A Better Life

August 10th, 2134

“Almost there! You can do it! Just a few more pushes!” Tony encouraged Pepper, sitting on his knees between her legs, holding a towel out in preparation for what was to come. 

Pepper clenched the blankets in fists at her side, pushing once more. She was exhausted and had no idea what she was supposed to do but her body was taking over and doing all the work. 

Exhausted, she laid her head back down, panting. 

“I can see the head. You’re almost there. You’re doing so well. Almost there, Pep.” Tony encouraged her once again, trying to remain calm despite the situation.

Bringing their third child into this screwed up world was their decision. They wanted to have another baby, their love for each other was so strong that they needed to bring another life into this world to love on. 

Even if that meant keeping it a secret and having to give birth in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. 

Tony cupped their baby’s head, trying to remember what he was supposed to do from reading those birthing books the past 9 months. 

On the next contraction, Pepper pushed one last time and Tony held out his hands, catching their child. “Oh my god.” The emotions took over as he looked down at their perfect baby. “It’s a boy! It’s a boy!”

Tony stood up and handed the slimy baby to Pepper then came around to be at her side. “He’s so perfect. Oh my god.” 

Pepper rubbed his back to get him to start crying. It came out chunky at first so Tony grabbed the syringe and sucked some of the fluid out of his mouth and nose to help him breathe. 

“Peter. His name is Peter.” Pepper cried happily, kissing the top of his head, the little hair he did have was slicked back with blood, fluid and vernix. 

Tony cupped his son's back, listening to the sounds of him crying. It was music to his ears. “Peter. I love it. It’s perfect. He’s perfect.” He pressed a quick but loving kiss to Pepper's lips. “It suits him.”

The baby began crying even louder but it was a healthy cry, Tony also couldn’t stop crying. He just helped bring his perfect boy into their world. He couldn’t wait for Morgan and Harley to meet him. 

“Welcome to the world, Peter. I’m your daddy.” He kissed the top of his head again, already not able to get enough of him. 

“Does he-does he have all ten fingers and toes?” Pepper asked, completely exhausted. 

Tony handed her a cup of water and re-wetted the cloth to drape over her forehead then moved to look at Peter’s tiny hands and feet, counting all twenty perfect digits. “Yes. He’s perfect, Pepper. You did so well.” 

Grabbing another blanket, Tony covered them with it. “He’s the most perfect thing. Look at that button nose.” 

Pepper hummed, much too exhausted to come up with a better response. After a few minutes of them lying there, watching Peter drink some milk, Pepper spoke quietly. “I wonder if he’ll have… my hair or your hair colour?” 

Tony already knew Peter would take after him. He knew they would be best friends and Tony knew he would do anything for his boy. 

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Three years later. 

“Peter! Slow down. I don’t want you falling. Again.” Pepper rushed to prepare dinner, trying to make sure the table was set before Tony got home from his long day of work. 

Morgan tapped on Pepper's arm. “Mommy? I need help with my homework. I don’t understand it.” 

“Can you ask daddy when he gets home from work? I’m a bit busy right now, Morg.” 

Morgan nodded in understanding and shut her textbook, setting it on the table for now then she walked over to her little brother and grabbed the fork he had in his hand. “Mommy! Peter was playing with a sharp object again.” 

Peter sat down on his bum, looking up at her with his big brown eyes. “Mine.” 

“No, Peter. It’s dangerous.” 

Pepper took the fork from her daughter's hand. “Can you get him his box of toys for him to play with?” 

Before Morgan could even reply, there was a knock on the door. It was the Stark family’s secret knock so that they knew it was one of them coming home and it was safe. 

That also meant his daddy was home so Peter jumped to his feet and stood behind the door like he knew he was supposed to. Don’t be seen, don’t be heard. 

Tony walked in quickly and shut the door, locking it then turning around to where he knew Peter was standing and waiting for him. 

“Daddy!” 

“Hi, baby.” Tony lifted up his chubby toddler and pressed a ton of kisses against his chubby cheeks. “I missed you so much.” 

“Happy Bi’thday, dada!” 

“Wow, thank you, baby boy.” It was Tony’s birthday but it was like any other day. Wake up, take Morgan and Harley to school, go to work, come home ten hours later, completely exhausted. It was like every other day. 

Morgan jumped up to hug him as well. “Happy birthday, daddy. Me and Peter made you something.” 

“Oh? What is it?” 

Pepper greeted him as well, pressing a long kiss to his lips. “Happy birthday, Tony. Something smell familiar?” 

Something did smell good. He put his bag down and walked further into their small apartment, almost tripping over all the clutter on the floor. It was a small place, two bedrooms and five people living there with the kitchen and living room being right beside each other and one hallway leading to the four doors. Two bedrooms, one bedroom was shared between Tony, Pepper and Peter sleeping between them and the other bedroom was Harley and Morgan with a sheet draped between them for a bit of privacy at least, one bathroom and a laundry room/ storage room. It was very… cozy one could say. But overall it was a patient tester, being cramped in such a small apartment with five people. 

Tony stepped over the folded laundry pile and hoisted Peter up higher on his hip as he followed Pepper into the kitchen. She lifted up a tray to reveal a small, vanilla cake. Tony gasped. “You didn’t?” 

“I did.” 

“What? How did you find all the ingredients?” Tony couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It’s been years since he’s ate a cake. 

“I had to substitute the eggs for applesauce but Nathan next door had extra vanilla extract so I traded him a cup of oats for it.” 

Peter pointed at it. “What’s ‘dat, dada?” 

Tony shifted Peter in his arms so he could get a better look at it. “This, is called a cake. My favourite flavour actually. We can cut up slices and eat some.” 

“I eat too?” 

“Of course you can, baby.” Tony placed him back on his hip and kissed him, laughing when Peter clapped his hands together excitedly. 

“Dad!” Harley came running from the bedroom and body slammed into Tony. “Happy birthday! I made you something at school today.” 

Tony hugged his oldest with one arm. “What an amazing birthday, I feel so loved.” 

Peter shrugged. “I didn’ make you nothin’ at school today ‘cause I don’ go to school.” 

Everyone laughed at his adorableness. Peter definitely knew he was cute and milked that. How could he not know, they were always saying it to him and loving on him. 

