Hello!

I have no words. I am just sorry it took me so long. I meant to get this out sooner, but fafaf afessgeskjg

I have no excuses, but I hope you like this chapter. Please let me know.

Chapter 19:

Back to Work

Panic.

Pure Panic. It surged through him.

Tony, though he would deny it, was freaking out. It was like someone had slapped Tony with the back of their hands as his heart stopped and his brain fizzed. Any response he had vanished, his words dying in his throat. The back of his throat was parched, a harsh dessert. "W-" He started before forcing his mouth shut. He closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head. After taking a deep breath, his eyes, heavy dark shadows beneath, opened, and taking a second, Tony asked, confusion written in his voice, "Why?"

Christine, her stare cold, steadied herself. "He believes you can help him." She responded, firmly.

She clearly did not believe in him, which didn't make sense. When did he give her cause to doubt him? Besides right now. Shaking that thought and every other thought out of his head, he focused on Strange and Palmer. Narrowing his eyes, Tony took a second to fully take in Christine Palmer in all of her glory. Her appearance was strange. Even halfway through an ER rotation, she looked like a warrior, ready to fight an army. That woman was confident and well rested—well for a doctor on a long 24-hour shifts—with a hardworking grin on her face. The woman in front of him was wholly different.

Tony's heart quenched. This woman was exhausted, deep shadows hung beneath her tired eyes. Hefty concern and fear were laced throughout her eyes, tears just beneath the surface. Somehow, she was able to keep it together, even when she was second from falling apart. Tony was concerned. When was the last time she had gotten any sleep? Was this the first time she had left Strange's side? How many times had Strange yelled at her for some reason or not? How many times had he taken his anger out on her? How many times had she broken down in silence? Too many to count if her current state was to judge.

"You never answer the question. Why?" he asked as monotone as he could manage.

Tony knew the answer prior to asking, but he had to hear her say it. He couldn't fault them—or more so, couldn't fault Strange- for asking. He was Tony Stark after all. He hated to pull the 'I'm Tony Stark' card, but wasn't it true? With the ground breaking science at Stark Industry and billions at his disposal, it wasn't a fair stretch for him to have a state-of-the-art treatment for nerve damage. However, even if Tony could help without the Ancient One cursing him, the technology needed for that level of damage hadn't been created yet. Helen Cho was close. It was a dilemma she would solve in the future, but for now, it was just outside of reach.

"You have been keeping tabs on him." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

There were countless responses lined up in Tony's head, but none fit. None that she would accept. "Why would I be?"

"Stark."

Tony heavily sighed. "Even if that is true, why are you here?"

Christine's jaw locked "You know damn well." She mouthed out.

"So, money?" He asked, his monotoned, as he stared at her. He knew he sounded like a jackass, but was he wrong? Strange, the egoist asshole, only had one goal: get the use of his hands back. He would do anything, including destroying friendships to get back to the operating table. His hands were his everything. This current Strange with his less than pleasant attitude was useless to him.

Christine, her eyes large, stubbled over her works. "What? NO?!"

Tony's eyebrow went up, nonchalantly. "Oh, no? So, he isn't coming to me for my resources?" he hummed as he turned from Christine. He left out a weary huff and headed toward the large floor to ceiling window.

"It isn't like that!" She puffed, her eyes glassy and red.

Tony didn't answer right away, his eyes dropping to the busy street below. Any and all detail was lost in the height and distance, but he still counted the tiny cars as they went bye. It wasn't the sped that got him, but rather, the number of cars. He spent more time and energy than necessary counting them. Losing track if the number after the traffic light changed, he grumbled and turned back. Forcing a smile cheeky grin to face, he replied, "Then why are you here?"

Christine took a shaky, deep breath and sluggishly blew it out, her heart slowing. "…Strange wants to see you." She spoke it again like it meant something more the second time.

Rolling his eyes, Tony spoke, "For my money."

"N—" She started before stopping herself. Her hand flying to her face, she closed her eyes, her body trembling in an mixture of emotion. She stood stiff for a few seconds in an attempt to settle herself. "Please just see him."

Tony's strength wavered for a second. "No." He replied firmly, portraying a mask of annoyance. Christine may not know it, but very fiber in Tony's being wanted to help. Somewhere along the way, he gained an intoxicating urge to help. It gnawed on him like a lion. He desperately wanted to hover like an overbearing parent and provide anything the surgeon may want or need, but he had to keep his distance. Strange was the key to saving the future. He couldn't be selfish… Wait? Selfish? That word seemed right but yet not right at the same time.

Her cheeks puffed, a bright red bubbling just beneath the skin. Her hand balled at her side. "Then why, Stark?"

