aftermath

It suddenly became real about five minutes before they landed back in San Francisco. Of course Scott had tried to warn her, there was a still a part of her that didn't quite believe it.


To her, he had gone into the quantum realm, her mum had gasped, and collapsed into the wind, and then she was blinking her eyes open to see a man in a long red coat opening a portal and telling her that five years had passed and that she needed to help Scott. She hadn't really thought about the repercussions, but looking out of the plane window, the whole world just looked so... empty.


There were so few cars, so few lights, and the sunlight was bouncing off sheets of gold by the bridge, which Scott told her were remembrances for the missing.


Hank and Janet drove with them through the streets to Maggie's house, they saw people hurtling down the street, or just standing, looking at the birds. As they reached the house, a figure sprinted out of the door, but she wouldn't have guessed it was Cassie if the girl (?) hadn't been yelling.


"Daddy, Hope, Oh my god. You're here. Janet! Hank! Daddy!"


Hope hugged her, shocked at the change of height. The girl was fifteen now, and nearly as tall as Hope, and she had grown, her face changing, though she still had Scott's eyes and nose.


Maggie and Paxton were inside, Paxton having returned as well, and there were many hugs. They stayed for a few hours, as Scott explained how they had gotten everyone back, Hope explained the battle and Cassie explained how her first relationship had gone (very badly.)


They slipped off at around midnight, and as soon as Janet and Hank had fallen asleep on the back seats, Hope and Scott began flirting outrageously as though nothing had changed.


"You said Cap." Scott teased. "You said Cap!"
"Well we were fighting aliens for half of life in the universe and he was the leader. What did you expect?" she replied, glancing at him before Hank- who had apparently been listening the whole time- yelled


"Eyes on the road" They all laughed, which woke Janet. Hank then began telling an amusing story about little Hope, ice cream, and a water fountain, when they pulled up next to the house. They practically fell into bed, asleep almost instantaneously.


There was a big sense of celebration over the next couple of days. Everyone seemed frantically trying to see everyone they had missed over the past years.


Thousands lined the streets for Tony Stark's official funeral, the private one taking place before they had left new Jersey. Scott seemed more upset that Natasha hadn't had such a public memorial, but Pepper Potts announced that there would be a memorial, not just to Tony, but to all the original avengers placed in Central Park.


Cassie came to stay three days after they returned, and they had spent a memorable evening sitting in the garden, watching the fireworks.


The FBI had decided to give them a free slate after "The invaluable part the technology played in returning the missing." They were now free.

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