As they sat down to eat some cake before their meal, Tony scooped Peter up onto his lap to hold him. He usually did eat on someone else’s lap since there were only four chairs, and they couldn’t risk bringing in a fifth chair in case it raised some questions during a routine inspection from the government. 

Peter never really ate meals like his family did. There wasn’t enough food for him so he got all his nutrients from breastfeeding and they had to hope that was enough. But it didn’t stop him from eating a little bit of cake when he could. 

They usually offered him a bite of food here and there but he always took one lick then turned away, disgusted at eating solids when he wasn’t used to it. 

Tony cut him a tiny slice and handed him a spoon. “What do you think?” 

Everyone watched Peter take the bite and watched his eyes light up as the sugary treat melted on his tongue. “Mmmm! It’s yummy!” 

Tony laughed. “Yeah? I’m glad you like it.” He wished he could give his children the childhood he used to have, in the world for what it used to be. But now it was destroyed, forests torn down and destroyed by greed, replaced by factories that released harmful chemicals into the air that made it no longer safe to leave the house for very long or even open up a window. All their windows were sealed shut and covered with bedsheets. 

Gangs littered the streets, forcing woman and children to never leave the house without a man in fear of getting raped and males under 25 unable to leave the house either or else they’d be beaten to death before they could join the government. 

It was an evil world but they were safe in their apartment. As long as no one knew about Peter, everything would be okay. 

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Two years later. 

Pepper held the hood over her head as she raced to the grocery store to pick up their family’s meals for this week. It was only enough for four people so she would have to try and pick up some extras for Peter to eat. 

The wind was blowing her hood off but she wanted to stay unseen, like everyone else who left their house. 

She had to leave Peter at home, as always, so it was nothing new. She had to come out and pick up their daily necessities and just hope she could make it back before Peter’s nap was over. 

Pepper made it into the busy grocery store and grabbed a basket but someone stopped her and grabbed her arm. She pulled it away but then saw the man in the navy blue uniform and immediately apologized. “Oh. I’m sorry. I thought-I thought you were someone else.” 

“Let me scan your identification.” 

“Of course.” Pepper held out her wrist and rolled up her sleeve. Her ID injection lit up as the man ran his scanner over it. 

“Alright, Mrs. Stark. Thank you for your cooperation. Enjoy your day.” 

“You too.” Pepper grabbed her basket and continued on. She always dreamed about taking Peter into the real world so he got to see things like what a grocery store looked like or to see other people besides his family and what he sees in picture books. Although there wasn’t much to see, nothing worth seeing anyways. 

All the parks were either abandoned and broken or taken over by the gangs that ran the streets. She was grateful that Tony had a decent job to be able to put them in a somewhat of a safe neighborhood where she could leave their house without being attacked, raped or robbed. However if she crossed the bridge just outside the grocery store, it would be a different story for her. 

Pepper made her way down the aisles, picking up some oats, flour and raisins, basically all that there was to pick up at the store, some of the few things they were allowed to eat. 

She then walked over to the dispensary. “Good afternoon. I’m here for my weekly meal pickup.” 

“Identification?” 

Pepper rolled up her sleeve and held her arm out, letting the man scan it for her. “What happened to Mrs. Porter who used to work here? Is she off today?” 

The man looked at her briefly. “She reportedly stole meals to give to her neighbours.” 

Pepper looked down. She felt sadness but wasn’t allowed to show that without bringing attention to herself. She was a kind woman and doing something like stealing meals to give to her neighbour proved that. 

It’s a shame that kind of crime, from the goodness of someone’s heart, gets a worse punishment than murder. 

Although the worst crime of all nowadays was having a third child. And Peter was proof that they broke the biggest law there was. 

There weren't enough resources for families to have more than two children. The ideal family was, a boy then a girl. So that as soon as the boy turns 25, he joins the government in training and can soon become the people who enforce the laws. And a girl, so that she can stay home and take care of typical house chores. 

Pepper was a doctor. Or at least, used to be. But she no longer qualifies for that role. And Tony’s an engineer who is forced to work as a gatekeeper for a car factory. He works ten hours a day but it’s enough to have them live on the safe side of the bridge and be able to qualify for four meals for the four legal members of their household. 

She straightened up, not letting it show that the news that Mrs. Porter was taken and likely sent to prison. She went to reach for the bag of food when there was a loud bang to her left, followed by a scream. 

When she turned to look over, she saw a man being thrown to the ground by two men in the hazy blue outfits. Rouge 1 was what they were called, the lowest level of government officials. They were the young men in training, starting out as scanners, IDing the population and reporting any illegals or anything else suspicious to the higher government officials. 

Harley would become one, he wouldn’t have a choice. 

Tony turned them down in the beginning but got away with it because of his age. Harley could either work for them, or be beaten and killed off. There was no other choice. 

Pepper turned away when the man started yelling. “Stop it! Please! My children are hungry! Let me go! Get the fuck off me-urgggg!” 

She heard him get tased then quickly grabbed her food, shoved it in her bag and left. Seeing families struggling under the hands of the laws killed her inside to not be able to do anything about it. But if she tried to help him, she would get arrested too. And then they would investigate her family. And then they would find out about Peter… 

So the only thing she could do was walk away. 

She left the grocery store and walked outside, tucking herself back inside her hood and beginning the walk home. It was only about twenty minutes but it was twenty minutes in fear for her life every single time. 

Pepper did their secret knock before she entered the apartment, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her. 

She put the bags down by the kitchen counter and walked over to the picture frame on the wall, opening it up and seeing Peter lying in there, awake and flipping through his picture book. 

He smiled at her. “Hi.” 

“Hi, baby. Wanna come out?” 

“Uh huh.” Peter crawled out, shutting his hiding space behind him. He usually took naps in there on the days his mom went to the store but he would much rather take naps in his parents bed. 

He yawned and walked over to the couch, grabbing a blanket to cuddle up in. “I’m hungry.” 

“Okay, can you wait five minutes while I put the food in the fridge?” 

Peter sighed but didn’t complain. He played with his teddy bear while he waited patiently but eagerly then when his mom was close enough, she pulled down her shirt and he latched onto her breast, feeling content now that he wasn’t going to be hungry anymore. 

