Thank you all so much for reading. We've got a nice long one for you today :-)

Chapter Twenty

Tony had been asked by May to join her for a meeting. It was with the physical therapist, Peter's doctor, and his psychiatrist. He was a little worried as it was unexpected and formal, but he was glad to be included.

The doctor leaned forward and said, "We have discussed this situation with Peter already, he knows what we're going to speak about, but he didn't take the news as well as we were expecting, so we thought we'd speak to you separately. Peter is ready to leave the hospital."

Tony was relieved. He had been expecting bad news, but this was great. Peter would finally be out of this place and back home where he belonged. He couldn't understand why Peter wouldn't be happy about that. Was he worried about what it would be like outside the hospital? It was a big step.

"How will his therapy continue?" May asked, and Tony was thankful she was there. She knew what to ask.

"We'll have a physical therapist come to his home to continue working with him, and other appointments will be arranged in the home, too."

The psychiatrist nodded. "All arrangements are in place."

He looked at May, seeing her nodding along. He realized she must know about the therapy and the medication. Peter probably didn't have an issue telling her. She hadn't kicked his shrink out.

Tony looked at the doctor. "But he's not happy about it? Is that unusual?"

"Not really. There is usually a certain level of anxiety about leaving the hospital environment because that's when the reality of the situation becomes clear. In the hospital, there is hope for better and a sense of safety."

May shook her head, looking worried. "It's not that. Not for Peter."

"Then what is it?" Tony asked.

She sighed, seeming embarrassed. "You've seen our apartment, Tony. It's not big. He's going to have a hard time moving around it in the chair and getting in and out of bed. There's not a lot of room." She shook her head. "The elevator's broken again, so he'll have to be carried up the stairs, and he'll be trapped inside."

Tony was surprised. He hadn't thought of any of that. It was going to be a struggle for Peter. Even though he just learned of the problem, he already had a solution, but he wasn't sure he could offer it? He didn't want to upset May, but it would help them meet Peter's needs. He addressed it carefully.

"He could stay with me and Pep."

May stared at him for a moment, and his nerves made him shift in his seat. She placed a hand on his arm and said fervently, "Thank you, Tony. That would help so much." She paused. "We have to be careful, though. I don't want Peter to think I don't want him with me."

"He'd never think that. He knows you love him."

"He does, but this is still a big step. I don't want to hurt him more than he already has been. We can speak to him together."

Tony looked at the team of professionals. "Is there anything special I need to prepare for Peter? Bathroom or bedroom stuff?"

The physical therapist answered, "Not too much, as that will make him feel his struggle more. In time there might be changes to make to enable him to manage around the home alone, but for now, he just needs a bed of a suitable height for transfer from the chair and a bathroom with enough room to place the chair."

"I've got that."

His bathrooms were huge, even Pepper said they were too big, but he'd gotten carried away when they designed the tower. He already knew the room Peter could have. He'd had hoped that one day it could be a personal space for Peter anyway, but he never wanted to overstep. It was perfect, though, not too close to Tony and Pepper's room, so he felt crowded, but close enough that Tony could get in there if he needed him. The shower stall was big and open, easy to maneuver around. Really, Peter being in the tower was better, not only for Tony's peace of mind but for Peter, too.

"Peter will know everything else he needs as it's things he's been using in the hospital."

Tony laughed. "You might want to give me a list anyway. If it's down to Peter to tell me what to buy, I won't hear any of it."

The doctor nodded. "We can arrange that."

Tony grudgingly addressed physical therapist. "I've got a gym in my place, and I want to equip it for him. I've seen what you've got in the gym, but which of it is going to be good for him?"

"The arm bike would be good and basic weights. Parallel bars would be good."

"No chance." May cut him off. "Peter won't let Tony buy them."

The physical therapist shrugged. "If he's going to keep going with those braces, he's going to need them or two people to spot him in case he falls again."

May looked at Tony. "You know as well as I do that he won't be happy if you're installing stuff for him that you can't use yourself."

He didn't need the reminder. The kid objected every time Tony bought something for him bigger than a sandwich, sometimes even then. "Then I'll spot him and have Happy help." He wasn't sure Peter would like that either, but he needed to be safe. He wasn't letting him get hurt again on his watch.

The doctor considered. "What about a ballet barre? Then he would only need one person with him. He can steady himself on the other side."

