It's done, Peter thought to himself, typing the final period.

He pulled his hands away from the keyboard, afraid a wanton strike would permanently erase years of hard work.

He leaned back in his chair, hearing it creak with his movement. He just missed the cut off time for a fall defense, but come spring, he'd knock out that nerve-wracking presentation, completing his dissertation. Then, he would just have to sit back, and wait the semester out until graduation.

Finally, he would be Dr. Peter Parker.

Peter Parker, PhD.

Professor Peter Parker.

He liked the sound of that. But beyond the title, the career opportunities those three letters opened up…he'd be able to provide for his family in a way he long thought impossible. And in a field he had loved since he was a little boy.

Peter thought of his Aunt and Uncle, and longed to be able to share this with them.

"I did it Aunt May and Uncle Ben. I finally did it." He tried to imagine what they would say, but the thought was a dagger in his heart. God, I miss you. He took deep, steadying breath.

There was a knock on the door before it swung open and MJ stepped in, Annie trailing behind her.

"I finished," he said proudly. "It's finally done."

MJ smiled. "Congratulations Tiger! We knew you could do it!"

"Dad that's amazing!" Annie said as she hugged him tightly.

"We gotta celebrate. Gayle promised she'd take us out to dinner once you finished!"

"Really? That's so sweet." He looked from his wife to his daughter. Their excitement was genuine, but there was something off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he could tell not all was right.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Annie looked to her mother, and MJ gave her the mom look that said "fess up young lady."

"I have to tell you something," she said, squaring her shoulders.

Oh god. What was she going to say?

Annie must have seen his fear. "Um… maybe we should do this another time, you know dad did just finish his dissertation, let's not ruin the moment."

MJ sighed and shook her head.

Well, this wasn't good. "Oh that moment is already gone. Spit it out, Annie," came his stern reply.

"Okay. Dad, Normie knows your Spider-Man. He read it in one of his father's journals. And then he figured out that mom is Spinerette."

"Okay," Peter said slowly. He could fix this, somehow convince Normie that wasn't true. Harry hadn't been in his right mind after all. He felt slimy using Harry's mental health as ammunition for his lie, but it was for Normie's safety as much as his family's. And he knew Harry would want him to protect his son at all cost.

"Okay," Peter said again. "Normie told you this?" Annie nodded. "Thank you for telling us, and you know what? We can fix this." He clapped his hands together, mind already racing to form a plan.

"Peter, there's more." MJ said flatly.

"What?" he said as he noticed Annie become more fidgety. Oh god, did she confirm what Harry wrote? No, no way. She wouldn't do that. He locked his eyes on his daughter.

"Annie, what else?" Her guilty silence said it all.

"I told him my name."

Peter sighed as he dropped down into his chair. How could she do this? How could she be so irresponsible?

"He's not gonna do anything," she said.

"I cannot believe you told your secret identity to Normie. AKA Norman Harold Osborn. The very name sake of the Green Goblin! Both of them!"

"He's not like that," she snapped.

"I don't appreciate your tone, young lady," he couldn't believe the attitude on this girl.

"I don't appreciate you calling my boyfriend the Green Goblin!"

"Boyfriend!?" MJ yelped. "You didn't tell me that!"

"I, uh, I'm sorry, it just happened. But we were together for a while before, you know, he found out our identities."

"You mean before you told him."

"He found out! What else was I supposed to do?"

"I can't believe you," Peter said. "How could you be so irresponsible? That was the one rule we had."

"You're not being fair," she mouthed. "He's nothing like his father or grandfather. He's not a villain, so stop assuming the worst of him! You barely know him."

The truth of her words stung. She wasn't wrong. "I know he's not a villain, and I know he won't deliberately try to harm us with this. But Annie, anyone knowing, doesn't just compromise our safety, it comprises theirs. If he were to accidentally let that slip, I just, I can't believe you."

"Peter, take a breath. He's downstairs now, and wants to talk."

