[A/N]: I've been loving all the comments and discussions lately. They've been super motivating and really keep me going. Since we hit the 350 Power Stone goal, here's your bonus chapter. Let's aim for 500 next!
Jay stood in front of the Baxter Building, his legs fighting between moving forward and turning around to flee. The unassuming face he wore through his illusion couldn't hide the nervous energy radiating from his body.
Bobby slapped his back hard enough to make him stumble. "What are you waiting for, kid? You gotta walk one step at a time."
Before Jay could protest, the rest of the inner circle practically shoved him toward the elevator. Maria grabbed his left arm while Linda took his right, with Tom pushing from behind.
"Come on, bro," Max laughed. "It's not like they're waiting to ambush you."
Once the elevator doors closed, Jay let out a shaky breath and released his mirage. The light around him shimmered and twisted until his original appearance emerged. Light brown skin, freshly cut hair that Linda had insisted on trimming that morning, and a casual button-down shirt.
"You're shaking like a leaf," Maria observed, reaching up to straighten his collar.
Jay tried to bat her hands away. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not." She continued fussing with his shirt, smoothing out wrinkles that probably didn't exist. "Listen, you don't need to be nervous. We're here with you, and if things go sour, you have us! Max already has backup food in the freezer. We'll throw our own rafer."
Linda nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. And honestly? I bet Max's cooking is better than whatever fancy catering they have up there anyway."
Max puffed up his chest. "Damn right it is. I don't care how much money Reed Richards has; nobody makes better pizza than me."
Jay couldn't help but laugh. The knot in his stomach loosened just a little.
The elevator chimed as it reached the penthouse. The doors opened to reveal the party already in full swing on the outdoor balcony. Jay stepped out, his eyes immediately scanning the crowd.
Before he could identify everyone, someone crashed into him with surprising force.
"Jay!"
He looked down to see Alicia Masters wrapped around him in a fierce hug, her face buried against his chest. She was muttering something he couldn't quite make out at first.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated, her voice thick with emotion.
Jay wanted to crack a joke to break the tension, but hearing the genuine gratitude in her voice made him just pat her back gently instead. "Hey, I owed Ben one. Plus, what kind of wingman would I be if I couldn't help my buddy score points with his girl?"
Alicia pulled back and laughed, wiping her eyes. "The best kind, apparently."
Ben appeared beside them, looking strange in his completely human form but wearing a smile that reached his eyes. He clapped Jay on the shoulder.
Jay's body went rigid at the contact. The memory of their last real conversation hit him. Ben's accusations. The distrust. He forced himself not to step back.
"One hell of a wingman you are," Ben said.
"Yeah." Jay's response came out flat. He couldn't quite meet Ben's eyes. "Glad it worked out."
The silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. Alicia sensed it immediately and stepped back, her smile faltering.
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Jay, about everything that happened..."
"It's fine." Jay cut him off, the words coming too fast.
"Water under the bridge." But his jaw was tight, and they both knew it wasn't fine at all.
Jay's gaze swept the party, taking inventory of who Sue and Reed had invited. The X-Men had claimed a section near the balcony railing. Xavier, Scott, Beast in his more human form, and a few others he recognized. Luke Cage and Jessica Jones stood near the bar, looking oddly formal in their attempt at party attire.
What really caught his attention was Frank Castle standing with a woman. Jay remembered was Maria Castle, while two young kids ran circles around the adults. Frank looked relaxed, wearing civilian clothes and actually smiling.
Steve Rogers was there deep in conversation with Coulson.
Just then, the sound of repulsors filled the air as three figures descended from the sky in perfect formation. Iron Man's classic red and gold, the bulkier War Machine with its distinctive shoulder cannon, and a sleeker silver and purple suit Jay didn't immediately recognize.
They landed with typical Stark flair, suits opening in synchronized motions to reveal Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper Potts.
"And that's how you make an entrance," Tony announced to no one in particular, his arc reactor glowing through his dress shirt.
The attention of half the party shifted to the newcomers, which gave Jay the perfect opportunity to slip away to a corner where a punch bowl sat unattended. He grabbed a cup and filled it, keeping one eye on the elevator.
"You know, hiding in corners isn't very social."
Jay turned to find Jessica Jones approaching with Luke Cage beside her. Jessica looked uncomfortable in her dress, constantly tugging at her skirt.
"Hey, Jessica, and you are Luke, I assume." Jay nodded to both of them.
Jessica's usual sharp attitude softened around the edges. "I wanted to thank you. For what you did with Kilgrave."
Luke stepped forward and extended his hand, which Jay shook. "Jessica told me what happened. That psycho was planning to..." Luke's jaw tightened. "I can't even imagine what would've happened if you hadn't been there."
Jay cringed internally, remembering his dramatic entrance and what he was pretty sure had been some truly terrible dialogue. "It was nothing. Really."
"What ended up happening to him?" Jay asked, though he wasn't sure he cared about the answer.
Jessica's expression grew serious. "After we proved most of the crimes connected to him were his doing, including a lot of unreported cases, they sent him to the maximum security prison. But someone shivved him before he made it through his first week. He didn't make it."
Jay just hummed, showing even less sympathy than he'd show for stepped-on gum.
The elevator dinged. Jay's head snapped toward it instantly, but only Sue and Jean emerged, both laughing about something and both clearly pregnant.
Luke noticed Jay's reaction. "You expecting someone?"
"Yeah," Jay rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe."
Luke's expression grew suddenly serious. "Hey, how about joining Heroes for Hire? Six-figure base salary, cut of every commission you take, and the best all-inclusive health insurance you could find."
