After class, we all met at my apartment. Kitty was the first one to arrive, coming with my old suit and gadgets. According to her, it was rather easy. She literally phased in, grabbed the stuff, and phased out. The only snag she had was the fact there was a tracker in one of the webslingers – one that she quickly found and placed on a nearby city bus.

"They tried it," she said with a laugh.

Like Kitty suggested, we all wore some of our best clothes. We were all dressed in black and white suits with black trench coats – even Kitty, MJ, and Betty. Once all seven of us were gathered, we made our way down and piled into Craig's Highlander. Ned, MJ, and I took the back seat. Betty and Kitty took the row in front of us. Craig, of course, drove while Scott sat in the front passenger side. As Craig pulled off, no one said a word. I guess everyone knew how serious this was for me.

I was between Ned and MJ. The latter held my right hand with her left, her fingers laced between mines. On my lap was a bouquet of white roses that I bought at Scott's urging. Ned was looking out of the window as the snow fell. He then sighed before he looked over at me.

"Hey Peter?" he said.

"What's up, dude?" I replied.

"How well did I know your Aunt?"

I chuckled. "Extremely well. You've been over to our apartment so many times that you practically lived there. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure you're the reason my room had a bunk bed. You came over for almost any reason – to study, build a Legos set, watch movies, have dinner, you name it." I smiled. "She would sometimes I say she had two nephews. And, honestly, I agree."

Ned nodded. "I wish I could remember it… but I'm still glad you guys accepted me."

I nodded back. "I'm glad you became my friend."

"I guess dorks of a feather flock together," MJ deadpanned. She turned her head towards us and gave us a sly smirk.

"I know," Ned replied. "That's why you're back here with us."

"You're right, and I hate myself for it every day."

I smiled as I shook my head. I then looked at her. "We're your dorks, though."

"And don't you two forget it." This time, she said this in a sincere tone as her smile became wider. I smiled back at her before I leaned over and placed a kiss on her temple.

Sometime later, we arrived at the graveyard Aunt May was buried at. After Craig parked the SUV, we all filed out before I led the group to Aunt May's grave, carrying the bouquet in my hands as I did so. It didn't take too long for us to find her. Once we did, we all stood in front of the gravestone. My eyes looked over the gravestone, reading the words that were engraved in it.

"When you help someone, you help everyone," Betty read aloud.

"Q-q-quite the motto, I-I-I'd say," Craig commented. I looked over my shoulder at him, seeing him rub his hands up and down his upper arms as he shivered.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"I'm g-g-good. Just every now and again, the w-weather reminds me I'm a South Florida boy."

"I promise I won't take too long."

"T-t-take however long you need, homie. Don't w-w-worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"People are out in the cold every day, man. I'll be alright."

I nodded before I looked forward. I stepped up before I kneeled down and laid the bouquet in front of the gravestone. I then stood up and took a step back. I took a moment to try and think of what I wanted to say. After that moment, I decided to just… speak.

"Hey Aunt May," I said. "…I'm sorry it took me a while to come by and see you. I've been going through some things, trying my best to come to terms with decisions I made. But… I'm here now. I, um… I brought some friends with me. You already know Ned and MJ. But, I made some new friends since the last time we spoke. This is Scott Summers, Betty Brant, Kitty Pryde, and Craig Pierre, Jr."

"H-h-hello," Craig said.

"Hi, May," Kitty chimed in.

"Pleased to meet you," Betty greeted heartily.

"A pleasure," Scott added.

"Yeah I… I know you're probably upset with me for isolating myself. It took me a while to realize that it's okay to have bonds with people again. But, here I am with six people who I'd do anything to protect. I'm still doing the superhero thing. I even joined a group – the X-Men. We're a bit small now, but we've been doing great work, and we'll only grow, I'm sure. We've kind of had our hands full with Scorpion. As a matter of fact, he kind of handed me and Craig our butts on a silver platter."

"She doesn't need to know all that, man," Craig interjected with mock annoyance. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him. He responded with a wink. I then faced forward and continued.

"We'll get Scorpion, though," I promised. "But, beyond that, MJ and I reunited. It wasn't an easy road, and a lot of it was my fault. But we worked things out. Of course, I got my best friend back, and Betty's been a great friend too. She's the one who calls our group The American Idiots." I smiled briefly. That smile then faded. "Aunt May, I'm going to be honest. I miss you. I'm going to miss you forever. And even to this day, I wish there were things I did differently." My voice started to crack, and my felt my eyes start to water. However, I was determined to keep on going. "But, I know you wouldn't want me to dwell on that. I know you wouldn't want me to keep on carrying the world on my shoulders and I'm… slowly… trying to share that weight with the others." I paused a moment to wipe the tears away from my eyes with my forearm. "You've been like a mother and a big sister to me. Even to this day, you're a huge influence on how I do things, and I thank you for that. And while I wish you were still alive, I know you're with me, still. So, I promise, I'll do everything I can to do you proud. I know I'll sometimes fail, but I'll promise you my best.

