A/N: Hey guys! Here's the second story in the series! Again, this is heavy with references to past child/sexual abuse and attempted non/con. If this bothers/triggers you, then do not read!
Seven months later; August 21, 2017
It had been a few months since Peter had told Tony what had happened to him as a kid. Ever since that night at the compound, Tony had become even more protective of Peter than before and so had Pepper and Rhodey. Tony, with Peter's permission, had reached out to May and let her know what had happened that night. There had been a lot of talking, and tears on May and Peter's parts, but both adults eventually convinced the teen to start going back to therapy. Peter was a little reluctant at first but he eventually agreed.
Peter now sat in the office of his therapist, Dr. Michaels, nervously waiting to see her. Even though it had been seven and a half months since he started seeing her, he still was a ball of nerves every time. The truth was no matter how many times he opened up to her about what had happened to him and how he was feeling or how he dealt with it, it never got any easier for the sixteen-year-old.
Peter glanced up at the clock. 3:45 PM. He sighed and sat back in his chair. Most therapy days weren't bad. He had even gotten used to them. It was easy talking to Dr. Michaels. She wasn't what he had expected at all and she was nothing like what the movies and TV portrayed therapists as. She was kind and patient and she didn't force or rush anything out of Peter. She was also perfectly content to just sit with the teenager if he was having an off day and couldn't bring himself to talk at all. Those were days like today. When Peter felt he was drowning in a sea of anxiety and when he couldn't break through the surface long enough to breathe. Today was different though. On top of his anxiety, his spidey-senses, as they had been dubbed by Ned, had been going off all day long. From the moment he woke up, throughout school and even now, they were going off and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.
"Peter?" A voice called out.
The teen shook his head to clear his thoughts and glanced up. Dr. Michales was standing there smiling at the boy.
"Are you ready to go back now?" She asked.
Peter nodded quietly as he timidly stood up. He followed the doctor back to her office, sitting down in one of the comfy and ridiculously big chairs in her office.
The middle-aged woman smiled over at him as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Are you having an off day today, dear?"
Peter sighed and nodded, knowing it wouldn't help anything to lie about how was feeling. "I've been feeling anxious all day... but... this is different from other times."
Dr. Michaels rested her chin in her hand, gesturing for the bow to continue.
"I can't really describe it but... it feels like something is going to happen... the anxiety just won't go away and... I've been looking over my shoulder every five minutes today it feels like."
The doctor nodded and set her notepad down and turned to face Peter, hands folded in her lap as she leaned forward. "Have you talked to your aunt or Tony about this?"
She already knew the answer. Peter knew that she already knew but she still asked anyway. "No..." he whispered. "It's just that May got this new promotion at work and Tony and Pepper have been away on business for the past week dealing with the Accords and I want to tell them. I do but I just hate bothering them when they have so much more to worry about and..." he trailed off, hands fidgeting in his lap.
"And you still feel like bringing up any concerns or problems to them is going to inevitably hurt them or cause them unnecessary conflict?" Dr. Michaels finished his thought.
Peter nodded at that. It was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Is today the day that you're going to tell me that I'm being irrational and to get over it?" Peter asked in a shaky voice. He knew she wouldn't. In all this time that they had known each other, not once did she ever say something like that. Not once did she judge him.
As usual, she was nothing but patient with him. "You're not being irrational Peter. You're being human. It's OK to be uncertain and to want to protect those that you're closest to. When you've been through the things that you've been through, feelings like this don't just go away. It can take a couple of months or even a couple of years."
Peter deflated at that. It's not that he wanted to keep things like this from his aunt or his mentor. He wanted to tell them how he was feeling and to let them in.
"Think about it this way though: in the seven months that you have been coming to see me, you have opened up so much more. You come in every week to see me. That's progress. You tell me about how you're feeling without any hesitation anymore. That's progress. You've talked to me about times when you have gone to May or Tony or even Ned and opened up to them. That's progress. Just because you still have a couple of off days and are unsure, does not make your concerns any less valid or your progress any less valid. You're doing good Peter."
Peter gave the woman a small smile. "Thank you... that does make me feel a little better."
