Chapter Text
While it wasn’t snowing in New York, the bite in the air preceded the event. Peggy didn’t care though. Truthfully, the cold brightened her mind, easing the cloud of anger.
Perhaps anger was the wrong word. Annoyed was more accurate. She knew deep down Daniel hadn’t meant it. Her husband had only been teasing about her decision to keep her last name, as he was prone to do, even after so many years.
This morning though, it had gotten to her. The previous day, she had been dealing with a particularly misogynistic witness, Howard and her had went at it only two days ago and then, Daniel decided to tease her.
He hadn’t known; it wasn’t fair for her to expect him to when she hadn’t told him what a rough few days she’d had. It was just that for her, her name was a part of her identity, something she had worked and worked on building. It wasn’t not wanting to own someone else’s name; it was that to lose Carter would be like to lose some of herself. And she’d worked far too long to never let someone take away a part of her that she wasn’t going to let it go now.
Maybe she should be sitting down and explaining that to him, but this morning, she hadn’t had the time. She needed to head out to pick up Tony for the day. A walk seemed like the perfect excuse to cool down. Though Daniel had apologised and she was aware she was being a little grumpy with him, she had felt too clouded and needed to get out.
Now, she couldn’t wait to see her little nephew and get to spend the day with him. It was the medicine she needed. If she ever felt like a part of her was being lost, Tony had the knack to be able to piece her all back together and let her know how much he loved her. Every single part, not the ones society only wanted her to show or her work valued her for. And Tony did it without even thinking.
Just thinking of her little light brought a bounce to her step and she hurried along, glancing at her watch. The only person she knew who had such a passion for punctuality other than herself was Jarvis. If either of them were late to anything, alarms went up instantly so she made sure to get there several minutes early.
She could see the Starks’ New York mansion, their one of many, long before she reached it. Upon finally reaching it, she keyed in the code to get in the gates with hardly a thought. She had been here more times than she could count, especially after her nephew’s birth.
Peggy could hear Tony’s wails as soon as she let herself in the front door with her own key. By the sounds of the cries, she could tell he wasn’t hurt but was rather upset about something or other. It didn’t make her heart twist any less and she jogged down the familiar expansive hallways of the mansion until she came to a private lounge room. This one was cosier than the others, deep red rugs and soft armchairs decorating the dark grain floorboards, and pleasant cream coloured the walls.
As she expected, there was Jarvis, looking as put together as ever, checker suit, complete with vest and leisure tie. His hair was dishevelled but his kind eyes didn’t show any panic as he cuddled the little boy in his arms. One huge hand practically covered Tony’s crown as he held the toddler against his shoulder.
He was quietly shushing Tony, whose wails had dimmed by the time it took Peggy to get there. A warm smile spread across Jarvis’s face when he saw her. It was the one which always made Peggy realise home could be within a person.
‘Miss Carter, as punctual as ever,’ he greeted, pressing a kiss to Tony’s shaggy, uncombed hair.
‘Mister Jarvis, hogging my nephew as always,’ she grinned, already coming forward with her arms out.
As she predicted, as soon as Tony heard her voice, he turned, reaching blindly out with grabby hands. Amongst the cries, there was a distinct, ‘Aunty,’ thrown in there, chestnut brown eyes bleary with tears.
He looked the picture of misery and Peggy cooed in sympathy, heart twisting a bit tighter. ‘Oh, my little love, what has Mister Jarvis done now? Did he make you have all your breakfast or was it bath time?’
‘Yes, I’m such a cruel caregiver,’ Jarvis remarked dryly, handing Tony off, fingers gently brushing through the chocolaty hair. Despite the butler being hilariously awkward at times, with Tony, Jarvis was always in his element.
Peggy hefted Tony into her arms so he could burrow into the crook of her neck, little fingers clinging into her powder blue suit coat. Miserable sniffles could be heard.
