CHAPTER EIGHT; HOMECOMING

❝ he cared about her more than he ever cared about himself ❞

A/n
Hi guys! Just wanted to let you know,without ten to fifteen comments guys I'm not updating because I want to make sure you guys are reading this story and enjoying it. Please tell me how the story makes you feel, angry, sad, worried, pissed off, amused, joyful, anything and everything.

[ songs to listen to during this chapter ]

❝ until I found you, stephen sanchez / that way, tate mcrae / teenager in love, madison beer / someone to you, banners ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ alina's apartment ❞

MUCH TO HER RELIEF, NED HADN'T bother to ask where her parents were once he arrived at her apartment. Maybe he was too preoccupied by the apartment and their task to notice she thought. Which was a nice relief while they sat there watching as Ned held up the web-shooter that was projecting a hologram model of the city.

Peter, who's head was hanging off her couch as he leaned on his back watched as Ned said, "This is so awesome."

"I know, right," returned the Spiderman as Alina floated a pen in the air. Ned poked it and the model making it become more defined, "They're in Brooklyn." She sighed understanding well before they did that this was probably the least fun aspect to this life.

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

Later, Ned was still studying the hologram and Peter was hanging upside down, eating chips. Alina had begun cooking them spaghetti and meatballs to survive the borden, "Staten Island."

"Are they going to stop anytime soon, jeez," sighed Peter as he popped another chip in his mouth.

"Pretty sure that ship sailed when they left Brooklyn," answered Alina.

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

Night had fallen when the hologram model started to beep making all three of them perk up from their corners of the apartment. Peter popped up wearing the Spider-Man mask as Alina looked up from her table of homework making her way over.

She levitated the hologram model in the middle of the room for all of them to see, "They stopped, finally."

A little groggy, Peter sat up eying the model intently, "Maryland," he confirmed skeptically.

Ned, who had been sitting on her shaggy rug stood asking, "What's there?"

"I don't know. Evil lair," suggested the Parker teenager.

His eyes lit up as he repeated back, "They have a lair?"

"Fun tip, if they're a bad guy they always have some kind of lair," admitted even Alina, "Even if they're adults and they don't call them lairs, they're lairs."

Alina moved closer inspecting the model as he said in shock, "Badass. But how are you gonna get there if it's, like, 300 miles away?"

"I can think of at least four ways for me to get there tonight," answered Alina looking back seeing them staring at something on her coffee table. She peaked over her couch seeing the Academic Decathlon poster. Picking it up she agreed, "But this works to, keeping it low key."

"What was your plan," Peter raised the questioned to the Draganov teenager.

"Steal a plane, car, truck. Something that would do the trick, but now that this is done so are we. It's 8:00 and my social clock has officially burned out," she told them trying to sound as friendly as she could.

Ned immediately grabbed his things while he told her, "No problem, my Lola wants me home anyways. But this, this was fun Alina and so are you, in your own intimidating, dry humor sort of way."

The Draganov teenagers mouth etched a smile onto her face, "You're not so bad yourself," she told him.

Ned's cheeks became red as his grin grew, he looked to Peter saying, "I'll see you later."  Peter said a soft goodbye as his friend made his way out of the apartment.

Once he was gone and it was just the two of them Peter said, "So tomorrow at school we can get me back on the team and--"

Cutting in Alina already admitted she had a plan, "I have literal magic fairy dust that comes out of my hand, which now that. I say it outlaid makes me sound like an aggressive Tinkerbell. However, I still think I could convince them to allow the new girl to tag along. "

"Of course you have a plan," Peter said not with contempt but with excitement. She could feel it radiating off him, a lot of the time when she was around him he helped quiet what everyone else felt. After leaving Hydra she found herself missing the collar that numbed her abilities. They kept it on her nearly 24/7 so she never learned how to control most of her abilities.

She had a basic understanding on how to not burst into a nuke and destroy the city, but mastery? Understanding what her powers were and where they came from was never information she was privy to. Dreykov kept that information for himself, one of his insurance policies that he would be granted as much access to her as Hydra had.

