Author Notes: Hi everyone, even though I am still hard at work on 'If the Darkness Overcomes' the first chapter to this ending kept creeping up on me. I figured I would post this first part because I know many of you have been looking forward to the happier ending! I hope you enjoy this much needed Irondad fluff! P.S This will not make much sense if you have not read If the Darkness Overcomes so please start with that and read up to chapter 6!
~Peter
"One and two and three…"
Peter could hear Sam's counting, could see him push harshly down on this father's chest, forcibly trying to restore life to the man. Every second that ticked by without his father breathing felt like an eternity. Every second that his heart didn't beat, Peter could feel himself hardening, his mind tipping towards the monster that he had been trying to fend off.
"Sam, it's been ten minutes." Bucky started lamely.
The insinuation took a second to sink in. "No!" Peter screamed looking around the room of people desperately. "Please, you can't! You promised!"
Peter crawled forward and grasped his dad's limped hand and started to pray. He didn't know who he was praying too or if anyone heard him, all he knew is that if his dad died something in him would follow Tony to the grave.
Sam gave Steve a questioning gaze and then stopped the compressions when Steve gave him a regretful nod. Peter let out a heart wrenching wail throwing himself over his father's broken body.
"Please don't leave me! You're all I have!" Natasha covered her mouth with her hand, tears filling her eyes as she watched the grieving boy in front of her. Peter clung to Tony refusing to release the man, refusing to believe that he was gone. The boy's body wracked with sobs, his grief filling the prison cell.
Steve brushed at his own tears unable to stanch the flow. He had failed Peter and he had failed Tony. Again.
"Steve, we have to move him." Bucky said, laying a sympathetic hand on his friends' shoulder.
Steve nodded, sucking in a deep breath to prepare himself for the inevitable fight to remove Peter from Tony's body. A wisp of movement caught Steve's attention, shaking his head Steve was certain he had imagined it. Then Tony's finger's fluttered with the barest of movements and Steve was certain it wasn't a figment of his imagination.
Steve grasped Natasha's arm drawing her attention to the miracle unfolding in front of them. Natasha raised her head in time to see Tony Stark bring a battered shaking hand off the ground and bury it into his son's matted brown curls.
Peter gasped when he felt the familiar hand grip his hair in comfort. He almost didn't dare to let himself hope but Peter couldn't deny the feeling of the gently rise and fall of the chest underneath him. Peter cautiously raised his head and was met with a familiar grin and tired brown eyes.
"Hey bambino." Tony's voice scratched out. "I knew you would come."
Peter sobbed, joy and relief surging through him. "Oh my god, I thought you died!" Tony let out a weak, tired chuckle, gently brushing the tears cascading down his son's pale face.
"I know champ, but I'm here now and that's what matters. I'm still with you!" Tony's voice trailed off his hand falling limply from Peter's face.
"Dad!? Dad?!" Peter yelled, shaking his dad, panic welled up when his dad didn't respond.
Sam could sense Peter's panic growing. "Peter, you need to calm down." Peter didn't seem to hear Sam and continued to call out to his father. Sam motioned for Steve to intervene. Steve understood and gathered the thrashing boy in his arms, pulling the teen from his father
.
"No, let me go!" Peter cried, trying his hardest to break the super soldiers hold.
"Peter, calm down! Your father is still alive. Look, he's breathing." Steve felt the teen freeze as Peter followed his direction. "He must have passed out." Steve continued hoping that Peter would stop struggling and relax. Peter went completely limp, all fight leaving him as he took in the gentle rise and fall of his father's chest.
~Peter
Peter didn't remember much from then on, the last few day's exhaustion catching up with him. He recalled Sam and Natasha stabilizing his father before the medics arrived to whisk Tony away to the Med bay at the Compound. He recalled Steve asking him if he could walk. Peter had thought it was a stupid question but when he had tried to move, he had almost collapsed to the ground. Steve had been the only thing that had stopped his face from meeting the floor.
Peter was aware of leaving Ross's makeshift prison and boarding an ambulance but from there on everything was a blurred and muffled mess. A harsh bright light struck through Peter's fog making him hiss. He felt himself being pushed into a hard-uncomfortable chair before a warm hand started cleaning and poking at his cuts and bruises. A calm muffled voice reached his ears, but he couldn't make sense of what the voice was saying. Peter turned his head trying to find the source of the voice.
