I don't own anything except any original/own characters and any original plot.

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Chapter 38 - Family

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It was a short process to place the five retrieved stones on a new version of the gauntlet. No one questioned why Thor and Loki returned without the Aether. Because of that, it was obvious who would be snapping again.

"No arguments?" (Y/n) asked as she stared down the displayed gauntlet the group was standing around.

"You're our best bet. You've been living with one of the damn things for years, and the Guardians were almost killed by one of them," Rocket shrugged.

"Just be careful, darling," Loki implored.

Without further ado, (Y/n) stuck her right hand into the gauntlet. Gasping, she felt the full force of all six Infinity Stones overcome her. It was indescribable. The universe was in her hands. No. That was too detached. It was more than that. Like the days she'd return to New Asgard after a trip abroad as the ambassador. Beneath the tingling in her veins was Loki's kisses, and Thor's hugs, and her girls laughter, and Avenger's game nights.

A family reunited.

Everyone else didn't seem to have clued in to (Y/n)'s intense inner monologue. All of them seemed vaguely concerned, but besides her initial gasp, (Y/n) had shown no obvious signs of pain. If the smile on her face was anything to go by, she was ready to go.

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to today. Don't change anything from the last five years. Got it?" Tony ordered.

"Of course."

The Avengers prepared themselves for whatever was to come after the snap. Seeming ready for war, Tony activated the Barn Door Protocol, and (Y/n) looked down at the gauntlet.

Bring them back. Reverse the wrong that you were forced to commit.

(Y/n) snapped her fingers.

It hurt. Body screaming in agony, (Y/n) fell to her knees. Loki took a step forward but Thor held him back. All that came from the gauntlet was a short blast of light. But it was enough, (Y/n) could feel it as the pain faded. A wrong was righted and things were okay again.

"Are you alright?" Loki stepped out of Thor's hold and kneeled next to his wife, "Darling, your arm."

The skin had changed, showing what seemed to be a fully healed burn scar peeking out from the edge of the gauntlet. Shuddering, (Y/n) didn't dare to think of what would have happened if someone else used it. She was The Original, but she was safer than any other being when handling the stones.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

Clint's phone buzzed and he stepped out of the room. (Y/n) knew it was Laura. Just like she knew that across the universe, there were confused Asgardians on Orveon. With just the Reality Stone, she was always conscious of different realities and their happenings. Now, she was aware of everything.

So when the missile struck, she tried to raise a shield.

"(Y/n) Odinson. Daughter of Carr and Astrid. Wife of Loki. Sister of Thor. Mother of Kari and Iona. Reality."

Shit.

"The Watchers," (Y/n) bowed before the council in front of her, "Have I disrupted the balance of the multiverse?"

"On the contrary, you have corrected it."

It was hard to tell who was speaking. The Watchers didn't move their mouths so it could have been any of them. Still, (Y/n) pushed aside the potential headache in favor of releasing a sigh of relief. There were a lot of things she could do to upset the Watchers - which was why she was so careful when adjusting reality. But snapping again wasn't one of them.

"Thanos has come to the wrong time. Eliminate him."

"You want me to remove him from our timeline?"

"And all timelines. All multiverses."

"Wouldn't that upset the balance even more?" (Y/n) winced as soon as the words left her mouth. She shouldn't question the Watchers.

"His very existence is a threat to the multiverse. As Reality, it is your duty to correct this wrong."

"I understand. Thanos will no longer be a problem."

"Good. In return, we have located a multiverse in which the stones are unneeded. They are yours to keep."

Heart racing, (Y/n) could have jumped with joy. Another set of stones for her reality? She'd never feel the core deep emptiness that came with a lack of stones again! Of course they'd have to be guarded. She'd protect them herself, and make sure they were to never be mishandled again. But she would get them back.

"Thank you, Watchers. Your wisdom and generosity is undeserved."

"On the contrary. Universes without your existence are plagued with suffering. Return. Time has passed."

