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“Tony?” Someone began stroking Peter’s hair, carefully smoothing it back until Peter stirred and finally blinked awake.
“Daddy?” Peter slurred, rubbing his eyes. He looked up at the stranger—an older looking woman with curly dark hair— and squinted. “You’re not Daddy.”
“Tony? Bambino, is that you?”
“Who’re you?” Peter asked nervously. The lady looked a little familiar, but Daddy had always told him never to trust strangers unless he or Papa was there. The woman brushed his hair back from his forehead and smiled sweetly. Peter decided she must be okay.
“You’re not my bambino, are you?” she asked quietly. Peter shook his head. “Do you know anyone named Tony?”
“That’s Daddy’s name.”
The woman smiled again. “And what is your name, little one?”
“Peter Benjamin Collin Stark,” Peter recited dutifully.
“Peter, could you take me to your daddy?”
“Okay.” Peter climbed out of bed and grabbed the woman’s hand to tug her along. He kept hold of her fingers as they walked and stuck his free thumb in his mouth.
Tony was sitting on the couch in the living room, curled against Steve’s side while they watched a movie with Bucky and Clint.
“Wait, so that guy’s a pro basketball player that’s playing… with cartoon characters?” Bucky asked. “Seriously?”
Clint opened his mouth to reply, but the pattering of Peter’s feet as he ran down the hall stopped him. Tony glanced up just in time to see Peter appear in the doorway. He frowned.
“What’re you doing out of bed so late?” he asked. “Did you have a bad dream?”
Peter shook his head and took his thumb out of his mouth. “There was a lady in my room an’ she wanted ta talk t’you,” he explained.
Tony stood up immediately and scanned the hallway. “Peter, come here,” Steve said quietly from beside him. From the corner of his eye, Tony saw Bucky lean forward and reach under the couch cushions, where he knew the other man always kept a gun.
Peter toddled forward and ran into Steve’s arms. “What’s a’matter, Daddy?” he asked Tony.
The woman in the doorway smoothed her skirt and smiled sadly at Tony. “Good lord, bambino, you’ve grown so much,” she said quietly.
Steve glanced over at Tony. “Tony, do you know this woman?” he asked carefully. He heard Bucky click the safety off the gun.
Tony looked stricken. He swallowed, patted Peter on the head gently, and took a hesitant step forward. “Mama?” he whispered.
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After Tony and Bruce confirmed that she wasn’t an illusion or one of Loki’s tricks or, God forbid, a Skrull, Tony finally let himself touch his mother. She was exactly as he had remembered her—warm, soft skin, gentle smile.
“Oh, Tony,” Maria said when he carefully took her hand. She reached over and enveloped him in a firm hug, stroking his hair back as she did. He rested his head on her shoulder for a second before pulling back.
“I want you to meet your grandson,” he told her. Peter was sitting on the couch, watching Brave with Steve. “Peter, baby, come here a minute,” he called.
Peter hopped off the couch and ran over, one thumb in his mouth and the other arm curled around his Iron Man stuffed toy. He ran straight to Tony’s legs and wrapped around one of them firmly, staring up at Maria.
Tony knelt beside Peter and carefully lifted the boy in his arms. “Baby, this is Daddy’s mama,” he said. “So she’s your grandma. Can you say hi?”
“Hi,” Peter whispered. He reached over and carefully touched her necklace, a thin gold chain with a cross on it. “Pretty.”
“Thank you, bambino,” Maria replied. Tony’s heart clenched at the familiar nickname being used for his son.
“That’s a funny name,” Peter giggled. He sucked on his thumb and then took it out to show Maria his toy with both hands. “Lookit.”
“That is lovely, darling.” Maria kissed Peter’s forehead and the boy blushed and buried his face in Tony’s neck. Tony smiled and kissed the same place Maria had.
