Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning began like any other, of course.

A quick breakfast, a kiss goodbye, and a nearly inaudible “thwip” from the nearby alley.

Funny, when you get pregnant. Your senses become heightened. Your instincts raise high, ready to do what is necessary to be safe.

MJ humorously compared this to Peter’s spider-sense. Though, he didn’t know. He wasn’t supposed to know until his birthday, which was tomorrow.

“Aunt May, May, I promise, I’m telling you the truth.” MJ held her phone as she was sitting at the table, pitter-patting the fork against the table. Her dinner cooked on the stove, along with a teapot.

“When did you find out? MJ Parker you little sneak,” May teases, making dinner for herself.

“Yesterday! I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for real, so I took a quick visit to the doctor. It’s only been two months and a half, so there’s not much there yet. But I’m excited.”

“Aw. I’m so happy for you two.”

“Thank you, Aunt May. I can’t wait to tell him tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll have the camera,” MJ chuckles.

Then there was a knock at the door.

“Hey, someone’s at the door. One sec.”

MJ stands, still holding the home phone to her ear. She looks through the peephole. Three police?

She opens the door, and they all look at her somberly.

“Um, you do realize it’s really late, right?” MJ questions.

“Are you Mary Jane Parker?” one asks, taking his hat off.

“Yes?”

They all pause. One is shaking, holding back tears. The others stay strong, but they were also clearly shaken up.

“Your husband, Peter Parker...”

The teapot whistles as MJ drops the phone, May shouting worriedly on the other line.

The funeral was rushed, Wilson Fisk invited her to a charity dinner in his honor. It all felt like a blur.

May was over at the Parker’s house, stroking her back as she shed tears. They both were shedding tears.

It felt unreal.

“I can’t believe I was invited to--to his event! That--That!” MJ cries, glaring at the TV. Wilson Fisk was shown, and the anchor was talking about the charity event. May keeps stroking her back.

“You don’t have to go, Mary…”

MJ inhales.

“If I don’t, Fisk might know that I know. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“Mary Jane, it’s ok. I’ll be fine.”

MJ shakes her head, wiping at her eyes.

“No. I’m going to do this,” MJ’s confident voice comes out as a whisper.

It was strange, he felt so familiar.

Don’t get her wrong, it was at best strange that this man in a full Spider-Man get up was rambling to her about “the bread that she deserves.” But… something about him seemed so familiar. She couldn’t put her finger on it. It was like tipping an iceberg.

“Ma'am we'll take care of that bread, right now!” a lady, in a weird white Spider-Man inspired? Costume, assures.

“Well… it’s been nice, uh, talking to you.” MJ walks, but something screams in her to look back.

And she does. Was that one guy in black and white?

Her lips part. Her hand goes to her stomach.

Her instincts stay high. The prickling sensation in the back of her neck speaks volumes.

The next day, there was a new Spider-Man. Black and red was his signature.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to meet him. She didn’t resent him, taking up Peter’s mantle. In fact, she had a feeling that’s what he wanted. But it still felt weird.

Something was off.

Something was strange.

Maybe one day she’d get an answer.

She stares over at the picture, the wedding picture of her and Peter. Hand-in-hand, gold bands around their fingers. MJ plays with the same band that still stuck on her finger.

She’d have this baby.

And she’d keep going strong.

Because that’s what Parker’s did. They never gave up.

And she didn't plan on breaking that streak now. 

Chapter Text

Months trickled by like grains of sand. MJ took note of each day, a day farther from when Peter was alive.

Her stomach was huge now, at eight almost nine months. She was sure that the little one was ready to come out any day now.

She had taken all her possessions and belongings and put some in storage. Things she couldn’t fit into her new home otherwise. May offered to take her in, and she took that chance. Even with her background in TV and the like, she knew she couldn’t have a whole house to herself.

She did plan to move out someday, just not too soon. She might be stubborn, and brave, but she knew that taking care of a new life would be hard. Especially considering the large possibility of that child developing spider powers.

She eases herself down into the recliner, a cup of tea in her hands. From May, she did hear who the new Spider-Man is. A young Afro-Latino teen by the name of Miles Morales. MJ however wasn’t sure when she’d be ready to meet him.

However, she did want him to meet the baby. That was for certain. He was family to her.

She sips some of the herbal tea, a sigh of slight content falling afterwards. She missed Peter with every fiber, but she knew she had to move on.

She remembered when this yellow house was trashed. She had heard on the old police scanner which she didn’t have the heart to turn off; “Spider-people?”

She still pondered this. She knew May was hiding something; but at the moment she didn’t have the heart to ask what.

“Hey, May, has Miles come around lately?”

May comes out of the kitchen, confused.

“No, why do you ask? He’s been busy with school, and since the collider incident there hasn’t been a huge spike in villain activity.”

MJ turns her eyes to the black TV.

“I… want to talk to him. I think I want him to be an uncle for them.”

May smiles.

“I’ll give him a call.”

Miles Morales didn’t expect a call from May so soon after school let out. He was walking home, as it was Friday.

And now here he was, in his street clothes, with a warm cup of tea in his hands. And a heavily pregnant Mary Jane Parker across from him, the footrest for the recliner up.

It was quiet, a bit awkward really. But MJ sat peacefully, her own cup of tea held carefully.

“So… why did you want to meet me now, Ms. Parker?”

MJ shakes her head with that notion.