‘Poor, little love has it hard,’ Peggy soothed, officially complete with her nephew in her arms. As she wrapped him up in a large hug, she realised the source of his upset as she comfortingly patted his backside. It sounded with a distinct sound of a diaper.
‘Ah,’ she said understandingly, before shooting Jarvis a concerned look. ‘A rough night?’
Jarvis sighed in sympathy, reaching forward to rub Tony’s shuddering back. ‘A rough weekend,’ he said, but waved his hand soothingly when Peggy’s frown deepened. ‘Ana had to leave on Friday to visit a friend.’
‘Oh, Bubba,’ Peggy sang, pressing a kiss against Tony’s temple, making him snuggle deeper into her. ‘Mrs. Jarvis will most certainly be back and making you Hungarian feasts.’
She only just managed to withhold her chuckle at Jarvis’s pained expression at his wife’s … interesting dishes, swaying on the spot with Tony.
Her poor nephew had the tendency to get stressed easily. People leaving tended to set him right off, particularly when it was Jarvis, Ana or herself. Jarvis had once spent a night away from him and was forced to fly back immediately because Tony hadn’t been able to sleep the whole night, crying continually for his Jarvis.
In turn, it was like it stressed Tony’s body out and he tended to need diapers, to the toddler’s upset. Usually, Jarvis would let him go without at home if he really threw a tantrum about them. But when he was going out with Peggy for the day, it was obviously necessary.
It worried Peggy but Ana assured her it was nothing to worry about.
‘Tony’s a special boy,’ she would say in her sing-song voice. ‘He sees the world differently from how we do. That includes things that we don’t see as a huge ordeal but to his little mind, it most certainly is.’
It was why Peggy was trying to be as much as a constant as possible. With the Starks currently being settled in New York for a while, Peggy had wormed her way on to a case with the SSI New York department. Daniel followed her, appointing his next-in-command to stand in as chief while he was away. With the SSI now being an off-shoot of SHIELD, she had a lot more wiggle room to pick and choose what she wanted to investigate.
Besides, she would put up with Jack Thompson, the chief of the New York department, for the rest of eternity if it got her to spend extra time with her nephew. Jack had mellowed anyhow after surviving being shot in Los Angeles all those years back. She still worked her hardest to get under his skin as he did her; she was happy to say she was comfortably winning in that tally.
Tony finally leaving his hiding place brought her back to her nephew. He blinked wide, plaintive eyes at her, bottom lip trembling terribly, showing he truly wasn’t putting this on.
‘Aunty Peggy,’ he whimpered. ‘Get changed?’
‘My darling, I think Mister Jarvis knows best with this one.’ Peggy hated to say no to that face but she knew Jarvis wouldn’t have distressed him if it wasn’t necessary. While the butler often accused her of folding to Tony’s every whim, Jarvis was notorious for being the biggest softie there was with the toddler. Unless it had to do with Tony’s food consumption. In that aspect, he wouldn’t budge.
Tony’s face began to crumble, more tears welling in his eyes.
‘But that doesn’t mean you can’t come to work with me!’ Peggy exclaimed, giving him an enthusiastic bounce, trying to get the light to start shining again. ‘You’re still coming to Aunty Peggy’s work and are going to make everyone so envious that they don’t have you for a nephew!’
That paused the meltdown for a moment, but Tony’s face screwed up with unsureness. ‘I … I don’t want … um …’ he glanced nervously about before leaning in close to whisper to her. ‘Aunty, don’t want people to think I’m a baby.’ He said it like he was revealing a secret she hadn’t figured out yet.
She held back a fond smile at the little things which were so important to him. She never wanted him to think she was laughing at him.
‘That will not happen, Bubba,’ she said firmly, kissing his sweaty forehead, brushing back the damp strands of hair. It showed he hadn’t long come out of the bath, which wouldn’t have helped his mood at all. ‘If anyone makes that grievous mistake, Aunty Peggy will chat with them and correct them accordingly.’
