Happy Saturday!

Welcome to the weekend. Hope you all had good weeks. If not, here's some fluff to make it better ;-)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Tony was in the lab, his attention half on the schematics he was working through and the other half on the view from Peter's mask as he swung around Queens.

It was his fourth week patrolling with Peter, and he thought Peter would soon be able to do it alone. His nerves on the first night, which had been extreme, had settled over time, and tonight he'd not felt he needed to check before any move at all.

In fact, he seemed more confident that Tony had seen him since he was visiting while exploring with the Stones in 2023. There was a certain brightness to him; the way he spoke was different, with less hesitation and protracted pauses. It was only when he was patrolling that he was like that; he was still nervy and cautious when he was in the lab with Tony. But Tony was enjoying seeing the change in his as Spider-Man and eagerly awaiting the time that spread into Peter Parker, too.

On the screen, the image spun as Peter flipped mid-swing, and Tony's stomach rolled.

"You know, you're going to make me sick if you keep doing that, kid," he said.

"Oh. Sorry, Mr. Stark. I forgot you were watching."

"No problem. But if you could keep the horizon in the right place, that'd be great. I had a real nice dinner, but I don't want to see it again."

Peter laughed. "Yeah, totally. But, you know, there's no horizon in Queens until you reach the rooftops. Which we can. Yeah, let's do that."

Brown bricks sped past Tony's view as Peter climbed the side of a building, and then he reached heights that made Tony's hands clench—what if he fell?—and relax as Peter reached the rooftop and took in the view.

It was dark out, and Peter was looking over at Manhattan and the bay. The lights of the buildings twinkled, and he could see the roof of his own tower in the distance. It was a strange feeling, knowing he could go onto the roof to wave back to Peter and probably be seen.

Peter's senses were out of this world, keener even than Steve or Bucky's. He once told Tony they were dialed up to eleven, and Tony wondered how hard it had been for him in the early days before he grew accustomed to the additional stimulation. It had to be hard for him.

He wished he could have been there. If only Nemesis had struck sooner, then Peter could have sent them to a time in which they could have done more. If Tony was in Peter's life before the spider-bite, he could have mentored him through the process and supported him. As it was, Peter went through it all alone, without anyone knowing what had happened or what he could do.

Tony also wished he could have supported Peter through the loss of his uncle. He was sure it was not a death they could have averted as it was that loss that had girded Peter into becoming Spider-Man, but he could have been there for him. Tony knew Peter and May had relied on each other to survive that loss, but they'd both been grieving and probably didn't want to lean on the other that much.

"Anything coming across the scanner, Karen?" Peter asked.

"No," she replied. "And I feel I need to remind you that your curfew begins in fifteen minutes."

The view bobbed as Peter nodded. "Yeah, I better get home."

The curfew was new, instigated by May after Peter had resumed his Spider-Man activities. Tony had gone to the apartment to speak to both her and Peter about what would happen next. He'd committed to being there for Peter in the future, something he had already promised himself he would be, with Peter's agreement through Mind. Nothing was going to stop him from being there for his son ever again. The hardest part was over between them. From here on out, Tony could do and be whatever Peter needed.

Peter jumped from the building, making Tony's stomach flip, and shot out a web at the opposite wall. He glided across the street, building a smooth rhythm that eventually led him to the fire escape behind his apartment, which would lead him through his bedroom window.

"Okay, Mr. Stark, I'm home," he said cheerfully. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will. I'm guessing Happy is taking you out for breakfast again, so I'll eat before you arrive and fix our lunch later."

"Yeah, he said something about pancakes. I'll make sure I'm still hungry for lunch, though."

Tony shook his head, smiling fondly. "Kid, I could feed you a five-course brunch, and you'd still have room for lunch."

Peter laughed. "Yeah, true. Okay, goodnight."

"Night, Pete," Tony said.

The view cut off, and Tony turned back to the schematics he was working with. He was working on the BARF simulation, trying to create a link between two pairs so more than one person could share the illusion. It was Bucky that gave him the idea, saying he missed his runs with Peter and Steve in the mornings. Obviously, Peter couldn't run with them outside, no matter what tech Tony created, but if he could nail down the math, he could find a way for Steve and Bucky to spend time with Peter together.

