This fic is canon compliant (including for relationships and character deaths). A special note: this fic contains FAMILY relationships with Peter and Tony, May, Pepper, and Morgan. I love one (1) family.

This is set just after the funeral scene in "Avengers: Endgame."

Enjoy!

The Strength of Iron

When Peter Parker first met Morgan H. Stark, it was not under good circumstances.

The day they laid Tony to rest, they were more similar than different. They were both dressed in black and their eyes were red-rimmed. They both hadn't slept much over the last few days – Peter more so than Morgan (what he would give to have that childhood innocence again). They both held an emptiness and sadness inside them. They both lost him.

It was a similarity that everyone there had; they all lost Tony. In one way or another, he was an important part of all the lives standing with them that day. He was a friend, or a teammate, or a mentor.

Or a father.

Standing under the summer sun, watching the arc reactor drift away, Peter swore he was back under that building all those months ago. Hs lungs refused to work, his throat felt tight, the world seemed to rush around him.

The one thing grounding him was May's hand. She gripped his arm, her fingers reassuring. Just as he was falling – thinking that this was too much – she would squeeze his arm. You are not alone. We are in this together.

He didn't know how he would've been able to do this without her.

Pepper was in front of him, a young girl balanced on her hip. She was crying into Pepper's neck, her sobs nearly silent. Even after the ceremony was over, she clung to her mother.

Peter's heart broke for her. He remembered how tough it was to lose a parent. He'd been here before. The feeling of drowning, and falling, and spinning uncontrollably. Pain ran through his body, making him question why it was called heartbreak when it hurt everywhere.

It was a pain he hoped to never feel again – especially not so soon. It was a loss he wouldn't ever wish on anyone, especially someone so young and innocent as Morgan.

He didn't know her. He only knew her name, thanks to Rhodey. He seen the back of her head during the funeral, he knew that she was four-years-old, and he knew that she lost her father the same moment he lost his father figure.

That was it. She was the daughter of someone he considered family, and he didn't know her at all. It was terrifying and haunting.

After the ceremony, he kept an eye on her. As the guests moved into the house, Pepper hung back, Happy at her side. Morgan shifted so she could talk to Happy.

Morgan was so small. She fit perfectly on Pepper's hip and her head fit perfectly against her shoulder. Her hand was a fraction of the size of his, and god, her feet? They were so tiny. He didn't think they made shoes that small.

It was strange to see Pepper holding a child – her child. She was a mother now. She had a child – a child that was now four-years-old. The last time he seen Ms. Potts, she was – well, Ms. Potts – and childless.

So much had changed since he left. People changed. The world changed.

Tony changed.

It wasn't just Pepper who had a child; it was just as much Tony's kid as it was hers. He was a father – a true father, not just a father-figure. He had a four-year-old, too. He wasn't just Mr. Stark, or Tony, or Iron Man. He was a dad.

To Peter, it was only yesterday that they were messing around in the lab together. Last week, they accidentally set off the fire alarm in the lab from an experiment. Two weeks ago, they split a churro after they both saved a dozen cats from trees. A month ago, Tony insisted on taking him shopping for a new cellphone. Months before that, he was ranting to Peter about how he was going to propose to Pepper.

It made him feel like he was drowning when he thought about how that was five years ago for Tony. What was only days ago for him, was years ago for others.

Was.

It hurt to already be using past-tense when it came to him. It made his eyes blur and the air get trapped in his lungs.

May squeezed his arm, bringing him back. Peter swallowed thickly and forced a tiny smile onto his lips.

The funeral was tough. He didn't remember much about it, other than feeling like his chest was cracking in two. His throat ached from holding back sobs.

Because Tony was dead.

He was dead.

And it hurt.

"Peter?"

He jolted out of his thoughts, turning to where the voice came from. Pepper was walking towards him, the youngest Stark still in her arms. She was once again pressed into Pepper's side, closing herself off from the world.

Poor kid. He remembered the funeral for his parents – barely, but it was there. He remembered being so overwhelmed by all the people – people he never seen before, but they would apparently miss his parents. There were so many words of sorrow and pity from people he never would see again.

Uncle Ben was his only solstice that day. Much like what Morgan was doing, he hid from the world in Ben's arms. For a brief moment, he felt safe, and he felt like things would be okay.

He hoped Morgan was feeling that way right now.

"You'll be okay?" May checked as the two Starks approached. "Happy's waving me over." Peter's eyes flickered to where Happy stood, closer the house now. He gestured with his head, beckoning May closer.

Thinking of May leaving him made his heart clench tighter. No. She felt like a solid rock in a world of crashing tides. Her grip was grounding him to the earth, even though his mind was still wondering the vastness of space.

But then he looked at Pepper. She had a sad smile on her face – one that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her fingers were tangled in Morgan's dark brown hair and she whispered something to her daughter.

When they locked eyes, something seemed to settle in Peter. Even though he was never as close with her as he was with Tony, she was someone he looked up to for so many years. In a way, she was his rock, too.

