Chapter Text
Chapter 15
Mary Jane is waiting when Peter and Bucky arrive at the Tower. Her eyes go wide when she sees Bucky and then narrow in fury as she advances on him. "You --!"
Bucky takes a step back and raises both hands in surrender.
"Bucky, this is Mary Jane," Peter says, stepping between them. "MJ, this is Bucky Barnes --"
"I know who he is! The question is, why is he with you?"
"He's been helping me."
"He *kidnapped* you."
"He didn't."
"He did." She glares at them both, fists on hips. "I saw it, Peter! He threw you over his shoulder like a sack of...of...something."
"Potatoes," Bucky offers.
"Exactly."
Bucky is grinning now. "Tossed him in a car and took off."
"What I'm saying," Mary Jane agrees with a firm nod.
"Fine," Peter sighs. "He kidnapped me. He also saved my life, like, three times over. Can you at least try to be nice to him?"
Mary Jane blinks and stares up at Bucky. "You saved his life?"
Bucky shrugs.
"He did," Peter insists. "With grenades, even."
She throws up her hands. "Grenades. Of course grenades. Because that's what civilized people do. They kidnap you to save your life and they do it with grenades."
The grin Bucky is flashing at Mary Jane is one the history books never show. In those pictures, Bucky Barnes is wearing his snazzy Army uniform and a serious expression, the perfect World War II hero. The history books never mentioned the lady-killing smile being directed at Peter's girlfriend. "I like her, Petey."
"You're a goofball," Mary Jane decides and rolls her eyes at him. Peter heaves a sigh of relief. That eye roll and calling him a goofball means that Bucky has met her high standards of acceptability. He hopes she doesn't have a crush on him, like she does on Steve.
Peter clears his throat. "Not that I'm not glad to see you here but I was wondering, did Clint bring you here with Aunt May?"
"Yes."
"Yes?" He sucks in air and feels a panic attack coming on. "Here? As in 'here' here? Like not 'in the building' here?"
"Here here," Mary Jane confirms. "As in your room. With your spare costume."
"Oh God," Peter moans. "Why would Clint do that? I hadn't even humiliated him yet."
"You humiliated Clint?"
Peter nods miserably. "It was bad. I pretty much called him a weakling."
"You didn't."
"Figuratively."
"Ouch. You are so going to have to kiss his butt," Mary Jane tells him.
"I also sassed Steve."
"He had it coming," Bucky interjects.
"I am *so* fired," Peter sighs.
Mary Jane pats his arm. "Worry about that later, tiger. Right now, you need to get down to Medical. They're waiting for you down there."
Peter swallows hard. Of course they are. He's the only one who's been exposed to Oz that isn't some kind of insane freak. "Bucky? Do you want to...?"
The smile on Bucky's face fades and he goes rigid.
"He can stay with me," Mary Jane says quickly reading the situation and taking Bucky's hand in hers. "Maybe he can show me how to throw a grenade or something while we wait for you."
Peter fixes Bucky with a stern look. "Don't you dare."
Bucky winks at him.
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Clint is waiting when Peter steps off the elevator, his arms folded across his chest with a look of pure fury on his face. "You."
Uh-oh. "Uh...I'm sorry?"
"No," Clint tells him. "You only think you're sorry. You're *going* to be sorry when *I* start training you. You'll see who's the scary one on the team then, kiddo."
"Steve is going to kick me off the team," Peter sighs wearily as he walks into the medical wing.
"Of course he won't," Bruce says, grasping Peter's arm and tugging him away from Clint. "Especially not when you're going to help save his life."
"I'm what? How?"
Bruce steers him towards a bed next to Steve. "Technically, Peter, you're not old enough to do this but Steve needs your plasma and your aunt gave her permission."
"Sh-she what?" And then he realizes what Bruce asked him to donate. "Antibiotics won't work on Steve, but my plasma will?"
"To boost his immune system enough to counteract the infections and the Oz, yes. I'll be happy to go over the science with you at a later date," Bruce tells him. "I've run the simulations before, looking at what would happen if Steve needed a donor and if you needed a donor. While Erskine's formula is lost and Oz is known to be unstable, both you and Steve can both benefit from each others' plasma."
"When exactly did you run these simulations?" Peter asks suspiciously.
Bruce shifts uncomfortably. "This isn't the time --"
"Fury gave you a sample of my blood, didn't he?"
