At school, the only thing anyone can talk about is Liz, whose Dad turned out to be Adrain Toomes—or as Peter and I knew him, Vulture. It was hard to connect the man who almost killed me and Peter with the girl I considered one of my closest friends.

She doesn't deserve to have people whispering so many awful things about her—even if her father is a criminal maniac.

I spot her and her mum as they work to empty out Liz's locker. My chest aches at the sight of their tear-stained cheeks. They both stay quiet as I approach, and I offer them a soft smile before tugging Liz into a tight hug. "You're really leaving, huh?"

"Yeah." She mumbles and looks over her shoulder to her mom, who says something about talking with the principle. "Mom isn't taking it to well, and Dad doesn't want us here for the trial. So we're moving to Oregon with my mom's family."

"I've never actually heard anything about Oregon, but maybe you can tell me about it when you get settled?"

"Sure thing, and you'll have to tell me what eventually happens with you and Peter." I furrow my brows in confusion, and she chuckles softly. "C'mon, Lia. You can't lie to me about your feelings for him. It's written on your face every time you look at him."

"Just like the way he looks at you?" I question sadly and lean against the lockers.

She grimaces, leaning against the lockers next to me. "I highly doubt it's anything more than a crush, and it was wrong of me to agree to homecoming with him. I don't even see him like that. I thought maybe I could, but then he ran off and everything else happened." She pauses and fiddles with her hands. "Still, he deserves someone like you who cares for him too."

"Maybe one day, but I'm not gonna hold my breath."

"Well, I'm still gonna be rooting for you two. Because as smart as Peter is, it's only a matter of time before he sees how awesome you are."

"Thanks, Liz." I smiled sling an arm over her shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you, but I hope you'll be happy in Oregon."

"I hope so too." She grins and helps me up. "Well, I've got to go meet my mom, and I'm pretty sure you've got decathlon practice to get to." With one last hug and whispered goodbye, we part ways.

I spot Peter and Ned as I head to the library. Judging by the animated way Ned's hands are flapping around, he's recounting the story of his interaction with the Shocker. They stop though when they spot Liz, and I approach them with a tentative grin. "You should go talk to her, Peter. If for no other reason than to have closure." He nods, and I watch as he approaches her.

"Do you think she's gonna be okay?" Ned asks, and I nod.

"I've gotta grab some books, but I'll see you at practice." I tap my phone against my thighs and take one last look towards Peter before dialing the familiar number. "Hey, Happy. Everything in place?"

"Almost. I'm heading inside now. After, Tony's going to have a car waiting to take you upstate. I guess he's got stuff he needs to talk with you about before I bring the kid up. Not to mention, Pepper's been looking forward to seeing you."

"She's finally back in town, huh? I can't wait to see her again." I smile at the thought of getting to see Pepper after her long round of trips for Stark Industries and the mess between her and Dad. "I'll be ready right after practice. Just be sure to stall Peter for a little bit to give me time to talk with Dad and get my stuff ready."

"I know, Lia. We've gone through the plan a hundred times. I'm fairly certain I have it memorized by now."

"All right. I'll head to practice and meet you after. Bye, Happy."

"Bye, kiddo." He replies in his usual grumpy tone, and before he hangs up, I hear him mutter something about unclean bathrooms. It makes me have to bite back a laugh.

Most of the team is already gathered in their usual spots, and I collapse in the chair next to MJ. "Will today never end?" I sigh, which earns a small chuckle out of MJ.

"Hey, Lia." Flash calls as he sits down next to me, and I try not to sigh or hold onto my glasses as I turn to him. "I just—I wanted to say I'm sorry about last week. It was wrong of me to try to take your glasses or treat you like that."

"I'm not going to tell you it's okay, because it's not, but, if you mean it and actually plan to make a change, I'll be able to forgive you." He nods solemnly, and I continue. "For the record, I meant what I said when I first came here. I don't date bullies, and if you were nicer to me and my friends, I might have said 'yes.'"

It's quiet for a long moment before Flash speaks up again. "You know, if you wanted, you could probably be one of the most popular girls in this school, but you choose to hang out with the two nerds—just being honest. Why?"

"Because, I used to be that person, but I made a promise to myself a long time ago to stop faking. So yeah, I'm not popular, but at least I'm not pretending to be someone I'm not. Peter and Ned are always genuine, which is why they're my friends."

He opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't get the chance to as the decathlon meeting starts. Mr. Harrington sets down our international trophy and congratulates us for it. "So, with Liz leaving, we need a new team captain, which will be Michelle Jones."

