#But I'd save some food for us both. Get a decent bottle of wine.

[fourfuckinghorsemen]

It's weird that you can miss someone who never existed.

[takadasaiko]

Second Chances Chapter Eleven

FFN II AO3

Chapter Summary: Pepper and Peggy take Morgan into town to give the boys a chance to sort a few things out. It does not go as hoped.

Chapter Eleven

The moment that Pepper had taken Morgan and Peggy into town Tony had slipped back to his workshop. With Cap there he didn't have to worry about keeping Howard where he could see him and could fully focus on the task at hand. He wanted a good handle on what they were looking at before dragging the kid into it. The deeper he got into the formula, though, the more he was convinced he needed someone more geared towards chemistry to help get this done quickly. Peter was a good choice. Possibly the best choice. Heaven knew the teen was always eager to help.

With a quiet place to work and no distractions to speak of, Tony didn't surface from his research until hours later. He checked his messages to find one from Pep with a photo of Morgan covered in ice cream wearing that shit-eating grin that Pepper swore she inherited from him and a quick message saying they were having fun and not to wait up. He felt a smile tug at his own lips and rubbed at his eyes, checking the time. He'd been late on every meal that day. Why should dinner be any different?

He was met by the sound of laughter and the smell of food as he stepped into the house. Dark brows drew together as he followed it in to find Howard perched on the kitchen table, feet on the stool in front of him and a beer in his hand, and Cap mid-sentence about something that had to do with a man named Phillips. Behind him on the counter was the evidence that the super soldier had raided Tony's kitchen and there was something in the oven. "Whatcha doin'?" the younger man drawled, effectively redirecting both of their attentions on him.

"Hey, you were so caught up in the Pym Particles that I threw something together. Hope you don't mind. The girls said they'd be late."

"Got the message," Tony answered slowly, his smile a little hesitant. It was weird. His dad and Steve hanging out at his place. It was weird.

Howard hopped from his perch and moved to the fridge like he was perfectly comfortable in the space. He pulled a third beer out and slid it across the table between them. "Cap makes a mean shepherds pie. Didn't Dugan eat a whole one once?"

"He did."

"Damn that man could eat," Howard chuckled. "And drink. He came out to my place in California once and I had to restock after he left."

Cap grinned at that. "I can picture it."

Howard turned, motioning to the beer Tony hadn't touched. "If you tell me these are Pepper's I'm gonna call you a liar. I can't picture that woman drinking beer."

Tony snorted a laugh at that one, finally taking the offered drink and he popped the top off. "In all the years I've known her I saw her drink one and I think that's why I haven't seen it since."

"Wine fan?"

"Martini."

"Classy," Howard said with a grin, and motioned between Tony and Steve. "So, I bet you guys have some good stories."

"Remember the part where we're limiting your knowledge of your future?" Steve pointed out and Howard snorted.

"Are you telling me there's a current-day me running around out there? Hell. I'd be over a hundred years old. C'mon. Something from after I bit the dust?"

Tony rounding the table to find a place to lean, his early morning starting to wear on him, and he shot Cap a look. The blond man shrugged. "There was about a year in there that we all lived and worked out of Stark Tower in New York City after Hydra…. showed back up on our radar."

"Those bastards just don't take the hint, do they?" Howard grumbled and Tony was halfway to making the comment when Steve shot him a glare and cut him off.

"It's been years. Drop it."

"It doesn't get old."

"It really does."

"What's that?" Howard asked and Tony flashed Cap a grin.

"Nothing. Just giving Cap hell."

"Some things never change," Steve murmured, but his tone bordered on affectionate. "What about one of the stories from when you flew us over occupied Europe? Tony said he hadn't heard about you with the Howling Commandos."

"I'll make a mental note to fix that failed choice," Howard promised.

"I heard some," Tony said and motioned at Cap. "Most of them were just centered around you."

"Probably because they bailed out at the jump points," Howard offered as Steve turned to grab the food. "Poland was the only one I was on the ground for."

Steve stiffened at that one and Tony tilted his head curiously. "Okay. Now I have to ask."

