Chapter 16

The party was in full swing. Tony had really out done himself this time. Somehow, he had managed to get messages out to all the Avengers both active and non-active as well as the Fantastic Four. Somehow, he even managed to get Reed out of his lab and they had even draught along the kids with them. Most of the X-men had turned up and surprised Carol with the Guardians of the Galaxy turning up to.

As Captain America slowly walked through the crowd of people he had short little conversations with everyone he knew as he searched the crowed for a few set people. Finally, his eyes fell on the first of the group sitting at the bar drink in hand and Pepper trying to talk him down from doing yet some other stupid act. Shaking his head, he matted, "Stark." Walking up to his friend he straight up took the glass out of the man's hands. "Sorry Pepper but I'm going to have to interrupt." Turning to Tony he continued, "Falling off the wagon, are we?"

"Nope drinks are all free of any and all alcohol after all the lady of the hour is also a recovering alco. Well except Logan's beer but I don't think anyone else wants to drink that muddy water." Taking a swig from his drink he gave Pepper a quick peck on the cheek. "Had you going for a minute there."

She returned the gesture with a swat to the back of his head. "Jerk, behave or I'll kick you out tonight."

"Who me I always behave."

"Right," rolling her eyes she turned to Steve, "Whatever it is you want this misfit for can you at least keep him out of trouble." Pepper then walked off into the crowed.

"I'll do what I can ma'am. Tony do you still have that sphere that came back with May?"

"Yeah It's in my lab. Still can't get anything off it. Why?"

"I promised her that I would make shore that it went to the right people if anything happened to her. So, can you get it ready and I'll get the others and meet you in the lab."

"Right. You do know this is meant to be a party, right? You know no work allowed."

"Yes, but I think this will be the only time we will get everyone we need in the right place. So, can you please?"

"Ok, ok, one of these days we really need to get you to have a day off."

Continuing his way, he saw the Richards family over talking to Jessica Jones and her husband Luke Cage while the two older kids kept the toddler entertained. Once more making his way through the crowed he passed by the dance floor glancing up he had to take a double take as he spotted Banner up on the floor slow dancing with someone he didn't expect. Slowly the two of them turned on the floor and the lady in his arms came into view and this is what made him do the double take for there was Natasha Romanoff in a stunning red dress with a real smile on her face.

"Surprising, isn't it?" Bucky said moving along side of him.

"Yes, it is. Only thing is I don't know which one I should be more surprised about. The fact that is a real smile on her face or the fact that it is with Banner of all people. After all I thought she was with you."

"We had one of those on again of again flings. While that. That is the real deal. Started out on a mission. Believe it or not she needed his help on a mission and for cover they used the age-old line of a married couple." He let out a small chuckle thinking of all the times he had used it in the past. "Well it seems that he treated her so well as his 'wife'" making hand gestures, "She just kind of fell for him and next thing you know she is hanging out in his lab and trying to get his attention."

"Well I'm happy for them." Steve said crossing his arms across his chest while continuing to watch them turn on the floor. "Hopefully it all works for them. Do me a favour will you?"

"Name it."

"Go find Racheal Gray for me and bring her down to Tony's lab. I need to go get the Richard family form over there." He took his eyes off his friend to point out the four of them.

"No problems Cap and here I thought you might have a real mission for me."

"Not everything has…" Turning his attention back to his friend he found him gone. "Sometimes he can do that too well.

Leaving Bruce and Natasha to their own little world he made his way to the two families

"Sorry to interrupt you good people but I am going to need you for a little while."

"Something wrong Cap?" Sue asked getting up from her seat next to Jessica.

"No just for filling a promise it all so can you two and your two little ones please come with me down to Tony's lab we can all get back to the party that much quicker."

Racheal still didn't know why she was here why was Captain America asking for her. There is nothing that she has that he would be after is there. As the elevator opened Bucky motioned for her to walk out and into Tony's lab and then she really was confused. There was the Richard family Sue standing there off to one side with her two children just waiting while over next to some machine she didn't recognised was Captain America arguing with both Tony and Reed about whatever was in the machine.

"Look I know we still don't know what it is or what it can do but I need you to stop this thing and take it out." Using his hands in a very calming gesture he continued, "I made a promise and I will fill everyone in on that promise right now if you would please just take it out."

"Fine but if this whole thing blows up in our faces I'm not paying for the damages. I'll send you the bill instead." Tony replied starting to stop the machine and opening it. Removing the orb from the case it was held in he turned back to Steve.

"Fare call. I can agree on that." Taking the orb from Tony's hand he walked into the middle of the room. "If you could all please come here I will explain."

Racheal and Bucky came over to stand by Steve's side with Tony stayed on the other. Reed moved around to stand with his wife while resting his hands-on Valeria shoulder while Franklin continued to stand by his Mother's side. In the end they all just made a nice triangle shape with the way they were standing.

"Before we left on that last mission with May Parker otherwise known as Spider-women I had a chance to have a small conversation with her about what was to happen in the future and in the end, she said that she had two missions. One was to stop the Race from coming to the Earth and by doing so completely changing the timeline and in the end saving us all from the end of our species. The other was to do with this." He held out the orb for them all to see. "She wasn't very specific about who gave it to her she just said it was given to her and her brother by the Richards and that it would only open when both Franklin Richard and Racheal Gray put their hands on it and that was her task to get the two of you together to open this."

"Now hang on a minute." Tony started.

