The evening started off about as one would expect it to go during such a gathering. Saving the world may have been old hat to the Avengers, but when it came to dealing with the public, Tony was the expert. He had a long history of generating publicity of both the good and bad variety.

As it turned out, Martha was pretty good at it too. Ever since they moved in together, Martha had become a bit of a fixture in the local media. Of course, Tony already knew firsthand how alluring the doctor could be. People flocked to her like moths to a flame and he enjoyed watching her work.

After making his own rounds, Tony managed to steal Martha away from her adoring fans for a bit of face time. "It's not too late to turn this party into an impromptu wedding," he informed her.

Martha chuckled softly. "I thought we put that idea to rest."

"Temporarily shelved," he replied. "But after I saw how in love with you everyone was, the insecurity resurfaced and I felt the need to stake my claim," he said, only half joking.

Martha slipped a hand behind his neck and brought him down to her level, pressing her forehead against his. "There's no one in this room who I wanna be with more than you."

"Even Cap?"

She tilted her head to one side, feigning ignorance. "Who?"

Tony gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Good answer."

Martha flashed him a bright smile. "I'm gonna go find Tish," she said just before disappearing into the crowd.

Left to his own devices, Tony made his way over to the bar. In his continued effort to curb his drinking, he only had a beer instead of his usual scotch. He was halfway through the bottle when Rhodey sidled up next to him.

Rhodey settled onto a stool with his back to the bar. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Tony answered between sips.

"Seems like your big night is a big success," he said as he looked around the room.

"What about yours?" Tony asked, turning the face the same direction as his best friend.

Rhodey lifted a brow. "Mine?"

"You and Tish."

"Still trying to set me up with Martha's sister?"

"Still acting like you don't want to be set up with Martha's sister?"

"I told you before that I'm capable of finding my own dates."

"You sure didn't have any trouble finding her in the crowd," Tony teased. He had followed Rhodey's line of sight to Tish, who was currently engaged in a game of pool with Steve and his friend, Sam Wilson, while Martha watched. "I'd strike while the iron is hot if I were you," Tony said. "I don't think Cap could seal the deal with Tish, but that Sam guy is a wildcard."

Rhodey rolled his eyes and took a sip from his own beer. "Speaking of sealing the deal, is that ring still burning a hole in your pocket?"

Tony stroked his right thigh to check that his mother's ring was, in fact, still there. "I'd put it on her finger right this second if I could, but I know that isn't what she wants. I have to do it the right way." He looked at Rhodey again. "I'm planning a quick trip to London to see her parents. I could put in a good word for you while I'm there, if you're interested."

Rhodey laughed dismissively. "I think I'd be better off winning them over on my own merit."

"Probably," Tony agreed. "But you more or less confirmed that you're into Tish. So I'm still claiming that as a victory."

"Remember the Fratelli twins?"

"How could I forget?" Tony smiled at the memory. Back during their MIT days, it was the first time he and Rhodey had ever gone on a double date and their dates switched places in the middle of it. After that, Tony and Rhodey swore off ever dating siblings again."

"And yet you're still trying to make me and Tish happen."

"I'm fairly certain we'd noticed if she and Martha ever changed places. Besides, I think after that first kiss, Tish got any thoughts of me out of her system."

Rhodey lowered his bottle from his lips. "What?"

"Just the other day she was muttering something about never meeting your heroes."

Rhodey turned on his stool to face Tony fully. "You kissed Tish?"

"Technically, she kissed me."

"And Martha let you live?"

Tony rubbed the nape of his neck. "It was pretty touch and go for a while. I mean she was still salty about London at the time and I did get her evicted on top of everything else, but Bohr seemed to help smooth things out."

"Wait. So this was after you came back from Korea?" Rhodey frowned. "Why am I only just hearing about this now?"

"Do you really want me to relay each and every time I screw up? Because I doubt you'd have time for anything else. I'd pay you for your time, of course. And it'd be better than therapy. For me at least." Tony shrugged when Rhodey didn't respond. "Doesn't matter anyway. The kiss meant nothing." He took a long sip from his bottle while they sat in silence. "Full disclosure…she's a great kisser. She's no Martha, mind you, but she has soft lips. Solid technique. I suspect she might be a nibbler, but those turtlenecks you used to rock back in the day suggest you'd probably be into that."

"Stop talking," Rhodey said quickly.

Tony resumed drinking and continued watching Martha from across the room. Occasionally, she would look in his direction and smile. Tish, on the other hand, was thoroughly engrossed in Sam and Steve. After a little more needling from Tony, Rhodey eventually made his way over to throw his proverbial hat in the ring.

