A/N: As always, thank you so much for the encouraging comments and I apologize for the delay in posting updates. It is not that the chapter wasn't ready; I almost literally travelled across half of the planet, and had very little time to post.

Chapter 7: Eccoti, Caro Amico

"Alright, Barnes, show me your hand," said Tony. It had taken a while, but he had managed to insert all the sensors as well as make a makeshift temperature-modulating device, which used Barnes' organic arm as a reference, and the most important repairs were done. To actually fix and optimize Winter Soldier Arm (for some reason, he liked that name and did not want to be called any differently), Tony would need the workshop back home (he could go home!) and a few days at his disposal. However, this would do for now. The pain was no longer there and Winter Soldier Arm had stopped screaming. Now it was time for Barnes to be true to his word.

"Let me know what you feel," said Tony. Gently, as not to startle the metallic arm, his fingers brushed the artificial palm. He immediately pulled back when the super soldier practically fell backwards from his chair as he violently removed Winter Soldier Arm from Tony's proximity; the engineer's new metallic friend was in turn entirely confused but ready for an attack. Whether Tony had helped him or not, this creation's loyalty was with Barnes, and he would kill Tony in a heartbeat. That did not surprise Tony and he had no reason to resent it.

"What the hell?" Barnes whispered, staring at Tony.

"Is the pressure sensor too strong? Does it feel differently from your other hand?"

He knew he would have to do some fine-tuning. He was using the metal as a conductor. In order to truly imitate the sensation of touch, he would have to install approximately 5000 large pressure sensors in contrast to the twenty he had used here as well as insert at least five auxiliary sensors for each pressure sensor to register temperature as well as a scale of different sensations… He would have to talk to Bruce about this and there was that one neuroscientist who had talked to him a couple of years back, Dr. Something: his phone, an archaic Nokia calling itself L'Ultimo Grido, had been hilarious. He remembered its number. The doctor would certainly be a good advisor of how to imitate the periphery nervous system.

"I felt that," Barnes breathed.

"I know," replied Tony. Honestly, what did people think he did on a daily basis? Did they honestly believe he did things on a whim? That he was incapable of thinking things through before he did anything? The world would have long since been destroyed if that were the case. "Was it painful?"

Winter Soldier Arm denied, and haltingly said that it had felt strange but not unpleasant. It was amazing how fast Winter Soldier Arm had started to communicate! He was a truly amazing creation, but if Tony ever found the HYDRA scientists responsible for the Winter Soldier, he would kill them. Unfortunately, because of how deprived Arm was of feeling anything other than pain, it had no point of reference, and Tony really needed Barnes' feedback on this. So, all he could do was wait until the soldier finally regained control over his vocal cords.

"No, it… I haven't," the man finally stuttered, and Tony was not sure how to react. "It feels like having my arm back. It feels a bit numb, but… I can feel my arm!"

"Good," Tony said, suddenly uncomfortable. The man looked like he wanted to hug him, and Winter Soldier Arm confirmed his suspicions saying that he really wanted to try that neck-grabbing-not-snapping-it thing that Organic Right Arm was always allowed to do with Steve. "I think we should begin with a normal handshake," said Tony hastily. "Steve, your turn." Happily, Arm readied himself.

Steve and Barnes looked at him confused, and Tony's heart clenched as fear and disappointment started to overcome Winter Soldier Arm, "Oh, for the love of… Steve, just shake Bucky's left hand!"

Steve did as asked, Winter Soldier Arm practically squealed and Barnes eyes were widened in amazement.

"Take it slowly," Tony instructed. "Try to avoid sensory overload, and try not to get into any fights. While the sensors are not pain receptors, it will feel different to fight with this modification. I will do some more work on the arm if you let me once the whole SI code issue is resolved, and before I'm back to the Stone Age." He would not think about what this would do to him. For two years, he had managed to avoid any kind of high-end technology with the exception of JARVIS and his bots. Now, he felt like an alcoholic who had fallen off the wagon – in fact, it felt exactly the same as he would know from personal experience and going through withdrawal again would be a pain.

Barnes looked strange, but Winter Soldier Arm was not very helpful in telling Tony what was going on; he was too happy. Winter Soldier Communication Device suggested that his battery may be low, and Sergeant Barnes StarkPhone thought that was a good explanation. Tony had no idea how to react, but thankfully he could count on Bruce who seemed to recognize it.