"He's downstairs?"

MJ nodded. "Yep. She just came home with him, and they both just dropped that bomb on me."

Peter shook his head. "Alright, let's go downstairs. Annie, you are grounded, for how long, I don't know, and honestly, I don't even know if that will be the only punishment."

"Let's discuss that later," MJ said.

"Fine," he glowered

He followed his family downstairs and saw Normie sitting on the couch with Gayle as she handed him a plate of cookies and talked his ear off.

He, MJ, and Annie took a seat, with Annie sitting next to Normie.

Peter didn't know what to say, especially with Gayle in the room.

But MJ, being ever awesome, was already on that. "Gayle, can you help me with something upstairs?"

Gayle obliged and the two sisters went up the stairs. Peter was quiet until he heard a door shut.

"Okay," Peter began, breaking the silence. "Normie. Looks like we need to talk."

Normie nodded, looking very nervous. Annie gave him a comforting look.

"How long have you known?" Peter asked.

"Since Tuesday. I thought my mom's reaction was really off with you guys after the Hobgoblin attacked. So I asked her about it, and she gave me my father's journals."

Peter nodded. "You mom knows too?"

"Yeah. Probably since he died."

Peter felt a stab of guilt. He remembered back to that time. Harry was tormenting him everyday, but how he had treated Liz had been horrible. He could only imagine what that must have been like for her, finding out the man her husband had been obsessed on destroying was none other than her son's godfather.

He wondered if he should've told her, if it would've made things different. But Peter knew it would have only endangered her more. How would have Harry reacted if he found out Liz knew? Would he assume she was conspiring against him, working with Spider-Man?

"Normie, do you understand why I couldn't tell her and you?"

Normie shrugged. "Maybe things could've been different. But I get it. You were just trying to protect yourself and your family."

"I was also trying to protect the two of you." Peter thought of all of those he had lost. Captain Stacy, before his death, confirming he knew Spider-Man was none other than Peter Parker. Then Gwen, who had no idea it was Peter behind the mask. But she was killed because the Goblin knew. Then Harry, and so many others.

Annie looked between him and Normie, listening to the exchange, offering a steady comfort with her emerald eyes. Peter had tried so hard to protect her from the horrors of this life. He wondered now if that had been the right thing.

"This life is dangerous. Not just for us, but for those closest to us." He looked between the two, his gaze holding Annie a little longer, wondering what kind of father would thrust this life on his own child.

"We know dad," Annie said gently. "We're careful."

"Careful isn't enough. If anyone finds out, or even suspects? Normie you could have a target on your back, with some psycho using you to get to her," he said, indicating Annie. "to us."

"I've had a target on my back my entire life," Normie said. "With or without you, it's been there."

Peter nodded. The kid wasn't wrong. But did his relationship with Annie only intensify that danger? He thought back to the fight with Hobgoblin; Annie inconsolable in his arms, terrified by the image of Normie laying in a pool of blood. The harsh reality of failure.

"I swear, I won't tell anyone," Normie said.

"I believe you," Peter replied. "And we're here for you, if you ever need to talk about what you read, okay?" He could only imagine what was in those journals.

"Thanks. You know, I was really nervous to read them. And there were so many. But most of them were surprisingly normal. In most of them, he was pretty clear minded. And even in those, my dad wrote so much about you."

Peter took a breath, wondering if he was ready to hear this. He had considered Harry one of his best friends, and had assumed that, when he wasn't gripped by the madness of the Green Goblin, Harry had felt the same about him.

"He really cared about you, Peter. You were like a brother to him."

His eyes stung. "Thanks kid," he said.

Annie gave Normie's hand a squeeze.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Peter asked, not really knowing where to go from here. But there was no putting this cat back in the bag.

Normie nodded, and Annie smiled. Now there was the whole thing of them dating, but Peter decided to cross that bridge later. He called down MJ and Gayle. Gayle excitedly started to set the table.

