I don't own anything except any original character and/or any original plot.

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Chapter 9: Take Us Back

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"Hey, guys. Good to see you here," May greeted my parents with friendly hugs.

As soon as I laid eyes on Peter, I was gone. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck, clinging to him like he was my lifeline.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I repeated at least seven times before he cut me off. I wasn't entirely sure what I was apologizing for, anyway. Mentally, I decided I was apologizing for everything all at once.

"It was Thanos, and the snap. We're gonna get Thanos out of your head after this. We'll be okay." Peter managed a smile, and I knew we would be.

"(Y/n), how are you doing?" May hugged me tightly.

Shrugging, I sighed, "I'm alive, and I've processed most of what happened so that's good. Still kind of weird that I'm older than all my friends."

"Let's head in," Mom suggested.

My dad knocked on the door. Happy answered and exchanged greetings before leading us to the living room where everyone else was already waiting. I hugged Morgan and Pepper tightly.

"You're so strong Morgan. You're my hero for that," I told her quietly, turning to Pepper, "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"I'm glad you came," Pepper gave me another hug. Peter knelt down in front of Morgan.

"Hey, this week we're gonna go out and get ice cream together. Alright? Because I love you 3000."

Morgan smiled, "I love you 3000, too, Peter."

We created a half circle around Tony's Iron Man helmet. Tony's last message to everyone besides his will. Pepper silently cued it up.

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope we get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know? That epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And, for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in. What Peter and (Y/n) might raise a family in."

Peter's hand grabbed mine. I squeezed it tightly. Tony thought about what future Peter and I would have together, about having 'grandkids' to teach and watch grow. But that chance had been stripped from him, and I felt it'd been stolen from me and Peter as well. If we had kids, they'd never know Tony the way they should.

"So I thought I'd probably better record a little greeting... In the case of an untimely death on my part. Not that, death in any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's... it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. But then again, that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end. Uh, what am I even trippin' for? Everything's gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to. I love you 3,000."

Sniffling, I wiped my eyes. The first tears of many during the service. It was a short message, but there was more to the early meeting. Happy cleared his throat and produced a holo-pad from his pocket. It was Tony's will, and while the timing seemed a bit off, I could understand that the sooner we finished the formalities, the sooner everyone could mourn and move on.

"I'll uh, I'll skip past most of the formalities. Tony left nearly everything to Pepper and Morgan. However, he's lined up ten thousand randomly assigned scholarships for students, 'Something nice' for Rhodey, 'A house or two worth' to Harley, 'A nice sum' for me, and 'Whatever it takes to make them happy' for Peter and (Y/n)."

"We don't need the money," Peter and I spoke in unison. Pepper smiled through her tears.

"You're good kids, but don't say that when you've got your lives in front of you. I'll make an account."

"Everyone else is here, we should head out," Rhodey peeked out the window.

We filed out of the house, leaving Pepper by herself so she could get her final memorial and have a few moments of peace. I couldn't imagine being in her shoes, and the mere thought caused me to grip Peter's hand even tighter.

Minutes later, Pepper stepped outside carrying a wreath. Keeping her composure, she walked to the lake and set the wreath in the water, allowing it to float away. Everyone was there. And by everyone, I mean everyone. Every team, duo, solo hero, and important figure from Tony's past was there. Even the Harley I'd heard stories about.

Hurrying to Morgan, Happy led Pepper away. That meant we were allowed to mingle and give our condolences to each other after an extended moment of silence. Avengers already surrounded Pepper, and we'd already had our heart-to-heart so I didn't feel the need to bother her with the condolences she'd heard all day.

"How are you doing?" I asked Nebula, greeting her with a small hug. It was a milestone for both of us, being able to hug each other and be comfortable with it.

"Fine. Stark was a good man, but he died doing what was right, and he saved us all because of it."

"Yeah," I sighed at the reminder.

"I wish you could have met Gamora. You two would like each other."

"I'm sure I will someday. We can never stay away from each other for long," out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shuri, "Stay in contact, Nebula. It's nice having someone who understands as well as you do."