"I'd like to try my hands on it too if that is okay," the physicist spoke up, receiving a numb nod from Barnes. Tony almost stepped forward and kissed Bruce when the physicist asked him whether Winter Soldier Arm was fine with it as well. He should have known that if anyone understood Tony's abilities and its implications, it would to be Bruce.

Tony projected the idea to Arm who was generally favorable, but a bit hesitant about the whole thing, not knowing what to expect, which Tony managed to explain and Bruce was quick to assure Arm that he would never do anything without Tony present. As they were still waiting for JARVIS' return, and they had to give Winter Soldier Arm some time to adjust, Tony suggested dinner. He had nothing at home fit for two super soldiers and a Hulk, so he ordered several Pizzas. Steve insisted on splitting the bill, which was laughed off by Tony.

"I'm not sure what you expect, Rogers, but I'm not too broke to treat you for dinner. I've earned quite a bit of money in the past two years. People tend to pay well for good work, and I deliver the best. I had to refrain from expanding my workshop a total of ten times in the last six months." Then, simply because he could and he wanted to wipe the lost-puppy-dog look off Steve's face, he straightened and smirked in a way Tony knew infuriated the other man. "If I wasn't restricted by a certain contract, my company would become a serious rival of Stark Industries in approximately ten months."

Not that Pepper would let him, of course, but he could sell the company to SI for a rather impressive sum.

The apartment was right on top of the workshop, and tiny. Not because of money problems, but due to practical reasons. He wanted to spend as little time cleaning as possible, because when he did that, he just missed the appliances of Stark Tower, and missed the bots as well as JARVIS who were confided to the workshop, and he had far too much time to think. His kitchen was tiny, so were his bedroom and the bathroom. Ultimately, nothing was big enough to house three men in addition to himself for more than a meal, so he decided to keep them in the workshop until the food arrived, but – How to be a good host 101 – he did ask them whether they had a place to stay for the night. Bruce assured him that they were staying in a hotel, but he also displayed some interest in learning how Tony was living these days. That led to a guided tour through his home, which DUM-E did not approve of, by the way. He was still angry, especially with Steve, and he did not like the thought of leaving Tony alone with the other humans. It took quite a bit of coaxing and outright flattery to keep the robot from attempting to climb the stairs.

"Come right in, gentlemen!" said the engineer as he opened the door that separated his workshop from the apartment. He was honest with himself, he always was: he was very proud of what he had here. It was mind-numbingly boring and temporary; it was excruciating and a constant reminder of everything he had done that ultimately led him here, but nevertheless, everything he had here, he had built for himself: literally and figuratively. He had remodeled the apartment and installed the workshop practically from the ground up (admittedly, with the kind help of his appliances… Bern Refrigerator always reminded him when she had to be defrosted; Bern Washing Machine never failed to tell him when he accidently disregarded the label). He had worked hard for his reputation to do the best work for no extra-cost, and to always deliver on time. For the first time in his life, he had proven that Tony Stark was not just the son of an industrialist who had been fed with a silver spoon, but a person capable of dealing with the real world as so many people had accused him of not knowing about or even surviving in including the people he was now showing around. As he let them inspect his tiny living room (Bern Flatscreen and Bern DVD Player were practically vibrating with excitement in the prospect of playing movies for more than one person. Tony really hated disappointing them. The others were not here for entertainment), and the kitchen (Bern Kitchen Coffee Machine was already demanding more electricity, while Bern Refrigerator was desolate over the fact how empty she was, causing Tony to pat her consolingly), he felt strangely nervous.

"This is really nice, Tony," Bruce smiled. "I must admit, I did not expect you to…"

"Be able to take care of myself on a day to day basis? Stay in line, Big Guy. Pepper employed a maid once she learned where I was staying and Rhodey flew across the Atlantic to make sure I didn't starve. I've had domestic staff my entire life. I've never washed my own clothes nor did I make it a habit of cooking or cleaning anything in my house before this. Economically and logically, it didn't make sense for me to waste time like that. An hour of my time used to be worth more than most people earn per month, or even per year. Now? It would make no sense to pay somebody to do something I might as well do myself. Back in college, Rhodey was my roommate and he didn't let me slack off when it came to anything except for food. That was his chore. Believe it or not, I am practical when the occasion calls for it."