I applaud and smile at my friend, who is clearly unsure of what to do with all the attention on her. "Actually, my friends call me MJ."

Ned scrunches his face up, "I though you said you didn't have any friends?"

"Am I chopped liver or something?" I tease with a grin before noticing Peter looking down at his phone.

"I've—I've gotta go." He says already halfway out of his chair.

"Where you going, Parker?" MJ asks looking serious, but I know that underneath it she's just joking. "What are you hiding?" The comment makes Peter stutter before she breaks into a grin and waves her hand. "I'm just kidding. Go ahead."

I watch him go with a smile knowing what's about to happen. MJ starts the meeting, which seems to drag by. The moment we finish though, I'm out of my seat and heading out to my ride upstate.

It feels so strange being back here after being away for so long, but at the same time, there's a sense of comfort at the sight of the grand, white building. I can't help but smile as I spot Dad and Pepper the moment I walk inside.

They both smile at me as I wrap them both in a hug. "It's so good to see you again, Lia. Tony's been catching me up on everything I've missed."

"Which means you've been busy." I joke and shake my head. "It's been a crazy few months, but not all of it has been bad. Peter is about to—hopefully—become my official partner and an Avenger."

"For some reason, the way you say that makes me think you have something up your sleeve. Spill, kiddo."

"Well, if Peter's an Avenger, then there's no reason for me to not tell him who I am. The rest of the team knows, and I hate having to lie to him. Especially if he's going to be my partner, it would mean lying to him even more than I already am."

Dad sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Bug,—" He starts, and I just shake my head knowing where this is going solely because of the remorseful edge in his voice, "—look, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but not yet. Eventually, there will be a time when you can. It's just not right now."

"Fine." I whisper and grip the straps of my rucksack tighter to hide my shaking hands and disappointment. "I'll go get into my suit before him and Happy get here."

"Lia," Dad calls sounding frustrated and upset at my suddenly cold demeanor.

"It's fine, Dad. Really." Another lie thrown on to the seemingly endless pile. "I'm just gonna go change into my suit."

Pepper whispers something to Dad as I shuffle out and towards my room. It's hard to force a smile on as I pass by familiar faces. All I can think about are all the lies that have been slowly suffocating me these past few months. I would give almost anything to be free of them, but I can't.

It's a struggle to hold back the tears of frustration and hurt. They threaten to spill as my bag drops to the floor with a thunk. I let out a sigh as I toss my glasses on my bed and try to ignore the tightness in my chest.

"It's not forever," I whisper to myself, "I just have to make it a few more months at the most. Dad will let you tell them before too long."

I catch a glance of my reflection, and it makes me pause. A part of me can't help but remember what Peter said to me. It's the first time anyone had ever seen my eyes enough to call them pretty, and coincidentally, it was also the first time I believed someone when they complimented me.

All the more reason my chest aches that I've been lying to him since day one.

It's a struggle to push it aside as I press the hidden button that reveals my suit, which has now been upgraded since the Vulture incident. I eagerly slip it on and admire the detailing. The lines of silver that perfectly trace across the curves and seem to pull in the shadows. It's even more perfect than anything I could have imagined.

I can't stop the smile that tugs at the edges of my lips. My fingers trace over the added silver detailing on the mask and the reinforced parts of the suit. Dad really went all out on this upgrade.

"Happy is arriving with Mr. Parker." ARTI tells me through the mask in my hands. I bite my lip and pause for a moment. Today could change so much. All I can do is hope it's for the better.

Dad is already waiting for me, and I stand next to him as we wait for Happy and Peter. "New suit is looking good. Does it feel all right?" He asks as I do a teasing spin.

"It feels as perfect as it looks." I smile at him, which makes the mask shift. "Thank you, Dad. This upgrade is amazing. It makes me even more excited for Peter to see his."

"Well, that will be any minute now." He half-heartedly smiles and starts walking towards where we're supposed to meet Happy and Peter. "Oh, there they are. How was the ride up?"

"Good," Happy replies, but I keep my focus locked on Peter, who seems to be doing the same thing.

"Give me a minute with the kid?" Dad asks, which starts a little round of banter between the two. It makes me roll my eyes as I begin to start walking. "Sorry I took your suit." Dad says as he slaps Peter on the shoulder. "You had it coming. Actually, it turns out it was the perfect tough-love moment you needed to urge you on. Don't you think?"

"I guess." Peter replies sounding unsure.

"You really don't have to agree with him, you know." I add with a smile and nudge my Dad's shoulder. "He's just lucky things worked out like they did."

