Hello all!

So, erm, this has turned out to be the last chapter to this story completely. No epilogue. I tried to write one but it turns out I had tied everything up here and it wasn't really needed. I can officially say, Old Souls is FINISHED!

I cannot quite believe it.

If you head on over to my tumblr page (the-writer1988) you will see two illustrations for this story! Thank you to JediPanda22!

Please read my author notes at the end of this chapter, especially since we have come to the end of this journey!

Please enjoy the final chapter!

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Morgan Stark

Thursday 27th June 2019

Stark Lakehouse

"How is she?" Tony asked quietly, moving to the sofa and sitting carefully beside Pepper.

Pepper peered down lovingly at the bundle in her arms. "She's asleep."

Tony smiled, resting his head gently against Pepper's. "She's like me… She won't sleep for long."

"Is that foreknowledge?" pried Pepper, wanting to know more.

"Partly, but, also, you had a baby with me, Pepper. She has Tony Stark as a father. Who else is she going to turn out most like?"

Pepper had to concede the point. "True." She lifted her chin and glanced at her husband. "For someone who only put in twelve percent of the work, she should be more like me than you…"

"Twelve percent…" Tony started but then realised he didn't have much of a leg to stand on as Pepper had been the one to carry Morgan the last nine months and then spend nearly a day in labour with her.

Morgan shifted in her arms, her tiny lips puckering. She lay against Pepper's chest, one arm resting on her mother's chest, with her tiny face pressed against her. There was a tiny headband, red and gold, resting around her head. A present from Natasha, symbolising that this was the child of Tony Stark.

"Do you two want anything?"

Tony glanced over towards Natasha who had visited them that day and was finishing drying off the dishes, a job she didn't mind doing for the new parents. He shook his head, thanking her silently for her help before he shifted back on the sofa, leaning forward and kissing Pepper gently on the forehead, one hand resting on the back of her head, and the other hand gently holding his daughter's tiny arm.

"She's perfect," whispered Pepper, gently kissing the top of her daughter's head.

Tony rested his head against Pepper's, smiling down at his new-born daughter. "She's ours."

By the time Morgan was four years old, it was evident her favourite person was her daddy. She was a curious child, always wanting to know the answers to everything and she always followed Tony around. She had a fascination with his workshop, a place she was not allowed to visit, though she always found ways to get inside it. Sometimes Tony wondered if Friday worked against him.

She was curious about the Iron Man armours, wanting to have her own when she grew up, something which Tony wasn't happy about, but as he had told Pepper when Morgan had been born, she was too much like him to not want to have her own suit.

Morgan was smart and intelligent. She was a bright little girl with a big imagination. They'd both known Morgan would match Tony on the intelligence scale but neither Tony or Pepper wished for their daughter's childhood to be rushed just so Morgan could progress to university faster than anyone else.

She could still be brilliant and make changes across the world into her adulthood.

No, Tony wanted his daughter to have the childhood he wished he'd had. Howard had pushed him. So many things had been expected of Tony that his own childhood had been non-existent. He didn't have expectations for Morgan. He just wanted her to be happy and live her life to the fullest.

Tuesday 17th October 2023

It was late at night, the cool breeze air of the lake caught on his face. Tony didn't care. Today had hit him hard. He'd woken up with an ominous feeling in his chest and he hadn't known why. The Infinity Stones had lain dormant inside him since Thanos' defeat. He hadn't used them for a while. He didn't feel he needed to. They were safe and protected by him and no one else in the universe knew where they were.

What was it about today that made him feel sad? He couldn't shake the feeling. Even Morgan hadn't been able to cheer him up today and she was a bundle of energy capable of doing anything.

"Tony?" Pepper's soft voice echoed into his internal thoughts.

Tony turned his head slightly. He was sitting by the edge of the lake, his feet close to the water.

"Are you coming in? It's late… And cold."

"Soon," he muttered in reply.

Footsteps crunched on the pebbles and Pepper moved to sit beside him.

"You should go inside. You'll get cold." Tony tried to get her to leave.

"Tony. Something's up. You've been off all day." She pointed out, giving him one of her patented looks.