"Then I'm going to need something stiffer. Your liquor cabinet was locked though."

"We do have a five-year-old," Tony reminded him as he walked over to the cabinet and tapped the code in. He reached for a bottle of bourbon in the back. "So what's the story?"

"Howard crashed the plane. Only reason he was on the ground with us. Where are your plates?"

Tony pointed to the shelf as Howard shot Steve an offender look. "The blown engines from nazis shooting at us might have had something to do with it. I dare you to find another pilot on the planet that coulda made that landing."

"Maybe Tony," Steve offered. "He brought a quinjet down when I thought we'd finally had it once."

"Hey," Tony snapped, looking over at him. "You said you didn't question me for a second."

"Apparently my poker face is getting better. Who's hungry?"

Tony knew what Cap was doing, and as much as he knew he should probably fight it he couldn't seem to drum up the willpower. There was something nice about sitting around eating and having a drink or two with his father as a man he had come to consider a close friend, despite everything that had happened between them. He took a seat at the table and caught Howard's eye. "So how'd you bring it down?"

He didn't think he'd ever seen Howard look more excited than he did in that moment.

                                                     ___________

Peggy hadn't been sure exactly what she expected from her afternoon out with the Stark girls. Afternoon bled into evening, though, and she found herself enjoying every moment of it. Pepper was everything Peggy had thought she might be at first glance and more. Clever, poised, and confident in everything that she did. She was just as comfortable talking about her family and the way that they were raising Morgan as she was the approach she took as the head of Stark Industries. If Howard realized yet that his company was in his daughter-in-law's hands rather than his son's, she wasn't sure, but she was certain that they seemed to be very capable hands.

The town was full of little shops and places to duck into. The boys had scrounged some relatively decent clothes for her to wear in the past week, but Pepper helped her find something she was actually comfortable in. Vintage, she called it, but Peggy felt more comfortable in them than she had since she'd arrived.

Between fittings and different shops - including ice cream and a trip to Morgan's favourite toy store - she and Pepper swapped stories about expectations at their places of work. The ginger woman laughed thinly as she told a story about one of Stark Industry's oldest board members who had popped off to Tony when he'd appointed her CEO. There was some slight about her capabilities and a lewd insinuation about how she got the position. Tony'd had his say, Pepper told her. Tony always had his say, but Pepper had found her own moment to make it absolutely clear to the man exactly what she brought to the table. And then she'd proved it every minute since then.

"Different generation, same men," Peggy groused as they walked through the town square, Morgan running off the sugar rush from the ice cream just a few steps ahead of them.

"I hope we get a little stronger, a little wiser with each generation," Pepper said quietly, her gaze on her daughter. "We can only build off the women that have come before us."

"A lot's happened since my generation," Peggy confirmed. "Every inch was a battle in the SSR. Strangely enough, the battlefield felt more accepting than the aftermath."

"Next time she's on-planet, we need to introduce you to Carol. Before she was Captain Marvel she served in the Air Force. I think you'd like her."

"I'm sure I would."

"Mama, I'm hungry," Morgan said, twirling to a stop in front of them. "Can we have cheeseburgers?"

"What about pizza from that nice little place a couple of streets over."

"Okay, but don't make Aunt Peggy eat the gross stuff. I want to keep her."

Peggy felt a smile tug into place. "Do I get the seal of approval then?"

Morgan turned a look on her. "Yeah, I guess so."

Pepper held a finger up as she dug her phone from the pocket in her dress. That left a pair of bright brown eyes staring up at Peggy, all of that five-year-old Stark curiosity hyper-focused. Peggy offered her a smile. "So I'm Aunt Peggy, am I?"

"You're Uncle Steve's girlfriend, right? I think that makes you Aunt Peggy."

"Well, technically not, but I suppose we'll let the technicality slide if you want it to." She motioned over to the bench on the side of the street and took a seat. The little girl joined her enthusiastically. "Do your parents bring you here often?"

"Sometimes. People like to ask Daddy a lot of questions and he doesn't like it."

"What kind of questions?"

