Galactic Savior | Avengers✔️

✮ 𝟎𝟔𝟒 ✮

tony's still her dad

AFTER landing on the land the Starks owned, she took a deep breath as she left the safety of the jet. Hiding her limp, she walked normal as she opened the door without knocking as she had been told to do for so long.

Immediately, she heard the singing of Morgan and Harry as they watched a Disney movie. Marlene smiled at her little creation before turning to walk to the closet where she kept clothes. Before she could make it any further, Pepper stopped in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Let me change, I'll explain after," she pleaded the woman. Pepper gave her another glare before moving out of the way. Marlene smiled thankfully, grabbing an outfit before going to the shower.

After changing and braiding her hair, she hurried into the living room. Dropping to her knees, she belted out the next lyric to the Little Mermaid, Harry and Morgan turning to face her with wide smiles. Both tackled Marlene as they all sang. The children's laughter made Marlene smile no matter how much pain she was in. Grinning, she kissed her son's nose.

"I have to go talk to Aunt Pep. I'll be back, my little hero," Marlene whispered to him, kissing his cheek and staring into his baby blue eyes that resembled Steve so much.

Marlene walked into the kitchen, sitting down next to Pepper with a wry smile. "I am sorry for using you as my lie."

Marlene almost laughed aloud when Pepper said, "You know, Steve had asked me about the meetings a year ago. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about but I played it off anyway because I knew you would have no bad reason to have to lie to your husband. Going off with Barton? Killing those people!? Is that how you want your son to recognize you as when the news stories come on?"

Marlene rubbed her head with a sigh. "It took the edge off. It gave me a purpose."

"To kill people?"

"To help Clint."

Pepper gave her an unimpressed look before sighing. "Get to the damn Compound before Tony sends his suits to find you. He'll be miffed at me if he finds you here."

Marlene smiled at Pepper before standing and hugging her. "I'm sorry. I love you, Pep."

"Yeah, yeah. Love you," Pepper said with saltiness in her tone.

When Marlene landed the Quinjet on the front lawn of the Avengers Compound, she was glad when no one came out to greet her. She was feeling guilty enough as it was, and she did not need the whole brigade of Avengers hassling her for going out and fighting with Clint.

Walking inside, she bit her lip enough to make it bleed as she pushed open the door. She could hear voices, and she furrowed her brows as she got closer to the sound. With wide eyes, she stared at the large group of Avengers who all turned to stare at her, all carrying different emotions.

The first person to speak was Tony.

He pointed at her and spat, "You're lucky I didn't send my suits once I saw you were with Pepper. What the hell were you thinking!?"

Clint rose his hand warily. "I thought we were going to ignore the lectures since I received them for her."

"You're still away," Tony said, waving Clint off. "We're still ignoring you."

Marlene sighed. "Tony," she breathed out but was cut off.

"No. No, Tony!" Tony shouted. "You know how we all felt about you fighting. It was never just the Old Man here."

Marlene snapped. "I'm not a fucking child!" she screamed. "I lost my powers. Good. Great. They're gone. I'm more than my powers. What did you tell Parker? If he was nothing without the suit, then he did not deserve it!" Tony flinched at the mention of Peter. "Clint needed someone. I needed a release. I was there for him. He was there for me. Done deal. I'm sorry I lied. I am. But I'm not sorry that I did it."

It was quiet after her outburst until finally, Rocket sniggered. "Man, Gal. I like you more and more every time I see you."

Marlene's lips twitched as she finally took a breath. She looked around the room, seeing Bruce Banner as part-Hulk—what? Nebula. Clint and Natasha. Scott Lang. Vision. Rhodey. Thor... who looked worse for wear. Tony... and Steve, who looked at her sadly.

"May I speak to you for a minute?" she asked Steve, eyeing the stones on the holograms. Her heart lurched at the Mind Stone's slide. Steve nodded, placing his little clipboard down and walking out of the door to follow Marlene.

As he shut the door, Clint murmured, "I told you all years ago, Tony's like her fucking dad."

"Shut up, Barton!" Tony snapped as the door shut with Clint's laughter following.

Marlene eyed Steve as he leaned on the wall opposite of her. She wrung her hands together nervously as she tried to figure out what to say. Before she could open her mouth, Steve began.

"I knew where you were," he said before shaking his head. "No, that's not true. I'll rephrase it. I knew Pepper was lying, but I pushed it aside knowing you'd never do something that had the possibility of taking you away from Harry... away from me."

Marlene felt the guilt crawl up her body again.

He let his eyes meet hers. "I trusted you enough to know you'd always return home unharmed. It's not that I wanted you stay home and never leave. It's not that Tony wanted you to never fight again; it was the fact that we were both tired of fighting. Fighting is what landed us here trying to find a way to bring back millions of people. You don't have your powers, I know. It hurts you, I know. But you're not invincible."

"Trust me, I know," Marlene murmured, hand reaching to claw at her chest unconsciously. Steve eyed her oddly as she did that. "I'm sorry, Steve."

Steve nodded. "I'm not mad. I just wish you'd have been honest with me."

Marlene let her eyes meet his again as he walked forward. "We have a chance to go back in time to find the Infinity Stones. Snap our own fingers. I want you to help."

His hands went to her waist as he pulled her in for a hug. "Really?"

"If you'd have answered your phone," Steve teased in her hair with a smile, "you would have known before."

"Does Tony think it'll work?" she asked, "even with Morgan?"

She was worried for Harry as well.

"He does."

"Do you?"

"I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't," he said, words echoing from five years before. "By the way," he said softly as he brought his head back to look at her, "you suck at hiding your limp. Broken ankle?"

"Sprain," Marlene answered with a grin as he kissed her once. "I love you, Steve Rogers."

"Marlene Rogers," Steve teased, kissing her as his hand felt for hers with the ring. "I'll never get tired of hearing that. I love you."

The door opened as they were kissing, and Scott called in an annoyed tone, "They're fine. Gross. Come on, Captain... Steve... Rogers, er... Marlene, hi! I have someone I want to get back! Let's go!"