Thank you for all the thoughtful and insightful reviews.

I thought I had finished this but it has taken on a life of its own, so is now several chapters longer.

Most of you were on my wave length regarding the parental response.

I apologise for my occasional English spellings, as I am sure you all realise I am British.

I should also apologise if I don't always get the vernacular correct, I try but sometimes fail.

Enjoy! Salutations

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Peter groaned as he opened his eyes, it was so bright, why was it so bright?

He blinked rapidly as his eyes focused; he was staring at a white ceiling and lying in a bed. He sat up, confused, where was he? The back of his hand itched and he looked down to see a cannula, he hated those things- they hurt.

''Pete, you're okay. Don't touch that,'' his brother's voice interrupted him as he scratched at the irritating needle.

Peter looked over and Harley was perched on the edge of his bed. He cringed as he realised he was in the medical facility at the compound.

''Bro, what happened?'' Peter screwed up his face, trying to piece together the myriad of images flashing in his head.

''The parental units had to come rescue us, I crashed the car and you virtually died on me. Don't do that again okay?'' Harley's eyes were red rimmed; he'd been crying.

''Oh shit,'' it all came back to the younger boy in an avalanche.

''Did I kill him?'' he asked instantly and Harley shook his head.

''No bro, though you almost killed yourself, but that son of a bitch is alive and breathing,'' Harley replied and Peter flopped back on the pillows in relief.

There was an elongated silence.

''I'm sorry,'' Peter said suddenly and Harley looked at him in surprise.

''Think I should be apologising to you bro. Sorry Pete, I shouldn't have taken you there.''

''No you don't get it. I mean I am sorry for how I acted, I was a spoiled brat and I am real sorry,'' Peter was agitated he didn't understand.

Harley threw him a puzzled look.

''When you first came; I gave you a real hard time, was so obnoxious and I'm sorry. I didn't even think about why you had to come live with us. I didn't know Harley, I didn't and I am sorry- so, so so sorry! I like having you as my brother, I really like it. I love you bro,'' Peter blushed as he spoke and stared down at his hands.

Harley went very still and then he grinned.

''I know that Pete, I love you too,'' Harley held out a fist and Peter pumped it. They smiled at each other- the bond strong and true.

''You saved me dude- I owe you one. The goon's face when you hit him was awesome,'' Harley laughed and Peter giggled, his relief immense that he wasn't a murderer.

''We do have a problem though, a real big problem,'' Harley said more seriously and Peter bit his lip.

''They mad?'' he asked with a gulp.

''Yeah, you could say that. Beyond mad, way beyond but they are being all silent and disappointed.''

''Oh no! That's the worse,'' Peter preferred it when the dads yelled, then it was over with. Disappointed meant a lecture, a long, boring lecture.

''I totalled Dad's favourite Audi so you know, it's bad! We need a strategy if we ever want to leave the house again,'' Harley made a pained face.

He was still very worried about the adoption situation but for now he was more focussed on their parents' reaction to their illicit road trip.

'' You have a plan?'' Peter asked.

''No, you're the genius. I was kinda hoping you would have one,'' Harley replied.

''I'm sick! In fact, I feel real, real bad. My head hurts so I think I am gonna go back to sleep,'' Peter pulled the sheet over his head abandoning his sibling to face their parents' wrath alone.

''Are you kidding me? That's your plan, playing possum- that's lame, very lame, '' Harley threw his hands up.

His head whipped around as the door opened; he tensed then relaxed when Bruce walked in.

''Peter you're awake. Are you feeling better?'' the scientist asked cheerfully.

''No, I'm not. I am real sick and I need to sleep,'' came the mumbled reply.

''Really?'' Bruce frowned, that was not what his chart said; in fact the health check Friday had just run suggested Peter was well on the road to recovery, if not there already.

He looked at Harley who shrugged; giving what he hoped was an innocent smile.

Realisation dawned on Bruce who suppressed a chuckle.

''Right, well I have just the remedy for that and it requires a very large needle, a huge one in fact,'' he said and Peter bolted upright, pulling the sheet off his head.

''I'm good, I'm real good! No needles required, I am fine,'' the boy stuttered.

''Good to hear, how about I take the cannula out of your hand?'' Bruce suggested and Peter nodded.

Bruce went to work, Peter made eyes at Harley who swallowed nervously.

''Uuuum, Bruce do you know where Dad and Pops are?'' he glared at Peter as he spoke.

''Your parents are meeting with Pepper and the lawyers,'' Bruce replied as he finished up and placed a band aid on Peter's hand.

''Oh right!'' Harley suddenly felt slightly sick- the adoption, they must be discussing the adoption.

''They will be up to see you guys soon, better get your story straight huh?'' Bruce winked at them as he walked out of the room laughing.

''I don't like him anymore,'' Peter said.

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''Should we feel guilty?'' Steve looked at Tony who rolled his eyes. There were times when his husband's exaggerated sense of fair play was extremely annoying.

''No sweetheart, we should not feel guilty. She takes another misdemeanour which she totally deserves and we get to keep our kid. I think that is what you call a satisfactory outcome, she could use some salutary justice don't you think?'' Tony replied patiently.

Harley's mother had been charged with assault; they had just received the news that she had pleaded guilty although she had no real idea what happened. Wanda's magic proving very effective.

''Tony is right Steve; if Peter had not intervened then Harley could have been seriously hurt. That man has several felonies for serious assault. Think about that, really think about that,'' Pepper said and Steve nodded, she was right.

''How is Peter?'' Pepper asked.

''Awake and according to Bruce, our children are spinning a yarn to avoid the roasting they both so richly deserve,'' Tony replied sardonically. He glanced at Pepper daring her to argue.

