It's a Spider Family. {Sequel to 'It's a Spider Thing'.}

{2} aren't you nearing retirement yet?

He seemed particularly unapproachable that morning while Natasha surveyed him. He was flicking through a file on his desk continuously with a glare- he had been obsessing over it ever since it had made its way into his hands.

"You had a break recently?" Natasha asked, leaning against the doorway.

There was a slight hesitation in Nick's posture before he looked up, making the assassin stiffen on instinct. Something was wrong. It wasn't uncommon for the man to be elusive with a dark look cast across his face, making him only approachable to the select few but there was something in his expression that made even Natasha hesitant to venture further inside the room. He set the file down as the redhead coolly looked around the office for a beat before her gaze finally settled back on the man sitting behind the desk- he looked older, worn out.

Fury shrugged. "Trying to say I'm looking tired Romanoff?"

"Aren't you nearing retirement yet?" She shot back; her lip quirked upwards.

Natasha moved into the room and closed the door behind her in one fluid movement before she strode over to the open seat while she continued to study his body language. He was hunched forwards slightly, hands clasped together in front of him and resting on the file that he was once again staring down at. There was no label and his face held an unreadable expression when he gazed down at it.

"Got a few loose ends before retirement hits, so you're stuck with me."

"Too bad." Natasha replied. She fought back a frown as she eyed the man in front of her. "You texted. Is it about Sokovia? I thought the press was done.

Fury nodded and pulled back so he could open the file. "I'm afraid this is about Mr Parker."

In an attempt to gauge her reaction, Nick's eyes flicked up to meet Natasha's- if he hadn't known the woman across from him for so long, he would have missed the worried glint her eyes. She sent him a pointed looked and arched eyebrow as her only response.

"I had Maria go back through any files that we had on him and keep an eye out for any mentions of the Parker family as a precaution- cross reference with any of the Hydra intel we gathered."

Natasha could feel her heartrate pick up. "And there was a match?"

Her voice was level and even, almost bored sounding as Nick nodded. He searched through a few pages before pushing the file across the desk in a silent gesture- every instinct in Natasha's body screamed at her to not accept the document. To slide it back across the table without so much as a glance because what good would be in it? But she knew that pretending that whatever was in the file- whatever was so important for Fury to tell her- couldn't be ignored.

So instead, Natasha forced her arm to move and effectively pull the file in her lap; her eyes dropped down and zeroed in on one, singular word.

"Alive." She breathed out. "May Parker, is alive?"

The shock was clear on her face when she stared up at Nick who was massaging his temples and looking thoroughly drained by the whole ordeal. "Turns out there was a mix up on who died the day Peter was taken as a kid. "His aunt, May Parker, is alive and living in Queens."

There was another round of silence that hung over them.

Natasha's jaw clenched as she stared back at the slip of paper that held the damning information in bold, black letters. Only a few months had passed of her getting Peter back and she had foolishly thought that after the Ultron incident that maybe she could keep him. Get to watch him graduate and married and live a normal life- now it felt as though the rug had been pulled from under her.

She nodded to herself after a moment, albeit hesitantly.

"He has a family. That's good." She announced, firmly closing the file and setting it back on the desk. Natasha leaned back in her seat, meeting Nick's eyes with a steady look in her own.

Fury huffed a breath. "Yes, he does." His stern façade cracked so that Natasha was staring into the face of a man whose care was plastered across his face. "You. Clint. The avengers- hell, even me." He edged forwards but Natasha hardly blinked at the slight confession of his care towards the kid.

It didn't matter now. She dismissed Fury's open expression- because it hurt too much. The idea that there had been a chance for them to all be a family.

"We're just as much his family as she is."

"I have to go." Natasha announced firmly, "I told Peter that we'd visit the tower before dinner." She stated as she got to her feet and made her way out of the office. Fury watched her go. 

A/N

Ok. So, I don't know if the May Parker reveal is lowkey cliche or what, but I have been reminded by lovely comments that this is my story so let me be cliche dammit!

Also, Clint and Peter's kitchen scene is one of my personal favourites because I love them being petty with each other and Peter using his deafness to spite Clint. :)

And Fury caring is *chefs kiss*

Anywho! Let me know of any spelling mistakes! xoxo.