Thank you all so much for the support for the last chapter. I am still really struggling with Story IV now, so your support is especially important.

Chapter Nine

The moment Tony pulled to a halt at the front of his house, the door swung back and his little girl raced out. He had barely got the door open before he was flinging herself into his lap, her small arms clinging to him, and her voice pitched high with excitement.

"Daddy! You came early! You came early! The brownies aren't ready yet."

"That's okay, Maguna," he said, smoothing her hair. "I didn't come home for brownies. I came to see my favorite girls."

She giggled and released him, moving back so he could get out of the car and then grabbed his hand and towed him towards the house, chattering the whole time. "Uncle Happy is here, still. He's been sleeping over. I don't think he likes it much since he's on his phone a lot, telling people off, but when he's not on the phone, he plays with me. I'm trying to teach him fishing, but he doesn't like the worms. I think he's scared of them like you are."

"I'm not scared of worms," Tony said. "I just think they're gross and wriggly and slimy. No one likes touching worms."

"I do," she chirped, tugging him through the still-open door and into the den where Happy was sitting on the chair with his phone to his ear, and Pepper was standing behind the couch.

Tony had come here so enthused as the breakthrough they'd had, Peter connecting and speaking, but now, as he looked into their eyes, all he could think of was how far they had to go still. The happiness he'd felt at seeing his daughter, the relief at being home again, was gone, and he felt a sob bubble up his throat.

Pepper must have seen it coming, she knew him so well, because she said, "Morgan, why don't take Happy in your room and…"

"Pick out a stuffed toy," Tony rasped. "I can it take back to Peter. Happy will help you choose."

Happy looked up and said curtly, "I'll call you back," set down his phone and led the confused looking Morgan out of the room by her hand saying, "It's got to be a special one if Peter's going to like it. He's a picky kid."

Morgan giggled. "I'll choose my best one."

The moment they were out of the room, Pepper was in front of Tony, one hand pulling his head down so his face was buried in her neck and the other on his back rubbing soothing circles.

Tony drew a hitching breath and began to cry openly. She shushed him as he sobbed and gasped for breath. When his knees began to shake, she guided him to the couch, then sat down and pulled him against her chest. He pressed close to her, smelling her perfume and feeling her warmth, and said, "It was so bad, Pep. He was…. And now…"

"I know, I know," she said soothingly.

But she couldn't know. All she knew was what Tony had told her—that Peter was hurt and shut down. She'd never seen his ribs jutting beneath his pale skin, felt them press and catch against the washcloth as they cleaned him up; she hadn't looked into his eyes and seen no awareness there; she hadn't held him close and felt no return of the embrace.

She had no idea how bad it was, she couldn't, because she hadn't been there.

She ran her fingers through his hair, fingernails scraping his scalp, and soothed him until his sobs became hiccups and his tears a trickle.

When he felt strong enough, calm enough, he straightened and turned her face to his with a finger on her chin and kissed her firmly on the lips. He deepened it after a moment, pouring his pain from himself into her and taking her strength in return.

She pulled back, hand coming to his face, and said, "How long have you been holding that in?" When he frowned, she went on. "Not the kiss. I know exactly how long that's been. I mean, your pain?"

"A while," he admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Tony shook his head. "Not now. Hap can only occupy Morgan for a little longer before she chooses her prize stuffy for the week and hands it over. But later… Yes, I do need to talk about it, and there's something I need."

She smiled slightly. "You know I'll do anything you need me to."

He nodded. "I know, but it's Morgan I need."

She frowned, and then Happy's voice reached him, calling, "Wait up, Squirt. I think Momma and Daddy are talking."

Morgan was already bursting into the room, though, a teddy in her hand, which she was waving and saying, "I picked Albert since he's softest."

Tony quickly wiped the tears from his face and said, "That's perfect. Peter likes soft things."

Morgan looked a little puzzled, perhaps trying to consolidate the idea of her brother, the one that swung from webs and played video games with her, wanting a soft toy, but she quickly shrugged it off.

Tony looked at the toy, imagining Peter holding it in his hand, his fingers tracing the plush fur, and he knew he would like it. He was also aware of what a difference there was between his kid now compared to the day he'd met Morgan and had his heart stolen by her. But Peter had connected with her voice on the phone; he had to cling to that. If he could make his plan work, Morgan might be able to bring him all the way home for all of them.

"And I had an idea!" Morgan announced as Happy dropped into the armchair and tapped the side of his chin, giving Tony a pointed look. Tony quickly touched the spot and found a tear that he—and hopefully Morgan—had missed. He wiped it away and turned his attention back to Morgan, who was still talking. "Momma could make Albert a Spider-Peter suit like he wears the way she made my dinosaur costume for Halloween."

"I could," Pepper agreed. "That's a good idea, sweetie. Will you help me?"

Morgan nodded eagerly. "Yeah. I can pick the fabric. It needs to be soft, like Albert. You could make it with the stuff your scarves are made of."

