Danielle currently sat in a old desk inside a classroom back at school. She missed a few days of the week, but quickly caught up on missing assignments and make up tests in a short amount of time. Now, here she was taking the test she needed to pass in order to get into Academic Decathlon team. Peter, Ned, Michelle, Cindy, Liz, and Sally all helped her prep for the big test.

Although, Peter told her she hardly needed it. "You're smart, Elle. You really don't need all this studying." He told her as they sat at the top of the empty bleachers early on Thursday morning. Ever since she got back, they'd used these early mornings on the bleachers to talk, study, catch up. He helped her and she helped him. There were times Danielle wasn't sure what to say when Peter would ask about her weekend, her family, what she did for fun, what her old life was like before she went to Midtown. But for the most part, she felt free. Relaxed.

Danielle had to admit, hanging out with Michelle, Peter, and Ned was a lot different from hanging out with Liz, Cindy, Betty, and Sally. Peter and Ned made her laugh and feel a uncensored and unrestrained happy feeling. Michelle made her think and showed her a new type of perspective by sharing her wisdom with Danielle. Liz, Cindy, Betty, and Sally always taught Danielle new things. How to apply make up. Curl her hair. Talk to boys. Talk to people in general. But throughout her time spent with them, she felt like she was locking a part of herself away and was acting like a new person entirely. A different person.

So, she savored these moments alone with her friends like Peter. Danielle shook her head. "Everyone needs to study. It doesn't matter how smart you may think I am, I could use the refresher course. So, thank you for helping." She told him.

Peter smiled. "Yeah. No problem."

The bell rang a few minutes later, ending the study hall session. The pair climbed down from the bleachers and walked the rest of the way to the school. Peter wished her good luck before they parted ways for the day of classes. By the end of the day, Liz convinced Mr. Harrington to allow Danielle to take the test. He agreed happily.

Now, here she was. She was actually quite surprised by the fact that every question in the test were on topics Peter and Ned helped her study. She finished within twenty minutes.

"How do you think you did?" Liz asked once she walked out of the class.

Danielle nervously shoved her hands in her pockets. "I-I don't know. Good...maybe?"

Liz chuckled. "You're just anxious. How about some celebratory ice cream to calm the nerves?" Danielle nodded.

Liz and Danielle walked from the school to a little ice cream and gelato shop just a few blocks from Liz's house. Danielle had already texted Sharon to tell her where she was and was pretty sure she saw Tony's suit fly by just making sure she was actually there, but that could have just been her imagination.

Once inside the shop, the two girls got their ice cream. Liz got a small cup of strawberry gelato and Danielle got herself some Rocky Road. "Why Rocky Road?" Liz asked as they took seats underneath an umbrella shaded table on the side of the street.

Danielle only had the basic neopolitan flavors of ice cream before her time with HYDRA, but when her new life with the team started, Steve and Sam introduced her to Rocky Road ice cream and she was hooked. But, of course, Danielle couldn't tell her that. "I don't know. I guess I just like it." She shrugged.

"That's vague, but whatever." She shrugged as they both dug into their ice creams. "So are you coming with us to the football game this Friday or are you still grounded after last week?"

"I'm sure I can try and ask to go." Danielle replied.

Liz laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Your parents are super forgiving."

Danielle shrugged. "It's not that. I don't think they really know how to ground me."

"Well, do you think they'd let you come with Betty, Cindy, Sally, and I to the game?"

"Um, I'm don't know. I'll try, though." She assured Liz.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving Break?"

Danielle blinked in surprise. "Um, Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, it's in a few weeks. One of the reasons the football game is this Friday. The season ends before Thanksgiving Break." Liz explained. "My parents are taking me on a trip out to a ski resort in Colorado."

Danielle looked down at the ice cream cone in her hands. She'd heard of the American holiday tradition of Thanksgiving. She remember one year back before HYDRA, Jack climbed onto the roof of the house and worked all day on the satellite dish so it would pick up the channel that showed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was full of static, but it was the idea that counted. "Um, I think I'm going to go visit my family up North."

"That's nice." Liz said as she ate some more gelato. "Am I ever going to meet any of your family members?"

Danielle shrugged. "I'm sure one day you'll meet them." She smiled to herself at the thought of Liz or any one of her friends walking up to the Avengers and introducing themselves as a friend of hers.

