Qwerky: Kitty already has a thing for Piotr remember? Plus I got plans for a certain X-girl to set Ben up with.

Winblades: I hate that too, especially if they don't finish the work. R.A. Salvador I know, the others I don't. As for the direction, it was first kind of like an episodic story since I had no real ending but now I got one huge story arch planned.

Jeffery: No I don't plan on ending it anytime soon, I want to see how long I can take this story. As for Exiles, the OCs were first done in our own stories, Vincent in Enter Mayhem and August in Uncanny New Mutants, plus Exiles is more about the team then him, but he will be more center stage later on.

Star Lin: Yeah that won't be an easy talk. I'm thinking of having Ben teacher there too, wouldn't that be something to see. But the Green Goblin will be back and he won't be alone either and I look forward to see what I inspired you to do.

Lady Suneidesis: Thanks, and I like Kitty too but I also like Rogue though. Plus Spider-Man is my favorite hero, which is most likely why I got three cross-over stories. This one, the JL one and the X-Men: Evolution one.

Metal Dragon: Ah so you do, lol. Thanks for reviewing, Yeah Ben and the others that were brought back are going to find out they missed a lot, kind of what Havok had to go through when he woke up.

Celtcath74: Let's just say I'm going to shake things up a little, although MJ will be surprised I think she'll like it. No I wasn't going to use them in the Exiles, but R-Man did suggest an appearance one day so that may happen.

Ldypebsaby: I was thinking that, I mean he's got the same smarts and they could always use new teachers, plus I thought it would be kind of cool.

The Uncanny R-Man: Oh yeah those guys will be surprised, and not to mention how will Warren deal with it since he's dating Paige? I've thought about Exiles, but I'll see about them later on when the big bads (yes more then one) will show up.

Thanks to: Bumpkin, Spyder616, c-wolf, Reikson, The Cure, Red Witch

THE NEW TEACHER

CHAPTER 34: ADJUSTING

Ben had just spent the last hour as Peter filled him in on everything that had happened in the last two years. He knew he had been dead for awhile but that Guardian guy didn't tell him how long he had been 'gone' and he was struggling to keep it all in.

Peter explained the events after his death, how he had thought MJ had died in a plane crash only to find her but soon after they separated and she moved to California. Then the months he was agonizing over her absence. Then Peter told him about 9/11 as it was now called about the man named Ezekiel and all the trouble that suddenly Peter had found himself in.

He had told Ben about his how he went back to the old high school and started to teach there and then how he got MJ back into his life. He even told him how his Aunt May had found out he was Spider-Man and lately how he had lost that job and started to work at Xavier's.

At the end of an hour Ben felt like the whole world had just gone upside down. "I think...I'm going to throw up."

"Just be sure to pull up your mask first Ben." Peter told him. He tried to think of how he would be in Ben's shoes and after a moment decided he didn't want to.

"I can't believe all the stuff that can happen after two years." Ben said shaking his head. "I mean...damn."

"Tell me about it, I had to live through it." Peter said to him.

Just then the door to the roof suddenly opened and both men got to their feet and were surprised to see Kitty Pryde there, sweating and panting. "Man Kitty what did you do run all the way up?" Peter asked her.

"There's...no...damn...elevator...in...this...place!" She said through her deep breaths giving Peter a glare.

"Oops...sorry about that, I didn't know." Peter said to her scratching the back of his head, feeling a little bad about having her to climb all the way up.

She glared at him for a moment then she looked to the three laying forms on the ground and actually managed a small gasp. He staggered to the sleeping forms and when she saw them she felt light headed. Peter and Ben noticed how she was swaying and managed to move fast enough to catch her as she started falling.

"Whoa...did she just faint?" Ben asked Peter.

"Well it is kind of a shock." Peter admitted as they helped her up to her feet as she started to get her senses back.

