Chapter Four

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Tony was more than a little agitated.

It just didn't make any sense!

How was is that his tablet kept alerting him that Peter was in the room, when Peter obviously wasn't present at all?

Unless...

"May," Tony called out carefully to the distressed aunt who was pacing with worry about her nephew. "You don't think that Peter took the tracker out of his suit again, do you? Like he did in D.C.?"

Yeah... he had told May all about that story. How Peter had put the tracker from his suit on a hotel lamp of all things...

May immediately shook her head, before pausing, suddenly looking uncertain. "I didn't think that he would have, but he did lie to me about calling you tonight. So, I guess anything is possible."

Tony stood from the barstool that he had been sitting on, and walked over to the couch that his tablet indicated Peter was located. He pulled the couch out, and proceeded to look behind it, searching for the small, little microchip that was Peter's tracker.

It was nowhere in sight.

Tony frowned and looked down at his tablet once again. And what he saw caused his eyes to widen.

"His tracker moved slightly." Tony commented out loud to himself. He peered up at the couch that was now in the middle of the living room and back down to his tablet.

"But not in that direction..." He said, indicating to the couch.

Tony turned his whole body towards the wall that the couch had just vacated. "It moved more in the opposite direction..."

...

"I think… I think I'm drifting off fast…" Spider-Man said, his voice laden thick with sleep.

When they had finally released each other from their hug earlier, they both silently decided to lie down on the bed. As it was clear that Spider-Man was nearing the point of exhaustion.

"Well, that makes sense…" Mary Jane whispered back from her position on the bed next to him. They were both lying down, facing each other. "You've had quite the busy night. Tends to exhaust people."

Spider-Man merely slowly nodded, in a tired and distracted manner.

"Are you sure that it's alright if I stay here?" He asked, his voice sounding hesitant.

"Of course." Mary Jane said immediately, her tone indicating that she wouldn't have it any other way.

Spider-Man nodded his acceptance and gratitude. "Goodnight, Mary Jane…"

His masked head burrowed further into the pillow, and Mary Jane couldn't help but smile fondly at the endearing action.

"Don't let the bedbugs bite, Spider."

Spider-Man let out a lone amused breath, before his breathing evened out, and Mary Jane knew that she had lost him to the land of sleep.

Mary Jane sighed, not at all tired yet, as she thought over what their options were.

Their best bet was to get Spider-Man to Tony Stark if he didn't regain his full memory soon.

But Mary Jane found her innermost thoughts and desires rebelling against the idea.

She wanted to be the one to help Spider-Man with his recovery. And she knew the reason why...

She didn't want to let him go.

If he left, who knows when she would see him again...? If she would ever see him again.

This might very well be the only time she would ever spend time with him. And she wanted it to last, if that were the case.

He did say that he wouldn't forget about you... Her thoughts pointed out to her.

Mary Jane frowned at that. Sure, he said that he wouldn't forget her, but that didn't mean that he would go out of his way to spend any time with her. Especially after he regained his memory. Once he is fully aware of his life and the situation at hand, he might go back on his promise to her.

With a heavy sigh, Mary Jane turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling with furrowed brows.

When suddenly...

Knock Knock Knock...

The abrupt noise startled her enough that she almost fell out of the bed.

Mary Jane sat up and stared at the door skeptically.

Who could it be? Especially at this hour? And with her Aunt Anna out of town...

Mary Jane turned her eyes over to Spider-Man on the bed... and saw that the knocking noise hadn't disturbed his sleep at all.

Spider-Man was well and truly dead to the world...

The knocking came again, this time more insistent.

Mary Jane stood, on unsteady feet, and slowly made her way over to the door.

She stopped in front of it, and leaned in closer to peer through the eye hole, and...

Mary Jane gasped, stepped back and immediately unlocked the deadbolt.

She threw open the door, wide, and gaped at the appearance of Tony Stark in her Aunt Anna's doorway.

He was looking at her warily, with untrusting eyes, as if he were trying to judge her character with one single look.

"Y-You're..." She stuttered. "You're..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know who I am." He said suddenly, with a roll of his eyes as he waved her off. "Listen, I'm looking for-"

"I know who you're looking for," Mary Jane interrupted, all of a sudden finding her voice. She stepped back to allow entrance for the billionaire superhero. "He's right in the room there... on the bed."

