- Hey guys. I know I've been gone for a very long time and for that, I apologize. My reasons for my prolonged absence is simply due to the fact I've had many priorities to deal with over the past few months and thus, any spare time I have to write was limited. Add the fact that a severe case of Writer's block afflicted me when I could write and what you end up with is a frustrated writer. I will warn you that my writing skills may have gotten a bit rusty over the last few months so you'll have to forgive me if this chapter is not on par with the previous ones.

- That being said, I've never liked leaving a story unfinished so I still managed to finish this for you guys to the best of my current abilities. I will admit...it felt a bit difficult to write up the final chapter though. It brings a bit of a sad feeling that I'm finally completing the first story I ever wrote for this site.

But enough of me being emotional. Without further ado, I present to you the final chapter. Please enjoy...

The sound of rain lightly hitting against her window made the Queen of Symkaria reluctantly open her eyes from a very comfortable slumber. Sable tiredly rubbed her eyes with a frown before quickly turning it into a fond smile after seeing her love, Peter Parker, fast asleep next to her. She felt a little sore and some numbness from her waist down.

But given that they rushed into her bedroom after finally coming back from the palace...and Peter being the amazing lover in bed that he was, it wasn't a surprise to Sable that she couldn't feel much of her legs.

She raised her head from Peter's chest and looked around her room. The floor was a bit messy with her gown and Peter's suit spread out in every direction, courtesy of them carelessly taking each other's clothes off in a hurried fashion the other night. The weather outside was the opposite of the beautiful night it had once been, with the sky covered in dark clouds and heavy rain falling.

A soft groan was heard from beside her, prompting Sable to look back at the now stirring Peter.

"Good morning, Sable." he greeted with a sleepy smile.

She smiled back and quickly kissed Peter's lips. "Good morning to you as well."

Peter held the kiss for a few seconds before slowly pulling back. His head felt some stinging pain, prompting him to hold his head with a grimace.

"Are you alright?" Sable asked with concern.

"Yeah..." Peter explained. "Still feeling a bit dizzy from the shot of alcohol I had."

Sable giggled as she remembered why that was from last night. After her family had all joined her and Peter on the balcony, a waitress soon came along with a tray full of drinks and offered them to everyone. Anna didn't have any since she was still underage but when the waitress got to Peter, she took a simple look at him and what she asked next was one of the funniest questions Sable had heard in a long time.

"I'm sorry, sir...but are you really over the age of eighteen?"

That got everyone present to laugh, especially Sable after she saw Peter's face completely flustered with embarassment.

"Yes, I'm over eighteen." She remembered him saying with a sigh.

The waitress looked over to her Queen, still a little uncertain until Sable nodded her head with an amused smile. She nodded back and finally handed Peter his drink.

"My apologies, sir. Please enjoy." And with that, she walked back into the ballroom.

Sable reached over and held Peter's hand as he sighed again.

"It never fails..." He muttered.

She chuckled at that. "You mean what just happened is a regular occurence?"

Peter nodded. "I don't drink very often but whenever I'm offered one, people always believe I'm too young to drink hard liquor. Even when I tell them my actual age...they still have a hard time believing me."

Sable once again broke down into laughter after hearing that. She had to admit that it was sort of true...despite Peter being only in his twenties, his handsome face hid his age well. Peter simply finished his drink in one quick gulp before pulling Sable close.

"Your face is slightly red." she pointed out, caressing his left cheek.

Peter only smirked. "Now you know why I don't drink very often."

Sable set her glass down on a nearby table before she pulled his face closer.

"I'll keep that in mind." She whispered before she kissed Peter once again...

"What's so funny?" Peter's voice rang out, snapping Sable's mind back to the present.

She laid her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes. "It's nothing, Peter. I'm just reminiscing about last night."

Peter gently ran his hand through her soft silver hair. "It's not often that I have a carefree night like that. I can honestly say that was one of the best nights I've ever had."

