Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the last conversation. All of you are so wonderful. Welcome back to the "good" timeline.

A/N Summer 2020: Initially, I was going to have three "bad" timeline conversations in a row, but then new episodes of Agents of Shield started, and I had to go back and do some Leo Fitz stuff due to his absence in the first two episodes. By the time you see this conversation, the show will be over, and I will be crying. Yes, I wrote the chapter after the first two episodes in early June. Yes, these chapters are prepared months in advance of when they come out. I used to write one section of each story and rotate around. Now I usually write a block of anywhere from 4 to 12 chapters before moving onto another one of my stories. I find this method keeps the creative juices going better.

Updated A/N Winter 2020: Now I write this, and we are only a couple of weeks away from Wandavision. I think this is going to be my last chapter before the show starts. Yes, I did cry when AOS ended, but they were happy tears. So I actually have up to chapter 32 drafted. It's just a question of proofreading. I could use additional betas. I currently only have one beta and Grammarly.

We are on Avenger channels in this conversation. I debated whether this conversation could happen on personal channels, but this does become a business conversation because the purple one is coming. Leo Fitz of the prime timeline, a.k.a. James Leopold, is Chief Monkey Lover. He is also head of the UN Avengers. Tony gets Chief Mechanic now since he is the head of the ATCU. Mack's call name might have some variant of mechanic in there as well. He is the West Coast division head at the moment. They are terribly busy on the West Coast right now. This might be a good time for you to check out Ant-man and the Wasp for background purposes.

Conversation 21: Tony Stark-Rogers, overprotected dad

Chief Mechanic: According to Ana, you are still working through the files that came over with the grandkid. I would ask how that's going, but probably badly.

Chief Mechanic: This means that you're up to check up on why the kids are still in the labs at 2 AM. Ana just had to wake me up after a beautiful night of catching up with my fiancé because it's 2 AM, and my child hasn't even attempted a sleep cycle yet.

Chief Monkey Lover: That's an Ana job.

Chief Monkey Lover: Is there a reason why I can't access anything regarding Simmons? Along with Deke's report from yesterday. Ana told me he wrote one.

Chief Mechanic: Ana doesn't have access to the cameras in lab six because the Princess is blocking her. Which has me worried. I know all the kids are down there, including Flash and MJ. Also, your grandkid is there. Earlier, Ana said they bonded over dysfunctional families.

Chief Monkey Lover: Please do not refer to him as my grandchild.

Chief Mechanic: DNA test don't lie.

Chief Monkey Lover: Then, at worst, he's my great-nephew. I am with Hunter. He's also older than me.

Chief Mechanic: Hunter, did your boy say he was too young to be a grandfather?

Hunter: Yes, more than once. I don't know why he's freaking out. I don't think he's a bad person to have as a step grandkid. I like him.

Chief Monkey Lover: Grandnephew. I told you about what happened in the other timeline.

Hunter: That you thought he died sending you all back to 2018.

Hunter: For the guy not in the room, Leo just threatened to withhold sex and threw a pillow at me. He is cranky when he only gets three hours of sleep. He was too stressed out to sleep past 1:30 AM.

Chief Mechanic: That threat never works. I don't think Deke is a horrible person to have as grandkid/grandnephew. The kid is annoying. I'll give you that, but he has grown on me a little after I read his report.

Chief Mechanic: I still want more details about how he ended up Chief Creative Officer at SI. I think Pepper 2023 might be in Mrs. Robinson mode again after reading between the lines. Although I am quite sure this guy won't fuck around with an overrated YA actress.

Chief Monkey Lover: Unfortunately, I can't read that report because Ana will not let me access it. What do you not want me to know?

Chief Monkey Lover: Is Simmons dead in the other timeline? Did she disappear during the Decimation? A lot of my friends were wiped out of existence, including Daisy, Bobbi, and Mack.

Hunter: If you're trying to soften the blow, you maybe could've kept me from reading about my ex-wife disappearing in other me's arms. I didn't want to read that account from my other-self. That you could've blocked.

Chief Mechanic: No, she did not disappear during the Decimation. I didn't know that there were accounts from Hunter prime in there.

Chief Monkey Lover: Good.

XXXX

Hunter: I'm taking this off of group chat because I know you're hiding something.

Hunter: What are you not telling my boyfriend? Because he is worried. That's why he had trouble sleeping and is up reading files at 2 AM, which means I'm up at 2 AM, and not for the right reasons.

Hunter: Locking him out of specific files didn't help that. You can't keep the truth from people. I didn't mean it when I said that I wish you would've blocked me from finding out about Bobbi. I'm glad I know the truth. Although I wish I didn't stumble across it reading another Hunter's diary. He really should know better than to store that on the Stark server.

