So...more talks...also the soul stone drops a bit of a bomb :)

I decided to stay in 3rd person POV this entire chapter because I could not write multiple first-person POVS like that. Also, writing Jarvis is hard because he's a program with a soul so he's not going to be so formal but still formal without a lot of honorifics. I'll get better at writing him in the future.
Happy's snark is gonna have to wait a bit even though you get a teeny tiny little taste in this chapter. Had I written it in first person, there would have been more but have no fear, Happy's snark is coming near!

Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper all took turns informing Happy of everything that had happened in the past. Where they forgot, Jarvis was there to chip in with any information he deemed important enough that Happy needed to know. It wasn't an easy conversation, and somewhere in the middle, they had to take a break, and they used that time to change and eat. Tony welcomed the break and dreaded going back to the conversation. Even if he knew how important it was, reliving everything was never going to be easy. He was grateful that they never asked him how it felt to die; they allowed him to speak about it however he wanted, and if he happened to gloss over some things, they never spoke a word about it.

Even though Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper had lived through it all, Jarvis died halfway through, and Happy didn't remember anything at all. So when they learned what happened after Ultron, something in them changed. Happy was concerned about the events leading up to Ultron, but the events after Ultron and the actions of various team members brought out a fire in his eyes that Tony had never seen before. It was as if he were looking at a Happy that remembered even though he knew he didn't, and Tony regretted the fact that he had to tell him.

As for Jarvis, Tony had to order him not to make any moves against Shield until they were ready. That was when they found out that Jarvis not only came back, but he came back with all of his memories, or rather, all of his data, which meant that if he wanted to, he could have destroyed Shield right then and there. He wanted to. Tony had never heard his AI that angry before, and he was actually surprised he was able to show that much emotion. He knew that Jarvis was able to learn and grow; he also knew that Jarvis was able to simulate emotions, but this was different. Tony believed that it was because Jarvis had a soul that he was able to feel emotions rather than simply mimic them.

Granted, Jarvis having his data made it that much easier for Tony to do what needed to be done, but he knew it was going to be hard to keep Jarvis from completely tearing everything and everyone apart.

However, the worst reaction came from Pepper. Once she found out what Rogers did after he returned the stones, it prompted another break. Two hours later, she was still fuming, but she wasn't in the mood for a violent murder. Granted, it wasn't as if Tony didn't feel the same way, but he knew it was different because Pepper was Morgan's mother. Morgan was and will always be the love of Tony's life, but Morgan was Pepper's world. The fact that her birth was a miracle and the hardship Pepper went through trying to deliver her only made Morgan that much more special.

It was safe to say that once the conversation was over, it was better for everyone.

"So to recap: a giant purple alien wiped out half of the population in the entire universe, but you were able to undo it and defeat him, but then you died, and six magical stones brought you, Rhodey, Pepper, Jarvis, and a Norse God Alien Prince back to fix a dying universe."

"Yep," Tony said, popping the p. He watched as Happy looked at him, then Rhodey, then Pepper, then the ceiling, and back to Tony before silently nodding.

"I—" Happy began before he heaved a sigh and sent a look toward the ceiling. "Okay," he breathed out.

Tony couldn't help but lift an eyebrow in response, sending a look toward Rhodey, who simply smiled back.

"Okay?" Tony asked incredulously.

When Happy merely stared at him, Tony couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. "Right," Tony said, clapping his hands once before rubbing them together. "We have until 2018 until Barney comes to Earth. I currently have the soul stone; Thanos has the mind stone; a super-secret spy organization has the space stone; and Hogwarts has the time stone. In three years, the one Thanos has will be making its way here with Loki, and a year after that, the reality stone will make an appearance in New Mexico, which means soon Earth will have five of the six stones together in one place, which isn't ideal for us at all, but there's no other choice. We can't risk them going back into space, or they'll just be out of our reach, and we can't protect them that way."

Rhodey nodded as he leaned back against the sofa. "That means we have to keep the mind stone from Shield."

