InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "INCONCEIVABLE!"

Tony Stark (notyourplayboy) wrote in somerealityrpg,
@ 2019-09-15 10:50:00

Current mood:	loved
Entry tags:	active: pepper potts, active: tony stark

Tony + Pepper
WHO: Tony Stark & Pepper Potts
WHAT: Pepper's arrival in Goodland.
WHERE: Stark Industries
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 15th
WARNINGS: Language
SPOILERS: Through Endgame
STATUS: Completed

Tony lost a few working hours to Goodland's bout of bad luck on Friday so he decided to get some work done in the office late Sunday morning. He didn't plan to work too long. He needed to cook (or buy) dinner for the kids and make sure they didn't need anything for school in the coming week. He also preferred working on Rhodey's braces to the boring paperwork he needed to complete at Stark Industries.

He finished the important matters that couldn't wait within two hours and decided to head back to Ostrich's Villa. He could work on the braces, spend time with any of the kids that were around, and maybe enjoy a stiff drink. It had been a long week. "Make sure the building is secure," he told his work AI. Once it confirmed the building was locked, he turned toward the street. He shook his head on noticing a flash of reddish blond hair. Get a grip, he told himself. She vanished. She is not here.

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 03:15 pm UTC (link)

Today had been a hectic day. She’d gone out for a jog with Tony where he told her about a dream in which they’d had a kid-- and how excited he had been at the prospect of being a parent had shocked and excited Pepper. They could start a family and have a somewhat normal life. Of course, no sooner had that thought crossed her mind did a strange man step out of literal thin air to ask Tony for help. Because Avengers timing was always inconvenient. And then Bruce appeared, after not being seen for years, and Pepper knew there was no way even ask Tony not to go with them.

She had barely gotten home when she’d gotten the call from Tony about investigating the ship that had just landed. She was worried about him way before she’d lost contact with him. But not being able to get ahold of him, and now suddenly Rhodey (because why wouldn’t those two idiots be together?) put her on edge. And that was before she realized that she was miles away from her home, in another section of New York with little knowledge of just how she got there.

There was a letter that welcomed her, and told her that she lived in an apartment now, but she paid it little mind as she stuffed it in her pocket. She had no intention of staying here. The Stark Tower was very noticeable, and out of place. They had several buildings, but not one here. Reluctantly, Pepper posted on the network as instructed, but people told her it was Tony’s building.

She had to go investigate it for herself. She was impatient, weaving between the people on the street until she stood across from it. It certainly looked like one of their buildings, with their logo on the door and everything.

And then she saw Tony step out, and she had half a mind to dash across the street to yell at him or hit him or something. Why hadn’t he told her he was safe? Why wasn’t he answering his phone?

She waited just long enough to safely cross, making a beeline for him. “Anthony Edward Stark!” She called after him.

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 03:25 pm UTC (link)

The day Dr. Strange opened the portal seemed long ago to Tony although, in reality, it had only been three months since he arrived in Goodland from pretty much the same point as Pepper. So much happened in that short time! So much changed too. One minute he was planning a wedding and the next he lacked a fiancee. Heh, he guessed not too different from reality then. He had just told himself he was seeing things when he heard a familiar voice yelling his full name. He knew people returned to the city, but he refused to believe Pepper would be one of those. He couldn't get his hopes up. His heart could only take so much breaking and he needed to be there for the kids. He was afraid wallowing would set him down a dangerous path just like it did in his world. He automatically turned in the direction of the yelling. He wasn't seeing things, was he? He wasn't sleeping well, after all. He half wanted to turn and run. It had to be an illusion. His mind was playing tricks. But...

"Pepper?" He called. "Is that...are you really here?" The faintest tinge of hope showed in his expression.

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 03:33 pm UTC (link)

Pepper could handle a lot, it had been a hell of a day, but knowing that Tony was right in front of her and not on that damn alien ship filled her with relief. She had a lot of questions, and there were things here that didn’t make sense, details that need to be stenciled in. But she was flooded with comfort at the sight of her fiance.

She closed the gap between them and threw her arms around him. For a second she was just content to bury her face in his chest. She had been worried that she wouldn’t see him again. “Tony, I have half a mind to smack you for getting on that damn ship.” She told him, finally pulling away to look at him. One of her hands went to his cheek, as she scanned him for any sign of injury.

“What is going on here? Why do you have-- how do you have a building here?”

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 03:40 pm UTC (link)

Tony held her tightly. He knew he was lucky to have her back --- especially so quickly. He promised himself he wouldn't waste any more time when it came to his loved ones. "I had to," he said quietly. He quickly deducted that Pepper was from around the same time, which meant she was in for a world of information. However, he wouldn't overwhelm her. Instead, he added, "But this actually has nothing to do with that damn donut ship or wizard. It is some sort of alternate dimension that defies all scientific laws. I've been here for three months."

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 03:57 pm UTC (link)

"I know it." Pepper said softly. She knew who Tony was, and she understood why Tony had gotten on the ship, but that hadn't made her worry any less. But that didn't matter now, because now she had Tony back, and she wouldn't have to worry as much.