"Yes." The scientist raises an eyebrow and regards him calmly. "Being angry about it won't change the fact that it was done and it doesn't change the fact that you're the key to Steve's recovery. If you don't help him, there's a good chance that the multiple infections he's suffering from are going to kill him."
"Multiple?"
"Multiple. It's as if every disease he ever had before the serum is attacking his immune system at once."
"Jeez." Peter starts tugging off his uniform.
Bruce hands him a gown. "I do have some good news. There's juice and cookies for you after you're done."
"Seriously? That's good news?" Peter settles onto the bed and looks over at Steve. He's pale, sweating and shivering beneath a pile of blankets.
"They're chocolate chip."
"No. No chocolate chip cookies for this little snot," Clint snaps, glaring at Peter. "Do you know what he said to me? He said it never occurred to him that I could hurt him."
"I said I was sorry."
"Oh, you'll be sorry all right --"
"Actually," Bruce interrupts, "Between Peter's predictive sense, agility and strength --"
"You're taking his side?" Clint stares at him incredulously.
Bruce flashes a grin at Peter. "Well, if I were Peter, it wouldn't have occurred to me either."
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Peter isn't sure when he fell asleep but he opens his eyes to see Steve, looking perkier, sitting up in bed and talking to Bucky, Mary Jane and....Aunt May is sitting in a chair next to his bed. He pulls the blanket over his face and groans.
Aunt May tugs the blanket away. "You've been asleep for a little over six hours. From what Doctor Banner told me, you needed the sleep."
"What Doctor Banner t-told you?" Peter echoes, looking over at Steve and Bucky. They look back at him. Mary Jane just shrugs.
"So," Aunt May says, settling down next to him, "I'd say we need to talk, wouldn't you?"
"Um..." He buries his face in his hand. "Yes? B-but this...this wasn't..."
"Were you ever planning to tell me you're Spider-man?"
"Um..." Peter peeks at her from between his fingers. "I...I wasn't sure *how* to tell you. I mean, I didn't want you to worry or anything and --"
"And you think I haven't been worried without knowing?" Aunt May asks. "You sneak into the house at all hours of the morning, you miss school. Crazy people come to your school with guns and bombs looking for Spider-man. My therapist said --"
"Oh my god," Peter groans. "You spoke to a therapist about me?"
"That's right and about me," she tells him firmly. "It hasn't been easy for either of us since Ben...since he's been gone."
"I miss him so much, Aunt May." He scrubs at his eyes. "A-and I could have...I could have saved him. It's all my fault."
"That's not true."
"It is. Oh God, I wish it weren't. Th-the guy who k-killed him. I saw the same guy that night, robbing...a-and I didn't stop him. He was right there and I let him go. The next thing he does is kill Uncle Ben. He shot him. And-and I didn't stop him. I could have." Peter can't even bring himself to look at her.
She takes his face in her hand, raising his chin until he's looking at her. "All this time, you've been blaming yourself?"
He nods miserably.
"Oh, my little man. Don't you see? He pulled that trigger, not you. It couldn't have been your fault. Just like it wasn't my fault for insisting we buy the house in the first place and it wasn't Ben's fault for making that joke about the burglar having more money than we did or not putting a stronger lock on the back door or a million other things that had nothing to do with that man's decision to shoot Ben." Aunt May wipes at her own eyes. "Anything else isn't what happened and it's not true. And that, Peter, is what six months of therapy teaches you."
"B-but..."
"You caught him, didn't you?"
Peter nods. "Thats when I became Spider-man. I-I think Uncle Ben would have loved it."
"He would have," Aunt May agrees. "But Peter, the violence. Those people you beat up..."
"There are a lot of bad people in the world." He scrubs at his eyes and tries not to feel humiliated about telling his life story and crying about it in front of Captain America. "With great power --"
"Comes great responsibility. Ben used to say that."
"He was right."
She takes a deep breath. "Where did these powers come from?"
"Remember the field trip?"
"The one where you got bitten by a spider?"
"A genetically altered spider," Peter corrects her. "Norman Osborn was trying to create a super soldier serum and --"
"Super soldier?" Aunt May's eyes grow wide and she looks over at Steve who actually blushes and ducks his head. "Like Captain Rogers?"
"It was supposed to be but the spider blood and the venom...Let's just say nobody saw me coming." He rubs the back of his neck. "Uh, Osborn used it on himself and he turned into a green goblin-y freak. And he used it on Harry and..."
