Happy Sunday

I hope 2025 is being kind to you so far. For me it's been a bit of a bitch, hence the later-than-planned update. Thank you for the comments on the last chapter. It was nice to hear from you all.

10. Leaving

Morgan sat on Peter's lap, her brown eyes untroubled as she asked, "How long will you be gone?"

Peter noted how that question was asked without the rancor that used to be there when they were parted. Thanks to Time and Tony's choice to stay the course and remain for the years of The Blip, Peter had a chance to be present for Morgan growing up, and part of that was her growing up knowing Peter was always going away but he always came back. She knew back then that weekends were when he would be there and weekdays he would be away.

Peter had worried about that deal when she became old enough to be cognizant of his presence and absence, worried what would happen if he didn't survive. Tony and Pepper had persuaded him to be there regardless, and he was so thankful to them for it. Those years being part of her life, not watching from the shadows, were among his most treasured memories.

And it was good as it meant that she could be content when he went away, as long as she knew he was coming back.

"I don't know exactly," Peter admitted.

Morgan nodded understandingly and then her eyes widened. "You have to be home for your party! We're having a—" She clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide.

"We're having a what?" Peter asked, his voice a little teasing.

"We're having a cake," Morgan rallied. "Daddy said I can choose the cake, so I'll make sure it's super-special for you, and you can't miss that."

Peter grinned. He wasn't stupid enough to believe he was going to get away with a quiet seventeenth birthday gathering with his family since, despite the fact they had been in his life for almost eight years, they'd had only gotten to celebrate one birthday with him before. He knew how much they liked to party, and it was true he'd not allowed them to observe his birthdays during The Blip Years, because he wasn't physically aging and it would have gotten confusing for Morgan if she came to his twenty-first birthday party and then the next one was his seventeenth.

"I will absolutely be here for some cake," Peter promised. "Even if I have to use magic, I'll be here for my birthday."

Morgan beamed and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Okay. That's a promise."

"It's a promise," Peter agreed. "Now, I have to go talk to Mommy and Daddy quickly then I'll go. Can I have one more goodbye squeeze?"

Morgan squeezed him as tight as she could and planted one more kiss on his cheek then released him and slid from his lap.

Peter stroked her hair in farewell and then headed out of the room and into the kitchen where Pepper and, unexpectedly, Tony, were. Peter had thought he'd be in the common room, keeping watch over his counterpart, whom he had made no secret of not trusting.

"Hey," Peter said. "You okay?"

Pepper nodded and came around the table to hug him. "We're good, honey. I'll be right back in a minute. I just want to check on Morgan and your dad needs to talk to you."

Peter hugged her in return and said, "Okay, sure."

Pepper slipped out of the room and Peter took in his father's face. He looked tormented, pained in a way Peter hadn't seen since he'd visited 2017 a week after May's death to tell them he wasn't Worthy, that they could go home. He couldn't understand what had happened to hurt Tony this way.

He crossed the room at once and placed his hands on Tony's face, cupping it, his heart aching at the sight of his father's pain. "Dad, what's wrong? What's happened?"

Tony stared at him, eyes growing wet, and said, "Pete… I'm so sorry… I can't…" Then he trailed off and shook his head.

Peter puzzled over it, trying to work out what his father couldn't do which was causing him this kind of pain. And then the situation and the look on Tony's face connected and he understood.

"You're not coming with me."

Tony swallowed hard. "I can't. I'm so sorry, but I can't leave Morgan again. I did it for two years and I coped because I got to see you grow up and that was amazing, I'd never exchange those years for anything, but I can't be away from her like that again. I'm so sorry, Pete, I never—"

Peter had listened, because he felt Tony needed to say it for himself, but now he placed a hand on his chest, cutting him off, and said, "Dad, I understand. I don't want you to leave her either."

"I'm not choosing her over—"

Peter spoke over him. "Dad, stop twisting yourself in knots about this. I completely understand; I even want it. I know Bucky will be here, and he'd die to save you all, but I know you will make Morgan and Mom's safety and happiness your top priority while I'm gone, the way I would if I was here."

Tony nodded, wiping at his eyes. "I know. I will. I'm still so sorry."

Peter wrapped his arms around him and said, "I love you, Dad. And I'll be okay. I promised Morgan I'll be home for birthday cake, and I will be—even if I have to use time travel. So the longest I'll be gone is two weeks."

Tony ran his fingers through Peter's hair. "That doesn't mean it's not going to be a lot longer for you."

Peter laughed. "Dad, you have no idea how long me and Nat were gone. A few weeks here and there is nothing."

Tony pulled back smiling, though Peter noted his eyes hadn't lost that tormented look. "You mean you won't miss me?"

