When she woke, everything was different.

As her vision slowly came back to her, her entire body felt like lead. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the light. Her head was pounding, her stomach felt rotten, the smallest of movements made her want to vomit. Even so, Nora forced herself to stand. She wobbled for a few moments, trying to regain her balance and also fighting the urge to fall back into unconsciousness. She shook her head, trying to fill in what had happened before she had collapsed. She remembered Captain Rogers and the quinjet, her powers turning the tower to dust, and Spider-Man calling her Nora.

Her eyes widened immensely. Spider-Man knew her name. How did he know her name?

Nora groaned, crouching down as she massaged her temples. She shouldn't have exerted that much power, not when she wasn't in one hundred control of her powers. She could've easily lost control and done more damage than she would've been prepared for. When she felt she could open her eyes again and stand, she found she was the only one on the field. She knew when she went down the Giant Man was still trying to fend off Spider-Man, Iron Man and War Machine, and now there was no one in the air, no giant in their way. As she frowned, she heard someone scream over the comm., making her wince in pain. "Where is Mercy?"

Oh god, she was so screwed. The quinjet was gone, Captain Rogers must've escaped, which meant she technically betrayed her team. Tony was going to kill her.

"I-I'm here." she croaked out, throat suddenly dry. "I'm near hangar five."

She didn't even notice Wanda limp over to her, Vision being her crutch as her head was also scrambled. Vision looked, she couldn't place the emotion, could he even feel emotion? It was something akin to worry anyway, like he knew he had done something wrong, but what went wrong, he wasn't sure. "What's going on?" she asked them.

"You let him go." Wanda said, although it was more like she was trying to get it through her own head. "You let the captain go."

Vision nodded. "That may have been a mistake, Ms. Mercy."

Nora rolled her eyes, like that wasn't already something she was thinking. She felt tired, cranky and worst of all, hostile, she didn't want to have to deal with how Spider-Man knew her name, or Tony's impending freak out directed her way. She just wanted to go home where she could sleep this off and forget all about this day. The day Spider-Man called her Nora. "I did. So, when can I expect Tony's bitch fit?"

Vision frowned, glancing at Wanda before sighing. "Oh my dear, Tony giving out to you is the least of your worries."

At his words, the sounds of helicopters and trucks floated into her eardrums. It was then that she noticed many of Captain Rogers team either detained or hurt. Nora's frown turned to pity as she looked at all the destruction around them. "God." she muttered to herself. "What a shit show."

No one laughed, Nora didn't think she would've either.

Moments later, the flying figure of Iron Man came flying through the air, someone in his arms. For a second, Nora's heart lurched, what if it was Spider-Man? However, when he set down, the person he was carrying was too tall, and not in a suit. He laid the person down as gently as possible, as Nora ran over to him. Tony glanced up at her, seething with rage, but knew now was not the time when his best friend who critically injured. "Heartbeat?" Nora asked, seemingly getting the atmosphere between them. Business talk, short and sweet, this was top priority.

He nodded. "Pulse is thin, FRIDAY says there's serious spinal damage." Nora nodded. "Tell me you can heal him."

"I don't—"

Tony grit his teeth, pointing at her. "That's not what I want to hear."

"Mr. Stark, I've never done this before."

"Natasha said you've healed broken bones before!"

Nora winced at the sharpness in his voice, it made her want to cry 'stop yelling at me' like a little spoilt child, but she controlled herself. "Broken bones are different to broken spines! Spines have connecting tissue, fluid, muscle that I can't mend back together. I barely know how to get bullets out of people." she sighed, feeling tears prick her eyes at the mention of that. "The most I can do right now is relief his pain, heal some other broken bones and cuts and bruises until the paramedics get here." Tony cursed. "I'm sorry."

Tony nodded, although it wasn't in understanding. "You're sorry, okay, that's good. She's sorry everyone, that makes it all better." As she placed her glowing hands on Rhodey's back, she glared up at him. That was all she could do at the moment, she couldn't exactly argue. Stark had every right to be mad at her, she disobeyed his orders. He was supposed to have Captain Rogers and the Winter Soldier in custody, and she was part of the reason why he didn't. She felt Rhodes relax beneath her, sighing in relief as the pain subsided.

Vision looked down solemnly as the area began to fill with armed swat guards, Wanda stood to attention as saw two men coming to her, something in their hands. "Tony?"