And then he could also share the experience.

He tapped the screen, then turned as the door beeped and opened, and Pepper came in. She was obviously just home from work, as her hair was pinned back, and she was wearing a neat pantsuit instead of the comfortable jeans and t-shirts she favored when she was home.

"Hi, honey," Tony said in imitation of a fifties housewife. "How was your day."

She laughed and came to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his shoulder. "It was long. The Japanese offices have an issue which I might need to fly out to deal with."

"Can I help?" he asked.

She frowned. "You mean come to Japan with me?"

"Why not?" he asked. "We could make a real vacation out of it."

"Well, why not is that you'd be away from Peter and the epicenter of everything that's going on here. You're going public with Bucky in two weeks, you're still patrolling with Peter, and Mind could show up at any moment."

Tony felt a sinking in his gut as he realized what she was saying. In 2023, his time and energy had not always been fairly divided. At times, Peter had needed him more, and he'd poured everything he could into him. When he'd taken time away from that, he'd devoted as much as he could to Morgan, not wanting her brother's needs to leave her neglected. He'd been with Pepper, too, but not nearly enough.

And he was doing it again now.

Tony turned and kissed her. She laughed against his lips and deepened the kiss. Tony dropped the glasses he was examining carelessly onto the counter and turned his body towards her, his hands coming to her hair and the small of her back.

After a long and blissful moment, she pulled back and said, "That was unexpected."

"I just had a revelation," Tony said.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I've been kinda an asshole lately. I've been so consumed with Peter and Bucky, Zemo and Nemesis, that I've not been giving you the time and love you deserve."

She smiled. "Tony, you've given me all the love and time you could. I understand that. Things have been intense for us all, and I've not begrudged you doing those things at all. But, yes, I would love it if you could come with me."

"Then it's decided," he said. "I'll do the lab day with Peter tomorrow, and we'll fly out when he goes home. And we can skip next week's sessions, so you and I have two weeks free."

Pepper kissed him again. "Let's make it one week and see how it goes. You need to be here for when they go forward with Bucky's case because he's going to need your support. And Peter has only just started coming here for his internship again, so you shouldn't miss two weeks. We'll fly home next Friday so you're here Saturday."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "Because Peter will more than understand, and Steve and Nat will be here for Bucky, as well as the others that aren't doing the time warp with us. They'll be fine."

She cupped his cheeks in her hands. "One week, Tony, then I won't feel guilty about taking you away again in the new year."

"Perfect," he said.

He was committed to doing this, making the trips a regular thing for them. This was the time of their relationship being about only the two of them. In only a couple years—though they seemed like a lifetime away to Tony—Morgan would be born, and their time together would be shared with their daughter.

He would make this trip about just the two of them, let everything else take care of itself, just take the time to love her.

It was what she deserved, and it was what he wanted.

Now, without Morgan, Pepper and Peter were the most important people in his life, and he was going to make sure Pepper knew it.

Peter waved to Juliet at the desk as he passed through the lobby, swiped his card, and then went to the only elevator which didn't have a queue outside it. It was the only elevator that went up to the penthouse and private labs, so he really didn't have a choice about using it. But he always felt that eyes were following him—people wondering what was so special about a kid that meant he got to use Tony Stark's personal elevator.

Friday greeted him, as always, and Peter said, "Hey, Friday. Where's Mr. Stark."

"In his lab," she replied. "I told him you've arrived, and he's eager to see you."

Peter felt a little jump in his chest. Since the day Tony ambushed him outside his school, and they'd had that talk, he seemed so much more affectionate and invested. Peter had always felt he was heard when he talked to Tony, but now it seemed more intense, like he was really taking in what he said and enjoying it. It was like there had been a barrier between them before that Peter had been unaware of and was only now noticing because it was gone.

The elevator pinged open, and Peter strode along the hall, scanned his palm, and the glass door clicked open. He was expecting Tony to be alone, but Steve was in there, and they both greeted him with wide smiles.