“Call me MJ, Miles. I don’t want to scare you or anything.”

Miles had to admit, sitting in front of the wife of his would've-been mentor, was a bit daunting.

“I’m going to be having my child in a few short weeks. I can feel it,” MJ tilts her head back, looking at the already chipped white paint. Miles nods awkwardly. “And I wanted to meet you now, because I feel that it’s been unfair.”

“Huh?” Miles is caught off guard, to say the least.

“I’ve been avoiding you because I’m still kind of in denial that Peter is gone. I knew if I met you, I’d have to face the reality that he isn’t here anymore,” MJ admits, a sigh leaving her as she sips her tea. “I’d have to accept that he’s dead.”

“I think that’s a fairly valid reason,” Miles contradicts, a short shrug lifting his shoulders.

“Maybe so, but it’s still unfair. And probably not the healthiest way to go about things.”

MJ looks back at him again, and brushes some red curls from her face.

“Because you are Spider-Man, I consider you family, Miles. And I want to see if you’d like to consider being a part of my baby's life.”

Miles’ eyes go a little wide, finding his hands sticking to the fine china.

“Wh—Me?”

“Yes, you. Like I said, you’re family now. And I’d like you to be an uncle figure to them. If you wish, of course. I know we barely know each other, but I can tell you’re a great kid.”

Miles sits in thought, but only for a moment.

“Sure, I’m up for it!” he grins. MJ smiles back.

"I'm glad."

Chapter Text

“Aunt May, I know this is sudden, but I’m at the hospital now. They can’t wait any longer. My water broke.”

That was a while ago.

MJ was covered in a light sheen of sweat, her contractions getting closer and closer together. May was holding her hand, sitting in a chair. She was already in scrubs.

“Aunt May? Do you…?”

“Yes, I know he is.”

May rubs MJ’s hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb. MJ’s head hits the pillow.

“Ms. Parker, how close together are your contractions?” a nurse asks, pulling on gloves.

“Pr-pretty close.”

The nurse nods.

“It might be time then.”

MJ lets out a large exhale in pain.

At exactly eleven fifty-five PM, on March 20th, 2019, Annabelle May Parker was born.

She was currently asleep in MJ’s arms, MJ looking at her with such adoration. She had light reddish hair, and MJ knew she had blue eyes. Though she wasn’t sure what color just yet.

May looks with joy, at her grandniece. She had freckles too, a small nose. She was also fairly pink, and very chubby, as all babies were at birth.

“I can bet you right now, she’s gonna be a great person,” May chuckles. MJ smiles, stroking Annabelle’s cheek with her finger. She was exhausted, but seeing her daughter was keeping her awake. Not yet ready to cross the threshold into dreaming. Annabelle was already breastfed, now it was only skin-to-skin contact. 

“Thank you, Aunt May. For being here.”

“Of course, MJ. Now, get some sleep, ok? I’ll take care of Annabelle for now.”

MJ nods, but then she shortly gasps. Annabelle was awake, her eyes were the same shade as Peter’s. Her heart felt full, tears filling her eyes.

“His eyes…” she murmurs happily.

May smiles, and gently takes Annabelle, helping MJ lay down. It wasn’t very long until the exhausted mother fell asleep.

Two days later, MJ was home, waiting for Miles to come over. Annabelle was lying peacefully; so far she wasn’t a real crier. Sometimes that scared the newly made mother, but the young girl only cried when she needed to be taken care of. It was interesting, to say the least.

Miles rings the doorbell, May coming and opening the door. Miles grins when he sees MJ and the swaddled newborn.

“Aw! She’s adorable,” Miles coos, walking over and looking at her. MJ beams at him.

“Thank you, Miles. How was school?”

“I’m doing much better at it, that’s for sure.” He glances back down at Annabelle. “ Hola, pequeña, ” he greets softly. “What’s her name?”

“Annabelle May.”

“That’s a mouthful,” Miles jokes.

“Then what do you suggest we call her?”

Miles pauses. Anna or Belle would be too obvious, but then again it should be simple.

“Annie?”

MJ grins.

“Annie May. I like the ring of that. Would you like to hold her?"

Miles hesitates for only a second, but then nods. MJ shows him how to properly do so, and he holds Annie close to his chest. 

Annie gurgles, and Miles flinches. His spider sense buzzes in his head, staring at her more. Annie’s eyes open to stare at him.

“Miles? What’s wrong?”

Miles smiles softly, sheepishly.

“She’s like me. She has spider powers.”

Chapter Text

A month went by after that, Annie growing at a steady pace. MJ notices more often than not that May would sometimes disappear into the Spider-Shed, and not come out for several hours. She didn’t think much of it at first, but it became slightly more frequent. Miles would be down there occasionally as well.

Every time MJ wanted to check up on May, something in her would make her stop. Sometimes it’s Annie, who cried in her arms. Annie would sort of “wave” her arms around, crying, but wasn’t because she needed something changed or needed feeding. Or sometimes, she’d be completely quiet, but a voice in MJ’s head said “Not yet, maybe tomorrow.”

She wasn’t sure why, but she accepted it as her reality for now.

MJ watches as Annie sleeps for a few minutes, a sigh falling from her lips. What does Peter think about her? Is he in the same room, right now, looking at her? Or did ghosts not exist?

MJ shakes her head. She didn’t want to think too deeply into it. Not now. Not when it was so peaceful, so, so beautiful.

