Author's Note: Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! Normally, I would switch back and forth between this and The Many Adventures, but I wanted to give this some more love. That and the next few chapters are going to be good! So buckle up! For this chapter, we're getting the Malibu trip and some more plot as Tony and Rhodey talk to Clint and Scott about the new Accords. We'll see how it goes! I hope you all enjoy it! BUT before we get to that…REVIEW REPLIES!
Konoewpl: Glad you like it! Thank you so much! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
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Wolftattoo: Oh heck yeah! So far we've had Steve, so now we'll see Clint's reaction! Hope you enjoy!
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Lyarra12: Glad you loved it! And OMG that's awesome! Happy Birthday! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chapter 27
One week passed since Peter's surprise birthday party, and Tony, Pepper, and Peter couldn't be more excited for their trip to Malibu for the weekend. The day before they left—Thursday—was scheduled for Ms. Walker's second visit to check in on how things were going for Peter, Tony, and Pepper, and now that they had one dinner with her already a month ago, the trio felt more relaxed in waiting for her arrival. Just like the last time, Happy escorted the social worker up to the penthouse, where Tony, Pepper, and Peter waited for them. Dinner was already being made—by Tony of course—so they didn't have to wait very long before it was finally ready.
"Mm…another delicious meal, Mr. Stark," Ms. Walker said as she wiped her face with her napkin. "You've really outdone yourself."
"Well, thank you, Ms. Walker," Tony said as he sat back in his seat once he finished his own plate. "May I say that, once again, it's a pleasure to have you join us for dinner."
Peter couldn't help but bite his lip at how Tony carried himself as a suave billionaire when talking to anyone outside their little family. It just showed how used to it he was after growing up with someone like Howard Stark as a father. Although, it was probably also because their first meeting with her went so well, so he felt more relaxed going into this one. However, he still couldn't help but look at Pepper from across the table, and the CEO simply raised her eyebrows at Peter making him smile even wider.
"So, Peter," Ms. Walker said jolting him out of his thoughts, "it was your birthday last week. How was it?"
"Oh, it was great," Peter said excitedly. "I mean, I was a little sad because…it was my first birthday without May, and I missed her a lot. But Tony and Pepper really made it a great day. Tony took me to get my learner's permit, and then he told me that we were going to Compound to see Rhodey." He made extra sure to not mention that he was helping with the Accords mostly because Tony felt it would lead to evidence that he was Spider-Man. "So, we get to the Compound, and sure enough, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Vision, and my best friends Ned and MJ were all there with a party just for me."
"Oh, how wonderful," Mrs. Walker said with a smile. "That must've been an amazing surprise."
"It sure was," Peter replied excitedly. "I still smile like an idiot when I think about it, and on top of that, I got amazing presents."
"What did you get?" the social worker asked.
"Ned gave me a Lego set because we love building Legos together. MJ gave me an amazing sketch of my aunt. She's an amazing artist. Rhodey gave me some T-shirts, and Happy gave me some books. The Vision gave me a chess set, and he even promised that we would get to play sometime."
"And…did Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts give you anything special?"
Peter exhaled and shook his head. "They went above and beyond," he said with a large smile. "Tony bought a house in Malibu, California as a summer home, and we're going there this weekend…tomorrow morning."
"My, my," Ms. Walker said looking at Peter and then at Tony and Pepper before looking back at Peter again, "that is quite a gift. You must be so excited."
"Absolutely," Peter replied with a smile, "I mean…it's above and beyond what I deserve."
"Kid, I told you this yesterday," Tony quickly interjected, "and I'll tell you again: you do deserve it. You've been through a lot over these past few months. You deserve a chance to just…get away from everything and to enjoy time with your family."
"He's 100% right, Peter," Pepper said nodding. "We love you, and we want to do anything we can to make you happy." She paused for a moment. "Besides…you're talking about the same guy, who gave me a giant rabbit for Christmas one year."
"Hey, you said you liked that rabbit," Tony said to his fiancée.
"I did, hon," Pepper said lightly patting the billionaire on the shoulder. "My point is just that you like to go above and beyond for the people you love."
Tony smiled at Pepper, then at Mrs. Walker, and at Peter. "Damn right, I do," he said.
Peter closed his eyes cringing. "Please don't give me any huge stuffed animals," he said not being able to fight off the smile on his face.
"Don't worry, bud," Tony said. "I'm not that crazy."
"Although, if you want to give me a car…" Peter said trailing off with a smile.
"Watch it, young buck," Tony retorted as he drank some water from his glass earning laughter from his fiancée, his kid, and his kid's social worker.
