AN: I was reading some Spiderman and Stark crossovers and decided to do one of my own. 5 reviews or PM's and I'll continue!

Chapter 1: Tony Stark

I still remember the night Aunt May died. How could I forget? It would serve as a reminder later, a reminder that anything and everything could happen. I was patrolling and the night was quiet.

I had decided to go home, surprise my Aunt by coming back early. She wasn't there and, as I found out later -at the hospital, she wasn't coming back.

Shortly after that, the house was cleaned and sold, I was put into Foster Care, and my life seemed bleak. No, it was bleak.

I waited, day after day, skipping school and fighting crime instead. Rarely was I at the Home. When there was no crime and nothing else to do, I would hang from a roof top and read or study genetics and robotics that were so advanced even college professors would have a hard time understanding them.

Thus was my routine. Revel in the freedom of being a spider, skip school in favor of something that mattered, and wait to age two years. All I needed was to be 18, and than I was out of Foster Care and into the real world.

I never expected to be adopted.

Tony's POV:

I was shocked. We had come to Cronan's orphanage in desperate need of an orphan. I had already frightened off the others, according to Pepper. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't suddenly want to adopt a kid and become a father. This was ALL Pepper's idea.

You need to learn some responsibility, Pepper says. You need to show the public you're not just a playboy superhero.

"But I am." was my terrific answer. One Pepper glare later and here I was, at Cronan's orphanage.

I was incredibly bored, my mind wondering off into the project I was currently working on, Stark Tower, as Pepper talked up Mr. Cronan, the dough ball.

Than a boy walked in the front door and Cronan's face turned an unsettling shade of purple. This should be interesting…..

6 months after orphanage:

"Do you have no respect for your elders?!" The blubbery man in front of me yelled. With the purple shade of color his face had taken on, he closely resembled a lump of play dough.

"No." I responded, smirking at him. Ooooooh….. Now he looks like red play dough.

Normally Cronan wouldn't care where any of the children under his supervision went. He's just putting on a show for Stark, I thought as I glanced at the billionaire. He had his girlfriend with him too.

Cronan noticed me looking at Stark and his lady friend. He paled, and I guess he was thinking of the last Foster parents he had introduced me to. They had left quickly after I asked them too meet my imaginary gargoyle friend, Bruce. That was six months ago, and ol' Cronie had left me alone since. Until now, that is, as I had walked in from another late night patrol. Wait..,.. Late night?

What the hell was Tony Stark doing at an orphanage at 3 in the morning?! Oh… orphanage… orphans… publicity stunt anyone?

"Why are you coming in here at 3 in the morning, kid?" The billionaire asked.

I scowled at him. Fuck if he was Iron Man, I wasn't going to treat him any differently than I would anyone else. "Why are you in here at three in the morning, old man." I countered. Who was he calling kid, anyway.

."I'm obviously a lonely old man," He put emphasis on the old man part and added his own glare," looking for a kind and grieving orphan to take under my wing and cherish the rest of my life."

"And I'm obviously a snarky teenage orphan," I sneered, "In need of some Twinkies…." I trailed off here, and I felt a dazed look appeared on my face. Food…..

I turned around and walked out of Cronan's office and back into the main hall. Than I followed the stained red carpet of the hallway to the large kitchen/buffet line where I raided the fridge for food.

I prepared myself a tall salami sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk, alongside a brownie, apple, and-of course- a Twinkie. I was always hungry after a patrol, and I knew I would probably crash upstairs in the room I currently shared with no one soon, and I'd have to face the nightmares. The memories.

But that was later, and for now I could lose myself in the food- and the mystery of Tony Stark.

Later that night:

They flashed in front of my eyes. The memories. The nightmares. First it was Uncle Ben. With great power comes great responsibility, his words echoed in my head and his kind voice gave me comfort. Than his voice morphed and suddenly it was accusing me. You could have been there! The voice yelled. You could have been there to help her, but instead you were out playing the hero and she died on the floor. Alone.

I cried out. "No!" I told his now fading image," I didn't know!"

Next was Aunt May. She lay in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs and in her hands were my dirty clothes. Her unseeing eyes turned to me and I tried to run to her, to help. To give her comfort in her last moments so she wouldn't be alone, but I could only stand there and watch as she tried to stand up , before falling back down again and crying out. "Peter!" She cried," Why weren't you here!"

I sobbed as she stopped moving and finally I was able to move. I ran forward, only to be pulled back by an unseen force. Suddenly, I was five again and my dad was kneeling before me. I wanted to latch onto his coat and never let go, because 16 year old me knew that I would never see him alive again. But 5 year old me didn't, and he let my parents walk out the door- never to come back.

I just wanted them to stop. I wanted to bury those memories under piles of sarcasm and jest, but here, in the vulnerability of sleep, they were back and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

In the midst of my sobs and gasps, there was suddenly a voice. "It's okay, Peter." The voice said, "Whatever it is you're dreaming of, whatever it is that haunts you, it isn't here."

