Author's Note: Hello, hello, my readers! I'm sorry for taking a while, but I'm finally back with another chapter of Raise Me Up. Thank you so much for the support and the feedback in the last chapter! I really appreciate it! I know it was pretty heavy, and unfortunately, this is a heavy topic and it kind of took a lot out of me. But going forward should be a bit lighter. This is something Peter will never truly get over, but the funeral and wake are over and done with. CHAPTER 13 takes place immediately after as Peter and Tony took about a few things and Peter continues to work through the grief over May's loss and to accept just how much Tony and Pepper want him around. I hope you all enjoy it! But before we get to that…REVIEW REPLIES!

Justsomegirlonthisinternet: Ahhhh! Thank you so much! I really hope you continue to like what's next!

Mayonaka Yue: Yeah…he's dealing with a lot right now.

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Exactly!

Megan844: Yes, very sad indeed!

Guest: Nope, no IW and EG canon in this! I'll put it in my notes again, but IW and EG will not happen in this universe. I may do my own version of it, but don't worry. Tony and Peter will be fine!

Dude: Thank you for pointing that out! I'll fix it! Thanks! Hope you enjoy the story!

CaptainMarvel123875: YAY! I'm so glad you liked it! I'm so sorry about your experience. It's definitely something no one should ever deal with, and yes, thankfully, that part is out of the way and Tony, Pepper, and Peter can began the process of moving forward. And yes, definitely! Pepper is Tony's fiancée, and since they will be eventually married, she would be a part of Peter's life too. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

PastaShark000: Lol, I'm pretty evil, I guess? I'm really glad you like the story! Hope you continue to do so!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Chapter 13

After some time in the car, Peter managed to calm down allowing Tony and Pepper to take him back upstairs, and as soon as they got back to the penthouse, Peter went to his room to change out of his suit leaving Tony and Pepper in the living room.

"I have to get to work downstairs," Pepper said as soon as Peter closed the door to his room. "You two going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Tony said nodding, "I mean…I hope so. We'll just take it easy and watch some movies."

"I know you will be," Pepper replied smiling. "You've been great with him, Tony."

"We…were great with him, Pep," Tony quickly added. "He…He needs us…more than ever."

His fiancée smiled even more and nodded. "He does," she said, "and we'll be there for him…just as May wanted." She then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Call me if you two need anything. I just have calls today, so I'll be around for dinner tonight."

"Sounds like a plan," Tony said smiling.


As soon as Pepper left, Tony went to his room to change out of his suit as well. There were some perks of having his fiancée run his company, and one of them was the fact that he would get to spend time with Peter after the funeral and not have to rush back to work leaving Peter by himself after what was probably the hardest thing he would ever have to deal with. As soon as they were both in shorts and T-shirts, Tony ordered pizza for lunch, and they settled down on the couch to watch a movie of Peter's choosing.

"Hey, Tony?" Peter suddenly asked as the movie started.

"Yeah, kid?" Tony replied slightly startled as the kid suddenly spoke since his breakdown in the car.

Peter opened his mouth to say something but stopped…completely unsure as to how to say what he wanted to say. Instead, he took a deep breath and leaned forward wrapping his arms around Tony's middle burying his face in the man's chest. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous as the billionaire quickly returned the gesture wrapping his arms around Peter. Peter couldn't help but sigh feeling the warmth and security Tony's embraces had been providing lately.

"Thank you…for your support…for everything today…" Peter said after a moment. "What you and Pepper did for me today and last night…and the last few days…it really means a lot to me."

Tony rested his chin on Peter's head hugging him just a little tighter wishing with all his might that the circumstances were much different for his charge. He wished that May were still here for Peter. Not because he didn't want to be there for Peter. That was the whole reason he reached out to Peter in the first place. He wanted to be there for Peter, but he hated that Peter was going through so much pain as he did with his parents, uncle, and aunt all suddenly dying. However, he was glad that he could be there to help pick up the pieces…pick up where May left off. He hated the idea of Peter being forced to go into foster care. "You're welcome, kid," he said. "You know I would do anything for you. Same goes for Pepper too."

