Finding Their Way Home

Epilogue

"He's sleeping now," Bruce said softly, walking into the living room where a tense Tony and Pepper sat with the rest of the Avengers. Pepper let out a sigh of relief and sagged into her husband's hold. "There should be no permanent damage, but I'd like to keep an eye on his ribs. One of the shards broke off and punctured his lung---and while it is healing, it's not healing as fast as I'd like."

"But he's okay?" Tony asked, looking at Bruce seriously. "He's fine?"

Bruce nodded. "He's fine."

"Thank God," Tony said, leaning back against the couch. "I swear that kid is going to give me grey hair."

"You already have it." Clint called. Tony threw a couch cousin at his face in retaliation. Clint just stuck up the middle finger and laughed loudly.

Tony rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Real mature Bird-Brain."

"I dunno," Clint said in a sing-song voice. "Calling people names seems real mature."

Pepper let out a soft giggle that she quickly covered behind her hand. "You two..." she said with a fond shake of her head. She then frowned, the mood sobering as she looked up at Tony. "What happened back there?" she asked.

Tony stiffened and Steve froze, looking at Tony with a concerned look in his eye. Was Tony going to tell Pepper what he did? Tony sighed and looked at the ground. "I did what I had to, Pep," he said softly, taking hold of her hand. His thumb brushed over her knuckles as he spoke. "That man---Dr. Zemo---he was really bad. He hurt Peter. He was the reason my parents were killed---" Pepper sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes filling with concern. "---I'm not proud of it but...he's not going to bother anyone ever again."

Pepper flinched back in surprise, her mouth opening in an 'o' of understanding. "So he's...he's...?"

Tony nodded silently and the playful atmosphere disappeared. Pepper leaned forward and embraced Tony tightly. Tony buried his face in Pepper's shoulder, grateful for the comfort. "Oh Tony," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"What about S.H.I.E.L.D?" Bruce asked, sitting down in one of the arm chairs with a frown. "Do they know?"

"I assume they do," Tony said. "But he was threatening the life of a civilian. We did what we had to do." Tony's fist clenched as he remembered the cold of the outdoors, the way Dr. Zemo's cruel grin seemed to follow even after he was dead. Tony shuddered.

"Everything is going to be okay." Pepper said, squeezing Tony's hand like a lifeline. "We have each other and that's all that matters."

Tony looked around at the room, the smiling faces on his friends and family. He allowed a small smile to grace his face.

"Yeah," he said. "That's all that matters."

________________________________________________________

Peter awoke to the sounds of breakfast.

Peter smiled as the familiar scent of bacon, eggs and pancakes wafted into his room. He stretched out against his bed and winced when he felt a sharp pain in his side. Oh right. The fight.

Suddenly Peter shot up and dove for the door, nearly wrenching it off it's hinges in the process, and tore down the hall. He entered the kitchen with barely concealed panic.

"Hey Bud how're---What? What's wrong?" Tony cried. He had put down the spatula and was now looking Peter over for any sign of what might be wrong.

"May---" Peter cut himself off, his throat spasming in pain. He brought his hand up to his throat only to remember that he'd been strangled yesterday. Tony seemed to understand because he winced.