Tony nodded. "Yeah. Great. I'll tell him Pepper is going to be doing ballet."

May raised an eyebrow. "You think he'll buy that?"

Tony grinned. "He will when he finds out she was a top dancer when she was young." He laughed. "I might even be able to get her in a tutu to demonstrate her skills."

May laughed. "I think you have a little too much confidence in your persuasive skills, Tony."

"Yeah. Maybe. Still, it's a good enough reason to have one, and if it helps Peter, it's worth it."

She nodded.

"Good." The Doctor closed his file. "I think Peter will be ready to be discharged in a few days, so you have some time to prepare the bed, at least."

Tony was looking forward to it. He had an idea for Peter's room that he thought they'd both get a kick out of seeing.

He and May left the room, and as soon as they were outside it, May pulled him to a stop and hugged him. He was surprised, especially with how tense things had been lately after she found out about Peter's powers failing. He hugged her back, feeling a release of some of the tension.

She drew back. "Thank you, Tony. I know I've been hard on you lately—"

"Because I deserved it. I'm not arguing that."

She smiled. "You have, but you also keep coming through for Peter. He would never have gotten through this without you, and neither would I."

Tony was pleased. It felt good, like he was actually doing something right by his son instead of just screwing up. "Shall we go talk to him?"

"Yeah. If I know our kid, he's tying himself in knots right now, trying to work out what he's going to do."

They went to Peter's room where he had his tablet on his lap and talking to Ned. He smiled at them when they arrived and turned the tablet so they could say hi to Ned.

"You look serious," Peter said, a little worried.

May gave him a small smile. "We need to talk."

"Okay. Ned, I've got to go. I'll call you later."

"Okay, dude. See you."

Peter ended the call and set the tablet down. "What's going on?"

Tony pulled up a chair, and May sat on the edge of his bed. "They said you're ready to leave the hospital in a few days."

Peter looked a little anxious. "Yeah, they said."

"How do you feel about it?"

Peter shrugged. "It'll be good to get home."

Tony could see his unease, so he took up the issue. "Look, Pete, we were talking, and we think things might be tough on you in your apartment. The elevator isn't working again, and there's not as much space for you to get around in your chair."

Peter glanced between May and Tony, chewing his lip. "Yeah, but I figure once I'm in, I won't need to leave again. I'll just have to be careful in the chair getting around, not bump into things too much. It'll be fine."

May looked at Tony, then back to Peter. "Tony had an idea."

Peter looked wary. "Okay."

Tony could see the cogs turning in his head, and he figured Peter thought he was about to start throwing money around. If he could get away with buying May and Peter somewhere nice to live, a place closer to the tower, he'd love to, but he knew neither of them would accept it.

"I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me and Pepper for a while."

Peter looked shocked but didn't speak.

Tony backtracked. "You don't have to, it was just an idea. You'll have a little more room in my place for your chair and whatever, and you could go home when the elevator is fixed and May's moved stuff around a little to give you more space. Only as long as you want."

Peter shot a glance at May. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea. I don't want to be away from you, I want you close, but I want what's best for you, and the apartment isn't set up for a wheelchair yet. That'll take time for me to do. You'd have plenty of room with Tony and Pepper, and you wouldn't be alone as much as you would at home."

Peter chewed his lip. "But you wouldn't be mad that I'm not coming home?"

"Definitely not. I'll miss you, of course, and I'll be over all the time until you're sick for me."

Peter looked relieved and a little excited. "Then it'd be great to stay with you and Miss Potts. Thanks." He rushed on. "It's not going to be a pain, though, having me hanging around? I'll stay out of your way."

Tony shook his head. "I have all kinds of fun planned when I've got you under my roof. Pepper only lets me have a pizza, horror movie, and PJ party once a month, but I'm pretty sure you can charm her into one at least once a week."

Peter still looked troubled.

"And," Tony said pointedly, "she's going to be thrilled to have you there, too. Really, kid, you're doing us both a favor."

Peter relaxed. "Yeah, great, but don't go crazy buying stuff. I don't need anything special, like wheelchair stuff."

Tony crossed his arms over his chest while wondering how much he can get away with buying. "I'll only get the absolute necessities."

Peter grinned. "Thanks, Tony."

Tony clapped him on the shoulder. "I've got to head out for a while and get your room ready. I'm thinking that talking sponge wallpaper."

Peter laughed. "Thanks, but no, and you don't need to get a room ready. I'm sure you've already got a spare bed."

