"Auggie!" I screamed with a boisterous giggle as I launched myself at him. My little stumpy legs wobbled beneath me, threatening to collapse before his giant gentle hands caught me.

"Hey sweet pea!" He responded and twirled me around before placing me on his hip. "How is your new dad treating you?" He asked with a giant smile.

"I love him so much! He colors with me and we play airplanes and tag!" My little chubby hands clapped, a sign of my happiness.

"Does he give good hugs?"

"Yes yes!"

"Better than... this?" He got all excited and squeezed me to his chest, and I giggled.

|~Webs~|

I sat up, waking at the first morning lights. Blankets were strewn everywhere on the sofa. Two indents were left where Mr. Stark and Mr. Rhodes has fallen asleep last night midway through the movie. A yawn and I glanced around. Odd.

I pulled Cori's spider-man blanket over my shoulders and head before waddling into the kitchen. It smelled just like her and I smiled, pulling the blanket further around me.

Mr. Stark was there, pouring a cup of coffee while 'Dee' was no where to be seen.

Heh. Dee. I guess she was rubbing off on me.

"Good morning Mr. Stark! Um.. have you seen...?" I tilted my head questioningly.

With a sigh, he looked up from the mug and finally looked at me, tears lacing his eyes. "Rhodey can't find her. And our plane is gone."

•••

"Auggie?" My voice was hoarse and tears formed in my eyes. "What...?"

Auggie smiled, wide and toothy. I flinched, memories coming flooding back. That smile had been one I'd seen when he was wiping my tears.

Bandaging a scraped up knee.
Playing catch.

Loving me.

I had known that smile since I could remember. One that had always made sure Dee was loving me and taking care of me. One that read stories to me. A friendly one.

"It's okay, Hollywood. We'll all get what we want soon." His familiar voice rang in my ears. One that, if in ANY other situation, would have seemed reassuring. Caring. Friendly.

"Sing it, Hollywood!" Auggie cheered, clapping and shouting "woo!" every now and then.

I wore sunglasses, blue and shiny and sang my own little made up song. In my arms was a soft lion stuffed animal, which also had sunglasses on it.

We were the newest pop stars and Auggie was our audience.

My phone rang. Of all the times. Of all the moments. Of course my phone rang.

I stared at Tony Stark. He was crying. I was crying. I had just lost the love of my life.

We had no clue where she was.

"Peter. Answer it." Mr. Stark's voice was calm but firm. "It might be her." His voice caught in his throat and I flinched.

With a spin, I whipped out my phone and put it to my ear. I didn't say anything. I wasn't entirely sure I could if I wanted to.

"Heyo kid. I'm not sure you remember me." At the sound of a familiar voice, I pulled the phone away from my face and squeezed my eyes closed. I clenched the phone in my hand before I brought it back to my ear.

"Hi Mr. Sinclair. Of course I remember you." I took a breath, willing my voice to be even. "Um, if this is about school, can it wait? Somethings come up... now's not the best time."

I saw, more than felt, from the corner of my eye Tony wrap his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, of course. I'll be brief. This is quite important, too." The voice at the other end of the line paused for a second then a shout came, nearly sending me to my knees.

"Peter! Oh my gosh Peter! I can't- I'm so scared. It's me. Oh my gosh. Auggie. It's Auggie! Peter please please help me. There's ties on my hands. I love you so much. Do you know that? I love you. Peter please please please."

Cori.

I broke into uncontrollable sobs. I couldn't catch my breath, just tears and screaming and tears. "Please Peter. Please please please please please. Tell Tony and James I love them so so much. I love you." My words turned to incomprehensible blabber. I cried and cried and cried and screamed.

Auggie tore the phone away from me and sauntered away. "I want all of the Mark suits from Mr. Anthony Stark. I want the War Machine suit from Mr. James Rhodes. No tricks. Supply anything less than that... well, then..."

"...her blood will be on your hands, Mr. Parker."

Click.

I fell to the floor and my stomach did a few flips before emptying on the hard wood floor.

I sat on the couch, rocking back and forth. The tears hadn't stopped since Mr. Sinclair had called me. Mr. Rhodes had just come in the door before another wave of nausea hit me.

"August Sinclair." His voice was firm and clipped. I looked up to see him standing firm and tall. Soldier like.

"August Sinclair..." he repeated the name, his voice breaking this time. His legs shook as he bit down on his lower lip. I watched as his eyes fell to the floor. "More well known as Auggie. I met him at age seventeen. I had just enlisted into the Air Force, and met him in training. He got another trainee pregnant. Both got kicked out of the force, and later I was promoted. They had the kid, which was soon taken by Child Protection Services after the mother died. I got a call a month later from Auggie." he turned to look at Tony, who just nodded. I glanced between the both of them, my eyes blurry and stinging.

"Auggie asked me to adopt his daughter. Said it was something only he trusted me with. I adopted Cori."

Auggie had pulled a chair up before me. I didn't want to look at him. I didn't want to see the man I had grown up knowing who now held me as his captive.

"I asked Jamie to adopt my baby. I asked him to adopt you."

"No." I growled, my voice threatening. "I'm not your kid. I don't want to hear your twisted mind games."

"You're my kid, Hollywood. You can't just say no."

"No."

He stood and my head flew to the side as he slapped me. I held back a whimper as tears slid down my cheeks and I heard his chair creak as he sat back down.

"I would always come to see you. Always. Then one day you were so rude and stupid. I hadn't seen you in a while, and you were turning into a selfish brat. Not my daughter. I punished you, and Jamie said it was 'too much'!" He laughed and I winced at the sound. "I never saw you again after that. Jamie said I was 'abusive'. He didn't get to dictate how I parented my child."

"He used to hit her. I would drop her off at his apartment so he could see her and I could go to work. For a while, she would come home with bruises and cuts. 'She just fell!' He would tell me. Then one day I saw him do it. He hit her, again and again and again. I filed a restraining order and we moved."

"He was my substitute teacher." I muttered, my voice barely a whisper. "He's my gir-... her father."

"I've been keeping tabs on my old friend. Heard about the Avengers. I started volunteering at the hospital, where dear Tony-" he spoke his name with such spite "-often stayed. Heard about Spider-man. I substitute teach at his school."

"Stay away from my Peter."

"I'll do what I want to do, sweet pea. I didn't say you could date him. Don't you need your fathers permission, usually?"

I seethed, my teeth digging into my lip. My face burned where he had hit me and I ground my teeth together.

"Sweet Peter will give me what I want to get you back. He 'loves' you far too much..."

"Also?

You're still the bratty whore he took from me that day."