Peter remembered Dale Connors like he remembered Skip; with hate and a tad bit of fear. After Ben died, May had no intentions of ever seeing anyone else. Then, Dale happened. Dale worked with Mat at work and they sort of hit it off. Dale worked with IT, fixing all the equipment in the region so he saw May rather frequently. They talked for about two months before May introduced Dale to him. Peter was a bit wary of the guy. He had given Peter some 'not happy about his mere existence' looks behind May's back. Things continued on between the two of them, with Dale coming over to the house more. Dale started to be a bit touchy when it came to discipline. Dale even gave him a black eye for finally back talking and boom, his aunt had found out. And May had NOT been happy. One look at Peter after Dale babysat for her while she was at work and all hell broke loose. But Dale hadn't just let it go, no, he started yelling at May. Peter did not like that so he had stepped in front of her-like the mini warrior he had been- but May was pulling him behind her instantly. Things got out of hand, Dale ended up slapping May and she smacked him right back, so Dale and May got into it physically. Peter ran to Mays purse and pulled out her phone and called 911 when Dale got on top of her and seemed to be really hitting his aunt. Peter had cried a lot that day. He remembers May telling him to go to his room and lock it, to not come out until she got him, all while getting her face pounded in. Peter would forever remember Dale, and May's face when she finally did come to get him from his room.
Peter walks with Happy through the back entrance to SI. Normally, Happy doesn't come up with him, preferring to go park the car and then go about his day while Peter went ahead. Peter knew that his ramblings annoyed Happy, at least, they used to. Now, if he was too quiet, Happy would prompt him along. That wasn't the case today though.
"Tony wants to see you in his office" Happy informs as they enter the elevator and Happy taps the 24th floor button.
"Mr. Stark actually has an office?!" Peter gapes. Happy snorts.
"Surprising, isn't it, considering he's never in it." Happy laughs, "That's why I'm bringing you though, because Pepper had the foresight to know that you wouldn't know where it was"
"Ms. Potts is amazing! Did you know MJ doesn't like mr. Stark but she idolizes Ms. Potts" Peter says, as if the very idea of someone not liking Mr. Stark was a crime. Happy shrugs.
"Good to know that your friend has a good head on her shoulders, Ms. Potts is a remarkable woman." Happy says, fully meaning it.
"True. What did Mr. Stark want me to come to his office for?" Peter asks, as they made it to the floor and were stepping out.
"I guess some IT guy had a meeting with Tony and the guy recognized you in a photo that's on Tony's desk. Tony wants to know if you actually know the guy" Happy says, frowning.
"Do you not like the IT guy?" Peter asks warily, "Your frowning" he explains at Happy's raised eyebrow. Happy sighs but doesn't answer. He motions to the office door that they came to and opens it, walking in first.
"Hey Happy, Kid" Tony's voice greets, cutting off whatever the IT guy was saying. Peter perks up as he see's Mr. Stark, but his gaze shifts to the person sitting in front of Mr. Stark as he turns. Dale, Dale freakin Connors was smiling at him like he was some long lost friend.
"Hey, squirt, remember me?" Dale says in the nicest voice ever. Peter felt all the color drain from his face. Yes, yes he did, thank you. Peter remembered May's face, how swollen and red and bloody she was. He remembered. Peter felt anger, his fist clenching, his heart racing and-
"WOAH, PETER!" Happy's voice sounded far away, so did Mr. Starks "Holy shit".
Peter didn't remember speed walking up to Dale, who had dumbly opened his arms like he was going for a hug, and promptly punching him. He doesn't remember the silence the room fell into for a split second; not Mr. Starks shocked expression before it darkened (because really, if sweet little inoocent Peter just deck someone= not Bueno); not Happy's blink of surprise nor even Dale's thunderous expression; but Peter does remember coming to as he keeps hitting, hard, as hard as he came, not realizing that he's shaking and that he's hitting hard but not Spiderman hard because of this. He's vaguely aware of Happy trying to pull his away from Dale as the man stands up, nor Happy switching from pulling Peter away to standing in front of him as Dale tried to retaliate. Peter feels hands on him again, except this time it's Tony, who wraps an arm around him and guides him out of his office. Peter follows silently, his breathing coming in gasp.
Tony leads them to the elevator, keeping Peter close to him as they go to the penthouse. He sits Peter door on the closest couch, instructing Friday to call Pepper and May for him and explain what happen.
"Peter, buddy, you with me?" Tony asks. Peters eyes zero in on Tony's but doesn't respond.
"Hey, let's say we talk for a second about what just happened." Tony suggest, taking hold of Peters hands and gently uncurling them out of the fist that they were. Tony doesn't like to admit when he's worried, but seeing Peter fully on nearly sprint to hail maker an IT guy, little worrying. Tony hold Peters hands before bringing them to his chest and breathing deeply.
"Copy me, kid," Tony instructs. Peter took a second to even register what he had said but feeling Tony's heart beat, and the rise and fall of his breathing was enough to bring Peter crashing back to. Peters gasping became a different sort of panic.
"Oh my God! I'm in so much trouble!" Peter panics. Tony snorts.
"Sort of why we need to talk about what happened. So I take it you actually knew the guy" Tony states the obvious. Before Peter can respond, Pepper and May come hurriedly inside. Tony blinks in surprise.
