Chapter Three

Morgan was amped up to say the least. So amped in fact that settling down anytime soon was not in the realm of possibility. She was an extremely active person as it was. On a normal day, her body and brain barely shut down to let her have a moments peace but now that her father was here, really here, she likely wouldn't be able to sleep for days. After only seeing holograms and videos of him for years, now she could actually talk to him again. No, he may not have a physical body but...Morgan froze as an idea struck her. Now wait just a second. He didn't have a physical body...yet but she had read about the Cradle and how it could be used to regenerate human tissue and maybe, just maybe, she could make her father another body and figure out somehow to download his consciousness into it. And just like that her father would be back. Really back. "Holy shit. Holy shit."

A squeal of delight left her lips as she hugged herself tightly and danced in place. Her dad was back. Really back. She couldn't keep this to herself. If she tried to hold it in much longer, she was sure her head would explode. Then again, she couldn't go spouting off at the mouth to just anyone about the Invincible Iron Man Tony Stark coming back from the dead. But she knew there was one person she had to tell, one person that she knew the secret would be safe with. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely make the call. The phone almost slipped through her fingers several times as she scrolled through her contacts and finally found the person she was searching for. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up." Her demands were answered when she heard a loud yawn in her ear.

"Morgan, do you have any idea what time it is?"

Morgan grinned at the sleepiness reflected in Peter Parker's voice, but she knew he wouldn't be tired for long. Not after he found out about her dad. He was going to flip out. "Pete, get up. I need to talk to you." Once again she began pacing the floor in front of the staircase as she debated in her head how she was going to tell him that his mentor Tony Stark was back from the dead.

Peter yawned again. "I've been up the last forty-eight hours. Seriously, Mo. I will call you after I wake up from my coma. I'll come pick you up and take you to Burger King, okay? Cheeseburgers on me. I'll even get you a chocolate shake but right now I need to sleep. Night, Morgan."

Morgan's grip tightened on the phone. No. He couldn't hang up. Not now. "Peter Parker, this is serious!"

When she raised her voice, Peter's demeanor immediately changed. She could hear him rattling around his room, cursing under his breath as something that sounded breakable clattered to the floor. "Oh God. Do you need Spider-man? Of course you need Spider-man. I'm an idiot. I'll be there in a minute. Just hold on. I'm coming!"

Morgan had known Peter was Spider-man as long as she could remember. Her dad had never told her, no. Peter had been the one to do that. He had told her the day of her dad's funeral. The images of that day were forever burned into her brain.

After watching the holographic goodbye message from her daddy, Morgan had disappeared into her bedroom because there were too many people around. Too many people she didn't know and the only person she really wanted to see wasn't there. All she wanted was her daddy but her mommy said he wasn't coming back. Morgan didn't understand. Why wasn't he coming back? Mommy had to be lying. Daddy always came back. But everyone else there was crying. She didn't cry like them because she knew it was only a matter of time before her daddy came back so she had smuggled her daddy's Iron Man helmet out of the living room and was clutching it to her chest as she sat on her bed when the door to her room opened. The boy that came in was strangely familiar. She hadn't actually met him in person before but she knew exactly who he was. Her face lit up.

"Peter!"

The boy blinked at her in confusion as he slowly approached her. "You know me?"

Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh. My dad told me all about you."

Peter ruffled the back of his hair nervously. "He did?"

Morgan nodded again, patting the empty space on the bed next to her, inviting him to sit down. "You are Peter Parker." She paused, turning the helmet in her hands. "He loves you, you know." Peter sat down next to her. For a couple of moments, Morgan was sure he was going to cry like all the others but instead he met her eyes and smiled. She smiled back. "He talked about you all the time. I know all about you."

"All about me? He even told you about my secret?"

Morgan cocked her head curiously. "You have a secret?"

"Well, you know how your dad is Iron Man?"

Morgan nodded eagerly. She knew all of the stories. Her daddy was the best superhero in the entire universe.

"Well, I'm a superhero too. Ever hear of Spider-man?"

Morgan's mouth dropped open, brown eyes going wide. Of course she had. Peter Parker was Spider-man? Morgan let out a happy squeal."No way. That's so cool! Does my dad know?"