"So what do you guys think of the Avian?" she asked, carrying a stack of plates. Peter gave Annie the look, and she got up to help her aunt.

Normie laughed. "To be honest, I haven't been following. Since giving up Oscorp, I no longer have to worry about being connected to any villain origin stories."

"How is that?" Annie asked.

Normie smiled. "It's so good," he said.

"Oh, isn't your mom the CEO of Allan Biotech?" Gayle asked.

Normie visibly paled as he nodded.

Peter grabbed the TV remote and hit the power button. It was already on the news. He and MJ were supposed to watch the press conference with Gayle, but when MJ had gone upstairs to grab him, they got distracted by the joy of his almost-completed dissertation and completely missed the press conference.

Normie sighed heavily as they saw the news anchor talking about Ariana Vale, The Avian. Apparently she had been an intern at Allan Biotech, assisting on research using pigeons in disease detection. Strapped for cash and eager to get ahead, she would stay late, long into the night, trying to further the research on a dangerous lack of sleep. Then, the experiment went terribly wrong.

Peter shook his head. It was a classic origin story.

Liz Allan was now under intense public scrutiny as millions wondered how this could happen under her watch. The stone-faced news anchor reported that Allan Biotech released a statement of general apology and vague commitment to figuring out what went wrong and why.

Peter turned to Normie, and switched off the TV after seeing his horrified expression.

"You okay kid?" He asked.

"I better go," Normie said. Annie squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry. Dinner sounded wonderful, but I gotta get to my mom."

Peter nodded as MJ, Annie, and Gayle assured him it was okay.

"Let me walk you out," Peter said, following Normie to the door. Once outside the home, he said "you want me to swing you over there? Get you home faster?"

"No, thank you. Last thing you need is that type of press."

"I'm sorry, Normie. But your mom's a tough cookie. She'll get through this."

"I know. I'll see you later."

Peter watched as Normie rushed away, a sense of dread clawing at his heart. It'll be okay, he told himself. It had to be.

I talked to White, it's done," her father said.

"Really?" Amanda asked. "When you gave him the tip, you said he wasn't impressed."

"Yeah. He acted like he didn't care. But he just called. Said he posed as the uncle of one of the wealthier students at Midtown High. White claimed he felt bad the dance had to be canceled after your attack, and that he will be sponsoring a carnival for the students during the weekend after Christmas."

"A carnival?"

"Yes, a carnival. A way to get all of the students and their families together."

Amanda shrugged, wondering if it would just be easier to attack the school after winter break, when school was back in session. But her dad brought up a good point. A carnival would raise the chances that Spiderling's parents would be there too. And while she had no idea what their benefactor wanted, she knew Spider-Man was the ultimate target. Spiderling and Spinerette were just bait at this point. She wondered why he was so special to their benefactor. But truth be told, whatever the reasons, it wasn't all that important. At the end of the day, only one thing mattered.

"Did White say anything about Mom?" Amanda asked, hating the way her voice cracked.

Her father's gaze softened. "No, he didn't."

Amanda's eyes stung. "Did you even ask about her?" she snapped.

"Of course I did," he said gently. But she didn't regret her sharp tone. He should have demanded they be reunited with her for this information. She quickly wiped her eyes, feeling so helpless. What was the point of even sharing this with White if not to get back to her mother?

"Manda," her dad said, using the nickname Paul had given her. "If we succeed, if we defeat Spider-Man, and deliver him to White, we'll get your mother back. And your brother. We'll be a family again."

The tears now freely flowed down her cheeks. She couldn't risk speaking and become a sobbing mess. She was a hero, damn it, on a mission to save her family. And heroes were strong.

Her dad pulled her into a fierce embrace. "We gotta do this. We can't back down. We can't fail. No matter what."

She couldn't help but notice his voice crack, so she squeezed him back. "No matter what," she whispered, promising her father, her mother, her brother, she would succeed. No matter what.