Peter reached over to his side of the bathroom counter and grabbed the bottle of hair gel. He popped the lid open and squeezed a quarter-sized amount into his hand, like May had shown him when he was younger. He rubbed his hands together before running his fingers through his hair, making sure he got all of his hair covered in the gel so it'd lay down properly. He'd already wet his hair with a wet brush in order to part and style it easier, knowing that if he attempted to style it dry, it wouldn't do as he wanted it to. He reached up and pushed some of his hair back with his hand before grabbing his comb and combing it back into place. After he let it dry, he looked at himself in the mirror; he smiled happily when he saw it looked good. He shut the light off and walked back into his bedroom, where he picked up the dress shirt that was laying neatly across his bed. He pulled it on over his white undershirt; Wanda had stolen his spidersuits in order to keep him from wearing them under his suit, but he really wanted one of his suits, he never went anywhere without one. She'd told him that everything was going to be just fine today and that he didn't need it; that he just needed to be there. He looked at himself in the mirror as he buttoned up the shirt and tucked it into his dress slacks. He grabbed the tie he'd draped over his mirror and adjusted to the right length so he could tie. He tried tying it for several minutes, but continued to fail frustratedly over and over again. He frustratedly pulled the tie down from around his collar and groaned; why'd he have to wear a stupid tie in the first place? Couldn't he just wear the suit without it? That would still look professional, right? He heard a knock at the door and saw Wanda standing in front of the door; she was wearing a simple velvet red dress-ironically it was the exact shade of her powers; everyone in the compound was coming today. All of his friends had gotten permission to miss school for the day; they'd all done today's work earlier in the week in order to not miss anything while they were out for the pair's big day.
"Hey Wands," he greeted, stepping back into his room so she could come in.
"Hi Pete," she greeted, flashing him a small smile.
"Did you need something?" he asked, "N-not to sound rude!" he quickly added when he realized that he sounded rude to the older girl.
She laughed at him, "Just wanted to check on you. Today's a big day." she replied.
"I-I'm fine, I just...I can't get this stupid tie to tie," he huffed, glaring at the silky material in his hand.
She held her hand out, "Let me try."
"You know how to tie a tie Wands?" he asked.
"Steve taught Pietro, and I watched. I love my brother, but he can't tie a tie to save his life; I always end up doing it for him." she replied as she continued to hold her hand out to him.
He nodded and placed the black tie in her hand, "I feel like I'm going to a funeral," he replied.
"Well.... it's not, it's court." she corrected,"Dress to impress Spidey," she replied, pulling the tie down to a suitable length before crossing the longer section over the shorter one.
Peter turned his head to watch her.
She paused a second before lifting his head up with her thumb, "Keep your head straight or it'll turn out weird Peter," she fussed softly.
"Right...sorry," he replied, giving her a slight nod of his head to show he was listening to her.
"It's fine...why couldn't you get your tie right?" she asked, "May showed you how for homecoming; I remember you talked about watching YouTube videos for three hours trying to figure it out."
"I-I don't know, I did it for the funeral and my party," he replied, "B-but its like today I just can't..."
She hummed lightly, tucking a section of the fabric down through the loop she'd created and pulling it all the way through, "Maybe you're nervous," she offered.
"Wh-n-no, why would I be nervous, Wands?" he asked, "W-we have da-I mean Mister Stark on our side; we can't lose."
She smiled softly at him, almost calling Tony dad, "Our minds play tricks; you know this Pete. just because you know something doesn't mean your mind will fully believe it. Peanut was with them for eight years before she came here almost four months ago. You're remembering when your aunt and uncle tried to get custody of the both of you; how it didn't happen, and you didn't see Penny for over eight years."
"I-I guess." he replied quietly, knowing that she was probably right.
She nodded, adjusting the tie in her hands while she continued talking to him, "Well, Like Stephen and Sam explained to me, our brains tend to revert to memories when we are put in a similar situation. While we can know that the possibility of getting the same result is slim to none; the answer being none in this case," she quickly added, seeing his brow furrow, "our brains tend to think of the other situation and how it ended. Think of Peanut, for example. She didn't want to tell anyone about the bullying because nothing was ever done about it and it usually made things worse for her at home in the past, Right?"
"Yeah..." he replied softly as she adjusted the tie around his neck.
"She was surprised when we did something." she continued, pushing his hands away as he went to adjust his collar, "Even though she knew that she wasn't there anymore, past experiences made her remember what usually happened. Even though we repeatedly told her we'd do something about it and Lena did something about it for her at one point, she still didn't say anything. It's like you right now," she replied, dropping the tie and straightening it with her palms, "Even though we have Tony and you know that he'd never let her go back there, your memories say otherwise. You're scared. You're not really nervous about seeing the judge, you're worried. It means you're a good big brother."
He softly nodded his head, digesting her words, "Thanks Wands." he replied, giving her a small, nervous smile.
"No problem Spidey," she replied, adjusting his collar, "It's my job as your resident big sister."
He hugged her, "I'm glad you guys are coming," he replied.
"Pete, I wouldn't miss this for the world. Not every day my little brother and little sister get adopted."
"That's not till later," he replied.
She grinned, "I prefer to think of this as adoption day instead of Tony Stark throwing the Davis family into the limelight for child abuse." she replied.
"I guess that's a better way to think of it," he agreed.
She nodded, she looked at his gelled down hair, "What did you do to your hair Pete?" she asked.
"I gelled it down. I wanted to look more presentable. Tony always says that it ruins the look if my hair is messy and I'm all dressed up."
She nodded, "We're going to get Nat to show you how to take care of those curls of yours so you don't have to gel them down next time." she replied, she preferred the younger boy's soft ringlets as compared to the stiff locks he was sporting now.
He nodded, he'd prefer to have his hair done differently as well, he liked his loose, floppy curls, "Okay, I'd like that, it feels weird to have it all stiff."
She laughed, "Well, I think May would be proud of you," she said softly, "You're a great brother and you look handsome. I know I'm proud."
He smiled at her, "Thanks Wands."
She nodded, "You're growing up on me Spidey," she replied softly, "When I met you, you were a few days away from fourteen, you were in eighth grade and had this complex like you could save the world." She laughed a little, "You still have that complex, but now you're a sophomore in highschool, you're strong and you're an amazing person. You're sixteen, older than I was when I met you and Penny's the age you were when I met you. Kind of ironic to think about," she replied, pausing a little, "who thought I'd meet both Parker siblings and they'd be the same age each time?"
Peter laughed, "Thor works in mysterious ways," he replied.
"Thor doesn't control time and future, Pete," she replied, laughing.