"Let's just say it was." Dad says with a jokingly pointed look.

"Mr. Stark, I really—" Peter tries to interrupt.

"You screwed the pooch hard—bigtime. But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies."

"Careful, you're slipping." I tease with a wide grin.

"Okay, so it's not my best analogy." Dad glances at me and continues to guide Peter to the prep room. "Point is, I was wrong about you. I think with a little more mentoring—maybe even training and partnering with Phantom, you could be a real asset to the team."

"To-to the team?" Peter asks, eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, anyway," Dad says, completely brushing off Peter's shock as he continues, "There's about fifty reporters behind that door. Real ones—not bloggers. When you're ready; why don't you try that on?"

I watch Peter's face morph into a wide eyed disbelief and awe. Of course, Dad remains oblivious and continues on, "And I'll introduce the world to the newest official members of the Avengers: Spiderman and Phantom."

Peter looks at me with wide eyes and an incredulous smile. I nod at him and urge him forward. "Well go on. It's not gonna bite you like that spider did." Peter stutters, barely able to form any words as he steps toward the suit.

"Yeah, give that a look." He says, and I can't stop the beaming smile or warmth in my chest as I watch him. "After the press conference, Happy will show you to your room—your new quarters. Who's he between?"

"Vision and—Phantom." Happy has to pause to make sure he doesn't say my name. "Yeah, and Vision's not big on doors."

"Or you know walls—or privacy." I add and nudge Peter's shoulder. "Trust me, you get used to it—eventually."

Peter pauses for a moment before turning to my dad. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. But I'm good." My heart almost stops as he says it with the utmost sincerity.

"You're good? Good—? How are you good?" Dad questions, clearly shocked and unsure about what's happening.

"Well, I mean, I'd rather just stay on the ground for a little while. Be the friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Somebody's gotta look out for the little guy, right?"

"He's got a point." I whisper to Dad, who looks between us in utter shock.

"You're turning me down? Because you better think about this. Look at that." He says gesturing to the suit. "Look at me. Last chance. Yes or no?"

"No." Peter says without a moment's hesitation.

"Alright. It's gotta a kind of Springsteen-y working class hero vibe that I dig." He pauses and shakes his head. "Happy will take you home. Yeah?"

"Yeah." Happy agrees and steps towards Dad. "Mind waiting in the car? I need a minute."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter says with that cute way that makes me feel all weird inside. "Nice seeing you again, Phantom."

"Yes, Mr. Parker. Very well." Dad turns to me with wide eyes that make me laugh.

Peter practically bounces out of the room, but he pauses and turns around with that look he gets in Chemistry when he's not sure if he's right. "This was a test, right? There's nobody back there."

"Yep, and you passed." I'm once again super grateful for the mask since it hides my laughter at the whole situation. "All right, skedaddle there, young buck."

"'Skedaddle, young buck'?" I question my Dad, but he's still too busy recovering to notice. We all remain quiet as Peter leaves. "Somehow, that's the most fitting way that could have gone."

"Told you he was a good kid." Happy smiles at Dad, who just nods absentmindedly. I can't help but smile at Peter's disappearing form and admire the choice he just made—even if he may think it was only a 'test.'

Somehow, it makes my feelings for him deepen in a way I doubted was possible.

The thought is suddenly interrupted by a sudden clamor as Pepper exits the conference room and looks around in confusion. "Where's the kid?"

"He said 'no.'" Dad tells her, and she echoes it with wide eyes. "Yeah, blew us all away actually."

"Well, what are we gonna do? I've got fifty reporters in there waiting for some big announcement."

I swear, I can almost see a lightbulb turn on over Dad's head as he turns to Happy with that classic Stark grin. "Hey. Do you still have that ring by any chance?"

"Are you kidding?" Happy asks as he searches his pockets. "I've been carrying this thing around since two-thousand twelve."

We all give him a weird look for the statement.

"I think I can figure out something better than that." Pepper says and gives Dad a quick kiss before heading back into the chaos.

Although, the moment the door closes, Dad turns to me. "I know I've asked you about it before, but—"

He doesn't get a chance to finish the thought before I'm pressing the diamond ring into his hand. "But nothing. My answer hasn't changed and never will. Pepper's already like a mum to me, has been for a long time." I wrap him a tight hug before nudging him towards the door she just disappeared behind. "Now, go make it official."

"You don't have to tell me twice." There's a wide, excited smile on his face as he turns to the door but pauses. "Do me a favor though. Make Peter officially your partner—and give him back the suit while you're at it." With that, he disappears on the other side of the door.

