I don't own Marvel
New chapter, this is one is kind of a short one. Please read and review, that's all I ask.
Chapter 14
In less than twenty minutes Tony sat down to the most important meeting of his life. Janet Collins made her way into the apartment. She greeted the couple and got down to business straight away. She was a serious looking woman, tall and black haired with some grey streaks. She was fifty and had been working for the Starks for about thirty of those years.
She sat down and laid out some papers in the small table in front of her. Again Alex had become withdrawn, Pepper walked around with him in her arms. The baby started crying silently, heaving sobs rocking his small body. "Excuse me for a second I'll put him to bed and come back." She walked to their room.
Once Pepper was out of the room Tony's anxiousness showed plainly. "Janet please just tell me that we don't have to get Alex back to Colombia." He said.
"I'll be clear Tony, when Pepper gave me the information I wasn't optimistic at all." She sighed and took out more folders with information.
"We investigated the incident with the little information we had. The boy's father was indeed Franco Cardenas, the local drug dealer. The boy's mother was unknown. We tried to interrogate some of the people in the town but no one came forward with any details. Alexander Cardenas doesn't have any documents to his name. The boy was living with his father with little care from any adults. The people in the village seemed to be protecting the mother. At first we worked on the little tidbit that they gave you. We assumed that the mother was indeed dead." Janet paused, "I think is better if your wife is here to hear this information."
Tony stood up and went into the nursery, they weren't there, and he found them in their bedroom. "Pep you have to come out and listen to Janet." He came to her side and helped her up; she gazed at the sleeping boy in their bed. Pepper turned her face to her husband her eyes had a familiar resolve and strength. "Promise me that even if it's bad news we'll keep him."
He kissed her quick, "I swear on my life, we won't give him up."
They joined Janet in the living room, "as I explained to your husband the initial information matches. His father is dead, however his mother is not." Pepper paled and squeezed Tony's hand.
"What does that mean?" Pepper's voice sounded foreign to her. It was raspy and it trembled with raw fear.
"Yolanda Fuentes is fourteen years old. She is an orphan and lives with her aunt, an elderly woman who lives off of charity from the people in town. "
Both Pepper and Tony were unprepared for that, the mother was a child herself. Janet saw their surprised faces. "It was very hard for us to finally pinpoint her, the villagers were very reluctant to give any information and it was almost impossible to speak to the young woman."
"Antonio Frias, I believe you spoke to him that day Tony." the lawyer saw her client's confusion. "The old man from the church." Tony's eyes lit up with recognition.
"He seems to be the authority in town, I managed to talk to him after nearly trying to interrogate most of the villagers. He gave the account of Alexander's short life." Tony and Pepper listened attentively.
"Alexander Cardenas was born last year on November 9, that puts him at 15 months of age. He's the product of a rape. His mother Yolanda was thirteen when a drugged Franco held her at gunpoint and raped her. This was a very delicate matter; you see all the villagers feared Cardenas. He'd robbed, killed and terrorized men but had respected women and children. The young woman carried the baby without anyone knowing until she gave birth to him. She tried to kill him but her aunt managed to stop her. She gave the child to his father who boasted about his crime. Mr. Frias tried to protect the child by sending him to other town but Cardenas threatened him."
Tony looked sad consoled Pepper when she cried silently. "Yolanda wants nothing to do with her son. She said that she wanted to love her baby but all she saw was his face when she looked at the little boy. For her the baby was the devil and the product of sin. I told her about her son, she refused to claim him as hers and wanted no money or contact."
"Her exact words were, I don't have any children, I'm fourteen and next week my auntie and I are going to the capital to live with our relatives. We'll be away from this town, from all the evil and darkness. The child is obviously traumatized from the experience."
"What do we do? What can we do?" Tony was sad for Yolanda but his priority was to keep his boy. Pepper looked hopefully at Janet.
"As I said there is no documentation for the boy. I would recommend to get one in Colombia and start the adoption process if you wish."
"But we'll have to give him back. We won't do that." Pepper said firmly.
"I had a feeling we might have had that issue which is why as a gesture of goodwill from the Colombian Family Services we got Alex's certificate, unknown mother and deceased father."
"I will start the adoption process tomorrow if you wish." Janet smiled when Pepper and Tony laughed and kissed.
