Tony sighed as he packed a small suitcase. He couldn't believe he would be leaving Peter for a couple of days. He has never left him for that long. It's always been just a couple of hours for meetings and such but never days. Pepper promised she would take care of him but it still bothered him.

Peter, who is now a year and a half, was sad. He would hug Tony a bit longer and insist on staying with him instead of going to his own bed at night. The genius felt bad for telling him that 'daddy was gonna leave for a little bit' but he had to tell him. He didn't just want to up and leave and have Peter become scared or nervous.

(Even JARVIS had disagreed on that plan. Well more like threatened him.)

So because he felt bad, he let Peter sleep with him and let Peter follow him around and didn't say anything. He didn't mind either, his kid was too cute to deny. But he did feel bad today, as he stood by the door, saying goodbye to Peter.

Peter held onto him tightly, not wanting his dad to go. "No, go," the boy grumbled into his shirt. Tony sighed and sat down with Peter in his lap. "No, go. Pwease?" He looked up with very eyes and Tony was about to call the whole demonstration off and just stay with Peter, but he knew Obie would never allow that.

So Tony sighed and kissed Peter's head. "Sorry Pete, I have to go. Auntie Pepper and JARVIS will take care of you okay? I'll be back soon, promise." Peter nodded, crying as he held on to Tony. "I love you, Peter."

" 'Ove 'ou." Tony smiled at that and kissed his son's head one more time before handing him to Pepper.

"I'll see you guys soon. Bye, Pete." Peter waved and watched Tony nod at Pepper. "See ya later J." He called out to the AI.

"Save travels, Sir." The British voice responded, he and Peter watching Tony leave

_____

Tony wished he never left.

He wished he never left as the people around him died.

He wished he never left as he tried to text Obie.

He wished he never left when he saw the bomb next to him.

Correction, he saw his bomb next to him. His last name was written in white letters across the middle.

Fuck

Tony wished he never left as he felt the pain in his chest, could feel the blood seeping through his shirts as he tried to unbutton it.

Tony wished he never left as he felt them cut his skin and start hooking him up to things as he screamed. He could feel everything. Every little movement they made, he could feel it.

He wished he was home when Yinsen asked if he had a family. Because he did. He had Peter. His previous baby boy, who was almost two and deserved a life. But was Peter family? He loved the boy but the kid could forget him. He was only a year and a half. He could forget, he could leave. Could decide that he was a horrible father and he could take off.

JARVIS is an AI, made to assist him, had no choice but to stay by his side. It didn't matter if Tony wanted to destroy the world, JARVIS would have to stay. Maybe he would learn to shut himself off and leave Tony alone.

Only Rhodey would really miss him but he could leave too. So could Pepper and Happy. They could all go. Maybe he was just blind. No, he didn't have a family. "So you're a man that has everything and nothing?" Yinsen asked and in a way he was right.

He wished he was home when they dunked his head into frigged water and he gasped for air only for his lungs to be filled. Over and over he had to take in water just for a second of air.

He decided he would get home. Peter needed him and he couldn't let Peter down. He couldn't be like his father who left him hanging, who pushed him away. Peter was family and so was Rhodey and Jarvis and Pepper and Happy. All of them were his family, blood, or not. He needed to see them again.

He needed to see Peter again.