“Peter… go back to Pepper.” Tony insists again, his hand rising to clutch the center of his chest. Shards of broken glass fall into his palm. A ripping pain strikes Tony square in the chest. He gasps for air, his eyes rolling back in his head as the arm supporting him weakens and falls away. His head hits the hard concrete, but all Tony can feel is the stabbing pain in his chest and Peter’s presence next to him.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter can’t contain the tears wobbling in his eyes, and the first tear drops down his face. He watches as Tony no longer masks the pain. The pain of his death approaching him quickly.

“Oh, Peter.” Aunt May’s voice laughs at him. “See how worthless this man is, once stripped down to his true self? This is all Tony Stark is-” She gestures to a helpless Tony lying on the ground. “-a cowering, pitiful man. Why anyone would idolize him is beyond me.”

“Stop it!” Peter’s voice burns with tears, and he can hardly see through his watery vision. His anger is sharp in his chest, and the feeling is new to him. Few things in life have made Peter this angry.

“What did you just say?” Aunt May tightens her grip on the gun, reminding Peter exactly what she has against him.

“Mr. Stark is the kindest, most giving man that I know. He took me in when I had nowhere else to go, he’s protected me no matter what, and despite all the stupid, crazy things I do, he still manages to care about me. I don’t need you for family. I never did, May.”

“Peter…” Tony groans next to him, rolling over and sitting up. He clenches his teeth and turns white with each tiny movement. His head is starting to swim, and his vision is starting to turn black at the edges. But he can’t close his eyes. The only thing between Peter and Pepper’s safety is Aunt May, and there is no chance Tony was going to let her take his family away from him again.

“I see.” Aunt May’s disappointed tone echoes through the building. “It’s interesting you feel that way, Peter. Because I have a deal for you.”

“Peter, don’t say anything.” Tony says in a low voice. Peter was situated next to Tony, an arm slunk across Tony’s shoulders and supporting him. Tony’s arm crosses Peter’s shoulder, and his other hand clutches the broken hole in his chest.

“I’m listening.” Peter’s voice turns solemn.

“Peter, stop it. Now.” Tony tries again, desperately.

“If you come with me, no fuss, no hassle, I will let Tony and Pepper live. I know that Pepper is on the other side of that junk, bleeding out from the stab wound. She has maybe five to ten minutes left. Tony, on the other hand, is maybe twenty or thirty minutes away from death. But, it could all be solved. You could come with me, and we’ll disappear. You won’t be able to contact anyone, and you will never be able to run away, or I will come back and finish my job here. But if you come with me, following those rules, I promise to you that these people will be completely safe and alive.”

Peter’s eyes widen with each word, and he nods as she finishes. He turns his head slowly and looks at Tony. The sweat trailing down Tony’s face, the white, ashen look that has taken over his complexion, and the way that with each passing second another deeper look of pain crosses his features. Pain wells up in Peter, masking all hatred for May.

“I’ll do it.” The words tumble from Peter’s mouth without a warning. He had consciously made the decision the second she offered it, but he didn’t think he would have the courage to actually say the words.

“God, Peter.” Tony finally breaks down, tears falling down his face. “Peter, why? Peter, don’t do this. Say no, Peter.”

“I’m sorry.” Peter shakes his head and slowly gets up from his spot. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark.”

“Peter, don’t do this. Please, Peter. Change your mind, come back. I’ll be fine. Just don’t go with her. Peter, Peter, please.” Tony’s desperate voice pleads with Peter, begging him to come back to the safety of Tony’s arms. He feels another pain in his chest, this one not caused by the shrapnel lodged in his chest.

“That’s right, Peter. Come to me.” Aunt May holds her arms out, and Peter walks slowly into her grasp, holding his head high and fighting the oncoming storm of tears. He swallows the lump in his throat and takes a shuddery breath before turning to look at Tony.

“Mr. Stark, you’re all I could ever want as a parent. I wish you really were my dad…” He stares at Tony, unable to keep his tears at bay. “I know that if May keeps her promise and you and Pepper do get out of this alive, you’ll never stop being upset. But I’ll be alright.” He tries a small smile, but Tony can see through it. He can see just how terrified Peter is.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. You’ve been my family for so long, and…” His tears hitch his breath. “No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”

“Peter!” Tony cries, helplessly begging with his eyes. Tears fog his vision, and he sees Peter give one last, small smile.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I promise you now, Peter, I will find you.”

“Don’t.” Peter one word answer reflects the pain in his eyes. Tony’s mouth opens, and his voice stops working. He watches in horror as May leads Peter towards a car parked on the curb. She throws him in the backseat and locks the doors. Tony can’t see Peter’s face, but he can already imagine it.

“Nice knowing you Stark. Thanks for taking care of my kid.” May leans down towards his face and pats it gently. “Don’t worry, the paramedics will be here in a minute.” With a triumphant smile, Aunt May goes to her car and drives away. And that does it. Tony starts to scream.

Not anything in particular, but he can’t stop the feeling of horror, sadness, and anger that strikes through him. It boils through his chest, throwing so much noise into his brain that all he can do is scream. And scream. And sob. He screams until his throat is raw and his voice hurts. Until his chest is a slurry of stabbing pain and heartbreak. Until he starts to believe that the shrapnel reaching his heart would actually be a good thing.

Pain is something he knows well. Through his entire life, pain has occupied everything. He’s managed to keep it away, hiding it in the shadows of brain that he doesn’t venture into, not even on his bravest days. But now, every fear, every painful memory, the things that once made him take pills to stay happy cannot even compare to the excruciating agony he is in right now.

A few minutes later, the paramedics sweep Pepper and Tony away. They are rushed quickly to the hospital, and the pair of them are immediately treated with the best medical attention. The doctors aren’t quite sure how to heal Tony, but long ago, Pepper requested a back up arc reactor be kept at the hospital for emergencies, and they still have it. Dusty, in a corner in a supply closet, but functional.

Pepper, they learn later, was only two minutes away from losing enough blood to kill her. They are both kept in the hospital for almost a week, and Tony hardly wakes up, despite the doctor’s insistence that he is fine to move around.

But Tony refuses to do anything. He feels empty, like nothing in his life matters now. The kid, his kid, was his reason for living. He has Pepper, but he failed. He failed himself, and he definitely failed Peter.

But as he lays on that hospital bed, hearing the steady beating of his heart in the monitor, and the synchronized beeping of Pepper’s next to his, he makes a promise to himself;

He was going to bring his son home, at any cost. Oh, and also beat the ever-loving $%&@ out of May Parker.

/AN/ sorry for the time between updates!! This chapter was so horrible to write. Also, I know that Tony got the shrapnel removed in Iron Man 3, but I'm kind of pretending that it didn't happen. I know, I know. But I think it makes things a little more interesting. Only a few more chapters left to go! /AN/