Peter pulled him back into a hug and said, perfectly honestly, "I'll miss you all every hour I'm gone, and I'll come home as soon as I can, but I know you will all be great while I'm gone."

"You're not going alone!" Tony said forcefully, pulling back and gripping his shoulders. "I know you've got The Stones and they're incredible and everything, but… When you leave me, you get hurt."

"I know," Peter said, heart sinking. "But the biggest threat to me now is Nemesis, and I would have beaten them if they'd not taken off. Compared to them, Thanos is nothing, and anyone that comes with me is protected."

"I want them all to go with you," Tony said.

Peter chuckled. "And I want them all to stay here with you, safe, but I'm not stupid enough to believe that's what I'm going to get. Steve is coming, Bucky already told me that…" He frowned.

"What?" Tony asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Bucky… Something is going on with him, more than me going away with Tony, I think. He's not talking about it, aloud or through our connection, but I know… I feel he's upset."

"Can't you find out some other way? I mean, you can read his mind."

"No," Peter said firmly. "I'd never do that, force my way into his mind, like I know he wouldn't to me. Besides, we can keep each other out when we want. But I need you to keep an eye on him, too, while we're gone."

"Of course I will," Tony said.

There was movement in the hall and then Pepper appeared at the door. She looked anxious, and Peter knew Tony had shared with her the fact he wasn't going with him.

Peter beamed at her and crossed to hug her. "Dad told me he's sticking around here," he said cheerfully, wanting them both to know he was completely at ease with it. "So you'll have to keep an eye on him."

Pepper laughed and wrapped her arms around him. She bent her lips to his ear and whispered. "Thank you for understanding, honey." She gave him a squeeze and kiss on the cheek then leaned back and said, "You're going to be careful."

Peter nodded. "Yep. Promise. I'll also be boring. I'll have no fun at all."

She and Tony laughed together this time.

"You better not," she teased. "And Morgan tells me you've promised to be back for your birthday."

"I have," Peter said. "Even if I have to wrangle time to make it happen, I'll be here."

"Good," she pressed a kiss to his cheek then smoothed back his hair and stared into his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked, seeing her sadness.

"Nothing," she lied. "I'm just being your silly old mom."

Peter grinned. "The silly and old part is my favorite."

"Old!" She swatted his shoulder and said, "Go, you cruel child."

Peter gave her a swift kiss and then hurried out of the kitchen and down the hall to leave the suite.

He felt a little emotional about leaving them, though he didn't know why. There was no reason for him to be scared; Nemesis were trashed, and Bucky was here to protect them. If Nemesis came, Bucky would be able to shield them all until Peter got back.

They would be fine, and he would be back soon.

He reminded himself of that as he walked away, each step feeling a little harder, as if his body knew something his brain didn't about what was coming.

Steve noticed Peter seemed a little distracted when he came back into the common room, as if he had a lot on his mind. Steve knew there was probably a huge amount on his mind given where they were going and what they were going to do. However, when he saw them all with their fighting clothes on and rucksacks over their shoulders, he grinned.

"So, it's a teamwork thing?" he asked.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "You really thought it wouldn't be?"

"No, I guess I knew," Peter admitted. "But you might end up being redundant. There's a whole Avengers Team there already. If not redundant, it's going to be confusing. Have you all thought about that?"

"Yeah," Clint said, and Steve expected a joke to follow, but then he went on and made Steve feel a pang of regret for underestimating his friend. "But they're not us, and we're not trusting them to make you not jump off a cliff for The Soul Stone."

Peter's face fell. "Clint, I…"

"No!" Clint held up a hand. "I know my part in it, I know it was because of me that you took that fall, but—"

"I would have done it even if you'd said you didn't love me because you both showed me day after day that you did," Peter said softly. "And I don't regret doing it. If it comes down to it again—"

"How long?" Clint asked, voice rising. "How long were you down there alone, body broken into pieces and you in agony? How long did it take you to heal."

Steve waited for Peter to answer, wondering if he even would, doubting it. He quickly realized he'd answered in one respect because Bucky flinched and said, "Shit, Peter. Death would have been better than that."

Peter set his jaw. "It took time, but I wasn't alone. I had The Stones. And it was my job."

"No," Natasha said. "It was mine, and you knew it, but you did it anyway because you felt you had to. I understand that. But, Peter, if you even think about doing that again, I will stop you."

Peter smiled. "That's a chilling enough threat that I will totally obey and find another way."

Their visitors looked confused by the conversation, which Steve took to mean they didn't know exactly what had happened to Peter on Vormir. Steve thought that was good. Those of them that knew had to live with the knowledge of what Peter suffered which, as Bucky said, was worth than death, when death was no longer a permanent state of affairs with Peter involved.