A confusion flashed across Tony's face. "Then why what?"

"You've been keeping an eye on Strange." Christine retorted, her eyes taking him a part inch by inch. "You can't deny it. You knew who he was prior to him stepping into the exam room that first day."

"I am Tony Stark. I keep track of a lot of people."

"Like who?" she challenged.

Did Peter Park count? Future Spider-Man? No, he wasn't going to mention that he was keeping a watchful eye on a preteen. That didn't sound right. Instead, he picked a different name. "Doctor Helen Cho." Note to self: make contact with her.

Christine clearly didn't believe him if he was to judge by her pointed stare. "And yet, you found Strange in less than an hour, saving him from a life in a chair."

That peaked Tony's interest. His injuries weren't this bad the last time. While Strange had serious injuries that lined his body, none of them threatened his ability to walk. "I was just in the area."

"Bullshit." She nailed him with an intense stare. "Considering you just gave me access to your fancy tower, something is going on here." She threw her hands up in the air. "I'm a random ER doctor. An astounding ER doctor sure, but there're more qualified doctors. Yet, here I am with Stark Tower access."

Tony smiled. "I thought we had a connection."

"What game are you playing?" She hissed.

"Game?"

Christine took an irritated step forward, a sharp finger pointing at him. "Yes, game." She huffed. "What else would you call it?! You can't deny checking in on him after he returned from surgery, standing outside his door."

Tony's nose flared, knowing he was caught in a lie, but that didn't mean he was going to spill the beans. "Even…" He struggled to find the right word. "…if that was… true, that's… not going to change the answer." He replied, rolling his tongue. "Besides, there're things even money cannot fix." Christine gave him a fix stare, her eyes burning deep into his soul. "If all he wants is money…" He shook his head, unable to understand the pain suddenly in his chest. "If you want to put Strange up in a fancy hospital suite, done, but there's nothing else I can or will do." He spoke.

"It isn't about M-"

"Enough," Tony hissed. "While you won't admit it, it is true. Doctor Strange only wants one thing: to use me. Like everyone else, he wants my resources and money." He had no idea why the thought offended Tony, considering he knew what kind of person Strange was pre-Wizardry. Besides, this wasn't new. People wanted his money. "So, if that is all, you can leave." Any good mood he had was shot, and he just wanted her gone.

Her chest pounding, Christine's glare hardened. The veins in her neck pursed. Her jaws locked. She looked ready to burst, but nothing else were spoken between them, and she stomped out, her hand flexing at her side. Tony watched her go before he headed to his lab to cool off.

*O*O*

For the few days that followed the heated conversion with Doctor Palmer, Tony avoided people and focused on the internship. He used this time to add and/or clean up the syllabus. Knowing he would get lost in his own mind, he had JARVIS set an alarm 1 hour prior to the kiddos' arrival, but it wasn't needed. Tony's skin begun to tingle at the 12-hour mark, and since then, he kept glancing up at the clock every five minutes. Nothing he did settled his anxieties. He was up. He was down. He was up. He was down. He moved—if you could call it that. More like twitched for the entire 12 hours and drunk so many cups of coffee that he lost count. Both FRIDAY and JARVIS were in his ear, warning him about the effects of drinking too many cups, but he shrugged them off.

After getting 'yelled' from his A.I.s for a few hours, Tony left the lab and proceeded to the kitchen for some snacks for the kiddos. While he may not be trained in the ways of kids, he might as well put something out for them to munch on. They did enjoy eating, right? He would assume so, but his mind was elsewhere. The very thought of teaching young minds thrilled him and that was all he could focus on. The exhilaration acted like a battery. Whatever brought it on, both FRIDAY and JARVIS were impressed.

"Very proud of you, Sir." JAVRIS spoke.

In addition to the snacks, Tony created name tags out of metal scraps. Each were different, customized to the specific child based on their applications. He would have added their specialties to the name tags, but he wasn't sure what their capabilities were. That would be his first task. He, proving to be a sentimental old man, ran a finger over the name tags and read each slowly as if he didn't already know the names. Peter, Elizabeth T., Elizabeth B., Michelle, and Ned's names sparkled under the fake light.

"Boss."

"Yes, Fri," Tony asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Mister Parker and Young Peter are currently in the lobby."

Tony, both surprised and confused, spun in his chair, his eyes narrowing on the ticking clock on the far wall. Like he was attempting to clear his version, he blinked a few times, unsure at first if he was reading it correctly. Considering they were eager young children 'dying' to meet a superhero, Tony expected them to be 15 to 20 minutes early, but the Parkers were 45 minutes early. He hummed. "Have security direct them to the elevator and take them to the main lounge."

