Ever After

Part 28 - The Bet

Simply staring at the box as Happy sets it up on the table, a cold chill runs down your spine. "How..."

"It was an insurance policy," Happy shrugs before turning back and giving you another hug. "Tony made it, well, you know." Another wave of guilt and grief floods your body, making you collapse back down onto the bed. "Take your time Bella." Happy smiles before heading to the door, turning back quickly to address Sam and Bucky. "If you two could stay with her, you know..."

"No problem." Bucky shrugs as Happy walks out, looking at Sam confusedly. Joining you on the bed, Sam pulls a chair over to sit on the other side of you. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"I'm scared." You mumble, still not being able to take your eye off the box.

"You?" Sam snorts. "You're the most badass bitch I've ever met. Mr Roboto over there included." While Bucky pulls a face at him, Sam shrugs, and you just can't help but snigger slightly. Sam Wilson just had that effect. "If you guys need to deal with this alone then I can go."

Shaking your head, before taking Bucky's right hand into yours, you meet him with a smile. "No Sam. You're a good man. I trust you. We both do, right Bucket?"

"Well..."

"Bucky?"

"Sure," he sighs. "Why not?! We trust you Samuel."

Taking a deep breath, you stand and walk over to the box. Once you've lifted the lid, the box starts to open itself, the whirring sound it makes instantly making you think of Tony's suit, how it all came together. A small projector appears and instantly plays; setting up a hologram of Tony, sitting at a desk. You quickly fall back onto the bed; the sight of your fallen friend just breaking your heart. Worse when he turns and looks straight at you.

"Hey Hells Bells," He smiles, making you choke back a sob. You hadn't heard him call you that in a long time; you hadn't even had to chance to catch up with him before he died, everything on the battlefield just moving too quickly. Bucky grips your hand in his, while Sam places a hand on your shoulder.

"I'm making this recording, well, just in case. I'm sure by now you'll have heard about our heroic escapades in recovering these stones. And I gotta say, I'm confident, but also terrified. But I guess," He pauses briefly. "Part of the journey is the end. Anyway, I digress." Hologram Tony shifts in his seat, clearly uncomfortable, which surprises you. "So after we lost...everything...everyone. Well by now I'm assuming you know most of what happened. I decided to live my life, me and Pep got married. Had a kid, can you believe that? God she's amazing, the most perfect thing I ever created."

You have to wipe back the tears as you remember Howard saying those exact same words about Tony.

"Anyway, while I was living my life, or not some might argue. I decided to do something I had been meaning to do for years and go through some of Dad's stuff. You know how he was, methodical, tedious, just a nightmare." Tony screws up his face, making you laugh. Bucky tenses beside you, but you squeeze his hand tighter. "The man threw away nothing. Just years and years of absolute chaos. But then something caught my eye. A bank account, in the name of one Isabella Thomas." A pictures appears next to him, a document with Howard's signature on it, signed shortly before he died in 1991. "First deposit was for $1 million, with a simple piece of paper attached to it."

Again an image pops up next to Tony: Belle, you were right. Howard. "That son of a bitch," you smile slightly, remembering that day in 1970 with Howard. He had remembered.

"I was so mad," Tony laughs, before rubbing his hands down his face. "I mean I think I was allowed to be after well...finding out about your soldier boyfriend and what he did and how you lied to me about it." Tony stops, his holographic eyes just staring into yours. How you wish he could really be here beside you; so both of you could talk it out together. But that time had gone. Bucky makes to stand, but you force him to sit back down, not saying a word.