A/N-Sorry this took a while, i just saw Civil War last week and I LOATHED it. I hate Captain Rogers. However I didnt want this to be an Anti-Cap story so I had to take a step back. I'm really sad about the movie, and I'm sorry but I changed my original plan, there isnt a fight in here. The movie changes any urges you might have to see that.
Chapter 5
Rhodey took a deep breath as he came out of his superior's office after informing him that he was needed in New York. Due to Tony being who he was the Military was grateful for the Iron Patriot's suit, and wanted to keep the man as happy as possible. That and the fact that he and Tony were friends kept him as a liaison to the Avengers. Add into the fact that the only thing he needed to say was that there was something going on with Anthony Stark and he was cleared for the next month or so.
He doubted he needed that long but he would take it and stay there for however long Tony needed him to be. He was still fuming, especially if he thought back to how that little boy had sounded on the phone. He felt even angrier that he or Pepper weren't there in the tower with him. He swallowed inaudibly for a moment wondering if she even knew what was going on. He knew if Tony called him then there was a chance that Pepper didn't pick up.
He sighed softly before he dialed her number as he headed to catch his flight. He had told Tony four hours as he wasn't sure how long the meeting with his superior would take. It had only lasted a half hour, and it was an hour or so flight to New York. He was making great time and that just meant the sooner he would get to Tony. He put the phone to his ear, and calmed down, knowing he would never be able to speak if he didn't. He didn't have to wait long as the phone was picked up.
"Virginia Potts speaking, who is calling?" Came Pepper's professional voice.
"Pepper it's me, have you spoken with Tony tonight?" Rhodey asked calmly.
"Not today I haven't, I think I might have missed his call an hour ago. But I assume he's in bed now so I'll call him tomorrow," Pepper replied in return.
"He's not in bed, he's scared out of his mind. I'm headed to New York as we speak," James replied tightly, it was hard to keep a rein on his emotions right now.
"What's happened? I missed his call, what if he needed me?" Pepper asked softly, already moving from where she was behind her desk.
"Those bastards called his teammates brought a known murderer into his tower and is allowing him to stay there. Knowing how Tony himself feels about that, they're disregarding all of his feelings," Rhodey stated angrily.
"Who did they bring?" Pepper asked dangerously.
"The Winter Solider, apparently he's Steve's old friend Barnes. I don't care who he is, when someone reduces Tony to tears regardless of his age, shit is gonna get rough really quickly," James responded.
"What did they do? Oh god, he's in the tower all alone with them," Pepper said her hand going to her heart in fear for what might be happening in Avenger Tower.
"Calm down Pepper, I'm coming. He's not totally alone, he told me that Clint and Bruce are on his side. I told him to bring them up the penthouse and place it on lockdown. I'm coming over as soon as I land, are you?" Rhodey asked strongly.
"Of course, just swing by the office on your way here. We need a plan on what to do anyway," Pepper replied automatically.
"Alright, I'll see you in an hour," Rhodey said firmly as he hung up the phone.
~*~*~*~*~The Penthouse*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clint glanced at Bruce yet again to find the man still reading the same book he had grabbed when they first went up here. He was feeling restless but he could care less at the moment. It only mattered on how Tony felt, and as it was the little boy was sitting in his lap watching some cartoons. Well the child seemed to be dozing off, but Clint knew his rest was anything but restful. The boy had jerked awake at least twice already his eyes wide in fright as if he was expecting someone to hurt him.
The archer growled softly knowing that the child was expecting just that and Steve was clearly to blame for all of this. The archer was feeling slightly hungry and he bet that Tony and Bruce was feeling the same way. Going down to the common floor kitchen was a no go especially since Clint wasn't sure he would be able to control himself there. The penthouse had no food as Tony rarely ate up here. He wasn't sure what to do if he was being honest. He opened his mouth to ask Jarvis where they might be able to get some food when the phone rang, and he felt the A.I. answer it immediately.
"Jarvis, is Tony alright? I just got a called from Rhodey and I'm worried about his safety," Pepper's anxious voice filled the room.
"Young sir is alright, he's shaken but both Mr. Barton and Dr. Banner are with him as we speak," Jarvis replied promptly.
"What is he doing?" Pepper asked as she blew out a quiet breath in relief.
"He's sleeping Pepper," Bruce piped in before Jarvis could answer. He gave the woman a small smile as he turned to look at the quiet child.
