I can't actually believe that I got the next chapter out before a whole entire month, I still feel bad about that, this time you didn't have to wait long. I mean I took a day off because it was mother's day, and I was with my mom for the whole day, but otherwise, I was bursting at the seams to get the next chapter out, especially after that slight cliffhanger I left you all on.
Hehe, anyways hope you enjoy the chapter.
And thanks to Tia for Beta reading, she gets it done in an hour or two, and I don't have to wait forever to post the chapter, which I am very grateful for, it also means less time for you guys to wait for. So my heart goes out to you.
Previously in A longing for family:
"Hey, guys. I want you to meet my son Harry, he is going to be living with us from now."
Tony said to the quiet room in front of him. He nudged Harry slightly, begging him to talk and break the silence and confusion that had fallen upon his team.
"Hello, I'm Harry. It's nice to meet you all." Everyone looked at him.
"Wait, your child's British, you never go there, how is it that when a child does pop up, it's British," Clint exclaimed breaking the silence. Tony sighed; this was going to be harder than he thought.
"Birdbrain, I was always careful in past endeavours. Harry was….., how do I put this? Harry was me helping out a genuinely nice couple, who were battling to have a child. He hasn't just "popped up" as you said it. Some things have happened and now he is in my custody, should've been a lot sooner, but I'll look into that."
"What 'things' happened Tony?" Natasha spoke up from her spot on the couch.
"While I would love to tell you, I think that it is Harry's choice if he wants to tell you or not." Tony quipped back. Which got him a look from her. Pepper was just looking on at everything, not saying anything, but starting right at Tony. "Now, Harry, let me introduce you to everyone. The lovely redhead standing in the back is Pepper. The other lovely redhead sitting over there is Natasha, a.k.a. Black Widow. Birdbrain, over there is Clint, a.k.a. Hawkeye. And the only other persons with brains on the team is Bruce over there, and his other half is Hulk. And you already know Cap over there."
"Tony is it really a good idea letting me stay here, especially now that your kid is going to be living here, at least I assume so," Bruce said stepping forward a bit.
"What do you mean Mr Bruce, sir?"
"Bruce's other half only comes out when he is really angry, and he turns into a big green being, who calls himself The Hulk."
"I don't see anything to be afraid of Mr Bruce, I've defeated a troll and basilisk before, I'm not afraid." The others started to laugh, Bruce chuckling a little, as everyone assumed he was joking, thinking that those creatures were nothing but myths and fairytale. Tony and Steve were the only ones not laughing, and as the others started to realise that they weren't laughing they sobered up and were starting to look alarmed.
"You're not joking, are you kid?" Clint asked.
"No, he isn't, but it's not the time for that discussion, as we have to figure out things before, he might even be allowed to tell you, some Statute of secrecy or something, but being his father, I've bypassed it all," Tony told them all. "Now I would love for everyone to continue getting to know each other, I think Harry and I should go settle in, and maybe we can all meet for dinner later today and continue to get to know each other. So, for now, goodbye, go with what information you have, and if you even try and search for info on my son, you have been warned. And if anyone of you thinks of informing Furry or S.H.I.E.L.D of Harry, oh you can call the streets your new home."
With that Tony lead Harry to the spiral staircase that led up onto the first floor of the penthouse area, they went around onto the floor above that which held Tony's bedroom, a mini lab/office, and a spare room which Pepper normally stayed in when she visits. That would now become Harry's room, even if he thought the room was too small for his own kid.
"Now Harry, there is a spare room that you can call your own, but if you still want to stay with me in my room that is completely okay." Hell, he would only kick the kid out when puberty hit him if the kid really wanted to stay with him, he wasn't complaining, it was nice being able to hold his own blood in his arms and know they were safe.
"Ah... I... can I still stay with you? But um… maybe I should start sleeping in another room, I don't want to invade your own space."
"Don't worry about it Harry, it doesn't bother me, but if you want to start sleeping in your own room, then that is also okay. If you want to stay in your own room but come hop into my bed when you feel like it, that's also fine by me."
"Thanks.. dad. I think I might take you up on that last offer."
"No problem mini-me." Tony ruffled Harry's head. "Now let me show you your new room, and you can tell me if there is anything you want to change about it." Tony led Harry into his new bedroom. There wasn't much in it, a queen-sized bed with matching side tables. Built-in wardrobes along the wall that you entered the room in. There was a desk in front of wall-length windows. There was a TV that sat opposite the bed. The room had its own bathroom, which stuck out in a square shape, and created a nook, where the desk sat. In the bathroom, there was a shower, toilet and sink which held a mirror above it. It wasn't anything fancy to Tony's standards, but to Harry, this was the best thing ever, it may not have been as big and lavish as the room he and his dad stayed in, in London. But is bigger than any room that the Dursley's had given him, smaller than the shared dorm at Hogwarts, but still big for the small 12-year-old he was.
"Is there anything you might want or want to change kiddo?" Tony asked.
"Ah, not really, it's so amazing in here. But maybe, uh, can we change the colours, so it isn't so grey in here? Not that it isn't nice, but I would prefer to have some colours in my room."
"Sure kid, got any in mind?"
"Maybe some reds, like your suit?" Tony laughed at Harry's response.
"Harry, just because I wear those colours doesn't mean you have to like them but don't tell Cap I said that. I'm still trying to get him to try on the red and gold suit I designed for him."
"I still want to, red was my house colour at Hogwarts, and it kind of grew on me. I also like the red of your suit, just no gold, please. That's a bit much."