Rubbing his face with his hands, Tony sighed. "I don't get it. Something about today… I just feel… Sad…"

"I spoke to Natasha," replied Pepper quietly. "She thinks she knows why you're like this today."

"Go on…"

Pepper shifted slightly so she was facing Tony. "This was the day you died, Tony."

Tony froze. She was right. "But why didn't I realise myself?" It was a pertinent question. Surely, he should have recognised the date as the day he died originally? "I guess it makes sense…" Shaking his head, Tony ran his fingers through his hair. "Why is it getting to me?"

"Because your soul is remembering what the Stones did to it after you died. Unconsciously you are afraid it may happen again," mentioned Pepper quietly, watching for his reaction.

Tony peered curiously at her. "No way did you come to those conclusions on your own."

"I didn't. It's what Nat said when I phoned her earlier."

"Ah." That was understandable. "I never really connected this day as the day I died. Everything happened so fast."

"It didn't happen this time, Tony. You're safe. You survived." Pepper smiled, patting him gently on the shoulder. "You're with Morgan and me."

She was right. There was no danger to him dying. He couldn't die.

She held out her hand to him. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

Monday 9th September 2024

Morgan's first day of Kindergarten seemed to roll towards them at a fast pace. She was excited to finally be going to school so she 'could learn more stuff' and 'make new friends'. Her enthusiasm caught on and both Tony and Pepper had been making preparations for Morgan's arrival for school.

They still lived in the Lakehouse, not wanting to raise Morgan in the city. They lived close to a town located outside New York, where they had enrolled Morgan and frequently visited themselves for their food shopping. Most of the people there knew Tony and Pepper lived in the vicinity but not knowing exactly where.

Tony was driving Morgan to her first day of Kindergarten. Pepper, at this point, was too heavily pregnant. She was due in a few weeks and she was on bed rest.

Pepper's second pregnancy had surprised them both. They hadn't intended on having a second child but neither had they ensured they couldn't, despite Tony once saying at Steve's funeral that he didn't think he'd want any more children after Morgan. He was quite surprised how excited he was when they'd learned they were expecting again. They'd elected not to know the sex of their baby, choosing to find out when the baby was born.

Tony parked up outside the Kindergarten, helped Morgan out of the car, and took her by the hand to lead her to the entrance. The Kindergarten was strategically placed across the road from the local school, the school Morgan would be joining next year.

"Come on," he urged her, noticing her rather hesitant steps. "It's not scary. It'll be loads of fun!"

Morgan looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Daddy, can you stay with me?"

"I'll be with you, every step of the way," he promised.

Despite his daughter being hesitant about being left there, Tony was able to leave Morgan in the teacher's capable hands fifteen minutes later once she'd seen other children being left by their own parents.

She was only there for half the day so Tony spent the morning wandering around town. He didn't really need to disguise himself. He could be himself without anyone batting an eyelid. They were so used to his presence in the town that Tony Stark wandering down the street wasn't unusual.

When it was time to collect Morgan, Tony arrived to find his daughter drawing something with another young girl and the two simply did not want to stop, despite it being the end of the day for them.

"But I'm not finished!" Morgan was so like him it was unbelievable.

"It'll still be here when you come back tomorrow," he pointed out.

Morgan twisted on her feet, her little lips trembling. She knew exactly the look to use if she wanted her father to do something for her. Tony couldn't help but indulge her. He wanted Morgan to know she was deeply loved. "But I'm nearly done!"

"But its home time," pointed out Tony. "The teachers want to go home."

"But you can look after me, daddy." Morgan's lips pouted.

"Sadly, Morgan, I can't. They need to close up." He held a hand out to her as her little shoulders drooped. "Want a juice pop?"

"Yes!" Morgan's excited voice filled the classroom. She began to tug him out of the room, completely forgetting what she had been working on with her friend, just as Tony had hoped it would.

When it came to juice pops, it was easily Morgan's weakness.

Thursday 26th September 2024

Their son was born in the early hours and they were allowed to return home in the afternoon. Tony drove them carefully back to the lake house where Morgan was being looked after by Happy. They'd left the house the evening before, just as Morgan had been going to bed, and Pepper's pains in her stomach necessitated a trip to the hospital.