The Avengers Compound had been destroyed. (Y/n) paid it no mind. She would rebuild it later. The battlefield was a mess, but seeing her dearly missed allies brought a smile to her face.

"Thanos!" She yelled, and things fell silent. Both sides stopped their struggle and turned their gaze to her.

Thanos stepped through the crowd, head held high and brow riddled with frustration.

"(Y/n) of Asgard. Holder of the Reality Stone," Thanos held up his weapon, as if there was a fight to be had.

"Funny, that you think you could win," (Y/n) held up her gauntleted hand, a smirk on her lips, "In every reality, every timeline, you were doomed to fail. Thanos of Titan, as Reality and Guardian of the Stones, I declare that the time has come for you to pay for your crimes." Thanos opened his mouth to speak, but (Y/n) didn't give him the chance, "Whilst traversing your miserable afterlife, allow these words to remind you of what could have been and where you went wrong... never fuck with the Avengers."

(Y/n) snapped for the second time.

Thanos and his army turned to dust. A worthy end to the terror he had caused the multiverse. (Y/n)'s body hurt again, and the scars went past her elbow now, but she could barely feel it.

The Avengers went around to count the dead and attend to the wounded. The fight, whilst brutal, hadn't lasted long and there were few casualties. Wanda ran to (Y/n) first, holding her tightly.

"You badass woman," she laughed tearfully, "Thank you for bringing me back to my brother. We've lost too much. Being seperated again..."

"I'm five years and ten minutes older," Pietro showed up at the perfect time, providing humor to hold back his sister's tears.

"Oh shut up," Wanda smacked his arm, then her eyes widened, "(Y/n), your baby-"

"Twins. You'll love them. As soon as cleanup is over then we should have a party."

"Drinks!" Valkyrie called from behind the trio.

"I like you," Tony yelled back.

Turning to face the battlefield entirely, (Y/n) waved her hand. The fires went out, the ground repaired, and the Avenger's Compound repaired itself. Those who were injured were quickly healed, and those who couldn't be brought back were sent to the proper area to be dealt with respectfully.

"This was always the preferable ending," Stephen Strange suddenly appeared next to (Y/n), "There was another one that would end in much more death and destruction."

"You!" Loki appeared as well, a dagger in his hand.

"Loki, it's okay."

"He let me fall for thirty minutes!"

"You would have made an attempt to kill me otherwise," Strange rolled his eyes.

Despite the obvious tired and weary energy that hung over everyone, there was still an overlying feeling of excitement and happiness. With the battlefield clear and casualties taken care of, the groups could finally reunite with each other.

Hugs and tears were exchanged by nearly everyone. (Y/n) got to meet Peter Parker for the first time and she swore on her life to protect him like she was one of her own. Though, it seemed like Tony was already on that.

They'd spend the week dealing with initial repercussions of the second snap. Press releases, recovery efforts, rehoming and things like that. Then they'd come together again for the party of the century.

~*~

The second set of stones mysteriously appeared on (Y/n)'s nightstand two days after the final battle. The original set had been briefcased and stored in the facility to be returned after the party. (Y/n) gave the Time Stone to Stephen Strange, creating a pact with him in terms of protection and (Y/n) being able to take it at certain times. Three of the other Stones were stored and deeply protected in New Asgard. No one would ever be able to get to them without (Y/n)'s express permission, and the final stone...

"Excelsior!"

"Pietro, we've been here for half an hour. How are you already drunk off Asgardian liquor?"

The celebration party was in full swing. Morgan, Clint's kids, and the twins were occupying all of Peter and Shuri's attention, the Guardians were in the middle of a dance off with Rhodey, Sam, and Scott Lang. Tony, Thor, Valkyrie, and Pietro were ready to drink themselves under the table. Carol, Nebula, Pepper, May Parker and Nat were chatting peacefully by the lake. Strange and Loki were - surprisingly - calmly discussing modern applications for different forms of magic. T'Challa and Okoye were chatting with Hank and Hope Pym. Steve and Bucky were in the corner, exchanging quiet words and small smiles. Wanda was frowning at her brother, but (Y/n) grabbed her elbow and pulled her away.

