Peter Parker returned home, now with Harry Osborn as a roommate for the timing being after nearly being killed by The Vulture. It wasn't the best way to get back into the talking mode with his best friend, but beggars couldn't be choosers, right? Though, it still would've been better if not having to worry about an assault on his own home now. Neither Harry nor Aunt May seemed to think of this as a possible scenario. It was likely his brain always now being on high alert. Fantastic feeling if you couldn't tell.

"Jeez, did your house shrink?" Harry asked, coming inside.

"Nope, the same size as always. Maybe you grew a bit," Peter replied, going to drink water looking for a clean cup. Looked like he needed to do more dishes.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Drinking water at 17? Your such a goody two-shoe dude." He said, shaking his head and sitting down.

"What would I be drinking instead? OJ? Apple juice? Or perhaps your dumb option, I'm betting, something a little stronger, right?" Peter said knowingly.

"Bingo! Where does she keep the good stuff?" Harry asked, leaping up.

Peter shook his head. "Sorry to burst your bubble, pal, she doesn't have anything substantial laying around. Not a drip of it. So, looks like you won't be getting hammered just yet.

Harry sat back down, crossing his arms.

"Please behave. I'm super exhausted and going to lay down."

"What am I going to do? I'll die without someone to feed me!" He exclaimed.

"You'll live, I think," Peter replied sarcastically and laid down upstairs. Passing out as soon as his head hit the below.

It was now pretty much 6:00, and Aunt May would be home any minute, so his overreactions wouldn't be needed. Hopefully, he'd be able to sleep, though when May breaks it to him that he'll be going back to Midtown without argument. On the city bus of all things, something he never had to endeavour. It might lead him to faint, which might have been funny to witness. Sleep was the bigger priority right now, though.

Later on, Peter woke up. Looking at the time noticed it was around six still. The light outside was different, and he felt much more awake. It then dawned on him fairly quickly that it wasn't the same six as before.

Jeez! Did I just really sleep for 12 hours?! Boy, oh boy. I was tuckered out indeed. He got up stretching his arms and did a backwards leap into the ceiling. Still got it. Once doing that he came down quickly feeling much more energized. Did notice a couple of cuts still stung a bit, nothing he couldn't handle.

Going downstairs, it was noticed May was asleep and so was Harry in the guest room. Which was relatively small, but he didn't really have any other choices. Not any wise ones to be clear.

What to do, what to do. Peter wondered inside his mind. Guess I'll just wait for them to wake up and check the old phon- oh MJ. Foswell? Weird, MJ's message is typical guess she saw the news and got worried. Foswell though? Let's see what you said. Peter looked at the message.

Hey Parker. I've got some vital information to share. You questioned it earlier. I changed my tune on this matter. Could you come by the Bugle later? After school of course, this is something that should be shared in person. Not ever text. Have a good day at school.

Best regards.

Huh, wonder what he wants to share. Peter pondered sitting down and relaxing.

"Peter?" A voice asked, entering the room coming down from upstairs.

"Oh Aunt May! I thought you were asleep, I didn't want to wake you. Would've felt horrible if I did that. You already do so much and the least I could've done was allow you to get some shut-eye." He said.

"My goodness, don't be so hard on yourself. Besides, I was waiting for you to wake up anyways, couldn't get much anyways, too worried about you. Sometimes I get worried about how little you sleep, then the big burst of it. Did you even get a chance to eat dinner or at least a snack?" She asked putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, was too worried about Harry and other stuff. Whatever, did you have a nice time hanging out with Harry? It's been some time since he's been here."

Mary nodded slowly. "Yes, I can tell he's changed slightly. Poor young man, when did he start drinking? Partying?" She asked curiously.

Peter shrugged his shoulders, genuinely not knowing when his habit happened for sure. He a good guess it was likely connected to the breakup with Gwen. Didn't feel like sharing that, May was terrific, but she could be a little old fashion. Would've figured if he and Gwen got back together, she'd be able to fix him right up. That's how it was assumed to work back in the day, Peter wasn't sure if she'd think this or not. Regardless, didn't feel like it was a necessary point. Unless Harry brought it up.

"Glad I didn't have to leave any fancier drinks in the house. I'm positive Harry wouldn't have taken any, but it would've been awfully tempting. Nasty drink, when you don't have the capacity to manage yourself. I know Ben and I taught you well. Hope we did, sometimes I do wonder. Like with that business months ago." May remarked, disappointed by whatever Peter was doing when he got caught red-handed. Still a wonder to her likely would be forever if Peter could help to keep Spider-Man out of her life, their lives.

"So, again, just to be clear, your fine with Harry around?" Peter asked switching subject matters up a bit.