A few hours later, Tony arrived at home, knocking on the door and walking in, quickly locking it behind him. He heard Peter crying as soon as the door was open but thankfully no one was in the hallway, but everyone also knew they still had a young daughter. Morgan definitely wouldn’t be crying like that but she could still pass as it if need be. 

God knows they had to use Morgan as an excuse for everything. When Peter was a baby and needed diapers from the store, they had to use the excuse that Morgan wet the bed. When Peter needed children’s Tylenol because he was sick, they had to get Morgan to pretend to be sick and take her to the doctors just to get prescription for medication. 

Tony dropped his bags and walked over to Pepper who was holding Peter as he cried in her arms. “Aww, what happened? Come here, baby.” Tony took Peter from Pepper, cradling him against his chest. 

“He can’t find his stuffed rabbit. I’ve looked everywhere. I don’t know where it went.” Pepper turned the whole house upside down to look for it. But she still couldn’t find it. It also wasn’t like Peter left the apartment so it had to be in here. 

Tony cooed, rocking Peter back and forth. “I’m sure Mr. Hoppers will show up.” 

Peter sniffled. “No. He ran away from me.” 

“I’ll help mommy look for it after dinner, alright?” 

Peter pointed at Harley who had been sitting on the floor doing his homework. “I want Harley to help too.” 

“He can help if he finishes his homework on time. Alright?” Tony had a surprise for his family and he wanted to share it with them. He wiped the tears off Peter’s cheeks and sat down on the couch with him. “Come here, guys. I want to show you something.” 

Pepper stood nearby, watching carefully. 

Morgan left the kitchen table to see what Tony had to show them. “What is it?” 

Tony grinned, shifting Peter on his lap. “On my lunch break today, I found something in a tree.” 

Peter tilted his head. “A tree? Like from the Jungle Book?” 

“No, Petey, there aren’t any trees outside anymore after the bombs.” Morgan corrected him but he hadn’t been outside before so that wasn’t his fault. She rubbed his back. 

“Well, I work near the lake they’re trying to rebuild.” And failing to do. It’s been three years since they started that project but it never rains anymore, at least enough to fill the man made hole. Either way, a small tree was growing near it. Not for long, Tony knew people would come around and destroy it. 

People destroyed everything beautiful. 

Apparently nothing beautiful could simply live beautifully, instead, it had to get destroyed. 

Tony looked at Peter. He was living proof of that unfortunately. But Tony wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him. Even if it cost him his life one day. 

Which Tony always supposed would happen one day. The unfortunate truth of the reality to now live in. 

He kissed Peter’s cheek and pulled out the surprise wrapped in a piece of cloth. He handed it to Peter. “Unwrap it, baby.” 

Peter excitedly unwrapped the cloth to reveal an orange. He held the big, cold fruit in his small hand, looking it over. Pepper gasped and got on her knees beside them. “No way. You didn’t.” She covered a hand over her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. 

“What is this?” Peter asked, turning to look at his father. 

Morgan reached out to touch it. “Yeah. What is that?” 

Harley reached out as well and held it in his hands, squeezing it then sniffed it. “It smells… fresh. Like… how I always imagined a beach would smell like.” 

Tony and Pepper both laughed. Tony took the surprise from Harley and handed it back to Peter. “It’s an orange. It’s a type of fruit.” He let Peter sniff it then took it from him. “The outer layer is called a peel. The insides are what we eat.” 

Tony stuck his finger nail into it and began peeling it but Peter stopped him. “Is it an animal?!” 

“No, honey. It’s a fruit. That means it wasn’t made in a factory. The earth made it.” Tony finished peeling it and handed each of his children a piece of the peel to sniff then handed one to Pepper who closed her eyes as she took a big whiff, probably thinking back to a time before the earth began dying. 

Peter took a bite of the peel, causing Tony to laugh. “No, baby, you don’t eat this part.” He said but still let him hold the orange peel. “We can boil some water with these later and maybe make some tea.” Tony suggested and turned to Pepper who nodded. 

“Absolutely. And we can put it in the fridge for later to turn it into juice.” Pepper collected the peels into a pile. 

All eyes were on Tony as he peeled off three oranges and handed one to Peter, Morgan then Harley. Then peeled off two more for Pepper and himself. 

Peter sucked on the tip before biting into it, his face scrunching up. “Sour.” 

“It’s sweet and juicy. Do you like it?” Tony missed the taste of oranges but was enjoying watching his children try an orange for the first time. 

Morgan hummed loudly. “So good! Can I tell Lissa and Charlie at school that I got to try an orange?” 

“Of course you can. It isn’t against the law. Just extremely rare to find one.” Tony caressed her cheek. 

“I wanna tell Mr. Hoppers when I find him.” Peter took another bite of the orange then turned around to hug Tony. “Thank you, daddy. It tastes like… the colour orange and it tickles my tummy.” 

Tony cooed, squeezing his boy back and kissing him on the cheek. “You’re welcome, baby.” He wished they lived in a world where they could have access to oranges anytime they wanted but unfortunately that wasn’t the way things were anymore. 

“These are amazing. Now I’m going to want one all the time.” Harley ate the last of his orange and licked his lips, probably trying to savor every last drop. “Do you think… one day, we’ll have oranges again whenever we want?” 

Tony looked at Pepper. He wished he knew the answer, well, more like he wished he could say what he wanted the answer to be but the truth was that the world would only get worse. The part of the world they lived in, what used to be New York but is now called District Rover 3, is actually one of the better parts of the world, believe it or not. Other places didn’t have places to live in and so people lived on the streets with their families. 

Tony opened his mouth to speak but there was a knock at the door. He jumped up, picking up Peter with him and rushing over to the picture frame, pulling it open, putting Peter inside despite the tiny whimpers he made, then he shut the frame and turned to the door. 

Pepper hugged Morgan, never knowing what a knock at the door meant and who it could be. 

Tony opened it, sighing in relief when he saw who it was. He stepped aside to let the man in, locking the door behind him. “Rhodey, it’s been so long. What brings you here?” Tony hugged his best friend then immediately walked over to the picture frame and opened it, taking Peter out. 

Peter looked to see who was there, already knowing he was safe if Tony was taking him out. 