"I'm not sweeping, I was westing is all," Tony said with a sigh as he looked at the screen. "I called you Peppew, but you didn't answew," he mumbled out.
"I know baby; I was tied up in a meeting that ran way too late. I'm here now, and I'll be coming over there with Rhodey as soon as he flies in," she promised him.
Tony blew out a breath softly in relief, this is what he needed. His heart warmed at her term of endearment for him even if he knew she meant it like a mother to a child. He didn't care about that, she loved him! He needed the people who supported and loved him for him. He was glad that they were both coming together, and then he would have four people on his side, five if you count Jarvis and he did. He giggled softly to himself, as he never thought he could include Bruce or Clint for that matter.
"Okay, we'we in da penthouse, and I'm hungwy," he told her with a sigh. He hadn't eaten since maybe lunch before the mission even started.
"Would you like me to bring you something or for Jarvis to order something for you all?" Pepper asked him calmly.
"Um, Jarvis can do it, I'll see you later Peppew," Tony said happily.
"I'll call you when Rhodey gets here to keep you updated, unless you fall asleep," she informed them all.
"We'll be here and awake," Clint responded easily as the call clicked off. He turned to look at the little boy in his lap curiously. "Now what did you want to eat?"
"Some fwies, and a hot dog," Tony said seriously.
"I could probabaly make those, but I don't trust myself to go down into the kitchen to get said supplies," Clint said with a shake of his head.
"I'll do it, I don't want to endanger someone else if you know who decides to go back to you know what," Bruce said cryptically as he gave a look in Tony's direction.
Clint knew he meant Bucky and the Winter Soldier and they didn't feel like scaring Tony, speaking in slight code would work just fine. "Alright, just let Jarvis know, you know it's in lockdown mode," he reminded him.
"Quite right Mr. Barton, it will be disabled for a moment and then placed again on lockdown. When you're ready I will know and I will disable it yet again," Jarvis stated easily.
Bruce sighed softly, thankful that he had a hand on keeping his emotions down. He knew they would give him a wide berth either way and he was grateful for it. He gave the tiny tot a small smile before he headed to the elevator disappearing into it as the doors closed.
"Hey Jawvis, can we watch Bwuce on da scween?" Tony asked with a sly grin. He wanted to see how this would play out. He noted in even more amusement how Clint didn't even say anything to object it, evidently the archer agreed with him.
~*~*~*~*~Common Room Floor*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bruce took a deep breath centering himself as the elevator went down to the common room floor. It wasn't that late and under normal circumstances no one would even be asleep, they would all be watching a movie with Tony. He shook his head trying to keep his mind calm and blank, and when the doors opened he strode out of the elevator and headed towards the kitchen.
He was aware of two things when he stepped out the elevator, one was that Natasha wasn't up here and Steve and his friend were still in the kitchen. He didn't even look at them as he headed directly to the freezer to grab what he needed. He bit the inside of his jaw when he saw the Captain move as if he wanted to speak.
He didn't want to hear the man say anything, not unless it was an apology to Tony. Too bad the super soldier didn't have mind reading to tell him that. Bruce paid him no attention as he grabbed a bag of frozen hot dogs from the freezer before looking for the frozen fries he knew were here.
"Bruce, can we talk?" Steve asked quietly as he watched his teammate and hopefully still friend grab food from the freezer.
"There is honestly nothing I want to hear from you right now," Bruce said with a shake of his head, as he reached to grab the basket underneath the sink to put all the food inside. He wasn't going to struggle to carry everything, nor risk Steve trying to help and assert himself the way the man often did.
Steve frowned at the man's words but he needed to try something. "Can't you see it from my side of things?" He pleaded.
"Can you see it from Tony's?" Bruce retorted back before he grabbed some milk, knowing that the child was definitely not getting soda this late. He contemplated telling them about Pepper and Rhodes coming but decided to keep it a secret. It would be a wonderful surprise no doubt and he wasn't going to ruin it.
"He just doesn't understand what I'm doing for Bucky," Steve said his frown deepening.
"No, it's you don't understand. You're not doing this for him but for you. I understand that you wish to cling to that last normal semblance of your old life. And I'm never gonna begrudge you for that. It's when you let that blind you from what's in front of you, that I start to get angry with you. How dare you treat that child up there like shit? How dare you expect him to allow someone who he knows killed his parents, into his sanctuary and be okay with it? How dare you presume to know who the fuck Tony even is?" Bruce stated heatedly, watching almost impassively as the skin around his hands started to turn green.
