Tony heaved out a sigh as his Mark 42 crumbled to pieces after being hit by a truck. "That came out of nowhere."

He just finished saving off the Air Force one crew by controlling the Mark 42 from the speed boat they are in now. Unfortunately, Killian still managed to get the President using the Iron Patriot armor. It's time he summons the rest of his suits using the House Party Protocol. He wished he could've done it before the missiles hits the mansion, but half of his suits are in the Tower plus they were caught off guard too instantly.

They're on their way now to the container terminal where Killian intends to kill the President. If he's right, then that's also where they're also keeping Pepper.

But where are they keeping my son?

The sunset and the ocean laid in front of him is so beautiful but all he could feel is desolation, like life loosing colour. His throat hurts from unshed tears. As time passes by, he's growing more worried for his son. Who knows what they're doing with him. He can't forgive himself if anything happens to Peter. He's trying to hold on, trying to stay strong. His family needs him and he will save them.

"Hey man, you okay?" Rhodey patted gently Tony's back, concern on his eyes. Ever since they saw each other earlier, found out they're held in the same compound, he knew Tony is trying to mask his worry and sadness. Tony can laugh and still make funny comments but he knew his bestfriend, deep down he knew he is scared for the lives of the most precious people in his life. "They're going to be alright. You'll be there to save them. We'll be there."

Tony forced a smile amidst his misery, brushing off a tear that escaped his eye. His hardened throat made it hard to reply but he still managed to regain his composure.

"No matter what it takes."

JARVIS voice interrupted them as they stared into the orange sunset skies. "Sir, a call from Captain Rogers."

Tony's expression hardened hearing the name and answered the call.

"Tony," Roger's voice sounded apologetic. He better should be.

"About time."

It didn't escape Steve the resentment from Tony's voice. "I guess you knew already. We're sorry, Tony. We really are. It got out of hand, we were -"

Tony cut him off and his face scrunched up. "It got out of hand? What? I trusted you! You're freaking Captain America! You've got Black Widow, you even got the Hulk there!"

He doesn't need an explanation. His anger is growing by the minute. He expected too much of them. He expected that no harm will come to his son because he's in the right hands, but still the worse comes to worst. Tony blames them, but blames himself even more for trusting too much. It's his entire fault. He should've been there. All his past bad decisions coming back harrowing into his conscience.

"Know what, save it. I'm gonna save them. We're on our way to where they're hiding Pepper. Peter might be there, I'll find a way."

"Peter's not in the container port, Tony. We have finally intercepted where they've taken him. We're on our way as well. We'll bring him back to you. I promise."

Tony closed his eyes as he processes the words.

Oh, thank God. They know where Peter is.

Steve waited for Tony's reply but he didn't got any so he decided to just end it there.

"Goodluck Tony."

Steve was about to hang up the phone when in a raspy voice Tony replied.

"Rogers.. Bring back my son in one piece."

"You have my word."

With that the call ended as Tony and Rhodes closes into the big big boat they're about to hijack.

Steve turned around to see Natasha and Bruce looking at him, concern in their eyes. He figured he should be the one to talk to Tony since the one mainly responsible for Peter getting out of their hands is him. Natasha insisted that it's not his fault, it's no one's fault, everything happened too fast, it does got out of hand, but he can't help it. The team rely on his decisions, and what happened is a failure to him as their leader. They waited to call until they can give Tony some good news. They knew if they prematurely called Tony without knowing where Peter is, it will solve nothing. They don't want to be an excess to Tony's problems even more. And once they found Peter's location using Natasha's hacking prowess with the help of SHIELD and STARK servers, they immediately suited up and called Tony.

They are now in the Quinjet, heading to Peter's location which is also in Florida, but is on a remote island. Killian very well thought out to have his hostages in different locations to torment Tony even more. Killian knew he have an alas if he has Tony's son hidden somewhere.

"Banner, no code green unless we really needed it." Cap commanded as they get ready.

"Yeah, okay." Bruce helped preparing the medical supplies needed along with some some doctors and nurses that came with them from the Tower. He's worried for the state Peter is in right now.

"The island is surrounded by soldiers probably half of them injected with the same virus." Natasha said as the quinjet landed on the water. A small air boat was set-up and they stealthily went to the island. A small SHIELD tactic team was with them as backup. They infiltrated the outer perimeter successfully killing all the bodyguards. Cap handles all the soldiers with the Extremis, the tactic team with the guards, while Natasha finds a way to hack the security of the big facility prison to get inside.

