A Beautiful Thing (Spideychelle) UNDER EDITING

Plans, preparations and powers

Pepper POV

I could hear them shouting from upstairs. What a racket they were making. I rush down there after having had enough of just listening to it although I had my suspicions of what it might actually be about.

"What the hell is going on here?" I yell, disgusted. They look at me in silence.

"Nothing, it's all fine honey" he attempts (and fails) to reassure me.

"No, it was all me, I'm sorry guys. I'm going up to see her. It's her birthday on Saturday" he mutters, squeezing in behind me to go back to the medical room.

"I knew this was going to happen," I tell Tony as he sits back down at his desk

"Pepper, I'm a genius, I'm a scientist, I'm a businessman, I'm an avenger but I am not a father," he says

"You could be, Peter nor Michelle have father figures, they look up to you Tony, you could be an excellent father figure. "

"Can I? Because that's not what I saw there" he utters solemnly.

"I know you can, and I think deep down you do," I say, going back upstairs to finish dinner. When going to get the washing from the machine I pass Michelle sat all alone, engrossed in a book. I knock on the window and I ask if I can come in. She says yes and I go in.

"Peter not here?" I ask quite bemused

"Nah, he left a minute ago - he needed to talk to Ned about something. Ned is our friend by the way"

"I'm sure he'll be back in a minute, he never leaves you for too long does he now?" I laugh "Talking of Peter, he said it was your birthday on Saturday"

"Yeah" she replies "before you ask no I don't wanna do anything"

"Ahh, but it's your sweet sixteen. You have to do something" I tease

"You've done enough for me and besides I've never liked my birthday" she speaks

I ask her why and she tells me that people, for one day of the year, would be smiling and happy for her but the next day it would all just disappear and she would go back to being insignificant again. It was like everyone would pretend to care for her on her birthday but never again. It made it worse because it was as if they were giving me a taste of how great life could be if I just acted normal like the other kids and that was hard for me to get my head around

Peter POV

This would be the first time I had left MJ while she was awake and I felt awful for it. But I needed to clear some stuff up. I was talking to Ned, trying to get him to hack into Tony's database. He said I had given her those powers and I hadn't questioned it at the time but now I needed to know despite Ned constantly reminding me how much of a bad idea this. I was on FaceTime with him waiting impatiently for him to give me answers, all while telling him what went on today.

"You had a fight with Mr Stark, about what?" he asks in disbelief that I could actually stand my own against the guy

"Uh, nothing," I bluff, not waiting to disclose the fact that MJ had powers just yet as I knew how much trouble telling MJ got me into. I know I was being possibly the biggest hypocrite you could be but I didn't have her permission above all else "I was just sick of him treating me like a kid," I suppose that was a half-truth

"Wait, Peter, I think I found something. A 3D diagram with the comment: The microorganisms had bonded with her cellular functions. Whats that supposed to mean does he mean MJ?" he asks, confused.

"Ned, I gotta go. Talk to you later" I hurry my words and end the chat awkwardly before he has time to respond - I can't have him finding out about MJ, he would put us all in Jepraprody even if he didn't mean too.

I studied the diagram long and hard. The web that I cast on her way falling seems to have become one with her so much so parts of my Spider DNA was cast onto her. This meant the psychopath was right, how did he know before me? That thought put me on edge. He was right. So not only did he know our names, he knew things about the people I cared about most.

But he was dead I kept telling myself, he was dead. But I didn't feel like he was dead. It felt as if he was still there, watching my every move, breathing over my shoulder just lurking in the shadows - waiting to pounce. I told myself I must keep looking for information on this guy now I knew what was going on with MJ.

"Hey Peter," Pepper opens the door suddenly. I push my laptop under the pillow and cover it with my body.

"Uh hey Pepper" I reply nervously "Why are you here on this fine day" she laughs at my awkwardness and continues

"I was just thinking, your girlfriend"

"She's not my girlfriend" I interrupt hastily

"Yet." She replies "But either way, shes never had a proper birthday party before and it's her sixteenth so I was thinking maybe we could throw her one here. I know its hardly a ballroom but I think she deserves something at least."

"Would Mr Stark allow it?" I question "I mean I am 100% in but-"

"I'll persuade him somehow we have got 4 days" she persuades me "You just focus on a present and maybe balloons or but don't buy her a massive teddy bear that can't even fit through the door will you?"

"No, why would I do that?" I laugh

"I don't know, Tony did it for me once"