BREEP!BREEP!BREEP! Went the alarm to the computer again. Groaning Barbara turned her head to look at her alarm clock. To her surprise it said 5:30am! "Oh my god, four hours!" Barbara thought in shock when she realized how long she had slept as she pulled herself into her chair and wheeled to her terminal. "Oracle here." She answered.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so is Barbara Gordon; happy birthday Babs." The upbeat voice sang over the com-link.

Barbara couldn't help but smile and giggle when she heard the familiar voice of her best friend Peter Parker, Spider-Man. "I think America is going to vote you off there web-slinger." She replied to Spidey.

"No; gasp and sob, my dreams of opening for Taylor Swift at the Garden are cruelly dashed." Peter cried in mock cries of anguish.

Barbara couldn't help but burst with laughter at Peter's wit. "What's up Pete?" She asked brightly.

"Think you can let me in?" Spider-Man asked politely. Barbara tapped away at her holographic keyboard to shut off her security for Peter. Spider-Man threw open a window and slipped into the fortress. Barbara met him in the middle of her living room, as he pulled off his mask to reveal the boyish face that she has come to know and love.

They've been the best of friends since they were both teenage superheroes. Barbara first met Peter when she came to New York to attend Midtown Academy. She was already Batgirl and working with Batman and Robin when she was she was sent to New York for school. Neither knew of the other's secret job. Soon enough they both started running into each other in costume. Eventually Barbara's own detective skills helped her deduce Spider-Man was her classmate whom she befriended much to his shock. Soon after they began patrolling together during the school year, and vice versa with Peter spending some of his summer in Gotham which took some convincing with regards to Bruce. A lot of convincing. They've been there for each other through the best of times and worst of times. Babs however never told him the truth about her injury; something she has always felt guilty about. She's always told him it was a hit and run car accident.

"What are you doing here Pete at this hour?" She asked happily but curiously.

"I'm here to take you out to see the sunrise, at our usual spot." Spider-Man declared confidently.

"Excuse me?" Barbara asked perplexed.

"Let's ditch this place for couple of hours, watch the sunrise, have some breakfast, you know get fresh air like nature intended humans to do." Peter elaborated.

Barbara was still dumbfounded by what Pete was getting at until a smile flashed on her face in realization. "The laptop; that was you?" She rhetorically asked.

"Yep, that was me, I see you like it." Peter added with a happy grin.

Barbara while grateful was still curious about a few things. "How in the world did you get Tony to build it, there is no way he would do it for free?" Barbara asked.

"Let's get out of here and I'll explain it to you." He replied with a knowing smirk.

"Give me a few minutes to get dressed." She said eagerly as she wheeled back to her room. Barbara had mastered getting dressed as a paraplegic down to a science as she was ready in less than ten minutes with her Avengers t-shirt, jean slacks and sneakers and putting her hair in pony tail. It was something that Barbara prided herself on as she put her new laptop in her bag along with her phone as she wheeled out to meet Peter.

"Ready?" Peter asked rhetorically as he put his mask back on.

Inhaling deeply in anticipation she answered in the affirmative. "Absolutely." She said as she held her arms out to him. Putting his arms under her legs and arms, he carefully lifted her into a cradle carry while she wrapped her arms around him. Peter was one of the few people Barbara allowed to carry her. It was her way of letting people know that she could do things for herself, she always had to prove how strong and independent she was. However with Peter, she always knew she could trust him enough to show her vulnerability without him violating her confidence or losing respect for her.

Peter shot a web to an adjacent building. Barbara tightened her grip around him in eager anticipation as he flew through the open window. That first gust of wind was always the most intense. Ever since her injury, flying through a city skyline was the one thing she missed the most. The sensation of freedom was the most exciting feeling in the world. Spidey shot another web at another building to swing higher, and then at another till he had a good pace going.

Barbara let a happy shout like a kid riding a rollercoaster for the first time as he pulled them both higher through the skyline. She always had to since she lost the ability to do it herself, she rarely got to do this anymore so any opportunity to have this experience again she made herself enjoy it. Peter always smiled when he saw his pretty longtime partner and friend enjoying herself.

