Author's Note: As promised the conclusion to this one, have tissues prepared I'm sorry! But it is sort of bitterly sweet. Thank you everyone for reading and sticking with me. This one was sort of a odd ball one to write but hopefully I got what I wanted to say! So enjoy the conclusion.

Redemption

Chapter 11 - Been waiting on him a long time

"What are you doing? Stark?!" The voice was distant, faraway, and completely meaningless as he looked upwards into the vast gaping hole in the sky. The terrifying maw looming larger and larger, still he stood tall as the world disintegrated into panicked chaos around him.

As everyone else fled for safety a single lone figure in the black and silver metal armor, stood motionless. A familiar iconic shield on his back, now tarnished, and faded with age. He made no move get away, staring calmly upwards towards inevitable death.

It had all happened so fast, the gathering storm over the city erupting violently. A large gaping hole in the worlds that was meant to bring about the end of days. It had occurred exactly as he had predicted, down to the minute.

Only he hadn't told the Avengers the entirety of it.

Quietly he had suited up; slowly flying to stand on the building directly under where he knew the storm was going to break. "Stark get out of there!" the voices in his helmet were yelling, pointless noise. His entire being focused on the space above him, the gaping black opened wider.

-#-#-#-

"What the hell was he thinking?" Clint yelled through the link as they flew at top speed towards the figure. Stark looked like he was going to take on the entire invasion himself. The others grew grimly quiet, as they approached getting their first sickening look at what was to come.

A crackle of static broke sharply across the comm link, the voice so different yet so familiar. Raspy and low, "Are you with me love?" the question so quite and tender it heartbreaking, Steve felt his breath hitch in his chest.

All eyes on the solitary man in the heart of the storm. The comm crackled again with static hissing as if it was malfunctioning. Yet under the back feed very quietly they heard another voice; one they knew all to well.

"To hell and back," it was Steve Rogers.

"I'm seeing double," Tony landed next to his lover heavily, trying to reconcile his mind to what his eyes where telling him. Stark wasn't standing alone anymore. Beside him, almost hazy and indistinct, was a man in a very distinctive suit. Only the red, white and blue was covered in blood, dark gaping holes that could only be massive wounds visible on the back of his costume.

Steve opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound came out.

-#-#-#-

The portal was open now, he could see them beginning to crawl outwards. Stark tightened his hand around the small device up, taking a deep breath he pressed several buttons watching as the timer began to tick down.

Looking upwards he took off straight into the portal. Pushing higher he made directly for the main ship, that ever-present voice in his head. "I'm with you love."

Clenching his jaw he put all power to his thrusters, the large warship growing larger in his field of vision baring down on him. Tasting blood he hurled the device at the hull of the beast flipping out of the way as several smaller ships took exception to him.

Turning he began falling back through space a smile curling his lips as he plummeted towards Earth. An ironic sense of déjà-vu pulling at him. In his head he counted down, "Showtime…" he muttered, a scant second before the yellow and red explosion engulfed the war machine.

Laughing then he closed his eyes stretching his arms outwards as the blast rippled through him.

-#-#-#-

The Avengers stood uncomprehending upwards at the spot where the dark metal figure had disappeared. Tony swallowing thickly remembering, Christ it had seemed like yesterday he'd flown that nuke.

They couldn't see Stark, but the could see the enemy coming. Each crouched hands tightening around weapons as they readied for battle. Steve was all business working through a strategy as they approached, preparing for a hard fought siege.

When the explosion threw all his plans to hell.

Shocked they watched as no more then a dozen or so small vessels made it through before the large ship ponderously approaching dissolved in a ball of fire. The ominous portal in the sky disappearing instantly.

"Holy shit…" Clint breathed, as the few attackers disoriented and confused by the sudden turn of events seemed to hesitate.

"Well let's deal with these guys," Steve said softly managing to collect himself.

Tony hesitated a moment, "Steve I'm going to see if he made it through," he spoke softly, his voice saying he was not all that optimistic about the chances.

"We got this Cap, you go too…" the Black Widow was already moving Hulk, Thor, and Clint hot on her heels.

Without a word they were off; Iron Man flying the perimeter of the blast radius, carefully checking from above, as Steve worked from the ground up.

"Anything?" Tony asked, Steve replying in a negative. The Cap slowly beginning to think that perhaps the man hadn't made it back through, hesitated when something caught the corner of his eye.

Turning quick ready to fight, he paused lowering his shield cautiously, a shadowy figure wavering several feet away. Raising his shield again, he carefully approached but whatever it was seemed to grow more insubstantial as he approached.

