Family Therapy

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Madonna Inn or no, Tony was making good on his commitment to seek therapy. Or, in this case, facilitate it.

Every part of him was anxious, but he had some chamomile tea beforehand and prayed that the beta blockers were working their magic. And, of course, none of that showed on his face. To the world, he was the picture of cool. But all the adrenergic response inhibitors couldn't scrub the deep seated unsettled feeling that plagued him. It was almost existential. What caring god would decide that Tony Stark was the only adult around both informed and caring enough to round up some teenagers and a child for a mediated counseling session? Who was allowing this?

Alright. Deep breath. The young trio were seated around in his room. It was the most neutral, private setting he could think of. All of his clutter was pushed back into the bed area and arranged somewhat professionally. The drawing boards were covered with his spare sheets to reduce the amount of distraction and preserve the privacy of his work. Liz and Annie were seated on either side of Peter on the red sofa, and Tony was seated himself on the beige plush bench across from them, pulled in closer to provide some sense of intimacy. The candles already there provided some soft, warm lighting though Tony really was at a loss with the rocky interior. He'd grown desensitized to them but once he had to meditate over how it'd lend itself to a collective emotional breakthrough the damn walls just taunted him all over again. Tony told himself that if he ignored them, so would everyone else. Hopefully.

Alright. Go time. Tony pitied the universe where he was a social worker but many of the concepts and skills involved were translatable from his past life as a business man. Set goals and expectations. Identify and meet the needs. Strategize.

"Alright." Tony leaned back on the bench. "Before we all start talking, I think it'd be helpful if we all went around in a circle and expressed what we're hoping to get out of today. What we want to understand, what we want to change, what we want others to know."

Comments

[st_ayedhidden]

Her lip quivered as Annie tried to stay as 'grown up' as everyone else. She was well aware of her age in the group and everyone else were practically grown-ups to her.

She wanted to ask a bunch more questions like what if her mom showed up or what if they never went home, but Tony had said to focus on feelings so Annie was going to try to stay on task.

"Feelings," She said, trying to center herself. "I feel... I feel sad and betrayed and lonely and... scared."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Progress. Since Annie was being as forthcoming as she was, Tony nodded to her. Watching her struggle with the words and the task was trying. Every instinct he’d nutured since his arrival was demanding he take protective action. Now, his place was to be the pillar. Asking the right questions. “Why do you feel that way?”

[st_ayedhidden]

"Because..." She started and trailed off.

Annie searched for a way to explain. For a small frame, she had a lot of big feelings.

"Because it's supposed to be me and my mom and my dad." She said. "Because my dad and mom love each other very much and.. and it's like he's cheating on her. Because... Because he spends times with Liz instead of me even though -- even though--"

Annie felt the tears. She was struggling with keeping her emotions in check and the words were spilling out.

"Even though back home I might not even see him again," she half-sobbed. "And my mom and I were going to save him. My mom. Not Liz. And now I'm here and daddy's back home without me to help rescue him and I have to watch my dad love someone else here and not know my mom like she's not even important."

[st_arkintern]

Peter gets up and sits next to Annie, then pulls her close. He's not sure if he should say anything, so he doesn't. Instead, he gives her a kiss on the top of her head.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony sat back, watching the dynamics play out. A sad, angry, confused and likely traumatized young girl. A well-meaning but hapless teenage boy. A teenage girl now bearing the title of "the other woman" through no fault of her own and an unfortunate willingness to accept burdens for the sake of others.

And then himself--a narcissist in recovery playing therapist. He hadn't crumbled under the weight of the vulnerability on display because he was showing virtually none of his own. He'd been convinced, somehow, that all of this mess could resolve with a bombastic breakthrough with dashing heroics the way all of his own seemed to play out instead of something so hellishly mundane. But every young face in the room trusted him. He had to see it through, even if it took a few late nights with antiquated psychology texts and a lot of mirror training.

"Annie." Tony leaned back in, keeping a gentle tone. "I'd like to spend a little one on one time. I think that'd be helpful. Peter and Liz will be back shortly. That alright?" Tony glanced at every one in the room. The girl needed some space to calm down and work a few things out, and he was fully aware of how intimidating that could be when you were 'outnumbered' by older faces.

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie didn't look at anyone. She looked at her knees as she tried to save face.

Annie nodded to Tony with his suggestion. She didn't like crying and she didn't like crying in front of so many people.

[st_hotflashes]

Perhaps ironically, Liz was doing that similar stare off in the distance to keep herself from crying. She felt terrible for Annie and had no idea how to fix it except, again, for her to just not be around. Her minds stilled wandered to that solution, but she knew it wasn't the best solution.

She took a deep breath and stood, trying to offer a reassuring smile but it didn't reach her eyes and she basically moved like a robot to the door and went outside.

[st_arkintern]

Peter nods at Tony and then gives Annie one last hug before following Liz out.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Once the door was latched shut, Tony leaned in to rub the girl's shoulder before pulling her in for a soft hug. "It's okay. It's okay to cry." He murmured.

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie did cry.


"He's going to hate me," she said. "I making things hard just like I did back home. He's going to hate me."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Why do you think that?" Tony rubbed her slight back slowly, the tears wetting his shoulder dissipating quickly.

[st_ayedhidden]

"Because... Because he likes Liz and it makes me upset so it makes things hard because he likes to make everyone happy." She replied. "Just like... Just like home."

She closed her eyes.

"If I didn't break my bracelet or help my friends, he wouldn't have had to fight," she said quietly. "And he wouldn't have been taken. The man who saved us said he was probably..."

Annie stopped herself from saying dead and just shut her eyes tighter.