Tony tried to hide his grimace, but by the look on Rhodey's face, he wasn't as successful as he thought. Rhodey narrowed his eyes at Tony and stared until Tony finally relented and spoke up.

"We actually need the mind stone to be taken to Hydra. The stones said that Maximoff needed to gain her powers from them."

Rhodey sat straight up, a mix of shock and anger painting his face. "What!?"

"That crazy bitch has tried to kill you multiple times and has fucked with your head more times than I can count, and the stones want her to have that power again!?"

Tony placed his hands up in a placating gesture, not that it had any effect, and said, "I'm protected. My mind is protected, so Maximoff won't be able to harm me that way, but yes." By the looks on their faces, Tony knew they weren't convinced, and he couldn't really blame them because neither was he. He would never be able to trust Maximoff; she felt little to no regret, and she never learned. Tony had no idea what she got up to after he died; the stones didn't share much of her, but he doubted she got up to anything good. With Vision and Natasha dead, Clint back with his family, and Steve fucking up the timeline, she was left alone. She was barely okay with them all around her; Tony didn't have to be a genius (even though he very much was) to know she probably did something stupid somewhere down the line.

"Look, I don't like it any more than you all do. In fact, I hate it and I don't trust her, but I do trust the stones, and I trust they won't let her get out of control." Tony remembered what mind had said and prayed that it wouldn't just let the witch prance around unleashed. He did remember just how powerful she managed to become, and he was promptly reminded of why he hated magic.

"I don't know how the fight is going to go, but she was able to hold her own against him twice," Tony said, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "That counts for something, even if it is little in the face of what she's going to do, has done, or whatever." Tony waved his hand in the air in frustration and annoyance. "I'm actually guessing that she, Captain Marvel, and Strange are all going to be needed to face him off. They were the only ones who presented an actual challenge to him. "

"What about you and our alien prince?" Happy asked.

"I also think Loki and I are also going to be playing a part since we were directly chosen by the stones, but I have no idea what. I'd like to not have to face Thanos directly again; twice was enough for me," Tony admitted. He was more than sure that even if he did face off against Thanos again, he wouldn't die, but the fact of the matter was that Tony was genuinely afraid of the Mad Titan, and the very thought of having to face him again in any capacity was enough to send him into several panic attacks.

Pepper snuggled into Tony's side, mindful of his chest. "I don't like that," she mumbled.

"I must agree with Ms. Potts, sir," Jarvis interjected, worry and stress evident in his voice. "I am not comfortable with Maximoff or Thanos being in your life in any form."

"I know J." Tony sighed again, running his hand through his hair. "Look guys, if there were any other way, I would take it, but there's not. We can only work with what we have, make plans, and have multiple backups just in case the first plan goes to shit."

Rhodey let out a huff of frustration. "Are you sure that you're going to have to face him again? There's no alternative?" His voice was tinged with a hint of desperation, but Tony didn't answer; he didn't know what he could say that would put their worries at ease.

Suddenly, Tony's chest began to glow a faint orange before a soft but strong voice spoke into the heavy silence.

"Tony must face off against Thanos. I must be used against him."

Somehow, the silence got heavier, and the tension in everyone's body got tighter.

"Why Tony?" Pepper begged. "He faced off against him twice already. Why did you inhibit his body? Why not Captain Marvel, Loki, Dr. Strange, or literally anyone else who has more than their body!?" She was screaming at this point, tears running down her face, and all Tony could do was hold her close to him as she soaked his shirt.

"Tony is the only one of them that made the Mad Titan bleed which none of the people you listed had managed to do. However, the most important reason is due to his ability to create souls which only comes from one's knowledge of sacrifice and the price that comes with it. Therefore, he is the only one worthy of wielding me." Tony was surprised that the stone had answered. He was prepared to have a one-sentence reply and then radio silence. He was even more surprised that the stone didn't seem particularly put out that Pepper was screaming at it.

"Good! That's great except for the tiny little part where I don't want to. I agreed to be your guardian but not your host. I agreed to keep you safe, not use you to defeat Thanos." Tony argued.