Pepper sat beside their new-born son, watching him sleep peacefully. The name they had decided on meant a lot to them, but they hoped their son wouldn't feel like he needed to live up to the name.

Once they were parked up, Tony helped Pepper out of the car, got the car seat and walked towards the front door.

Morgan opened it and ran towards them, her hair flying out behind her. "Mommy! You're home! Is baby with you?"

Pepper chuckled, stroking her daughter's head. "Yes, the baby is here. Daddy is bringing him in. Why not go and wait with Happy in the living room. We'll be with you shortly."

The little girl rushed back into the house and Pepper waited on the deck for Tony to bring their son over.

"Still asleep?" she asked.

"Yeah. He's a sleeper this one."

"Well…" Pepper began slyly, "he was named after a man who slept for seventy years…"

Tony grinned.

They entered the living room and found not just Happy and Morgan there, but Natasha too.

She smiled at them as they entered. "Happy called me. He thought I'd like to be here."

"It's good to see you," replied Tony. Natasha spent most of her time at the new Avengers Facility but she did keep in touch with Tony. Now that Steve was gone, she had assumed responsibility for the Avengers, co-ordinating them and their outer-space friends, receiving reports of any problems that could need their help. They'd learned over the years that when Tony and Natasha were apart for weeks at a time, they began to feel angsty for one another.

They put it down to the Infinity Stones and the bond that had been forged between them. Clearly, they had to spend time together, not that they minded as they got on so well. Of course, they would be spending immortality together. They were not thinking of the future. They knew they would see friends die but it was too many years away to think of the losses they would have.

He placed the car seat on the floor of the cabin, sitting down on the floor, cross-legged whilst Pepper made herself comfortable on the couch.

Tony held out his hand to Morgan. "Want to meet your new baby brother?"

Morgan nodded eagerly but her shyness overtook her and Happy had to gently push her forward, telling her it would be alright.

She crept into her dad's lap and peered into the baby carrier. "He's small," she said. "I can't play with him?"

Tony chuckled gently, enjoying Morgan's innocent take on life. "Not yet. Maybe when he's a little older."

"When will that be? Tomorrow? He'll be older tomorrow." Morgan's reasoning was sound.

"No, not tomorrow. Not the next day either. Or next week," replied Tony, hoping to stem Morgan's curiosity.

"Next month?" Morgan smiled, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Pep, a little help?" He called for aid.

Pepper laughed. "You got yourself into this, Tony, get yourself out!"

Tony mumbled under his breath good-naturedly. "I'll let you know when you can play with him, okay?"

Morgan nodded sadly. "Ok, daddy."

She climbed off her dad's lap, peered into the carrier again, and went to sit by her mother.

"What's his name?" asked Natasha.

"Steve Stark," stated Tony.

A wistful smile crossed Natasha's face. "Steve would have liked that."

"Yeah. We owe Steve for what we've got now. I wanted to honour him."

"It was Tony's idea," explained Pepper. "If not for Steve, I wouldn't be here. It felt like the right thing to do."

Natasha nodded. "I hope he's enjoying his dance with Peggy."

"Yeah," answered Tony sadly, leaning back. "I'm sure he is."

Life for the Stark family went on.

Morgan grew into a young, confident woman who was far too much like Tony, that she was in her own Iron Man suit by the time she was fifteen, though under rigorous instructions from her mother that she was not allowed to be in it without her father present. Morgan had mostly taken over Tony's lab in the garage, something he didn't mind as he was far more content to watch his daughter at work and marvelling at what she created.

She was a genius. Her grades were sky-high and though they'd had the option to fast-track her school years, both Tony and Pepper decided to not pursue that option. They wanted Morgan to have a normal childhood and friends, something Tony had missed out on himself. Morgan was bright and barely needed to study to keep her top grades, becoming one of the most popular girls in school. It didn't help that her father was Iron Man, though Tony had effectively retired from the role.

Pepper still ran Stark Industries remotely, passing most of the business off to her various deputies, keeping it running as one of the most profitable companies in the world, leaving the way in innovating design technology.

Steve Stark was her natural successor.