“You wanna go finish the movie with Papa?” he murmured. Peter nodded and squirmed in his arms until Tony let him down. He beamed at Maria and then ran off to join Steve on the couch. Maria watched him go with a smile.
“So that’s really Captain America?” she asked. Tony led her to the kitchen table and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet.
“Yep, that’s the Star Spangled Man in all his American glory,” he replied. “They unfroze him about five years ago, and he’s been running around causing trouble ever since.” Steve flashed him a smile over the back of the couch and curled up next to Peter with a bag of popcorn.
“When I think about all that time your father spent looking for him…” she trailed off and shook her head. Tony handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to her.
“If it helps, it was SHIELD that found Steve. And Dad founded SHIELD, so technically he had a hand in it.”
“I just hope your father’s okay, back… back in my time,” Maria sighed. “This is all so odd, darling. How is this possible?”
“Bruce and Richards are running tests now,” Tony reassured her. “However you got here, we’ll figure it out. I promise, Mama.”
Maria sipped her coffee and gripped Tony’s free hand. “Never mind that,” she said. “I don’t know how I got to be here, or how long I have, but I want to know everything that’s been going on in your life.”
Tony smiled. “Well, obviously, I have a son,” he started. “He’s almost four years old, and he loves the color green and dinosaurs, and he’s already so interested in science and learning.”
“And… his Papa?” she asked carefully. “Is that Captain—I mean, Steve?”
Tony watched Steve toss pieces of popcorn into Peter’s open mouth and smiled hesitantly. “I know it’s not exactly what you expected… I didn’t, either, not at first. But… I really love him, Mama.”
Maria just sipped her coffee again and stared him down silently. After a moment she smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear again. “As long as Peter’s healthy and loved, it doesn’t matter who you choose to be with. And he’s a wonderful little boy, Tony, you’ve raised him very well.”
Tony flushed with pride. “I tried,” he said.
“He said his name was Peter Benjamin Collin.” Maria flashed him a knowing look. “You gave him one of my names?”
His mother’s full name was been Maria Collins Carbonell-Stark. Apparently Collins was a family name, her mother’s maiden name or something like that. All Tony knew was he wanted his son to have at least one family name and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be ‘Howard’.
“I always liked that name,” Tony said instead.
“And Peter?”
“You know Peter Pan was my favorite movie growing up.”
Maria laughed, and Tony’s heart melted. It’d been so long since he’d heard that laugh. “You would name your son after a movie, bambino. What about Benjamin?”
“Honestly? Steve flipped through a book and stopped at a random page.”
Maria rolled her eyes and stood to refill their cups. “You two sound perfect for each other,” she commented. Tony grinned.
“Daddy?” Peter called. Tony glanced over at the couch, where Peter was standing precariously and peering over the back.
“What’s wrong, baby? You finally tired again?” he asked.
Peter shook his head. “I hungry,” he pouted.
“Peter, it’s already past your bedtime. If you eat now—”
“But I too hungry ta sleep,” Peter replied. “Can I have a ‘nana?”
Tony sighed. “Come here, you can have half a banana.” Peter climbed off the couch and toddled over to hoist himself into a chair. Tony stood, cut half a banana into slices, and grabbed Peter’s sippy cup from the cupboard. “Milk or water?”
“Apple juice.”
“Did you hear apple juice in the choices I gave you? Mama, did you hear apple juice just now?”
Maria grinned slyly and kissed Peter’s head. “I remember another little boy that always asked for juice late at night, too,” she said with a meaningful look.
Tony groaned. “Mama, you’re not helping me right now.” He poured a bit of apple juice in the cup anyways and set it by Peter. “You are so spoiled,” he reminded the boy. Peter just stuffed a banana slice in his mouth and grinned.
“Papa’s eatin’ popcorn even though i’s pas’ bedtime. That means I can, too,” he mumbled around the food. Tony glared at Steve, who shrugged innocently.
“He’s your son,” he said.
“He gets the bad eating habits from you,” Tony retorted.
