A Goblin To Catch

Peter stirred as he felt someone touch him. “Where...am I?” He whispered. He knew Serena was near him. His senses knew her even without his eyes. “My chest...hurts,” Peter said softly then winced. He tried to open his eyes and slowly he did. It was dark inside the room and his throat ached badly. Most of his body had.

“What happened Seren? What happened?!” Peter said and he looked afraid and shifted as if he were going to try and sit up. When he did that the room began to spin and he reached out for her.

Serena felt Peter stir at her touch. She could see him move slightly and then wince. When he tried to sit up she gently pushed him back down to a laying position. “Just lay still,” she told him gently and lovingly. “You are safe. You’re in the Tower. My parents helped me save you.” A few tears came to her eyes. “You scared me Peter. I thought I was going to lose you tonight.”

“What happened to the goblin?” Peter said weakly. “He was hurting people...with...with grenades and bombs,” He said uneasily. His chest hurt, most likely from breathing in whatever that green gas was.

“How did you find me? Where did you come from?” He asked. He knew those were not the exact questions he wanted to ask but it was so difficult to think right then. He saw her looming above him, and saw the look of worry in her eyes.

Serena looked down at Peter and gently caressed his cheek with her fingers. “He unfortunately got away. Dad tried to go after him but he lost him. It was Pharoah who told me where you were and warned me that I needed to go find you. It’s a long story as to how he knew what was happening with you that I will tell you another day. My dad built me a suit apparently and I used that to find you.”

“Aw Serena, you told them?” He said, fear bubbling up into his stomach. But ofcourse, how could she have not? And he was in the tower, the Stark Tower and he did not see his Spider-Man outfit. They had unmasked him.

“Who else knows?” Peter said resignedly. He wasn’t certain he wanted to know the answer.

Serena sighed softly and then nodded. “I had to tell them Peter. I didn’t want to and I only told them when I knew your life was in danger and I needed to get to you. It’s only my parents and Pharaoh who know Peter, I swear. If there had been any other way I would not have told them.”

Having been outed, though only to a few was bad enough and as he thought about that he realized what it was that had been worrying him. “Do they know...uh, we’re together?” He said. It was true they dated other people...decidedly her more than him but he loved Serena and how he described their relationship just then just came out. He had never said it openly before. But if he were being honest. He was tired of seeing her with other guys.

Serena slowly nodded in response to his question. “Yes, they know.” She became quiet for a moment as tears came to her eyes. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you anymore Peter. I can’t do it. I...I thought I was going to lose you tonight and that thought terrified me.” She reached up and tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes, but it was useless. “I love you so much Peter.”

“I know you do Serena, I love you to.” He said. Peter had to pause and think about that for a moment. What did it actually mean? Not much was going to change regardless of how they felt about one another. But it did give him some comfort to know that Serena would be in the same boat. They were in love but they weren’t living together or anything. And they were still in high school. Stupidly his mind started going through how he could support them. Them and his Aunt? He didn’t even have benefits. The silliness of it all though finally pierced that bubble and he nearly chuckled. Serena was rich!

“Well, at least we can enjoy our time together before you go to MIT,” He said. ‘Where she’ll likely meet someone else’ he thought. But he did have her now and he knew he should focus on that. “I think we’ll likely meet him again...that goblin guy,” Peter said. “Something about him...I can’t put my finger on it...but I’ve seen his flying sled before,” Peter said. “Do you know who his targets were? He bombed a limosine when I caught up to him,” He said.

Serena didn't know exactly what the future held for them, but she knew one thing...she and Peter were meant to be together and nothing was going to change that. If the past few years of high school hadn't changed that then nothing was going to. This was officially the start of their new lives together.

She got up from the bed and walked over and got him some water. She helped him to sit up and then handed him the glass with a straw in it. She didn't doubt that they would run into the goblin again, but this guy was more in her parent's league and she was actually afraid for Peter. She hoped Peter would accept her father's help. "The people in the limousine were board members of Osborn Corp. Nearly all of them."

Peter didn’t know why that bothered him but he frowned. Something clicked in his head but he was so exhausted he couldn’t see it right then. He felt real fear for this goblin character and that bothered him. We shouldn’t be afraid. Not him.