"Moving on," Peter said. "Tony is staying here. He needs to be with Morgan."

Steve felt the ripple of shock cross the room. He'd never imagined Tony would leave Peter to do this without him, especially not when he was so distrustful of his counterpart who would be there. He understood Tony not wanting to leave Morgan, though. It had taken a toll on him to be away from her for so long, even though Peter's presence had soothed that pain.

Also, before, Morgan was locked in time, unaware of her father's absence, while this time she would know as Bucky said Peter wasn't locking time again. It made sense for Tony to want to stay, though Steve felt the decision like it was weighing him down. He'd not been parted from Tony for seven years, each fight, each high and each low, was shared. It would be strange to go on a mission without him right there beside him.

Rhodey cleared his throat. "He's really not coming?"

"Nope," Peter said calmly. "He needs to be here, and Morgan needs him to be here. I need him to be here."

Steve understood that. Peter wasn't ever self-serving, and Morgan had been his priority since the day she was born, when he held her only hours old. Perhaps it was because she was the innocent one in his family, his only sibling, but Peter would live and die for them all, but he would kill for Morgan.

"And Bruce, will you do something for me?" Peter asked.

"Of course," Bruce said without hesitation, which he obviously regretted a moment later when Peter said, "I need you to stay."

"Pete…" Bruce sighed.

"Bucky can't be awake all the time, and you're our strongest fighter. I am sure Nemesis aren't coming, but you can keep an eye out for anything else. Please."

Bruce ran a hand though his hair and sighed, "Yeah, okay, I'll stay—" but he stopped as a faltering whisper came from the doorway, the voice questioning as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. "May?"

Steve spun around and saw Happy, hand gripping the doorframe so tight his fingers were white.

"Oh," Peter said, face flooding with shame, "Happy…"

Steve looked back to May who was staring at Happy with wide and wet eyes. It made Steve feel he was intruding on a private moment, but he couldn't look away. He was seeing his friend face to face with the woman he loved, whose death had broken him. It was incredible and painful at the same time.

"May?" Happy said again, sounding confused. "Peter?"

"It's real, Hap," Peter said with a soft smile. "She's really here. She's like Tony—from another world, but she's here."

"Oh god," Happy choked.

"Okay, let's give them the room," Rhodey said. "They deserve peace to… talk."

Peter laughed softly and began to herd them to the door. Steve went out, but he looked back automatically when he heard footsteps and was therefore able to see the moment May slapped Happy hard across the face.

"Whoa, okay!" Peter said, jumping between them. "May, do not do that again."

"Do you know what he did?" May cried.

Peter's face flushed, anger in his eyes. "I know what he did in your world, and I get that hurt you, but this Happy has done everything for me, been there for me, and he was there for you. And then he lost you and it broke him completely. But he still dragged himself through the days because I needed him. And then Morgan came and only then did he even begin to live properly again. So yes, you're mad but this is not the person you're mad at."

May stared at Peter throughout his tirade, her face shocked by the passion of his words. Steve wondered if she had ever seen Peter like this or if her world's Peter had never reached the emotional maturity to hold that kind of anger. Perhaps he'd never suffered enough to touch that kind of emotion.

She seemed to need to drag her eyes from Peter to look at Happy, who was ashen and red-eyed from tears.

"In my world, you gave up on me," she said, her tone not accusing but not kind. "You chose to die rather than fight to be with me, right after my nephew was murdered."

Happy wiped at his eyes. ""I'm sorry that he did that. But in my world, I fought to live every single day without you because you left Peter behind, and I knew he needed me."

Peter gave Happy's shoulder a squeeze, his own eyes a little wet now.

"I don't know why I didn't fight in your world," Happy went on. "But I can't imagine anything being harder than living without you, and I'm sorry he made you live without him and Peter."

May stared at him, eyes wide and wondering, and then she stepped forward, into Happy's space, and rested her cheek on his chest. Slowly, tentatively, Happy wrapped his arms around her. He looked stunned by what was happening.

Peter gave them a fond look and then silently herded those that remained inside out of the door and followed them.

"I think we should leave them here," he said. "They need time together and I'll be happier if May isn't in the same world as Thanos."

The visiting Tony laughed. "That's a great idea, kid, but we can't leave May behind."

Peter frowned. "I know she won't be happy, but she'll be safer here and… Why not?

"Well, one, she'll want to be where you are, and two, she's an Avenger now and we'll need her for this mission."

Peter's mouth dropped open. "May's an Avenger?"

Tony beamed. "Yeah. The Nightingale. She's got a suit like mine and Rhodey's."

Peter mouthed wordlessly and Tony laughed again.

