"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Fury screamed, arms at his sides.

I wasn't, Ben thought.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!"

I think I'll call it my Nova Bomb!, how's that?

"SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT! YOU BLOW OUT THE WINDOWS IN THE WHOLE ROOM! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THOSE WILL TAKE TO REPLACE?"

Probably about three days with your influence.

"YOU ACTUALLY DAMAGED THE BUILDING!"

"People have done that before: lots of people actually." Ben defended.

The heck is he doing? Is… is he defending me, or…us?

Fury ran a hand over his weathered face. "What the heck did you think you were doing out there?! Were you actually trying to kill each other?"

"I wasn't." Ben replied. Sam was quiet.

"…Well?" Fury demanded.

Sam looked up into the eye of furry. His anger gave way to fear. "Uh… no."

"Sure didn't feel like it." Sam heard Scarlet mumble to himself.

Fury, furious, ground his teeth together with such force that it seemed as though they would crack. He turned on his heel towards the exit, "Spider-Man," he said over his shoulder, "these are your pupils. I suggest you get them to act like it/right before days end or I'll do something you all regret!" With that, Nick stalked from the Infirmary.

No one spoke before the Director's angry footfall had faded down the hall.

"Well?" Peter stood before them, arms crossed over his chest. Both heroes were silent.

"So, how about them Cow—Mph!" Spider-Man shot webbing onto Nova's mouth.

"What happened, Ben?" Peter asked.

"I don't know. For some reason he's mad at me for having lunch with Aunt May."

"Mmmooouch!" Sam finally pulled the webbing from his lips. "Wait, you knew about that?"

"Of course I did." Peter sighed, and sat down on a gurney in front of either scolded teen.

"Alright, out with it, what's going on with you, Sam?"

"Don't call me that in front of him!"

"Why not? It's your name."

"He doesn't have to know that! I don't want him to attack anyone else I know."

"Is that what this is about, S-er, Nova?"

"Well he knows it now!"

Peter sigh heavily; this wasn't getting them anywhere.

"I think I know what's going on here." Peter and Sam both looked at Ben, stunned by his sudden remark.

"Oh really smart guy? Well then, lets hear it!"

"First of all, this whole thing has nothing to do with me—"

"Why you little—"

"Well, that's not exactly true." Ben rubbed the back of his neck before turning towards Sam. "I did all the things you said, and more. I tricked everyone, and you're right, I don't deserve to still be here, or to have Peter's trust however much of it I have, so you're right to distrust me for that and frankly I don't mind. It's what I deserve."

"You were in a tight spot, Ben—" Peter tried to defend, but Ben went on.

"But, all this lashing out, it's not at me only; you're mostly mad at yourself."

WHAT!?

"You're mad that you weren't here to help Peter deal with me. You think you could've stopped me, or at least spotted me. You're mad you weren't here to protect Peter or Aunt May."

"Sam, is that true?"

"Uh…I…" Sam shook himself. "Stop making up stuff you little freak!" Sam crossed his arms and turned his head away from the spiders. "I just hate you is all." He said with a humph.

Despite the situation, a small smile rose on Peter's lips. "Ben, can you give us a minute?" He asked.

Ben hesitated for a split second, then stood from his seat. "Sure, whatever. I'm heading home."

"Sure, I'll meet you there later." Ben waved over his shoulder in reply as he left.

The infirmary doors shut. "Sam, for as long as I've known you, you and I have picked on each other, sometimes relentlessly, but even when we were fighting I could count on you for anything because our issues didn't run deep. Are you messing with Ben to get at me?"

"NO! I would never do that!" Sam hesitated. "You really think I would do that to you?"

"Right now, I don't know what to think about you." Sam felt something snap in his chest. "Sam, talk to me, please."

After a long pause and a couple deep breaths, "He was right."

"Who was right? Ben?" Sam nodded his head.

"I hate to admit it," Sam began. "I mean I really hate it! But… you and your aunt…I didn't have a home but you opened yours up to us—to me, even when I did nothing but antagonize you. You've been a good friend, and even a mentor to me. I guess I wanted to punish someone who had done you worse than I had. I've always wanted to pay you both back, but when the opportunity finally comes, where am I? In some godforsaken ancient alien city with some spider-lady that can see the future. I know he's in the same situation now as I was then, I'm not totally dense, but…it's hard for me to forgive him after what he did to you…both."

"Heh?" Peter chuckled.

"What!? Why you little-" Peter held up his hands.

"I'm not making fun of you, I'm just surprised it all."

Sam was confused. "Surprised at what?"

"Three years ago, you would have said something like, 'I dunno, just doing my job or something' or, 'I'm your teammate, I'm suppose to have your back, right?' but for once, you actually leveled with me, even admitting your faults. You've grown a lot Sam Alexander."

Sam hung his head; behind the lens' of the golden, space helmet water droplets formed in his eyes. He ran a gloved hand over them to wick away the moisture. "I'm sorry." Sam apologized, his almost whispered voice shaky, quaking with emotion.

Peter smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know," thanks for caring, Sam. "But don't bust a hole in anymore S.H.I.E.L.D floors, or Fury will have both of our heads."

