Title: Connected

Author: Mayler5230

Pairings: ?

Warnings: OOC-ness cause I didn't make these characters so I can't write them like their creator

Disclaimer: Nothing in this story is mine except for a majority of the plot.

Author note about why this story was taking long to update down at bottom for those who care.

Chapter 3

Black. That was all that Harry could see. It clouded his vision, leaving him to die in an unknown place. He could finally see his mum and dad again. The gap between the world of the living and the world of the dead was closing. He could see the other side and the people on it that were waiting for him. The other side was within an arm's reach. Death was welcoming him kindly, with his parent's right there. Suddenly, his chest jolted and the gap enlarged. He tried to shout for his parents to help him but nothing came out. They just smiled a sad smile and waved. Specks of color began to fill his once black vision. A flash of pain shot through him and then he went limp.

-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-Line Break-

Tony had never felt like this before. He was terrified of what did and could happen to the boy he found. He looked around the age of 6 or 7. An age no one should die at but seemed to be this boy's death age. He was pale and had one arm bent at the wrong angle, while the other was badly burnt. His legs were bruised to the point of his legs being only blue, none of his paleness showing through the injuries. His face was in the best condition aside from the strange scar on his forehead and the scar across his left eye trailing down to his chin. Coming from his comatose body was the stench of death.

"Is there any chance of survival?" Pepper asked the question he too wondered.

"This boy is damaged in ways that should have kept him from still being alive. If the boy has held on this long, he may be able to hold on longer. It's a miracle that's he's alive, maybe another will keep him here." The Doctor said. "If there is any change in how he is please call for a nurse." He walked out the room.

"What are going to do about the boy?" Pepper asked.

"What do you mean?" He replied snapping out of a daze.

"Well we can't just leave this poor abused boy alone with no one waiting for him." Pepper began pacing, "And at the event there were plenty of paparazzi who must have at least one picture of you carrying this boy out of the woods and into an ambulance. This boy will be hounded by paparazzi asking how it was to be saved by Tony Stark. "

"Then I'll adopt him." Tony stated.

"You can't just adopt a child. Many things have to happen in order for the process to finish and we don't have enough time to go through it all. You aren't cut out to have a child anyway. A child would get in the way of all your work, you've said so yourself. How would you even know what a child's childhood should be like! Your own was shit! The thing would die from you forgetting about it and going to work for days and leaving it all alone! By the time he was dead you'd have forgotten about him and remember once you found his rotting corpse!" Pepper ranted, her eyes ablaze with fire.

It hurt Tony to know that she thought he would end up getting the boy killed. Yes, he may have done many reckless and careless things in the past but leaving a child to die wasn't one of them. He acted as if he ignored all she said and went to his car. Once he got there he began to talk to J.A.R.V.I.S. "Hack into an adoption agency and begin to fill in the papers so that boy is mine."

"What should I put as his name sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked.

Tony thought for a second then replied, "Leave it empty for now. He may wake up so I'll get it from him if he does."

"Of course sir." The A.I. said.

Tony went back to the room to find Pepper pacing once again.

"Tony!" She exclaimed and threw herself into his arms, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said any of that. I was horrid. I understand if you want to fire me, it's perfectly reasonable. The words that came out my mouth were horrible. I can see the look on your face and it makes me feel disgusted at myself. I should be happy that you're willing to take in the boy." She rambled.

Tony cheekily grinned, "If all I needed to do to get you into my arms was adopt a kid then why haven't I done this before."

She blushed and moved out his arms as quick as she could. "Back to the situation at hand, do you even know how to care for a kid?"

"Nope," the billionaire said, "but he looks about seven so, he shouldn't be too hard to care for. If I can't do it, well it's not like I can't hire someone to look after him."

"Ok so you have somewhat of an answer to that, but what about this," she crossed her arms, "How are you going to get this kid to America? We leave tomorrow and that's not enough time to get him into America legally. He might not even wake up Tony, he's in a coma!" Pepper said

Tony raised an eyebrow, "Do the words 'I'm a billionaire' ring a bell? The jets mine so it won't leave without me, I have enough money to pay for any legal disputes, and I can pay for the best doctors in the world to look after him."

She studied him closely and after a few seconds said, "You're really serious about adopting this boy, aren't you?"

He thought for a minute then replied, "Something about being able to have someone look up to me makes me think of how I looked up to my father when I was young. For a few years when I was a kid, all I wanted to do was make my dad proud. Eventually I realized he didn't care about me. I want to give this kid what my father didn't give me. I don't want to be seen as my father and this is giving me a opportunity to show everyone that I am not him."

Pepper smiled, "Well if you want to do that then you are going to care for him yourself. No hiring babysitters unless necessary. You also need to remember that not everyone is a genius like you. The boy will most likely have the brain of regular people. He won't be able to live up to some of your expectations."

"I know that,' he grinned, "but you can't keep me from hoping he has my brain or one like it."

Yes I'm an ass. Go ahead and say it. I haven't done anything with this story in months. I could be the person that gives excuses like 'I was busy' or 'I had writers block' but I'm going to be honest and say I was lazy. Now yes I have been busy, but I still had free time and during that free time I just stayed in my bed. I know what you're thinking 'Why didn't you use your laptop and type on it' well I don't have a laptop. But either way, I am sorry for not updating this story. I will say that I am going to continue writing this story today so I may have another chapter pretty soon. Anyway, until next time!