"Of course."

Rushing over, I greeted Shuri with a Wakandan Salute and a tight hug. I hadn't had the chance to talk to her at all. Everything after the final battle had been recovery and mourning.

"You need to visit Wakanda soon. I have so many ideas, and I'll need your help to do them," Shuri smiled, looking me over, "This is weird. You're in your twenties and I'm the young one again."

"Don't look at me like I'm a Grandma," I chuckled, "Don't worry. I'll be continuing my internship no matter what. I've missed your constant upgrades, and your ocean projects."

"Come with me," Peter grabbed my hand unexpectedly, pulling me across the yard without warning.

"Wha- Peter, where are we going?"

He stopped in front of Doctor Strange. Wong, whom he'd been talking to, dismissed himself when we approached.

"Doctor Strange, before they bring the stones back we have a request."

"Bug-Boy, what are you-"

"MJ, Ned, and I talked about it when we met up. Doctor Strange, can you use the Time Stone to make me and (Y/n) young again?"

Doctor Strange's and my jaws fell open in shock. That was the last thing I thought he'd request. But... it made sense. Post-snap, though we lived for 5 years our friends didn't, we didn't live.

"You understand the ramifications? To change someone's age back would be to mess with the time laws themselves."

"No offense sir, but we literally time traveled to save the universe."

I saw my chance, and went with the flow, "That and both of us technically should have died in the snap. You'd be fixing things more than hurt them."

Doctor Strange considered our offer carefully and finally concluded "Alright."

"Yes! Kurt, can you bring us to the school, please?"

Kurt, who was nearby, easily teleported us to the front-gates, then was gone againー back to the funeral.

"Mr. Parker, Miss. (L/n)," the students outside greeted us joyfully.

We waved before stepping inside. There, we took the hidden elevator to the bunker. From which we took a right into the room we kept miscellaneous items, well protected items. The stones were there temporarily.

"I'll ask you one last time," Strange opened the briefcase, "Do you wish to give up the last five years you've aged?"

"Yes," we answered in unison.

A chance to pick up where our lives paused? We'd be stupid not to take it. Especially when, apparently, all of our friends were encouraging us to do it.

Strange's hand hovered over the green Time Stone. It lifted out of the briefcase and rested in front of us. Unconsciously I tensed, and Peter grabbed my hand to reassure me. Strange moved his hand in a counterclockwise motion. Nothing felt different at first. Until my clothes were too big, and my body ached something fierce.

"I suggest you talk to Jean Grey about making your mind's match your bodies. Otherwise you might discover some conflicts while returning to your past lives."

"Thank you so much, Doctor Strange."

"Of course, kids. Stay in touch. Or don't. We'll meet again anyway," Strange returned the stone to the case, opened a portal, and left.

"It's weird, seeing us young again when we were in our twenties," Peter's eyes wandered over my face, "The enhancements Thanos gave you are gone."

My heart jump to my throat. I ran a hand over my forehead, and sure enough to cool metal strip was gone. Boundaries dissipated long before that day, I pulled my shirt up to my bra.

"No..."

The lines were still there, dull colors shifting behind them. Brows furrowed, Peter created a noise of confusion instead of voicing it openly.

"Thanos created these with the Infinity Stones. He said... he said that the only thing that could remove them is what put them there."

"All six Infinity Stones," Peter realized, "But we can't do that, so-"

"I'm stuck with them."

Pulling me into his arms, Peter took action before I could fall into them. Sobbing into his dress shirt, I gripped the sides of his blazer. I hadn't been so emotionally drained since the early days of my first Thanos recovery. Peter likely felt the same way, since we came from his mentor/father figure's funeral.

We're back, heading to the bunker now

I waved my hand to clear my face of any signs of crying per the professors mental warning. Seconds later, the X-Men stepped out of the elevator, their footsteps echoing until they all entered the storage room.

"Damn, it's like nothing's changed," Logan commented upon noticing our young appearances.