“Hey, little man. You’re getting so big.” Rhodey fist bumped Peter before hugging Pepper and greeting Morgan and Harley. 

“I got placed on a new mission in Rover one through five for the next couple weeks. Basically a lot of talk with the gangs to try and take down the government and they want to send a message and get that under control.” 

Tony hoisted Peter up higher on his hip. 

“I brought a new book.” Rhodey pulled out a book from his bag that had a train on the front. He handed it to Peter. “Harley, Morgan, how about you go read it to Peter in your room.” 

Tony knew that meant Rhodey wanted to discuss something without young ears listening in. He placed Peter on his feet, ruffling his hair. “You guys go on. We’ll be here if you need us.” 

He watched them run off down the hallway then took a seat on the couch with Pepper as Rhodey sat down on the sofa opposite them. 

“What’s really going on? Should we be worried?” Tony asked. A visit from Rhodey was rare but he usually only came when he had something to tell them that he couldn't say over the phone. 

“Have you heard of the Vita Nova Initiative?” 

Tony grabbed Pepper's hand. “Sure. A promise for a new life. That’s what it’s supposed to mean anyways.” 

“So, then you know that the government has been trying to send families with children under 25 through the portal. They’ve been sending families for the past ten years. But it only opens up every five years, and you have to apply and make the cut. On top of the extremely long wait list.” 

“There’s no proof of those families actually moving on to a better life. All those families sign themselves up, get chosen and no one knows where they actually go.” Pepper pointed out. “They probably get executed.” 

Tony squeezed Peppers hand at the bluntness. It was true. Probably. But still unfortunate. “Peppers right. How can anyone trust that.” 

Rhodey pulled a paper out of his pocket and handed it to Tony. “I think you guys should get on the waitlist. On paper, you’re the perfect candidate. Two children. Boy and a girl. Under 25. Living in Rover 3.” 

Tony pushed the paper back towards Rhodey. “You’re insane. You want me to sign my family up to have them murdered?” 

“It’s not like that, Tony.” 

“Prove it. Can you actually promise me you know what happens once those families walk through that portal?” 

Rhodey sighed and looked away. “Okay, no. No I can’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s a lie.” 

“Bullshit.” 

“Tony.” Rhodey snapped. “The government is getting more and more serious about illegals. You’ve been lucky so far. Peter’s still young. But he’s going to get older and more curious and you can’t keep him inside this apartment forever. It’s not fair to him.” 

“The only thing that is important to me is keeping my family alive and safe. And if that means keeping Peter safe in our apartment, then so be it.” Tony crumpled the paper up and tossed it in front of Rhodey. “You know I care for you, but you should go.” 

“Tony. Please listen to me. Your family’s only chance of surviving this world is leaving it. This portal… it takes you back to a prehistoric world. Before all this. Imagine fresh air, birds, rain falling from the sky again. Green grass and trees. You get to give your kids a life they won’t get to have here.” 

Tony walked his best friend to the door. “Promise me we don’t walk to our deaths if we go through that portal.” 

Rhodey looked away. 

“My answer is no. I’m not risking my family’s safety for a promise full of lies.” Tony opened the front door and was quick to shut it, locking it again behind him. He leaned against it, putting his head in his hands. “I can’t say I haven’t been thinking about this.” 

“Do you think it’s safe?” 

“Not the portal. Peter.” He walked back over to the couch, collapsing onto it. “I mean, realistically, how long can we keep him in here? He’s already asking to go to school. His only friends are stuffed animals.” 

“We talked about this before we made him. We decided that we would take each day as it came.” 

Tony sighed. “The world is changing a lot faster than we thought.” 

“Yeah,” Pepper didn’t know what to say. If anyone found out about Peter, they would take Peter away and execute him then Tony would go to jail for the rest of his life, leaving Pepper, Morgan and Harley with no protection and sending them to the streets where it would only be a matter of time until the cruelty of the world got to them. “We made it this far. Hiding a newborn surely can’t be harder than hiding a teenager.” 

Tony didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m worried Peter will resent us in that case.” 

“Dad?” 

Tony sat up straighter when Harley walked around the corner, looking guilty. “Hey. Where’s Peter and Morgan?” 

“They’re reading the book on your bed.” He stepped further into the room and stood before them. “I… I overheard Uncle Rhodey talking to you guys… about Vita Nova.” 

Tony should have expected that. Harley was fifteen but was really mature for his age and was always wanting to be included in the important conversations. He patted the seat next to him for Harley to sit in. “Rhodey came over to talk about some things. He thinks Vita Nova is a good place for us to go to.” 

“What even is it? My old classmates' family got chosen a few years ago, remember? And her cousins who stayed here said he hasn’t heard from her since and never will again.” 

Tony nodded. “Well, once you go, there’s no coming back.” 

“As if anyone would even want to come back to this anyways.” 

Both parents had to laugh. It was the unfortunate truth. 

“Yeah, but we don’t know where exactly Vita Nova is. Or what it is. It’s the promise of a new and better life but how are we supposed to know that without proof. So I don’t want us going there.” 

“But what if it’s exactly how Uncle Rhodey says it is?” 

Tony didn’t have an answer for that. What if it was? But how could he know he wasn’t sending his family to their death. How could he know for sure? 

.

.

.

Later that night, Peter turned away from Pepper and faced Tony. “I read a book about trains and airplanes and boats today.” 

“Wow.” 

“It was really cool.” Peter yawned. “Do you-do you think I’ll ever get to go on a boat, daddy?” 

Tony’s hand moved to wrap an arm around Peter, rubbing his boney back. “I hope so. Maybe one day. You know, Morgan or Harley hasn’t ever been on a boat before either.” 

“Yeah. But… they get to go to school. And I don’t. I wanna make new friends and I wanna learn in a classroom with my friends, daddy.” 

Peter was bringing up school once again. He would’ve started last year if he were actually allowed to be alive. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. So Pepper home schooled him the best she could. Apparently Peter wanted to become an astronaut, a taxi driver and a brain surgeon. 

“Mr. Hoppers is your friend. He’s a good friend, isn’t he?” Tony watched Peter cuddle his teddy bear against his chest. It took them an hour and two meltdowns from Peter to find it hiding underneath the couch along with some broken toys. 

