Chapter Text
Tony was surprised to see Rhodey hovering next to the front door as the Stark family pulled up outside the building temporarily housing the Avengers.
“Tones, you're ok!” the older man exclaimed with relief, racing to his best friend’s side, grabbing him, and checking him over for injuries.
“Yes,” the billionaire replied, his brow wrinkling in confusion as he batted Rhodey's hands away from his body, “Should I not be?”
Rhodey looked exasperated, “There are reports an intruder tried to infiltrate the event yesterday. You and Pepper leave immediately due to an unspecified ‘family emergency’, and you haven't been answering your calls. Any message from FRIDAY or Happy is that you will reply when you're able. That I can deal with, because it's you. But then, you call Helen and tell her you need to see her immediately. We're going to worry, Tones.”
“Oh, about all of that,” Tony began, but Rhodey's eyes flickered over to the rest of the Stark family climbing out of the car.
His mouth dropped open when he noticed the teenager, “Peter!”
“Hey, Mr. Rhodey,” Peter waved awkwardly, shuffling over to Tony, who in turn wrapped his arm around the teen and pulled him close, as if afraid Peter would disappear again.
“What…when…how?” Rhodey sputtered, speechless.
“Family emergency,” Tony tilted his head toward his kid, his tone indicating that was all the information Rhodey would get for the moment. Rhodey nodded in understanding and moved to open the door for the family.
Bruce, Sam and Bucky were hovering just inside the door, looks of concern apparent on all their faces.
“It's not Tony. They have the Kid,” Rhodey explained as the Starks entered the lobby. Helen chose that moment to join them, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Peter. Her gaze shifted to Tony and then back to the teen.
“I take it that the emergency is Peter, not you?” the doctor commented dryly. Tony had the decency to look sheepish.
“What exactly did you tell her, Tony?” his wife asked.
“It was an emergency, and I needed to see her first thing today,” he replied.
She rolled her eyes, “And you didn't think it would be a good idea to provide any more context than that?”
“I was a bit preoccupied,” her husband replied, gesturing to the boy leaning into his side.
Pepper sighed in exasperation and turned to everyone else, “I am sorry for my husband's lack of communication skills. We were reunited with Peter yesterday afternoon. Helen, would you please give him a physical? Rhodey, would you please watch Morgan? I need to meet with our lawyer.”
“Sure,” Rhodey said, stepping forward to take his niece's hand, “Good seeing you, Pete. Morgan, why don't you come with me so your parents can take care of Peter.”
Morgan hesitantly looked at her father and Peter, “You won't leave?”
“We won't leave,” Tony confirmed. Satisfied, Morgan accepted Rhodey's hand and followed him, Sam and Bucky out of the room.
“Peter, I need to meet with our lawyer to finalize custody. We'll have a couple of papers for you to sign as well. I’ll bring those over to you when we're ready for you, ok?”
Peter nodded, leaning closer to Tony's side. With Tony's arm firmly around him, the teen trudged after Dr. Cho. To his dismay, the physical included not only taking his weight and vitals, but also taking blood.
“Are you sure you need to do this?” he whined as Helen prepared to draw blood.
She leveled him with an unimpressed look, “Yes, Peter. I am positive.”
“Fine,” he grumbled and glared at Tony, “You owe me.” His mentor chuckled, glancing up from his phone to grin at his kid.
“I think we'll survive,” he responded. Helen finished drawing blood and sent the vial of blood with Bruce to be tested. She had started running a few other tests when Pepper entered with the lawyer.
“Peter, these are the forms we need for you to sign to formalize us as your guardians,” she explained.
“If you would like the Starks to have custody,” the lawyer clarified. Peter started grabbing for the pen and paper.
“Yes, please,” he said as they handed him the items.
Once everything was signed, the lawyer neatly stacked all the paper, “I will file these and let you know when everything is finalized.”
“Thank you,” Pepper told him. She turned to Tony and Peter, “I'll walk him out and then return.”
