Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. It is not for profit.

Having Tony Stark for a son is both a blessing and a challenge for Maria Stark. She conceived him when she was 39 years old after years of desperately trying to get pregnant. When she held him in her arms after an agonizing 10-hour labor, she knew she wouldn't want for anything else what with a loving husband and a beautiful child making her existence utterly complete.

Tony was a gift from the good Lord and Maria made every effort to be the best mother in the world. Her baby was the sweetest child; he was quiet and calm, rarely shrieking and wailing at ungodly hours like most infants were wont to do. Tony was content with being held by either one of his parents and curiously took in everything his eyes could see.

"I think we should take him to see the pediatrician," Maria told Howard after finding Tony's lack of cries odd and abnormal. But Howard dismissed it saying that as soon as the boy hits puberty he'll give her enough grief to make up for his peaceful infancy.

He only turned out half right. Tony hadn't even reached puberty yet, being only 2 years old, but he was already running around the house, tiring the legs of poor Edwin Jarvis, knocking over furniture, and sneaking in critters into the house. He would create complex structures with his toy blocks and learn to rebuild his toys faster than he can take them apart. There was no doubt that Tony inherited Howard's above average intelligence and it wasn't easy being a mother to a child who was smarter than her.

Tony flew past the childhood milestones—walking, talking, potty-training, writing, and soon he was entering college. It was often that the mother of one found herself confiding her worries to Howard, terrified that Tony was growing up too fast and would miss the joys of a normal childhood. She even consulted a dozen books on how to raise a child prodigy, all of which were still on her bookshelf beside her favorite cookbooks.

Even as an adult, Tony could be difficult. He used to immerse himself in female and alcoholic flavors of the week or his 'life of sin' as Maria called it. Although, thankfully her son's involvement with Virginia Potts has ended all of that.

There was also the fact that Tony was still childless. Neither did his night-job as a superhero make it easy for Maria's peace of mind and she wanted for nothing more than to see him retire his suit. However, Tony would never be convinced to put away the Iron Man armor and Maria would rather not waste the energy on trying to convince him to do so. She reminded herself that there are other more achievable and workable goals for her son.

Lately, Tony and Virginia haven't been to the house to visit Maria and Howard since they temporarily moved to New York to oversee the construction of Stark Tower. Sundays were bereft of the presence and entertainment that the young couple provided and Maria resorted to calling them often.

Tony didn't keep her waiting when she dialed him up today and he answered on the third ring. "Hi, mom. How was the charity benefit you and dad attended?"

Maria hosted another one of her famous benefits yesterday afternoon to raise support for war veterans and prisoners of war. "Eventful. We raised 6.8 million dollars," she proudly shared.

"Allow me to close that to 7 million then."

Maria smiled at the receiver even though Tony couldn't see it. "That will do perfectly, dear. Thank you." She remembered her Achievable Goal and asked, "Are you and Virginia using that quilt I gave you? I hear it's quite cold now in New York." Before they left, she gave them a going away present in the form of a tribal patterned blanket.

"You mean the baby maker?" Tony's exasperated tone made Maria wince. She was rather hoping he wouldn't know the quilt's history. "Pepper really loved the pattern and had Jarvis look it up. Apparently, it's a design used by African tribes for fertility. But of course, you knew that."

Maria sighed. Tony was unnecessarily sensitive when it came to baby related matters.

So, the Achievable Goal was to get Tony and Virginia pregnant. Maria had long given up the dream of ever seeing her son and his girlfriend walking down the aisle and had simply resorted to brazenly planning for a grandchild. Was that such a crime?

"Now, I don't like your tone, young man. I had no idea that blanket was ceremonial," she lied. "If it has any fertility powers, then that's merely coincidental."

"Uh-huh."

"And since when have you ever put any stock in such hokum? Aren't you a man of science?"

Tony must have put Maria on speaker because Virginia chimed in, "He likes to think himself also a man of god."

Maria lit up at the voice of her unofficial daughter-in-law. "Oh, hello, Virginia, dear. Is that you? How are you feeling?"

"What my mother really means to say is are you feeling pregnant yet?" came Tony's wry voice.

