#2.26.17

T’Challa’s jet gets them to Long Island in record time and before long they’re hovering over Commack, Ally’s hometown. “I shouldn’t be long,” she says as Steve opens up the bay door. 

“If you get ambushed, call me. I’ve got your back.” 

She smiles at Steve and gives him a thumbs up. “No one is arresting me today.” Jumping out of the plane, Ally flies down and lands just outside the cemetery where her parents are buried. It takes one look around the premises for her to spot him. Her parents’ grave is pretty far back in the field, but Ally could see the red and gold suit as soon as she entered the gate. 

Taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders, she walks to him and her parents. His face plate comes up and they make eye contact; Ally can’t deny the lump in her throat as she swallows it back.

There’s a long length of silence where the two just look at each other. Each are waiting for the other to say something first, but no one says anything. Instead, Tony just turns his back and his face plate locks back into place. “No one will bother you,” he finally says. 

Ally hadn’t noticed she was holding her breath until she nearly fell over with the relief. She let the backpack fall off her shoulders, and she knelt in the grass. No matter how many times she visited, seeing the names on the tombstone was like seeing it for the first time. From the backpack she pulls out a bouquet of flowers and lays them gently on the tombstone. What she said was less of an ‘I miss you’ speech and more of her just updating her parents on what was going on lately, how her life has been. This was the longest she had gone without visiting and she wasn’t sure when she’d be back, so she made sure to cover all her bases. 

An hour passes before Ally finally stands, eyes glassy but otherwise she’s okay. It’s only when she stands that Tony finally turns around. 

“How are you?” he asks, face plate rising once again.

“Better now. Did they post you here knowing I’d come?” 

He nods. “I volunteered. No one’s taking you in, not today. That’s just a jackass move.” 

Ally smiles as she puts her backpack on, and she goes up to give him a hug. He’s in the suit and it’s not the same, but it’ll do for now. “I miss you too, you know.”

“I know.”  

Snorting, she pulls away and looks up to the sky. “I’ve gotta go. Talk to you soon.” Ally looks back at the grave. “Watch over them for me, okay?”

Tony nods and Ally takes off, flying back up to the jet a few thousand miles up. When she’s inside, she takes her seat next to Steve and buckles up. 

“Was anyone there?” he asked, looking over to her.