Peter nodded. "That's why I'm thanking you," he said with a small smile.

Tony snorted not wanting to pull away from the embrace. "Fair point," he said.

"Is Pepper going to come back later?" Peter asked after another moment of silence. "I wanted to thank her, too."

Tony smiled. Despite the tragedy in his life, Peter always kept his pure heart and kindness. May and Ben definitely raised him right. "Yeah, she'll be back for dinner," he said. "She had to get back for some calls."

Peter nodded against the man's chest mentally making a note to himself to do just that as soon as she came up. He took a deep breath as he turned his sights back to the movie still in the safety of Tony's arms. He felt so emotionally drained after the events of the past two days, but the safety and security that came with Tony's embrace kept him grounded just as it had been.


The next few hours consisted of movies and lab time for Tony and Peter, and it turned out to be what Peter needed after such an emotional day. He needed to distract himself and to slowly work into a normal routine of some sorts, which Tony was happy to provide. They were able to get a little more work done on Tony's nanotechnology project. He and Peter had been working on it for the past few months, and Peter couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness remembering that they started this project before May died.

The teenaged vigilante remembered the first time he told May about the project…how she smiled at him clearly happy that he and Tony found something else to work on together. He remembered how she asked questions and tried to understand the project…and when she said that she couldn't wait to see it when it would finally be completed. Despite the pain of the realization that she would never get to see it, he continued to work on the project.

"You know when we first started this," Peter said as he handed Tony another tool while looking at their notes, "May asked me if you ever got the name from Big Hero 6."

The billionaire snorted. Obviously, she was joking and knew what Peter was talking about. "Oh, did she?" he finally asked smiling.

Peter nodded very enthusiastically. "Yeah," he replied chuckling at the memory. "Then she said to make sure that a masked man doesn't steal it."

Tony laughed at the comment. "I think we'll be just fine, buddy," he said smiling warmly.

Silence fell upon this again as the guardian and his ward continued to work on the project.

"Umm…Tony?" Peter finally said after a few minutes of working with the nanotechnology.

"What's up, Pete?"

"Can I ask you something…about the social worker and the whole…guardianship thing?" He was so focused on dealing with the loss of his aunt and his new living situation with Tony and Pepper, but now that the wake and the funeral were done with, he had a little more clarity to realize that Tony mentioned something about a court date and the social worker.

Tony looked up from his holographic screen and right at Peter. Not because he was disturbed or mad about it, but because he himself realized that this was the first time Peter brought it up since they last talked about it…the day after May died. "Uhh…yeah, sure, buddy," he said gently. He wasn't sure if he was expecting Peter to bring it up at this point or wait until after the fact.

"Umm…y-you said that the social worker was going to check in on us and that we needed a court date to get permanent custody, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, w-when is all that happening, I guess?"

"Uhhh…well, the social worker said she was going to reach out to us about when we can meet with her," Tony began, "and the lawyers are going to let us know if a court date has been set yet. We wanted to wait until after…you know…"

Peter knew exactly what Tony was talking about. He and Pepper definitely made sure the social worker and the guardianship was dealt with after May's wake and funeral, which made sense, as Peter knew that he wouldn't have the mental capacity to deal with that in the last few days. He smiled to himself at the thought of Tony and Pepper looking out for him, but then he felt a small knot in his stomach at that very thought not out of dread though. Peter couldn't help but feel that he was just another burden to the billionaire. It was one thing when he was just Tony's mentee and visited once to a few times a week, but now…Tony was actually responsible for him. He had only just started living in the penthouse with Tony and Pepper, and they had to focus as much of their time on him.

"Pete…are you okay?"

Peter looked up only to see Tony staring at him with concern written all over his face. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm fine," he replied. "I-I just…I'm sorry for being such a burden…to you and Pepper."