The rest of the night continued without a hitch as Mrs. Walker once again spoke to Peter privately in his room about how things were still with Tony and Pepper, and once again, Peter had no complaint about living with his guardian and his fiancée. He even told the social worker about how he told them he loved them at the party and that Tony and Pepper said the same. He talked about how he still missed May, Ben, and his parents especially on his birthday, and he felt even better hearing Mrs. Walker reaffirm what Tony said and how it was okay to still miss one's lost loved ones. Neither of them spoke about adoption. There wasn't a need to. Like Tony had told him the month or so before…they were still adjusting to the new normal, and they would talk about adoption if the time came. Nothing else needed to be said.
After talking to Peter alone, Ms. Walker then moved on to talk to Tony and Pepper in the kitchen while Peter waited in his room. The three adults talked about how well Peter was adjusting to life with his new guardians and adjusting to his new life with Tony and Pepper.
"Now, I didn't want to ask this in front of Peter," Ms. Walker said leaning back in her seat sipping her coffee, "but given that we're pretty much in the middle of August, I have to ask…what are your plans in terms of Peter's education?"
Tony and Pepper couldn't help but look at each other and then back at Ms. Walker.
"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Walker," Tony said, "but what do you mean? Are you…referring to college? Because I—"
"No, no," the social worker quickly replied. "I meant in terms of his next school year. He's going to be a junior in high school, and I wasn't sure if perhaps he was going back to Midtown or going to be homeschooled."
"Oh, no, he's absolutely going back to Midtown next school year," Tony answered confidently. "There was…really no need for us to change that. Midtown is a great school. It's a school that Peter knows and loves. I mean, his friends and teachers are there. He's on the Academic Decathlon there and pretty much the top of his class. We would never take that away from him…especially after what happened with May."
Ms. Walker nodded and continued to write something down in her notebook. "And…given the press conference," she began, "do you plan to have any meetings regarding that with the school?"
"Absolutely," Pepper said nodding. "I reached out to the school before the press conference, and the principal agreed to meet with us before school starts to update Peter's information and to go over any procedures regarding the press and Peter's grief if necessary."
Tony couldn't help but smile at his fiancée marveling at how she thought of all this far in advance. When the pictures got leaked, Tony immediately worried about how the publicity was going to affect Peter's place in the school, but Pepper simply told him that she would take care of everything. Once again, she went above and beyond for their family…especially their kid.
"Excellent," Ms. Walker replied as she continued to write her notes, "and if there is anything I can do to help, you let me know."
"Thank you," Tony replied with a smile. "We appreciate it, and I know Peter will too."
"Good," Ms. Walker said nodding. "Well, with all that in mind, I'd say this was another success. I'll add my notes to your files back at the office, and we can have our next check-in next month?"
Both Tony and Pepper beamed from ear to ear as they looked at each other and then back at the social worker.
"Yes, absolutely," Tony said as they stood up and shook hands, "thank you, Ms. Walker. Thank you so much."
"It's my pleasure," Ms. Walker said nodding with a smile, "and if I may, Mr. Stark, I was a little skeptical about this before when Mrs. Parker passed away. However…" she paused, "I can clearly see that Peter is happy here. Both you and Ms. Potts are taking great care of him."
Tony smiled even wider at Mrs. Walker's compliment before he scratched the back of his neck. "I-I mean," he said, "I-I'm…we're…we're doing our best with him."
"From an outsider's point of view," Ms. Walker began, "it's certainly showing."
Peter was absolutely elated when Tony and Pepper told him that the second check-in was another success. He wasn't as nervous as he was for the first check-in, but it was still unsettling when one was trying to show a social worker that one's mentor was doing an amazing job alongside his fiancée in taking care of him after he lost his beloved aunt.
Now, the very next day, he was able to say goodbye once again to those nerves because he, Tony, and Pepper woke up early the next day to embark on their trip to Malibu, California…to the next day to embark on their trip to Malibu, California…to their summer home. The three of them met Happy at the front of the tower, and the forehead of security drove them to the airport, where the Stark Jet was waiting for them. Once they said their goodbyes, they boarded the plane and sat in their respective seats while facing each other. Peter couldn't believe how times had changed in almost a year. He remembered when he first boarded the Stark Jet with Happy to help Tony in the Civil War against Steve Rogers and the rest of the Rogues. He remembered how excited he felt, and now, it was almost like second nature to him…like it wasn't a big deal now, and he couldn't help but smile at that as they packed the jet and sat down.
"Alright," Tony said as he sat down next to Pepper across from Peter, "the plane is set to take off any moment now. We should be in Malibu in about…6 hours or so."
"I still can't believe we're doing this," Peter said shaking his head and still smiling. "I-I still can't believe you're doing all this just for my birthday. I feel like I'm dreaming."
Tony and Pepper looked at each other and smiled before looking back at Peter.
"It's not a dream, kiddo," Tony said. "It's real. We're going to Malibu. We're going to get away from everything for a few days…as a family."
Peter smiled even wider. "I can't wait," he said.
Soon enough, the plane took off taking Tony, Pepper, and Peter all the way to California, and the flight was 6 hours long and oddly enough relaxing. Peter knew for sure that he would never want to take a regular plane ever again.