The Snap, then the Blip did a lot to him. And he was old, older than I cared to admit. But after being surrounded by death and sadness for so long, I was okay with where his path was leading and how it would end. Same with the professor. It was only a matter of time.

"You guys deserve a do over," Jubilee smiled.

"No kidding," Rogue chuckled.

Jean stepped forward, "(Y/n), I'm sure you're more than ready to have Thanos gone for good. It'll get a bit messy so the training room would be the best spot to do it."

"Right. I'll be back in a sec, Bug-Boy." Hugging Peter for a moment of comfort, I hurried across the hall with Jean. The door shut with a click behind us, sturdy and strong against whatever would happen.

"You can stand in the middle there. Now, I'll release the Phoenix and get rid of any control Thanos may have. I can alter the memories too."

"To what? Nothing can take his alterations away."

"Perhaps. But you don't need to remember the pain he made you go through."

"Would it really get rid of it though?" Jean remained silent, "Keep them there. I've handled them for five years. I'll be okay."

Nodding, Jean placed two fingers on either side of my temple, "I'm going to release the Phoenix. The pain will be excruciating, but we're picking up those shards and throwing them away for good."

"Go ahead."

Jean threw her head back, and for a split second, I saw the brilliance of her power. So bright and beautifulー

I would never forget the garden. Some of the worst moments of my life happened there. Yet, feeling the wind against my skin and observing foreign flowers bob under the force, filled me with peace.

"Peace. Interesting that you could find it here."

I looked up at Thanos. Every fiber of my being wanted to scream and hit him, but the wind blew again, and I realized. standing in that field; we were one, and the sameー lost.

"You ruined my life on this planet... sometimes when you were in the fields, I'd walk to this meadow and ask myself why you sent me on missions when you claimed you were at peace."

"What answer did you come to?"

"You spent your life fighting. When you couldn't anymore, you were lost. You used me as your guide."

Thanos chuckled, deeply and contentedly, "Perhaps I was lost. But I wasn't using you to save myself."

Before our conversation continue my skin crawled. Uncomfortable, I winced. That skin crawling sensation turned into burning. Crying out, I fell to my knees. The world literally spun around me, my stomach twisting along with it.

The Garden shifted into my bedroom, New York, the compound, Xavier's, Wakanda. Every significant location in my life was presented until finally, it all stopped. Everything around me turned grey. From that drab nothingness came the voices.

"What kind of mutant can't control their own mutation?"

"I call it bloodbending."

"I need your help in Germany."

"I love you 3000."

"I forgive you."

"An eye for an eye situation."

"I love you (Y/n)."

"You were a daughter of Thanos for a month, yet you bear proof of his inability to handle imperfection. He is the bringer of war, and we are daughters of it. Sisters."

"We're nervous about you being a hero, but we love you. We know your strength, your goals for mutant rights. Make us proud."

"Remember (Y/n), mutant and proud."

Each voice overlapped each other, fighting to be heard. It was too much. My head was splitting to keep up. Clutching my temples, I screamed. I screamed until my vocal cords threatened to tear. Lacking the strength to tell myself I was in my own head, I cried.

Without warning, a conversation rose above my cries, and above the other voices.

"When will I stop going on missions, Father?"

"That is your choice. What would you do after?"

"Help you of course. Or search for who I am."

"Perhaps your memories require new adjustments. The day you return to Earth and discover yourself is the day I lose you completely."

He lost. I was free.

Jean and I stumbled away from each other. My focus zeroed in on the bucket in front of me that wasn't there before. Someone must have brought itー collapsing over it, I retched, expelling what little food I had ingested that day.

"I did it," Jean pulled my hair away from my face, "His hold is gone for good."

Gulping down a glass of water next to the bucket, I sighed in relief. I was free. Not of the trauma that came with the experience, or the lines on my stomach that would grow with me, but of the fear. The fear of being Thanos' Daughter instead of Clara and Lucas (L/n)'s Daughter.

"Thank you Jean," I was careful to direct my breath away from Jean, lest she want to smell vomit as I hugged her.

