Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last section. You're all wonderful. Welcome back to the Gamma timeline. I originally had both sections together but decided to split them when they became over 3000 words. This allows me to add the text conversation at the beginning.

Conversation 87: Poppa Bear Problems

Mommy Marvel: I just wanted to check in. From what Dr. Fitz-Simmons told us, I know all of you are working on a major project that will protect all of us.

Mommy Marvel: Also, please check your email. This morning my daughter got a strange email that I am 90% sure was meant for her counterpart in the other timeline.

Mommy Marvel: Mr. Barton briefed us on the situation with his wife, so we knew you were in contact with the other timeline.

Mommy Marvel: I'm happy that your fiancé and Agent May adopted my daughter and cared for her when I couldn't. I am surprised your fiancé married someone else, though.

Tony: That was more of a marriage of convenience so they could get custody of your daughter. Sorry, it took me a moment to respond. When I found the email you forwarded, I also found an email from myself. I had to read that first.

Tony: About an hour ago, Afia disappeared from the lab during tests. My other self confirms that she's safely in the other timeline. So, planning a rescue mission is no longer the number one priority.

Mommy Marvel: I'm glad she's safe. Was she in the lab alone, or were you with her when the accident happened?

Tony: I was watching her using the baby monitor protocol while working on the project in another part of the facilities. However, I will have to be there in person whenever possible. Shenanigans are less likely to happen when I glare at everyone —not at her but at the other scientists in charge. Apparently, somebody thought the prototype did not need a failsafe to keep certain teenagers from transporting themselves to the future without permission.

Mommy Marvel: ?

Tony: This is a long story I can't get into all the details of right now. I will ensure that emails meant for Ms. May-Rogers do not go to Baby Marvel.

Mommy Marvel: Thank you.

Tony: How is everybody doing at the compound?

Mommy Marvel: You want to know how Agent Coulson is doing?

Tony: I also want to know how the baby spider and my nieces and nephews are doing.

Mommy Marvel: The children are fine. Or as fine as they can be after losing someone they care about. The oldest Barton child has been helping me cook. Agent Coulson did come to breakfast this morning. Dr. Fitz-Simmons managed to get him to eat half of his breakfast.

Tony: That's good, at least. I have to go. Honey Bear and I need to discuss what to do with teenagers who conspire with other teenagers across space and time.

Mommy Marvel: Grounding until July 2020.

Tony: I'll take it under advisement.

xxxx

"So, what do you think of the email from other me?" Tony asked as Steve finished reading the message from the other timeline. He passed it to his fiancée while texting his fellow parent of a super child.

"That even your other self is worried about your martyrdom complex," Steve said, looking directly at him.

"Only because he has the same tendencies. He was already considering it." Tony argued.

"Probably." Steve sighed.

"Any thoughts on what my other self proposed?"

"We are not having a threesome with your variant." Steve crossed his hands over his chest.

"I was asking if we should leave Afia there and keep working on a way to go the red ring pop from Asgard 2013, not if we can enact fantasy number 392, but I wasn't expecting that to be your stance," Tony tells his fiancée.

"I'm saying no to a threesome because that Tony needs to work out his complicated issues with my variant before we even think of something like that. That's not even mentioning other Steve's upcoming divorce."

"Good points. See, the therapy is working." Tony joked.

"Afia is safe right now with your variant. You know that he will protect her." Steve tried to reassure Tony.

"I don't know if safe is the word I would use, considering she now has a pulse. She did not have one when she left last night. I trust other me to figure out why she now has a pulse. You know, even though Wanda is definitely involved."

"We knew that was going to happen soon, and maybe it was better that it happened this way. I'm glad that she's surrounded by others. I think other Tony is right, and we should leave her there for now and focus on taking out Thanos."

"Really?"

"Thanos is out there killing who knows who. Widow reports that he killed hundreds of individuals on Xandar during his failed attempt to get the power stone. The sooner we get to Asgard 2013, the sooner we can deal with Thanos once and for all before he kills anybody else. It might be better to focus on getting to Asgard."

"That's a valid point. We're going to have to get to the other timeline eventually. We will have to throw down the gauntlet to them. Not to mention, we really do want Laura back with us. We could have the teams working on both."

"But it doesn't have to be immediate if we're no longer dealing with the purple one. Considering what happened in the alpha timeline, where they brought Thanos to the future, and you had to sacrifice yourself to keep him from killing everyone and starting over, I don't think we should go to the other timeline until he's gone for good." Steve explained.

"Also, that's a valid point. So, the head of the ATCU really does need to focus everything on getting to Asgard. However, Afia's dad wants to get to his now completely organic child. You know she's probably terrified in the other timeline."

"If she were anywhere else but with us, I would be all for us focusing on getting to her and getting her back. But she's sitting at the compound in 2023 cuddling with Morgan." Steve held up the picture of the two together. It was adorable. Afia would only get little siblings if they decided to adopt more children (or just use Steve's genetic material with a surrogate). Still, it wouldn't be a Morgan.

