Pepper called Tony as soon as she got home, with Grace standing next to her. Happy was on the other side of the room, worried as the rest of them. Rhodey was still dealing with things elsewhere, but Grace told him what Tony said. Peter still hadn't shown.

Bruce came not long after, and Grace hugged him, a few tears falling. He told them the whole story — Thanos attacking a ship full of homeless Asguardians, Thor, and, shockingly, Loki, then Doctor Strange and Wong, the spaceship and the aliens, calling Steve from Tony's dropped phone.

He also mentioned a new hero fighting with Tony, one he only got a glimpse of but never spoke to. He was in a red and blue suit with what Bruce thought was a spider on the front.

Grace nodded, hopefully saying, "Yeah, yeah, that's Peter. That's Spider-Man. Do you know where he is?"

Bruce shook his head. "No. Tony sent him to follow Strange last I heard, and Strange went up on the ship."

"But Dad said he sent Peter back here. And he isn't here."

Bruce didn't know what to tell her.

Nearly an hour has passed since then with nothing new. Peter still isn't back, and Grace has suggested going out to look for him more than once, but everyone else insists that they stay there. She suspects Peter did what her dad first told him to do — follow Strange — but it's likely her dad doesn't know about it. Or, at least, he didn't when he was on the phone.

Pepper has gone to her room, on the phone with people from the media, answering questions about Tony and his disappearance. Happy is dealing with security matters.

Rhodey, meanwhile, is talking with a board of members of the government and military via projection, and Grace is sitting there, out of sight but listening.

"Still no word from Vision?" Secretary Ross asks. He's leading everything.

"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh," Rhodey replies.

Ross adds, "On a stolen Quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals."

Rhodey sighs. "You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?"

It's then that Grace spots a Quinjet — the Quinjet — landing outside through the window, and Ross' next words barely reach her ears.

"Rhodes, your talent for bullcrap rivals my own."

"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here," Rhodey replies as Grace stands, heading for that jet, knowing who must be on it. But she doesn't have to go far; they meet her halfway, already inside the building.

Nat, Wanda, Steve, Vision, and Sam. Vision is being supported by Sam. Nat's hair is blonde. Cut short, in a bob. Steve has a full beard.

"Where's Rhodes?" he asks Grace, not exactly meeting her eye. Wordlessly, filled with worry and happiness all at the same time, she turns and leads them back to where she was before.

"You have second thoughts?" Secretary Ross is asking Rhodey.

He looks up, spots them all entering the room, then turns back to Ross. "Not anymore."

Steve, Nat, Wanda, Vision, and Sam all step forward, into Ross' line of sight. "Mr. Secretary."

Ross stands there, silent for a moment. And then he approaches the group. "You got some nerve. I'll give you that."

Nat almost smirks. "You could use some of that right now."

"The world's on fire," Ross replies, "and you think all is forgiven?"

Steve shrugs. "I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight." He steps closer to Ross. "And if you wanna stand in our way... we'll fight you, too."

Ross is silent for a tense moment, then he turns to Rhodey. "Arrest them."

"All over it," Rhodey replies, immediately hanging up afterwards. He looks at Steve. "That's a court-martial." Then, his face breaks out in a smile, and he holds out a hand. "It's great to see you, Cap."

Steve shakes his hand. "You too, Rhodey."

Grace turns to Nat, almost ready to cry. She hasn't seen her in two years. "You changed your hair," she says.

Nat smiles, half-laughing, half-crying, then hugs Grace tightly, amazed at how she's grown. "I've missed you," she says.

"I've missed you, too," Grace replies, then breathing deeply, not wanting to let go. But, after a long moment, she sees Wanda, Vision, and Sam standing there over Nat's shoulder, and she pulls away, first looking at Sam; it's somehow the easiest. "Hey," she says, wiping her eyes.

He smiles softly. "Hey. Nice to see you."

"You too."

"I'm sorry for-"

"I know," Grace cuts him off. "It's okay. I'm sorry, too."

Vision then tries for a smile, even as he holds his injured side. "Hello, small one. Sorry for... well, going off the grid."

"Vis," Grace replies, holding up a fist, a sign of forgiveness. Vision bumps it, though he struggles a little. Sam then walks him to a chair so he can sit down. Grace looks at Wanda.

"Iertare..." she breathes, her voice full of regret. "I think I'm going to have to ask you to forgive me again."

"Of course I'll forgive you," Grace replies, hugging her, feeling a sense of relief and dissipated tension. "I definitely don't blame you for not wanting to come back."

Wanda chuckles, pulling back just enough to look at her. "When this is over, Vis and I will find a way to take you with us."

"I'd love to, but I don't think I could be away from Mom for long."

Wanda laughs, and for a moment Grace allows herself to take it in, to think about nothing but her family being back. But the tension comes back with it; she knows that Steve is standing there. Behind her. He and Rhodey had been quiet for some time, just letting Grace greet them all, both with soft smiles. But Steve's was — and still is — laced with guilt.

Grace turns. "Steve," she says.