Jarvis shot her a warning glare over Tony’s head, mouthing, ‘No fighting.’
Peggy cuddled Tony to her for a moment so she could mouth back, ‘Well, not in front of him.’
It did nothing to lower Jarvis’s glare but they dropped the frowns when Tony peeked up at them.
‘Youse arguing again?’ he asked with a hint of his cheeky grin.
‘It’s “Are you both arguing” and no, we are not,’ Jarvis said easily, leaning down to affectionately run the back of his knuckles down the side of Tony’s face. It was something he had done the day Tony was born, like he kept on reassuring himself that the precious little being was still there.
Tony leaned into the touch automatically. But he still had to try one last time to convince Jarvis to come over to his side, chestnut eyes turning begging. ‘I’ll be good, Jarvis,’ he said, voice a little husky from his earlier bout of tears, ‘please? Change?’
Peggy could just about see Jarvis physically wavering but a reluctant sigh made the butler’s gangly shoulders slump. He rubbed Tony’s cheek again.
‘You will always be a good boy. Needing some help doesn’t make you bad. But I am truly sorry, my Anthony, but the diaper stays.’
This time, Tony didn’t hold back from starting his wails again.
‘Anthony,’ Jarvis sighed with fondness, reaching forward to easily pluck Tony into his hold, bouncing up and down, while rubbing the length of the toddler’s back. ‘It really isn’t as bad as all that.’
That got him a watery retort of, ‘Is too!’ but Tony cuddled into him all the same.
Peggy and Jarvis exchanged amused expressions.
‘Shall we?’ Peggy gestured to the door.
When Tony was in this sort of mood, it was better to distract him rather than keep in the moment, reminding him why he was upset in the first place. Luckily, Tony got easily distracted from things, which tended to make his tantrums short-lived. Unless he got it into his head it was a particular slight then the sulking could be quite spectacular.
‘We shall.’ Jarvis nodded. ‘Just let me grab his bags and we shall be on our way.’
‘I can grab those.’ Peggy went to take the two rather large bags but Jarvis immediately snatched them up. She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Really, Mister Jarvis.’
‘You won’t let me open your door, Miss Carter, so I am at least entitled to carry the bags. Jarvis walked easily with his packages, bags slung over his shoulder while he continued to pat Tony’s backside. The toddler was fairly silent now, hiccupping now and then as he continued to snuggle into his beloved butler.
Peggy rolled her eyes but instead of keeping on that subject, she glanced at the size of the bags. ‘How long do you think this day plans to last for, Mister Jarvis?’
The chilled New York air nipped through Peggy’s jacket as they stepped outside. Jarvis cuddled Tony closer despite the child wearing a sweater and thick jacket.
‘I believe in being prepared for all occasions, Miss Carter.’ Jarvis gave his warm smile. ‘I would think that is something you can relate to.’
She couldn’t be sure which of their adventures he was referring to but it didn’t matter. Every day she knew Jarvis made her unable to contemplate how empty her life was before him. Let alone before Tony.
Smiling softly, she nodded. ‘That I can.’
Jarvis’s own smile widened. Despite his proper behaviour, the man embodied the word warmth. It was no wonder Tony adored him to the ends of the Earth.
Packing the car took no time at all. Trying to get Tony into the baby seat took longer than if they had a willing participant.
Tony insisted he was too big to use a baby seat anymore; Peggy disagreed wholeheartedly. It wasn’t that Jarvis wasn’t a safe driver. The exact opposite actually. But it was always the worry in the back of her mind that if the Starks were ever targeted and one of their cars run off the road, Tony in a baby seat would be kept much safer than out of one. She was prepared to make for an argument to keep him in one as long as possible. Besides, he was only four years old and on the much smaller side.
And Jarvis was an absolute mother hen, fussing over the toddler continually, going with her on the subject completely.
All in all though, Tony didn’t appreciate their highest regard for safety, or his safety to be precise. He wasn’t shy about showing it to them.