"She's putting on a brave face," Tony argued halfheartedly.

"There's a good chance Afia went there on purpose, probably as part of her mission to keep you alive. Remember, the Princess said that Afia volunteered for a reason and was the one who purposely set her watch for 2023. The only thing that seems accidental is the watch activating without her having the additional Pym particles on her."

"Considering the email that Muneeba sent to us that was originally meant for Kamala 2023 that seems likely. This definitely feels like the definition of accidentally on purpose." Tony believes that his daughter always planned to get to the other timeline. He also thinks she hit the button accidentally sending her to the future. "I'm at least 12% sure my other self realized that Afia showed up with a backpack full of gauntlets."

"How long will it take him to figure out their plan?" Steve asked.

"I think he's figured out most of it already. That's why he's pushing for us to keep Afia there." Other Tony is also a dad and would always put his daughter's safety first.

"This isn't you having to choose between the world and your daughter. If we don't take out Thanos, she won't be safe here. We can't just bring her back into a new body like before. That's not an option anymore. I don't think either of us wants to lose her." Steve looked on the verge of tears.

"She is our daughter. Afia is a Stark-Rogers already." Tony tells him.

"Our daughter. It's best to deal with one catastrophe at a time, and Afia isn't in immediate danger."

"We hope she's not in immediate danger. Should I let Wanda know that her spell worked?" Tony asked.

"Can you even contact her right now?" Steve asked. "I thought the other team was on a full communications blackout."

"Limited comms with Earth. Ana, sweetheart, have you heard anything from my daughter-in-law?"

"Not since she arrived 5.2 hours ago to pick up her special gauntlet. She also briefed Dr. Monkey Lover on their course of action. He was planning to review this morning." Ana explained.

"OK, somebody should've told me that last night. How did Wanda even know to come get her gauntlet?" Tony asked.

"Agent 13 has been in contact with Agent Leopold, the acting captain of the UN Avengers." Ana explained.

"How did that happen?" The situation has to be horrendous if Hunter is in charge.

"Agent Johnson and Dr. Leopold are not allowed to hold leadership positions due to the current situation, as ordered by Dr. Margarita. Agent Leopold is the next option." The AI explained distinctly.

"He was fourth on the list after." Tony realized too late that Hunter was in charge because May was gone.

"He is the third now," Steve said darkly, and Tony had no choice but to hug his fiancé.

"OK, you're right. We focus on Thanos, and once he's gone, we pick up 15-year-olds who sneak off to other timelines for reasons only known to their conspiracy group afterward. I'll go grab the Monkey Lovers." So he can get a briefing on what's going on with Bobby's team.

"I'll pick up Daisy and the kids," Steve says reluctantly as he pulls from the hug. "You can also let the Princess of Stories out of her room. I'm honestly surprised she stayed there all night. Did she stay there all night?"

"Yes, outside of checking on Agent Johnson when she returned from medical."

"I'm not going to ask how that happened."

"I will deal with them. Although, do you think you should write your other self to let him know you're not coming over?"

"Probably," Tony sighed. "I will take care of that now."

Xxxx

Dear Antonio:

Thanks for writing. I'm glad to know Afia is safe with you. You can ask Steve how worried I've been for the last hour and a half. He had to take me back to our apartment after I tried to punch Pym. I am still worried because my teenager is now wholly organic with a heartbeat.

I would love to ask Wanda precisely what she did to my child. Unfortunately, she is about to go one-on-one with the purple monster, so it's been decided I can't yell at her until afterward. Ana just reminded me we have a magic expert crashing down the hall. I'm going to consult and get back to you with theories about how she suddenly became organic in your timeline.

The consensus is that Afia is safer with you. Let her know she is 100% grounded until Steve's birthday. I do not fully believe this was an accident other than that she didn't have extra Pym particles on her. She should've put some in her backpack full of gauntlets.

If Junior has yet to tell you, the kids put together a list of everybody who could snap their fingers and not have a cardiac event. They got the idea from Robin's drawings of us dying, snapping our fingers to beat Thanos. Obviously, we are not on the list. Junior was before she became a real girl. I am hoping this means she won't try to risk herself, but I doubt that. The martyrdom complex is genetic, obviously. It's better for all of us if she stays with you so she doesn't try to sacrifice herself.

I've decided to attach the email that MJ sent to your KMR. We got a copy because Ana loves loophole abuse, and Mom M sent it to us. Apparently, the kids are trying to get the mysterious Capt. Marvel to the compound, most likely for snapping duty. You'll see their reasoning in the letter. I suggest you talk to your future stepdaughter. Although better Carol than us. We know each other too well, and if you're worried about me being a martyr, you're obviously considering it. Don't. Don't you want to know if you and Spangles can work out your ship? The fiancee says no variant sexcapades until after you work through all your issues. Considering I am well aware of your problems, that's a forever no.

To be continued…