The epilogue?! I think I'm gonna cry. I feel in the Christmas spirit so I am giving this gift a little early. I hope you like it, I know it is a little wordy but there is so much left to tell and such a short time to do it. Though if I did continue on with this story it would never finish. So, alas, here it is. I hope you enjoy. And thanks to all those well wishers for my roommate, she said thank you.
There is a little bit of sad in this, but also a lot of sappy happy. I'm not normally into fluff but I couldn't help myself. For some reason this story needed to end with fluff. Also I have no beta or grammar/spelling skills to speak of. Don't judge me and I won't judge you.
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Tony remembered hearing that time changed everything and nothing at all. Wait, that wasn't right. Well, it doesn't matter what the exact quote was. What was important was why his musings were bringing him towards that quote. He supposed it was because it had been forty years since Loki had shown up in his lab, to the day. Much like his mangled quote, he knew that so many things had changed, and yet, as he glanced around nothing really seems to have changed. Perhaps it's because none of them have aged.
It's true, the Avengers were immortal now. Five years after the Great Rescue (as Clint had named it) Frigga had come to Earth bearing apples. Apparently the elders of Asgard had been watching them and made the decision to offer them immortality. Partly because they were honorable people who would do much more living that by dying. The other part, which Tony thought was the bigger part, was that they didn't want to have to keep changing ambassadors every eighty years.
It didn't take long for all the Avengers to accept immortality. Tony practically snatched the apple like a rabid animal. He said that there was no one he loved more than Loki and since he was immortal there was no harm taking it.
Surprisingly it was Steve who opted for it next. He said that he has already lived past his time once and he would like to continue helping people as long as he could. So with a slight hesitation he took the apple as well, earning a smile from Tony.
The others all agreed after him. None of them had any real living family left to outlive. Since there only friends were each other, there seemed no harm in becoming ageless together. Fury was offered the apple as well, but refused. He said that he was anticipating death and he wasn't going to give it up to try and control these dunder heads for the rest of eternity. Instead he died peacefully at the age of eighty seven and his daughter (who no one knew he had) became the next director. The same fierceness, just with a little less cursing and no eye patch to make fun of.
They had intended for it to remain a secret, but with Tony that was never going to happen. One press conference later and the public were informed that the entire Avengers team would now be immortal. As well as their new member, Luke, who was the cause of the immortality. Tony boasted for years later about his amazing lie. The public was informed that Luke accidentally was hit by an experiment resulting in powers similar to magic and explosion that turned anyone it touched immortal. Incredibly painful and impossible to recreate (used all of the experimental compound that could be found on Earth) meaning that there was no way to change anyone else, please don't ask.
People were surprisingly receptive to the news. Well, anyone who wasn't very religious. People were quite happy to hear that their favorite hero's were going to live forever to protect them. Plus, the beloved Luke was now part of the team. Despite being condemned by every major religion for an affront against god the Avengers thrived and eventually became the strongest force for good.
Forty years later and a lot had happened to the Avengers. Plenty of foes popped up, either with new technology or different powers. Sometimes new hero's would join them for a couple decades and then move on to other things. They have been almost defeated and risen to win over a hundred times. So that never really changed. The biggest change was in their love lives.
Frigga had informed them that for their service towards their world and Asgard (a story for another time really) they would be given apples for their loved ones, should they find a mate who they wished to keep forever. Thor had flown off and given Jane her apple a long time ago. She had moved to New York after that for twenty years before Thor returned to Asgard to become king. Jane followed him, leaving behind her work for Tony and Bruce to fiddle with at their will.
It took fifteen years but Natasha and Clint did get married. Well, they eloped at least. Tony had demanded that they have a lavish wedding on his bill, but Natasha punched him. Still Loki magicked her into a wedding dress and Clint into a tux, forcing them to wear them all day. For dinner he invited over a few of the friendlier SHIELD agents and dinner seemed to be very close to a wedding feast. Regardless, Natasha and Clint didn't complain, realizing that if they did Tony and Loki would just do something bigger. Tony thinks they actually did like it because Natasha was actually smiling through most of it.
Steve found someone. Her name was Alice and she was a sweet young girl who was eternally kind and simple. The couple was a perfect match in every way. Steve married her after just a year and they settled in Tony's mansion and ran charities when not fighting evil. Then Alice got sick. No one could find out why, despite Tony finding the best doctors in the world, Bruce's expertise and Loki's magic. In two years the bright young girl was close to death in a hospital bed. By her side, day and night, Steve offered her his apple. Begging her to stay by his side forever.
She denied it though. She said that she never wanted to live forever. She knew there would be one day that she would leave Steve and she was sad for it. Still every day he begged her to take the apple. On the last day of her life she clasped her hand in Steve's large ones.
