"Have you suddenly developed x-ray vision?" Peter cast his wife a puzzled look. "You've been staring upstairs for the past few minutes and rubbing the floor raw with all your pacing. "

"I can't help it MJ, ever since Reillys' gotten back into his studies it's been near impossible to see him. There's still so much we don't know about him and he hasn't opened up since he's arrived. We don't even know if he's sneaking out at night to play hero without the DD trappings." Guilt hung heavy on Peter Parker as it had been ever since they discovered the truth about Reilly Tyne. He wanted to bridge the gap between them but the boy kept avoiding him. Well he only brought this on himself for constantly berating Darkdevil.

"I know it's hard for you, tiger. But the last thing he needs is for us to push him too hard." Resting her head on his shoulder she brought her arms around his waist for a tight hug. "Reilly's like his father, Peter. You don't have to know all the details to see that he's used to taking care of himself. He's a good kid that's grown up before his time and yes-," she planted a teasing kiss onto her husbands' cheek,"-he takes his responsibilities very seriously. "

Peter rolled his eyes, "Sure throw that back at me."

"It's in his genetics dear. Try to have patience."

He sighed, deep and heartfelt. "I'll try. It's just so hard to resist the urge to do something-"

"-Insanely affectionate and overbearing to sooth him?" Mary Jane prompted knowingly.

"Very funny. I know I messed up with him. I don't know the first thing about a boy that's Bens' son...technically my son." Peters' head bowed. "I've been horrible to him, everything I never wanted to be to a child. Everything a "uncle" shouldn't be much less a father. I don't know how to even begin to make amends for the things I've done. Let's face the facts, I'm no Uncle Ben."

"No, you're not." Mary Jane pulled on Peters' arm until he turned away from the stairs to face her. "You are Peter Parker. A loving father, devoted husband and the most responsible man I've ever known. You may not be your uncle but you're still a good man. And I know in my heart that somehow you'll be able to have the kind of relationship with Reilly that you want."

He smiled, affectionately running his fingers through her hair. "How did I ever get lucky enough to get you?"

Mary Jane opened her mouth to respond when a gagging sound came from upstairs. "Eww gross. How does May stand it?"

"Shouldn't you be at school young lady?" Peter asked giving his best no-nonsense parenting voice. April remained unimpressed.

"Guess you don't pay much attention to the news, huh? Schools' out due to the snow and Christmas break won't be far behind the next storm." The girl did a twirl transforming her nightshirt and shorts into a styling white ski outfit.

Dismay lit Peter's features at this news, "What about May and Reilly? Where are they?"

"What am I their keeper now? May ditched me to play little-miss-perfect-superhero hours ago. I haven't seen Reilly since he snuck out to study." Her nose scrunched up at the idea of spending free time to study. "Not that he ever spends anytime with any of us any other time. He said I had a family." She muttered the last part under her breath.

Mary Jane patted the girl on the back as she stifled a grin at the identical looks of disappoint April and Peter wore. "Guess that means it's just the three of us and Benjy for breakfast then."

"Let me look for him, MJ. He's been out of his crib lately."

"Look by Rys' door." April added. "Junior's taken to camping outside his room. Looks like everybody is looking for the guy."

Leaping over the citys' skyline Spider-Girl (for once) was on the same wavelength with her clone. Since discovering who Darkdevil was and his connection to her everything was all jumbled. She didn't know how to feel about the guy and wasn't even sure if she really knew him at all. The important stuff she guessed at during their meetings in the spandex set seemed to be a mix bag. He would never hurt her, something she had always known deep down. But did he really think she was lacking or was he giving her tough love? She didn't know, she wasn't even sure how he felt about her.

Doing a drive into an alleyway Spider-Girl found a place to slip on her clothes over the costume, thankful for the extra protection against the elements. Crime fighting had been a bust but at least it provided an excuse to think through her concerns. With Christmas coming up May wanted to do some shopping to get her in the spirit of the season. Their family was bigger this year which meant more gifts. Luckily her friends at school were already taken care of. Courtney was getting that shirt she said made Moose fall into a wall (mom pulled strings to get it at a discount.) Davida was getting those slamming boots (mom to the recuse again), Heather was getting the earrings Jimmy was too dense to notice her eying, Nancy was getting a movie, and the rest of the girls got some fashionable items (thanks to her wonderful mom.) Jimmy was getting that sci-fi novel he always put off on getting, Moose got an autograph from the Fantastic Five (least she could do for now), JJ got a graphic novel and although she was still uncomfortable around him Brad received a copy of a book mom had recommended. Wes was getting art supplies and gloves. May hoped the gloves turned out right, she had taken to knitting as an desperate measure if her funds ran dry.