"So… I won't say goodbye. I'll say, see you later." I smiled. "I Larb you, Aunt May."

I closed my eyes and bowed my head, making a silent prayer. Some moments later, I felt several arms around me. I lifted my head to see the others hugging me. I smiled happily as I did my best to hug them back. Randomly, I remembered the fact that, for the most part, spiders aren't social organisms. Internally, I scoffed. I was no ordinary human, so why should I be an ordinary spider?

We remained like that for several seconds before a voice spoke up.

"Oh, sorry guys, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

I knew that voice.

We all parted and looked towards the source of the voice. I then raised my eyebrows as my voice went ajar.

In front of us was Happy Hogan. He was the one who spoke up. As usual, he was dressed in his normal black and white suit. And he wasn't alone. Standing with him was…

"Pepper?" Scott said.

It was indeed Pepper Potts. Memories of the times I had with the Starks flooded my mind. However, they were overshadowed by me wondering how Scott and Pepper knew each other. I looked past her to see a little girl partially behind her right leg. I smiled. That had to be Morgan.

"Scott," Pepper said. She then looked around at the rest of us. "Craig… Kitty… it's been a while."

"Yeah, it has been." Scott moved to the front of us. He then looked at Happy. "Happy, I see you're the same as ever."

"Gotta stay in tiptop shape when you're protecting one of the powerful women in the world, you know?" At that Scott nodded. After that, Happy looked towards me. "You… I remember you. You're… Peter right? Still coming by to see May, huh?"

"Is that why you're all here?" Pepper asked. "I didn't know you all had a connection with May. Not that I'm surprised, considering how many people she's reached."

"They're here to support me," I finally said, stepping forward in front of everyone. "…Hello, Ms. Potts. I'm Peter." I brought my hand out. Pepper stepped forward and took my hand before giving it a rather firm shake.

"Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"We were helping Peter pay his respects," Scott explained. "It seems like you two came to do the same. So, we'll be on our way."

"Now hold on," Pepper interjected. "Scott, it's been a long while. You haven't visited, you haven't called. Quite frankly, I've been worried about you."

"I didn't think we were on good terms still, considering all that happened."

Pepper grimaced. "I've been over that for a while." She glanced at me, Ned, Betty, and MJ. I looked back at Ned, who looked like he was trying his best to contain his excitement. MJ, for her part, held a neutral expression while Betty looked a bit apprehensive. I looked back at Pepper, who was looking back at Scott. "…Do they know about you, Kitty, and Craig's side job?"

"…We do," I spoke up. "…I…" I trailed off before I looked at Scott. He looked at me for a few moments. He then nodded, giving me the go ahead. I looked at Pepper and Hogan. "…My full name is Peter Benjamin Parker. I'm May Parker's nephew. I'm also Spider-Man."

Pepper and Hogan looked at me with wide eyes. "Scott… is this true?" Pepper asked, her eyes still locked on me.

"It is," Scott confirmed.

"So all this time, May Parker was an aunt?" Happy said, looking me up and down. "And her nephew is Spider-Man? How did I not know this?"

"…You used to," I said. I looked at the both of them. "You both used to."

"It's a long story," Kitty spoke up. "But, I don't think this is the time or place."

Pepper looked at Kitty for a moment, then back at me. I could see the gears turning in her head. After some moments, she spoke.

"Happy and I are going to pay our respects to May," she said. "After that, we're all going to have a talk at my place. And no, this isn't up for debate."

"Understood," Scott said with a nod. "We'll give you your space for now." With that, he beckoned us to follow as he walked several feet away. As the rest of us walked after him, MJ walked up to my side and took my hand.

"So, you knew Pepper?" she asked. "Before The Spell, I mean."

"I did," I confirmed. "Everything Stark knew about me, she knew about me." I paused for a moment. "…I didn't expect her to be here. But… I guess it was as good of a time to tell them." As Scott came to a stop, I looked at him. "…Um, Scott… how do you know Pepper?"

"Through Tony," he said. He sighed. "Tony and I used to be friends. We were even teammates, sort of. …I used to be an Avenger. A Dark Avenger, to be exact."

I tilted my head. "A Dark Avenger?"

"Basically, Natasha… Black Widow… she had a secret team of Avengers under her leadership. Basically, we handled more of the Black Ops type of missions. We had an arrangement. The government only knew us by our codenames – no real names or even where we were from. On the flipside, if any of us was captured or worse in a foreign country, we're basically treated as independent actors, with no paper trail to trace us back to SHIELD or the U.S. Government. Needless to say, we got paid under the table. Anyway, Tony and I had a falling out over The Accords. We never got a chance to patch things up. I wanted to talk to him after The Battle for Earth, but… you know." I nodded sadly. "So, because of that, I distanced myself from The Starks altogether."

"I see." I shook my head. "I feel like there's a lot I don't know about you."

"That's because there is a lot you don't know about me. But we'll have that conversation soon enough."

Soon after, we were on the road again, tailing Pepper and Happy. We drove to downtown Manhattan, stopping briefly to grab food. Morgan was hungry and craving cheeseburgers.