"I got here as fast as I could" May says, her whole posture was rigid.
"Did you break fifty speeding laws to get here?!" Tony asks, because holy shit, MAY, breaking the law?!
"You said Dale was here?!" May countered. Peter flinches.
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry, I didn't know he got out" May says, coming over to them and pulling Peter into a hug. Tony gives Pepper a questioning look. Pepper seems solemn.
"Why was he here in the first place?" May asks, almost accusingly at Tony, before pinching the bridge of her nose and amending, "sorry that's not fair, it's not your fault."
"He came for a job proposal. I wasn't really considering him but he had applied for the R&D department so I interviewed him myself. He saw the picture of Peter and said he knew the kid, so I wanted to see if he actually did." Tony explains.
"Why were you originally not considering him?" Pepper asks.
"Happy got vibes and said he didn't like the guy. He made me put an Iron Man suit on standby before he even left to go get Peter." Tony says, "And now he's really not getting the job because Peter decked him"
May made a strangled noise.
"Peter!" May manages. Peter clears his throat.
"I TOLD YOU I didn't like that guy, Tony, and now look, there's blood all over that Persian carpet. Hey, kid, you want to take up boxing? You got him good. Good job kid!" Happy says as he comes barging in. Peter thinks that it's the happiest he's ever seen the man.
"Happy" Pepper's tone is warning. Happy gives her a 'what did I do' look.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry about your carpet, Mr. Stark!" Peters face drains of color again as he realizes that it was his fault that there was blood on Mr. Starks very expensive carpet.
"Don't worry about it kid. It's not that big of a deal. Still curious about why you, of all people, got physical with the guy" Tony says.
"He hurt May" Peter says, fiercely.
"Come again?" Tony and Happy say at the same time, both looking furious.
May for her part looks two seconds from crying. Pepper brings the two mugs of tea she had been working on over and hands them to May and Peter.
"Here you go. I'm sorry you guys had to go through all this again. Tony would never have put Peter in front of Connors if he had known." Pepper consoles. Tony nods his head in agreement as he shifts hi focud to the starkpad he was pulling up Dale Connors record with Happy over his shoulder reading what he was. Both of them gape in shock as they see the pictures of May that were taken, they read the 911 call, both looking over to Peter as he was snuggled into May, before both men look at each other.
"We'll be right back" Tony says, jumping to his feet. Happy already walking to the door.
"Sit down" May sighs, firmly. She can tell what both men were going to do, and she appreciated the gesture. Especially coming from these two men.
"How about we have a movie night instead" Pepper counters whatever either her husband and friend were going to sputter out.
"Can we watch Starwars?" Peter asks, coming excited. And maybe that's what broke Tony to sit back down.
"Sure kid"
"I need to go deal with the police" Happy says. Pepper gives him an unimpressed look.
"Sit next to May, Happy, I'll go deal with them" Pepper says. Happy huffs. Tony gives her a smirk, knowing exactly what she was going to do.
"Hey, Mr. Stark have you-" Pepper let Peter's voice guide her down to where Friday said the police were with Dale Connors. Her face hardening to the coldest anyone has ever seen.
…
Peter didn't want to know what Ms. Potts did. Whatever it was, Mr. Stark had been watching a live feed of something and he had winced and showed Happy. Both men finally relaxed after another ten minutes and Mr. Stark put away his pad with a satisfied smile. Peter leaned into May, feeling tired.
"Thank you" May says, once Peter fell asleep. Tony looks at them.
"I'm sorry. I should have just looked him up" Tony says. May shakes her head.
"It's not truly either of our faults in the end. I was just so worried when I found out he was here and Peter had seen him. All I received was a voice text from Friday informing me vaguely what happened." May sighs. Tony pulls up the early feed and shows it to May. May watches the clip of her nephew walking in the office after Happy, freeze for a moment before-
"Wow" May says, truly shocked.
"Yeah, Kid got some lead hands" Tony remarks.
"Luckily, he was shaky a bit when so his Spiderman strength didn't really come out" Happy says.
"I'm proud of him," Tony says softly, looking at no one when he said it.
"Kid has some guts" Happy says concurring.
Pepper walks in on this moment, setting her bags from her own office down on the floor and coming over and plopping down next to Tony, leaning into him.
"How'd it go?" Tony asks.
"How'd what go?" Pepper asks.
"Dale?" Tony states questioningly.
"Who?" Pepper asks, blinking a him. Everyone stared at her for a moment.
"Oh. My. God. Ms. Potts, did you unalive someone for me?!" Peter squeaks. Everyone waits for Pepper to deny it and then explain what really happened but none came. Pepper looks at Peter with a serious expression.
"Tony and I will do anything for family, remember this." Pepper tells him. Tony nods his head, pulling his wife closer, while also making a mental to make sure she wouldn't get caught with whatever she did.
"Welcome to the fam" Happy says, smiling. May could only feel touched and slightly- ok, at lot, more safe knowing she wouldn't need to worry about her ex. Peter, for his part, got up.
"So does this mean…that, that we're there?" Peter asks, no one but Tony understood. Tony opened his arms.
"Yeah, kid, we're there" and Tony and Pepper both had their arms full of a curly haired kid that was just too pure for the world.