He let his anger lessen a little. "I'm sorry." Wanda's face was heartbreaking as the shock collar was snapped around her neck, arms tied behind her back. Vision closed his eyes as she screamed for him, for Nora. When she looked up, a horrible sense of deja vu hit her as Wanda shrieked in pain as the collar shocked her.

Her horror was short lived, as a hollow feeling crept into her heart. Rhodes' head lulled to the side a little. Her breath was quickening as she felt her head grow lighter. "Come on, Mr. Rhodes, stay with me." she focused hard, trying as best she could to knit his spine back together.

"Mr. Stark, who're all these people?"

So much was going on at once, but it was Spider-Man's voice that made her concentrate. She looked up, he still had his mask on, obviously not wanting to give his identity away to all the guards around them, but he was clutching his side and limping. The fight with Giant Man must've been hard. Tony yelled out in frustration, storming toward him. "I thought I told you that you were done!"

He stepped back, intimidated by the older superhero. "I am, I was just wondering if—"

The hollow feeling was getting stronger, so Nora made the decision to call out. "Mr. Stark, he needs proper medical attention, now—argh!" pain shot through her lower back for a moment, but it passed soon after.

Spider-Man peered over Tony's shoulder, lenses widening at the scene in front of him. "Mercy, what's—" he made a move toward her, but Tony grabbed him, stopping him.

"No, you stay there, I don't need you two together right now, your friend is in huge trouble." the pain began to strike her again, but it was more of a dull ache in the centre of her lower back. Rhodes needed a hospital now.

"What did she do?" he asked, almost as if he didn't believe what he was saying.

"Now's not the time to discuss this, kid, we need to get you back on a plane—"

"No, tell me what she did."

"Spidey..." she looked up at him, pleading to get him to stop.

Tony pushed him back a bit. "Kid, you need to leave."

"No, what is going—"

"Peter!"

Nora felt her entire body go numb. Spider-Man's eyes widened and Tony froze up.

Nora blinked, almost taking her hands off Rhodes, even though she could hear ambulance sirens. "W-What?" she breathed, mind racing, heart thumping in her chest.

Spider-Man didn't say anything, he just kept staring at Tony who sighed. "Come on, kid, give it up." again, silence, up until there was a sigh and he went to take off his mask.

Nora felt the breath leave her lungs, her jaw slack.

Peter Parker, her boyfriend, was scarlet, either from anger or embarrassment. Nora realised another thing. Her boyfriend knew who she was under the mask before she knew about him. How long had he known that?

She felt sick.

Two paramedics came over to them, relieving Nora of her duties. She stood up, watching Rhodes get carted away. "I'm sorry." Tony sighed, running a metal hand over his face.

Peter stared at her. She couldn't read his face. She didn't know if she want to.

Nora gulped, her own face red before she turned to Tony. "Don't you have a friend to make sure doesn't die." he looked taken aback by her bluntness, but at this point she couldn't give a fuck. She was weak, her headache had gotten worse, her back pain from taking Rhodes pain away was agonising. And to top it all off, her boyfriend was her partner, the "other" person she was falling for, and it seemed he knew who she was already! She just wanted to take this suit off and go home.

Tony didn't even answer her, just put his helmut back on and flew away, leaving Peter and herself in the airport. They stood there for a few minutes, before Peter opened his mouth.

"Nora."

Eyes filled with unshed tears, she did the only thing she wanted to do.

She walked away.

-

Nora never felt so foreign in her own home.

She had slept all throughout the journey back from Germany. Unfortunately, it had been set up that Peter and herself were to take the same Stark plane home, so the car ride to the plane was awkward to say the least. Some guy called Happy Hogan was driving them, and he had to watch Nora completely give the boy the cold shoulder, even as he tried to apologise for whatever he had done wrong to her. "Do you want to see the video I took, I think you're in it for some of it." nothing, she just looked out the window. "Please talk to me, Nora." a sigh, or maybe she rolled her eyes, he couldn't tell. This went on until they got to the plane, where Nora holed herself up in the corner seat, curling up and sleeping for the entire journey.

When they arrived in the airport, Tony was waiting for them again, looking far more relaxed than what he was like in Germany days beforehand. He had offered her a ride home, to explain what he'd done. She politely declined, telling him her sister was picking her up. Peter didn't look at her, just continued on, getting into the car.

(Neither noticed each other glance back when the car took off down the road.)