"And you fought them. That must have been awful."
"Not as awful as Norman Osborn becoming obsessed with me."
"Peter!" Aunt May is frowning at him. "That's something you should have told me."
"Ma'am?" Bucky looks every kind of awkward as he comes up beside Aunt May. He tucks his hands behind his back and stands at parade rest. "Sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but you should know Osborn won't be bothering Peter again."
Aunt May blinks up at him.
"I took care of it and if Osborn should regenerate enough to be a problem, I'll take care of it personally." The metal plates in his arm click and whir gently as he shifts uncomfortably under her stare. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm James Barnes, ma'am."
She's staring at Bucky, eyes wide. "Aren't you the man I saw on the news? The one who caused all that ruckus in Washington, DC?"
"He saved my life," Peter interrupts, leaping to Bucky's defense. "That attack at school yesterday? He saved me from those mercenaries and he's been taking care of me since then." Bucky ducks his head. "What HYDRA did to him... Aunt May, Bucky Barnes is one of the bravest people I've ever met."
Aunt May doesn't hesitate. She gets to her feet, throws her arms around Bucky, hugs him and kisses his cheek.
The man formerly known as the Winter Soldier blushes bright red.
Peter clears his throat. "Bucky kind of needs a place to stay, Aunt May, and I was wondering..."
"No, Petey," Bucky practically growls.
Aunt May reaches around him, gently pulling his hands around and holding them in hers. "Of course you can stay with us, Mr. Barnes. I only know how to cook for three anyway."
"But --" He looks helpessly at Peter who shrugs at him. It's comical because the guy probably has taken on entire armies single-handedly and he's completely defeated by Aunt May.
"Oh, don't worry," Aunt May assures him, with a pat to Bucky's metal arm. "I'm sure there are a few chores around the house you can help out with."
Peter glances over at Steve. The American icon is watching the entire exchange with his mouth hanging open. Mary Jane jerks her head at Steve and smirks at the hero's reaction.
Peter clears his throat. "Just so you know, Aunt May, um, it kind of makes you an accomplice, having both of us under your roof."
Aunt May shrugs. "I suppose the more vigilantes the better, then."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Matt comes up on the other side of Peter's bed and ruffles his hair as he sets Steve's shield down. Peter winces at all of the bruises that are visible on his face and neck and at the thought of what's hidden under his clothes. "I'm Daredevil, Mrs. Parker."
Aunt May's eyes go wide and then a delighted smile lights up her face. "So Peter really has been spending time with you. And that church business? Have you really taken him to church, Mr. Murdock?"
"Yes. He's been to Confession with me twice and we go to Mass in the mornings." Matt squares his shoulders. "I've also been teaching him to fight, both boxing and mixed martial arts."
"And you're really a lawyer?"
"Admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey."
"You practice law and you fight crime?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Peter waits for her to mention the blind thing but she doesn't.
"You, Mr. Murdock --"
"Matt," he interrupts smoothly.
"-- are an amazing young man," Aunt May finishes. "I'm very pleased that Peter has you in his life. I think you're a very good influence."
Bucky is directing a smirk in Steve's direction.
"Um, Aunt May? Steve..uh, Captain America has been training me, too. So have the rest of the Avengers." He can't even look Steve in the eyes as he says it. "Uh, well, he was, but I kind of screwed up and --"
"That's why we're training you, Peter," Steve cuts him off as he suddenly regains control of his faculties.
"But you kill people!" Peter protests. "Yeah, I get that I'm reckless and careless and every other kind of 'less' but I'm not crossing that line. So if that means you're going to kick me out --"
"He can kick me out, too," Matt chimes in. "I've come close but I haven't killed anybody either. I won't."
Aunt May's eyebrows shoot up and then she fixes Steve with a stern look. "Young man, I don't care if you are Captain America. You're not teaching Peter to kill. I'll happily let him spend time with you so that he can learn to take care of himself out there but he's a good boy and he's not going to kill someone just because a walking military recruitment poster told him it was okay."
Steve looks chastened, like Aunt May just slapped him instead of scolded him. "Yes, ma'am."
Peter grins at Matt. "Did I mention my aunt was a hippie?"
"No, and you didn't mention she could take on Captain America and win, either," Matt laughs. "I love your aunt."
"Good," Aunt May tells him. "Because you're coming to dinner tomorrow night."