Tony looked up from the project and stared at Peter for a few moments before walking over to him. "Peter, listen to me," he said grabbing Peter by the shoulders. "You…are not a burden, you hear me?"

"Tony—"

"No, none of that, okay? Pepper and I want…to do this. I want to do this. Not just because May asked me to do it, but because I want you here with us. The idea of you…going off somewhere," he didn't mention the foster care system, but both he and Tony knew what he was referring to, "and never seeing you again…" Tony let out a shaky breath, "it…it drives me crazy. You aren't a burden. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, kid, and no matter what happens, Pepper and I are in this for the long haul, okay?"

Peter's lip trembled as tears formed in his eyes as he stared at the man in front of him. "R-Really?" he managed to get out. "Y-You really mean that?"

"Every single word, kid?" Tony said. "I don't want you to think that you're a burden…ever…I told you before, I wouldn't have done any of this if I didn't want to. I wouldn't have let May even put my name on that document if I didn't want her to, okay?"

The teenaged boy nodded as tears streamed down his face… Hearing the certainty and the firmness in Tony's voice only proved just how serious he was about their current situation and how much he wanted to help, and it helped to lift a huge weight off Peter's shoulders. Whether he saw Peter as a son…or a charge…or whatever or not just as Peter sort of saw him as a father figure, Peter wasn't sure, but that was okay for now. He was just thrilled that Tony wanted him living here to begin with, and with that, he moved forward wrapping his arms around Tony's middle hugging him close. "Thank you, Tony," he whispered.

"You're welcome, buddy," Tony replied quickly returning the gesture. "Everything will fall into place, I promise. We just got to take one day at a time."

Peter could only nod against Tony's chest as he continued to cry. "I-I'm sorr—"

"No, no sorry, kid," Tony said quickly.

"No, please, let me finish," Peter said quickly.

Tony paused for a moment before nodding.

"I-I don't want you to think that I'm not grateful or anything," Peter finally said. "I am grateful, Tony, for everything you've done for me, especially when…well, when May died, and I want to be here, too…with you. I really am glad she chose you, but I just don't want you to feel like you have to."

Tony couldn't help but smile to himself knowing just how selfless his protégé was. "Trust me, kiddo," he said. "I've never felt like that, okay?"

"Okay," Peter whispered. "I believe you, Tony." They stayed like that—locked in each other's arms—embracing the warmth, comfort, and safety it brought them for a few more moments.

Tony smiled. This was progress, and he was willing to take it. He was going to do whatever it took to make sure that Peter felt safe and…loved in the penthouse with him and Pepper.

"Boss, I'm sorry to interrupt," FRIDAY finally said after a moment, "but Ms. Potts arrived. She's on her way down to the lab."

"Perfect timing, FRI," Tony said as he slowly pulled away from the boy in his arms.

As soon as he said that, Pepper came off the elevator and made her way into the lab…with a bag of Chinese food. "I come bearing food," she said with a smile on her face.

"You are a Godsend, Pep," Tony said as he walked up to her giving a chaste kiss on the lips.

Peter smiled as he watched the scene unfold between Tony and Pepper, and he couldn't help but think about how May and Ben were before the latter died. They would always sneak chaste kisses whenever either May or Ben came home from work late or when they were taking walks through the neighborhood. Normally, Peter liked to tease his aunt and uncle whenever that happened, but right now, he wasn't sure if he could do that with his guardian and his fiancée. Baby steps. Like Tony said, they needed to take one step at a time. Maybe, one day, they would get there just like when he and Tony eventually became more comfortable around each other.

"Hey, Pepper," Peter said as he walked over to the couple.

"Hey, Peter," Pepper said as she placed the Chinese food on a small nearby table, "how are you feeling?"

Instead of answering, the teenaged vigilante simply hugged the CEO of Stark Industries. "Thank you so much," he said, "for everything today."

It didn't take Pepper long to figure out what exactly Peter was referring to as she hugged Peter in return. "Of course, Peter," she said running a hand through his hair. "You don't have to thank me."

