It was one of those days where Tony didn't want to get out of bed. He didn't have those days as often anymore, but sometimes he still got that empty feeling mixed with the occasional sad and worried and he didn't feel like moving. Of course, those were the days Clint would drag him out of bed and sit out in the sun with him on the fire escape, Natasha would make his favorite breakfast, they would just continue about their day as best as they could.

"Maybe she shouldn't come today." Clint sighed as Tony plopped down on the couch and turned on cartoons. The teen curled up in the corner of the couch and sighed.

"She can come over today. I'm fine." Tony said quietly.

"She has to come over today. It's scheduled that Maria Stark gets to spend time with her son today. We're just lucky we get to be there." Natasha said, chopping up vegetables angrily. Clint walked over to the kitchenette, leaning towards her.

"Tony's not up for it today." Clint said, frowning over at the boy who was still curled up on the couch, not giving them or anything else any attention at all.

"There's nothing we can do but try to make sure she behaves herself, I don't trust her parenting." Natasha said, throwing the vegetables into the pan. "This is mandatory, but if Tony gets any more upset than he is now, you take him into the other room. I'll make her leave."

"Without killing her." Clint pressed. Natasha sighed, smiling slightly.

"Well, I'll do my best."

An hour later, she arrived. Tony snapped to attention quickly, staring at the door. Clint walked over to the couch, sitting next to him and gave a reassuring smile. Natasha opened the door and gave her best 'I'm not planning on killing you' smile. Maria Stark looked more like she was dressed for a job interview than a visit with her son, but she smiled brightly, nodded at everyone and rushed over to him.

"Tony, my baby. It's been far too long. I can't wait to tell you all about these last few months. I met the nicest people. Oh, I wish they would let me take you out somewhere for our first visit, not that I'm not excited to meet the people who have been… watching you." She said, smiling brightly down at Tony. "I missed you so much." She leaned down and hugged him. Tony hesitated, he had never seen his mother so cheerful and happy.

"I missed you too." Tony muttered into his mother's shoulder. Tony didn't like how his mother hugged, squeezing hard and letting go too fast, not like the gentle hugs that lasted for as long as he needed them too with Clint and Natasha, but his mother was hugging him and that hadn't happened in six years so he found them amazing.

"You will not believe the last few months I've had. The facility I was at was amazing, they had so many activities to join in on and then you had individual and group therapy a few times a week. It was so hard on me, a lot of people were sneaking drugs in and there was one man in a suit, Phil, who came by to visit me often to tell me all about how you were doing and said that if I didn't get better I would be stuck in there and not be able to get back to my family." She said, sitting down on the coffee table to sit across from Tony.

Tony smiled and nodded as she continues to babble on and on about her stay in rehab. He only half listened, still in shock that she was actually here, talking to him. He wondered if maybe it wasn't really her. It looked like a younger, healthier version of the woman he used to live with so he wondered if maybe she was a shapeshifter. He chuckled slightly at the thought, ignoring how sad it was that he thought it was more likely that a shapeshifter would come visit him than his mother. A few minutes later she finished, waiting awkwardly for anything more to be said.

"Well?" Clint said. Maria raised her eyebrows as Clint frowned at her. "Why don't you ask Tony anything?" He sighed.

"Oh, yes. How are you? Are you eating? You haven't touched your dinner." Maria said, pointing at Tony's plate full of vegetables and rice. He shrugged, he just didn't feel like eating much today. "Well, you certainly seem healthy enough so I won't fret. Tell me about your friends. Tell me about everything big that's been happening with you." Tony just sat quietly. The only friend he ever saw anymore was Rhodey and that was on days he could manage to come over. Tony understood that was Rhodey had other stuff to do, it actually made him happy. Tony didn't want to talk about the big things in his life. The big things in his life were sleeping through the night, coming down from panic attacks by himself, or getting out of bed on days like this. Tony sighed, what did he do to let the big things in his life become nothing?

He shrugged. "Rhodey's doing well. He's graduating early and joining the air force." Tony said. "Not really doing much that big in my life that needs to be mentioned."

"No no. You have a lot to be proud of Tony." Natasha said, moving up behind him to mess with his hair.

"Then you talk about it because I can't think of any." Tony sighed. His mother wouldn't care about any of that stuff. Clint and Nat counted his accomplishments in getting out of bed and eating breakfast, being able to do more pushups than a few days ago, or just ranking his daily mood above a five. The last thing he wanted was to bore her with that.

"No, you talk about it when you're ready." Natasha said, moving to sit back on the other side of Clint.

"Well, darling. I'm back living in our old place and Phil, the man I told you about, I think he's in charge of your case with the child placement agency or whatever, anyway he helped me find work down at a diner. If things go well, you might be able to come back and live with me." Maria said excitedly. "Wouldn't you like that?"

Tony stared at her. Of course he wanted to be with his mom, she was back and lively and talking to him again. But what if she went away again? He could take care of her, of course. Even if he was alone he was sure he could do it. He thought he was managing everything well enough, he could do it on his own. He wouldn't be burdening Clint and Nat and the team anymore and if he was having a bad time he could go to his room and not bother his mom at all.

But Clint and Natasha said that he could stay with them forever after they got married. And then that way he would have the team. He was only with them in the beginning because of Hammer and now that that was over he was with them because he couldn't be at home. Now it seemed like he could be, so if he moved out would he still get to see them? Tony couldn't make this decision.

He looked desperately at Clint, who nodded and quickly led him off to his bedroom. He collapsed onto his bed, curling up into his blankets and burring his head into the pillows. Clint laid down next to him, staring up at the ceiling and waiting.

"Well, this has been wonderful but it's getting late so you should probably leave before it gets too late." They heard Natasha say through the walls. Clint chuckled softly.

"Why? Is Tony okay, he just rushed out of the room. I don't even get to say goodbye." They heard Maria say.

"He's just a bit overwhelmed. It's been a long day." They could hear the growing irritation in Nat's voice. "Schedule another time, see you then." They heard the door slam shut and several moments later Natasha joined them in Tony's room. She smiled at the two of them, walking around to the foot of the bed and sliding up to lay on Tony's other side against the wall.

"I don't know what to do." Tony said quietly, his voice muffled by the pillows.

"You don't have to do anything." Clint said.

"What if I leave and I don't see you guys anymore?" Tony said, rolling over to stare at the ceiling with the two spies.

"You can't get rid of us that easily." Natasha said calmly.

"What if I stay and I don't see her again?" Tony frowned. He did want to be with her, he wanted his mother back. Like when he was little and he got hurt she would hold him and tell him it would be okay. He wanted that again with her. But if he thought about it, he had that here.

"If she doesn't want to visit then she's not worth it." Natasha said. He nodded, rolling back over to hide his face in his pillows and cover every bit of him in blankets.

Clint got a book from their room, handing it over to Natasha. She began reading quietly to her boys in Russian. It took longer for Tony to fall asleep than usual, but he stayed asleep and didn't dream. They crept back to their room, collapsed on their bed, and worried about the possibility of Tony leaving them.