Peter nodded. "He did, yes. He even made me a high tech suit. I can show it to you sometime. But it's a secret. You can't tell anyone okay?" Peter held out his pinky to her, looking at her expectantly. "You swear it?"

Morgan giggled hysterically absolutely thrilled at the new information as she locked her pinky with his and they shook on it."I swear! I won't tell anyone. That is so cool! I'm gonna ask him to make him to make me a suit when he gets back."

Peter dropped his hand, his face becoming serious. "He's not coming back, Morgan."

Scooting away from Peter, Morgan frowned, clutching the helmet protectively to her chest."But he always comes back. He will be back. You'll see."

"Morgan," Peter's voice cracked with emotion and before he looked away from her, Morgan could have sworn she saw tears shimmering in his dark eyes. "He would if he could but he can't. He died Morgan. Even though he loved you and your mom more than anything, he can't come back. He's gone."

Gone? Morgan's lip began to wobble, tears finally filling up her eyes when she thought about her dad never tucking her in at bed at night and threatening to sell all her toys, never sharing juice pops with her again, never hugging her close and kissing her nose. But she loved him. She loved him 3000. He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. "But I want my daddy." Somehow Peter's words finally got through even when her mother's couldn't and the tears began to fall. Daddy was gone forever. There was no more daddy. With her dad's Iron Man helmet held tightly to her chest Morgan sobbed, her small body shaking with the shear force of her emotion. Daddydaddydaddy...I want daddy. She didn't even know she was wailing out loud until a pair of arms were around her, hugging her close.

"I know. I know you do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Peter rubbed her back. His hands were shaking and Morgan knew he was crying too. "He didn't deserve what happened to him. I wish I could change things. He may not be here but I am now. I'm here, Morgan. I won't leave you. I will always be there for you. I promise."

"Morgan, just hang on! I'll be there in a second! Please, just hang on! I'm coming. I promise!"

Peter's terrified voice in her ear yanked her back into the present. Morgan forced the painful images of the day of her dad's funeral out of her head to focus on what was happening right now. "I'm not in trouble. I don't need Spider-man. I just need you. Peter Parker. That's all." While they did text each other almost daily, she hadn't seen him in a couple of months and missed him terribly. Now that the adrenaline from earlier was finally starting to wane, she realized the call could have waited until morning. "It can wait until tomorrow." Not that she was going to be able to sleep a wink but she could let him rest. After all, her dad wasn't going anywhere and she didn't want Peter to get hurt. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to him. Whether they shared blood or not, he was her big brother and always would be.

"No, Morgan. No. I'll be fine. I can come. I'll down a couple of Red Bulls, and I'll be there soon. What is going on? What's this about?"

"My dad." Silence greeted her statement. Morgan's grip on the phone tightened drastically. "Peter?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. What about your dad?"

Morgan knew how much her father meant to Peter. Her dad had started out as Peter's mentor but their relationship became much deeper than that. She knew Tony Stark was like a father to him. "I'll explain when you get here. It's the kind of thing you have to see to believe. Oh and bring some extra clothes because I'm pretty sure you'll end up staying. My mom won't let you leave once you get here especially if you look as tired as you sound."

"I'll be there soon."

Morgan waited patiently by the front door for Peter to arrive. Well, not patiently exactly because she continued to pace at an increasing rapid pace and when pacing wasn't enough, she braided her hair while pacing, quite a feat to behold. Even though she wanted to more than anything, she didn't go back to the workshop because she knew her parents needed some time alone to reconnect. While she had missed her dad, she knew for a fact her mother longed for him on a daily basis. Words could not express how happy she was that her father was not only back in her life but her mother's as well.

When she saw the headlights of a car pulling up to the house, she was out the door and down the front steps in seconds, practically throwing herself at the vehicle as it came to a stop. As the driver emerged, she didn't allow him to find his feet, grabbing him and hauling him into a bear hug. "Peter!" She buried her nose into his neck, inhaling his familiar comforting scent. They were the same height now. Morgan always teased him that she would eventually be taller than him but it looked like she stalled out. "It's so good to see you. I missed you so much," she admitted, grinning ecstatically when he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her face.

