Chapter 2
Ned’s Lola remembered him next. She sat down and cried with him on her worn couched after she gave condolences about his aunt. Ned translated most of what she was saying but there were times when he didn’t need words to understand. He knew Ned would explain things to her later so he enjoyed the tea and pats on the back.
Ned had insisted that they get an apartment together. That him, MJ, Betty, and Peter would have a blast at college together. He pulled up places that MJ and Betty had sent to him. Peter had to shatter his daydream with reality. He didn’t get into MIT. Hell, he doubt they knew he even existed. He was erased after all.
“What about Mrs. Stark?” He asked after a moment of silence. “You think she could help you there?”
“We weren’t as close as I am to you guys. I don’t think she’ll remember me.”
“It’s worth a try? You could ask it as a favor for Spider-Man.”
He doubted it would work. Pepper wasn’t close with Peter. She had him and May over often, and he did do emergency babysitting for her, but she sponsored Spider-Man, not mentor him. Still, Ned had asked him to at least trying to talk to her. Or even Happy! After days of badgering he finally relented and took May’s old car and drove out the city.
The whole drive he gripped the steering wheel with two fists. His mind mulling over his thoughts. How would he even begin explaining his situation? He doubt showing up and saying ‘Hey, I erased myself from your memories and now I’m back cuz I need help with college.’ Would go over as well as telling a black bear not to maul the fish in the stream.
But he wasn’t doing this for him. He was doing this because Ned had begged and even got MJ to give him a disapproving glare until he agreed.
When he had pulled up and finally got out of the car, a blur shot out of the house leaving the screen door to bang against its frame. Out of instinct he caught the blur that turned out to be Morgan dressed in an Else costume with tiara on her head. Her arms had wrapped around his neck and she pulled him into the strongest hug she could muster.
“Peter!!!!” She cried out happily. The pang from a few weeks ago had return. He felt elated to once again be remembered. Her buried his head in her hair and cried softly. He had missed Morgan so much. She was the purest being that existed in this world and being without her made his world just a little duller. “I missed you!!!”
“I missed you even more! I had no one to have a tea party with!” He exclaimed pulling he back to look at her. She wiped at his tears.
“Don’t cry.” She demanded.
Then the screen door slammed shut and he looked to see Pepper on the front porch with a mug in one hand and her other on her hip.
Now that he thought about it, it was probably very weird for her to see a stranger holder her daughter.
“Really Peter? You thought attempting to erase yourself completely was the best option?”
Never mind, then.
“How do you-“
“One, artificial intelligence isn’t affected by magic like people are. Two, I called Strange over when Morgan started asking about some boy who I didn’t remember but my AI and daughter did.”
She set her mug on the railing and walked down towards them. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug and placed a kiss on his temple. “I’m so sorry about May.” She whispered. “She was always so so proud of you.”
The tears he had managed to stop had started all over again. He buried his head on her shoulder and let the tears wet her shirt. She rubbed his arms and let him ride his emotions. His crying sessions were starting to become shorter and shorter, a sign he was healing and moving forward.
She led him in the cabin and made tea which Peter promised to Morgan he would drink out of her new tea set. He did ask they drink at the kitchen table instead of the play set in her room. He was slightly afraid of his knees knocking into things and breaking them.
“What if I want the purple cup?” Peter asked Morgan.
“You can’t,” Morgan stated, “Purple is Mommy’s cup. Yellow is Happy, Uncle Rhodey is Green, and you are blue.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that logic.” Peter then took the play teapot that Pepper had put cooled down tea in. “Do you want me to pour it?” At her nod he filled all three of the placed cups.
“Strange won’t admit it but he was a little mad that she wouldn’t let him use the blue cup when he visited. She made him drink out of a cup from her Belle set.” And Peter laughed at that. Ned was going to love hearing about that.
“Did he tell you why she remembered me? Does he remember me?” Peter asked downing his drink and taking a cookie from the plate in front of him. “Oh I like the tea. What flavor?”
“It’s a mixed berry one that came in my subscription box.” She answered, “Strange said that the spell was never meant to erase people just events. The spell can’t make people forget emotions, so it doesn’t truly erase memories it just buries them. So strangers who never met you and have no emotional connection to you won’t be able to recall you. The stronger the emotional attachment the quicker a person remembers. And kids? We’ll they feel things the most intense.”
Peter nodded processing the information.“Will people be able to remember the whole thing with Mysterio?”
“I already had Friday and the PR team from SI remove any traces of it from the internet. She’s been going through any device she can to erase any evidence. In case we miss something we have already had a professional break down how the video is doctored with a deepfake.” Pepper poured more tea in her plastic cup, “We also have leaked Beck’s HR report about why he was fired.”
“I tried to come to you first when the whole thing went down but I couldn’t risk leading people to Morgan. I also thought I could handle it myself.” He mumbled miserably.
“Peter, I don’t blame you. I did rip Strange a new one about it though. He’s older, he should have discussed things more before just trying to solve things with a spell.”
Pepper took a cookie and popped it into her mouth. Morgan was climbing out of her chair when she heard Sam’s car pull up. “Be good for Sam and Bucky.” Pepper told Morgan and she pulled her shoes on. “Don’t wander away from them at the museum, okay?”
“Okay Mommy!” She responded and gave her a kiss and a hug. She then ran over and gave a hug to Peter before running out the door. He could he Bucky’s deep voice greet her. Asking if she was ready to visit the exhibit.
“She begged to go with AJ and Cass when she heard Sam was taking them to the Smithsonian. Plus being the one that pays superheroes you get a lot of babysitting options.” Peter laughed.
“Anyway, let’s talk about getting you into MIT.”
“You’ll help me with that?” Peter asked with his voice cracking.
“It would be an insult to Tony if both his kids didn’t go to his alma mater.”
Then Peter was hugging Pepper again. A breathe he didn’t realize he was holding exhaled from his body and tears were swelling in his eyes. She stroked his hair the way May use to when he was in distress.
“Your college is paid for as long as you can babysit.” And then the cabin was filled with laughter, and tears, and the overwhelming feeling of healing.