Thirty-Seven

"What?" Tony looked up from his seventh cup of coffee since two o'clock in the morning to stare at Pepper. For a second he thought he was hallucinating which he wouldn't put it past him. Whenever he was working on a new project he was always a bundle of nerves and stress despite his usual devil may care attitude.

However, this time he had not expected the bombshell, Pepper had dropped on him. Pepper looked at him with sympathy and this time she didn't even scold him for his insane coffee drinking.

"May got a job in Minnesota. A very good job. She will make double what she does in the city which will improve her quality of life. She wants Peter to move in with her for two years before he leaves for college."

Tony clutched his fork in his hand, it took all his willpower not to stab himself in the eye with it. Temper. Control your temper, Tony, he scolded himself, but it was hard to. He had had Peter for most of his life. Had practically raised him (well, ok, Pepper, Happy, and his expensive nannies had taken care of that part.) He had allowed May to basically kidnap Peter so they could live in a tiny apartment like a pair of two sewer rats and this was how May repays him?

"Don't," Pepper warned him. "Do not lose your temper. It was just a suggestion, Peter hasn't agreed to anything yet."

"I still have full custody of him. He's still my kid." Tony finished his coffee, burning his tongue. "Besides, Minnesota is practically farmland. Pete's a city kid, and there is no way he would like to live there. He'll choose to stay in the city."

"And maybe he won't," Pepper rebutted calmly. "You keep forgetting, May is his aunt, his last connection to his biological family. Suppose he wants to stay with her. I'm serious, Tony do not butt into this. Let Peter choose if he wants to go to Minnesota or New York."

"I won't." Tony looked offended trying to ignore the pain gnawing at his heart. Peter had been away from him before when he had sent him to boarding school as a child, but he had always kept an eye on Peter even when he had been away at school in the form of having the headmaster giving him daily reports, hacking surveillance cameras, and practically putting a tracker on the kid.

Even when Peter had moved back to New York when he was twelve Tony had still traced him via Stark Enterprises technology he had been forced to carry and having Happy monitor his every step. But Minnesota? Did they even have internet there and even if they did he doubted May would be a fan of Tony being a helicopter dad.

"I know it's hard." Pepper leaned over and squeezed his hand, "But if you want Peter in your life you have to let him choose. No more of this Howard Stark persona. Not anymore, Tony."

"I don't want to go to Minnesota," Peter looked at the floor because he didn't have the guts to look at May. "I'm sorry, I appreciate the offer, but I want to stay, May. This is my home. I want to continue going to Midtown and staying with my friends. I want to be Spiderman. I want to stay with Dad, Pepper, and Happy. Please don't be mad."

May responded by wrapping his arms tightly around him and pulling him into a hug. "Oh, honey don't worry. I understand I shouldn't have made you choose. It was selfish of me."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. It's your choice, honey."

His choice. Peter finally had choices after living under his father's thumb for so long and knowing he had one relative alive. He felt complete. He felt at peace.

"You should go." May pulled back. "Tell your dad the news. I'm sure he will be pleased."

Peter felt a lump in his throat as he nodded. He kissed May on the cheek and grabbed his jacket. Even though he was glad she had reacted the way she did, he couldn't stop feeling a bit guilty. He called Happy to pick him up and he was there in a record speed of fifteen minutes.

"You must have run through a few red lights, huh Hap?" Peter teased him.

The older man looked slightly embarrassed. "Just two. Don't tell your dad otherwise he won't let you get in the car with me again."

"Are you kidding, he'll have a field day."

"Don't bring it up." Happy looked over his shoulder. "So, kid have you made a decision. Is it going to be cows or hot dogs for you?"

Peter took a deep breath. "I'm staying in New York. I told May, she's fine with it."

"Thank god, your dad was threatening to send me down there with you. Not that I mind. I like May." The older man started blushing as rain poured down harshly against the window. He parked in front of HQ. "Here let me get an umbrella."

"No need. Thanks for the ride, Happy!" Peter jumped out even though rain was pouring down harshly causing it to stick coldly to his skin. He went inside and asked Friday where dad was. His teeth were chattering from the cold as Friday told him he was in his favorite lab.

Rock music was playing at full blast, ACDC if Peter wasn't was dressed in a too tight black tank top and a pair of gray sweatpants. He looked startled when he saw Peter. "Pete! What are you doing here? You look like a drowned rat."

"I'm staying," Peter croaked out. He realized how real everything was. He was going back home. Not that May's didn't feel like home, it did. May was his family and he loved her. But Avengers HQ, Avengers tower, being with Tony, Pep, and Happy that's where he truly felt at home.

Tony frowned. "The night?"

"No. I'm staying for good. I'm not moving to Minnesota. I'm moving back-"

Before Peter could even finish Tony had engulfed him into a big hug. He was covered in oil and Peter was wet, but it didn't matter.

"You're coming home," Tony croaked in his ear, the relief in his body obvious.

Peter closed his eyes as he awkwardly patted his back. "Yes, I'm coming home."

"This is for you, Peter. I want you to have it, it was your mother's I've been holding on to it for so long." May gave Peter an old cardboard box a few weeks later while he was helping her pack. "I think you should have it."

"What's in there?" he asked.

May smiled. "Things you should have from your mom, yearbook pictures, photo albums, your baby album, and your Mom's diary. Read page 45, you and Tony. I think you'll find some answers you've been looking for there."