Still, as bright as Morgan, Steve grew to resemble Pepper in more ways than one. Whereas Morgan resembled Tony more and took after him, Steve was Pepper's double and was far more responsible than his older sister. He had his father's unkempt hair, but his appearance and hair colour were all the same as his mother, his features more masculine.

Pepper retired from Stark Industries when Steve was twenty-one, passing the baton over to him.

Morgan was content working in the Research and Development lab, though she was more of an Avenger, and helping various charities. Morgan's inventions grew, gaining her recognition before she had left her teen years.

Over the years, Tony discreetly altered his and Pepper's appearance to give them the appearance of aging, though their children were aware of their special circumstances.

They'd taken the decision to inform Morgan when she was eighteen and Steve when he was sixteen, though it was mainly because he'd overheard Tony and Morgan talking about immortality in the garage that had prompted Tony and Pepper to sit down with their son and tell him earlier than they had wanted to.

Both Morgan and Steve had taken it in their stride. The news their parents were effectively immortal didn't faze them, however questions did arise over how this may have affected the children themselves. They were also partial to the news that Tony and Natasha had died and come back in time, and that Pepper had been killed but brought back by the sacrifice of Steve Rogers.

Steve Stark had always known he'd been named for Steve Rogers because of his heroic sacrifice for Pepper but he had not known the full story until his parents felt it was the right time.

It was one evening in late 2045 that Tony finally decided to talk to the Infinity Stones again.

Saturday 14th October 2045

He hadn't heard from them in years, nor had Natasha. The voices had kept silent all this long time.

"Do we want to go down this road?" asked Pepper quietly. "Find out if our children are like us?"

"They want to know, Pep," answered Tony quietly. "If we can find out the answers, do we not owe them this?"

"And the only things in existence that may be able to help are in us," pointed out Natasha. She eyed Tony carefully. "You still haven't forgiven them, have you?"

"No." Tony's feelings for the Infinity Stones were complex. He was grateful they'd allowed him to have Pepper and his family, but on the other hand, the fact they'd tortured him and turned him into their own weapon still grated on him. He doubted those feelings would ever abate. In response, he'd decided he would only use his powers when he absolutely needed to, and that was only when the Earth faced world-ending threats, where it was easier for Tony to step in than risk mass casualties. "I don't think I ever will. They tortured me, Nat. Soul may have 'apologised' but they do not understand the full consequences of what they did to me. Not giving me a choice? I can't forgive them. The only thing I can do is keep their powers suppressed."

"I don't blame you," said Natasha. "I think if it was me, I'd be the same… but I have no ill-will to them."

"I know. You're lucky." Tony dipped his head down. He closed his eyes, feeling for his powers. He hadn't used them in a long time. We need to talk. He projected out, hoping the Stones would listen and emerge.

They did and six forms stood before them, observing their protector quietly.

Soul spread her arms apart. "What do you wish to know, Tony Stark?"

It was Pepper who spoke. "Our children. They'll die, won't they?"

Soul nodded. "They will. No one is really given a choice whether they want to die or not."

"Children of immortals tend to exhibit the same lifespan of their parents," interceded Power, "however your immorality was granted in an unnatural way and therefore cannot be passed on to your children. The only way they would do so would be to make a sacrifice to ensure their longevity. But would you be willing to tell them that? To be immortal, they'd have to become murderers? To willingly kill someone they love, take such a selfish action? The normal rules do not apply to us and we can choose to sacrifice who we wanted to bring you both back as we were already higher forms of life. But for you, as you did with Steve Rogers, you willingly gave his life for your wife. That is the only form of sacrifice your children can make if they wish to join you in immortality."

Time drifted forward. "And would you really want to give a terrible choice to your children?"

Tony folded his arms at that. "No… I wouldn't." He couldn't willingly burden Morgan or Steve with it. However, he couldn't stop his following comment. "Still would have liked a choice myself though."

They didn't yield to the joint apology he still wanted from them. They didn't see they still needed to, despite Tony's continued insistence upon it.

"We can make you a promise, Tony Stark," said Space. "The Stark family bloodline will be protected. You did the universe a great favour. We can only repay you this way, that your line shall never fail."

