Okay, here is hopefully the latest story for the Avengers. I've had this in my mind for a while and have wanted to put it in writing but have been too stressed and unfocused recently. But I'm still going to try. I hope you guys are excited, I know that I am.

I haven't figured out any pairings just yet if any. But I'm toying with the idea of Bucky, Bruce, Steve, Clint or Tony himself despite the obvious parental role that he'll be playing in the beginning. (I know it's weird, but I so want to write a Tony/ fem Spidey fic.)

But the pairings will be a ways off due to Spidey's age, (14), in the story. So here we go. I hope ya'll love the story as much as I'm going to love writing it.

Later!

It was raining. Despite the fact that the weather on this particular day was supposed to be sunny and warm, the day was as cold and wet and dark as his thoughts as he stood close behind 'Peter' while the poor kid sobbed uncontrollably and continuously rubbed at 'his' eyes until Tony felt that he had to step in and keep the kid from accidentally clawing out her own eyes.

Gently grasping the kid's slender wrists in both of his hands, he pulled the teen back against his body and let her bury her face against his chest. He didn't know who felt more sad and upset at the moment.

The kid, for losing everything the way that she had.

Or himself for failing to be present to protect her and her aunt.

Maybe it was a little bit of both. Lord knew that the kid was beyond sad right now. And frankly he couldn't exactly blame her for feeling that way. May Parker's death had been anything but an accident. Anything but a freak occurrence.

Her death had been slow, agonizing, and brutal.

And the fact that the kid had seen and heard everything from beginning to end, only served to stir the nearly bottomless pit of rage within him. The day that he had seen the news, and learned of May's death, had been the day that he had called Bruce and almost fucking begged him to turn him into a large, mean rage monster too.

Bruce had called him crazy and of course hung up on him, the bastard. But it wasn't like he couldn't understand where the man was coming from. Once he'd had the kid safely tucked away in one of the guest rooms back at the tower while he planned out May's funeral for her, he'd made a point of calling Bruce up again just to apologize.

He hadn't meant to be insensitive. He was just...stupidly impulsive.

Bruce had agreed with him on that and then asked what was going on. Pretty much forcing Tony to relive everything from the news broadcast of the huge freaking explosion in Queens. To the number of people still missing, and considered dead due to being buried alive underneath the rubble of burning buildings, and homes. Exploding cars, and gas pipes had also been an issue.

The kid had been seen trying to help as many as she could. And because of the fact that she had been in the suit, helping others, May had been left vulnerable and perished.

The kid, when he had gone to get her at the site of the devastation, had been attempting to dig through the ruins and fiery debris in an effort to find May. Suffering burn injuries, deep gnashes and cuts all up and down her arms and legs and even on her chest and the palms of her hands.

It had taken nearly every ounce of strength that he had possessed to pull her away from the fiery wreckage and ruins that she had once called home just so that she didn't injure herself more of what had been considered even then, a futile search for any signs of life.

She had pitched one hell of a tantrum. Shrieking and hissing and spitting like a hellion before she had literally pried him off of her and threw him into a car almost half a mile away. He'd been banged up pretty badly due to the sheer force of the throw. Even his Iron Man suit hadn't fully protected him like it normally- okay, sometimes- did.

He had suffered a concussion, five fractured bones, some serious bruises and bloody scratches that burned every time he tried to put medicine on them, but aside from those things- he was perfectly fine. It was the kid that worried him.

Once he had finally managed to get her away from the site and secure her in the tower, he'd had to drug her just to keep her from getting out and going back. He'd kept her unconscious for six days while he rushed signed papers adopting her so that she wouldn't be taken by Social Services and placed in a foster home or something while finalizing plans for May's funeral service.

After he had finally fallen silent, Bruce had told him that he was sorry to hear what had happened to the kid, and to call again if he or she needed anything.

Feeling her press her face against his chest even harder, Tony jolted a little bit out of his thoughts and tried to focus a bit more on the hysterically crying teen in his arms as she started screaming. Her voice raw and rough, yet muffled against his torso, frightened him somewhat.

He'd spent a lot of time with the kid in the past year and a half and never had he ever seen her like this.

Tightening his grip on her somewhat, he buried his nose in her dark curly hair and made soft hushing sounds as he noted that she had stood out in the rain without protection for so long crying over her aunt May's grave that her clothing was completely drenched, much like her hair and everything else.

Muttering an oath underneath his breath, he bent down a little bit and slipped an arm underneath her knees and picked her up. Not really giving a damn if the press currently being held back by some of the body guards that he had hired, took any pictures of Tony Stark- a.k.a. Iron Man attending the funeral of an unknown woman, and leaving the funeral carrying a hysterical teenager in his arms.

Let them look.

Let them see him and the kid.

Let them encroach on her grieving.

He'd have ever picture and news report pulled by his crack team of lawyers within the hour. Nothing would be seen in the papers. Nor on the TV nation wide. May Parker's funeral was a private affair and he'd fucking keep it that way for the kid's sake.

Walking back to his limo, he was met half way by Happy whom had also been in attendance at the service. Not because he had known May. But because he was worried about the kid. His feelings were something that Tony could understand and appreciate a great deal.

He was worried too.

Happy didn't say anything as he quietly cast a concerned look towards the kid, now quietly sobbing in between hiccups that shook her slender body in Tony's arms, and thinned his lips a bit as he opened the car door and allowed Tony to gently place the kid inside of the vehicle before sliding in next to her and simply saying, "Take us home." in a dull sounding voice that on any other day would have had Happy immediately on the phone with Rhodey and Pepper, freaking out.

But today- today his dull tone was understandable. The reason was obvious.

It was Tony's way of saying, I have miles to go before I finally rest.