Pepper laughed. Maria loved that she took everything in with a pleasant air. "Not yet, Maria. Maybe soon." Maria repressed a triumphant squeal at the word 'soon' whereas Tony's eyes bulged from its sockets. "Tony and I have been a bit busy with the tower."

"Has he been neglecting you? It isn't the first time Tony, or his father for that matter, put work first." Making both Stark men even consider a snack break when they were overcome with inspiration was as hard as it took to convince Peggy Carter to retire.

"Mom!"

Maria's lips turned up at her son's mild scolding. "Just teasing, honey. Now, how is the tower coming along?"

"Very nicely. You and dad will love it," replied Tony. Another voice in the room spoke before Maria could reply and not a minute later, Tony was making his goodbyes, something about a mission or another.

"Alright. Be careful. I love you both." Maria put the telephone handle down and tried to exhale away the unease she felt everytime something Iron Man related came up.

Having a husband who used to run a secret organization and apprehend dangerous criminals was enough anxiety for one lifetime. To have Tony take up a business that's along the same line of work was threatening to cripple Maria's nerves.

Every time there's a mission for Iron Man, Maria found herself getting all up in a tizzy trying not to pick up the phone to call her son just to find out if he's still alive. But not only would that distract him and allow for the possibility of him getting harmed by the enemy, but Tony might also get the wrong impression and assume that his own mother had no trust in his abilities to save the world.

Unfortunately, unlike the New York Times Bestseller "Keeping Up With Your Prodigy," there are no books on raising a superhero.

Risking one's life for the greater good is a very noble profession, Maria thought, rising from her seat. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

She huffed out of the room and into the kitchen to consult with the cook and contact the caterers. The Maria Stark Foundation's 30th anniversary was approaching and there's a menu that must be prepared.

She filed a mental note to also remind the butler to call the plumber to fix the broken shower head in the master bathroom. If the man didn't arrive tomorrow, she was fairly certain her husband would try to repair it himself and that wasn't a prospect she wanted to happen.

But it did happen much to Maria's dismay. She had gotten so caught up in the planning of the celebration that the call slipped her mind. To Howard's credit, he waited a day before acting on his need to prove himself the man of the house; his pride just didn't allow for plumbers or technicians to be called when he was perfectly able to fix broken household appliances.

At present, Maria was glaring at her husband who was lying on a hospital bed. His jaw and left upper arm was covered in purple bruises, while his right arm was hidden in a cast.

"Maria, don't you dare," said Howard, raising his right good arm in tired annoyance.

Maria shot him a stern look and Howard pressed his lips together. She turned her back to him, hand tightly gripping her cellphone. Loud rings filled the room as she waited for her son to answer. She was doing the one thing she wanted to do when he was on an assignment but never could—calling him.

There was a click and she knew Tony had picked up. Without waiting for another second, Maria spoke. "Tony, you are on speaker and you need to talk some sense into your father." She faced Howard who was scowling at her for ratting him out. "The shower head was broken and I wanted to call the plumber but your father took it upon himself to fix it."

"That's because I can!" shouted Howard, his injury may have rendered him a bit weak but it had no such effect on his voice box... or his resolve. "I can fix a broken shower head, Maria! I've worked on more complicated machinery. Just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm useless!" He attempted to fold his arms and then remembered that one of them was in a cast.

Maria sniffed, her nose up in the air.

To Tony she said, "Well, fixed it he did, but slip and break his arm he also managed to do," and to Howard she added, "It's only by God's intervention that you're still alive!"

Incidents in the past came to mind: Howard testing his inventions on himself, getting electrocuted, getting his eyebrows singed or his hair burned.

On the other end, Tony was wishing he had a sibling to share the migraine that was coming on. Sometimes he felt like his parents needed parental guidance more than he did himself. "Dad, you can't go fixing shower heads at your age!"

"My age?" asked Howard, affronted. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." He hated that his age limited him. To have that fact thrown at his face, well, there was no way he's going to accept it.

"We're at the hospital right now and he's not being the most cooperative patient." In a span of 10 minutes since having entered the room, Howard had already shouted at a nurse and threatened to fire him, not that he could. "So, I need you to talk some sense into him," said Maria, walking closer to the bed.

