“You’re different.”
Glancing away from the MRI scan on his tablet, he looked up at Christine where the woman stood against the wall of his office. She held a tablet in her own hands, the stylus in her hand ghosting over the screen as she worked. Her light brown hair was held back in a messy bun at the nape of her neck and her eyes flicked toward him when she felt his gaze on her.
“How so?” He asked as nonchalantly as he could, going back to the scan and making a few notes on the screen with his own stylus.
“I don’t know.” She admitted, the curiosity bleeding into her words. “The way you speak, and move; it’s you, but not quite. I’d think alien or body snatcher if I hadn’t been testing you the past week.”
He chuckled lowly. “Is that what all the pop quizzes have been about?”
“What song was the B side of Led Zeppelin's ‘Immigrant Song’?”
“’Hey, Hey, What Can I Do’, recorded July 1970 and released November 1970.” He looked at her again with a raised eyebrow and a bored expression. “Please, that wasn’t even hard.”
Christine tucked the tablet under her arm and pushed off the wall, walking the few steps to his desk. “You disappeared a month ago, suddenly taking a week off and one of the ER nurses with you. You came back, she’s on an extended leave of absence.”
“And why do you know so much about one of our nurses?” He asked, genuinely surprised May’s time away had been noticed.
“Nurse Parker is one of the best we have in the ER.” She pointed out.
Unnecessarily, as it were, since Stephen was more than aware or May’s nursing skills. Especially her uncanny ability to wrangle a convalescing Tony Stark into following Doctor’s orders. She had a determined stare down that rivalled Ms. Potts. Both women were terrifyingly efficient at getting the men in their lives to do what they wanted them to.
Unaware of his thoughts, Christine continued. “You personally signed the approval for her leave, Stephen. Something you have never done before. And now you’re taking cases you wouldn’t have a month ago. You’re picking up more shifts for general rounds, and I know when you vanish during those rounds, you’re visiting the pediatric ward on the eighth floor.”
“And is any of this a problem?” He set aside the tablet and leaned back in his chair.
“I wish you had done it sooner.” She admitted with a faint smile. “This is the Doctor I always knew you were capable of being, Stephen. Not the cold, heartless genius you were just weeks ago. I just...”
“You want to know what happened?” He couldn’t fault her that. He knew his routines had changed. Knew that he was nothing like the man he had been before That Night . But he also knew that she was not ready for the truth. A portion of it, however...
“I was nearly in an accident the night of the benefit.” He told her succinctly. “I was driving erratically, dangerously, and the car spun out. While attempting to avoid one collision, I almost went over the cliffside. Only dumb luck kept me from doing so, and likely killing myself in the process. “
“Oh my god, Stephen!” She gasped, eyes wide with horror. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I was fine, Christine.” He shrugged. “The incident had me reevaluating aspects of my career and how I wished to be remembered, should something happen to me. I took some time off – time owed to me, mind you.”
“And Nurse Parker?”
“While I was in the administration’s office, May Parker was there as well. She had been offered a temporary employment opportunity that, financially for her and her nephew, was too good for her to pass up. She was ready to tender her resignation and take the chance on being rehired once the temporary placement was over. However, I refused to allow us to risk losing one of the more competent nurses in this hospital permanently. I helped arrange her leave of absence, that is all.”
As if the Vishanti were conspiring against him, a knock at the closed door interrupted him. Through the glass, he could see May Parker standing outside in the hall. He rolled his eyes at Christine’s teasing smirk. “Coincidence, I promise you. Come in, May.”
The door opened and the off-duty nurse stepped inside, pausing when she saw Christine already within. “Sorry to interrupt, Stephen. Hello, Dr. Palmer.”
“Hello, Nurse Parker.” Christine’s smirk was only growing as she regarded the other woman. “And we were finished here. When are you coming back? We miss you down in the ER!”
“I’m back next week.” May smiled and adjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. “The private care job is just about over, so I’m back on rotation starting Wednesday.”
“That’s great!” Christine gave Stephen an amused grin and started for the door. “I’ve got rounds. Stephen, Nurse Parker; I’ll leave you to your business”
May watched as the other physician shut the door upon her except before turning back to face Stephen who was now rising from his chair. “She really doesn’t remember?”
