The Greatest of Them All (Book 3)

Part 27: The Maximoffs

AN: The war is over. The Avengers won. But what next? Only a few chapters to go my lovelies before the trilogy ends. Thank you for reading this far. The song Silhouette by Active Child (feat. Ellie Goulding) is uploaded. EnJoy!

"Tell me, why are we here again?" Pietro asks me for the third time as we follow Tony and Pepper up the front lawn of their house.

"Just because," I say, trying my best not to spoil the surprise.

I take another good look at his plain white shirt and blue jacket—his favorite one with the arrows along the sleeves—along with the pair of jeans he's wearing . Figured it was a decent enough outfit. Then again, those are some of the only clothes of his I've kept after all this time.

Then, I adjust the cardigan I'm wearing over my simple floral dress since I didn't want us to be in our suits for this occasion.

"You know you look fine," Pietro tells me after noticing how I rubbed my palms against my dress. "You look better than fine, even. You look beautiful."

"Why thank you," I say, kissing him on the cheek.

"I've noticed your accent's back," my speedster says to me in Sokovian.

"Is it?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Let's just say I've been putting it to use."

In English he asks me, "So we're meeting someone, then?"

"Still not telling."

I already told the others I haven't told him anything yet. Figured I'd show him as I do to make it less of a shock. But overall, this surprise is really gonna be something. Something memorable to say the least.

Pietro stops in his tracks, staring out at the lake as he says, "Why can't we meet them at your house—"

"Just trust me, okay?" I take his hands in mine, tugging him forward. "Besides, everyone's coming here later for the celebratory dinner."

"Yeah, key term later," Pietro mutters as he slowly follows my lead. "I was really hoping I could have a moment to celebrate with you. . .in private. . ." He swings our joined hands in the air before he leans down to whisper into my ear, "If you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know what you mean."

But that's gonna have to wait.

Despite my pounding heart and twisted stomach, I feel very composed. I barely feel nervous at all to see how this. . .meeting will turn out. Maybe because I can already tell how it will turn out.

Suddenly, the screen door to the Stark family's house swings opens and little Morgan Stark emerges, running up to her parents with a big smile on her face.

"Daddy! Mommy!" she shouts, opening her arms wide to hug them.

Back in normal clothes, Pepper bends down, picking up her daughter in a tight embrace before Tony joins in and both parents kiss a side of their daughter's cheek at the same time.

I sigh, needing to see this. A family reunited. A family like ours back together after everything we went through to make sure this happened for the many other families in the world. In the universe, even.

I grasp Pietro's hand tighter as we wait below the steps. I try looking through the doorway for her, but she's not anywhere to be seen. Instead, a man in his late thirties/mid-forties wearing a suit, a pink feathered boa, and a plastic tiara randomly rushes out of the house. "Morgan, you shouldn't run off—Hey!" the man calls out, catching Tony and Pepper standing on their own patio. The man rips the tiara off his head. "Hey, guys! Always good to see my favorite people again."