"Wait, this has nothing to do with the guy who came out of the portal?" She questioned. It had been easy to assume that all the chaotic events from the day were connected, but if they werent? "Three Months?" She couldn't imagine it. She had only seen him that morning!

"I assume you are one of the smart people that someone mentioned was working on getting us back home?" She questioned, "What is going on here?"

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 04:19 pm UTC (link)

Tony shook his head. "Totally unrelated," he told her. He held his hand out, silently offering to walk her home. "We do need to discuss what happens back there," he admitted, "But let's get you situated here first." He shot her a rueful smile. "Yeah, that is me, one of the smart people working to give people a choice about whether or not they return to their realities. You see, Pep..." He paused. Pepper was damn brilliant, but he knew it was a lot to take in at once so he wanted to make sure he wasn't overwhelming her. "You see, there are people, well, people, wizards, witches, androids..." He shrugged. "You get the idea. There are a bunch of different types here in Goodland from all different times and worlds. Like, you know Sam Wilson? He is here, but from a completely different world."

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 04:36 pm UTC (link)

Pepper grinned and took Tony’s hand when he offered it, she didn't know exactly where he was going to lead her, but that barely mattered. Admittedly, the phrase ‘what happens back there’ had a bit of an ominous ring to it that put Pepper on edge. She wouldn’t dwell on it though, especially since Tony was clearly there in front of her. Anything else, she could deal with.

“So this place acts like a bridge to the multiverses?” She asked, more curious than surprised. She was familiar with the multiverse theory, but it had always been just that-- a theory. The fact that someone had not only found a way to pull people from their universes, but seemingly make a space that existed outside of any of them… it was impressive in the right hands. The problem was that things like this were seldom in the right hands.

“I think I would have been more surprised about the existence of witches and wizards and andriods prior to the Avengers initiative.” She smirked at him, squeezing his hand. It was true, that since working with SHIELD her eyes had been opened more to the possibility of such things, she’d met Vision and Wanda and the Portal Man after all. There was a catch though, as he mentioned that Sam was not from their universe. She had to pause for a moment.

“But… you, you’re my Tony, right?”

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	notyourplayboy 2019-09-15 04:53 pm UTC (link)
	Tony chuckled as she recounted some of the “unbelievable” things that were actually very real in their world. He squeezed her hand as they walked along the streets. “Nope, I’m actually some evil overlord.” He stopped walking, turned to her, and pressed his lips against her before taking a step back. “So am I yours?” He asked with a wink. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

heroadjacent
2019-09-15 06:15 pm UTC (link)

Pepper couldnt help but giggle at the sudden kiss. Tony had a way even after all the time they'd spent together, despite their age, to make her feel like a love struck teenager at times. "Yep, definitely my Tony. Evil overlord and all." She smirked happily at him.

"You've been here for three months?" She asked. She couldn't imagine it. He had been gone less than a day for her, and knowing where he was, she had still been worried sick. She gestured back towards the direction of the Stark Industries building. "You've been busy then. Tell me about it."

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 06:55 pm UTC (link)

There was too much to tell her right there in the middle of the sidewalk so he suggested they walk to a nearby coffee shop. Once settled, he told her all about Goodland. He mentioned the ostriches, the demons, the bad luck, and singing leprechauns. He explained how she was there before, but vanished. He told her the entity randomly sends things from home. He talked about becoming close to Sam Wilson and Cisco and how they were working on stabilizing the place. He told her about James and Laura and, finally, how Peter and Michelle were living with him. Lastly, he reached across the table and stroked her cheek. “Our daughter is here. Morgan. She is 17 and absolutely perfect.”

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 07:30 pm UTC (link)

It was a lot of information, however, if being Tony’s assistant and then running a company had taught her anything, it was how to quickly sort through a lot of information. She had gleaned enough of it, anyway, to condense Tony’s three months into facts that she could keep track of.

She had vanished? She hated the thought of leaving her family behind, and vowed that she would do anything in her power not to do something like that again. She took a sip of her coffee. They were responsible for Peter and his friend, MJ. She could handle that. She adored Peter, and she had spoken to MJ on the network earlier. She didn’t know anything about her, but she would make up for it. She seemed like a smart young lady.

The idea of Laura, and her universe of dual personalities was interesting, and of course, Pepper would never say anything about assisting the young girl with anything. The same with James, it seemed that her fiance had taken a liking to picking up stray kids, but Pepper couldn’t have been more proud of him. She leaned into the touch of her face.

“Our daughter?” She said softly, her eyes were wide and excited but she couldn’t help but laugh. “You just told me this morning that you’d had a dream where we had a child and named her after my uncle.” She couldn’t believe they had actually gone and done that. They had a family here, and Pepper’s heart felt full at the thought.

It would take Pepper a little while, to learn the ins and outs and interests of each kid, but she was going to absolutely try to do so. “I can’t wait to meet all of them.”

