Rhea followed AL's directions, flying over Queens dressed in an army green wool coat that reached down to her knees with an oversized hood pulled up over her head. Under it she wore a long sleeved scooped neck black shirt, a green plaid pleated skirt, black tights, and black knee high boots. She denied many times over that she was dressing up for Peter when AL commented on her dressing up and taking so much time to pick out an outfit.

She soon came to the correct apartment complex and slipped down to Peter's window after doing a quick scan to see which was the right one, didn't want to get that mixed up. She carefully peeked into his window glad that he wasn't in the middle of changing or something, but saddened when she saw him sitting on the edge of his bed with his face buried in his hands.

She knocked on the window just loud enough to get his attention causing him to jump slightly. He glanced around until his eyes landed on the window, widening in surprise to see Rhea smiling and waving at him. He scrambled over to her and quickly opened the window offering her and to help her inside.

"Thank you Peter." Rhea smiled brightly at him.

"What…what are you doing here?" He glanced nervously at his bedroom door.

"I came to see how you're doing." Rhea placed her hands into her pockets with a shrug.

"Horribly, I'm doing horribly." Peter collapsed back on his bed running his hands through his hair.

"I'm sorry about all this Peter." Rhea sat down next to him.

"I just wanted to help and make a difference." Peter sighed. "I want to do so much, but no one will let me. It's like I had that one brief time as a real Avenger, a real hero, in Germany and then…"

"You're stuck back on the sidelines." Rhea finished for him.

"Yeah." Peter nodded, looking down at the floor.

"You know the only time I ever get to go out and be Hex is when I being chaperoned by my grandpa or one of my uncles." Rhea commented. "I never got to go out on my own like you do. My grandpa really has a lot of faith in you."

"Don't you mean 'did'?" Peter frowned.

"Peter, on that ship today, a lot of people were put in danger…." Rhea started.

"I know that." Peter sighed in agitation, but Rhea held up her hand to stop him.

"But you know what scared my grandpa the most? What could have happened to you." Rhea said, causing Peter to pause. "He really cares about you and at times he can be overbearing about it, but in the end he comes around. Just go out and do what you were doing before you got the fancy suit, I mean, it never held you back before, being in your old uniform."

"It's a little embarrassing to have to go back to that." Peter mumbled.

"Yeah, well, we're not heroes for the glamour, we're heroes for the people." Rhea replied patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Peter hung his head again.

"I'll keep talking to my grandpa, he'll come around." Rhea said encouragingly.

"Rhea, why….I mean…why did you…." Peter stuttered out trying not to sound insulting.

"Because the world needs Spiderman." Rhea walked over placing her hands on his shoulders. "And more than that, it needs Peter Parker." She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek causing his face to erupt. "I'll see you around Pete."

Rhea left through the window, Peter walking over to it watching her go, his fingers reaching up to brush where she'd kissed him.

-0-

Rhea watched as Peter came up to the facility taking it all in. It was quite impressive for a first time viewer with its personnel scurrying about and the quin-jets flying overhead. Rhea watched as Peter stepped inside with Happy who had driven him in.

"You don't see that every day." Happy commented to Peter as they watched a quin-jet fly off.

"Unless you live here, then it's pretty normal." Rhea walked over to Peter and Happy. She was wearing a black pencil skirt that reached her knees, a loose white V-neck blouse tucked into the skirt, an olive green field jacket, and a pair of black booties.

"Rhea." Peter smiled brightly.

"Hey Peter." Rhea smiled bringing the flustered boy into a hug before stepping back. "I'm glad you're ok and congratulations on taking out the bad guy."

"Thanks Rhea." Peter smiled.

"Don't get any funny ideas." Happy placed a strong grip on Peter's shoulder.

"Ignore him, my family is just a little over protective of me." Rhea rolled her eyes. "I heard about Liz as well, I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Peter shrugged with a sad smile. "She and her mom, they needed to get away."

"Oh, there they are." Tony said loudly as he came between Peter and Rhea, giving his granddaughter a side hug. "How was the ride up?"

"Good." Peter answered.

"Give me a minute with the kid." Tony told Happy and Rhea

"Seriously?" Happy scoffed.

"Yeah." Tony answered. "I gotta talk to the kid."

"I'll be close behind." Happy replied.

"How about a loose follow?" Tony suggested. "All right? Boundaries are good." Tony pointed at Rhea. "Stay with us, going to need you in a second."

"Got it." Rhea fell into step with them.

"Sorry I took your suit." Tony said then looked thoughtful. "You had it coming. Actually, it turns out it was...the perfect tough-love moment that you needed." He ignored the scoff her heard from Rhea. "To urge you on, right? Wouldn't you think? Don't you think?"

"I guess." Peter shrugged.

"Let's just say it was." Tony said.

"Mr. Stark, I really…" Peter tried.