And it was, really. A crescent moon was outside, and while it wasn’t full of stars, the sky still lit with a few. A handful, maybe.

She could see a few airplane lights, moving quietly like birds. The snow outside was nearly done melting. She couldn’t wait for Annie’s first snowfall.

A few clouds drifted lazily, but not too many to call it “cloudy.” Just enough to tell you that clouds existed.

MJ spins the mobile a little, watching Annie doze. Said mobile had a bunch of stars and a moon in the middle. MJ had also hung up some glow-in-the-dark stars, even if it was her room too it was very nice to have. MJ reaches down, carefully stroking Annie’s cheek with her finger. Her hair was growing a little bit too, and MJ could tell her hair was gonna be like hers; curly, or very wavy at the least.

Her eyes trail up to a picture Miles had drawn. He had drawn a portrait of Annie along with her father’s version of the Spider-Man insignia.

"Hey! MJ! I have a gift for Annie.”

MJ jumps, seeing Miles in his full Spider-Man costume, omitting the mask. He currently hung outside the window, his bag on his back.

“Oh! Hey, Miles!” MJ greets, opening the window. Miles tugs around his backpack, leaning against the windowsill. He pulls out a black book, and carefully tears out a page. He then gently hands it to MJ.

It was a pencil sketch of Annie’s face, behind her was Peter’s Spider-Man insignia. There was a bit of coloring in the background, little colored circles. MJ feels tears in her eyes.

“Miles, this is beautiful. Thank you.” She hugs him through the window. He hugs back. “I’ll hang it up immediately. Would you like to come in?”

“I can’t, unfortunately. But tell her I said ‘Hola!’”

“Of course.”

MJ sighs softly.

Then she perks up.

Voices outside.

She slowly moves to the window, seeing someone not Miles or May enter the Spider-Shed. And then, the door closed.

“!”

MJ glances at Annie again. She was asleep, but what if she woke up when she was investigating?

MJ grabs the baby monitor, turning it on. After pulling on her jacket and shoving said monitor into her jacket pocket, she grabs May’s baseball bat. She jogs over to the door, taking out the key she had and unlocking the door.

“May?! May!” MJ cries, running into the elevator. Did she smell rain?

The elevator jolts, and goes down, but yet she only saw Miles and May. May looks up at her confused, Miles looked a little bit sweaty but was obviously hiding it.

“MJ? Mary Jane, what’s wrong?” May asks, putting down her cup of tea on the chair armrest. “Did something happen to Annie?” her confusion turns to worry as she stands. Miles looks at her concerned as well.

“No! I saw someone come in here! Someone not you or Miles! I got scared for you.” She didn’t even know Miles was down here. She plays with the baseball bat a little, heart pounding as she saw no one else around. “I could’ve sworn, seriously!”

May shakes her head, a flicker of guilt flashing in her eyes.

“No, dear. Maybe the lack of sleep has gotten to you. Annie has become quite the crier.”

“I…” MJ’s lips part, looking down at the floor.

“I appreciate you looking after me, though, dear. Maybe get some sleep, ok?”

MJ sighs loudly, rubbing her face.

“Right, right. Goodnight, you two. Don’t be up too late, Miles, it’s a school night,” MJ jokingly scolds, a small smile on her face.

“Of course!” Miles’ voice cracks just a tiny bit. MJ leaves, but she doesn’t believe any of what May said. She knows she saw something.

But that little voice in the back of her head. Once again.

'Not yet, maybe tomorrow.'

Chapter Text

MJ sits at the table, having put Annie to bed, she eats a late dinner. May was watching TV, having eaten earlier already.

“Aunt May?” MJ asks suddenly, putting down her fork.

“Yes, MJ?” May questions back, a hum in her throat.

“What do you think Annie will be, when she’s older?”

May goes quiet into thought.

“The dream will be that she’ll someday take up or at least join the, uh, as Peter would phrase, ‘Spider-Legacy.’” May shrugs. “But, she’s still pretty young. Her fate will be decided by her, I’m sure.”

MJ hums, tapping her fork against the plate.

“I’m just… worried.”

May frowns, then smiles a little.

“I know it’s scary to think about your child growing up to fight crime. But she’d have Miles as a teacher, and she’ll be saving the world. She isn’t alone, it’ll be ok, Mary,” May reassures. “I bet she has Pete’s smarts. I might’ve created a lot of his gadgets, he still made his own web fluid and web shooters. She’s gonna grow up a strong, smart girl. She has a strong and smart woman as a mother after all.”

MJ sniffles a little, but she is smiling.

“Thank you, Aunt May.”

MJ rocks Annie back and forth, a little bit tired. But the poor baby wouldn’t stop crying even for a second.

“Annie, it’s ok, honey. I’m here, mommy’s here,” MJ murmurs, a bit sleepy.

A sudden knock at the window snaps MJ out of her rocking. Miles is standing outside, though he gives a little wave. Annie almost immediately calms, cooing.

“Miles…” MJ states sleepily. Miles opens the window, jumping into the room.

“Hey, MJ. I heard Annie crying while I was on my way home.”

MJ sighs.

“Yeah. She’s pretty peaceful otherwise, but I can’t tell why she’s upset now. Or-- rather was .”

Miles walks up to MJ, holding out his arms. MJ carefully puts Annie into his arms, and his head buzzes a little at the “You’re like me” feeling.