He took a deep breath, hating that the man had gotten to him. He didn't curse often but he had because Rogers was so full of shit at the moment. He noticed out of the corner of his eye how the Winter Soldier tensed up, but he didn't care. If the man came at him, he would happily let the Hulk out to play.
Steve gasped softly as he took a step back from the man, a feeling of deep hurt coming into his chest at the man's words. He hadn't meant to do this; true he was clinging to Bucky but that was to be expected right? "I'm sorry," he repeated out hoarsely.
"Again that apology is not meant for me," Bruce said as he got himself back under control and grabbed the basket and headed out of the kitchen. He frowned as he saw Natasha waiting almost casually by the elevator, she had another thing coming if she thought she was following him to the penthouse.
"I just want to talk," Natasha said calmly when she saw the stony look on the Doctor's face.
"I don't want to talk to you, or to Steve. I want you both to leave me alone, you all seem to forget how close the Hulk sits to my skin," Bruce said tightly.
"I never meant for it to come to this, I don't agree fully with what's going on. I don't want any of us at odds, we're a team," Natasha said quietly.
"Teammates don't treat other teammates like crap, this isn't the first time that Tony has been left out to dry. This is the first time where he knows that he's not alone, I'm glad I'm on his side, I just wish the rest of Avengers were as well," Bruce said with a slight shrug, as he pressed the elevator. He knew it wouldn't even open until she walked away.
Natasha frowned, she wanted to say she was on Tony's side too, but she agreed with Steve at the moment regarding Bucky. This was the best solution until a better one could be found. She huffed softly as she looked at the ceiling knowing that Jarvis was figuratively frowning at her and she couldn't blame him. She sighed, hoping that Clint was still her friend, she couldn't stand it if she lost him too. Natasha headed back to the kitchen, shuddering for a moment as a feeling set into her skin before she shook it off.
"You okay?" Steve asked curiously seeing the look on her face.
"Something is gonna happen, and I'm worried is all," She admitted.
"What do you mean? With us, the Avengers?" Steve asked getting alarmed himself.
"I'm not completely sure, I just have a bad feeling that shit is gonna get ugly really quickly," Natasha replied with a frown as she carefully sat across Bucky on the table.
"You don't have to worry, I can handle whatever it may be," Bucky replied hoarsely.
"That is what I'm afraid of," Natasha said with a sigh.
*~*~*~*Penthouse~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Bruce stepped out of the elevator at the penthouse level, he was free of any green tinge to his skin and once more in control. He had taken a moment in the elevator to calm himself down as he didn't want to scare Tony. He needed to be in control, he didn't want the child to fear him. Even as he doubted the Hulk would hurt the child, knowing how he currently felt about that small boy on the bed, he knew his alter would be just as protective when it came down to it.
"Clint, do you want to switch places with me? Or I can cook the food if you want?" Bruce stated quietly as he realized the child on the bed might be asleep.
"It doesn't matter honestly, he's kind of dozing right now but I think he'll wake up if I move," Clint said as he looked down at the sleeping child before he looked back up at his friend.
"That's alright then, I can cook this. He needs all the sleep he can get," Bruce said with a fond expression on his face before he headed into the kitchen area of the Penthouse. He noted in amusement that it didn't look like it had ever been used, and knowing Tony it probably hadn't.
Clint looked up at the ceiling before he carefully looked down at the child in his arms. He was feeling extremely out of sorts, he didn't like being on the other side of his partner and he frowned softly to himself. She had made her decision and he his, but he honestly wanted to know just what the hell she had been thinking. He sighed before he carefully tried to set the child on the bed, only to wince when the boy whimpered on and only held onto him tighter.
"No, stay," the little boy whimpered softly in his sleep.
"Jarvis, could you call Natasha for me? I know she won't hurt Tony but I don't feel comfortable invading his space knowing she was on Cap's side. And so a video chat will have to do," Clint murmured quietly as he verbally rationalized his inner monologue on how he currently felt.
"I think that might be best," JARVIS agreed easily as he set the call up.
Clint arranged Tony as much as he could, looking up when the call went through, he shook his head as the amusement came forth. It was kind of funny to think that they were all in the same tower but were communicating this way.