“I’m not used to failure. And I can honestly say I don’t like it. Not one bit,” Peter grunted. Then he smiled as he saw her looking at him.

“So I suppose I owe ya one then, for saving my life. What do you give a girl that has everything?” He said and he really wondered what you did give a girl that had everything.

Serena looked at Peter when he admitted that he did not like failure. She could understand that. Academically, she and Peter were the top two students in the school and always excelled. As Spider-Man, Peter had always won against the smaller city criminals he was used to fighting. This Green Goblin was definitely not your average city criminal.

She moved over to the bed and gently laid down next to him. She laid on her side and wrapped her arms gently around him. "I don't need anything but you Peter."

The next morning Peter was feeling much better. Obviously his mutation allowed his body to heal faster than normal. Tony had gotten up early and he was in with Peter talking to him. He had brought him a coffee and as Isabella watched Serena, still in her robe and pajamas move from her room she waved to her.

“Tony’s in there. They’ve been talking for a while now,” She said. “Best to leave them be,” Isabella said as she took a sip of her coffee. She was in her robe as well, a thick, light blue robe she loved for how soft it was. Soft and warm.

Isabella had called and spoken to Aunt May that night. She made up an excuse as to why Peter was going to stay the night, which thankfully Aunt May believed. Serena waited until Peter was asleep before leaving his room and going back to her own to sleep. In the morning she rose earlier than usual because she was still worried about Peter. As she walked into the kitchen she found her mother there and she told her that her father was in with Peter. “Hopefully, he’s being nice to him. Peter is already intimidated by you two.”

“Your father...did some searching on Peter. You know how he is. Once he has the bit in his mouth…” Isabella began. “What do you think Peter would do if we...offered him a job?” She said cautiously. They knew very little about Peter but managed to find out where he worked and how behind his Aunt was on bills and such. This could be a touchy subject, especially if Peter was the sort that liked to make his own in roads. Sometimes people could be ‘to’ independant and brush away a helping hand. Her own father had had to pull strings to get her where she had been in the CIA. But it was up to her what happened with her career once inside the door.

Peter wasn’t exactly prideful but he did feel that making his own was important. Serena knew he was struggling though. Working freelance for the Bugle and also as a pizza delivery man. He didn’t own a car and rode his bike to make the deliveries. Isabella knew that Serena never had to work or struggle for anything. That she might not know what Peter was going through though she cared for him.

Serena walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it and pulled out a mug. She then poured herself a cup of coffee as she considered her mother's question. She added a little milk and sugar and stirred it together before taking a small sip. "Well, he does look up to you and dad and the rest of the Avengers Team. I also know, even though he's been trying to keep it a secret, that he's been struggling financially...his aunt too. He's currently working two jobs and he is a very hard worker, but he also has school. Money is actually one of the reasons I think Peter and I haven't made our relationship official until now. I didn't want him to feel obligated to take me out to dinner or the movies and I didn't want to make him feel bad by paying for everything myself. If you offer him a job he needs to not feel like it's a handout or it has anything to do with me."

Isabella frowned at that. “Serena, ofcourse that’s what we’re doing. We don’t know him but we know and love you so naturally we have to trust him because you do. And, considering what he has been doing. It speaks volumes that he is willing to sacrifice for the common good. At great risk for himself. Our concern is that he is alone. And this recent incident when you left like you did...well it gives us pause. If he gets into a situation again, will you risk your own life to help him? We think so and so we can’t have this happen,” she said. “I could simply force you to make a promise to us about that. One I doubt you’d keep if it came to it so what choices do we have?” Isabella asked. She knew what they were already but wanted to see if Serena did and so she waited patiently for her response.

Serena got out a blueberry bagel and popped it into the toaster and then got down a plate. She was listening to her mother though. Like her father, Serena often did other things while listening and absorbing information. Performing other tasks gave her mind time to properly consider everything. She finally turned and looked at her mother. "Well, father made a suit for me. I could be properly trained on how to use it and how to defend myself."