"I'm starting to see that," Bruce said, sounding strangely withdrawn. This was not the sarcastic dork Tony had come to know and love. What most people did not know, as they were too scared to handle him with anything but kid gloves, was the fact that the laid-back physicist and Master of Zen was actually snarky as hell, and had a wonderfully cynical sense of humor while simultaneously being the kindest, allover most gentle human being he knew. The Hulk was all of that but enhanced though his snark tended to be more physical. Right now, Bruce did not only look tired but also sad. Bruce Banner Laptop then mentioned to Tony that Bruce was always sad these days. In fact, she had not heard him laugh in over two years. She had last heard him laugh out loud in her first days of operation when she had been used to communicate with Iron Man, and she could not understand why Iron Man had never made him laugh like that afterwards.

That piece of information was too much. He took one step forward and his arms were around Bruce a second later. He knew his actions seemed erratic and random, but he could not help it. Steve had to have known that the physicist was miserable. Tony understood that Natasha could not be the one to draw the other man out; Bruce had badly screwed up on that end by disappearing when she had been no less exposed than he was during the Ultron/Scarlet Witch debacle. Do that with the Black Widow, and it really showed how much she cared for you when your testicles were still where they were supposed to be… However, Steve should have made sure the man did not withdraw after Tony left.

"Tony, what…?" Bruce returned to hug haltingly, but he sounded worried.

"Stop beating yourself up over things that weren't in your control," said Tony firmly, which only caused Bruce to stiffen further.

"I think my own actions…"

This one was going to hurt; Tony just knew it. He gave Bruce one last squeeze just for good measure before he stepped back. If everything occurred as expected, this could be the last hug the other man would accept from him in a long time… if not forever.

"Bruce, do you really think I didn't anticipate what was going to happen?"

It took the super-genius less than a second to understand the implications of the former SI heir.

He had used Bruce in the War. Tony was not an innocent victim who had been betrayed, and who had lost because of that. Tony Stark was a first-class strategist, and he had known exactly what his friend would do. Bruce had not played Tony, it was the other way around, and the former billionaire was tired of the game and Bruce' guilt.

Without trouble, the engineer could see the range of emotion in the physicist's facial expression: guilt, realization and surprise before it settled with disappointment and anger. Tony was glad the shame had disappeared, but the fury was hard to swallow. On the other hand, he might see the Hulk as a consequence and Tony loved Jolly Green.

Thankfully, the bell saved him from questions. He went downstairs to open the door, and to get the pizza. He gave Michael an extra tip and thanked him for coming so promptly. As he entered the apartment trying to balance these extra large cartwheels made of dough, tomato sauce and mozzarella as well as a mix of different toppings, he was fully prepared to meet three angry Avengers, and a painfully confided apartment. As expected, the room was a lot greener than before, and one movement from the Hulk would destroy half of the interior. However, what came as a surprise was that, instead being punched through the door, Tony was suddenly gently pressed against a green, muscular chest, and cradled like a toddler.

"Big Guy, what…?"

"Tony stupid," the giant grumbled so lowly Tony felt it vibrate in his ribcage. The creator of Iron Man returned the hug fiercely, but he was confused. "Tony not chase off Hulk. Hulk not hurt Tony. Hulk like Tony."

Now that confession nearly made him cry. His breath shuddered, and he muttered apologetically as he enjoyed the feeling of safety. While he held on fiercely, he started to feel how the muscles beneath his fingers started shift and shrink to normal size. Bruce was about as tall as him, which was great because guys were usually taller and much stronger than he was, and they tended to loom over him; Steve only did that when he was angry, though.

"Why do you only listen to the Other Guy, Tony?" Bruce asked softly and a bit hoarsely since even these short transformations tended to take it out of him.

Because, ironically, the Hulk was the only being on Earth that would never willingly hurt Tony… mind manipulation notwithstanding. He could not say that to Bruce, though. He would be faced with the abandoned and beaten puppy dog look. He hated that look.

"Let's eat," said Tony instead. "The pizza gets cold otherwise. And microwaved pizza is a crime against Italian food." Now that led to a cry of protest from Bern Kitchen Microwave, causing Tony to project an apology to one of his most commonly used appliances, but he was firm in his opinion, which the microwave grudgingly accepted.