I was so tired, and the voice was so gentle and reassuring, that I felt my self relax and my sobs slowly stop as a cool hand stroked my forehead. Than I was drifting…drifting away….back to the nightmares.

My breathing sped up again and I fought for full consciousness, but the voice stopped me. "It's okay, Peter," It said," As long as I'm here the nightmares won't come back."

The hand stroked my forehead and pushed my sweaty hair off of it. I let myself drift again, involuntarily, off into that black abyss called sleep.

Tony's Pov:

"Him." I said firmly to Pepper and Cronan.

"What?" Pepper asked, confused.

"That's who I'm going to adopt," I repeated, smiling wickedly, "What's his name?" I said to Cronan.

The flustered blob of a man stared at me for a few moments, before answering, "H-His name's Peter Parker. He's been here for 6 months and he's rarely seen."

I smiled and nodded, before looking at Pepper. She sighed, before nodding. "I'll do the paper work."

With that I was out the door and after Peter Parker. It took me an hour to find the kid, and even when I did he was in is room, asleep. I smiled. Lets go wake him up, shall we?

Inside his room, it was dark and Peter was sleeping restlessly. I paused to watch him for a moment as he sobbed and thrashed in his bed. When he started crying out, I went to him.

I sat on the side of his bed and took him in my arms, as a father would a babe. I guess he will be my kid soon, anyway, I thought.

I pushed his brown hair from his forehead and when his sobs and occasional thrashes didn't stop, I told him what I told myself when the Nightmares came. "It's okay, Peter." I said softly, "Whatever it is you're dreaming of, whatever it is that haunts you, it isn't here."

I felt him relax a little and I was a bit surprised. Most people wouldn't have been able to hear that if they were in as deep a sleep as Peter. I kept stroking his forehead, though and when his breathing sped up again and I could see him fighting to wake up as I so often did, I spoke again, ""It's okay, Peter, as long as I'm here the nightmares won't come back."

He finally relaxed all the way, and a soft voice spoke from the still open door. "He usually won't let anyone else touch him while he's asleep." I looked up to see a woman in robe standing in the hallway. "I work here and whenever Peter goes to sleep you can hear him sobbing and calling out for his family."

"I've tried so many times to comfort him, but he won't let me touch him. I've never gotten the chance to talk to him, either. He eats breakfast and lunch out and comes back during the wee hours of the morning." The woman continued as I glanced down to look at the sleeping boy in my arms, "Word is he doesn't go to school anymore either, so I don't know what he does all day."

The woman paused here and looked between me and Peter, "Are you adopting him?" she said.

I looked down at Peter's now peaceful face and nodded. "Good. He needs someone."

And than the woman was gone and it was just me and my new….son.

Peter's POV:

I woke up the next morning and for the first time in six months, I felt rested. It was an odd feeling, but I reveled in it. I stood up out of the bed and proceeded to dress in my Spiderman suit and civilian clothes over it. I was on my way to pick up my bag, which I always left in the corner of my room.. When I noticed it was missing.

I sighed and turned back to my bedroom door. Really? I left it downstairs? I didn't think so. One of the new perks of having Spider powers was that they were constantly growing in number. One of my newer ones was photographic memory, and I clearly remember bringing my bag up last night.

So someone took it. Why? I contemplated as I walked down the stairs to the dining room. Usually the other teens here left me alone. Maybe that had something to do with the time I high kicked that one bully in the jaw…

I entered the dining room, and instantly it was complete silence. I guess it was because I really didn't come in here that often.

My eyes darted quickly around the room… only for them to land on an ever-smiling Tony Stark. Who was holding my bag. My eyebrow raised as I made my way over to him and his girlfriend.

"Why were you in my room?" I asked rudely as I snatched the bag away from him and went through it's contents to make sure nothing was missing.

"Ah! I had to make sure you didn't run out again before I told you the great news!" Stark said in fake happiness.

I slowly put down my bag to look him in the eye. "What great news?" I had a feeling I already knew.

Stark smiled wickedly. "You're my new son!" he looked like a kid on Christmas as they unwrapped a new puppy.

I stared at him for a moment before lifting my arm tp point at a chubby kid on the other side of the room who had started crying at Tony's announcement. "How 'bout that kid? He obviously wants to be adopted by Tony Stark."

Tony looked at him for a moment, as if considering and I felt my heart swell a little in hope…"Nope, too chubby." He replied cheerfully. Hope is overrated.

"Why do you want to adopt me, anyways?" I said , scowling as I stole his plate of food and began eating.

He glared at me and tried to take it back, but I held on with ease. Sticky fingers rock.

"I like you, kid." Tony said after he had stopped trying to take his food back.

I snorted. "No, come on. What's the real reason?" No adult just liked me.

"That was the real reason." Stark whined and my spidey sense told me he was telling the truth.

I gave him a considering glance and shrugged. "When are we leaving?"