Luckily her savings were enough to get a few more things for her loved ones. Dad and mom were easy to shop for, and April practically made a list for what she wanted. Benjy was getting the blanket she was carefully constructing to resemble the Spidey mask. That left "Uncle" Kaine and Reilly. Maybe a new trench coat for Kaine? No, something nicer than that, it had to be personal. A smirk lit her face as she recalled him enjoying the tarts she had made for the schools' bake sale before dad gave a lecture. Not the healthiest of gifts but it wasn't like he didn't work it off on a daily basis. That left Reilly the eternal enigma of the family. What did they know about him? He liked fighting, had an overprotective vibe, liked to keep secrets and wanted to be a lawyer. So maybe something like a journal? Yeah she could just see it now: Reilly sitting with pen in hand as he scribbled in the book: Dear Diary I just kicked another thugs' rear. It rocked. Must aghast on things I won't discuss now.

No, whatever the gift was it had to be special. Something to let Reilly know they were family and he could trust her.

The boy in question continued his track across the rooftops. He'd finished his impromptu studying hours ago but needed the space to clear his head. His time with the Parkers was awkward and Reilly always felt like if he made the wrong step everything would come tumbling down. Christmas was coming around the corner and that never went well for him. Usually the holiday meant isolation no matter where he spent it. The Parkers likely had plans for the holidays and rather than making himself more of a bother Reilly wanted to spend his time productively. Maybe if he kept his mind off of the season he wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. Then again...he had put off getting most of his shopping. Reilly felt he owed them something even if they didn't like his choices for gifts.

Pulling his coat tighter Reilly snuck out onto the sidewalk to glance at the display window. Matt had given him an idea of what was fashionable (which he thought was slightly amusing) but Reilly didn't think he'd feel confident enough to get (Aunt?) Mary Jane any clothes. Whenever he thought of giving presents to people who were sort of parental figures he remembered the forced grins from foster parents as he gave them things he created only to find half of it in the trash the next day. Once he tried to buy perfume for one of the ladies he stayed with. Not able to round up much money the purchase was cheap and as a result gave her an allergenic reaction. The alcoholic religious aunt and his abusive uncle had been a different. His aunt fawned over his attempts telling him how precious it was. His uncle would ignore him until after dinner and Reilly would go to sleep with a bruised face.

Needless to say Reilly wasn't overly fond of Christmas. Just thinking about spending it with the Parkers made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

The only good times he had was with his bonding sessions with Matt when the ghost would tell stories of from his life. Reilly never felt alone then, not with Matts' calming presence giving him hope for better days. Now he was a semi-normal teen without the powers of Darkdevil and no mentor to talk to anymore. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel separation anxiety. Really, he should be happy that Matt was finally able to find peace after everything he did for him. It was just-

His pocket vibrated, the Parkers didn't call him much. Mary Jane did once when he was at work to ask when he was coming back for dinner. As much as he wanted to get along with April he learned from overhearing the girls talk that she had a habit for calling at the worst times and talking your ear off. Reilly knew he had to work on his patience before he gave her the number. Peter kept trying to forge a bond with him which often resulted in the most awkward conversations. That being said only May and Kaine had this number. "Hello?"

"Hey, where ya at? You have the 'rents worried." Reilly quirked an eyebrow at the abbreviation as if May was referring to their parents instead of her own.

"I'm doing my rounds like I usually do." Much as she hated it Reilly was still vague on a lot of details. Not just because it amused him to tease her, being cryptic was part of his nature. It helped to keep people out of his business.

"Are you, uh, horning in again?" He rolled his eyes at the bad pun, Mays' way of being subtle.

"I'm doing community work if you must know." Sorta the truth as he already made his donations and this was simply a visit.

"Oh. Umm, well where are you? Maybe we can meet up." The hopeful tone kept Reilly from spilling out the half truth he had in mind. He didn't want her following him but he didn't want to lie to her either. If nothing else her reaction should be interesting.