We finally reached Pepper Potts' penthouse apartment. It was quite large – as large as the X-Men's apartment. The carpeting was thick, the red furniture set looked extra comfortable, the tiling of the kitchen and dining room area was made of marble – I think it was Rose Aurora.

I didn't have time to really take in the place, however. Pepper sat us all down in the dining room area. After burgers and drinks were handed out to all of us, she urged me to explain everything. As MJ held my hand under the table, I did, beginning from Tony recruiting me to take on the anti-Accords Avengers in Germany, to him making me his protégé of sorts, to Beck, and all the way to The Spell. Like when I told MJ, Ned, and Betty, I didn't spare or exaggerate any details.

Once I was done, Pepper and Happy looked at me, quietly dumbfounded. After taking a breath, Pepper spoke.

"Okay," she began slowly. "…First off, let me begin by saying I'm extremely sorry that you've been through all of that." She shook her head. "Honestly, while Quentin Beck was always a genius, well… I'd say he had more than a few screws loose, but that would assume they were in place to begin with." She sighed. "But why didn't you come to me? I could have done something."

"Well, for one, it happened rather quickly," I said. "And I… I'm going to be honest, I didn't handle it well."

"I'd say," Happy chimed in. "Then again, apparently, neither did I, so…" He shrugged.

"I just have so many questions." Pepper stared at me. "Like… where are you living? Are you still in school? And do you have a job?"

"I'm living in a small studio apartment in Manhattan. I'm getting my GED. Scott's actually my teacher."

"He's doing extremely well," Scott chimed in. "He's arguably my best student since Kitty."

I looked at him. There was a look of pride on his face. Bashfully, I nodded towards him before returned my attention to Pepper. "And I got a job as a photographer with the Daily Bugle, thanks to Betty."

At that, Pepper scoffed. "You're working for the one news outlet that constantly slanders you on a daily basis and helped fund Justin Hammer. I don't know how you can do it, but I hope the job pays well."

"Well, I'm not struggling for rent, so there's that," I confirmed. "Plus it's not all bad. Betty's a pleasure to work with." I looked at her and smiled. Betty's face became a bit flush, but she responded with a smile of her own. I looked back at Pepper. "Things have been rocky for a bit, but because of the people you see here with me, I've been doing a lot better."

"I see." Pepper went quiet again. During this, I picked up my cheeseburger with my freehand and took a bite out it. It was during this that Pepper spoke again, leaning forward. "Peter, Scott… I know this is a last moment request but… is there any way the two of you can swing by Stark Industries tomorrow. I feel like there's a lot the three of us need to catch up on."

"Yeah, about that," MJ spoke. She squeezed my hand gently, causing me to look at her. "I'm coming with. As a matter of fact, the rest of the American Idiots are coming, too."

Pepper tilted her head. "I'm sorry, American Idiots?"

"Everyone you see here sans Scott is an American Idiot," Craig explained. "…It's because of the St. James incident. It's our thing. Thank Betty for that. But yeah, looks like we're coming along."

"…Okay, no offense, but given the sensitivity of what we'll be talking about, I'm not sure it's a good idea."

"Just let it happen," Scott said. "Michelle, here, is rather protective of Peter, as one would be with their significant other. And the X-Men and The American Idiots are basically his family. Given that I believe what you're going to talk to Peter and myself about is going to be major, I think the both of us would be more comfortable if they were around."

"Besides, if you say no, Kitty and I will just sneak in with the others," Ned said simply.

At that, Hogan scoffed as he looked over at Ned. "Look, I understand you're pretty smart, being a Midtown student and all, and Kitty here is a superhero. But SI's security system is the best in the world – especially since I'm the head of it. Do you honestly think you guys could sneak in?"

As if it to answer that question, Kitty, who was sitting next to Happy, lifted up her left hand and dropped a wallet on the table, right in front of him. "This you?" she asked. Happy raised his eyebrows before he slowly picked up the wallet opened it. He then cleared his throat as he sheepishly put the wallet away in his suit jacket.

"Mommy," Morgan spoke up, surprising me.

"Yes sweetheart?" Pepper replied.

"Is she a magician?"

At that, Kitty chuckled. "No, Morgan. I'm just a ninja."

At that, Morgan's eyes lit up. "COOOOOOL!!!"

"And just because of that, you're on my list of babysitters," Pepper remarked. Something told me she was serious. "Fine, you can all come. But I'm going to trust that you guys comport yourselves in a proper manner. Also – and I guess this goes without saying, given that you're all familiar with the extracurricular activities of Scott, Kitty, Craig, and Peter here – you didn't hear anything about what will be talked about tomorrow. Understood?" We all said our confirmations. "Good."

Things went quiet for a bit. And then…

"Peter," Morgan said.

"Yes, Morgan?" I replied.

"Are you really Spider-Man?"

"I am." I smirked.

"Can you take me webslinging?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Pepper give me a warning glare. At that, I chuckled.

"Maybe when you're older."