Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

lxxv. 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚢

EVELYN PUSHED the car door shut as her eyes locked with her nephew. Her eyes then moved to the small girl in his arms, and immediately, the child broke free into a run. Evelyn's arms were wide as she caught the ever-growing child.

"Hey, babydoll," Evelyn whispered. "How's my favorite girl?"

"Daddy didn't tell me you were coming!" she exclaimed into Evelyn's ear causing the older woman to flinch a bit at the sound. She grinned nevertheless and hugged Morgan tighter.

"Uncle Capsicle had to come to talk to him, but I'm secretly only here for you," Evelyn said loud enough for Tony to hear as the group walked forward.

"I heard that," Tony said with a small smirk on his tired face. He then noticed the serious expressions on the group's faces. "Morgan, go see Mommy."

"But—"

"Go," Evelyn urged, placing Morgan back down and pushing her lightly in the direction of the house.

Tony smiled despite his nerves about the discussion about to take place. He pulled Evelyn into a hug. "Hey, Auntie Icicle."

"Hey, Tone," she whispered back.

After they made it to the porch, Scott began his story. Tony's hand remained on his head as if he was gathering a headache from Scott talking. Evelyn smiled from her spot standing in the back, knowing Scott was nervous to be in Iron Man's presence again.

"Now, we know what it sounds like," Scott finished after explaining. He felt happy that he could provide some help to the Avengers, and all they needed was a big brain to help them. Tony was going to help, he thought, at least, because of his aunt.

"Tony, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?" Steve asked, watching Evelyn watch nature around them. Birds were flying in a formation, and her eyes seemed to follow them. She was hardly paying attention, but he knew why. She was thinking of Bucky.

He was right, of course, when he watched her hand reach up to the necklace around her neck.

"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that?" Everyone looked confused besides Evelyn who finally came back to the conversation when she saw Tony bringing everyone drinks. Steve thanked him when he got his. "In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home."

Scott shook his head. "I did."

Tony scoffed. "No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a... What do you call it?"

"A time heist?" Scott said, trying to hide his smile at the name.

Tony did not seem amused by the name. Evelyn found it very amusing, however, as she let a smile cover her face. "Yeah, a time heist. Of course, why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream?" Her smile fell. Did he really think so?

"The Stones are in the past. We can go back and get them," Scott tried to explain again.

"We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everyone back," Natasha added with a frown.

"Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?" Tony snarked back.

"I don't believe we would," Steve said his opinion as Evelyn stayed quiet.

"Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism," Tony said with a shrug before looking back to Evelyn, "However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise. Evelyn, why are you so quiet?"

"Because she's thinking the same as you," Steve answered for her causing Scott and Natasha to look at her in shock, "but she is willing to try. For him. It's worth the risk to her."

"There would be no risks if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. That means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future?"

Scott became embarrassed. "No."

"Good. You had me worried there. 'Cause that'd be horse shit. That's not how quantum physics works."

"Tony," Evelyn finally said, her voice cracking. "I know it sounds crazy. I just—I've lost so much throughout my horribly long life. Yes, I gained marvelous things, but... but he and Steve were all I had from my time. Steve needs him. I—I need—I'm sorry. I am going to go wait inside."

Tony felt guilt creep up his spine at the sight of a tear falling from her eye. Natasha hated seeing her friend in pain. She tried again ."Tony... We have to take a stand."

"We did stand. And yet, here we are," Tony murmured, watching Pepper hug Evelyn through the window.

"I know you got a lot on the line. You got a wife, a daughter. But I lost someone very important to me. A lot of people did," his voice cracks before getting louder, "And now, now we have a chance to bring her back. To bring everyone back. And you're telling me that won't even—"

"That's right, Scott, I won't even. I got a kid." Morgan ran out of the house and jumped into her father's arms. Tony quickly held his kid, pouring his love into the hug.

"Mommy told me to come and save you," she whispered into his ear.

"Good job. I'm saved," Tony cheered, tickling her softly. He turned back to his once friends. "I wish you'd come here to ask me something else. Anything else. Honestly, I... I missed you guys, it was... Oh, and table's set for seven."

"Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this is a second chance," Steve pleaded for a final time.

Tony bit his lip as he nudged his head toward Morgan. "I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice again. If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch." He left them on his porch as he walked inside.

Natasha frowned. "Is Evelyn going to stick around for a bit?"

Steve nodded. "Maybe she'll talk some sense. Come one."

Inside the house, Evelyn gulped when seeing Tony walk inside with Morgan resting on his hip. There was an eerie silence that followed, Pepper not even speaking as the pair let Tony work through his thoughts. They watched him leave the room after placing Morgan down with a kiss on her forehead.

Pepper sighed, about to follow after him, but Evelyn rose her hand to stop the woman. "I got it."

Tony was sitting on his couch with his head in his hands. Evelyn was about to speak when he beat her to it. Looking up, he gave her a pained smile, "I know I got lucky." He paused, eyes moving now to the photos on the wall and then back to his aunt. "And I know you didn't. I would be an asshole to not at least try to get him back for you."

"Tony, I understand if you don't want to," she whispered back, sitting next to him. Tony reached over and grabbed her hand. "You owe Bucky nothing. He killed your parents... my brother. He never got to apologize, but there was no reason for you to forgive him anyway. Neither one of us expected it from you. Don't do it because of guilt."

Tony smirked. "You think I'm forgiving the Manchurian Candidate so easily? Nah, I only care to see you happy Aunty Icicle. He and Steve are from your time, you're right. They are all you have left to remember the better days. Give me a few hours to look into it." He paused. "I do forgive him, though. If he never hears it from me, let him know."

Evelyn watched him leave the room with a small smile on her face at the fact that she managed to break through to him.