"It's something I won't ever forget either, Peter." Sable fondly stated. "I doubt I would've enjoyed last night as much as I did if you hadn't been there with me."

Peter blushed at her words as he sat himself up. The Queen of Symkaria moved with him and sat comfortably on his lap, resting her forehead against his. They smiled at each other as Sable held both sides of Peter's face.

"When...when do you plan to leave?" She reluctantly asked. The last few days with Peter have been the best in her life and she didn't want him to go just yet. While she could always go back to New York with him since she has a place of residence there, Sable feared that they wouldn't be able to see other as much given their respective busy lives.

This time, it was Peter's turn to gently caress Sable's cheek as his mind understood what she was trying to say. Peter didn't want to leave her yet but he's been growing a little concerned about the status of the crime wave back home. While he knew the Avengers and the other street class heroes were more than capable of holding their own, some of his worry would decrease if he was there to help as well.

"If it were up to me, I would love to stay here with you for as long as you want me to." Peter slowly answered. "But I don't think the bad guys back home will allow me to do that...I was planning to go back in the next day or two."

To her credit, Sable silently nodded in understanding. She was already expecting an answer like that from him...but she took great solace in the fact that Peter would've prefered to stay with her.

"All right then...I'm going with you as well." Sable quietly stated. Although it was doubtful in her mind that they would be able to spend time together like they had in the past few days, the good chance of being with Peter even for just a little bit was better than not being with him at all.

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Are you sure? I mean I would love it if you went back with me but don't you have to look after your people here?"

"The Prime Minister is more than capable of handling Symkaria's affairs when I'm not here. How do you think I managed to stay in New York for long periods of time in the past?" Sable whispered with a smile.

She leaned in close and kissed Peter again to reassure him of her decision, that she was not going to change her mind. Sable was adamant on her decision to stay close with Peter...not only so she could be with him but also to give her a sense of peace. After all, she would be able to help him more efficiently if she was in the same place that he was.

Peter happily returned the kiss, his heart touched at the fact that Sable really wanted to be with him.

"Then I welcome you into my humble abode in New York with open arms, your majesty." He whispered back.

Sable chuckled against Peter's lips. "I look forward to seeing your home."

There was a sudden knock at the bedroom door, prompting the couple to reluctantly break their kiss as they turned their attention to the door.

"Ms. Sablinova?" Aurelie's voice rang out, "Are you and Peter not coming down for breakfast?"

Sable looked at the clock and saw that it was already 10:40 in the morning.

"We'll be down shortly. Keep the food warm until then." She instructed.

Aurelie nodded on the other side. "Understood."

Peter and Sable slowly got out of her bed and picked up their respective suit and gown from the ground. She walked towards her bathroom and looked back at Peter as she opened the door.

"Just leave your suit on top of your drawer, Aurelie will clean it for you...and shower quick. We did wake up a little later than usual."

Peter saluted with two fingers. "I'll see you downstairs, beautiful."

She grinned as he exited the room before entering her bathroom and closing the door behind her.

...

Peter looked outside the window as he slipped on a simple white shirt and frowned at the sight. The weather outside right now was nothing like it had been the previous night. Rain was falling heavily out of the dark cloudy sky with a few bolts of lightning flashing every now so often.

'I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.' Peter thought. Maybe he was being a little paranoid but in his years of experience as Spider-Man, the days that it rained on his daily patrols were usually immediately followed with some major trouble caused by some badly dressed super villains.

That was one of the things Peter never understood...why was it he always had to fight the villains whose costumes were so terrible to look at? There were a few examples that stuck out in his head: Shocker looked like an oversized oven mitt, Mysterio had a fish bowl for a head, and Frog-Man...well, the name was self explanatory enough.

But then again, the regular spandex red and blue Spider-Man costume he wore regularly wasn't exactly eye appealing either - or so he thought.

