So, this chapter has a little more of a domestic feel, very parental Pepperony, with a small amount of chaos thrown in for good measure.

Thank you to anyone taking the time to read this. Reviews are always welcome.

Enjoy :)

Tony watched as Pepper shepherded the mini Avengers into the lab, all still clad in colourful nightwear. Bruce, hair once again an untidy mop, was wearing black Star Wars pyjamas with Darth Vader emblazoned on the top. Thor's ensemble had the cast of High School Musical leaping across the t-shirt; does he even know what that is?! Steve was still in his Gryffindor colours, and Natasha was adorned in a matching Slytherin set. Clint brought up the rear, still munching on a rasher of bacon and, looking cosy in a giraffe onesie.

Tony felt his heart swell at the sight of them, not that I will ever admit that to anyone, even under torture, their sweet little faces sleepy and relaxed after the excitement over breakfast. He had become surprisingly attached to his comrades in their childish forms; he felt he had bonded with some of them much more effectively than he ever had as adults although, that may have partly been due to their newly-found, innocent compulsion to actually share their thoughts and feelings.

"Thought you were going out?" he asked his partner, who threw him a sweet smile.

"Happy offered to go instead so I could stay and help you." He threw his own smile in Pepper's direction, secretly happy to have the chance to show off his genius to the woman he loved.

"Right then," he clapped his hands together, feeling a mixture of excitement and sadness over the course the group was about to take, "who wants to go first?" Five little hands shot into the air, and Tony could see Pepper trying to stifle her laughter out of the corner of his eye.

He closed his eyes, put one hand across them and spun three times on the spot. When he finally stopped, he threw his other hand out in a dramatic gesture.

"You!" he cried out, triumphantly. A chorus of giggles reached his ears and, upon removing his hand from before his eyes, he found his selected target to be…an empty doorway. He turned a mock glare on the giggling children before darting forward, causing them to scatter with squeals of delight. He caught up Clint in his arms, tickling his sides as he threw the chuckling boy over his shoulder.

"Lil robin, it is."

"That's not my naaaame," Clint laughed, his head bumping against Tony's back as he tried to fight off the genius' tickling fingers.

"Well, I can't say I've ever seen a hawk this small, have you?"

Tony instructed Jarvis to rig up Clint's suit as the inventor clipped metal bracelets to Clint's wrists and ankles, having to roll the sleeves and legs of the onesie up to fit them securely to his limbs. He could feel Clint practically vibrating with excitement as he guided him up to the platform where his suit was waiting.

"Once we have you all linked up with your suits, I can program the bracelets to track your movements and with this button –" he gestured to a small nodule protruding from the bracelet on Clint's right wrist, "- you can instruct the suit to knit itself around your body in just a few seconds."

"Will it come when called?" asked Thor, clearly thinking of his affiliation with Mjolnir.

"It will, thank you, Point Break, I was just getting to that part," he smiled at Thor, letting him know he wasn't really bothered that he had beaten him to the punch. "It will work within a ten-mile radius, again, same button; it will come to you in its dormant state then, as it reaches you, it will open up and start to fit itself to your body. Et voila!" He pressed the button on Clint's bracelet as he spoke and stepped back, watching with pride as the suit moulded itself around the archer's small form. As the boy's legs and arms disappeared behind the purple armour, the metal around the limbs elongated until a 6ft metal man stood in Clint's place.

"Awesome!" Tony allowed himself a mental pat on the back at Clint's gleeful tone, which could not be disguised even when distorted by the suit's robotic speaker system.

"Now, raise your right arm," Tony instructed.

Clint dutifully followed Tony's instructions for basic movement for the next fifteen minutes as the genius keyed in codes to his computer system, making sure the tracking alignments were locked in and fully functioning. Tony was pleasantly surprised that Clint was being so obedient and, as a reward, he allowed him to remain in the suit whilst he fitted up the others.

In little more than an hour, Tony was faced with five mobile suits of armour of varying colours. Bruce in green, Thor in gold, Natasha in red, Steve in blue and Clint in his purple. Tony had his own new suit too, although he didn't feel the need to try the silver powerhouse out just yet; he was still adding the final touches to it, but its main purpose would be to override the suits of his comrades, should they start to lose control of them.