Liz hummed and shrugged it off as her phone began to ring. Liz pulled it up and frowned. "My parents want me home before five. I guess I have to go."

Danielle nodded as they both stood up from the table. "It's okay. I should be heading out too."

Liz slung her purse over her shoulder while Danielle pushed in her chair. "this was really fun. And I really hope you make it into Decathlon."

"Thanks, Liz. See you at school tommorow." Danielle called as she left the restaurant closed off outside patio and made her way onto the busy sidewalk. Danielle pulled out Google Maps and trekked her way to the subway. After getting off at her stop, Danielle easily found her way to the apartment building.

"Danielle, is that you?" Sharon called out from the kitchen once Danielle entered the apartment.

"Yeah, I just got back from getting ice cream with Liz." Danielle replied as she tossed her backpack at the foot of the dining table and took a seat in front of the TV and flipped it on. "Did you need help with dinner?"

"No, I ordered take out." Sharon replied as she walked out from the kitchen with two containers of Chinese food. She handed one to Danielle and sat on the couch beside her. "So, how'd that Decathlon test go?"

Danielle shrugged as she twirled her fork in the chow mean. "I thought it went okay, but I won't find out until tomorrow."

"I'm sure you did great." Sharon assured her as they turned their attention to the TV.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Danielle got the courage to speak up again. "Um, Liz invited me to go to the football game this Friday and I was wondering if I was still grounded or if I could go?"

Sharon sat in thought for a moment before shrugging. "Well, you learned your lesson the first time and I know if I let you go out Tony will most definitely track your every move."

Danielle looked at her surprise. "So I can go?"

Sharon shrugged. "Sure. Just tell Steve and Jack exactly where you're going, got it?" Danielle nodded and smiled. She had to admit going to an actual football game sounded kind of fun. Now all she had to do was figure out how the game actually worked...


Danielle was hardly able to sleep that night due to both her nerves about the Decthlon test and stress about how the football game would pan out that Friday. That morning, Danielle quickly got dressed, ran to the coffee shop around the corner of the street, grabbed something that apparently had a lot of caffeine, and dashed to make it to the subway.

Peter was already waiting. He looked curiously at her breathless state and then the coffee in her hand. "You drink coffee?"

Danielle shrugged. "I-I've honestly never had it. I just didn't get much sleep last night." She admit.

"Decathlon test?" He guessed.

She nodded. "And Liz invited me to go to the football game this Friday."

Peter's face lit up. "Oh, no way. You're going?"

She grimaced. "I have no idea how the sport even works."

Peter burst out into laughter. "You don't know how football works?" He asked incredulously.

She frowned slightly. It did sound ridiculous that the practically adopted daughter of Captain America had no clue how football worked. Tony would have a field day with that knowledge, no doubt if he ever found out. "I've never really been much of a sports person." She admit.

"But you're trying out for the soccer team in three months."

"Soccer is easy to understand. You kick the ball into the goal and you can't touch it with your feet. Easy." She explained.

Peter shook his head. "We need to educate you on sports. And fast." He stated. "Bleachers?"

Danielle tilted her head curiously. "I thought the bleachers were for studying purposes only."

"This is studying. Getting you ready for soccer and the football game this Friday is vital to your school experience."

Danielle pursed her lips. "Liz said the same thing about the party last week."

"Parties and sports are different." Peter exclaimed.

Danielle chuckled and gave in. "Okay. We can return to our studying spot on the bleachers."

"Great." Peter smiled. Danielle returned the smile before taking a sip of coffee. She swallowed and immediately winced and scrunched her face into disgust. Peter laughed. "That bad?"

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"What? I wanted to see your reaction." Danielle's jaw dropped in offense. "Priceless." Peter laughed.

"Rude!" Danielle swat his arm as Peter laughed non stop.

Once they got off the subway, they immediately went to their studying spot up on the bleachers. Peter wasted no time in beginning to explain football, and it was convenient that the field was right in front of them. "So, there are two points of the game." He began. "The first is the offensive part. Whoever has the ball wants to make it all the way to the end of the field. That is known as the Endzone." Peter pointed to both ends. "Once you get past all the players on the defensive side trying to tackle you and make it there, you get six points. Or, you almost get there and just kick it in those giant yellow poles. Then you get three points."