Either way, Peter decided not to pursue the thought any further as he promptly exited the room and made his way towards the kitchen. The last thing he wanted to do was to keep Sable waiting at the table.

"Good morning, Peter." Sofia happily greeted as he walked in, her right hand holding a spatula.

He smiled at her. "Good morning to you as well."

Aurelie gave him a friendly wave as he sat down next to Sable, who was already eating away at her breakfast consisted of french toast and croissants.

"It took you long enough to get here." She jokingly scolded.

Peter leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Sorry...I got caught up thinking about something."

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine..." He answered, "I'm just a little concerned about what might be happening back home."

Sable looked at him with an understanding expression and held Peter's hand. "If anything is happening right now in New York, I'll make sure you get back there in time to help."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly before letting go as Aurelie served up his plate of breakfast. Peter thanked the blonde maid and quickly dug into his food. It was the same as what Sable had on her plate but the food was delicious nonetheless. Aurelie and Sable fondly watched as Peter ate away, smiling at the carefree expression he had on his face.

Both ladies were about to make a joke about Peter's eating habits when the phone suddenly rang. Sofia placed her spatula down and after a quick wiping of her hands on her apron, picked up the phone. Peter found himself tensing up a little bit as he listened to the brunette maid greet whoever it was on the other line. Sable felt the same way and she was silently hoping that it wasn't something bad that required Peter's involvement.

Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other plans for when Sofia noticeably frowned, both Peter and Sable knew that whoever it was on the other line did not have good news.

"Ms. Sablinova...Spider-Woman wishes to speak with you. It is an urgent matter." Sofia said with a apologetic tone.

Sable nodded and took the phone. "Hello?"

Peter remained silent as Sable spoke with Jessica. He couldn't hear what the conversation was about from the other side but from some of the things Sable said, he knew it was something that required his help.

"You have nothing to apologize for...I understand." Sable muttered before handing the phone over to Peter.

Peter placed his hand on Sable's shoulder in a comforting manner before answering the phone. "Hey, Jessica. What's going on?"

"Hello, Peter...I'm really sorry about this but you're going to have to cut your vacation short." Jessica sadly replied.

"It's not your fault, Jess." Peter reassured. "...What's the emergency?"

"Cap wants every Avenger available to meet up at the mansion...it seems we're going to be extracting someone."

That piqued Peter's interest. "Uh, shouldn't that require a only few Avengers?"

"Not in this case...not when it involves the Phoenix Force. I'll be able to tell you more when you get here"

Although Peter knew the dangers of the powers of the Phoenix Force, he was still confused as to why Cap needed everyone but his duty as an Avenger called so he had to answer it.

"Alright," Peter reluctantly answered, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Jessica frowned on the other line, catching the sad tone in his voice. "Thanks, Peter. And once again, I'm really sorry about this."

"I'm not blaming you, Jess. So stop blaming yourself...I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Alright...see you then." and with that, Jessica hanged up.

Peter returned the phone to Sofia, who took it and looked at him sadly. Like her Queen, she didn't want Peter to leave so soon but she knew he didn't have a choice.

"Aurelie..." Sable called out. "Get the ship ready for departure at the airport."

"Understood, Ma'am." The blonde maid bowed in understanding and quickly held Peter's shoulder in a supporting manner before leaving to complete her task. Sable stood up and took Peter's hands, pulling him up with her.

"Guess it's time for us to go." Peter whispered with a weak smile as he held her close.

She grabbed Peter's hand and kissed his knuckles. "I know...and I'm still coming with you."

Peter gently pressed his lips against Sable's forehead before letting go of her as she addressed Sofia.

"Sofia, prepare Peter's things as well as yours." She instructed, "We leave in half an hour."

The brunette maid looked up from the floor, surprised at the second half of her employer's instructions but she wasn't going to argue and bowed before taking off to complete her task. Peter and Sable's eyes met with each other's as they both nodded before going to their respective rooms to get ready for departure.

