Author's Note: Very astute observation! Yes, JARVIS was told to record the meatloaf making, and he did – and he was told to send it to Pepper, so of course he will. And the conversation that happened is something that will almost certainly come up, again in the future.

OOOOOOOO

"Well, that wasn't too bad for a first try."

"It was good," Peter agreed. "And there's leftovers. We could make it into sandwiches."

Tony hadn't had leftovers in a long time. If ever, really. Certainly not leftover meatloaf that he'd created – from scratch – like he and Peter had. The boy's enthusiasm told him that Peter was no stranger to either meatloaf, or to leftovers and he obviously knew what to do with it.

"Sounds like a plan." He stretched, glancing at the remains of their dinner, and the few dishes that needed to be cleaned. He was a clean as you go kind of cook and Peter and he hadn't made a lot of mess in the first place. "Why don't you go get into pajamas, and we'll watch a movie before bed."

Peter nodded, but he picked up his plate and set it in the dishwasher before he skipped his way into his bedroom.

"JARVIS? We'll want to keep an eye on him, tonight," Tony said, getting up from the table and starting to clear it.

"In case of food poisoning?"

Which made Stark roll his eyes, amused.

"Funny. Watch for nightmares, though. Or any sleeping patterns that aren't within his norm. If he isn't sleeping, I want to know about it."

"Of course."

That wasn't being a helicopter parent, Tony decided. He wanted to make sure everything was alright with the boy. JARVIS just made it easier for him than it was for most.

By the time he had the dishwasher loaded – although there weren't enough dishes to run a load – and the counters wiped, Peter had returned. The little boy climbed over the back of the sofa and flopped down on it in a heap while Tony walked over. Peter was wearing Ironman pajamas (not Batman) Stark saw, and he was smiling.

"Guess what?"

The billionaire leaned over the back of the couch to look down at him.

"What?"

"Monkey butt."

Tony smirked and it made Peter giggle.

"Seriously?"

"Know why?" Peter asked, his brown eyes alive with mischief and happiness.

So happy that Tony played along.

"Why?"

"Cow pie."

"That's it." Tony reached down and grabbed the boy, tickling him, ruthlessly, as Peter wriggled and laughed at the attack. "You're going to pay, Peter Stark…" the man told him, carefully avoiding the injured arm, but no place else was safe from his 'attack'. "Do you even know what a cow pie is?"

Peter was breathless by then, but he nodded.

"Poop."

"Where did you hear that?"

"School."

Tony ended his tickle assault with a flourish, sweeping the boy up into his arms to hug him, hard.

"From the teachers? Or from the other kids?"

"The other kids," Peter answered, resting his head on Tony's shoulder and catching his breath. "He said shit, though, and not poop."

"But you'll say poop, because you know that shit is a bad word, right?"

"You say it."

"I'm a grown up." Tony ran his fingers through the boy's curls. "You know how to decide what words you can use?"

"How?"

"Before you say it, ask yourself if you would say it to Pepper or Natasha. If you would, then you're probably safe saying it. If you don't think they would approve, then you should probably choose a different word. Yeah?"

Peter nodded, again, accepting that.

"Okay."

"Good." He tossed his son onto the plush leather of the sofa. "Find us a movie while I go change."

"Okay." Peter reached for the remote – although he knew he could have had JARVIS simply turn one on. It was more fun for him to flip through the options. "Can we watch Jurassic Park?"

"No," Tony said, already heading for his bedroom. "It's too scary."

"I saw it, before."

"I meant too scary for me."

He disappeared into his room, and Peter's giggled followed him.

OOOOOOOO

They watched Minions, but both of them ended up falling asleep during it. Peter was cuddled up against his father's side, body perfectly cradled in the crook of Tony's arm, and Tony lounging against the fat cushion on the end of the couch, far too comfortable to maintain a semblance of interest in the movie in favor of a nap.

JARVIS woke them when the movie was over, and a still sleepy Tony carried a somewhat sleepy Peter into his bedroom and tucked him into his bed.

"Need anything?" he asked the boy, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Peter shook his head, rolling onto his side so he could see him better.

"No."

"Easy day at home, tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah."

Peter smiled when Tony leaned over and kissed him goodnight, and he felt the same thrill of happiness go through him when the man stood up.

"Good night, son."

"Good night."

Tony turned the light off and closed the door behind him and Peter hugged himself in the dark.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what, Peter?"

"Helping me."

He didn't need to explain what he meant, and there was a slight pause.

"We aren't finished, yet."

"We're not?"

"No."

"I have him, forever."

What else was there?

"That was the intention."

"Then what else?" Peter asked, curiously.

"You'll have to wait and see," the AI responded. "Just like everyone else."

Peter sat up in the bed.

"You could tell me. I wouldn't tell anyone."

"It will be more fun for you, if I don't."

"Give me a hint?"

"Go to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy."

"Try harder."

JARVIS sounded so much like Tony, just then, that Peter smiled. He laid back down.

"A hint?" he asked, again. "Please?"

Another pause.

"If I give you a hint, you'll go to sleep?"

"I'll try."

"It's something you and Tony both need – you just don't know it."

Peter frowned.

"I don't understand."

"Because it's Delphic."

"What does that mean?"

"Look it up," the AI suggested, and Peter was sure it sounded amused. "But not until tomorrow. Go to sleep."

The room went silent, and Peter pulled his blankets back up over himself, looking around in the dark. He had all kinds of toys, and his stomach was full, and he'd just been tucked into bed. He'd never have to move, again, and except for the bear that he had close at hand, all of his treasures were protected in the safe behind the Batman poster. He couldn't think of anything that he needed.

Or that Tony needed.

"A rocket?"

"Go to sleep, Peter."

The boy sighed, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

The AI, on the other hand, never slept. As JARVIS watched over the sleeping form of the boy in one room, and the man in the other, he was also constantly monitoring the area around the house they were in, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary in the yards, or the neighborhood beyond. At the same time, he was sorting through information and passing it along to files set up for Nick Fury and Natasha Romanoff, as well as another for Tony, himself.

The information was important, because it contained identities unknown before, and now exposed. People – both men and women – who had proven that they were a threat to Peter. Which, of course, wasn't acceptable. Steps would have to be taken, JARVIS knew. The information was the first step – and an important one – but the AI was much more than just a smart house, and the reach that JARVIS had, through the net, the web and all other computer systems, was extraordinary.

SHIELD would step up and crush the threat to the boy, and JARVIS would make sure everything went smoothly when they did. He would also do what SHIELD couldn't. As Tony and Peter slept, JARVIS accessed the financial and personal records of every individual that were now targeted by the AI – and the SHIELD network. Some he left alone, because they needed to be unaware of the danger that they were in, until after the SHIELD traps were sprung.

Others, however, would wake in their morning, or come home in their evening, only to find that their fortunes big and small (although they were almost all very large ones) were suddenly gone, and those funds would be untraceable no matter how hard, or where, they looked for them.

JARVIS wasn't going to allow anything – or anyone – to interfere with his own plans. If that meant crippling those who threatened it, then so be it.