He sighed, hating the reason for that, he had thought that he and the team were perfect with all their flaws but everything was in such disarray, and he had no idea how they were all going to fix it. He schooled his expression when his partner appeared on the screen, his hand covering half of the boy's face unconsciously as if he could protect his tiny teammate from her now.
"Clint, is Tony doing alright?" Natasha asked in concern, that was truly her first thought.
"Physically speaking, he's perfect, emotionally speaking; honestly Tasha what do you think?" Clint asked with a roll of his eyes.
"I think this is a huge misunderstanding, it wasn't supposed to be this way. We all just need to sit down and talk this out," Natasha said calmly.
"To hell with that, Cap doesn't understand what it means to compromise and so I'm not going back down there until Bruce and I have adequate back up to prove our point," Clint said with a half shrug. He knew she would try to figure out what that meant with his small clue, and he honestly didn't care. He didn't think that Rhodey or Pepper had her in their sights anyway.
"What does that mean? Is someone else coming here?" Natasha asked slowly.
"I'm sure when shit finally hits the fan, you'll have a front row seat," Clint said cryptically, his expression still as neutral as the beginning.
Natasha sighed softly, knowing she wasn't going to get much out of him right now. She just had to know one thing, he hadn't answered before. "Are we still friends?" She asked quietly.
"Of course we are, we're just at an impasse right now. I know everything is going to be sorted out, but for right now I'm going to stay up here with Bruce and Tony," Clint said with a shrug.
"I understand, take care of him," Natasha said softly before she leaned forward and disconnected the call.
Clint sighed softly, hoping that he was right and that soon enough they would come together again. He hated being on the opposite sides of his teammates.
~*~*~*Stark Industries~*~*~*~*
Rhodey walked into Stark Industries, watching in amusement as everyone moved out of his way. He had left the airport and immediately donned his Iron Patriot persona and had flown to the city knowing he would get there faster than by car.
Tony had called him just after 9pm and it was pushing 11:30pm, he had made some good time. He quirked an eyebrow as he looked around the building, didn't people sleep? He ignored them as he headed up to Pepper's floor and her office. He wasn't surprised to find her already waiting for him the minute he got off the elevator.
"Have you been in contact with JARVIS?" Pepper asked curiously. "I talked with Bruce not too long ago, he told me that Tony woke up to eat before he fell back asleep. However, he's refusing to let go of at least one them while he's sleeping. That means he's still scared in his sleep, he only used to sleep like that when his dreams invaded," she said softly.
"I know," Rhodey replied tightly remembering their college days fondly, though at the moment he was beyond irritated. "You take the car with Happy and I'll meet you at the Tower," he told her as he headed towards the window.
"Alright, I'll be there soon," she promised him as she hurried to the elevator.
Rhodey took a breath before he jumped out the window, his suit knowing without him steering it where to go. He tightened his control just a bit more, he needed to be rational about this. He didn't want to end up scaring Tony again, and he was glad that JARVIS had made sure that Tony was separated from the Captain and his…friend.
He noted in amusement as he got closer, he heard JARVIS's voice in his suit and then watched as the Tower opened to allow him entry. He was slightly unsure of whether he should see to Tony now or confront the Captain first. As he headed to the elevator, that decision was taken away from him as he felt rather than saw someone behind him.
"Colonel Rhodes, I didn't know you were coming," Steve said carefully unsure of just what the man was doing here, or for that matter how he even got in without them knowing.
"You weren't to know Captain, as you seemed to be conveniently forgetting this is not your house. You might live here but the choices about what happens here aren't and will never be up to you," Rhodey replied in a much too calm tone. He made an unconscious decision to keep his suit on for the moment, just in case something happened he wanted to be prepared for it.
Steve immediately went on his guard at the man's tone, his eyes flickering up the ceiling where he knew Jarvis didn't reside but his voice came from. "Who called you here?"
"That is also none of your concern Captain, I Don't answer to you. At this point in time I don't even like you, I'm tolerating you for the moment because I'm waiting for Pepper to get here. And when she does we'll all have a talk to discuss just what the fuck you thought you were doing when you brought him here," Rhodey replied, his tone turning dangerous on the end.
"I see," Steve replied slowly because honestly what could he really do or say for that matter. He had a bad feeling about all of this, and for the first time he was starting to regret bring Bucky here without thinking of Tony first.