"I have a surprise for you," (Y/n) beamed, practically bursting with excitement.

"What could be better than all this?" Wanda questioned, motioning to the happy scene surrounding them.

Holding out her hand, (Y/n) revealed the orange stone resting in it. The Mind Stone. The source of Wanda and Pietro's powers, but more than that, what once powered Vision.

"Don't tell me-"

Letting the stone fall from her hand, (Y/n) waved her hand before the stone could hit the ground. A body formed from nothing. (Y/n) was breaking no rules by forming Vision again. He was never technically "real" in the first place. Reforming him and inputting his memories was nothing.

"Wanda."

"Vis!"

The couple embraced, and (Y/n) stepped them away to give them some time alone. She could tell them later that (Y/n) adjusted Vision's body so he could live without the Mind Stone.

Passing by the kids - Kari had just bluntly pointed out that Shuri and Peter weren't straight, and the pair had highly comical reactions to it - (Y/n) sat down in the last empty seat by the lake. Nat picked up a glass of wine and offered it to her.

"How about all of us go on a vacation? Call it a girls trip or something," (Y/n) offered, taking a sip of the wine. She wouldn't get drunk off it, but it had a nice taste.

"What's a vacation?" Nebula asked.

"Who knows. I haven't had one in ten years," Pepper grumbled.

"Then let's go! We can find a planet, or I can create a pocket dimension and just put everything we need inside."

"Think we can leave the universal security to the men for a long weekend?" Carol raised a brow.

Shrugging, May Parker seemed ecstatic about the idea, "What threats are there, anymore? I've been so stressed setting up the new control office for the charity. All of you look like you have never seen a tropical destination."

A murmur of agreements went around the circle, plans already being made for a planet Carol had visited a few years back. They'd inform the other women at the end of the party, when they were done with their own conversations.

"Speaking of vacations, did you and Loki ever have a honeymoon?" Pepper questioned.

Opening her mouth to answer, (Y/n) realized she didn't have a good one, "We stayed on Alfheim for two days together. Then he had to return to Asgard to continue posing as Odin, and I had to help Thor search for the other stones..."

"So you get two vacations then," Nat decided for the couple, "Maybe you can get started on baby number three."

"Natasha!" (Y/n) reached over to smack her friend's arm.

"It's a good time for it! You practically saved the universe twice and all you got in return was some scars."

"It would be well deserved," Nebula ahreed.

"Go on a vacation with us, then plan something with Loki. Any one of the Avengers would be happy to watch the girls. Unless Morgan calls dibs first."

"Your second honeymoon won't be the only one we're planning," Nat motioned to Steve and Bucky, "You know what they're talking about? How gay marriage was legalized ten years ago. After Steve finishes returning the stones..."

"Oh, that'll be such a cute wedding!"

Eyes travelling to her husband, (Y/n) couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto her face. Another honeymoon, huh?

"Mom, come here!" Iona and Kari sprinted over, each grabbing one of (Y/n)'s hands, "Come on! Hurry!"

"Okay, okay, slow down!"

The girls pulled her away from the other women, past the table piled high with food, and towards the other kids who looked like they were playing a game.

"What's going on?" (Y/n) asked Shuri when the twins abruptly let go of her and fell into lines with the other young ones.

"Next generation training," Peter explained shortly.

"Oh really?" (Y/n) raised an amused brow, "Well then... Avengers Assemble!"

The kids fell into action poses, stirring laughs from all around the party as the adults found their attention drawn to the commotion the children had caused. Loki's eyes met (Y/n)'s, and she'd never seen them so full of life.

Family, (Y/n) mused, finally putting a word to the large group around her, We've all found a family.