Isolated Incidents

Lost Hopes

**Angst and mentions of child abuse. Skip the flashback in italics to avoid that. Enjoy!**

Jarvis was closer than the Rhodes' were, so he was at the dorm consoling Tony when they got there.

Mrs. Rhodes had been nice enough about the whole situation, but Tony knew that she was mad. There was no amount of love she could extend to Tony that would make up for her son being taken from right under their noses, especially when Tony was the reason Rhodey was gone. Tony was too accustomed to that look on someone's face to not recognize it - in that moment, she hated him, and there was nothing Tony could do to ever make this up to her.

Jarvis knew when to step in and protect Tony, though. "Mrs. and Mr. Rhodes. I am Jarvis, I look after Anthony here, and I suppose I looked after Peter before he came here."

"Pleasure to meet you," Mr. Rhodes said. Mrs. Rhodes stayed silent.

Tony sniffed. "Kidnappings are common for us," he started. His skin prickled as all eyes were set on him. "I was kidnapped quite a few times as a kid. Unfortunately, I don't think that's what this is. There was no reason to take Rho- Jim if this was a kidnapping, and there's no ransom ask yet."

"Kidnappings were common for you as a kid?" Mrs. Rhodes asked, and Tony felt that same prickle rush across his skin.

Tony nodded. "I think-"

Jarvis sent him a look. "We think this may be something else. We think this was Mr. Stark's doing."

"Your father?" Mr. Rhodes was looking back over at Tony, his face pinched up. "Why would he do that?"

Tony pursed his lips. It was a long story, and one he didn't like telling, but this was Rhodey's family, and Rhodey's life. There wasn't time for what Tony liked and didn't like, there was only time for the truth.

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Tony stumbled out into the hall, his head pounding. Peter had been up all night and only just fell asleep a few minutes ago. If he was quick about it, Tony could get a shower in before Peter woke up, and that would take care of the headache coming on.

Peter had a fever. It was a small one - Jarvis said not to worry about it - but Tony did worry, and Peter cried hard, and neither one of them got any sleep.

He ducked inside the bathroom down the hall and turned on the shower. He would have used his on suite, but there was always the risk that the sound of the shower woke Peter up, and there was no way Tony was going to try that now. The water was warm and the steam that billowed around Tony was exactly what he needed. His head felt clearer, his muscles felt looser, his stress seemed lighter.

It wasn't until the shower was off that Tony felt that stress come crashing back down on his shoulders. Peter's tiny cries were echoing down the hall, and as Tony got closer to his room, he heard the distinct sound of someone else in there.

Peter's cries were dying down, and Tony sent a silent thanks to whatever God had given him Jarvis, but then-

Not dying down. Not Peter being calmed.

Muffled.

Tony throw open his door. Howard was looming over Peter's crib, a teddy bear clutched in one hand as the other holding Peter down. Tony grabbed Howard's arm and wrenched him backwards, yelling for Jarvis, Maria, anyone to help him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm getting rid of this fucking problem," Howard slurred. Tony could taste the liquor in Howard's breath when he spoke, and Tony recoiled. He'd only been sober a couple weeks now, and he wasn't looking for any reminders of what he was giving up. "Fucking kid won't stop crying. Probably hooked on coke like his whore mother."

Howard struggled against Tony's hold and the teddy bear ripped. Tony gasped for a moment - that teddy bear had been his before it was Peter's. It was the only thing Tony remembered fondly of his childhood.

"You asshole," Tony seethed, pushing Howard back farther. Howard stumbled backwards and hit Tony's desk. Papers and pens went flying and Howard hobbled backwards to the hall. He spotted Tony again and came forward again, his fist held loosely at his side. Tony slung hard and sure, his own fist connecting to Howard's jaw. Howard fell backwards again, and then he was gone.

Tony pulled Peter from the crib and put a kiss to his son's forehead. Peter was squirming a little, but he was calmed down again. He wasn't crying, he wasn't gasping. He was nuzzling into Tony's shoulder.

Tony collapsed onto his bed, holding Peter close. When he finally calmed down enough to stop crying, he crept to Jarvis's rooms.

Jarvis would know what to do.

Jarvis always knew what to do.

Jarvis knew what to do when Tony was 4 and gasping for his own breath, scared of his own father's hand over a pillow.

Jarvis would know what to do.

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Tony slid a dry tongue around his dry mouth, biting his lip hard. Jarvis was holding Tony's hand tightly, but that was only the beginning.

Because this wasn't just some kidnapping for a ransom. It was personal. It was the fight, and the fire.

"Howard gets rid of the problems he doesn't like to deal with," Tony said heavily. "He couldn't get rid of me because Jarvis and my mom kept him from me. He couldn't get rid of Peter because I was always one step ahead of him. And when he realized... My father cares about his image more than anything. He was so angry when I took Peter in, because it was a liability. And Rhodey was a huge liability - Rhodey is old enough to talk to a reporter."

"Which is why," Jarvis cut in. "We think this might have been his next step. He'd not above hurting others to keep his image secure."

Mr. Rhodes stood suddenly and paced. "Tony, excuse me, but your father is-"

Mrs. Rhodes put a hand on her husband's arm and Tony tensed. This was it. Now they knew just how bad things were, just how much danger Tony had put Rhodey in, this was it. They would yell and scream and maybe even hit him, and then they would tell the world how Tony Stark and his bastard child had gotten their son kidnapped.

Mrs. Rhodes stepped forward. Tony flinched. A gentle hand settled on his cheek, and Tony jumped.

It was so much crueler when they were soft before they were violent.

"Tony, please look at me." Tony looked up to meet warm, brown eyes. "This isn't your fault, and you are not your father. You are so strong to make it through that childhood, and you are so strong to be better. For Peter. This is not your fault, and I do not blame you for what has happened. Our Jim is smart and strong, too. He wants to go to war, after all."

Mrs. Rhodes took a glance around the room, looking at Jarvis and her husband before settling in on Tony.

"We'll get them back."

Tony believed her.