The three of them ended up sleeping for most of the flight except for when Pepper had matters to deal with at Stark Industries and when Tony ran checks on the jet to make sure everything was still running smoothly. However, while he was awake, the billionaire couldn't help but stare at his beautiful fiancée and their amazing kid as they continued to sleep, and a smile splashed onto his face at how peaceful they seemed, especially Peter. Tony was beyond overjoyed that they were finally able to get Peter to go on a little vacation…after everything he had been through since May died. Tony wished that it was going to be a longer trip, but that wasn't the case, especially with the Accords. Not only that, but Pepper also needed to get back to work. So, the schedule worked out, but Tony and Pepper both agreed that they would take a longer trip next year.
Tony was jolted out of his thoughts when he noticed Peter shifting in his seat as he slept. He couldn't help but smile at how soundly his kid slept, but he noticed that Peter was probably feeling a little cold from the air conditioner on the plane. So, he simply stood up and took out a blanket and pillow from the overhead compartment, and then he placed the blanket over Peter pulling it up to his chin and gently moved Peter's head placing the pillow behind him. He then ran a hand through Peter's hair before returning to his seat.
They finally landed in California about 6 hours later. California had a 3-hour time difference, so while they left New York at around 9AM, they landed in LAX airport at around 10AM. Tony rented a car—an Audi no less—to drive them to the house. Peter noticed that the house seemed to be on the further side of the town of Malibu as they drove further and further from the airport and into a more remote part of town, and he was completely fine with that as that meant that he, Tony, and Pepper would have some privacy. They made sure to avoid being spotted by any of Iron Man's fans or the paparazzi when they got to the airport, and there were hardly any cars on the road. It wasn't long before they finally reached the house.
Based on some pictures and videos he had seen, Peter could tell that the house was somewhat smaller than Tony's old Malibu house. It was also on the beach instead of on a cliffside. Tony and Pepper hardly ever talked about the day the Mandarin attacked his house…after he announced his home address on live TV. He always figured that Tony didn't like to talk about what happened and how he was thought to be dead, so he never bothered to ask.
"Okay, my dear family, we…have arrived," Tony said with a huge smile on his face.
"Sweet!" Peter said as he quickly unbuckled himself and practically scrambled out of the car.
Tony and Pepper could chuckle and shake their heads, so they got out of the car themselves. The three of them grabbed their bags out of the car and walked into the house, as Peter stared at the house on the inside marveling at how huge it was. It was almost as big as the penthouse, and he could clearly see that there was a large glass door that went out to the pool. Even further than that were some dunes…leading to a pristine beach.
"Holy…crap…" Peter said aloud. "This place is huge."
"Kid, you've seen the penthouse," Tony said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, but the penthouse doesn't have a pool…or a beach for a backyard," Peter said incredulously as he turned to look at Tony.
Tony and Pepper couldn't help but laugh again at Peter's enthusiasm.
"Well," Pepper said, "if that's how you feel, wait till you see the rest of the house."
Peter could only smile at his guardian and his guardian's fiancée. He knew without a doubt that this was going to be a great weekend.
After the trio toured around the house and unpacked their bags, they decided to take a trip to the grocery store to grab some necessary food that they would need for the weekend. Once they paid for it all and went back to the house, they decided to have some lunch and planned to jump in the pool for an afternoon swim.
After lunch, Peter wasted no time in going to grab his swim trunks and a T-shirt and ran back to meet up with Tony and Pepper. Once they put on sunscreen—at Pepper's insistence—Peter practically burst out of the door, threw off his T-shirt, and jumped into the pool. The water was nice and cool as he came up from underwater seeing Tony and Pepper laughing and smiling at him.
"How's the water, kiddo?" Tony asked.
"It feels so good right now," Peter called back. "Are you slow pokes coming in or what?"
"Patience, young ward," Tony said raising an eyebrow as he took his shoes off and got ready to run toward the pool. "Let an old pro show you how it's done." Soon enough, he ran toward the pool and jumped in. He practically popped out of the water with a smirk. "Well, what did you think? Did I 'wow' you with that jump?"
Peter scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please," he said, "I've seen better dives than that."
"You little shit," Tony replied with a smirk before splashing Peter.
Peter refused to have any of that and splashed his guardian in return, and sure enough, it turned into a splash fight filled with Tony and Peter's shouts and bursts of laughter before the billionaire grabbed Peter lifting him up in his arms as Peter continued to laugh before he saw Pepper still sitting and watching the scene unfold.
Peter's smile widened. "Come on in, Pepper," he called out. "The water is great!"
"The kid's right, Pep," Tony called out himself to his fiancée. "Come on in! It's not cold at all!"
Pepper chuckled as she removed her flip-flops before running over to the pool in her bathing suit. "Here I come!" she shouted as she herself ran over and jumped into the pool.
