Scott leaned against the railing on the landing strip, the cool March wind blowing through his hair as he looked across the city and towards the Hudson River.

They were still waiting on test results, and he was on the fourth day of the preventative medication. He felt sick, even as Shila nosed his calf.

Scott sighed and reached down to his quickly growing dog to scratch behind her ears, noting how she'd nearly tripled in size since bringing her home.

To New York. Not home. Scott looked over the city again as the sun continued to rise.

It was beautiful. It was unfairly beautiful.

"I thought you'd be out here." Scott tensed.

"Please leave me alone."

"Your dads are looking for you again."

"Great. They can find me."

"Scott-"

"You fell asleep and she took me. You-"

"I'm sorry," Steve said, coming up beside Scott and leaning against the railing. "If I could do things over-"

"If I could, I'd tell you to just fuck off."

"Scott."

"Earth's mightiest hero. Earth's defender. You can't even keep a kid safe."

"Scott, please-"

"You are one of the three last people on the planet I want to see- and that's saying something considering my mother's murderers are out there." Scott walked away, whistling for Shila to follow him. He took the elevator down to the apartment and stepped into a flurry of activity.

"Where the hell were you?" Chris asked, finally seeing him.

"Keeping myself safe since all of you failed at it," Scott snapped. Chris flinched and Tony stepped forward, his hand on Chris' arm.

"Scott," he said in a chiding tone.

"Oh, fuck off, Tony. This was your Tower- a place you boast about how safe it is. Your so called safety measures-"

"That's enough," Sam ordered. "If you want to be angry with someone, then be angry with me. I was the one who brought her into our lives-"

"But it wasn't just her," Scott said, eyeing Chris. "You couldn't keep it in your pants and I paid the price." Chris took a breath and turned his head.

"You done?" Tony asked, his arms over his chest. "Because we've been quite patient with you and your attitude-"

"Just because you liked being drugged until you lost track of days doesn't mean all of us do," Scott said. He pushed past the three adults and went into his room, slamming the door. Shila whined and scratched at it, but it didn't open for her.

"Now what?" Sam asked. "He's refusing to train, he hasn't talked to his team- he won't even talk to MJ. What the hell are we supposed to do when we all hold a part of the blame?"

"Some more than others," Tony said, glaring at him.

"Your security should have done a better job with her," Sam snapped. "And Scott's right, Chris. You should have told the school who Jess was. You should have told me you'd seen her."

"Stop. Please- stop." Tony closed his eyes.

"Peter-"

"We all let him down. He told all of us how he didn't like her, but you kept letting her into the apartment-"

"Her mutation-"

"She wasn't always touching you. And I don't think she ever touched Pop. The only one who can truly use that excuse is Uncle Sammy." Peter adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "I'm going to school. I'll get his work again. Stop trying to fix it and actually be there for him." Peter led a silent Danny and Nova to the elevator. They were gone for just moments before Scott's door opened again. He had his backpack on and headed to the elevator as well.

"You going to school?" Chris asked.

"No."

"Scott-"

"What's it matter? I was missing for thirty-six hours and had to rescue myself. Clearly I'm the only one I trust, so why stay here around people who let me down?"

"You're being completely unfair," Tony said, his temper rising. "We-" Scott turned and looked at him.

"She wouldn't have even tried if you were here. You left. You'll always leave. So now I'm leaving before someone else can capitalize on your absence."

"Friday, don't let him go-"

"Friday, let me out or I'll unleash every virus I know on your servers."

"I cannot override Mr. Stark's orders." Scott turned to the men.

"How about you just chain me to my bed? It worked pretty well for them."

"We just want you to be safe-"

"Then let me leave!"

"At least keep your phone on you," Chris asked softly. Scott gave a terse nod. "Let him go, Friday." Scott got in the elevator, Shila quickly joining him before the doors closed.

"Chris-"

"He's right," Chris said. "I couldn't protect Kat and I couldn't protect him. He's better off-"

"He's fifteen!" Chris looked at his husband.

"So were you when you were on your own."

"It wasn't my choice! I was a kid, Chris! I'd have given anything to have my parents there to say they knew better than me!" Tony stormed towards the coat closet and grabbed a jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"After my son, since I'm the only one who seems to give a shit," he fumed. Tony entered the elevator and took a breath. "Where is he, Fri?"

"Scott is getting in a taxi, sir."

"I'm going to kick his ass," Tony said, rubbing his temples as the elevator lowered to the garage. "Tell me where he's going." He got into his car and started it. "Better yet, you drive me to him."

"Understood, sir." Tony's car pulled out of the garage and drove down the road. Tony kept a close eye on everything he passed until he realized where they were headed.

"The airport?"

"It seems that way, Boss."

"Where would he-? Shit. Fri, call Melissa."

