The Boy Who Couldn't Leave

Chapter 16

Peter's eye opened blearily and everything was fuzzy for a few moments until his sight and hearing returned fully.

He saw people frantically running around, heard angry voices, and he felt someone rubbing his head. "Hey honey, finally up?"

Peter turned his head to see Pepper sitting at his side with a warm smile on her face. He peered at her confused and asked "What's happening?"

He saw an empty restaurant, Tony furiously pacing the room with cell phone to his ear, and Rhodey and Happy trying to calm him down.

Pepper redirected his attention and said "I told you I wanted to adopt you, and you fainted. While we were trying to wake you up, a few people posted about it online and paparazzi showed up. Your father is furious. He's on the phone with some higher- ups right now, but I don't want you worrying about that."

Peter could only blink owlishly at her. "You wanna adopt me?"

Pepper smiled and said "Yes, baby. I love you like a son already and our family will finally be complete."

Peter decided that he needed to take another chance "Pepper, Tony isn't a good man. Everything he's been telling you is a lie! He forcibly adopted me. I don't want this, I don't wanna be here. He's even threatening my aunt to get me to behave."

Pepper looked like she sucked on a lemon when Tony finally approached the two. He was too upset to notice the small amount of tension.

"The police are chasing away those vultures so we can continue our dinner in peace."
When he finally did notice the atmosphere, he asked "what's going on?" Looking between Peter and Pepper.

"Anthony. Peter just told me you forcibly adopted him and threatened his aunt. Is this true?"

Now it was Tony's turn to look bewildered and then he had the nerve to look offended "I thought we went over the circumstances of his adoption? His aunt had him living in squalor, Pep! Remember the neglect? Filthy home?"

Pepper's face softened, but she still looked dubious. "I understand why he's here, you believed he was in a bad situation and took him out, fine. But why is Peter saying you're threatening his aunt?"

She turned to see that now Happy and Rhodey were standing there, waiting for a response too.

Peter tried to speak up, but Tony beat him to the punch. "Well I didn't want to say anything in front the kid, but when he was first brought here, I got a call from the lawyers. Apparently May Parker was making.....threats. She kept going on about how Peter was all hers and if she can't have him, no one can. She was making some pretty frightening comments and I was worried about the kid's safety. Obviously, I told the lawyers to make the warden keep her away from him and I pulled my weight a little. Peter must have heard me on the phone and jumped to conclusions."

Then he turned to a baffled Peter and "apologized" to him. "I'm sorry you've been going around thinking all these horrible things about me, Pete. I only want the best for you. But I hope you learned your lesson on eavesdropping, young man!"

Peter couldn't believe his ears. He hoped Pepper wasn't buying into this crap.

But one look at Pepper's swooning face and he knew there was no chance now.

Peter practically yelled "It's not true! None of this is true Pepper, can't you see he's manipulating you?! May has never neglected me. He's lying!"

Peter watched as several emotions fly across her face. Confusion, nervousness, anger, sadness, and unfortunately, determination. 

Pepper looked straight at him and said "Peter. I'd like to think I'm a fair person. I listened to what you had to say, then I listened to Tony."

She tenderly held his face in her hands and spoke softly "Baby, this has got to stop. I understand you're upset and want things to go back to how they were. But from what I'm hearing, Tony got you out of a bad situation and is just trying to protect you."