A/N I changed the age Peter was when his parents died to fit in with the idea I had. It was from 5 to 9. I did change it in the previous chapter. So what happened to them has changed from the plane accident I know, and other things happen that you will see in this chapter. I hope you liked what I did.

Thank you for being patient; on top of normal health problems, I had surgery for a completely different reason. I am still hurting a little from that, still healing. But I am feeling better.

XXXXX

"Thank you for saving me." She paused and studied him, trying to work out who this person was behind the mask. "Why did you do it?" Natasha needed him to tell her. She could make assumptions but needed to hear it and believe him.

"Because it was the right thing to do, and I couldn't just stand there and watch you get hurt."

"You're a good person, Spiderman." He seemed to have a good heart and just want to help. This world likes to hurt people like that, especially the monsters they sometimes dealt with.

"I, uh, didn't do anything special, Ms–."

"Nope, it's Natasha. You saved my life. You get to call me by my name. Hopefully, I can earn your trust, so one day, you'll tell me who you are."

"You're not going to find out?" Peter whispered. He bit at his lip nervously. He was lucky that his mask hid his worry.

"No, I'm not. I want to earn your trust," Natasha held out a little white card. "It's my number. Call me if you ever need me for anything, even to talk. If I don't answer straight away, I'll get back as soon as I can."

"Cause you might be on a mission or asleep."

"Exactly, there is one thing, though…."

"What?"

"I would like to train you. It's clear by your voice what you say, also a lot of other things that tell me you're on the younger side." She didn't stop, so he could admit or deny it. "I want to make sure I can do what I can to help you survive. I want you to defend yourself if, at some point, you lose your powers."

"You want to help me?"

"Yes, I do. I'll talk to Tony and see what we can arrange," Natasha turned to walk out the door, turned and winked at him. "You can tell Tony you have my number." She then left.

It wasn't long before Tony walked in and closed the door behind him. Peter was still in the bed and just stared at a white card.

"Peter?"

"Oh, hi, Mr Stark; Natasha gave me her number in case I need something," Tony walked over a pulled off Peter's mask. "Natasha? Yet, I'm still Mr Stark."

"She wants to train me. She guessed I was young by my voice. She's going to know it's me as soon as I speak to her as Peter, isn't she? I'm bound to bump into her, aren't I?"

"Yes, especially as my 'sudden interest' in getting an intern," Tony sighed. "Firstly, I will design a voice modulator. Try not to talk to any other Avengers, especially spies."

"Oh, she wants to talk to you to arrange when the two of us can train."

"Well, I guess, you becoming my intern, you will need to protect yourself. It's not a bad cover."

"You think she'll know that quickly?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "She's going to know as soon as she meets you. It will be soon, as I am going to talk to Pepper to get this September Foundation Tony Stark's intern up and running. I want this sorted as soon as possible."

"You'd better tell Pepper about me, everything, I mean," Peter offered.

"Are you sure?"

"She's smart. It won't take her long to guess the connection. I think it's best, to be honest. I mean a random teenager and Spiderman being in your life at the same time. They're all going to find out aren't they, the Avengers, I mean?"

"If you interact with them, yes. If you're sure, about Pepper, I mean, I know she'll want to meet you before you leave."

"I'd like that," Peter smiled brightly.

XXXXX

Pepper looked up as Tony walked in. "What's going on?"

"I need your help."

"What can I do?"

"Can we stop recording in here?"

"Of course, Friday. Please stop recording."

"Yes, Ms Potts, just tell me when I can start it up again."

"I will Friday. So...?"

"Spiderman was hurt saving Natasha. He's down in medbay. His name is Peter Parker, he's a teenager bitten by a radioactive spider when he went to Oscorp. I want to use the September Foundation to get him as my intern as soon as possible, so I can help protect him," Tony rushed everything, so he got it out quickly.

"Are you okay? Is Peter okay?" She had never seen Tony talk like that. Pepper hoped that everything was okay.

"Yes, I am. He's just a kid, but he won't stop. I..."

Pepper pushed her chair away from her desk and stood up, walked over and hugged him. "Then we'll do everything we can to help. Can I meet him?"

Tony pulled away and smiled. "I told him you would want to. He gave me permission to tell you everything. We don't think it will be long before Natasha knows. But she wants to help him, to train him."

"And you trust her?"

"To do this, yes. She's letting him keep his secret. Well, until she meets Peter Parker. The first thing I'm going to do is create a voice modulator."

