Author's Note: Once again, I'm blown away by how supportive you all are! Thanks so much for all the kind words. Please enjoy this chapter!

"Maybe family were the people who came looking for you when you were lost."

― Vikki Wakefield

The door to Avengers Tower had never appeared so imposing before tonight. With it's clear glass that seemed to extend upwards forever and the sight of numerous visitors and office workers moving around the first floor, Peter hesitated as his hand shakily reached for the metal handle. He heard Steve pause behind him, but the super soldier didn't speak, as if he knew the importance of this moment.

He could still turn back if he wanted too.

Steve was fast sure, but Peter had his web shooters and it wouldn't be too hard to lose him in the crowded streets until he could get up somewhere high and take off.

"Peter?" Steve's voice was soft, tinged with concern. "You ready?"

There was still time—time to throw in the towel with being in this team, time to go back to his life with Aunt May and attempting to salvage some normalcy in his daily life. But . . . was he really willing to give up on this whole endeavor? He did care about this team and he knew he was slowly, but surely getting better at being Spider-Man. If he turned back now, he'd regret it for sure.

He would give the team another chance.

"I'm good." Peter breathed. He nodded his head and then pulled the door open, heading in.

Showtime.

It was awkward.

Seated around the large conference table, Peter found his gaze downcast, focused on the marble floors instead of on his teammates' gazes. The silence was heavy and though Peter wanted to dispel it, he couldn't think of a way how to.

"So . . . ?" Bruce ventured, trying to dispel the bad aura in the room. "Are we going to talk or can I head back into the lab?" The scientist glanced at Tony who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Peter," Thor began, his voice the opposite of his jovial nature. "You must understand that we were not aware of Fury's deception." At that Peter met the God's crystalline blue gaze and the teenager wanted nothing more than to believe it. But he still had doubts and until those doubts subsided, he couldn't trust the Avengers.

"Well, most of us didn't." Tony muttered.

"Stark," Natasha growled. "Don't start—"

"Oh, start what?" The billionaire retorted. "Start off with the fact that you lied to all of us and then you put Peter at risk—"

"Peter was never at risk!" Clint snapped, a rare display of emotion from the usually stoic archer.

"Not at risk?" Tony echoed. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is planning is every move and for what? So they can mold him into whatever puppet they need next?"

"Tony, that's enough." Steven interjected, his gaze darting from Peter to Tony.

"Those files you accessed were classified!" Natasha hissed, her fists clenched in a rare display of anger. "Look, say what you will about Director Fury, but at the end of the day, he is who Clint and I have orders from and if you have a problem with that—"

"Oh, I definitely have a problem!" Tony seethed, rising from his chair and slamming his hands on the wooden table.

"My friends, let us all keep our heads." Thor tried to radiate an aura of calm, but it seemed to go unnoticed.

"Did you forget that it was Fury who put this team together?" Clint challenged, taking a step closer to Tony. "Or were you so self-centered that you thought you would give yourself credit for that as well?"

It was a low blow and enough to set the inventor off. In a flash, he lunged towards Clint, only for Natasha to strike him across the face. Tony staggered back, bracing himself against the table. He smirked and revealed a small, iron band on his left arm. Peter had heard of this before—a mobile way for Tony to get his armor—and suddenly, Clint had his bow out and this was all escalating so fast.

"Stop!" Peter roared.

Silence ensued as the team's eyes came to rest on his defeated expression.

"You say you're a team," The teenager started, his own fury coursing through his veins and boiling his blood. "But in the few weeks I've been here, you've all seemed to have decided what's best for me." He let out a shaky breath. "S.H.I.E.L.D. for whatever reason has decided that I'm a risk so they sent my aunt to the hospital." He tried to keep the anger that rose from that realization from clouding his judgment, but found it was a loosing battle. "That's just messed up in my view. You don't attack someone's family and act like everyone is pawn to be used in your own twisted game of chess!"

"Peter—" Natasha reached out, but the teenager flinched away.

"No! You're all going to listen to me for once!" He growled. "I don't care what S.H.I.E.L.D. wants or whomever they were trying to protect me from wants." He came to sit back in his chair, the fight draining out from him. "What I do care about is protecting the people that are important to me." The adrenaline from his outburst was wearing out and he found an eerie calm settling over him. "If I stay with this team or if I leave, that will be my choice, understand?"

"Of course, Peter." Steve nodded his head. Tony opened his mouth, as if he wanted to interject, but thought better of it.

"And I want to stay." He confessed softly. "But I can't deal with anymore secrets." He met Natasha and Clint's gazes. "You need to tell me what S.H.I.E.L.D. knows."

Clint shot Natasha a look that spoke volumes. Then, slowly, she nodded her head affirmatively.

"Okay." Peter breathed. "Then, I think we can make this work."

And the dark aura that seemed to settle in the room dissipated.

Thor beamed, laughing good-naturedly.

"See? It is just as I foretold. All is well once more." He jumped up from his chair and grinned at Peter. "Welcome back." He slapped him on the back, causing Peter to wince, but the God of Thunder didn't seem to notice.

And for the first time since this ordeal began, Peter found himself smiling once more.

He was back where he belonged.

Author's Note: Next time: All about Oscorp! Plus, more bonding! Please review if you have a moment.