While There's Still Something Left

Could've Gone Better

When Pepper and Rhodey opened the email from Tony that morning asking them to watch the attached footage, seeing a meeting between the still-feuding Avengers was far from what they were expecting.

After the silence stretched, they turned to glance at each other. They were both still in their night clothes, as Pepper stopped working on Fridays months ago knowing that having a free day on the weekend was near-impossible, and Rhodey had yet to put on the equipment for his "bot legs." Pepper's face was pinched, torn between being convinced this was an elaborate prank and concern. Rhodey just looked tired.

"It is too damn early for this," Rhodey said, shaking his head. He laid back down, putting the pillow over his face, muffling his words. "Friday's are for sleeping. I've told Tony this. Numerous times."

Pepper laughed and shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around all of the information she just received.

"Tony's not one for sleeping," Pepper said, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.

"This though? This is a little over the top to dump on us right after a two day SI meeting," Rhodey said.

"Got me there," Pepper agreed.

Rhodey was about to speak again, but JARVIS came over the speakers.

"Mr. Stark would like me to ask if you have any questions about his email," JARVIS said.

"Any questions?" Pepper asked. "Of course we have questions. Which should we start with, honey? The fact that Tony is wanting to adopt a random child he hardly knows, or how he managed to be in the same room with the three musketeers for more than five minutes without spontaneously combusting?"

"Mr. Stark would like to point out it is not an adoption, but a temporary guardianship. Mr. Parker turns 18 in four months," JARVIS corrected, then after a pause added. "Also, Peter is hardly random. He's the Spider-Man."

"Hardly ran..." Pepper started, incredulous. "That is not what I'm having a hard time with, Tony! I know you are listening. I'm worried about the company. I'm worried about a child being integrated into your craziness. You and the Avengers just got back together after trying to rip each other apart and we still have Stark Industries to run, believe it or not. On top of trying to find Hydra, how do you expect to take care of a kid?"

"Who else would?" Rhodey asked beside her. She turned to her boyfriend, her eyebrows pulled together.

"What?"

Rhodey put a gentle hand on her thigh and squeezed it softly. "This kid obviously doesn't have anybody else. At least here he would be taken care of."

"Yeah, I know but James-" Pepper grimaced. "Do you really think this is what's best?"

The anger that was ringing from her voice just moments earlier was gone, and the crack in her mask revealed what she was really feeling. Fear.

Living this lifestyle was dangerous. Pepper almost lost Tony too many times to count. Hell, the whole reason Rhodey and Pepper even started dating was because of her help with his physical therapy regiment after Germany. Letting a child take up arms knowing what they knew seemed like throwing his life away.

Pepper may not know Peter from Adam, but she didn't want that for him. From what she just learned, Peter could have a bright future ahead of him. Was it so wrong to hope he didn't have to be sucked into this?

"Come on, Pep. How often does Tony really make selfish decisions?"

Pepper arched a brow, with a look in her eye that implied she had a very long list drafted somewhere in the case of being confronted with this very question.