Infinity

Chapter 167

Tony's POV

I was about to asked what Nat meant when she said Marlie was the reason she was alive and well, but I was distracted by a series of gasps from the others. I slowly turned around and gulped. Standing before me was the one person in the world I loved the most. The portal was gone and in it's place stood Marlie. She looked the same as she did the last time I saw, yet somehow more beautiful. I could see how tired she looked, but when our eyes met all, I saw was relief.

Tears instantly clouded my vision and I tried to blink it away. I was terrified that if she left my sight, she'd vanish again. Neither of us seemed to be able to move as we stared at each other with tears streaming down our faces. I felt a hand push me from behind helping me start moving towards her. I quickly covered the distance and stopped directly in front of her.

We looked into each other's eyes as tears streamed down our faces. "Are you real?" I managed to choke out. I was terrified that none of this was real, that all of this was just some twisted illusion.

"I'm real and I'm here." Marlie choked out.

The moment her words were out of her mouth and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest. The moment she was in my arms, I felt the weight her absence had left me with instantly vanish. Her legs gave out on her but my hold on her kept her from falling. Eventually, I lowered us to the ground as we cried in each other's arms. She was really here, and I wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. I had no idea how this was possible, but at the moment I didn't care. She was here and that's all that matters.

I don't know how long we stayed like this. Just sitting there on the ground, crying and clinging to each other. Eventually though we pulled back, but only enough to look at each other. I wasn't ready to let her go yet.

I looked into her vibrant green eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. I brought my hand up and gently wiped them away. I then brought my face down to hers and connected our foreheads and closed my eyes.

"Please tell me this is real. That you're not a dream or some made up illusion from the stones." I whispered quietly.

"I'm here Tony. This isn't in your head." She whispered back.

I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me, studying my face. "Good." Was all I said before leaning down and connecting our lips.

It was a short gentle kiss, but I could feel the longing and love we were both feeling in it. We needed this. We needed this moment with each other. The assurance that the other was real and that we were both here. It was one of the best kisses we've shared and that was saying something.

We pulled out of the kiss, and I looked down at her with a huge smile on my face. She smiled back up at me as she looked me in the eyes. Her face then changed to one of grief.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'm so sorry I couldn't change this. I'm sorry I left you here alone with the twins. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. That I couldn't save Rosie from the same fate. I'm so very sorry." She cried as tears spilled from her eyes.

I just cut her off by giving her another deep kiss. It hurt me to see her this way. To see the guilt in her eyes when all she ever did was try to make sure we won in the end. When I pulled out of the kiss, I knew I needed to reassure her. I needed her to know that I wasn't mad at her. I didn't blame her for anything that had happened.

I looked her directly in her eyes and brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear as I responded. "Marlie, it's not your fault. None of it is. You were faced with an impossible decision, and you did the best you could. And you did it. We have the stones. We can bring everyone back. You even saved Nat and now by some miracle you're here. It's been a tough couple of years, yes, but we'll work through it, together."