“Hey, florecilla. You’re giving your mother a hard time, huh?” he chuckles. MJ grins, leaning against the crib. He was such a good uncle to her. Even if it wasn’t biological, she could tell Miles loved her all the same. “You gotta be good for your mother, ya’know. It’s very rude to wake her up at odd hours of the night.”

Annie coos, a smile on her face. Miles smiles, eyes soft.

“If you want to teach her Spanish when she gets older, I wouldn’t object to it. She really loves it when you speak it to her.”

“Oh, like, te amo mucho, pero es hora de dormir.” Miles sits on the end of MJ’s bed, rubbing Annie’s cheek carefully with his covered finger. “Duerme, pequeña flor . ”

MJ could only pick out some words from his speaking, but that was fine with her. She found it adorable all the same.

“Just no swear words,” MJ jokingly scolds.

“Hey! I’m more responsible than I appear. ‘With great power, comes great responsibility,' right?” Miles quips, with a big beam on his face.

“Yep, that’s the quote.”

Annie falls asleep in his arms after that, and Miles quietly hums to her as he sets her in her crib.

“God, you’re a miracle worker. Thank you, Miles. I have no idea why she’s so fussy lately.”

“It’s probably because she’s developing her spider-powers biologically. In my experience, spider-sense is probably the best and worst thing you can be given. Your senses heighten up to eleven and it’s good for avoiding things and all. But it comes with a price of being overwhelmed by things that aren’t dangerous sometimes. I’m sure with some training when she’s older, she’ll be able to balance it out.”

“That is true. Thanks. You better get home soon. I’ll be able to take it from here.”

“Right. If you want, I can drop by tomorrow. I have a few methods that sometimes help me stay not overwhelmed with my senses.”

“That would be much appreciated. Thanks again, Miles. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, MJ.”

Miles swings out of the window, heading straight to Brooklyn. MJ sighs; she did kinda wish Peter was also here to teach her. As a person who was powerless, she didn’t know much about everything with the powers. Which made her kinda sad, as a mother who wanted every single right to help calm her child.

She spins the mobile, watching as Annie dozed peacefully.

But, she was thankful for Miles. Not only was he a great Spider-Man; crime had been at an all-time low for once; but he was also a great uncle and person in general. She could tell he had a bright future. Brooklyn Visions picked the right guy.

As she crawls into bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars, she had to wonder.

What would Annie choose in life? 

Would she become a spider herself, or would she ignore that side of her? What would she be when she grew up?

Deep down, MJ hoped that she chooses to embrace her spider powers. Though she knew, in the end, she'd always support her daughter. 

Chapter Text

Another month went by fairly quickly, once again it was nighttime. MJ stares out the window, holding Annie in her arms. Annie was suckling on her nipple, having wanted to be fed.

May still hadn’t emerged from the Spider-Shed, which was a little worrying. Usually, she went to sleep around this time.

There was a mental argument about going to check on her, but she also didn’t want to interrupt. She knew May was busy a lot, and didn’t want to interrupt the creative process. It’s possible something Spider-Man related was going on down there.

MJ carefully exhales, not wanting to interrupt Annie’s feeding. She looks down at her.

“Hey, Ann. You full yet?” MJ jokingly asks. Annie only stares up at her with those big blue eyes of hers. Soon, Annie unlatches, and coos, arms waving a little. MJ giggles, kissing Annie’s chubby cheeks. “You’re adorable, red,” MJ coos herself, blowing a little raspberry on her cheek. Annie gurgles, a reflex smile developing on her face.

MJ kisses her forehead, and gently lies her down into her crib. She spins the mobile, singing softly to her. “ Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. ”

Annie dozes. MJ hums, turning on the radio. She’d turn it off when she went to bed, but for now music worked wonders for her sensory issues.

“I prefer to listen to music, especially when I’m sleeping. It helps me relax and just focus on sleeping. It might work best for her, considering she’s a baby, too,” Miles explains. “I don’t think earplugs would be an appropriate way to go about it, after all.”

“Yes, yes that is true.”

She turns the radio low, loud enough to hear but soft enough to not disturb her. After setting up the baby monitor, she takes the walkie-talkie and goes downstairs. It was a little early still--if eleven-thirty could be considered early--, and MJ wasn’t all that tired just yet. She boils some water on the stove in a teapot, grabbing a box of chamomile tea and a bottle of honey.

She also grabs a slice of cheesecake that she had baked the day before. Yes, MJ was now baking, too. It was very calming, and helped to cope with Peter’s death. She chuckles.

“I guess I’m a Golden Girl now,” she quips quietly. She runs a hand through her hair, pulling out a teacup.

It was so peaceful, MJ forgot for a moment that she was here, in this moment. If she wanted to, she could imagine that Peter would be coming home any second. He’d kiss her cheek and then her lips, and give her a rose and milk chocolate. She could imagine them cuddling on the couch, watching some cheesy romcom. She could smell his fading cologne, and Aged Spice shampoo.

She could also imagine, yes, that he was also cooing over Annie. That he was holding her, and then telling MJ, “No, don’t worry, I’ll handle this one.” as Annie cries loudly in the nearby nursery. She could imagine the future, with Peter teaching Annie how to better control her developing powers. Being jokingly overprotective of her from a date, but trusting her enough to stay out of trouble. Annie’s first kiss with whomever she preferred, and Peter crying at her wedding.

She had gotten to the part about them becoming wrinkled and gray before she realized that she was crying. The teapot begins to whistle.