Steve snorted and turned back to the movie. “This coming from the man who lived off kale smoothies and potato chips before I came around.”
“Anthony Stark, have you not been eating healthy?” Maria sounded appalled at the very idea, and Tony heard Steve snickering as he tried to backtrack.
“Of course I have, Mama. At least, I have now. Since I married Steve anyways. And look, I gave Peter a banana!”
Peter held a slice of banana up to Maria’s face with a sticky grin. “You wanna ‘nana?” he asked. Maria leaned forward and bit the banana slice, pretending to bite on Peter’s fingers playfully as she did. Peter shrieked in laughter and ducked his head. “Daddy, Nana bit me!” he cried, holding his fingers up as apparent proof. Tony kissed his fingers and smiled playfully.
“She can’t help it, baby. You’re so yummy looking we’re gonna eat you all up.”
Peter gasped and wriggled down from his seat. “Can’t eat me!” he cried out. “Papa, help, I’m gonna get eated!”
“You know where they can’t get you to eat you?” Steve asked. Peter grabbed his knee and steadied himself, and Steve leaned down and kissed his nose. “In your bed,” he whispered loudly.
Peter turned to look at Tony for confirmation. He shrugged and grinned. “Better run, baby boy,” he warned. Peter gasped and raced down the hallway, laughing all the way. Tony stood to follow him quickly. “I’ll be right back, Mama,” he said. Maria nodded and sipped her coffee.
Steve stood and came to sit next to her. “Mrs. Stark, do you have any idea how you got to this time?” he asked gently.
Maria frowned in thought. “I remember a blue light,” she replied. “I had just finished tucking Tony in, and all of a sudden there was a bright blue light and I was standing in Peter’s room. I thought he was my Tony, at first, he looks so much like him.”
Steve smiled. “After we got married and decided we wanted kids, we found a surrogate mother. We both—well, basically we both gave DNA and mixed the samples so we wouldn’t know whose child it was biologically. But that didn’t work so well with Peter, huh?”
Maria smiled fondly. “He looks exactly like Tony did at that age,” she admitted. “I suppose you’ll just have to ‘donate’ for the next child, hmm?”
Steve flushed and scratched his cheek. “I guess so, yeah.”
By the time Tony came back, Sue Richards had called with a revelation—apparently Reed Richards had been attempting to create an inter-dimensional portal and instead had accidentally created a portal into the past. Somehow or another it had sucked Maria in and deposited her in the present, along with several other seemingly dead members of society from the past.
“Apparently Babe’s Ruth been wandering around Boston shouting at people and swinging a bat,” Sue said over the phone. “Reed’s doing his best to fix it now.”
“Reed’s such an asshole,” Tony muttered. “How long… how long will it take?”
“He should have it done by tomorrow morning,” Sue promised.
“I only have twelve hours with my mother?”
“The longer they stay in our time, the more potential damage could occur in their time. I’m sorry, Tony.”
Maria placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “We have all night,” she murmured. “Besides, I have to get back to my Tony soon, remember?”
Tony sighed and nodded. “Okay. As long as we have tonight.”
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By morning’s light, Tony had told Maria everything that had happened to him since her and Howard’s deaths. He had briefly thought about leaving out Afghanistan and the arc reactor, but decided that she would want to hear everything. Besides, Sue had told them that she most likely wouldn’t remember anything that had transpired here when she returned to her own time.
“Oh, bambino, I am so very sorry,” Maria murmured. They’d moved to the couch, and Tony had his head on her lap with her fingers tangled in his hair.
Tony shrugged. “It’s okay,” he replied. “If it hadn’t happened, I never would have become Iron Man. And if I hadn’t become Iron Man, I never would have met Steve. No Steve, no marriage, no Peter. So it all worked out.”
“Still, I can’t imagine… my poor bambino.”