He sighs. "Grace, I... I'm sorry... For what happened, for not telling you — or Tony — about..." he trails off, but of course she knows what he's referring to.

Grace nods a little, quiet. Finally, she asks, "He isn't with you?"

Steve's brows furrow. "Who?"

"Bucky. He isn't here?"

And then Steve shakes his head. "No. No, he's somewhere safe. He's... Well, I'm sure he's sorry, too."

"He can speak for himself, if he ever wants to," Grace replies. "But I forgive you for what happened. Being angry solves nothing, anyway."

Steve seems instantly relieved, and Grace, after a moment's hesitation, hugs him, glad that it's over, that things can go back to some semblance of normal, even when the world is, as Ross said, on fire.

Rhodey looks at them all. "You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years."

Sam snorts. "Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star."

And then Bruce enters from the other end of the room, surprising everyone but Rhodey, Grace, and Steve, who apparently didn't tell anyone else who it was that called him. "I think you look great," Bruce says. He notices everyone's looks. "Uh... Yeah. I... I'm back."

Nat freezes for a moment, looking at him. But she still speaks first. "Hi, Bruce."

Bruce looks at her guiltily. "Nat."

Sam grimaces, leaning down to Vision, though Grace can hear his whisper. "This is awkward."

It's silent for another moment, and then Grace sighs. "Well, let's get down to business. There's aliens and a big purple guy trying to destroy half the universe. So... we don't have much time."

They all move into the next room, mostly so Vision can sit in a more comfortable chair. Steve, Nat, Wanda, Sam, and Vision tell the others about the two aliens — one male, one female — that they fought in Scotland. They're the ones who injured Vision, trying to get the Mind Stone from him.

"So, we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Rhodey asks.

Wanda sighs. "And they can clearly find us."

Bruce shakes his head, still agitated, filled with worry. "We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?"

Natasha grimaces a little. "After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families; they're on house arrest."

Bruce squints. "Who's Scott?"

"Ant-Man," Steve replies.

"The weird guy?" Grace asks, brows furrowed.

Steve chuckles. "Pretty much."

Bruce looks at them all in disbelief. "There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?" Rhodey nods, and Bruce sighs. "Okay, look... Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. And he's not gonna stop until he gets Vision's Stone."

"Well, then, we have to protect it," Nat says.

"No, we have to destroy it," Vision suddenly declares. "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also its composition." He looks at Wanda. "I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps... its molecular integrity could fail."

"And you with it," Wanda replies, walking over to him. "We're not having this conversation."

"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it."

Wanda shakes her head. "That's too high a price."

Vision reaches up, grabs Wanda's hands, and it seems as though the rest of the room doesn't matter to him. "Only you have the power to pay it. Thanos threatens half the Universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him." Wanda pulls away from him, saying nothing.

"But it should," Steve butts in. "We don't trade lives, Vision."

He turns to Steve. "Captain, seventy years ago, you laid down your life to save millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?"

"Because it doesn't have to be this way," Grace speaks up, not entirely believing her statement, not knowing another way herself, but wishing there was.

Vision looks at her sadly. "But it is."

Bruce shakes his head, an idea forming. "No, Vis. She's right. You might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays — Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another."

Wanda raises a brow. "You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?"

Bruce turns to her. "I'm saying that if we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts."

Nat looks between Bruce and Vision. "Can we do that?"

"Not me. Not here."

Rhodey sighs. "Well, you better find someone and somewhere fast. Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back."

Everyone falls silent for a second, but then Steve raises his head. "I know somewhere."

Grace looks at him expectantly. "Well, where? We don't have time to be vague, Steve."

He smiles.

~~~~

"Mom?" Grace asks, peeking into her room. She's on the phone with someone, sounding exasperated.

Relieved upon being interrupted, especially by her daughter, she says, "I'm gonna have to put you on hold," then taps something on her phone and turns to Grace. "What's going on, honey? Is Peter here yet?"

Grace shakes her head, biting her lip with worry. But she has to trust that he's safe — either with her father or defending himself, which he's perfectly capable of.

"Mom, you know how Bruce said we needed to destroy the stone in Vision's head?" Grace asks.

Slowly, cautiously, Pepper replies, "Yes...?"

"Well, um, he, Steve, Nat, Sam, and Wanda are all downstairs right now, and, uh, we have to take the stone out of Vision's head before we destroy it so he doesn't, like, die. But we can't do that here." She stops, testing Pepper's reaction so far.

"So... where can you do it?" she finally asks.

Grace sighs. "Wakanda."

"Wakanda," Pepper repeats quietly. Almost thoughtfully.

Grace doesn't think she gets it — not fully. So, she adds, "And, I, uh... Well, I want to go. To help."

"Grace-"

"Mom, it's Wakanda. It's heavily protected."

"If Thanos wants that stone, he will come to get it," Pepper says. "And I don't want you anywhere near that."

"It's not like it'll be just me-"

"What will your father say if I let you go over there?" Pepper asks sternly, cutting her off.

Grace shrugs. "I mean, I'd probably be having the same conversation with him right now if he were here, but... I'd convince him to let me go in the end." Pepper raises a brow, so Grace adds, "Probably."

Pepper sighs, rubbing her eyes. "I... Grace, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know," she replies. "I don't want you to get hurt either. Which is why I have to go. I can help, so I have to." She sits on the bed then, grabs her mom's hands. "Mom, the world is in danger, and I can do something about it — I'm ready for this, and I won't be alone. And what kind of Stark would I be if I didn't go and try to face it head-on?"

Pepper laughs a little through her quickly forming tears. "And that is why I'm going to have a heart attack before I'm even fifty years old." She looks up at Grace, then hugs her, holding her, for a long, long moment. Finally, she kisses her forehead. "Please be careful. Please come back."

Grace kisses her cheek. "I'll do my best." She stands, turning to go, but then stops herself. "Call May, have her come stay here until this is all over... Ned and MJ too, if they want. And if Peter shows up..."

Pepper nods. "I'll let you know." Silently, Grace nods back, then walks out, and Pepper watches her go, hoping that she'll come back and trying to believe that she will.

