New Again

3. Chapter  (Like a Brother)

When Peter woke up, he was confused. He was in a room. A room covered in blue and red. He could hear laughter and laughter downstairs. Someone was there, but who?

When he went downstairs, a young man was making breakfast. Tony called him Harley. He silently watched Harley's energetic and relaxed demeanor with Tony. Peter was struck by how confident Harley was and how in sync with Tony he was. He pulled back and averted his eyes.

Harley's face warmed when he noticed Peter. "Hey, Peter! Tony's been talking about you a lot," he said enthusiastically. "It's great to meet you, man!"

Peter lifted his head slightly, but avoided Harley's gaze. "Hi..." he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Harley noticed Peter's lack of momentum but didn't immediately respond, knowing she had to give him time.

Peter ate his breakfast quietly. He actually played and didn't eat much. The entire Stark family got along very well with Harley.

"Harley, actually the ATV in the garage is broken. Can you fix the engine?" Tony requested.

Harley smiled and said, “Of course.”

He was sitting at one of Tony's old desks, hunched over it, working on something. He turned to Peter with a confident, slightly mocking smile.

There was a different bond.

That day, Peter and Harley were alone in the garage. Harley had taken apart an old electric motor and set about repairing it. Peter stood a few feet away, watching intently as the sound of nuts and bolts filled the silence of the garage. Among the car parts, oily gloves, and complicated devices in the garage, Harley's relaxed, confident demeanor reminded him of Tony.

Harley glanced at Peter as she loosened a screw. “By the way, Spider-Man,” she said, her voice taking on a slightly mocking tone. “You can’t just stand by and watch. If you want to learn anything, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty.”

Peter looked at Harley in surprise at this Tony-like challenge. “I was just…trying to figure out what you were doing. And how do you know I’m Spider-Man?”

Harley let out a short laugh. “I’d recognize Stark tech anywhere, Peter. Oh, and Morgan let it slip this morning.”

Peter laughed softly.

Harley rolled her eyes and held out a screwdriver. “There’s an art to tinkering, Parker. You’ll succeed if you trust your gut feeling, not if you do everything by the rules. Now, open that link.”

Peter hesitantly took the screwdriver and tried to do as he was told. But his hands were shaking and the screw wouldn't budge. Harley watched with a small smile, her head tilted to the side.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t be so gentle. The screw is not a china doll,” Harley said, taking the screwdriver from Peter’s hand and quickly loosening the screw. “Look, it’s not about strength. It’s about balance.”

Peter sighed. “I don’t know, Harley. I mess up all the time.”

Harley turned serious as she leaned over the bike. She stopped what she was doing and looked at Peter. “Peter,” she said, imitating Tony’s determined tone. “This is life. We all make mistakes. But it’s not about not making mistakes. It’s about what you do after you make them. Besides, I know the whole thing about ‘the time travel thing.’

 Peter studied the expression on Harley's face. There was a warmth in her eyes, but they also shone with a confidence that reminded him of Tony's famous look of self-assurance.

Peter asked quietly, “What if life is treating you badly? What if you feel like everything is coming at you?”

Harley paused for a moment. He wiped his greasy hands on the bike and turned to Peter. “When life is treating you badly,” he said softly, a touch of wisdom etched into his voice. “You just smile back. It’s that simple. And you win.”

Peter was surprised by how confident Harley sounded. “But how do you stay so… positive?” he asked, his voice laced with curiosity and a touch of admiration.

Harley was silent for a moment. A brief shadow crossed her face, but she quickly recovered. She looked at Peter with a slight smile, but the depth in her eyes was noticeable. “I owe it to Pepper,” she said finally. “She saved my life. She showed me that I could do bigger things than myself. The only way I can repay her is by being the best version of me. And you know what? You can do the same. Of course, I still have meltdowns. But believing that I’m okay makes me feel halfway there.”

Peter remained silent as Harley's words took in. Harley leaned over the bike again, this time with a bit more enthusiasm as she added with a Tony-style quip, "But you need to learn how to fix that bike first. Or you'll never reach Stark's level."

Peter laughed involuntarily. Harley’s humor and seriousness, reminiscent of Tony, broke the gloom a little. “Okay, Stark’s apprentice. Show me.”