"I missed you too, Mo." When she finally pulled back from their embrace, he ruffled her hair lovingly until some of it was pulled out of the messy braid and partially covering her eyes, something he continued to do even though she wasn't really a child anymore. Secretly, she hoped he would never stop. She blew the loose strands hair out of her face before grinning at him, watching as he leaned back into the car to grab a black backpack from the passenger's seat. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you as much as I normally do but lately, it's just been crazy, you know?" Peter was trying to make small talk but she couldn't take it.

No longer able to wait any longer to share her exciting news, Morgan snatched the pack from his hands and threw it over her shoulder before looping her arm into his and dragging him up the stairs into the house. Morgan chuckled as Peter stumbled and almost went down, taking her with him. This was a guy who could lift thousands of pounds but couldn't currently keep up with a normal human girl. He must be tired. Okay, now that they were inside, how was she supposed to do this? There really wasn't a good way to try and explain it all so she decided to just run with it. "Dad?" She called out, dropping Peter's backpack by the front door. "Hey, dad. Can you come in here a second?"

Peter closed the door behind him before slowly moving toward her as if he was trying not to startle a skittish wild animal. "Morgan, are you okay?" His hand on her shoulder made her turn back to meet his eyes. He was frowning, his brow creased in concern. He was worried about her. Well, of course he was. He probably thought she had finally lost her mind, and he would have to have her committed to a mental institution.

"Just a second, Pete. Everything will be explained in a second. Dad, can you like wrap up what you are doing with mom and get in here? I need you. Like right now." She would have continued speaking but Peter's hand grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. She couldn't remember ever seeing him so serious.

"Morgan, your dad is gone. You know that. I know it's hard to accept it but he's dead. He's not coming back. I wish it was possible but it just isn't."

"You sure about that?" Tony Stark's familiar voice boomed through the room seconds before his form materialized in front of them both.

"Holy shit!" Peter yelped, practically leaping into Morgan's open arms. While she may not have been able to actually hold him up, she did help steady him by putting a hand on his shoulder, ready to try and catch him if he passed out. "But you're-you're..."

Her dad smirked at him, clearly delighted that Peter was here, and Morgan's heart soared. She had missed that smile so much. "Supposed to be dead. Yeah. Well, my body is gone but my mind remains. How the heck are ya, kid? Not so much a kid anymore now are you?" He took a second to examine the new older Peter. Morgan could imagine it would be a surprise to see the kid you once knew was now a man. "Wow, Pete. You sure grew up."

"Th-thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Call me Tony."

"Okay...Tony."

Morgan almost laughed at the way her father's name rolled off Peter's tongue. She could tell it felt weird for him to call him Tony instead of Mr. Stark.

"Tony?" Morgan heard her mother's worried voice echo down the hallway. Her head whipped in its direction. She could tell her mother was on the verge of tears. Oh no. She probably thought he disappeared for good.

"I'm out here, Pep," her dad called, reassuring his wife that he didn't leave before Morgan could do the same.

The sound of footfalls coming down the hall announced her mother's approach before she appeared, appearing to be quite frazzled. Her blue eyes shown with tears. "Oh, thank God. You are here, Tony. I thought you disappeared. I thought..." Her mother stopped rambling when she noticed the unexpected visitor in the room. She took a deep breath in order to compose herself before continuing. "Oh, hey Peter. Morgan called you, didn't she?" When Peter gave her a sheepish look and shrugged, she focused her attention back on Morgan. "You didn't think to run it by your father or I first?"

"I couldn't help it, mom. Peter deserves to know."

Her mother sighed, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her toward the kitchen while her father and Peter conversed quietly in the living room. "I agree but so does Happy and Rhodey and a few others that your father and I were just discussing a few minutes ago. We are not going to tell anyone else until we figure all of this out. Got it?"

Once again, her mother was right. She went and jumped the gun but she wasn't about to apologize for it, not when she saw how happy Peter was to see her father and vice versa. "Got it. My lips are zipped. So, you still mad about me crashing your date?"

Her mother smiled and gave her a hug. "I'll let it slide just this once."