"Need my help?" Bruce asked as he pace back and forth. He just watches everyone do their jobs and he guiltily stands there looking useless.

"No. I can do this. You need to check on Peter when we get him. We don't want you green and angry; you'll just scare him more." Natasha focused on her laptop as she tries another set of commands. "Come on." She was close to breaking in when riffle shots were heard from a bunker and she's about to be shot if she wasn't saved by Bruce pushing her to get down destroying her laptop. "Shit!"

"Now?" Bruce raised a brow at Natasha as he stands up. He knows this mission is a code green already.

"Oh screw it. Go!" With her signal, Bruce protected her from the gun shots of another guard as he immediately grows into the Hulk. The big angry green guy now runs after the bunker completely destroying it. After it, the Hulk made his way to the big steel door of the prison that looked somehow like a fortress, with the second smack, it completely broke. Black Widow and Captain America followed inside and what welcomed them is a big white maze of doors and laboratories.

"Search for the control room, I'll go and try to find Peter on these rooms." Cap instructed.

She nods and runs to find the control room. Part of her training of being an assassin before is to know where control rooms are located, so she already has an idea of where it is. She just hopes her hunch is right. Part of her also worries on how they are going to calm Hulk down later.

Cap runs and checks every door he ever passed killing along some guards on the way. He's only finished one floor. On what floor are they keeping Peter anyway? That Killian is nuts on building something as freaky as this.

"Cap. Found him. He's at the top floor. Middle Room. Hurry. I'll meet you there. " Natasha's voice echoed on his intercom. Steve sprinted at the stairs to the top floor, he has no time to look for the elevator wherever the heck that is.

After five flights of stairs, Steve finally reached the top floor and quickly spotted the room where Peter is. He easily opened the locked door with his strength. "Peter!"

Steve went inside the white room and the sight of finally seeing Peter relieved him but also put an ache into his heart, as he completely observed the situation the child is in right now. Peter lays on a bed curled up in a fetal position, his wrists red in restraints, his eyes are shut closed but in distress and in pain, face completely pale, his lower lip trembling from the cold temperature of the room. What kind of monster would torture a kid like this. He caressed Peter's hair and swiftly destroyed the restraints.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Peter.

Natasha came in soon after and her eyes glossed at the sight of him. "Oh my god, Peter." She kneeled at the bed caressing his face and kissed his cheek.

Cap carried Peter in his arms gently. "Can you hear us, kiddo? We're going to get you out of here."

Soft murmurs of voices have awakened Peter's senses. His eyelids are heavy as he tries to open his eyes. The first he saw is Natasha walking behind the man carrying him and it bought a half smile to his face. I know they're gonna come to save me. He then saw the blue striped uniform his head is resting to and he immediately know whose the man carrying him.

"Quinjet's already waiting downstairs." Natasha guided them as she holds Peter's hand and Bruce stepped out of the Quinjet carrying blankets. Cap was about to transfer Peter into Bruce's arms but Peter won't let go of his grasp on him. He was about to try and talk to Peter that it's okay now, he's in safe hands, but Bruce already understands the sudden reflex.

"It's okay Cap, just hold him for now." He wrapped a blanket around Peter while Steve still holds him.

"Is he going to be alright?" Cap asked as Bruce and the doctors talk and work together checking Peter's overall vitals.

Natasha answered at his side as she holds Peter's cold hand. "He will be."

"Honey, I can't reach any further and you can't stay there. All right? You've got to let go. You've got to let go! I'll catch you, I promise."

Tony reached his hand to Pepper as best as he can but she's still a little farther away from him. His eyes glistened from unshed tears seeing the state Pepper is in. She's inches away from death and his hands are almost there to catch her.

Just a little bit closer, honey, please.

The rig Pepper is in suddenly collapsed and she lost her balance.

"No!" Tony screamed as their hands touched for a single second and he watched as she plummets down hundreds of feet to the blazing fire of the ground below still reaching her hands to him.

I - I almost... I almost had her.

Tony couldn't believe it, he just watched Pepper die in front of his eyes. He looks away unable to accept the grief that is slowly filling him.

I can't save her.

He was stopped of processing the grief he is feeling when he saw Killian still alive, walking towards him. You should be the one to die. I'm gonna kill you, you fucking lunatic. They run towards each other and Tony slipped past him into another suit. They convulse into a fierce fight and Tony slips into various Iron Man suits as he continues to fight Killian. Every suit he got into, Killian managed to burn and melt some part off. The last suit he slipped into, "Shotgun" went to his rescue but eventually torn to pieces when Killian sliced through it with his burning hot hands, causing him to fall off the ground without any armor.

