Chapter Text
Peter was on the subway texting Ned about his most recent Spiderman activities, when a text from Aunt May came through.
“Can you make it home early today?”
Peter brows furrowed because it was rare for May to be home right now. Part of why he’d planned on Spirdermanning till dinner. Sighing a little at having to go home first he texted back, “Sure I’m headed there now.”
“Good. See you when you get here.”
Peter wondered about why she was having him home early for the rest of the trip. Soon enough he was home, letting himself in and stopping short when he saw Aunt May sitting on the couch waiting for him. It made his spider sense tingle.
“Hey.” Peter said setting his backpack down carefully and then kicking his shoes off by the door. “What’s up?”
“Come sit down sweetie.” Aunt May said patting the couch.
Peter sat down next to Aunt May. “May, what’s going on?”
“Well I have some news for you and it’s not good.” She said gently.
“Oh? Is this about Spiderman? Did you decide I can’t do it after all?”
“No, Peter. You can still be Spiderman. This is about me. A month ago, I went to have a mammogram. It’s a breast exam where they check to make sure everything is ok and that you don’t have any masses that could be malignant.”
“Um, so it checks for cancer? I learned about some of that in science.”
‘Right, exactly. Well,” She took a deep breath and Peter could see now faint tracks of tears, “They did find something.”
“Oh. What does that mean? You have cancer.” He was shocked.
“It means I have cancer.” She affirmed.
Peter felt his stomach drop. “What does that mean, are you going to be alright? What can I do?”
“It means I’m sick, Peter. Usually they try to do surgery to remove what they can.”
“Usually? So, they can’t for you?”
She looked away biting her lip, “They tried. But its spread to other tissue and my lymph nodes”
“They tried, when? You had surgery?” He wasn’t taking this all in. His brain felt like it was swimming.
“A few weeks ago, when you stayed with Tony for that long weekend I had it done.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have taken care of you and come with you, so you weren’t alone.”
“I wasn’t alone. Natasha went with me.”
“Natasha as in Black widow?”
“Yes, her and Pepper both. Tony arranged it. Anyway, the point is, they determined it’s stage four breast cancer that’s spread to my lymph nodes.”
“So, you’ll need chemo or radiation on top of the surgery? I can cut my patrols and make sure I’m home more to take care of things.”
“Peter, honey, that’s not necessary, but I appreciate it.” She said gently, “The thing is though, I won’t need that.”
“But you just said they found something, and it’s spread, they have to do chemo or radiation? Or another surgery, right?”
“Peter,” She said voice breaking, “They can’t do anything.” A deep breath, “I’m dying., sweetheart” She whispered.
“What? No! I don’t believe that. You can get a second opinion. They can do something.” He said standing and pacing. “This isn’t happening. You’re staying.”
She was crying harder now. “I have gotten a second opinion and a third and fourth. Tony hooked me up with the best doctors. They took great care of me, but they don’t have a cure for this yet.” She stood walking to him and putting her arm around him.
“I’m so very sorry Peter.” She whispered into his hair. And Peter broke then, sobbing at a loss that hadn’t happened yet.
When his tears died down, he thought he’d feel spent, but instead he felt anger. Overwhelming anger. “Tony and the others knew?” He said stepping back.
“They’ve all been coddling me the last few weeks and it’s because they knew, and I didn’t.” He said his voice rising.
“Peter, I had to tell him to get his help. He could get me better medical care then I could.”
“I don’t care. You should have told me you’re leaving.” He paced a little agitated. “I can’t believe this. I have to get out of here.” He said and turned heading for the door.
“Peter stay we should talk.”
“No. if you’d wanted to talk to me, then you should have weeks ago.”
With that he left slamming the door. He rushed to the closest spot he could dress as spiderman unknown. He then swung to one of the higher buildings and settled, brooding. It wasn’t long before he heard repulsers.
“You knew.” Peter stood rounded on Tony. “How could you not tell me?” He shouted at his mentor. “This isn’t fair. She should have told me first. I’m her family.”
“She wanted to wait. To see if there was anything for you to worry about kid.”
“No point to worry unless I have to,” He whispered, it was something Ben would always say. “She’s dy…. Going away and neither of you told me.”
“She’s telling you now.” He said stepping closer. “But the way you’re reacting is part of why she didn’t want to tell you untill she had wrapped her head around it.”
“Oh great, advice from Tony Stark on not acting out.” He shouted not even sure why he was mad at his mentor. “She’s leaving me.” He shouted as loud as he could.
Tony gave him a sympathetic look, one that irked Peter so instead of talking he jumped off the building. Letting himself fall to the last possible second then shooting his web. He kept doing it. Recklessly crossing the city in a fury. It was about five minutes before Iran man collided with him, pulling him into a hard hug that immobilized him. Not that that stopped Peter from kicking and twisting trying to get away, even as Tony took them towards the tower and lower to the ground in case the kid fell.
When they landed on the landing pad of the tower Tony still held him tightly. “IF I let you go are you going to try that again.”
Peter said nothing, his breath hard in his ear from exertion. There were tears on his face and he wondered when the tears had started.
“Go away.” Peter said, but it held no heat. “You knew and you didn’t tell me. She’s going to . to,” He still couldn’t say it. “You should have told me.”
“She asked me not too kid.” He released him and stepped out of the suit. “I couldn’t change her mind so instead I got her the best care possible. It was what I could do." He said helplessly.
Peter just glared at him. “This isn’t fair.”
“It never is.”
“Don’t act like you get this Mr. Stark. You didn’t lose your parents this way, then your uncle and now the women who is practically a mom to you leaving you with no one.”
“Your right. I didn’t. But I have experienced big losses in my life. And we’ll get you through it kid. I promise you.”
Peter crossed his arms stubbornly refusing to accept this.
“Ok then,” Tony said knowing he would get nowhere with the kid like this, “You need to go back and talk to your aunt.”
‘Why she lied to me? I hate h….” But he couldn’t finish the thought. Even this angry. He didn’t hate her despite her not telling him. He pulled the mask off and wiped his eyes.
“I know your angry kid, but she loves you. You owe her a conversation at least.”
Peter swallowed hard. “She… she…”: He couldn’t say it.
“She’s dying Peter. I know it’s hard to hear, but it’s true. We’ve done all we could. And we’re going to keep doing all we can till we can’t anymore.”
Peter covered his face as tears began to run down his face. Tony walked over and Peter let him self be embraced, sobbing into Tony’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry kid.” He said into the Peters hair. “But I promise you, I’ll get you through this.”
It was a while before Peters tears stopped and Tony helped him out to the car. He’d called Happy for a ride knowing neither should be flying around now. Peter starred out the window the whole time not sure what to say. As he started to get out of the car Happy said, “I’m sorry about your aunt kid.”
“So, you knew too?” Peter said with a bite to his voice.
“She needed rides to the doctor.” Happy said as if that explained it all.
Peter shook his head and headed into the apartment building. He used his key to enter,
Aunt May was still on the couch. “Peter you’re back.”
“Yea.” He said voice dry from crying, then cleared his throat and said, “Yea, I am.” He walked over and stood in front of her. She stood and embraced him.
“I’m so sorry Peter.” She cried. Peter just leaned into her, smelling her perfume. “I wanted to make it easier on you. Maybe a bit on myself. It’s not easy to accept.”
Peter nodded, “You’re sure you’ve done everything?”
She nodded, “I have. Now it’s about making the most of the time I have left.”
“And how much is that?” Peter asked both hopeful and dreading the answer.
“3 – 6 months. But really every day is a gift.” She said and he could tell she meant it. He tightened his embrace on her, knowing this time would past faster then he wanted. They stood like that for a long time. Till Peter’s phone beeped and he realized he had a text from Ned.
“It’s Ned.” He said blankly to her. “Can I tell him?” He asked.
She took a deep breath. “You can tell anyone you want Peter. Natasha, Pepper, Happy and Tony know so far. Oh and Bruce. He did some testing for us. But no one else knows.”
Peter took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know if I can tell him.”
She ran a hand through his hair. “It’s ok. Tell him when you’re able.”
Peter nodded and sent Ned a brief text that said, “Busy, Family stuff.”
“I don’t know what to do.” He said lamely.
“Well,” She said, “Lets talk about any questions you have.”
“I know I should have some questions that are about you,” he said blankly, “But honestly I just want to know what happens when you’re gone? Do I go to foster care? What happens?” He said more tears falling down his face.
“Oh baby no.” She said pulling him back against her. “I’m going to find you a guardian. It’s on my to do list.”
He choked with laughter, “You have a to do list for this.” It seemed absurd.
She smiled that she’d managed to make him smile, “I do actually. You want to see it?”
Peter nodded and went to sit in the dinning room while she got it.
“Here it is.” She said handing him a piece of paper that had a bunch of writing on it.
He began to scan it. “Find Peter a guardian,” He said as he found it near the bottom of the page. “Have a drink with Peter. As in alcohol, May I’m fifteen.”
“I don’t care about that.” She said with a laugh. “Some things you just have to make exceptions for.”
“Go to Italy, or Disney world. Just take a trip. He looked up at her. You think we can afford that?”
“I’ll find a way.”
“Tell Peter all I know about his parents – I thought I knew all you know? He said swallowing hard.
“In case I missed something.”
Peter choked up as he red the last line, ‘Make sure Peter knows how much I love him, how proud I am of him and that he’ll have a new family that will take care of him.” Peter was almost sobbing again as he got to the end. “I don’t want you to go.”
May reached out and grabbed his hand. “It had to happen sometime.”
“When you were old.” Peter said. “Not now. I’m not even out of high school.”
“I know. But we’ll get through this. You will. I promise.”
“That’s what Mr. Stark said.”
“He’s smart he would know.”
Peter took a deep breath, “Can we not do this?”
“Peter,” She said with pity and like she was about to remind him they had to do this. That there wasn’t a choice, that in three to six months she wouldn’t be here any longer.
She squeezed his hand, took a deep breath, “Ok, here’s what we’ll do. No more sadness after today. We’ll go into this with an intention to make the best of it. We’ll do trips and things we’ve always wanted to do and we’ll enjoy them. No more sadness.”
“But we can be sad today?”
“Yes.”
He stood up and reached his arms out for a hug like he’d done when he was smaller. He held her until it was awkward then held her some more. When he had his fill, he headed to his room for some alone time or maybe a nap. But then he saw his notebook on the desk. He grabbed it and a pencil and sat on the bed. May had a list all she wanted to do with him. Well he had a lot he wanted to do with her. -a lifetime to thank her for. Peter nodded to himself, he needed a list too.