"Actually," Steve says slowly, looking at Aunt May with real affection. "Maybe you'd like to have dinner here, Mrs. Parker. You can meet the rest of the Avengers. Matt, you should invite Foggy. Mary Jane, you should come, too. You too, Buck."
"Is that an order, Stevie?"
"Yes," Peter and Steve answer together.
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"She told off Captain America?" Foggy asks. He's not sure whether he's horrified or is going to laugh his ass off. "Peter's aunt? That nice old lady?"
"I've never wished I could see a facial expression that badly," Matt tells him, taking the cup of coffee that Foggy hands him.
"Yeah, me too." He shakes his head. "You had one heck of a day, Matty. Sorry about your apartment."
"Thanks for letting me stay here, Foggy."
Foggy rolls his eyes. He knows Matt can't 'see' it or 'hear' it but that doesn't matter. Matt knows anyway. "You don't have to thank me."
"Of course I do," Matt contradicts him. "Pepper says the repairs will be done by Monday."
"And who insisted on negotiating that property damage clause for you when you said it wasn't necessary?" Foggy asks, drawing himself up.
"You did," Matt recites obediently, if a little sarcastically.
"That's right. Me. The one who doesn't put on a mask and have cops shoot at him while *Iron Man* runs defense." Foggy runs a hand through his hair as it hits him. "Matt, you had Iron Man running defense for you. You teamed up with Hawkeye and took on HYDRA and those scary super powered guys with the freaking Winter Soldier and Spider-man."
Matt settles down onto Foggy's sofa with a groan. "It wasn't as much fun as it sounds. I nearly died in a human sandstorm and that Electro character tried to --"
"Electrocute you. I get it."
"Do you?"
"Completely," Foggy assures him as he sinks into the chair across from Matt. "If you weren't wondering what the hell you were doing fighting guys made out of sand or who turn themselves into goblin things and secret shadow governments, I'd question your sanity. I mean, Matt, that's a far cry from taking on the Russian and Chinese mobs."
"I did it though," Matt says quietly. "I took them on."
"That you did."
"Without killing anybody."
"Amen to that." Foggy thinks for a moment. "We could amend your contract if you want. Put in a no-kill clause --"
"I don't think that will be necessary, Foggy." Matt toys with the mug of coffee in his hand. "I made myself perfectly clear."
Foggy makes a frustrated noise. "A first year law student knows better, Matthew! If it's not in the contract, it's not part of the agreement."
"If they try to make me cross that line, Foggy, the agreement won't matter. I'll walk."
"Just sic Peter's aunt on them."
Matt finally tastes the coffee and his lips curve into a pleased smile. "What's this?"
"A little something Ms. Potts sent over for you when she called to tell me about your apartment." Now *that* was a conversation. Pepper Potts isn't a lawyer but she could be one or anything else she wanted to be. The woman is scary-efficient. Foggy likes her already. He also likes that she's also kind. "She sent over a bunch of stuff for you. Clothes, a new laptop, a new Braille display and a bunch of other crap and a basket of food that she said she hoped would 'please your senses.' I'm guessing that coffee is something that didn't come out of a monkey's or a bird's ass."
The face Matt makes is perfect. He refuses to drink coffee when he's at the Tower because Tony gave him a cup of that monkey poop coffee. "No. These are roasted beans and you used a new coffee maker."
"Your new coffee maker. All the buttons are in Braille."
"I might actually start liking Tony Stark."
"If he keeps deflecting bullets for you and giving you expensive presents, I'd say if you don't like him, fake it," Foggy advises.
"We've been invited to a Sunday team dinner at the Tower tomorrow," Matt tells him finally. "Steve specifically asked for you and he asked that we come an hour early."
Foggy thinks about it. "That could mean he wants to put a no-kill clause in your contract or the early arrival might mean he wants to terminate the agreement altogether and avoid making a scene. You think he might want to fire you for being you?"
"I think," Matt says slowly, "he wants to ask us to handle Bucky Barnes' legal problems."
"Matthew, if that's why he wants to see us..." Foggy leans back in his chair as he thinks about everything he knows about the Winter Soldier and decides it's not nearly enough. "You know what? I think we need to prep for that meeting."
"I think you're right."
"I'm right?"
Matt sets the cup down on the coffee table. "I've been thinking of nothing else but the types of defenses we could put on for Bucky Barnes since I met him. He's going to have everybody coming after him, Foggy."
