Shooting Star ★ Avengers + OUAT

[ Season One; Ep One: Pilot ]

Tony was about to argue, until Archie spoke.
"Henry, who's this?" He looked at Emma.
"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." Emma forced a smile.
"She's my mom, Archie." Henry said. Tony puckered his lips. One hot mom.
Archie was surprised and didn't try to hide it. "Oh. I see."
"You know where he lives?" Emma asked, wanting this to be over.
"Yeah sure just uh, ride up on Misslin Street, the mayor's house is the biggest one on the block." Archie explained.
"You're the mayor's kid?" Emma asked Henry, who was looking down at the ground.
"I thought he was your kid." Tony looked to Emma. Emma looked at Tony, then shook her head at him and looked back to Henry.
"Hey, where were you today Henry, you missed our session." Archie said.
"Oh, well I forgot to tell you I went on a field trip." Henry lied.

Tony chuckled, and all eyes fell on him. He cleared his throat and looked away. Archie squatted down to Henry at eye level. "Henry," he said. "What did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything." There was a short silence between the four. Emma wore a confused look, then tucked in her lips. Tony clapped his hands.
"Okay. You need to get your son home and I need that call." Tony said. Archie got up from the ground.
"Yeah, sure, listen: Have a good night and uh, you be good Henry." Archie playfully tapped Henry with his gloves. Tony and Emma forced small smiles as Archie and his Dalmatian walked away.

"So that's your shrink?" Emma asked, once they were in the clear.
"I'm not crazy." Henry said.
"Didn't say that, it's just... He doesn't seemed curse to me." Emma replied. She then turned to Tony. "Don't ask." Tony nodded, puckering his lips once again. Emma turned back to Henry. "Maybe he's just trying to help you."
"He's the one who needs help, because he doesn't know," Henry explained.
"That he's a fairy tale character?" Emma rephrased. Henry nodded. Tony stuck his hand out.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what about fairytales?" He looked between the two.
"I said, don't ask." Emma told him.

"You aren't from here, are you?" Henry asked Tony, who nodded in response. Henry's brown eyes widened. "Then you can help — "
"Henry, don't..." Emma turned to Tony. "Please don't say anything more about it." She whispered the last bit.
"He's not in the book, Emma, maybe he can help. Nobody in the book remembers who they are." With that, Henry started walking around the car, to the passenger's side. Tony jogged after him. "I want shotgun!" Henry laughed at Tony and then moved to the back seat of the slug bug.
"Alright," Emma said, opening her car door. "I'll play. Who's he suppose to be?"
"Jiminey Cricket!" Henry exclaimed, poking his head from the back seat. Emma sat in the driver's seat, as she was now looking over at Tony in the passenger seat.
"Does that make you Pinocchio?" Tony asked Henry.
"I thought I saw your nose grow a bit."
"I'm not Pinocchio." Henry retorted.
Emma sighed. "Course you're not, cause that would be ridiculous." With that, she started the car, and drove towards the Mayor's house.

////

      Tony sighed, walking up the path to the Mayor's house. "Please don't take me back there." Henry said. Emma opened a gate, leading them through. Tony stopped at the gate. "I'll wait in the car. Even better: I'll wait in the car while I use your cell phone." He tilted his head. Emma looked back, scoffing with a smile.
"I don't trust you, I still don't even know your name."
"That's your fault, you never asked." Tony said. Emma smiled and continued walking to the front door. "Come on Stranger." Tony shook his head, and jogged up to the two. He clutched his chest, making sure his arc-creator wasn't glowing through the jacket.

"I don't have parents, just a mom and she's evil." Henry said, looking between the two.
Emma stopped, and rolled her eyes. "Evil? It's a bit extreme isn't it?"
"She is, she doesn't love me, she only pretends to." Henry said. Tony patted Henry on the back.
"I'm sure your mother loves you a lot. Mine are gone, and I was like you when they were. I'd give anything to see one of them smile at me one last time. Trust me bud, she loves you." Tony ruffled Henry's hair.
Emma bent over, looking into Henry's brown eyes.
"He's — "
"Tony." Tony interrupted. Emma glared at him, then looked back to Henry.
"Tony's right. I'm sure that's not true."