Well, I'm back! It was nice to get away and see some of the sights, and I had a lot of ideas about the story while I was out there! I'm really tired, So I hope that this chapter makes sense. Enjoy :-)

After the first peaceful night of sleep that Peter had had since over a year ago, he woke up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Tony was making pancakes when the spider skipped into the room and sat at the currently empty counter.

"Hey, Pete, ready for some grub?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I didn't know you could make pancakes!"

Tony chuckled sheepishly. "I don't. Pepper actually made these, but she had to go get Morgan off to school, So I'm finishing flipping them." He set a full plate down on Peter's placemat and sat down across from him. Peter took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "These are really good," He said after swallowing.

Tony smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." The pair ate in silence until Peter stood up to put his plate away. While he was washing the dish, he looked up at Tony. "What's up?" The billionaire asked.

Peter looked down at his feet. "I was just wondering when I could go back to school."

Tony was surprised at Peter's question. It hadn't even occurred to him that Peter would want to go back to school after everything he had been through. To be honest, Tony knew that Peter was one of the smartest kids in New York, if not the country. He could certainly survive without a year of high school. "Oh, I mean, I guess I hadn't thought about it."

"I have."

Tony sighed. Peter was certainly putting a lot of pressure on himself. "Well, I don't want you to go back before you're ready."

"I know, Mr. Stark, but I think I am."

"Are you sure?"

"I think so. I just really want something to be normal, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. After Loki's attack, I wanted to go back to meetings as soon as possible, but Pepper wouldn't let me. She said I needed to take some time off. It bugged me at the time, but I realized later that she was right, though. It's good to settle down for a while when you need to heal."

Peter nodded. "I know. But talking with Ned and MJ really made me miss just being a regular kid."

"But you know, Pete, you're not a regular kid."

"Yeah, which is why every minute that I can just be a teenager counts."

"I feel you, kid. Which is why I'm ready to let you do whatever you feel comfortable with."

Peter smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

Tony pulled the kid into a hug. "Anytime, bud. Anytime."

XXXXXXXXXXX

A week and a half later, Peter was packing his homemade lunch (courtesy of Pepper) and his books in his new backpack. Tony insisted on accompanying him on the drive to school, so at 7:35, the pair excitedly hopped into Tony's limousine. Happy was there, driving of course, and although he would never show it, he was overjoyed to see Peter again. Happy had always acted like the kid was annoying, but in all honesty, he really brightened up his life. It was weird not hearing his curious voice for a year.

Peter's legs were bouncing up and down out of excitement and anxiety. Tony noticed, and put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to go today?" He asked, looking into his kid's eyes.

Peter nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. This is gonna be great."

Tony chuckled and looked at Happy, who was smiling intensely as he pulled into the school parking lot.

"Now remember," Tony said as Peter got out of the vehicle, "If you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed or anything, don't hesitate to call me. The principal doesn't know any of the details, but he does know that you've basically come back from the dead. He'll understand, and if he doesn't, I will sue him and all he stands for."

Peter rolled his eyes playfully. "Okay, Mr. Stark. I'll see you later. Thanks for the ride, Happy!" He waved at the men as he walked up the stairs to Midtown School of Technology and Science.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Peter walked inside, he remembered a very important detail. Did his classmates know that he was alive?

His question was quickly answered as soon as he opened the door.

A million pairs of eyes gawked at him as he sheepishly walked down the hallway towards his first-period class. Peter's head was down, and he almost ran into a large number of his classmates who were running up to him and freaking out.

"Is that Peter?"

"Peter, is that you?"

"I thought you were dead!"

"Oh my gosh, he came back from the dead! He's a zombie!"

"Zombies don't exist, idiot."

"I went to his funeral. How is this happening?"

"Peter!"

"Peter!"

"PETER!"

Peter snapped his head up at the familiar voice shouting his ear. It was MJ. She quickly grabbed the boy by the shoulders and lead him through the sea of people, shoving onlookers along the way. "Move! He'll talk to you later! Shut up!" She shouted as she dragged Peter into an empty classroom. Peter had never been so grateful for the sassy teen.

Peter sat down at a desk, already exhausted. MJ sat next to him and grabbed his arms. "Hey!" She whispered loudly. "You are Peter Parker. Spiderman. You can do this. You can do this."

Peter breathed deeply before snapping his head up. "Wait, when did you figure out I was Spiderman?"

MJ rolled her eyes. "To be honest, I've kind of always known. You're terrible at keeping secrets. Also, how else could you explain all the Avengers at your funeral?"

"Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, MJ."

"Anytime, loser." MJ smiled. "You ready to go to class?"

Peter nodded and stood up shakily. "Ready as I'll ever be."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ah, First Period. When everyone greets their friends and talk about the day ahead. Unless you're a certain Spider who hadn't been to school in a year. Peter purposely sat in the back, hoping not to be seen. Mr. Harrison must have not gotten the memo, however, because as soon as the bell rang he was giving Peter way more attention than he wanted.

"Okay class, settle down." Mr. Harrison quieted the class. "I hope you all had a good weekend. Now, I'm sure that you all have noticed a newish student in our class." Everyone turned around to look at Peter, much to his dismay. Whispers rang out throughout the classroom until Mr. Harrison shut them up. "Peter?" Harrison asked. "Do you want to come up and update us on what's been going on?"

Although that was the last thing that Peter wanted to do, he slowly walked up and stood in front of the bewildered class.

"Well," He started. "Um, so I had to go away for a little while, but I'm back now."

Flash raised his hand. "You were dead, Parker. They announced it over the intercom."

Peter resisted the urge to run out of the school right then and there and continued his lie. "You were told that I was dead, Flash because I had to stay hidden. There was some stuff going on, and I needed some time to myself."

"A year?"

"Yeah, a year. But, I'm back now."

"Do you still have an internship with Tony Stark?"

"Um, that's classified."

"So, no?"

"So, maybe. But I just ask that you be patient with me."

Everyone started talking at once, and Peter was confused. Why was everything blurry?

XXXXXXXXXX

Tony sighed and squirmed in his chair. General Ross looked up from the pamphlet he was reciting. "Something wrong, Stark?"

"Yeah, this meeting is boring."

Ross rolled his eyes. "No one asked."

"But you literally just did."

"Shut it, Stark. We should be done in 30 minutes."

"That's 31 minutes too much."

Tony's phone rang, and he was relieved to have an excuse to leave. Giving a quick smile to a glaring Steve, he rushed out of the room and accepted the call.

"Hello, is this Mr. Stark?"

"Yes, Who is this?"

"This is Ms. Burgen, the school nurse at Midtown tech. Peter is currently experiencing a seizure and we need you to come down here right away."