By the time she had returned, Helen was ready to talk with them about some of the results, “What I'm most worried about is that he is malnourished. I have Bruce using the formulas we have from before the Blip to create some nutritional shakes and meal bars to supplement his nutrients until he is able to eat the amount of food his body needs. He also is showing the effects of exhaustion. Make sure he is getting to bed early.”
“I can't sleep. Nightmares,” Peter whispered. Tony squeezed his shoulder gently.
“We're going to have him start talking with a therapist,” the man explained.
Helen nodded, “That will definitely help. We can also formulate some pills to help you sleep, but only if you feel comfortable with it, Peter.”
“Maybe,” he whispered, not sure how he felt about taking them.
“We can talk about that later,” Helen replied, shooting a glance at Tony. The man nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze Peter's knee in reassurance.
“We have time,” he told the teen, “We don't need to decide everything today.”
After talking a few more minutes with Helen, the trio went to the common area to retrieve Morgan.
“Finally,” the girl huffed, running to them as they entered the room, “That took forever.”
“Someone has been missing her brother,” Rhodey said with a smile.
“Because he's been gone for so long, and Daddy doesn't share,” Morgan explained, grabbing Peter's hand and tugging him to the couch.
“Tones never had been good at sharing,” Rhodey observed, winking at his best friend.
“Like you're any better, Platypus, with all those fits you threw in college when you would have to share food with me,” the billionaire retorted.
“You stole my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies,” Rhodey deadpanned.
“Cookies she sent for both of us.”
“She only started sending enough for both of us after I complained about you stealing them.”
Tony grinned, “Semantics.”
“Not semantics,” Rhodey muttered, “My cookies.”
“You still seem a little bitter about this, Honey Bear. You should probably let it go. Grudges aren't good for your mental health.”
Rhodey was left sputtering, while a strangled sort of giggle escaped from Pepper.
Morgan had gotten Peter started on a game of Candyland. Tony wandered over to observe, ignoring the responses of his best friend and his wife.
“We ordered pizza,” Bucky said, entering the room, followed closely by Sam, “Will you all be staying? Bruce said he'll have a few bars and shake mixes ready for you if you can wait a bit.”
Tony glanced over at Pepper who nodded.
“We can stay,” he answered, sitting on a chair near where Peter and Morgan were playing.
Soon enough, the pizza's arrived. Sam ambled up to Peter as the teen was stacking a couple of slices onto his plate.
“Hey, Queens, I'm sorry,” Sam apologized, “I should have insisted on waiting with you until you had connected with your family.”
“But you didn't know I wasn't in college or anything,” Peter protested.
“But I knew you had just returned. I knew you were alone,” Sam answered, “So, even if you had been in college, I should have waited. And I should have made sure you had a way to contact the Starks. I did know that you and Iron Man were close.”
“I'm with them now?” Peter shrugged, unsure of how to respond.
“Yeah, you're with them now,” the man replied, “I just wanted you to know that I am sorry for my part in it and that I wish you had found them sooner.”
“I really don't blame you,” Peter said after a moment to gather his thoughts, “But if it will make you feel better, I forgive you.”
“Thanks, Queens,” Sam squeezed his shoulder, “I look forward to when you're a full-fledged Avenger.”
“Tony made me one on our way to Titan,” Peter said brightly.
“Temporary one,” Tony called from across the room, “I made you a temporary one.”
“Guess we'll have to wait a few more years until the helicopter parent doesn't have a say,” the Falcon winked and then walked off.
“I'm not-” the billionaire began.
“Yes, you are,” Pepper and Rhodey interrupted in unison. Tony rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his own pizza.
Peter came over and slid into the seat beside him, “I don't mind that you are one, you know. Most of the time it's kind of nice.”
“I'll remind you when you start complaining about the baby monitor protocol, again,” his mentor said dryly.
The teen laughed, “Well, what if we just changed the name?”
“Not happening, Underoos.”
Pepper coughed, although it sounded suspiciously like “helicopter”. Everyone laughed and the conversation continued to flow as they finished their meal. Bruce had finished a few shakes and meal bars by the time they were ready to leave, with a promise to have a bigger supply ready in the next few days. With those in hand, the Stark family headed home.
