Hi guys. So, as promised, here is another instalment. I realise there isn't much action in this chapter, but I felt I needed to expand on the current situation. Rest assured, we will be seeing more of Peter. And I am quite new to this, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

"Sir" said the soft automated voice of Friday. "I suggest you move Peter Parker to the nearest hospital."

Tony didn't stir. Friday must have been damaged more than he realised during the fight. Peter didn't need a hospital. Peter needed a coffin. This grim thought prompted Tony to hold the boy even closer. Pepper had given up on trying to move him and had settled for curling an arm around his and staying with him, giving support in the only way she could. Tony had passed the hysterical stage long ago and was now silently cradling the boy in the middle of the desolate battlefield.

"By my calculations, the nearest hospital is 4.7 miles northeast Sir."

Why had Tony made Friday so persistent? For possibly the first time ever he resented the AI's presence.

"I suggest you hurry, sir."

"Shut up." Tony mumbled softly. He couldn't stand to hear the AI talk about Peter, about his boy as if he was still alive. It hurt too badly.

"Sir, Peter Parker is in urgent need of medical care."

"SHUT UP!" Tony screamed, his voice hoarse. "SHUT UP shut up shut up shut up shut up." The scream had faded to little more than a whisper and his vocal cords were protesting but that was good, pain was good because it meant he was still alive. He felt a tug on his arm, and wrenched his gaze away from Peter's still form to meet the worried gaze of Pepper.

"What is it honey?" She asked, voice soft and imploring, eyes like steel. "Talk to me."

Tony shuddered and sagged against her. "It's Friday." He rasped. "She won't stop, she keeps acting like... like he's still alive." He felt another sob rise into his throat, and payed no attention to Pepper as she spoke into her own headset, so lost was he within a sea of grief. He would have been content to drown there had there not been a firm and uncompromising shake of his shoulder.

"Tony." Said Pepper urgently. "Tony snap out of it. Snap out of it now!" She slapped his cheek with force, and Tony turned to look at her, staring up, eyes dull and unquestioning. Pepper's eyes, on the other hand, were bright and full of fire and... hope? What was there to be hopeful for anymore? Tony didn't understand, but she leaned in, gripping him even tighter.

"Peter is alive."

Tony shook his head. "No, Pep, not you too," he whimpered. "I can't take it, just- just stop, ok?"

Pepper gave a sigh of exasperation. "Tony Stark, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" Tony stared up in shock. "...Pep?"

"I just scanned Peter for vitals, Tony." She smiles at him and it was like the sun had emerged from within the dust. "He's alive!" Her expression became much more serious. "But he won't be for much longer if you don't get moving."

Tony's heart was threatening to leap out his chest. Was it possible? He looked down at the pale, bruised face of Peter Parker. He looked so... lifeless. But-

Tony scrambled to lay him down as gently as humanly possible, and with immense dread, placed two fingers over his neck. Please. Said his treacherous inner voice. Let it be true.

Something leapt under his fingertips. Was that- was that- a pulse? He pressed harder, desperate for proof. There! He felt it that time, he was certain. He leapt to his feet, dislodging a startled Pepper, and pressed the arc reactor to enable his suit. Nothing happened. He gaped down in dismay. It was too damaged. He couldn't fly, how was- Peter needed to get to a hospital now. "Pepper, can you-"

no, no, not fast enough, think Tony think.

"STRANGE!" He yelled, wheeling around in madness, searching for the sorcerer. "STRANGE, WHERE ARE YOU! I NEED HELP NOW!"

Within moments the wizard was at his side, along with most of the other avengers.

"What is it Tony?" The wizard asked, his eyes inscrutable.

"The kid." Tony panted. "He's alive, and he needs a hospital now." He looked around for help, but none of the avengers seemed relieved. They stared at him with sorrowful eyes, and Tony was confused, because this was good. After a moment Steve stepped forward and placed a hand on Tony's shoulder, his eyes so goddamn understanding that Tony wanted to puke. He shoved the arm away and stared around wildly.