MJ sniffles, holding back a sob. She just had to let herself get lost in her thoughts, didn’t she? She pours the water into the cup with the teabag and a spoonful of honey, and sits down with the cheesecake slice and fork in hand.

She reaches for the pad of paper on the table, and a nearby pen. She then begins to take her therapist’s advice, and write a letter to Peter.

Dear Peter,

It’s been a little while since I wrote you a letter. I’m sorry, if tears soak the paper. It’s been really hard.

MJ takes a moment to breathe, wiping at her tears.

I miss you so much, every day. I pretend to be ok, but I’m not. I keep bottling things up when I know I shouldn’t. Even when I go to a therapist now, I don’t know if I’m pretending I’m ok or I’m actually ok sometimes.

I wish you got to at least meet Annie, or heard about my pregnancy before you got murdered. I still have the last picture you took in a frame in my room.

MJ takes a breath.

I know that, I know you’re here, on occasion. Maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks, or you’re still here, as a spirit. Sometimes I swear I can smell your cologne. The musky stuff that I jokingly told you to get rid of but loved anyway. Because it was so you, and I didn’t want to change that.

I think that Annie will have a choice to make when she’s older, and I don’t know what path she’ll take. I know if she does end up wanting to become something greater, she’d use her powers for good. But if she doesn’t use her powers for heroic endeavors, I’m not sure what her dreams and ambitions will be.

Sometimes, that’s kinda scary to think about.

MJ finally takes a sip of her warm tea, shoving a forkful of cheesecake into her mouth afterwards.

As a mother, it’s scary to think that your child might get hurt. But, there’s also a sense of pride in it. Doing good for the sake of doing good. Isn’t that an amazing concept? So many possibilities.

I still have your camera, it’s in my drawer upstairs. I think I might pull it out and take up photography like you once did. Things are hard, but, I know as long as I can keep your memory alive, I can pull through.

You’d be so, so proud of Miles. He’s made this city so safe, feel actually calm and peaceful criminal wise. There’s still the occasional purse snatching, or heist. But they’re becoming less. Miles is so strong, and so brave. He’s like a little brother to me, though I bet you’d see him as a son. You did tend to have that gravitational pull towards people.

I promise like last time, I will tell Annie every single detail that I can think of about you. How you would’ve been a loving father, and a supportive outlet. How you would’ve been so happy, so proud of her. I bet you a hundred dollars that she would’ve had you wrapped around her pinkie like a string. I know she has me the same way.

MJ finally stops crying, though a wavering smile still played at her lips.

I love you, I love you so much. I hope that you have been able to meet your parents, and everyone else who died who was important in some way. And that you’re still quipping, and staying cheerful. I hope you still have that goofy grin, and that puppy thing eye that you used to do. I’ll keep going strong everyday. I don’t plan on giving up, ever.

Love,

MJ.

MJ feels a little better, tearing out the paper and grabbing a small envelope. After folding and placing it in, she writes his name on the back. She walks over to a kitchen drawer, revealing a few more letters including a few from May as well. MJ slips it in, and closes the drawer.

MJ rubs the knob of the drawer for a second, blue eyes trailing to the tea and cheesecake.

She grabs her phone off the counter, opening up Tweeter. She sits back down at the table, picking up her fork again.

She promised she’d relax, and that’s what she’d do.

Chapter Text

MJ walks down the street, stroller handle in hand. Annie for once was not being overwhelmed by her spider-sense--maybe naturally getting used to it--thus MJ figured she’d like a walk. Even though she was almost two months old, MJ figured a new environment would be nice. Plus, MJ herself needed some time alone too. Well, kinda alone.

MJ carefully passes by droves of people, keeping her eye on Annie as they walk through Times Square. So far, even though her sense of perception hasn’t fully developed, she still looked to and fro. MJ smiles, loving that Annie was so curious about the world before her.

“Oh! Hey, Miles,” MJ greets, seeing Miles out with his roommate, Ganke.

“Whoa! Peter’s wife,” Ganke gasps. Miles rolls his eyes.

“Yes, but I want to be known for more than just that.”

“Sorry, immediate reaction.”

“It’s alright. Ganke, right?”

“Ganke Lee, Ms. Parker,” he greets, and they shake hands. Miles bends down over Annie, a big grin on his face. After the familiar buzzing subsides, he tickles her stomach in greeting. Annie gurgles.

“ Hola, mi pequeña girasol! ” Miles greets happily. MJ chuckles. They move to the side, MJ and the boys sitting down on one of the benches. “Have you been good for your madre ?” he asks.

“She has been.”

“Does she have spider powers like you?” Ganke whispers to Miles. MJ’s eyebrows raise.

“He knows?”

Ganke’s cheeks turn a bit pink in embarrassment.

“Yeah. I told him not long after I officially became Spider-Man. Is that… bad?” Miles questions, letting Annie grip his finger as he sheepishly grins.

“Not at all! I wasn’t saying it was bad, Miles. Peter was a bit more secretive about his powers, but he didn’t hesitate to tell me when we got serious. I’m actually quite glad you’ve told someone. It must be hard to be doing a lot of this on your own for the most part.”

Miles clears his throat.

“Yeah! Totally.” His voice cracks just a tiny bit. He clears his throat again. “I’ll be over tonight to help May with something. Is that cool?”

