Family Secrets

Healing

Steve, Bucky, Rhodey, Clint, Natasha, Sam, T'Challa, and Shuri sat around the dining table. Tony and Peter had been rushed up to the med bay with Bruce and Strange when they had gotten back. Despite some of the other injuries the group had sustained, no one was going to take away any medical attention from Tony and Peter.

Natasha swiped her hand over her side, her hand coming away covered in thick and drying blood. A cut.

Clint noticed this, and excused himself to grab some bandages. He returned quickly and tossed them onto the table, having already grabbed one for Natasha's side. Everyone at the table, or at least those who had been on the mission, took turns treating their various cuts and scrapes.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" Shuri's question startled the group out of their dazed silence. Bucky excused himself, and Steve moved to follow him, but the shorter man held up his hand and Steve sat back down, hurt flashing across his face.

"HYDRA was there, they were the ones helping her. That's why Peter was in such bad shape, and it took us a while to get down to the basement to help because there were 3 HYDRA guards in her house," T'Challa spoke up, explaining the situation.

"I'm going to go and check on Peter," Natasha said, standing up. Steve, still feeling guilty, and Wanda, not being able to talk about HYDRA, both joined her.

"So... Now we have a teenager to question, and a revival of HYDRA to bring down," Rhodey said, shaking his head lightly.

"I guess so," Clint said, staring at the table. God, what were they getting themselves into now?

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Peter was hooked up to tubes and machines and a million other things Pepper didn't understand. Her husband was in the bed next to their son, also hooked up to tubes and machines, his new arc reactor glowing softly.

"How is he doing?" Natasha slipped into the room, followed by Ned, Steve, MJ, Wanda, and Shuri.

"Alright," Pepper yawned. She'd been watching over her two boys for over 12 hours now. "Bruce said that Tony would be up soon, but we're still waiting on Peter. We don't know when he'll be up yet."

Natasha sat in the chair next to her friend, putting her hand on Pepper's knee. "They are strong, I'm sure they'll be up and running around again in no time."

"What... what happened to his face?"

Natasha and Pepper looked up. Steve was checking on Tony's chart, looking over his progress with the new arc reactor, but the rest of the group was gathered around Peter. Wanda and Shuri were at the foot of his bed, while Ned was holding his limp hand. MJ was tracing a finger over Peter's cheek, following the deep scar.

"Peter was pretty banged up when we brought him in, that's why we didn't let you guys come up here until now. He's had enough fluids to wash out his system and get his healing factor up and running, so he's a little less bloodied."

MJ teared up and said nothing else. She just let her hands wander around his scar, down to his shoulders, tracing the lines that zig-zagged over her boyfriend's skin.

"What did she do to him?" Shuri asked softly.

"She was... she was being trained in torture by HYDRA. We're lucky he isn't worse, she was still learning, but he was still pretty badly banged up. He'll have some scars, mostly his cheek, shoulders, back, and chest. He's still very weak, and I can't imagine there won't be some psychological side effects. He's been through a lot, and the recovery, what with the-" Pepper was able to get through her story without crying, but tears threatened to spill over her eyes, and she cut herself off. Natasha rubbed her back.

Steve moved from Tony to Peter. The blond man picked up the chart at the end of the bed. Flipping it open, he skimmed through Peter's list of injuries. Welts, burns, cuts, punctured lung, broken ribs...

"Pepper," he whispered, startling the group. His eyes were glued to part of the chart.

The red head got up slowly, making her way to Steve. "What?"

Steve pointed at the chart, lifting and eyebrow. Pepper smiled sadly.

"Yes, I already know," she said softly. Steve set the chart back down with a sigh, letting the weight of the situation settle over the room.

"What? What is it?" Ned's voice was stiff, as though he hadn't talked in days. When there was no response, he stood up, dragging Peter's hand with his, and pulling the sheets askew. "What!"

Pepper ran a hand through her hair, pushing parts of it back and behind her ears. "Peter was hurt trying to keep Tony safe, and the knife was..." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain the situation to a bunch of teenagers. Smart teenagers, sure, but this was hard for her to understand, too.

"Ned," MJ whispered. Ned looked down, finally noticing that with the sheets pulled back, there was a light blue glow to his friend's chest.

"He... he has an arc reactor?"

The boy fell back into his chair. The room was quiet again.

MJ moved to preposition the sheets. She didn't bother covering the reactor back up, but she smoothed them out.

There was nothing but the faint beeping of machines. Then, with a gasp, Tony sat up.

"Peter!" His shout startled everyone, and Pepper rushed to his side.

"Antony!" It was rare to hear Pepper call her husband by his given name, it was a sign of her worry and relief.

"Pepper," he breathed, engulfing her in a hug. "Where is Peter?"

His wife smiled. "You got him out, sweet heart, he's fine. Should be up sometime soon." No one called her on the lie, they knew that Tony needed rest, and if he thought Peter might not wake up soon, he'd stress himself out.

"Oh, thank God," the billionaire breathed. He looked over, surprised to see the group crowding the room.

"Hello, all, nice to see you," he joked, his smile dropping when he saw Ned and MJ's tears, and Wanda and Shuri's looks of pain. "What is going on?"

No one answered him. There was no need. Tony's eyes drifted from his family to his son, staring at the scar across his son's face. His eyes drifted downwards, settling on the blue glow in his son's chest. His hands moved to touch his own arc reactor, a subconscious movement.

"What..." Tony trailed off.

"It was the only choice," Pepper whispered.

Tony scoffed, slightly. "It always is."

Natasha coughed, making eyes at Wanda. The younger woman stood up, saying something about getting food. The rest of the group got the hint and excused themselves, letting Tony and Pepper be alone with their son.

"Pepper," Tony began. His wife brought tired and bloodshot eyes up to meet his, and he stopped. Instead of continuing, he simply pulled her in for a hug once again. They were quiet, taking solace in one another and crying, thankful they had their son back.

"Mom? Dad?" Peter's soft voice shook both adults, and Pepper shot over to him, her tired muscles straining.

"Hey, bambi, we're right here."

Peter cried. He was home and safe and sore. "What happened?"

"We got you out, honey. We got you home, but you and your father got into a little scrape and-" Before Pepper could finish her sentence, Peter touched the arc reactor lightly. Pepper and Tony both waited for his reaction, each fearing the worst.

"Heh," Peter smiled. "I'm just like you now, dad."

**A/N: Just 1 more chapter, y'all, then the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!**