Summary:

Dave is sentenced, and Peter meets the rest of the Avengers!

Notes:

Final chapter people! I want to thank everyone for their incredible comments, favorites, and follows!

Avengers

Peter's dreams were plagued with nightmares; May's death, Mr. Greer's snarling face as he beat him and locked him in the closet, Sammy's terrified, tear-streaked face, Dave's degrading words, the basement, Dave escaping and coming back to finish what he started-

"Peter! Peter, wake up! Peter-"

The teen's eyes shot open before he flailed away from the hands holding him down. He curled into a ball and started crying in fear as broken 'I'm sorry's' spilled from his lips.

"Peter, hey, it's okay, you're safe, I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay, Pete, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe, I promise."

"M-Mr. St-ark?"

"Yeah, kiddo, it's me. You're safe, I promise."

The brunette peeked through his fingers and spotted the man a few feet away, an encouraging smile on his face as he tried to reassure the trembling teen. "It's okay buddy. Can I touch you?" Almost before the words are out of his mouth, Peter is in his arms. He can feel him trembling as he rubs the kid's back in slow circles. They sit huddled together for a few minutes as Peter cries quietly. Tony manages to hold his own tears back, the guilt he feels over the watch incident is almost overwhelming, but he can't let it get in the way of comforting his kid.

When the teen pulls back and wipes his eyes, the mechanic smiles at his hair. It's sticking up in all directions and look utterly adorable; the man can't help but run his hand through it. Peter smiles and leans into the gentle touch, craving comfort after his nightmares.

"I think Cap is cooking again, should we go see what he made? I'm starving."

"Okay," The brunette agrees happily, his own stomach growling at the mention of food. They exit the room and walk toward the kitchen. When they round the corner, their mouths' start watering at the fantastic aroma that wafts from the stove.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" Tony shouts before laughing at the startled look on the blond's face. The man scowls before he realizes that Peter is laughing too. They've never heard him laugh before and Steve can't help but smile at the sound. The laughter was halted when J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke, making everyone jump a little at the unexpected interruption.

"Sir, Miss Potts wishes to speak with you in conference room three."

"Okay, tell her I'll be right there," Tony responded before turning to Peter. "Do you want to come with me or will you be okay here?"

"I'll be okay; maybe I can help Mr. Ro- Steve?" He asks tentatively.

"Sure, buddy, that would be great." The blond assures.

"Great, I'll be right back." The billionaire states as he walks to the elevator.

Peter watches as the doors close and stands for a moment, waiting for instruction. "Do you want to set the table?"

"Yeah, sure," The teen answers. He walks over to the cupboard that Steve points out and gathers three plates and glasses. He takes the plates and a glass to the table, setting them out before returning to the counter for the two remaining utensils. He reaches for the first and watches in horror as he knocks the other to the floor. It shatters and all of the previous time that he had been punished for breaking something flash through his mind. He looked into Steve's surprised eyes and immediately started trembling in fear. Oh, God, why am I such a screw-up? Stupid. Useless. Waste of space. "I-I'm so sorry. I'll cl-clean it up." The teen said hurriedly as he knelt and started picking up the pieces of glass.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it was an accident." Steve tried to reassure the boy. He reached out to help the brunette up but jerked his hand back when Peter screeched in fear and scrambled away.

"I'm s-sorry, I-I'm so so-sorry. Please, do-don't hurt me, please." The boy sobbed.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you, Peter." The blond held his hands up in surrender. He tried to approach again but stopped when the brunette screamed in terror. Luckily, Tony ran in at that moment.

"What is going on!" The mechanic yelled in panic.

The teen whimpered at the raised voice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please." He pleaded over and over. Tony froze and looked on in shock. He turned to Steve with barely contained fury and sadness in his eyes. He turned and knelt in front of the trembling child.

"Hey, Pete, it's Mr. Stark. You're not in trouble, I promise."

Peter looked into his mentor's eyes and tried to determine whether the man was trying to trick him. He hasn't hurt me yet, maybe he means it. "I'm s-sorry, sir," He whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, kid. Accidents happen. I'm not mad."

"Prom...promise?" He asked, hesitantly.

"I promise," Tony answered. He held his arms out in hopes that Peter would understand. "Come here, kid." He said softly. The brunette looked up, nervously, and the billionaire smiled. A split second later he had an armful of skinny teen. "It's okay; everything's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you." They stayed huddled on the floor until Peter calmed down. "How are you doing, Pete?"