“Miles, you don’t have to worry about getting my approval. Just tell Annie ‘hi’ when you come over. I’m telling you, she’s gonna be attached to you when she’s older, if not already,” MJ jokes. Miles chuckles, almost nervously.

“I’m kinda new to this whole uncle thing, still.”

“Miles, you’ve already been great.”

“Thanks, MJ.”

MJ stands, and Miles carefully pulls his finger away from Annie.

“Miles? Can I ask you about something when you do come over?”

Miles gives her a confused look, but nods.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Ganke?” MJ asks before she leaves. Ganke looks up at her nervously. “Thanks, for being a good friend to Miles. I can already tell you’re a great support system for him. Also, call me MJ.”

“Th-Thanks, Ms--MJ!” Ganke corrects himself, clearly a little starstruck. Just a tiny bit. MJ smiles softly.

“See you tonight then, Miles.”

MJ walks off.

“You still haven’t told her about the whole…?”

“No, none of us have. As much as it’s hard to keep such a big secret, we… we also don’t want to break her heart. None of us do. She’s been through too much already. If she found out there’s more Peter’s out there, none of us are sure how she’d take it. And that’s… not good.”

They both look as she disappears into the crowd, a more somber look on their faces.

MJ watches the night clouds stroll by quietly, a sigh leaving her lips. She had to visit Peter’s grave soon. It was almost the 18th of May, aka the seventh month anniversary of his passing. She went every month that it was the 18th, save for when she couldn’t walk. May usually joined her, though even she pointed out when MJ should take a break.

But now that she wasn’t carrying Annie anymore, she hoped to go to his grave. Maybe even take Annie with her one day.

She glances at the shed. Miles and May still haven’t come out of it.

MJ sits on her side of the bed, grabbing the framed picture of her and Peter. Peter is kissing her cheek and doing bunny ears behind her head, while MJ was laughing. A picture immortalized by his camera. MJ opens the drawer, pulling out said camera.

She turns it on, watching as the lens flickers open, then looks on the screen. There were a few pictures of him as Spider-Man, as that was what he was most famous for. Mostly of him fighting baddies, like Lizard and Electro. There was also some pictures of her, in places she didn’t even know he had taken pictures. Like in the morning, when she was just waking up, or when it was her turn to make dinner and she wasn’t looking.

MJ’s eyes soften.

There was one of Peter, jokingly wearing his old frames, along with Aunt May. They were clearly in the Spider-Shed, something in the background being worked on.

MJ sighs, turning the camera off and gently putting it into the drawer. After shutting it, she gets under the covers.

“Goodnight, Annie. Goodnight, Pete,” she murmurs.

Chapter Text

The next day, MJ grabs a blank journal from her drawer. Annie is in her crib, suckling on a pacifier. MJ smiles down at her, before sitting and writing.

May 10th, 2019

Today, I’m going to try to get a job. It’s time I do that.

Annie is currently almost two months old, and is growing at the normal pace. Though, there has been some developments. She’s a bit stronger than a baby her size should be, probably because she does have spider powers. If I recall, Peter could lift fifteen-twenty tons. I hope she can’t lift that much until she’s at least a teenager!

I also plan on baking something a day before Peter’s anniversary. March 18th. It’ll be… seven months. Seven months. Time is going by too fast now.

MJ pauses. She puts the journal back into the drawer and puts the pen in front of the picture frame. She then picks up Annie, bringing her downstairs.

“Hey, May? Can you take care of Annie? I want to see if I can get a part-time job at The Daily Bugle .”

“Huh? Really? You want to work for Jameson?” May chuckles.

“I was in Peter’s photography class. I have some experience. If not that, I do have a minor degree in Journalism.”

“Well, what will you be taking pictures of?”

MJ grins.

“Spider-Man.”

"I want a part-time job at the Bugle. If you let me take some pictures of you now, I could submit them. Jameson sees you as a menace, and wants photos again.” MJ holds up a newspaper ad, advertising an opportunity to become a photographer as long as someone got good photos for “The Ultimate Spider-Man.” A new humorous adjective, for the superhero.

“Yeah, of course!”

“Good. I’ll be splitting the money with you.”

“Wh--MJ! I can’t do that.”

“Yes you can. It wouldn’t be fair. I’m not taking no for an answer, bug boy,” MJ teases. Miles groans.

The building was bustling, no one paying mind to the redhead. MJ clutches a portfolio and resume, and was more finely dressed. She had taken a shower, put on a spritz of perfume, and wore a feminine business suit. Some spared some glances, ‘cause of course, Mary Jane Parker would always be a person to turn heads; not to mention she was still known as Spider-Man’s wife; or, well, the first Spider-Man’s wife.

“Hey, Betty,” MJ greets kindly. Betty Brant was a bit older than her, early thirties at the least. She never got a grasp on her age. Betty smiles.

“Mary Jane! Hey, Mr. Jameson is expecting you.”

“Thanks. Thanks, also, for putting a good word in for me. I don’t think I want to go back into TV until Annie is older, and something like this where it’s more lax is nice.”

“Of course. How is the little redhead doing?”

“She’s wonderful. She’s already got a bit of personality.”

Betty smiles a little more wistfully.

“Peter would’ve loved her.”

MJ nods, fiddling with her jacket sleeve.

“I know he would’ve.”

Betty presses a button on her phone.

“Mr. Jameson, Mary Jane Parker is here to see you.”

“Let her in.”