"Hello, Mr. Stark. The plane is almost ready to go-"

"It had better not be," Tony said angrily. "My husband and I did not authorize any trip that required a flight!"

"I apologize, sir. We received an email from you stating that you wanted the plane ready to go by 7:30 this morning."

"And the destination?"

"Anchorage, sir." Tony breathed angrily through his nose.

"I don't care what else you've been told, you will not leave until I am on that plane. If you do, you can all kiss your jobs goodbye."

"Yes sir."

"And next time you have a flight requested by email, you will call me or my husband and confirm it."

"Yes sir." Tony hung up and allowed Friday to continue driving them to the private wing of the airport that housed his planes.

"Park the car in the hangar, Friday," Tony ordered as he got out and glared at the jet. He climbed up the steps and entered.

"Mr. Stark," Melissa said quietly. "I am so sorry-"

"It's not fine, but I understand. I've sent requests through email previously. But now that there are five- eight children living in the Tower, we'll need to change how we do things. From now on, I will require verbal confirmation about flights. If my husband sends the request, then continue to go through him. Unless I say it's to remain a secret or some sort of surprise, you can go through either of us when I make the request."

"Yes sir. I will update our procedures accordingly."

"Thank you. Now where is he?"

"He's in the office, already buckled." Tony nodded.

"Give me two minutes and I'll be buckled. But until I exit, we are not to be bothered."

"Yes sir." Tony gave her his jacket and went to the back of the plane, entering his office. Scott didn't even look up as he pet a strapped in Shila. Tony sat beside him and buckled up.

"Kid, you have really stepped in it this time."

"I know," Scott said, barely above a whisper. The plane began to taxi down the runway and Scott looked at Tony, confused.

"You went through such great lengths to go, so we're going."

"Pop-"

"Oh, I'm Pop now, hm? Less than an hour ago, I was Tony."

"I didn't-"

"You know, even with as much of an ass as you were being this morning- and the last couple mornings, really- if you had come to me and Dad and said it was too much and you needed to go home, I'd have scheduled this flight. I would have done- Damn it, Scott. We are trying to help you. We're trying to figure out how to get you through this, but that's impossible when all you do is throw our mistakes in our faces!"

"I'm sorry." Scott sniffed. "But you've never- You've never had to take these pills because of a possibility- you've never had to wonder if a missing day was filled with an assault by people who-" Scott hid his face and sobbed. Tony grabbed Scott's furthest shoulder and pulled him to his chest.

"No, but I know that type of betrayal another way."

"No you-"

"My own godfather tried to kill me. He paid those people in Afghanistan to murder me so that he'd get my money. And when that didn't work, he took-" Tony closed his eyes and tightened his hold on Scott. "It's not the same and I'm not trying to say it is. But I was willing to do anything, go anywhere, hire anyone to get you through this. I just needed you to be near me for more than two seconds without telling me how this was my fault. I'm already beating myself up over this." Scott pulled away.

"You had a godfather?"

"Yeah. I killed him after he tried killing me himself."

"Pop," Scott said, his face showing his horror.

"My scar," Tony said, patting his chest. "I used to have shrapnel floating around from when I was captured. I had this thing I made, an arc reactor, that acted as a magnet to keep the pieces from piercing my heart. Obi paralyzed me with a prototype I'd nixed and took it out of my chest. Had Dum-E not been there and handed me another, I'd have died. And then he came after me in a suit and that was Iron Man's first real battle stateside. I didn't mean for him to… But it was me or him." Tony cleared his throat. "So I get the betrayal, Scott. Better than anyone else in the Tower. Someone I trusted to love me hurt me."

"How did you handle it?"

"Well, I drank. I partied. I did risky things as Tony and as Iron Man. I slept around. And while I did all of that, on the inside, I just wanted to die." Scott wiped the tears from his cheek.

"And now?"

"Now I found a new purpose. I help people- people Obi could have and would have hurt. I made a new family-"

"Just to be betrayed by someone again," Scott said softly.

"It's the story of my life," Tony said humorlessly. "But this is about you. You have to know that running off like this after having just been kidnapped was not ok."

"The Tower- the apartment," Scott said, his breath hitching. "All I see is her coming in. I'm stressed everywhere but my room because she's been everywhere but my room."

"You should have said-"

"No one was listening."

"Scott-"

"I told Dad I couldn't be there anymore. He didn't understand. I told Uncle Sammy that I felt like there was this pressure on my chest when I wasn't in my room. Neither of them listened. Why would you be any different?"

"I hope you understand that I would have listened." Scott nodded and grabbed Tony's wrist.

"You're the only one who scared her," he said. "That's why she waited for you to be gone."

"I was in the air in my suit half an hour after I hung up with you. I was coming home. I'm sorry I didn't make it soon enough."

"If you'd seen her-?"