Tony rubbed his chin. "I might have a few, yeah."

May laughed. "A few?"

"You have no idea," Peter said.

"I have enough." Tony scowled playfully, and then he had an idea. "Actually, we've got plenty for you, too, May. If you want somewhere to crash when you're not working, we'll set you up with something."

May smiled, and it crinkled the corner of his eyes. "That would be great. Thank you, Tony, but don't go to any trouble."

"I won't. I'll leave Pepper in charge of setting your room up."

May thanked him again, and Tony got up. He wanted to get the room ready and the gym stuff ordered, and he only had a few days to do it. It was going to be a balance, not going overboard, but he could pull it off.

If this was what Peter needed to be able to stay with him, it was what Tony would do.

He said his goodbyes and headed out, feeling good about the idea of having his kid living with him. He was excited to share the news with Pepper. She'd been wanting to see Peter for a long time, but it was never the right time. Now, with Peter living with them, they'd both have plenty of time.

"Okay, Friday, check the microphones. Are they clear?"

"Yes. I have perfect audio from Mr. Parker's room."

"Great."

There was a tap on the door, and Tony turned to see Pepper standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and face stony. "You've bugged his room?"

"What? No!"

She arched an eyebrow.

"Okay, technically, but if he falls over and needs help, I need to know."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Friday, cut the audio, and do not let him set it up again."

There was a pause. Pepper stared at Tony, foot tapping.

"Okay. Listen to the lady, Friday. Cut the baby monitor program."

Pepper smiled and crossed the room to hug him. He relaxed into it, and then she pulled away to arms' length. "I know you're worried about him, but if he falls, he can call Friday to tell you himself. This isn't like the suit, which needs to be monitored as he's throwing himself into danger every day. He's going to be living here, a teenage boy, and he needs privacy."

He raked his fingers through his hair. "I know. I do. It's just—I am worried. May is putting her trust in us to look after him while he's here, and I've already screwed up too many times."

"And you learned your lesson from it. You've got to relax and just enjoy this. Think how great it will be to have him here. I know how excited I am about it, so it's got to be huge for you. We will both be here to take care of him, but we can't crowd him. He's independent."

Tony huffed a laugh. "He really is. Stubborn, too."

"Which proves stubbornness is not just inherited by blood."

Tony's brow furrowed.

Pepper laughed. "If you don't think he's gotten that from having you as a dad, you're not as smart as I thought."

Tony loved it when people referred to him as Peter's dad. It was like a little rush each time he heard it. What he held in his heart and mind for so long was now being recognized by others, accepted. It was amazing.

"Maybe, but I don't hold the monopoly on stubbornness. You're not exactly un-stubborn."

"You know that's not a word, right?" Pepper asked.

"Am I wrong?"

"Maybe not, but being with you requires a certain amount of stubbornness."

He pecked her on the lips. "Right back at ya."

Pepper looked around the room. "I've got to say, I'm impressed. You didn't go overboard in here."

"Nope, the bed is new, but that was necessary so it's the right height for the chair, and I got a transfer chair for the shower, but everything else is stuff we already had."

"That's impressive self-control for you. Well done."

"Boss, we have a delivery coming up. I think it's the art you ordered for Peter's room."

"Tony…" Pepper warned. "What did you buy?"

Tony laughed, rubbing his hands together. "Nothing extreme, and I know he's not leaving it up longer than a night, but it's a promise I made that I decided to keep. He'll get a kick out of it."

He rushed to the door to accept the bulky parcel and carried it into the bedroom. He leaned it against the wall and tore off the paper. It was a large framed print of him in his suit.

Pepper stared at it, blinking. "That's a whole lot of your face. You not worried it'll give him nightmares? It would me."

"No. It's a thing we had going on. I told him when he was moved out of the ICU that I'd set him up with an Iron Man-themed room, though he got some kind of crazy talking sponge instead. Trust me, Pep, he'll see the joke."

"Well, you know him better than I do, so I'll trust you." She brushed her fringe back. "Anyway, I've got a lunch meeting and will probably be home late since I've got that conference call this afternoon, and you know how those things drag."

"Yeah, I do. Have I told you lately how glad I am you took control of the company?"

"Not lately, no, but the look of sheer relief when I am the one going to the office instead of you communicates it well enough. Now, I've got to go. Behave. Don't go shopping."