Chief Mechanic: I wasn't trying to keep the truth from Leo. I wanted to have a conversation in person about it. It was going to be tonight until Jeffrey decided we just had to do a bunch of talk shows in the morning. We need the world to love us since we are about to go up against a genocidal purple alien.

Chief Mechanic: I would've handed the Hunter diaries to you personally in the morning if I thought that reports from Hunter would be on there. He really should know about the server. I didn't want Leo to stumble upon it accidentally like you did. Ana already told me about the kids freaking out about finding out all of them were victims of the Decimation.

Hunter: All of them?

Chief Mechanic: Yes. Even BITC and May. Aunt May not Agent Scary.

Chief Mechanic: Agent Scary survived, but lost most of the team, buried Phil again, and married Steve. That May also adopted a bunch of Inhuman kids to keep them out of the system and probably away from whatever evil things Ross was trying to pull off. Who knows what that man could be doing? Perhaps something just this side of super-villainy.

Chief Mechanic: Although I heard my platypus is Vice President. I'm so proud. I hope he's mitigating the damage.

Hunter: Shit. What about me? I know he survived because I read about what happened to Bobbi.

Chief Mechanic: In addition to obviously being alive, the other Hunter is apparently my nanny. I'm not even sure how that happened. That's probably why his diary was on the Stark server.

Hunter: I'm fantastic with kids. I volunteer at Midtown all the time. The children love me.

Chief Mechanic: Because you're less terrifying than Agent America. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that I have a biological child. You know, made the old-fashioned way.

Hunter: Not you, other you.

Chief Mechanic: It's still hard wrapping my mind around it. I'm sterile. I've accepted that, or at least I thought I did.

Hunter: So why can't my boyfriend know what happened to Simmons?

Chief Mechanic: I really feel like you should call him husband. You don't wanna slip up in public. Jane would kill you.

Hunter: Stark!

Chief mechanic: That reminds me that Aunt May is going to Malta with Ms. Marvel's family because things will get dangerous very soon. I would like them out of the blast zone. It won't change things if the snap happens, but Yo-Yo prime died during the battle in the other timeline. I would like to avoid more of those sorts of casualties.

Hunter: Was Simmons one of those casualties? Did she die during the battle or at some other time?

Chief Mechanic: She's still alive in 2023. Although I wouldn't exactly refer to her as well.

Hunter: What does that even mean?

Ana Jr: Deke inquired about what program Flash utilized to reach the 10-month sobriety mark. He needs advice on how to deal with his Nana's alcoholism.

Chief Mechanic: Oh, now you talk. Are they really in lab six? Are they doing science without me? Or are they just having an orgy? It feels weird that I prefer the orgy. That means they're doing standard teenage stuff and not preparing for an apocalypse that I can't protect them from.

Ana Jr.: They are working on an enhanced communications project. They're trying to get a message to Agent Johnson.

Chief Mechanic: OK, now I know that I want you and the husband to check on the kids.

Hunter: You don't want Leo to find out that Simmons fell apart without him? That's why you're hiding everything from him, including Deke's notes, that might be extremely useful.

Chief Mechanic: Not hiding but deciding the best way to tell him in person. Obviously, that's not working, so I'm just going to unlock everything. You might want to have one of the therapists on standby for this.

Chief Mechanic: I just didn't want your husband to second-guess his choice not to go back to the other timeline or at least his decision not to find a way to get back to that timeline.

Hunter: Too late. Leo has been second-guessing his choices since he got here. What do you think led to his extended stay in mental health rehab? Or the fact that he had to take the Stark industries job because it would be less stressful.

Chief Mechanic: I'm still amazed by the fact that a job at SI is considered less stressful. The SI board is worse than Congress. Although I never missed out on fiancé fun time due to having to brief the president.

Hunter: I'm sure he made up for it by now.

Chief Mechanic: Twice, it would've been three times, but I'm old.

Hunter: It's not as bad now since most of the worst board members are gone, thanks to the Pride fiasco last summer. However, I don't think needing to prepare for an alien invasion was ever part of your duties at Stark Industries. It is less stressful.

Chief Mechanic: Actually, yes. After the Battle of New York, we wrote a bunch of contingency plans. It's also why we started working on the upstate campus right away, and we never fully moved everybody into the tower like initially planned. I felt like we would be less likely to deal with another alien invasion at the new campus. The board was furious at the time. Not so much now that we're making a lot of money leasing the tower to the federal government for the ATCU.