‘Oh, love,’ Peggy sighed sympathetically from where she sat in the passenger seat. Turning around, she squeezed Tony’s leg while he wailed as Jarvis managed to strap his wriggling form in.
Immediately, Tony began pushing at the straps and clicking at the buttons but nothing happened. It was discovered when Tony was all of two years old, he had worked out how to undo the straps on a regular baby seat. Jarvis and Peggy were driving with him in Los Angeles when suddenly he crawled into the front and curled into Peggy’s lap. Since then, a high-tech baby seat was invested in where a combination of letters and numbers had to be entered into a little code box for the steel clasps to let go. Peggy had one in her car as well, not that she ever much drove when Jarvis was nearby.
If she ever got that hurt look again when she ordered a taxi that time, it would be too soon for her.
Still though, these facts never stopped Tony from trying to get out, which only increased his cries of frustration when nothing came about to the fruits of his labour.
‘My poor little master,’ Jarvis hummed softly. The distress in his eyes showed how much Tony’s upset was getting to him. ‘It hasn’t been a cheery start to the day for you, has it?’
Tony didn’t answer him. Crying as he held out his arms, he clamped his hands open and closed, begging Jarvis to help him escape.
Thinking fast before he crumbled, Jarvis dug through one of the bags and produced Tony’s well-loved stuffed rabbit, Mr. Peter Rabbit. It had been a gift Peggy gave him the day he was born.
‘Mr. Peter Rabbit?’ Howard had asked disbelievingly, turning the rabbit over and over in his hands. ‘Can you get anymore English?’
‘Since I am English, I really don’t know how to answer that,’ Peggy had shot back but she knew she hadn’t sounded threatening as she cradled her godson for the very first time like he was made of glass.
‘Here’s Mr. Peter Rabbit,’ Jarvis sang, causing Peggy to cover her smile with a hand. The butler was the biggest goof with her nephew; she should know as she certainly had her days caught doing some ridiculous caper to get a grin out of Tony. ‘I’m sure he would love a hug from his favourite little boy.’ The butler raised his voice high, pointedly ignoring Peggy as she swallowed back a laugh, dancing the rabbit in front of Tony like it was actually the toy talking. ‘Why, yes, Anthony, I would most certainly love a hug at the moment.’
Jarvis pressed the rabbit to the sobbing child. A gratified smile passed over his face when Tony latched on to it, cuddling his toy fiercely, bottom lip never stopping trembling.
Peggy melted as she knew Jarvis was. Digging out a sippy cup, he slid the spout into Tony’s mouth with a, ‘Here you are, sweetheart,’ stroking his other hand through Tony’s hair.
Tony’s little hand automatically came up to grab on to the cup and Jarvis took advantage of the distraction. He slipped out, shutting the door and getting in the driver’s side.
‘We have about two minutes’ worth of distractions,’ he murmured to her hurriedly as he started up the car. ‘We have that amount of time to come up with a plan because I warn you, I cannot hold up under this sort of interrogation much longer.’
‘How do you usually get around then, Mister Jarvis?’ Peggy asked with a hint of amusement.
‘I find walking is the best compromise when the young master is in a decidedly passionate mood about the baby seat.’
‘Fair enough,’ Peggy nodded. ‘What about the radio?’
‘Anthony has decidedly select tastes in music. It can be just as traumatising as it can be soothing.’
‘Yes, I have experienced that,’ Peggy murmured thoughtfully, thinking of the time two-year-old Tony burst into tears when she accidentally tuned a radio to one of those horrid Captain America Adventure Time shows. She had to say, she loved his taste.
‘Can you believe he has developed an adverse taste to Benny Goodman?’ Jarvis asked.
‘That I can believe.’
‘You wound me, Miss Carter.’
‘You’ve survived worse, Mister Jarvis.’
Jarvis raised his eyebrows in a mock offended expression, before cracking on.