"I'll try to resist the urge."

She pointed a finger. "You better."

He kissed her, and she left. He looked around again, straightening the blanket, and then went into the kitchen to get a coffee. Feeling generous, he made Bruce a tea and carried them down to the lab.

Bruce was at a microscope, muttering under his breath. "Come on. You can do it."

"Do what?"

Bruce's head snapped up, and he looked a little awkward. "Uh… nothing."

"I call bullshit."

Bruce scrubbed a hand over his mouth. "Okay, I was working with a theory on nerves and bones, regenerating the nerves that are lost—which are surprisingly easy to come by, to be honest. I've been buying them off med students that get them from cadavers."

"Anyway?"

"Yeah, anyway, I was working with a theory that…" He sighed. "Doesn't work. Sorry."

Tony was a little disappointed, but he was handling it. He wasn't pinning everything on Bruce anymore. He'd not given up, but he was more accepting of the situation.

"Don't worry about it. I know you tried."

Bruce blinked at him. "Are you pulling me from the project?"

"No." He wasn't ready to do that. "Definitely not, but you're going to have to play in on the down-low from now on. Peter is going to be living here, and you can't tell him what you're working on."

Bruce held up his hand. "Pepper already warned me. We decided the cover story is that I'm working on a way to beat back the green guy."

Tony nodded. "Yeah. He'll believe that."

"That's what she figured. When's he arriving?"

"We're bringing him home tomorrow."

He liked calling it home. His home would be Peter's, too, at least for a while. Guiltily, he hoped it took a while to get the elevator repaired and for May to set the apartment up.

"Great. You want me to keep my distance? Pepper wasn't sure how he'd handle company."

Tony considered. "No, you don't need to do that, but maybe give him space. He's not been around many people lately, though he's doing better emotionally." Partially thanks to the medication Tony hadn't wanted him on, but he'd been wrong, and he could accept that.

"Got it." Bruce picked up his tea, and Tony went into the workshop to his latest project.

He was working on a new set of braces, and this time they weren't for Peter. They were for Harrison, and he hadn't told Peter about them in case they didn't work, but he was hopeful. Harrison's physical therapist was little more open-minded than Peter's had been. If he could pull this off, and if he had Peter's support, he had a plan for Stark Industries that he was excited about.

Tony tipped his head toward the door. "You ready?"

Peter was sitting in the wheelchair. It wasn't the one he'd keep. They had ordered his, and it was being made. Harrison had helped pick out the colors and design—basic blue and black that had disappointed Harrison. This chair wasn't as fancy, but it would work until his other came, and it was a good fit for him.

He looked around him, checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything and killing time.

He was anxious now that it was time to leave. He'd been looking forward to it, but he was still wary. He was about to enter the world properly as a paraplegic, leaving the safety of the hospital. It was intimidating as hell, and he didn't know if he could handle it.

He had to face the music, though.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Tony picked up his bag from the bed, May opened the door, and he wheeled himself out. The nurses said goodbye as he passed, and he thanked them, but his mind was focused on not freaking out.

They got to the elevator, and Peter pressed the button. They started moving down, and his breath caught. Tony placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. That helped. He wasn't alone. Tony was there, so was May. Besides, he was only going to the tower. It wasn't like he'd be out in the world seeing lots of people. It wasn't time for that yet. He wasn't thinking big picture, school again, because he wasn't ready. That could all wait.

Tony took the lead, and he followed him out, eyes moving around the people in the lobby. Only a few of them were looking at him. He told himself that was because he was with Tony. The man was famous and drew attention wherever he went. There was nothing special about a kid in the wheelchair. He was one of many.

They got out into the fresh air, and his head swam. He hadn't been out since the accident. The space around him felt too big, too open, like he could get swept away and lost in his surroundings.

Tony raised a hand, and a black car pulled up in front of them. He'd not thought about this. Of course Happy was going to drive him. Who else?

Happy got out of the car and came around to the side. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, though there was a shadow of something darker, something like sadness or shock. In a blink, it was gone. "Hey, kid. It's been a while. You ready to get out of here?"

Peter grinned. He was more than ready now that he was out of his room. He didn't like being out in the open and couldn't wait to be tucked away in the tower where it was safe. "Definitely."

