Chapter Text
Piper didn’t plan any of this.
Even before the baby, even before she met Jacob, ever since that stupid Oscorp field trip, ever since that stupid spider sunk its teeth into her flesh, the majority of her life events have been completely out of her control.
Now , kneeling on the bathroom floor, bringing up her latte with painful retches, she can't help but yearn for a simpler time.
"Oh Miele" Tony murmurs, one hand holding her curls and the other rubbing circles on her back. When she turns, she can see Ben frowning from the doorway, the same concern he's been harbouring for days etched onto his dark features.
Piper says nothing, focusing on catching her breath before the heaving starts all over again.
Tony makes eye contact with Ben for a second before moving his free hand to her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, "I think we should go pay Bruce a visit, kiddo".
Though she doesn't quite have the energy for words, the teen manages an angry grumble before her head bobs back down into the toilet to retch again. Her aversion to the Medbay is undying, regardless of how awful she feels.
"You know he's right, Pip", Ben contributes from the back of the room, "You know the deal, if you can't keep water down then you have to go to the Medbay". When she doesn't respond, he tries again, "Piper if you're dehydrated, the baby is too".
Apparently that's all the persuasion she needs. Reaching out and using the sink for support, Piper finally brings herself to her feet. She can feel Tony hovering behind her, and though her instinct is to insist she doesn't need help, the slight spinning in her head makes her silently grateful he's there.
"Let me just freshen up a bit, then we can go", she gives in, staring at her face in the bathroom mirror and knowing there's a line and they've crossed it.
Tony and Ben leave the room to let Piper pull herself together a little. She can hear them talking in low voices behind the door. They should know by now that there's no point - if Piper wants to know what they're talking about, spider-senses will be employed.
Ignoring her shaking hands, she splashes cold water on her face, the sensation making her lips tingle. A soft brain fog coats her thoughts as she brushes her teeth, captivated by her distorted reflection in the bathroom tap.
A familiar thought stings the back of her brain - how would May have reacted?
Would she have shouted like Ben or fallen into shocked acceptance like Tony? If nothing else, Piper could say with full certainty that there would've been tears. Even if she yelled before, May would have been the first to cry with her.
With the melancholy knowledge that she'll never get to share that moment with her aunt, Piper emerges from the bathroom, still deep in the fog of her tired brain.
Ben and Tony are on the other side of the living room, still talking in low voices that Piper's ears can't pick up for some reason. Tony notices her leave the bathroom, offering her a worried smile. His mouth forms words that must get lost somewhere in the apartment because she can't find them.
Brows furrowed, she takes a tentative step forward, discovering that she can't feel the ground properly, or see it for that matter.
Tony moves quickly but not quickly enough, before he's made it halfway across the room, Piper's collapsed on the floorboards.
"Kid?!", he drops to his knees next to her, grabbing her shoulders to manoeuvre her out of the crumpled heap she's lying in as Ben crouches down by her head.
"Piper?" Ben taps her cheek gently, she doesn't respond and he seeks a pulse in her neck. He makes eye-contact with Tony, "Not as strong as I'd like, but it's there".
The mechanic nods, exhaling heavily, "I have a suit in my car, it'll be quicker for me to fly her over there".
"I'll grab some of her stuff and drive over, just keep me updated", Ben cups her cheek with his hand for a moment, knowing she'll be safe with Tony but resenting letting her go anyway.
It's far easier than it should be for Tony to carry the kid downstairs - he wouldn't risk it but he's pretty certain he could support her bodyweight with one arm. As soon as they're in the sky, he has Friday call Bruce.
"Tony, to what do I owe the pleasure?".
"I'm bringing the spider baby in", he states without any preamble, "She just clocked out on us".
He hears Bruce move about in his office, "How far out are you?".
"Just a couple of minutes, make sure you're ready for her".
"I will be, Tony. Do you want a whole team?".
He contemplates it for a moment, but he knows what Piper choose if she could, "No, just you".
True to his word, Bruce is there with a bed when Tony lands at the Medbay. "What happened?", he asks when the billionaire puts her down and they make their way to a private bay. Not that it's particularly necessary, other than the staff, the Medbay has been fairly empty since the rogues left.
"She's been throwing up since last night", the suit folds away and Tony is left feeling spookily human, "She can't keep anything down, the kid has to be beyond dehydrated and god knows what the baby's doing to her metabolism".