‘I’ve just had a thought, Miss Carter.’
Peggy glanced sideways. Jarvis appeared far too chuffed after having lost in one of their little wit battles.
‘And what would that be, Mister Jarvis?’
‘Perhaps you could sing him a song?’
Peggy stiffened, turning a slow glare on the butler who was looking far too innocently out of the windscreen as he entered New York traffic.
‘You are surely joshing me? I don’t sing.’
‘By Anthony’s standards, neither do I,’ Jarvis chuckled softly to himself, obviously not as hurt by this fact as his words indicated. ‘He likes Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Smoke on the Water.’
‘Smoke on the what?’
‘Smoke on the Water? By Deep Purple? Rather vicious sort of music but puts him to sleep like a baby.’
‘You want me to sing rock music?’
‘I’m sure Itsy-Bitsy Spider would suffice.’
Peggy couldn’t not break into a smile. ‘Yes, I’m sure it would if it was sung by someone who could actually sing. All arguments aside though, he seems settled now.’
She had to go and open her big mouth as a tiny voice made itself heard from the back.
‘Jarvis? Aunty Peggy? Get out now?’
Peggy turned and her shoulders slumped with helpless love at the little boy in the back.
Rabbit firmly in the crook of his arm, Tony sucked on one of its threadbare ears because it had been used for such a purpose. The sippy cup was long forgotten, dropped somewhere in the back and already, she could see the tears threatening to spill.
‘It won’t be long, love,’ she tried to soothe.
Tony’s eyes watered more. ‘Aunty,’ he whimpered. ‘Aunty, out.’
‘Look, Anthony!’ Jarvis exclaimed, pointing out the window. ‘What a pretty building!’
The distraction did nothing but draw Tony’s attention to Jarvis.
‘Jarvis?’ His voice broke as it rose with hope. ‘Out? Please?’
Jarvis glanced beggingly at Peggy.
‘What about a story?’ she suggested over-enthusiastically.
‘Ah!’ Jarvis said cheerily. ‘A story sounds wonderful! What did you have in mind?’
She hadn’t really thought that far ahead. ‘Uh, well … there was the time the Howling Commandos—’
‘Utter one more syllable of a war story in front of the child and it will make the narrative look tame, Miss Carter.’
This was one of those times where Jarvis could not be budged.
‘I would have smoothed off the edges,’ Peggy grumbled, feeling petulant enough to make a face at Jarvis.
It was something she never would have dreamed of doing when they had known each other for only about a year. They had come a long way in the time they had known each other, incredibly comfortable in every which way. The birth of Tony had only brought them closer again.
One of the warm smiles pulled at the corner of Jarvis’s mouth.
‘Aunty Peggy?’ Tony’s voice wobbled in the back. The bottom lip began to tremble.
‘The It-sy, Bit-sy spider,’ Peggy’s voice started to sing without her volition, shaky and unsure as she glanced with fear at Jarvis.
‘Climbed up the water spout,’ Jarvis supplied.
‘Climbed up the water spout,’ Peggy quickly jumped in with only a tad more tune in her voice. If she could call it that.
She glanced back to see how it was going down.
The rabbit ear dropped out of Tony’s mouth as his jaw dropped open. He stared at her, chestnut brown eyes inexplicably wide, completely stilling from all his wriggling. Even his bottom lip had stopped trembling.
Well … he wasn’t crying. Peggy was going to take it as a complement.
‘And, and,’ Peggy snapped her fingers at Jarvis, nodding her head.
‘The rain, it came down,’ Jarvis nodded along with her, starting to get into it.
‘Yes, and … washed the spider out?’
‘That’s it!’ Jarvis clapped his hand on the steering wheel in merriment.
They both paused, simultaneously glancing at each other.
‘What happens next?’ Peggy whispered.
Jarvis gave that little look of horror he usually gave when she announced she was about to do something reckless. ‘I haven’t the foggiest.’