"How he got the stuff on his face," Morgan said, motioning to the right side of her own face. "Lots of other things too. Stuff he doesn't like to talk about."

"Your daddy saved a lot of people, didn't he?"

Morgan looked down to where she was swinging her feet. "I guess so."

"And he came home to you. Not everyone gets that. You must be a very special little girl that he fought so hard to get back to you."

"Yep," she answered and Peggy laughed at that.

"Modest too. You must get that from your grandfather."

"What's modest?"

"When we get back to your house, why don't you ask Howard that? Tell him your Aunty Peggy said to."

"Okay."

Pepper ended her call and started back towards them. "Sorry, Stark Industries has this massive expo coming up that I'd… completely forgotten about, which I was not actually aware I was capable of. I guess having your husband's father travel forward in time and crash with you will do that."

Peggy perked. "What kind of expo?"

"Oh, it's a thing that Tony likes to do. Howard started it, actually."

She thought that might have been it. Peggy smiled brightly. "The Stark Expo, isn't it? I never had the pleasure of going, but the boys told me all about it on one of our outings. Sergeant Barnes said something about a flying car?"

"Mama, Mama, can I have a suit for the expo?" Morgan demanded and Pepper gave her a tight smile like she'd been put on the spot.

"We'll see what Daddy can put together, huh?"

"Can I fly?"

"No."

"Can I shoot beams?"

"You can pretend to shoot beams?"

"Okay!"

Peppery was chuckling at that as she turned her attention back towards Peggy. "It's a big event where inventors all over the country show off. Honestly, the last time we did it it was Tony's ego gone wild. This time… I think it came from the right place. It's the only reason I didn't put my foot down." She motioned and Peggy stood so they could start walking again. "Things have changed a lot in the last few years. Half the universe's population was literally snapped out of existence, and then back in. The adjustment one way and then the other within just a few years has been hard. People need something good to focus on."

"I think it's a lovely idea," Peggy said. "I'd love to go."

The other woman flashed her a bright smile. "I think you should. And who knows, maybe tonight will be good and we can even bring Howard along if he's still here."

"I hope so. Howard is… many things. Certainly not all of them good, but he tries. I can't imagine a world where he'd do any less with Tony growing up."

"I wasn't there. All I know is what Tony's told me, and he…. Wants to believe that. I think he has trouble believing it sometimes, but he wants to."

Peggy made a small sound of acknowledgement. If anyone could bring the two men together, it was Steve. She had to hope things were going well back at the cabin.

                                                    ___________

Peter had thought that Fury might be driving him to some Manhattan SHIELD location, but they hadn't stop until they reached an airport. He had hesitated, but Fury hadn't cared. He didn't get a say as the SHIELD director had handed him a headset and ushered him onto a helicopter.

By the time it was all said and done the sun was sinking in the sky and they were landing a structure that had come up out of the ocean below them. Aunt May was going to kill him. Hell, Mr Stark was going to kill him. He'd warned him about Fury. Told him to turn around and walk away if the man ever approached him. He was pretty sure that this wasn't what his mentor had had in mind.

"Raft Prison," Fury explained through the headset and Peter's attention jerked back around towards him.

"Did I do something wrong?" the teen managed and the older man tilted his head, eye narrowed. He didn't look amused, exactly. Peter wasn't sure he really could get a read on him.

"I want to show you something."

They landed on the helipad below and Peter hesitantly jumped from their ride. Wind whipped around him, the waves crashed against the structure, and his senses were in overdrive. He jumped when Fury put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him.

"Uh… so what is it that you wanted to show me?" he managed as Fury leaned down, lifted his eyepatch, and a scanner took a reading of his blind eye.

He straightened and motioned for Peter to follow. "It's been almost a year since the Avengers managed to snap half of the universe's population back into existence."

"Yeah. I was one of them."

"So was I." He kept walking and Peter had to scurry to keep up. "So was Hill and plenty of others. Some not so great."

They approached another door at the end of the hall and he granted access. Inside was a room full of monitors, computers, and people. If Peter had to place a bet, he'd say they were probably SHIELD agents, even though this was supposed to be a US government owned facility. From what he knew, anyway.