Soon enough, the three of them found themselves in yet another splash fight laughing and shouting.
After a fun day in the pool, it was eventually time for Tony, Pepper, and Peter to get ready for dinner. Because it was the first day, Tony and Pepper agreed that it would be best to have dinner at the house so that they could relax after a long day of traveling. Peter agreed with staying at the house for the night. Tony once again manned the barbeque with Pepper and Peter's help, and they soon enjoyed a casual dinner consisting of hamburgers and hotdogs. Peter loved every minute of it as he sat with his guardian and his guardian's fiancée. It felt so good to have a weekend to themselves and to not worry about the press and superhero matters, especially superhero matters.
Before they left for California, Tony concocted a plan where a suit operated by Karen would swing around Queens without Peter being present. Peter would have the option to take care of it if he needed to. However, he promised Tony and Pepper that he wouldn't think about Spider-Man this weekend and focus on spending time with his family, and that was what he was going to do for the weekend. Tony and Pepper gave him this amazing gift for his birthday, and he was going to show them just how much he appreciated it…how much he appreciated them…how much he loved them. There was still a part of him that wished that May was there with them, but he loved being there with Tony and Pepper. He remembered what Tony said about how May was always with him in spirit, and it helped since then. He felt sad remembering whenever he looked for her or thought about calling or texting her, but thinking about her being there with him when he couldn't see her…in a breeze or the bright Californian sun…helped lessen the pain.
Once dinner was over, the trio cleaned up and decided to celebrate the first night of their trip with a movie night. Tony had programmed the house with FRIDAY, so he was able to ask her to play the movie while Peter sat between Tony and Pepper on the couch with a bowl of popcorn for the three of them. The movie went on for a few hours, and by the time it was over, it was about time for Tony, Pepper, and Peter to go to bed.
"You can sleep in tomorrow, buddy," Tony said to Peter as he and Pepper led him to his bedroom. "We're only going out to dinner. Maybe we can even head to the pier in Santa Monica tomorrow."
"Awesome, that would be great," Peter said with a smile.
"If you need anything, just give us a shout, okay, sweetie?" Pepper said with a warm smile.
Peter nodded before he pulled Tony and Pepper into a group hug. "I love you guys," he said.
Tony and Pepper immediately returned the gesture and hugged him in return. "We love you too, kid," Tony said. "We'll see you in the morning, okay? Or the afternoon, whichever comes first."
Peter chuckled as they pulled away. "I'm not sure I could sleep in even if I wanted to," he said. "Good night, guys."
"Good night, Peter," Tony and Pepper said as they watched him walk into his room and close the door.
"I think we're doing good, Pep," Tony said as they walked to their room.
"We sure are, honey," Pepper said as she leaned into Tony's side.
The weekend unfortunately flew by, and once Sunday came around, Tony, Pepper, and Peter had to pack up and get back on the Stark Jet to fly back to New York. As much as they hated the idea of their vacation being over, they knew that they needed to get back to real life so that Pepper could go back to work, Tony could get back to working on the Accords, and Peter could get ready to get back to school. However, Tony promised that they would be back in the summer and possibly on Peter's other school breaks, and Peter had no doubt that his guardian would keep his promise…just as he had been doing.
Nevertheless, he was still melancholy that they were going home after such a relaxing weekend, but he knew that they had to with the Accords and school. So, he begrudgingly followed Tony and Pepper as they got in the car, drove to the airport, and boarded the jet. They took off at 10AM Californian time and landed in New York at around 6PM New York time. By the time they landed, the sun was setting, and Tony, Pepper, and Peter were exhausted from the long day of travel. Thankfully, Happy was there to greet them and to drive them back to the tower, and while Peter was happily telling Happy about their weekend, Tony sat in the front seat and felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was Rhodey.
At first, Tony thought it was Rhodey asking if they landed yet since he forgot to text him, so he read the text…
"Hey, man, call me when you get on the ground. Got to talk to you."
Tony sighed knowing that this had to be about the Accords. So, he texted his best friend back. "Hey, platypus, we just landed. I'll call you once we get home."
"Okay, no rush, man. Be with your family. It's not bad."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief and texted Rhodey back. "Great, thanks, Rhodes."
"Tony?" a voice suddenly said jolting him out of his thoughts.
He turned only to see that Happy was looking at him…and Pepper and Peter were also looking at him with concern.
"Are you okay, honey?" Pepper asked. "You got really quiet."
"Yeah," Tony said nodding, "Rhodey just texted me. He wants me to call him when we get home."
"Is everything okay?" Peter asked.
"Yes, everything is fine, buddy," Tony said with a smile. "I'll call Rhodey once we get home."
"Okay," Peter said nodding.
Tony didn't waste any time calling Rhodey as soon as he, Pepper, and Peter got back to the penthouse. The three of them gathered in his office as Tony called his best friend.
"Hey, Tones," Rhodey said as he answered the phone, "welcome back."