If Isabella had been holding a regular glass it would have shattered in her grip. This was precisely the reason why she vehemently opposed Tony on making that suit. Well, several suits actually. In her heart she knew this was going to happen. Damn that man! She schooled her expression and stood up. As she did she opened up her robe as she approached Serena then lifted up her shirt.

Across her abdomen was a scar. Faded now but still clearly visible in a diagonal line across her flesh. “Do you see this? I was pregnant with who could have been your younger brother Serena,” She snapped. Ok, maybe she didn’t have that good of a grip on herself but Serena had made her angry. “That is what this life gets you,” She said as she lower her shirt and retied her robe around herself. “Is the good I’ve done worth what I’ve lost...what we’ve lost?” She asked and answered her by slowly shaking her head as her eyes welled up with tears. “Tears and heartache, that is what is in store for you. Tears, heartache and pain. I do what I do because I fell in love with a man who would never stop being who he was. He would if I asked it of him but he would have resented me for that,” Isabella said and then her face became more angry and somber.

“You’re a smart young woman Serena. Start using your head instead of your heart when it comes to a man like Peter,” she said plainly.

Serena sighed and looked at her mother. She knew her mother was only trying to protect her, but she wasn’t a child anymore. She was nearly an adult and her decisions were her own, “I wish I could say that I would do that Mom but that would be a lie. I love Peter so my heart is already involved. There is no stopping that at this point. However, I promise that I will be careful. Peter and I both will. All I’ve ever wanted to be was you Mom. You are my hero...the person I look up to the most. If I can be half the woman you are then I would call that a success.”

Worry and pride fought with another on what Serena had just said. Isabella knew she could not change what has already happened but if she could she knew that she likely wouldn’t anyway. Serena was obviously her own woman and isabella needed to start seeing her as a woman though she would miss her as a girl. Everything is changing and she needed to try and keep up with these changes.

“Does Peter know how lucky he is?” she asked but when Serena gave her a questioning look she elaborated. “To have his heart strings tied to you. Have you two...you know...done...stuff?” She asked. It was a very personal question but it might help explain how close she was to him. Sometimes it went that way when it came to sex. Either the boy or the girl lost their heads completely. Hormones could have that effect so she head heard. She never went crazy for a man...well, besides Tony though she was more than a little wary of him at first. But once that wariness wore off she was lost to her love for him. Everyone was telling her how stupid she was for falling for him but she couldn’t draw herself away from him. And being apart from him actually hurt. So much so that she had to quit her job which took her all over the world at times. His proposal came soon after though she was already living with him by then.

Serena loved her mother very much and was very close to both of her parents. She hated having any tension between them, but at the same time she wanted her mother to know and respect her as a young woman and not a child. Their relationship was changing and she hoped it was for the better.

She blushed a little at her mother’s comment. “I feel that I am the lucky one knowing him. He has the kindest heart and I know I can be myself around him.”

She took another sip of her coffee and then pulled out her bagel and smeared some cream cheese on one half. “We haven’t done anything but kiss. But they are great kisses,” she said almost dreamily.

Just as she said that Tony came out of Peter’s room and stepped up to the breakfast nook where the women were seated. His cup of coffee was empty and he looked longingly at the coffeemaker then turned back at the two women and took a seat with them. He saw Serena glanced at the door to his room as if she wished she could be in there right then. “Go ahead, he asked for you,” Tony said simply and smiled at Serena and at Isabella who was looking at him interestedly.

Serena intended to give the other half of her bagel to Peter. She finished her half just as her father stepped out of Peter’s room. She glanced at the door and was happy when her father told her she could go see him. She put some cream cheese on the bagel half and walked into the room. She smiled at him.

“Hey. So you survived talking to my father. I think that deserves some breakfast.”

Peter smiled brightly when he saw Serena. He was hungry but less for the food than for her right then. He shifted a little on the bed so she could sit beside him on the bed.

“He was kind. But I think I need to tell you what we talked about. If you don’t know most of the board members for Osborn Corp. we’re killed last night by that...goblin guy,” Peter said as he watched Serena sit down. Tony...Mr. Stark said he could get me a lab assistant job at Osborn Corp. and that he wanted me to find out what the company is working on. He seemed...suspicious about what’s going on there. What do you think? Should I do it?” Peter asked.