"Shall we take them for a test run?" asked the green suit.

Tony glanced about him, scratching his head and making a show of looking confused.

"I thought…I could have sworn that's just what we were doing…"

Tony could practically feel the eyerolls coming from the hidden faces of his teammates, but it was Steve who eventually answered, his face plate retreating and revealing his boyish features.

"Shouldn't we test them…outside. You know, the…the –" Steve threw his hands down, like he was slamming them on a desk; he kept repeating the action over and over, but was met by a wall of silence from his audience. Natasha's tiny face appeared next and, this time, Tony didn't have to imagine the eyeroll.

"He means the thrusters," she stated, quite condescendingly, Tony felt; how was I supposed to get thrusters from that?

"Er, maybe we should just take things one step at a time, yeah?" he wasn't keen to let them loose on the world just yet; images of Clint accidentally plunging headfirst into the ocean whilst Thor crashed through the roof of the house were scenarios that had a very plausible chance of becoming reality.

"But, Tony," Clint interjected, "you said yourself, we need to be prepared NOW!"

"Yes, but –"

"And what better way to be prepared," stated Thor, with a confident smile adorning his handsome, little face, "than to have a test fight?"

"No, no, absolutely n-"

"Teams or one on one?" Tony did not like the eager gleam in Clint's eye.

"One on one. Winner stays on?"

"Natasha, please do not encourage th-"

"I think that's fair."

"Steven!"

"Let's go!"

Tony threw his hands up in despair, as the group clumsily clanked up the stairs and out of sight, before rounding on Pepper, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the exchange.

"Oh, thank you very much for your support there."

"Oh, you think they're really going to listen to me?"

"Well they sure as hell don't listen to me! But a united front might have done the trick."

"Well, they're all ridiculously stubborn – like someone else I know – so I don't think it would have made much of a difference".

"Couldn't you at least have tried? You know, they need to have discipline and order, and where else are they going to learn that than from their par-"

"Ahem!"

Tony, cut off mid-flow, turned to find Bruce stood in the doorway of the lab, his solemn face a mixture of embarrassment and resolve.

"Sorry to interrupt," he issued a hesitant smile in Pepper's direction, "but I think you should maybe both get upstairs. Like, now."

Tony could feel the colour draining from his face.

"What have they done? No, don't tell me... Tell me."

"Um…"

A loud, resounding crash echoed down to the lab, followed by numerous, smaller bangs and clatters. Tony took off towards the stairs, almost bowling Bruce over in his haste to get to the source of the commotion.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the living room, arriving just in time to see a blur of gold chase a blue streak outside, straight through the empty space where the floor-to-ceiling window used to be. He stared in horror at the shattered glass littering the floor, the overturned furniture and broken ornaments. A small cheer could be heard coming from outside, amidst the blasts and bangs of Steve and Thor's fight. Pepper and Bruce came up behind him, Pepper's startled gasp almost inaudible under the sound of Bruce's laboured breathing; kid needs to work on his cardio.

Before Tony could bring himself to start moving, Pepper had pushed past him, walking straight over the shattered glass, through the window and down to the beach. Tony winced as snatches of her shrill, angry tirade travelled back up to the villa.

"ENOUGH…BACK INSIDE…SUITS OFF…CLEAN UP...THE DISREPECT...BARTON, DON'T MAKE ME…SO ANGRY…NO MORE PLAYING…CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD…INSIDE, NOW!"

Tony watched with the tiniest amount of satisfaction as four cowed, sullen children sloped back into the house, each carrying the small, colourful spheres of their dormant suits. These they wordlessly handed over to Tony, before they branched out searching for cleaning supplies. Bruce dismantled his own suit and was about to join the clean-up crew but was stopped by Pepper's gentle hand on his arm.

"Not you," Tony was amazed at the calmness of her tone, as her face was still blanched and pinched with anger. Bruce looked torn between doing as he was told and showing loyalty to his chastised comrades.