Killian was about to finish him when JARVIS announced the Mark 42 is inbound.

"I'll be damned. The prodigal son returns."

He waited for the Mark 42 to come to him and make his great entrance but it fell off into pieces landing ungraciously. Tony felt embarrassed as Killian looks at him mockingly.

"You really didn't deserve her, Tony. It's a pity. I was so close to having her perfect."

Don't try to insult her. She's already perfect.

Killian jumps down to him and he had an idea. "You're right. I don't deserve her. Here's where you're wrong. She was already perfect."

He gestured for the mark 42 to attach to Killian before he can attack him, successfully trapping him in it.

"JARVIS, do me a favor and blow Mark 42."

He slides down right before the mark 42 self-destruct and slipped into another armor that's in bad shape. Another rig collapses and the suit malfunctioned as he falls to the ground. From the wreckage in front of him, a figure rose and he saw a deformed Killian emerge from it. This fucker got nine lives.

Killian walked to him telling he's the real Mandarin, and Tony limped back. He was about to attack Tony when unexpectedly Pepper hit him.

Tony stared completely shocked. He thought, he thought she was gone. And seeing her blazing hot with the abilities of the virus astonished him. Pepper managed to kill Killian afterwards, by deploying and hitting a bomb on him from another Iron Man armor.

"That was really violent." Pepper said as she process on what she just did. She never thought she could do that. It's not on her nature to harm any living soul.

The original plan was to save her, and now she saves me. Like she always does.

Now, that's my badass girlfriend. Tony smiled wholeheartedly as he went to touch her and give her a hug which she refused at first because she thought she might burn him.

"Am I gonna be okay?"

"No. You're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be okay. But I can figure this out; I think I can get you better,"

She's now safe in his arms, now his heart still goes and worries to the boy who's most precious to him.

"We're not finished, Pep. Peter, I- I need to see how he's doing."

Just then a Quinjet hovered near them and landed at the port. A cold shiver ran down Tony's spine as he and Pepper walked towards it. Pepper holds his hand supporting him. His heart tightens on his each step as the hangar door slowly opens.

He only had one thought, to see if Peter is alright.

Tony's eyes welled as he took in the sight of his son. "Baby..." His voice broke as his throat hurts.

Steve and Tony met halfway as Steve carries Peter and gently transferred the little kid into Tony's arms.

Peter finally let go of Steve and embraced his Dad, resting his head into Tony's shoulder. Peter still had his eyes closed but he can feel and hear the soft humming sound that always relaxes him. "Daddy..." A soft murmur came from Peter.

"I'm here now, bud." Tony grinned as tears escaped his eyes, planting a soft kiss into Peter's head. "You're safe now."

Bruce came to them telling Tony that Peter needs an IV but the kid always cries and make a fit whenever he feels a needle close to him. Even the mere sight of a man or woman in a white coat also puts a scare into Peter when he saw a glimpse of them earlier and Steve had no choice but to order everyone to throw whatever white coat there is.

"He's severely dehydrated, Tony."

As Bruce tries again, Peter suddenly jerked from Tony's embrace startling all of them. "No, no, no! Get it away from me!"

Tony got a hold of Peter's arms calming him, "Baby... hey, hey. hey. It's okay. I got you... Baby, look at me."

Bruce backed away again as Peter now sobs. "I don't wanna. It hurts... Dad. Please, I don't. I don't want to."

What have they done to my son. The sight of it all bought tremendous pain into all of them especially Tony. If he could just get away all of the things that can hurt Peter, he already did.

"Bud, look at me... It's alright. I got you. It's gonna be okay." As Peter calmed down, Tony decided, it's time. "JARVIS, you know what to do."

It's time he let go of the suits. A sign that he's finally letting go of his paranoia of the future unknown. "The clean slate protocol, Sir?"

"Screw it, it's Christmas. Yes." As he said it he hugged Peter close and the Iron Man suits self-destruct creating fireworks and Peter looked up, finally forming a smile. He loves watching fireworks and Dad always give him a firework display on his every birthday.

As Peter watch the suits blow up, Tony signaled for Bruce to come and the IV was carefully injected to Peter without him noticing.

Peter's tears flow into his cheeks as he felt a pinch into his hand as Dad kissed the side of his head. "It's okay. I'm here."

In a few seconds it's all done and Dad kissed his forehead and hugs him close. "That's my brave boy."

In Dad's arms he finally felt safe. He finally felt home.

Tony rubs Peter's back as he warms the blanket around his son.

