This is the partner story to Guilty as Charged! Please check it out!
The bow was heavy in her hand, and the string stung against her skin.
"Okay, hold on, don't shoot," she heard her dad say as he stood next to her. "You see where you're going?"
"Mm-hmm," she murmured as she pulled the string tighter, her palm almost on her cheek.
"Okay," he said, moving behind her. "Now, let's worry about how you get there."
She felt him tap her elbow, telling her to lower her bow. His right foot touched the inside of hers, "Gotta move your foot here, point your toe this way. Your hips here. Okay?"
She nodded. She was the daughter of Hawkeye. She could do this.
"Can you see?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"How about now?" he asked, moving her hair so it coverer her left eye. "Can you see now?"
"No," she chuckled.
"How about now?" He covered her eye.
She laughed, "No."
"Alright," he said, stepping away. "Ready? Three Fingers."
She could hear Cooper and Nate playing catch and her mom laughing. "Do you guys want mayo or mustard on your hotdog?"
She lowered the bow, "who puts mayo on a hotdog?"
"Probably, Cooper," he laughed. "Uh, two mustards, please! Thanks, Mama!"
"Got it!"
Her dad took another step, and she raised the bow. "Mind your elbow."
She took a breath and released it. Bullseye.
"Good job, Hawkeye! Go get your arrow."
"Hey, guys! Enough practice! Soups on!" Her mom called.
"Coming, mama!" she yelled, pulling the arrow from the target. "Ready dad?" she turned around, but he wasn't there "Dad? Mama, where's dad?" she looked over to the table. "Mama?" she called. "Cooper? Nate?" She yelled, running over. "Mama! Dad! Where are you?"
No one was there.
They were all gone.
Three days. She was alone in the house for three days before she heard the phone ring.
"Hello?" she asked. "Bar-Barton Residence. Lila speaking."
"Lila?" She heard on the other end. "Thank god."
"Aunt Nat?" she gasped. "Hi."
"Lila, is your dad there?" Natasha's voice cracked. "Please, little one, tell me your dads there,"
"No," she whispered.
"Is anyone there with you? Your mama? Cooper? Nate?" She asked. Lila could hear fear the tremble in her voice.
"No," she began to cry. "I'm all alone, Aunt Nat. They're all gone."
"I'm coming to get you, okay? Do not leave the house."
It was dark when she head the plane land outside.
She ran out the front door and into the field where her family had disappeared from.
"Lila!" Natasha called, running towards her and gripping her in a tight hug.
"Aunt Nat," she sobbed, hugging her, "they're gone. Where am I going to go?"
"With me," Natasha whispered. "I'm gonna take care of you, okay?"
Lila nodded, her face still pressed against the older women's chest.
"I want my mama and dad," she sobbed. "Please bring them back, Aunt Nat. Please." Her body shook as more tears fell down her cheeks, soaking Natashas shirt.
"I'm so sorry, little one," She whispered, "We'll get them back. Somehow. I promise."
"You don't need to do that," he heard Tony's voice from across the ship. He still couldn't believe he was here. Twenty-one days - at least he thought it had been 21 - they'd been adrift in space.
"Hey, Aunt May," he whispered, tapping on the iron man helmet. "Tonys been recording these videos to Miss Potts, and I wanted to record one too. You know, just in case. Um… Space is really big. I mean, of course, it's big, it's space. The stars… I wish you could see them. It's beautiful. Terrifying, but mostly beautiful. After out fight with the big purple grape - that's what Mr. Stark, I guess he's Tony now, we have been stuck in a space ship together for three weeks, so I think it's okay to call him Tony, right? The big purple grape, that's what Tony calls Thanos. After the fight and everyone disappeared Tony, Nebula -shes a blue alien cyborg thing, she's cool, a little scary at first but she's nice- and I was able to repair part of the ship, but after three days we ran out of fuel, so now we're stuck. Tony's been trying to protect me, giving me some of his food rations, but I did the math, and we're going to run out of oxygen tomorrow morning. So I just wanted to say I love you, Aunt May. And thank you for being the best Aunt - no Mom, a kid ever could have asked for. And I'll tell Uncle Ben hi for you. And if you're gone, then I'll see you on the other side. I larb you. Forever."