And that’s when she heard it. The happiest little chuckle accompanied with clumsy claps.
Both turned back to see Tony with the widest smile on his face, cheeky eyes twinkling while the skin around them crinkled. His legs were kicking happily as he worked on clapping and still holding on to his precious rabbit.
Jarvis practically glowed at seeing his little mate all happy again. Peggy reached back with a laugh, playfully ticking the back of Tony’s leg, behind his knee.
‘Do you like that, mubs?’
Tony’s chuckles deepened and he squirmed into his seat in a half-hearted effort to get away from the tickling fingers. He nodded enthusiastically.
‘Again?’ he asked hopefully.
This was all Jarvis’s fault. From now on, every car ride, they were going to have to become a travelling road show.
She couldn’t bring herself to snark at Jarvis. Tony’s hopeful gaze, so bright and happy, all trauma completely forgotten, was completely worth it.
‘What would you like now, Anthony?’ Jarvis asked, just as smiley as the toddler in the back. They were so connected in that way, feeding off each other’s happiness so easily.
‘The Beatles?’ Tony asked. ‘Please?’
‘Beautiful manners, sweetheart,’ Jarvis beamed in the rear view mirror, causing Tony to squirm happily at the praise. ‘Miss Carter? Care to do the honours?’
Peggy sent him a filthy look. ‘You will pay for this,’ she muttered.
Jarvis didn’t look worried in the least.
There was going to be no commiseration received there. She tilted her head back to address Tony. ‘Of course, my darling. Any particular one?’
Tony tapped his lips thoughtfully with his index finger causing Jarvis and Peggy to exchange another amused look.
‘From Me to You,’ he said decidedly, giving a nod, as though that confirmed it.
‘That I can do,’ Peggy said, before launching into it with more gusto, content to have Tony smiling again.
‘You too, Jarvis,’ Tony bounced happily, obviously thrilled to have his own in-house band.
‘Yes, you too, Mister Jarvis!’ Peggy grinned over at the butler.
Jarvis simply smiled and cocked his head back. ‘I didn’t think the little master was a fan of my voice,’ he called back teasingly.
‘Only when you sing opera,’ Tony specified with that brutal child honesty, causing Peggy to gasp on a laugh.
This time, Jarvis actually made a face over at her, which had Tony bursting into more giggles before they started in on their song again. Jarvis certainly wasn’t as horrible as what he described and Peggy kept on feeling laughter bubbling up through her chest at the happiness overwhelming her. For a day that had such a rough start, this was a moment she would always … always remember.
She and Jarvis sang back and forth, doing exaggerated actions as much as the car permitted. Particularly in the ‘Dum-dum-dum-da-da-da’ part when Jarvis threw his head back and went into an operatic voice.
Tony squealed with laughter in the back. ‘No, Jarvis, no,’ he giggled. ‘That’s not how it goes.’
‘Perhaps you could enlighten me, Anthony,’ Jarvis smiled back at him.
Peggy subtly reached over and gave Jarvis’s knee a squeeze, in which Jarvis’s eyes warmed more. Tony was shy when it came to singing or anything more in the arts, despite being a talented drawer and dancer. It was something both Peggy and Jarvis encouraged because Tony should be able to do things not related to science and inventing all of the time.
As always, Jarvis seemed to be able to get the toddler to participate perfectly. He didn’t pressure Tony into anything, which was something he got enough of already. But, instead, Jarvis lead him there in an encouraging and loving way.
It worked like a dream, Tony immediately piping up, singing it the way it should go. The little stinker was pitch-perfect, even going so far as to spread his arms out in true performance style. When he finished, he gave a winning smile, looking every bit the showman he was born to be.
‘Such beautiful singing, my darling!’ Peggy clapped, turning again to smile proudly at her nephew while Jarvis cheered, calling, ‘Bravo! Encore, Mr. Anthony Stark, encore!’