"….ter….can…hear…e?" Peter could tell it was a woman's voice talking to him. He saw a blurred figure standing to his right, he blinked trying to get his vision to focus. "….he….shock.."
Peter blinked harder his vision finally coming into focus. A young blonde woman stood to his right cleaning a cut on his arm. She was dressed in a nurse uniform a stethoscope hanging loosely from her neck. Peter scrunched his nose in confusion, the hospital, he was in a hospital. Peter couldn't remember when he had arrived at the Med bay and the lapse of memory worried him.
The brightness of the lights in the room seemed to spike and the buzzing voices in the room started to suffocate him. Peter closed his eyes trying to stave off the panic welling up in his chest. Peter felt a warm pair of hands grip his own sending a wave of comfort and security through him. Peter opened his eyes and was greeted with Pepper Pott's warm smile. Peter could see worry lines etched around her green eyes and her cheeks were slightly damp from previously shed tears.
Peter could see her mouth move but no sound reached his ears. He scrunched his eyes and blinked in confusion. Pepper squeezed his hands the warmth of them seeping into his frozen and trembling body. Peter was cold, freezing in fact. He hadn't registered that until Pepper had taken his hands. Peter could see her frown slightly, turning to the nurse next to her, mouth moving but he was unable to make out what Pepper had said. A moment later a blanket was draped over his trembling shoulders.
"Pe…er…I ne….you…listen…" Pepper's voice started to break through the fog. Peter frowned squeezing her hand to let her know he was trying. Pepper cupped a freezing cheek with a hand at the contact it was like a damn broke. "It's ok Peter. Shh… breathe honey." Pepper soothed. "You are in shock Petey, but I need you to breathe for me."
Peter took a gulping breath clinging to her like a lifeline. Pepper smiled running a hand over his brown curls. "That's it Pete, just focus on breathing." Peter did as he was told, using her touch to ground him.
After a few minutes when he was calm enough Peter leaned back from Pepper. "My dad?" He could see a flicker of worry cross the red heads face before it was quickly masked.
"He is in surgery Peter, there is a lot of damage." Pepper could see the teen's breathing start to increase and his hand begin to tremble in her own.
"Peter listen to me." The CEO said grabbing the boy's face firmly between her hands. "Your dad is strong; he is too much of a stubborn ass to come this far just to die now. He is in there fighting and he will need us to be there for him when he comes out." Pepper brushed a tear from the teen's face. "We need to be strong for him." Her voice trembled desperate for Peter to hear her and not fall back into himself. "Peter do you understand?" The boy gave Pepper a weak nod just before falling into her, hugging her tightly.
"Can you take me to his waiting room?" Pepper looked over to Peter's nurse.
The nurse nodded. "Keep him calm and warm if he starts hyperventilating or becomes unresponsive bring him back immediately."
"Understood." Pepper grasped Peter's hand pulling him to his feet. She led him down a few short hallways before coming to the surgical wing. Once they entered the waiting room the pair found a couch and sank into it. The room was heavy with worry. "How long are they going to be?" Peter whispered his fists balled so tight the knuckles were popped white.
Pepper took his hands and rubbed them with her own to relax them. "I don't know sweetie, I'm hoping they will give us an update soon." Pepper brushed a curl away from Peter's bruised face. Her gaze traveled over the boy's face. In the past few days Peter seemed to have aged years. The potential loss of his father was suffocating the bubbly high-spirited kid that she had come to love as her own. "Why don't you try and get some sleep Pete, I promise to wake you up when the doctor comes."
Peter shook off the offer. "I can't even if I wanted to."
Peter sighed. "Peter you look like you could drop at any moment, I really think."
"I said I can't alright!" Peter snapped then cringed at the look of hurt that flashed a crossed the CEO's face. Peter hung his head. "If I fall asleep, they will come. The nightmares I mean." He explained. "I can't sleep, please don't ask me too."
Pepper felt her heart break at the teens broken confession. "Ok, Peter. But only until we hear from the doctor. Deal?" Pepper stuck her hand out and Peter smiled. "Deal." He said tiredly, returning her handshake sealing the agreement.