Dr. Michaels smiled back as she picked up her notepad again. "So how was the rest of your day?"
They sent the rest of the hour talking about Peter's school and the summer project that he and Ned had gotten an A+ on. As five o'clock rolled around, they both stood up and headed out of her office to the reception area.
"You did good today, dear. As always." Dr. Michales placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you next week, same time."
"OK," Peter agreed as he shouldered his backpack. "Dr. Michaels...?"
The woman turned back around. "Yes, dear?"
Peter smiled up at her. "Thank you."
"Anytime, Peter."
Peter left Dr. Michaels' office that evening more than ready for a nice long patrol. He needed to get out and do something to take his mind off his anxiety. He headed home first since his and May's apartment was just a couple of blocks away. He stepped inside the apartment and slid his shoes off. Making his way to his room, he started getting into his Spider-Man suit. Once he was ready, he carefully slid his bedroom window open and cautiously looked around before crawling out and swinging away.
Patrol that night was relatively calm. He stopped a couple of muggings and one grand theft auto incident. He gave a few people directions and even helped an elderly man cross a busy street but, other than that, nothing.
Peter was currently sitting on the edge of a building close to his apartment looking for anyone else to help. He sighed and pulled out his phone. 9:30 PM. He really should head home and start on his homework so he could have it done when May got home from work.
Peter was about to head home when his phone began to ring. 'Unknown Number' flashed across his screen. Peter frowned. He wasn't sure who it was or who'd be calling him this late so he decided to ignore it. He had just reached home when his phone started ringing again. Unknown Number.
Peter felt his spidey-sense begin to freak out again as he stared at his phone. The anxiety that he had been experiencing all day came back full force the longer he stared at his phone. Should he answer? The call went unanswered but almost five seconds later, it began ringing again.
Peter slowly sat down on his bed and shakily swiped the answer key. "...Hello... who is this?"
"Hey, Peter Pan. How's my little Einstein doing?"
Peter paled when he heard the voice on the phone. The voice that he hadn't heard in nine years. The voice that was the cause of all his nightmares. The voice that, after all this time, still managed to spook him and send chills up his spine. Skip.
"Did you miss me?"
"Wh- how do..." Peter's breathing was beginning to speed up. "How did you get this number?"
"From a friend," Skip answered. "So how have you been doing?"
"Wh-why the hell are you calling me? You... you're supposed to be in prison... why... how?" Peter asked shakily. This couldn't be happening. Skip was supposed to be in prison. He wasn't supposed to be able to call anyone let alone Peter. How was this happening? Peter felt an incoming panic attack forming. The sense of dread and the shortness of breath hit him full force.
"Why, Peter Pan..." Skip chuckled. "You don't sound so excited to hear from me. After all these years, where's the love? I missed you."
Peter was suddenly overcome with a searing rage. This bastard had violated him. Ruined his life and gotten away with it all and here he was calling Peter out of the blue. Acting as if nothing was wrong. As if he hadn't destroyed Peter's life.
"Why. The. Fuck. Would I miss you, you son of a bitch?" Peter growled out. "You hurt me and got away with it."
"Oh sweet, Peter... you know some part of you enjoyed our little sessions. And now that I'm out, I'd love to continue..."
Peter froze at what his abuser had just said. Skip was out? He was out of prison? How was that possible? He should have been there for at least twenty more years. His panic attack was now beginning to take over his mind. He couldn't breathe and he could not think straight. Skip was out. He was out there. And he was calling him. No. No, no, no, no, please no.
"Stay. The. Hell. Away. From. Me." Peter spat out and he ended the call. He threw his phone away from him as if it had burned him and slid to the floor. Hot, angry tears streaked down his cheeks as he tried to control his breathing. He tried to focus on something, anything that wasn't Skip. He tried to go through all the tricks that Dr. Michaels had told him about. He really did try. But nothing was working. Only one thing kept going through his clouded mind.
Skip was back. The nightmare wasn't over. He was back and he was thinking of things to do to Peter again. The teen shivered and whimpered at that. What was he going to do? He should tell someone. Right? Part of him was saying to just ignore this but, the logical part of his brain was screaming at him to tell May and Tony immediately.