“Hey, Pete,” Tony motioned for Peter to follow him when they arrived back at the lake house.
Morgan whined, “Daddy, you hafta share!”
Her father chuckled, “I'll share in just a second, Little Miss. I just need to talk to your brother for a second.”
“I'll be right back, ok, Mo?” Peter told her.
“I'm waiting right here,” the four-year-old plopped on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the front porch.
“Ok,” Peter agreed and then followed his mentor to the garage. Tony led him down a flight of stairs to his basement lab. The teen's mouth dropped open as he surveyed the space, tears springing to his eyes when he noticed his old work table. He walked over to it and ran his hand along the surface.
“This was mine,” he said softly.
“Is yours,” Tony corrected. The man walked over to his own workspace and picked something up, bringing it over to the teen.
Peter's eyes widened when he realized what he was being given, “My suits!”
“Your suits,” his mentor confirmed, “I would like you to wait a bit before you go back out. I think you being a healthy weight and emotionally well is important, but I wanted you to have them back.”
Peter held them close, his eyes filling with tears yet again.
“And if I'm not ever ready?” He whispered, voicing his biggest fear.
Tony rested his hands on Peter's shoulders, “I may have met you because of Spider-Man, but it was Peter Parker who wormed his way into my heart. Whether you choose to put on the suit again or not, I will support your decision completely. But, the option is there if you want it.”
Peter nodded and flung his arms around the man again, whispering, “Thank you.”
“Now take those and put them in your room before your sister storms my lab,” Tony said, gently directing the teen towards the stairs. Peter shot him another grin before darting away.
The lawyer notified the family that the paperwork was finalized a few days later. Tony and Pepper were the permanent guardians of the spider-teen. Peter was amazed how quickly he settled into being a part of a family. He had always wanted a younger sibling, but neither May or Ben had been eager to grant him his request.
“We have you,” May would say as she pulled him into a bear hug, affection dripping from her voice, “And, frankly, you're enough.”
“Our family is perfect the way it is,” Ben would agree.
He would discover later that they hadn't ever planned to have children, but they had been more than willing to take him in when his parents had died. So, he had long ago resigned himself to being an only child.
As simple as it was to fit into the Stark family, he also soon discovered that wanting a younger sibling and having one were two very different things. He loved spending every waking moment with Morgan, entertaining her, playing games with her, running around outside with her. But he also disliked spending every waking moment with her, especially when she would follow him around, repeating each word he said and mimicking his every move.
“You may need to wait until the novelty of her big brother wears off,” Tony warned as he would distract Morgan in an effort to give Peter some peace and quiet.
Peter couldn't complain too much, though. Having someone who desperately wanted him there was a relief after so long of being alone and unseen.
The Starks didn't just work to help Peter settle into their family. They also set out to help him adjust to being back in the other areas of his life as well. Midtown had started back to school in mid-September, along with the majority of the rest of the schools in the country. While Peter had only missed about a month of classes, after talking with Tony and Pepper, as well as the administration at Midtown, it was decided that he would homeschool at least through Christmas, potentially through the end of the school year. The Starks wanted to make sure he had time to grieve, process, and begin to heal before adding the stress of school.
“Peter,” Principal Morita told him when he came in with Tony and Pepper to discuss his education options, “We would love to have you join us here at Midtown again, but even more than that, we want you to be healthy. Whether it's after Christmas or in the spring or next school year, we'll take you back whenever you are ready.”
The school had been gracious enough to share with the Stark the curriculum and content he would need to cover in order to seamlessly return to school whenever he was ready. They arranged for a tutor to come to the lake house a few days a week to work with Peter.
They also had him start seeing a therapist a few times a week. Processing everything with her was hard, and more than one session ended with Peter in tears. However, since he met with his therapist in the city, that meant on those afternoons he got to see Ned and MJ.
“Dude! I missed you so much,” Ned practically sobbed, throwing his arms around him. Peter thought his friend might have crushed him were it not for his super strength.