"Right, let's start on what the September Foundation is going to send to the schools. There could be possibilities to send some of these students to some of the other companies we own. There might be other businesses that might be interested," Pepper spoke as she walked over to her desk. As soon as she sat down, she started to make notes.

Tony smiled as he watched her. He was fortunate the day he met Pepper Pots. They won't ever get back together, but he would always care for her. He knew that she had his back and now Peter's.

XXXXX

Natasha stretched out on her bed, making notes on a Starkpad on what she could do to help Spiderman. Tony would need to add some extra things in the gym to help the young superhero and his web-swinging.

XXXXX

Peter felt more comfortable keeping his mask on while he was here because if he fell asleep and someone walked in he was covered. Just then, the door opened and in walked Pepper Potts.

"Friday, we're not recording, are we?"

"No, Ms Potts. It's off or Mr Parker's piece of mind."

She closed the door, walked over to his bed, and sat down on the chair next to it.

Peter took off his mask.

"Please alert us if anyone comes near this room."

"Of course, Ms Potts."

"I can now look at you, the real you and thank you for saving me, Peter. I'm honoured that you trust me with your secret."

"I'm glad I was there to help you."

Pepper couldn't believe how young he was. She just wanted to protect him from all the bad things in the world. He had such a sweet and innocent face. It was easy to see why Tony was drawn to him, and there was intelligence as well. She remembered the conversation about the web fluid. "I wish I could persuade you to stop doing this."

"I had these powers, I didn't do anything to help, and my uncle died. My Aunt May is working so much so I can have the best she can provide. Her whole life is me, and Aunt May is all alone because I didn't do anything."

"Oh, Peter, can I hug you?" She waited until he nodded and then stood, leaned over and held him. "Tony and I will do everything we can to help."

Peter felt comforted in her arms. "Don't forget Natasha, Ms Potts."

"Oh, we definitely can't forget her. Call me Pepper."

"Oh, I couldn't."

"Yes, you can, you call Natasha by her name."

"I don't call Mr Stark by his first name," Peter pointed out.

"Well, call me Pepper, call him Mr Stark, and it will annoy him more." She chuckled.

"Pepper." He said slowly, her name feeling uncomfortable. It still seemed rude to call her that. She was the CEO, after all.

"It will be easier the more you use my name," Pepper promised.

XXXXX

Tony had popped in to see Natasha, and they had discussed things that they needed to help Spiderman. He then slid into Peter's room and saw him and Pepper laughing.

"Hi, Mr Stark, Pepper called Aunt May and explained everything."

"Wait, Pepper? And you're aunt knows?"

"Pepper insisted, and she is Pepper Potts; Aunt May knows I had climbed into my bedroom. I was on the ceiling when she walked in. She was not happy. I was afraid to tell her why I needed to do this."

"Why?" Pepper reached out and took hold of his hand.

"I thought Aunt May would blame me because I could've saved Uncle Ben, and she wouldn't be struggling. It's all because of me…"

"Oh honey, it wasn't your fault."

Peter wiped away tears that had started to fall. "That's what she said." He looked up at Tony. "I think Aunt May blames you."

"Me, why? What did I do?" Tony asked as he pointed to himself.

XXXXX

Alexandria looked up and smiled as her dad walked on. "'How was your day?" The smile fell from her face. Something was up. "Dad?"

"I found out about the man that saved you. I spoke to his nephew." Matt Lyle didn't want to tell her this, but he felt he had to.

"Really, can I thank him?"

"Honey, he died that night. His nephew was happy to know you were doing well, though." Matt knew no matter what he said, she would blame herself.

"He...it's my fault" She sobbed and fell into her dad's arms. He'd done a good thing and died to help her. "Can I meet him or talk on the phone. I heed him to know how sorry I am."

"It wasn't your fault; he will tell you the same thing. I'll ask him, okay." He thought back at how Mr Stark looked at that kid, and Natasha Romanoff sat waiting for hours to talk to him. He's wasn't alone, and he would be there to help as well.

Peter had fast healing, so drugs like painkillers wouldn't work. Would the ones for Captain Roger's work? He would need to talk to Mr Stark to figure out what Peter needed before it actually happened.

XXXXX

"My mum, dad and I were at the Stark Expo when the Hammer attack happened."

Tony and Pepper looked at each other. He'd mentioned his parents were no longer around. He started to feel sick.

"Peter... I–."

"I remember one of those suits of armour landed in front of me. I held up my arm. I had a fake blaster, and then it was destroyed. I turned, and there you were," Peter looked up and smiled at the man he admired so much.

