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"I can't help everybody."
It sort of seems like you can.
"Not if I stop. I can put a pin in it right now... and stop..."
Tony, trying to get you to stop has been one of the few failures of my entire life…
Pepper looked at her husband, seeing Tony on the verge of tears. Though, he wouldn’t let them spill. Instead, he smiled at her. She knew where this conversation was going, but she wasn’t going to stop him, even if Tony claimed he didn’t have to do it. She wasn’t naive.
Reaching to stroke his arm, Pepper craved that closeness. Of course she didn’t want him to go - to leave their quiet life in the woods. They had a life together. A wonderful, beautiful, life together… for him to leave it would be unfair. However, she knew how unfair it was for those who lost their loved ones five years ago. They had a wonderful life together… wouldn’t it be fair for those who lost theirs to get it back? Especially since there was a chance they could.
Scooting over to sit beside him, Pepper smiled when she felt Tony’s arms around her shoulder. “You know how much I love you right?”
“Well, our daughter loves me three thousand, so I’m not sure how you can top that?” Tony teased, glancing at her with that same Tony Stark smile he’s had for years.
“Oh, so I see where I rate in this family,” Pepper laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. “I love you for eternity, Tony… nothing will ever change that. Even if this doesn’t workout the way we want it to… I will love you for the rest of time.”
That comment seemed to stick with Tony. Kissing the top of her head, he held her close. He would still never understand how he got so damn lucky to have the life he had now. Especially when he’d failed five years ago. But what he’d never do was make sure his family was ever in danger and that’s why this plan worried him. What if they somehow erased history and none of this ever existed? He would never be able to live with himself after that.
“I love you too, Pep,” Tony said, kissing her again. “We’ve had a great time here, haven’t we?”
“Yes we have…” Pepper agreed, taking his hand. “And I don’t regret any of it.”
“I just don’t want it to end badly… you know how this goes and I hate that I keep putting you through it,” Tony looked at her. He knew she wouldn’t have said what she said if she didn’t want him to go. Truth was, Tony knew he had to go and so did Pepper. What hurt so much was that he didn’t know what the endgame would be and he didn’t want Pepper to suffer the consequences of his actions.
“Remember eleven or so years ago what you told me when I didn’t want to watch you kill yourself?” Pepper asked, eyebrows raised. “You told me: I shouldn't be alive... unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy… I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right. And we both know that this is the right thing to do, no matter how hard it’s going to be. You wouldn’t have found the solution to time traveling unless it was for a reason… and we both know what the outcome could be.”
Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss against his lips. “I’m going to bed… and you’re going to join me."
Tony smiled at her again, squeezing her hand as he gently pulled her up from the sofa. “Yeah… I like that idea."