“He’s my best friend. But… sometimes I want a friend who… can play with me and run down the hallway with me.” 

Tony pulled Peter against his chest, holding him and wishing he could fix everything for him but the world was way too screwed up. 

“I hope I can give that to you one day. I’m sorry I can’t right now.” 

Peter shrugged in his arms. “Will you and mommy get another baby?” 

Tony smiled at his innocence. If only it were that easy. “Mommy and I just wanted you. That’s it. You complete our family so we don’t want any more babies.” 

“Oh.” Peter considered that for a bit then grinned and nuzzled up against Tony’s chest even closer. “It’s okay because you’re already my bestest friend ever, dada.” 

That comment went straight to Tony’s heart. He loved Peter so much it hurt. He would do whatever it took to keep him safe. 

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6 months later

“Good job. And pour all the flour into the pot.” Pepper instructed Peter, helping him to measure out the flour they needed for dinner. 

They were a bit behind on cooking today since Peter had a bit of a stomach ache so Pepper kept him company on the toilet for a bit. But now he was back to feeling like himself and wanted to help with cooking. 

“Like this?” 

“Exactly like that. Good job, baby. I’m going to get the water. Just keep pouring it in.” 

“Okay, mommy. Do you think daddy will like it? I’m gonna tell him I made it all for him.” Peter grinned, turning back to show his mom then went back to mixing and pouring. 

He went to pick up the spoon again but there was a knock on the door. Just twice. But loud. Peter covered a hand over his mouth and turned to look at his mom, his heart already beating inside his chest. 

Pepper dropped what she was doing and raced over to pick him up, opening up the picture frame and placing him inside. “Don’t come out, no matter what you hear.” She then shut it and raced back into the kitchen just as the front door opened up. 

Tony walked in, his eyes full of fear that only Pepper could see in him, otherwise he was doing a good job hiding it. Behind him, were four men in burgundy coloured uniforms. They were the government officials who came to periodically check out people’s homes and see if they were hiding anything. 

It wasn’t the first time they’ve come into their house unannounced and it wouldn’t be the last. But it was always terrifying. Especially since it was the closest they would ever come to Peter. 

“Ma’am, we bumped into your husband on his way home from work and so he happened to be our next house visit.” The main leader explained to Pepper then pulled out a scanner. “If you don’t mind, my men are going to take a look around. Can you hold your wrist out.” 

“Sure. My children are in their rooms, let me just go get them-” 

“My men got it. Just hold out your wrist, ma’am.” 

Pepper held out her wrists and nodded at Tony, silently telling him that Peter was safe in his hiding place. She saw him visibly let out a breath of air. 

“Mrs. Stark.” He smiled at the screen. “Nice to meet you, I’m Sargent Hunt. We’ll be out of your hair quick enough.” 

“Daddy.” Morgan ran down the hallway and ran into Tony’s arms, hugging him. It was a known fact that children were scared of these men. They’ve heard stories of them taking family members away, younger siblings, and some of them, the unfortunate ones, even had to witness it first hand. 

“It’s okay, Morgan. It’s just routine.” Tony reassured her despite being terrified himself. 

One of the men chuckled at her then pulled out a scanner. “Hold your wrist out.” 

“No. Go away. You aren’t welcome here.” 

Tony got onto his knees to be closer to her height level with her. He couldn’t have her say that to these men and let her get away with it in front of them. He grabbed her arm and rolled up her sleeve. “Morgan, you do as they say.” 

She shot Tony a dirty look and had to let them scan her left arm. 

“Morgan Stark. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand for her, clearly mocking her into being forced to show respect. She turned herself into her dads side as Tony stood up so the man chuckled and lowered his hand then turned to Harley. “Young man, how old are you?” 

“I’m fifteen. I’ll be sixteen next month.” Harley held out his wrist, watching the scanner light up green. 

“Harley Stark. We’ll see you in nine years then. Good man.” He wrapped an arm around Harley’s shoulders and led him to walk down the hallway and into the bedroom. 

Tony left Morgan’s side and went to follow them into Harley’s and Morgan’s bedroom. Tony could see Peter’s toys on the floor but it wasn’t suspicious since Morgan was ten years old and still a child. 

Tony crossed his arms and watched the man look at both beds then got on his knees to look underneath them, digging around a bit. Fuck they were looking everywhere this time. 

“Is there anything specific you guys are searching for?” Tony asked. It wasn’t strange to ask that, he was a curious citizen. 

The man stood back up, straightening up. “We have our guidelines we need to follow.” He wrapped his arms back around Harley. “Now take me to the master bedroom.” 

Despite being told where to go, the man led Harley into the master bedroom since it was the only other bedroom there. Tony followed behind them, looking back into the kitchen to see what was going on. His heart was about to jump out of his chest. 

The man looked at the bed and checked underneath it again. As if they’d be stupid enough to hide Peter underneath a fucking bed. 

He then opened up the closet and pushed a few clothes aside, pulling out a bra and giving Tony an evil grin before tossing it back into the closet. Tony wanted to punch him in the stomach and curb stomp his face.  

The man walked over to the nightstand table and opened it up, pulling out drawings that Peter and Morgan have recently done. The man tossed them on the bed and Tony spotted the drawing Peter made him for his birthday. It was of the five of them. He tried not to panic and looked at the government official who didn’t seem to see it yet. 

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck

“It’s basically the same thing in the other nightstand drawer too. That’s it.” Tony shrugged but that seemed to do the trick. The man smiled and made his way around to the other nightstand table and opened it up, pulling out a box of condoms and chuckling. He dumped the box on the bed but only three fell out. “You’ve been busy sticking it in your wife, hm?” 

Tony cringed at Harley witnessing this conversation. 

“Condoms are free and strongly encouraged to use. We’re not breaking any laws.” 

“Send your wife over the bridge, I’ll be waiting for her.” He grabbed a condom and put it in his pocket. Tony saw red and clenched his fists at his side, hoping that Harley didn’t understand what he was implying. 