He shrugged, "I know, but he's a god. Never thought I'd meet a god." he replied, grinning impishly at her.
She smiled at him, "Neither did I," she softly agreed, "Well, now that I've gotten emotional, I think that it's my cue to check on my brother and see if he's managed to get his tie done. Do you need anything else, Pete?" she asked.
He shook his head, "No, I'm okay Wands," he replied, "Thanks for talking to me. And for the tie."
"No problem, small fry," she replied.
"Hey!" he replied, huffing in response.
"I'm just teasing you Pete." she replied, grinning at the younger boy, who looked offended that the redhead had used her brother's nickname for him.
He started laughing, "Oh...well you tie a pretty good tie, Wands." he replied, motioning to the elegantly tied tie around his neck.
"Thanks."
"WITCH I NEED YOUR HELP!" Pietro's voice rang from down the hall.
"What'd I tell ya Pete?" she said, laughing as she pulled the door behind her so she could run to her brother's aid.
Peter pulled on his suit jacket and laced up his dress shoes, giving himself one last look over before walking out of his room after he grabbed his phone as well as the glasses and earbuds that Tony had made him for sensory overloads. He had a feeling that they'd be bombarded at some point by photographers and news reporters. He knew from experience, from when the media first found out he was Tony's intern, that the flashes of the cameras would send him into an overload. Luckily for him, Tony had been there to help, and he'd threatened to sue anyone who dared post an article or picture anywhere about him or his family online. Needless to say, the idea of being sued by Tony Stark was a good way to stop people from plastering his picture everywhere. Nothing had ever gotten out about his internship to the majority of the public; sure he'd told his friends at school and his teachers, but the majority of the student body didn't believe him. He was walking to the stairs when he felt something run into his legs; he looked down and grinned at Morgan before picking her up and hugging her.
"Hey Morguna," he replied lovingly as he pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek, "You coming today?" he asked.
"Uh huh. But Mommy's making me stay in the waiting area with Happy until Daddy's surprise." she replied, slightly pouting as she poked her bottom lip out. "Why can't I go to the not surprise?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Because it's big kid and adult stuff," he replied, kissing her cheek lovingly.
"But I'm a big girl," she replied, "I'm eight."
He laughed, "I know Morgs, but this is something that the adults are handling and Mo-," he cleared his throat, "Sorry Morgs, something's in my throat. Your mom and dad don't want you to know about it till you're older." he replied, giving her cheek another gentle kiss.
"Why?" she asked.
He started walking down the stairs, "Because they said so." he replied, he wasn't a hundred percent sure how to explain the situation to the eight year old.
"Petey?" she called.
"Yeah, Morgs?"
"Is it true that bad people want to take Penny away?" she asked, her eyes watery.
Peter reached up and wiped the watery residue from under her eyes with his thumb, "Umm yeah, but don't worry. Tony's gonna figure it all out. Don't worry about it, okay? She's not going anywhere." he assured.
She nodded, "Promise?"
"I can do better than promise," he replied, holding up his pinky finger, "I swear."
She grinned at him as she linked her small finger with his and kissed her fist like he'd taught her; she hugged his neck while they walked to the stairs, "I love you underoos," she announced, making Peter's face flush immediately at his nickname.
Pietro laughed when he heard the younger girl call the brunet the nickname assigned to him by Tony.
She started giggling in response to Peter's mortified face, her small hands rushing up to his face and pressing his cheeks softly.
"Morgs, that name is reserved for being used by Tony only," he replied, sitting on the couch next to Penny, who was bouncing her knee up and down repeatedly.
"What's reserved?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at him.
"Means only he can use it," he explained.
"...Oh...but what about underoos? He's in my room."
"You can call him that all you want," Peter replied; he'd given up after three days of trying to convince the younger girl to change the name of her new toy, "But not me. Got it?" he asked hopefully.
"Got it, don't call Petey underoos" she replied, nodding her head.
Pietro was now howling with laughter on the opposite end of the couch, his face red with laughter.
Peter threw a pillow at him, "Shush P," he groaned.
Penny wrapped her arms around her brother's arms and leaned onto his shoulder. She was still bouncing her leg and was picking at her fingernails at the same time while she buried her face into his arm.
Peter placed his free hand over her small hands to stop her, "What's wrong princess?" he asked.
"A little nervous," she whispered.
"Don't be, Tony's got everything handled." He assured, patting the top of her hand softly with his own, "You're coming home, no one's going to take you anywhere you don't want to go today or ever. I promise."
She nodded, "Okay...Pete," she replied softly as she sunk down into the cushion.
"Come her princess," he replied, pulling his arm out from her grasp and wrapping it around her, tucking her safely against his side, "I got you."
"Don't forget me!" Morgan replied loudly.
He chuckled lightly, "I got both of you." he corrected.
Two hours later, they were in the courthouse. Morgan hugged everyone for good luck and Happy clapped Peter on the shoulder after the brunet had pulled away from a hug. He patted Penny's back as she hugged him, her arms wrapped around his waist; he could feel the nervous shake that was rippling through her body.
"I'll see you soon honey," he replied.
"M'kay," she softly replied.
After Penny pulled away from Happy, Peter grabbed her hand and pulled her with them to the front of the group; yet remained slightly hidden behind Pepper and Tony. Penny had a tight grip on her brother's hand and the sleeve of the boy's long-sleeved sweater vest; Pepper noticed the younger girl's nervous behavior and reached behind her and gave the younger teen's hand a small squeeze. Penny gave her a nervous smiled as Mister Layne walked over to them and shook Tony's outstretched hand.
"Mister Stark, Misses Stark." he greeted as he shook each of their hands.
"Layne, big day ahead of us." the billionaire greeted.
The man nodded, and looked over Pepper's shoulder, finding the two teens, "Yes it is. Mister and Miss Parker," he greeted, "it's nice to see you again."
Peter stepped around Pepper, still grasping his sister's hand, he held his free hand out towards the man, "Nice to see you again Mister Layne." he greeted.
Penny held her hand out to him, waiting for him to grasp it, "H-hi Mister Layne." she greeted softly.
"Are you kids ready for the day?" he asked.
Peter nodded, "As ready as we'll ever be, right princess?" he asked, his dark eyes falling onto his sister.
She nodded, "Y-yeah..."
Tony wrapped his arm over the two teens, "So how are we doing this?" he asked, looking at the lawyer in front of them.