“No.” The sorcerer shook his head and sighed. “She may remember one day, and with it her request to have the memory of those few days altered. Not everyone is ready for what we know, May. Knowing about the aliens that attempted to invade four years ago is one thing. That is in the past, dealt with, no longer a nightmare inducing threat. But knowing about what is to come...”
“Thanos.” Just saying the name caused the woman to glower. “If that walking grape comes near Peter this time-”
“We won’t let it get that far.” Stephen promised her. “As for Christine, it’s apparent she now believes there is something of a love affair between you and I, if her not-so subtle looks just now were anything to go by.”
She smiled softly, but didn’t laugh as he expected her to.
“May-”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” The woman quickly stated, holding up a hand to stop his train of thought. “I don’t think – You’re amazing, Stephen. Handsome, and smart, and not at all who I thought you were. But Ben’s only been gone a few months. Maybe in another time...”
He offered her a teasing grin. “Do you really want to know?”
This time she did laugh. “Seriously?”
“Eight, just off the top of my head.” He chuckled along with her. “One was quite scandalous.”
“Oh god, don’t tell me you and I had an affair while I was still married!”
“The three of us, actually.” He smiled salaciously. “The memories of Benjamin in bed between you and me are quite pornographic.”
May was suddenly very red in the face and gaping at him, and expression uncannily similar to one Peter had been known to wear when embarrassed. “Wait, what – are you fucking with me?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Maybe when you’re ready we’ll share a bottle or two of wine and I’ll tell you a few stories about your husband.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Dr. Strange.” Her blush was already fading as she reached into her purse. “And knowing that makes it easier to give you these.”
The bundle of papers was thick, and very legal and official looking when he unfolded them to read over them. All amusement fled from him as the words registered. “May, this-”
“It’s worried me every day since Ben’s been gone.” Her voice is thick with emotions and her eyes glistened with rising tears. “What will he do if something were to happen to me?”
“This is significantly more than that, May.” Stephen responded seriously, flipping through the papers with growing concern. “This is joint custody. Active custody. You are essentially asking me to adopt your nephew-” He flipped to another page. “-and share custody of him with you!”
“I know.” She wiped her eyes dry and cleared her throat. “Ben’s family is all gone, and I aged out of the foster system. There’s no one but me and Peter, and Peter is only fifteen. I won’t let happen to him what happened to me.”
“May.” Her words were like ice through his veins and he finally looked away from the papers in his hands. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sick or dying.” Was her blunt reply. “But I’m scared. Terrified. I wish I could have you do for me what you did for Dr. Palmers. I don’t want to know about aliens or multiverses or Thanos or half the universe vanishing with the snap of a finger. But I can’t - I won’t leave Peter to face this alone like he was in so many other timelines.”
“He won’t be alone.” He tried to ease her worries but she shook her head and pointed to the papers clenched in his hands.
“I have learned the hard way that tomorrow is never promised, Stephen.” Her voice wavered but was still strong with conviction. “A car crash, a car thief’s bullet, aliens invading, monsters from another dimension. You can’t even promise me that when I leave this office that I will survive the elevator ride to the ground floor.”
“You’re right.” He agreed. “But what you’re asking of me-”
“Would you rather it Tony Stark?” The snark was uncalled for, but she wasn’t wrong and she knew it. “I’ve seen the connection between Tony and Peter, and while it doesn’t worry me like it used to, he is not someone I would trust with someone like Peter. Not knowing what I know. You tell me Peter is pivotal in stopping Thanos, fine. Then I want him trained. I want him prepared in every way possible for the fight that’s coming and the only one who can do that with any kind of certainty is you.”
“Iron Man has fought and won against global threats.” Stephen reminded her. “He has the experience and resources that I don’t.”
“And look what’s happened to him.” She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “Of all the ‘Avengers’ that fought alongside him in Germany, who’s left? Jim? He’s lucky to be walking and that’s because you intervened medically and magically. The robot one? I have yet to see him since all this started, have you?”
“The Vision, and I have not.” He admitted with a frown.
“Then there’s Peter. He’s just a child, Stephen, and you want to put him on the front lines of this war you say is coming.” She took a step forward and jabbed him on the chest. “You teach him. You train him. You get him ready for anything. And you damn well keep him alive!”