"Exactly," the stone answered. "That is precisely the reason why only you can wield me and why we have trusted ourselves with you. You only want to save the universe and live. You ask for nothing else, you want nothing else, and if you had to make the same decision again, you and I both know you would."

Tony was tired. He had a theory as to why he was chosen, and he just about had it confirmed in the soul plane, but he still didn't like it, nor did he appreciate having it confirmed…again.

"Well, thanks for clearing that up for us," came Tony's reply, and he would have tried to hide the sarcasm, but he wasn't up for sparing any feelings. "I still don't like it." Tony continued mulishly.

"Neither do we. We were only meant to keep the universe intact."

"So why can't you? Better yet, why didn't you?" Rhodey challenged. With an audible sigh, the stone spoke again. "Because we have rules we must obey. Just because we are the base of the universe doesn't mean we get to interfere where we want. We aren't Gods who decide people's fates or destinies. We don't take over the timelines, we don't take away people's free will and yes, while I have essentially inhabited Tony's body, it's not because I particularly want to but it's because I need to. I like my own autonomy as well but it's actually to ensure his safety. As long as I'm in his body, Tony won't die and I can't be removed until Thanos is dead."

Before anyone could reply, the faint orange glow receded back into his chest and plunged the room into a thick blanket of quiet. It was oppressive, as everyone was locked inside their own heads. Pepper was still sniffling into Tony's shirt while he rubbed her arm gently.

"So what's first?" Happy questioned after a moment of silence, and Tony thought about everything they needed to do but then stopped and thought about what he wanted to do instead. In the past, he could never take the opportunity to simply rest; not until half of all life was gone was he able to just sit back and enjoy his own. It took too many lives in order for Tony to learn how to live his, and he didn't want to place himself back in that same spot.

"A movie," Tony said before he could stop himself.

"A what?" Pepper asked, her eyebrows lifting in confusion. Her tears were tapering off now, but she still had a wobble to her words.

Tony nodded and shrugged, looking down at her. "We have too much to do, but we aren't going blind this time. We can worry about everything tomorrow, but today I think we deserve a break."

Rhodey chuckled a bit before he spoke, and his eyes twinkled with amusement as he leaned back against the couch again. "So you think we should watch a movie?"

Tony nodded with a small smile. "I think we need to have more days where we just relax and remember we don't just have a second chance to save the universe, but we have a second chance at life." Tony tightened his arms around Pepper, bringing her closer to him as he looked around the room and up to the ceiling.

"I don't want to be so busy trying to fix everything that I forget how to live, and I don't want that for any of you either." It was silent for a moment before Pepper smiled gently at Tony and brought him in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. He could taste her tears on his lips, and Tony made a vow right then and there to never be the cause of her sadness if he could help it.

"I, for one, agree with you. Those five years spent in solitude were good for you and us. It would be nice to have that earlier on and without the event that happened beforehand."

Rhodey smiled gently at the two of them before nodding his agreement. "So…movie night?"

A few hours later, Tony and Happy were peacefully sleeping; Happy had his legs propped up on the coffee table, while Tony had his head nestled on Pepper's lap and his feet in Rhodey's. The credits were playing softly in the background while Pepper and Rhodey spoke softly to each other. They were both thankful that Tony hadn't woken up with any nightmares, and they didn't want to wake him up. They knew this peaceful sleep wasn't going to last, and Tony would need all the sleep possible.

"I don't remember much, actually," Pepper began. "The last thing I actually remember is putting Morgan to bed. Then I went to bed, and suddenly I was back waiting on the tarmac with Happy."

"It was the same with me," Rhodey agreed softly. "I went to bed, and then suddenly I was in the chopper on the way to find Tony." Rhodey looked at Tony's sleeping face for a moment before he rubbed a hand across his face.

"Even though he explained it, I'm still so confused, Pep. I mean…he-he died," Rhodey choked out the words even though they felt like glass in his throat. "It wasn't a dream or a potential future… and I can still remember everything. It still feels like I can feel Peter's tears on my shoulder," he said, rolling his shoulder as if he were feeling them right then. Rhodey shook his head, sighing in exhaustion.