"I just... I want my mom and dad and for things to be the way it used to be" Annie continued. "Liz is ruining everything."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony continued to hold the small girl until her trembling slowed and her breathing calmed. Crying was getting out what you had to get out in a strict physiological sense. Same for vomiting. Thank god for the suit.

"Juice, per favor." Tony motioned at a silver robot still in the far corner of the bedroom. It had the appearance a crane mounted on a platform with wheels. It bore a few joints for movement, and its lower body was cylindrical for storage. It steadily rolled over to the pair, popping its thorax to reveal a stack of chilled juice boxes. It delicately reached inside with its jaws, placing one down before Annie. Tony simply blinked at it, gesturing expectantly for his own, and was nearly smacked in the face when its lagging AI over-corrected by thrusting it right at him.

Baby steps.

"Can I tell you what I think, Annie? About feelings." Tony peeled open the straw, sticking it into the foil. "You can tell me if I'm right or not."

[st_ayedhidden]

She took the juice box and held it in her hands. Annie looked to Tony and nodded. She knew he was a grown up and would have some answers.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"I don't think you hate Liz." Tony passed his juice box from hand to hand, patting his bot as if to say At Ease--only able to tolerate its expectant hovering for so long.

"I think you hate with what she represents. Not having your mom or your dad around."

[st_ayedhidden]

She looked down at her juice box and thought about his words. Her tears were starting to lighten up until she wasn't crying anymore.

"Maybe..." She admitted quietly. "...but why does he have to like her anyways? She's not like mom at all. She's not strong or knows how to fight or anything."

Annie was making assumptions. She did not know anything about Liz.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Annie." Tony repeated her name, brushing some hair behind her ear so none would get in the way of the straw. He was leaning over enough to be more or less eye-level, helped by the couch sitting higher than the bench.

"Peter is a good young man. A loving young man. He loves you because you're a lovable and special little girl and he wants to honor your dad's wishes." Tony bit his lip but his resolve was fixed. Keeping the truth of it all from her was the furthest thing from kindness. "But he's not the same man as your dad. He's a sixteen year old still in high school. He was dropped at the inn scared and confused. Same as you. Same as Liz."

[st_ayedhidden]

She frowned as she looked to Tony. Deep down she knew this already, but she wanted to hold onto the fantasy that Peter could be her dad here.

"So am I just... not supposed to want him to be my dad?" She asked, voice quivering a little.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"No one's telling you you're wrong to feel a certain way. Feelings aren't--they aren't right or wrong. And wanting your parents by your side--that's just... natural."

For much of Tony's existence, his life was divided into two chapters: the moment before the news broke of his parent's death and after. He was intimately acquainted with how painful that truth was--so much so he threw himself headlong into business just to avoid thinking about it. That he was having to guide a new generation through the coping process was...ironic? Ironic.

"I'm gonna help you understand this, Hon. We've all got expectations. And expectations...they're these beliefs we have about the world. And hopefully they've got logic to back them up, but by and large they're based on feelings. Your reasonable desire to have your mom and your dad back? It's setting up the expectation that Peter can be the same man."

Tony sipped his juice again. The pauses and glucose helped him choose his next words as carefully as could be. "And because you have the expectation that Peter is your dad...then you naturally feel betrayed when you see him with someone who's not your mom. And you feel afraid that it'll lead into a future where you'll be replaced."

[st_ayedhidden]

Considering the idea that Peter wasn't her father had never truly occurred to Annie. It hit her in the chest like a baseball. Annie understood enough to know that a 16 year-old version of Peter Parker wasn't "her" dad, but Annie figured he would grow up to be him.

"So..." She said at barely a whisper. "You're saying... Peter's not my dad in the future?"

She looked at Tony with big, stunned eyes.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

She was a quick study. Unfortunately.

Tony put his hand over one of her fists still balled up on her lap, giving it a firm squeeze, keeping her grounded.

"I've met a lot of people here who say they know me. But it's not me. The Tony Stark they know--he's still Iron Man, he still saves the world, and he's got a lot of the same life experiences but the events don't line up with the ones I've lived."

[st_ayedhidden]

This time when Annie began to cry, it was silent. She didn't sob or sniffle, but tears escaped from the sides of her eyes and she couldn't seem to stop them.

If he's not my dad... then I'm alone here.

"Then he doesn't really love me," She said after a minute. "He can't. Not like family does. Not like -"

Her lip quivered and Annie felt numb. She closed her eyes at the stinging of her face and couldn't bear to open them again.

"I want to go home," She managed to say with a quiver.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Seeing her tears pour down her cheeks stung in the heart of him. He’d come to view Annie much like he’d viewed Peter and even Liz—a child. His. And speaking so much as a word to hurt her was like a knife he was twisting in his own gut. But it only hurt this much because she was allowed to live a comfortable lie for so long. The least he could do was give her a soft place to fall, regardless of what happened.

“Annie.” Tony repeated her name again, cupping her cheeks. Her grief was getting away with her and he had to pull her back. He couldn’t dull the sting but he could clear the misconceptions.

“Just because we’re not from the same world doesn’t mean we can’t love you. I know it’s not the same as having your mom and dad around. Nothing can be. It’s not fair. I’m sorry.” He cleared a few tears from her pale cheek. “Peter, Liz, me—we came together because we want to help you. We can only help each other by being honest. We’re not abandoning you.”

[st_ayedhidden]

Annie shook her head as much as she could with his hands by her face.

"It doesn't matter" she said quietly. "None of it matters. Daddy's going to be dead back home because of me like Hawkeye said and everyone else will still be dead and I won't ever get to see him again and I'll still have to hide and-and I'll never see him again."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“Honey, take a deep breath for me.” Tony kept his voice soft, free of any urgency. Pepper had done the same thing for him in a few instances where he’d begun spiraling. “Just like that. You’re okay.”