It was her blood that created the chemical substance used to control the widows, and her. She was his second best creation he said, she remembered his voice from when he was pulling back her skin. But around Peter it all seemed to be bearable, like the weight of it wasn't still choking her with her own collar.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Peter said scratching at the back of his head.

At first she simply nodded allowing him to pass her by without a word. Just as he made his way around her she finally spoke up, "Peter?" He hummed in response eagerly turning around to listen, "I just wanted to say thank you. I uh, ran out of chances with Tony and basically the government and you agreeing to this...it saved me. I never said that before so... thanks for a shot at a normal life."

She searched his face and emotions for signs or inclinations of rejection, but there was none. He felt...warm and welcoming, "I'm just happy I get to be the one person who actually is smarter than you on something for a change."

Alina giggled shaking her head nudging his arm playfully, "Well don't get used to it. Someday I'll definitely be smarter than you too."

"Oh I don't doubt it. Goodnight Tinkerbell," he told her opening the door.

"Night Spiderboy," she joked giving him a wave as she joined him at the door closing it behind him on his way out. Once he was gone she lingered at the door her hand still holding the tomb as if she was going to open it. Distracted she didn't notice the sound of his heartbeat still outside the door as he hesitated to knock again. As if some silent message had been sent to them both, she released her hold as he turned his back on her.

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

❝ midtown high [ bus port ] ❞

Students were waiting by a yellow bus, dressed in their yellow uniform jackets as Alina and Peter ran toward them. Luckily for her she managed to steal one and 'convince' Mr. Harrington to allow her to be a tag along member. As a fill in which was more than enough to get her on the trip. Seeing her and him running towards them, a student named Abe said, "Hey, it's Peter, and his friend Alina."

"Guys," Peter panted.

Getting off the bus Liz, followed by Sabrina and Gwen questioned, "Peter? Lina? What are you guys doing. here?"

"Come to wish me luck," asked Connor as he and Malik came over, "You didn't have to, you told me in my dreams last night."

Alina. scoffed holding up a copy of her own yellow jacket, "Happily for me then, cause I don't have to enflame your ego any more than it already is." Her fiends laughed as Connor pretended to be wounded, "Mr. Harrington thought it be a good club for me to join and thought I'd be safe to come with and see you guys."

As she spoke Peter was little taken back, she had been a little clumsy around all of them but now she wasn't. For her it was giving her an excuse to better engage and blend in. It was sorta ironic to him that if she had to do it for herself she couldn't, but for a mission? There was nothing Alina wouldn't do, and lying and seeming normal however hard it was for her, she did it. Personally she would rather pretend to be any other version of herself, when she was with other kids she played dumb a lot.

"So you get a free trip to DC and you don't really have to worry about going on stage? Alina, I love the way you trick the system into thinking it was their idea," answered Malik. He had a knack for seeing what other people didn't want others to know about themselves. He couldn't really explain it he was just good at understanding people. The moment Malik met Alina he felt sad for her, Sabrina said her family was never around. Like ever even in her apartment according to Gwen and Connor.

According to them, they lived in Europe traveling for business and Peter and his Aunt May looked out for her. Malik's parents always worked, he thought all adult were obsessed with their work over their life. And Alina could feel his worry, it was warm with its concern but sharp like a knife with pity.

"How about you Peter? Come to drop her off," Sabrina asked still wondering why he was there. "We could've picked her up, and you for that matter," added the Benson teenager said.

Peter, who had not been half as good at lying as his companion said, "Yeah, I was hoping maybe I could rejoin the team."

Flash, who was standing in the back by Connor, walked forward to face Peter refusing, "No, no way. You can't just quit on us, stroll up, and be welcomed back by everyone."

"And I don't recall anyone asking for the budget Barry Allen to speak," Alina snapped the words flying out in defense of Peter before she stopped him.

"And no one asked for his knight in shinning armor to show up," barked back Flash.