~~~~

After Steve calls King T'challa and tells him what's going on, they all get on the Quinjet. Steve and Sam are sitting up front, and Sam's flying. Grace sits in the back with Nat, Bruce, Wanda, Rhodey, and Vision — specifically in between Nat and Wanda.

Nat looks at Grace and nudges her shoulder with her own, breaking the silence. "So, what's new with you? Haven't seen you in a while."

Grace thinks for a moment, ignoring the biggest thing, saving it for the end. "Well, I'm almost done with my senior year of high school, I guess..."

Nat shakes her head in disbelief, then looking at Grace. "That's... That's crazy."

"What are you gonna major in in college?" Sam speaks up from the front.

Grace sighs. "Dad and I have kinda been talking about it, and... well, I can't actually go to college. I'd have to do it all online, which, I'm mean, that's what I've been doing for the past ten years. But it's not like I can really do anything with my degree after I get it, no matter what it's in, but especially if it's in Art like I want it to be. I'm not moving out or anything. I can't get a job now, and Dad said I won't need one after he's gone because he started putting money aside when I was born. So... I'm probably not doing college at all."

"If you want to study art — or anything else — you should," Steve says. "You may be able to use your degree later, and, even if you can't, you love it, right? So, why not? You have the funding."

Grace shrugs. "I don't know. Dad told me I can do whatever I want to do as long as it doesn't compromise my safety. But I just don't know yet."

"Well, don't commit to anything until you're sure," Bruce advises her. "There's really no great rush to go to college, or even commit to a major once you do enroll. You have time."

"I'll keep that in mind."

There's some silence in the jet, and then Wanda sighs. "So, is there anything else we've missed? Two years is a long time."

"Well, I... I helped Spider-Man with a little weapons dealer issue, um, about... two and a half years ago. And, um..." Grace blushes, unable to think of anything else to say first, so she looks off to the side, quietly adding, "I have a boyfriend now."

All at the same time, Nat and Wanda's mouths open in interested surprise, Vision looks shocked (having not been told before), Bruce's eyes widen, Steve physically turns around in his seat, brows raising, while Sam exclaims, "You what?!"

Meanwhile, Rhodey is enjoying everyone else's reactions. "See, that's what happens when you become fugitives from the law," he says. "You miss important milestones."

Steve splutters for a moment, finally asking, "Who is he?"

Grace just smiles softly, the topic bringing her love and worry for him back to the front of her mind. "Peter."

"Spider-Man?" Bruce says, more confused by the second in this new world he's just been literally dropped into.

Vision nods; he'd met Peter briefly at the airport and seen him fight. "Ah, yes, Peter. I believe I remember him. Good choice."

Sam's brows furrow. "Who?"

Grace looks at him in disbelief and confusion. "You know, Peter?" Sam's face is blank. "Spider-Man? With the webs and stuff?" Nothing. "You fought him in Germany."

Sam finally looks incredulous. "You're dating that annoying little twerp?"

Grace laughs. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. For about two and a half years now."

Nat smiles, putting her hand on Grace's arm. "That's great, Grace. I really like him — from what I remember."

Steve smiles. "Me too. Kid's got heart."

Sam shakes his head firmly. "I don't like him. At all."

Wanda looks at Sam pointedly as she says to Grace, "If you're happy, we're happy."

"I am not happy," Sam declares.

But Grace thinks about Peter, how sweet he is, how... loving he is. And she misses him. She just hopes she won't have to for long. "Well, I am." She sighs. "I couldn't be happier."

Sam's expression turns as he becomes concerned. "It sure doesn't seem like it..."

Grace frowns. "It's just... I don't know where he is right now. I-I don't know if he's okay... I don't even know where to look for him. He was supposed to be at the compound, but... Honestly, he's probably in space with my dad because he's got too much heart..." She looks at Steve as she says this, then back at the rest of the group. "But that's who he is. If he can save the day, he's going to do it. Even when someone tells him not to."

Sam purses his lips, then relents. "Okay. Maybe he's alright, then."