The man adjusted the sleeve of his jacket, "Well, you are being sued for custody; while we are counter-suing the Davis's for child abuse and for neglect, you are considered the defendant. Since you and Misses Stark are married, the both of you will be in front of the bar. Since Miss Parker is the reason for the case, she will be seated with us in front of the bar. Unfortunately, Mister Parker will not be allowed in the front of the bar; he will be seated behind the bar, we can place him directly behind you if you wish. The others are welcome in the room, however Miss Romanoff and Mister Maximoff will be requested to wait in a separate area of the courtroom in order to avoid contamination from the evidence presented. They will be held in separate rooms as well; if he wishes, Mister Rogers can stay with Mister Maximoff in the room while they wait since he is under the age of eighteen. The Davis's have been instructed by their lawyer not to talk to, refer a conversation to, or to look towards Miss Parker. The judge will reiterate this statement as well before the session starts. If everything goes according to plan, this should finish by one o'clock and you can move on with your lives."
Tony nodded, "Great, Let's do this shit." he announced.
Pepper lightly smacked her husband's arm, "Don't use that language in front of the kids." she fussed.
The man sighed, "Sorry Miss Potts," he replied, flashing Peter a smile.
The teenager covered his mouth with his hand in order to hide his snickering from the strawberry-blonde who was giving Tony an unimpressed look.
"Alright let's go inside," the young lawyer announced, he motioned an officer over to them, "Officer, please take Miss Romanoff and Mister Maximoff to their areas. Mister Rogers, would you like to accompany your son?" the man asked.
Steve looked at Pietro, who was dressed in a similar fashion as Peter and Tony, "Do you want me to wait with you son?" he asked.
Pietro shook his head, "Nah, I'm good." he shrugged, "Stay with Wands and the group." he replied, knowing that Wanda would probably need their adoptive father more than he did since she was emotion led at times with her powers, when Penny's testimony would be played he had no doubt that his twin would be upset and angry at the same time.
"Okay then." The lawyer announced.
Pietro and Natasha were guided into a separate area of the court, disappearing from the other's line of sight. Tony stepped out from in between the Parker siblings and grabbed Pepper's hand, in order to present a more united front and to ease his nerves. The family of four were all matching in their colors: Peter and Tony were wearing the same suit with white shirts and black ties. The entire family was dressed in black and white; Pepper was wearing a black blazer and skirt set with a white blouse, her hair pulled back in a slick ponytail. Penny was wearing a long sleeve white blouse under a black and white plaid dress with black tights and flats, her hair was tucked back with a black headband; her large mess of curls spilling out around it. Peter reached over and grabbed his sister's hand again as they started walking towards the large oak doors that were a few feet away from them; Pepper reached back and squeezed both of their free hands before turning back around, presenting her classic CEO stance. The lawyer pushed the doors to the courtroom open, guiding the Starks, Parkers, and the rest of the avengers into the room. Tony pulled open the gate that would separate them from the rest of the group and waited for Pepper to walk through; Peter gave Penny a small kiss on the forehead and a tight squeeze of her hand before letting go of her hand. She walked by Tony, who gave her an assuring pat on the shoulder. Robert Layne grabbed the gate door and motioned for Tony to walk into the floor. Tony walked onto the floor, his lawyer closing the gate behind them as he slipped into the seat on the right side of the thirteen year old who was sitting in between him and the billionaire's wife. The Davis's and their lawyer were already seated in their side of the court, Brad was nowhere to be seen. Peter sat behind his sister, Wanda was next to him, resting her hand on the top of his, offering the younger boy a comforting presence as he linked his pinky with hers to calm his nerves. The judge walked into the room and everyone stood until he hit his gavel on his podium before sitting back down.
"Bayliff, why are we here today?" the man asked.
The bailiff cleared his throat before speaking, "Your honor, we are gathered here in this courtroom for two reasons. The first being the plaintiff's, Lisa and Brad Davis, are suing the defendant, Tony Stark, for reinstatement of their custody of their niece a, Miss Penny Parker, who is age thirteen. The Starks are counter suing for child abuse and neglect to Miss Parker during their care."
The judge nodded, "Very well then. It has been brought to my attention that the defendant has asked that the Davis's and their lawyer do not aim any questions towards Miss Parker or speak to her during this period. Any attempt to do so will result in the party being held in contempt of court." he looked down at the file in front of him, "This is an interesting case, we don't usually have witnesses in a family court case; however we have two witnesses from the defense as well as several eye witness statements. Let's begin. Prosecution, please submit your argument." he announced, looking towards the Davis family.
The lawyer stood up, and adjusted her skirt, "Yes, your honor. My clients are suing for their custody to be reinstated of Miss Parker, who is currently under the care of the defendant. The defendant has no relation to Miss Parker, yet managed to get custody of her after her new legal guardian received full custody. Unfortunately, Miss May Parker died a week after getting custody of her niece, the custody of her niece and nephew were then relinquished to the Starks as their godparents. We aim to prove that Miss Parker would be better suited in a place with familial relations, not with a couple who were mere strangers four months ago."
"Very well, counselor Layne, the floor is yours." The judge announced so the man could start his counter argument.
The man stood up, making himself as straight as possible, "Your honor, The Starks have formed a bond with Miss Parker, and she has formed one with them and several others in their building. It would be unfair to pull her from their custody when she is in a safe and loving environment that provides her with more than everything that she needs. May I also add that my client, Mister Stark, has known Peter Parker, her older brother, since he was thirteen? Mister Parker has been enrolled in an internship program with my client for almost three years; this has created a close bond between the pair and their family, which resulted in Mister and Misses Stark as being labeled by Miss May Parker as their god parents if anything ever happened to her. Under the care of the prosecution, Miss Parker was abused and neglected every day of her life. They beat, starved, and neglected her for the entirety of her childhood and deprived her of any contact with her brother, one of her last living family members. We aim to keep Miss Parker in the custody of my clients and to bar any further contact between her and the prosecution for her safety and well being."
"The prosecution may present their first witness. Counselor Perkins, please proceed."
The lawyer brought up Lisa Davis for their first witness, the raven-haired woman saw in the witness box, with her long legs crossed over themselves in her dark pantsuit.
"Miss Davis, how would you describe Miss Parker?" the woman asked.
The woman plastered a smile on her face, one that Penny had memorized for the majority of her childhood, "We love Penny. We always have," she announced, "she's such a sweet girl and was an extremely easy child..."
Penny faltered slightly at the woman's words, she'd never heard those words from the woman; she'd always been told how difficult she made things for them.
The woman continued to smile as she spoke, "She's extremely intelligent and bright; the top of her class." she announced proudly.
Penny frowned to herself it wasn't that school wasn't easy, it was; but there were expectations, it was straight A's and nothing else in the Davis house for her or she'd face the consequences.