Harley smiled and handed the screwdriver back to Peter. “That’s how you talk, Peter Pan. Now, here we go.”

At that moment, there were not only two young men in the garage, but two people who kept Tony's spirit alive. For the first time, Peter felt that he was not alone.

While spending time with Harley, Peter had a question running through his mind. Could it be a coincidence that Harley was so similar to Tony? When he got stuck on this thought, he retreated to his room and decided to talk to FRIDAY.

“FRIDAY, can you tell us a little bit about Harley Keener?”

FRIDAY's voice was calm as always, but Peter sensed a hesitation. "Harley Keener is someone Mr. Stark knew from his youth. She joined Stark Industries as an intern and has personal ties."

Peter frowned. “What do you mean, personal ties?”

“Your access to this information is limited, Mr. Parker,” FRIDAY said succinctly.

Peter was not satisfied with FRIDAY's answer. "Why limited? Tony trusts me. Shouldn't I know that?"

FRIDAY was silent for a moment, then spoke. “If you would like more information on Harley Keener, it is recommended that you ask Mr. Stark.”

That answer stirred something inside Peter. There was something about Harley that Tony seemed to be hiding.

Two days later, Tony and Pepper were getting ready to pick up Morgan and visit Pepper's family. Pepper, who was packing her bags in the living room of the lake house, approached Peter and spoke softly:

"Peter, we're going away for a few days. You can come to my parents' place if you want," he said.

"No, Mom, we were going to get ice cream," Morgan whined. Harley turned to Peter and said, "Dude, trust me, you don't want to go." Peter said, "I think I'd rather stay, Pep."

“Harley is staying here, so you won’t be alone.”

Peter nodded slightly. “Okay, Mrs. Potts.”

Tony turned to Harley as he walked over to the suitcases and raised his eyebrows. “Can you manage to leave the house where it is, Mr. Keener?”

Harley replied with a wry smile. “Tony, you know me. I’m not one to cause trouble.”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, that worries me even more.”

As they got into the car, Pepper and Tony gave the kids one last warning. "We don't want any trouble at home, okay?" Pepper said in a sweet but serious tone.

“Of course,” Harley replied, as if she were truly innocent.

Harley waited until they were out of sight of the car, then turned to Peter and whispered with a devilish smile, "Yes, Peter Pan. Now it's time for some fun."

In a few hours Harley had completely transformed the living room of the house. The speakers in the garage had been removed, the lights carefully placed. A few of Harley's old acquaintances and neighbors had been invited. Peter watched anxiously from the corner.

“That doesn’t sound like a good idea,” Peter said, approaching Harley.

Harley shrugged as he opened a beer bottle. “Pete, relax a little. We’re not hurting anyone. This is just a little party.”

But as the party got underway, things started to get out of control. The number of guests increased, the music got louder, and every corner of the house was filled. Peter tried to keep up with Harley's joy, but he couldn't control what was happening.

“Harley, isn’t this too much?” Peter asked as he gathered something in the kitchen.

"No, Peter. This is just right," Harley said, laughing at a group of people.

A while later, Peter and Harley were singing with microphones in their hands when they heard sirens outside. Peter's face turned white. Harley looked at the door and laughed. "Oh, perfect. We added the police to the fun."

When the cops entered the house, the music stopped and the guests panicked. Harley acted relaxed as she welcomed the cops as if it were all part of a game, while Peter cowered in a corner, trying to figure out how things had gotten to this point.

And at that moment, another car pulled up in front of the house. Tony and Pepper had turned back. Tony paused for a moment when he entered the door and saw the messy living room, the guests trying to escape, and Harley's slack demeanor.

"I was expecting this," Tony said with a slight smile. Pepper's face was set in a frown.

After talking to the cops, Tony had Harley and Peter sit down in the living room. He was silent for a moment, then turned to Harley and shook his head. “Harley, I didn’t expect this much. I was hoping you would act like an adult.”

Harley tilted her head with a guilty smile. “I mean, Tony, I didn’t think it would be this much fun.”