"I know," Peter replied, "but I felt bad for not doing it earlier when we got back. I wanted to make sure you know that I appreciated it."

"Sweetheart, please don't feel bad," Pepper quickly said as she pulled away. "Believe me, I get it. I felt the same way when my parents died. I know you appreciated it. You don't have to prove anything to me or Tony."

"I know," Peter replied, "but I always want to make sure, you know?"

Tony couldn't help but chuckle at the scene between his fiancé and their…ward or kid…he still wasn't sure, but that was for another day. So far, as they gathered together to eat, everything seemed to be okay.


"MAY!"

CRASH!

Peter opened his eyes slowly and saw that he was in the car…Aunt May's car. The window was cracked, and sirens surrounded him with noises and flashes of red and blue. Help was already here as a hopeful smile etched onto his face. He and May were going to get out of here and get help. He froze suddenly when he remembered…May! He looked to his left and saw…

"May!"

His aunt was unconscious…not moving in her seat, and Peter quickly ripped the seatbelt off and moved closer to May's still form gently shaking his shoulder. "May! May, can you hear me?" he said frantically. "Aunt May, wake up! Help is here!"

May suddenly jolted awake causing Peter to practically jump out of his skin. He let out a small smile when he saw that May was awake and looking at him. She was okay! She was awake!

"You…could've…saved me…" she whispered with a struggle in her voice.

Peter's smile fell when he heard that from May…of all people. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared at May as he realized that she was right. They were beeped at…because of his spider-sense…It was his fault…

"W-Why didn't you?" May whispered after a moment…before letting out a breath and going still.

"N-No…no…May…Aunt May…?" he began as he tried to shake her awake again. "Aunt May, no, no! Wake up! Don't leave me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, May! May, please! Please!"

"Peter…"

"May, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Peter, wake up…"

"No, no, no, come back, May!"

"PETER!"


Peter suddenly jolted awake with tears streaming down his face and found himself face-to-face with Tony.

"Peter, you okay, kid?" Tony asked with concern ringing in his voice.

"T-Tony?" Peter asked shakily. He noticed that the billionaire was holding onto his arms tightly as if he was shaking him awake.

"Yeah, it's me, kiddo," Tony said quickly. "You're okay, you're okay, it was just a bad dream."

The teen furrowed his eyebrows together and looked around feeling the adrenaline leave him. He saw that he was still in his bedroom in the penthouse…at Stark Tower, and the funeral for his aunt was earlier that day. He went to bed after he, Pepper, and Tony finished watching a movie. It was just a bad dream…a nightmare, but that didn't stop the tears from forming in his eyes. May…or dream-May's words rang fresh in his head reaffirming something that was buried deep inside him ever since the accident.

"You…could've…saved…me…"

"Why didn't you?"

"Kiddo?" Tony suddenly said after giving Peter a minute.

Peter looked up at Tony again as tears formed in his eyes. "I…I could've saved her…" he said.

"What?"

"It…oh my god…it was my fault…" Peter said as the tears flowed down his cheeks. "Tony…May's dead…because of me…" He began to sob.

"Peter, Peter, what are you talking about?" Tony quickly asked as he sat down while holding onto the teenager's shoulders. Why was he all of a sudden blaming himself for the accident?

"I-In…my dream…we…we were at the accident again…and…" Peter let out another sob before continuing, "M-May…she asked me why I didn't save her…" He sobbed again. "B-Before the accident…m-my senses went off before we drove into the intersection." He could feel Tony's intense gaze on him, and he couldn't bring himself to meet the billionaire's eyes. Surely, the man would be disappointed in him once he gave the full story. "M-May…she was so focused on me that she didn't see the light change. Some asshole behind us beeped at us, and we drove into the intersection. Next thing I knew…someone crashed into us. I tried to shout for May, but it was too late."