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 08:06 pm UTC (link)

Tony grinned. He was so glad she wasn't freaked about the kids. "It will be an adjustment, but I know they'll be excited too." He hoped anyway. He was already worried about Morgan having to deal with Pepper's return only a few days after losing her.

He wasn't sure how much else to tell her. He didn't want her hearing about their reality from anyone else, but he felt like he was dumping so much into her lap. "Pep, honey? There are things that happen in our world...not so great things. I want to be the one to tell you, but only if you are ready. I know this has been a lot to take in."

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 08:38 pm UTC (link)

There was a small part of Pepper that wondered if she had what it takes to be a good mother, she was sure that she could, but it would likely be rocky at first, and that made her a little nervous. Still, she was going to try, and the thought of them being all together made her happy.

She could tell by the look on Tony’s face that she wasn’t going to like the news. She reached across the table for Tony’s hand, and nodded, mentally steeling herself for the information that he was about to give her. “It has been a lot, but I’ll be okay.” She told him calmly, easily slipping into her calm, professional self. “If it’s something I need to know, then I need to know it. Especially if everyone else already knows.”

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 08:50 pm UTC (link)

He brushed the top of her hand with his thumb. The physical reminder helped tell him she was really there with him. He exhaled a long breath and launched into the entire story, only stopping for breaths. He knew if he didn't get it out in one shot, he'd dwell too much. He wanted to rip the band-aid for both of them. He told her about Dr. Strange and the ship, he told her about Peter sneaking on to help, he told her about the Guardians he met in space, and he told her about the snap. He continued the story after that with the caveat he hadn't lived it yet, but he told her about their marriage and their little girl and moving upstate. He told her about his retirement even though he kept things around to protect them. He mentioned how Pete's loss spurred him to look seriously into time travel after Steve, Natasha, and Scott asked. He told her about the stones and time travel and Nat's sacrifice. He informed her about Dr. Strange's prediction in which they only won in one scenario. And, in the end, he told her about his death. "I'm sorry," he finished, knowing the news must hurt her. "He must have been right. I know I'd never willingly leave you and our little girl." A few tears slid down his cheeks, which he wiped with a napkin. "That is why I want this place to work out so badly."

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heroadjacent
2019-09-15 09:21 pm UTC (link)

Pepper’s heart sank with each sentence of the story. She knew that Tony had gotten onto the ship, but she didn’t know about Peter, not yet. And the fact that Peter never made it home. Her breath hitched slightly, but the story only got worse. Half the world blinked out in a second. The hand that wasn’t slowly tightening its grip on Tony’s as if he were going to slip away from her as he spoke, came to her mouth in shock.

She sat in silence for a long moment. Her heart was beating rapidly. She lost him-- the thing she had feared the most for nearly a decade had come true. Tears were shining in her eyes, but she didn’t want to cry them, not for something that hadn’t --- wouldn’t if she got her way-- experience.

She had to close her eyes for a moment, to blink back the tears and recenter. Refocus. “Poor Morgan,” she said in a breath. She was sad, but she had had so many good years with Tony. Why hadn’t their daughter been given that?

“I love you so much,” She said, her voice never leaving the quiet, shocked whisper. “We’ll make here work. For all of us.”

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notyourplayboy
2019-09-15 11:10 pm UTC (link)

Tony glanced down at the mention of their daughter. He felt incredibly guilty that he missed out on her life even though he knew she lived in a better world due to his sacrifice. Morgan told him recently about her feelings and while he knew she didn't blame him, he hated that he caused her pain. "I know," he whispered. "But she has a good life, Pep. She has you and Rhodey and Pete and Thor and Nebula...so many." He was grateful those he loved most looked after his daughter in his absence.

He scooted his chair close to Pepper and touched her cheek. "We will," he promised. "I love you and I'm not losing that again. Our family...it comes first."

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heroadjacent
2019-09-18 03:05 am UTC (link)

There was a cold sadness that spread through Pepper as she thought about what the future held. A life without Tony for both her and their daughter, for Peter and Rhodey, for all of the people who loved him. She let out a breath. It didnt have to happen here. It didnt have to happen, though she did have one thought. If they could go through time and pluck the stones and save the world, couldnt they do the same for Natasha and Tony? Didnt they owe it to those who lost their lives to end Thanos' genocide? She wouldn't voice that idea yet, but until she knew more.

When Tony moved his chair closer to her, she scooted towards him, leaning against him. Her heart was beating, but he was here. She could feel him, touch him. "Family first." She vowed to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'm not leaving. Not if I can help it. I love you. And our family." She didnt know them,but she knew she loved them.

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	notyourplayboy 2019-09-18 06:59 pm UTC (link)
	He relaxed into her touch. He knew he was getting his hopes up again, which was dangerous, but how could he not? His future wife was there kissing him, just like she had right before her disappearance. "I hope that love extends to the dog and cat currently residing with us." He shot her a mischievous grin. (Reply to this) (Parent)