Tony swallowed. It wasn't the circumstances he'd wanted but his line never-failing was one good thing to come out of this.

There would always be a Stark on Earth to protect it.

Sometime in 2048

At age twenty-nine, Morgan Stark became a mother. She'd married a year before, the day being one of the happiest days of Tony's life, to be able to see her marry the man she loved.

She married a young man who she worked within the Research and Development lab at Stark Industries. She was happy and contented, a credit to Tony and Pepper's parenting that she had found someone to love her at such a young age, and still respect her need to go gallanting about in an Iron Man suit and save the world.

It was around this time that Tony's desire to leave Earth began to build, slowly increasing as the years went by. He knew it was partly the Infinity Stones making him feel like this as it affected Natasha too, as she started to roam the Earth more, not able to sit still, wishing to explore further afield.

Morgan, sensing that her father was waiting longer than he needed to leave, urged them not to wait for her to pass away and to leave before then. After all, to the general population, Tony Stark was getting on in years and they saw him as a seventy-eight-year-old, who was slowing down in years, rather than the overactive, middle-aged man he really was.

As the years passed by, the Stark family grew. Steve went onto marry and provided Tony and Pepper with several more grandchildren. But even he could see it. His father wanted to leave but didn't want to leave his family.

The yearning for the stars continued as the years went, and soon Tony, Pepper, and Natasha would leave the Earth.

Thursday 29th May 2070

"One hundred years old…" Tony mused quietly.

Today was the day he passed a century old.

It was also the day he, Pepper and Natasha intended to leave Earth. Most of their friends had gone, and the Avengers were being led by Tony's grandson, Morgan's first-born son. Avenging and protecting the Earth seemed to have become a family business. Stark Industries was still running, and the business had started to move into space exploration.

Both of their children were now middle-aged.

For the last month, Tony, Pepper, Morgan, and Steve had spent time together at the lake house, knowing that the time was coming for their parents to leave. They'd already said farewell to their grandchildren, all of them knowing Tony and Pepper were leaving them, though most were unaware they were leaving Earth. They had assumed Morgan and Steve were caring for their elderly, dying parents.

It was during this time, Tony finally reduced the aging of himself and Pepper, returning themselves to the appearance they'd had when they had originally died.

Pepper rubbed his shoulder. "Never thought you'd reach that age, Mr. Stark."

"I'll be a million years old before we know it," teased Tony.

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Mom, are you sure you can put up with dad for the rest of eternity?" sniggered Morgan, her brown hair falling about her shoulders.

"Honey, I've looked after your father for years. He hasn't put me off yet." Pepper grinned and kissed her husband on the cheek.

The cool breeze of the lake echoed around them.

"It's nearly time," said Tony quietly. He could feel it.

"Will you miss this place?" asked Steve, observing his father's reactions closely.

"This place, yes, both of you, yes. The world… But we're doing the right thing. It's time. We can't stay on Earth forever, not with what I carry. And, yes, I can change our appearances to blend in… I want to be me. I don't want to be anyone else or look like anyone else. For us to be able to live normally, we have to leave. And a part of me yearns to be out there. I was content before but…"

"Do you think it's the Stones?" whispered Morgan.

"I do," he replied. "But I also think it's because they're not meant to stay in one place at the same time."

He glanced over as Natasha approached them. She carried a little duffel bag with her, a few belongings she wished to take with her, for Tony wasn't leaving without her.

Pepper pulled her son into a hug, tears falling down her cheeks. They had known this day would come, but neither wished to see their children grow old and die, and it was time to leave, at the turn of Tony's one-hundredth year, a date they had all agreed on a few years ago.

Tony shook his son's hand then pulled him into a hug. "Look after your sister."

"Dad, I think Morgan is the one who will be looking after me," retorted Steve, laughing.

Tony grinned and walked over to Pepper and Morgan. He pulled Morgan into a hug, kissing the top of her head, as Pepper rested her own hand on Tony's arm, hugging her daughter from behind. It would be the last hug Morgan would ever have from her parents.

"I'll miss you mom… dad." Morgan let her tears fall. She was happy for them, but also sad for the loss from her own life. "Just… promise me, if Earth is ever threatened, please protect it."