"Yes, Boss."

While Tony was tempted to greet them, popping down to the lobby would draw unwanted attention. Meeting Christine Palmer in the crowed lobby had already gotten people to talk, which earned a painful phone call from Pepper wondering if she had to worry about fallout. Tony's heart pinged when he thought about their relationship. While relationships were the last thing on his mind, he wished he would've handled his relationship with Pepper better. She deserved the world.

Not now, he told himself, thrusting thoughts of Pepper out of his mind. For once, he allowed himself to think of Peter. His chest swelled, his breathing hollow, as he thought about the smile that often-graced Peter's face. After allowing himself to think of Peter, he pushed those fond memories out of his mind. He couldn't show favoritism, especially this early in the game. Plus, there was an angel—if you could call it that—on his shoulder telling him that while Tony wanted to put his arms around Peter, he shouldn't. Peter needed room to grow. He needed to become the man he was meant to become.

*O*O

Tony, his nerves on fire, waited a painful ten minutes before exiting the lab and heading to the huge 'Avenger' lounge. Warring urges popped up inside of him, and he struggled with each step. He had no idea why he was so worried. What was he scared of? A few things came to mind, but in reality, he didn't want to overwhelm Peter, who needed room to grow. Peter's inter strength, his personality, hadn't formed yet, and being at such a young age, it could be easily destroyed, which was what Tony wanted to avoid. The excruciating memories flashed up in front of him, demanding to take Peter into his arms and never let go.

Tony's heart violently skipped when he made it to the lounge. He hovered at the entry way, his mind erroring. His eyes were glued to Peter's back… Peter who stood so closed to the window that he appeared to be one with it. Tony couldn't blame the boy as the view, overlooking the New York skyline, was magnificent. But it failed in comparison next to Peter. The bright-eyed, happy Peter. Tony's version blurred for a second, a memory hitting, and a cold relief soaked him to the bone. It stunned, his lungs constricted painfully. It took several minutes to collect himself before he allowed himself to take a step toward Peter.

There weren't enough words in Tony to form a complete thought when he laid eyes on Peter. Peter's left arm was tucked firmly against his chest in a tight brace, while the other rested against the cold window, his fingers making odd shapes on the glass. The usually clear glass directly in front of his face was foggy from his hot breath. Even with the bad angle, Tony could see the sheer joy on the young man's face. Warmth flooding him, it took everything in Tony not to run to the kid and hug him. However, that wouldn't turn out well. While this was a Peter, it wasn't his Peter- not that Peter was ever his.

A dark shadow abruptly moved at the bar, drawing Tony's attention. As Friday had announced the Parkers' arrival, Tony knew who it was, but the sudden movement startled him all the same. Tony, going a little stalkish, knew exactly who Ben Parker was, spending hours staring at pictures of this tiny family. Old memories colored his imagination, forming pictures that never existed; he imaged that little family, smiles on their smiles, which meant he was ill-prepared for the coldness that rolled off the famous Uncle Ben. In the previous timeline, Mary, who hadn't been his biggest fan at times, liked him for the most part and was warm and friendly whenever she saw him.

Tony's heart loudly beating in his ear, it took several tries before the words formed. "Look who the cat dragged in," Tony spoke, vociferously, his voice echoing across the room.

Ben turned, his eyes zeroing in on him. "Mister Stark." He replied, sizing him up.

Words could not describe the energy that was rolling off Peter in waves. "Mr. Stark!" The boy literally leapt several feet in the air, his unbroken arm waving high in the air. "Oh my gosh!" His voice, squeaking like nails on a chalk board, reached several decimals, which caused both Adults to flinch. "It's you!"

Was Peter always this loud? Tony asked himself as he humorously rubbered his ears with his index finger. "Are all kids this loud?" he asked with a playful jest.

Ben, in a gloomy mood, nailed him with a critical gaze. "You hadn't been around many kids, have you?" he asked, barely able to keep back the distain in his voice. Tony, who was used to swimming with sharks, wasn't expecting such a cold tone from the man.

"Uncle Ben!" Peter yelled as he swiftly twisted around, his face blood red. The amazing view forgotten; Peter clumsily dashed over to his Uncle, tripping over his feet several times. Any grace older Peter had, the younger one did not.

"It's okay, Kid." Tony replied, unable to stop the smile on his face. Peter, in his bulky sunglasses, was so ungraceful that it was adorable.

Peter, his glasses slipping down his nose, pouted before sending his Uncle a serious pout. "You promise you will be nice." His cubby cheeks puffed up, his eyes thinning.