"Peter," Sable called out from down the hall, "I'll meet you outside once you're ready."

"Understood!" Peter replied before entering his room, his destination being the desk where his costume was currently resting on.

...

With a careful check on every component of his armour, Peter felt satisfied that everything was in working order and he finally put on the helmet of his costume. Being able to go for a few days without needing to put on his Spider-Man costume was a rarity in his life but Peter felt thankful that his Parker luck hadn't struck at the worst time possible.

He snapped open his webshooters and loaded them with fresh web cartridges, the action reminding Peter of his promise to Sofia that he would take her and Sable webslinging in Symkaria. Hopefully the emergency would be dealt with quickly so he could make good on his promise...he prided himself on being a man of his word and Peter sure as hell wasn't going to break the promise he had made with the brunette maid.

His eyes wandered off to the view outside his window...the weather didn't change at all. If anything, the rain was only falling with more intensity since it started and Peter knew he should've taken the bad weather as a sign of what was to come.

Peter took one final look around the room that had been his home for the past few days before finally stepping out and closing the door behind him. As he made his way down the stairs, the other maids under Sable's employ were staring at Peter but not out of surprise...it was more of out of respect.

To their credit, they only looked at him for a brief moment before quickly getting back to their respective jobs. Peter smiled behind his mask in appreciation...if there was one of the many things Sable had a talent for, it was that she only hired those who knew how to keep a secret. A rare quality in the world today.

The front door was just a few steps away and when he finally opened it, his armour was immediately pelted with the heavy rain the second he stepped out. Peter looked over to the right and saw Sable waiting at the driveway, standing underneath an umbrella to avoid the rain.

Sable grinned when she saw Peter in costume approaching her. "Sofia and Aurelie will be coming with us. Is that alright with you?"

"Really?" He wasn't expecting to hear this.

"Well, I do need them to help me take care of my embassy in New York...that and they didn't want to part from you so soon. Who am I to deny them the friendship of the most perfect man?"

Behind the mask, Peter blushed at her words as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I have no problems with that. Are you all ready to go?"

Sable giggled at the adorableness of Peter's behavior. "We're all set. We were just waiting for you."

Peter nodded in the affirmative and opened the back door, gesturing for Sable to enter first. She thanked him as she got in before Peter followed her. It was a bit cramped inside the car since he was in his armoured costume but there was just enough room to fit without any hassles. Aurelie sat across from him, her eyes staring in amazement at the sight of Peter in costume.

"Doesn't it get hot in that?" The blonde maid curiously asked.

"No, this variant of my costume has a temperature regulator." Peter explained. "The normal red and blue costume I usually wear is a lot more uncomfortable...spandex absorbs a lot of heat, nevermind the fact that it gets really tight around the crotch area."

Aurelie blushed as she imagined Peter wearing his trademark spandex outfit. She had seen pictures of Spider-Man's normal costume, which didn't do much to hide the impressive bulge of Peter's...package.

Sable had an inkling as to why her employee was blushing and promptly glared at her. "I hope you're not thinking about my boyfriend in such a way, Aurelie."

The blonde woman banished her mature thoughts and shook her head frantically. "N-no, ma'am! Of course not!"

"Good, keep it that way. As I already told Sofia, Peter is mine and mine alone." Sable warned with conviction. Aurelie quickly bowed her head in acknowledgment and turned to look outside the windows.

Peter simply watched from the side, chuckling nervously before focusing his mind to more serious matters.

"Sable..."

She turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"I think it'd be best if you stayed out of this fight. I got a bad feeling that this will be something even the entirety of the Avengers won't be able to deal with so easily. If Cap felt the need to call every Avenger available, chances are that it's something beyond the realm of dangerous." Peter stated with strong seriousness in his voice.

Sable didn't say anything at first as she only stared into the blank lens of Peter's mask. He initially expected for her to argue against that but Sable's next word completely caught him off guard.

"...Alright." Her voice calmly answered.

