Finding the Way Home

Chapter 2

True to her word, Pepper didn't utter a word about Beck or Stark Industries for the entire afternoon. Even after Morgan fell asleep on the couch, the conversation stayed focused around their engagement, and aside from the actual How It Happened story, Europe was not mentioned.

As the sun fell behind the New York skyline and night fell, Pepper pulled Morgan from the couch and began to make their excuses. Although not quite finished with her drawing, Michelle gave Morgan her new notebook and promised to finish it if the girl brought the notebook with her the next time she visited.

With her new notebook tucked under one arm and a bag of candy clutched in her other hand, Morgan sleepily followed her mom out of the apartment and waved goodbye to the neighbors. Muffling a laugh, Pepper guided her into the elevator and promised Peter that they'd talk in the morning.

It did not go unnoticed by Peter that Happy didn't leave with them. He knew well enough that Pepper drove herself often, but he also hadn't forgotten about his and May's not-relationship. May insisted it was nothing. Happy spent the night when they both thought Peter wouldn't notice.

"You should take some time off," May told him, looking at him worriedly as Pepper disappeared. "You don't need to dive back into work, you know."

"I want to, May," he said, but May didn't look reassured. "I can't just sit at home. Besides, MJ's got her interview for the New York Times this week and I'll just be in her way."

"You are fairly distracting," Michelle agreed with a hum. Peter frowned at her. "In a good way," she promised.

May still looked worried and, knowing that she was on the verge of convincing him otherwise, Peter spoke before she could.

"We gotta take care of this Beck guy," Peter reminded her. "Pepper will know what to do and with a little luck, it'll all be taken care of by this weekend."

This weekend: when Stark Industries promoted him to the head of the R&D department. It had taken months of paperwork and a lot of tearful nights before Pepper had officially signed him on as Tony's replacement, but the press conference had finally been scheduled.

"Can't you just―I don't know―" May sighed and ran a hand through her hair― "take a few days off?"

Peter shook his head. "We gotta get ahead of this, May. Beck got his hands on some dangerous tech. I gotta make sure no one else can access it."

Fury may be handling the fallout in Europe and Beck may be dead, but Stark tech didn't just disappear after things like this. Peter had learned as much after one too many missions gone wrong.

"Alright," May said, nodding in resignation. Turning to Michelle, she said, "Make sure he sleeps, alright? And eats, and doesn't―"

"May," Peter groaned.

"―stay out too late," May was still saying, ignoring Peter's weak attempt at protest.

"You know I will, May," Michelle assured her calmly. She slipped her hand into Peter's and gave him a small smile. "We're a team."

Peter had no control over the soft smile that spread across his face at that. Even despite the dread that filled him at the thought of digging into Tony's past squabbles, the cool metal around her finger made him giddy.

"Call me with any updates," May ordered, fixing Peter with a stern look. "If I have to hear it from Harold or Pepper, I'll be disappointed."

"Yes, ma'am," Peter promised. Pressing a kiss to May's cheek, he grabbed his suitcase and slipped his hand out of Michelle's to grab hers as well. "Hap?" he asked, looking at the man beside his aunt. "Give us a lift?"