With a sigh, he tapped the helmet and grabbed Tony's jacket, and went to lay down.
When Peter Parker woke up, he was in a bed. The room was dark, and all he could hear was the sound of air blowing through the vent and a dripping sound and ... a heartbeat?
"Who's there?" he whispered. He heard a small gasp and footsteps.
"You're awake," a female voice whispered.
"Am I dead?" he asked.
"No," she whispered. "You are very much alive."
"Where am I?"
"The Avengers Compound."
"I'm on earth?" He whispered. "How? How'd I get here? Where's Tony?"
"Carol Danvers - shes an avenger, a new one? Old one? I don't know, but she brought the ship you were stranded on back to earth. Mr. Stark kept screaming for someone to help you. That you wouldn't wake up. Refused to let anyone help him until you were taking care of."
"Where is he now?"
"In a meeting, I think? There was some yelling."
"Why are you whispering?" he asked finally.
"Oh," she whispered, taking another step toward him. She looked around his age, with brown hair and brown eyes. "Sorry," she said, her voice coming out a little louder. Her cheeks were red, "Mr. Stark said you had heightened senses and that they may go a little haywire when you wake up. That why I was whispering and why it's so dark. Um," she took a step back. "Any more questions before I go, let them know you're awake?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Lila, Lila Barton."
"Oh, um, well, I'm Peter. Peter Parker."
Rhodey came into his room after soon after and told him that Tony had to be sedated, and the rest of the remaining Avengers were prepping to go off work to get Thanos.
"I want to come with," he said, moving the blankets.
"Woah, Underoos," Rhodey said, laying a hand on his shoulder. Peter flinched, that's what Tony called him. "You aren't even cleared to get out of bed, let alone blast off into space. And if you're not here when Tony wakes up, he's going to kill me."
"Can I at least see him? Please?" Peter pleaded. "I need to see him, Mr. Rhodey. With my eyes."
"I'll talk to Bruce, see if I can get you a wheelchair."
Ten minutes later, he was being wheeled into Tony's room right next to Pepper Potts.
"Hey Peter," Pepper said, offering him a small smile. "He's going to be real mad he missed you waking up. All he could talk about was you."
Peter shrugged, "Is he going to be alright? He was giving me his rations and water-"
"He's going to be fine, Peter," Pepper said, placing a hand on top of his. "He just needs to sleep, but he won't do it on his own. You know how he is. Once you both get some food back in your systems and some rest, you'll both good as new. "
Peter nodded and taped the IV that had been inserted in his chest, under his collarbone. "Any idea when I can get this taken out?" The IV was attached to a bag of … he had no idea what it was, to be honest.
"A few days. Its got, well for lack of a better word, formula it."
"Formula? Like for a baby?"
"For a spider-baby," she laughed. "That's what Tony called you. He knew you would be malnourished with the three weeks in space and knew we needed a quick way to get your caloric intake back up. Something about your super healing not working with it … he said a lot of things, really fast, and I was just so happy you were both alive to care about anything else."
Peter nodded. "Um, Ms. Potts-"
"Call me, Pepper."
He nodded. "Pepper, I haven't seen my Aunt around. Is she-" he froze the words getting lost. He couldn't imagine a world where he got to survive this, but May didn't. In every scenario he ran in his head, it was either both of them alive or both of them dead, not one or the other. Peter glanced up at her. Pepper Potts. The PA turned CEO who overnight took the world by storm. She was incredible, but at that moment, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing an old sweater, her eyelids swollen like she had just finished crying and her eyes filled with more unshed tears, Peter Parker realized that she was just as, no, more human than them all.
"She's gone, isn't she?"
Pepper nodded, the tears now falling. "She and Happy were driving up here. Once we realized that Spiderman had been sighted going up into the spaceship but not seen coming down, I told Happy to bring her out here. Its one of the safest places on the east coast, and Tony would know to bring you here when you got back and..." she stopped and took a deep breath. "A driver on the road vanished, and the car went out of control. It hit Happy and May's car. Happy's made it out with a few broken bones, but May...she didn't make it. I'm so sorry, Peter."