Ben, taken back from the anger on the child's face, huffed. "I'm being nice." He placed a gentle hand on Peter's tiny shoulder and squeezed.

A deep, primal, and familiar warmth settled deep in Tony's chest at the sight of them. "I simply wasn't expecting Mr. Parker this early." Tony spoke, his tongue feeling twitchy in his mouth over Peter's last name, but he mustn't allow himself to fall into the familiar tones that he used often with the boy. He hadn't earned that right yet. He just wished the memories of Peter covered in oil and grease would cease. It was just too painful.

Ben's calculating stare turned hot as he took in Tony, following the genius' gentle, warm glaze to Peter. "I wanted to speak to you before everyone got here."

Peter was horrified as he stared, mouth open, at his Uncle. "No, Uncle!"

"Peter." Ben huffed.

"You promised." Peter echoed again.

Tony had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing from the high-pitched squeal that escaped from Peter's lips. "Very well." He replied, putting on a serious face. Ben nodded, while Peter was rattled.

*O*O*

To avoid young Peter listening—something that Ben insisted on-, Tony took the Elder Parker to a closed off conference room to have their 'conversion'. Tony had a feeling that this 'chat' wasn't going to be cheery, but he expected nothing else from Ben Parker. Hill had cleared out this room and a few others for mission assignments and briefings. It was odd to see her items lined up against the walls. "So how can I help you, Mister Parker?" he asked, leaning back against the wall.

Ben's heated stare could level a mountain. "There're a few things I wanted to discuss." His voice was rough.

"I assume this is regarding Peter's safety while in the tower?" Tony asked, trying to be as serious as he could.

"The other parents are equally as worried." Ben answered, matter-of-factly.

Is that so? Where are they? Tony folded his arms across his chest and hummed. It wasn't surprising that parents were concern about their children's safety. While the attack on tower wasn't public, it happened. So, it was possible another attack could occur, but Tony would do whatever he could to protect these kids. With all of the updates he had done to the tower, he was satisfied that no other attackers would be successful. "I would not allow anything to happen to those kids." He paused. "Any kids."

Ben gave him a disbelieving look. "You're Iron Man." He spoke as if that was all the answer Tony needed.

"I'm aware." He replied, dryly. He wanted to respond with 'Oh, am I? I didn't know,' but he doubt that would've played well with Ben.

"And as Iron Man, you have-"

Tony didn't need Ben to finish that sentence. "I'm aware."

Ben took a deep breath. "Then you can understand why I hesitate to allow my nephew to participate. I cannot and will not allow anything happen to him."

There were so many things Tony could say to Ben Parker, but he couldn't say any of them. He couldn't tell Ben Parker that he would protect Peter like a son. He couldn't tell him how much Peter meant to him. Tony's very heart was about to pop out of his chest at the thought of Peter hurt. "Peter will be safe."

"How can I believe that?"

Tony understood why Ben Parker had little trust in him, but it didn't mean it wasn't insulting. "JARVIS," Tony called.

"Yes, Sir?" JARVIS responded, startling Ben whose eyes darted to the ceiling.

With a forced smile, Tony asked, "Can you confirm that this Tower is one of the safe building on the planet, J?" With the backup power generators and servers he had installed, he had no doubt that the statement was correct.

"I can confirm that Mister Stark has put in redundancies and safety measures to prevent unauthorized access and to unsure the safety within." JARVIS answered.

Ben narrowed his eyes. "What is this?"

Tony could go on and on about JARVIS and FRIDAY, but any complex explanation would only serve to confuse the famous Uncle Ben. "He is a highly advance artificially intelligent user interface program."

"To put it lightly, Sir." JARVIS added, drily.

Ben huffed and shook his head. "Stark."

When annoyed or anytime really, jokes and insults were Tony's best friends, but he did his best to be serious. "Nothing will happen to your Nephew while he's here." Judging by Ben's harsh glare, he was ready to walk out the door with Peter. Ben explained he almost didn't allow Peter to accept the internship, feeling uncomfortable leaving his nephew in Tony Stark's care. He didn't hold anything back, which Tony couldn't fault him on. He had some wild decades, blacking out from drugs and booze more times than he could count. He didn't have the best track record. If it wasn't for Ben Parker's 'Better Half,' Peter wouldn't be here.

Tony liked to think Ben was surprised by his calm response when he responded to every complaint and worry, but Ben's stoic, calculating expression hadn't changed the entire time. And no matter what was said here today, he doubted Ben's opinion changed, but since he hadn't yanked Peter out of the program, it was a win.