"Hey, Queens," Steve said. "How are you doing?"

"Great," Peter said. "I got an A on a Spanish quiz which I thought I'd messed up, which is totally down to Mr. Stark programming Karen with Spanish verbs so she can quiz me."

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, I heard you'd been putting the time in with her."

Peter nodded eagerly. "I have. How was Japan? Did you see amazing things? I hear they've got incredible architecture."

Tony cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, it was great. We didn't do much touristy stuff, as Pepper was needed in the office, but we had evenings to ourselves. Had some great sushi."

Steve grimaced. "Raw fish, no thanks."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You're such an old man, Cap. There's nothing wrong with sushi, and I've told you before it's not all raw fish."

Peter wrinkled his nose. "I don't know, Mr. Stark. I've never had it either, and I don't feel like I'm missing out."

Tony threw up his hands. "That's decided! Sushi for lunch."

Steve frowned. "What? No! I want one of Queens' sandwiches."

Tony waggled a finger at him. "No. Your centenarian ass is trying something new. You, too, Pete. I'm ordering, and I promise you're going to love it."

Peter wasn't convinced, and Steve didn't look pleased either, but he didn't say anything as he'd learned it would do no good. Tony was a force of nature when he got something in his head.

"Anyway," Tony said expansively, "we've got something special to do today, Pete. You know about the BARF system, right?"

Peter nodded eagerly. "Yeah. I saw a live feed of you demonstrating it at MIT. It's amazing. Are we working on that?"

"We're testing it," Tony said. "I've created a link—I think—between two sets of the system so more than one person can share the simulation. I thought you and Steve would like to give it a go while I analyze the data. I've not tried it yet, so I've got no idea if it'll work."

"Yeah! Definitely!" Peter said with a swoop in his stomach. He'd been excited by what he'd seen Tony do with the glasses and what he said they were capable of, and the chance to try it himself was exciting.

"Now, Steve will be in control, so he'll pick what you see," Tony said. "Go easy, Steve. I don't want you dumping Peter in the middle of the battle of New York."

Peter took the glasses and examined them. They looked normal enough, not that different to the pairs Tony usually wore, but he knew these were capable of much more. He slipped them on and waited as Steve took his own pair, and then, when gestured to, he followed Steve to a bare wall. Peter watched Tony pull up a hologram and then said, "Okay, Steve, when you're ready."

"Okay, Queens, brace yourself," Steve said. "It's a bit weird at first."

Peter stiffened, and then his stomach swooped as the room around him disappeared, and he found himself standing beside a campfire with Steve, which was surrounded by men in army fatigues sitting on logs.

Steve was wearing his old Captain America suit, his shield resting against a tree, and Peter was wearing fatigues, too.

Peter recognized Bucky, though his hair was shorter and both his arms were flesh, and then his mouth dropped open, and he said, "Principal Morita?"

The man in question looked up and frowned. "Uh, Cap, who's the kid?"

"This is Queens; he's a friend of mine," Steve said. "Just go with it."

The man shrugged. "Okay. You want a drink, kid?" he held out a hipflask.

"I'm not old enough to drink."

"Neither are half of the kids that were drafted here," a man with a bushy mustache said. "And we always offer them a drink."

Peter shook his head jerkily. "Uh, no thanks."

His eyes roved around, taking in the forest around them, which was shadowy outside the range of the firelight, the bedrolls on their packs which were piled together, and then fell on Mr. Morita again, though it couldn't be Mr. Morita.

"Take a seat, Queens," Steve said.

Peter obeyed, perching on the same log as Bucky, and glanced sideways at him. He looked quite different to the Bucky Peter had seen before. He wasn't much younger, which meant his fall and capture weren't far away, but there were starker differences than the hair. This Bucky had a look of inner calm, which seemed out of place in what Peter realized must be a warzone.

Steve sat on Peter's other side and said, "Queens, this is Bucky Barnes"—Bucky smiled and nodded a greeting—"Jim Morita"—the man that looked so like Peter's principal lifted a hand—"James Montgomery Falsworth, Gabe Jones, Jacques Dernier, Happy Sam Sawyer."