"Yes, I am fine with that. He needs a place to stay until it's safe. Besides, feels like nicer times. Having you two boys running around the house. Being so close, literally too."

He chuckled and rubbed his face. "Yeah, I guess so. Just don't and won't live with myself if I'm overworking you even in the slightest."

"Calm down," Mary said, hugging him tightly. "Now, I'm making breakfast. A big one, you need to eat up. You just sit there, relax for once Peter. Please?"

He nodded reluctantly, just not wanting to argue with her. Felt like it would be best for her not having that happen, May was sure one heck of an aunt.

More time passed as Peter listened to May, trying his best to relax and breathe. Take in a little bit of silence. It was weird and not exactly the best feeling. It was an odd feeling, that silence. Practically unknown, it was strange actually to remember what that was like. Super weird as heck, it couldn't be denied.

Shortly, just as breakfast was nearly done, Harry awoke coming downstairs. "Huh, guess it wasn't all just a very long weirdly detailed dream," He remarked.

"Nope, you're for real staying with us," Peter replied.

So, a crazy winged dude did actually try killing my dad and me too. Ruined our home also. If Barnard was around, he'd be entirely bewildered by all this crap. Good for him going on that vacation. Even if it was a funeral."

Peter laughed nervously. "I don't think that would be a vacation."

"Well, you know. Poor people have different vacations than rich people." He said shrugging his shoulders sitting down at the table leaning back. "Alright, what are we having for breakfast and lunch?"

"You'll have to wait to find out for breakfast. Lunch, hope you got some cash over cause I'd prefer making aunt May's life easier right about now."

"Lucky for you I do have about 1000 dollars left over. In cash, dad felt that was an acceptable amount of cash to carry around without going taken hostage by someone pissed off or something. I don't know, kinda tuned him out." Remarked Harry.

"Alright," Peter replied, telling something was off with his friend. Couldn't put his finger on it, but it was for sure something right under his nose. Then it finally clicked into place. "Hey, man, did you have any snacks?" He whispered.

Harry looked confused. "What do you mean?" He asked with a goofy face.

"Whisper please." He replied silently, looking over making sure Aunt May wasn't listening in. "Did you have a brownie?"

"Maybe, you want one?"

Peter stared at his friend for a moment. "Firstly, coming up with witty responses would be more challenging if my brain is mush. Secondly, yuck. Thirdly, I don't wish to be an idiot cause you know, it'll turn your brain into soup!" He exclaimed silently in response.

"Oh come on Pete, don't be a party pooper like always man. One Brownie won't do no harm." Harry retorted, waving his hand.

"Come with me Snoop, we'll not done talking and we're not doing it near her ears!" He whispered loudly, which sounds like a contradiction.

They went upstairs smiling at Aunt May and waving.

"You won't be doing any weed in this house! Where the heck did you get that anyways?"

Harry laughed. "You sound like your Aunt. That is classic!"

"Hey, now young man! I won't be talked down to!" Peter said half sarcastically.

He kept laughing away.

"Okay, listen, seriously, you can't be pulling this crap while you stay here. I won't have that and heaven forbid her finding out! She'd be devastated. Thinks your a good young man you know. Not a trouble maker, hack, I think she'd suspect I'd be likely to get up to no good then you! Do you really want to break her old kind heart? She's been though enough man." Peter declared genuinely worried for her.

"Alright, jeez, calm down. I'll try and be on my best behaviour. You know, I took that delicious Brownie cause you know, I'm stressing man and going back to school. And seeing Gwen too! Like, come on." Harry responded.

"Oh right, of course. School. Even better, this is the second day back, you know that right? Jeez, I'm not going to survive this! How long are you staying again?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders once more. "How long do extensive renovations to a penthouse the size of ours take?"

Poor Peter looked like he was going to faint. "You know, I think it would be best for us both if I just don't say a darn thing about that. One of us having a heart attack is enough!" He joked and together headed back downstairs

Shortly later, breakfast was eaten and they both got ready to head out for a new day. For Peter, there had been two highly eventful days, now it would be for MJ too having Harry now accompany them on the way to school. This wasn't really how he thought starting the new year would be going.

Hey MJ, so late heads up, but Harry is kinda joining us for this adventure. I'll explain later. Should be a ton of fun! He sent it to her before heading out of the house, with sacrum oozing from that message.

"You're not going to bring anything that shouldn't be brought to school, right?"

"You mean my-"

"Yes Harry, that. Don't even want to say that allowed," Peter said, shaking his head.

Harry laughed and slapped his knee. "Come on man, you're so boring. I remember when you wanted to be one of the cool kids. That was so much simpler. Can't we go back to those good old days?" He asked, frowning.

"I've grown up. That was forever ago!" Peter replied, rolling his eyes dismissively.