He wheeled himself to the open door and shuffled himself to the edge of the chair. He'd practiced this in the gym, how to get into a car, but it was the first time with an audience apart from the physical therapist. He lifted his legs and put them into the footwell. He could feel people watching, but when he looked up, they were all looking in other directions, pointedly watching birds overhead and reading signs. He edged closer, and then with a heave and huffed breath, he slid into the car and leaned back. His legs were at an awkward angle, and he had to adjust them, then he relaxed back in the seat and sighed.

"Got it?" Tony asked.

"Yeah."

"Seatbelt." Happy reminded him.

He snapped it on, and the door closed. The wheelchair and his bag were stowed in the trunk, then May and Tony got in, and then they were moving. It was a strange sensation after so long, and he noticed the difference. It was a smoother ride than he remembered, and he figured it was because he couldn't feel the motion below the waist. It wasn't upsetting, though. He was actually feeling pretty relaxed. Leaning his head against the door, he stared out the window and watched the city pass. Tony and May kept up a steady stream of chatter, but Peter was content in silence.

They reached the garage of the tower, and Happy parked the car, bringing around his wheelchair and opening the door. Peter got his legs out and then stopped. Happy had parked on the sloped side of the lot so Peter couldn't slide himself out easily. He had to lift himself higher, and he wasn't sure he could. He shifted himself right to the edge and then stopped.

"I can't do it."

"What's wrong?" Happy asked,

Peter couldn't tell Happy what he'd done wrong, not in front of everyone, so he had to swallow his pride. "I need a little help. Tony, can you…?"

Tony put the bag down and hurried over. "Sure, how do you want me to do it?"

Peter blushed, ducking his head. "Can you lift me out and put me in the chair."

"Yeah, no problem." Tony got his hands around him, and then Peter was being lifted. His head scraped the rim of the door, and Tony cursed, but Peter didn't say anything to make it worse. It was a simple mistake. And he'd tell Happy about the incline some other time when no one else was listening.

He settled in the chair, and Tony stepped back, rolling his shoulders. Peter lifted his feet on to the rests and then wheeled himself back.

"Great, thanks."

They all looked pleased, and he was grateful that he didn't freak out. It was going better than he could have expected. He was proud of himself. It was a good feeling as he'd not found anything to be proud of lately.

He wheeled towards the door, and Tony held it open. They got into the elevator, and Tony said, "All the way up, Friday."

"Going up. Welcome back, Mr. Parker."

Peter smiled. "Hey, Friday."

It felt good to be somewhere familiar. He realized that he wasn't going to have Karen anymore. He hadn't thought of that. He could put the mask on and talk to her, but that'd probably be too tough. Karen was part of his life as Spider-Man. It wasn't the same anymore.

They arrived at the penthouse, and Peter was first out of the elevator and looking around. It was strange to think this would be his home for a while. He loved the tower as it meant he was spending time with Tony, and he'd be able to do that even more now. He wasn't even worried about getting on Tony's nerves the way he had before. Tony really seemed to want him there, and he was more secure in their relationship now. It was weird to think something good had come out of the accident that cost him so much, but it had. It gave him something special with Tony, something he could have only dreamed about before.

Tony's palms were sweaty, and he rubbed them against his pockets. He watched anxiously as Peter looked around. So far, things were going well. Peter seemed okay, and the ride over had gone well. Tony had been shocked when Peter asked for help getting out of the car, but pleased. The kid was handling everything like a pro. Tony was proud.

"You want to see your room?" he offered.

"Yeah. Sure."

Tony lead him toward the bedroom. Pepper appeared when they reached the room, seeing Peter for the first time. Emotions flitted across her face—shock and then sadness when it really seemed to sink in. She quickly covered it, beaming and rushing forward to hug Peter. Tony wasn't sure how the kid would take it. He was tactile but less so since the fall. To Tony's surprise, Peter hugged her back. He was pretty sure he heard a huff of laughter, too.

"Hey, Miss Potts."

Pepper released him and smiled. "Okay, that's got to stop. It's Pepper or nothing, Peter."

Peter nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. Pepper."

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm good." And Tony was inclined to believe him. There weren't any of his usual tells. "Thank you for letting me stay here a while."

Pepper waved away his thanks. "No, thank you. I can't tell you what a relief it is to have someone to share Tony's obsessions with. You'll keep him out from under my feet."

Peter laughed. "I bet."

Tony played along, enjoying the lightness. "Hey, I'm not that bad."

"Tony, honey, the only time I don't see you is when I'm in the office, and we both know that corporate life makes you break out in hives."