Peter looked up in fear when he heard the door to the apartment opening and closing.
"Peter? Sweetheart, are you home?" May called out.
Peter tried to relax when he heard his aunt, but this particular attack was brutal and it wasn't letting up. "M-May..." he croaked out as loud as he could. "He-help..."
Every thought he had about hiding the phonecall flew out the window. He wanted May and he wanted her help to figure this out. She would know what to do. But first, he needed to calm down. He winced at the sudden light that flooded his room when his door opened.
"Peter?"
Peter let out a sob when he saw May standing in his doorway. "Ma-May..."
His aunt was by his side in a split second once she heard her nephew's sobs. "Peter, baby I need you to breathe for me. It's just a panic attack. You can get through this, honey. I know you can." May's hands were hovering over Peter, careful not to touch him.
"M-May... it... it's him..." Peter choked out.
"Who? Who is it, baby?" May asked in concern.
"S-S-Skip."
May felt her blood run cold at hearing that name. What was Peter talking about? "Peter, sweetheart... what do you mean? What about him?"
The teenager shakily pointed to his phone, another heart-wrenching sob escaping his lips. "H-h-he c-called me..."
"What?"
"H-he's out of j-jail, May. He's b-back. I...I c-can't do th-this again..." Peter scooted over and threw his arms around May, crying into her neck.
The older woman did not hesitate to wrap her arms tightly around her nephew. She held Peter, trying to comfort him as best as she could. "OK, baby. Breathe with me, honey. Just breathe. It's OK. I'm here. I'm here now and I am not going anywhere."
Peter just continued to cry, holding onto May for dear life. After what seemed like hours, his tears finally dried up. His breathing was still not normal but it was better than it had been just an hour ago. He hiccuped and held onto his aunt tighter.
"Peter? Honey, when did this happen?" May asked as she ran a hand through Peter's soft curls.
"Right before you got home..." Peter whispered. "I... I was getting calls from an unknown number while on patrol and... after the third time they called... I answered. He... he talked so normally. Like what he did was nothing." Peter pulled away and looked at his aunt fearfully. "He said he wanted to get together again and... I freaked out. I told him to stay away and I through my phone... May I... I'm scared... I..."
May stood up angrily and took out her phone. "I'm calling Tony and having his lawyers get a restraining order against that monster. He will not come near you or call you again."
Peter wiped an arm over his eyes, trying to calm himself down. Even though he had been reluctant to tell her and worry her, he knew May just wanted to protect him and that she would know what to do.
May turned to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He's not going to get away with this sweetheart. I won't let him."
Peter nodded at her, trusting that she and Tony would take care of it.
When Tony heard that Skip had called Peter and was getting out of jail, he was pissed. No. Pissed wasn't the right word. The billionaire was livid. Who the hell did that scumbag think he was?
"What do you mean he's out of jail?" The man growled.
Pepper looked up from where she had been working on her StarkPad in confusion and concern.
"OK, May. OK, I understand and I agree. I will get my lawyers working on a restraining order immediately." Tony was silent for a few seconds. "How... how's Peter holding up? Is there anything else that I can do?"
Pepper was really concerned now as she listened to her fiance. What was wrong with Peter? Who was out of jail now?
"OK, I understand. Is he going to school in the morning? Maybe he should stay with me tomorrow. Pepper and I can keep an eye on him and make sure that bastard comes nowhere near him." A few more seconds of silence. "OK, I'll have Happy pick him up tomorrow. Take care, May and don't worry. I have the best lawyers working on this."
Tony hung up the phone and set it down. He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his temples worry clouding his mind. His kid had been threatened tonight. Threatened by the same monster that had hurt him nine years ago. To be honest, Tony wanted nothing more than to get in his Iron Man suit, fly to wherever this asshole was and make him suffer.
Tony looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Pepper was standing by his side looking concerned. Tony gently took her hand into his and sighed.
"Steven Westcott has been let out of prison."