Stopping him with a simple hand gesture he continued, "I am not saying you have to open it. That was not what I promised her. I only agreed to bring you here to decide for yourselves what to do with it. Now Bucky this has nothing to do with you I only asked you to find Ms Gray because I knew you could do it a lot faster than I could and you have finished that task. So, you can go back up to the party if you want."

"If you don't mind I think I might stay." Looking around he found a stool which he proply span around so the back was facing everyone in the room and sat down on it. Pulling a knife out of his boot he started to twice it through his hands. "No offence to everyone upstairs but I'm not really one for parties and there are way too many people in too much of a small space for me to relax. Also, according to the scuttle bug, I missed out on one hell of a mission a few days ago. If something like that goes down again I want in."

"Tony, you have been studying this thing for a few days now what have you got for us before we let this people have the final say."

"I have a sweet lot of nothing for you. I can't get any type of reading from it of any kind. According to every test I know this thing." Tony motioned with his hands. "Doesn't exist and to me that is alarming. I don't like it, I don't like it at all. There is just way too much we don't know. Shore we know where it comes from about thirty or so years in the future but outside of that nothing. There are four people right here in this room that have the last name of Richards. Who I might add all have ether the intelligent or the skills to make something like this and that doesn't even count the number of people out there in the world that may or may not have the same last name as you. Finally, I might add what has any of this have to do with Racheal over here. No offence or anything considering I already know you are a time traveller. I did my reasch into you and your skills and this thing," once more gesturing with his hands, "is not something you could make. Sorry but if you want my option. Don't do it. Let's keep running test until we can get something off it then we can make a better decision with more information."

"Thank you, Tony, and no we didn't ask you. To me the only people in this room that have any type of say what we should do with it is you three." Steve motioned to Reed, Sue and then Racheal. "After all Franklin is still too young to make these types of choices on his own. So, what do you have to say?"

"May I?" Racheal asked. She reached over with her hands, "I would like to scan it just encase I can get anything from it with my telepathy." As her hand just about touched it the skin on it shimmed and formed a hand mark that looked like it would fit her own. "Woah," she pulled her hand back away from it and once more it smoothed over. "That was weird. Nothing was coming form it until I just about touched it and then suddenly I could feel myself."

"Reed I don't think this is a good idea." Sue said with a little worry in her voice, "I can't believe I'm saying this but what if Tony is right this time. Maybe we should do some more tests."

"Hmm," Reed said starting to rub his chin with his hand as he thought things over.

"Oh, I don't believe this." Valeria piped in, "Of because they should do it. The world was just about to end when this thing was made. There could logically be only three people in this room that could have made it. Dad, Franklin and me, sorry mum. And quite frankly do you see any one of us sending something back in time that would harm anyone here. No, they wouldn't. Whatever is in there would be there for some sort of benefit. After all there is no point in going through everything they did to save the world just to end it. So, get over there and open the stupid thing."

"Valeria, I don't think- "Sue started

"So, she is right," Reed interrupted her. "Everything she said is correct and I would like to add the most likely person to make something like that would-be Franklin and he is very unlikely to put something dangous in it. So, go ahead Franklin you should open it."

"What, why, why Franklin?" Racheal asked.

"His mutation." Valeria stated quite simply like it was come knowledge.

"Franklin can quite literally bend reality anyway he wants on the molecular level. If he wants to make something that no one but two people could open and in essence doesn't exist, then he can."

"Makes sense." Racheal once more reached over and this time she didn't stop but removed the orb from Steve's hand. One of her hands sank into the orb while the other stayed on the outside to support it. She turned around and knelt in front of him. "Come on kid let's do this."

"Mum?"

"It's ok Franklin. Trust your Dad and Sister they know what they are talking about. And if they are wrong then there will be hell to pay."

Reaching out his hand the orb once again changed to allow his hand to pass through and into it. They could feel each other's hands with in it as it slowly started to pulsate with light which was stadlly getting both brighter and faster between flashes. Next thing they knew the orb reached right around their hands locking them into the orb. Now it was flashing so brightly and so often that none of them could look at it without hearting their eyes. Then it burst into flames covering both of them inside of the flames which formed up into a large bird that opened its wings. This caused a large explosion that knocked all but the two of them over on to the floor and sliding to the walls. This caused all the walls to shack before it let out a large screech and then it just disappeared.

Steve slowly made it to his feet and looked around at the destroyed room. "Is everyone ok?" He asked as his eyes were drawn to the two people still in the middle of the room. Both still had their eyes closed and still held each other's hands. Though what really had his interest was the fact that both where smiling which slowly made its way across their faces and finally the two of them burst into laughter.

"I can't believe that really worked," Racheal said as she opened her eyes.

"What did you expect my sister was a genius," he replied opening his eyes.

"That is true now get over here," she replied before pulling him into her arms and the two of them locked lips in a very passent kiss.

Sue then cleared her through getting the two to stop and turn in her direction. "Do you mind getting your arms and lips off my twelve-year-old son?"

"Right, yeah, younger bodies," Franklin replied.

"Yeah we are going to have to do something about that." Racheal said looking back at him to now notice she was looking him in the eyes and was no longer kneeling. "Cheeky you used your powers on me."

"Yeah sorry should have asked first." Reaching back to scratch the back of his head. "I kind of took a few years off your life."

"Oh, really and how old am I now."

"Twelve."

"Well I guess I can live with that. After all it does put us on an even playing field." Reaching up she touched her temples before continuing. "Professor Xavier is trying to scan our minds. Ill deal with him if you can fill them in."

"Deal. Mum, Dad boy do I have a story to tell you."