Tony blushed, squirming back into his seat, ducking behind his rabbit. His eyes peeked over the toy at the two of them.
‘Yes, you’re gorgeous,’ Peggy cooed, running her fingers behind his knee again, prompting more wiggling and giggles. ‘The most gorgeous little boy in the world.’
Tony gave her a huge grin, snuggling down deeper, looking decidedly content.
‘And here we are,’ Jarvis announced, pulling into a car space outside of the telephone company cover that hid the SSI, now one of SHIELD’s departments. ‘Now, was that so bad, young Anthony?’
‘Would’ve been better out of the seat,’ Tony pointed out.
‘You asked for that one,’ Peggy said.
Jarvis shrugged his shoulders easily. ‘That I did.’
When Peggy got out and opened the back door, Tony held his arms out expectantly, wriggling impatiently.
‘Yes, I know, munchkin, you want out,’ Peggy agreed sympathetically, inputting the code as Jarvis organised the bags. ‘We’re almost there.’
‘Then I get to see Aunty’s work?’ Tony asked hopefully, stretching out more to try to get a hold of her.
‘Then you get to see Aunty’s work,’ Peggy said agreeably, unclasping the straps as the clasps popped open, taking Tony into her arms.
Tony wriggled in excitement but Peggy had good hold of him, expecting the reaction.
Her nephew had been dying to see her workplace as soon as he could grasp the understanding of the word ‘agent’. Peggy had thought he was a bit too young though and Jarvis had agreed whole-heartedly. Even Howard looked worried when she brought it up to him once.
However, for Tony’s fourth birthday, instead of a present, he’d begged to spend the day at Aunty Peggy’s work.
‘Like a “Bringing your nephew to work” day,’ he explained excitedly before clasping his hands together. ‘Please, Aunty Peggy? I want to spend the whole day with you!’
And that was how Peggy spent a whole month convincing first Howard (which, much to her chagrin, hadn’t taken much) then Maria then Ana and, god help her, Jarvis (which, much to her frustration, did take a lot), to have Tony spend the day with her at work. She planned it right. There were no huge cases on and no criminals in holding so she was confident in the safe environment.
It was all Tony talked about for a whole month, which was why her heart broke a bit that he’d had such a rough start to the day. Hopefully it would be made up for in the long run though.
‘Here we are, Miss Carter,’ Jarvis announced, having somehow balanced the two bags on the back of a stroller he retrieved from the boot.
Upon seeing the contraption, Tony wrapped his arms firmly around her neck and glared defiantly at Jarvis.
‘No,’ he stated firmly.
‘No,’ Jarvis nodded agreeably. ‘This is just for Miss Carter to be able to cart your bags. You don’t want her to have to carry them, do you?’
Tony raised a dubious eyebrow at the explanation as did Peggy.
‘Fine,’ Jarvis sighed. ‘You can lean it back for him when it’s nap time.’
‘No nap!’ Tony insisted, sitting up straight, demonstrating how awake he was.
‘We’ll negotiate later,’ Peggy offered, giving him a kiss.
Tony grumbled. Luckily, at that moment, two policemen went by on horseback. The child’s eyes were glued to them immediately, leaning his head back to take in the huge beasts.
Taking advantage of his preoccupation, Jarvis pointed at each bag, talking lowly so as not to draw attention back to them.
‘The blue bag is in case he needs a change. The green one has a bottle if he is far too over tired and you can’t get him down for his nap. This compartment has his race cars. This one has his stress ball. You know how he likes to fiddle with things. Oh, and his favourite pencils. I thought you would have paper, but there is some here and—’
‘Mister Jarvis,’ Peggy interrupted kindly, laying a hand on Jarvis’s forearm. ‘You wouldn’t be happening to suffer from empty nest syndrome, would you?’