"Everyone just loves her." she paused slightly, "She's rather shy, however." thin tears started running down her cheeks, "When Bryan died, we knew we had to take her in, she was family. She was so tiny and needed a loving mother and father, we knew we could offer that to her. She's like the daughter we never had, we miss her dearly." she replied, her voice faltering slightly.
"Were there any problems with Miss Parker while she was in your custody?" the woman asked, walking around a little in front of the woman.
The blonde woman nodded her head, "She's quite clumsy." she announced, "She was always tripping or falling over something; whether it was her feet, something in the floor, or over nothing at all...she was constantly getting hurt. We wanted to get her seen by specialists to see what was causing the problems. She was bullied sometimes at school and Brad was a little jealous at the beginning of the attention she received. But he grew out of it, he loves her like the little sister he never had. We miss her at home. "she replied, her gaze slightly falling on the younger before she quickly pulled it away from the girl before it was noticed.
"I see, what would you say to the defense's accusations of abuse? Have you ever caused any physical or emotional harm to her?"
The woman frowned, "Never." she replied, "We love Penny and we'd never hurt her. I don't know where these accusations are coming from; it's quite painful to think that they'd accuse us of something so...so horrendous. However, we know this isn't coming from Penny, she's too sweet to lie like that, I'm fairly certain this is Mister Stark's words."
The woman continued to speak about her love for the young girl, she even started tearing up at one point as if she was greatly distressed by the absence of the thirteen year old in her home. Penny didn't believe her for a moment, she'd seen those tears several times throughout her childhood when the couple would be questioned about her injuries. She just hoped that the judge didn't buy it either.
"The prosecution rests your honor."
"Defense, your witness." the judge announced,
Robert Lang stood up and walked over to the witness stand, "Miss Davis, you claim that Miss Parker should have been left with family, correct?"
"Why Yys, of course." she replied, nodding her head.
"Ben and May Parker wanted to adopt Miss Parker, correct?"
"Yes, sir." the woman replied.
"Are they not family?"
Her expression faltered, "I um, well yes I suppose." she replied, slightly stumbling over her words.
"Then why weren't they good enough to raise your niece?" he asked.
She scoffed slightly at his request, "Their finances were barely there to raise one child, they surely couldn't raise two." the woman replied, "It wasn't that they weren't her family, it was just that we thought it'd be best for them and their situation."
He nodded, "That's very kind of you Miss Davis;" he replied, sarcasm almost dripping from his compliment, "However, isn't Mister Parker her brother?" he asked, motioning to the brunet who was seated behind his sister.
"Yes he is, what does he have to do with this?" she asked, seemingly growing annoyed with the man.
"Why didn't you file for custody of him as well, since the Parker's could barely afford to care for him?" he asked.
"I-"
He smirked, knowing that he'd tripped her up, "Could it be that you only wanted Miss Parker because she was your blood? After all, your brother-in-law married Mister and Miss Parker's mother and Penny Parker was the result of that relationship, yes?" he asked.
She nodded her head, "Y-yes she was."
"This would make Mister and Miss Parker half siblings, considering they have the same mother." He announced, turning around to face the room, "Bryan Davis even gave Miss Parker his wife's previous surname in order to make it clear that they were related. Could it be assumed that you didn't want Peter Parker due to him not having a blood connection with your brother-in-law?" he asked.
"I-" the woman stuttered, failing to find the words.
The man grinned at her, happy that he'd tripped her up, "Thank you Misses Davis," he thanked, "I rest my case, your honor." he announced, stepping back from the woman.
The woman was red-faced, glaring at the man as he returned to his seat at the defense table.
Pietro was next on the stand, his chin length ash-blond hair was half pulled back in a twisted ponytail. He sat straight up in the seat, with his hands folded on the railing of the witness stand.
"Mister Maximoff, thank you for agreeing to this." Robert Layne announced, giving the seventeen year old a small smile.
"It was no problem, Mister Layne." he replied.
"Would you mind stating your relationship with Miss Parker?" the man asked
"Of course." he announced, his slight accent peaking through his words, "I met her through Peter, Pete and I met through his internship at Stark industries and she was one of the only things he ever talked about." he smiled as he paused for a few seconds, "Before we even met I knew that she'd be family, and I was right. She's like another little sister," the ash-blond teen replied honestly.
The man offered the teen a small smile, "Would you mind telling the court what you saw on July twentieth-third?"
Pietro nodded, the memories of the bruises on her frame pushing to the forefront of his mind, "Yes sir. Princessa-"
"Objection, your honor." the other lawyer announced, quickly cutting the seventeen year old off.
"On what grounds, Counselor Perkins?" the man asked.
She stood up from her seat, "The witness appears to have a close relationship with Miss Parker. How is it fair that he refers to her by a pet name?" she asked.
"Overruled, go ahead son." He announced, hitting his gavel on his bench.
"Yes sir, thank you." Pietro replied, nodding his head at the man, "Princessa came into the training room where I was practicing my boxing that day; she'd wandered down stairs after Pete and Tony said she couldn't go in the lab where they were working. The girls and Nat were working on a surprise for her, so she found me and asked if we could hang out. I said she could join me, but she needed to change out of her dress first. When she came downstairs, she was no longer wearing her sweater, she was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top; it left her arms out in the open for me to see. Usually she wore this high-necked sweater and it was usually buttoned up all the way..." he replied, pausing as he cleared his throat, pushing away the emotions that were trying to push themselves forward, "I um I thought that it was strange, we all did because it was the middle of summer. I saw some," he corrected himself, "well a lot of bruises without the sweater on. They were older, about two weeks old and older, they were from before she'd gotten to the compound; I could tell from the coloring. Some were yellow tinged with green, others were purple colored, some were almost completely gone...They were still visible though..." He paused again as he swallowed, it was clear that it bothered him to talk about it, " they were on her arms, her legs, and there was one on her neck; I could see the mark of a thumb on the side her neck...It was...it was like someone had tried to choke the life out of her." he replied.
"Did she tell you what they were from?"
He nodded and pointed towards the persecution stand, "She said her uncle, Brad Davis, did them. She actually blamed herself for making him angry with her, said that it was her punishment for messing up like she always did. I had to explain that it's not her fault, that it's his, and no one should treat her like that."
"Were there any other incidents with the Davis's or had she mentioned the abuse before?"