"Steve. Please. It is my time to go and I will not deny God his wishes. I want you to remember just how much I love you. These years were the best of my life. There wasn't as single moment when I wasn't the happiest being on this world. I don't want to see you in heaven with me Steve. You are a saint on this world and I want you to help everyone you can. I want you to find love again. Find a girl who can handle immortality and love her like you did me. I know that she will be as happy as I was. I love you."
After she passed the team struggled to keep Steve from collapsing under the weight of his sadness. It was Loki who pulled him through. No one knew how though. He had taken Steve away and returned with him three days later, a completely new man.
It took another twenty years but Steve did fall in love again. This time with a girl with a kind heart but sarcastic disposition. She was a small girl by the name of Sasha. She enjoyed sitting around with Tony and Loki, snipping back and forth. Together they both glowed and after five years and a lot of nudging from friends they were married. When Steve offered the apple she took it immediately.
"You are offering me an eternity of happiness. Why in the world would I turn it down?" She said with a little smirk before taking an enormous bite to punctuate her statement. The team easily accepted her. She took over the position of CEO at Tony's company and made it more productive than ever before.
Bruce hadn't found any one yet. Though he had dated a bit. With his bracelet he was far more interested in traveling and doing all the things he had never been able to do. He accepted a private jet and black credit card from Tony before leaving. He bounced around the world visiting every country and nearly every major city. After twenty years of straight travel, returning only to visit and help if he was needed, he started his own version of Doctors without Borders. Tony cajoled him a lot but he began using Tony's money to fund a huge expedition. To date he had helped millions of people and even created a few vaccines that wiped out a few major diseases.
What Tony didn't know was that Bruce would be finding someone. In thirty years he was going to work with a doctor in his company. Deep in the blazing heat of Africa they would fall in love. Maria is an Italian doctor who was quite smart and had a fiery attitude. She was unafraid to upset him, something most people weren't ready to do despite his accessory. They will date for seven years before she asked him to marry her. Tony would fulfill his lifelong dream of hosting the most lavish wedding of the century.
She ate her apple happily, demanding that she keep the core so that she could examine it and try and use it to make medicine. As it turns out a few ground up pieces in a large batch of vaccines and drugs speeds up healing almost exponentially. She is now bartering with Asgard for a few more apples thinking she can cure cancer.
Tony and Loki were still growing strong. As Luke Loki managed to become part of an infamous duo that everyone loved. They were flashy and loud, showing their love to everyone. They married quickly, having a quite large wedding but not nearly as large as it could have been. They kept it small so that the people of Asgard could come and see their old/new prince be joined in marriage. Even Odin came, though he was forced to stay silent through it all by a fierce faced Frigga.
As an Avenger Luke was quite the hit. He had donned a blue suit and named himself the Magician. Tony laughed a little but it turned out to be a catchy name and soon everyone was wearing fan gear that included (or was only of) the Magician.
They still fought. Poked, prodded and made up. They had sex constantly, much to the displeasure of the other Avengers. IT didn't seem like that was going to abate within the next millennia. Still, All their friendships held strong as time quickly passed them. There was a noticeable difference in the amount fo crime that went on around the world. Most wars had been stopped and terrorist groups were practically nonexistent. With all the charities and volunteering the world poverty percentage lowered dramatically and wide spread disease ceased to be a problem. Tony was quite content that the world was slowly moving towards world peace. Perhaps it would and then the Avengers only responsibility would be to un charities and protect the world from alien invasions.
"What are you smiling about?" Loki startled Tony, leaning over the couch.
"You realize that it has been forty years, right?" Tony said with a small smile. "Every one is happy and the world is becoming a better place. This is more than I could have asked for." Loki hummed, sliding over the edge of the couch to land in Tony's lap.
"Yes Earth is becoming a wonderful place." Loki said, nuzzling up to his human. "Perhaps there is only one more thing missing then."
"What is it?" Tony asked, running his fingers through the short black hair. Turns out Loki did prefer it short and permanently made it that way.
"Children."
"Nope. No way. I will never be ready to be a dad." Tony laughed at the little pout forming on his face.
Turns out Tony was wrong. Seventy three years later and his first child were born. A young boy named Daniel who inherited his brain form his dad (Tony) and his looks from his father (Loki). As it were, all children of those who ate the apple would be immortal as well. Who knows how many he will eventually have but in the next two hundred years it is going to be over twenty. And he would not be the only Avenger to have children.
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IT'S DONE! What am I going to do with my life?! Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it. I do have plans for another FrostIron fic, but that may take some time to accomplish. Until then I think I'm sticking with a few short stories and one shots.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS: please private message me. I will answer just about anything. There was a lot of stuff that may be confusing and if I ever rewrite this I would like to find out where it went wrong. Thanx.
Happy holidays and all that sh**.