"This facility holds the worst of the worst. Maniacs."

"Isn't this where they put some of the Avengers when the Sakovia Accords were signed?"

"Yes it was. If it can hold Wanda Maximoff, it can hold most anybody." He paused, and Peter questioned if it was for dramatic effect. "Most anybody."

"Director Fury, sir, I'm not sure why I'm here."

"When Banner used the gauntlet to snap everyone back, he didn't just snap the good guys home. The bad came with us." The monitors flickered without Fury even asking them to. A collection of names and faces, some captured, some at large appeared on the screens. "We've spent the last year rounding up who we could, but it's not enough. We need the Avengers."

Peter blinked hard. "Okay… I get that. That makes sense, but why am I the only one here?"

"Stark is out of commission. If it's by his own choice or not doesn't really matter. He's made it very clear in the last year that he has no interest in coming back to the Avenger Initiative, and I suppose the man's served his time."

"Cap's back," Peter offered before really thinking it through. Oops. Maybe Fury didn't know about that. Shouldn't know about that. Shit shit shit….

"With friends. You think they hid that from us?" the spy asked with a shrug. "He's distracted. Romanoff is… gone. Barton refuses to come back. Thor has disappeared into space from what I hear, and Banner has settled into a life as far away from this as he can get. We need someone dependable. Stark thinks your dependable."

"Then why isn't he asking me?"

"He's not. He doesn't know you're here." Well that might have been one of the more honest things to come out of Fury's mouth. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is this -" he motioned at the monitors - "and what's out there. It's time for a new generation to step up. Are you ready?"

"I'm fifteen. Don't you want someone… I don't know? Older? That's been doing the whole superhero gig longer than I have?"

"You're the one Stark trusted when he needed someone. The one he was willing to risk time travel to bring back. You're special, son, and we need you."

Peter swallowed hard, looking back towards the monitors and all of the names of all of the bad guys that hadn't been caught, dangerous faces staring back at him.

                                                    ___________

Howard's grin split wide open as Tony nearly rocked off the stool laughing. "No," he chuckled. "No way."

"I swear I said it."

"And no one can counter it because everyone that was with him is now dead," Steve pointed out.

"Because I make the best kinds of friends," Howard countered. "The ones that come get you when nazi bastards take you hostage."

Steve chuckled at that, shaking his head and taking a long swig of his beer. The other two were feeling it by this point and he wished he could too. Then maybe he could shove back that guilty twinge that kept cropping back up in instigating this. To be fair, he hadn't kept refilling Tony's glass. That was all Howard. He seemed determined to help his son catch up to the happy state he was already living in. "I swear, you and I remember this story so differently."

"How so?" Tony pried.

"Howard seems to remember the funny parts, while I remember the fact that one of my closest friends nearly died."

"Oh, I did not nearly die," Howard groused.

"You were unconscious when we found you. Shot it the back. Did you forget that part?"

"Oh yeah," Howard chuckled tipsily. "That hurt like hell. I mean, you guys said it did, but still... "

"What happened?" Tony pressed again, his expression more concerned now.

Howard waved him off. "They told me to stay put and I didn't. It was fine. I had a clear path out, or would have except for that one kid. Couldn't have been more than eighteen. Maybe younger. I had him talked down until he decided to take the shot when I was halfway outta the door."

"I never knew you'd gotten shot."

Howard leaned forward from where he was sitting on top of the table, his fingers touching just above his hip on his back. "Yep. .38 slug. Revolver." His expression sobered a little. "That armor of yours… How well does it keep a round out?"

"These days it does. I mean, it's not impenetrable, but a bullet's not going to break through. The Mark I wasn't as well designed, but what are you gonna do in an Afghani cave?" Tony took another swig of his bourbon.

That caught Howard's attention. "Afghani cave?"

Tony coughed against his drink and set it down. "Yeah… That's, uh, how all this started."

"Okay, kid, your turn. Tell us a story."