Alina opened her mouth to speak but stopped hearing footsteps approaching. Connor noticed how she stopped before he was actually close to her, he had just come into eye view for him and her back was turned.

"Hey, welcome back, Peter. Flash, you're back to second alternate," Mr. Harrington said not even needing any convincing to allow Peter.

Flash's eye went wide as he snapped, "What?"

Abe couldn't resist saying, "He's taking your place and she's is first alternate."

Michelle, who had been sitting on the bus listening appeared behind them, in her uniform demanding, "Excuse me, can we go already? 'Cause I was hoping to get in some light protesting in front of one of the embassies before dinner, so."

"Protesting is patriotic. Let's get on the bus," ordered their teacher as they all funneled into the bus.

Peter was immediately pulled down to sit with Ned who just had to ask how Alina manage to get on the team. Growing closer and closer to the back of the bus she just took a seat randomly. "This seat taken," asked Connor making her smile as she looked up.

She shook her head telling him, "It's free if you're brave enough to take it."

"I've never back down from a challenge before in my life Miss Draganov," joked the Stacy teen as. he sat down beside her. Neither of them noticed but Peter watched them silently wishing he had been the one to sit with her. But she deserved to have a life that wasn't all about superhero and him, Connor could be that, if he really wanted to.

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

❝ midtown high bus ❞

They were 90 miles to Baltimore, and 126 miles to Washington by the time Alina realized she hated bus rides. Planes, RV's, even a van was better than the stuffy nature of the bus. Though Connor had been talking to her most of the ride, he told her all about himself. How he did love his father but he did like him and how he decided to help people. Cops, for all their effort, are in a broken system so much that they did never helped.

Connor told her how he wanted to make change and the one real way to do that was to be rich and use the fact that he was white to his advantage. He wanted to be a man with just enough money to make a difference. Connor also told her about his favorite movies, which were Harry Potter, Star Wars, and his guilty favorite was the Percy Jackson Movie.

She'd never seen any of them which prompted him to demand he, Peter, Gwen, Sabrina, Ned, and Malik all watch them and introduce her to a world to entertainment. Liz, who was at the head of the bus quizzing everyone now while the two of them whispered back and forth.

"So what really made you come," wondered Connor.

"You mean besides the glowing record this gives me for college," she joked deflecting.

Connor chuckled reasoning, "Something tells me you won't ever have to worry about college applications. Not when you have the stark internship like Peter."

It wasn't until he said the words, 'stark internship,' that Alina really started to realize how much she was lying. It was so natural to her that she noticed she hadn't told him much that was really about herself. She tried but how could she without saying who she was. So instead she continued to lie, "Yeah well, not like this won't be a nice buffer on it anyway."

Unexpectedly her phone began ringing and she picked it up to see Happy calling her. She glanced back at Peter but he was distracted and didn't notice her at all. "You okay," asked Connor noticing her sudden change.

"Yeah, I just have to take this," she told him answering the call, "Hello?"

Happy was talking on the phone in the Avengers Tower as behind him, workers were carrying things out of the building. "Got a blip on my screen here. You left New York, with Peter? Why?"

Alina sighed getting up passing around Liz to continue the conversation, "It be nice if you stop tracking us like animals Happy. We're just a school trip. It's - It's nothing. It's just the Academic Decathlon. It's no big deal. You and Tony wanted me to try and be normal, I'm trying."

"Hey, hey. I'll decide if it's no big deal," Happy protested making her look at her phone like it was growing an actual head. Not a second later he admitted, 'Sounds like it's no big deal, but remember, I'm watching you."

"Goodbye," Alina said ending the call making her way back to her seat. As she did she assured a curious Connor, "Just my uncle wondering where I went, everythings fine now."

"Well that's good, cause we're here," pointed out the Stacy teenager as he gestured out the window. She saw  the hotel entrance, with a banner announcing the 'United States Academic Decathlon.'