"No one kidnaps a Stark and lives to tell about it." Scott sucked in a breath.

"Don't kill them."

"Scott-"

"It's too merciful." Tony patted Scott's back.

"I'll destroy them and leave them wishing for death." Scott nodded and leaned against Tony.

"I can't stay in the Tower anymore."

"Ok."

"You're not upset that… It's your home-"

"There's this stupid, corny saying that goes something like 'home is where the heart is.' Until you six, I didn't get it. I do now. So as long as I have you kids and Dad, and even the damn dogs and the fish, I'll be home."

"As long as it's New York."

"New York or Malibu, or else I'd never be home," Tony said regretfully.

"Anchorage has a great engineering program. I'm sure you could set up a new-"

"Peter couldn't handle the cold on a permanent basis. If he could, then I'd surely consider it."

"Can we find a new place in New York? Somewhere the Avengers aren't?"

"Is that what you want?"

"Until I can face the Tower without thinking about her."

"Alright. I'll get right on that, then."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Without talking to Dad?"

"Of course I'll get his take on where to move to, but if I tell him why we're moving, I know he'd be on board."

"Ok. Thank you." Scott leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Scott."

"Yeah. I didn't think it'd be that easy." He sighed and sat forward. "How much trouble am I in?"

"How much do you think you're in?"

"A lot."

"And how should we handle it?" Scott handed over his phone. "And?"

"Grounded."

"And?"

"Copying more of the dictionary."

"And?"

"No," Scott said.

"Scott-"

"Pop, they could have- Just, no. Please. I'll accept anything else, but I can't do that."

"I highly doubt they made you write an extensive research paper on why flying alone as a minor to a city where none of your relatives currently are is a terrible idea." Scott felt the tension leave his shoulders.

"You're not going to-?"

"The thought crossed my mind. Probably thirty different times once I figured out where you were going. Even when I boarded the plane, I had every intention of whipping your ass. And then we talked and I now don't think that's the right answer for this situation anymore."

"Thank you."

"I'm not your enemy, Slim. I know several of us really let you down, but we're not perfect. We took every precaution with her. Her abilities put Steve to sleep. It manipulated Sam into getting her into the apartment. It… How was I supposed to protect you from something I had no idea was there?"

"I know it's not fair to you and Dad and Uncle Sammy… and even Cap. But that doesn't stop me from feeling… I had to get myself out of that situation, Pop. Me. Earth's Mightiest Heroes couldn't find me until I saved myself. What if the brain washing thing had worked? What if I never got to see any of you again?" Shila whined and rested her head on Scott's lap.

"Dad and I haven't been sleeping," Tony admitted. "Not since we found you missing. It was fear and worry about where you were, and then those same fears you just voiced. I looked for you, Scott. I hacked cameras all over the city and then the whole state of New York. We checked airports, bus stations, the subway… We had Xavier looking for you and if you'd used your powers, we would have had you. The Avengers and even SHIELD took to the air and ground and looked everywhere. I'm sorry we failed you." Scott leaned against Tony's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I let her take me."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. You were completely innocent in all of this." Tony put his arm around Scott's shoulders. "I swear I'll make things right again, Scott."

"I know. I trust you." Tony squeezed Scott's arm and leaned back.

"Why Anchorage?" he asked after several minutes of silence. "I know it's your home, but you had to have known we would look there for you."

"I needed my mom," Scott said softly. "I needed to see that she wasn't a lie, that Ms. Roberts didn't get her way."

"Ok."

"That's it?"

"What? It makes sense. I wish you'd talked to me, but I'm here now and we'll get you back to normal, even if it takes the rest of my life."

"Thank you."

"Dad's going to be pissed as hell, you know."

"I know." Tony cleared his throat and stood.

"Come on. You need some sleep. I'll tuck you into the bed and I'll call Dad and take the brunt of his anger."

"You don't have to," Scott told him, also standing and unclipping Shila from the seat. "I deserve-"

"No," Tony said. "I could have easily stopped the flight and dragged you to the Tower. And while you went about it poorly, at the end of the day, you're fifteen. You're going to make bad choices. But the great thing about parents is that we'll be there to get you out of whatever mess you make." Scott nodded and Tony hugged him.

"Thanks, Papa."

"Any time, Voldy. Now come on. Bed. Sleep." Scott nodded and Tony gently pushed him out of the office and to the room. He pulled back the blanket and Scott slid under it.

"Tha-"

"Don't thank me again for being your parent. Get some sleep, Cub." Scott raised an eye. "I like animal names. Sue me."

"Why? I'm already getting a fifth of your money." Tony chuckled.

"Very true. Sleep, Scott." Scott nodded and Tony pushed a fringe of hair off of Scott's forehead. He patted the bed and Shila jumped up, curling next to Scott. "Watch him." Shila vocalized back and Tony left the room.