Tony shot Howard a look before giving in. "About fifteen years ago - sixteen, I guess? - I was on a demo out in Afghanistan for a new missile I'd designed. Jerricho. It was the highlight of Stark Industries then and I wanted to show it off, so I went in person." He stopped, and Steve thought he was trying to work through the haze he must have been feeling by this point to make sure he didn't give anything too time-altering away. "I was taken by a group of terrorists and built my first suit to get out." He pulled the collar of his shirt back to show a small scar barely visible through the scarring the stones had left on him. This one looked like it could have been left by a fragment of a bullet. "Only so much you can do with scraps. One made it through. Granted, that was after one of my own missiles went off right in front of me and filled my chest with shrapnel." He tapped the ARC reactor. "That's how I got this at first."

Steve pursed his lips, struggling with if he should ask the questions battering around his mind right then. He'd never heard Tony speak anywhere close to openly about his time in Afghanistan and SHIELD's files were thin at best on it. What had happened in that cave was between him and the ghosts left behind and Steve would have been lying if he said he wasn't curious. Finally he gave. "When you got home?"

"Oh no. In the cave," Tony acknowledged and Steve felt his chest tighten.

Howard reached forward, even as Tony pulled back instinctively. "Let me see?"

Slowly, carefully, Tony undid the buttons of his shirt to show the ARC reactor. Howard leaned in to study it. "In a cave?" he demanded, and Steve thought he was having just as much trouble wrapping his mind around it. "Is this casing here? How deep does it go?"

"Deep enough."

"How the hell did you survive that?"

"I've been told I'm a stubborn bastard."

"No shit."

Tony chuckled roughly at that, his fingers moving over the smooth casing over the reactor. "I had it taken out a few years ago. The shrapnel removed and the casing filed down so that they could put a plate in place and graft some skin over it. Left a hell of a scar, but it was… a promise to Pepper. One I didn't make good on, really. With the exception of nearly dying to save the universe, I've done better at that."

It was Steve's turn to make a small sound of amusement. Leave it to Tony to make a statement like that. Whenever he needed to use something he'd done to make a point, he waved the feat around like a banner. If he were honest, though, if he was laying it out without his usual flair, he waved it off. He'd saved them all and he made a joke about it.

"You've got a good one there," Howard murmured.

"You've got one on the way."

Steve looked over and Tony's expression was distant.

I don't care. He killed my mom.

The words rang out in his mind like he were voicing them right then and there. He'd never met Tony's mom. Never knew her, but he knew Howard, and a woman that was able to balance him out had to be on par with Pepper or maybe even stronger.

Howard gave a real, honest smile at Tony's statement. "Got a good kid on the way as far as I can tell too."

Tony snorted at that, leaning heavily against the table. He winced and Steve couldn't help but notice how he was clenching and unclenching his right hand like it was hurting him. "Wish you'd voiced that over the years," he said softly.

Oh no. No no no. This was exactly what Tony had wanted to avoid. This right here. It was what he was trusting Steve to stop.

The blond cleared his throat. "Tony, have you heard from Peggy and Pepper?"

Howard didn't seem to catch the drift. "What'dya mean?"

Tony looked up, his expression torn as he shook his head. "You don't know. You're not him."

"But I will be. If you tell me I can -"

"You can't fix it," Tony snapped. "You can't fix my screwed up childhood or the fact that I thought you hated me for years. You can't change that, Howard, and even if you could…. Maybe you shouldn't."

"Tony, I had a non-existent at best relationship with my old man. Why wouldn't I do everything I can to make yours and mine better?"

"Because I am who I am because you screwed up," Tony growled and Steve saw Howard physically flinch back at the words. "I was a screw up because of you and because I was a screw up, I ended up in Afghanistan. Because I was in Afghanistan, I became Iron Man. Because I became Iron Man, I saved the world. Not once, but twice. You take me out of the equation and Thanos wins. I fought too hard, I gave up too much to let that happen. I -" He stopped, the grimace pronounced now as he doubled over on the stool, and Steve leapt forward to steady him. "I'm fine," he snarled.