The four men nodded and greeted Peter with each introduction, and Peter just stared at them, taking in what he was seeing. These were the Howling Commandos, the elite unit that helped Steve defeat Red Skull. They were historical icons, heroes, and Peter was sitting around a fire with them. It was so realistic. He could hear the crackle of the flames, feel the heat on his face and the scratch of his rough uniform.

This was one of the coolest things to ever happen to him. Ned would never believe it.

"So, Queens," Bucky said. "How long have you been here?"

"Uh… not long," Peter said.

"He's a new recruit," Steve said, winking at Peter.

"I should think so," Jim Morita said, and Peter noticed even his voice was the same as, who he guessed was, his descendant who was principal at Peter's school. "How old are you, kid?"

"He's eighteen," Steve said. "Had his birthday a few months ago. I just thought he'd like to meet you all."

"Yeah. Absolutely," Peter said, nodding eagerly. "I mean, you're famous. I've read all about you in hist—" He cut off and corrected himself. "The newspapers."

Bucky smirked. "Told you we were famous, Monty."

A man with a neat mustache, which seemed out of place in their situation and the scruff on Bucky's chin, said, "Yes, you said, and I didn't believe it," with a British accent.

Peter grinned and hugged his arms around himself. Yep, coolest thing ever.

"You cold, kid?" Bucky asked. "You're kinda skinny. You probably haven't got enough flesh over your bones."

"I'm fine," Peter said. "Totally snug."

The man Steve had said was called Happy Sawyer raised an eyebrow and said, "Snug?"

Peter blushed and mumbled. "It's something my aunt says."

"Give him a break, Sawyer," Steve said. "Queens is okay."

Peter grinned.

"You eaten, kid?" Bucky asked, his voice unusually solicitous. "We've got rations, of course, but Jacques caught a few rabbits earlier, and we've got some left."

"No, I'm fine," Peter said. "I ate… uh… rations earlier."

Steve nudged him with his elbow and said, "You sure, Queens; you're a growing boy?"

Before Peter could answer, the scene around them rippled and disappeared. Through the lens of the glasses, Peter saw the lab reappear, and Tony's voice said, "Sorry to cut in on what looked like a good time, but me and Pete have got more stuff to do than hang out with your war buddies, Cap."

Peter took off the glasses, an apology on his tongue, but he saw Tony was grinning, and he smiled in return.

"Mr. Stark, that was so cool. It was like I was really there."

"That's the point," Tony said. "And I didn't see any glitches at all. Did you notice anything?"

Peter shook his head and said, "No, it was perfect."

"I didn't notice anything," Steve said. "It seemed in sync, and it was fully immersive."

Tony looked pleased, and he and Steve shared a look that seemed laden with meaning. Peter had a feeling he was missing something, a feeling which was enhanced when Tony said, "As soon as we have contact again, we'll let him know."

Steve beamed. "Great."

Peter looked between the two of them, trying to decipher the secret, but he had uncovered nothing before Tony said, "Right, Pete, now you've experienced BARF, you can help me create another system so we can make it a three-way connection."

"Three of them?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised.

Tony nodded. "You think I'm letting you and Bucky have all the fun? No chance. And I know Rhodey will want a go, too."

Steve shrugged. "As long as I get first shot with it, I don't mind how crowded it gets."

Peter was still puzzled, but he dismissed the question when Tony led him to the bench and pushed him towards a stool.

"Okay, Pete," he said. "It's a simple enough framework, but programming the glasses is the challenge. I know you're not as into programming as other tech, but you need to learn."

Nodding his agreement, the more he learned, the better, Peter turned his attention to the hologram Tony had pulled up and examined the specs.

He was excited to learn more and looking forward to lunch with Steve, whatever sushi ended up tasting like.

It promised to be a great day.

So… Some well-earned fluff after all the angst. The Howling Commandos thing wasn't planned at all. The idea occurred when I decided to give Peter the BARF experience, and I ran with it. How was it to read?

Until next time…

Jadey xxx