MJ opens the door, seeing Jonah smoking a cigar. She would retort that smoking isn’t allowed in the building anymore, but she kept it to herself.

“Good morning, Mr. Jameson.”

J. Jonah Jameson. What could she say about him?

He looked older, his salt-and-pepper hair becoming more salt than pepper. His blue eyes look colder than usual, and he had more frown lines. He had an assortment of pills, for what MJ guessed was his heart and blood pressure.

“Sit down, Ms. Parker.” He gestures to the seat in front of him.

MJ comes home, a small smile on her face.

“So?”

“Even though Betty has to constantly remind him about his blood pressure, he’s still as energetic as ever. I have the job!”

“Mary, that’s great!” May smiles. May picks up Annie, who gurgles in response to her mother being home.

“How was Annie?”

“As she always is. Quiet, but energetic.”

MJ smiles, kissing Annie’s cheek. Annie pats MJ’s cheeks a little in reply.

Later that night, MJ and May sit out on the back porch, baby monitor walkie-talkie between them. They eat some ice cream out of bowls, May having a glass of wine while MJ drinks some juice. MJ has strawberry, and May has chocolate and vanilla.

“So, when do you officially start?”

“For now it’s freelancing. But, he was surprisingly respectful to me.”

“Mm, he might’ve mellowed out.”

They look at each other for a moment, then laugh.

“The day Jameson ‘mellows out’ is the day I get spider powers,” MJ jokes. May snorts.

MJ sighs, leaning back and staring at the sky.

May shifts, then exhales.

“I’m gonna go to bed. Long day tomorrow. You better get some sleep too. I’m sure Annie might want to be fed soon.”

Cue Annie being fussy over the speaker, not quite crying but still audible. MJ smiles softly, standing up. She quickly helps May put the dishes in the sink, and then takes the baby monitor back upstairs.

“Hey, redhead,” MJ greets, Annie fussing in her crib. MJ takes her up into her arms, sitting down on the bed and pushing away her shirt. MJ helps her latch on, humming a little to keep Annie calm.

MJ glances over to the window, her eyes going a bit wide. May was walking towards the Spider-Shed, opening it and going on down. MJ frowns.

Once Annie was done and back asleep, MJ stares out the window quietly at the shed.

What was going on in there? And why wasn't she allowed to find out?

Chapter Text

“Why do you want me to help you bake?”

“We can get to know each other more!”

Miles had come over after school one afternoon, about a week later after MJ got her job. Annie was in a little rocking seat, her arms lifting towards the dangling plastic items. May watches her like a hawk, sipping peach tea while watching the news.

MJ had an apron on, and held one out to Miles.

“We’re gonna be making a cheesecake. Easy enough, right?”

Miles takes the apron, tying it on.

“Yeah! I’m not objecting. What kind of cheesecake?”

“I’m not completely sure. You wanna choose?”

Miles grins, peering into the open baking book. There was an assortment of cheesecakes to choose from, and it took him a moment to figure it out.

“Marble?”

MJ nods, pulling out the ingredients.

“Alright, so I’ll work on the crust, and you can do the filling. Sound fair?”

“Yeah!”

After MJ preheats the oven, she puts the graham crackers into a ziplock.

“So, we haven’t really had a real chance to talk, considering you’ve been busy with school and Spider-Man duties, so let’s start easy. What’s your favorite music?”

Miles grins.

“It’s a little old by now, it released back in September, but I do like Post Malone. Permission to play?” he takes out his phone.

“Of course.”

Miles turns up the music, pressing play.

Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy (ooh)

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ohh (ooh)

Ayy, ayy

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

MJ beams, stirring together the crumbs, butter, and sugar. Miles grabs a smaller bowl, melting the chocolate and butter together in the microwave.

Needless to say, I keep her in check

She was all bad-bad, nevertheless (yeah)

Callin' it quits now, baby, I'm a wreck (wreck)

Crash at my place, baby, you're a wreck (wreck)

MJ moves to help him with the filling, putting in the other ingredients with the melted chocolate and butter. He then holds it as he helps her drizzle it into the homemade crust.

Someone took a big L, don't know how that felt

Lookin' at you sideways, party on tilt

Ooh-ooh, some things you just can't refuse

She wanna ride like a cruise

And I'm not tryna lose

They put it in for fifteen minutes, and stand around.

“This song is nice. I don’t really listen to Post Malone, or really any hip-hop, often.”

“Hip-hop has always been a part of my life. My… Uncle Aaron would introduce me to new artists every time I visited him. It’s like he never ran out of suggestions.”

MJ smiles sadly.

“He sounds like he was a great uncle.”

Miles nods, looking at the oven.

“He was. But I’ll never forget him. What music do you listen to?”

I think your love would be too much

Or you'll be left in the dust

Unless I stuck by ya

You're the sunflower

You're the sunflower

MJ notes that this is where he got the sunflower nickname for Annie, and beams.

“Hm. I like softer music, though I won’t shy away from rock. The Hush Sound, Florence and the Machine, M83, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin. Have you heard of Gorillaz? You’d probably like them.”

“Yeah! A lot of their music is pretty sweet.”

Miles goes quiet for a moment.

“Hey, what shows have you starred in?”

“Hm?”

“I, uh, heard you were in TV before.”

MJ nods.

“It’s mostly soaps. I’ve never really been a breakout actress, not that I mind. You wouldn't find them interesting. I think this photography freelance job will suit me fine for now. Speaking of which.” MJ shuffles through her purse, Miles sighing.