"You don't look fine," Steve murmured softly, not willing to be pushed away. He was worried Tony would tople if he did. The closer he got, the more worried he was. He was paling quickly, his right arm failing him and he was growing more agitated because of it. "Tony?"

"I haven't tested it," he gasped out.

"Tested what?"

"The Extremis mix with a lot of alcohol."

Steve sighed. That would have been good to know.

"Drop the judgement," the dark haired man snapped.

"I'm not… Tony, I'm worried about you. Do I need to get you to a hospital?"

"No, I'm fine. FRIDAY?"

"Scans show your within safe parameters, Boss."

"See?"

"Barely."

"Shut it, FRIDAY."

"Okay. Fine, but let's call it a night, huh? It's late. The girls will be home soon and you -"

"Yeah. Sure. If Cap says it, must be a good call."

Steve did his best not to feel the sting of the sharp retort. He was in pain. That much was becoming more and more obvious. He had to give him space. "You need help getting upstairs or can you make it?"

"I've got it," Tony growled, pushing himself off the seat.

Steve watched, forcing himself to remain where he was as the other man made his way unsteadily towards the stairs and up each one with increasing effort. "Hey FRIDAY?" he asked quietly when he thought Tony was out of earshot.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Could you let me know if he needs help?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Thanks," he huffed, turning back around to the dishes. Might as well clean it up. Tony hated a mess left out.

"I don't know what to do."

Steve turned, finding Howard sitting with his shoulders hunched over.

"I always know what to do."

"This is different."

"I get it's complicated, but I can fix almost anything given time, but this…. I'm not sure I can fix this, Cap. Was I really so bad?"

"I don't know, Howard. I was in the ice," Steve acknowledged softly.

His friend sagged against the table and Steve reached out to put a hand against his shoulder. He couldn't help him. He couldn't help Tony either. The whole thing was a mess.

                                                    ___________

He hadn't given Fury an answer one way or the other. The SHIELD director dropped him back off in Queens, his lego set in hand, and Peter climbed the stairs to his apartment numbly. He'd texted Ned and promised he would explain first chance he got, then he'd texted Aunt May who had not been quite as understanding. At least she'd calmed down by the time he got home and he found her curled up on the couch with a book in hand.

"Hey," he greeted hoarsely.

"Hey yourself. Everything okay?"

"I…." He winced, not sure how to answer that. "I don't know yet."

"Was that Mr Stark that stole you away this afternoon?"

"No. It was… someone else."

"One of the other Avengers?"

"Sort of? I can't…"

She stood, crossing the space between them and suddenly he was being pulled into a hug. "I don't like this, Peter."

"I know, Aunt May."

"But I can't stop you either, can I?"

"Uncle Ben always said that if you could help, you should. I can - I have- done a lot of good."

"And someone wants you to do more, don't they?"

"How did you…?"

"Because I know you," she said with a wink. Her smile was strained and she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I can't stop you, but I need you to be careful. I need you to be smart."

"I know."

"If you can't tell me about it, talk to Mr Stark. Maybe he can help."

"I'm worried," he confessed softly.

"About what?"

"That if he gets in the middle of it that he'll get hurt again."

Aunt May pulled him into another hug, this one crushing. "He cares about you. As frustrating as that man is, he was willing to give up everything to bring you home. That has to count for something." The teen nodded against her shoulder. "Go call him?"

"Okay," he managed and turned back to his room, tossing the bag down and digging his cell out of his pocket before he took a heavy seat on the bed. He pulled in a deep breath and clicked Mr Stark's name from the speed dial before he could talk himself out of it, holding the phone up to his ear.

It rang once. Twice. Again and again until -

"You know who I am. Leave a message."

The line beeped, signalling Peter to start talking, but he hung up instantly. Aunt May was right. Mr Stark did care about him. He had risked everything to bring him home, and it was because of that that Peter couldn't tell him. He couldn't risk him coming to the rescue like he always did and getting hurt again. Or worse. This time, Peter had to protect Tony.