Peter couldn't believe his ears. "Wait, what?"

Sable chuckled as she placed her hand on the side of the mask where Peter's cheek would be.

"If there's one thing I learned from the years that I've worked with you, it's that your instincts have always proven to be the right one, Peter. My feelings are the same as yours...I'd only be in the way if I tried to help, especially when this problem requires every available Avenger to help solve."

Despite the lack of room in the car because of his armoured costume, Peter managed to pull Sable into a careful embrace.

"You're never a hindrance but you would be in danger...danger even I would have trouble surviving in." He whispered.

She relaxed against his chest plate with a smile. "But I didn't say I wouldn't help though...because the minute I hear that you're seriously hurt, I'm rushing over to your side immediately."

"...Fair enough."

Peter carefully kept his arms tight around her body. For all he knew, it could be a long time before he got to hold Sable like this again and so Peter wanted to enjoy the quiet moment for as much as he can. Sable had the same train of thought in her mind...she had no desire to part from Peter at all but his duty as Spider-Man was required and so she didn't have much choice but to let him go to where he was needed.

The only consolation to this forced separation was the fact that she wouldn't be far away from his home and while it wouldn't be as often as she would've liked, Sable knew Peter would still come see her whenever he could.

Aurelie looked on at the scene before her with a twinge of sadness. The blonde maid knew it was best not to say anything but her heart felt sympathetic for her Majesty and Peter. Being who they had to be on almost a daily basis, it was unlikely that her employer and Peter would be able to spend time together as well as they had in the past few days.

Silence reigned in the car for the rest of the trip to the airpstrip...aside from the occasional small conversations Peter and Sable would share amongst themselves but for the most part, it remained a quiet yet serious atmosphere.

...

As Sable's ship, the Swan, slowly began to descend to the top of Avenger's tower, Peter finished up his final check on the state of his costume. Everything was in working order as he expected but he felt it couldn't hurt to be sure. Turning his attention away from his costume, Peter's eyes looked outside a nearby window to see the faint outline of his beloved New York.

The view of his home state below made Peter grin behind his mask as the view of the city grew clearer and clearer, with the Avengers Tower being the most noticeable landmark.

The sight of the tower also made him wonder for the hundreth time today about what the emergency exactly was. Jessica mentioned it had to do with the Phoenix Force but Peter knew that only could've meant that the X-Man, Jean Grey, gave her life to destroy the power for nothing. It also meant that there was now a potential new host for the Phoenix Force...most likely the person that the Avengers were going to take into protective custody.

His sharp mind quickly worked out the implications of this mission but Peter knew there were some details he was missing and he would only get the full account when he met up with Jessica and the rest of the Avengers.

Sable watched Peter from behind with some concern as he thought about the mission. They had spent the last few hours in each other's arms, much like they did in the car ride to the airstrip. They talked amongst themselves in an attempt to make light of the situation but it remained quiet for most of the trip to New York. Aurelie and Sofia were busy piloting the Swan but they joined in the conversations whenever they left the auto pilot sequence on. Much of what they said was an obvious attempt to cheer both her and Peter up but Sable appreciated the thought nonetheless.

She quietly rose up from her seat and hugged Peter from behind.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sable inquired.

He turned his head back. "...I think I figured out what the basis of this mission is."

"Really?"

"Well, it's nothing but a good guess right now." He clarified, holding his neck with one hand. "I'll know more when I meet up with the rest of the Avengers."

Sable simply nodded and tightened her hold around Peter's body. "We're almost there so you'll find out pretty soon."

Peter placed his hands on top of hers as the landing pad of Avengers Tower got closer and closer. Sofia turned her head away from the piloting panel and called out to her Queen.

"Ms. Sablinova? We will be landing in two minutes." The brunette maid informed with a small bit of regret.