"That was like a year and a half ago! I think?'

"About that yeah, I grew up fast. Some people do, some don't."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm thrilled being the way I am. Being like this and available for any ladies. This is the life I tell you Pete!"

Peter scoffed at that. "Right, my brain being fried, no care in the world." He paused. "Heck, somedays that might sound appealing."

"Doesn't sound that great, maybe it's a trying kinda thing," MJ remarked, approaching them and shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey girl!" Harry said cockly.

Mary Jane gave an unimpressed look his way, which made him back down looking away embarrassed by being a fool. Just for that moment anyway.

"Ignore him," Peter said, nudging his friend.

"Was planning on it, so how long is he staying with you?" She asked.

It occurred to Peter, he wasn't actually too sure how long this arrangement would be going on for. With how it's been going so far, hopefully not too long. Which usually that kind of thinking blows up in his face. "No clue MJ, I know he doesn't have a clue either."

"I've got the rough estimate," He pointed out.

"Might could be fuzzy considering your love for brownies,' Peter retorted.

"True enough, so how does this city bus taking go again?" He questioned.

MJ took this question. "We wait until the bus shows up, get on it. Then you follow us over and go into school. Pretty easy with a guide for the first couple times."

"Sounds great and all, but what the hell do we do when waiting? I'll die of boredom."

Peter and MJ looked at each other rolling their eyes. Also seeming to laugh telepathically. Together, they walked towards the bus stop, with Harry continuing to ramble on about things that popped into mind.

Soon, the three teens reached Midtown High. Harry had a massive frown across his face upon approaching. His confidence even started to seem like it was breaking away. It was pretty clear to Peter, safe bet some of the cause behind that feeling was totally Gwen. Assuming they saw each other, they'd have to talk, right?

"Is this going to be super awkward?" MJ whispered to Peter.

"Uhhh, yeah probably. This is going to be fun. Let's hope they don't see each other. Feel like I'm jinxing it right?" He whispered back.

"Oh for sure," She replied.

Harry was beside them, but seemed oblivious to their conversation.

Once reaching the inside of the building, something unexpected happened. Liz was hanging around the front and noticed them. She approached seeming to have her primary focus on Harry, which made Peter curious.

"Hey Harry! Surprised to see you at school. Saw what happened to you, so sorry. That's horrible. Guess no more parties huh?"

Harry smirked. "Never say never."

That didn't give Peter much confidence, and for some reason, he felt like saying hey considering she was there. "Hey Liz." He said passively.

MJ rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, Parker." She said dismissively.

"How are you?" He asked, screeching the back of his head.

She scoffed. "Fine, you know, despite my brother being in prison, in a flicking foster home and you ignored me over the summertime. Oh and I'm missing my daily chill pill So if you excuse me." She said, starting to walk away.

Peter didn't back down. "I'm sorry, you have no idea how busy I was. It was insane these past couple of months. Had to work and err, stuff. Had no free time I swear!"

"Oh share Parker, poor kid working what? Hundred hour weeks? You go off and join a war? There is no, no excuses that can explain why you abandoned me. Well, besides you being a jerk and a coward," She declared coldly.

"Hey, don't be mean to him, he's telling you the truth," MJ said joining in.

"Who are you? The reason he blew me off maybe? Oh yeah, I can see that. You seem like that type of girl and guy! Screw you both! Going to need a lot to drink and take today!" She exclaimed and stormed off.

"Figured she'd be nicer after everything you told me about her," MJ expressed disappointment in that encounter.

"She's pissed and has every right to be. Liz has nobody and she's right, I did blow her off. Feel like the biggest jerk."

MJ nudged him softly and whispered. "Yeah, you were busy working your butt off and saving people's lives from whatever craziness happened every single day. Don't be so hard on yourself, besides not a good enough reason to be such a jerk!"

"When I met her and knew her all this time, she was full of life and a complete joy to be around. After old Spidey, you know, send her brother to jail. She's been horrible like this. Drinking and drugs, she and Harry would be quite the pair!"

"Looks like she's already got, someone." Mary Jane pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. Jaime Ryder, new here as of this year. I don't like him very much."

MJ looked at him slyly. "Wonder as to why?"

"It's not that, the dude seems sketchy is all. I don't trust, get the bad vibes off him."

"That's not one of your powers."

"I'm a good judge of character!" Peter replied, still trying to keep his voice down.

She looked at him and looked over at Harry who was checking out some girl. "Right."

Harry came over. "Why are we whispering?"

"It doesn't matter, let's just get to class. You have to catch up and gotta figure out where the heck your homeroom even is man." Peter said turning to him.

"Meh, I'll just figure it out," Harry declared dismissively walking off.

