Life After the Fall

Chapter 4

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah. He wouldn't have survived if not for the Hulk," Steve said with a smile. "But then Nebula had some technical glitch with her memory that the 2014 Thanos learned of everything. They managed to replicate the quantum particles and they came, here, through the tunnel."

Natasha gasped and almost stopped breathing. She did not say anything or dare interrupt so Steve took it as a cue to continue. He did his best to detail the battle that transpired and she smiled when he described the way all those portals opened and everyone was there.

"And oh, by the way, I wielded Thor's hammer," Steve said sheepishly.

"I knew it," Natasha said, beaming a proud smile. "I saw it moved. I didn't think you noticed it, but I saw it budge when you tried to lift it before. Did you give that purple ape a good pounding with it?"

"Yeah. Did the whole lightning strike thing," Steve said and then turned serious again, "But it seemed like there was only one way to defeat Thanos the second time," Steve continued. He controlled his voice. "Another snap had to be done."

"Who, then?"

Steve held both of her hands in his hands and looked her in the eyes, "Tony."

Steve did not need to tell her that Tony did not make it. She kind of just knew. Her eyes immediately filled up with tears and she cried. One thing Steve long noticed about her was that she did not make a sound when she cried. He assumed it was a result of life-long attempts which started when she was still a child to stifle her cries to avoid punishments. And her cries now were no different. She buried her face on his chest and Steve immediately hugged her, running circles on her back.

"Pepper?" Natasha asked, her face still flushed against him.

"She's still upstate with Morgan. They're doing okay. She still runs Stark Industries. Happy is back with them."

"I'd like to see them," Natasha said as she pulled herself upright and composed herself again.

"Yeah, we'll do that later. In the meantime, there are others already lined up to see you."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

Steve retrieve the set of folded clothes Shuri prepared for her. He handed it to her and turned for the door. "I'll wait outside."

"The room's made of glass, Rogers," Natasha said.

"I'll turn around and close my eyes," he said and smiled at her.

She called out when she was done. When Steve returned to her, she was in jeans and black t-shirt. She had a confused look on her face, her hand feeling for something by her waistband. He almost asked what was wrong but she immediately smiled at him and handed him a pair of sneakers.

"My head spins when I try to bend over."

Steve gladly put and laced the shoes on her then he guided her out of the ICU and towards the elevator. But before he could push the button, the door opened and revealed Clint, Laura and the kids.

They all stopped in their tracks, unsure with what to do next. Steve watched as Clint just stood there and stared to cry again. It was Lila who got the first hug, well, second to him. The teenager crashed into her and in no time, Cooper followed and then Laura. Nate was still small to join the group hug so Steve picked him up. Natasha started crying again.

"Thank you so much," Laura said in between sobs. Finally, Clint regained control of his senses and ran to join his family, crushing his kids between him and Natasha.