Chapter 53
"If you want to give me a lecture, I don't want to hear it," Peter muttered, staring absently at the ceiling.
"Maybe you should get one, but I didn't come because of it," Pepper said softly, and Peter sat up sharply at her words.
"Mom!" he breathed in surprise and relief at the same time. "I thought you were a dad," he explained. He was glad it was her. He hadn't seen her since breakfast and was beginning to feel a little guilty. He focused so much on defending his sister that he forgot how it could affect Pepper.
"He went for a walk before lunch," she told him, sitting down next to him. "We have only lunch ahead of us and then we'll head back to New York. I don't believe it's over."
"It was a beautiful wedding, Mom," he said with a small smile. "But I guess you don't want to talk about that."
"I wish we could just talk about it," she sighed sadly. There was so much she didn't even know where to start.
"Believe me, it's a shock to me too, but that doesn't change the fact that she's my sister. Like it or not, she's my family. I don't want her to die. Wasn't there already enough of death?”
Pepper said nothing. She knew it was a sensitive subject and she couldn't afford to react like Tony. She didn't want to argue with him. She wanted to understand him. Now they needed to stick together more than ever. She had to get over the fact that Mary had two children she didn't want and didn't respect. She was an adult. She had already experienced a lot, she knew life was not fair. She must have appreciated the fact that she was Peter's mother at least, and as a mother, she had to focus first on her son's feelings and not on her own.
"Would she really be able to take your life?" she asked, almost inaudibly. It was one of the hardest things she had ever had to say. She didn't even want to think about something like that!
"Honestly? I don't know, Mom," he said and began to play with the hem of his T-shirt. "I want to believe that not, but at first she would probably do it and not even blink. But then Richard showed up, he took care of her instead of Mary, well at least I think so… He reminded her of something from her childhood and I realized that she was probably quite divided. Richard gave me this," he said, handing her a photo. "I think she's fighting with herself. I think she cares about me.”
Pepper stared in shock at the photo Peter had given her, trying desperately not to think about what it would be like if the two grew up together. "What are we going to do?" she asked. She decided to trust Peter's judgment. And even if she didn't believe him, they couldn't just kill her. They would be no better than her than Mary.
Peter gave her a surprised look. "What do you mean?" he blurted out in surprise. "Why are you asking me that? You are never actively involved in these things.”
"Maybe it's time for me to start," she said casually, shrugging. "I'm asking you because you're the only one who met her. I'm asking you because she's your sister, not mine or Tony's. I believe you, Peter. I know you tend to see good as me in everyone, but I believe that if you were in danger, you would do something to save yourself. Do you promise me that? That no matter what happens, you will think mainly of yourself? Because I can help you, but only if I know you will make wise decisions. I can't lose you, Pete. You're my son and I love you so much, okay? This isn't really easy for me, but I'm trying," she told him. At times, her voice shook, and Peter knew it cost her all of her strength.
"I love you too, Mom," he said, knowing she needed to hear it. "I'd like to promise you that, but you know I can't. But I will do my best to return to you."
Pepper sighed. "I can't expect anything better, can I?"
"Are you going on a honeymoon?" he asked. He already knew the answer and wasn't thrilled. He did not want to be the reason for their canceled vacation.
"I do not know. Tony doesn't want to leave you here alone, but Nat insists we should go. You know I hesitate a lot. I don't like leaving you in a situation like this, but maybe Natasha is right. What do you think? Would you like us to stay home with you?” she asked worriedly. Part of her wished he would say yes, but she knew Peter well enough to know he would say no.
"You should go. It's your honeymoon! Plus, the Maldives, I almost envy you, but I don't need to be there," he grinned. "Nat and Bruce will be with me, I will be safe. Bucky will probably watch over me too, but I'm not entirely sure about it."
Pepper had to laugh. She didn't laugh at all today, but at the moment she couldn't help it. "Tony was so persistent. I already believed that I really wouldn't know before we landed at our destination, but he made the mistake and told you," she laughed.
Peter paled when he realized what he had done. "Please don't tell Dad," he muttered pleadingly.
"Don't worry, we have more important things to deal with. I promise that when we arrive in the Maldives, I will look surprised as if I have no idea where we are,” she promised, reaching out to him so she could ruffle his curls like she did when he was little.
"So you're going?" He hoped, but he didn't get an answer.
Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Pepper said, standing up. "I'll leave you here alone, Nat still wanted to talk to me anyway. Don't forget that lunch is an hour away,” she said with a smile as her favorite brunette entered the room.
"Thank you for bringing Loki in the morning," she whispered as she walked past Michelle.
"Don't mention it," she said in a whisper, giving her a small smile.
"I hope you're the last person I have to have this conversation with today," Peter moaned as the door closed behind Pepper and Michelle sat down on the bed next to him.
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm just pretty confused," she admitted, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear. "I went to photograph the sunrise in the morning, and when I returned, I found your mother outside panicking. That quite drove me crazy, to tell the truth. And then the team dealt with something in the dining room and everyone looked so serious," she muttered, almost not breathing between sentences.
Peter took her hand to calm her. "You should know what's going on. I just hope you're not in danger," he said and began to tell her about what had happened yesterday.