Pietro nodded, "Before that time, no; she'd never out right mentioned what actually happened before. She'd mentioned it after a few times but before she told me it was just comments about how they didn't do things. Like the first day we met, we all went out to lunch downtown and Pete had to carry her because she was getting out of breath because of her asthma. When he asked about her inhaler, she told him that they told her she didn't need it, so she didn't have it. At the restaurant we also found out that she didn't have an epipen either, which could be dangerous for her considering her allergies....it bothers her a lot, causes problems over little things. And there was another incident."
"What problems does it cause for Miss Parker?" the man asked.
"Princessa has serious nightmares about it." Pietro announced, "There's times where she wakes up crying and screaming, sometimes she doesn't wake up and we have to wake her up. Peter's usually the only one who can get her to wake up without making it worse and he has to stay the night in her room for her to go back to sleep, otherwise she'll stay up all night long. She also has panic attacks and flashbacks..." he paused, trying to gain his composure as he cleared his throat again, "I'm sorry." he apologized.
Robert Layne gave him a small smile, "Please continue Mister Maximoff." he replied.
Pietro nodded, "She's had panic attacks so bad that it causes an asthma attack. A couple of times she's been stuck in the med bay overnight because of how bad it was and once time Peter found her unconscious in the bathroom floor....she'd had a panic attack after her shower and stopped breathing; she spent the weekend in medbay..." he announced, "With the panic attacks, she doesn't stop shaking or crying, most of the time no one could touch her other than Pete; he was the only one who could calm her down a little from them at first."
The lawyer nodded at the teen's words, "Does that happen often Mister Maximoff?" he asked
Pietro nodded, "For the first couple months, yes. She had them several times a week, it could be caused by almost anything- someone dropping a plate in another room, someone moving too quickly, seeing someone who looked similar to the Davis's or who had something on that they'd worn or had before; sometimes it was just a phrase or a change of tone and she'd start panicking. Luckily, they've slowed down in the past month, especially after we fixed the bullying issue and now that the ti-." he paused, flashing a smile at Tony, "Sorry, Mister Stark has gotten her into therapy; it's really helped."
"You stated there was another incident; when was it?"
"A few days after, July twenty-fifth, we went to a roller rink to get their minds off of the day. It was the nine-year anniversary of Bryan Davis's death and the girls and I wanted to make Pete and Penny feel better. Peter said Penny love to roller skate and it was something that we all enjoyed so we had Happy drop us off. Princessa and I skated around the rink for the majority of the time and we all played different games in the arcade. It was a lot of fun until we separated for a bit."
"Separated?"
Pietro nodded, "Pete and I have big appetites." he replied, grinning slightly, "And after a while, everyone was hungry. Princessa volunteered to stay at the booth with our jackets and shoes while Wanda and Kate went to the bathroom and while Pete and I ordered the food and drinks."
"What happened while you were separated, Mister Maximoff?" the man asked, slightly leaning forward onto the witness stand.
"Brad happened." Pietro announced as he straightened his posture, "Brad Davis is her cousin and the Davis's only child. While we were gone, he must've noticed her by herself. We weren't even gone for five minutes before he'd come over to her; he tried to force her to come with him. He'd pulled her out of the booth and wouldn't let go of her when she asked him to. Pete had mentioned her panic attacks before, but none of us had seen her have one before; that was the first one I'd seen her have...I saw them form the counter when I looked over to check on them. I'm the oldest, so I'm usually put in charge of keeping everyone safe and I wanted to make sure she was fine. When I saw her, she looked absolutely terrified of him. She was trembling and her breath was quick and shaky, she was crying." Pietro paused, taking a deep breath, "He had a tight grip on her arm as he tried to pull her with him; he kept saying that Mister and Misses Davis required her to come home and that her little vacation was over. I managed to stop him from leaving with her and after he left I tried to comfort her and help her calm down, because she was having a really bad panic attack and we didn't have an inhaler for if she started having an asthma attack. But she wouldn't let me; I couldn't get near her. She yelled at me to stay away, it was the loudest I've heard her speak, ever; I've never heard her talk like that since...Wanda and Kate couldn't do anything either and we had to end up getting Pete to come back while I got the food. It took almost thirty minutes to calm her down...It was terrifying and I was so worried, she didn't have an inhaler and her asthma was out of control at that point. When she breathed without walking around or anything like that, you could hear her wheezing....I was worried that she'd stop breathing or that we'd have to take her to the Emergency Room. I never want to see that again or anything remotely similar again." he replied, slightly clenching his fists in his lap.
"You mentioned bullying?"
He nodded again, "Brad Davis was bullying princessa at school. He is in her lunch period as well as her fifth period class. He and his friends would pick on her constantly and they'd hurt her too. They'd pull her hair, elbow her, push or trip her, pinch her...It wasn't serious bodily harm like it used to be, but they still left bruises on her skin...she started flinching again a couple weeks into the school year."
Robert Layne nodded, about to throw out the million-dollar question, "I see," he announced, he turned to face the ash-blond teen, "would you recommend returning Miss Parker back to Davis's care?"
Pietro shook his head, "No." he replied, firmly.
"Thank you, Mister Maximoff. Defense's witness." the lawyer announced as he walked back to his chair by Penny.
"Mister Maximoff," the woman announced.
"Yes ma'am?" he asked, offering her a polite smile.
"You said you met Mister Parker at the compound due to an internship, correct?" she asked.
He nodded, the shorter pieces falling out of his twisted ponytail, "Yes ma'am." he replied.
She pursed her lips slightly, "Are you an intern at Stark industries as well?"
He chuckled a little, "No ma'am, I'm not as smart as Pete."
"Then what were you doing at the facility?" she asked.
"My father and Tony Stark are friends and they work together; my sister and I stay at the compound, now that Pete and princessa live there, we all live there together. And Wanda and I used to go to SI all the time or down to the lab when Pete was over.
The woman narrowed her eyes at the teenager, "What's your father's name?"
"Steven Rogers." The ash-blonde replied as he waited for the woman's sarcastic remark about his revelation.
The woman scoffed a little, "Captain America is your father?" she asked.
He nodded, "Yes ma'am. Pops adopted Wands and I from Sokovia after a mission, he saved me when I got shot by a few stray bullets and he saved us from going back into another orphanage... He rescued us from the city and adopted us a little over two years ago."
She nodded, "Well that was very sweet of him." she announced.
Pietro nodded.
"Now, what were you doing in the training room?" she asked.
Pietro flashed her a smile, "My father is Captain America ma'am." he replied, laughing a little, "He requires my sister and I to learn self defense and to practice it bi-weekly; he's big on safety." he replied, "Plus, I'm on cross-country, track and field, baseball, and the swim team at school, training like I do helps me become a better athlete. I taught Penny basic self defense, we work on it sometimes after school."