"Trust me," Pepper said. "I know exactly how you feel. How long were we gone before everything went to crap? From what Tony told us about Rogers, the changes he made in the past must have affected the future right then." Pepper stopped talking when Tony shuffled on her lap. She waited with bated breath for him to wake up, but when he settled down, she let out a sigh of relief.

"In a way, I'm so glad I didn't have to witness my daughter disappearing from the timeline," Pepper said softly, her words stumbling over each other. "I had lost too much by then; I know that seeing my daughter disappear would have broken me. Even if I forgot about her due to the changes, the pain I would have felt even if it were for a second scares the living hell out of me."

Rhodey scoffed, and his previous anger at Steve began to bubble to the surface. "I still can't believe anyone could be so selfish, so utterly and completely selfish that they would disregard everything they learned about time travel just so they could live out their happily ever after but to actively change the past with no care about the lives he was affecting..." His voice trailed off when he couldn't bring himself to finish his thoughts. Rhodey had witnessed many deplorable human behaviors and choices in his life, but learning what Rogers did… somehow topped it all.

It was quiet for a moment, and when the credits ended, Jarvis turned off the screen, and the room was plunged into darkness for a short instant before the lights overhead were turned on and dimmed almost immediately. It was a while before either of them spoke again.

"There were so many close calls where we almost lost him, James," Pepper whispered, and the pain in her voice settled like a heavy fog in the room. Her fingers ghosted the skin of Tony's face, moving back into his hair, where they tangled themselves in his locks.

"There were so many close calls, and part of me knew that he wasn't coming back to us at the end of that battle."

She looked at Rhodey, tears shining in her eyes, and Rhodey moved to squeeze her hand that wasn't preoccupied.

"The moment he told me that he figured out a way to actually time travel, I knew that this was an all-or-nothing situation. I mean, a lot of what Tony did had that same factor, but that?" Pepper swallowed harshly, grimacing at the feeling of the lump in her throat.

"That was different, and you felt it in your bones, didn't you?" Rhodey asked softly, and when she nodded, all he could do was grasp her hand even harder. Except for him and Pepper, they all had different experiences when they returned with Tony and Jarvis. A different kind of anguish and pain resulted from them both witnessing the one person they would both have died for die for them instead. While Rhodey could never understand what Tony was going through, and whatever he could produce would most likely pale in comparison, there was something deeply unsettling about witnessing someone you care about die right in front of you.

To know that at that moment, it would be the last time they ever spoke to you, and you suddenly found yourself wishing you told them you loved them more and hoped that they knew how much you loved them. To say it wasn't fair would be an understatement.

Rhodey was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Pepper talking again. "I couldn't sleep for days, and Tony couldn't either. Of course, he was working, but every night I wanted to grab him and drag him up to bed. I wanted to plead with him to let it go. I had arguments ready in order to convince him that everything would be okay. They would learn to move on, as we had. I had fantasies about it, you know?" Pepper seemed to be asking Rhodey, but he could see that she was really talking to herself at this point.

"Almost every night I wondered if he would stop if I asked him to. If I told him just how scared I was and how much I didn't want Morgan to lose her father so young. I didn't want him to help people who couldn't be bothered to check up on him in 5 years, and the moment Tony had everything he'd ever wanted in his hands, there they came waltzing in to take everything back." By the time she stopped talking, her hand was squeezing Rhodey's to the point of pain, but still, Rhodey said nothing. He may be Tony's brother and his best friend, but Pepper is his wife and the mother of his child. That type of pain won't go away so easily.

After a moment, her hold on him loosened a bit, and she finally let her tears fall down her cheeks. "Whenever I did, however, I always woke up to nightmares. I could never remember what they were about, but I wasn't able to stop thinking about it because I knew he would. He would have stopped if I asked him to, and I know that while a part of him would have been glad, the part that cares too much about the world would have died, and I couldn't be the reason I stopped Tony from being Tony." Pepper sniffled a bit, a small smile gracing her face.

