All rights belong to Marvel, all mistakes are mine.
Chapter One
Healing
Peter floated in soft clouds of distant agony. He was vaguely aware of the pain that lanced through his body, but he just floated and the pain couldn't touch him. Slight noises indicated that he wasn't alone, that someone was moving nearby, but he couldn't bring himself to care about it.
His thoughts seemed to go slowly. He was lying down on something soft, his skin burning distantly, a diffused light shining through his eyelids.
His eyes slowly opened and he stared dully at the ceiling.
It was a nice ceiling.
Plastered, not tiled.
Peter couldn't think why that was important, but it was true.
A nice ceiling. Sort-of white. Off-white, a hint of... pink? No, peach. That was it. White with a hint of peach.
Peter let his eyelids slide closed. Wherever he was, he couldn't bring himself to care. His thoughts slowed and he fell asleep again.
X
The pain was almost gone and his thoughts were sharper. He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.
Yep. White with a hint of peach. Very high ceiling, though.
It hadn't been a dream.
Disused muscles screamed in protest as he managed to turn his head for a look round. Wherever he was, it wasn't a hospital. The furniture was... oriental?
Peter blinked a few times, then his eyes drifted slightly.
He wasn't on a bed. Or at least, it wasn't high bed. In fact, it was on the floor. A... what was that word? It was chinese? Japanese?
Futon. Yeah, that was it. He was lying on a futon.
Definitely not a hospital, then.
Huh.
So... where was he?
Peter rolled his head to the other side. There was a desk there, one with a computer on it and several books, but with his vision acting up, he couldn't make out the titles. A type of cupboard stood in the corner alongside a chest of drawers that were arranged in a step-like arrangement. More books were placed on top.
Okay, so he was in a private home. One belonging to someone from China or Japan, or someone with significant oriental tastes.
Peter rolled his head back and looked at the rest of the furniture. A chest of some sort, probably locked. A bookshelf, with more books on it. And just by his pillow, a folded pile of material with a piece of paper on top.
Peter slowly reached out, even though his arm seemed to weigh ten times what it should, and managed to snag the piece of paper. Pulling it towards him, he managed to open it and blinked a few times, fighting to focus on the writing on it.
Spider-man.
If you are reading this, you have finally woken up, but I'm out.
You are safe here.
I've left a kimono for you to wear, your outfit was so badly ripped that I couldn't have hoped to get it repaired. I've used it to make it so that no-one will be searching for you, at least until you can recover. I'll explain later. Promise.
If you can move, the bathroom is on the left. Don't try to take a bath, you're probably still weak and having you drown after all the effort I've put into saving you would be a bad thing. I've been washing you while you were unconscious, so you don't smell too bad. I've also bandaged your cuts, and it's a miracle you didn't have any broken bones.
If you can make it to the kitchen, down to the right, I've left you some food in the fridge. I've been spoon-feeding you soup, but I bet you're starving.
I'll be back by six at the latest, need to pick up something.
Hopefully we can talk then.
Welcome back.
LD
Peter blinked as he finished the letter, then looked at the clock on the book-case. He had a couple of hours before his mysterious benefactor returned, so he slowly pushed down the sheet covering him and tried to sit up. After a couple of attempts, he managed to get upright and he pulled the promised kimono to him. Wrapping it round him, he pulled himself upright, using the wall as support, and started to move towards the door.
He really needed to go left.
And why the heck was he wearing a nappy?
Who kept adult-sized nappies in their home?
And why?
Actually, Peter reflected as he reached for the door handle, he really, really didn't want to contemplate that last question.
X
The sound of a door opening jolted Peter out of his daze and he lifted his head off the settee. A moment later a suited figure strode in and Peter's eyes widened.
"D... detective Dewolff?"
"Welcome back, Spider-man." Dewolff said, walking over and dropping down to one knee in front of him. With brisk efficiency, she placed her hand on his forehead, stared into his eyes and then pressed her fingers against his neck while she looked at her watch.
"You seem to be recovering. Did you manage to get to the food?"
At Peter's stunned nod, she sighed and gave him a weary smile. "Good. You probably have questions, but for now, you are safe."
Peter stared at her and she grinned, the expression causing her to seem younger.
"It's been a long day for me, let me grab some food and I'll answer your questions, and maybe you'll give me a few answers too. Wait there, don't move."
Peter stared at her as she crossed the room and moved behind the food counter. She pulled a few things out of the fridge, smiling as she spotted the empty plate by the sink, then put something in the microwave and set the timer. Grabbing a couple of glasses, she poured some water into them and walked back, handing Peter one of the drinks.
"Here, you probably need this."
Peter took a sip and watched in tired bemusement as Dewolff completed her food preperations, placing several dishes of things that looked somewhat familiar but that he couldn't recognise on the coffee table. Pulling the hot food out of the microwave, she placed it on a mat and sat down on the chair next to the settee.
"If you're hungry, help yourself. I know I am."
Dewolff matched word to deed by grabbing several different things and almost inhaling them as Peter watched. After a few seconds, he realised that she had taken something from every one of the dishes and he felt a slight smile form on his lips.
"Thank you."
Dewolff shrugged. "Hey, you saved several good friends of mine, Spider-man, and after your battle with Doctor Octopus, well..."
Dewolff trailed off with a shrug.
"Did I get him? I don't really remember."
"Oh you got him." Dewolff said. "Knocked him out completely, ripped off his tentacles, he looked almost as bad as you did when I found you. We arrested him, then SHIELD showed up and took him. Man called Fury said they had a better cell for him this time."
"Good." Peter said, taking a bite from something that tasted like salmon. "How long as I..."
"Almost five weeks." Dewolff said flatly. "I used some of my accumulated holiday to watch over you for the first fortnight. Fortunately I had a good grounding in first aid and basic medicine, I bandaged you up and put you to bed. Spooned soup into you every day whenever you were close enough to awake to accept food. And yes, I'm the one who put the nappy on you."
Peter felt his face heat up and Dewolff laughed. "Oh, don't worry, you're not the first naked man I've seen. Good thing you woke up when you did though, I only have three of those nappies left. I wasn't looking forwards to getting more. Knowing how the world works, I'll probably be called on to help investigate one of those sex shops soon."
Peter felt his blush grow stronger, but at the same time, a bubble of laughter forced its way out.
"I... I'm sorry..."
"I'm not." Dewolff said as she leaned back and took a sip from her glass. "It was... interesting and embarrasing, but it was necessary. So. You now know I've been looking after you, washing you, changing your nappies... anything else?"
Dewolff's smile was contagious and Peter returned it.
"Umm, how bad was my suit?"
"Shredded. Covered in blood. Not repairable." Dewolff replied. "I stripped it off you and placed it by the river. Kept those gauntlet-things of yours, though. Put them in one of the drawers to keep them safe. When you're back to full health, maybe you can explain how they work. Are they your webbing-things?"
"Yeah, they are." Peter said. "But I ran out of web-fluid and couldn't make more."
Dewolff looked at him for a moment. "Well, when we get you back to full health, maybe you can tell me how you made it. But that can wait. Had enough?"
Peter nodded and Dewolff rose, motioning for Peter to stay seated. Within a minute, she had cleared the plates from the table, putting the remains of the meal in the fridge, then she waved for Peter to stay and left the room. A moment later, Peter heard water start to run, then Dewolff returned wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Placing an arm round Peter, she pulled him to his feet and Peter let himself lean against her as they left the room...
and passed the room he had woken up in.
"What..?"
"You need a bath." Dewolff said firmly as she pulled him into the bathroom. Before Peter could even open his mouth to protest, Dewolff turned off the taps, dipped her hand into the water and then quickly stripped Peter and dumped him into the tub. Ignoring his panicked attempts to cover himself, she grabbed a bottle of something and a pair of flannels.
"Hold still." she commanded as she dropped one of the flannels. Peter grabbed it and Dewolff switched on the shower, playing it over his head.
"I said hold still, kid." she said, amusement flickering in her voice. "You really need a wash."
X
Peter sank down onto the futon, new kimono wrapped tightly round him. Dewolff finished lowering him and grabbed his wrist.
"Your pulse seems a little bit elevated, but this was your first day up. Get some sleep. You have a lot of recovering to do."
"I can't believe you did that to me." Peter groused. "I'm not a baby."
"Let's not go there." Dewolff smirked. "You really don't want to go there. But you should be strong enough to wash yourself next time, assuming you follow my instructions. Now get some sleep."
"Easy for... you... to..." Peter said as the room seemed to whirl away. Dewolff caught him and gently lowered him, then she pulled up the sheets and stepped back, looking at the young hero.
"Get some sleep." she repeated softly. "You've driven yourself too hard. You need to recover. See you in the morning."
X
Peter stumbled but a pair of hands caught him before he could hit the floor.
"You need to pace yourself." Dewolff scolded him. "I don't care what you think, you can't just bounce back. Not after what you did to yourself. Breakfast time, then I have to go to work. You need to rest, Peter."
Peter nodded, then the last word registered and his head shot up, his wide eyes staring at her.
"Missing person report." Dewolff said, understanding his suprise. "Peter Parker, age 16, missing, presumed deceased in the bombing that took his last family member and two best friends. The picture was old, but when I saw it on the missing-person's board, I knew it was you."
Peter stared at her, unable to speak and Dewolff smiled. "Since I know your name, you may as well know mine. Lisa. Now come on, breakfast is getting cold, and you've lost way too much weight."