"You come with me," Tony offered, "you can help put these away".

Putting away the suits took little more than ten minutes, but Tony saw it as an opportunity to catch up with his quiet science buddy. Upon seeing his dejected face as the sounds of tinkling glass reached their ears, he also felt it was appropriate to reassure the young scientist.

"Hey", he gestured to the ceiling, "none of that was your fault; it would be ridiculously unfair to expect you to help clean up the mess."

"Well, Clint and Natasha didn't cause any mess either, but they're being made to help. And…and it was my suggestion to take them for a test run". Tony sighed, running his hands through his hair as he pondered Bruce's logic.

"True, however, you never suggested a fight, nor did you encourage said fight, or cheer the fighters on as they destroyed our beautiful holiday home. Ergo, you are not responsible and shouldn't be held accountable for the actions of your wayward teammates. Comprende?"

"Yes, Dad", the pair shared a friendly chuckle, Bruce looking much more carefree than he had in a while.

"So, you're really getting into this whole parent thing then, huh?" he finally asked. Tony was tempted to make a joke, but his fatigue and Bruce's earnest face made him offer up the truth instead.

"In a word – yes. I've never trusted myself with the idea of being a dad; I was convinced I'd make as good a job of it as my own did, and I was worried Pepper might have the same concerns. But, being with you guys like this it's like something has just clicked. As much as I worry about you all, and as much as some things –" his eyes flickered up to the ceiling again "-can really test my patience, I actually find myself enjoying the responsibility. I enjoy spending the quiet moments with each of you, and playing with you all, and seeing you all have fun actually, dare I say it, brings me joy".

He smiled sardonically at Bruce, a little embarrassed at being so honest, but he found Bruce an eager listener who was far from judging him for his vulnerability.

"So, are you and Pepper…?"

"Maybe," Tony raked his hands through his hair, the thought had been pecking at him for a while now and had really started to play as a possibility over the last few days. "I think five might be enough for the time being, though".

The pair shared another chuckle before Tony continued.

"If it does happen, we'll just have to pray he or she is a mini-Pepper; a mini-me would be absolutely horrendous."

"I think you're being a little hard on yourself."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Bruce's answering smirk would have made Romanoff proud, "a mini-you would only be mildly intolerable."

"Why, you little –" Tony playfully cuffed Bruce over the back of the head, pulling him into a headlock and ruffling his already untidy hair. He finally let up only when Bruce had assured him that he was the most intelligent, handsome, charming person on the planet.

The pair sat back on the workbench, listening to the sounds of brushing and cleaning coming from above.

"For the record," Bruce ventured in a quietly confident voice, "I'd be proud to call you my dad."

He threw a soft smile at Tony, who felt unable to voice his appreciation for the sentiment due to the lump that had inexplicably worked its way up his throat.

"Not as an adult, of course," Bruce hastily added, with a slight blush, "that would just be weird".

"I think that's what the kids might call 'a kink'", Tony finally managed to joke. The pair broke out into fits of laughter before finally settling back down.

Tony draped his arm around Bruce's small shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

"I'd be proud to call you a son." He confided, as Bruce rested his head against the older man's shoulder. "My only well-behaved son," Tony issued this last with a dramatic sigh, causing the pair to break into another fit of giggles.

"Having fun?"

Tony glanced up to find Pepper stood leaning against the doorjamb, arms folded, with a tired, amused look on her face.

"Just a little father-son bonding," Tony quipped, earning smiles from both Pepper and Bruce. The latter disentangled himself from Tony's embrace before making his way over to Pepper.

"I'm sorry things got out of hand," he offered up.

Pepper pulled the boy into her arms, and he quickly returned the embrace. She pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head before sending him upstairs to the others.

"Are we sending them to bed with no supper?" Tony asked, only half-jokingly. Pepper scoffed at the idea.

"I think our authority can only extend so far; I'd hate to be the person who came between Thor and his sugar-rush."

"Good point," Tony conceded. "Although, I do think someone – i.e. you – needs to have a word with him about maybe introducing some fruit and veg into his diet."