"A Hermès Spider-Man suit?" Pepper said with a raised eyebrow. "That's going to be a very high-end suit for a teddy."

"It's for Peter," Morgan stated, as if that was all the answer her mother needed.

Pepper laughed softly. "It is. You know what, if I don't have the right colors in my craft cupboard, I know I've got a scarf that's the right blue that we can use, and we'll find a red one, too."

Morgan beamed. "Thank you, Momma."

"Let's go look now," Pepper said. "Daddy can make us some lunch."

"Can't I make lunch, too? Daddy only just came home, and I've hardly seen him. We can make the Spider-Peter suit after lunch."

She fixed her wide and imploring eyes on Pepper, who smiled and nodded. "Sure. Okay. How about we all make lunch. Uncle Happy can make lemonade for us with his secret recipe."

Tony quirked an eyebrow at Happy, puzzled as this was the first time he'd ever heard of Happy having a recipe for anything, let alone a secret one, but Morgan jumped up and down and clapped her hands.

Happy got to his feet and said, "We can only make it if you've got all the ingredients, squirt."

"What do you need?" Morgan asked.

"Lemons, sugar, water, and the secret ingredient that make it special."

Morgan beamed at him hopefully. "What's the secret?"

"Peanut butter," Happy announced.

Morgan looked puzzled for a moment, and then she laughed and said, "Not really. That'd be weird."

"No, not really," Happy agreed. "It'd be more than weird; it'd be sticky and gross. But I'm not telling you what my secret is. I got it from my Momma, and she got it from her Momma before her."

He allowed Morgan to tow him into the kitchen, and Tony looked to Pepper. "Momma's secret recipe? Happy?"

She grinned. "I'm pretty sure he got the recipe from Pinterest, but let's not destroy the illusion."

Tony smiled and said, "I'll just go wash up, then I'll be in there."

She hugged him, kissed his cheek, and said, "You're home now. Morgan's here, I'm here, so you be here for a little while, too, okay? We can talk about Peter later."

He nodded. She was right, he knew. He had two children that he needed to care for. Peter was safe, he had people that loved him looking after him, so Tony needed to let go of those reins and focus on his other child.

They would work out how to help them both later.

"Daddy?" Morgan said drowsily at the end of a long and tiring evening as Tony tucked his daughter into bed. "I want to know something."

"Another question?" He laughed. "I figured you must have run out by now. It's bedtime, and we already addressed why it rains, why popsicles aren't a good breakfast food—though that's Momma's rule—and where your dreams live when you're awake. What else can you possibly want to know?"

"What's wrong with Peter?"

Tony pulled back a little, shocked by the question. Though she'd spoken about him during the day, had been excited to make the suit with Pepper for her teddy, she'd not asked about seeing him again. He'd been surprised but had been pleased that he'd dodged the conversational bullet.

"Peter's on vacation, you know that."

"I heard Momma say he was back when she and Uncle Happy were talking in their quiet voices when you were getting the wood and they were doing dishes. When they saw me, they stopped talking, and Momma won't answer my questions."

Tony sighed and tucked the comforter a little higher on her shoulders. "Yes, Peter's back, but his vacation wasn't as good as we hoped. He came home a little sad. He's being very quiet now, needing to be looked after. That's why I haven't been home so much. I had to help Peter. But I didn't want to upset you, so I kept it secret. I'm sorry."

She frowned a moment and then asked, "But he'll be better when he has Albert?"

Tony smiled. "You know, I think Albert will help a lot. I think you and Albert might be the ones with the magic this time, not Peter."

Her brow creased, and she blinked sleepily. "I have magic like Peter?"

"No, honey," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You have magic like Morgan, and that's just as special."

He sat up and stroked her hair as she slowly gave in to sleep, her breaths becoming measured and slow, her body relaxing. He stayed a few more minutes and then got to his feet, knees popping, and walked out and down to the living room where Pepper and Happy were talking.

They fell silent when he came in and said, "She's finally out."

Pepper nodded and scooted up the couch to make a spot for him. He sat beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders, and she spread the blanket from her legs over his, too. He smiled as he thought of Peter with his own liking for blankets. Had someone given him one? Bucky would have. He was good about stuff like that.

Happy turned slightly in his chair so he was facing Tony and said, "So, how is the kid?"

Tony's smile faded, and he leaned a little closer to Pepper. "He's still not good, but we had something good today, a moment that looked like… I think it was a connection."

"What happened?" Pepper asked.

"It was Morgan," Tony said, his pride and pleasure in what his daughter had achieved clear in his voice. "He's been shut down since he got him off The Raft, but he heard her today. It was when I was on the phone, when I took off." "

"Yes," Pepper said, her voice even but eyes a little tight. "I remember."

Tony sighed. "I'm sorry, Pep. I know I've dropped the ball as a father lately, and I'm gonna make it right. I won't let it happen again. It's just that Pete needs me so much."

She sighed. "I saw Peter through Home Base, I saw how bad he looked, and I know you said it's been bad since, but you have two kids that need you. You just cut your daughter off."