"Sure kid, we can get that sorted over the next week." It was a Sunday and Tony doubted anyone would be willing to paint it, he would get people in tomorrow to do it. He sat on the bed and patted the space next to him for Harry to come and join him. "This is completely up to you, but if you want to tell the rest about how you are my child and how you came into my custody, then we can do it together, but if you would rather not that is also fine. They are my team, friends even, and I trust them with my life, and we try not to keep things from each other, so I'm okay with telling them. However, it isn't only my story to tell, so if you don't want to, then that's alright. It doesn't even have to be today, it can be whenever, okay maybe not whenever, I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it if you woke them up just to tell them. Sleep is a precious thing here. But the decision is up to you."
"I mean, I don't mind telling them, if you have such trust in your team, I should be able to trust them as well, I just don't know how I feel about giving all the details. I don't really want them to know that my parents were murdered by a mad dark lord who was trying to kill me, a one-year-old baby. Some things I would rather be left alone for now, especially when it comes to magic, at least until we have everything figured out."
"Okay that's perfectly fine, we can do this together, and if there is anything I start saying that you don't want me to, you can just tell me to stop." Harry nodded at Tony's suggestion. Tony pulled Harry into his lap and switched the TV on. They watched movies for what was left of the day until dinner time rolled around and when they would tell their story to the others. When dinner eventually came around, Jarvis announced that the others were waiting for them in the dining area and that pizza had been ordered for dinner. Tony had briefly forgotten that none of them really knew how to cook, sure they could feed themselves, but not others unless it was toast. When they got to the dining area, everyone was already sitting and talking, pizza on their plates, and some still in the boxes. When they entered, everyone but Pepper looked at them briefly before nodding and continuing on with whatever they had been talking about. Pepper just continued to stare right at Tony, clearly annoyed with him, but she didn't have any right to be. His child was more important than anything in the world, he would put aside his business for Harry. He shot a slight glare at her to say "What?" before sitting down at the open spot next to Steve and Harry next to him and Nat on Harry's other side.
"So kid, where're you from?" Clint asked breaking the silence.
"I'm from Surrey, sir."
"None of that sir stuff, I've got kids younger than you, call me Clint, okay?"
"Ah okay… Clint"
"Wait, birdbrain, you have children?"
"Tony, you have to have noticed that Clint doesn't permanently stay in the tower, it's only when he has short periods of times between missions."
"Okay, this is definitely a conversation for another day. Tony, why didn't you tell any of us when you left, or for a matter of sakes, why the hell you would leave." Pepper spat out.
"Jesus Pepper am I not allowed to live my own life? Some things are more important than the business. If you had a kid that suddenly needed your help, I'm sure you would drop everything to help them."
"If I had a child, then it would be with me in the first place, I wouldn't have to fly across the globe to help it."
"Pepper, don't say things like that, you don't know about the conditions around Harry's birth!"
"Then enlighten me!"
"No, I don't think I will, especially when you are acting like you are," Tony said in a sulky tone. Pepper glared at him, before pushing herself out of her chair and leaving the room without a word.
"Not that she wasn't in the wrong Tony, but how did Harry come about if you say you are careful," Bruce asked after a moment of silence.
"It's actually not that amazing of a story. One night about 14 years ago I met this couple at some function in London. After a while of chatting with Lilly, Harry's mother, she called her husband over, and they both asked if I would be willing to help them, because James, Harry's adoptive father, couldn't have children. They came from a very uptight and strict background, so they couldn't just get anyone to help them, but I looked similar enough to James, that no one would notice that he wasn't the father. We made an agreement, and I was only meant to meet Harry when he turns 21, well, unless something happened to either Lilly or James. And something did, about a year after Harry was born, both Lilly and James died. Harry was shipped off to live with Lilly's sister and her family. I don't know why I wasn't notified, I have some suspicions, but that's not for today. When the attack happened last year, I got Jarvis to notify me if anything relating to Harry happened, and about 2 weeks ago, Jarvis notified me that Harry had been in a car accident. His uncle died, and his aunt is still in the ICU, although the lot deserve a worse fate. Harry's cousin went with his dad's sister. So as soon as I got there, I had DNA tests done for the two of us to prove he was my blood and get him into my custody. Still waiting for his aunt to wake up so she can be charged with child neglect and endangerment. No one hurts a Stark and gets away with it. But that's the gist of things, really. Anything you want to add Harry?"
"Not really, you got about everything. I rather not have to go into the details of their abuse again, and so soon, so yeah, I'm good with that."
"Oh, sweet child, come here." Natasha held her arms open, wanting to give Harry a hug, he gladly took it. Her hug felt motherly, and he melted into her as she stroked his back. Natasha shot a glare at the others as they all gave her questioning looks. It wasn't every day you see Nat willing to give people hugs. After that dinner was eaten in a peaceful lull of conversation as Harry listened to the others talking with each other, speaking every now and then when he was asked something or wanted to input in the conversation. When it was finally over, Tony and Harry headed back up to the penthouse, while the others got off onto their room's floor. Tony put Harry to bed, and while he was going through work on his bed, Harry crept into the room and got in the bed on the other side of him. Tony put his work away and pulled Harry into his arms. Jarvis dimmed the lights, and that's how those two fell asleep that night.
What were your thoughts on the chapter, I'm not entirely sure if I chapter the essence of a 12-year-old who has been to hell and back. I mean I grew up pretty quickly because of my shitty childhood, so if I had been put in a similar situation at Harry's age, I'm pretty sure, I would act similar to how he does in this story.
But anyways, I'm cackling at some of the long term plot lines that have started to develop over the last two chapters, Hehe, Sorry my ADD is showing.