The whole flight back to the Tower, Peter didn't leave Tony's embrace. And Tony protectively just hold his son close in his arms. They headed straight into the Medical bay area of the Tower instead of the Hospital where there's no white walls and no white coats. Steve and Natasha told Pepper what happened, what they saw on that room and she relied it to Tony. All that stuff traumatized Peter, and Tony cursed himself for not being there to stop it. He was supposed to protect his son. So many times, Peter has been in danger. So many times, and he's always been there to stop it. But now, Peter was left all alone, helpless.

"You got to stop blaming yourself, Tony. You got to stop blaming them," Pepper went close to sit with him and rubbed his arm. Peter still in Tony's arms.

"If there's anyone to blame it's Killian, and he's gone now."

Pepper knew that Tony understands what she's talking about. She knows it's going to take some time for all of them to heal.

She gets to hold Peter for a while so Tony can take a shower and eat. Tony protested at first but she insisted and Tony has no choice but to follow her. Peter's now regaining his strength as they can see colour now on his cheeks. I'm so sorry this happened, sweetheart.

The doctors laid down their diagnosis. Peter suffered from severe dehydration and bruises from his wrists, his arms from the needles, and his legs from kicking stuff up too much. No virus or any antibodies were found. The one who did this to him, just draw blood over and over for a time period. Moreover, a trauma like this brought forth complications in his psychological well-being.

Tony knows how much of a bigger impact a trauma is psychologically. While physical wounds heal more swiftly through time, psychological wounds needs a little bit more. He can attest to this from the horrors he experienced before- from grief over the sudden death of his parents especially his mother, the cave where he was kidnapped and almost died, to the wormhole where he fell from, all of it still leaves a scar in his mind from time to time. Peter will need to have some counselling session with a Psychiatrist for the months to come and Pepper insisted that Tony will have too.

As Christmas morning came, Peter woke up to feeling much more refreshed and safe with Dad by his side. As he moved, he noticed Dad's already waking up as well. It was a beautiful day as the soft rays of morning sunlight glistened around the room. Dad caressed his hair as he sits at the bed.

"How do you feel now, bud? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No, dad. I'm okay." Peter smiled hugging his chest and Tony kissed the top of his head. It's moments like this that he feels as if he already has everything he needed in his life.

They went outside the room after and saw Pepper by the kitchen. "Oh sweetheart, Merry Christmas." Pepper's eyes lights up as soon as she saw them and she smiled warmly hugging Peter. Peter noticed Pepper prepared all his favorite dishes at the table. It's Christmas after all. Pepper invited the rest of the team to join them and Bruce checked Peter's vitals again. Having found no other complications and the kid now well rested, he removed the dextrose from Peter's hand.

Peter sits at Tony's lap as they ate and Tony acted cool around Steve, Nat, and Bruce, but somehow Pepper can still feel the tension. She can really tell they're tip-toeing around each other while Peter sits oblivious to everything. So after breakfast, she made an excuse for them to clean up all the dishes so they could all talk.

Peter and Pepper went to the living room after, checking the gifts under the Christmas tree. They're all going to open everything later and celebrate.

After some time of having heavy atmosphere, as Bruce put the dishes in the sink, he started to break the wall of silence. "I'm so sorry, Tony. We're sorry. We really are." Among the rest of the team, he's the one closest to Tony and he doesn't really want this going between their forged friendship. It was a mistake on their part and they were guilty to it.

"I'm sure Pepper already told you what happened," Steve started to admit as he stopped halfway of cleaning the table. "I guess we got too preoccupied that we didn't get to notice immediately that we're being followed."

Natasha stopped washing the plates for a moment and gazed at Tony beside her. "We didn't mean for it to happen, Tony. I'm sorry. When Peter ran away from our sight, it happened too fast. I wished I could've been there sooner before he was taken."

It rarely happens that the Black Widow apologizes for her mistakes, since she always make sure her actions flows perfectly. It was an honest mistake on her part of letting Peter out of her sight for a moment to take care of the bad guys.

"We understand if you can't forgive us right away, Tony. It was our fault. We're really sorry that it happened. Peter doesn't deserve any of that." Steve's apologetic eyes still gazes at Tony who's drying the plates, still not saying a word.

There was a pregnant pause before Tony finally speaks up.

"You know, one of the things I learned from being a Parent, is that you cannot protect your child 24/7, no matter how hard you try,"

He looks over at Peter who's now laughing with Pepper as if nothing happened.