Tony laughed involuntarily. “Ah, this reminds me of myself when I was younger. Although…” He turned serious and shook his finger at both boys. “You’re not getting away with it.”

Peter asked anxiously. “What punishment?”

Hiding his smile, Tony replied, “You will clean this house. All night long. All night long if necessary.”

Harley and Peter cleaned the house throughout the night, with Tony occasionally checking in on them. Peter was a little annoyed with Harley, but couldn't help but be surprised by how relaxed she was.

“Harley, this was a really bad idea,” Peter said, picking up a broken glass from the floor.

“Maybe,” Harley said with a shrug. “But you gotta admit, it was kind of fun.”

Peter paused for a moment, then smiled involuntarily. “Maybe a little.”

Harley slapped Peter on the shoulder. “See? Don’t be stubborn, Parker. Life is more fun this way.”

Tony chuckled to himself as he watched them from afar. "These kids are going to destroy me," he told Pepper.

Pepper crossed her arms and replied seriously, "One takes after Harley, the other takes after Morgan. I beg your pardon in advance."

Harley stayed at the lake house for a few more weeks. Her bond with Peter had grown stronger. Harley's determined and cheerful demeanor had both impressed Peter and somehow brought him peace.

The resemblance to Tony, the warm demeanor. As if Peter needed a big brother. Helen's plan had worked.

This afternoon, Pepper decided to have a barbecue in the garden of the house. Harley and Peter were sitting around the table, laughing at Pepper's jokes. When Harley placed a bottle of craft beer that she had borrowed from a friend on the table, Pepper raised her eyebrows and spoke in a serious voice:

"No, Harley. Put it back. You know, no alcohol."

Harley grinned, lifting the bottle off the table. “Oh, come on, Pep. Not even just one sip?”

Pepper gave Harley a stern but compassionate look. “No. You know you need to take care of your liver.”

Peter paused for a moment. He noticed the shadow that had crossed Harley's face, but he said nothing. Harley was silent for a moment, then she put the beer bottle aside and leaned back in her chair.

“Yeah, Pete,” he said suddenly, his voice slightly wavering but trying to sound unconcerned. “Want to know a little about my family history? It’s a fun story.”

Peter turned his attention to Harley's serious expression as he inhaled the scent of the barbecue. "Sure, Harley. But… I don't think it's going to be a fun story."

Harley nodded with a bitter smile. “You’re right. I never knew my father. My mother… My mother was everything to me. But I lost her five years ago. From liver failure.”

Peter's eyes widened. “Harley, I didn't know that. I'm sorry.”

Harley smiled with a shrug, but it seemed a little forced. “Well, people experience loss, right? But Pepper… she’s an exception. She didn’t leave me alone after my mother’s funeral. She was so focused on me that she saved me in the end.”

Peter looked at Harley in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Harley paused for a moment and looked at Pepper, who stood over the grill and listened, a gentle smile on her face.

“Liver,” Harley finally said, taking a quiet breath. “After my mother died, it seemed like I would suffer the same fate. The doctors said at one point I would need a liver transplant. I could have waited years on the list, I could have even died, but Pepper… Pepper gave me part of her liver.”

Peter blinked at what he just heard. “Are you serious?”

Harley turned to Pepper and nodded gratefully. “Yes. I mean it. This woman literally saved my life.”

Pepper smiled slightly as she turned the meat on the barbecue. "I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't. Harley, you were just a kid back then, and you were like a son to me too."

Peter looked at Pepper and mumbled a heartfelt thank you as Harley lifted the bottle off the edge of the table and tossed it into the far trash can.

“That’s why there’s no alcohol, Parker,” he said, his voice cheerful but slightly shaky. “I plan on living longer.”

Peter gained a deeper respect for Harley after hearing her story. He realized that despite her strong appearance, she still had a lot of pain inside. That night at the barbecue, the three of them talked more, laughed more, and grew a little closer.

When Tony came home that evening, he had picked up Morgan from daycare on his way home from work. His heart literally melted when he saw his three family members like this.

The next morning, as the sun rose through the mist over the lake, Harley knocked on Peter's bedroom door. When Peter opened the door, he saw Harley waving her car keys in her hand.

"What do you say, Pete? How about we have a little getaway?"

