A/N: Heyo so I'm back. Life just got busier. Classes started (senior year baby!) and I'm back to working part-time. I'll try to post as much as I can. Thanks to everyone who is sticking by this story!
Peter stared at the file in front of him. His name printed neatly on the label. "What's that?" Seth asked as he squinted down at the object. Peter glanced at the six year old as the child sniffed and wiped at the snot that ran down his face.
"Um...nothing."
"Can I see it?"
Allowing the boy to simply "see" the folder mean it would be opened, something Peter avoided doing for the past few hours.
"Seth, buddy, why don't you go play with the toys Spiderman bought you? Gabriel, can you come and get Seth."
The nine year old huffed as he grabbed his little brothers hand and pulled him away, leaving Peter and Savannah alone.
"You know, you can stare at it all day but it's not going to solve any questions until you open it." She said softly.
"Who says I have questions?" Peter mumbled.
"You mean, you don't want to know why S.H.I.E.L.D is so dangerous? You don't want to know who this Vanessa Foster is?"
Peter didn't even deny it. Of course he wanted to know. "What if I get more questions than answers?"
"Well, then you swing around on your webs until you find the answer. God, I sound like my grandma."
Peter cracked a smile at that.
"So…"
"Okay, I'm opening it."
Reaching down, he flipped the cover and came face to face with his face, or rather a photo of his face. Savannah picked it up and studied it closely before turning to look at the Spiderman mask.
"So is this what you look like?"
"I was younger then."
"But not much younger?"
Peter hesitated before nodding.
"Nice."
Clearing his throat, Peter picked up the next item and immediately his heart stopped. The handwriting was the same. The same as the one as the grocery list he was given every weekend. The same as the signatures on the bank statements when he would get dragged to the bank.
May's handwriting.
"Is that the letter that Vanessa mentioned?" Savannah asked as she leaned in closer.
"I think."
"How did S.H.I.E.L.D get their hands on it?"
"I don't know…" Peter said trailing off as he read the note.
Peter,
First let me start off by saying Happy birthday! It's hard to believe that you are fifteen already. I am incredibly happy and proud of the young man you are growing up to be. Your parents and Uncle Ben would be proud as well. You're growing up so fast, I can hardly keep up. Now that you are being a man, I feel like you are old enough to know a few things. Let me begin by saying that despite what you are about to find out, your parent, Uncle Ben and I love you very much and wouldn't change a thing. We would do it all over again if it meant getting to raise you.
With that being said, I need to tell you that you were adopted as a baby. You were a couple days old in fact. Your birth mother's name is Vanessa Foster. I wasn't given much information on your birth father. Apparently, Vanessa was an agent of an agency called S.H.I.E.L.D who went off the "deep end" as I be heard most young kids say these days. S.H.I.E.L.D agents came to your parents, Richard and Mary, a couple days after you were born wanting to know if they would adopt you.
It was an odd request at the time but Mary had been having trouble becoming pregnant. How they got their sights set on your parents I don't know, but Richard and Mary agreed none the less. I know your probably wondering why am I telling you this now. Well a couple days ago, I was approached by Vanessa who claims that S.H.I.E.L.D took you from her. She claims she never gave you up. She wanted to see you.
I turned her away. Maybe for selfish reasons but I did. I explained to her that you didn't know, but she insisted. I still turned her away. She would follow you and watch you from afar, it got to the point where I had to threaten to call the authorities. I never saw her again. I'm sorry we never told you. I truly am. But if what Vanessa said is true, then S.H.I.E.L.D cannot be trusted.
As you grow into a man, I feel like it's my duty to prepare you for all the dangers of the world. So take this letter and take it to heart. I love you, Peter Parker. I have always been proud to be your aunt.
Love, May
Peter stared at the letter for a while not saying anything. The only sound that could be heard throughout the tunnel was the sound of frustrated sighing that erupted into arguing.
"I'll be back," Savannah said as she rushed over to her brothers who began to engage in a fist fight.
Peter placed the letter aside before continuing to look through the folder. His hands shook slightly as he lifted two birth certificates. One had his name printed neatly on it, listing Richard and Mary Parker as the parents. The other one belonged to a child called Baby Foster. This one listed Vanessa Foster as the mother and A1 as the father.
"Who's A1?"
Peter jumped slightly as he looked to see Savannah sitting next to him.
"Apparently my father," Peter said slowly as he looked between the two birth certificates.
"So what are you going to do?" She asked. Peter ignored her as he continued to go through the folder. Baby photos and child-like drawlings greeted him. Until he got to the back and a woman stared back at him. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail as she stared very seriously at the camera. A no nonsense look was carved on her face. Despite all of that, a mischievous glint was captured in the brown pool that made up her eyes. A S.H.I.E.L.D jacket covered her frame while the logo for the same organization sat proudly in the back. Flipping the photo over Peter was greeted by three words.
Agent Vanessa Foster.
He stared at the woman in the photo again. His mother.
"She's pretty." Savannah said as she took the photo from him, studying it carefully.
Peter didn't respond. His mouth long went dry. The news and events that unfolded over the last couple days played on a continuous loop through his mind.
The letters.
The written confessions.
The folder.
The birth certificate.
The photo.
The lies.
"Spiderman," a small voice called out. Peter looked up to see the eyes of Seth.
"Yeah?"
"Are we leaving now?" He stared at the boy in confusion before it dawned on him. The whole reason he came down to the tunnel was to relocate the kids. Taking one last look at the items before him, he nodded.
"Yes, gather your things." The boy nodded and ran off. Savannah handed the photo back before standing as well.
"Where will we go?"
"There's an abandoned building not far from here. You guys should be safe for a couple days." Peter replied as he shoved the folder and all its contents into his bookbag.
"How will we get there?"
"I'm going to take you one at a time."
"Won't the police notice?"
"I'll take a different route each time. Don't worry." And that's exactly what he did.
"Spiderman," Savannah called out after Peter dropped her off on the porch. He turned his head slightly, his back still to her. Seeing she had his attention, she continued. "What are you going to do about this Vanessa Foster and A1?"
Peter thought for a moment. His gut screamed the answer at him but the thought of doing what his gut suggested scared him. He curled his fingers into a fist as he took a steady breath. Then before his brain could catch up, his mouth betrayed him.
"I'm going to find Vanessa and get some answers."
With that he crawled up on the roof, overlooking New York.
"I'm going to find my birth mother," he mumbled to himself.