"Deal!" Sam replied with a small sniffle.

With that, Peter walked towards the exit, but before he left, he stopped. "Oh, and you do realize you still have to apologize to Ben?"

Aw crud! "Fine. But I still don't trust him."

"You don't have to. In fact, keep an eye on him if you want to."

Sam blinked. "For real?" Peter nodded.

"I care about Ben, and I believe in him, but after what he did, I don't trust him like I used to. He'll have to earn that back. His actions taught me an important lesson, and I've learned from it."

"Guess you weren't just turning a bling eye, huh." Peter shook his head.

"Nope. But I didn't really communicate that. My bad." Sam shrugged.

"I didn't have to go and literally fly off the handle." Sam stood from his seat on a gurney.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I think Ben got the worst of it….I'll apologize!"

"I'm sure you will."

That Thursday all of the SHIELD students, minus the ones who had gone home over the holiday, were at the Parker's for Thanksgiving dinner.

"Alright everyone, the turkey'll be ready in about ten minutes!" Aunt May called from the kitchen. There was a big cheer!

There was a knock at the door. "I got it!" Ben called, running to the front door. Ben opened the door; Sam was/stood there.

The two just looked at each other for a minute. Ben moved aside to let him in. "Thanks," Sam said, not unkindly. "Oh, this is for everyone." Sam said motioning to the Rocky Road ice cream in his arms.

"Okay, I'll take it into the kitche-"

"Hey, I got it Ben, you hang out for a while." Peter said coming from the back. "You've been helping out all day, you should take a break." With that Peter took the ice cream from Sam and started for the kitchen. There was a very awkward silence as the two teens stood in the front of the living room.

"Thanks." Ben said.

Sam blinked. "Oh, for the ice cream?" Ben nodded. "Oh, sure." Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"Does everyone do that when they're nervous?" Ben asked.

"What?" Sam replied, confused. Ben pointed at his arm which was still behind his head. "Oh! I don't know…. Does Webs do that or something?"

Ben nodded. "You must have spent a lot of time together."

"We did… but, huh, that's no excuse for what I did, or said to you. I-… sorry, man. I just—"

"It's fine."

"It's really not."

A friendly smirk came to Ben's lips. "Like I said before, I don't deserve the second chance I've been given. You treated me like how I should be/like how I thought everyone would treat me."

"That's no excuse!"

"Alright!" Both teens looked over to the living room couch towards the source of the cry. Amadeus cheered from the couch as other students patted him on the back.

"Aw man!" Miles said dejected, throwing his controller on the floor.

"Never try to beat anyone at Injustice® with an IQ over 150!" Cho gloated.

"Alright you two, you've been playing that for the last hour. Why don't you take your shift in the kitchen." Ms. Morales said from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Miles jumped up running past his leader.

"Here," Amadeus handed Ben the controller. "You had next." The boy genius dashed off into the kitchen.

"Hey," Ben looked over to the couch. Sam was sitting holding the other controller.

"Has Peter taught you how to play this?"

"No, not this one."

"Which one have you played?"

"The Capcom one—the crossover."

"Oh yeah, cool." Sam got up and put the game in Xbox®. "Fair warning, I've beat this game

three times."

"Can you Nova Bomb in it?" Ben teased, a crooked smile on his face, his eyebrows cocked.

"Erk! Why you—" The hairs on the back of Sam's neck perked up.

"Oh, you wanna go again, Nova?! I can insult you all day without breaking a sweat!*" Ben insulted, the small grin not leaving his face.

Sam caught himself, and smiled. "Alright, just for that, I won't take it easy on you!"

"That's your idea of punishment? I'll be done with you in no time!"

"We'll see about that!"

"I've got winner!" Luke shouted.

"I'll take a piece uh that!" Flash added.

Peter watched the happy scene before him from the doorway of the kitchen. It had been a while since holiday's felt like this. The house full of people laughing and having fun, like people were having fun and enjoying each others company more than mourning those they had lost. It had been a while. Peter looked at the picture of Uncle Ben on the mantle of the fireplace and smiled. I miss you, Uncle Ben, but— he looked a his friends as they watched the prodigal spider whoop the human rocket, to the human rocket's dismay—I'm happy. I hope that's okay. I know it's what you want for me, but at times, even though I've made piece with your death, but I still feel guilty sometimes. That's why, when the painful things happen, I'm not mad at life because I feel like I deserve it. Is it a coincidence that the guy Aunt May gives your name to betrays me? But maybe now, my life has really turned around and I can really enjoy my life.

"Come on everyone! Dinner's ready!" A raucous cheer roared throughout the house, and everyone began making their way to the dinning room. "If you have spare hands help put food on the table!" Everyone scurried to help.

Mrs. Morale tapped Peter on the should, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Opps, sorry."

"It's alright dear," she said handing him a dish of yams. "So Peter, I've been wondering something,"

"Yes ma'm?"

"What are your plans after high school?" Ms. Morales asked as they finished setting the table.

Peter winced. Well, guess I'll have to wait a few years before I can fully enjoy it.

Hold your horses! It's not over yet! There's still one more chapter to go :)
*From Grimlord31's review of this story.