"You don't, but by the time we're done with you, you will," Rhodey replied evenly before he stepped into the elevator.
He stared impassively at the other man before he placed his palm against the touchscreen in the elevator. He, like Pepper didn't have to give a password they were keyed into every inch of Tony's life. Rhodey watched the doors close, giving a small exhale when he could no longer see the man anymore. "Can I have an update on Tony JARVIS? Is he still sleeping?"
"Yes he is, but I have no doubt he wants you to wake him up when you get up there," Jarvis replied easily.
"I was planning on it anyway, I just wanted to see what he was up too," the soldier replied easily as the doors opened to the penthouse, quirking an eyebrow in amusement as the other two men took on a defensive stance around his tiny friend.
"I thought Pepper was coming with you?" Bruce asked in confusion as he saw the man come in alone.
"She is, I just took the suit and she took the car," Rhodey replied as he made his way over to the bed to where tiny Tony was sleeping.
"I don't really want to wake him, but honestly this shit doesn't need to fester anymore," Clint murmured as he gently shook the child.
"I agree completely," Rhodey replied easily as he pushed the button to allow the suit to release him. He knew that Tony was naturally affectionate having been starved affection and would want to hug him and he didn't want anything to be in their way.
"Buddy, I need you to wake up now. Someone is here to see you," Clint said quietly.
"I'm sweeping, I don't care who it is unwess it's Whodey or Peppew," Tony grumbled out sleepily.
"Tones, I'm here kiddo," Rhodey replied easily as he bent down to the child's level.
Tony's eyes snapped open when he heard that, all sleepiness gone as he threw himself at the older man. "Whodey, you came!" He squealed out happily as he buried his face into the man's neck.
"I will always come for you buddy," Rhodey promised him as he hugged him tightly in return. He couldn't understand how people could hurt Tony like this, especially when he was this size. Didn't anybody have a goddamn heart anymore?
"Is Peppew coming too?" Tony whispered out softly.
"She's on her way as we speak," Rhodey replied seriously.
"Good, I've been waiting for da boff of you," he told him honestly.
"I know you have buddy," Rhodey replied softly.
Rhodey stood up carefully, making sure that Tony was supported with his arms as he looked up at the two men who hadn't said anything about the Cap when he arrived. "How did you gentlemen wish to go about this? I'm trying to be the rational one, because if I let my emotions cloud my judgement you'll be hearing about Captain America getting punched in the face by the Iron Patriot on the news. And I don't need anyone to tell me how ironic that even sounds," he chuckled dryly.
"The Hulk wishes to have a few words with Captain, so I don't think your idea is too far-fetched," Bruce replied with a smile. "However, I don't wasn't Tony to be exposed to any violence," he added.
"That is true," Rhodey replied as he kissed the soft locks on the child's head. "He's been hurting for way to long as it is. I saw this deaging fiasco as a second chance of sorts. But the Captain's fat head is messing what little time we have with tiny Tony the fuck up," he said frowning.
"Perhaps we should watch our language when we talk, since we have little ears here," Clint interjected delicately.
Tony took that time to turn to look at the archer, giving him a coy smile. "I know worser words den dat, wanna hear?" The little boy asked him, his eyes sparkling in amusement.
Bruce gave a loud laugh at that, as well as Rhodey as Clint tried to be stern but ending up grinning in response to that. "No buddy I believe you, but let's not say those words alright? They're not very nice ones," he told the child gently.
"Kay," Tony replied happily as he turned back to snuggle with Rhodey.
"So what is the plan once Pepper gets here?" Clint asked, he always felt better if he had a rough idea of what he needed to do. He hated going in anything blind.
"First off, I don't want to fight the American Icon, I will if I have too. And I know Jarvis will back me up to the fullest extent of his capabilities. I just want to know honestly, what the man thought he was doing? Why he didn't talk this through with the team and Tony? And I get that Tony is a child, but he's not stupid, he far from that. I have to be his protector because he can't protect himself right now and he shouldn't have too. This is his team, does that word mean anything anymore?" Rhodey asked tightly.
"It means something to me, Tony gave me a home when no one else did. He wasn't afraid of me, and he never flinched when I got angry or lost my temper. He actually tried to make me lose it, for science he said," Bruce said softly.