"You were that kid?" Tony remembered a tiny figure dressed as Ironman.

"You remembered me?"

"Yes, I do." It terrified him to think if he'd been there a moment later, Peter Parker could've died. It hadn't been long since they had officially met, but he could no longer imagine his life without Peter in it. It hit him like a tidal wave, that he would do everything he could to protect this kid.

"What happened after?" Pepper asked. "You don t have to tell us, if you're not up to it."

"I, uh, my parents found me, and we ran to our car. There were so many people running around screaming and crying. I was so scared. My hand was getting so sweaty from where my mum had gripped it so tightly."

"Kid, you can stop telling us if it gets too much; remember that," Tony wished he had stayed back then and done more. He knew he couldn't have, but it didn't stop him from wishing it.

"We got into our car when a man and his kid stormed passed and demanded that everyone let him through. He said he was more important as he had money and shouted, 'unlike you the poor pathetic losers who take up oxygen'," Peter repeated. He still remembered it so clearly. "He got in his car and started to drive off. He honked his horn and yelled at people. So, instead of waiting, he would go around. I don t know if he hurt anyone or what he knocked over. As he drove off, there was a loud explosion. The next thing I knew was our car had been flipped."

"Oh, Peter, did you ever find out who that man was?" Pepper desperately wanted to find and teach him a lesson.

Peter chuckled, but there was nothing humorous about it. "It was Harrison Thompson, his son Eugene 'Flash' Thompson goes to school with me. He's never liked me. Just like his dad Flash gets away with a lot because of money. I'm there because of a scholarship. Flash doesn't think I should be there."

Tony looked at Pepper. What was going on at that school? They knew there was more to it than just dislike. He was going to find out what it was. "Peter..."

"It's okay, anyway, mum and dad told me that they loved me, and everything was going to be okay. There was another explosion that knocked me out. When I woke up, we were still trapped. My parents weren't moving. I didn't know at the time, but they were both dead. I screamed until someone heard me. It took them hours to reach me and cut me out of the car. I never got to tell them how much I loved them back," Peter started to cry.

Tony and Pepper were on each side of the bed and hugged him.

"They knew, sweetheart." She whispered. "They knew."

XXXXX

Peter, after an hour, had managed to settle down. It was so hard to tell that story. He had ploughed through it. His gaze kept going to Pepper, and then he would quickly look elsewhere when she turned to him.

"Peter, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Well, it's more that it was something I heard, so I'm not sure if it's correct."

"Tell me anyway."

"I think you knew my mother."

"I did?"

"Her name was Mary Fitzpatrick."

"Oh, Mary; Do you have a photo, or could you get one?"

"Sure," Peter pulled out his phone and found one. He's always kept some on him for hard days. Just looking at them made him feel he had to carry on, and he handed it over so Pepper could see.

"Mary." She whispered and slowly reached out to touch the screen. Pepper looked up and saw how confused Tony was. "We grew up together. Her parents were horrible and abusive. When people started to put things together, they moved. My dad received a promotion not long after, and we left the area too. Why didn't she contact me?"

"I think she had seen an interview you did. It was just a random one when you started to work at Stark Industries. You had mentioned that even then, people you didn't really know from childhood suddenly wanted to get back in touch. They wanted you to get them a job or a meeting with Tony Stark."

"I remember that interview; it was promoting women in the workforce or something. When my parents had told people about my job, word got around, and I did have 'old school friends' that are trying to reconnect purely as they wanted to meet Tony Stark. I hadn't even met him at that point. I wish she would've reached out. Mary was someone l would have never turned away. I thought that she'd forgotten about me." She continued to stare at the photo.

"She didn't; I think you are someone she always trusted. Well, I don't think, but I know."

"You know how Peter?" Pepper asked.

"Mum didn't write in a journal. She wrote letters to you. She would seal the envelopes and keep them. Aunt May has them. They're in a box. She had no idea how to contact you and didn't think anyone would believe her. There is something else, but I'm not 100% sure, so I don't know if I should even bring it up." Peter bit at his nails. He was extremely nervous about what he was about to say.

"I understand, but please tell me anyway. I'd like to know."

"Aunt May was on the phone to her lawyer. She said that she was going to keep something my parents had in their will." Peter lowered his hands and looked down at them. "In theirs, if anything happened to Uncle Ben and Aunt May, you were the next one to be my guardian."

Pepper just stared at him. "You Aunt May kept that in that if anything happens to her, I would be your guardian?"

"You could always refuse it, if it was something you didn't want." He whispered.

TBC