"This is real!" He exclaimed. "He's alive, I swear it ask Pepper! Please-" his voice cracked and he heaved a sigh of frustration. "ASK PEPPER GODDAMNIT! Please. I'm not mad. He needs help."

"It's true." Said Pepper. She stood up and placed a hand on Tony's arm. "The boy's alive but barely, and we have to get him to a hospital as soon as possible." She turned to stare down Doctor Strange. "Can you open a portal, Doctor? It's the quickest way." The doctor nodded, and Tony gasped in relief. He cast a grateful look at Pepper- god he loved her- and then wasted no time in scooping up Peter, who lay scarily limp in his arms. The second the portal was open he leapt through, careful not to jostle Peter, closely followed by Pepper, then Doctor Strange, and then Bruce.

The hospital was so chaotic that nobody payed much attention when a giant glowing portal opened and four avengers leapt out of it. That's how bad the destruction Thanos had caused was. The air was thick with screaming, and harried looking nurses scurried around, their uniforms bloodied and crumpled. Tony grasped a passing nurse by the shoulder, halting him in his tracks. He turned to face Tony in annoyance.

"You have to help me," Tony began, voice shaking. "My kid is hurt, he's- he's dying, we need help-"

The nurse's eyes softened slightly but he still pulled away. "Everyone's dying here. I'm sorry but you have to wait your turn." He nurse moved to walk away, and Tony felt his heart seize in panic. Then, in one swift movement, Pepper grabbed the nurse by the shoulders and stared into his eyes with a gaze that even hardened criminals quailed under.

"Now you listen here." She said in a low, controlled voice, and the nurse's eyes widened in surprise and horror as he finally realised who they were.

"That kid right there," she pointed at Peter without taking her eyes from the nurse. "That kid is the reason you are standing here right now. He just saved the entire world from destruction, and now he's dying." She placed a hand on the nurses chest as if to steady herself. "He is dying, he needs help now, and you are going to find me a doctor, and a private bedroom, and quite frankly I don't care how."

The nurse, thoroughly terrified by now, gulped, nodded, and said softly. "Come with me ma'am."

They hurried through the cramped hallways, and by now they had begun to attract odd looks. Finally the nurse paused outside a doorway. He looked around furtively, then pushed open the door and motioned with his head for them to go inside. Tony didn't bother with thanks, and as soon as he was inside he lay Peter down on the bed. The boy still hadn't moved. He fell to his knees beside the bed and stared at Strange and Bruce, begging them silently to do something.

"I'll be back with a doctor as soon as I can." Came a voice from the door, and the nurse was gone. Strange moved forward, checking Peters pulse and lifting one eyelid to test for a response

"His pupils are dilated, and he appears unresponsive." Tony's breath hitched in his throat. The door opened behind them, and a small man with a heavily lined forehead entered. His eyes widened when he saw the extent of the damage to the boy on the bed. The man opened his mouth as if to say something, but Strange beat him to it. He surveyed the man dispassionately and for once Tony was grateful for the wizards cool efficiency.

"We need to get him in for a CAT scan pronto, so I can assess the extent of the internal damage. There's almost certainly swelling to the brain, and he's at high risk for myocardial infarction so we need to get moving now."

The other doctor looked completely nonplussed, but gave a slight nod, and said with some confusion "well... certainly. Um. I suppose you better follow me then."

Strange and Bruce began wheeling Peter out of the room, and Tony tried to follow. He didn't make it very far before Pepper placed a soft hand on his arm and pulls him back. He turned to her, hurt and panic written clearly on his face. "Pep what are you doing? Let me go Pep, I have to go with him. PETER! Let me go, Pep, LET GO!" His breathing escalated and he tried to pull away, because Peter was getting away and he couldn't let the kid go, what if something happened, what if he went where Tony couldn't protect him, what if-

"Hey, hey there, shhh, honey shhh, that's it." Pepper brought him closer, enveloping him in a soft hug. "You can't do him any good there Tony. You can't help him like this, you need to rest." She places her hands on either side of his face and leant in, her forehead touching his. "We're alive, Tony." She felt his breathing slowing, matching hers, but when she looked at his eyes they were still desolate and wild.