"Happy, mind giving me a few minutes head start?" His smile widens at the request, and he shouts back a confirmation as I run to the lab to retrieve Peter's suit before launching off the landing pad, appearing as nothing but a shadow to everyone around.

My heart pounds with a giddy excitement edged with nerves. Today has been full of unexpected things. Dad is about to get engaged—finally, and while Peter turned down being an Avenger, I get to return his suit and ask him to team up with me, the latter which I hope he accepts.

Still, even the thought of his possible rejection can't damped my mood, nor does it linger long. I don't think anything could bring me down—figuratively that is.

It's hard to even remove the smile from my face as I settle on the edge of Peter's window and ARTI pulls up at the live news feed. On screen, Dad is currently dropping down on one knee, which makes the reporters go utterly wild.

"That's my Dad. Always one for surprises." I whisper to myself as I try to maintain my balance while holding on to the paper bag and simultaneously using the shadows of Peter's room to unlock his window. It's a lot harder than I would have thought. "Now, it's my turn." I whisper to myself as I slide the window open.

The carpet muffles the sounds of my footsteps as I walk through his room. It's a little chaotic and messy, which is nothing new, but it still feels strange. Or maybe it's just that I feel out of place being here as Phantom instead of Lia.

There's not much time to dwell on it though. A message from Happy flickers across my lenses as ARTI echoes it, "The kid's heading up." I scramble, because knowing Happy, it probably took him a few minutes to manage to type all that out.

Suddenly, my nerves hit me ten times stronger than before. The paper bag with Peter's suit crinkles as I set it down on the bed and sit next to it with the hope it will let the room settle.

My heart pounds and hands shake with terror and excitement as the front door unlocks. Peter's footsteps echo through the apartment, and I can hear it as he gets closer. "May, I'm home." He shouts, but doesn't get an answer, which doesn't seem to bother him.

I have to bite back a giggle as he stands in the doorway of his room, utterly oblivious to my presence until he finally looks up from his phone. His eyes widen and jaw goes slack when he does. "Hey there, hot stuff." I tease with a grin he can't see. "We need to talk, but first, I have something of yours."

"Y-you—w-what?" I toss him the paper bag, and I swear his eyes grow even wider when he sees the suit inside.

"I took the liberty of scanning the footage from 'Karen' and make some modifications that should help you out a bit." He remains quiet and still as a statue. "Oh, no. I think I broke you again." I joke, much like in the car to the fight in Germany.

"No, I just—Does Mr. Stark know about this? And how did you get in here? Also, why are you here?" He stutters, and I pretend not to notice the red creeping up his neck. "I mean, not that I'm not grateful and happy to see you. It's just—"

"Breathe, Spidey." I cut him off mid-ramble knowing from experience as Lia that if I don't, he'll just continue on until he wears himself out. "First, yes, Tony knows; he's the one that told me to give it to you. Second, I came in through the window. You truly underestimate me if you think a few stories and a window lock will keep me out. Third, I'm here with a proposition, but I'm sure you're excited about your suit. So it can wait until you try it on again."

"Um—o-okay." He stutters and waits for me to move, "Are you just gonna sit there?"

"If it helps, I promise not to peek." I reply and cover my eyes like a little kid. There's a moment where everything is quiet before Peter starts shuffling around. "So? How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?"

"Knowing that you can be Spidey with or without a fancy suit? Although, I'm not gonna lie, you look way better in that one."

"It feels—I don't really know how to explain it." He replies and pauses before asking, "What about you? Have you always had the fancy suit?"

"You're kidding, right?" I question and almost drop my hands. "Tony only made it for me just before I met you. Before then I was running around in combat boots and a hoodie, but it's different for me."

"How so?"

"Well," Peter's hands tug at my wrists letting me know he's done, and I drop them on my lap. "Mmm, still cute as I remembered. Although, you're pretty cute outside the suit too."

"You didn't answer my question." Peter replies.

"Fine, it's different for me because I've never had to question if this is who I was supposed to be. For me, the powers were always there. They've always been a part of my identity. Whether or not I want them—want this—it's not something I can change even if I wanted to." I can feel Peter giving me the puppy eyes from beneath his mask, and quickly change the topic. "Now, why don't you take a look at yourself, hot stuff?"

Peter stays still for a moment before shaking his head and looking in the mirror for a second before ripping off his mask and admiring his reflection. Unfortunately, I'm too busy admiring it as well. Because I miss the figure appear in his doorway with wide eyes.

Aunt May's shout fills the air, startling both Peter and I as she practically yells, "What the f—?"