Author's Note: I haven't touched this in a while but I wanted to. I am going to split this story into multiples cause its getting so long, so this is the last chapter of this story but not of Piper's story. There will be a new one in the future, but I'm not sure when yet. I own nothing.

49. Back On Their Feet

Tony kept Piper out of school for a week, MJ, Eddie and Sam brought her homework nearly every day. That was an interesting conversation when Sam showed up in the lobby of Stark Tower with a bag of books and chocolate. Tony had hovered throughout his entire visit, with no clue that this was the same kid he'd nearly offered a job the other day after finding out he had saved his daughter. Piper laughed her head off when he showed up looking scared and explaining that Eddie had been called out by the Bugle and that MJ had begged to come with him so they'd asked him to take her the work for the day. She'd had a smile on her face for the rest of the day. Tony had wanted her to stay home longer but she was fully healed, not that he knew that, he thought she was still recovering, he didn't know about her accelerated healing. But Pepper had diverted him for long enough for Piper to slip out and into the black Audi Natasha had decided she was driving today. Piper wouldn't be surprised if it never moved from the parking lot. The school was clean and there was a new wall around the janitors closet near Piper's locker. Eddie spotted her and grinned slipping up to her locker.

"Hey you! How's the cold?" Piper grinned, Eddie had come up with that idea and Piper had tackle hugged him when he'd made it. She was so sure she was going to be completely outed after this incident. The press was still trying to figure out the mystery of the 'Iron Lass' but so far Pepper had put out the fires and kept the real press off her back. The National Inquierer had claimed that she was the illicit love child of Iron Man and the Black Widow. The Weekly World News said she was actually Captain America's kid with Pepper. The Onion had said she was a lab experiment, made from samples of all the really attractive people and his own stem cells so he could have an attractive smart baby. That was her favorite of the theories so far. Sam had brought a bunch of them with him so he could read them to her in her med center room.

She'd decided after that that it was a good idea to tell the team what was actually going on but only after swearing them to secrecy. Tiger had been a bit apprehensive but upon hearing the full story became fiercely protective and behind her cause but wouldn't explain why. The others had rallied behind her as well and they were all still talking about what could be on that flash drive. Tony was still decoding it, her parents had been so intelligent. Tony was having too much fun trying to decode it.

"Feeling much better actually." They passed by Principle Coulson's office the man peered out from behind the curtain and sighed. He turned back to the man sitting in the chair across from his desk.

"I honestly have no idea Director Fury. She's different than the other teens. I gotta say that's probably because of her adoptive father, she's getting the others to act more like kids out of uniform and more like heroes on the streets. I'm still not sure she'd the best leader for the team though. I still think Danny might be better." Director Fury shook his head.

"She's good for the team. They aren't soldiers, their children. We knew that when we took them on. But they were becoming soldiers, too fast. They need to be kids while they still can, she reminds them of that. But she also reminds them that you get hit you get back up." Coulson nodded slightly as he took his seat in the office across from his boss. He pulled out a folder.

"So about that budget."

Harry Osborne was still out of school, a tutor had been visiting for the past week with his homework. MJ had tried to come visit but his father had denied anyone entrance for a while. He'd been checked over by so many doctors that he couldn't count them anymore. No one would even tell him what they were looking for. SHEILD had given him a clean bill of health but sometimes at night he would wake up in a cold sweat, terrified of every shadow. One of the doctors had prescribed him an anti psychotic, another had suggested an anti anxiety medication. Norman Osborn threw the prescriptions out, Osborn's don't need this kind of thing. Osborn's aren't anxious, Osborn's aren't psychotic. Osborn's don't do things wrong. According to the press Harry had been out of school because Norman was concerned about his safety at public school for now. Harry had no word on when or even if he would be going back. He didn't have a phone anymore, well not one that wasn't being monitored every minute, same with his computer. But he hadn't used them anyway. He wanted to talk to Piper, desperately wanted to explain his actions… but he couldn't. He couldn't tell her that the symbiote had blown his feelings for her into something obsessive, something dark, something toxic. He couldn't tell her that he still loved her, he couldn't face her, he had hurt her. He couldn't face her. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to talk to her face to face again as he deleted his latest try at an email to her.

Piper whooped as she dove through the clear night air. Sam laughed as he circled and they raced around the block. Piper landed hard on the roof rolling back to her feet in an instant and sending a webline to the next roof, landing in front of the robber. He dropped the bag and tried to take a swing at her but she caught his fist and twisted forcing his arm up his back and webbing it to his back before sticking his other hand to his back. She tossed him to Nova who caught him deftly and held him by his feet recommending that he didn't struggle as Piper scooped up the bag and tapped her com watch.

"We got ours!" Luke laughed holding up the other robber who looked out cold by his shoulder.

"Got him!" Piper smiled.

"Alright! Back to the bank then." Luke nodded and hung up. They got back about ten minutes later leaving the robbers for the police, this was a bit below SHEILD's paygrade. Then they dropped by Delmar's for snacks. Mr. Delmar was ecstatic that the Heroes of New York, as he'd taken to calling them, were patrons of his, he insisted as always that they could have whatever they wanted, no cost. Piper left him one fifty this time.

The five of them sat on a roof about a mile away from the deli. White tiger was sipping her icee, grinning at the dime store novel she'd found. Luke was enjoying one of the biggest sandwiches Piper had ever seen Mr. Delmar make, Danny had stuck with his salad and M and Ms. Piper and Sam had gotten brownies and sandwiches and coke. Piper had been incensed to discover that Ava preferred Pepsi. Danny didn't drink soda, Luke liked energy drinks and coffee. Piper held up her cup to Sam.

"We didn't do too bad tonight huh?" Sam thought. They had stopped two breaking and entering's, foiled three bank robberies, two jewelry store heists, and stopped six muggings. He clinked his cup against hers and grinned.

"Yeah not too bad at all Webs." She grinned, her mask pulled up so her nose and mouth were visible. They still had so much to do but they were doing so well as a team, as friends. They sipped their cokes and looked out over their city, Piper couldn't help but feel they were going to be ok.