“And you think this is the best way to do that?” He held the papers up between them. “Have you even talked to Peter about this? I can promise you, he would rather Tony Stark, not me.”
“And that’s why it has to be you.” She sighed, stepped away from him, and sat in a chair in front of his desk. “Peter idolizes Tony Stark. He would do anything and everything that man ever asked of him. The power he would have over Peter is frightening.”
Stephen followed her and crouched in front of her and place a hand over hers. “He would never abuse that power, May.”
“But he would still have it. Look, Stephen it’s simple: should something happen and I’m not able to be here for Peter, it has to be you. I’ve seen you with him; you care for him but you’re not his Hero. His world rises and sets with Tony Stark. You would be a parent, and that’s what he needs.”
“He has you.”
“I’m his aunt.” She told him wryly. “Ben was his dad. Ben retired from the police after Richard and Mary died and focused everything on Peter. He was there for every nightmare, every scraped knee, every test, every asthma attack, every moment of Peter’s life since he came to live with us. I – I don’t know how to do that. How else do you think he could have been out there doing his spider-hero thing without me knowing? I didn’t even realize he wasn’t in the apartment or didn’t come home after school or anything that a parent is supposed to know about their kid. Hell, I let him leave the country with a Billionaire and complete stranger without checking, well, anything!”
“You give yourself too little credit, May Parker.” He asserted. “I know for a fact a lot of Peter comes from you.”
“Maybe. But what happens if I’m not here?” She took the papers that were still held in his hand and flattened them out on the surface of the desk. “He’d go into the system. Peter. The sweetest, most caring boy you could ever know, and it would destroy him. This part you want him to play against Thanos? You could forget that. He wouldn’t survive the system, and you’d lose everything.”
“But what you’re asking, May...”
She took a pen from the desktop and held it out to him. “You care for him, Stephen. I’ve seen it. All I’m asking is a little reassurance that should something happen to me that he would be taken care of. Properly. I know Tony would take Peter in and he would try. Ms. Potts and James would try to help, but it wouldn’t be what Peter needed. All these papers do is give you a legal say in what happens if I’m not here to reign that man in.”
“May-”
“He cares about you too.” She talked quickly over him. “He talks about you all the time; about how smart you are and I know he’s read some of your Medical Journals. I’ve seen him ask you about them and you talk to him and help him understand them. He thinks the magic is cool, but he’s fascinated by your career as a doctor more.”
“May-”
“And it’s not like I’m planning on dying or anything. I intend on stomping the Walking Grape a few times myself for even daring to exist in the same universe as my Peter. I just can’t - I don’t think I can do this on my own anymore.”
“May!” He took the pen from her fingers when it looked like she was going to keep speaking. “He will stay with me when you have the night shift or take a double at the hospital. One weekend a month he will accompany me to Kamar-Taj. Not to learn the mystic arts but there are other skills that can be taught there – martial arts, meditation – and he wouldn’t have to hide his abilities.”
A small smile played across her lips. “Agreed.”
“He comes straight home to your apartment or my penthouse after school before going out as Spider-Man. He does not put on that suit without one of us knowing.” He continued, not entirely aware of what he was agreeing to but knowing he wanted to do it. “His school work is to continue as it has been; we both know how bright he is and while grades are not everything, he has worked too hard to get to where he is. We won’t allow it to suffer because of all of this.”
“Absolutely.” Her smile was brighter now and he couldn’t help but return it. “And, come the fall, he has to rejoin at least one of his extra-curricular clubs. I always thought he dropped out of all his clubs because of how he lost his Uncle Ben, but now I’m not so sure. “
“I concur.” Stephen turned the papers so they were face him and flipped to the first of many to be signed. “He deserves to be a child for as long as we can ensure it; until he’s thirty if I have any say in it.”
“Stephen.” Her hand was suddenly on his, stilling the pen just as he was about to sign. He looked up at her face and his heart swelled at the tearful gratitude he saw there. “Thank you.”
He couldn’t stop himself as he leaned across the scant distance between them and kissed her cheek affectionately. “May, it is my utmost honor.”
Stephen signed.