“We don’t have to go to the other side of the bridge for me to-” 

“Uh Uh Uh. Watch it. You just might be breaking a law, threatening a government official like this. But I’m going to let it go this one time because I’d hate to see these cute kids of yours grow up without a daddy.” He wrapped his arm around Harley again but this time Harley wiggled out of his grip and went to Tony’s side. 

The man chuckled but didn’t comment on it. He eventually walked past Tony and Harley, walking back into the living room where everyone else was standing. 

“All clear. Although they’re pretty low on condoms. I suggest going to get new ones if you don’t want to end up pregnant.” He caressed Pepper's face but she didn’t do anything, not wanting to upset them. She just wanted them to leave. 

“Alright. I’ll get some tomorrow. Are we good here?” 

One of the men walked around the living room, looking at their family pictures. There were newborn pictures of Peter up but he could easily pass up as Harley or even Morgan. They all kind of looked the same as newborns. 

He then stopped at the painting that Peter was hiding behind. “Neat looking painting. Who’s the artist?” 

Pepper walked over to his side. “I bought it off a street artist a few years ago in Rover 5. I don’t remember her name.” She wasn’t actually lying, she also did remember the woman’s name but the less information the better. 

The man touched it, scratching at the side. Tony held his breath and looked in the kitchen for the closest knife. There were four men with guns. There’s no way he could take out all four but if Pepper got the one right beside her, he could at least get two of them then move onto the forth but the knife was too far. He walked over to the kitchen table and went to stand in front of it just as the timer went off for the oven. 

“Oh. I’m just going to take our dinner out.” She walked back over to the oven and grabbed oven mitts out, pulling out their dinner in a pan. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Stark. We’re going to give your family an all clear. We’ll see you when we see you. Have a good night.” 

“Thank you.” Tony opened the front door and watched them all leave, shutting it behind them and locking it. He immediately let out a huge sigh and laid his head against the door. It was going to take him an hour for his heart to stop racing. 

Pepper couldn’t stop herself from crying. Every time these men came, it was either life or death. They were one inch away from finding out about Peter and taking him away. 

Tony walked over to the picture frame and opened it, finding Peter hiding underneath a blanket. “Peter. It’s daddy. It’s okay now, baby.” 

The blanket was shaking, no doubt from Peter trying his hardest to hold in his cries so no one heard him. Tony tried to soundproof the tiny hole in the wall the best he could but it still required Peter to be absolutely silent. Even a hiccup could be heard if you were close enough. 

Peter peeked an eye out of the blanket and when he saw that it was in fact Tony, he fully came out and made grabby hands for him. 

“Dada! I-I-I-I’m s-sorry.” Peter sobbed. 

“Shh shh. Don’t be sorry. Everything’s okay now.” 

Peter sniffled. “I-I couldn’t hold it anymore. I-I peed in my pants.” 

Tony fully lifted Peter out and looked down at his pants. “That’s okay, Peter.” He pressed a bunch of kisses on his face. “It’s okay. It was an accident. You know mommy and I will never be mad at you if you pee or even poop in the hiding place. Never.”  

When Peter was a toddler, he was sick with the flu when the government officials came and after they left, Tony opened up the box to find Peter covered head to toe in vomit and diarrhea. 

He would never ever be upset with him for that. 

“It’s okay, my precious baby boy. I’ll clean this up while daddy cleans you up.” Pepper kissed his forehead and reached in to grab all the wet blankets. Inside the hiding spot were blankets, pillows and a ton of books and quiet toys for Peter to play with as well some water that got replaced daily, just in case, and quiet snacks that included breast milk bars with oats that also got replaced daily. 

There was also a tiny hole in the wall, enough for a peephole that Peter always looked out and could see what was going on outside the wall. 

Tony was still trying to calm down from that event. It wasn’t very often the government officials showed up but it was often enough and it definitely didn’t help that it was unannounced too which added all the more stress. 

Peter clung to Tony like he always did when they came because he knew the number one rule in their household was to make sure he stayed hidden at all costs. No matter what. He was once in the bath and got lifted out so quickly he got whiplash practically. 

But right now, all Peter wanted was comfort. He whimpered, crying into Tony’s shoulder. “Daddy. That was so scary.” 

“I know, baby. I know it is. But they’re gone now and everything’s okay. I promise you.” Tony walked into the bathroom and placed Peter on his feet, turning on the shower. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes.” 

Peter held onto his dads shoulder for support as he stepped out of his wet pants and underwear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, daddy. Just… couldn't hold it anymore.” 

Tony tossed the wet clothes aside. It was getting harder to hide Peter’s clothes even since he was obviously smaller than Morgan and definitely smaller than Harley so most of Peter’s clothes were packed in a bin labeled keepsake memories just in case anyone walked in and found tiny little underwear lying around. 

He grabbed Peter’s face in his hand, Peter leaning into him. “Don’t ever apologize for this. It was an accident caused by unfortunate events that are… well, it's inevitable to happen unfortunately.” 

Peter nodded. He knew how things worked by now. He was young but he was very smart for his age, he thought. “Will I ever get to leave home?” 

“I don’t know, baby. One day, maybe. I hope so. I hope the world will heal itself and things will change.” Tony really did wish for that. He wanted to give his youngest baby a good life. Not this. Peter didn’t deserve to grow up in a small apartment building. 

Tony wished he could make things better for him. 

For his family. 

.

. 

.

One and a half years later 

Peter jumped off the couch with his super hero cape. He was going to be turning seven years old in exactly one week which meant he was no longer going to be a little kid. 

His dad told him that when he’s seven, he’s going to have a lot more responsibilities and Peter was so excited for them. He wanted to be a big boy like his older siblings, sure he was only six, soon to be seven, and his sister was thirteen and Harley was seventeen, soon to be eighteen, but he was big enough. 

Peter landed hard on his feet and ran around the dining room table, running over to Tony. “Beep beep! Coming through!” 

“Woah, there. Careful around the corners, Peter.” Tony warned, he already had a scar on his chin from the last time he fell and slammed his face on the ground, resulting in a bloody mess and needing three stitches that Pepper had to give him while Tony held him down. That was hard. 

“I’m not Peter! I’m super duper fast man!” 

“Okay, super duper fast man, please slow down.” Tony picked up some of the toys off the floor and tossed them into the toy bin. Morgan was getting older so it was getting fairly hard to pass off on all the babyish toys littering the floor when the government officials came to visit. 