"Better. I'm really so-"

The mechanic quickly cut off the apology. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It was an accident, and no one should ever make you feel this scared over a broken glass. Remember what I said before? Whenever you feel scared, I want you to remember that no one in the tower will ever hurt you. If you do something that you think is wrong, I want you to tell me. I promise I won't get mad. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"I-I'll try,"

"Good. Now, I'm hungry. How about you?" Peter nodded before standing and taking a seat. He smiled at the heroes and looked at the food. His stomach growled, and both men laughed, causing the brunette to blush. "Let's eat!" Mr. Stark exclaimed before digging in. His two companions laughed before filling their own plates. They kept the conversation light and ate their fill before moving to the living room to watch a movie.

Peter sat curled in Tony's lap, the man's hand brushing through his hair. I'm going to keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, I promise.

Avengers

Two days after Peter gave his statement, Tony gets a call from his lawyer. The teen is nervous when he leaves the room with a scowl on his face. He sits quietly, staring at the paused movie as he anxiously waits for his mentor to return. What if he was released? What if they didn't have enough evidence and they just let him go? Will he come back for me? What if- He breaks out of his thoughts when Mr. Stark walks in with a big smile on his face.

He sits next to Peter and takes a breath before speaking. "He got fifteen years." The man announces calmly as he gauges the kid's reaction. The teen sits frozen in shock for a few moments before he launches himself into Tony's arms. The mechanic hugs back fiercely as tears of joy roll down his cheeks.

He looks up when Steve walks, a look of concern on his face. "He got fifteen years!" The billionaire exclaims. Peter pulls back from the embrace and looks at the blond, a big smile plastered across his tear-streaked face. He turns back to his mentor and laughs.

"I can't believe it!"

"He's gone, kiddo! Gone for, well, not for good, but for a while at least!"

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Tony!" He shouts before turning to the super-soldier. "And thank you, Steve! You guys...you saved me, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done, and I just- Thank you."

"I would do it again without a second thought," Cap responds.

"Me too, a million times over if I had to. I'd do anything for you." The mechanic adds before standing. "We need to celebrate! J! Order...order… What should we-"

"A pinata! And an ice cream cake, and pizza, and confetti, and-and…" Peter trails off as an apprehensive look crosses his face. "Maybe- maybe the others - the Avengers I mean - maybe they can come too?" After a few seconds of silence, he looks up and sees the heroes exchanging looks and quickly backtracks. "O-or not. I'm sorry I-I shouldn't-"

"If that's something you want, Pete, this is your party. I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

"O-okay, yeah, I want to meet them. I think I'm ready."

Tony smiles and drapes an arm over the kid's shoulders. "J? Call the team."

"Of course, sir," The A.I. responds.

"Okay, let's get cleaned up and then we can party!"

Avengers

After they've made themselves presentable, they meet back in the common area to wait for everyone to arrive. Peter fidgets nervously as he wonders what the rest of the Avengers will be like.

"It's going to be fine, kid. They'll love you." The teen smiles and nods in acknowledgment.

They both look up when a man walks in. He has light brown hair, blue eyes, and a mischevious look on his face. "Did someone order a pinata?" He asks as he exits the elevator. He's holding a large rainbow paper mache donkey.

"The kid did," Tony says with a smile. "Peter, this is Bird Brain, Bird Brain, this is Peter."

"Uh...hi?" The teen says before shooting a questioning look at the mechanic.

"Call me Clint; only egotistical billionaires call me Bird Brain." He says, glaring daggers at Tony.

Peter looks back and forth between the men thinking that this might not have been the best idea when they both start laughing. He sighs in relief and smiles when he realizes that they were just joking.

The laughter tapers off when three more people exit the elevator. Steve, a woman with fiery red hair, and the man with the syringe from the med bay. The teen swallows and inches toward his foster father as a hint of fear flashes through his thoughts. Sensing his anxiety, the mechanic puts an arm over his shoulder and pulls him close. Peter, grateful for the comfort, latched one hand onto the back of his mentor's shirt and the other onto his pant leg as he tried to hide his trembling. Steve walks past and starts talking to Clint, and the redhead and other man stop several feet away.

"Peter, this is Natasha," He points to the woman and then to the man. "And this is Bruce,"

"It's nice to meet you, Peter," Natasha says with a small smile before she walks over to Steve and Clint.

Bruce shifts nervously. "Come on, Banner, don't be shy." Tony encourages. The teen's head shoots up, and he stares at the scientist for a few moments.

"You-you're Bruce Banner? Wow, this-this is amazing! I read some of your papers on gamma radiation and I...could I ask you some questions?" Tony smiles when he gets the desired reaction. The kid releases his death grip on the man as he waits for an answer.

"Uh...ye-yeah, of course." He answers, confusion and wonder written all over his face.