Bruce looks up from the monitors he's linking Piper to, "You know about the baby?".
Tony nods once, pushing down the hurt he has no right to feel at Bruce knowing before he did. He knows that wasn't a choice the kid made, "She told me this afternoon".
Banner barely reacts, focused on piercing one of Piper's fingers with a lancet. It only takes a moment for his theory to be confirmed, "Her blood sugar's through the floor". The news is unsurprising for both of them, but Tony's concern doesn't shift.
"What's the plan, Brucie?".
The scientist's lip quirks at the nickname as he retrieves the needle for a cannula, "Fluids, sugars, and oxygen. Once she's rehydrated and her blood sugar's back to normal she'll come round". It only takes a moment for him to settle the needle in her arm, "We do need to think about the long-term though.. pregnant women need more calories anyway, and what with the vomiting and her enhanced metabolism, this isn't anywhere close to sustainable".
Whilst Bruce continues setting up the IV, Tony allows himself to settle into the chair by Piper's bed. The emotional tsunami of the day is beginning to catch up to him, he can feel in his bones that this fiasco has aged him at least four years. He sends a quick text to Ben to let him know she's stable, and then focuses his attention on the kid.
Without even really thinking about it, he holds her hand with both of his, fully prepared to wait patiently until she's ready to wake up. The idea that his kid is going to have a kid is still processing itself through his brain. Piper might not be like your average kid, but she's still a child, she's still in school. This is a life-altering situation for her.
After making sure Piper has everything she's going to need to get through the next few hours, Bruce's stare lingers on Tony for a moment.
"She'll be okay, Tony".
The mechanic blinks out of his trance, meeting eyes with his colleague, "I know - you're a pro Brucie-bear, it's why we come to you". His words are light but he doesn't smile.
Bruce huffs out a short laugh, "I don't just mean tonight, Tony. She's a good kid, she'll be alright".
That makes him smile, moving one of his hands to run a thumb over her cheek, "I know".
When Ben arrives, he sets himself up in the chair next to Tony. The two of them don't chat much, they just sit and wait. When he remembers everybody himself and Piper have lost, he can't help but feel grateful that he isn't waiting alone.
It's three hours before the kid stirs. Maintaining tradition, the first thing she does is try to dislodge the nasal cannula giving her oxygen, "Ah ah", Tony bats her hand away, "Leave that be, Kiddo".
At Tony's voice, she blearily opens her eyes, relaxing when she sees him sat next to Ben, "Oh", she mumbles, "Hey", then almost instantly, "Is the baby okay?".
Ben playfully rolls his eyes at her, "The baby's fine, Pip".
"My heart, on the other hand", Tony interrupts, "Is still recovering from your dramatic impression of a damsel in distress". But when she looks at him with those massive bushbaby eyes, he smirks, "Come on kid, it's no fun when you take me seriously".
"Just keeping you on your toes, old man", she pushes herself to sit up, sending Tony and Ben a withering look when they both jump forwards to help her. "I can manage sitting up, thanks".
Ben looks apologetic but Tony raises an eyebrow, "That's funny because you couldn't manage staying conscious a few hours ago".
Piper has the decency to smile sheepishly, reaching for the phone that Ben's handing her. When she glances at her lock screen, though, she looks alarmed, staring at her uncle. "It's really late, Ben, you have work in the morning".
"I couldn't leave you!", he defends.
"I'm fine, Ben, you need to go to sleep!".
"Piper I don't-".
"Please, Ben, for me".
Ben looks helplessly from Piper to Tony, who offers a small smile, "I'll stay with her, go get some rest".
Reluctantly, Ben rocks to his feet, "I'm coming straight back when I finish work", he promises, bending down to press a kiss to his niece's forehead, "Don't cause Tony any trouble please".
As soon as he's left the room, the kid rounds on Tony. Before she can say anything, he holds up a calloused hand, "Don't even try it on me, Underoos, I'm not going anywhere".
"Bu-"
"Uhuh", He raises his business eyebrow, "No ifs, no buts, no coconuts, Kiddo. I'm staying".
Although she tries to look put out, a ghost of a smile plays on Piper's lips, and Stark takes pride in knowing she secretly wants him there, "Go to sleep, Spiderbaby".