REVAMPED!

Mark XIV: Six Years Later

He isn't going through the motions but he watches it. It's the moment he fell out of the wormhole. The time when he thought, for sure, that he died.

Tony only knows about it from watching those recap videos from SHIELD.

He watches his armour fall through the closing wormhole, flailing around since he wasn't controlling it on the inside. His teammates are glad that he made it, relieved that it's all over. But before Thor could fly up and catch him, The Hulk leaps in. He catches him, crashing into a building and scraping through its exterior before hurling to the ground.

Then, they land. And Tony isn't responding.

They look at his closed eyes, believing that he's dead. But he knows he isn't because he's watching this. He sees Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk staring at him. They wait for him to respond.

Tony knows what happens next. He waits on the expected roar like a jump scare. But when it happens, he doesn't hear it. Instead, it comes out like clapping thunder.

-o-

Tony wakes up the moment lightning flashes in his eyes. Once it's gone, Tony feels his heart settle back to a normal resting pace.

He takes in his surroundings. He's sitting in the window seat of his jet. It's dark outside with a thunderstorm. The cabin is dimly lit and Pepper is nuzzled in the seat next to him. Her legs are curled up beside her and she's wrapped in a blanket. Her body is craned over the armrest, closer to falling into him.

Across from him is Emily. She's wide awake, sitting cross-legged with her knees against her chest. Her hazel eyes are wide and plastered at the window. Her mouth is slightly opened in excitement as she rocks back and forth in her seat.

She's excited about something which seems strange since she can't see anything out the window since it's dark. But before Tony could ask what, lightning blinds him and thunder rumbles in pursuit. Tony jumps a little but Emily starts cheering. That must have been what she was waiting for.

Emily looks over and sees that her dad is looking at her. "Daddy, Thor's coming!"

"God, I hope not," Tony responds.

Emily points right at him. "Pun!"

Tony laughs proudly, especially since he didn't do that on purpose. "Come here. I'll protect you when you're scared."

Emily leaps into his lap. She positions herself so that their legs are lined up with his as they drape over. Tony wraps his arms around her torso, squeezing her. She isn't scared but having her in his arms helps him. It wasn't even the storm that spooked him, it was his dream. But he's glad to be having less of those as the years go on.

"Thor shouldn't scare you," Emily tells him.

"I wasn't scared," Tony argues.

"Yeah, you were."

"Was not."

"Was so."

"Was not."

Another round of lightning and thunder fill the sky. The jet bounces a little and Tony jumps in his seat. Once it's calm, Tony sees Emily giving him an I told you so face as she pokes his glowing arc reactor. She really is her mother's daughter: not letting him win a fight (despite the fact that he wasn't going to win. She was this good at verbal debates ever since she could talk).

"Thor doesn't scare me," Tony says to her.

"Auntie Agent Nat does," Emily responds.

"Not around her daughter because she's the freaky one."

A lot of them have changed after having kids because that's what parenthood does. Tony would like to say that he became humbler but nobody agrees with him. But their opinions didn't matter.

"True, but Mommy scares you."

Tony shakes his head. "No, she doesn't."

Pepper raises her head and looks at Tony with half-opened eyes. Even drowsy from her sleep, she can still pick out the bullshit. Emily really got that trait from her as well, even when it's targeted at him.

"She does," Pepper and Emily say in sync. She really is their daughter: a perfect combination of himself and Pepper. Although there are some times where she exhibits more internal traits from one of them over the other.

Emily climbs out of his lap and over the shared table between them. Pepper opens her arms and lifts the blanket. Emily nestles herself inside her mother's warmth for the rest of the plane ride. They both look at Tony with their victorious faces.

Tony smiles, nodding in defeat only because this will be the rest of his life. And he wouldn't want it any other way.

[*cries because this story is done*

But you can continue reading Emily's story in The Story of Emily Stark]. [2019: Go read it because it's being revamped and has new chapters!]

[I just want to say thanks a trillion to all the readers who have read, reviewed, followed and favourited. I love you all to death. Feel free to recommend a story idea, any story idea to me and I will most likely write it].

[2019: I had fun revamping this story. Let me know if you read the new version].

~ MysteryGal5