Pepper's eyes widened at that. "Steven Westcott? The man who hurt Peter and shot a cop? He's out?" Pepper just looked angry at this point. "What on earth for? He wasn't supposed to be out for another twenty years I thought."
Tony shook his head. "I'm not sure how he's out but I do know that he called Peter and threatened to come near him again." Tony was shaking at the thought of this predator coming anywhere near his kid.
And now Pepper was pissed. She had her phone out in seconds and was dialing a number. "I'm getting Foster and Duval on this right now. You said that you wanted a restraining order for Peter right?"
Tony nodded and smiled up at his fiance. "Yes. I want Peter to have one and then I am going to have F.R.I.D.A.Y. keep an eye on this asshole. No way is he going to have a chance to come near the kid ever again."
Pepper nodded and turned to her phone. "Yes, I need to set up an appointment with Duval and Foster for tomorrow for Tony Stark and an intern of his."
Tony stood up and headed over to the window of the compound and stared out at the stars. This asshole wasn't going to get away with this. Tony would protect Peter no matter what.
Peter woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. With his heightened senses, it made things even worse. He whimpered at the sunlight streaming into his room. Stumbling out of bed, he made his way to the window and shut the drapes. He looked up at a knock on his door.
"Come in."
Aunt May poked her head in and smiled over at him. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you manage to get any sleep?"
Peter shrugged as he picked out some clothes to wear for the day. "Off and on," He mumbled. He turned to his aunt, eyes stinging slightly. "Every time I closed my eyes I saw him," He admitted.
May sighed and walked into the room, bringing Peter into a tight hug. "Everything will be OK, baby. Tony and I are getting you a restraining order so he can't call you or come anywhere near you."
Peter nodded mutely as he returned May's hug. They both stood there for a few minutes before May pulled away.
"Now get ready, Peter. Happy will be here to pick you up in about half an hour."
The sixteen-year-old nodded and turned back to his dresser. Once he was dressed, he stepped into the bathroom and grabbed some Ibuprofen for his headache. He headed out to the kitchen and sat down at the counter, pushing his food around. By the time Happy arrived, he had only eaten a few bites.
May walked over Peter and kissed his temple. "OK, be good today, sweetheart. I'll be home late tonight so if you want to stay the night with Tony, you can. I would prefer you not be alone until we get things settled.
Peter smiled at his aunt and nodded. "OK, May. I'll see you later. I love you."
Peter met Happy downstairs and, before Peter could get into the car, the man placed a hand on his shoulder and looked Peter in the eye. "Hey, kid. You OK today?"
Peter nodded. "I just have a headache and..."
Happy squeezed Peter's shoulder in comfort. "I know... but Tony and May are going to make sure that you are taken care of. And so will I."
Peter groaned at that. "Oh, Happy you're not going to follow me around all the time now are you?"
"If I have to," Happy confirmed, completely serious. "None of us want you to be hurt and if that means I need to play super nanny, then I will."
Peter sighed at that but he smiled up at the man. "Thanks, Happy."
The driver smiled down at the kid and ruffled his hair. "Anything for you, kid."
It didn't take them long to reach the compound. Once they did, Peter slowly made his way up to Tony's floor. Once he reached it, he made his way down to Tony's lab. He smiled when he saw his mentor hard at work with ACDC blasting in the background. He let himself into the lab.
"Hey, Tony."
The billionaire looked up and smiled at the teenager. "Hey, Pete. How are you today, kid?"
Peter shrugged as he walked up to Tony's side. "I'm OK..."
Tony fixed him with a look that said to not lie to him. Peter sighed at that.
"I... didn't get much sleep last night... I just kept seeing... him. And I'm afraid every time my phone goes off." Peter began fidgeting with his hands. "What if... what if this restraining order doesn't work, Tony? I mean... I know I'm Spider-Man and I go up against criminals every day but... I just freeze when it comes to him and... I..."
Tony placed a warm hand on Peter's shoulder and drew the teen into a hug. Peter placed his head on Tony's shoulder and just stayed there.
"You don't have to explain your fears to me, kid. Everyone, even heroes, gets scared. And this asshole out you through a lot. It's OK if you're not magically alright overnight." Tony tightened his arms around the smaller frame. "May, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and I are here to make sure you're taken care of and protected. We're not going anywhere."