"Tony, I need you to talk some sense into your mother. It's only a broken arm and they already fixed it. I don't need to stay in the hospital for crying out loud!" Howard calmed a bit and he captured his wife's hand with his left one. "Maria, you're overreacting."

His wife squeezed his hand. "I'm not denying the truth in that statement, but you will only overexert yourself as soon as you get home. So, I'd rather you stay in here than find something else to take apart in the bathroom."

Tony groaned. "Okay. I don't have time for this. Have you seen the news lately? I'm battling against gods and aliens here!" As if to prove his point, his parents heard him strain against something and muffled sounds of an explosion echoing in the suit, traveling over the phone's speaker system.

Howard's head perked up while Maria paled. "Extraterrestrials? Maria, turn the TV on!" But she was already scrambling at the remote and flipping through channels. "Are they gray or green?"

Maria gasped and grabbed Howard's hand again for comfort.

The news report was showing a slow motioned playback of the Hulk charging at buildings, roaring as he scrambled to get certain creatures off his back (they were more silver than gray or green). A spot of red and gold could be seen zipping past in the background. The video changed to show dozens of civilians being herded to the subway, all of them screaming, their hands to their heads or to their loved ones.

"I'll send some pictures for you to peruse over," Tony said sarcastically. "Look, dad, you could've broken your neck or hit your head. It's even a wonder you managed to reach 90 with your lifestyle."

Howard's head whipped back to the mobile phone. He looked insulted. "What are you attacking my lifestyle for?"

"Cigars, booze, women."

"That was decades ago!" Howard barked back, turning to face the TV again. This time he could see his old friend, Steve Rogers, in his Captain America uniform. Howard glowed with pride at the sight of Rogers finally doing something he was born to do. He felt a pull deep inside his gut and Howard lifted his legs and swung it over the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Maria, tugging him back down to the soft mattress.

With only one working upper limb and Maria being younger than him, Howard struggled against her. "I'm going to help them is what."

Maria dropped her hands, dumbstruck at her husband's plans. Howard wouldn't last two minutes in the conflict zone! With just one functioning hand he can hardly be expected to fire a handgun let alone aim with his aged eyesight. She placed her hands on her hips, about to pull the Wife Card when her son, bless that smart boy, beat her to it. Although, Tony had a different card in mind.

"If you want to live long enough to see a grandchild, you're gonna stay right there," Tony said tightly. His voice was laced with exhaustion but he was still determined. There was absolutely no way he was having his father enter the line of fire; he had enough civilians to protect than to add in a meddling, old man.

Howard hesitated, staring at the phone and then to the television. He wondered when having a grandkid was more important than helping save lives.

In New York, Tony had just gotten through the tail end of that whale of a Chitauri and was hurled to the ground, his breath knocked out of him. He struggled to his feet, his heart racing fast from seeing the inner workings of the being, fending off incoming attacks, and from the suspense of waiting for his dad to call on his bluff.

Tony knew it was unfair dangling the idea of a grandchild at his parents' face when he had no such plans of being a father yet. But it was the only way to get them to listen and quickly end the conversation because more aliens just kept on coming from the black hole.

"Please, stay here," whispered Maria, her voice inaudible to Tony but not to Howard. "With me," she emphasized. "It's bad enough our son is out there in the thick of it. Am I going to have to fret over you too?"

Howard looked at the unshed tears pooling around his wife's eyes. He sighed. He could never say no to her.

He nodded and settled back in the bed.

Maria brought the hand phone closer to her mouth. "I think he got the message, sweetie. Be careful. We love you. Don't we, Howard?"

Howard only grumbled in response.

"Love you too, dad," said Tony, smirking at his father's childish behavior.

He was passing by a roaring Hulk when Hawkeye's voice came through the comms. "Do you need me to prepare a bottle of milk for you, cupcake?"

"Shut up."

Back in the hospital's private room, Howard had made some space for his wife on the bed and the two were anxiously watching the Battle of New York unfold.

Maria was entertaining thoughts of writing a book about her life as a mother to a superhero while Howard was thinking of calling S.H.I.E.L.D. But he eventually decided against it. What could he possibly tell them to do that Fury hasn't thought of?