"Yes, we'll adopt him. How long until he's officially ours?" Tony asked. "It could take up to nine months or more for all the paperwork to go through the regular channels but if you give me free reign Alexander could be Stark in three months."
"Isn't that illegal." Pepper frowned.
"Pep, your husband risks his life for the wellbeing of all humanity, and also helps people around the world not only by providing shelter and means to otherwise resource less communities but by also creating jobs worldwide and stimulating the world economy. You deserve this." Janet smiled and accepted Pepper's hug.
"He won't have to live at foster homes. He'll stay with us right?" Tony fearfully asked.
"Yes Tony, it's just a matter of paperwork. Just release a press statement with your intentions of adopting Alex, don't do it now. Let them speculate for a while."
"Thank you so much Janet, I'll give you a hell of a raise." He kissed her cheek and Pepper hugged her again, "I'll make sure you get that vacation to the Greece that you want."
Janet made them sign the first paperwork and asked what would the name for the child be. "Alexander Anthony Stark." Pepper said with a huge smile on her face.
Tony grinned, "Give me a smooch." He laughed and kissed her soundly on the lips.
The lawyer half smiled and left the apartment after making them sign about twenty different forms. "Just remember to not go overboard with the public Alex appearances." Tony frowned and looked like he wanted to say something. "Tony just don't do anything over the top." Pepper nodded. "He won't, I promise."
Suddenly they heard Alex crying. Pepper got up and went to the bedroom, "Janet again I cannot thank you enough." She said before leaving the room.
Alex was sitting down, crying, he opened and closed his fists when he saw Pepper. He pouted and more tears rolled down his face. "Come here baby." She picked up the boy and rocked him. Alex settled down and nuzzled her neck and laid on it.
"Let's go see Daddy." When she got to the living room Tony was serving two glasses of champagne.
The baby fussed and was grumpy. Pepper shushed him and kissed Tony, "Let's bathe him and get him to sleep."
Tony nodded and went into their bathroom. He set up the water while Pepper undressed Alex. The baby cried but relaxed when Tony sat him in the tub. They set up the bath toys and the boy soon forgot his irritability in favor of the blue boat Pepper handed him. Both adults were becoming pros at handling Alex occasional tantrums and other baby related things.
After fifteen minutes Alex was changed and on his way to slumber. "We should get him to his crib, he needs to sleep on his own." Tony picked the baby and walked out of the bedroom. Pepper changed into her nightgown. She lay down and waited for Tony to come back. "He's sound asleep." It would be the first time the baby slept on his own without Pepper or him by his side.
"It had to be done." She saw him undress to his boxers and lie next to her. He rested his arm on her waist.
"Who would have thought that I would be a father? Pepper what if I fail? What if Alex grows to resent me? I'm careless, narcissistic, a very bad influence…" she didn't let him finish his rant. She turned around and faced him. She frowned, "you are his father already, you are the only one he'll ever know and you've been doing just fine without even knowing."
"Don't be afraid love. This seems right, it feels right." She kissed his hands and then kissed his jaw. We'll make mistakes, all parents do, there's no escape but Alex will always be loved." She kissed his lips softly and teased him with her tongue, as expected Tony responded with the fiery passion he only had for his wife. His hands wandered to the silky hem of the nightgown and hitched the fabric up for better access. "I love you so fucking much." He moaned and rubbed himself against her wet core. Tony pushed the underwear aside and managed to penetrate her. "I needed this so bad." She arched her back and welcomed him. It was hot, sweaty, fast, rough. They both needed the release; Alex had taken over their lives and left them with little time for these activities.
Tony pulled out and accommodated half his body on the bed and half on Pepper. He nuzzled her neck and rumbled, "moving Alex was a brilliant idea." He resumed his kisses and attempted to have her again but as much as Pepper wanted to continue she felt so relaxed she pulled his hand out of her sex and cuddled him. "Easy Tiger, I'm tired love." She kissed his beard and rested her head next to his dimmed arc reactor.
He chuckled and massaged her breasts, "I'll do all the work and you will feel even more relaxed after a second orgasm." Tony kept his promise and proceeded to take advantage of his very sleepy wife who did sleep like a baby after her second mind-blowing orgasm.