Pepper and Peter spent the last 7 hours in mostly silence. The rest of the Avengers sat in a separate waiting room giving the pair their space. Pepper was grateful for that. There were still some hurt feelings that she was not ready to face given the current circumstances. Pepper looked down at the exhausted boy resting on her shoulder. She had absentmindedly been combing her fingers through his hair hoping that he would eventually drift off. But the ever-stubborn boy stayed awake eyes glued to the glass doors.
Pepper could feel her stomach start to tighten with hunger. She was just considering asking Peter about going to the cafeteria when Peter bolted up.
"Someone is coming!"
Peter scrambled to his feet as the doctor entered the room. The man greeted the pair with a tired smile. "You must be Peter and Pepper."
Peter gave a quick nod. "Doc, how is he?"
The doctor sighed reaching up to remove his surgical cap. "Tony Stark is tough as iron. He sustained multiple fractures, burns, lacerations, severe blood loss, and strain on his already weakened heart." The doctor paused the room was so silent a dropped pin could have been heard. "But through all that Tony Stark will live."
Pepper gasped, happy tears filling her eyes as she pulled Peter into a tight hug. "He'll have a long road ahead of him but as long as he follows his recovery plan, I can foresee him returning to one hundred percent."
"Can we see him?" Peter asked.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, but don't expect him to wake up. The anesthetic hasn't completely worn off and we have him on some pretty heavy painkillers." Peter nodded, he desperately wanted to talk to his father but just being able to see and touch him would be enough for now.
Peter and Pepper followed the doctor down the short hallway that led to the recover rooms. The doctor stopped outside of room 2008, he opened the door and gestured to the pair to enter the room. Peter and Pepper let out a collective gasp as they took in the site before them.
Peter could see the damage done to his dad. Every inch of Tony's skin was marred by some injury. Deep ugly bruises discolored his olive skin, cuts, and burns mapped out a trail of brutal torture. Dark purple and blue circles engulfed Tony's eyes and his face was pinched with discomfort. Peter clenched his teeth and felt the dark monster in him cry out for blood and vengeance. It craved for retribution and Peter knew that if Tony didn't pull through, he would feed the monster.
Pepper placed a hand on his shoulder gently pushing him closer to his dad's bed. The contact pulling him from the ledge. Peter had to remind himself of the doctors' words. He said that his dad would pull through. When he reached the bed Peter gently picked up Tony's bruised hand. "I'm here now dad." He let out a wet laugh. "You wouldn't believe who I brought with me."
Pepper threw Peter an amused look from the other side of Tony's bed. She picked up his other hand careful of the IV. "Tony, I thought I told you I hate job hunting." She gave a little laugh as a tear slipped down her cheek. "You can't just go and get kidnapped and almost die. I would have to quit with the mess that would cause."
Peter laughed quietly at her jest even as his heart ached. He wished that his dad would wake up and return Pepper's banter, he wished he would wake up and reassure them he wouldn't be dying anytime soon. If he would wake up this nightmare would be over.
Pepper glanced at her watch they had been at the hospital for well over 8 hours. "Peter we should go inform the others and get you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Your dad would want you to take care of yourself." Pepper tried to coax even though she knew this would be a losing battle.
Peter shook his head. "I can't leave, he might wake up."
Pepper sighed standing up. "How about I go talk to the others and bring us something back to eat." Peter nodded, eyes not leaving his father face. "Try and rest while I'm gone."
~Pepper
Pepper returned about forty-five minutes later with sandwiches in hand and was greeted with the sweetest picture. Peter had climbed into Tony's bed and had gently rested his head on Tony's bandaged chest. Somehow in his unconsciousness Tony had wound his arms around his son. The look of discomfort had left his face. Tony looked at peace while Peter was finally in a deep and restful sleep.
Pepper smiled. "You both can rest now."
More Notes:
Why yes, this will be a multi chapter story. Why am I doing this to myself, you may ask. Steve needs to be able to have his resolution with Tony. Plus I think we all can agree Peter needs to talk to his dad about the darkness he has been flirting with throughout this entire series. And I may have issues with letting go but that's against the point. Thank you all for sticking with me on this fun adventure! P.S Comments give me life!