"Anything for you (Y/n), you know that. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to help you those five years."

"You were dusted. I don't hold it against you."

A knock sounded from the door, "Hi, it's Peter. Is (Y/n) good?"

Jean and I exchanged chuckles, "You can come in."

The X door slid open, Peter greeting us happily. His eyes held the question his mouth didn't work to ask.

"He's gone. Jean did it."

Sprinting forward, Peter pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, thank god. It's not like it took five years or anything."

"Is there a reason you stayed down here?"

'Yeah, I wanted to talk to Miss. Phoenix. Miss. Grey?"

"Jean," Jean corrected.

"If Miss. Jean," Jean shook her head with a small chuckle, "Could remove all that wisdom and maturity that comes with being in your twenties."

"What do you mean, Bug-Boy?"

"You know. Wisdom comes with age and all that. Doctor Strange was right, our heads should match our bodies. If we're gonna be young again, we should be young."

"If our friends jumped off a bridge, we should want to jump with them," I concluded.

"Huh. You guys are really going all in. Alright then. This one won't be as painful."

Jean placed a hand on each of our heads. Just as she said, all that came with her adjustments was a slight discomfort. When she pulled away, I didn't feel much different.

"You'll see the difference, eventually. Trust me."

Turning to Peter, I shrugged with a smile, "Guess we're what? Sixteen, seventeen again?"

"Weird, isn't it?"

Looking down at myself, I shrugged again, "I feel better in this body than my older one. Probably because of everything that happened."

Half true, half a lie. The body I was most comfortable in was the one from 2018, unmarred by Thanos' sick desire to improve me. I had my insecurities back then, but at least I didn't have interstellar body modifications I could never remove. But, something was better than nothing.

The three of us left the bunker and went up to the school. The team was in Xavier's office, waiting.

"Look at you!" Peter M. zoomed up to us, "You're so little."

I smacked his hand away before he could ruffle my hair, "Just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't still beat the shit out of you."

Peter held his hands up in surrender and backed away. Stepping forward, Kurt placed a hand on our shoulders.

"We'll explain things to the students. For now, go be with your friends and families."

"I love you all. Thank you."

With that, Kurt brought us back to my apartment.

"I can stay here, thanks."

Kurt left. Peter and I shared a look and fell into each other's arms.

"Today's been very emotional." Chuckling, I held him even tighter, "I don't blame you for what happened to him. You've probably heard that a lot, but it's true."

"Thanks, Bug-Boy."

"I love you , Blue."

"I love you too."

Looking up, Peter's and my lips inched closer, and closer, until-

"Hey (Y/n), because today has been so hard, we were wondering if you wanted to order takeout- What-"

My dad's eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground. Mom, too shocked by our new - or old, depending on how you looked at it - bodies, paid him no mind.

"I'm hallucinating," she whispered, hand on her forehead, "There's no way this is happening."

"It's happening," doing jazz hands, Peter rushed to my father's side, "We sort of lost five years to the snap. We technically never finished high school either. So, we asked Doctor Strange and Jean to help us out to get them back."

"-the fuck is going on?" My dad regained consciousness with a vengeance, "Oh my god it wasn't a fever dream. Our daughter is a teenager again."

"And you didn't think about consulting your parents?"

Peter jumped to my defense, "I pulled her into it. And it was an impulsive decision."

"We can see that. That means we'll have to stop looking at wedding venues for now," my dad jumped to his feet.

"What?"

"You two were basically engaged. We aren't getting any younger, but you have. That being said, we wouldn't be against you two getting married a bit young since you've been together for so long-"

"Dad!"

"Sorry, I get excited. Peter, May is waiting for you at your apartment. Don't give her a heart attack. She still tells the story about how she found out you two were heroes."

"Right. See you at school, (Y/n). That's weird to say. Love you."

"Love you too."

As soon as Peter left, my parents were on top of me.

"You're going to tell us everything after we order our food. Got it?"

"Yep."

My parents separated and hurried off. I shook my head with a smile. Just like old times.