Tony's eyes widened, and didn't wait for any further invitation before stepping forward into the apartment, and to the bedroom she had pointed to.

Mary Jane followed him, and almost ran right into his back as he paused right in the open doorway. She watched Mr. Stark's face as he took in the brightly colored superhero sleeping on the bed... and to say that Mr. Stark's entire body melted with relief, would be an understatement. "Thank God..."

Mr. Stark turned attention to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. "How long has he been unconscious?"

Mary Jane leaned against the doorway mantle, crossing her arms leisurely. "He wasn't just a moment ago. He only just fell asleep."

Mr. Stark frowned at her answer. "Then why didn't he just leave? Unless..." He turned to look at her fully now. "He isn't hurt, is he?"

Mary Jane bit her lip, looking over at the person in question on the bed. "According to what he told me, he only had a few scrapes and bruises. But those have apparently already healed. But-"

"Then why didn't he at least check in to let us know that he was alright?" Tony snapped, looking quite agitated as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Mary Jane held up her hands defensively. "He didn't know, okay? Look... Spider-Man, he... he has amnesia."

Mr. Stark's eyes snapped to hers, tension once again taking over his body. "What happened?"

So, she told him what had happened. With the building exploding, Spider-Man hitting his head on the metal garbage can, Mary Jane finding him and taking him here...

"He's been remembering bits and pieces." Mary Jane continued, watching Mr. Stark but unable to get a read on his emotions. "Like he remembers a bit about you and how he had gotten his powers. But the rest is just blank, for now. I think that his super healing is mending his brain as we speak..."

She finally stopped talking, waiting for any sort of reaction from Mr. Stark.

He didn't give her much of one. Instead, he walked forward and sat down on the chair next to the bed, looking at Spider-Man's prone form. Mary Jane stayed standing in the doorway, watching them both.

Until finally, Mr. Stark broke the silence. "He still has his mask on..."

Mary Jane nodded, even though Mr. Stark wasn't looking at her to see the movement. "It-It just didn't seem right... he wears a mask for a reason, and he was completely helpless. He was putting all of his trust in me. I just... well, I couldn't betray it."

Tony turned his head to look at her, this time with appraising eyes. "I guess we can be glad that it was you who had found him rather than anyone else. Thank-you for taking care of him... and for keeping his secret safe."

Mary Jane smiled at the praise. Up until that moment, Mr. Stark had been nothing but abrasive towards her. It seemed that she had finally won some approval points from the man. "It was really nothing. If anything, Spider-Man made some great company. You ever notice that he tends to talk... a lot?"

Mr. Stark let out a laugh, the noise still didn't serve to wake Spider-Man from his deep sleep. "Don't I know it! The Kid won't ever learn how to shut up!"

Mary Jane was surprised by the sound of affection in Mr. Stark's voice as he said this. It was clear that Spider-Man and Tony Stark were closer than anyone realized. The thought caused a smile to come to her face, knowing that she was putting Spider-Man into good hands.

"How did you even know that he was here?" She asked suddenly, curious.

Mr. Stark held up the tablet that she had forgotten he was holding. "There's a tracker in his suit. Put there for instances just like these."

Mary Jane grinned. "Convenient."

"Yeah," Tony said as he suddenly stood. "So, listen. We better get going..."

Mary Jane stood up straight, feeling disappointment coursing through her. "Oh. Of course."

Mr. Stark nodded, before he bent over a gently lifted Spider-Man's lithe body up over his shoulder. Spider-Man didn't even stir from his deep sleep. "Thanks again for taking care of him. I really appreciate." And his voice really did indicate that he did.

Mary Jane walked ahead of them, opening the door wide enough for them to go through.

As Mr. Stark walked out into the hallway, Mary Jane couldn't help but stop him.

"Mr. Stark..."

Mr. Stark paused, looking back at her with a single, raised eyebrow... taking the time to adjust his hold on Spider-Man. "Yeah, kid?"

Mary Jane but her lip, and tucked strands of her red hair behind her ear. "Take care of him, okay?"

Mr. Stark stared at her for a brief moment, before smiling and saying, "Always do, Kid... see you around."

Mary Jane nodded, before she closed the door after them... turning her body so that she leaned heavily against the thick wood.

It was probably the last time that she would ever get to see Spider-Man...

And she didn't even get to say goodbye.

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A/N: Let me know your thoughts by leaving me a review! :)