"What's the defensive point of the game?" Danielle asked.

"You basically have to pummel whoever has the ball on the opposite team."

"That seems kind of violent."

"Probably why it's one of the most popular sports in America." They both laughed.

When they were done with their sports studying session, Peter had educated Danielle on more than just football and soccer. She now knew how to play baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf was an iffy subject for Peter, dodgeball was found to be the exact same as baseball but with your feet instead of a bat, basketball, and for some reason, Peter felt the need to educate her on how to play water polo.

"So, now that you're an expert on all things sports-" Peter started.

"I just know the basics-" Danielle cut in.

"You're an expert on the basics." Peter interrupted her. "...you are now ready for the football game Friday."

"I don't have anything to wear..."

"Well, that's what Liz is for."

"True, but she doesn't explain things as fun as you do."

"Thanks, it's nice to know I do something better than my crush."

Danielle blinked in surprise as a smile spread across her face. "You have a crush on Liz?"

The color immediately drained from Peter's face in realization at what he had just admit. "Wha-No! I meant-I didn't mean-" He began blubbering. "Oh... Crap."

Danielle laughed. "Don't worry, Peter. Your secret's safe with me."

"Cross your heart?"

Danielle held up a hand and made an X on her chest with her fingers. "Hope to die."

Peter sighed and felt slightly relieved. Now Ned wasn't the only one who knew about his crush on Liz. Now, Liz's best friend knew he had a crush on Liz. Peter trusted Danielle, but still mentally beat himself up for letting it slip. The bell rang before Peter had enough time to completely freak out.

"The Decathlon test." Danielle breathed. "Come on, let's go see how I did." They both grabbed their things and dashed down from the bleachers, across the football field, and into the school.

Once inside, they navigated their way all the way to Mr. Harrington's class. Danielle and Peter rushed inside to see Mr. Harrington seated behind his desk. He looked up at smiled. "Hey, Peter, Danielle. I assume you're here to find out the results of your test?" Danielle nodded. "Well, I'm happy to inform you that you made a straight one hundred on it. Congratulations, welcome to Academic Decathlon."

Danielle's jaw dropped and she was speechless. Peter on the other hand was flipping out. He was jumping and laughing and yelling out about Howe knew she was going to do great. "T-Thank you, Mr. Harrington." She finally stammered out as they shook hands.

"Practice starts next Thursday." He told her.

Danielle nodded before her and Peter left the room. "What did I say? That you had nothing to worry about." Peter said as they walked down the halls. "Now look at you, you got a straight one hundred, Elle! A one hundred!"

"She got a what?" A new voice said from behind them. The pair sun around to see Cindy, a boy Danielle recognized as a member on the Decathlon team-Abe, Michelle, and Ned.

Peter wrapped an arm around Danielle's shoulders and smiled. "Danielle got a perfect score on the Decathlon test. She's in."

Someone shrieked with joy from beside them. Everyone looked to see Liz, Sally, Flash, and Betty coming over to them. Liz ran over and scooped Danielle into a hug, brushing Peter's arm away unintentionally. "I am so proud of you! I knew you could do it." Liz told her.

"Yeah, nice going, West." Michelle muttered with a small smirk. Danielle smiled back knowing that was the closest thing to praise she'd ever get from Michelle.

"This calls for a celebration!" Abe declared.

"Celebratory Decathlon party back at my place?" Flash suggested.

"NO!" Everyone immediately replied.

Sally chuckled. "We all remember how the last party at your house turned out."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad." He insisted.

"The cops were called..." Michelle said.

"College kids showed up..." Cindy added.

"I got grounded..." Danielle chimed in.

"Okay, so definetly no parties." Liz concluded. "Anybody else have a good idea on how to celebrate this?"

"We can all go to the football game this Friday as a group." Ned suggested.

"That's a great idea, Ned." Liz turned to Danielle. "Are you going to be able to come?"

She nodded. "I already was given permission yesterday." Danielle answered.

"Awesome, football game this Friday to celebrate Danielle getting into Decathlon!" Cindy cheered.