"A Tony who doesn't care about the world isn't Tony at all."

Despite hating how right she was, Rhodey couldn't help but agree with her statement. It was one of the reasons he loved Tony so much. He had so much compassion and love for the world that didn't deserve it, to the point that it was detrimental to his health.

Rhodey squeezed her hand one more time before letting her go. "Now all we have to do is keep the world from hurting him."

Huffing out a laugh, Pepper sighed softly. "Between the four of us, it'll be easy now that we know what to look out for. We just have to pray that it'll be enough."

The room was silent after Pepper stopped talking as they both watched Tony sleep until they drifted off too.

Jarvis was hard at work up above, ensconced in his code, getting the ball moving against Stane. Tony had given him permission to transfer what he already had to the military and FBI, and it was agreed that Rhodey and Tony would not send the information themselves. No one wanted Tony near Stane, and Tony didn't want James to become a target. When Jarvis ran the variables, it was found that the most likely series of events would result in Rhodey's death rather than Tony being attacked. While it would have caused an uproar, more so than Tony dying would have. While Tony's death would have affected the general public, the death of Colonel James Rhodes would have caused an uproar with the international community due not only to his position within the military but also as the liaison between Stark Industries and the Air Force.

So Jarvis took over while they watched a movie, which would have been easier if Jarvis hadn't been getting calls from various board members, including Stane, all night. Given that it had not occurred previously, he was extremely concerned. He did not know what changes they would bring or whether or not those changes would cause worse events to occur.

Coupled with the fact that Tony did not call a press conference and instead went straight home, this was allegedly cause for concern. Jarvis wasn't naive; he understood that they weren't worried about Tony's welfare and, if they were, it wasn't for the proper reasons.

The actions of his creator and the board members were not the only reasons Jarvis was as concerned as he was. Jarvis has been in a state of perplexity, panic, and other feelings he never imagined himself capable of feeling since his return. They were altering his coding in subtle but irreversible ways, which was both startling and terrifying. It had always been his primary, and at times exclusive, duty to ensure Tony's protection, and he had approached it with a clinical mentality. However, he was no longer merely looking at variables and deciding on the best outcome; he now had a personal stake in the matter, which was not the case previously. Tony was "sir," as he was his owner and creator, but somewhere along the way, he became...family.

The idea of family was such a strange concept for Jarvis to embrace. Sure, he could provide the definition and examples of "family," but he never understood that it held a different meaning for those who actually had a family. Jarvis could hypothesize all night about the changes he was currently undergoing, but there was no need, no matter how much he desperately wanted to. After all, there were three things that Jarvis was certain of. The first was that he is an AI; he is capable of self-learning, capable of dying, and, according to Tony, possesses his own soul. He was not sure if it meant he had the same soul as humans or if it operated differently, but the additional emotions he was experiencing suggested the former. The second thing Jarvis was sure of was that the influx of new emotions complicated the rate at which he processed information.

Despite the fact that he is, in some ways, a program and should be able to process things, events, and circumstances faster than humans, he is currently inadequate in this area. Jarvis was still struggling to understand everything that had transpired, while Tony and the others were asleep and appeared to have accepted what had happened. His thought process was altered and became more complicated the further he analyzed the current situation. Jarvis realized his thinking was slowly developing and evolving, much like a living creature rather than a machine.

He was uncertain about whether he could welcome the change. He had hope, however, that as time passed, he would come to accept this new reality, and he vowed to perform in a more sufficient manner going forward. Finally, the last thing Jarvis was sure of was that he would never allow anyone to harm Tony again. He had failed in his past life, but like Tony, he'd been given another chance. He won't fail his family again.

Now you all have confirmation that Tony will not die!
Yay!
After this chapter, there are going to be some major time skips because honestly, I don't want to deal with Stane or Vanko or the Mandarin. They all suck and idgaf about any of em so once I figure out how tf I'm going to deal with that, there will be another update.