Real-Life Myth

Epilogue.

"Look, I know you're trying to make up for the first five years you weren't with us but I think we can manage, darling." Quill frowns. Lana brushes some of his hair back. "Theenie loves you, Loki loves you, Caly loves you." She gestures to her stomach with her head. "Arty and Apollo will love you." Quill smiles. Lana kisses the corner of his mouth. "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiles warmly at him before shoving him away.

"Now back off. Pregnant women need their space." Lana waddles over to the front door. Quill watches her go, stunned. Athena glances between her mother and her father before laughing.

"She totally got you," Athena remarks. Quill looks to her and scoffs.

"She totally did not," he argues. Athena raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. "Loki, did your mother get me?" The ten year old raven nods. Quill scoffs again. "She did not! Caly?" Calypso looks to her father and raises an eyebrow. "My sweet, sweet Calypso, have I ever told you that you're my favorite daughter?" Calypso laughs.

"You can tell me anything you wish, dad. Mom still got you," she remarks before heading over to the door.

Quill frowns. "Fine then. Now Artemis is my favorite daughter!" Athena scoffs. His eyes widen slightly as he looks to his eldest daughter. "I love you, Theenie." She rolls her eyes and nods, walking off. Quill sighs and looks to Loki. "You still love me, right?" The little boy nods. "Good. Because you're my favorite son." Loki smiles brightly before skipping off to the rest of the family.

Quill watches them from where he's stood. The door swings open revealing Pepper in a nice blue sundress. The two women erupt into smiles and hug each other in greeting. Leo, the Stark's seven year old, comes running out and drags Calypso over to their trampoline. The two start jumping with matching smiles. Loki and Carter go running off to the lake to skip stones. Athena steps into house, probably in search for (her secret girlfriend) Morgan. Pepper and Lana remain on the porch, talking. Quill approaches with a smile.

"There you are!" Lana exclaims. He laughs and wraps his arms around her. "I thought you'd run off after the space comment." She kisses his cheek. "I was worried."

"I was only taking in the amazing view." He whispers into her ear, waving at Pepper. The strawberry blonde waves back with a warm smile. Lana laughs softly.

"It's the same view every other Sunday we've come here." Quill laughs and shakes his head.

"I didn't mean the lake view," he corrects, "I meant my beautiful family of soon-to-be seven." Lana blushes and rolls her eyes. Quill kisses her temple before looking to Pepper. "Can we come in?" She nods and opens the door again.

"'Course! Everyone's here except Bruce and Natasha." The two women share a knowing look before they all head inside.

~~~

After lunch and after almost everyone's gone home, the original six, Pepper, Bucky, Lana, and Quill sit around the table. The kids- Morgan, Maria (Pepper and Tony's second child), Leo, Athena, Loki, Calypso, Carter, Frigga (Thor and Jane's little girl), Cooper, Lyla, Nathaniel, and Carmen (Bruce and Natasha's adopted daughter)- are all playing outside. For right now, they sit in silence, appreciating everything that has happened up until this point. They're all smiling as they think about the happy memories.

"Alright. I'm gonna come out and say it," Tony starts, earning everyone's attention. "You two breed like rabbits." He gestures between Quill and Lana. The happy couple look to each other before back to Tony, each raising an eyebrow. "You have five kids! That's more than any of us!"

Lana laughs. "My dear, sweet Anthony. We are but tied with the amount of offspring." He raises an eyebrow, propping his elbows onto the table. Lana starts counting on her fingers. "Harley, Peter, Morgan, Maria, Leo. That's five." Pepper laughs. Tony shoots her a glare. Lana, then, starts counting on the other hand. "Athena, Loki, Calypso, Artemis, Apollo. That's another five." Natasha and Clint share a smirk. Bruce smiles. Steve and Bucky try to retain their laughter. Quill smirks as well. "We are tied."

"Well-" Tony starts, a finger pointed at Lana. His statement dies out and his finger droops. "Yeah, okay, you've got a point." Lana smiles, victorious. "We're tied."

"Clint comes in second with three," she continues before looking to Natasha, Bruce, Steve, and Thor. "Sorry darlings, but you all tie for last with one." Everyone laughs.

"Bruce and I can always change that," Natasha remarks. Bruce laughs. "Maybe we'll adopt five more. Then we'll win." Everyone laughs again- except Bruce. He looks to his wife, eyes wide.

"All at once?" Natasha shrugs. "That's a lot of kids, Natasha." She smirks up at him.

"We can handle them." Bruce just smiles and wraps his arm around Natasha's waist. They slip into silence once more.

"It's been pretty crazy twenty-three years." Clint comments, his gaze facing the table. Everyone nods in agreement. "From being kidnapped-" He gestures to Tony. The inventor nods. "-to surviving a big evil purple jellybean." He gestures to Quill who laughs. "I'm serious guys! We've been together for twenty-three years. Well, except you two of course." Lana and Quill nod. Clint shakes his head and looks up. "Can I say these have been the best twenty-three years of my life or am I insane?" Everyone laughs. Clint nods. "I'm insane, I know. We've been through some pretty crazy shit. But we've been through it together." Everyone glances around, smiling at each other. "You guys are like family to me." A chorus of 'yeah, same' and 'you're like family too' rings throughout the room.

"As our Morgan would say-" Pepper starts, nodding to Tony to finish. He looks around the room with a warm smile to which everyone reciprocates.

"I love you three thousand."