Sable looked at her and tilted her head slightly. "Understood...take the Swan down at a steady and careful rate."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Sofia went back to the controls and as her Queen instructed, carefully landed the ship on the landing pad. From the window in front of him, Peter saw Jessica standing at the top entrance with Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, and Captain America. They were presumably there to greet them so Cap could get the mission briefing to begin as soon as possible.

Peter's hands remained on top of Sable's until he finally felt the ship touch ground. Her arms reluctantly let go of Peter's body as he turned around and grasped her right hand tightly. Her lips curled into a small smile, one that Peter returned behind his mask before he made his way towards the door of the ship, his hand still holding hers all the while.

Jessica widened her eyes before quickly grinning at the sight of Peter and Sable holding hands as they stepped out of the ship. She took some pride and happiness in the fact that her woman's inuition proved to be correct when she first suspected the Queen of Symkaria to have feelings for Peter and vice versa. Her heart did feel a bit of regret...Jessica had always thought Peter was sort of cute but nevertheless, she was happy for the both of them.

Jessica couldn't really say the same for her best friend, who was watching the scene fold out with a growing sense of jealousy. Carol did her best to hide it but having known her for so long, Jessica could tell that it was difficult for her best friend to see her crush with another woman. In some of their recent conversations together, Carol did little to hold back on voicing her suspicions about the former Symkarian mercenary's relationship with Peter.

Peter pulled off his mask in front of Sable, surprising the awaiting Avengers before turning to face the Symkarian Queen.

"...Looks like this is where we part ways for now."

"For now..." She repeated, gazing into his hazel eyes. "but I know you'll come back to me once this is over. Just promise me you'll be careful."

Peter could see the look of pleading in Sable's eyes and he knew it was best to reassure her as best as he could. There was no guarantee he would make it out of this in one piece but being extra cautious would at least raise his chances even if it's only by a little bit.

"I will." Peter promised, tilting her head up by the chin. "Don't worry, I'll be back by your side before you know it."

Sable's lips smiled beautifully before she promptly pulled Peter's face closer to her's for an affectionate kiss. Peter happily kissed her back with just as much love. They were completely unaware of the looks of utter shock on the faces of the awaiting Avengers with the exception of Jessica, who was trying her best not to let out a squeal of excitement...such an act was out of character for her at least from her teammate's perspectives and she did not want to correct them on that any time soon.

The last thing Jessica wanted was to be teased by the other Avengers about her occasional moments of childlike behavior.

Carol clenched her fists with intense jealousy at the very sight of Silver Sable kissing Peter Parker, the man she possessed strong feelings for. It was taking everything she had to not go over to where the Queen of Symkaria was and punch her head off. Jessica noticed this and placed her hand on Carol's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

"You alright?" She whispered.

"I just...never thought Peter's relationship with Sable would develop so far." Carol quietly said through gritted teeth.

Jessica gently squeezed her shoulder as she nodded in understanding. The emotional pain in the blonde woman's bright blue eyes were vivid despite her efforts in trying to conceal it.

"Maybe when we complete this mission, you can talk to Peter about how you feel about him." Jessica weakly offered.

There wasn't much she could say to cheer up her friend when it came to something like this.

"I'm not giving up." Carol suddenly stated with determination, "...but if that woman does anything to hurt Peter, I'm going to tear her apart."

Jessica felt a bit of unease at that statement. While she was glad to see Carol's mood feeling better, she didn't want to see her best friend deliberately try to sabotage the loving relationship that Peter has with Silver Sable.

"Just don't go overboard, Carol." She advised with a sigh before looking towards Natasha and Cap, who were still too stunned at the romantic sight before them to have paid any attention to the two superheroine's conversation.

Peter reluctantly pulled his lips away from Sable's and gave her a comforting smile before putting his helmet-like mask back on.

"I should go before they get impatient with me...I'll see you soon."

Sable nodded in understanding. "I'll be waiting for you, Peter."

They embraced once more before she turned around and slowly walked back to her ship. Peter waved at Sofia and Aurelie, whom he noticed were watching from the door of the Swan. The two maids waved back at him before going back to the controls as their Queen stepped aboard.