Tony sat up and kissed her cheek. “It’s alright, Mama, really,” he soothed. “It was years ago, and now I have a wonderful life and a beautiful family.”
“Daddy, I hungry.” Tony turned and beamed at his sleepy son wandering into the family room.
“Okay, baby, we’ll eat in a little while. Come sit with Daddy and Nana on the couch.” Peter toddled over and climbed into Tony’s lap, curling against his chest and staring at the reactor light.
“Sir, Sue and Reed Richards have arrived,” JARVIS interrupted. Tony swallowed and glanced at the ceiling frantically.
“Stall them, J,” he said. Suddenly he wasn’t ready for his mother to leave him, no matter how happy he was now. His mother had always been there for him, even when Howard was cruel or unreasonable or drunk. After he’d been sent to boarding school, Maria had been the one to write to him every week and visit him on weekends. Even when he’d gone to college she had made sure to stay in touch with him as much as possible. He had been devastated when he’d learned of her death.
“Tony,” Maria chided. “I have to go home now.”
“If you just stayed a few more days it wouldn’t change anything,” he protested. “You can stay here with me and Peter, and I’ll cook us that pasta dish that you taught me to make, and—”
“Tony, bambino, it’s time for me to go.” Maria leaned over and kissed his cheek, then his forehead. The elevator doors opened and Sue and Reed stepped out carrying a small contraption. Tony couldn’t help but glare at Reed. Maria smiled and tapped Tony’s chin to regain his attention. “If I stay here, who will take care of you in my time?”
Tony shrugged and kissed Peter’s head absently. The boy smelled like vanilla from his bath last night, and it soothed Tony’s nerves some. “I just…” Maria smiled at him again and Tony managed to smile back. “Alright, Mama,” he murmured.
Steve wandered in just as Reed was finishing setting up his machine. He frowned in confusion as he kissed Tony good morning. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Mama’s going back to her own time,” Tony whispered. “We were just about to say goodbye.”
Steve kissed him again and scooped Peter up from Tony’s arms. “Can you say goodbye to your grandmother?” he asked. Peter leaned over and sloppily kissed Maria’s cheek.
“Bye-bye, Nana,” he giggled. Maria smiled and kissed Peter’s cheek in return. Steve smiled and almost nervously kissed her cheek quickly, as well.
“It was very nice to meet you, Mrs. Stark,” he murmured. “And… thank you, for taking care of Tony.”
“Thank you,” Maria said. “And it was wonderful to meet you, Mr. Stark. You take care of my boy.” Steve nodded with a smile and carried Peter into the kitchen to give Tony and Maria a moment alone.
Tony took a deep breath and turned to face his mother. “I suppose… I’ll see you in a few minutes, huh?”
Maria chuckled and cupped his face in her hands. “I am so proud of you, my sweet boy,” she whispered. “I want you to always remember that, alright?” Tony nodded and smiled shakily, and she kissed his forehead. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, bambino.”
A bright blue light appeared as Reed activated his device, and Maria stepped away from Tony and, with a smile and a wave, disappeared.
Tony sighed and made his way to the kitchen. “Well, that was depressing,” he said with false cheeriness. From behind him, he could hear Sue and Reed quietly slip into the elevator. He ignored them and collapsed at the table next to his son, who was currently making a valiant effort to spread as much syrup from his pancakes on his face as possible.
“Tony, you got to see her again, even if it was just for a short while,” Steve replied. He set a cup of coffee in front of his husband and kissed the top of his head. “Peter and I love you very much. And your mother loved you very much, too. She wouldn’t want you to be miserable.”
Tony smiled and leaned up to kiss Steve properly. “I know,” he murmured. “It was nice to see her, but I’ve got my two favorite men to keep me company now.”
“Am I your man?” Peter asked. Tony scooped him up and kissed Peter’s tummy repeatedly until his son was squirming and giggling in his arms.
“You’re always gonna be my little man,” Tony grinned. “My little bambino.”