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

❝ dc. hotel room ❞

Alina was supposed to immediately meet up with Ned and Peter but she desperately needed a shower first. She felt hot warm and sticky from being in the bus all day long. So she took her key and walked off to her own room, upon opening the door she discovered Michelle already inside.

"I took this bed, hope you don't mind," Michelle said standing to the bed closest to the window.

Shutting the door. behind her Alina said, "No, you didn't even know I was coming until this morning. You can take whatever bed." She placed her bags on the bed unzipping the phone with her shower items.

"So what made you want to come to DC so bad," Michelle asked.

"Just wanted to see the city," she lied catching the unbelieving glance in. her eyes. Alina chuckled telling her, "Sounds believable right?"

Michelle nodded sitting on her bed with one of the seven books she packed, "Oh totally, I'm definitely not creating hundreds of reasons in my mind as to why you really would."

She could tell she wasn't really joking about that, Michelle was at a natural curious state always. She observed everything but never said a word, much like Alina herself in that way. "If I tell you the truth promise not to rat me out," Alina pondered moving to sit on the edge of her bed.

"You've officially got me intrigued," said the Jones teen sitting up.

"I heard about Connor and Sabrina being on. the trip together and..."

Finishing for her Michelle pieced together, "And you didn't want him hanging with his ex without you being able to see it?"

"Does that make me crazy," she asked, she wasn't technically lying either. Granted the thing of the most importance was Peter but she didn't know much about their relationship other than she cheated on him.

Michelle shook her head telling her, "Crazy? No. A normal teenage girl who is a little jealous? Yes." Alina chuckled at her answer, being around Michelle felt safe. A different type of safe she felt with Connor, Ned, and Gwen. It was similar to the safety she felt around Wanda, as if she could be herself free of judgement. Almost like if she knew that she Hex, Michelle wouldn't see a monster, but the truth, a victim. "Though I thought you and Peter were a thing," she added observing the way they naturally gravitated towards each other. Like magnets, he moved, she moved, he was hurt, she was angry and defensive.

She had noticed a tenderness between her and Connor but Michelle had her pick for who she was betting on. "No, no. Peter is like..." Alina searched for a word to describe what he was to her. Nothing felt right until she realized, "My only genuine friend."

He was the  only person who understood even a fraction of who she was and what she felt. Not that others hadn't tried, but they just never seem to see what he saw in her. At least it never felt like it, Peter looked at her and saw her possibilities. Everyone else looked at her and saw her struggles, she longed to move forward but felt stuck in the role everyone else craved out for her. It was paralyzing, most times it made her feel physically ill.

"That's more than some people get," Michelle said trying to sound happy but Alina felt different. She had a cold loneliness to her she was doing a damn good job of masking.

Rather than attempt to make a big showing of sympathy Alina asked, "Do you stay up late?"

Michelle raised a brow answering, "Yes? Why?"

"I have to go see Peter and Ned. And at least to attempt to see Connor so when I get back, wanna watch a movie? I haven't seen a lot of them so I'm open to anything. Warning, I've been known to wait up for 48 hours for things, so I can stay awake," Alina said getting up from the bed.

"What do you think? I don't even have a circadian rhythm," joked Michelle making Alina laugh and she opened the bathroom door.

"Well then, pick whatever and I'll bring back snacks," offered the brunette before entering the bathroom.

. * ✦ . ◍ ∘ . * ✦ ‧ ∘ ⊹

❝ peter & ned's hotel ❞

Alina walked down the hallways exiting her hotel making her way to the opposite end of the hall. Outside their door was a do not disturb sign which she ignored tapping the nob unlocking it with just her hand. The moment she entered she saw them still in the midst of unpacking. They had. shook various belongings like wires, the purple weapon core, toothpaste, and braces out of their backpacks and onto the bed.

Peter was connecting a wire to the suit while Ned was using his laptop, complicated lines of codes flashing through the screen. With the flashlight with his mouth, working on his suit Peter looked up at her arrival, "Please tell me that was locked and we weren't doing this when anyone could walk in?"