                                                    ___________

It was late by the time they got home. Morgan fell asleep in her booster on the way back and Pepper had to carry her into the house. "You and Steve are welcome to stay over," she murmured softly to Peggy. "It'd be too late when you got back to Brooklyn."

"Isn't Howard already taking up your guest bedroom?"

"We have two."

They made their way further into the house to find Steve crashed out on the couch. Okay, Peggy could have the spare bedroom to herself. She seemed perfectly alright with that and Pepper sent a very sleepy Morgan upstairs to brush her teeth before bed so that she could get the other guest room ready. Fresh sheets in place and everything set up, she turned to head to bed herself.

"She's my granddaughter."

Pepper looked around at the sudden voice and found Howard sitting at her kitchen table, a bottle of bourbon much more empty than it had begun at the beginning of the evening. "Yes she is."

"I knew that. I mean, here -" he tapped his temple - "but somewhere along the way it actually settled into place. Tony's not just the kid that I will have. He's already been there. Everything's set in stone for him. No changing it."

Oh. Something had happened. Something that she hadn't expected. "You can't change the past just by traveling to it."

"No you can't," Howard Stark chuckled. "You're smart. I see why Tony loves you."

"I'd like to think it's more than just that."

"Yeah."

Pepper frowned a little as she inched forward. "He loves you, you know."

"I messed up."

"You will." He looked up, his expression hurt and she offered a small smile. "Every parent does. I have. Tony has. We all do. It's what we do with that that matters."

"I don't want to be my father."

"You won't be. You'll make your own mistakes, just like Tony makes his." She glanced towards the stairs. "What'd he say?"

"That I screwed him up…. But it made him who he was, and if I changed that he wouldn't be who he is. Who he thinks he needs to be."

That sounded like Tony. "Tony will be Tony. He's…. This is a crazy world we live in. A world that, apparently, has multiple possibilities and branches of the universe that splinter off in every direction with each decision we make. One thing I'm sure of is that Tony remains who he is in every one of them. I've known him too long, through too much to believe anything else."

She found Howard staring at her and she reached forward, a hand on his arm that she hoped was comforting. "Just know that he comes around eventually, and he knows you did your best."

"I didn't get that from him tonight."

"Well, he's human. And when he drinks he acts like an idiot. It's the worst time to ask him about how he feels about things." Howard snorted a soft chuckle and Pepper smiled. "Get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning."

"G'night, Pepper."

She turned, pausing only briefly to check on Peggy who was crouched down next to a half-asleep Steve Rogers on their couch and waved goodnight before making her way upstairs.

Morgan's room was empty, but she had a pretty good idea where the little girl had snuck off to, and she was right. She lay curled up next to her daddy in the king sized bed and snoring softly.

Tony, surprisingly enough, wasn't asleep yet.

Pepper inched her way closer and caught his attention. "Hey."

"Hey," he answered back, his voice raspy.

"I hear you had a rough night."

"I drank too much," he admitted softly. "You pissed?"

"You planning to make a habit of it?"

"No."

"Then I'll let it slide this once." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You okay?"

"Everything hurts."

Pepper pulled back at the quiet confession and she saw the strain in his expression. She reached down, hand brushing against grey-flecked hair. "Just a sec, okay?"

He mumbled an acknowledgement and she moved to change quickly into a t-shirt and sleeping shorts. He wasn't asleep when she came back and she curled up against his back, her arm around his middle and she felt him take hold of her hand, their daughter on his other side curled up against his chest in the same way. Pepper relaxed against him and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Any better?"

"Yeah," he breathed and she tightened her hold as much as she dared. They would have to deal with the fallout in the morning, she knew, but for now they could sleep.

                                                    ___________

TBC

Notes: So... this turned out longer than expected. Nearly 6K long. Glad I didn't try to combine it with the last chapter.

I feel like I should mention that I have not actually seen Far From Home yet, so while I have a vague understanding of what happens in the movie, I don't know the specifics. I just haven't been able to bring myself to watch yet. All that to say, if something in this story doesn't line up with FFH, that's why. It is an AU, though, so there is that.

Next Time: Peter struggles with his decision and plans are made for the Stark Expo.