''They were scared and trying to do the right thing,'' she did exactly that.

''The right thing? Really Pepper? Stealing my fastest car, which they destroyed by the way, and throwing themselves into a very adult situation was the right thing? Peter almost bled out, he was dying in my arms,'' Tony was not in a forgiving mood- this latest fiasco had him considering locking his children away like modern day Rapunzel's.

''I don't think you being harsh with them will help. I am sure they learned their lesson,'' Pepper was sniffy.

''Well how we deal with our children is not up to you is it?'' Tony was very upset and his dismissive response to Pepper was unprecedented.

She blinked in shock and looked over at Steve who gave her an awkward smile, he was more inclined to wrap his kids in his arms and hug them for as long they would allow; Tony had an altogether different response in mind.

Steve had never seen him so angry and disappointed when it came to their children- he had his work cut out for him talking his husband down.

''So I am requesting the hearing tomorrow, then Harley's adoption will be finalised. He will be yours forever,'' Pepper sought comfort in business.

''Thank you,'' Tony nodded and strode from the room.

''Steve, the boys didn't know how this would turn out,'' Pepper said to the more reasonable man.

''I know but Tony does have a point, the kids should not have made those choices. Peter almost died, Tony is struggling with that- he barely slept last night. Imagine how you would feel in the same position? He is trying to gain back control, protect them,'' Steve stood up.

''I get that, I do. But adding to their trauma is not going to help,'' Pepper could have bitten her tongue off; she should not have said that.

''Tony is not going to traumatise them, he is their father and he would never do that. He loves them,'' Steve rankled at the suggestion which was understandable.

''I didn't mean that,'' Pepper faltered.

''Didn't you? He has changed, sometimes you appear to forget that,'' Steve replied then he left the room.

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''Tony, Tony, stop! We need to talk,'' Steve grabbed the angry man's arm.

''Do we? What exactly do you want to discuss? How about me holding our baby as he slipped away from me because he yet again put himself in serious danger? Shall we talk about that?'' Tony pulled his arm irritably away.

''Look I know you are having a hard time with this but yelling at the kids is not going to help, you know it isn't,'' Steve made a placating motion with his hands.

Tony let out a defeated sigh.

''Is it?'' Steve asked again.

''No, it isn't but if you quote the therapist at me, I swear I will lose my shit at you,'' Tony replied.

''Let's get some coffee and straighten out our response between us, we need to be together on this. A divided front does not go well, just ask the Nazis,'' Steve injected some retro humour and Tony gave a reluctant smile.

''So we agreed with Felicity that we would try alternatives to spanking and this is the perfect opportunity,'' Steve suggested very reasonably as they stood together in the kitchen.

At their last therapy session (which they attended alone), Felicity had broached the subject of how they disciplined the children. It had been tetchy, a little defensive but eventually some accord was achieved as Steve was now reminding his husband.

''Hmmmm, okay but it's a risk Steve especially with Peter. Do you recall the last time we did that?'' Tony referenced the past. He was desperate to protect his children and it didn't feel like he was doing that at the moment.

He fully intended to spend the night ensuring the AIs were even more secure and robust than before- they could not afford any further breaches of security.

''I will make a deal with you. I am not saying spanking will never happen; Peter can be defiant and disobedient so it is sometimes appropriate with him whatever Felicity thinks- she doesn't have enough information to make that judgement and in the end it is our decision, we are the parents. But you have to admit, both boys experienced some pretty serious cause and effect consequences here,'' Steve pointed out.

''I'm listening,'' Tony nodded; he was reassured by what Steve had just said. He was not comfortable letting a therapist dictate to them about their kids and it appeared neither was his spouse.

''I think we use this as an opportunity to instil a stronger sense of responsibility in them, we're their parents it's our duty to do that,'' Steve had given this some serious thought- he was just as traumatised as Tony if better at hiding it.

''Go on,'' Tony was intrigued- his curiosity piqued.

''First we have to make sure Harley understands he is as important as Peter, that he is also our son. He thinks we don't value him so he doesn't value himself,'' Steve said and Tony couldn't argue- he knew his husband was right.

''I am 100 per cent with you on that, although please don't tell me that you think a lecture is enough cos about that I am not with you, very not with you,'' Tony rankled.

''No it needs more than a lecture; I have some ideas but they require both of us united, no cracks or disputes.''

''Get on with it Rogers, I'm losing interest over here,'' Tony sniped.

Steve knew then that he had him hooked- he just had to reel him in.

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''You're cheating,'' Peter threw down the cards.

''No, I'm not. You're just crap at this game,'' Harley laughed as he gathered the deck.

''Language!'' a familiar voice said and they both looked up.

''Hey Bubba, how are you doing?'' Steve hugged Peter tightly, kissing his head.

''You okay?'' He put his hand on his son's face and checked his colour; he had been so pale when they brought him in.

''I'm good Pops,'' Peter smiled and the man was satisfied that was true. He let him go, ruffled Harley's hair then sat down on a nearby easy chair.

Tony appeared a second later, he scooped Peter up, wrapped him in his arms and gave a huge sigh of relief.

''Don't you ever do that to me again Smalls okay? I love you so much and I am way too old for this amount of stress,'' he whispered in his ear, he held him away checking him over.

''Sorry Daddy,'' Peter smiled and Tony nodded.

Peter scrambled back into bed as Tony sat next to Steve; there was a brief silence.

''So our pair of miscreants, stand to attention cos this court is officially in session!'' Tony clapped his hands; both boys jumped at the crack and looked nervously at each other.

''Court?'' Harley asked hesitantly.

''Yes court and we are the judge, jury and executioner. So you want to give us your depositions?'' Tony crossed his legs and looked expectantly at his children.

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