Simmering under Ben Parker and his judging eyes, Tony ended the 'conversion' with a quick one liner and led the two to the lab the kids would be using for the internship. With a wave of his hand, he told they were free to look around the lab while they waited, which Peter jumped at. Not wasting a second, Peter bounced around the lab eyeing and touching everything. His glasses kept slipping off his noses and almost fell from his face several times. Unable to force himself away from the excited kid, he watched Peter hop and skip like a rabbit. As he compelled himself away, he noticed Ben's calculating eyes.

He attempted to force back the shiver that ran down his shine at the harshness of Mister Parker's glare with an over-the-top smile. Tony wasn't sure if the smile over did it, but as long as the tension went unnoticed by the young Peter, it was all that Tony could hope for. Whatever Ben's feelings were, there was nothing Tony could do besides putting his best foot forward and not look like he was about fall apart at any moment. Yes, a piece of cake.

*O*O*

Tony, the corner of his face twitching, leaned over an oversize bathroom sink and sprayed himself with cold water. His lungs were in a state of protest. His nerves were on fire and nothing he did settled the fires. Why was it so hard to see Peter? Why did his heart echo like an elephant stomping on his chest? He dripped his hands into the chilly water and cupped his hands. He stared at the reflective water for a second before pulling out his hands, the water pooling in his cupped hands. His tired eyes popped up to the mirror, meeting his own frosty stare. Holding it, he dumped the liquid on the top of his head. The coldness seeped through his hair to his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

"Stop being a child." He ordered, as he watched the water drip from his forehead. With a deep sigh, he pushed off the counter and exited the bathroom, but he didn't get far. Her appearing shocked Tony. "Oh, hey." He uttered.

Across the hall stood an annoyed Ayo, but she always looked annoyed and irritated, even when she wasn't. It was a gift. "Your minions are waiting."

It took a second for Tony's mind to wrap itself around the word. He meant the children, which he repeated to himself several times. He wasn't sure if he necessarily agreed with it, but he assumed she had a point. "Jealous?"

"Of your minions?" Her eye brow went up.

"Your words, not mine."

"And yet you keep them waiting." The corner of her lips curled. "I think you enjoy making them sweat."

"That's the Stark way. Keep everyone waiting." He smiled as water dripped to his shoulder from his face. Now that was something Tony could agree on. JARVIS had announced kids and parents' arrivals, and Tony directed them to the lab. At this point, they had been waiting for 20 minutes, but considering they were sitting in a state-of-the-art lab with expensive equipment, he was sure no one was crying. They were probably all nerd-ing out. In fact, if no one had touched or played with the tech, he would be highly disappointed and would have to rethink these 'winners'.

Ayo let out a chucking sigh. "I don't think you should use that method on children."

Confused, Tony cocked his head to the side. "What?"

Ayo dramatically rolled her eyes. "You like to make people wait. You may play it off as losing track of time." She paused and inhaled deeply. "Which I am sure is the cases sometimes when you're neck deep in a build, but you shouldn't purposely do that with children. They are the future."

It took Tony back how she said, 'the future.' Shaking his head, he replied. "Those kids are having the time of their lives."

She hummed. "I would bet, if they're anything like Shuri." There was a fondness in her voice.

Tony nodded with a smile. "Let's go check on the minions."

*O*O*

Like Tony expected, the kids were neck deep in blue prints and computers components. FRIDAY had brought up Kid friendly blue prints; more specifically, they were the recent children prosthetics he did for the hospitals. Large smiles were glued to their faces as they pointed out every detail, amazed at the care that went into them. Even the melodramatic one- Michelle if he remembered correctly- was fascinated by the arms, a smile just beneath the surface. The parents, though enjoying their children's joy, chatted in the corner. If he had to guess, they were trading numbers and notes.

"Tony Stark!" Ned yelled, when he noticed Tony and Ayo standing in the doorway. Every head spun.

Putting on a mature smile, he took a step forward and scanned the room. He allowed his eyes to fall on Peter for a second, unable to take the burning heat in his chest. Sudden nerves flooded him, knocking the air from his lunge. "Sorry, I'm late. Iron Man stuff." He smiled. The lie rolls off his tongue like it was nothing.

Besides for Ben Parker and Adrian Toomes, the parents' smiles were as large as the kids. Tony couldn't place the face, but he knew the name Adrian Toomes. He was heavily involved in selling alien weapons on the black market, which was something Tony needed to deal. Or did he? Toomes was Peter's hurdle to jump. How would he grow into the man he was supposed to without that hurdle? Yet, if he did nothing, he would be allowing Toomes' actions to steal lives. You can't save everyone.