Everyone mingles for a while before the rest of the stuff arrives. They eat pizza and cake before Peter attacks the pinata. Everyone is smiling, and Tony watches his kid like a hawk; soaking up the joy that spills off of him in waves. He's chasing Clint and Steve with a confetti canon while Bruce hides behind the couch.

Natasha walks over to observe with him. "You've changed." She comments, a knowing smirk crossing her face.

"Yeah…" He's changed me. I've done everything for him that I wished someone would do for me. The hugs, that reassurances, helping him through his nightmares, putting that-that monster away. It's everything that I dreamed of as a kid. He deserves this; he deserves to be loved and cared for, to cry and not feel like he shouldn't, to laugh and be happy, to not be afraid that at any moment someone's going to hurt him, to feel safe and protected. To be a fantastic, smart, selfless, caring kid. He deserves a childhood filled with freedom. We're both damaged, but maybe we can heal each other.

"Fatherhood is a good look on you." She adds before grabbing a piece of pizza.

Tony smiles. Yeah, it really is, isn't it?

Avengers

"Ready, kid?"

"Just a minute!" Peter yells. A few minutes later, the teen comes running around the corner. "Ready, Tony!" He exclaims.

"Last chance to back out." The mechanic says seriously.

"Never. I want this. And so do you."

"You've got me there." He answers with a smile.

It's been six months since Peter moved in with Tony. Things have been going well; they're both seeing a therapist, and it's helped Peter realize that he is worth saving. Tony's realized that love can heal many wounds and that showing his emotions isn't such a bad thing. He never imagined being a father; it had scared him. What if I turned out like Howard? What if I hurt Peter? He's come to understand that it's never going to happen. He has the support of his family, and he's so happy to share that family with his kid. Peter may have lost all of his blood relatives, but now he has four amazing uncles and two aunts that would kill for him. Best of all, he has a dad, something he never dreamed of being able to have. He couldn't remember his parents, so his only example was May and Ben. He still misses them dearly, but the crater-sized hole in his heart has begun to heal. He'll never be able to express his gratitude toward Tony, but he'll keep trying.

The car pulls up in front of the courthouse, and Peter is nearly overwhelmed by his nervousness. He honestly thinks he might throw up. They walk into the courtroom and are met with the smiling faces of everyone the teen cares about. All of the Avengers, even Thor, Ned, and his parents, and M.J. with her parents. They take their seats and wait for the judge.

"All rise for judge Carter."

Everyone stands until the judge is seated. "We are here today to finalize the adoption of Peter Benjamin Parker by Anthony Edward Stark. Will Peter stand, please?" He tries to hide his trembling hands as he stands. "Do you want to be adopted by Mr. Stark?"

He's taken aback by the question, and he looks at Tony. He smiles at the teen before Peter looks back to the judge. "Yes, ma'am, very much." He announces.

"Very well." She says before stamping a paper. She looks up and smiles. "Congratulations, you are now officially Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark."

Tony stands and pulls his kid, his kid, into a hug. "I love you, Peter." He whispers.

"I love you too, dad." The teen whispers in response.

They both squeeze a little tighter, overjoyed that their dream has finally come true.

Avengers

Notes:

Wow, this has been awesome!

I know a lot of people were excited about Peter meeting the Avengers, so I hope that the party was enough for you. I didn't want to go super into detail with their interactions because I mostly wanted to focus on the relationship between Peter and Tony.

I felt like Tony was OOC in this fic. I hope his little inner monologue helped show why he was more emotional than usual.

Also, I got a comment in the last chapter asking if I was going to make this a series. I have been thinking about it for a while, and I may write some one-shots to help fill in the time gap. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in!

Fun facts:

1. The scene with the broken glass was the first thing I wrote for this fic.

2. I have been to an adoption. It was for my cousin, I believe he was fourteen at the time. It basically went the same way as Peter's. I know there is a lot more involved, but that was what happened when it became official.

Something totally unrelated to this fic: I have three stories in the works right now. One Avengers/Spider-Man, one Teen Wolf, and one How to Train Your Dragon.

1. Avengers/Spider-Man: Peter has his powers, he is Tony's biological child, and he gets kidnapped. I have the first chapter written.

2. Teen Wolf: A/B/O dynamics. Stiles is an omega that escapes from an abusive alpha and seeks the help of the Hale's. I have two chapters written.

3. How to Train Your Dragon: Modern AU. Humans and dragons share a special bond (simar to Eragon). Hiccup is captured and forced to commit crimes to protect his best friend. I have two chapters written.

So, my question is: do any of those stick out to you? The one gets the most votes is the one I will work on first!

I also have two Teen Wolf one-shots that are complete. I will probably post the first one in a week and the second one a week after that!