Hush Little Baby (Discontinued)

Ch. 3

Several days passed like that.

Tony avoiding them, Pepper getting increasingly frustrated with him, and Rhodey taking care of Peter.

Pepper often said she would have resigned if it hadn't been for the boy.

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Tony appeared on the fourth day, eyes bloodshot, hair sticking up, in oil stained clothes, and holding a full cup of coffee.

He surveyed the room over the rim of his cup, eyes settling on Rhodey. "Came back, huh?"

Rhodey shot him a glare from his seat beside Peter. "Yeah. I'm taking care of your kid."

Tony ignored the comment, instead glancing at Peter. "You doing okay kid?"

Peter blinked. "Yes sir, Mr Tony sir."

Rhodey stifled a laugh, and Tony rolled his eyes. "Funny, Rhodes. Real funny."

He disappeared as quickly as he'd come.

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Pepper confronted him about it the day after.

"Anthony Stark!" She said fiercely. "I am ashamed of you!"

He winced. "Like most people in my life."

As he started to pull up more blueprints, she slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare, Tony. I am not in the mood to deal with this."

He sighed, turning his chair, and putting his feet on the desk as he lounged back. "What is it this time?"

He quailed under her glare. "What did I do?"

"What did you do?" She questioned angrily. "What you did, Tony, is took that boy away from a neglectful home just to give him another. You've barely said three words to the kid the entire time he's been here! I am not going to let you do that to him. I'm not. He is a sweet, lovable boy, and I'm not going to sit by and watch you just- let him go! Rhodey has had to babysit for you because you don't even care. You don't care what's happening to your own son. You haven't cared enough to know that he has been having horrible nightmares, and waking up screaming at night. He can't go back to sleep unless we stay with him, and he won't talk to us about them. He woke up crying the other night, and the first thing he said was 'Why doesn't my dad want me?'. He needs you, Tony. And if you aren't going to be his dad, then I'm giving him back to Jenny. Because neither me or Rhodey have the time to be full time babysitters. Youre going to Afghanistan for the demo in two days, and he can't stay with usWe have jobs to do."

Tony blinked. "He has nightmares?"

She threw her hand out in exasperation. "Did nothing I said get through to you? Yes, he has nightmares."

She paused then, taking in his appearance. "You look horrible."

He rubbed his eyes. "Thank you for that."

Her voice lowered. "Tony, please. At least try, if not for him, then for me?"

His sigh of resignation was plain, and she had to stifle a smile. "Fine. I'll bring him down here, and show him some designs or something."

It wasn't much, but she would take it.

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Peter was curled up on his bed, crayons and paper strewn around him.

He looked up as Tony pushed the door open. "Hi Mr Tony!"

The man dropped onto the bed beside him, crossing his legs. "What're you doing?"