Kitty couldn't help it when she saw them she felt the tears of joy start to fall from her face. She saw Piotr start to moan slightly as he stirred and she knelt down next to him. He slowly opened his eyes and at first Pitor's vision was slightly blurred then as things got into focus he saw a face he hadn't seen in a long time. It was slightly older, more mature but it was her. "Am I dead yet?" He asked.

Kitty looked down on him and smiled. "No...you're not dead yet." She hugged him then as she began to cry her heart out over him. At first he was confused but he slowly began to realize he was somehow still alive. He hugged Kitty back as she wept with joy at seeing him again. Then she broke away and hit him as hard se she could in his arm.

"Ow! Kitty what was that for?" He asked her as he sat up rubbing his shoulder.

"That you jerk was for dying!" She said angrily. "Do you have any idea of what I went through?"

"I-I am sorry Kitty...I...I just wanted to stop the Legacy virus...I didn't want anyone else to suffer...I didn't want anyone else to know the pain of losing someone close to them." Piotr said referring to the death of his little sister.

Kitty wiped her eyes. "Yeah...I know...I know you did what you felt you had to do...but promise me this...don't just die like that again, promise me?"

Piotr placed a hand on her shoulder, seeing the pain in her eyes. "I promise you."

"How touching." Came a female voice with a British accent. Everyone turned to see Betsy laying on the ground only on her side and propped up on one elbow. "Don't mind me luvs I just love these moments." She said smiling at seeing those two like that, she always thought that those two had been so cute together.

"Is it just me or aren't you two supposed to be dead?" This came from Skin as he was starting to sit up.

Kitty grinned. "So are you Skin."

Skin was confused the last thing he remembered was...was him and the others being crucified. He suddenly looked to his wrist but there was no marks or wounds. "Jubilee! The others!" He shouted in panic.

"She's alright!" Kitty said trying to calm him. "She made it out just fine and so did the others...you were the only one that...well...didn't make it."

Skin blinked a few times then looked back to where there should have been wounds or at least some scarring. "I...died?"

"Yep, but don't take it too badly." Betsy told him. "That just makes you part of the elite X-Men club, of those that died and came back. That reminds me...how did we come back? I mean I remember dying then...Shadowmaster...but then someone came for me...he helped me...now I'm here."

"That would have been Guardian." Said the Scarlet Spider, which now the others had finally noticed the two spider powered people standing near the ledge. "And no not the guy from Alpha Flight, someone else. He brought you all back, and if you're going to ask why? Well I don't know he just did and didn't really explain it himself without getting all cryptic on me."

"Cool!" Skin said getting up. "Spider-Man and...the other guy."

"Other guy?" Ben muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, well you guys got a lot to catch up on." Peter told them. "So if you don't mind we'll head on out." Peter said jerking his thumb over his shoulder and he and Ben, who picked up the suitcase both jumped off the building and left them to their own talks.

Ben's mind was still reeling from all the information as he swung through the city. "Hey wrong way!" Peter shouted and Ben had to switch directions and caught up to Peter. "I moved a few times in two years, I'm on the west side now."

"Sorry, guess I got a few things I still got to get used to...so any thing else I should know about?" Ben asked him as they swung though Manhattan.

"Well let's see...I tried to sue Jameson with She-Hulk as my layer, I helped Captain America save Dr. Doom and introduced MJ to her...oh and Juggernaut is a good guy now teaching gym at the Institute and the Skrulls had taken over and their our supreme rulers."

Ben was silent a moment before he said anything. "Yeah right, I'm not that gullible." Peter was thankful that he wore a full-faced mask to hide the smirk he had under it and tried his best not to laugh. He figured if he put that last one in he wouldn't believe him. It was good to know yourself so well at times like this.

Back at the apartment, MJ had just gotten back from a rehearsal for the play and was in the kitchen getting a bottle of water and looking forward to resting up for the show later tonight. She took the water and closed the fridge and walked to the living room when she heard someone in the bedroom. She smiled figuring it was Peter coming in through the window as usual.