"Mr. Stark," Melissa greeted. "Can I get you anything?"

"Water and aspirin," Tony requested, rubbing his head.

"Right away, sir." Melissa went to the kitchen and returned with a cup of water and two pills.

"Thank you," Tony said before taking the medication and swallowing it down. "How long do we have left?"

"Six hours."

"Come get me in an hour," he requested before sequestering himself back in the office. He took a breath and called Chris on the computer system.

"You've got two seconds to explain why the hell you're calling me from the plane when you were supposed to go after him." Tony closed his eyes.

"I followed him to the plane."

"What the fuck, Tony?"

"Bear-"

"Tony!"

"He got into my email and scheduled a flight to Anchorage." Chris cursed.

"And now you're on your way home? I take it these last two hours were spent with him getting his ass paddled, right?"

"Not exactly."

"Damn it, Tony!"

"I was planning on it when I got on the flight. But he finally broke down, Bear. He's-"

"Is he ok?"

"No. And being at the Tower is just making it worse. He asked to move."

"What?"

"He said when he comes out of his room, all he can see are places she's been. And of course school is the same with Roberts. He needed a change of scenery. So we're going to Anchorage for a day or so, and when we get back, I'd like to look for a place-"

"Not the Compound?"

"He wants a place away from the Avengers."

"And you're ok with that?"

"My son has been traumatized by the place where he was supposed to be safe. A home… I can do a whole lot more security if people aren't constantly coming in to work or train or- And we can have a yard. Annie and Gabe and the dogs deserve a yard."

"And work?"

"We'll find somewhere near the hangar, Bear."

"And school?"

"Would you blame me for homeschooling or enrolling them in a school closer to home?"

"And you?"

"I can work from home some days and fly to the office on others."

"You really want to do this?"

"We'll lose him if we don't. This is what's best for our family."

"I agree."

"Ok. Feel free to start looking. I'd prefer checking out Scarsdale first because that will give us the space and privacy we need."

"Ok."

"And if you see somewhere you like, make an appointment to see it, even if it's without me. I trust you-"

"Holy shit, Tony! These houses are outrageous!"

"Because they look that great?"

"They're several million dollars!"

"Oh. That. Ok. We'll make an offer in cash. That should knock down at least half a million-"

"Tony."

"Bear, I'm quite literally one of the richest men on the planet. We're multi-billionaires. I can drop a couple million on a home for us."

"Tony-"

"It'll be our first real home together- not something your parents bought us or what I brought into the marriage. It'll be ours. Don't you like the sound of that?"

"I do, but I can't… Millions, T. There are two commas. It's- Oh."

"Oh what?" Tony asked as he watched Chris looking at the computer screen.

"I… Any house?"

"I want each of the kids to have their own room, and I need space for a lab. Otherwise… Babe, it's whatever you want."

"It's nearly eight million-"

"That's it? The Tower was $87 million." Chris looked at Tony through the camera. "I mean $8 million is doable, but I'll need some sort of repayment from you." Chris chuckled.

"I'm sure I can make that work, T. Ok. I'll schedule a tour."

"Send me the link?"

"Already did. Are you sure it's not-?"

"For Scarsdale? No, Bear, that's not a lot."

"There's a guest house you can make into your lab."

"That sounds great, but I'd like a room for your parents-"

"The house has eight bedrooms. I think we can manage."

"Ok then. Go see it. If you love it, call me and we'll make it happen."

"Just like that?"

"The only reason I'm not already making an offer sight unseen is because I know you'd prefer to see it first."

"And you're sure we can spare that much?"

"Friday, what is my current net worth?"

"Your net worth has increased from $12.4 billion to $80 billion in the last fifteen years."

"Holy fuck."

"Are you regretting marrying me?"

"You should have made me sign a prenup, Tony."

"Are you with me for the money?"

"No-"

"The prestige of the masses?"

"Of course not-"

"Do you love me and want to be with me until we die?"

"Yes."

"And that's why there was no prenup. Richer or poorer, Bear." There was a knock at the door.

"Mr. Stark, it's been an hour."

"Thank you, Melissa." Tony looked back at Chris. "I love you. I'll take care of Scott. We'll be back in two, three days max. You work on finding our new home."

"I love you, too. And I'll do my best, T. Have him call me?"

"Chris,"

"I just need to hear his voice. I won't scold him. I won't reprimand him. I just want him to hear that I love him and that I'm here for him, even if that means completely across the country."

"He'll call you when we land," Tony promised. "Tell the munchkins I love them."

"I will. Be safe. Get him home to me soon." Tony nodded and the feed went black.


A/N: The house Chris is looking at is 57 Old Orchard Lane in Scarsdale, New York. It might help if you look it up so you'll understand the floorplan for later chapters.