Tony pushed those difficult questions aside for now and focused on the parents. Ayo, the wise woman that she was, abandoned him once the parents littered the room with questions. Tony did his best to answer them. This internship would only be once a week for a few 3 hours on Friday and would not interfere with their school work. The parents were clear on that, and Tony understood completely. A few parents asked if they could stay (something the kids protested over). While he didn't like being stared at like a fish in a fish tank, he permitted parents to stay in the lounge.

After the parents left (Elder Parker and Toomes electing to stay), Tony turned to the two Elizabeths and ordered, "Nicknames now or I'm picking them for you." He had to remind himself that they were 12 years old. He had to keep his cursing and his playful insults to himself.

"Liz," The red-faced Elizabeth Toomes announced.

"Betty," An equally red-faced Elizabeth Brant shot out quickly.

"Good, Good." Tony waved. He scanned the kids. They looked ready to burst, especially Ned who rocked back and forth on his feet. Peter wasn't doing much better. With his broken arm tucked against his chest, Peter bounced on this toes. While Liz and Betty weren't as jittery as the boys, the smiles on their faces betrayed their excitement. Michelle, blank slate, her emotions showing nothing, was hard to read. He assumed that she was happy to be here, considering she applied for the internship

Leaning back against one of the workroom tables, Tony spoke, "While I understand being in a room with greatness is-" He shook his head, while waving his hand in the air. Behave, Tony. He stopped whatever jest was on his tongue. "…I think today we'll spend the day getting to know each other." He paused. "We can talk about what your goals and stuff." He struggled with the word 'stuff.' "And get the awkwardness out of the away."

Silence fell for a minute before Michelle broke it with a heavy sigh. "I guess I shall go first." She rolled her eyes.

At first Tony thought Michelle was joking when she stated she was fascinated by the Black Dahlia murder, but she was serious. After Michelle broke the ice with rundown of the murder, the other kids fell in line, a dam breaking. Liz and Betty, though cherry red, talked about their student government projects, which they were immensely proud of. Tony had no idea what Ned even said. Maybe, it was his short attention span, or maybe, it was how fast he spoke. That kid spoke a million words per minute and Tony got rip lash.

Peter, on the other hand, shuttered; though, his voice was super soft. Knowing the 15-year-old vision of the kid, his behavior was odd, but Tony contributed the weirdness to meeting him, his hero. However, if he met Steve, his childhood idol, back in the day, he would probably be shaking in his boots, ready to burst. Pinching himself, Tony shook that thought from his mind.

Smiling as large as he could, he focused on the kids. These kids, once given the chance to speak, spoke until they were out of breath. While the girls gave the others a chance to speak, Ned and Peter kept running into the other. The first few times they did, they just stared, mouth wide opened, waiting a second for the other to speak. When it kept happening, they gave up and just spit out words like there was no tomorrow. Tony thought about stopping them, but that idea died as soon as he had it, since he didn't want to upset the boys. Instead, he prayed that they would tire themselves out.

However, as minutes went by with no signs of stopping, Tony had to stop himself from letting out a pained groan. It took everything in him not to react to the nonstop chatter. Note to self, 12-year-olds never run out of energy. It would be amazing if it weren't so scary. Liz and Betty, with skills Tony did not have, calmed down the boys, but it took several, hilarious minutes. As if she was enjoying the show, Michelle, smirking, just sat back and watched.

The children left a few hours later, new Stark tablet in hand. They were shocked by the expensive gifts, but Tony waved it off as needed rentals for the internship, considering the amount of programming and building they would be doing. Granted, the word 'rental' wasn't accurate as he had no interest in reclaiming them. If he called them a gift, there was no doubt in his mind that Ben Parker would storm in and return it. Ben, a proud man, would refuse any kind help until he was blue in his face, even if May were whispering in his ears. While Tony could admit that he was also too proud for his own good and had no room to judge, there was nothing wrong with accepting help.

*O*O*

The next few weeks for Tony had been the best weeks he had experienced since going back in time, which said something. His cheeks hadn't hurt this much in…

Shit, how long had it been?

No, really.

How long had it been?

Tony had no idea when the last time he had smiled this much. While he set this 'internship' up to spend time with Peter, he thoroughly enjoyed teaching the other kids. As the weeks went on, their little personalities stated to shine through, and Ned and Peter begun to settle. That wasn't to say Ned and Peter wasn't as hyper as ever, but they weren't jittery and red faced when they spoke now. Their confidence grew. Michelle was hard to read, especially when she went silent. Granted, she wasn't silence when something came up that she didn't agree with, AKA how much money Stark Industry spent on certain things. A few times, Tony wanted to object to her objections, but she was 12, and he wasn't going down that rabbit hole.

Even when it was tempting.

