Chapter 8 Family Feuds Resolved

I've added this in so you know who are in Tony's family + extended family and how old they are.

Family Tree

Parents: Howard Walter Stark, Maria Stark + Aliza Potts, Daniel "John" Potts

Siblings: Clint Francis Barton-Stark (adopted) + Jamie Lily Jackson (married)

Anthony "Tony" Edward Stark born May 26th-29th 1974

Virginia "Pepper" Stark born June 12th 1974

Married: June 16 1990

Children:

1. Anthony "TJ" Edward Stark Junior born February 2nd 1991

Maria Aliza Stark born February 2nd 1991 (3 seconds later)

2. Howard Walter Stark born December 6th 1991

Daniel John Stark born December 6th 1991 (13 seconds later)

3. Yinsen Stark born October 1st 1993

Miracle Stark born October 1st 1993 (12 seconds later)

It's been three hours since I passed out and I still can't figure out how the-don't think it, don't think it!-came into my minds eye. After about and hour of trying to figure it out when I woke up I gave up. Normally I don't do that, but then its impossible to understand the brain, especially mine.

I woke up after 42:27 seconds in which I found my kids attempting to get the Hulk to appear-that had Bruce freaking out slightly and even though I do try and get him to do it, I knew it'd be far worse if the kids did it, so I decided to announce myself to them which immediately had me covered head to toe in kids, literally I'm not joking, in which Bruce looked grateful whilst the others all had a laugh as I tried to get up but found I couldn't. Apparently whilst I'd been out, Pepper had been telling them about how we ended up getting married and had just got to the part when I took her to my room when I woke up.

"Wait, Tony took you to his room?!" Cap asked astonished clearly thinking I'd either tired or had slept with her. Everyone's staring at me with the same expression as Cap and I feel my face go bright red before I retort to what they're all clearly thinking-even Clint, but I'm pretty sure he's just acting since Natasha started watching him more than usual after the hug he gave me with Pepper.

"I didn't sleep with her, or even try to thanks!" I say, anger bright in my eyes and I have to clench my hands into fists again to stop the shift. Thankfully Pepper manages to calm me down before it becomes too noticeable. "I only took her there for some privacy from my parents! Though it didn't work anyway, they were listening the whole time." I mutter the last part in annoyance, I was still peeved about even after a few months, though it quickly became an inside joke that I used when I invited a woman home for company buisness talks, they'd usually be surprised to find children at home with me and Pepper.

"Wait, if you wanted some privacy and you probably lived in a mansion, then why did you go to your bedroom for privacy?" Natasha asks, still suspicious of me for sleeping with Pepper before we got married. I sigh and roll my eyes in frustration before putting my hands on my head and gripping my hair tightly in my hands. This is the Leopard's decision, he thinks it's obvious whilst I know that it isn't and so I'm doing this to prevent him from appearing in my frustration.

After a few more seconds of deep breathing and getting my anger under control I manage to look up to see the two youngest-Yinsen and Miracle-sitting on my chest, trying to play peek-a-boo with me for some reason which causes me to laugh as it obviously doesn't work quite right. This causes them to smile and I let go of my hair and answer Natasha's question as she stares at me expectantly.

"I took her to my room, because that's one of my sanctuaries, as well as the fact that we had servants around the house some of which were very snoopy, and weren't allowed in my room. Some used to sell my secrets to the public. They were promptly fired." I state, naturally as though it isn't much of a deal even though I'm trying to stave off the true fact.

"You're lying, that's just an excuse, why did you take her to your room Tony?" Bruce asks, surprising me. He'd been pretty quiet since I got the kids off him, aside from the two on my chest they are now all playing with Thor on the floor-ha, rhymed-some of them attempting to pick up Thor's hammer. "Tony."