"Well, who better than Daredevil to defend him?"
"Who better than Nelson and Murdock," Matt corrects him. "Let's start prepping."
"Shouldn't you get some rest?"
"Do you remember studying for the bar?"
Oh does he remember. Long, marathon study sessions as they prepared for the three days of New York and New Jersey exams. Foggy sighs and throws up his hands, not that he's really that bothered. If Bucky Barnes is really the reason Steve wants to meet with them, this is the first of many marathon research sessions to come. "Fine. I'll get your fancy Stark computer."
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"I'm sorry," Peter blurts the second he walks into the conference room.
Steve rubs the back of his neck and tries to remember being an awkward fifteen year old. Then he thinks about being an awkward fifteen year old with super strength and other abilities who put on a mask because he thought he was the reason his uncle was killed. And then Steve thinks about the boy's aunt, who's sitting in the common area with Bucky, waiting for Foggy and Matt to arrive.
"Oh god, I'm fired, aren't I?" Peter slouches and hangs his head. "I know I screwed up and I sassed you aaaaand I kind of told Clint I didn't think he was dangerous --"
"You did what?"
Peter shrugs but doesn't look up. "Clint asked if it ever occurred to me that he could hurt me and I said no."
Steve's mouth twitches. No. He can't laugh. It's not funny. Oh, it is. He takes a deep breath and gets his stern face back on. "Look at me, Peter."
The boy looks up and he looks somewhere between terrified and nauseous. Steve distinctly remembers wearing that same expression during his first week of boot camp.
"You made some mistakes," he says firmly. "The first was disobeying a direct order in the field. Twice. Even though you took control of the situation and worked it out, you have to trust in my leadership and obey me immediately and without question when I give you an order. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir," Peter answers dejectedly.
"In the Army, when a recruit makes a mistake, there are punishments like running laps or being assigned details like washing windows or scrubbing latrines," Steve goes on. "You're going to clean the vent shafts between Clint's residence floor and the common area *and* you're going to train with him twice a week for a month."
Peter nods and mumbles, "Yes, sir."
He narrows his eyes slightly. "Clint specifically asked to give you weapons training because he says you need to get over your fear of guns."
The look Peter shoots him is one of pure fury.
Steve eyes him and waits but Peter holds his tongue. He's probably the only team member who would, at this point. Even Sam calls him out. "Weapons training is tabled until I decide you're ready."
Peter exhales a shaky breath of relief.
"I've been asked by your aunt to give her progress reports."
The boy buries his face in his hand. "She didn't."
"She did."
"I've got to be the only superhero on the planet who has to bring home a report card," Peter sighs. "What else?"
Steve relaxes his posture. "I'm proud of you."
"What?" Peter blinks at him, confused.
He reaches out and rests a hand on Peter's narrow shoulder, squeezing gently. "You've been a good friend to Bucky and you risked your personal safety to help him. Clumsily. Recklessly. But your intentions were good and he's doing better because of you." Steve takes a step closer. "I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Um, sure?"
"I know that he's uncomfortable being around me and coming here to the Tower --"
"Here." Peter reaches into a pocket and hands Steve a key. "My aunt said to give you that and ask that you please try to be discreet when you come to visit. Also, if you let her know in advance, she'll have lots of food waiting for you." He takes a deep breath. "Look, I know you think having him stay with me is some kind of naive kid move. It's not. He wasn't going to come to you and I wasn't going to let him live on the streets. If he's with me and he loses control, I can web him and hold him until you come."
Steve is speechless. He *had* assumed Peter was being naive.
"I don't think he will. Lose control and become the Winter Soldier, I mean. I know about the other stuff." Peter squares his shoulders and looks Steve in the eyes. "Sam came by this morning to talk to us about PTSD and what to do if Bucky has an episode. I think Aunt May was ready to adopt Sam and Bucky both by the end of that conversation."
"I like your aunt. She reminds me of my mother," Steve admits.
"Don't tell her that or you'll be sharing a bedroom with Bucky and helping him clean out the garage."
"She has him...?"
"She wants him to feel 'normal'." Peter makes air quotes. "So she gave him a list of chores to do."
Any concerns he had about Bucky living with the Parkers are gone. So are the concerns he had about Peter.
"I'm proud of you," he says again, and pulls Peter to him for a hug. "You'll make a fine superhero someday."
The boy is already a fine young man.
The end...for now.