"Hmm, that can maybe be a conversation for another day. I don't think I have the energy right now." As if to prove her point, Pepper allowed Tony to wrap her in a hug, her body sagging against him.

"Is it too early to tell you to get to bed?" Tony asked.

"Well, seeing as it's lunchtime…I'd say probably so." She smirked up at him, before placing a gentle kiss against his mouth. Tony took no time deepening the kiss, revelling in the way Pepper responded to him.

"So," he said, his mouth not leaving hers, "about that baby-making."

Pepper laughed against his mouth before putting some distance between them.

"Easy, Buster," she smiled, "the kids are still awake".

"Ooh, so once they're asleep…" he stole another quick kiss before stepping past his girlfriend, cheekily smacking her backside on the way past.

"Tony!" she laughed as she followed him up the stairs.

"You can't blame me," he threw back over his shoulder.

He made sure to school his face before stepping into the living room, aware that there might still be some downcast little faces in there.

The living room looked almost back to normal, asides from a few missing items that were apparently unsalvageable. There was also a distinct breeze coming from the empty space where the window used to be. Tony knew he could set a few suits up for sentry duty until it was fixed, but there was little he could do about the cold that would creep in through the night.

A noise from the kitchen caught his attention and, upon investigating, he found Steve cutting up vegetables at the table, and Natasha stood on a chair at the stove, stirring something that made Tony's stomach start to rumble.

"Is this allowed?" he asked the room in general. "I'm sure there's some law about children working with fire and sharp utensils."

Natasha shot him a withering glare before seemingly remembering that she was in trouble and dropping her gaze back to the stove.

Tony stepped to her side, trying to get a better look at what she was making. He dropped his arm to his side, just about catching himself from placing his hand against her back to steady her on the chair. He was momentarily unsure whether the intimacy and familiarity she had allowed the previous night had been carried over or whether it was something to never be alluded to again.

He had to wonder for only a moment, however, as she voluntarily whipped a spoon out of the drawer and scooped up a small measure of the sauce she was stirring, holding it out for him to taste. She watched him shrewdly for his reaction, and although he tried earnestly to convince her that it tasted great, she evidently saw clues to the contrary in his face and started barking out instructions to Clint, who Tony had completely missed hovering in the corner of the kitchen, to gather various spices, before turning her attentions to Steve, who apparently wasn't slicing and dicing at a pace that met her approval.

Witnessing the startled looks on both boys' faces, Tony set about making himself useful. Taking over the chopping duties, he freed up Steve to assist Clint in locating the spices and herbs Natasha was impatiently waiting for.

By the time Natasha was satisfied with her concoction, it was actually closer to dinner time, and Tony found himself famished. The past few days of fretting, little sleep and few opportunities for meals had finally caught up with all of them.

Whilst Thor and Bruce set the table, Pepper and Tony conveyed the food from the kitchen. Although they had proven more than capable of safely cooking a meal, Tony drew the line at letting the children carry piping hot dishes around the house.

The group tucked eagerly into the spicy stew that Natasha had made, and Tony didn't miss the sweet blush of pleasure that blossomed over her cheeks as her comrades praised her culinary skills. Despite having shared many meals together, it was very rare any of the Avengers actually prepared a home-cooked meal.

Tony wondered if maybe this would be the start of them learning to work together on more than just fighting skills. Doing normal, fun, domestic activities together might make them a more well-adjusted group, might even make them more attuned to one another.

Tony smiled at his bunch of misfits, as they chatted amiably with each other, joking and teasing like siblings. The strife from earlier seemed mostly forgotten, except at moments when the winds came howling around them, reminding them of the missing glass. At those moments Tony glimpsed the guilty, furtive looks the younger members threw at Pepper and himself, as though waiting to be further reprimanded.

The rest of the evening passed amicably enough, with a film and popcorn before they all retired for the night. Pepper even managed to convince Tony not to spend the night in the lab, but instead to join her in bed at a reasonable hour. Despite Tony's lewd suggestions about what they may get up to, which caused the children to break out in horrified shrieks and wails, both were sound asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillows.