This is a little bonus chapter posted off my usual schedule. It's a thank you to all my faithful readers and reviewers.
Will update as normal Wednesday, promise! I love the chapter I will post then.
This is just some family stuff, kids acting out and pushing the limits. I love this family. I would like them to adopt me!
Peter is a tween, he fluctuates between a little boy and a moody teenager, in my experience exactly how kids his age behave.
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Harley had his forehead on Ellie's as they stood saying goodbye.
''I will Face Time and text, call every night,'' she said softly and Harley nodded.
''I have to tell you something and please don't get mad at me,'' he said and Ellie stepped back.
''What?'' she crossed her arms.
''I live there, that's my home, well kind of. I actually live in New York which you know and my name isn't Harry, its Harley, Harley Rogers Stark,'' he was rambling as he pointed at the house on the cliff.
Ellie laughed.
''We all knew that, everyone knows you and Jay are the Super Kids, it wasn't hard to figure out. But we guessed you would tell us when you were ready,'' she placed her arms around his waist and they enjoyed a final kiss.
''So dude you gonna fess up?'' Finn nudged Peter as they waited for Harley.
''About what?'' Peter stuttered and Finn rolled his eyes.
''So Pete, do they make you clean your room like us regular kids?'' Finn smirked.
''Do they?'' Jake wanted to know as well and Peter knew their cover was busted.
If there was any doubt the game was up Finn had used his real name so it was a done deal.
''Uuum, yeah they do and they have a lot of rules, a real lot of rules,'' Peter was honest.
''Wow, really?'' Jake was incredulous.
''Bro, my Pops is hard core retro, how did you think he is? Have you seen his infomercials?'' Peter raised his eyebrows and Finn laughed.
''Oh yeah right, those are soooo bad. So what's the tower like? Come on dude, you owe us that much,'' Finn said and Peter nodded, it was true, he did.
''What's Thor like?'' Jake could barely contain his excitement.
''He's awesome, real funny but totally nuts and he's obsessed with Pop Tarts and Disney movies; totally lame Disney movies with Princesses, he's really into Princesses,'' Peter enjoyed the expressions on his friends' faces.
''You have to got to be fucking kidding me?'' Jake took it the hardest.
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Steve strapped in Morgan and closed the car door; he looked over at his sulking, morose sons.
''Come on guys, in the car,'' he called with a fake jocular tone. He wasn't that happy about going home either but needs must.
''Now boys, let's go! We're gonna be late!'' Tony was less indulgent.
It had been a trying morning, Morgan was grizzling because of her teeth and the boys had fought and battled with each other for the last two hours. Both adults were out of patience and on the point of losing their tempers, Tony more so than Steve.
The kids moved reluctantly, slouching sullenly over to the car.
''I am not sitting in the middle! Why do I always have to sit in the middle?'' Peter protested and Tony gave him a withering glare.
''Cos it's where you belong,'' Harley shoved Peter.
''Fuck off Harley, you douche,'' he pushed his brother back.
''Hey, enough! Get in the car!'' Tony grabbed Peter's arm and swatted his butt as he manhandled him in to the middle seat.
''Ow, that hurt!'' Peter frowned resentfully at his father.
''Did it? It was supposed to. Carry on and I will really give you something to complain about. Do you want the same?'' Tony turned to his eldest boy.
''No, no, we're all good,'' Harley held his hands up and climbed in.
''We can finally go,'' Tony said as he got in the driver's seat.
He looked over at Steve, who much to his chagrin was clearly amused.
'' How can we be late? It's your plane, doesn't it go when you say so?'' Peter piped up.
''Peter, I am on my last nerve here. You need to zip your lip, one more sassy wise crack and I will not be responsible for what happens, are we clear?'' Tony said through clenched teeth.
''Crystal, shutting up,'' Peter said instantly.
''Good choice,'' Tony pulled away.
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'' I don't want it, its gross. This is your jet, why do we have fish to eat? I hate fish, I want a cheese burger,'' Peter was being a spoilt brat; he had been whining since he woke up and Tony had just about had enough of it.
''It is first class salmon cooked perfectly and you will eat it because you will get nothing else. There is nothing else,'' Tony held out the fork and Peter shook his head.
''You can't make me eat it, I don't like it and I am not eating it.''
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the painful tension headache that had begun to throb ten minutes ago.
Harley frowned at his little brother, the food was delicious; Peter was being stubborn for the sake of it.
Steve appeared having finally settled Morgan; he placed two Advil next to Tony along with a bottle of water.
''You young man will eat every scrap of your dinner or you and I will go out back and have a private conversation that you will not enjoy. Now eat your food!'' he snapped as he sat next to Peter.
''Do not push me, I mean it,'' Steve held the fork out- Peter took it and began to eat with no further complaint.
Tony shook his head as he swallowed the pills, how did Steve do that?
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''I hate her! I hate her! She took my phone and I'm grounded for a month! A month! I didn't even do anything that bad. Who has a curfew? Do you have a curfew?'' Ellie finally took a breath and put Harley on the spot.
He tried to think quickly because he most definitely had a curfew, not that it had mattered much as his grounding was back in place.
''Ellie baby, chill okay?''
''Do you?''
''Do I what?''
''Do you have a curfew?'' Ellie wouldn't drop it.
''Yeah I do but its flexible so you know,'' Harley lied. It was very far from flexible- it was in fact set in stone and if he broke it there were serious ramifications.
''See, she is just being a bitch. I am going to run away, then she'll care. She only likes my little brother, Jake never does anything wrong. He's perfect, little prick!'' Ellie was ranting.
Harley cringed, completely out of his depth.
''Will you come see me? We can meet in L.A. I want to see you Harley Bear,'' Ellie blew him a kiss.
''Please Harls. I miss you Bear,'' she flicked her hair and Harley was putty in her hands.
''Okay yeah, I will come to L.A,'' Harley said without thinking it through.
''Love you Bear,'' Ellie waved at him and he completely caved.
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''How does your day look?'' Tony asked Steve as they juggled a sick baby, made coffee, cooked breakfast and prepared the boys' lunches. It was their choreographed morning dance and they moved around the kitchen like a well-oiled machine.
''Heavy, I have a meeting at SHIELD, plus I am giving a talk at The Veterans' Association in Hoboken. Why?'' Steve sealed up the brown bags. He was beat after a rough night with the baby and his day was a daunting prospect.
''I was hoping we could have lunch, I have a meeting with Pep at 11, should be done by 12. You still in the city then?'' Tony handed over Morgan to Rosa, who was going to bath her- she was covered in banana and strawberries.
She was dosed up on analgesic so wasn't crying for the first time for what felt like forever to both men- the difficult night was a joint effort but Tony functioned well on little sleep unlike his husband.
''Bye bye baby, be a good girl,'' Steve planted a kiss on her head well away from the mashed up fruit.
''Yeah I can do that, meet you in the park at 12.30 or so,'' Steve nodded; they grabbed quiet, alone times when they could.
''Where are the boys? They are gonna be late,'' Tony frowned.
''FRIDAY, tell the boys they need to come get breakfast,'' Steve called out.
Harley pocketed the credit card he had just swiped from his Dad's wallet which was sitting beside the bed in his parents' room. He felt a jolt of guilt and remorse, then reminded himself that Ellie needed him so he quelled any niggling doubts.
''At last. Eat,'' Tony pushed a plate towards him as he sat down at the counter; another wave of guilt engulfed him and he dipped his head as he took a mouthful of waffles.
Peter came dashing in and grabbed his lunch then tore towards the elevator.
''Breakfast, you need to eat breakfast,'' Tony called after him.
''Sorry Dad, I have to go, I am real late. Meeting MJ, I will get something,'' Peter waved as the elevator door closed.
''Who's MJ?'' Tony asked and Steve shrugged.
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Peter was not having a good day, he had landed a detention for talking back to his Physics teacher who had got a formula wrong and now Flash was being a prick again.
''I will finish you, don't think I won't. Now give him back his lunch,'' he said matter of factly to his mortal enemy who handed the brown bag over to the small boy cowering before them-he scuttled quickly away.