Peter nodded. "I know. Thank you."
Tony pulled back and smiled down at Peter. "What do you say that we get some takeout and watch some movies today, yeah?"
Peter nodded at that and the two headed upstairs.
Things seemed to be OK after Tony got his lawyers involved and the restraining order was enforced. Peter didn't receive any calls or texts or anything from Skip which was a relief. But, given his Parker luck, this didn't last. It was two weeks later when it happened.
Peter was in school and he had forgotten his book in his locker so he was currently walking down the halls to get it. Peter looked around the halls when he felt his spidey-sense start to go off. He wasn't sure what was going on but he had been feeling nervous ever since he got to school a couple of hours ago. Peter had made it to his locker when a voice called out.
"Hey, Einstein. Long time no see."
Peter froze. It couldn't be. No. No, no, no, no. The teen squeezed his eyes shut, praying for all of this to be a dream. He slowly turned around and opened his eyes. "No..."
There, standing in front of him was the one person he had hoped to never see again in his life. Peter took a few deep breaths, trying to remain calm. He couldn't freak out. Not now.
"I told you to stay the hell away from me," Peter said, looking around for someone, anyone to save him. "I... I have a restraining order against you..."
"Oh now, Petey..." Skip chuckled as he stepped forward. "Don't be like that. You know no silly paper can keep me away from you."
Peter shrunk back against the lockers when Skip moved closer. "No..." he whispered. "No. Go away. I don't want you here. Please just leave me alone."
Skip shook his head. "You know I can't do that, Einstein. We have so much history together and I-"
"He said to go away so I suggest you leave, pervert." A voice sounded from behind Skip.
Peter looked up and was shocked to see none other than Flash Thompson standing there in a defensive stance. The other boy looked sickened by what he was seeing.
Skip only scoffed at him and turned back to Peter. "This is none of your business kid so beat it."
Skip was about to take another step forward to a shaking Peter when he was spun around and a fist made contact with his nose. Skip fell down in shock and Flash wasted no time.
"Don't just stand there, Parker. Come on." Flash grabbed the trembling boy's arm and quickly ran with him towards the front office.
Flash burst into the office, a dazed Peter still in tow and the receptionist looked up in surprise.
"What in the world is going on, boys?"
Flash turned to look at Peter, expecting him to explain but he sighed when he saw that Peter was still in shock. He turned back to the receptionist.
"There was a guy, someone who shouldn't have been here and he had Peter cornered. I think he was going to try and kidnap him but I'm not sure. I only heard the end of their conversation. But I think Peter had a restraining order against him."
The receptionist paled at the news and ran out from behind her desk. "Go get Principal Morita for me."
Flash nodded and ran to get the man from his office. "Peter? Dear can you hear me? Peter?"
The teenager looked up at her and swallowed thickly. "I... I think I'm going to be sick."
And with that, he threw up everywhere.
Tony looked down at his phone in concern when he realized that Peter was calling. The kid was supposed to be in school right? Tony glanced at the time. 10:03. Yeah, it was definitely school time. So why was Peter calling him now? Tony quickly answered the phone, hoping his kid was alright.
"T-Tony?" Peter croaked out.
Tony froze at the distraught sound of Peter's voice. "Pete? What is it, kid? Are you OK?"
Silence and then, "No..."
Tony began to panic. "Peter? Kid, listen to me. Tell me what's wrong? What's going on? Are you hurt? Do you need me to come get you? What do you need, kid?"
Peter took a shaky breath and whispered in a voice so low that Tony almost didn't hear him. Almost. "H-he... he's here. Tony, he's at my sc-school and I-I-I don't know what to do..."
Tony felt apprehension begin to claw through his stomach. His eyes darkened and he clenched his fist. Please no. It couldn't be. Not him. "Who, Peter? Who's there?"
Peter let out a choked sob, trying to get himself to calm down. "S-S-Skip. He... he's here.
A/N: There's chapter one! I hope you all like it! Comments are always appreciated and you can always reach me .com