"That's kind of you, every one should know self defense. Would you mind telling us what your relationship with Miss Parker is?" she asked, giving a sly smile to the boy.
Pietro tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?" he asked, slightly offended by what the woman might be insinuating.
"A seventeen year old boy hanging out by himself with a thirteen year old girl?" she asked, rasing an eyebrow as she looked up at the judge, "Don't you find it interesting Mister Maximoff?"
Robert Layne quickly pushed himself up from the table, "Objection your honor!" he announced loudly, "She's badgering the witness."
The man smacked the gavel down on the bench, "Sustained." he announced, "Counselor Perkins, please refrain from badgering the witness." he asked.
"Yes, your honor." the woman replied slyly.
Pietro spoke up, deciding on replying to the woman's question; he was more than offended by her implications, "Penny and Peter are like my little sister and brother Miss Perkins," he replied, slightly narrowing his dark blue eyes at him, "Wanda and I lost our parents when we were ten due to a bomb blowing up our apartment, we lost everything." he announced, his voice slightly cracking, "We see ourselves in princessa and small fry," he replied, slightly smirking when he saw Peter's offended look from behind his sister, "We know what it's like to be the only ones left in our family. We know what that pain feels like and how it can destroy you if you don't have a group of strong people behind you. We're close, all of us are close. Yelena and Kate are the same way, we protect each other and help each other. If you're insinuating that I have an inappropriate relationship with princessa, you are surely mistaken counselor. I see Penny Parker as my baby sister, much like I see Morgan Stark; nothing more and nothing less. Like you said I'm seventeen years old, almost eighteen, and she's not even fourteen years old. I have no interest in anyone more than a year younger than me. Would you say that I have an inappropriate relationship with Morgan Stark, who is eight years old, or is it only Penny Parker?" he asked.
The woman's sly expression fell, "Of course not Mister Maximoff," she replied, an uncomfortable laugh escaping from her, "I'd never insulate that." she replied.
"I thought so." he replied, "What you are insinuating is wrong and hurtful ma'am and I'm offended that you'd stoop so low to win a case." he replied, offering her a grin after he finished speaking.
The woman narrowed her eyes at him, "I have no further questions for this witness," the woman announced, quickly backing down from her line of questioning; she hadn't expected the teenager to make her look like a fool with his words.
Pietro stepped down from the stand and walked to the seats behind the bar and sat next to his father. He offered an affectionate pat on the head to Penny and Peter as he sat down. Brad Davis was brought up as the next witness and last submission for the prosecution's cause. The dark-haired man was well put together; looking less like the monster that Penny had remembered from her childhood, but she also knew that beneath the calm facade in front of them was an angry and quick-tempered man. He cast occasional looks towards Penny. The judge didn't fail to notice the teen shrink into herself a little more with every few moments as the man spoke, he wondered what was causing the teenager to shrink into her seat. The thirteen year old was pushed all the way back into her chair as she squeezed the arms of the chair; she was squeezing them so hard, her fingers were turning white. Pepper reached over and held her hand when she noticed the younger girl's reaction to the man; she tried her best to keep the younger girl from pushing herself into a panic attack. She started rubbing soothing circles on the thirteen year old's knuckles while giving her concerned glances every now and then. She was the picture of a concerned and caring mother in that moment, without even trying. Robert Layne ended up causing the man's facade to crack, his questions had caused the man to angrily yell at him and slam his fist on the rail of the witness stand. Penny flinched back into her seat, her eyes momentarily tearing up at the outburst, her breathing almost immediately freezing. Pepper had immediately turned her seat to face the thirteen year old, she grabbed both of her hands and looked into her eyes, guiding her through breathing techniques, whispering soft soothing assurances to her. Tony had reached around his wife and placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder, slowly moving his fingers from one to five as a reminder for her to count. The pair seemed to forget where they were for a moment; all their attention and focus turned to the younger teenager in between them. Peter sat silently behind his family, he knew better than to do anything while they were in the court session, but everything in him was screaming to go over to her and hug her and assure her that she was safe. Wanda squeezed his hand to keep him in place and to help keep herself anchored in place. After Brad Davis's outburst on the stand and a short recess to help Penny gain her composure again, Natasha was called to the stand. The redhead sat straight up in her seat and crossed her legs while she kept a steely gaze on the Davis's lawyer. On more than one occasion, she caused the lawyer to falter in her questioning; her responses were straightforward and to the point, leaving no room for her to be questioned further on her responses. She was calm and collected, looking well put together in the form-fitted black dress she was wearing. Her cold glare sent chills through the woman who questioned her, her expression and demeaner was nothing like the woman who Robert Layne had been questioning before, her responses slowly but surely dismantling the prosecution's points and fake outrage at the accusations they were facing during the twenty minutes she was on the prosecution's stand. After she'd stepped down and returned to the empty chair that was next to her sister, the judge cleare dhis throat and addressed the room again.
"Does the defense have any more evidence for the court?" the judge asked.
Robert Layne stood up, "Yes, your honor. We have a video interview with Mister and Miss Parker that we'd like to present to the room."
"Proceed, counselor," the man announced, motioning for them to proceed..
The Bailiff turned on the T.V. and turned the machine to where it was facing the floor. The screen flickered on, revealing the two siblings side by side, Their similarities highlighted in the moment. Their fluffy curls stood out and their deep brown eyes sharing the same twinkle of emotion and innocence. They were matching perfectly, Peter's dark blue sweater matched her blue dress, it was a slightly refreshing sight. They were seated next to each other, not doing separate interviews like it was customarily done, their chairs were pulled together. The older of the two continued shooting concerned and assuring glances at his younger sister as she spoke throughout the interview. The judge listened to her talk about how nice the Stark's were and how it was nice, how she got the medication she needed when she needed it and how she felt safer where she was than she'd ever had in her life. She seemed almost terrified and definitely worried about sharing her testimony at first; she faltered in her words, her hands were shaky and she kept glancing over at her brother as if she was making sure that he was still right there next to her. The man continued watching the video that was projected in the room; he made constant notes throughout the entirety of the video. He looked up when they started going deeper into how her life was at the Davis's.
"They um ...they uh...they used to hurt m-me...a lot. It didn't matter what I d-did or um didn't do, th-they um did it anyway ...." her voice rang through the courtroom. It sounded small and frankly, like she was scared of something.
"How did they hurt you?" Robert Layne asked.