"Peter? You home so soon?" She asked him as she got on the couch.

"Uh...yeah...are you sitting down?" She heard him from their bedroom. She was about to take the top off the bottle when that question froze her in place. She knew that it was never a good thing when someone asked you that question.

He looked slightly nervously at the door, her mind racing with all the things she knew Peter had gone through over the years. Then she heard some muffled noises and it sounded like Peter was talking to himself. "Peter, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Peter stepped out wearing normal clothing looking a little nervous. "Well...you see...I'm kind of having one of those weird days at the moment."

"How weird?"

"Does this answer you question?" Came Ben's voice as he came out of the room putting on one of Peter's shirts. MJ started at the blond haired version of her husband and to saw she was shocked was an understatement. She didn't even notice she had dropped her water bottle until much later and was thankful when she finally did pick it up later she hadn't taken the top off of it.

Now she just stared at Ben then slowly turned to face Peter. "How...what...he's...Peter...what is going on?"

Peter smiled and sat down next to her. "It's kind of a long story."

MEANWHILE

Kitty was driving the others back home and filling them in on everything that was going on. "So...Jean died again?" Piotr asked her. He was sitting next to her while Betsy and Skin were in the back.

Kitty sighed. "Yeah...and Scott's sleeping with Frost, Rachel is back and is using her mother's maiden name now instead of Summers, Juggernaut is teaching at the school, the Professor is off doing something...it's a real mess. But there is some good news, we got official government sanctions now with the X.S.E. and we got a permanent new teacher there for the science courses."

"Really who? And do I have to take classes?" Skin asked her.

"Did you ever get a GED?"

"Uh...ya...about that you see we were kind of busy at the time and well you see..." Skin said nervously. He had missed taking that and so technically he didn't have a high school education at the moment.

"Then yes you do Skin." Kitty said sternly, she saw Skin slump down in his seat. "Look on the bright side even though Paige is going for her GED soon, Jubilee still has to take a few classes and maybe you'll be in a few of them with her." She could see a smile forming on his face at the thought and Kitty couldn't help but smile.

"As for the new teacher he's been here a few months and already is one of the favorites, and get this. He's not a mutant." Kitty knew Betsy had telepathic powers at one point and wasn't sure if they were back know but technically she was telling the truth. Peter wasn't a mutant.

"Bloody hell." Betsy muttered. "I can't believe all of that is happening. And Polaris is all psycho now?"

"Well...not evil psycho, but she did threaten Anne with a lot of scalpels and stuff." Kitty told her. She didn't like the fact that Lorna had done something like that, but it was the truth.

"I can't believe that...I mean Lorna was so...kind." Betsy said still in shock of hearing how different she had become. "I can't blame Alex for not marrying her...well...he still could have done something better then ditching her at the alter though."

"Yeah that was kind of harsh." Kitty admitted. "But Lorna went way out of line, so she left not too long ago, no one knows where."

There was a moment of silence then Betsy had to ask the one question that she had been dying to know. "How's...how's Warren?" Kitty bit her lower lip not sure how to break the news to her. "He's seeing someone else isn't he?" Betsy said sadly. "It's alright...we...we did brake up."

Kitty sighed. "Well you see I heard after your...death, he was really upset and heartbroken about it." Betsy closed her eyes at that point, she hated the fact she had caused him so much pain. "It took awhile for him to get over it and he is in a relationship at the moment...if a little...weird."

That got everyone's attention. "Weird how? He's not gay or nothin' is he?" Skin asked.

Kitty laughed a little. "Uh...no. He's dating Paige...Sam's little sister."

"What? You kidding me?" Skin nearly jumped out of his seat. "But I thought she was all into Jono?"

