom with an amazing view of the grounds.
After a few weeks of maintenance work and renovation, the building was ready for the Avengers to move in. Tony was paying for it all but he was definitely retiring, he said.
Steve and Lowri were still going to fight on as the Avengers, as was Nat. Lowri wasn't sure if she could retire and live a normal life, she has never had a normal life.
Rhodey was going to join them and so was Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff.
She was having a tough time adjusting to living in America and she was doing it alone. Her brother, Pietro, gave his life to save Clint from a spray of bullets from Ultron flying the Quin Jet. The whole thing is tough.
Steve, Nat and Lowri were the first to move onto the base. There was a new accommodation block put in place where the old offices were but Lowri had her old rooms behind Howard's old office, which was now her own, she planned to use it well.
Then Wanda moved in and took one of the new rooms. Then Sam and then Rhodey. Pretty soon the entire new team was there. For the first week of everyone living on the new base, Tony visited every day, just to make sure everything was going good and on the last day, Thor was planning on leaving. He had other business on Asgard and in the universe.
"No one knows about Dad's hideout, do they?" Tony asked as he and Lowri walked along the path running next to the training field just behind the new facility.
"Unless you've told someone, then no." Lowri replied, "I can keep a secret."
"So, no one knows." Tony said firmly, he smiled up at Lowri. "Good. Because I want you to have the room."
"Tony… why?" Lowri asked, she looked up at him. "I've already got your dad's old office and the rooms behind it."
"You have those because Dad built them for you." Tony said, "And because you'll need your own space that isn't just to work. Dad understood it. Hence that secret room."
"To hide his booze." Lowri pointed out knowingly.
"To hide himself away when things got crazy." Tony amended her. "And boy, will things get crazy around here."
Lowri smiling knowingly and nodded her head.
"Thank you, Tony." Lowri said gently.
"I just don't want to hear stories about you and the old man sneaking off for some fun time." Tony remarked. Lowri rolled her eyes and scoffed at Tony.
"You need to stop." Lowri laughed.
Tony said his goodbye to her and left her on the track next to the training field.
Lowri was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. When Howard was young and before he married, he had practically lived at these offices and worked very hard, this was before S. H. I. E. L. D. came about, he was great company for Lowri and it was actually here when they came up with the idea for an organisation similar to what S. H. I. E. L. D. became.
Later that night, Lowri walked past the bedrooms as a way of checking if everyone was alright, each of the doors were closed tightly and there were no lights shining underneath, indicating someone is awake, all except one.
She knew it to be the young witch, Wanda.
Lowri breathed in deeply and then knocked on the door.
"Go away." The muffled reply came but Lowri opened the door and stepped in. Lowri spied Wanda sitting upright on her bed, her eyes red with tears but she looked angry. "I said to go away."
"It's three in the morning, Wanda. I'm worried about you." Lowri said in a gentle voice.
"Worried? Why are you worried about me? You hate me." Wanda practically hissed.
Lowri stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, she turned the lights onto full and stood just at the end of the bed with one of her no-nonsense looks.
"I don't hate you, Wanda. I barely know you, yes. But hate is a strong word." Lowri said.
"I taunted the team with my visions." Wanda said, now instead of an angry young girl she sounded defeated.
"But not me. I was dead before you had the chance." Lowri said, she had a smile on her face and the girl opposite her chuckled. "I know you're feeling lost and out of place, it's natural once you lose someone that close to you, I know how it feels."
"No, you don't." Wanda snapped. She threw herself off the bed with her hands clenched to her side, her wild eyes locked on Lowri. A red mist formed around Wanda's closed fists. "You do not know what it's like to have someone who's a part of you ripped from you so cruelly."
Lowri noticed Wanda's accent became more pronounced the angrier she got. Rather like Lowri when she gets angry.
"He was my brother! He was all I had in this horrible world and now he's gone!" Wanda cried.
"I don't know how it feels?" Lowri asked. "You'd be surprised at what I've felt in the last two hundred years."
Wanda was stunned. No more tears came and her breathing slowed.
"I lost the man I love to something I could have helped." Lowri said in a quiet tone, she took a seat on the end of the bed and clasped her hands in her lap. "Steve refused my help because he thought the only way to stop the Eastern seaboard from being wiped out was to put the plane down with him inside. I lost him for almost seventy years. But before that, before my life became this walking circus, I had a family."
"Did something happen to them when you were younger?" Wanda asked, her eyes met Lowri and Lowri knew that the younger girl was thinking about her own past, how she lost her parents.
"Yes." Lowri said, her mind went back to her own parents. "Me."
She was thinking about telling Wanda about her past, maybe that would make the girl warm to her a bit more.
"I had a large family, four grandparents, two parents, four brothers and three sisters. I had four nieces and five nephews, one of my sisters was expecting twins and my sister in-law expecting too. And I had a twin brother." Lowri said slowly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Wanda said quickly.
"It's alright, only select few know." Lowri said, "I'm the reason why he and all of my family are dead. It wasn't old age that claimed my family, it was me and this." Lowri said, she held her hand up in front of her and she let the fire take hold. "When I realised what I had done, who I had killed, I was distraught. I was filled with grief over never seeing any of my family again, and I was filled with guilt at murdering my family, but I had to move on fast. I had to survive. But I had no one to talk to. I had no one to help me settle in a new world. So, I'm offering you someone to talk to and to help. I'm going to personally train with you to help you understand your powers better."
"How did you manage alone for so long? Did you not miss him?" Wanda asked, tears overfilled her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
"I miss him greatly." Lowri said, "I still do. As you know, it's like having your soul ripped in two and shredded into millions of pieces. I always wonder what sort of person he could have been and I always wonder if he would have liked the person I became."
"I wonder that too." Wanda said slowly.
"I think you should get some sleep now." Lowri said, she pushed herself to her feet. "Training starts tomorrow, early."
"Thank you, Lowri." Wanda said, turning to watch Lowri as Lowri walked over to the door.
"Call me Ri." Lowri said, turning back to face the younger girl with a smile on her face. "Get some sleep."
Lowri exited the room and wandered through the dorms and she reached the part of the building that led her back up to Howard's old office and her rooms.
After speaking with Wanda, Lowri was reminded at how much she actually misses her family and she went online to see if she could find her old home.
The site of her old home had been levelled out and was made into a carpark with a sign dedicated to twenty-seven members of the Jones and Andrews family who had perished there.
Lowri had visited in 1939, just before she enrolled in the WAAF, she had wanted to see what became of that dreadful site. Her eyes teared up and Lowri retired to bed.
She had little sleep before she was up and dressed in a pair of running leggings, matching sports bra and tank top.
Tony had thought ahead and built a simulation room in the storage building, slightly underground, for Lowri to train in and Lowri thought this was the perfect place to train with Wanda, as in an environment like this, she could actually be free and not scared to hurt anyone.
How right she was.
And there we have it, the final chapter of The Woman Out Of Time: The Continued Story: Part 2.
Thank you to those who have stuck with me till the end, though this is not the end of the series... there is more to come!
I'm working on my story based on Captain America: Civil War, then after that, it'll be Avengers Infinity War and Avengers End Game. I am working on a story based on Lowri's past but that won't be ready for a little while yet...
Watch this space for the next story!
Read, Review, Follow & Favourite!