She took a shaking deep breath, "Aunt Lisa used to slap me or she um dug her nails into m-my arms or legs. Usually it was whatever she could...um whatever she could reach...Sometimes she threw things too. Uncle Brad he um was really angry a lot. B-But only towards m-me. He had different ways of doing it...sometimes he'd throw me down the um stairs o-or he'd um beat me. It wasn't like being spanked, it was worse. He didn't stop....he'd leave bruises o-or cuts and scratches. S-sometime's he um ch-choked m-me...B-but they um...they don't do that here....i-it's nice."
The man felt bad for the girl; she seemed to be telling the truth. He'd seen enough cases to know when someone was abused; this girl showed all the signs. Even if he didn't have the photos and video at the moment, her reaction to her aunt and uncle was enough. He'd seen the photos of the bruises, the reports of diagnoses of PTSD and severe anxiety caused by childhood abuse and neglect. He'd also seen the files of where she missed several days of school when she was with the Davis family. They ranged from when she was severely sick, which looked to have been avoidable if she'd been getting the medical treatment she was supposed to get to unlabeled reasons. There were also long lists of injuries that ranged from requiring stitches for cuts on her body, casts or splints for broken limbs, and hospitalizations from falling down the stairs. He'd never seen someone have that many injuries from being overly clumsy, A\a five year old breaking her arm from climbing into a tree? He'd seen the picture of when she was five, she was tiny; she didn't look like she'd be able to pull herself up onto the counter, let alone into a tree. He continued watching the video.
"Would you say you felt safe or cared for with the Davis's?" the Stark's lawyer asked.
She shook her head quickly, "N-no sir." fear was creeping its way more and more into her expression.
"Would you like to go back to their residence?"
She froze for a second, her eyes widening at his question, "N-no!" she replied, her voice picked up at the end, she sounded completely terrified at the idea of having to go back to their home.
He listened to the poor teen apologize for her tone and then go into detail about things that happened while she lived with them. The details were horrifying, who shoves a five year old into a pile of broken glass?
"R-right before I m-moved here, there was an incident with m-my uncle....He um was drinking, it usually made it w-worse...I was late w-with the groceries b-because it started raining and the bag it um it ripped so I had to get s-some more...Wh-when I got home he was...he was waiting for me, he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room...." she kept taking steadying, shallow breaths while she talked, stumbling over her words while she explained what happened; her hands disappearing into her lap. "He um...h-he threw me into the fl-floor and started kicking me...then h-he threw his bottle at me and it broke, h-he was drunk so he missed by a c-couple inches...After a while he um he picked me up b-by the...the th-throat a-and h-he started to um ch-choke m-me...." in the video, large wet tears were streaming down her face, she was trembling while she talked. She kept reaching up to her face and wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her dress that was balled up in her shaking hands "I-I couldn't...I couldn't br-breathe...I-it lasted for a-almost f-four minutes...I almost passed o-out...I-I had a um br-bruise for almost tw-two weeks." she finished, sniffling, her hand was lingering at the base of her throat, while she rubbed the area, almost like she could still feel a hand there.
He looked up towards the teenager, she was wide-eyed at the moment, her hand in the same position it was in the video. Her fingers lightly tracing the spot where her throat dipped in; he noticed Pepper reach over and pull her hand away as she whispered something to the girl and offer her a small smile. She continued to rub circles on the girl's shaking hands. He'd noticed her doing that the entirety of the time they were in the room; she seemed to be soothing her without drawing attention to the girl. He listened to how the other family had deprived her of meals and showers, when they'd lock her in a closet for hours to days without letting her out for no reason other than they could. Her room was an old linen closet, with a mattress of old blankets and barely any clothing. He'd seen the inventory from what he assumed was the Stark's butler about what she'd brought with her. How her pleas for help were ignored or brushed under the rug when the Davis's would blame it on her searching for attention or that she was struggling with adjusting to life without her father and brother. His decision was already made by the time they'd reached the halfway mark of the video. The video was almost two hours long. He started to get concerned for the young girl when she seemed to be struggling to breathe while she talked. Her cheeks were red and tear-stained, her eyes large and puffy; she looked so small and broken in the moment. Finally, she asked for a break, her voice trembling, barely above a whisper. He noticed how her brother moved into action as soon as the man conceded with her wishes, he'd pushed his chair back and was reaching out for her right before the camera cut off. When the camera cut back on, he noticed they both had tear-stained cheeks, looking younger than their actual ages. Their hands were latched together, the older of the two was tracing her knuckles with his thumb, as he looked at her with a soft expression. The girl apologized once again during the video, before the older teen started speaking. He explained how he saw the bruises when she first got to the compound, how she was slightly dirty, and her hair was knotted and matted. Those were no conditions for anyone to live in, especially a child. He wondered why the Davis's wanted the girl back in the first place, he knew the answer. They wanted control. The older teen explained, in detail, the incident at the skating rink and about the panic attacks his sister had and how sometimes she forgot where she was and started telling him he needed to leave before her uncle found him there. He looked angry and heartbroken as he spoke. Finally, the video was coming to a close.
"Thank you, Mister Parker, that's all I have to ask. Would you like to add anything else?" Counselor Layne's voice rang out as he closed the interview.
"Yes sir," the younger boy replied, pulling his sister closer to him, his arm planted protectively around her, "Please don't send her back, she'll die there." he replied, his eyes were wide with emotion, "Mister Layne, please fight as hard as you can for her, she's the only family I have left. We're all we have left,"he added while he looked straight into the camera. His jaw was set, and he sounded confident, but it was clear to see the emotion in his eyes, he was pleading for his sister.
The video cut off leaving the room in silence, the man in the black robe cleared his throat, pushing away the emotion he'd felt from the video, "Well, I think that is all I need to see." he announced, deciding right then and there to announce his decision, "I've made my decision. There is no need for recess. Please stand." he announced.
Everyone stood up at the older man's words; the Davis's had a small amount of space between them while they waited for the man's announcement. Tony reached over and held onto Pepper's hand as she placed an arm around Penny's shoulders, holding the girl close to her. The thirteen year old slightly relaxed from her tense stance, but it was obvious that she was more than a little nervous. Everyone in the room had their attention focused onto the older man to reveal his attention.
The man cleared his throat once again, just in case no one was paying attention to him, "I have decided that...." he paused for a few seconds, "Miss Parker is to stay in her current location. The Starks have provided a safe and loving environment for this young lady and it is my opinion that this is the best environment for her. This is a family court after all and since the prosecution has not made a motion for the custody of Mister Parker, by leaving Miss Parker in her current residence, both of the siblings will stay together."