Peter and MJ walked off to class. They continue to speak about random silly nonsense, trying to get their minds off everything wild going on in their lives.

Another day finished, the three met up and left school.

"Happy didn't have to deal with Gwen, that would've been a crap show. Feel like your encounter with Liz would've been a cakewalk compared to her!" Harry exclaimed.

"Great thing for a friend to say," MJ said sarcastically, unimpressed with Harry, she hardly knew him and this wasn't a good impression.

"Ignore him, he's just going through the nonsense and this is how he can be. He's a good pal once you get to know him," Peter whispered back at her.

Harry was looking around paranoid that Gwen would pop up, but unknown to him he happened to text Gwen to warn her about his return, figuring she'd appreciate the heads up. This was correct, she wasn't wanting to deal with him in the slightest bit during the beginning of school. Also hearing about his brownie habit and parties was quite unpleasant to hear about from her perspective of caring about him and knowing he could be better. Which Peter felt the same.

He checked his phone with more inspection and remembered Foswell wanted to meet up, which seemed important.

"Hey um, MJ, I hate to do this, but could you get Harry back to my place? I just remembered I gotta meet up with someone from the Bugle."

"Foswell?" She questioned shifting her full attention to that prospect.

"Yes, I promise I'll tell you everything he says, as long as you get Harry back safe and sound alright?" Peter said genuinely.

MJ nodded. "Yeah, promise Pete."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver! I'll be back in a flash! Should I have some catchphrase?" He wondered allowed to himself.

"Your catchphrase can be nothing!" Mary Jane joked.

He laughed softly and made his way to meet with Foswell.

Peter used his powers sparing on this trip to meet up. It was a careful balance of hurrying along and not getting spotted as Peter Parker doing things only a spider could.

It didn't take long to get to the meeting with Foswell.

"Oh! You got here quite fast!" He exclaimed upon seeing Peter.

"Well uh, you know seemed pretty important!" He replied.

He nodded. "Indeed, it's about your friend, Mary Jane, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean? What's the matter with MJ?" Peter asked worriedly.

"It's about a criminal, he's called The Looter. Spider-Man fought him recently, he's been away for sometime and I never thought he'd return, but now. I need to confess things, I'm too afraid to tell that young lady and I know she's your friend." He paused.

"What is it you're saying?" Peter asked, determined.

Foswell sighed. "His name is Norton Fester. Well, now it is. Originally, he had a different name." He began.

Mary Jane Watson walked Harry to the Parker home and waved him off as he went inside, giving a slightly awkward smile to her. It was an embarrassing mess between the two at throughout that whole day.

"Thanks for getting me here, I guess Pete got busy, as usual. Wonder if he's got a girl in secret or something." He wondered to himself

She ignored his comment. "I'm sure he'll be back soon." Mary Jane said smiling at him optimistically, but figured likely not, being Spider-Man something always came up. Her life, much more straightforward.

As Harry went inside, she checked her phone getting a text from Peter.

I've got something important to tell you! Too much for phone and text, I'm swinging back as fast as I can right now!" It said, which made her wonder what it could possibly be. As she walked up to her door, a man was waiting outside.

"Can I help you?" She asked on edge, getting ready to run if needed.

The man looked at her, shocked and an emotional face. "You've grown up so much since I last saw you. I can't believe it. A young woman."

"Do I know you?" She asked, taking a few steps backwards slowly.

He frowned. "Yeah, I guess it's been a long time, don't remember my face. I'll always remember yours, engraved into my mind since your birth. I'd never forget."

She stopped in her tracks, looking closely at him as her eyes grew. Only one word was said before she let out a few tears.

"Dad?"

Hey readers, surprise I'm alive, how wonderful. Anyways, massive apologies for this slow as heck chapter, at least I didn't have that reveal happen yet, while I had my long as heck hiatus. I'll try getting back on track, no promises. Life has been sucking quite hard, pretty miserable, and writing for the old wall-crawler has been almost impossible. Alas, been writing the other series, got back on track recently, let's hope things will keep being more productive. Probably not lol. Feel envious for future readers, aren't you all lucky. Also, all my ramblings about delays won't make a lick of sense. Fun.

Moving to the storyline, so how about that twist? I guess for current readers, not so much an impact. Anyways, I did like the idea of using Mary Jane's father as a criminal, a lesser-known one of course, but still. Figured it'd be interesting, maybe it's stupid, I'm not sure. Let's hope not! I think it'll pay off and give Mary Jane some developments, along with Peter of course. Excited for the story arc to ramp up, I think it'll top vol 1 for sure with everything coming. Could say I'm, getting back into the SWING of things. Oh god I'm tired (and dead inside), I'll head out now lol. Hope you all enjoyed it as always.