"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked as he rounded the corner of the Stark Towers wall. Peter had began to live with Mr. Stark due to May being . . . ill. Tony didn't want Peter to have to endure the pain of that also so accepted to take him in. He also just loved the kid so much that it actually hurt him to see the kid so down in the dumps.

"Yes, Pete?"

"H-Have you heard from May?" Tony frowned and rubbed his face.

"Listen, Underoos, it's going to be a while before we do. She's getting the best treatments she can right now and it can only work if she gets all the nutrients without having a spaz seeing you." Peter sighs and nods. He knew this, he just didn't want to accept that fact.

"I know. I know. I just . . . I can't lose her, Mr. Stark. If I do . . . Social Services will have to take me away. They will. I'll go into foster care and . . . I'll be taken away from all of this." Peter began to fret and wipe his face fiercely. "I'm sorry."

"Peter, did you really think I was going to let that happen?" Tony stood from his seat at his desk. He put his hands on the teens shoulder and smiled a bit at the boy who worried about so many things that it was unhealthy.

"What?" The boys big brown orbs looked to Tony's matching pair.

"I'd never let that happen to someone I care about, Pete. I want you to know that. I'm signing papers tomorrow that make me your forever guardian, understand?"

"Y-You're adopting me?" Peter went eyes wide and looked up at the man he had met and looked up to at the age of six. He remembered that time Iron Man whipped in and shot that droid that was coming right for him. Peter thought he could shoot it himself. Obviously that didn't work but Tony Freakin' Stark was there.

"Just signing papers to be your guardian. I wanted to talk to you about adopting you, officially. I want us to get closer and be more comfortable. You know?" Peter smiled and nodded. "But, I have some horrible news Pete."

"She's not going to make it . . . Is she?"

"I'm so damn sorry, Kid." Tony grabbed Peter and wrapped him in his arms completely as he began to shake.

"Y-you signed the papers for a reason."

"I did, I did. I'm sorry." The kid broke down in his mentor-soon-to-be-guardians arms.

"I'll stay with you. I'll stay! I love you Tony. I'll stay."

"I love you too, Pete. I'll keep you, forever."

Little did the two know that Steve Rogers was smiling on the other side of the door along with Pepper Potts- soon to be Pepper Stark.