"I'll be okay," he said after a long moment. He glanced at May, a half-smile on his face. "Go. I'll catch up with you later."

She hesitated and examined his face closely. She must've found what she was looking for, because after a moment, she nodded and smiled softly. "I'll just be inside, okay? If you need anything – and I mean anything – I'll be out here instantly."

He let out a small huff of laughter. It was the first time he felt like he could laugh, even so slightly, since returning to Earth. The love for his aunt outweighed the chaos in his life in that moment.

"Thank you." And he meant it. He doubted he could ever expression just how much her solidarity meant to him.

With the departure of one motherly figure, a second one arrived. Pepper shifted Morgan's weight so she could reach out for him.

Her fingers were colder than May's, and they were shaking. Still, her face held so much composure and calmness that she could've fooled anybody. Her fingers wrapped gently around his upper arm in a form of greeting.

"How're you doing?" she asked, her voice just as soothing as May's was.

Peter didn't know how she did it. How could she stay so strong when the world around her was falling apart? How could she stand to be the one asking if he was alright, when it was her husband who died?

"I'm fine," he answered. "What about you, Mrs. Stark? Are… Are you okay?"

"No." The sureness behind her answer made Peter still. Her words didn't seem to match her calm expression and her even voice, but he understood. Pepper was always stronger than anyone gave her credit for. She had the strength of iron, and then some. "But I will be. We will be."

Peter felt the lump in his throat grow bigger. God, this wasn't fair. Then again, he learned a lesson on fairness a long time ago. Life wasn't always fair. And that was just… well, it was just life.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from yearning for things to be different. He wished they stopped Thanos five years ago, before the snap. He wished that Morgan didn't have to grow up in a world without a father. He wished Tony didn't have to sacrifice everything so everyone else could be happy and safe.

He wished for a lot of things.

"It was a nice ceremony," he felt himself saying.

He wasn't too sure what else to say to her. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about Tony yet, and he was the main thing that connected them. Sometimes, it felt like he was the only thing connecting them. Without him, they never would've met.

"It was," she agreed, glancing back over to the lake. While the wreath was long gone from view, she kept her eyes trained on the water. "It's nice to have something to ourselves right now. This ceremony, I mean." She glanced over to Peter. "The world will want one, too, and they will have one. They should have one. But… it's nice for this to just be us."

Peter didn't want to think about the national funeral for Tony. Instead, he turned his attention to the youngest Stark. She was hiding her face still, but just the sight of her made his heart warm.

She was Tony's kid. It was hard to wrap his mind around, but, without any hesitation, he loved her already.

Pepper noticed his interest and smiled. "Morgan," she whispered, her lips held close to her daughter's ear. Morgan's nose was pressed into her shoulder, her face buried into her neck. Peter waited, a gnawing nervousness growing inside him. This was Tony's kid. He wanted her to like him. "You have someone here to see you. Someone special."

With those words, she shifted, pulling her face away from Pepper's neck. She turned in her grasp, moving to face Peter. As soon as their eyes met, the breath got knocked from his lungs.

Those were Tony's eyes.

There was no doubt in his mind that those were his eyes. He'd seen these eyes ever since he was a kid – in the news, in textbooks, in the lab. Those were the same eyes that made him feel like he had a sense of purpose, and that he was doing good, and that he belonged somewhere.

The last time he seen those eyes, they were unseeing. The time before that, on the battlefield when they reunited, they were filled with unshed tears and joy and relief. The time before that, on Titan, fear.

Now, looking up at him, were nearly perfect replicas of Tony's eyes, holding so much innocence and light.

It hit him in that moment.

This was his daughter. Tony Stark was dead, and he left behind a four-year-old daughter. He sacrificed everything so everyone could have a happy ending.

Everyone but him.

In that moment, looking into her red-rimmed eyes, Peter made a vow to himself. He was going to be there for her. He was going to make sure she was okay for however long she'd allow him to. She was sure to have dozens of people looking out for her – so many people loved her father – but he wanted to be one of them.

Because that was Tony's kid. This tiny human in front of him – that was the child of someone he considered a father.

And, just like with Tony, she was family.

He inched forward, forcing a smile onto his face. It was easier with her staring at him. Those eyes seemed to be a beam of light in the darkness. "Hey. I'm Peter."

She rested her cheek against Pepper's, but her eyes never left his. She was staring at his face for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever. He could tell she was her father's daughter – he could see her thinking and processing and analyzing.

Peter was entrapped by her. This girl was Tony's daughter. She didn't need to have his eyes for him to know this was true. He could see it with each one of her actions; with each word she spoke, and each glance she took, it was Tony.

It was strange, but, in a way, it felt like a piece of him was there. With Morgan, it didn't feel like Tony was truly gone. She was his daughter, and she managed to capture him with every move she made. It made him feel lighter.

Finally, she smiled. "I know."