''No you won't cos you're scared of your parents,'' Flash smirked and prodded Peter's shoulder.
''Fuck off Flash, seriously fuck off,'' Peter growled back, he had missed breakfast and his bad temper was as a result of that.
''Dude, come on, we're gonna be late for chemistry,'' Ned tried to defuse the tense situation.
''Yeah, listen to your Buddha buddy, don't wanna be late,'' Flash provoked Peter further.
''What did you say?'' Peter pushed Flash against the lockers.
''Pete, don't. I don't care,'' Ned pulled his arm.
''He is scared of his parents aren't you Stark?'' Flash did it again.
Peter let him go and looked around, there were several kids laughing at him, his pride flared up.
''No I'm not. They are not the boss of me,'' Peter said, it was a ridiculous statement and he knew it, everyone was scared of his parents including the sneering boy in front of him.
''Prove it!'' Flash put him in an impossible position, he would lose face big time if he didn't accept this challenge.
''Peter,'' Ned said helplessly.
''How?'' Peter asked with an internal grimace.
Flash dropped a rock of potassium in his hand and Peter had to stifle a groan.
''Make chemistry interesting for once,'' Flash sniggered as he walked away leaving Peter staring after him.
''You can't Peter, don't, please don't. Your parents will kill you, they will kill you. They'll send you to a military school or something even worse. Don't be dumb Pete, just ignore Flash. Be the better person,'' Ned rolled his eyes at his words, he sounded about a hundred years old even if it was good advice.
''Dude, did you actually just say that?'' Peter laughed despite his predicament.
''Thor will be pissed too,'' Ned played what he thought might be his trump card.
''I won't get caught. I will do it and no one will be able to pin it on me. I have a plan,'' Peter had formulated a fool proof scheme in seconds.
''Peter, you always get caught,'' Ned said to his retreating back.
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Peter contemplated those words as he waited outside the principal's office. He had switched the Potassium on his teacher's desk and it had been perfect, a small but spectacular explosion that caused minimal damage, well quite a lot of damage but repairable, and no injuries. What Peter had not figured into his plan was that several kids were happy to snitch on him, so here he was facing certain execution.
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''Harley ditched school,'' Tony told Steve as he walked into the kitchen with Sam- they had been running. They were both unexpectedly home, Steve's talk postponed.
''He did what?'' Steve checked he had heard correctly.
'' Have you checked flights to California?'' Sam asked, he was very well aware of the teen's infatuation, Tony nodded.
''Oh yeah, Happy is on his way to Newark to pick him up. He was detained by security,'' Tony wiped his hands over his face.
''Are you kidding me? So you know when I said he was too old, he is not too old, not this time!'' Steve was angry, anger borne of fear, what if their son had managed to get on the flight? He was fifteen and could have been stranded in Los Angeles which was a very dangerous place in Steve's eyes.
''Okay Cap, calm down, he's safe. Let's not go nuclear, the kid's love sick so not using the best judgement,'' Sam was the voice of reason.
'' So you are okay with this? What would your father have done if you pulled a stunt like this back in the day?'' Steve was not easily pacified; he had been up most of the night because of Morgan's ear infection and was exhausted.
Sam chose not to reply.
''Exactly!'' Steve snapped.
The sound of crying echoed around the room.
''I'll get her,'' Tony rose and he made a calming gesture to Sam behind Steve's back. Sam nodded- he would try but Steve wasn't presenting as very receptive.
Then Steve's phone rang.
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''I will go, if you go then Peter will be expelled, you know how you are with authority?'' Steve picked up the car keys.
''So that is normally true but on this occasion, it might be best if I go fetch Peter,'' Tony knew his husband was very tired; worried to death about Harley and was not in the best frame of mind.
He handed over a now dozing Morgan to Steve; she snuffled, fidgeted and they all froze then she relaxed as did they.
''I cannot believe I am saying this but I think Tony is right,'' Sam said. Steve sighed loudly and gave Tony the keys.
''I am going to make you some tea, some warm, soothing tea,'' Sam spoke gently to the irate super soldier.
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The kids are not alright. Poor Steve and Tony!