“I missed you too,” He whispered tearfully. As soon as Ned pulled away, MJ grabbed him into yet another hug.
“Glad you're back, loser,” she told him.
“Me too,” he responded, pulling her closer. And he was. Over an extra large pizza, both his friends quickly caught him up on the latest Midtown gossip.
“Flash and Betty are still in our class, but can you believe that Cindy and Abe are in college now?” Ned rambled, “And Betty told me that Liz is married and is expecting her first kid.”
Peter spit out the mouthful of soda he had just drank, grabbing napkins to sop up the mess, “Married? Liz?”
“And pregnant,” Ned repeated sagely.
“And that's all you and Betty discussed?” MJ teased. Peter's eyebrows shot up as his best friend blushed.
“Dude! No way!” he blurted, “You and Betty?”
He told them bits and pieces of his adventures, going to space, some details about the battle, a few anecdotes from the last five months (only the lighter moments amidst the trauma and grief). He told them about getting into SI and Happy rescuing him from security. How Tony and Pepper had fought for custody of him while he was still missing. How he had parents and a sister now.
“I love Morgan and all, but why didn't you warn me that younger siblings can be so annoying?” Peter complained, “She follows me everywhere. And the other day she was copying everything I said and did!”
“Pretty sure I've mentioned it daily since the third grade, dude,” Ned snarked.
“Seriously,” MJ added, “I'm pretty sure we both gave you plenty of warning. I think you just ignored us because you thought it wasn't applicable to you.”
“Next time remind me that it might be,” Peter groaned.
“I can't believe that Pepper Potts is basically your mom now,” MJ sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“And Tony Stark is your dad. Hey! Remember when you used to pretend Iron Man was your dad after he saved you at the expo and now he is!” Ned exclaimed in awe.
“Can we not talk about that? Like ever? I really do not need Mr. Stark hearing that,” Peter groaned.
Of course, as soon as Tony arrived to pick Peter up, Ned had to spill the beans.
“This is just so cool,” Ned gushed when he opened the front door to see The Tony Stark standing on the other side, “Like, we used to imagine that Iron Man was Peter's real dad, and now you are.”
Tony arched an eyebrow and turned to look at his kid who was now as red as a tomato.
“Oh, really?” He inquired.
Peter glared at Ned, shaking his head, while Ned smirked and added, “Yeah. After the Expo.”
“The Expo that you watched on TV?” Tony queried cautiously.
Ned ignored the glower on Peter's face and continued, “I watched it on TV, but Peter convinced his uncle to take him. They went on opening night, when Ben bought him an Iron Man costume that he wore for weeks afterwards. He even wore it the next time they went to the Expo. You know, the night Justin Hammer was there.”
Tony paled, his face drained of all color, groaning, “Please, no. That idiot child was not you?”
“Hey!” Peter protested, “You said I did a great job.”
“Of course it was you,” the man griped, “Because why would there be another child in Queens giving me heart attacks and gray hair?”
“Seriously, Ned!” Peter whined, “This was not necessary to mention!”
“It's what friends do,” Ned shrugged, not sounding the least bit apologetic. Peter groaned and followed Tony out to the car, promising his friends that he would see them after his next appointment.
Some days getting to see them after his sessions was what got him through the difficult conversations. Knowing that Ned and MJ and Tony and Pepper were all there, waiting for him. And with them there, maybe things would start to get better again.
He quickly realized that he had more people in his corner than he had ever dreamed was possible. On Thanksgiving Day, the Stark family drove to the temporary Avengers headquarters to join the rest of the team for dinner. The Bartons had traveled to join the festivities, as had Scott, Hope, and Cassie. Rhodey's mother had also come up to join her son and see Tony's family. While Scott and Clint cornered Tony for “dad talk”, Roberta made her way over to where Peter was sitting with Morgan.
“Grandma!” the girl said, full of delight. Roberta gave the enthusiastic child a huge hug before turning to the teen. Peter had briefly met her once, before the Blip, not too long after his internship with Tony had become official, but that was before the man had emotionally adopted the vigilante, when their relationship was still on shaky ground following the Vulture incident.