Blood pounded in his ears. Car accident….May...Gone. The words kept repeating over and over in his head. May...Gone...May...Gone…
Peter glanced at Tony, to still and too skinny and Pepper with tears streaming down her face. "Excuse me," he murmured, pushing his chair away.
"Peter, stay..." Pepper whispered. "He'd want you to be here when he wakes up."
Peter shook his head. Pepper and Tony, who had survived so much together and still come out alive on the other side. He wasn't like them. He just a boy from Queens in shit parker luck who had now lost every family he had ever had. He was alone. "I want to be a-" he shook his head. Alone. He didn't want to be, but he knew he couldn't stay there.
He had only been to the Avengers compound twice. Once for the fake but not fake press conference and another time for a weekend 'intern trip'. Before it had been empty, it still was with the remaining avengers now off-world, but it still felt...different. Tools and papers were strewn around the conference area, empty glasses and bowls and plates all over the living room and music coming from the kitchen?
It was the girl, Lila.
She was standing at the counter, humming along to whatever song was playing from her headphones. He must have rolled up to quietly because when she turned around, she jumped.
"Peter!" she gasped, "You're up and about."
"Rhodey got me a wheelchair before they blasted off. They want me to put on some weight before I'm up and walking."
"Do you want me to make you something?" she asked. "I can't do much, but I make a mean grilled cheese."
"You don't have to," he shook his head. "I have a stash of canned soup around here."
Her eyes went wide, "Chicken Soup and Broccoli cheddar?"
"Yeah..."
"I ate it," she murmured. "Um, give me 5 minutes."
"Lila, you don't have to make me food. I can ask-" he paused. He couldn't ask May, Tony was asleep, and he couldn't look at Ms. Potts without feeling angry and sad so… "I'll figure something out."
"Well, you did just get back from another planet, and you fought the evil villain and spent three weeks adrift in space," she said, moving through the kitchen, pulling and pouring things before popping a mug in a microwave. "While I've been sitting here for 23 days literally doing nothing but reading, watching tv, and trying and unsuccessfully spying on Aunt Nat, trying to figure out what is going on." The microwave beeped. "The least I can do is make you some instant soup," she said, handing him the mug. "Its the only thing my dad can, um, could cook."
"What's in it?"
"Just water, some pepper, and a chicken bouillon cube. My dad used to make it for my brothers and me when we were sick. It's not the best, and its got like no caloric intake, but it's warm, and it tastes like chicken broth."
He took a sip. "Thanks, maybe if I can keep this down, I'll take you up on your offer for grilled cheese."
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Peter spoke again. "You said spying on your Aunt Nat; you don't mean Natasha Romanoff do you?"
"Well, she's not technically my Aunt, but she and my dad are best friends. I've known her my whole life."
"Wait, is your dad hawkeye?"
"Yup."
"Is he-?" She nodded before he could finish his sentence
"My mom and my two brothers, too," she frowned. "But it's okay because Aunt Nat and Dr. Banner and the rest of them are going to get the stones and fix this. It'll be like a really bad vacation."
He nodded. "Yeah..."
"Did you lose anyone?"
"Um..." he froze. He had lost everyone, and unlike her family, they weren't coming back. "Yeah. My Aunt. I don't know where my phone is, so I'm not sure about anyone else."
"Do you want to use my phone? Call your friends?"
Did he? All he wanted to do was talk to Ned, but if Ned wasn't there to pick up… he shook his head. "No, like you said. This will all be over soon."
When the avengers did eventually return to earth, Tony Stark was awake.
"What happens now?" Peter asked.
"I don't know, kid."
"Mr. Stark," Peter started. "Where do I go?"
"What do you mean, Pete?" Tony asked. "And I thought I was Tony now."
"May's gone," Peter began. He could feel the tears rolling down his face, burning his cheeks. "I don't have anyone else. Where am I going to live?"
"With me."
"Mr. Stark- Tony. You don't have to do that. You've taken care of me enough. I can live by myself,"
"Underoos," Tony said, "Look at me."
Peter shook his head and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Mr. Stark-"
"Peter," Tony said. place a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me."
Peter looked at him. This man that he once - still - idolizes. "Tony," he sobbed. "I don't want to lose anyone else."
"You're not gonna lose me," Tony said, hugging him. "I promise, kid, I'm going anywhere.
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