Bad Tony. No arguing with a 12-year-old.

Even when she was wrong, he bit his lip.

Instead, he focused on their current project: programming. They had started on something small so Tony could judge their skills before they moved to a more complicated build. Programming was the foundation. At first, he envisioned them creating life changing tech before he stopped and reminded himself that these were children. They were smarter than any other kids their age, but they were still kids. They needed time to grow.

His emotions warring within himself, his eyes wondered to Peter more times than he could count. The kids, too focused on their tablets, failed to notice, which Tony counted as a blessing. Every part of him pleaded for that reconnection with Peter, but he had to keep a respectful distance. He didn't want to have or hold too much influence over the boy. He could not sway the kid too much and change the essence of what made Peter Park Peter Park.

*O*O*

"How you doing?" Tony asked coming up behind Peter after the internship one day. He was unable to stop himself from approaching Peter, who was sitting alone.

Peter jumped slightly, his heart beating, and looked over his shoulder. "J-Just waiting for m-my Uncle, Mister Stark." He replied with his signature stutter. Any confidence he had was gone. As all the other parents had picked up their kids, Peter was the last one. He looked positively uncomfortable now that he was alone with no one to act like a buffer.

Tony glanced down at his watch, staring longer than necessary. It was ten minutes pass the pickup time, which was odd as Ben Parker was never late. Usually, Ben stayed for the three hours and waited. "Hmmm," he hummed, deciding against making a late joke. He lingered behind the sofa for a second, wondering if he should leave the kid in peace. This went against what he had decided earlier: space to bloom. "We can chat while you wait." He spoke, unable to turn away.

"S-Sure," Peter blushed, his fingers digging into his pantleg.

Putting his hand down the back of the sofa, Tony leapt over it and landed with a light humph on the end cushion. After making sure he had put enough space between them, he angled himself to look at Peter. "How are you liking it so far?" his eyes dropped to the cast for a second before he could stop himself.

Peter's eyes went huge, a childhood youth surging through him. Unable to stop or control his excitement, he straightened up, his back no longer touching the couch. "Yes!" His voice echoed across the lounge. Tony resisted the urge to cover his ears and simply smiled, allowing the boy continued. "I've learned so much." He stretched his arms out as if to visibly show how much.

"I am glad."

Peter, a grin so large it took up half his face, took that as an invitation to keep talking. "And all the other kids are soooo jealous, Mister Stark. Soo jealous." Though Tony knew who Flash was, Peter avoided any conversion regarding his bully. It was like he didn't exist. "They keep asking, 'Is it true Mr. Stark does this?' and 'What's his favorite movie? Color? Food?" His eyes sparkled. "Even the teachers ask."

"Oh, do they?" This was not surprising.

"Yes!" Peter, forgetting where he was, leapt to his feet. "For example, they want to know which you consider better: Star Trek or Star Wars."

Peter's smile warmed Tony's heart. "Oh really?" He highly doubted anyone cared if he preferred Star Trek over Star Wars. "That is what the people really want to know?"

"Yes!" Peter, using his imagination, begun to swing his arms back and forth like a sword. Tony knew in this case that the sword was a lightsaber. Peter loved Star Wars.

If Happy was here, he would've told the boy to shut up. Honestly, Tony would've told the boy to shut up too if he hadn't had experienced the pain of the boy turning to dust in his hands. A laugh escaped Tony's mouth when Peter tripped over the edge of the sofa in his pretend fight. "If you must know, I enjoy Star Trek over Star War, though both are good."

Peter turned and narrowed his eyes at Tony. "Oh, that makes sense." He sounded…almost disappointed, but it was gone a second later.

"Oh, does it?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"Just look at this place!" Peter dropped his pretend lightsaber. His hands in the air, he spun. "FRIDAY and JARVIS are so Star Trek. Starfleet! I can see them on a Star Ship."

Tony grinned like a Chester Cat. "Oh, FRIDAY and JARVIS could be the Captain and First Officer on any ship."

"Who would be the Captain, Sir." JARVIS asked.

"Surely, it would be I," came FRIDAY's voice.

Peter looked up, his eyes wild, his mouth open. Tony's smile, somehow, grew. He could see the fascination grow in his eyes.

"Why would it be? Is it not me who pilots the suit with Mr. Stark?" JARVIS purposely hummed. "The wise choice would be me. I assume Sir would agree."

With a deep groan, Tony shook his head. "Nope, I'm not getting into this fight." He used the word loosely as this was no where near the level of hostility he experienced when FRIDAY first woke. Those were times he didn't want to relive. "What do you think, Peter?"

"Is this what you do all day!?" Peter asked, his eyes popping.