"That's the kind of guy he is, once he lets you in he clings hard to not let you out again," Rhodey told them seriously.
"Well then it's a good thing that we don't mind," Clint replied happily as he led the way to the elevator. He knew Pepper Potts, so he knew she had already arrived or was just pulling up and they wanted to present a united front when she reached the Captain.
"We should probably leave Tony up here, we are going to argue and possibly fight and I don't think we should expose that to him anymore then he has been already," Bruce stated gently.
Rhodey nodded and laughed as he looked down at the child who had nestled his face into his neck. If he was correct in his hunch, Tony wouldn't pose any trouble with that suggestion. The child had been much too quiet and as the soldier gently pulled the child back to look at him, he smiled in amusement at what he found. The little boy was fast asleep.
"That's fine with me, I'll just lay him down. If he awakes Jarvis, don't keep him in here, he hates being trapped in one place," Rhodey replied as he went to lay the child back down on the bed.
"Shall I alert you of his presence?" Jarvis asked curiously.
"I'll leave that up to you, if it goes the way Pepper wants it to go the Captain will be chewing very heavily on his own guilt," Rhodey replied as he carefully laid the sleeping child down on the bed. He nodded to Bruce and Clint and they all headed to the elevator, getting on it and riding it down to the common room floor.
They weren't disappointed when Rhodey noticed that the Captain was waiting for them. He cocked his head to the side as the Black Widow appeared in the doorway of the room, her gaze firmly on Clint.
"I don't want this to come to a fight," Steve told him quietly.
"I don't care what you want at this point Captain," Rhodey replied with a casual shrug.
"If you would just let me explain what I was trying to do, you'd see that this was all a miscommunication," Steve pleaded gently.
"Like you explained to Tony? Oh but I remember correctly you didn't seem inclined to let him know, the owner of this tower if you remember; what you had planned," Rhodey said tightly.
"You assumed that Tony would understand where you were coming from, but you know what they about assuming Captain," Pepper said as he walked briskly into the room. "I don't give a damn what you thought, I only care at this what you're going to do and how you are going to fix this," she said cuttingly, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Captain Rogers.
Steve flinched at both the tone and expression on Ms. Potts face. "Pepper I'm sorry I didn't think. I just didn't want Bucky locked up again," he said quickly.
"You don't get that right Captain; my name is Ms. Potts. You don't get to hurt Tony and think there are no consequences for your actions. You don't get to think that everything will be alright when it won't. You put Barnes first, before your teammates, now I'm putting Tony first before you," Pepper retorted calmly.
"And I'm letting you know that you have a week to find someplace, anywhere I don't give a damn where, but you will no longer be living in Avengers Tower; formerly known as Stark Tower," Rhodey interjected firmly.
"Where am I supposed to go? This is my team," Steve said with a frown, he didn't want them to be separated from each other. How would they present a united front if they weren't all together?
"That's not my problem, nor do I really care," Pepper answered before Rhodey could. "I'm done allowing you to hurt Tony Stark, and unlike you think; he does have people who care for him. Jarvis, see to it that Captain Rogers and his friends keep to their area while they are staying here," she added.
Natasha cleared her throat then held up her hands at Pepper's words. "Wait, I'm not in this," she said softly. "I care for Tony just as well,"
"Oh? And yet you seemed to have sided with Steve on this Tasha," Clint replied with a frown, his eyes narrowing in disbelief as he looked at her.
"I don't want to choose sides; I just think that Bucky would do better to keep his sanity here then at the base. You know how Shield is, they would trigger him with their poking and prodding," she said softly.
"I do, but I also know how it feels when someone comes into your home and starts treating it like its theirs with no regard for you or your own space," Clint said with a shake of his own head.
Natasha and Steve both winced at the archer's words, knowing he definitely had a point in what he had been saying. The Captain frowned as he turned to look at his friend, who had an agonizing expression on his face. He hated putting Bucky in this position, he hated putting himself in this position and he hated most of all how he had hurt Tony. He swallowed the guilt down for a moment as he took a deep breath turning to face Pepper and Rhodes again.
"We'll be out in a week then," he promised them. He knew he had some money in the bank, enough for him and Bucky to live on. But he didn't have the security of the tower but until he wasn't at odds with the team that wouldn't be happening any time soon.
"Good, I'll make sure of it. In the mean time I will be staying here with Tony in the Penthouse," Rhodey replied curtly.