"From all the things that almost put Peter in danger... Shit still happens no matter how I wanted to protect him, no matter how I try and shield him from anything that can hurt him,"

From Obadiah's threat, the race where Whiplash is, the Expo disaster, the invasion, even from the media and reporters, and his bullies in school, Tony tried his best of protecting Peter. But shit still happens beyond his control, and he knows it's not his fault. But sometimes, he can't help but feel, he could've done more.

He turned his eyes onto them now.

"You lost my son, but you also found him, and you brought him back to me. He's safe now, that's what's most important.

So, I guess that's good enough for me to forgive you guys, and to thank you for fulfilling your promise."

Tony's words have finally put a smile on all of their faces. They all thanked Tony afterwards and they continued cleaning up as they slowly ease up again to each other.

Later that night, as the fireplace lights up surrounding them with warmth, the gifts were exchanged and Peter's eyes gleamed in happiness as he receives gifts from all of them.

As Peter sits in Tony's lap, all he could feel is thankfulness. He already received the greatest gift, he could ever receive, his son right here in his arms hugging him.

Amidst the craziness and brutality of all that happened, they've managed to celebrate Christmas as a time of happiness and forgiveness.

Over the next few days, after some tinkering, Tony successfully removed the Extremis virus out of Pepper's body. And he finally decided to do the open heart surgery that Pepper has been convincing him to do for years now, to remove the shrapnel that's trying to enter his heart, also removing the arc reactor from his body. Tony found his way again to reconnect with Dr. Wu, whom he met years before along with Yinsen, and picked him as the cardio-thoracic surgeon who will lead his surgery.

Peter watched with Pepper and Uncle Rhodes from the glass window of the Operating Room supporting Dad. The smile and thumbs up from Peter gave Tony courage and that signal started the surgery. The shrapnel was successfully removed and Peter waited for his Dad at the room. Peter's anxiety of white rooms and white coats still lingers somehow so Tony insisted that no one comes to his room in a white coat and they made sure, the room is a mix of well mixed palette of blue.

After being some time in the recovery area, Tony's bed rolled into his room and Peter went beside the bed and climbed up, sitting next to his dad.

"Dad..." He murmured and touched Dad's arm. Worry painted in his eyes. He had read somewhere that sometimes people don't wake up from surgery. He hoped Dad won't have the same thing.

"Careful now, dear. Your father needs the rest so he can recover quickly." The nurse checking his Dad reminded him.

"He's going to wake up later, right?" Peter asked as he looks at his Dad now sleeping so peacefully.

"Right. Of course, dear. There's no need to worry." The nurse smiled at him reassuringly and he thanked her and she went away soon after.

A few moments later, he saw Dad opening his eyes, "Come here, bud." gesturing for him to lie next to him.

He shakes his head as a way of saying no. "I might hurt you, Dad. The nurse said you need to rest-"

"You're never going to hurt me. Come on." Finally giving in, Peter laid his head into Dad's arm and hugged him close sideways.

"See? You just fit perfectly fine here." Peter laughed and Tony chuckled as he closes his eyes again, smelling the coconut scented hair of his son, relaxing him.

Peter also closed his eyes as he listened to a brand new lullaby lulling him to sleep. The humming from the arc reactor is gone now, but the familiar sound of Dad's heartbeat welcomed him and he smiled. It's been years since he last heard of Dad's heartbeat and it used to be his favorite sound before Dad got kidnapped. Now, he's glad Dad found his way to bring it back.

.

Tony stared into the vast pacific ocean of Malibu. They've gone back to somehow bid farewell, to not just the house, their life in Malibu which they had so many fond memories of, but also to his past that created the demons that haunted their life recently. With them coming back to the Tower is Butterfingers who's unprecedentedly the real prodigal son. His workers found it sticking out from the other debris. So he had them dig it up.

He throws away the Arc Reactor, a relic of his past milestone, and he looks over at his side, his son holding his hand. His greatest creation.

And finally knowing and realizing, that even without his suits, without his arc reactor, without his trick and toys.

One thing they can't take away is that...

I am Iron Man.

Author's Note:

So that's it for Iron Man 3 arc. I hope you guys like it! I can't wait to hear what you think!

To my readers who are asking when do I update, it really depends if I have the ideas organized in mind and the time to type it all. Last April when I first started to write this story, I update almost every five days, weekly per se, because I'm pumped, writing this always excites me, an escape from reality. Then last month I only updated once since I'm on vacation. Now, I'll try and update again weekly or maybe sooner than that if I can. ;)

Please do not hesitate to give a review. And thank you so much for those reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys, rock!