"Hm?" I look back up and see Bruce sigh and I look at him sheepishly and sigh myself before taking a deep breath and answering as I know Natasha would kill me if I tried another lie, but I can't tell them that we're Weres, they wouldn't trust us, they'd leave like everyone else... "Okay... I took her to my room because I wanted to show her something to gain her trust before I proposed to her, and don't even think about asking what it is, it's personal and private." I say before Cap can try and ask. Natasha's looking at me suspiciously and Clint's looking down at his hands with a small sad smile on his face which Natasha has no doubt seen, and probably wondering what it is he knows that she doesn't.

"Why won't you tell us what it is Man of Iron? I understand that it's personal for you both, but do you not trust us by now to tell us?" I have to consider what Thor says for a moment before answering, wrapping my arms around Yinsen and Miracle who've now both fallen asleep. I feel Pepper's hand take hold of mine and our fingers intertwine and she squeezes my hand slightly in comfort. She's leaving the decision to me, she's fine with it, she trusts them but me...? I'm still trying to figure it out.

I take a small quiet breath and let it out before looking up briefly and say the words I'm sure Cap doesn't want to hear, or the others. "No... I don't. At least... not enough to trust you with this yet." Suddenly, I feel the exhaustion and sadness in the room even from my children, its overwhelming and I can feel it overpowering my own emotions. I try to block it out, as passing out now would look suspicious, but it becomes stronger and I eventually cave in to sleep.

It was another two hours before I woke up again, leading to where I am now. I'm still in bed, but I'm now alone with Clint next to me on Pepper's side of the bed with his legs crossed in navy trousers and a white T-Shirt, with a bandage around his sprained ankle,watching me. I've been awake for only a few minutes now, but it feels as though hes been watching me for hours. Then again, he probably has. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, I force myself into a sitting position-someone had laid me back down-and turn to look at him directly in the eyes, but before I can say a word or even open my mouth Clint speaks.

"Pepper had to into work for an emergency meeting that popped out of nowhere and the kids are playing with the others on the common floor. I convinced them to let me keep an eye on you since the kids wanted to play with them and not me." He looks a little sad at that last part and I know exactly what he's thinking. I told the kids not to talk to Clint if he ever saw them as they would give away the fact that Pepper and I are married and it would release the secret and leave me in far more trouble than I know either of us would want. Although I know they spy on him through the cameras often enough, even Yinsen and Miracle who don't even know him.

"I told them to leave you alone Clint." He looks at me confused and slightly hurt at what I said but doesn't let me continue before he asks his own question.

"Why?" I can hear all the pain and grief in just that one word. Even though he's not expressing it physically his voice is. I decide not to let him wallow in that much longer, I'd known he was upset and angry with me from the moment I saw him, I can read him like a book even though I didn't see him very much when we were younger. I can read Natasha too though I try not to since I don't usually like what I read.

"Well, you were angry with me when we met in New York and there wasn't really any time for either of us to address that in any way, also I didn't want anyone to find out about my secret and I didn't know what you'd do about the kids. I'm actually surprised you haven't told Fury about it yet, I thought you would've by now." For some reason, that makes him angry and he clenches his fists before glaring at me with all the emotion he's been keeping inside of him for 6 years.

"You think I'd tell Fury?! I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone anything about you being married or being a Were! And I'd never harm those kids they're my family too you know! I wouldn't betray you like that! Even after what you said to me 6 years ago!" I close my eyes then as I remember what Pepper told me I'd said to him, some things should never be said. When I open my eyes again Clint is still fuming but keeping his voice low and quiet despite his obvious anger. "I was mad at you for what you'd done and I managed to calm myself down after the second day I'd been gone and went back home to talk to you about it and discover the house practically abandoned with no one there to tell me where you were!" I cringed at that and close my eyes as I remember sending someone to the house to tell Clint that I'd moved only to discover the day after that they'd died in a car crash on the way there and that they never got to Clint.