"Yes," a voice interrupted.

Tony straightened up and followed the voice with his eyes. Learning against the door stood Natasha, who looked as happy as Fury did on a bright sunny day. Ayo was nowhere to be seen, but if Natasha was back, then Ayo was as well. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. While Natasha and he weren't at the banter back and forth stage, he wasn't going to be hostel in front of Peter.

"OH MY GOD. It's Black Widow!" Peter jumped a foot off the air and rushed halfway over to Natasha. Any blank, cold expression she held was replaced by a smile.

Besides for Ayo, Maria Hill, and a few paid staff, no one had met the kids. In respect to Ben Parker (and also to Tony's over protectiveness), he kept them apart. "Where's Ayo?" he asked as Peter gushed over Natasha. The kid wasn't saying many words, just making old, squeaky sounds.

"She's giving an update to Hill." Natasha glanced at Peter. "Oh, is this one of your kids?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

Her phasing made Tony's eye twitch. She didn't mean it the way that he heard it, but that didn't make it better. "I wouldn't call him mine."

Peter glanced between the two and opened his mouth to respond, but they didn't get to finish the conversion as Ben arrived. Ben Parker, not wanting to get into small talk with either Tony or Natasha, didn't want to stay long. He offered a small apology to Peter for being late and was off. Tony, no longer needing to play nice, waved bye to Natasha and head toward Hill and Ayo.

*O*O*

Hill, who kept an ear to the ground, wanted to be 'hands on' the faculty upstate construction, and while Tony wouldn't hand over control, a security consultant would be vital to any structure of this kind. He allowed her to make suggestions, but the labs were his to design and build. "How did the mission go?" he asked.

"Ayo and Romanoff were able to get Agent Nolan and Diaz to the safe house." Hill answered.

Tony glanced around the messy temp office that Hill was working from. Ayo was nowhere to be seen. "And Rogers and Wilson?" he asked.

"No sign of the Winter Soldiers, but they found another abandoned Hydra base. They're currently searching the base."

That was the problem working from memory: he couldn't recall every location that the Avenger hit in the previous timeline. "I hate to say it, but…" he drifted off. He knew a line of dead body would help, but no one wanted that.

"Yea, I get." Hill replied.

Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose as he turned away. "We need a way to drag them out."

"Too bad we don't have another Super soldier to draw them out." Natasha suddenly shot from the doorway.

Tony turned to her, irritated that he hadn't noticed her prior. "Like Rogers?" he replied, glaring. It felt like he was being stabbed with a hundred fine point needles when she hinted to Bucky. It made his blood boil. How dare she?

Hill, her eyes calculating, looked between the two as she sensed the tension in the air. "We already have Rogers in the fields."

Natasha gave Tony a pointed look; however, it wouldn't change his answer. It was a big fat no. One, Barnes wasn't in the right mind space for any kind of mission. Shit, he could barely handle food. Two, the trigger words to turn him into a mindless killer were still active in Barnes' head. That was a risk Tony wasn't willing in taking. Granted, she may have a point. "Maybe, she's right. Is there a way we can use Rogers to draw them out?"

Hill hummed. The idea sparked inside of her. "There may be a way."

"Like public appearances?" Tony offered, waving his hand. "Captain America is the perfect Super Soldier, while these Winter Soldiers are defected copycats. I am sure we can find a way to use that to get off under their skin."

"I don't think defected is the right word, Stark." Natasha countered.

Tony shrugged. "Maybe not in strength, but we can't call them right in the head."

Hill waved them off. "That could work."

While they contemplated what they would need to set the trap, Hill turned from the two, her eyes on the massive wall of computers in front her. Tony leveled Natasha with a stare, a cold threat in it. He hoped it was enough to get Natasha to back off. It was hypocritical of her. "While you two work on that, I have a meeting in San Francisco." It wasn't a meeting per se as he planned to simply show up on Hank Pym's doorstep. It might not be the smartest move.

"San Francisco, Stark?" Natasha questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Tony hadn't planned on going to Pym yet, and it wasn't because he was scared of the man, a man who hated anyone who held the name Stark. However, now was the best time to visit Pym. He needed Pym on his side as he needed—believe it or not—Ant Man on his team. It also didn't hurt to have another genius on the team. Besides, Tony had his fun, his much-needed break, hanging out with Peter and the rest of the kids. It was time to get back to work. "Just someone I need to see." He would've to make a side trip to upstate New York to collect a few 'stolen' items.

He was pretty sure Hank Pym would toss him on his ass even with the peace offering, but he was going to try. Whatever it took, he would get Pym on his side.

Until next time.