"I have to help him Pep, I have to do something. What can I do? He- " Tony broke off as though he was being strangled, and Pepper didn't think she'd ever seen him look so horrified.

"He did it for me." Tony hisses. "He knew." His face creased as he tried (and failed) not to cry. He looked at Pepper, and he could see in her eyes she was a little scared by what she saw in his.

"Pepper, he knew about Morgan." Pepper squinted in confusion before the terrible truth dawned on her, and she shook her head.

"Oh Tony... tell me it's not true."

The corner of Tony's mouth curled up in a gruesome approximation of a smile, and his next words were tinged with hysteria. "He did it for us, Pepper. He destroyed himself, and he did it for me."

His words shocked Pepper to her core. She had known that Peter would do anything for Tony, but she never expected this. She felt an overwhelming surge of compassion for the boy, and she knew it was horrible, but she was so grateful to him. She rubbed Tony's arm in a soothing motion, trying desperately to calm him down. "I know you're worried honey, I know it's hard, but please remember that he's alive and you- Tony if you had tried to use that gauntlet- well- Morgan would no longer have a father."

Tony knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to distract him, calm him down, and normally it would have worked, but he was just too worried. Peter was alone and dying and he needed to do something or he thought he might go insane. Then, with a sinking feeling he realised what he had to do.

"May." He groaned, rubbing a hand over his forehead and closing his eyes in despair.

"What was that sweetie?"

"May Parker." The words came out garbled. "The kid's aunt. He's all she has. I need to find her, to- to tell her what's happened."

"Oh honey." Said Pepper as she sighed, and looked down at her lap. "If you want I'll find her and tell her-"

"No." Tony interrupted. "It should be me."

"Are you sure, sweetie?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." Tony stood up and ran a hand through his hair. It was thick with dust and grime. "I'll uh, I'll take a cab or something."

Pepper shook her head. "No Tony, you're not taking a cab, and you definitely can't drive right now. I'll call Happy, get him to pick you up, ok?"

Tony nodded absentmindedly. He turned and placed a hand on Peppers arm, gripping it so hard the knuckles turned white. Pepper winced. He swallowed and looked into her eyes. "You'll call me or- call Friday as soon as he's out of surgery, right?" Pepper nodded, but he continued, seeking reassurance. "As soon as you know anything Pep, you call me. You will, right?" Pepper nodded again. "Of course, Tony. I promise." She placed a hand on his cheek. "I won't let anything happen to him, you know that. Now go wait outside, Happy will be here soon."

Tony kissed her on the cheek hurriedly, and left. Pepper sat down on the empty bed, closed her eyes, and sighed. She had promised not to let anything happen to the boy. She shouldn't have made that promise.

Tony stood outside Peters old apartment building. Happy had offered to come with him, but...

He took a long, slow breath, pulling air in through the nose, out through the mouth, in a technique he had used many times in the past to stave off panic attacks. He had faced down criminals, monsters and super villains, but somehow the thought of having to tell May Parker that her boy was dying, well... that was worse. "Friday," he murmured "scan apartment 12B for life forms."

"One life form detected Sir." Came the reply.

She was definitely in there then. Tony had run out of ways to procrastinate, so he pushed the buzzer, and waited. It had barely buzzed once when there came the answering tone. He could hear breathing on the other side, and he braced himself for what he knew was coming.

"...Peter?"

Tony could hear the hope and the desperation in Mays voice, and it took all of his willpower not to break down once again as he squashed her hopes. He cleared his throat. "No, May." He forced himself to say. "...it's Tony. Tony Stark. I need to speak with you. It's about Peter."

There was a muffled gasp, then a faint 'click' as she hung up. Tony stood in silence.