Peter smiled, raising his eyebrows. “A fling? What will Tony say to that?”

Harley approached Peter with a devilish grin. “We’ll just call it a coffee break, not a fling with Tony.”

Tony and Pepper were having breakfast when the duo went down to the kitchen. Morgan had left home early today with Happy to play with her friend. Harley sat down in front of Tony with a casual attitude and placed the keys on the table.

"Tony, me and Pete are going out for a bit. Just a quick drive and a coffee break, that's all."

Tony narrowed his eyes at Harley and raised his eyebrows. “You and Peter, huh? If you’re going to wreck my car, stay out of here.”

Harley laughed dramatically, placing his hand on his chest. “I promise you, this car won’t get dusty. Peter needs some fun, man.”

Pepper, smiling, intervened. “Tony, let them go. You know how good Harley is at steering.”

Tony sighed and nodded. “Okay, but don’t speed. And Peter, don’t get Harley into trouble just because you’re having fun.”

Peter nodded to Tony, smiling slightly. “I promise, Mr. Stark.”

Peter looked around excitedly as Harley pulled the car out of the lake house garage. With a deft touch of the steering wheel, Harley pulled the car onto the road.

"Are you ready, Peter Pan? Because I'm taking you on a little old-fashioned journey," he said, turning on the radio.

A loud rock song blared from the car speakers. Peter looked at Harley with laughter. “That song? Really?”

Harley laughed and turned the steering wheel. “Old but good, Parker. Trust me.”

Peter felt the wind in his face as Harley sped up the car. The sunlight was shining through the trees, casting small shadows on the road. Every now and then Harley would let go of the steering wheel and pretend to play air guitar, while Peter laughed along.

At one point, as Harley sped around a slight bend in front of them, she turned to Peter and shouted, "Hey, Pete! How many times in your life have you felt this free?"

Peter replied with a broad smile on his face. “It’s never been like this!”

When they got home, Tony was sitting on the porch waiting for them. When the car engine cut out, Tony raised an eyebrow at Harley.

"How did it go? Is the car still intact?"

Harley nodded dramatically as she got out of the car. “The car is still in perfect condition, Tony. But Parker’s laughing muscles are tired.”

Peter got out of the car after Harley and nodded at Tony. “I’ve never had this much fun.”

Tony smiled slightly at Harley. “I told you I shouldn’t have trusted you. But you did a good job.”

Pepper called out to them from the porch. "Come on, I'm making coffee. You must have things to tell us."

Peter and Harley walked toward the porch, feeling Tony's eyes on them. When Harley and Peter reached the porch, Pepper was pouring two fresh cups of coffee from the coffee maker. Tony was leaning back in his porch chair, following them with his eyes.

Pepper smiled and held out the cups to them. “This is to hear the story of your little escapade.”

Harley gave a theatrical salute as she accepted the coffee. “Ms. Stark, you look amazing as always.”

Peter thanked him, a little more shyly, as he took his coffee. Tony raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing at Harley. “So, tell me. What happened in my car?”

Harley sat back in her chair and spoke dramatically. “Oh, Tony, I helped Peter discover his inner adventurer. We rocked out to an old rock classic.”

Peter shook his head as he took a sip of his coffee. “We didn’t even go off the road. We didn’t even go over the speed limit.”

Tony turned to Harley sarcastically. “Yeah, ride safe, of course. Everything I’ve heard about you says just that.”

Harley shrugged and laughed, drinking her coffee. “You’re going to hear a lot more about me, Tony. And it’s all going to be true.”

Pepper turned to Peter and spoke softly, "But you look really well, Peter. It's nice to see Harley giving you some relief."

Peter nodded, smiling. “Today was… really good. Thank you.”

After the coffee chat, everyone went to bed. The lake house was silent. However, just as Peter and Harley were about to fall asleep, the door to their room opened slightly.

Morgan appeared in the doorway with a small blanket and a teddy bear. “I can’t sleep,” she said in a small voice.

Harley and Peter were sharing a room. Tony had divided the room in two. When Harley gave him the idea, Tony said, “There are a lot of rooms in the house, Harley.”

