Hush Little Baby (Discontinued)

Ch. 4

Peter and Pepper stayed curled in the closet for the rest of the day, the woman regaling him with stories of when Tony almost blew up the lab.

They were pretty funny.

By the time he felt okay with going back to his room, Pepper was yawning, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his soft bed.

But Pepper had other ideas.

She sat him on the couch, said "wait here" and went out.

Then Tony came in.

He made his way to the seat beside Peter, and sank down, watching the boy.

"I'm sorry."

Peter looked up solemnly. "It's okay Mr Tony. I disobeyed you."

Tony's eyes were pained. "Yeah, but I shouldn't have snapped like that. I'm sorry."

The boy uncurled from his hunched position, moving closer. "It's okay. Lots of people get mad."

Tony sank back against the cushion. "I shouldn't, though."

Slowly, hesitantly, Peter scooted across the cushion, and leaned against his dad.

Tony stiffened, clearly uncomfortable, but didn't move away, and several minutes passed before he relaxed, leaning his head back.

--------------

When Peter woke up, Tony was gone, and Pepper was there, sitting beside him with her hand on his curls.

"Where's m' dad?" Peter mumbled blearily.

She paused what she was doing, glancing down. "Hey bud. Tony went to get a shower before he leaves."

"'S he going away?"

She gave a soft laugh. "Yeah, bud. Remember I told you about Afghanistan?"

Peter shrugged, burrowing deeper into the blankets. "'S far away."

"Yeah. It's far away." He felt her hand resume stroking his curls, and closed his eyes.

Tony would come and say goodbye.

Wouldn't he?

-----------------

But he didn't.

Next thing Peter knew was Pepper was talking to someone on the phone, and crying, and Mr Rhodey was there, and he didn't laugh when Peter told him a funny story.

They told him that his dad was missing.

In that place that Pepper said.

Which made Peter sad.

When someone was missing it meant that they might be hurt.

After all, his mama had gone away, missing, and she didn't come back.

He tried to stay quiet, and out of the way so he wouldn't bother them, but they didn't seem to see him.

Not really.

They forgot his birthday, and he didn't remind them.

They needed to find his dad, not worry about a birthday party for a six- now seven- year old.

------------

Pepper and Rhodey still tried to keep him happy, playing with him, taking him places, but one or the other were always searching.

Days, and then weeks passed that way.

And Peter tried not to cry.

He was a big boy.

Big boys don't cry.

But he was scared.

Mr Tony- his dad- might not come back.

So Peter waited.

And waited.

He kept his room clean, stayed out of the way, and worried.