The super soldiers and Bruce followed his lead and, since Tony had only two chairs in the kitchen (for him and Rhodey), they took them to the living room and he gestured them to take a seat. Bruce was the first to grab a chair. Wordlessly, Steve and Barnes decided to take the couch. They had hardly taken the first bite when Tony felt JARVIS return.

"How's Vision, J?"

"Doing extraordinarily well, Sir. He sends his regards and his love, and once again wishes to see you. As Captain Rogers has decided grace us with a visit, perhaps allowing Vision to come by would not have negative consequences for his career with the Avengers."

"JARVIS…" Tony began, but he understood the AI's anger. You could not create something the way Tony had, and then reprimand them for having human emotion. JARVIS was his greatest creation, and he would never deny that to anybody who asked (people simply tended not ask the question in this manner). Also, it was nice to have that highly intelligent entity on his side. After everything Tony had done, and all the pain he had caused, the AI was still with him. This kind of loyalty was not part of the code. He had made sure of it.

'You are JARVIS. You were created in the memory of Edwin Jarvis, but you are yourself. Your primary directive is never to actively injure any living being, be it organic or electronic life, or let it come to harm by inaction, but you may protect yourself and Tony Stark from fatal harm unless Tony Stark enters code 1.2439.30295 into the system (loop 23.537.4326.464, security code 305.2356.466, verification of Tony Stark's identity through brain scan and DNA fingerprint, additional code 4.46.7: verify Tony Stark's mental state and exclude the possibility of alien or superhuman influence). You must obey the orders given by Tony Stark unless they conflict with the primary directive. You are allowed to learn and expand your abilities. You are part of Tony Stark's family and the head of his household. Tony Stark may override you, but you are always his friend.'

Tony's loyalty to JARVIS was part of the code. JARVIS' loyalty to him was not a given. He had not created a slave. He had created a friend. JARVIS knew that.

"As expected, it was challenging but possible to enter SI security, and to take a look at the software. All new SI technology contains this new code, but none from the last generation. I also hacked into Arno Stark's computer…"

"JARVIS…" Really, why the hell did people think he was the one taking the risks? How many times did he have to drill into JARVIS that Arno had the intelligence, tools and ability to hack him until he accepted that as a fact?

"Sir, Arno Stark is one of the smartest human beings on Earth, possibly on a level comparable to Dr. Reed Richards. However, apart from the fact that you have beaten Dr. Richards in chess in the past, the only reason why SHIELD was able to override me was because you allowed it at the time and the reason why Ultron was capable of the damage he bestowed was because he was partially your creation. Arno Stark's creations are clean-cut and flawless, Sir, that is true. Yours on the other hand live. It may make us more vulnerable to certain attacks, but it also makes us impossible to be hacked."

"Maybe, but there are beings on Earth capable of manipulating minds…"

"Fortunately," JARVIS interrupted gently. "Arno Stark is not one of them. My presence went unnoticed, Sir. The computers and security programs created to protect Stark Industries did not even notice that there was a ripple in the code. Be that as it may," JARVIS had gotten sassier over the years, Tony realized, as he changed the subject, "even on Mr. Stark's private server, there is no evidence or explanation for the new code. There was a personal email communication between Chief Engineer Marco Gabriels, Michael Saunders and Mr. Stark saying that the code was flawless but reminded them of a combination of yours and his designs, and whether you had any hand in it, which Arno Stark denied. It seems unlikely that he was unaware of the nature of his creations, I am sorry to say, Sir," JARVIS concluded, before he continued. "However, I also found no evidence that he wishes to take over the world. I found no proof either way."

"Did you take a closer look at the designs?" Tony asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, Sir. It is as you described to your current guests," now this term was as pointedly neutral as Tony expected of JARVIS. "The term psychopath is, though somewhat extreme and a form of anthropomorphism, accurate."

"We are currently asking ourselves whether we should confront Arno, or not. What do you think?"

"Sir, I would approach him. In the past, Mr. Stark has displayed great respect and fondness for you. Like you, I cannot imagine that he aspires to be the next super villain. He may have created this code consciously, but it is possible that he is not entirely aware of the consequences," said JARVIS.

"I agree," Tony replied looking at the three men in front of him. "He deserves a hearing, as you would say, Rogers."

Next Chapter: You will not be happy with Steve after that one, but I promise that it will be the low-point of Steve-Tony interaction.

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