Before long they reached their destination at Park Avenue, between West 33rd and 34th street, perched up the 102nd floor ledge at the base of the broadcast antennae at the Empire State Building. Where they sat they could see almost all of the New York City skyline as the sun rose from the Chrysler Building down to One World Trade Center. Pete held Barbara tightly around her waist with her legs draped over his lap to keep her secured while they enjoyed the scenery.

As much as Babs wanted to enjoy this moment in comfortable silence, she was also eager to hear what Peter's big surprise was. "Pete as serene as this is, I'm dying of curiosity as to how you managed to get Tony to build me this laptop?" She asked curiously as Spider-Man pulled off his mask up off his face.

"Well, you know how you tell me it's time I get a real job, that being a freelance photographer wasn't enough to make a living?" Peter started.

"Yeah." Babs said with her curiosity piqued with hopeful thoughts at how this conversation started. She's been telling him that since they graduated school. Peter pulled open his backpack and pulled out an envelope and opened it to reveal a sheet of paper to Barbara who took it and read it. What she read stunned her, in the most pleasant way possible. "Oh my God Peter this is a….!" She was almost too overcome with happiness for her closest friend in the world to say anything. Peter removed it from her hand.

"A recommendation letter by Lucius Fox to Tony Stark for my employment at Stark Enterprises, you see Babs; I didn't pay Tony anything, on the contrary, Tony paid me to build your laptop, I'm now a new technician at Stark Tech Enterprises." Spider-man stated proudly. It took Barbara all of one minute to fully register what Peter just announced. Peter Parker, Spider-Man had an actual job. Barbara let out a happy shout as threw her arms around Peter in a congratulatory embrace. "That's it; that's the big news!" He said with a chuckle a few minutes of happy hugging.

"Peter, I'm so proud of you, you're finally applying that genius level intellect of yours." Barbara said with happy smile but faded somewhat into a curious expression. "Wait, Spider-man, where does that leave him, I mean does Tony just let you leave whenever you need to go be a hero?" Barbara asked with some concern.

"Kind of." Pete replied. "Admittedly it makes being a superhero with a day job much easier when your boss is one, but it's not just that, the beauty of working at Stark is that you can pretty much work all hours of the day, I can literally leave anytime the need to be Spider-man arises without raising any suspicion, and I can show up anytime I want." Peter explained with a smirk.

"When were you hired?" She asked wanting to know as much as she could about his new job.

"Couple of months ago."

Barbara face contorted into a one of happy delight to incredulity in an instant. "Months ago; why didn't you tell me?!"

"Hey I needed time, and let's not forget it wasn't like you came right out and said to me 'Hey Peter look I'm Oracle'; do you seriously have any idea how terrifying it is to have someone call you out of the blue that knows your biggest secret?" Peter fired back.

"I was helping you break up Tombstone's meth operation mister." Babs replied playfully defensive, putting a finger in his chest.

"You called me on my personal cell using an untraceable number and that voice scrambler which still gives me the creeps by the way; I didn't know who you were, all I knew was some hacker named 'Oracle' knew I was Spider-Man." Peter remised. Babs laughed at the memory of how freaked out Peter was much to his bemusement but did ultimately conceded her hypocrisy on the issue of keeping secrets. With a slight frown when she thought of her shooting but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind.

"Okay Peter, okay you got me on that, but you also were the first individual hero I helped even before Bruce." She smugly fired back which Peter didn't mind. They enjoyed a few moments of comfortable silence as day light broke over Manhattan when Barbara broke the mood with another question. "How much do you get paid?"

"Oh enough to get a roomier apartment which Me and Johnny Storm should be moved into in a week, and enough to buy two tickets to see the Gotham Monarchs and NY Yankees at Yankee stadium!" He exclaimed as he pulled out of a pair tickets. For the second time in less the ten minutes, Barbara went wide-eyed in shock, Yankees tickets were notoriously expensive and hard to get.

"You make enough to afford these?" She asked with worried skepticism.

"Actually I've been saving up for them for a while." Peter admitted. "I'm good for them Babs, I swear I wouldn't have bought them if they broke the bank." He assured her. "After all these years of struggling to make ends meet, believe me I know the value of a dollar." He added which seem to convince Barbara who flashed a little grin.

"And why Peter would you think I would be interested in seeing a baseball game?" She asked with a smirk.

"Because I know how badly you want to get out and enjoy life a bit, I see it on your face every time I see you, every time I tell you of an adventure, I see your face droop a little, and heck I even see it when I tell you I went to the store." Peter said with sincerity. "All I'm saying is let's spend at least a day out in the city, you know take a walk in Central Park, shop at Times Square, get a pizza in a little mom and pop place and then go to the game, what do you say?" Peter said with a hint of hopefulness.

Barbara's eyes darted down in contemplation. Peter had just described her perfect day she has always envisioned. Even back in her school days, she never fully took advantage of her time she when she attended school in the city, she never really had a night out in the city unless you count being Batgirl on most nights. But it wasn't just that it was also the subtext of what Peter was saying. They had been through so much together since they first met as students but they never had crossed that line. It was mostly on Barbara's part that things did not go further, and it was something else that Barbara always felt guilty about with regards to her friendship with Peter. They had become so close but never went to that level. Barbara was never the most confident when it came to relationships and her current handicap made her insecurities return that she seemingly overcame when she became Batgirl. Being a ginger, super intelligent and an overachiever made her a common target for bullying, it was only when she became Batgirl that her confidence grew. Peter had always intimated that he wanted to be more but Barbara was adamant to go no further. She did not want to risk losing his friendship, especially after her failed relationship with Dick Grayson.

Barbara would never call Dick Grayson a bad man. In fact in a lot of ways Babs would say he was a great man. But if Dick had one fatal chink in his armor, it was the fact that he was a player through and through. Barbara had known him since she was Batgirl. They worked well together as Batgirl and Robin. As time went on they became close friends and eventually they became boyfriend and girlfriend. But as with most first time relationships things were rocky most of the time. When she went to New York for school and began her partnership with Peter she kept whatever feelings she had in check because she hoped things could work out with Dick. Things were never quite the same between them. Despite the difficulties Babs and Dick would maintain an on again off again relationship over the years.

Peter on the other hand seemed to have hit the jackpot with Gwen Stacy and Barbara couldn't have been happier for him. Then suddenly, Gwen had been kidnapped by the Green Goblin and held at the George Washington Bridge. She and Peter did everything they could to reach them in time but it was already too late. Goblin threw Gwen off the bridge. While Spider-Man shot webbing to catch her, Batgirl attempted to apprehend the Goblin but was unsuccessful. Returning to the bridge she expected to see Peter and Gwen in a happy embrace. Instead she found Peter cradling Gwen's dead body. She in turn held him and cried with him that night. She held his arm with Aunt May as they buried her. And she felt guilty with him too. The sweet girl she met and introduced him too because she felt she could fill the void that she was too afraid to fill had been killed by a maniac. She talked to him and visited whenever she could to make sure he was doing ok.

If that wasn't enough, not even six months later, Barbara herself would be cut down by another lunatic. And as she did for him, Peter was there for her by her bedside as much as he could. As she went through her physical therapy sessions Peter did whatever he could to get to Gotham to keep her spirits up. His presence there inspired her to press on. And like her, he held her and cried with her in private when she felt it was too much to bear.

Soon enough Barbara was discharged and before long living on her own again. It was a tremendous moment of triumph for her. But soon heart break would strike again when Dick Grayson came calling. He was Nightwing now and with the Young Avengers. When she was shot he was with the team in Wakanda helping Black Panther with an AIM insurgency and he was only able to return to Gotham for a brief time while she was still in a coma and never had a chance to talk to him. But here he was, in her doorway with flowers. One thing led to another and soon enough they were making love. When they were done however Dick sheepishly dropped a bombshell. He gave her invite to a wedding. His wedding to none other than to Namorita, Namor's cousin. Needless to say there were shouts, accusations, objects thrown, and her heart shattered on the floor. At that at moment as far as she was concerned, she and Dick Grayson were finished as a couple.

She called Peter the next day. She didn't tell him what had happened the night before. She just made small talk like old times before everything happened. She didn't want to dwell on the tragedy's that had seemingly overtaken their lives recently. She could tell he knew something was up with her, but he avoided it smartly and just went with the silly small talk. It was like that for an hour. He even made jokes like he used to and she laughed for the first time in months. It was pleasant and exactly what they both needed.

Barbara knew it was time to address the elephant in the room. "Peter is this a friend date or are you looking for an actual date?" She asked seriously, looking him straight in the eye. Peter put on a nervous smile and rubbed his neck.

