Something More

Chapter 13

"Tony. What are you doing?" Pepper descended the stairs to the lab. Tony Stark had holograms after holograms surrounding his head. "Updating Jarvis's system. Maybe I could upgrade the repulsors by increasing the killer power."

"You can't keep this up."

"Why not? It's not like I'm any help on the battle field anyway. I could be the team mechanic. You know, the behind the scenes guy. That way, I won't be in the way." He said as he screwed in a bolt.

"You know that what happened with Peter wasn't your fault in the slightest, so stop blaming yourself for it."

"Did Rhodes ask you to come down here? You know, he should mind his own business." Tony wiped a towel across his greasy forehead and took out a wrench from the table.

"No. It was Natasha who did. She thought that I might be able to knock some sense into you."

"I don't need the pity glance, Pep. I've already got enough on my plate." Sparks flew from where Tony was under his suit.

"No one's giving you the pity glance, Tony. You should go and talk to him. He needs you right now."

"How can I be there for him, Pep?! God, I'm a mess! How can I be someone that he needs to lean on for emotional support when I myself am an emotional wreck? Here, I can do what I know how to do. I don't have to think. I just do it. I can do this for him. It's definitely better than the most for the parenting part of his life. I couldn't be there for him when he needed me, how can I possibly hope to do so now?" He said as he threw the protective mask in the floor, hie right hand gripping the wrench.

"How can you say that? After everything that you've given him, he knows that you were there for him every step of the way. Every illness that he's ever been through, every fall and even every tear that he's shed, who does he go to? He goes to you. You're his father, Tony. And a great one at that. Peter knows that there was no way that you could have known. You did everything that you possibly could for him. He knows that.  And I know for a fact that he doesn't blame you for anything. This was an unforseen circumstance that needs the help of his entire family to help him recover. That includes you, and I know full well that you didn't even think of abandoning him when he needed you the most. You and the avengers poured out your entire beings into finding him day in and day out. We just didn't expect it to turn out this way. But now that he's back in our arms, he needs us. He needs you."

"I know."

"Then stop blaming yourself."

"It's just... I don't want to loose him again. When we couldn't find him, I felt that I had become my father. I felt that I had failed him and that these were the consequences that I had to bear for the rest of my life. My conscience wouldn't allow me to rid of this heavy feeling of guilt and despair. Peter's my light. I couldn't possibly imagine the very thought of what would have happened if we had given up hope on him. What he would have become because of us."

"I'm sure that Peter knows that you only mean well. He won't hold it against you."

"I guess you're right, Pep."

"Peter, come on! It's time to go!" Tony said as Peter came bounding down the stairs.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

"Where are we going again?"

"Remember when we talked that it might be good for you to talk to someone that could help you?" Peter nodded. "Well, today, you'll be visiting a friend of mine. Her name's Doctor Helen Cho. She'll be your therapist."

"What's a therapist?"

"It's someone that helps you get better when you don't feel good."

"Like uncle Bruce?"

"No, bud. She'll ask you some questions."

"The bad ones?" Tony nodded. "But I don't wanna talk about it."

"I know. But it'll make you feel better."

"Are you coming?"

"No. I've got work. Your pops and your uncle Bruce'll be taking you."

"I promise that I'll even let you have ice cream for dinner later on if you promise that you'll be good?"

"I promise."

"Alright, bud. Go on. I'll see you tonight."

"Are you ready to go, Pete?" Steve asked as he handed Peter his Avenger themed backpack. "What about breakfast?"

"We'll squeeze in some time for that before your session starts."

"Okay."

When they reached the therapy room, Peter was nervously tapping his foot. "It'll be okay, bud. I promise."

Steve knocked on the door and they heard a 'come in!". "Steve! Peter! Glad to have you here! Will you be staying for long?"

"Yeah. I'll be just outside with Bruce  We will be outside in the car waiting." Steve said as he handed Peter his backpack.

"Alright. Don't worry. He's in safe hands."

"Bye papa!"

Steve waved back as he closed the door and left.

"Alright, Peter. We're going to play a small game. I'll say a word and you'll tell me the first thing that comes to your mind." Peter nodded.

"Money."

"Daddy."

"Spider."

"Aunt Natasha."

"Red."

"Blood."

"Metal."

"Bad men."

Helen nodded as she scribbled something onto her board. The game went on for a while before she arrived at the dreaded moment of asking about his mental health.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling right now. I guess that I should feel happy because I'm far far away from the bad place. I thought that my daddy and papa didn't want me anymore."

"And why is that, Peter?"

"Because they didn't come and save me."

"But they got there in the end, didn't they?"

"I guess."

"Your daddy tells me that you have nightmares quite often. Do you want to talk about it?" Peter shook his head. "I promise that it'll make you feel better."

"I dreamt of the bad men. What they did to me with their knives. I felt so scared. They poked me and said some things that I didn't like." Peter said as he fiddled with his thumbs, his eyes not making any contact with hers.

"What did they say, Peter?"

"They told me that my daddy and papa never loved me. That they only had me because they felt pity on me. And-" Peter sniffled.

"Go on, Peter. It's okay. Just let it all out."

"And they said that they knew my real mommy and daddy."

"What did they say?"

"They said that my real daddy and mommy didn't want me in the first place. But they said that it's okay, because they were gonna take real good care of me. I didn't want to though. I screamed, but nobody came. I thought that it was all over for me."

Before he could continue, there was a knock on the door and Bruce's head poked in with Steve beside him. "Um. Peter, are you ready to go?"

"I think we'll continue this another time. Peter, why don't you wait outside while I talk with your papa and uncle Bruce for a moment?"

"Okay. By Miss Cho. It was great meeting you!"

"Likewise, Peter."

Peter exited the room and closed the door behind him.

"Is everything alright?" Steve asked, worry lacing his voice.

"We need to talk."