Tony had gotten the details from the doctor at the hospital when he went to pick up Peter from the hospital, but Peter hadn't brought it up. He begrudgingly agreed with Pepper that they needed to let Peter decide on his own time when he was ready to talk about the accident. Now, here they were, at 2:30 in the morning with Peter telling him about the accident, but he didn't better to comment on it…not when Peter was opening up after it haunted his dreams.

"Okay, but I-I don't get it, Pete," Tony began to say. "How…is that—?"

"My senses went off…probably because of that car," Peter replied tearfully. "I-I didn't stop the accident, and I could've. I could've told her to not move. I could've…I could've reacted faster and jumped on her to protect her, but I didn't. I—"

"Peter, listen to me," Tony said quickly as he placed his hands on either side of Peter's face so that they were looking at each other. "What happened in that accident is not your fault. There was nothing you could've done differently. It was a terrible accident. Did the doctor even tell you what happened with the driver who hit you guys?"

Peter thought for a moment and realized that nobody…not even the social worker filled him in on what caused the accident that took his aunt from him. He didn't even think to ask. He was so overwhelmed the past few days trying to process the fact alone that his aunt was gone, that he never asked. Not only that, but he was knocked out. So it was somewhat fuzzy. All he remembered was seeing the headlights before the car hit them. With that he looked up at Tony and shook his head.

Tony sighed sadly. A part of him mentally kicked himself for not finding out sooner if Peter knew the full extent of the accident. "It was a drunk driver, buddy," he said gently. "You and May had the right-of-way in that intersection, and the guy sped through his red light. He was probably 20 miles over the limit."

Peter stared at the billionaire, and a part of him felt at ease in some way knowing more about the other driver. He knew that he and May had a green light, but the fact that he was drunk as well… This all happened because someone made an awful choice. "Thanks for telling me that, Tony, but why do I still feel so lousy? I mean…I still feel like I could've—"

"Peter, no. There was nothing you could've done to change the outcome of that guy's choices, and you're not to be blamed for anything. He was. You're not at fault for anything. You and May were in the wrong place at the very wrong time, and it was out of your control. Kid, please believe me, this was not your fault."

"I guess," Peter said after a moment. "It's just…I can't help but wonder…what if, you know?"

"I know," Tony replied, "but…you can't do that to yourself. May wouldn't want you to do that. She would want you to be happy, and I know that for a fact. She wouldn't want you to feel guilty over something that you couldn't control."

Peter realized that Tony had a point. May would never blame him something he couldn't control…something that neither one of them saw coming. She also would've wanted to protect him instead of the other way around, but that still didn't stop the guilt creeping up in his chest as he remembered what dream-May said to him. "I…I hear what you're saying, Tony," he finally said after a moment of silence, "and I'm trying to tell myself that, It's just—"

"Hard," Tony said, "I know, I do." He knew all too well what it felt like to blame oneself for catastrophic events. The Mandarin incident…Ultron…Sokovia Accords…the Avengers splitting up…Pepper, Rhodey, and even Happy had tried to ease his guilt since then, but the guilt always found its way back. Peter himself had been a witness to this a few times. "But…I will do everything I can to help you through this…Both Pepper and I will…I promise…"

Peter looked up at him with tears streaming down his face. "I just miss her so…so much," he said tearfully. "I-I just want her back."

Tony quickly moved so that he was sitting next to Peter on the bed wrapping his arms around the teen holding him close. "It's okay, Pete," he whispered. "It's okay." He sighed as he listened to Peter sobbing in his chest, and it absolutely ached knowing he could never bring May Parker back. He had gotten used to fixing things for Peter that when the one thing no one could ever fix—the death of a loved one—it threw him for a loop. Despite that, he knew he couldn't give up. He didn't want to give up on Peter…not when the kid needed him. "I promise, buddy, I promise…everything will be okay."


Author's Note: Annnnnnnnd that's all for Chapter 13, guys! CHAPTER 14 will be coming soon! This was something that Peter had been feeling, and I thought it would come out after the funeral…once everything was over. All a part of the grieving process! Anyway, be on the look out for the next chapter! Don't forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!