He makes good time and does a quick aerial lap of the block before landing at the back entrance to the SI store. Jarvis makes quick work of the security lock and he steps inside.

The HUD lights up with messages as he takes in the shelves of his tech. He ignores it as he continues to the front part of the store and to something infinitely more valuable.

He steps through another door and comes face to face with a wide eyed young man,

'David Clarke?' he demands as Jarvis scans the room.

'Mister Stark,' the man jolts and puts his hands into the air. 'Don't shoot!'

'Dada!' Pete appears from behind the counter.

'Pete,' he sighs in relief. The suit opens and he steps out to drop to one knee and scoop his boy to his chest. 'You scared me, baby boy.'

Pete makes a small whimpering sound and then bursts into tears.


'Steve,' Clint interrupts his self recriminations, 'Stark's calling.'

He holds out his hand wordlessly,

'This is Captain Rogers,' he answers quietly.

'Captain,' Jarvis responds frostily. 'Your presence is required at the Stark Industries store.'

'Jarvis, is Pete ok? Did Tony get him back?'

'Peter is upset but unharmed,' Jarvis reports. 'The Stark Industries store please, Captain.'

'They're at the Stark Industries store,' he hands back Clint's phone. 'Do you know where that is?'

'Yeah,' Clint looks surprised, 'this way. Does he know who has the kid?'

'Pete's fine; he's with Tony,' he tries to catch on to the relief he should be feeling.

'That's great,' Clint grins before his face falls and he groans, 'Stark's still going to kill us.'

'He has every right,' he points out.

'Steve, come on, it was an honest accident,' Clint puts a hand on his back. 'Kids get lost all the time.'

'And you think the parents of those kids are calm and collected about it?' he challenges.

Clint grimaces,

'You'll feel better when you see Pete.'

They arrive at a store front with the familiar Stark logo over the door. There's a closed sign on the door and all the glass is tinted white like Tony's workshop when he doesn't want to be disturbed. Clint knocks twice and a young man opens the door and ushers them in.

He looks around the glossy and shiny store and his gaze immediately catches on Tony.

Tony's sitting on a counter, an Iron Man suit at his shoulder, with Pete curled against his chest.

'Oh thank God he's ok,' he takes two steps forward before faltering to a stop as he registers Tony's expression.

'Rogers, Barton,' Tony's gaze is flinty.

He flinches at the sound of his surname,

'Tony, I'm so sorry. We only looked away for a moment...' he shakes his head. 'It's my fault. I'm sorry. Is he ok?'

Pete's head lifts at the sound of his voice,

'Cap?'

He keeps quiet under Tony's renewed glare but Pete squirms enough in his father's lap to turn red rimmed eyes to him,

'Dada, Cap and Clint came back.'

'So they did,' Tony agrees.

Clint keeps quiet.

'Is he ok?' he asks again, quietly.

'He's fine,' Tony snaps. 'Give me my keys.'

'Tony,' he implores as Clint fumbles the Audi keys out of his pocket.

'I don't like to be handed things,' Tony grits out to Clint who promptly drops the keys onto the counter.

Pete has curled back up against Tony's chest and tucked his head under his chin,

'Are you angry, Dada?'

'Not with you.'

'Are you angry with Cap, Dada?'

'Yes, baby.'

'Why?'

'Because he lost you,' Tony presses a kiss to his son's head. 'I can't lose you, Pete.'

'Is not Cap's fault I had to pee,' Pete pouts.

'He should have been watching you,' Tony retorts.

'Oh,' Pete considers that.

'Tony?'

'Clarke,' Tony continues to ignore him and addresses the young man with his arms tightly crossed against his chest standing against the wall. 'Charge me for one of the latest Stark phones.'

'Yes Mister Stark,' the man jolts.

Tony sighs,

'You'll have your own phone, baby,' he tells his son. 'And you can call me and Jarvis directly.'

Clarke returns with a small box and hesitates at the register.

'Jarvis?' Tony glances back at his armour which jolts to life.

'Of course sir,' Jarvis walks to the counter and produces another of Tony's black credit cards from somewhere within the armour. When he returns to his creator with the phone Tony takes it from him with no hesitation and gives it to Pete.

'Jarvis,' Tony adds, 'transfer twenty thousand dollars to Mister Clarke as a bonus.'

Clarke makes a strangled noise in his throat.

'Take the rest of the day off,' Tony adds; effectively dismissing Clarke from his own store.

The man hesitates for a moment and then grabs a bag from behind the register before disappearing out of the door.

'Tony, please?' Steve steps up to the counter beside Tony as Jarvis returns the armour to its previous motionless state.

Tony's eyes flash fire as his gazes fixes on him,

'Rogers, you lost my son,' his tone is horrifyingly calm.

He flinches.

Tony stands up and shifts Pete onto his hip,

'Where's my car?'

'The second level,' he picks up the keys and offers them to Tony without thinking.

'Alright,' Tony accepts the keys and steps around him. 'Jarvis, collapse the suit.'

He finds himself staring at his hand and then looks up to meet Clint's incredulous gaze.

Doesn't like to be handed things? Clint mouths at him.

He shrugs and looks away.

'Are Cap and Clint not coming?' Pete causes Tony to falter in his walk to the door.

'In our defence,' Clint finally speaks, 'he didn't tell us he needed to pee.'

He tries to shoot Clint a quelling look.

'We would have never just let him go on his own,' Clint continues, 'and you can't blame us for...'

'He's three!' Tony spins back around to snap at them.

'And a half,' Pete adds quietly but Tony doesn't seem to notice.

'You only came here because you wanted to take him out!' Tony gestures wildly. 'What could have possibly been so interesting that it distracted you both?'

'I...' Clint is clearly already regretting trying to argue with Tony about this.

'Do you have any idea how many people would like to get their hands on my son?!' Tony's voice rises. 'Do you have any idea what they could have done with him?'

'Dada...'

'Tony...'

'He could have been killed!' Tony doesn't acknowledge the interruptions. 'He could have ended up with AIM! What is wrong with...?'

Tony abruptly stops shouting as Pete bursts into tears in his arms,

'Hey, baby... Shush it's alright.'

'Stop it, Dada...' Pete manages between heart wrenching sobs.

'It's alright,' Tony hugs the boy close, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...'

Pete continues to cry loudly as Tony rocks him,

'Dada...'

He tries to remember if he's actually seen Tony's son cry since he's been with them; he can only ever remember Tony's presence being enough to make Pete happy.

'It's alright,' Tony repeats, 'I'm taking you home now.'

Pete nuzzles his face into his father's chest but continues to make devastating sobbing sounds.

Tony pets his son's hair and turns to make for the door before stopping again when Pete lets out another wail,

'Naaaahgh!' Pete squirms. 'Cap is coming too?'

Tony shoots him a look over his shoulder,

'Of course he's coming.'

'And Clint as well?' Pete sniffles and wipes his eyes.

'Glad a get a mention...' Clint grumbles under his breath and then immediately throws up his hands and takes a step back as Tony turns to glare at him.

'Yes, Barton can come too,' Tony doesn't exactly sound delighted.

'Oh,' Pete rubs at his eyes. 'Ok,' he settles against Tony's chest.

This may be the most awkward car ride he has ever taken.

'Dibs on riding in the back,' Clint hisses at him as they follow Tony out of the door.

Great…