"Yes it was locked. Though, given what I'm seeing here I kinda wonder if I should've just pretended I couldn't walk in," she joked locking the door making her way over to the bed they both were sat on.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this," Ned began before asking, "Peter, why are we removing the tracker from your suit? And why aren't we doing the same with yours Alina?"

Still picking at the wires he said, "Uh, because I gotta follow these guys to their boss before they move again and I don't really want Mr. Stark to know about it."

"Because I'm witch assassin and did it myself," Alina admitted hesitantly looming over Peters suit.

Looking up with the light still his mouth Peter realized, "Wait..you mean you could've done this?"

"I could've done it before we left. the apartment this morning. I. told you to come over earlier," reminded the enchanted assassin getting up making her way over to the mini fridge.

Ned looked at them both and realized, "So you're lying to Iron Man now?"

Alina popped opened a water answering, "I always lie to him, keeps him on his toes."

At the same time she said yes, Peter said, "No, we're not lying." Seeing the disbelief in both of their faces he corrected, "He just doesn't really get what I can do yet." Ned warily eyed his friends feeling concerned while Peter removes the tracking device from the suit. He took the flashlight out of his mouth, "Alright, Happy. Enjoy tracking this lamp."

Overjoyed with himself, Peter stuck the device on a lamp, something about the way he jumped up made her smile. He really enjoyed being a hero and all he wanted was the opportunity to be one. "There's a ton of other subsystems in here," Ned announced in awe of all the protocols Tony programmed one of which made him feel amused as he read, "but they're all disabled by the Training Wheels Protocol."

"Oh no he didn't," Alina laughed rushing over along with Peter as they both looked over at the computer.

The words 'Training Wheels Protocol' were written in small red lettering. The codes declare that the protocol was currently active and that 'Stark Industry Key Identifier' should be entered to disable it.]

"'Training Wheels Protocol,'" Peter confirmed with a groan making his friend laugh at the name, "Turn it off."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, they're probably blocked for a reason," said Ned.

"Come on, man. I don't need training wheels," insisted Peter stepping onto his bed jumping on it. He bounced while saying, "I'm sick of him treating me like a kid all the time. It's not cool."

"But you are a kid," pointed out Ned.

"Yeah, a kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands," reasoned the young vigilante.

Alina could see he wanted to help as Ned wondered, "Peter, I just don't think this is a great idea. I mean, what if this is illegal?"

Peter jumped down to kneel beside Ned pleading, "Look, please. This is my chance to prove myself. I can handle it. Ned, come on."

"I really don't think this is a good idea," he said still not feeling certain on their course of actions.

Keeping his voice low Peter encouraged, "The guy in the chair."

"Don't do that," he pleaded knowing it was already working.

Trying to encourage him Alina spoke up saying, "Peter and I stopped being kids a while ago Ned, this is his life.".

Ned looked at each of them and sighed and typed reluctantly creating a blue flash of light briefly pulses through the suit. Peter smiled, "Thank you Ned," he said grabbing the suit quickly rushing into the bathroom to change.

"Are you going to go get changed while he does," Ned asked, "I could leave and give you a minute."

"Thank you, but I can be a little more subtle about it," Alina explained snapping her fingers causing the clothes she was wearing to almost appear as if they were slowly consumed but blue embers. As the clothes burned to the ground her suit was hot on its tail growing in to replace it.

As her suit finished she pealed off her mask snapping her fingers again putting a hoodie and sweatpants over to hide her suit while she walked through the hotel. Just as she finished Peter exited the bathroom zipping up his hoodie covering his suit.

"That will never get old," Ned said impressed with both his friends, but mores Alina in this moment.

Alina smiled shaking her head assumed as she oped the hotel door peaking to make sure the close was clear. She nodded silently telling Peter it was, before walking out he looked to his friend warning, "Yeah, the glowy thing, it's evidence. Keep it safe."

"And do not drop it. Under no circumstances because I am not here to try and absorb it and you might blow up a city street," Alina caution not realizing how her words freaked him out until he gently placed the orb back down.