"Well, I guess she had to move on too." Kitty explained to him from over her shoulder. "He did show up but when he found out Warren and her were an...an item...well it didn't go over well and he hasn't been seen since." Kitty looked in the rearview mirror and saw Betsy staring out her window looking down. "Betsy? Are you alright?"

The purple haired telepath didn't answer, she just stared out though the window in silence for the rest of the trip back.

PARKER APPARTMENT

MJ had just finished hearing Peter's story. "Wow...that's a new one for you I think."

Peter thought about it. "I think so, to tell the truth I stopped trying to remember all the crazy stuff."

MJ turned to Ben now. "So what are you going to do now?"

Ben was in a chair. While Peter had been filling her in he hadn't a clue and was trying to figure it out. He sighed and shrugged. "Don't know. I got enough to start a new life now, so I guess I'll go to a hotel or something until I can find an apartment to rent."

Peter gave MJ a look and she smiled and nodded. She knew what he was going to do and she was fine with it. "Ben you can crash here until you do, it my not be much but at least you got a place right now."

Ben smiled in gratitude. "Thanks Pete, I really mean it. So I guess I should also try and get some new clothing...and a job too." He tried to think of something to do. He couldn't do the photography thing at the Bugle, that wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Maybe he could get work at one of the other major papers in the city.

Ben got up then. "Well whatever I promise I won't be here too long, if you don't mind I want to get something to drink, any of you want anything while I'm up?"

"No nothing for me thanks." Peter said and MJ showed him the only half empty water bottle. When he left for the kitchen Peter turned to his wife. "Thanks for letting him stay."

"Well he is kind of like family so why not?" She told him. There was a knock on the door and they both shared a confused look. Neither one of them knew who would be coming to their place at that moment. Peter shrugged and got off the couch and went to the front door.

"Aunt May?" Peter exclaimed surprised by her arrival. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming over."

May stepped in. "Can't someone visit their relatives?"

"Hey man what was that? I thought I heard you say...Aunt May." Ben stood there staring at the elderly lady while she just stood there in complete and utter surprise.

Peter lightly slapped his palm to his face. "Oh boy, here we go again. Aunt May you may want to sit down."

She blinked a few times and nodded. "I think that's best."

XAIVER'S

Kitty pulled up to the mansion, the others were surprised to see how the place had changed since they had been 'gone', and they also noticed a lot of children around the place as well. "Things have changed." Piotr said looking out the windows as she parked the car in the garage.

"Kitty, you did call ahead and told them about us right?" Skin asked her and suddenly Kitty's head snapped up.

"Oh crap...I forgot." She said worried. "Oh this is going to be one heck of a surprise." As they got out of the car and walked up to the mansion Betsy slowly stopped looking at the place and wondering if coming back was the right thing to do. She wanted to see the others again...but she was dreading the meeting with Warren.

Kitty noticed her apprehension and went up to her. "Hey, it will be alright okay trust me." The taller woman nodded but her face didn't show anything other then worry and uneasiness. They went through the front door and no one so far were there, that is until a group of kids walked by, including a pair of identical triplets.

The Stepford Cuckoos looked at the new group of people with interests. "Hey aren't these guys supposed to be dead?" One of the girls asked her sisters.

"And isn't that Skin? I thought he was dead too?" Another asked.

"Boy is Jubilee going to be surprised." The last girl grinned and then the other two grinned as they shared the mental images of what the girl would do when she saw him.

Angelo however caught on that they knew Jubilee. "Hey can you girls take me to her? I really want to see her."

The three girls exchanged looks and then looked back to him and all smiled. "Of course." They all said at once. "We wouldn't miss this for the world." All three took hold of Angelo and led him through the mansion.

"I wish I could see that." Betsy said with a smirk on her face.

"Betsy?" Came a familiar voice that she knew all to well and she turned around and gasped at the sight of Warren. Now without the blue skin that she had last seen him and the world seemed to freeze as their eyes met both waiting for the first one to make the first move.

NEXT UP CHAPTER 35: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?