It appears as if there was no end to the destruction; when the vast number of aliens showed the smallest sign of decreasing, a new wave arrived taking their place. Even Thor's mighty hammer could only destroy so much of the enemy.

At the back of his mind, Howard wondered if the Asgardian would lend him the weapon to study for academic purposes.

Maria stiffened by his side causing Howard to focus on the events again.

"...we do know that billionaire Tony Stark's Iron Man is intercepting what looks to be a missile headed for the city," reported the news lady.

"What is he thinking?" asked Maria. At the same time, Howard exclaimed, "He's crazy!"

Maria clutched at her slacks, her knuckles growing white. There was no time for words, no time to even breathe.

Her eyes followed the familiar colors of Iron Man traveling up and up into the wide black hole in the sky until—she wheezed for air—Tony disappeared into space. It wasn't long after that when the aliens in the streets fell to the ground almost as if somebody had shut off their power source. Maybe someone did.

Tony, Maria thought.

The camera was still trained on the black hole and Maria could feel everyone who was watching the news collectively await Iron Man's descent with bated breath. But he didn't appear and the hole started getting smaller, threatening to blink out of the sky without so much as spitting her son back out.

Hot tears slid down Maria's cheeks and she whimpered. Nobody certainly wrote a book about this—what to do when a loved one disappears through a worm hole. Was Tony even still alive, simply drifting in space through time, or was he gone forever?

Howard let his wife slink down to his shoulder, the space between his neckline and sleeve growing sticky and wet. He blinked vigorously, trying to keep his own tears at bay. This was no time to cry, not when Maria was in such a state.

The news channel began to broadcast the aftermath of the fight, panning to the faces of the heroes, the fallen, and even the alien. Howard shut the TV off, there was no need to see more of what had been lost today.

"Let's make sure the Stark Relief Foundation is on the scene," he managed to say without choking.

Then the sobs in the room was broken by a shrill ring coming from Maria's cellphone. Howard reached over and answered it, pressing the phone against his ear.

"I do hope you guys aren't planning my funeral yet."

The hairs on Howard's arms stood up, his face drained of all color. There was no mistaking that voice.

"Tony," breathed Howard. "You survived?"

Maria's breath was caught in her throat. She grabbed the phone and screeched, "ANTHONY EDWARD STARK! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

While his wife talked—more yelled than talked—to their son, Howard was still in a daze, trying to come to terms with the fact that he almost lost Tony again and got him back... Again.

He turned the TV on and this time it showed all six heroes walking together, headed somewhere, and what appeared to be Tony wincing as he held a cellphone to his ear.

Howard let out a deep sigh of relief and as soon as he did so, the tears descended. He hadn't felt that much fear since Afghanistan. He felt Maria's hands curl around his arm and she kissed him softly on the temple. She's more glad than ever that he decided to stay in the hospital.

"He's safe. New York is safe," she said quietly.

Her words echoed in Howard's head. Safe. Yes. He's not dying or dead. He managed to defeat aliens. Tony and his friends.

"Give me the phone," Howard quickly told Maria who raised a questioning brow but handed it to him nonetheless. She watched him type in a message and then press 'send' when he was finished.

Howard looked up to his wife.

Maria smiled. "I'd like that very much."

...

In a shawarma store in Manhattan, Tony's phone beeped at a notification. It was a text that read, "Bring your new friends over this Sunday for a post battle feast. Make sure Thor's hammer is in attendance."

Tony let out a throaty laugh, highly amused at the thought of bringing friends over to his parents' house for show and tell. What was he? A teenager?

Thor, who sat beside him and was stuffing a shawarma in his face, peered sideways to read what was on his phone screen. "A feast!" he boomed to the rest of the seated heroes, bits of food escaping his mouth. "We have been invited to dine at a celebration!"

Tony sent him an icy look. "Swallow before speaking, would you? And no, there will be no feast or celebration. I'll just tell my parents that we're all busy and—"

"Your parents are hosting a party?" asked Bruce.

"It's not a party," mumbled Tony. "More like a get together we do every Sunday. Just this Stark tradition which we all can't attend because we're busy and—"

"Who says we're busy?" asked Clint Barton. "I'm not busy. Party at Casa Stark? That only means a) good food b) good booze. And I don't know about you but I need some good, rich booze." Clint rubbed his elbow painfully; it was still sore from when he fell earlier. Yep. He needed a drink.