"Of course," Steve replied softly, knowing that the chances of him getting Tony alone to apologize was pretty slim now. He had really fucked up; he should have explained it to him. He did give a soft sigh of relief as he realized it hadn't come to blows.
Pepper traded glances with Rhodey for a half of a second before she strode up to the Captain and slapped him hard, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
Steve winced and flinched, his hand coming up to cup his face, as that had hurt! "What was that for?" He blurted out in bewilderment.
"That was for making Tony feel as if he was nothing. If you hurt him again I will chop off your balls, feed them to you, and then watch you as you choke on them, Captain," Pepper said with a smile, though there was a definite hard edge to it as she looked at the American Icon.
Rhodey couldn't stop the slight gasp that escaped him, nor could any other male in the room at that point. The Iron Patriot was so very proud of Pepper in that moment, though his eyes flickered over the Captain's shoulder where the person whose presence had started this all. He noted with some amusement that Barnes seemed to be just as affected at Pepper's words as the rest of them.
"Duly noted Ms. Potts," Steve whispered out, slightly fearful of the woman in front of him. He held his breath at her expression as she gave a stiff nod before she finally turned away from to his relief.
"And if you touch one hair on Tony's head, you will be put in a place where not even the Captain will be able to save you. I know what you did, and I know while it wasn't you yourself you are just as responsible for it. You do not start anything with Tony, you leave that little boy alone. You are doing more than enough harm by being here," Pepper said as she turned to address Barnes.
Bucky swallowed back the bile, knowing she was right. He hadn't been in control then but if he had of fought harder, would anything have changed? He narrowed his eyes for a moment before he really looked at her, he knew she would protect that little boy with every fiber of her being. And at the moment, he wasn't in the mood for anymore killing.
He just wanted to be alone and try to remember the person he used to be. He gave her a curt nod before he turned back to looking at the table. Even without any obvious powers, Pepper Potts was a woman not to be trifled with. Bucky gave a slight smirk closing his eyes as the memories of another dame with the kind of spirit just like her came forward.
Satisfied that everyone seemed to be a little bit better, the tension was still there but not just as thick. But Pepper didn't want it to turn into a fight, they were friends just currently at an impasse right now. She didn't want them having any regrets if one of them got hurt.
"I'm going to go now, but I'll be back. In the meantime, as he said Rhodey will be living at the tower until the foreseeable future, or until the Captain and his friends leave," Pepper said bluntly.
Steve swallowed thickly, not wanting to do that but knowing he had no choice. This was his first real home in a long time but he had no choice but to give it up now.
"I'll call you tomorrow Pepper and let you know if anything changed overnight," Rhodey promised her.
"Okay, I'll be by tomorrow to spend some time with Tony," she promised before she turned and left.
When Pepper left, no one moved, not wanting to make the first move or just generally in their thoughts. Rhodey wasn't going to stand there all night and turned to Bruce to ask him something.
"Where's Tony?" Steve asked quietly, as he finally realized that they hadn't brought the child down here with them.
"Sleeping like he should be," Clint replied with an obvious expression on his face. "It's late if you haven't realized it Rogers,"
Steve grimaced at his last name, he had thought they were all passed that but apparently it was back to it. "I'd forgotten it," he murmured.
"Well we haven't," Clint said with a yawn. "And that note, I'm heading to bed," he said as he turned to his two companions.
"I'll sleep in the Penthouse with Tony, if you want to come up just ask Jarvis and he'll let you and Bruce through," Rhodey replied softly.
"That's great, I'll see you both in the morning. Hopefully attitudes will have cleared and Tony won't be that afraid anymore," Bruce said ever the optimist.
Rhodey grinned at the doctor before he gave a shrug. "You know what they say, hope for the best but prep for the worst," he murmured.
"If I'm correct, the worst is already past us," Clint replied slowly.
"I hope you're right Clint, I can't take any more of this us vs them," Bruce replied softly.
Steve watched them head to the elevator, hoping that this week he would get a chance to speak with Tony. He needed to apologize to him and then beg for his forgiveness. He hoped that he would be able to change the child's mind, as he had no desire to leave his teammates. He didn't want to admit it, but he too had started to think of them as his family. And he knew that he couldn't afford to lose any more family members, he didn't think he could survive if it was just Bucky and him against the world.