So, here she was now, setting her duffle bag down with her new suit inside, back pain that was refusing to go away and a very excited brother trying to get as much info he could out of her. "What was the facility like? Was Black Widow as awesome as she was that day? Did you see Captain America, Leo really wants an autograph!"

"Leave her get over her jet lag first, son." Nathan said, sipping his coffee. "You looked wrecked, monkey, you feeling okay?"

Oh, other than finding out my boyfriend is my superhero crime fighting partner who knew my identity and probably never bothered to tell me? I'm feeling great, dad, how about you?

"Yeah, just tired." she said offhand, reaching for a bottle of water. "Hey, I'm gonna put my stuff away, alright, then take a nap."

Nathan nodded, before nodding at Aliya, who followed her sister soon after she left. Aliya was just at the door when she heard her slam her duffle bag on the ground, cursing profusely. She opened the door to see her squatting on the floor, fingers threaded in her hair as she wailed. "Whoa, whoa, Nora!" she said, racing toward her and scooping her into her arms. "What's wrong, hey, shh, what's wrong?"

"I'm such an idiot." she sobbed, curling into her sisters embrace. "I'm so stupid, how did I not know?"

"Not know what?" Aliya asked again.

It was so obvious, his voice, his mannerisms, his inability to keep a good school schedule. How did she not see this coming? Maybe she was so sure it was anyone but him, she forgot that possibility. It was obviously Peter Parker, and yet she never knew. He knew though, was he more perceptive to those things, or had he spotted her in costume? She needed to talk to him now, she was ready to talk to him.

"I need to sort this out." she said all of a sudden, getting up out of her sisters arms. Aliya shot up, following her as she went back down the stairs.

Nathan walked out of the kitchen at the right time. "Nora?"

"I gotta talk to Peter about the internship, he's into all that kind of stuff. I won't be two minutes." she didn't give them a chance to respond before she slammed the door, on the way to the subway station down the street.

Nathan looked at his daughter. "Lying?"

"Absolutely."

-

Aunt May answered the door, a usual sight, what was unusual however, was the packet of peas in her hands. "Oh, Nora, hi."

"Hi, May, is Peter home?"

She swore she could hear Peter swear from here.

"Yes, he is, although you've caught us at a bad time."

Nora stepped inside, wrapping her arms around herself. "Really, what happened?"

"Someone got beat up." the urge to help bubbled in her stomach, before she realised what was really going on. "I swear, kids can be such jerks."

"Yeah," Nora said, biting her tongue. "They really can."

Aunt May sighed, before gesturing for her to follow. "Well, you said your sister is a nurse, right? Maybe you could take a look at this."

From his room, Peter called out. "I'm sure she's fine, Aunt May."

Giving her a look, the older woman shook her head. "He's embarrassed. I told him girls like boys who can fight, right?"

Nora gave her a clipped smile. She didn't know how true her statement was for her situation right now.

The two girls entered, where Peter had one hand over his eye, the other folded under his armpit. Nora could barely look at him, but she forced herself to continue her burning stare. "Ouch." he muttered, just for effect and for a second, she let herself laugh. May handed him the peas.

"Well... I hope you got a few good licks in." she said, smirking at him.

"Yeah, I got quite a few in, actually." he said, eyes darting to Nora who just kept staring, face like stone. "His friend was huge. Like huge."

This time, she scoffed, but was payed no attention.

"Okay, tough guy. I know when I'm supposed to leave." she pointed at them both. "No funny business."

Nora let out a hum of laughter. "Believe me, that won't be happening."

Peter gulped, yeah, this was how he was going to die. "Hey, can you shut the door?" he asked his aunt who shut it after a playful glare. When they both knew they were alone, Nora took a deep breath, walked over to his bed and sat. She held out her hand, which he took, knowing his black eye was going to be taken care of. "Nora." he began, dropping the bag of frozen veggies, but she shushed him.

"I'm ready to talk now."

-

A/N: that last part was a long time coming let me tell you. 

So now the secrets out, both parties know and it's time for the dreaded 'Talk' next chapter. If all goes well, I could finish part one within the next two weeks. So excited to get to the last chapter!

Also, if there is any "Tony's an ass for ratting peter out" or "Nora's such a bitch for being sad about this" i will write you an essay about why you are wrong. I've come prepared.

Comment, vote & follow! - Emma