Friday came around faster than Danielle had figured. She was currently standing outside her apartment building waiting for Peter and his Aunt to pick her up. Liz had offered to take her, but she figured the car was already full with Cindy, Betty, Sally, and Abe. Danielle knew she'd only be inconveniencing everyone by trying to squeeze herself in there. Luckily, Peter had over heard that she didn't have a ride and offered to give her one.

Soon enough, Peter's Aunt pulled up by the sidewalk in front of her. Peter jumped out wearing his usual jeans, Converse tennis shoes, a graphic tee, and his hoodie. "Hey, Elle." He greeted her.

"Hi, Peter." She replied with a smile as she walked over to the car nd slid into the backseat. Ned was already sitting in the seat next to her. "Hey, Ned." He waved back.

"Hi!" A cheery young woman from the driver's seat called out to her. "You must be Peter's friend, Danielle. Peter and Ned have told me so much about you."

"You must be Peter's Aunt May. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for giving me a ride to the game."

"Oh, it's no problem." She shrugged off as she started the car. "It's always nice to meet Peter's friends. You're new at Midtown?"

Danielle nodded. "I moved from Northern New York."

"Ooh, nice." May continued with probing questions throughout the entire ride to the football field back at the high school, and when they finally arrived she bid them farewell. "Be safe! Don't accept drugs! Don't do anything you're going to regret when you're my age! Have fun!"

Danielle chuckled as she smiled and waved goodbye after shutting the door behind her. Peter's face was beet red as him, Ned, and Danielle started up the sidewalk entering the football field ticket area. "Sorry about her. She's...enthusiastic." Peter apologized.

Danielle shook her head. "She's sweet. I like her." Danielle smiled as the three headed into the football game. They went to grab some snacks before they headed to their seats where the rest of the Decathlon team was seated up in the stands.

"What do we want from the concession stand guys?" Peter asked as he pulled out his wallet.

Danielle stopped him before he pulled out any more money. "No, I've got it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's the least I could do. You did give me a ride." She insisted.

Peter and Ned exchanged looks and Ned shrugged. "I'm not passing up on free food. I'll take a hot dog and a blue raspberry Icee. Peter?"

"Uh, some nachos and sour patch kids." He said before turning to Danielle. "You?"

Danielle shrugged. "Um, popcorn sounds good." They got to the front and collected their snacks, Danielle paid and they found their seats a few minutes later. Once they got there, everyone else was already waiting. Danielle sat in between two groups of people. On the left side of her was Liz, Cindy, and Sally, in front of her was Flash, Abe, Seymour, Charles and Tiny, and to her right was Peter, Ned, and Michelle. "Where's Betty?" Danielle asked Liz.

"She's out on the field filming for the news broadcast tomorrow." Liz explained.

Danielle nodded. "Oh, right." She remembered Betty was doing that and soccer.

"Glad you could make it, Danielle." Cindy called from Liz's left side.

Danielle smiled and waved back. "You too."

"Your parents really didn't mind you coming?" Sally called all the way from Cindy's side.

Danielle shook her head. She had already messaged Steve, Jack, Tony, and Wanda and told her where she'd be, not to mention she had gotten Sharon's seal of approval. Steve told her to be safe and have fun, Jack replied with a warning to stay away from boys, Tony replied with two emojis of eyes, and Wanda replied with a firework emoji and a well spirited good luck to the football team. Danielle was good to go.

The football game was super fun. She'd only ever seen people watching it on TV or in movies with their families from the comfort of their living room or a family barbecue, but sitting in the stands surrounded by rowdy high schoolers with lots and lots of team spirit was way more fun that they made it look on TV. The team was loosing bad, but it didn't matter to the Decathlon team in the stands who sang every song the band played and cheered each time their team got the ball and booed every time the other team intercepted and scored a point. And thanks to Peter, Danielle wasn't completely lost. Though, she did from time to time lean over and ask if something was this or that. Peter thought it was amusing, but Danielle continuously apologized after each question.

By the end of the game, the entire team-both Decathlon and football-were tired. It was coming up neary midnight and Danielle had forgotten to line up a ride home. So when everyone was getting picked up in the front of the football field, Danielle had to walk her way down the block to catch the subway. On the way there, however, it started raining. Danielle couldn't help but laugh though. It was odd, everything was odd.

If someone had told her a few years ago that she would be walking through New York City at night getting rained on after having attended her high school's football game with her friends, she would have never believed them in a million years. Yet, here she was. Doing just that.