"Satisfied with yourself?" Martha asked Tony when she rejoined him.

He glanced at Rhodey and Tish laughing as he showed her how to make a trick shot. "Not yet," Tony said. "But I'll let you know."

The evening was a bit more bearable with Martha by his side. They stuck it out to the very end, despite his numerous attempts to get her back to the bedroom. All in all, Tony was in high spirits. So naturally the other shoe was bound to drop.

Tony had toiled endlessly on the Ultron conundrum, desperate for a way to bring his creation to life. Ultimately, he was more successful than he could have ever imagined and now he had something new to atone for.

After the battle with Ultron in the Tower and the ensuing confrontation with the other Avengers, Tony found Martha seated on the stairs outside his workroom. She had exchanged her dress for jeans and a hoodie. Bohr was lying next to her with his head in her lap. She stroked his head lazily with one hand, but the other was clinched tightly on her knee.

"Hey," Tony said softly, causing her to flinch slightly.

Martha exhaled quickly and forced a smile. "Hey." She nodded towards the workroom. "Sounds pretty intense in there."

"It happens," Tony said dismissively as he sat in on the step just below hers. "How are you?"

"Me? I'm fine." Martha laughed mirthlessly and balled her fist tighter. "Hordes of metal men? Been there, done that."

Tony sighed heavily and wished he had made the connection sooner. "I didn't think."

Martha let out a huff and uncurled her hand to reach for his. "If ever there was a sin that Tony Stark was guilty of, it would be thinking too much, not the other way around," she insisted with a ghost of a smile.

"Really?" Tony squeezed her hand. "I would have thought it'd be hubris."

"That's true as well," she conceded.

Tony dropped his head. "Did I do the wrong thing?"

"Everything happened all at once. There wasn't time to think about how I'd react to the sentries going rogue. We stopped them in the end though. That's all that matters."

Tony felt guilty that he had put her life in danger and, further still, probably triggered her PTSD. "I'm glad you're alright, but I'm still worried that I did the wrong thing," he confessed. "Ultron was supposed to be different. It was supposed to be…"

"'Armor to protect the world,'" Martha quoted. "Yea, I heard that bit."

Tony stole a glance at her. "So you think I was wrong too?"

Martha used her free hand to cover the hand that was holding hers. Bohr lifted his head at the loss of contact and sniffed their joined hands. "Life is never as simple as that, love. You did what you felt was right."

"But it still went wrong."

"That happens," she replied. "I mean John Hammond just wanted an amusement park full of dinosaurs, but I think you'll find there's a far stretching avenue that lies between theory and practice. When you created Ultron, you did it with good intentions…"

"Yea…and the road to hell is littered with good intentions."

Martha squeezed his hand. "You're not going to hell. You're going back to work. And you're not gonna rest until you fix this mess because that's the kind of man you are."

Tony met her eyes. "It's gonna be a lot of sleepless nights."

"For the both of us," she agreed.

"Good thing you've got the world's best bed warmer to keep you company," Tony said, scratching Bohr between the ears with his free hand.

"Yea and I'll sleep a lot better if his dad comes home to me in one piece."

"Or not sleep," Tony suggested with the beginnings of a smile playing on his lips.

"Yea." Martha smirked. "That as well."

Tony's expression turned serious again. "You need to get off the grid."

"I know." Martha nodded slowly. "I'll go to my mum's."

"Sounds like a good plan, but I'm not sure if I like the idea of you in a plane with Ultron in the wires."

"Are you forgetting who you're talking to? I know more ways of travelling than the average person," she reminded him.

"We're gonna have to maintain radio silence for a while."

Martha sighed. "I was afraid of that, but I understand."

They fell into a thoughtful silence. Neither of them said what they both were probably thinking. For a split second, Tony thought about proposing right then and there, but he could already guess Martha's reaction. It wouldn't be some kneejerk response to the danger he was about to face, but he still wanted her to have a proper proposal. He just hoped he lived long enough to give her one.

"When all of this is over, you and me are taking a vacation," Tony said, breaking the silence. "Some place you've always wanted to go."

"Like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?" Martha asked with a grin.

Tony grimaced. "I thought you said I wasn't going to hell."

"Watch it, tin man," Martha warned playfully.

"Malibu," Tony decided suddenly. "You, me and the kid." He nodded towards Bohr. "Sun and sand. Fruity drinks with umbrellas. Bathing suits optional."

Martha smiled warmly and leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. "Just name the time and place and I'll be there."