The rest of the team nodded, almost as if they heard his thoughts.

When Sunday came, Tony wished he had just shut his stupid mouth at the shawarma place.

Howard was seated at the head of the dinning table with Maria, Steve, Natasha, and Clint on one side, and Tony, Rhodey, Bruce, and Thor on the other. James Rhodes had come from Hong Kong dealing with a Ten Rings situation. He got back to find New York City destroyed and his best friend eating shawarma. He was then introduced to the team and was extended an invitation to the victory feast.

"Thor, I have to ask you—"

"Howard, please. Not over lunch," scolded Maria as she placed a slice of Shepherd's pie on her husband's plate.

"After then?"

"Yes. You and Thor can spend all the time talking about that hammer of his. For now, we will get to know Tony's friends." She gave each one of them a welcoming grin. "We will not talk of work. That includes anything Avengers related or any sacrificial deeds." She cast a look at Tony when she said the last part.

Tony looked away, his food becoming so interesting.

"Tony has never really played well others," said Maria, "but I'm glad that he had the opportunity to fight side by side with all of you. I trust that you will also continue to keep him from coming home in a coffin. Bruce, thank you again for saving him. No more of that sacrificing yourself, do you hear me?" Maria demanded from her son. She hadn't been able to let the matter drop since the phone call in the hospital and it didn't look like she will in the near future.

"Maria, darling, you're talking about work," reminded Howard.

"Right," said his wife, checking herself. "How long have you been together, Natasha, Clint?"

Tony coughed, concealing a laugh. He's been teasing the two assassins since the battle ended.

"Being partners for more than 10 years, Nat and I have only ever been best friends, ma'am." Clint and Natasha shared a knowing smile and Tony had a feeling they were both hiding something.

The archer may have mentioned his deep friendship with the spy to deter any of Maria's plans, but that had never stopped her before. She knew that the strongest and most intimate of relationships come from a deep friendship.

"Well, Tony was only friends with Virginia but I managed to get them together."

Tony leaned close to Rhodey and muttered, "She acts like she was the one who kissed Pepper in the rooftop."

"My wife is a self-proclaimed matchmaker, Barton. If it's not Tony, it's Rhodey, Steve, the chauffeur, or in this case you," explained Howard.

"How about you, Bruce?" Maria turned to the scientist who shyly looked up from his plate. It amazed Maria that the man could turn into a raging beast but be this reserved in human form. Maybe I should invite him to my functions to draw him out of his shell, she thought.

"Um... Well," somehow Bruce couldn't bring himself to lie to a woman who only reminded him of his own mother. "There is someone but we can't... For her own safety, I, uh, have resolved to stay away."

Maria frowned. She never liked it when men took it upon themselves to protect females without ever asking for the latter's opinions about it. "I don't think the lady in question will appreciate that. We're made of firmer stuff, you know, and we all like a little thrill in our lives."

Bruce looked a bit horrified at the thought of putting Betty Ross' life at risk for a 'little thrill.'

"I'm sure Bruce can handle it on his own, Maria." Howard winked at Bruce. Turning to Thor he said, "Just out of curiosity, Thor, do you have doctors in your world?"

"Doctors?" asked the Asgardian, unfamiliar with the term. He took another bite of his pie which was his third serving.

"Well, considering that you are a god, I wonder if you would have any need for healers."

Thor shook his head at the common misconception. "We are not immortal. We can be injured and healed, we live and die. As such, aye, we have healers or doctors as you call them in our realm but we are not gods that dictate and control the workings of the universe."

Maria's eyes twinkled. "But you're called the God of Thunder in our myths. So, is there a God of Fertility that you can give me the name of?"

Tony put his fork down in exasperation. "Mom, seriously. Pepper and I will get pregnant when we're ready."

"It's not for you, dear," replied Maria, refusing to meet Tony's eyes.

"Right. Like I'd believe you and dad are trying to give me a sibling."

Rhodey laughed freely, having witnessed Maria's pestering on more than one occasion.