Danielle's small smile turned into her laughing to herself as she walked through the rain. She was so caught up in her own little world, she didn't notice Peter running up behind her to tap her on the shoulder. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized as he fell into step beside her. he had his hood pulled over his head and gave her a curious look as to why she just let e rain absolutely drench her.

"It's fine." Danielle shrugged off. "Your Aunt May didn't come pick you up?"

"No, she texted me she was on the way, but I saw you walking alone and figured you would like some company to the subway."

Danielle laughed. "You figured correctly. But you didn't have to walk in the rain for me, Peter."

"I see it more of me being a gentleman."

"You are, thank you."

"You did pay for Ned and I's snacks."

"But I did that to repay for giving me a ride home."

Peter shrugged. "I offered to give you ride."

"And I offered to pay."

"How about we just agree that we are both very kind and giving people?" He suggested.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "That would be best. I don't feel like going back and forth, my throat hurts from all the yelling."

"And singing."

Danielle laughed. "And singing."

"I had no idea you knew all the words to the Spice Girls."

"My mom loved them. She would play it around the house for my brother and I whenever she would clean." She explained.

Peter raised an eyebrow as they walked. "You never mentioned you had a brother...and you never really talked about your mom before."

"Oh." Danielle realized she never had mentioned her mom. To anyone. And especially not in a long time. "Well, my brother, he lives in North New York still with my...um, Uncle and cousins. My mom is...dead."

Peter's smile fell. "Oh. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine. It was a few years ago." Danielle brushed off quickly. Just had to ruin the mood, she scolded herself. "I, I'm not sure why I even brought my mom up. I don't really talk about her anymore. Or my dad."

"Well, it means you're relaxed around me, I guess." Peter nudged her arm playfully.

Danielle chuckled. "You are very amusing to be around. If it weren't for you, I would have been completely lost that entire football game."

Peter burst into laughter. "I still can't believe you had no clue how football works." This was how the pair continued their walk to the subway, the ride to their stops, and the walk to their separate apartment buildings a few blocks apart.

When Peter departed from Danielle's side as they split at where their paths would be separate, he shoved his hands awkwardly in his pockets as they stood at the street's end. The rain had stopped showering down on them, and the New York lights reflected against the puddles lining the street edges.

"Thank you for tonight, Peter. I needed the reminder that I had friends. And I also had a really fun time." Danielle told him.

"Me too. Congrats on getting into Decathlon."

Danielle nodded with a smile. "Be safe. See you at school Monday."

"Yeah. You, too." He said as he turned on his heel and headed off to his apartment building. Danielle turned the corner, but instead of walking the rest of the way alone, she reappeared at the door of her and Sharon's apartment. She pulled her key from her pocket and unlocked the door to get inside.

"How was the game?" Sharon called from her seat on the couch. A pile of paperwork surrounding her as the nightly news played on the television.

Danielle smiled at the sight of her guardian cooly doing classified CIA work in their living room in her pajamas like it was nothing. "It was fun." Yeah, her life was normal.


A/N: Holy shitballs guys. This story is at 50 followers. That may seem like nothing to most people, but that means so much to me. I am really glad you guys are liking this story so far. I have lots of fun writing it. So, I gift you with an early chapter.

OgFrosty: Holy fuck, I did not even realize that until you just now pointed it out. I. AM. SHOOK! Which is weird, though, I've never really gotten into the Flash. Like, my best friend had forced me to sit down and watch Arrow, and I enjoyed it until I got bored at like the fourth season (but apparently it got really good in the sixth season so I have to go an watch the rest of it before I start school up again) but I never really got into the Flash. There was just too many universe jumping and powers to keep up with so after the second season I just stopped watching and focused on Glee. Then season five came around so. Stopped watching Glee. God, I really need to commit to finishing these shows. The only shows I'm caught up on or finished with is Thirteen Reasons, FRIENDS, Cloak and Dagger, Supernatural, Law and Order SVU, Bones, Jessica Jones, Sherlock, and Doctor Who. I'm a mess, I know.

Incorrect Quote of the Chapter:

Danielle: I'm not that cute-

Peter: Let me stop you right there.

Peter: *takes out 478693 page essay* Now let me explain to you why your theory is incredibly incorrect.