Jarvis swayed slightly on the spot, his tell for when he was about to divulge something he didn’t want to but felt obliged to. ‘Perhaps,’ he conceded, voice slipping upwards at the end of the word. At Peggy’s soft smile, he immediately added, glancing to his right like he found the telephone company building interesting. ‘Well, he’s had a hard few days. He needs extra care.’
‘Which I will provide for him,’ Peggy murmured, leaning forward to catch Jarvis’s eye. Once she had it, she allowed all their teasing banter to drop and smiled openly at him. ‘You may spend the day worry free, Mister Jarvis. Never will Tony have better care then when with me.’ She added with a wistful touch, ‘Other than yourself.’
Kindness welled up within Jarvis’s eyes. ‘Thank you, Miss Carter,’ he murmured softly, actually reaching up to squeeze her hand back. ‘Truly.’
‘Always,’ Peggy smiled.
Jarvis returned her look, making her feel warm in the chilly New York air. Taking a deep breath, as though centring himself, he rubbed a hand down Tony’s back. It gained the toddler’s attention, before he scooped the boy into his arms, holding Tony up so they were face to face.
Tony grinned adoringly at Jarvis and the butler gave a contented sigh, so full of love for the child. Jarvis always had the sweetest warmth to him but no one stripped the layers back like Tony did. Even though Jarvis and Ana couldn’t have children, there was no doubt that Jarvis was a father.
‘Now, young master,’ Jarvis slipped his finger down Tony’s nose before playfully poking it, gaining a giggle, ‘do you think you can behave for the day for your aunty?’
Tony gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘I suppose I can try,’ he said, an English accent seeping into his tone.
A shocked laugh escaped Peggy. ‘Cheeky boy!’ she scolded jokingly while Jarvis chuckled, showing it wasn’t the first time he’d heard Tony do it.
‘Yes, you can,’ Jarvis said softly, leaning forward to gently rub his nose against Tony’s. The toddler eagerly returned the gesture, the way they always parted company. It was one of the sweetest things Peggy had ever seen. ‘Remember the rules?’
This time, Tony’s sigh wasn’t in exaggeration. ‘Yes, Jarvis.’
‘You stay with Aunty at all times. No running off.’
‘I know, Jarvis.’
‘No touching things that you don’t know what they do.’
‘You told me that, Jarvis.’
‘And if you need to go potty, you tell Aunty.’
Tony blushed deeply. ‘Jarvis!’
‘Oh, mummies are so embarrassing,’ Peggy teased, taking Tony into her arms as he reached anxiously back for her, begging for an escape from the embarrassing conversation.
Jarvis simply smiled at the insult, running a loving hand through Tony’s hair before snapping his fingers. ‘Oh, my goodness, your hair, Anthony. I forgot to brush it.’
Out of nowhere, he whipped out a comb.
‘I said it as a joke before, but you really are a mother,’ Peggy said amusedly, watching as Jarvis fussed over an extremely belligerent Tony.
‘Jarvis!’ Tony whined, attempted to push his butler’s hands away, to no avail. ‘It’s fine! I don’t need it!’
Brushing the last of Tony’s wavy strands into place, Jarvis smiled fondly and gently brushed his knuckles down Tony’s cheek.
‘Now it’s fine,’ he said softly before taking a deep breath again to steady himself before he nodded to Peggy. ‘Have a lovely day, Miss Carter.’
‘And you, Mister Jarvis,’ Peggy said softly, smiling at the butler as he made his way to the driver’s door. She bounced Tony, who was still grumbling but only slightly. ‘Don’t be like that, darling. Give Mister Jarvis a wave. He’s going to miss you terribly.’
That brought Tony out of it and he gave that messy baby wave, wrist floppy as he waved his hand madly. ‘Bye-Bye, Jarvis,’ he called.
Jarvis brightened immediately. ‘Goodbye, sweetheart,’ he called and the last thing Peggy saw was his warm smile as he slipped into the limousine. After a considerable amount of time, the vehicle pulled away, showing how physically hard it was for Jarvis to leave Tony.