"Hells' Kitchen."

"Wha-? You're where?" As if on cue a woman screamed that a man took her purse. Reilly causally stepped back to the side of the wall and stuck his foot out.

"Hells' Kitchen." He repeated. The purse snatcher tripped falling face first into the pavement. Scooping up the purse Reilly tossed it to the woman as he walked by.

"What was that?"

"The usual." Reilly shrugged not thinking it really needed to be explained. "Did you have something in mind for this call or do you want me to describe every sound you hear over the phone?"

"As fascinating as that would be I wanted to know what kinda traditions you do."

The sudden nervous excitement in her voice seemed unwarranted for such an odd question. "What traditions are you talking about?"

"For Christmas of course." She paused as if she was rethinking her words. "Unless of course you don't celebrate it because of conflicting faiths-which I respect-but I was just wondering. I mean you never talk about what you believe in so if the assumption offended you it wasn't intended. I mean-"

"You're babbling." Taking a deep breath Reilly wondered if they should really be having this conversation. "Look, does it really matter? It's your house and your traditions."

"It's your house too." Much as everyone claimed it was Reilly still didn't consider it his home. "You're family and we want to have it together."

"Have you asked April what she wants to do?"

"Er, no. April doesn't have any experience with holidays." Why did she think he'd be an expert? "Come on, it'll be fun! Mom and dad wouldn't mind adding the stuff you usually do."

"I doubt that." He muttered darkly. "As hard as this may be for you to believe, I don't have any traditions."

"You mean you and Kaine never saw shows together?"

"Kaine didn't raise me much less watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special." Weird, he was under the impression that Kaine told the Parkers about his time in foster care then the streets. Maybe not, otherwise it looked like May was out of the loop again. Well that one was on Kaine not him, Reilly didn't want to tell them anything. He made it clear that he wasn't comfortable talking about himself. Catching sight of his destination Reilly continued his trek through the snow. The sound of May racing through the air transferred to the phone. "And people think talking on the phone while driving is dangerous."

"I didn't know Kaine didn't raise you...I mean I figured he didn't after...but I guess I never thought about it. Did your mom raise you?"

Reilly stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the sidewalk. Several minutes passed before he could find his voice again and even then it didn't sound like his own. "What?"

"Are you okay? Did I upset you? You went all quiet." The distress was apparent but the last thing he wanted to do was get into all this. They didn't understand how hard it was for him to talk about his past. Well maybe Mary Jane did, she seemed to at least get the idea that opening up would take time. May didn't, couldn't, and the idea of telling her felt too personal. It made him feel dirty.

"Hmm, just got lost for a second." Partially true he supposed. "Are you going to finish swinging anytime soon? All the whooshing is getting distracting."

"That depends. Are you still wearing that jacket that's too light for winter, with no hat and jeans?"

"Is that supposed to scare me? I'll be done in a second and meet you out here." Not waiting for a reply he clicked off his phone and entered the church. Looked like a pretty big gathering this year, not just for the needy seeking a haven. The devoted believers were taking in the mass not even taking note of his entrance. Words of comfort were being given to those in need. Reilly lingered for a moment to listen to it and think on what was being said. Forgiveness and acceptance. Such simple concepts really, yet they constantly plagued him throughout his life.

He could forgive his father for not being there for him, he could try to understand why his mother couldn't be there but it was still a struggle with Kaine. Reilly didn't know if he was fully capable of forgiving someone who so completely abandoned him when he was in need. For so long he let Parker talk down to him. Why not? He believed half the things he said anyway. On some level he thought that Peter Parker was different than Kaine. A better man that cared about his family. Sometimes he didn't see much of a difference between the two men. They could be thoughtless and cruel, awkward and in a weird way caring. Perhaps they weren't the problem after all, maybe it was him along.

This was why Reilly wasn't overly fond of Christmas. It made him over think everything and get all mopey. Scanning the crowd he looked for the familiar face only to find her staring back at him. She smiled fondly as she guided him over to the side. "Reilly." She greeted warmly.

A grin made it's way onto his face before he was aware of it and the traces of doubt disappeared. "Hello Maggie."

He usually called her by her proper title but she insisted on being just Maggie when it was the two of them. The nuns' hand cupped his cheek and bestowed a tender look at the boy. Some place Reilly didn't think existed melted at the gesture of affection. "Sorry I can't make it this year..."

