Listen With Your Heart Chapter 3
Peter Parker was in his room frustrated beyond belief. When he'd gotten home from school that day he felt no qualms about helping his Uncle Ben in the basement. The fill line had exploded leaving water everywhere so he was helping save whatever they possibly could from water damage. While he was moving some stuff around what Peter didn't expect to find was an old briefcase under the staircase. But this wasn't just any briefcase. No, it had the initials RP stitched on the front over the clasp. Those initials stood for his fathers name, Richard Parker.
Peter recalled his father having it on his person the night he and his mother vanished. So he'd taken it to his aunt and uncle wanting answers from them. From the moment they saw the briefcase in his possession they immediately became evasive about the subject. His Uncle Ben mentioned his father bought the briefcase at a store his mother used to work at as how they met. It was interesting, but it didn't distract him like they intended.
Shifting through it Peter was confused as to why his father would ask Uncle Ben to keep this safe for him. He found barely anything in there that could've been important. He pulled out a torn photo from a newspaper clipping of his father standing beside a man he'd never seen before. Ben informed he was unaware who the man actually was that he must've worked with his father at some point.
Peter had been about to leave for his room to investigate the rest of the stuff inside the briefcase further when something else fell from it. Picking it up he found something even weirder than the picture from the newspaper.
It was a photograph of him as a toddler, but he wasn't alone. There was a little girl next to him one he didn't recognize at all in the slightest. She seemed familiar somehow, but he couldn't place her. She obviously was important somehow because when he flipped the picture to show them both of their faces went completely white on contact. Neither of them knew how to answer him after that one.
So he'd left them alone barricading himself in his room. Searching further Peter located a hidden compartment inside the briefcase. There was a worn folder with notes, equations, and diagrams written specifically in his father's very hand. It all led down to something called the decay rate algorithm. Peter absolutely had no indication to what this meant, but knew it was important otherwise his father wouldn't have gone to take such care lengths to conceal it as he did.
Peter's investigative research was interrupted when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.
"Yeah, one sec, one sec," said Peter, hastily shoving the briefcase and folder under his bed and messing everything else the way he had it on the floor so whoever entered wouldn't get a clue on what he'd been doing. Sitting at his desk in front of the computer he unlocked the door. "Come in."
His Uncle Ben came in soon afterwards.
Leaning against the door, concerned, Uncle Ben asked "You okay?"
Lifting his head, Peter said "Yeah. What's up?"
"Oh my god," said Ben, smiling. "You look just like him." He referred to the glasses Peter was wearing in the place of his contact lenses. He'd found them mixed among his father's belongings in the briefcase. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," said Peter, nodding.
Stepping into the room Ben shut the door behind him so they wouldn't be overheard.
Fidgeting with a rubrics cube Peter had on his desk Ben sat on the bed, forlorn, Ben said "Listen, um…I don't have much education. You know that, Peter. Hell, I stopped being able to help with your homework when you were 10. What I'm trying to say is, uh…I know it's been rough for you without your dad and I know we don't talk much about them."
"Yeah, it's all right," said Peter, shrugging, dismissively.
"No, it is not all right," said Ben. "I wish I could change it but I can't." He paused coming a decision that he should've made a long, long time ago. "Curt Connors. That's the name of the guy in the picture with your dad. They worked together for years and they were close. But after that night…" He inhaled a deep breath struggling immensely with another secret one far more life changing. "Peter, there's something else you need to know."
"What," said Peter, definitely curious now.
"That girl in the photo with you…," said Ben. "She's your sister."
At first his uncles statement didn't really sink in with Peter. "W-What," stuttered Peter, bemused. "No, Uncle Ben, that's impossible. I don't have a sister."
"Yes, you do," insisted Ben, firmly, bleak. "She's your twin. When you two were little you were as close as could be. Nothing could tear you two apart."
Peter wanted to protest further, but after seeing the look in his uncles eyes concluded he was telling the truth. Peter felt like he'd been punched hard in the gut. A twin sister?
"Why haven't you guys told me about her until now," demanded Peter. "Where is she? What happened to her? Why isn't she with us?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, Ben explained "We asked those same exact questions of your parents the night they left you with us. Your father told us he didn't believe it was safe for you two to remain together. That it would be safer from whatever was chasing them if you were separated. So that night your mom brought you here while Richard took your sister somewhere else."
"Do you know who," asked Peter.
"Yes," said Ben. "Curt Connors. He took her to Curt Connors. After we didn't hear from your parents again and they were declared dead we contacted him to try and get her back. But when we did he refused. We tried everything we could think of to convince him to give her into our custody. Unfortunately, he wouldn't budge. Eventually he threatened us with lawyers so we had no choice but to back off. We never heard from his again after that. He never even called to keep us up to date with her. Not once. Go figure."
"Connors," repeated Peter, mulling over the name. "Connors." Suddenly his eyes went wide in realization. "Phoebe! Is her name Phoebe?!"
"Yes, that's her name," said Ben. "When you two were born your mother was determined to give you both names beginning with P. She thought it was cute."
"Uncle Ben, I know her," exclaimed Peter. "Phoebe Connors is in my class. We go to the same school!"
"Are you sure," questioned Ben.
Nodding rapidly, Peter confirmed "Yeah, I'm sure. I've never really spoken to her that much, but I do know her."
Shaking his head in disbelief, Ben chuckled "Well how do you like that. The world does work in mysterious ways."
"Do you think he put her in the same school as me so we might still interact withl each other," asked Peter.
Ben said "Couldn't exactly say after all I don't know the man, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did."
"Why don't I remember her and why doesn't she remember me," said Peter. "I have no memory of her at all."
"You two were both so young when it happened. I think it was so traumatic that you simply blocked it out," said Ben. He then stood up to leave. "Peter, I know you've just been hit with a lot right now, but don't tell your sister any of this. As far as your Aunt and I know Connors hasn't told Phoebe any of this. It's best to leave it alone for now."
"But-," argued Peter.
"No buts," said Ben, "I don't know how Connors would react if you told her so don't mention this to anyone."
Reluctant Peter agreed, saying "All right, Uncle Ben."
"Good," said Ben, patting Peter on the shoulder, "I'll see you down at dinner." Looking at the screensaver of his nephew's computer he smiled. "She's pretty."
Multiple pictures of Gwen Stacey were on the screen.
Embarrassed Peter turned away his face slightly red not meeting his uncle's eyes. Before Ben left Peter stopped him.
"Hey, Uncle Ben," said Peter.
"What," said Ben, half in and out the doorway.
"You're a pretty great dad, all right," said Peter.
That got to Ben. He was immensely touched restraining tears building in his eyes blinking them back. Smiling he left to join his wife closing the door.
The moment Ben left Peter grabbed the picture of his sister from the floor staring hard at it.
"I don't believe it," he breathed, softly. "A sister…I have a sister."
Authors Note: Hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day! :D