"Bruce, sweetie, have some more." Maria passed him the plate of pie, ignoring her son's pointed staring. "You're eating for two, you know."

Tony groaned. Only his mother would make feeding the Hulk sound like Bruce was pregnant. But then he told himself that it felt a bit liberating to have Maria Stark fuss over his friends and not him for a change.

"You know the Starks, right?" Clint asked Steve quietly while Howard continued to fire question after question at Thor. "Hang out with them and all that."

Steve nodded. He lived with them for a month before moving to New York. He couldn't be more grateful to Howard and Maria who became his new family. Living on his own in his apartment terribly paled in comparison to living with the Starks. The only consolation was that he got to be closer to Peggy.

"Is this a normal lunch for them?"

"Well, with Avengers for guests you can hardly expect a normal conversation."

"Fair point." Clint dipped his mouth into his whiskey.

His keen sense of sight noticed a movement in his peripheral vision and he followed Maria's form as she rose from her seat.

"Howard and I have always wanted to do this," said the host, disappearing out the kitchen while the cook entered to lay out the dessert.

"Do what?" Tony asked his dad who only shrugged.

Maria walked back in, giddily carrying her phone. "But we never had an opportunity because Tony hardly ever brought home any friends. So, I hope you'll indulge an old woman."

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Taking a picture. It's for the gallery, dear. You didn't think I wouldn't document this moment when you finally have a group of friends over, did you?" Maria pulled the two nearest Avengers out of their chair and gestured to the rest to do the same. "Come on. Gather around Tony."

"Yes, ma'am." Clint snickered and sauntered around the table to stand beside a blushing Tony Stark.

"Howard, you stay there. Let it be just them for now. Tony, James, turn your chairs around," stated Maria.

The group was finally in position. With their backs to the table, Clint stood beside a seated Tony and was raising bunny ears atop the latter's head. Rhodey was on Tony's other side and trying his hardest not to burst out laughing while his best friend glared at him. Beside the pilot was Bruce who struggled to stand straight due to having Thor's heavy arm slung around his shoulder. Natasha and Steve were looking amused as they crouched by Rhodey's and Tony's legs.

Maria raised her phone. "Okay, squeeze in please, so you all fit in the camera."

A yelp was heard as Thor extended his arm to include Rhodey's neck and Bruce found himself half sitting on the colonel's lap.

"Perfect! Smile and say 'cheese!'"

Everyone with the exception of Tony and Bruce said cheese.

"You midgardians have the strangest traditions," said Thor, letting go of Bruce and Rhodey.

"I'll make sure to ask for a copy for my scrapbook," Clint whispered to Tony before he moved away from him.

Maria inspected the photo and giggled at the goofy smiles and faces. She sighed in contentment. Tony wasn't going to be alone any longer with such good friends to keep him company.

"Maria, get one of Banner, Thor, and me," instructed Howard, standing up and beckoning at the scientist and the prince.

"This is why I don't invite friends over," Tony hissed to Rhodey. "My parents are embarrassing!"

Behind him, his mother said, "Thor, I am taking you shopping. You can't live on borrowed clothes. You too, Bruce. We'll get you those stretchable ones." Thor asked what shopping was while Bruce protested. Maria wagged a finger at him. "Uh-uh. I won't take no for an answer."

Tony raised a palm to his face.

"It could be worse," shrugged Rhodey.

"How could it be worse?"

Rhodey looked at the rest of the Avengers. "Most of your super friends probably don't even have parents anymore."

Tony looked around and saw Maria try to get Bruce to eat a second helping of dessert and then scold Clint for stealing some of Natasha's cake when he could get his own. She also traded Clint's third glass of liquor with water much to the latter's disappointment.

Rhodey was right. The assassins, in all likelihood, don't have parents or a biological family anymore. Steve and Bruce certainly don't. Tony's lucky enough to have annoying, retired parents than none at all.

He tried to imagine what life would be like if Maria and Howard Stark were never around to smother him and now, his new friends, with affection. He didn't like what he saw.

"You're right. I should probably give them that grandchild, huh?"

"Ehh, I think your parents have their hands full with this lot for now," said Rhodey.

At that moment, Maria was thinking of writing a book entitled, 'Raising Superheroes.'