Pepper opened up the oven, pulling out four, pre-made dishes from the shop for dinner. Usually their meals consisted of a shepherd’s pie type meal that they were required to eat but over the past six months, rations have been cut so it was even less now. 

It was getting pretty bad. 

She opened up the tinfoil and shook her head at the serving sizes. “They keep adding less and less.” 

Tony peeked over her shoulder, shaking his head as well. Their kids were going hungry most of the time and there wasn’t anything he could really do about it. Some groups of people tried to protest and got shot down in the streets, in front of everyone, probably to send a message. 

“It’s getting really bad out there. I don’t know what to do. I can try going to the store after dinner to pick up some extra oats and flour.” 

“We might have to.” Pepper grabbed all four trays and placed them on the table, sitting down. “Morgan, Harley, come sit.” 

Peter was already making his way over, looking at the food that wasn’t for him. Sometimes Tony offered him a few bites from his tray but Peter never liked the taste and the texture in his mouth. He climbed onto his moms lap and waited for her to pull her shirt down so he could latch on and drink his milk. 

“Tell me about your day at school, Morgan. Did you learn anything?” Pepper asked, looking down to make sure Peter was getting some. 

“It was good I guess. We’re learning all the ranks of the government officials and what each level does.” 

Tony and Pepper shared a look. It was ridiculous that children had to learn about that and not things that will actually be helpful in this world like math or science or something other than that. 

Peter was homeschooled and practically knew more than Morgan. 

“It’s important you follow along in school but also remember that there’s more important things that will help you get through life.” Tony took a bite of his food, cringing at the dry taste. It kept getting worse. 

Peter unlatched from Pepper's breast to speak. “I learned my multiplication today.” 

“Yeah, he’s actually really good at the concept.” Pepper praised him, guiding his head back down to eat. 

“What’s ten times ten?” Harley grinned, asking his little brother. 

Peter unlatched again, excited to be quizzed and show off. “Ten goes into ten ten times so one hundred!” 

“Wow. Pretty good, dude.” 

“Okay, finish your milk then you can talk.” Pepper encouraged, catching sight of Tony’s eye and smiling. 

“How was work, dad?” Morgan asked, taking slow bites of her meal. 

Tony usually didn’t discuss work at the table. It was draining physically and mentally and he couldn’t take it anymore but that was his only option. “It was fine. Same as always.” He looked at Pepper again. Only she knew how much he hated that job. And he had to be there for ten hours a day. It was torture. 

Dinner went how it normally did, they talked about school, what Peter did that day, all of them struggling to eat the food that kept getting worse and worse besides for Peter who was stuck on breast milk to keep up his nutrition. 

After dinner, Tony grabbed his keys and stood up to go get a few things at the store. Normally they were denied from buying anything extra as there weren't many food items on the shelves to begin with but his family was hungry so he had a right to feed them. 

Harley got up to stop him though. “Can I go, dad? I feel like doing something besides sitting inside all night anyways.” 

Tony hesitated. It was getting dark out but he has been more lenient with letting Harley leave the apartment as he was turning 18 soon. He just worried so much for his son's safety. 

He sighed. “Fine. But just to the store and back. And make sure to stick to the sidewalk. Don’t walk off anywhere.” Reluctantly, as always, he handed the keys to Harley. 

“Thanks, dad. I promise I’ll be careful.” 

Tony kissed his forehead and opened the door for him, locking it right behind him and checking the time. It was a twenty minute walk to the store. So forty minutes of commute and about ten minutes inside the store. So Tony expected him home in fifty minutes, give or take five minutes. 

He sat down on the couch with Pepper and Peter where they decided to retreat for Peter to finish eating. 

Tony rubbed his back. “Are you hungry or just eating slowly today?” 

“He’s hungry.” Pepper sadly cooed, repeatedly combing her fingers through his hair. “You eat, baby. No rush.” Pepper has been producing less milk recently since she hasn’t been eating enough but that meant Peter suffered so she’s been trying to keep it up with some prenatal vitamins but those were next to impossible to get. 

“No rush at all.” Tony reassured both of them, moving closer to wrap an arm around her and place a hand on Peter’s back to rub. “I’m going to get started on cleaning up.” 

“No. Please, you rest, I’ll do it after he’s done.” Pepper insisted. Tony worked ten hours every single day, 7am until 5pm, plus the commute to and from work and then he still had to come home and be a full time father too. The least Pepper could do was clean up after dinner. 

She didn’t necessarily dislike the forced roles of the males working and the females staying at home to care for the children and the house because she loved being at home with Peter but she was also going slightly insane having to stay at home day after day with the same responsibilities. She could only imagine what Peter would begin to feel like. 

She’s done a lot of reading and young children and that imagination plays a huge role in children six and under but begins to taper off at age seven so she’s worried this year they will begin to see Peter getting more bored and wanting more stimulation in his life that they just couldn’t give to him. 

Pepper sighed, looking down at him. She’d never regret bringing him into this world but she could only wish that it was better for him and he was allowed outside and to live a life outside these same four walls. 

After a bit, Peter unlatched from Pepper and sat up, crawling over to Tony’s lap and letting out a content sigh. His belly was full and now he was tired. 

“You boys rest, I’m going to go clean up the kitchen.” 

Peter nuzzled into his dads neck. “You smell like… an orange.” 

“Do I?” 

“Uh huh. I wanna eat one again. It was so yummy.” 

Tony wanted to bring one home to his family again too. He checked the tree everyday although it was practically dead now. Nothing could survive long enough in this world anymore, the air wasn’t safe to breathe for humans, so trees and plants slowly lost their leaves and died. 

Just like the orange tree. 

“I keep looking for one every day.” 

“No luck?” 

“No luck.” Tony smiled softly at him. His birthday was in one week and they had nothing to give him. Tony was working on a wooden car at his work when he found the time but it was hard to find the proper tools to finish it off. 

Pepper finished wiping down the table then began cleaning up the plates from dinner. “Harley should’ve been back ten minutes ago. Should we be worried?” She pointed out to Tony. 

Tony checked the time. It’s been over an hour now. “He’ll be here soon I’m sure. Maybe it was busy.” 