"Uhm, well if you mean, I mean if you want, I really." He stuttered through his answer until he rubbed his face in embarrassment. Babs kept a straight face, he was always like this when it came to the big conversations. Barbara put a hand over his heart reassuringly.

"Just speak from here." She calmly said to him. He took a deep breath and recomposed himself.

"Barbara, you're the only person I can trust completely, I've been able to trust you with my biggest secret, you've been there for me even when I wasn't at my best, you've cared about me enough to set me straight when I've done wrong, and I thought finally it was time to tell you how I always felt about you." He said pausing to take a deep breath. "I love you Barbara, I always have, and I want to be there for you the way you always have been there for me." Peter said, relieved that he finally managed to get the words out that have been building for years.

Barbara always knew this conversation was coming, but she was never really prepared for it. She also thought she knew the answer she would give when such a conversation arose. But after contemplating all they've been through together, been to each other. Barbara wandered if she really only felt nothing more than friendship for Peter Parker? "Are you sure that's what you want Peter?" she asked with watery eyes as she realized that Peter is the only person she ever trusted enough to let him see her cry and comfort her after her shooting.

"What do you mean?" He asked with a hint of worry.

"I mean Peter, why me; I'm insecure about myself, I'm not always the most pleasant person to be around." She said as she stopped to recompose herself. "I get depressed about this, and when I do, I close myself off to the people I love in this world the most, I've said things at times that I know have hurt my friends without thinking." She said with tiny sobs as she gestured to her limp legs. "Do you really want that?" she asked again after composing herself.

"Barb, everyone is entitled to a bad day once in a while, I'm not Mr. Perfect; all the self-deprecating jokes at my own expense, you think that's because I feel all warm and fuzzy about myself everyday?" Peter replied calmly.

Barbara snickered a bit and seemed to understand a little but still wanted to make her point clear with him. "Peter, I'm a paraplegic, you're telling me you want to spend the rest of your life possibly having to care for someone who hates to be cared for?" Barbara said with a strong hint of resentment and her limitations.

"I know you don't like that Babs, I only need to take care of you when you are not able to care for yourself, as any who loves you should do." He replied with an encouraging smile that made Barbara feel ashamed despite her best smile to cover that fact. Here was Peter Parker, the person she came to depend on the most in her darkest moments, putting his heart on the line, and she lied to him about what really transpired that night. Peter blames himself for the murders of Gwen and his Uncle Ben. Peter had run in's with the Joker including one incident in which he saved the Joker from Carnage after a failed team up led to a fight that nearly killed him. Peter later confided in Barbara that he hesitated when he thought of letting Carnage do away with the Joker. Barbara knew if she told Peter the truth, it would be Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben all over again. Another sick twist of fate for him, instead of letting Cletus Kasady kill the Joker like he contemplated on doing, he saves him only to have him turn around later and cripple his best friend. Peter would have believed he was responsible for it. She just couldn't add her personal tragedy to the weight he constantly forced himself to bear. To Barbara it was best for him to believe that it was all a freak accident that paralyzed her instead of some sick, monstrous assault by the Joker.

"Peter, I don't know if I always been the best friend to you that I could've been for you the way you've been for me." Barbara stated with some guilt.

"What are you talking about, you've been a great a friend to me over the years!" He fired back incredulously. "You literally saved my butt from myself twice!"

"You were actually saved from Man-Spider by Kirk Langstrom and Curt Connors, and Bruce saved from the venom suit; Me, I just didn't lose faith in you." She replied with a sincere smile.

"Exactly my point, you know after you know, had to get a sample of my suit." Peter added, ashamed at the memory.

Barbara seeing this put a hand on his face comfortingly. "Peter don't do that, don't dwell on past mistakes, I have forgiven you a long time ago." She added encouragingly.