Hunter: You really are a futurist.

Chief Mechanic: It pays to be prepared.

Hunter: Let me prepare Leo for what's going to happen. Because he's going to have to interact with Deke. They can't keep just glaring at each other from across the room. Simmons invited him to the anniversary party. It's been rescheduled.

Chief Mechanic: Of course, she did. I suggest telling her to reschedule it until after the Apocalypse.

Hunter: To avoid this Apocalypse, we both know that Leo will have to work with the grandkid. At a minimum, we want Laura back.

Chief Mechanic: I hate it when you have a point. You already know about the alcoholism from Ana. We are going to have to look at your protocols about keeping secrets.

Ana Jr: Of course, Sir.

Chief Mechanic: I already must deal with one sassy teenager. I don't need another.

Hunter: I thought it was up to six at last count.

Chief Mechanic: Five, BITC's not allowed over anymore.

Chief Mechanic: Anyway, Simmons did not handle Leo's apparent death very well or apparently at all, according to Daisy's log entries before the snap. She was in denial about it. She kept saying that as soon as they were done, they would go and get the Fitz in space, and everything would be fine. Especially when she found out about the grandkid.

Hunter: Then, the purple one came?

Chief Mechanic: Yes, and then everything went to shit. Although at least the Earth was still in one piece. I guess that's the timeline that Monkey Lover two was trying to avoid.

Hunter: Yes.

Chief Mechanic: So, after that, Simmons and the grandkid join a group called Guardians of the Galaxy to look for Monkey Lover 3.

Chief Mechanic: That's a pretentious name for a group of superheroes.

Hunter: They found dust?

Chief Mechanic: Yes. Apparently, she became obsessed with time travel and bringing back Fitz as well as working her way through the compound alcohol supply.

Hunter: Which Fitz was she trying to bring back?

Chief Mechanic: Honestly, either. I don't think she cared which. The other Avengers were trying to get the stones, and she turned it into a mission to get Fitz back. At least that's what Deke told Ana. He's not exactly happy with his Nana.

Hunter: You don't want Leo to know all of that?

Chief Mechanic: I want to tell him myself when we arrive tomorrow or rather later today at this point. Although I'm sure he just read all of this over your shoulder because I would totally be doing that with Stevie bear.

Chief Mechanic: Actually, Stevie bear is reading this over my shoulder completely naked. He may have been the one who made me unlock everything for the Chief Monkey Lover. Not for the kids. I really wish I could be doing things with him instead of having to have this conversation with you.

Hunter: Leo just got into Deke's report, which is apparently a transcript of the conversation he had with Ana.

Chief Mechanic: You might want to read that yourself.

Hunter: Did you know that other me is sleeping with other Simmons? Apparently, they have an arrangement.

Chief Mechanic: So that's what arrangement meant.

XX

"You're mad at me?" Hunter asked Leo after sending his last message to Tony. He was not expecting Leo to lean over their bed and kiss him.

"Not for taking care of her when I couldn't be there. I'm never going to be mad at you for doing that. I'm just mad at myself."

"You didn't know how time travel actually worked. You thought you were just earlier in the timeline." Hunter placed a reassuring arm around Leo, pulling him closer to him.

"Two days ago, Dr. Strange asked me if I wanted to go back, and I said no. I wanted to stay here with you. I love you." The words were punctuated with yet another kiss.

"Don't feel guilty about that. Especially because apparently there is already another you there." Hunter feels awful for being so happy about that, but there was another Leo, so he could keep his.

"Who was a victim of the decimation," Leo groaned.

"We'll fix that. Then the recently undusted you can have a poly relationship with other me and Simmons. It's good that you and Simmons have similar taste in men." Leo laughed at his words. "And I know you will fix this as soon as you go through the notes."

"I just wish I could talk to her to explain."

"Maybe you will," Hunter kissed Leo once more. "Now, put the Stark pad down and let me relax you so you will sleep for a few more hours." Before he could successfully push down Leo's boxers, Hunter's hand was pushed away."

"Actually, I think we should go down to check on the kids."

"It's almost nearly 3 AM, and I feel like I need to tuck you into bed again. Ana, are they working on anything dangerous down there?" Hunter was hoping the AI would tell them that there was nothing they needed to worry about.

"They are currently trying to create a trans-dimensional communication device." With those words, Hunter knew there wouldn't be any more sex that night.

"I'll just go put on a shirt," Hunter sighed in acquiescence.

"And maybe some pants."

To be continued.

OK, you get to help me pick out a codename for Hunter of the good timeline. I have a codename for a bad timeline Hunter but I'm also open to more suggestions.