Peter played with Tony’s necklace. Pepper gave it to him a month after they began dating, way before the world turned to chaos. 

“You like it?” 

Peter found comfort in playing with it. He nodded. “I want a necklace just like yours.” 

“I’ll find one for you one day, baby. I’ll get you the best necklace there is and you’ll-” 

There was a loud knock on the door before the lock clicked open. Tony knew it was only Harley, that was their secret code to let them know Peter didn’t need to hide. Tony looked at the door and watched Harley walk in but he could immediately tell something was wrong. 

Tony picked Peter up and put him to the side so he could stand up and see what was going on. “What happened out there?” 

Harley was breathing heavily. His fists were clenched and his hair was a mess. Tony approached him, placing a hand on Harley’s arm but he flinched. “Harley. Tell me what happened?” 

“Harley?” Pepper approached his other side, holding a hand to look at the forming black bruise on his right eye. “Oh my god.” 

“I-I think I killed him. I-I-I-” 

“Hey. Slow down. Tell me what happened, Harley. Right now.” 

“I walked to the store. Got some oats and-and flour and when I was walking home, two guys, in-in black, maybe brown clothes, approached me. They-they asked me to give them everything I had. So I did.” Harley explained, still panicking and trying to stop shaking. “But they wanted more and didn’t believe that I didn’t have more. So-so they attacked me and I wasn’t thinking so I grabbed a rock and smacked one of them on the head with it and he fell to the ground but the other one ran away and-holy fuck! I’m going to prison and they’re going to kill me.” Harley was about to have a full blown panic attack. He turned to his father for him to help him calm down. 

“Harley. Take a breath. It’s going to be okay. Did anyone see you?” 

“No. No, I don’t know. I don’t know. Maybe. It was dark-” 

There were three firm knocks on the door and Tony’s heart began pounding heavily in his chest. Peter already knew what that meant so he dropped what he was doing and jumped up, running into Tony’s arms. 

“Daddy.” He whispered, terrified. 

“Shh. It’s going to be okay.” Tony opened up the picture frame and placed Peter inside. “Don’t come out no matter what you hear.” 

Peter whimpered and the last thing Tony saw before he shut it was Peter covering a hand over his mouth to silence himself. He quickly walked towards the door and unlocked it, opening it up to reveal four government officials. 

“Can I help you?” 

The man in front, the one in charge, Tony assumed, chuckled at his question and pushed his way inside as the three others followed him in. 

“What’s this about?” 

“I’m sure you know, Mr. Stark. I have reports of your son attacking two people on the streets today.” 

Harley stepped forward, his black eye obvious of the fight he’s been in. “They attacked me! I was just defending myself!” 

“Calm down, boy.” 

Morgan ran into the kitchen where they were standing and hugged her mom, shaking against her. She heard yelling and walked into this. “Mom?” 

“My son is telling the truth. I sent him to the store to get oats and flour for our family to eat when these two men attacked him. Why is my son being questioned here?” 

“How old is your son, Stark?” 

Tony shook his head at the question. “He’s seventeen.” 

“And you let him out after dark alone?” 

“The sun was setting. It was enough time for him to go to and from the store before it got fully dark. He’s seventeen, that’s old enough to-” 

The man held up a hand to cut him off. “Do a ground search.” He told his men and two of them walked towards the bedrooms. Tony didn’t show his relief, as long as they didn't go towards the picture frame, they were fine. The man glanced around the room then walked over to Harley, standing in front of him. “Until we can get this story figured out, you’re under arrest for physical assault. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.” 

“What? No. You can’t arrest him! For what?! He didn’t do anything?!” Pepper raced over to grab onto Harley but the man grabbed her arm, holding her off. 

“Ma’am, if you interfere with the law then I will be forced to place you under arrest too.” 

Tony pulled Pepper away, trying to plead with the government official. “We can sort this out here. You don’t need to arrest him.” 

The two men walked back over and gave the all clear to the leader. “We didn’t find anything.” He told him then walked towards the picture frame Peter was hiding behind, standing right beside it. 

“Alright. Let’s wrap this up then.” The man grabbed Harley and pulled handcuffs out of his side pocket and went to handcuff him but a bang was heard behind the picture frame. 

It wasn’t loud enough for anyone else to hear besides the man standing right beside it and Tony, who was watching carefully. 

Tony's heart sped up. He saw the man who was standing beside it pull out his flashlight and aim it in the crack of the picture frame. Pepper gasped, stepped forward to do something since the man was reaching up to pull open the picture frame. 

Tony didn’t have time to think. He stepped to the side and punched the man who was about to arrest Harley, right in the jaw, causing him to fall to the ground. Tony immediately looked at the picture frame, knowing Peter was watching now but at least all the attention was on him. 

He didn’t have time to register one of them pulling out a taser gun and shooting him. Tony seized and fell to the ground, hating so badly how Peter was watching him right now. 

Morgan screamed, running to Tony’s side but was pulled back from one of the men. “Noooo! Daddy!” 

“Tony.” Pepper pulled Morgan away, holding her and crying. “Oh my god.” She cried, watching him get his hands forced behind his back and forced to stand up. 

Tony nodded at her. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay.” 

“Tony. No.” 

Pepper cried. He just assaulted a government official and was now being arrested. The thing is, they could and will do what they want. If they’re feeling up for it, they’ll drive to an empty field and beat Tony to death then bump his body there and go back to work as if nothing even happened. 

Pepper knew how they could be. There weren’t any rules or laws for these men to follow and now Tony just assaulted one of them. 

“Ma’am, step aside. Your husband just physically assaulted a government official. He is under arrest for battery and assault.” 

“Where will you be taking him?” Pepper cried, demanding to know. 

“We’re taking him to Metropolitan Prison where he will stay until a judge can give him a sentence.” 

“A sentence?! You were arresting our son for nothing!” 

“Pepper. It’s okay. Just take care of the kids.” Tony meant Peter too and Pepper knew it. She covered a hand over her face, trying to stop herself from crying as she watched the four government officials lead Tony out of their apartment and down the hallway, taking him away. 

Pepper had no idea if she would ever see Tony again. 

They said where they were taking him but it was no guarantee he would actually make it there. 

How could their life get any worse now.