"You're right, sorry, but my point is you have been a great friend to me, not just when I needed someone to be there, you've totally kicked my ass you know, figuratively and literally when I needed it, and I can truly say I fell in love with you fully when you screamed at me for almost blowing my identity during Civil War." Barbara chuckled at that. "I'm serious, you've done nothing but look out for me ever since we've met, and I want to do for you what you've always done for me." Peter added with affection

"Peter you've been there for me too, I don't know where I'd be today if you hadn't been with me after my accident; I just, I just." She started to say but her voice trailed off, unable to articulate any further out of guilt of lying as she put face down and bit her lip. "I just spent the better part of ten years getting so close to you and whenever you intimated you felt we could go further, I threw you in the friend-zone, not because of anything you did, heck it wasn't even because I thought you weren't relationship material, but it was because I was too scared to go further with you, because I was afraid of losing you if things didn't work out with us." Barbara thought with bitterness at herself. Peter cupped her face and gently coaxed her to look him in the eye. Looking at Peter's gentle face with her watery green eyes she contemplated what a future might curtail. "Fine, we get together, than what Peter, get married; with what we do are we going to be happy; what about kids, what complications am I going to have to contend with as a pregnant paraplegic, can I even have a child, what if any child we have inherits your powers, what if, what if?" She let her thoughts trail off. "Oh screw it Gordon, you know in your heart this man is the one for you!" She thought as she beamed a bright smile and planted a deep kiss on Peter's mouth.

Peter for his part was completely taken aback, but he got over his shock quickly and just gradually leaned into her kiss. For nearly two minutes their lips were tenderly locked together. Finally letting go; Pete had happiest grin Barbara had seen in years. "Did that just really happen?" He gasped in happy surprise.

"Yes, you brilliant nerd you!" Barbara laughed out loud as she leaned and kissed him again which he gladly accepted. Breaking their kiss again the both of them giggled hysterically like they were fifteen years old again.

Putting his mask back, he lifted his new love into his arms. "So we're getting married right?" Spider-man asked half-sarcastically. Barbara laughed understanding what Peter meant.

"How about we have breakfast with Aunt May first okay there Eager Beaver?" Barbara replied with a loving little smile. It's been too long since she's seen that sweet sage old woman.

"We can do that; off to Queens then m'lady?" He asked rhetorically as he pulled her in tighter as he plunged off the Empire State Building while holding on to Barbara.

"Peter!" She delightfully screamed as she wasn't ready for him to jump from the top of the building but she still enjoyed the thrill of free falling off a very tall building. Peter shot webbing at adjacent building to level out above the city streets and then more at another building and then another. Barbara as before relished the rush of flying through the skyline. Unexpectedly Peter went into alleyway and landed with her in his arms.

"Whoa, what's up Pete; why are we in here?" She said in surprise.

"There's one more surprise Barb." Pete replied with a smirk that was evident under his mask as he walked them both deeper the alley. Looking down the alley Barb saw the surprise Peter had as he walked her up to a car. It was a Toyota Prious.

"Oh my god, seriously!" Barbara gasped. "You have a car too?"

"It's used but in good condition." Spider-man explained with a hint of pride.

"Wow Peter, you have come up in the world." Barbara stated proudly. "I'm so proud of you." She added with a kiss after she pulled up his mask.

"You can be honest; it's dorky right?" Peter replied with a grin.

"No Peter, I love it, it's you." Babs said with a chuckle. After Peter helped Barbara in the passenger side of the car and changed his clothes quickly and they were soon driving off towards Queens to surprise Aunt May. Barbara for first time in months actually thought about the future with a sense of hope looking at Peter and out at to the city as they drove through the streets. Sighing contently her hand fell down to her lap which snapped her back into a cold reality. And while it caused her to scowl for a moment she realized it was not an insurmountable obstacle, just something that they would have to deal with together. "Peter?"

"Yes, love?" Peter replied with a happy smirk.

"My chair, it's back at the firehouse." She said with a faint embarrassed smile. Peter went wide eyed and smacked his face in embarrassment upon realization.

"Sorry!" Peter groaned as he turned the Prious around and headed back to the firehouse.

"Relax Peter, I still love you." Barbara said reassuringly with a pat on the shoulder after seeing him turn bright red with embarrassment. He relaxed after hearing this, putting on a smile.

After coming to a red light. He looked at her again. "And I love you too Barbara." He added with a wink as he leaned over and put his hand gently around her head and kissed her on the lips.

Well there you go hope you enjoyed this. Again this is all a set up for my AU Batman/Marvel universe that I hope to fill with sequel and prequel stories. I always liked the idea of Babs and Pete hooking up in a crossover. Also sorry to all the Dick Grayson fans out there but you have to admit he is a bit of a player in his canonical history. It's nothing personal but this is supposed to be a Babs/Pete chapter after all. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this and I hope I can continue it! Thank you for your readership.