Narrator's POV

"Well, you're up early." Pepper said as she made her way into the kitchen with some papers in her arms.

"Oh." Tony said. "Yeah." He took a sip of his coffee.

"Any particular reason why?" She asked.

"Just decided to get up and watch the sun rise." Tony said.

"Ah, I see." Pepper said, setting the papers on the counter top. She walked to one of the cabinets to get herself a coffee mug. "Where's Steve?"

"He's gone." Tony said taking a bite of his toast.

Pepper turned to him. "You mean he's..."

"Yes." Tony said, taking a drink from his mug.

"Oh." Pepper said, turning back to her coffee. She caught a particular smell in the air. She sniffed around, opening the trash can compartment. She saw a bottle at the bottom.

"Wait, Pep don't-"

"Anthony Edward Stark." She said, holding an empty bottle of Jim Beam. "It's not even nine in the morning."

"Uh..." Tony chuckled. "Ah-" He grabbed his mug and chugged down as much as he could.

"Tony!"

///0///0

"Oh my gosh."

Stephen smiled. "Hi Christine." He said.

Christine rushed over to him and embraced him.

He hugged her back. "I missed you too."

"Where were you?" She asked, pulling away. "We were all very worried about you."

"Sorry. I had some personal stuff going on." Stephen said.

"Well, we're glad you're okay." She said. "I'm glad your back."

"Thank you. I'm very glad to be back." Stephen said.

"Well, you have a reason to." She said.

"Hm?" Stephen asked.

"You're in the children's unit today." She said, handing him a clipboard.

"No way." Stephen said.

"She's waiting for you in palliative care." Christine smiled.

"It's been so long since I've seen her." Stephen said.

"She's very excited to see you." Christine smiled at Stephen.

"So am I." Stephen said.

"Well, I've gotta go out for lunch." She said. "I'll see you around Stephen." She said.

"Same to you." Stephen said.

///0///0

>knock< >knock<

"Is this Madeline's room? I have a special delivery for her." Stephen said with a goofy smile on, stepping into one of the many rooms in palliative care.

"Ah! Dr. Pickles!" A little girl, no older than seven, gasped in the hospital bed.

There were stuffed animals all over the bed, and drawings taped on the walls.

Stephen smiled softly. "Hello Madeline."

"Hello." Madeline smiled at Stephen as she embraced a blue stuffed dolphin. She had tubes and IV lines over her face, with a little flower patch to hold them in place on her cheek.

"You will not believe who came to visit you today." Stephen said, walking to Madeline's bedside with his hands behind his back.

"Who?" She asked.

"Mr. Giggles!" He said, taking a purple hand puppet from behind his back. "Hello, Madeline." Stephen said in a funny voice.

Madeline laughed.

"Are you ticklish?" Mr. Giggles asked.

"No." Madeline said, shaking her head.

"Last time I remember, you were really ticklish." Mr. Giggles said.

"I'm not." Madeline said.

"Let's see about that." Stephen smiled and began to tickle Madeline.

The little girl began to go giggle.

"Oh, so you are ticklish." Stephen said.

The door to the room opened.

A beautiful woman cave in with a small box in her hands.

"Mama!" Madeline smiled.

"Hi, honey." The woman said. She smiled at Stephen. "Hello Dr. Strange."

"Hello Mrs. Green." Stephen said.

"Olive, please." The woman said.

"Momma, Dr. Pickles brought Mr. Giggles with him today." Madeline said.

"Honey, we went over this. His name is Dr. Strange." Olive said.

"It's all fine." Stephen said.

"I call him Dr. Pickles because he likes pickles in his burger." Madeline said.

"Oh, does he now?" Olive asked.

"Yes." Stephen said.

"Speaking of food, guess what I brought you." Olive sat in a chair next to Madeline's bed.

Madeline gasped. "A cupcake?!"

"A cupcake!" Olive smiled, opening the small box in her hands, revealing a beautifully decorated cupcake.

"Thank you mama!" Madeline smiled.

"You're welcome sweetie." Olive said, handing it to Madeline.

Stephen smiled at the little girl.

"So, Dr. Strange." Olive said. "What's new?" She asked.

"Well..." Stephen said, looking at clipboard in his hands. "Her cancer hasn't developed any further, which is good, but it doesn't mean it won't." Stephen said.

Olive listened.

"We're gonna have to do a few more MRIs." Stephen said. "And, start chemo therapy in maybe a couple of weeks."

"And the medication?" Oliver asked.

"We will keep her on it." Stephen said, looking at Madeline. "It seems to be helping, but we can't risk the cancer to grow immune to it. That's why we need to start chemo."

Madeline looked up at Stephen. "And then I'll be a lot better!" Madeline smiled at Stephen.

"That's right, Madeline." Stephen said, smiling softly. "You're gonna be a lot better." He said, caressing the little girls head. He moved a few strands of hair out of her face to see her beautiful brown eyes.

"I knew it." Madeline said.

Stephen smiled at Madeline, then over at Olive.

///0///0

"Heading out?"

"Hm?" Stephen looked up to see Christine at the locker room entrance. "Oh, yes." Stephen said, buttoning up his shirt.

"How come I'm always the one who gets stuck with the late shift?" Christine asked.

"Maybe because you're better?" Stephen asked.

"Oh, shut up." Christine laughed.

"I'm serious." Stephen said, grabbing his things out of his locker and closing it. "You're really good at what you do."

"Whatever." Christine rolled her eyes playfully. "Rest up."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Stephen said, walking out of the locker room.

///0///0

"You know what?" Pepper asked Tony as the two sat at Tony's desk in the garage.

"Hm?" Tony asked, welding something together.

"I think you need a break Tony." Pepper said.

"Ch. A break?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Pepper said.

"You know I can't do that." Tony said. "I have a company to run."

"Well, I could run it for you while you're away." Pepper said.

Tony didn't say anything.

"Oh, come on." Pepper said. "I practically run it for you already. And you could really use a break from all of this." She said, looking around. "You need some air, a vacation. Yes."

"No."

"A get away." Pepper said.

"Pepper." Tony groaned.

"Go get some fresh air." Pepper took the torch from Tony.

///0///0

Stephen made his way through the streets of New York, carrying his briefcase. He was having a good day, actually.

It was a good day to go to the park and watch the last rays of sunshine go down.

After purchasing a green tea and a biscuit from a shop near by, he took a seat upon one of the benches at the park, watching the sun slowly disappear into the ocean.

"Hah..." He sighed happily.

His cloak sat next to him.

"You've gotta be shitting me." Stephen sighed as he saw someone walking his direction.

It was Tony.

He got up and started to walk the opposite of him.

Tony looked up. "Hm." He looked at the stranger walking past him. "Stephen?" He asked.

It was Stephen.

"Stephen!" He turned around ran to Stephen's side.

"Just keep walking." Stephen told himself.

"Stephen, come on." Tony said. "Don't be like that."

"I'm still mad at you." Stephen said.

"It's not my fault." Tony said.

Stephen stopped in his steps. "Not your fault? You flirted with me and didn't even bother to tell me you were in a relationship."

"I wasn't trying to make you fall in love with me." Tony said.

"You know what that's called?" Stephen poked Tony's chest. "That call cheating, you ass."

"Did you just say a bad word?" Tony asked.

"Oh, shut up." Stephen said.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be so soft and accepting all the time." Tony said. "Look at me. I'm Stephen, and I care about everything and everyone."

Stephen gasped. "You shut your mouth." Stephen said. "Take that back right now."

"I will take nothing back. You still haven't apologized for my hand." Tony said.

"Me? Apologize?" Stephen hissed.

The cloak watched the two argue. It was having a difficult time trying to pick a side. It had had enough. The cloak wrapped itself around both Tony and Stephen, stopping their fighting.

The two looked at each other, looking into each other's eyes, but then quickly looked away, blushing.

"This changes nothing." Stephen said.

"No, it doesn't." Tony said, a smile a secretly forming on his lips.