"Thanks, Rhodes," Tony replied with a smile. "So, what's going on? Is Ross being an asshole?"
"No, definitely not that," Rhodey said. "It's actually good news. While you guys were away, I managed to get in touch with Barton and Lang."
Tony froze as his jaw dropped. When Ross demanded that Clint Barton and Scott Lang must support the new Accords as one of his conditions, Tony quickly decided that Rhodey should be the one to reach out to them. After what happened with the Civil War and the Accords, Tony wasn't fully ready to face Barton just yet, and he didn't know Scott very well. However, he didn't miss what Scott said about not trusting Starks. Plus, once Peter became his intern and they became closer, he wanted to focus more on being there for Peter…being his mentor…and being there for Pepper. There was no need to seek out Barton or any of the other Rogues. Nevertheless, that was probably all about to change, as he took a deep breath.
"W-What did they say?" he asked trying to control the shakiness in his voice.
"Well…I didn't get a definitive yes," Rhodey began as Tony closed his eyes bracing himself, "but…they agreed to at least talk things over with the changes we want to make…in person…with both of us."
Tony sighed in relief and yet…a little bit of dread. "And here I thought this would be easy," he muttered causing Pepper and Peter to look at each other and then at him.
Rhodey chuckled. "I know, buddy," he said, "but honestly, it's better than a definitive 'no.' They want to talk about it, so I figured we could see them tomorrow. I know you were just in California, but…"
"No, no, it's okay," Tony said quickly. "This is what we have to do, so…we'll do it. In fact, I think a certain someone and a certain someone, who shall remain nameless may even want to come along."
Rhodey chuckled. "Well, they're more than welcome to come," he said. "So, I figured we could see Barton tomorrow and Lang on Tuesday."
"Sounds like a plan," Tony said with a smile. "We'll meet at Barton's tomorrow?" He didn't miss Pepper and Peter widening their eyes.
"Great, I'll see you then," Rhodey said. "We'll meet around 10."
"Alright, we'll be there," Tony said. "See you then."
With that, they hung up, and Tony looked at his fiancée and his kid and smiled. "Well…" he said.
"Well?" Peter and Pepper asked in unison urging him to continue.
"Barton and Lang…talked to Rhodey," Tony replied. "They didn't say 'yes,' but they are willing to talk to use about it…in person. So, we're going to see Clint tomorrow and talk to Scott on Tuesday."
"Okay," Pepper said with a smile.
"It's not a 'no,'" Peter added with his own smile.
"Right, they want to talk about it," Tony said. "It's…it's progress. We'll take it."
To say that Tony was nervous was an understatement, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he drove his Audi with Pepper and Peter in tow all the way to Clint Barton's house. They had left early the next morning to meet up with Rhodey at the house, and he felt horrible for robbing his fiancée and kid a chance to recuperate from the traveling they did the day before. However, Pepper and Peter insisted that they wanted to come and support him, so he had no choice. He could never say "no" to his family. Although, maybe on occasions to Peter, but there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to need it…especially after what happened with the Rogues and the Accords. It had been a whole year since he and Rhodey last saw Clint, and he was dreading it. It had to be done, but…what was Clint's reaction going to be? Was he going to be bitter? He was willing to hear them out, but…would he listen and agree? Could they convince him this time?
He was jolted out of his thoughts when Pepper grabbed his hand, and he felt himself calm down under her touch just a little. "Thanks, Pep," he whispered.
"It's going to be okay," she said. "You're not alone. Peter and I are with you no matter what."
The billionaire sighed as he grabbed Pepper's hand holding it tightly. "I just wish we didn't have to do this," he said.
"I know," Pepper said, "but it's like you said. He's obviously willing to talk about it. That's something, and worse comes to worse, we'll leave and try again another time."
"I can't afford to mess this up," Tony added. "It's not just for the Avengers, but something big is coming. I've felt it…I've seen it since the wormhole, and the world needs the Avengers under one roof. And…not just that, but…" he peeked in his rearview mirror at Peter, who sat in the backseat listening to his music with his headphones in clearly playing on his phone.
Pepper snuck a glance over his shoulder at Peter before looking back at Tony. "I know," she said with a small smile. "You're a great superhero mentor, Tony…and a great dad."
Tony chuckled. "I'm not sure about that last part," he said with a smile of his own, "but thanks, hon."
"May wouldn't have picked you if she didn't think so," Pepper simply said.
The house looked to be the same as he last saw it a few years ago…when he wreaked Ultron upon the world, and the Avengers had no choice but to go into hiding. They were lucky that Clint had Fury set it up for his family. There was no telling what would've happened if they had nowhere to go. When he first came here with Clint and met his family, the Avengers were still a team…starting to become more like a family, but after that…Bruce disappeared. Thor left. Clint retired. They got new recruits, but then…the Civil War happened. The Avengers broke up, and Tony could already feel the tension in the air as he and Rhodey parked their cars in front.