Tony wiped the tears from his daughter's face with the tips of his thumbs. "I will. And you know what to do… what to pass on."

Morgan nodded, wiping her eyes dry. "I do."

He'd given her and Steve a small communicator device each, one which was linked to a wrist-strap on Tony's right wrist. If Earth needed Tony to return, all they had to do was call him. Send a coded message for help and he would come straight back. He wouldn't leave Earth defenceless. The communicator device would pass on down through the family, with strict instructions to use it only in the direst of situations.

"Just remember, we will always love you. Both of you… we're proud of you. And we'll miss you." Tony couldn't help his voice cracking.

He turned to face the lake, the lake where he had made his home, and where the memories of Tony and Pepper would be laid to rest. Tomorrow the world would learn of the passing of Tony and Pepper Stark. They'd already issued the release of Natasha's own passing a few years ago, giving Natasha the much-wanted notoriety, she needed and she'd spent the last few years going across Earth, exploring all the places she had always wanted to go, without worrying about being recognised.

But for them, life would continue onward in the stars.

Tony took hold of Pepper's hand. "Pep."

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Ready?"

Pepper nodded.

"Nat?"

She held his other hand. "Been ready for a long while, Stark."

"Then let's go." Taking one last look at their beloved children, Tony closed his eyes. Take us to the other side of the universe.

And then they were gone from planet Earth, until the time they were needed again.

-The End-

And, it is over!

When I was writing this chapter I didn't expect it to turn out to be the last chapter. There was supposed to be an epilogue of Tony, Pepper, and Natasha living on some faraway planet but I tried to write it and it didn't work out so I dropped it.

I also decided on Tony and Pepper having a second child. I think they would have if Tony had lived passed Endgame originally, and them naming him Steve I thought was a good choice. :)

I want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has read/reviewed/liked and enjoyed this story! I hope you've enjoyed the ride! I certainly have! I also want to extend my thanks to my wonderful artist, JediPanda22, for all the illustrations they have done for this story! Please follow them on Instagram and check out their other illustrations for other fandoms!

And, now to a few quick questions...

A Sequel?
The ending of this story does leave open the potential for a sequel. I can tell you now, at the moment, I have no plans for a sequel. I had contemplated the idea of, since Tony, Pepper, and Natasha are spending eternity together, of writing a shorter fic detailing a bit of their life travelling through the universe. And it would end up resulting in Nat becoming romantically involved with Tony and Pepper. I'm not entirely sure how that would go down or not. Natasha has to stay with Tony because she holds a bit of Soul and she can help stop Tony losing control of his powers, which is something he still could do. Again, it was an idea but not set in stone and I'm not entirely sure how people would take Natasha becoming romantically involved with Tony and Pepper. If I did write it, it would probably be set in the more Explicit rating than Mature. Let me know your thoughts and we'll see, but at the moment no sequel is set in stone. (And, if I did, due to the potential rating, it wouldn't be posted here, only on Archive Of Our Own).

Other Stories
I have a few ideas floating around.

First is one tentatively titled: "Thanos' World" - in which Thanos wins at the end of Endgame. He spares Earth from his remaking of the Universe, enslaving the population and killing most but not all of the Avengers. Tony is his prize prisoner. Morgan becomes Thanos' new daughter. And Pepper... she's leading a resistance. It will be quite a dark fic. It's in the early stages of planning. I'll probably write a few chapters before I post.

Another story and this is quite embarrassing to admit, is I'd like to write a story in which the Avengers watch the movies. I've sort of got one being written at the moment but I'm undecided whether to continue or not. It would be set after Civil War but before Infinity War. It would be Team Iron Man and anti-Team Cap, as Team Cap are forced to reevaluate how they view Tony. Ultimately, there would be a story for each film they watch which features Tony. Again, not sure if I will publish this, as I am aware there are potential copyright issues when writing out text of the movies. I know a few other people have written these type of stories but they have been anti-Tony and I wanted to change the mould...

Thoughts/opinions?

That's it for now...

Hard to believe it is all over and we are finished...

Thank you for all your kind words!

Hopefully, you will join me for my next story!

the-writer1988