“I know I just want Peter not to feel alone,” she said.

Peter sat up quickly. “What happened, Morgan? Did you have a nightmare?”

Morgan shook his head. “No, I just… felt lonely. Can you tell me a story?”

Harley turned to Peter, adjusting her pillow. “Did he choose me or you?”

Peter shrugged, smiling slightly. “We can both tell you.”

Harley slowly got up from her bed and walked over to Peter's bed and sat down. Morgan lay in the middle of the bed while Harley and Peter sat in the middle of them. Harley dramatically picked up Morgan's teddy bear. "So, are you ready to hear about this little hero bear's adventure in the woods?"

Peter leaned over to Harley, smiling. “And then the bear came up with a plan to defeat an evil dragon,” he said, adding to the story.

Morgan's eyes grew heavy as he listened to the two. With a small smile, he wrapped himself in his blanket and fell asleep peacefully next to his two "brothers."

When Tony got up to get a glass of water in the kitchen, he heard faint voices coming from the room. When he opened the door and looked in, he paused at what he saw.

Peter and Harley were sitting on either side of Morgan. Morgan had fallen asleep between them like a little angel. Harley had leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes as Peter gently adjusted Morgan's blanket.

Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly captured the moment in a few photos. You're growing up, kids, he thought, smiling slightly.

As the first light of morning filtered through the wooden windows of the lake house, Pepper was up early and making breakfast in the kitchen. The delicious smell of pancakes spread throughout the house, and the warm aroma of coffee softened the silence of the morning.

After Pepper had finished the last plate on the kitchen counter, she went upstairs to wake the kids. When she entered Morgan's room, she smiled slightly as she remembered that she had spent the night in Peter and Harley's room.

When he opened the door slightly, the three of them were still sleeping in the same position. Morgan was sleeping peacefully between his two older brothers. Peter's head was resting on Morgan's head, and Harley's arm was gently wrapped around the little girl he considered like a sister.

"Hey, it's morning," Pepper said sweetly, but no one made any move.

He moved a little closer and clapped his hands. “Come on kids, time to get up! Breakfast is ready. And yes, there is coffee too.”

Harley was the first to wake up, her eyes narrowing. She lifted her head with a slight grunt. “I can’t function without my morning coffee, Pepper. But it smells nice…”

Morgan put a hand over his eyes as he woke up. “Five more minutes,” he muttered.

Peter stirred slightly and finally opened his eyes. “What… how many hours did we sleep?”

Pepper put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Enough. Come on, we’ll meet at the breakfast table.”

When they came downstairs, the table was covered with a wonderful breakfast Pepper had prepared. Fresh fruit, jam, pancakes, and even mini waffles made especially for Morgan.

Harley grabbed a pancake as she sat at the table. “Pepper, I think marrying you was Tony’s best decision. This breakfast… a work of art!”

Morgan quickly reached for the pancake in Harley's hand. "I wanted that!"

Peter took a sip of his coffee as he laughed at their little argument. “This morning started off really well,” he said to himself.

Pepper nodded, looking at Peter. “And we’ll do our best to keep it that way.”

During breakfast, Tony came downstairs, a little late, to attend the morning meeting. He paused briefly when he saw the laughter and warm atmosphere at the table.

“I guess I joined the table late,” he said with a smile.

Harley quickly pulled up a chair. “Tony, if you don’t try these pancakes, you’ll regret it. Even I’m going to ask Pepper for the recipe.”

Morgan hugged Tony as she sat on his lap. "Dad, Peter and Harley are so funny! I want to have breakfast with them every morning."

Tony winked slightly. “If you’re having so much fun, why not?”

What was not known was that there would be sadness and grief as well as happiness.

The morning sun shone on the water as Harley and Peter settled into the lake house dock. Harley glanced at Peter as she readied her fishing pole.

“You know, Peter,” he said as he cast his line into the lake, “you look pretty good this morning. Even your face has some color.”

Peter shrugged, smiling. “Maybe a good night’s sleep helped. Or maybe it’s because I have to deal with a pain in the neck like you.”

Harley laughed and threw her fishing rod into the lake. “Oh man! I’m not a pain in the neck, just a great friend.”