Brad Davis spoke up angrily, "Your honor-"
The man cut him off, "Mister Davis, do not speak out of turn in my courtroom." he replied, narrowing his eyes at the man, " Under the care of the Starks, Miss Parker has received better medical treatment, care and love in the past four months than she has in your care in the past eight years. The fact that you have not been investigated for neglect and child abuse is a miracle in itself. Even if the video wasn't shown and that I wasn't given photographic evidence of your abuse, Miss Parker's reaction alone, especially to you Mister Davis, is more than enough proof for my decision. You will have no further contact with Miss Parker or with anyone in contact with her; whether it is by yourselves or through your son. I wall also be showing the defense's evidence for their case to law enforcement and have you thoroughly investigated by child abuse and neglect." he leaned forward in his seat, "You and your wife are lucky I don't have you arrested right now and trust if I could, I would." he finished.
The coupled nodded, their lips drawn tightly together at the man's worse.
"Miss Parker you are welcome to go home with your family, " he announced, giving her a small smile, "Court is adjourned," he loudly announced, slamming the gavel down on his podium.
Peter's face lit up at the man's words, he jumped up as soon as the gavel hit the podium. He jumped over the gave and ran over to his sister and hugged her as tight as he could, her feet dangled slightly off of the ground. Happy years were slipping down his cheeks as he hugged her as tight as he possibly could without hurting her. She hugged him back as tight as she could, tears in her eyes.
"What'd I say princess, we'd win. We'll always win." he replied, grinning down at as he set her back down, not letting go of her.
Penny nodded against his chest, crying in relief and happiness at the fact she'd never have to go back to the Davis's ever again. After they broke their grasp, she hugged Pepper and he hugged Tony. Robert Layne watched the happy interaction between the family, their happiness making him smile; he looked down when he felt two pairs of arms wrapped around him.
"Oh," he muttered, when he realized it was the pair of siblings.
"Thank you," they announced in unison
"Just doing my job." he replied, trying his best not to break his professional appearance.
The courtroom doors threw themselves open and Happy appeared in the door way as he walked in with Morgan, who quickly let go of his hand and ran over to the gate. Peter picked her up, spinning her around before he balanced her on his hip.
She looked at him, her own, large "Did we win?" she asked, "Does Penny stay?"
Peter kissed her cheek, "We won, Morgie, she stays."
"Yay!" she yelled, squirming to get down. Peter set her down and she ran over to Penny and wrapped her arms around the thirteen year old, "I'm glad you're staying."
"Me too Morgs..." the thirteen year old replied, the shake in her hands was now gone.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Morgana?" the billionaire asked,
"Do we get the surprise now?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
He nodded, "Yes we do, honey."
Penny looked up at Tony, "S-surprise?" she asked.
"You'll see in a few seconds kiddo." he replied, hugging her from the side.
"The next case on the docket is the filing for adoption for Peter Benjamin Parker and Penny Brielle Parker, your honor." the bailiff announced.
The judge nodded, "Well then. Mister Stark, Miss Stark, do you want to adopt these two children?"
The two nodded their heads, "More than anything, your honor." they replied.
Penny was crying once again, this time out of happiness.
"Mister Parker, do you accept their request?"
Peter grinned, "Yes sir." he replied.
"Miss Parker?"
Penny looked at the two billionaires on either side of her, "Y-you want me?" she asked, she sounded like she couldn't believe her ears.
Pepper sighed, "Of course, sweetpea. We love you two. We want the both of you."
Penny smiled, largely it was one of the biggest smiles any of the avengers had seen on the girl, "Y-yes sir."
The man nodded, "Well then, by the power invested in me in the great state of New York. Mister and Miss Stark, you can take your children home."
Pietro jumped up and pumped his fist in the air, "Yeah!" he yelled.
The group of avengers behind them all swarmed the newly forged family. Pietro picked Peter up in a hug, the smaller teen squirming to get put back down on the ground while he laughed. Penny had latched onto Pepper for a few minutes, squeezing the strawberry-blonde in the tightest hug she could muster. After ten minutes of their mini celebration, Pepper, Tony, and the two Parker Siblings went into the judge's office and finished signing the legal adoption paperwork. Not even three minutes later, they emerged as the now Parker-Stark family.
"That's why there's a party on Saturday!" Kate announced, suddenly realizing why Tony was throwing a random party.
Yelena laughed, "Kate Bishop, you are the most oblivious person I've ever met."
The brunette blushed.
The blonde smirked and kissed her cheek, "It's part of why I love you." she whispered in her ear.
"I-I love you too." she replied softly.
Tony clapped his hands, "Thanks for coming everyone," he announced, "Today was a good day. We stopped evil and I got my kid's officially, that is," he added. "We'll see you back at the compound, but we're going out to celebrate, just us. Party's tomorrow."
Everyone went to argue back about being excluded, but Sam, Natasha and Steve discouraged them from the argument and ushered the rest of the avengers away from Happy and the family of five.
Tony hugged each of the teen's, "I love you two kids."
"We love you too Tony", Penny replied, hugging his waist.
He grinned from ear to ear, "Kiddo from now on you can't call me Mister Tony," he teased, "just Tony had a good ring to it."
She nodded, her cheeks slightly pink.
Peter grinned, "I love you too dad," he replied.
"Who ho ho," Tony's heart swelled a little more, "Underoos no more Tony for you. I won't respond to anything other than dad." he announced, nodding his head.
Peter laughed, "I wasn't planning on it." he replied.
Pepper hugged them as well, "Let's go get ice cream."
Peter nodded, "I call sitting by mom!" he yelled, bouncing out the doors with Morgan in his arms.
Pepper smiled at the sixteen year old.
Penny was quiet for a few seconds, she looked like she was about to speak up but Pepper spoke up first.
"Sweetpea, you don't have to call us mom and dad if you don't want to. You can wait until you're ready and if you never do, that's just fine too. We know you love us and we love you too."
She nodded, "Thank you Pepper," she replied softly, "M-maybe one day I can call you mom?"
The woman nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, "Whenever you're ready sweetie, now let's go get that ice cream before your brother and sister explode in the car." she replied.
Penny giggled and nodded, running off to in front of the doors where Peter was holding Morgan.
Tony slipped his hand into his wife's, "Best day ever," he whispered affectionately in her ear.
She nodded in agreement and squeezed his hand, "I have to agree with you, let's celebrate with our kids." she replied, smiling.
A/N:
I forgot to mention that the story starts in Mid-July 2018. This part of the story is on November 30th, 2018 a week after thanksgiving. Heads up, the next chapter bounces around throughout December, January, and early February.
On another note thank you so much for 5.4K views! It means so much that you guys are reading it. Please keep reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.