Beginning to think it was some sort of trick of the light he was turning to resume his search when he heard the small moan. He paused ears straining; it came again, faint, barely there, but discernable.

Quickly he was amongst the rubble of the collapsed building, "Stark?" He called, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. The noise was fainter this time, but Steve had finally spotted the battered figure.

"Stark! Tony I found him," he called over the comm, hurrying to the man's side. It took the soldier a moment to realize why the man was moaning. A large iron bar jutting through his chest very near where his heart would be.

"We need medical," he said shakily, falling to his knees beside the man. Carefully looking for a way to remove the helmet, finally just using a tear in the metal to pull it the rest of the way off.

The familiar scarred face was deathly pale, as he panted breathing shallowly. Blood trickling from the corner of his mouth a startling contrast to his gray complexion. "Stark? You with me?" he asked gently reaching out to touch that beloved face.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, the glowing red orb whirring as he painfully turning to the big blond beside him. The blue glow in his chest flickering weakly, "Steve…" he murmured, that normally sharp gaze hazy and unfocused.

"I'm here," he said softly taking a metal hand in his own.

His eyes closed, before struggling to open again, "…did…it…" he wheezed, chest hitching as he struggled to breath around the metal bar no doubt running through his lung.

"You did, you saved the us," Steve confirmed, "Why Stark? Why didn't you wait?" He couldn't help it, why had the man done something so foolish? It had been a suicide mission.

The pale, scarred lips pulled in a smallest of smiles, "Make things right."

He coughed then, the wheeze getting worse, chest pumping hard trying to work. "Steve!" Tony landed beside them tugging his helmet loose, "Ah Christ…" his face grew grim as he saw the metal bar pinning the man to the ground. Red flowing across the concrete below him.

"S'ok…alright," Stark managed, eyes drifting closed again. He squeezed Steve's hand in his tightly, gasping, gurgling as his chest filled. Steve held him back just as tightly, tears gathering in his eyes.

He could feel Tony pressing close to him, as the man who saved them all gasped wetly one last time before his chest stilled. The flicker fading out completely. The tears fell then as Tony, his Tony, held him tight.

"I'll take it from here," they started, looking up as a man crouched opposite the now lifeless body of Stark. Steve shocked to find himself looking into his own eyes, cloudy and lifeless. He jerked back into Tony, who was staring steadily at the apparition before them.

It was Steve, Captain America, or at least at one time it had been; before the three large gaping wounds in his chest had no doubt killed him.

"Tony..." the man said looking at the dead man pinned by the bar, reaching out he touched him briefly. The pair watched detached as the body disappeared, the iron bar remained.

"Thank you," the dead man said standing slowly turning to look towards a figure standing a few feet away, Steve and Tony turning as well.

"Been waiting on him a long time," the dead Cap grinned at them.

Steve finally managed to find his voice, "It was you wasn't it? The one he was always talking to you."

The dead man shrugged, "Perhaps, good bye Tony and Steve…he gave us a second chance, don't waste it." Without another word he turned walking towards the waiting other. As they watched the pair clasped hands before fading out completely; leaving them alone amid the rubble once more.

Tony exhaled; it felt like he'd been holding his breath for hours. "I'm not sure what just happened…but after the last couple weeks I'm willing to believe in the impossible," he mumbled

Steve nodded slowly in agreement.

-#-#-#-

"It feels like it was some sort of dream," Steve mumbled, finally speaking for the first time since they had left the ruins. Tony hadn't forced him, he himself still trying to come to terms with what had transpired.

It wasn't everyday your future self showed up to save the world, and a dead Captain America talked to you. The pair where currently cuddled together in Tony's bed the TV playing softly in the back ground as Steve lay with his head on his chest.

"I know what you mean," he mumbled running callused fingers through blond locks.

"Do you think we changed the future?" Steve asked hesitantly, giving voice to his true fear. Thinking of the things Stark had told him, of all the horrors that lay ahead.

Tony was silent a long moment, "I'm not sure if we can fully. Everything we do impacts our choices and decisions. Fate, destiny, cosmic interference, whatever you call it, argues that what will be will be and we can do nothing to change it."

Steve was looking at him now, face solemn, drawn and worried. "What I do know, is he saved you. Gave us a fighting chance, and I hope to God wherever he is…he finally found the same happiness I have."

Steve was smiling softly, beautifully, "Never knew you where such a romantic."

Tony shrugged pulling him in for a sweet kiss, "Only for you." They kissed again, loosing themselves in one another, the future unknown save one simple truth, whatever it brought he would have Steve.

Tony Stark had found his redemption, and he was not going to waste it.

End.