Harley leaned back in her chair and turned to Peter, her expression serious. “Okay, now for the real question. Are you considering becoming Spider-Man again?”

Peter paused for a moment. He watched the fishing line dance across the surface of the water. Then he took a deep breath and turned to Harley. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “But whatever Helen says, I’ll have to trust her guidance for now.”

Harley nodded with a moment of respect for Peter’s determination. “That makes sense. You have an appointment today.” Peter nodded.

A few hours later, Tony drove Harley and Peter to the hospital. As Tony pulled into the hospital parking lot, he turned to Peter.

“I’m sure Harley didn’t push you too hard today,” he said sarcastically.

Harley smiled. “Push him? Never. Peter is the master of pushing himself too hard.”

Peter rolled his eyes but smiled slightly. “Will both of you leave me alone?”

Helen smiled warmly at Peter as she welcomed them at the door to her room.

“Peter, it’s great to see you so well,” he said gently. “Come on, let’s take a look at how you’re doing today.”

Peter sat on a gurney, as Helen guided him. Helen took out her stethoscope and placed it on Peter's chest. She listened carefully to each heartbeat, then readied the ultrasound machine and began examining his ribcage. Peter felt a slight shyness as he unbuttoned his shirt one by one, as instructed by his doctor, but he did not show these thoughts.

“Take a deep breath, Peter,” Helen said.

As Peter followed the instructions, the cool gel of the ultrasound machine touched his skin. Helen looked at the screen with a serious expression, then nodded slightly, taking notes.

“The recovery of the heart muscle is quite good,” he said finally. “But it will take some time for it to fully recover. There is also some slight fibrosis of the lung tissue that remains after the pneumothorax. This is to be expected during the recovery process.”

Peter looked at Helen with a slight look of concern on his face. “So how much time do I have exactly?”

Helen took out her stethoscope and gently touched Peter's shoulder. "About three more weeks, Peter. Your heart muscles are getting stronger, but it will take time for them to function at full capacity. Your lungs are regaining their oxygen diffusion capacity. It is essential that you avoid sudden physical activity during this time."

Tony listened intently to Helen's words, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "So is there anything special we need to do?" he asked.

Helen nodded. “Balanced diet, plenty of fluids and regular rest. Also, morale is very important. Peter, you need to keep your stress levels low. It’s the key to recovery.”

Harley stepped in to try and lift Peter's spirits. "So, no stress! We're having a movie marathon as soon as we get home. You choose, Peter."

Peter couldn't help but smile at Harley's cheerful demeanor. "Okay, but if Morgan makes the choice, none of us survive."

Everyone in the car was relaxed. Harley turned to Peter in the backseat and said half-jokingly, "I want to see you in that costume in three weeks. But be careful this time."

Peter smiled, bowing his head. “I have no choice but to be careful now.”

Tony added, laughing softly from behind the wheel. “Okay, guys. But we have to get on Morgan’s schedule as soon as we get home. Otherwise, he’ll be the real hero.”

These little moments between them were enough to lift Peter's spirits.

Peter, Harley, Morgan, and Tony were gathered in the large living room of the house, watching a movie to relax after a long day. The smell of dinner was still faintly perceptible in the room, Pepper was busy preparing something in the kitchen. Morgan was sitting with a lapful of pillows, waiting impatiently for the movie. A great action movie was playing in the background, Peter, Harley, and Morgan watched with pleasure as the heroes ran across the river.

But suddenly, the noise of the action scenes in the movie was interrupted by loud explosions coming from outside. At first, everyone thought it was an effect from the movie. However, the sounds were real and were getting closer and closer. Explosions started to be heard one after another with a sound like thunder. At that moment, there was a sudden silence in the room. Everyone looked at each other.

Peter shivered when he heard the noise coming from the door. Before he knew it, gunshots could be heard from outside the door frame. He took a deep breath and stood up.

“What was that?” Harley asked nervously.

As Tony quickly got up and looked out the window, he began to see dark shadows and silhouettes moving quickly outside.

“Armed assault!” he said, his voice tense. He moved quickly toward the door. “Pepper! Morgan! Harls! Pete! Get in the warehouse now!”