Make Him Proud, Peter Parker

EIGHT. it's jenkins stark, peter parker

Nellie laid on her back, trying to remain as still and as quiet as possible.

Throughout the car ride, she could only faintly hear the voices of her boyfriend and his. . .teammate? She wasn't quite sure what to call him. The voice was familiar, yet without peeking over the seat, she couldn't identify him. She didn't want to risk being caught too early on.

She knew Peter was going to freak out once realizing that she was a stowaway in an Avenger's Suburban, but she would deal with that once they were too far away from Georgia to turn back.

Unfortunately for her, the vehicle only travelled for about an hour before arriving at the Atlanta International Airport. It appeared she'd be revealing herself a bit sooner than planned, as she knew there was no way she was stealth enough to sneak her way through an airport and onto a plane.

Once the car engine cut off, Nellie was able to hear the two talking up front.

"There are some bags in the back; grab 'em for me while I find the pilot," the man who Nellie had not yet pinpointed spoke lowly to Peter.

Nellie squeezed her eyes shut and mentally cursed herself for not thinking her plan through all the way through. Or perhaps even a little bit of the way through.

Nice going, Nell, Nellie thought to herself.

Both the driver's side door and passenger door opened and shut, and within seconds, the trunk was slowly opening. Nellie couldn't stop herself from extending her legs out the second there was a gap large enough between the floor of the trunk and the opening door. Her legs had been bent at the knee against her chest the entire ride there due to the bags she had to squeeze between to fit.

A hand grabbed her black converse and she let out a startled scream, only to find it was Peter on the other end once the door had finally opened all the way.

"Wh-what are you doing, Jenkins!" Peter exclaimed, looking left and right as if to see if his driver had disappeared from ear-shot yet.

Nellie gave her foot a light kick so Peter would release it, "It's Jenkins Stark. And I could ask the same of you, Parker. Were you seriously just going to leave without saying goodbye? I heard you on the phone back at the cabin, and then you left."

Peter's face flushed as she scolded him, "First off, just go by Stark if you're going to be that picky about it."

Nellie shot him a warning look and he shifted his tone with her, "A-and second, I had to leave. Happy's hurt, Nell--"

She shook her head in response as she sat up, perching at the edge of the trunk, "What do you mean he's hurt, Peter? What in the hell could have happened between the funeral and today?"

She felt as though the wind had been knocked right out of her; she found it easier to understand now why Peter would have been so quick to leave.

He took a step closer to her, and glanced once more over his shoulder before looking back at her. He locked eyes on her, not blinking even once, "This isn't just about training to be an Avenger anymore. They need me. Like really badly from the sounds of it."

Nellie sucked in a breath, also looking past Peter every once in a while, "Who came to get you?"

"James Rhodes," Peter responded, his voice now lower than before. "He's a friend of Tony's."

Nellie nodded, her mouth dry, "I know. I've seen him before. Before the funeral, I mean. He came to see Tony after he found out about Tony and Pepper's engagement. Other than that, Tony usually met with him in private. . ." She trailed off, her mind going back in time to when the craziest thing happening in their lives was planning a million dollar wedding. A wedding that must have happened in the five years Nellie was gone for.

"Nellie, I don't. . .I. . .how the hell am I supposed to convince him you're getting on that jet with us?" Peter stammered out between short breaths. He sounded like he might hyperventilate. "This is serious."

She reached out and took his hand, seeing him relax a little once she had.

"Well, I'm guessing this is time sensitive then, meaning he's unlikely to take the time to drive me another hour back to the cabin." She pointed out, though Peter only shook his head in response.

"No," he sighed, "but he could leave you here and call Pepper. There'd be nothing stopping him, Nellie. I'm sorry, I just don't think you can come."

"Peter, do you want to say goodbye now? Here? Like this? Because that's what's happening if I don't get on that jet with you. Our summer will be over and you and I both know that I'm finished at Midtown as long as I'm living in Georgia." She whispered, now catching a glimpse of Rhodes in the distance, conversing with who she guessed was the jet pilot.

Peter swallowed, hard, and released her hand to run his own through his hair.

"And Happy's my friend, too, Peter. He looked out for you when Tony couldn't. And when Tony was away with you, he looked out for me, as well. If he's hurt, he needs someone there for him. We're the closest thing he's got to family."

"What about Morgan?" Peter questioned her, though she could see she was getting through to him.

Nellie felt a light tug on her heart strings when he mentioned the child, "Well, I guess I'm not winning any sister of the year award. . .but I'll go back there at some point, Pete. This isn't forever, I just -- I'm not ready to be apart from you again yet."

"Remind me to check the trunk next time, Parker," Rhodey cut in, now just a foot away from where they stood at the back of the black suburban.

Nellie and Peter both felt their cheeks flush, knowing they were stepping into dangerous territory. Nellie, especially. Tony would have thrown a fit had he seen her now, interfering with Avenger business. It would not have been because he wanted to keep her in the dark, but because he wanted to keep her safe. That's what he'd always told her.

"She knows about Happy, sir. She, she wants to come with us. Make sure he's going to -- to be okay," Peter tried to explain, but struggled to get the words out well.

Nellie hopped down from where she'd been sitting at the edge of the trunk, "Rhodey," she began, knowing that Tony had introduced him as that when they met.

Rhodey held up a finger to stop her from going on, "Happy's been through a hell of a lot worse. But we don't have time for this. Now, I'm going to say this, but I'm only saying it once. . ."

Nellie nodded in response and waited for Peter to show that he was listening, as well.

Rhodey looked between the two of them and shook his head lightly. Nellie could have sworn she saw an eye roll somewhere in there, too.

"I'm not a babysitter. Peter's here because he's got a job to do. And it's going to be a hell of a job, but hopefully nothing like the last," He continued, referencing Thanos. "I can't keep eyes on you, too, Nellie. Now, I know you've got your head on straight. Tony told me as much as that. You'll stay with Happy at the hospital. Do I make myself clear?"

His eyes looked glassy, as if he had grown harder and colder since the time she'd first met him. Then again, he'd lost a best friend just like she'd lost a father. At least that was one thing they had in common.

Nellie looked to Peter, who in exchange stared at the ground. His nerves were clearly getting the best of him.

She knew the second she'd gotten in the back of that vehicle that she was getting herself into a muddy situation. She knew Pepper was going to be furious by sunrise to find that not only Peter had left without informing Aunt May, but that her eldest had tagged along not even days after putting Tony's casket in the ground.

"I said, do I make myself clear?" Rhodey repeated, his voice deep and somewhat hoarse.

Nellie hadn't noticed before, but he still looked pretty beat -- probably from the final battle that had occurred just a week previously. The battle that she'd thought would be Peter's last for a long time. Boy, was she wrong.

She locked eyes with Rhodey, putting forward a serious face. It wasn't perfect, but she'd work on it.

"Crystal."