I look back up at him my voice box becoming a heavy weight in my throat as I try to prevent myself from crying over what had happened. "Clint... I didn't know what I'd said," he snorts at that in sarcasm and I interrupt him before he can say anything. "No, Clint. Listen to me. I wasn't in control of myself that day. The night when Stane came to the house, he did something to me, he didn't like the fact that you were helping me with my depression and trying to talk me out of making weapons. So he used some technology I'd been developing to control me. The day after you left the technology's effect on me had worn off and i was myself again. Pepper was mad at me and I didn't know why, then I found out you had disappeared because I'd said a load of lies that I hadn't even meant. I can't remember that day or even going to sleep the night Stane came."

I stop there, I'm not sure how much longer I can prevent the tears from slipping over my eyes. Clint's face is frozen in shock as he takes in what I told him, then he puts two and two together, figuring out the rest for himself without needing me to explain. "You panicked when you found out it was him that did it, you left the house to keep them safe, but left me behind." His voice is small and quiet and I can clearly see the tears in his eyes spill directly over the lids. I can't stop my own now. I let the tears fall before finishing the rest of the memory.

"I sent someone back to tell you where I'd gone and to meet us there before I got on the plane. But they died on the way there. I found out once we arrived at the house and I went looking for you. But I never found you." My voice breaks then and I can't continue any further. I look down at my hands, pale white as usual, despite the fact that I like spending a lot of time in the sun it's literally impossible for me to get a tan and I have no idea why, I usually have to put make-up on in public to make it seem as though I have a tan, which is generally why I wear suits most of the time as it requires less make-up to cover exposed skin.

Suddenly I feel Clint leaning against me and look up to see him quietly asking if I want a hug. For once, I actually do and I pull him into a deep hug that both of us dearly needs and has missed. I don't know how long we're in that hug for, but it's long enough that the tension in the room and inside of us is released and I feel as though a heavy weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I feel peace for the first time in years.

Later on Clint decides that we've been alone long enough to make the others worry if I wouldn't wake up and so with a bit of help from Clint, I get out of bed and into the shower before getting dressed and we both leave the room to join the Avengers and my kids on the Common floor. When the elevator arrives on the floor we're met by Thor and TJ playing a rather twisted version of hide and seek. Instead of Thor hiding he's attempting to pounce TJ whenever he gets close which somehow he's failing at since TJ keeps disappearing and attempting to jump Thor.

That is my attempt of understanding what they're doing. Maria and Howard are apparently playing tag with Cap and Widow-thankfully without the repulsors, they got into my workshop one night when I'd fallen asleep and JARVIS had to get Pepper to come and wake me up, since his attempts were futile, but unfortunately they'd already done a lot of damage to the hallway and other rooms.

I had to have JARVIS lock down the entire floor so the Avengers wouldn't see the kids since they'd been woken up by all the blasts, thinking it was an intruder. That had taken a lot of my time trying to convince them that there was a chemical reaction in the 'shop (I had to stop Bruce from going in to check the chemical equipment he'd been using and convince him that I would deal with it). Daniel and Yinsen seem to be trying to build a tower out of cards with Bruce who they're still trying to find a way of unleashing the Hulk, which won't work since that man has the patience of a saint.

It's when the tower of cards falls down when Maria and Howard accidently run through it, after they managed to get all the cards on, with Cap crashing into the sofa and WIdow into Bruce and Thor and TJ crash into the other side of the sofa Cap's on at another failed attempt of jumping the other, that they finally realise we're here.

Clint and I burst out laughing when all the collisions happened with Clint practically collapsing onto the floor in a fit of laughter and me having to press my back against the wall to prevent myself from joining him. After they get over their surprise of seeing us they all burst into laughter especially when they notice Widow accidentally kissing Bruce from when she fell over, both of their faces turn a bright red and I can't help but make a joke.

"I didn't think you were one to go for a scientist Widow, don't you prefer ballet to yoga?" Bruce's face darkens further into the blush whilst Natasha promises death which I promptly ignore, I'm a Leopard she can't hurt me if I don't want her to. It then occurs to me that my family's been extended to the Avengers, and clearly there's always going to be some family feuds somewhere.