Little did he know that Peter could feel it too. The last time he saw Hawkeye was at the airport in Germany, and he was on Captain America's team. There was no way telling how Clint Barton was going to be toward Tony, and that was why he wanted to come to begin with…to support his guardian…to show him no matter what he had his family on his side. "It'll be okay, Tony," he said to his guardian placing a hand on Tony's shoulder.
Tony could only turn to look at Peter with a smile as he placed his hand over his holding it there. "Thanks, kid," he said. "Hey, uh, just a little warning. I…I don't know if Legolas knows too much about Spider-Man. He used to work for Fury, so try not to let on that you know some details Spider-Man would know, okay?"
Peter nodded realizing that Tony was right. Aside from Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision, none of the other Avengers knew who he was…that he was the web-slinger, who fought them in Germany. Not even Steve Rogers knew. It was that they didn't know. "Okay," he said. "Don't worry, Tony. I won't say anything."
The billionaire smiled at his kid and then looked at his fiancée before taking a deep breath. "Okay, let's get this over with," he said as he got out of the car with Pepper and Peter.
As they got out of the car, they saw Rhodey getting out of his own car nodding his greeting to them. With that, they all walked up to the front porch, and as they walked up to the house, the door opened. Sure enough, out came Clint Barton…dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, and from what Tony would see…he didn't look the least bit happy seeing then…especially Tony and Rhodey.
"Barton," Tony said nodding to him in agreement.
"Ah, look who it is," Clint said bitterly, "the military lapdog and the futurist."
Immediately, Tony wanted to just go back in the car with his family and drive back home, but his feet refused to oblige. He had to face this. As much as he didn't want to, he had to do it for the Avengers, for Earth, and most importantly…for Peter and his future as Spider-Man. He took a deep breath.
"You'll have to forgive me," Clint said with bitter sarcasm, "but I can't step beyond this part of my property. House arrest, you know?"
"Would you rather be stuck on the RAFT or on the run, asshole?" Tony thought to himself.
"Did you want us to come all the way out here to beat us up?" Tony asked aloud. "Or did you actually want to talk like adults?"
"Only because Rhodey said you wanted to talk about the Accords face-to-face," Clint replied crossing his arms, "so come on," he turned to walk back into the house, "we don't have all day."
The two Avengers, the CEO, and the teenaged vigilante all followed the Rogue into his house. Thankfully, his wife Laura wasn't bitter and greeted them with a smile, and she introduced herself to Peter, who remained as polite as ever despite the irritation toward Clint. Clint and Laura explained that their children were playing upstairs to give them all some privacy. Laura offered some food, and Clint, Rhodey, and Tony took the conversation out in the backyard while Pepper and Peter stayed inside with Laura.
"Not to inflate your ego even more, Stark," Clint said as they walked in the backyard, "but I saw that kid at that press conference you had. Seems like a good kid. What is he? Your latest charity project? Secret lovechild?"
Tony closed his eyes trying to push down his fury at Clint. How dare he refer to Peter—his kid as any of those things. "Maybe if you were listening," he began, "you would've heard that he was an intern of mine. We…kind of got kidnapped by Hammer months ago and got close over the last year, and his aunt died a few months ago. I'm taking care of him now."
"Whatever," Clint said rolling his eyes. "So," he perched himself on the piece table, "what did you want to talk about so badly?"
Tony and Rhodey looked at Clint, then at each other, and then back at Clint. It was now or never.
"The Accords," Tony said after a moment. "We…" he sighed, "we want to change them…make them more reasonable, you know? And…Ross and the UN are onboard with revisiting them, but there's a catch. They want us to talk to you. Lang—the shrinking dude—and King T'Challa and get you to agree and to sign the Accords…the…new ones."
Clint could only bitterly chuckle as he shook his head. "So that's why you came crawling on back," he said. "So that you can ease your guilty conscience?"
"I'm not guilty about anything," Tony said firmly. "I'm trying to change the Accords so that the Avengers don't become the government's lap dogs and have their rights robbed of them."
"Yeah, you know how you could've done that?" Clint asked raising an eyebrow. "By not signing the Accords to begin with!"
"Come on, Barton," Rhodey said in exasperation, "you know we couldn't do that. We signed them so that we could go back later and ask for them to be changed, which is what we're doing now."
"Well…that and so we wouldn't get arrested," Tony muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, says the guy, who locked Wanda in her room," Clint said glaring up at the billionaire. "She used her powers to help out on a mission and instead of helping her, you locked her up in a cell."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Tony retorted feeling his fury and irritation build. "It was either that or she would be sent to the RAFT. You saw what the second option was like. Forgive me for trying to protect her in the Compound!"
"No, no, see, that's where you're wrong, Stark. You didn't give a shit about Wanda. You don't give a shit about the Avengers or whatever other superheroes are out there. All you care about is yourself and that goddamn ego of yours. You were the one who created Ultron. You were the one who fought Bruce in the Hulkbuster. This whole thing was just to make everyone see how good and perfect the great Tony Stark is."
Peter was thankful that Tony, Rhodey, and Clint left the backdoor open. He was able to hear the conversation Tony and Rhodey were having with their former teammate, and it was making his blood boil. He tried his best to control his super strength to avoid revealing himself, but it was getting harder and harder to do listening to what Clint was saying to Tony.
"You couldn't be farther from the truth, Clint," Rhodey said calmly despite the fury building up inside him.
"I did all this to keep the Avengers together," Tony said, "to make sure that all superheroes could have a future set for them and chances to go home. I did this so that we can be prepared for whatever universal threat comes our way. We can't do that if we're divided."
"Bullshit," Clint spat. "Utter…bullshit. You're nothing but a selfish prick."
Tony could only bitterly chuckle at that comment as he shook his head. "You know," he began, "that…that's really funny. See, I'm doing all this to protect the world and the two things I can't live without: my fiancée and my kid…my family. You want to stand there and talk selfish?" Tony glared. "You were the one who chose to get up and leave retirement and abandon your family and get your ass sent to the RAFT for helping three fugitives. Talk about selfish."
Clint didn't say anything as he suddenly stood up and walked over to Tony. "You fucking prick!" he said shoving Tony causing the billionaire to stumble backwards.
"HEY!" a voice shouted from a distance.
All three men looked only to see…
"Peter, it's okay," Tony tried to say only for Peter to stand in between him and Clint.
"What the hell is your problem, man?" Peter asked glaring at the archer shoving him back in return.
Clint seemed to stare at him in confusion for a minute before he snapped out of his shock. "Kid, you don't understand everything that's going on here," he said.
"Really?" Peter retorted. "Because it sure looks like you're ragging on Tony for doing what he thought was right. He's your teammate, and this is how you treat him?"
"Look," Clint replied, "I don't know what lies he fed you or what he paid you and your family to do that press conference, but don't buy it. He looks out for himself. He doesn't care about anyone else."
"Just shut up, will you?" Peter replied angrily through clenched teeth. "Tony is not paying me or anything like that. That's not who he is! Maybe if you get your head out of your ass, you'd actually listen for once. Tony chose me to be his intern because he saw potential, and we got really close since then…so close that my aunt chose him to be my guardian in her will. He could've at any point said 'no' or shipped me off to the foster care system, but he didn't. He chose to take me in. He knew I was going to need him, and he wanted me to live with him and Pepper."
"Peter…" Tony said taking a step toward his kid.
However, Rhodey gently put up a hand stopping his best friend from moving any further silently telling him to let Peter speak.
"I had to tell a judge this at the guardian hearing," Peter said, "so I'll tell you since you clearly have no idea who he is. I know who Tony is, and he is the least selfish person on this planet. He made mistakes with Ultron and all that, but he always tries to make things right. He cares about people. He cares about me just as I care about him, and nothing you or anyone else says can change that. You made the choice to join Captain America and got arrested. He made the choice to sign so that he and the rest of the Avengers can have a say later, so get your head out of your ass and hear him out. Maybe even be an adult while you're at it."
Clint stared at the teen in shock as he widened his eyes at the teenager in front of him. This kid wasn't star-struck at all when clearly, he knew he was in the presence of Iron Man, Hawkeye, and War Machine, and he spoke with so much conviction about Tony, how he and Tony became close through an internship and his aunt and how he and Tony cared about each other. This didn't sound like it was coming from someone who didn't believe in what he was saying or like it was forced. Clint was an agent for Nick Fury. He could always tell when something wasn't right or when someone was keeping a secret. This kid, Peter truly believed in what he was saying. "Kid, I—"
"Come on, buddy," Tony quickly said coming up next to Peter wrapping an arm around him pulling him close to his side. "Let's take a walk, okay?"
"Okay," Peter mumbled physically calming down under Tony's touch.
Tony looked at Rhodey before leading his kid away to help him calm down leaving his best friend alone with Clint.
Clint could only watch as Tony and Peter walked away with their arms wrapped around each other. He could see how gentle Tony was. He wasn't treating the kid like a piece of garbage or like a charity project. He was treating the kid like so much more than that…like how Clint would treat his own kids…like how a father would treat his son.
"Sorry about that," Rhodey said after a moment as they watched Tony and Peter. "They…tend to be protective of each other sometimes. Peter…Peter has lost a lot. He has no other family left, and Tony…Tony wants to break the cycle of shame and be better than Howard. They…They really care about each other."
"Yeah, clearly," Clint said. He sighed. "Look, I was just—"
"I know," Rhodey replied, "but yelling at us…blaming Tony and me is not going to make this go away. The Accords are here to stay, but we have a chance to make them better so that we don't become anyone's lap dogs or whatever."
