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_arkintern]

"I know," Peter breathes out. "I know. It's just... I don't want to see Annie hurt, either."

He turns and looks over at Tony. He knows Tony understands the feeling because when he started caring for Annie, much of what Tony did that seemed totally incomprehensible to him back home suddenly made perfect sense.

[st_hotflashes]

She gave Mr. Stark a small nod, wetting her lips as she tried to figure out how to process everything that just happened.

Liz didn't want to see Annie hurt either. In fact, she found herself silently agreeing with Peter through their whole argument which might have been a little odd seeing as Liz knew, logically, that Annie knowing this truth would make it easier for her and Peter. Telling the girl, though, seemed harsh. Had Liz been give the choice, she might have chosen to continue the lie for the girl's sake despite any unhappiness it would bring.

She look at Mr. Stark and then to Peter. She felt for Peter, too. She knew he was upset and she just wanted to make the whole thing better. She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out to touch Peter lightly on the shoulder.

"I think... she's still going to need you a lot. Even if you might not be - " Liz couldn't quite say it out loud. " - You're still you and she's still her and what you guys have here is real." That much Liz knew for certain.

She wasn't going to apologize again - she already did it in the hall about a dozen times - but she did want him to know she would be there for him.

"Whatever you need... I'll do it, okay?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony stood back and maintained his cool exterior. “We’ll pick up the pieces. Rebuild them into a stronger shape.”

[st_arkintern]

Peter stands in silence for a time letting the weight of Liz's hand stay on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he says finally. The resignation in his voice is obvious. What else can he really say to all of this? It's a shitty situation. Everyone's already acknowledged it. What more is there to say?

"Should we all just go back to our rooms now?"

[st_hotflashes]

"Is... That what you want to do?" It hurt Liz that she couldn't help Peter as much as she wanted to.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“Let’s make something clear.” Tony began. “This isn’t about Peter. This isn’t about me. This isn’t about Liz. This has everything to do with her past—whatever that may be. She was clinging to anything she thought would give her some agency. We give her a better foundation—one that isn’t built on lies.”

Tony nodded at Peter. “We keep talking with her. Together. We’ll reach her. Liz, I think it’s prudent you hang back for now.” Scenario being what it was for the time being. Tony had fully intended the first meeting be a gentle one, but since when did anything ever work out that way?

[st_arkintern]

Peter opens his mouth to protest, but thinks better of it. It's not worth arguing over this anymore, anyway. He wasn't going to debate over anyone's choice of words right now.

"Okay," he says to Tony. "Just..." Peter rubs at his nose with the back of his hand. "...let me know when and where you need me."

A beat and then:

"Can Liz and I go up to my room now? I'm really -- I'm just really wiped."

[st_hotflashes]

When Mr. Stark told her to hang back, she had withdrawn her hand instinctively from Peter. It wasn't necessarily that she misunderstood the man, but it was more automatic because her liking Peter had sort of started this whole ordeal

"I know. I'll, um. I'll just do whatever, I promise."

She looked from Mr. Stark to Peter and offered a small smile that she hoped it to be warm and reassuring. It wasn't entirely a convincing smile. The urge to magically somehow fix it all was strong.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony relented. There were times to be hard and times to be soft. ‘Gotta play good cop bad cop on my own. Joys of single parenting.’ “C’mon. Come here. It’s okay.” He approached Peter, patting his shoulder before pulling him into a hug.

“I know. It was never going to resolve itself in one day. It’ll get better. I promise it will.”

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, I know," Peter mumbles into Tony's shirt, grateful to have his face hidden from view, if even for a little while. "I just don't want Annie to think that everything I said to her was some stupid lie."

And Peter's pretty sure she already does.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“All you were trying to do was be there for her.” Tony ran his hands up and down Peter’s back. “You still can.”

[st_arkintern]

"Not if she's not gonna let me."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“Maybe you can’t be there for her as her father. You can be there for her as yourself. We’ll help her understand that.” Tony pulled back, hands resting on Peter’s shoulders. “The way you are is enough.”

[st_arkintern]

"Thanks," Peter says, not quite able to make eye contact. He wonders if Tony's ever felt like that before. "I'm just gonna go up to my room. Let me know how she is when she wakes up."