"You know, that's pretty awesome," Rhodey said. "Good for May."

"Yes, but…" Peter shook his head.

"You don't like sharing your superhero business?" Sam suggested with a grin.

"No, absolutely not. May was a nurse, so she's always been a superhero. It's just…what we do is dangerous, and I don't want her to get hurt."

Steve wrapped his arm around Peter's shoulders and said, "I'm pretty sure she felt the same way about you, and yet she supported your life as Spider-Man."

"True." Peter ran a hand through his hair. "God, Ben's going to lose his mind when I tell him. May's an Avenger… Wow."

Just then, there was movement at the door and May and Happy came out. They weren't touching, but they seemed to be leaning into each other's space. Steve remembered how he'd felt when he was close to Peggy, how sharing the same air as her seemed to sate something deep inside him; how he'd find himself leaning into her space when they were together. It was nice to see the same thing in May and Happy again.

"Are you ready to go, May?" Peter asked.

"Yes. Do we need to do anything?" she asked. "We… I don't know how your powers work. We've seen them but we've never really understood them."

Peter seemed pleased by the question; perhaps he was happy to have this interaction with May concerning his power when he'd never had the opportunity before.

"You're not the only ones that don't understand them," Sam said. "It's pretty much all light show followed by mind-bending action. Personally, I think Morgan's got the best explanation for it when she calls it magic."

"Honestly, the light show isn't always necessary," Peter said with a wide smile. "But The Stones like showing off as much as I do."

Bucky tousled his hair. "You say that like we didn't already know, bud."

Peter's smile grew. "There will be a light show this time, just because I feel like it, but you don't need to do anything apart from brace yourselves. I've not done interdimensional travel with anyone else before, so it might be a little… unpleasant. Space travel is not fun for others."

"Agreed," Nat said.

May nodded. "Traveling here was unpleasant."

"Maybe hold hands," Peter said. "Just to be safe."

Steve reached out and took Rhodey's hand then reached for Peter's, but Bucky rushed over and grabbed Peter's shoulders, evidently having a last-minute crisis of faith.

"Buck…" Steve started, wanting to get in before Bucky said something that would upset Peter.

Bucky ignored him and said in a rush, "I am going to take care of everything and everyone here, right? I can do that, but I can't do it forever so come home as soon as you can, okay?"

"Promise," Peter said easily. "And I know you'll take care of them. I trust you with their lives."

Steve knew that was a more telling statement from Peter than if he'd said he was trusting Bucky with his life. Peter had demonstrated more than once that he would sacrifice his wellbeing and freedom to protect others whereas he valued his family more than anything. He was leaving Bucky with some of that family, perhaps the most precious part of it—his parents and his little sister.

Bucky pressed his brow to Peter's and then stepped back. Peter took Steve's hand and then dropped it again as they both heard footsteps rushing towards them from inside. Steve realized as soon as he saw Tony rushing out and to Peter that he should have expected it. Of course Tony was going to find it hard to let Peter go.

"Dad?" Peter said questioningly.

Tony pressed a swift kiss to Peter's cheek and then said, pointing at the other Tony first and then to them all each in turn to ensure they knew he was talking to them. "My son is coming to save your world because he's a hero, and I am trusting you all to make sure he comes home again."

"Dad…" Peter said, sounding exasperated.

"No," Tony said firmly. "This is on all of you." He planted his hand on Peter's shoulder. "My son's safety is on all of you. and I will come collect if you let me down."

"We've got it, Tone," Rhodey said. "And you know we'll all take care of him."

Tony stared at his best friend and then nodded. "I got it."

Peter gave his father a look of fond exasperation and said, "Okay, now can we go?"

"One more thing," Happy said.

Peter threw up his hands. "Seriously?"

Happy nodded. "Sorry, kid, but yeah. It's not a big one. I just want to ask that you take me with you." Peter opened his mouth to argue, and Happy's words rolled on over his. "It's May, Pete! Could you let her go as soon as you found her again?"

Peter's face softened. "No. Okay, Happy, grab on hold."

Happy took May's hand and May took the other Tony's. Steve took Peter's and Wanda's. Peter looked along the line, seeing they were all linked, then he said, "Brace yourselves."

A rainbow of Infinity Stones' light filled Steve's vision and his stomach rolled with nausea, then he felt his feet leaving the floor. Then he was thrust into a rush of flashing colors and sounds like a poorly turned radio.

This, he realized, was travel through the multiverse.

He preferred to travel in the Quinjet.

So… They're off! And Happy and May are together again. From the moment May was murdered I have wanted to bring her back, for Happy as much as Peter, and when this arc came into play, I got my wish.

Until next time…

Jadey xxx