Peter was caught off guard by her answer. "You know?" He let out a breathless laugh and shifted a little closer to her. "You know who I am?"

"Daddy used to tell me bedtime stories about you," she said, clearly oblivious to how much her words were impacting Peter. It felt like the wind was knocked out of him. "He used to say how brave, and strong, and smart, and kind you were." Peter felt his legs weakening beneath him. "You look the same."

"I- I what?" It was hard to swallow, never mind speak. It felt like the world was tilting on its axis.

"From the photo. Of you and daddy. Above this sink." Before Peter could react, she continued talking. "He said you were like my brother."

Silence. His mind had gone completely silent at this admission.

Bedtime stories. Photo. Brother.

Seeing that Peter was spiralling, Pepper set Morgan down on the ground and stepped towards him. She reached for his shoulder and spoke. "Morgan, why don't you go run to Happy?"

"Okay," she said without a second thought. "Bye, Peter!" She turned around and took off in the direction of the house, where both Happy and May had been watching the interaction from the front door.

"Wha… What?" He glanced up at Pepper, feeling desperate for answers. There were so many things that he missed – so many things he didn't understand. "I don't… I don't understand. What…"

"It's okay," she told him. She squeezed his shoulders and stepped in front of him. "There's a lot that we're going to catch you up on. It's okay to not know."

Peter swallowed thickly and managed a nod. He never felt like such a stranger in his own life. "Okay." He met Pepper's eyes. His mind was spinning. "Mrs. Stark, she… she said bedtimes stories?"

Her smile was gentle. "You can call me Pepper, Peter. I think we're long past using last names." Her touches reminded him of May's – so sure, so grounding, so comforting. "Morgan knows about you. She's been told about you for the last five years. Tony-" Her voice caught at the mention of his name, but she continued to speak anyways. "Tony wanted it this way.

"You might not have known, but he loved you like a son." He didn't think it was possible, but the lump grew bigger in his throat. "You were more to him than just Spider Man, and more to him than just a mentee. He cared about you – more than you could ever know. And losing you…" Peter felt a chill descend down his spine. "That broke him." Her smile seemed a little more forced now, and he understood why.

"He wanted to honour your memory. He wanted Morgan to know who you were. He didn't want to pretend like you never existed. He wanted to make sure she knew that you were a hero – both as Spider Man and as Peter Parker." He was struggling to keep the tears at bay. His eyes and throat were burning. "I told Morgan that before she came, he had you. Because, in a way, that is true. You were Tony's kid in all but blood." Peter bit his lip to hold back his sobs. "She grew up hearing stories of you – Tony made sure of that."

Pepper squeezed his shoulders. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "He loved you, Peter. He loved you more than you could ever know."

With those words, Peter came crashing down. He let out a broken sob and moved forward. Pepper embraced him easily and without a second thought. Her arms held him securely as he sobbed.

He sobbed for Morgan, the girl who'd grow up without a father. He sobbed for Pepper, a woman who didn't deserve to lose her husband. He sobbed for Iron Man, a hero who didn't deserve to die.

And, he sobbed for himself, too. He sobbed for the previous five years that he lost. He sobbed for all the moments he missed with family and friends.

But, mainly, he cried for Tony. He was a good man – a better man than most gave him credit for. He cried because Tony loved him, but he didn't know until now. It hurt, finding out that he raised his daughter on stories about him. It hurt, finding out that he considered him to be a son, and his daughter viewed him as a brother.

Because he was gone. He could never tell him how much he loved him back. He could never tell him how he always viewed him as a father. He could never tell him how thankful he was for everything he did for him; from hero stuff, to mundane things. Peter could never tell him anything ever again.

Tony was gone. He wasn't coming back.

"I know," Pepper mumbled, her hand holding the back of his head with tenderness only a mother could possess. "It hurts."

"I'll never get to tell him that I loved him like a father," he managed between sobs. "I miss him."

The worst part about it was the fact nobody could do anything to change this. Not May, not Pepper, not Peter.

He was really gone.

"I miss him, too," Pepper said, her voice cracking. "But we're going to be okay. All of us." These were an echo of the words she spoke to Tony moments before he succumbed to his injuries. We'll be okay. You can rest now. Peter could only sob harder. "You, me, and Morgan. We'll be fine. We have each other." Her voice held a layer of strength he couldn't begin to fathom. "We'll be okay."

Even though Peter didn't have the same strength Pepper did in that moment, he felt himself start to believe her. He wasn't alone in this. He had May, and he had Happy, and he had Pepper.

He even had Morgan, his new sister.

It definitely wouldn't be today, and it might not be tomorrow, but they would be okay. One day, they'd be okay.

Thank you for reading. There are special references in this fic to a previous Iron Dad fic I did, titled Star Dust. You can find this on my profile. This story includes Tony telling Morgan bedtime stories about Peter.

Reviews are appreciated! I'm still new to the MCU fandom (this is fic #2), so feedback is EXTRA appreciated.