“Hi, Mrs. Rhodes,” Peter greeted, shyly.
“It’s Grandma,” She corrected gently, “You are Tony's kid, and he is my kid.”
Peter's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to protest.
“I wouldn't argue, Pete,” Tony's voice came from across the room.
“Seriously, it isn't worth it kid,” Rhodey added, “And while we're at it, it's Uncle Rhodey.”
Both sets of his grandparents had died before he was born, as had May's parents, so Peter stammered, “I've never ever had a Grandma.”
Roberta wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight, “Well, then, there is definitely no time like the present. Welcome to the family, kiddo.”
Peter was entirely unsure how he left the dinner that day with both a new grandma and a new uncle, but he wasn't going to question it. He knew from both his relationship with May, as well as his relationship with Tony, that family wasn't only those related by blood, that people could also choose their own family. He was incredibly grateful that Tony's chosen family also chose him. He also quickly came to understand that his relationship with Tony meant he gained another uncle as well. Once Happy had realized Rhodey's promotion to uncle status, he had complained.
“Kid,” he argued, “You have known me even longer than you have known Rhodey. I'm Morgan's uncle. Ergo your uncle.” He came prepared with Peter's favorite snacks.
“You're bribing my kid?” Tony asked skeptically.
“Giving him a gift to show I care!” Happy protested.
“It's fine, Uncle Happy,” Peter said, claiming the treats, “I can be bribed.” Tony groaned and looked unimpressed, while Happy shouted triumphantly.
Life continued on like that, with Peter settling into his expanded family, going to counseling and catching up with friends. But, something still nagged him whenever he caught Pepper's eyes on him.
One evening, a few weeks before his first Christmas with the Stark family, Peter finally approached Pepper, who was curled up on the couch reading a book. Tony was upstairs getting Morgan ready for bed, leaving the two alone. Peter had been working up the courage to talk to Pepper for the last few weeks. The guilt and regret that often marred her features tore at him.
“Hey, Pepper,” he called softly, slipping into the room and sitting next to her on the couch. He tucked his legs up and leaned close to her, resting his head on her shoulder. She closed her book, setting it aside, and brushed her fingers through Peter's curls.
“What do you need, sweetie?” She asked gently.
“I just…I need you to know that I never blamed you. I never thought it was your fault,” he whispered. Her hand stilled for a second before continuing to scratch his head gently.
“But I should have noticed you weren't with us. Made sure you were taken care of as well,” her reply was soft and choked with tears.
“I thought about telling Mr. Wilson that I wanted to go to you. But I didn't want you to have to worry about me and Tony. I knew you needed to think about him and not some random kid who persistently followed him around,” Peter said the last part with a hint of humor in his. He swallowed and continued, “But it doesn't matter anymore, because I'm here now. And I'm not leaving, even if you try to force me.”
Pepper laughed at that, moving her hand from his head to squeeze him in a hug, “Like we'd let you leave. And I am sorry. I don't know that I will ever not feel guilty or regret what happened, but you're right. The important thing is that you are here now.”
“Then I will keep reminding you that it wasn't your fault, and I don't blame you,” the boy said firmly, leaning into her embrace. He then added, “You can come in here now, Tony. I can hear you hovering on the steps.”
Tony laughed and joined them on the couch, stretching his arm to wrap around both his kid and his wife.
“You were never just some random kid, Roo,” he said, looking down at his spiderling with fondness, “And you have been my kid for years now.”
“Our kid,” Pepper corrected, “I've worried about the Spider-baby so much, I'm laying claim now, too.”
Peter thought about protesting being called a baby, but he realized that just for this moment, sitting between his parents, he'd let it slide. Instead, he said, “Hey, Mom, do you think Dad would make us hot chocolate?”
He heard the skip of their heartbeats, the sharp intakes of breath, before Pepper replied, “That sounds lovely.”
And Tony, leaning down to brush a kiss on his temple, answered, “Yeah, yeah, I can do that. Three hot chocolates coming right up.”