Peter activated the tracker tapping her arm saying, "They're moving."

Peter hurriedly walked out of the room with Alina neither of them heard his faint voice saying, "Be careful."

The second they walked out and turned around they walked straight into Gwen and Liz in their bathing suit. The pair instantly felt their stomach twist as Liz approached saying in a. hushed whisper, "Perfect timing. We're gonna go swimming. Come on, come on, come on.:

She waves the other students forward and they all sneak by whispering hellos as they passed them by. Everyone, Sabrina, Malik, Abe, Cindy, they were all going, even Michelle who smiled as she passed Alina by. Being the last one to past him, Flash slaps Peter's butt, "Hey," Peter squealed in a high tone, offended, "I was, uh... I was gonna go study, um, in the business center."

"Peter, you don't need to study. You're, like, the smartest guy I've ever met," Liz said making herself nervous while Peter looked at Liz, bewitched. Tryning to brush past it she added, "And besides... Um, a rebellious group activity the day before competition is good for morale. Um, well, I read that in a TED Talk, so, I-I heard it in a TED Talk. And I read a coaching book."

"Yeah, and it'll be a core memory for life. So you two need to join," demanded Gwen gripping Alina's hands encouragingly.

Liz smiled offering an encouraging nod, as she looked back at them, Peter saw a longing in Alina's eyes she'd never shown. "Wow, you really... This is really important to you," he realized.

Liz kept her softness to her as she said, "Yeah. It's our future. I'm not gonna screw it up. Besides, we raided the minibar and these candy bars were, like, eleven dollars. So get your trunks on and come on."

Liz threw a candy bar at Peter which he easily caught as more kids passed them by, Connor leading them. "Hurry up and get changed, we've got chaos to cause," Connor said swiftly as he kept moving.

Peter watched as her eyes followed him briefly as Liz followed behind him. Gwen stayed waiting to hear her friends answer, she knew Alina didn't always like to be around people so it was important for her to wait and see. Noticing Alina was about to tell them no, Peter interjected, "I can't but Alina was already debating on going swimming herself."

Alina turned stunned about to protest but Peter in a secret code of sorts said, "It's okay Alina, just have a fun night. I'll be fine on my own."

"I have a bathing suit if you need one," Gwen offered wanting her to join.

"But you needed me for help with that problem," Alina disapproved still trying to go.

Peter gripped her hand softly encouraging, "I've done it before I can survive doing it again." Gwen wanted to question what they were talking about but she knew better. Even from her short time with Alina she could tell she was a secretive girl. It was better to just allow Alina to feel safe enough to confide in Gwen.

"Gwen I need a suit can you go get me one of yours," Alina asked seemingly accepting the offered.

The tall blondes face lit up as she said, "Yes, yeah, of course. Just wait here and I'll be right back." Gwen excitedly walked off rushing back to her room to get what she needed. Once she went inside Alina said, "Alright, let's go."

She tried to walk off but Peter grabbed her wrist and said, "No I was serious." She turned back as he canted saying, "I can handle surveillance on my own, I promise I won't do anything crazy without you."

"That's a lie," Alina argued taking off the necklace around her neck. "I know you Peter, if you see something you'll feel compelled to act." She brought the moon pendant to her mouth kissing it whispering something in Bulgarian. "Use this," she said putting in the plan of his hand.

"What is it," he asked examining it.

"It's a magical tracker, you get into trouble all you have to do is touch it and I'll know where to find you. I'm much faster than you too so, I'll be there before you know it," Alina said looking only at the pendant.

Peter's mouth grew into a smile as he realized Alina did really care about him. She might've been cold, or sarcastic but she was always trying to keep him safe and protect him. She saw he was capable of being a hero and truly believed he already was one. Hearing the door to Gwens room open he closed his fist saying, "Thanks, now go have a life." She didn't;t have a chance to say anything else as he walked off and Gwen approached with the swimsuit in hand.

Alina's swimsuit next chapter