"You okay?" Tony asked as soon as they were far enough away from Clint and Rhodey.
"Me?" Peter asked with furrowed eyebrows. "You're the one who got shoved and chewed out by a former teammate. I should be asking you that."
Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Pete, buddy, I appreciate how you want to stand up for me," he said, "but I'm a big boy. I can handle someone chewing me out, okay?"
"I know," Peter said, "I know you can, but…it just sucks that everyone—that journalist, who interviewed us after Hammer, the Rogues, Ross—thinks the worst of you. It's not fair. That's not you."
Tony smiled sadly as he pulled Peter in for a hug as he gladly returned it. The loyalty that his kid felt toward him was incredible, and it made his heart swell seeing Peter be so willing to stand by him and to stick up for him. "What did I do deserve you, kid?" he asked as they hugged.
"I don't think you want me to go down the list," Peter retorted. "We'll be here all day, but you have done a lot, Tony…not just for me, but for everyone."
The billionaire hugged Peter tightly one more time before pulling away. "I appreciate that, buddy," he said smiling, "and I appreciate that you want to stick up for me, I do."
"But…?" Peter asked sheepishly sensing that there was more.
"But…there will be times where you'll have to let me handle it, okay?" Tony said. "Legolas wouldn't hurt a fly, but I'm the adult and the guardian between the two of us. I'm the one who has to handle the more…intense things so to speak, okay? So…let me do that. Let me do most of the protecting, okay? And if it's something that I really need you for, I'll tell you."
"You promise?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow.
Tony nodded. "I promise," he said.
"Okay," Peter replied, "but there will be times where I'll want to help."
"And that's fine," Tony said. "But instead of just jumping in…wait for me to tell you, okay?"
Peter nodded. "I can do that," he said. "I should…" He grew quiet for a minute, "I should probably apologize to him, huh?"
"I think that would be the mature thing to do," Tony said nodding.
Peter nodded in return before he and Tony walked back to Clint and Rhodey with Tony's arm wrapped around him. As much as he hated the idea of apologizing to Clint after how he spoke to Tony, he knew it was the right thing to do. Tony wanted him to, and he knew that May would want him to. So, as soon as they were close enough to Clint and Rhodey, Peter took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, sir," he said, "for how I acted. It's just—"
"It's okay, kid," Clint said crossing his arms. "I would've done the same. You got moxie sticking up for him. I like it."
Peter smiled sadly.
Clint took a deep breath. "Look," he began, "I can't say that I'm going to sign anything now, but I'll listen and then think it over. I can't make any promises."
"That's all I want," Tony said with a small smile. He felt somewhat relieved that Clint was willing to work with them. That was a start.
The talk with Clint went well, and they actually ended things on a somewhat positive note. While Clint didn't agree to sign the new Accords, he simply explained that he would let them know once he came to a decision to sign or not. Honestly, Tony was fine with it. It wasn't a "no." It was simply a "maybe," and he was going to take it. After that, they went back to the city promising to meet Rhodey at the airport the next day as Pepper and Peter once again insisted that they would get to come and continue to support Tony and Rhodey no matter what.
So, the next morning, they woke up early yet again and drove to the airport, where they met up with Rhodey before boarding the plane. Once everything was good to go, they took off and flew to San Francisco, California to talk to Scott Lang…also known as Ant-Man about the Accords. They got the rental car from the airport and drove into the streets of San Francisco. The plan was to have Peter and Pepper wait in the car while Tony and Rhodey went to talk to Scott. As much as he hated leaving Tony, Peter knew this was the best option given the parking in the city and how well Scott knew Tony and Rhodey. It was probably for the best that he and Pepper waited to avoid overwhelming Scott or making things awkward.
It was about an hour or so before Tony and Rhodey finally came out of the apartment and climbed back into the car.
"How'd it go?" Pepper asked as she and Peter watched Tony and Rhodey climb back into the car.
"As well as it could," Rhodey said sighing.
"Yup," Tony said looking at Scott's house, "he's going to weigh his options and let us know."
Peter nodded as Rhodey drove away from Scott's house knowing that Tony and Rhodey were right. It was a "maybe," but not a "no." They would have to wait and see.
Author's Note: Annnnnnnnnnnd that's all for now, boys and girls! I really hope you all enjoyed it! I realized that we didn't really see much of Scott in this chapter, I am sorry about that. I just felt that the chapter was getting long, and it would've gotten really repetitive. So I thought I should focus more on Clint since Tony and Rhodey know him more than Scott. So the meeting with Scott went better relatively, lol! But don't worry, Scott will come up again later in the fic! Nevertheless, next is CHAPTER 28! We get to see Peter and Tony meeting with Peter's school principal and how Peter deals with starting junior year of high school! And we're going to get some Iron Dad fluff in this chapter and the next chapter, so stay tuned! Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think Clint and Scott's decisions are going to be! Don't forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!