Tony felt an ache in his chest and an urge to defend himself, but he knew she was right. He'd let Morgan down. He ducked his head. "I know. I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again. I think, if I can make it work, it'll be better for all of us soon."

"Make what work?" Happy asked.

"I think Morgan's the key," he said. "He was in the workshop with me when you called, and when I spoke to Morgan, he heard her. He actually spoke!" His eyes were wide and alight with excitement as he finished.

Happy held up a hand. "Wait. He spoke? You're this happy because he said something?"

"Yes!" Tony said incredulously. "Don't you see how big this is?"

"Apparently not. I saw him on the video, so I know he was scrawny as all hell and he passed out, but how do you go from that to being happy because he spoke. It's Peter Parker— the kid who never shuts up."

Tony looked from Happy's blank face to Pepper and felt a sinking in his gut. No wonder Pepper was so mad; they didn't know. He thought he'd told them enough of what was happening, but he'd apparently failed at that.

"He's catatonic," he said, stopped as they gasped and Pepper placed a hand on her chest, then went on. "He has been since we got him off The Raft. He can't do anything for himself. He can't even eat. He's got a feeding tube in his stomach."

"You said he was shut down," Pepper whispered. "I thought you meant depressed. God…"

Happy was shaking his head, his eyes wide and unseeing. Tony thought he could imagine the battle being waged inside him as he tried to imagine Peter like that. If he'd not seen it himself, Tony wouldn't be able to either. The kid who rarely stopped talking, always in motion, hands tapping out a beat, and knees bouncing, was now a shell.

"But he spoke," Pepper said, drawing a deep breath as if to calm herself. "He heard Morgan, and he spoke?"

Tony nodded eagerly. "Yes, and I want to see if we can do it again, get him to connect with Morgan. Maybe then we can keep him connected.

Pepper's eyes narrowed. "Tony, if he's as bad as you say, you can't think I'd ever let you take her to him. She'd be devastated."

"No!" Tony snapped, lurching to his feet and backing away. "God, Pep, you think I don't already know this? Do you really think I'd put her through that?

"No, of course." She held out a hand, face apologetic, but he ignored it and moved further away, ignoring her hurt look.

"I am talking about a phone call!" he snapped. "If she can just talk to him, if he can hear her voice and see her face, it might connect him again. If we can just reach him, convince him she's safe, he might stay with us." He ran a hand through his hair. "You think I'd actually let her— You know why I didn't do this already, put her on video earlier today? It's because I didn't want to scare her if she saw how awful he looks!"

Pepper stood and approached him, hands held up in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have even thought it for a moment. I was just worried. You love Peter so much, Tony. I know that because I saw what happened to you when you lost him. I can see how much you want to fix this now for him."

"Yes," Tony agreed, not moving away from her but not moving any closer. "I love him, but I love Morgan, too. They're both my kids, and I love them equally. I won't hurt one of them to help the other. I won't put Morgan on the phone unless I am sure she's prepared and can handle it. I won't let her see him at all; it'll be a one-way video. If I think she can understand that he can't talk, however I do it, then I will let her call."

"So will I," Pepper said. "If we can help Peter without hurting her, you know I will do it."

She reached out and took his hand. He let her do it, and he didn't resist when he pulled him close for a moment and then held him at arm's length.

"You have two children, Tony—" she started.

He stiffened again. "I know!"

"Let me finish," she said, and when he'd snapped his teeth shut, she went on. "You have two children, and I have one. I love Peter because of who he is to you, but I've never had a chance to get to know and love him for himself. That would be different if we had time, I know." She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. "And I'm sorry I upset you. I do know how much you love Morgan, and I know you wouldn't let her be hurt. I was just scared for a second at the idea."

Tony stared into her eyes, soft and imploring, and he nodded. "I understand. I overreacted. Since… Hell, since forever, things had been so messed up, and just when I get something good, I seem to lose it. I can't lose anything else, Pep."

He swallowed hard as the pain and worry of weeks swelled up inside him, and he squeezed his eyes closed.

Happy cleared his throat and excused himself, and Pepper's hands settled on his shoulders.

He kept his eyes squeezed close to hold the tears at bay, only opening them when she said, "Why don't you call Rhodey, check in and maybe say goodnight to Peter? We can go to bed after, and tomorrow we'll talk to Morgan. Then, if she can handle it, we can see about getting your son back, too." She cupped his cheek. "That sound good?"

"It sounds perfect," he said gratefully. "Yeah, I'll call, check in, and then I do need sleep."

If tomorrow went the way he wanted, he would need the rest to be there afterward.

So… I have a question. What did you think about the Tony/Pepper tension? Prongs100 had strong feelings about it, and Snarks and I had opposite feelings. I felt it was right as I didn't want to pretend that either Tony or Pepper were perfect or had a flawless marriage. Tony has been absent a lot, and Morgan has missed him. Also, like Pepper said, he has two children, and she has one. I'm honestly curious to see what you think.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx