Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As Peter gazed out at the tulips, their fragile petals swaying in the gentle breeze, he found himself shaking.

Staring at his left hand, watching the tremors go through him, he knew that the weight of his failure was the reason. He also knew that he desperately needed to calm down somehow. Happy would be there within the hour… If he was really coming. It didn’t feel like enough time to collect his thoughts. His gaze wandered to his right hand, where a pay as you go brick phone that a kind man in the town had loaned him was being held. He lightly, lightly squeezed- careful not to break it with his strength, and his brain turned over an idea on who to call to calm his racing heart and trembling hands.

Before he could think twice, he was dialing a familiar number, and held the phone up to his ear. It was early in New York, and he was calling from an unknown number - so he was certain it would go to voicemail.

He’d hear the message that - if Pepper hadn’t changed it - was still in Tony’s voice.

He’d get to hear his mentor - that’d calm him down a little.

And so he waited - counting the rings, his heart still racing- waiting-

“Hello?”

The poor boy’s heart nearly stopped. Unfortunately, his mouth didn’t.

“M-misses Potts?” His voice was raw and quiet.

“Peter?” Pepper answered “Why are you calling me at 5? Aren’t you on vacation?”

“I-I…” He wanted to say something, anything “ I got hit by a train”

There was a long, horrible silence that made Peter regret ever being born.

“What happened?” When she finally spoke, voice was stern, but not unkind. It was moreso an order than a request, and Peter couldn’t help the hiccuped sob that escaped him.

..So he spilled.

He went over the whole story - from ghosting Fury in New York, to the hijacked vacation in Venice, to befriending Quentin in Prague, to the betrayal and then finally, the hallucinations in Berlin. He then told her about how he was in Holland.

“And.. that…” He let out a bitter, wet chuckle “That’s… all. That’s how I screwed everything up”

“... You said his name was Quentin Beck?”

He swallowed “... Yeah”

Pepper let out an audible exhale. “Fury wasn’t supposed to give you EDITH until you graduated from college” She changed the topic “You’re 16, Peter. You weren’t ready - even slightly - for what Tony wanted for you” The heat - the anger behind her voice was unmistakable, and Peter could feel the tears escaping him.

“M-misses Potts I-” He took in a breath “I’m so sorry, I-”

“No.” She sharply interrupted “If you blame yourself for any of this I’m coming to Holland just to kick your ass”

Peter wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“I messaged Happy. He’s 10 minutes out” She continued “Get on that plane, get taken care of, and get to London”

“Wh- London? But, I-”

“No buts. She you there” And she hung up

Peter stared at his phone after the line went dead, his expression probably hilarious to any onlookers. The boy exhaled and put the phone down, looking over at his left hand.

Huh, he wasn’t really trembling anymore.

Chapter Text

London was a hellscape

But Peter was prepared… at least, he tried to be.

The hologram was falling apart due to his efforts and he took just the barest amount of pleasure in that. The fight wasn’t close to over, but small victories were small victories.
And then he got up into the corridor where Beck was holed up. Peter felt a surge of fear, but took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this. This had been his mistake. And he had to make it right.

Quentin made some snap at him, and the bots formed their holograms.

He shut his eyes, taking in a breath. He had to trust his senses. His “Peter Tingle”

…. Okay, that really needed a better name.

But it did it’s job.

Peter was beaten, bloody and tired. But he’d done it. He’d gotten to the end of the hall, and there Beck lay-

Not.

The man clearly had not expected Peter to catch his hand.

Nor had he heard the sound of the repulsor firing up, and then knocking him off to the side.

Though, to be fair, Peter hadn’t heard it either.

The boy let go of Quentin as he was thrown, gun dropping and EDITH’s frames falling off of his face from the force.

Peters eyes rested on the deep blue and silver of the RESCUE suit, eyes wide.

“That... is for hitting him with a train” Pepper’s voice rang out.

Quentin pushed himself up to his elbows, looking at the suit with disbelieving eyes.

The helmet of the suit folded away, and Peppers face - flush with rage, graced the nearly destroyed walkway

Quentin looked almost amused

“Virgina, Pepper Potts… Gracing the world with your presence after such a long absence” He panted slightly “Come to try and fix your husbands mess? Steal back his stolen tech?”

Peter watched as Pepper started to approach him. “Quentin Beck." She addressed with what almost sounded like disinterest "You worked on a team of 15 people to realize the Binary Augmented Retro-Framing device.” She recited “You weren’t even the creator. “ She leaned over slightly, “You were brought onto the project when it was half finished”

“... So you are here to clean up your late boss’ mess” He quipped. Peter noticed that he didn’t address the accusations

But then, Pepper smiled at him “As his assistant, I did everything and anything that he required” She stood up “Including occasionally, taking out the trash” she raised her hand, repulsor charging up “That didn’t much change when I became his wife, though he did do his own chores” She recalled “Anything else to say about my husband?”

The man’s nostrils flared “You think you’ve won here, don’t you?”

Peppers gaze was… unimpressed. “I don’t need to think it, Beck. Peter?”

“Huh, yes?” The boy stood at attention

“The glasses”

“Oh!” He grabbed at the glasses that were on the ground, and putting them on “EDITH?”

“Yes Peter?”

“Deactivate all the drones!”

“To verify, you wish for them to cease?”

“Yes, yes please!”

And with that, the outside went quiet.

Pepper turned to look at him for a moment seeing the weight off of his shoulders.

Quientin suddenly moved, got on his feet, went right for Pepper-

Her repulsor fired.

Beck stopped moving.

Peter was trembling.

“.... EDITH, is this real?” His voice managed to stay even.

“No illusions detected, Peter”

Pepper looked back at the boy, whose hand was still holding the glasses to his face, as if letting them go would mean they would cease to exist “Is… is he dead?”

“No life signs detected.”

His shoulders slumped.

Pepper kept her eyes on Beck’s body for a few more seconds before looking over at Peter.

“.... Peter?”

The boy took off the glasses, holding them in his hands. She could see him physically trembling.

“I …. I don’t think I should have these” God, was he whimpering? As he held the glasses out to her “I know he wanted me to have them but it’s…. It’s too much”

Pepper could feel the tears in her eyes as she stepped forward, ignoring the hand being held out, and wrapped him in a hug. She knew it probably wasn’t the most comfortable hug, but he needed it.

And he confirmed her suspicion by hugging her tightly, trembling.

She wasn’t really sure if there was anything she could say to him.

“.... We have to get you home, Peter” She pulled away, seeing how red his eyes were

“I… I have to check my friends first. They’re here and.. I have to make sure everyone is okay”

“... Okay. Have Happy drive them to the airport, okay?” She softly spoke “I’ll pay for everything, alright?” He leaned his head against her metal shoulder.

She felt him nod, and her heart constricted. God, was this how Tony felt? She placed a hand on his head.

“I’ll see you when we get back, okay? I’m glad you’re safe” she pressed “And how you handled that… You did great”

“Heh, glad you think so, I guess”

Her brow furrowed, but she said nothing. Instead, she ran a quick hand through his hair, and left a quick kiss on his forehead. “See you soon, Peter”

He looked at her with glassy eyes after the affectionate action “... Yeah”

And they parted ways, Peter effortlessly leaping and climbing down to the bridge.

Pepper stared at where he’d been, before forming the helmet around her face again “Friday, Where’s Fury?” She lifted off the ground, flying out and following a GPS coordinate nearby.

“We have to have a chat”

Chapter Text

He was supposed to be fine

Everything - everything was supposed to be fine

Pepper couldn’t get the frustrating, heart aching thought out of her head as she stood on the porch, watching what she knew was Happy’s car coming from some distance, carrying a scared, stressed, and exposed Peter Parker. Because Beck just had to have the last laugh. He had to ruin one more thing, get revenge on a man who was already dead, whose family was still grieving.

Pepper hadn’t left any room for argument. Happy was to Peter up from an alleyway in Midtown and brought directly to the lake house. May would be joining him shortly - Pepper cashed in a favor with Sharon Carter to get May up here as soon as possible. There was the matter of Peter’s other friends, but as far as Pepper was aware, MJ told her that she was “pretty much okay” and to “focus on Peter”. Ned, meanwhile, asked as politely as he could manage when Pepper called him to just update him on Peter’s situation, but that he had to stay in the city. Someone had to advocate for his best friend, after all.

She was giving that boy a 6 figure job offer the minute he was out of college, hell, out of high school anyone with that kind of conviction deserved a spot with Stark Industries (which was still a multi billion dollar company, by the way). MJ as well, though probably in the HR department.

The car was close now, and turning slightly.

It slowed.

It parked.

Happy got out, and looked over at her.

The expression on his face said more than words ever could.

The passenger door opened, and out came Peter Benjamin Parker, sans mask, with what she was certain was one of Happy’s spare shirts over his suit. His eyes were red and his face pale. Every breath he took was stuttered and shaking.

She took a few steps, then a few more, then a few more, a little faster, until she was face to face with the young man

He stared up at her - she was just barely taller - and, with another trembling breath, managed to speak

“... I-I’m sorry, Misses Stark”

And Pepper couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed the boy in a hug, using one hand to shove his head into the crook of her neck and shoulder.

“No… no Pete… No” She managed, her voice weak. She made brief eye contact with Happy, who simply nodded and headed to the house. “Not your fault, never your fault” she sighed deeply - noting that Peter wasn’t hugging her back. “This is all Quentin and his… helpers.” She explained, “I have the best people in the world working on this. And if no one believes them” She pulled back, holding his shoulders and making eye contact “They’ll have to deal with me”

The conviction she said that last part with caused the boy to hiccup with a sob. He finally returned the hug, tight and scared and begging for the comfort she was providing. She returned the hug, and knew that he’d be fine.

May would be here soon, the PR team and legal was working their asses off. Happy was with Morgan, who was ready to provide Peter with more love than he could probably handle. And if things still went to shit?

She'd handle it.

And oh, the world hadn’t yet dealt with Mama Bear Pepper Potts-Stark.

To say they were unprepared was an understatement