"You screwed the pooch hard, bigtime. But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies..." Tony tried to bring it all together, but no luck.

"Subject change." Rhea cut in. "You're freaking Peter out, and me, you're really freaking me out."

"All right, not my best analogy." Tony allowed, rolling his shoulders. "I was wrong about you." Tony glanced at Rhea. "I think, with a little more mentoring...you could be a real asset to the team."

"To the…? To the team?" Peter echoed.

"Yeah. Anyway..." Tony stopped beside some double doors. "...there's about 50 reporters behind that door. Real ones, not bloggers. When you're ready...why don't you try that on?" Tony revealed the iron spider man suit. "And I'll introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers: Spider-Man."

"'Can…" Peter looked at the suit wide eyed.

"Yeah, give that a look." Tony nodded. "After the press conference, Rhea will show you to your room...your new quarters."

"Where's he between?" Rhea asked looking it up on her phone. "Oh, he's next to Uncle Vision." Rhea winced before quickly covering it up with a smile. "He's not big on doors, general warning."

"It's fun." Tony assured.

"Or walls." Rhea went on.

"You'll fit right in." Tony pressed on.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter said stepping back. "But I'm good."

"You're good? Good-?" Tony echoed. "How are you good?"

"Well, I mean, I'd rather just stay on the ground for a little while." Peter replied, blushing when he saw Rhea's smile. "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Somebody's got to look out for the little guy, right?"

"You're turning me down? You better think about this." Tony said gesturing to the suit and then himself. "Look at that. Look at me. Look at her." He pointed to Rhea then quickly changed his mind. "Second thought don't look at her. Off limits." Tony winced when Rhea popped him on the shoulder to get him to focus. "Last chance. Yes or no?"

"No." Peter answered.

"Okay. It's kind of a Springsteen-y, working-class hero vibe that I dig." Tony nodded. "Happy will take you home."

"Yeah?" Peter smiled.

"Yeah." Tony nodded. "Mind waiting in the car? I need a minute."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter started to walk away.

"Yes, Mr. Parker, very well." Tony nodded.

"Sorry, right, I mean…" Peter stopped short turning to Rhea. "It was nice to see you again Rhea."

"You to Peter." Rhea waved. "Maybe we can hang out some time. Grandpa's always saying I should get out more."

"That would be great." Peter smiled then glanced nervously at Tony. "I mean if its's alright with you Mr. Stark."

"I suppose." Tony drawled. "About time you made some friends on earth anyway."

"Earth?" Peter echoed noticing the glare Rhea shot her grandfather who looked away pointedly, like a child in trouble.

"That's just his funny way of saying I don't get out much." Rhea quickly replied.

"Okay." Peter eyed them then came to a realization. "That was a test, right? There's nobody back there?"

"Yes, you passed." Tony quickly jumped at the idea. "All right, skedaddle there, young buck."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter grinned.

"Yeah, thank you." Tony watched him go. "Told you he's a good kid."

"He is." Rhea agreed. "Cute to."

"Nope." Tony shook his head.

"Not sure you get a say in it." Rhea replied, humming lightly.

"As long as you're on planet earth you are under my jurisdiction and I say no." Tony shot back, trying to be stern, but failing miserably.

"We'll see." Rhea said in a sing song voice.

"We will not." Tony shook his head and the argument would have continued if it wasn't for Pepper.

"Where's the kid?" Pepper came in through the doors, the press talking behind her in the other room waiting for the big announcement.

"He left." Rhea told her, pointing the way Peter had gone. "And it was all Grandpa's fault."

"Traitor." Tony grumbled.

"Everybody's waiting." Pepper came out all the way shooting Tony a glare.

"He actually made a mature choice." Tony said straightened up. "It just surprised the heck out of us."

"Did you really screw this up?" Pepper narrowed her eyes.

"He told the kid to go wait in the car." Happy supplied, Rhea nodding her head in agreement.

"Et tu Happy?" Tony placed a hand over his heart in fake shock.

"Are you kidding?" Pepper snapped. "I have a room full of people in there waiting...for some big announcement. What will I tell them? Think of something. How about...?"

"Hap, you still got that ring?" Tony asked quickly.

"Do I- ? I- ?" Happy stuttered.

"I'm calling mom!" Rhea took out her phone quickly dialing up her parents.

"The engagement ring." Tony said.

"Are you kidding? I've been carrying this since 2008." Happy dug out the ring.

"Okay." Pepper tried. "I think I can think of something better than that."

"Well, it would buy us a little time." Tony replied as Rhea was talking excitedly into the phone. "Like we need time."

"Mom's on her way, dad says about time." Rhea grinned.

"Of course he did." Tony rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you had that in your pocket." Pepper shook her head.

"Want me to get the door for you, hon?" Tony asked.

"I got it." Pepper said as they stepped inside, flashing lights from cameras going off as the crowd awaited the big announcement with baited breath.