Listen With Your Heart Chapter 6
The next day Peter was determined to speak with Dr. Connors and this time on is terms. At Oscorp Peter had been mixed in with the interns so he never really got the opportunity to speak one on with the scientist. Hopefully now Peter would get the chance he was looking for to get the answers he sought.
It was a weekend so the excursion he had in mind wouldn't interfere with school. So bright and early on Saturday he looked up Dr. Connors address and headed off to Staten Island. With him he took the knowledge inside the folder he'd found hidden in his father's briefcase for the ride. He knew what his Uncle Ben said about his father wanting his stuff to remain concealed and he meant to uphold that wish, but he kept the final equation locked deep in his head. Getting on the Staten Island ferry he crossed the water to get to the island. He rode skateboard using a GPS mapping function on his phone to get to where he needed to be. Eventually he located the place in a cozy suburb neighborhood.
Peter stood across the street from the house on his bike just staring at it. Peter could definitely tell the moment he entered this neighborhood that it was certainly a step up from his own. The outward impression of the houses told a lot because of how much more refined they appeared compared to his. Phoebe was without a doubt living the good life.
Peter knew Dr. Connors was at home because his car was in the driveway, but for some reason he couldn't really work up the nerve to walk up to that door and knock in order to introduce himself properly. Unlike the last time where he temporarily made use of someone else's identity to meet the man on different circumstances. On the way there Peter been so confident that he could do this, but now it seemed as if that all evaporated into thin air.
Thankfully for Peter a new development arose that literally took the decision right out of his hands just as he was contemplating to abandon this idea.
The front door opened and out popped Phoebe carrying a bull garbage bag down the front stoop. As she went to put the bag into a garbage bin she saw Peter standing there on the sidewalk from the corner of her eye.
Doing a double take, raising her eyes to shield her eyes from the sun so she could see more clearly, Phoebe said "Peter?"
No chance of him turning back now.
Smiling a bit uncomfortably Peter crossed the street to reach Phoebe in the driveway.
Waving at her, he said "Hey, Phoebe."
"Hi, Peter, what are you doing here," asked Phoebe, politely, confused as to why he would show up so randomly out of the blue at her house.
"Uh…," said Peter, rubbing the back of his neck trying to think of a viable excuse. He came here to speak with Curt Connors not her. At least not yet. "I actually came here to talk to your Dad."
It felt really weird to Peter for him to call Dr. Connors his sister's father when he already knew otherwise. But he had to keep up the charade remembering what his Uncle Ben warned him about should Phoebe learn the truth deliberately or unintentionally.
Brow furrowed in suspicion, arms crossed, Phoebe said "Why?"
"Well you know at school how much I'm into science. I've read a lot of your dad's work and I was wondering if I could speak to him about it," said Peter, which wasn't entirely untrue.
"So let me get this straight," said Phoebe, skepticism at an all time high. "You looked up my address and came all the way out here just to speak to my father about the work he does."
Clearing his throat sheepishly, suddenly ware of how condescending it all sounded when she repeated it, Peter said "Pretty much yeah."
"Right," drawled Phoebe, not believing him in the slightest. Though he was making a valiant attempt to keep it off his face she could see the lie behind his eyes. "Look Peter you're a nice guy and all, but, no, you can't speak to him. My father's always been very keen about work at his place of business and his personal life separate. He places a high value on his privacy. Even if I let you inside he would turn you away. So I'm afraid you're going to have to leave empty handed."
"Please if I can just have a couple of minutes with him," he said, trying to step around her.
Firmly blocking him with her own body, Phoebe said "No, Peter."
Peter wasn't going to give up not when he'd come so far. He opened his mouth to protest, but another voice entered their conversation.
"Phoebe."
Phoebe and Peter looked upwards to find Curt Connors standing in the middle of the front door. He'd been in the kitchen reviewing some notes when Phoebe left to put the garbage out. When she didn't immediately return like she normally would afterwards he grew concerned and got out of his seat to see what was causing the delay. When he saw the boy standing there talking to his daughter recognition flashed on his face, but not in a good way.
"Phoebe, come inside," he said, waving her up.
Without even a by your leave Peter followed Phoebe up the steps as she obeyed. Phoebe rolled her eyes. He just wouldn't take a hint. Phoebe moved to stand behind her father as he was now confronting Parker.
"Dr. Connors," said Peter, a little flustered and fidgety "Uh…You don't remember me. I, uh-."
"You're the intern from the other day," said Curt Connors.
Nodding, Peter said "Yeah, yeah. That's right, yeah."
"I'm sorry, Papa. I tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn't take no for an answer," apologized Phoebe. She hadn't been aware Peter Parker was an intern at Oscorp, but, then again, she didn't really socialize with the guy that much outside of school. So, who knows?
"It's quite all right, Sweetheart," said Curt Connors, redirecting what he said next to Peter. "I'm sure you're a very nice young man, but this is a home. As my daughter must've already told you I value my privacy. Make an appointment with my office."
Dr. Connors went to shut the door and Peter saw his chance slipping right between his fingers. It's now or never.
"I'm Richard Parker's son," stated Peter, boldly.
That stopped Curt Connors cold.
Brow furrowed, head tilted to the side in curiosity, Phoebe mused "Richard Parker. Papa, isn't that the name of your old partner?"
"Yes," said Curt Connors, softly.
Curt Connors moved closer to Peter in order to get a better assessment of his face. At the labs when he'd greeted the interns Curt Connors thought he looked familiar, but failed to place when and where. Well now he knew. Honestly he should've realized it a lot sooner. The glasses Peter wore that once belonged to his late father was a dead giveaway. Peter was the spitting image of his dad while wearing them.
"Peter," breathed Curt Connors, thunderstruck, eventually seeing the indisputable resemblance this boy had to his old friend.
Phoebe kept turning her head back and forth from her classmate to her father looking at them with additional puzzlement. If Peter was an intern at Oscorp then shouldn't her father previously have known his identity in the first place?
Authors Note:
Wonder what Dr. Connors is going to say during this version of the conversation.