Jay stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. He patted Luke's extended arm. "Thanks, man. I needed that laugh."
As Jay walked away, Luke turned to Jessica with genuine confusion. "Was there something wrong with my pitch?"
Jessica just facepalmed. "You big, adorable dummy."
Jay made his way over to Sue and Jean, both of whom lit up when they saw him.
His smile felt like it was carved from wood.
"I was worried you weren't going to come," Sue said, her hand instinctively moving to her rounded belly. "Bobby said I just needed to invite Domino to make sure you..."
Jay's throat tightened. The memory of Sue's face that night flashed through his mind. The disappointment. The way she'd looked at him like he was a stranger.
He shoved the thought down and forced his voice to stay light."Congratulations on the baby. How far along are you now?"
Sue's smile dimmed slightly. She'd noticed his tone. "About three and a half months." She rubbed her bump, uncertainty creeping into her expression.
"Huh, so right after Doom." Jay's grin didn't reach his eyes. "Funny how people get their priorities straight after a major shake-up."
The comment landed harder than he'd intended. Sue's blush wasn't just from embarrassment now. There was hurt there too.
Jean moved closer, clearly trying to ease the tension. "Thank you for helping Logan again. He's been a completely different person since you removed that adamantium bullet from his skull."
Jay nodded, his shoulders tight. Part of him wanted to be genuine, wanted to let go of the bitterness. But another part, the part that still remembered being called a liar and manipulator by people he'd considered friends, wouldn't let him relax.
"I hope he finally stopped trying to get with you and got a life," Jay said, the joke coming out more defensive than playful.
Jean laughed loudly, the sound carrying across the party. In a far corner, Logan's ear twitched where he stood talking with Steve.
Jean leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "After the party, could we talk privately? Scott and I need to ask you something."
Jay had a pretty good idea what this was about, but he nodded. "Sure thing."
Suddenly, two small bodies crashed into his legs.
"Doctor! Doctor!" Frank Jr. and Lisa Castle shouted in unison, bouncing with unmistakable sugar-fueled energy.
Jay looked down at the hyperactive kids, with syrup around their lips, clearly signs of a sugar rush.
"Alright, calm down," Jay said, kneeling to their level. "Who fed you this much candy?"
Both kids looked at each other, then pointed across the party. "Johnny!" " Human Torch!"
Jay sighed as Sue just facepalmed while excusing herself with a muttered, "Excuse me, I need to teach my baby brother and to be the uncle of my unborn baby how to be responsible around children."
Jean followed her, their friendship obvious as they shared exasperated looks about managing the men in their lives and the common timing of their pregnancies.
Jay used a gentle pulse of Healing Aura to neutralize their sugar rush, then scooped both kids into his arms, cleaning their lips of syrup with his napkin. "Too much candy is bad for you, you know."
Frank and Maria Castle approached, looking relieved to see their children had been contained.
"Come now, kids, don't bother the doctor too much," Frank said gently.
"But we want to stay with our hero!" Lisa protested, wrapping her arms around Jay's neck.
The word 'hero' hit Jay like a physical blow. His face grew warm, and his heart started beating faster.
Maria looked at Jay with sudden tears in her eyes, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Dr. Jay, that day in Central Park, you gave us our family back. We couldn't even thank you properly then, and now, no matter how much we thank you, it won't be enough."
Jay tried to wave off the gratitude. "It was nothing, really."
Frank's expression grew deadly serious. "No, Doc. This is serious. If it weren't for you..." His voice broke slightly. "I can't even imagine the life I'd be living without my kids and wife."
Jay thought about the path Frank would have taken, the Punisher he would have become, and looking at him now as a devoted family man made his chest tight with relief. 'Thank God I was there,' he thought.
"I thought this party was just for the FF's friends and heroes, don't tell me you now have a thing for spandex," Jay said, trying to lighten the mood.
Frank actually smiled. "I joined the Baxter Building as their security chief. With how many attacks happen on this building, I'm seriously thinking of asking for another raise."
Jay laughed, trying to picture the Punisher in the same role as Happy Hogan.
"What happened to the gangs from the park?" Jay asked.
Frank's expression went cold for a moment, his jaw tightening like it had when he'd first picked up those guns. "Someone named Melinda came and gave me all the details about who was behind everything. Names, addresses, bank accounts, the whole conspiracy laid out like a roadmap to hell. I was ready to load my weapons and get in my van when Frank Jr. spotted me in the garage."
His voice softened, and he looked less like the almost-Punisher and more like just a tired father. "Kid asked me where I was going with that look in my eyes. I started to give him some bullshit answer, but then I saw Maria watching from the doorway. Both of them just standing there, trusting me not to become the monster I almost was."
Frank's hands unclenched slowly. "All that anger, all that need for blood, it just disappeared. I realized I could either be the guy who destroyed families or the guy who protected his own. So I made a choice." He looked Jay in the eye. "I contacted Heroes for Hire with the case, and with Matt Murdock as my lawyer, we put everyone who betrayed me behind bars. The legal way."
A slight smile crossed his face. "Turns out justice doesn't always need to come from a gun."
Jay couldn't help but think that after all his interference, nearly all the future Defenders had assembled and were working together. The irony wasn't lost on him that by preventing Frank from becoming the Punisher, he'd helped create something better. A team that chose justice over vengeance.
Another elevator ding echoed across the party. Jay's attention snapped to the doors as they opened to reveal a group of people, but he was only focused on one figure.
Domino stepped out, and Jay's heart forgot how to beat properly.
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