Peter laughed again. He was really happy. It felt good to see it.

"But when I'm home, you're a pain in the ass." She turned to Peter, eyebrow raised. "I'm relying on you to keep him occupied, Peter."

"No problem. I'll find ways to entertain him."

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, sure, laugh it up, but you both know you'd miss me if I wasn't around."

The air shifted, becoming a little heavier.

Pepper's expression sobered. "We would. Now, I'm sorry to duck out on you already, but we're having trouble with our European operations, and I need to have a very angry conversation in my best schoolgirl French."

"Problems?" Tony asked.

She patted his cheek. "Yeah, but I can handle it. Stark Industries doesn't need to take a share drop because you decide to use your very special version of people management."

Pepper pecked his lips and then turned, heading toward the elevators.

Tony rubbed his hands together. "Okay. Your room."

He led Peter to the room that he'd picked out and opened the door with a grand gesture. He stood with a grin on his face as Peter wheeled inside, looking around suspiciously, perhaps looking for the places Tony went too far, and then his eyes found the Iron Man poster, and he rolled his eyes.

"That's a whole lot of your face."

Tony frowned. "That's what Pepper said. Why is that a bad thing?"

Peter laughed, shaking his head. "It's not a bad thing, but you need to know it's not staying. Even being stuck in the chair isn't going to stop me taking that thing down."

May, who'd been trailing them, laughed. "You know, he's got a point, Tony. That is pretty weird. I'm not sure I could sleep with you staring down at me."

"It's not so bad."

Peter raised a brow. "If you don't think so, I'll have Happy put it on your ceiling so you can wake up looking at it."

May gave a fake shudder. "No, Peter, that's too cruel. Think of Pepper. She doesn't deserve that."

Tony sighed, but he was enjoying the lightness. "Fine. We'll take it down. Peter, check out the bathroom. I'll get us a drink. You want wine, May?"

"I'd love some, but I've picked up the late shift, so rain check?"

She followed him into the kitchen, and they heard Peter's voice echoing in the vast bathroom. "Whoa, this is huge. I'm going to get lost in here."

Tony was pleased. Peter didn't sound upset about the shower chair that he'd set up in there. It was a necessity for Peter to be independent.

Tony started a pot of coffee, and May took a seat at the island. "It went well," she said, voice low.

"Better than I expected. He's doing great."

"He is. I was worried about leaving him here." Tony raised his brows, but she rushed on. "Not because I didn't trust you to thank care of him. It's just I knew where he was in the hospital, people were always with him. I thought he'd be more nervous, too."

"I'll be here, and so will Pepper. I promise we'll take care of him, and your room is two down from Peter's, so you can stay here as much as you like."

"I think I'll give him a couple nights here without me, let him settle and make the space his own with you, and then I'll stay. I think it's important that he is secure here, relying on you, before I step in since I won't be here all the time the way you will."

"I will," he promised.

"I know."

Peter wheeled into the kitchen, skidding to a stop beside the island that was way too high. They'd not thought of that. May looked stricken, and Tony froze, hand hovering beside the coffee maker. Peter shrugged and wheeled himself around to the fridge and got a soda. Someone, probably Pepper, was smart enough to move the snacks and drinks around, so Peter's stuff was within reach, and the fruit and vegetables were higher up. Tony felt a rush of gratitude to her.

Peter popped his can open. "Horror movies and PJs tonight?"

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been worried Peter wouldn't settle, that he wouldn't be as comfortable here as he was at home, but he seemed perfectly happy.

"If we have pizza, too, you've got a deal. Nightmare on Elm Street?"

"Sure."

May rolled her eyes. "I'm not at all disappointed that I'm missing that to work. Bad retro horror is not my idea of a good evening."

Peter's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Freddie Kruger is not bad horror, he's one of the best, and…" He grinned. "We both know you get nightmares when you watch anything scary."

May threw a napkin from the holder at him. "I do not!"

Peter shrugged, taking a sip of soda. "I've heard you screaming in your sleep. It's fine. We can't all be hardcore."

She slid from her stool, wrapping him in a hug. "We can't, and no one is as hardcore as you, honey. You're amazing."

Peter flushed and ducked his head, but Tony could see his smile. The kid seemed happy, and that was all Tony could want.

So… Peter is out at last! We've got some nice fun stuff coming and then we'll be back in the drama with the final arc.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx