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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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?"

The boy pushed the paper closer. "It's me and you!"

Tony swallowed quickly when he saw the drawing.

It was a messily done, but still recognizable drawing of a small figure with brown hair holding the hand of a taller figure with brown hair.

"It's- nice," he said quietly. "Nice work, kid."

The boy beamed at him, showing a gap between his teeth. The missing tooth made him look younger. "My mom used to tell me that I was her little artist!"

His voice dropped as he looked at the crayons. "I miss her."

Tony nodded awkwardly. "I know."

They sat in silence for several seconds before Tony decided to do what Pepper had asked(read: ordered) him to do. "Do you want to come to my lab with me?"

The effect was instantaneous, as Peter bounced off the bed, running to the door. "Yes!"

Tony followed at a slower pace, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "Slow down kid. It isn't going anywhere."

The six year old stopped moving, waiting by the door. "Sorry Mr Tony."

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

Jarvis's voice rang through the room. "Hello sir. And hello Master Parker."

Peter spun in a circle, taking in the lab with open mouth and wide eyes. "This is so cool!"

Tony sank down at his desk, pulling back up the schematics for a project. "Don't touch anything. Just look."

The boy wandered the enclosure, peering at the machines and occasionally asking questions that Tony answered.

He stopped at the pile of wires and metal that took up most of a desk. It looked like some sort of robot with one hand/claw.

It looked really funny. The wires looked almost like hair, and if he looked closely, those two screws could be eyes.

He just had to move that wire, and it would be smiling for Mr Tony. That way when he saw it he would smile.

But when he touched it, it shocked him, and he jerked away with a yelp as the wire caught on his hand, and it pulled the entire thing onto the floor.

Tony spun around at the crashing sound, his eyes immediately going to Peter. "Peter!" He barked, striding over and pulling him up by the arm.

"What did I just tell you?" He demanded.

Peter stared at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry Mr Tony! I just wanted it to smile!"

Tony shoved him in the direction on the door. "You just disobeyed my direct order! Go out. Now. I have to clean up your mess."

Peter stumbled away, glancing back once at the stiff figure behind him.

It wasn't fair.

He just wanted to make it smile for Mr Tony.

He hurried away from the lab, wiping away tears, just wanting to get as far from anyone as he could.

He found refuge in a closet, huddling under old blankets.

It was warm, and he could almost forget his dad's angry face.

"Master Parker?" The voice came from the ceiling, startling the boy out of his thoughts.

"Y-Yeah?"

"If I may, Sir and Ms Potts are searching for you." The voice was gentle.

Peter curled up tighter. "I wanna stay here."

"Master Parker, they seem worried."

"He's mad at me, Jarvis. He told me to go. He doesn't want me here." A sniffle. "I wanna go home, Jarvis."

If a voice could be soothing, Jarvis's was. "This is your home, Master Parker."

"No it isn't. I want my mom."

The door cracked open before Peter could deny it, and Pepper peeked in, and went to her knees beside the boy. "Hey buddy. Are you okay?"

Peter didn't look up.

"Hey. Can you please look at me?" A gentle finger lifted his chin, and his eyes met her blue ones. "I gave Tony a thorough scolding. He shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

Peter shrugged listlessly. "I disobeyed."

She pulled him into her lap. "Well, he can't take you into a high tech lab and expect you not to touch anything. You're six. And you're curious. Which is usually a good thing. He asked me to help find you. He wants to apologize."

She poked his stomach. "You're a very good hider, though. It took a while to find you."

Peter pressed his face against her arm. "Are you my new mom?"

She hesitated. "Well, not exactly... but I will be taking care of you while your dad is gone."

He blinked up at her. "Where's he going?"

"Afghanistan."