Peter remained where he was, his eyes never leaving the ship as it slowly departed from the Avenger's tower and left. It wasn't until the ship was finally gone from his heightened line of sight that Peter finally turned around to greet the other Avengers.

Captain America walked towards him and shook his hand.

"Welcome back, son...I trust you've had the chance to properly rest?"

Peter grinned behind his mask, remembering the last few days he had spent with Sable.

"One of the best vacations of my life, Cap."

"That's good to hear." Cap said with a nod before turning to walk back inside so he could get the meeting ready.

"See you in the conference room, son." Natasha nodded her head in greeting and quickly followed Cap, leaving Peter alone with Jessica and Carol.

Jessica stepped forward and gave him a friendly hug. "Welcome back, Peter...and congratulations on your new relationship with Sable."

Peter rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you...I never thought it would happen but I'm happy that she and I are together now."

Carol's eyes dangerously flashed with a flare of jealousy before she forcibly suppressed the feeling. Jessica noticed this however and decided to say something to alleviate some of her best friend's worries.

"She better treat you right...otherwise Carol and I will have to teach her a lesson." She suddenly warned. Carol stood beside her and gave Peter the same serious look that Jessica had.

His eyes widened a bit at hearing this but he supposed it made sense. They were only looking out for him after all.

"I appreciate it but Jess, there's nothing to worry about." Peter said. "I know both of you don't know her too well but Sable's a good person."

"...Just be careful, ok?" They asked at the same time.

Peter nodded to that, making Jessica and Carol smile a little before the blonde Avenger turned around to face the elevator.

"Best if we get to that meeting...we don't want to hold up in saving the world, right?"

Jessica and Peter followed Carol into the elevator and stood next to each other as it descended towards their floor. For a moment, it was completely silent with Carol continously glancing at Peter every few seconds. Jessica couldn't say a word but she was growing a bit more concerned for her best friend.

It wasn't until they got off the elevator and reached the door to the conference room that Carol stopped before the door and faced Peter.

At first, she didn't say anything and simply stared into Peter's blank lenses.

"Are you alright, Carol?" Jessica worriedly asked.

The blonde woman suddenly embraced Peter tightly.

"Peter..." Carol whispered, "After we deal with this emergency, there's something I need to talk about with you."

Peter instinctively wrapped his arms around her after getting over his initial surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

Carol clung onto his body a bit tighter. "It's something that I'd rather talk about in private with you alone."

There was a small tone of pleading in her voice that he caught onto, something that made him realize it was only right to accept her request.

"Of course." Peter replied, patting her back lightly. "Just let me know whenever you're ready."

Carol slowly released her arms from Peter's body and looked at him with a grateful smile before she opened the door to the conference room. From where he stood, Peter could see the numerous Avengers that made up it's considerable roster. Carol walked in first with Jessica quickly following after placing a supporting hand on his shoulder.

He took a moment to breathe before entering the conference room. The very sight of all the Avengers in front of him proved that this emergency concerning the Phoenix Force wasn't going to be something so easily resolved. There was no doubt that there was going to be a fight coming...though he desperately wished it wouldn't come to that.

The last thing he wanted to do was to fight those who were on the same side, those being the X-Men. However this situation plays out, Peter knew he needed to focus on putting all his effort into making sure this emergency was dealt with as fast as possible.

Finally walking into the room so the meeting can begin, Peter kept one thing in mind...his promise to return to Sable's side in one piece. He had no intention of breaking his word and was determined to do just that.

Such a thought brought a smile to Peter's face...it felt good to finally have someone to go back to.

- I sincerely hoped you guys enjoyed this. I had mixed feelings about the ending at first but when I looked at it again, it felt right to me...but that's just my opinon. I'll probably follow up on this with a series of oneshots if time permits. As always, I encourage you guys to review. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you, my friends.