"I understand. You have other obligations, as it should be."

"You know you've taken this whole thing in stride." The woman never even questioned why he was a teenager instead of a demon. The first time he appeared like this at the church she had just known it was him. That Matt was gone.

"I have experience with such things. Here," Maggie opened his palm, "this is for you to help when the burdens become to much to bear alone."

A cold metallic item fell into his palm, something he was familiar with. "I gave you this after we first met." He finally looked down at the golden cross. "Matt wanted you to have this back."

"I know." Watery eyes filled with regret glanced over his form as if she was suddenly transported back to another moment with another young man. "I know why he wanted me to have it returned. It ended the circle, brought closure. I wanted him to have it to remember his promise and his faith."

"Then why do you want me to have it?"

Maggie smiled and much to his shock kissed his forehead. "To help you find your way. I hope you have a Merry Christmas."

He repeated the sentiment automatically as he watched her walk off. Frowning he pocketed the gift and rolled his eyes skyward. "I'm pretty sure the church doesn't approve on eavesdropping much less your-oh-so-subtle version of it."

Stepping out from behind the pillar May smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I just saw you two talking and got caught up in it."

"Despite the fact that I specifically told you to wait outside." Shouldn't surprise him really, it wasn't like she ever listened to him before.

"I was curious. I thought this might be a donation or something. I didn't know you were religious." A gleam of interest lit her eyes but he resolutely ignored it. Irritation was already coursing it's way through his system.

"I'm not." Too annoyed to keep an easy pace Reilly power walked forcing May to speed up.

"D-did she raise you?"

He stopped to glance back at her earnest expression. "What? No."

"How do you know her?"

"I met her during patrol one night. " If he hoped that would be the end of it he was sorely mistaken.

"You mean she knows? How did you get so close-"

Finally having enough Reilly turned around with such force May took a step back. "Not that it's any of your business but yes she knows. No, I'm not telling that story. She knew Matt and that's her business."

"Hey, no need to get touchy!"

Taking a deep breath Reilly cast a disbelieving look her way. "I've tried to be patient with this! But you're always pressing me for information! All the time! And when you don't get it you just follow me around. Yes, I know about that! Like I said you're not subtle. So yeah, you'll have to excuse me for wanting some privacy."

"Reilly?"

Even after everything they've been through together hearing her say his name felt weird. When they were first introduced sans masks May only referred to him as Tyne. Few really called him by his first name and he figured he wasn't the type of person people felt comfortable with. He wasn't chipper and quirky like most of his family. Never was particularly likable growing up and assumed that was how it would always be.

"I'm sorry for prying but this whole thing is so frustrating! Do have any idea what it feels like to know how much you kept from me since we met? I'm trying to be cool about everything it's just so-AHH!" Growling in frustration May stalked into the street, crushing a bottle under her stomping feet.

"I told you that I don't like the backstory spiel! We've been over this, May! Hate to state the obvious but I'm not you! I can't just dredge through my life story at the drop of a hat. It's not who I am." Reilly feared that she wouldn't get it, May never had a problem opening up. Why would she? She never knew what it felt like to be broken and flawed.

"I'm not asking for anything big." When he didn't reply May impulsively grabbed his hand holding it between her smaller gloved hands. Sparkling near desperate blue eyes stared into sober brown. "Tell me about anything. I just want to hear you talk about something. What the deal with the cross is-your favorite sport-favorite food-anything. Please."

For a few tense seconds he didn't respond at all. He blinked at the request, stared and then tugged his hand away from her gentle grip. Her eyes watered at the apparent rejection as he stuffed his hands firmly into his pockets. With a sigh Reilly jerked his head to the side in a "come on" gesture. "...It's a long story that started when Matt lost his sight."

Sneaking a peek he saw May brighten considerably. "I got time to kill." Rolling his eyes at her barely restrained excitement Reilly told the story of how Matt Murdock lost his sight and gained new abilities. From there he went onto his favorite story of how Daredevil lost everything because of a betrayal of a loved one and how he fought back from losing it all. Though he would leave out sections like the true identity of Sister Maggie the tale at heart was the same. How a man without hope was a man without fear.

It was a start, where ever he was Reilly hoped Matt was happy. He earned it, they both had.