Chapter 4
The elevator ride was not only short but silent as the class were in fear of speaking due to the events of the last 5 minutes.
“Right tiny humans!” Emily clapped once again “we are about to enter a lab dedicated to human biology, usually I try not to repeat rules so much as to bore you, but I want to make it very clear that if you touch anything in this lab, you will be removed from the tour! In we go”
As once again, the teens flooded a lab, Flash regularly gave infuriated looks towards Peter, who just slowly walked around the outside of the room.
Whilst taking in everything around them, the class began to build their confidence back up, chatting more amongst friends and even asking questions towards some of the more open workers.
Their time in the human bio lab was thankfully uneventful in terms of lethal accidents, jail threats, and harsh comments.
Right as Emily began to group up all the children to view a demonstration, F.R.I.D.A.Y’s not so robotic voice filled the room.
“Peter, It appears Miss Morgan Stark is in destress which Mr Keener is unable to resolve. As Mr and Mrs Stark are currently engaged in meetings, you are the next on the list to provide assistance before I initiate the ‘Pampered Princess Protocol’. Please make your way to the penthouse as soon as possible.”
And with that, for the billionth time today, the class fell into stunned silence. Before he could react, however-
“Peter, do not dare. You will not leave this group and you will not go off in this building unsupervised” the unrelenting teacher ordered.
“Uh, excuse me, MY instructions, remember?” the guide gestured to herself before turning to kid in question “Off you go, Junior, go save her from the devil”
As Peter made his way to the private elevator (which again, was hidden behind a bland wall panel) Mr Turner made an attempt to follow him. As the elder was about to enter the lift he seemed to walk into an invisible wall...
“Mr Turner, you do not have clearance to use this access point. Please step back, before further measures are taken”
In time with his back step, the ‘doors’ began to close, cutting off the teen from the teacher, and in turn, the rest of the class.
________
Usually, the elevator ride up to the penthouse is where Peter would release a deep sigh and shake off any stress from throughout the day, and trust you me, it had been an extremely stressful day so far, but today his anxiety only continued to rise in concern for is ‘little sister’.
As the doors opened onto the main communal floors, Peter’s ears were suddenly flooded with the screams on a certain 4-year-old little girl. Instantly diving into action, he all but sprinted towards the pair sat on the floor next to the coffee table. In one swift movement, he lifted the small child and swung her into an embrace on his hip, slowly rocking from side to side.
Whilst Peter attempted to calm Morgan through physical affection and the occasional cooing, Harley let out a sigh, rubbing his hands down his face and leaning back against the couch behind him.
Gently stroking Morgan’s hair, whilst still swaying, Parker turned to his boyfriend on the floor and mouthed “what’s wrong? What happened?”.
The only reply he received was a shake of the head and raised arms in an “I have no idea” gesture.
Over the course of about 2 minutes, the child’s cries turned into sniffles and hiccups.
“What happened, princess” Peter finally questioned, not stopping his soothing movements. The response, however, was just muffled mumbling into his shoulder that, if you strained, could possibly be heard as “everything”.
After carefully lowering himself onto the couch with Morgan still in his hold, he pulled her away ever so slightly and spoke up again
“I need big girl words now, how can I make everything better if I can’t understand what’s wrong”
A moment of contemplation later… “Harley burnt my toast, and then the film wouldn’t play, and then my pen snapped and it made my picture bad, and then I spilt my juice, and, and, and then I hurt my knee!”
“well, it sounds to me, like you’ve had just a TERRIBLE day” peter mused dramatically “BUT! “He exclaimed, “Lucky for you, I have the perfect cure!”
Morgan looked up at him in pure amazement, wide-eyed and hopeful.
“Stay here with Harley for just a moment, and I promise I’ll be right back” standing up and passing Morgan to Harley, giving a kiss on the forehead to each of them.
As promised, Peter returned less than a minute later holding the jar of cookies that Bucky had baked the night before.
With a gasp and a giggle, the little brunette came bounding over to the teen and began tugging at his shirt in an attempt to get him to open the jar quicker, before then snatching one straight out of his hands and jumping back on the couch to start eating.
“I fucking love you, Darlin’” Harley whispered as he shuffled over to his boyfriend, pulling him into a kiss before taking his own cookie. Earning a giggle from Peter this time.
“Are we feeling better now?” Peter questioned just as Morgan was finishing her treat
“Uh-huh” she nodded
“Good, I need to go back downstairs now, okay? Ned and MJ are waiting for me”
“Ned and MJ?” her head whipped around
“Yup, they’re here with my class for a tour!”
“Can I see them? Pleeease?”
“Not today, Morg, maybe at the weekend though, okay?”
“But I have to give them a cookie though! They need one too!” she declared, as though it be the most important thing in the world
After Peters stern look failed to change her mind, he reluctantly agreed “But Harls will come pick you up and bring you back here in a few minutes, okay?”
“Yes, yes yes!”
Picking up the excited child, Peter made his way back to the elevator with a sigh and a laugh before confirming with FRIDAY that the class were still in the same lab as when he left.