“MJ, you really don’t have to.”

“Miles, I insist. It’d be unfair for me to take occasional photos of you without paying you back somehow.”

She gives him one-hundred and fifty, half of the three-hundred she had been paid.

“If you really don’t want to spend it, you can always save it for college or something. I insist, Miles.”

Miles nods, slipping the money into his pocket. Once the fifteen minutes were up, MJ reduces the heat for the oven and then sets the timer for an hour. They take off their aprons, migrating into the living room. Annie gurgles, seeing Miles and MJ.

The familiar buzz shifts through Annie and Miles for a moment, and Annie makes a grabbing motion. Miles chuckles, gently picking up Annie and holding her as he sits down on the couch. MJ hums. May watches the two spiders fondly, sipping her tea.

“She could also be hungry. Would you like to know how to feed a baby?”

“Really?”

MJ nods, going back into the kitchen and preparing a bottle of formula. Once she finishes that, she shows Miles how to feed her.

He shifts, holding her correctly as he begins to feed her. She suckles off the nipple of the bottle, her eyes looking around. Miles gets this soft look on his face, and MJ fishes her phone from her pocket.

“Hey, Miles, can I take a picture?”

“Huh? Oh, if you want.”

MJ opens her camera app, clicking a picture of the two. She smiles down at it, and shows Miles.

“You’re such a wonderful presence in her life. I think she finds comfort in you since you two both have spider powers. I’m grateful for that.”

Miles smiles, a bit of color reaching his cheeks.

“Thanks, MJ. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect this. Not too soon, at least. Thanks, for letting me be a part of your lives.”

“Of course.”

May glances at what appears to be a watch on her wrist, and glances at Miles.

“Miles, we have to go down into the shed soon. I’ve been inventing a new gadget, and I want to see what you think about it.”

Miles goes for quiet for a moment, then nods.

“Ah, right.”

MJ gives them a confused look, and May clears her throat.

“It’s for his webshooters.”

MJ nods slowly. She grabs the burping cloth, giving it to Miles as Annie finishes her bottle.

“ Buen trabajo, girasol, ” he praises gently. After throwing it over his shoulder, he gives the bottle to MJ and starts burping her. “This is making me wish I had siblings,” Miles jokes. MJ snorts. 

“ Te veré más tarde, girasol.”

That was a while ago, after Miles spent some time with Annie. They were now, however, in the shed. MJ had breastfed Annie, and put her to bed. Now she was relaxing downstairs, even though it was fairly late at night. She fiddles with the baby monitor’s antenna. Maybe tonight she’d go down and bring May and Miles some cheesecake. Yes, yes, that’s what she’d do.

But first, bathroom.

MJ hums after getting out, fixing her pants as she takes the cheesecake out of the fridge. She places it on the table, moving to the cabinets. 

She keeps humming, grabbing some plates, making sure to keep them steady. Maybe she could come back and brew a fresh pot of tea and bring it down, too.

Until she heard a sneeze.

MJ puts the plates down, looking around. She knew for certain the TV was off, and no one else was in the house except for Annie. The radio could be heard, sure, but it was in the middle of a song. Too quiet and far away anyway to sound so clear. She rolls her eyes.

“Miles, you know, you don’t--”

She pauses, as she looks up at the ceiling.

A pig. A cartoon, but very much real pig. In a Spider-Man costume. Looking just as wide-eyed. She can hear Annie start to wail upstairs. But fight or flight or freeze kicks in, and she kicks herself mentally for not being able to move.

The clock can be heard. A beat.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

“Uh, do you know where your Aunt May keeps the mint tea?”

Snapping out of it, she does the one thing anyone would do.

She gulps in air.

And screams at the top of her lungs.

Chapter Text

MJ keeps screaming, and Ham drops from the ceiling, raising his hands peacefully.

“Whoa, lady! I’m not gonna--”

MJ had already pulled out a nearby skillet, and slams him in the face in it. In a cartoonish fashion, stars, circles, and other effects circle his head. He stumbles, mumbling and then falls, holding up his pointer finger. MJ runs upstairs, dropping the skillet. Annie is still wailing, fidgeting in her crib. MJ picks her up, then reluctantly runs back downstairs, about to bolt down the street. All she cared about was getting Annie to safety. 

“MJ!” Miles yells, bursting into the back door. “What’s-- Oh no…”

MJ holds Annie closer, more faces poking from behind him, all masked. One exception, a mecha. She swallows, hard. 

They were all from the charity dinner, all those months ago.

Annie cries only louder. MJ looks down at her. She’s still fussy, and overwhelmed, and MJ couldn’t tell why. Until she looked up again.

All of them. Spider-People. May pushes through the crowd, a sad look on her face. 

“She’s… she’s been fussy all this time… because she could… she could sense all of you…” MJ mumbles, coming to an epiphany. The one who, god forbid, oh god forbid , has Peter’s, her Peter’s suit, rubs the back of his neck. The same one who proclaimed that she deserved all the bread in the world. “Oh my god.”

May touches her shoulder, and she flinches. 

“We need to talk,” Miles says softly, walking up to her and taking off his mask. The other spider people flinch, feeling Annie’s spider-sense go off and theirs in turn. 

It wasn’t spoken, but, “She’s like me.” was basically what they all thought. 

One by one, they all take off their masks. Gwen takes hers off first. MJ’s eyes widen more. Peni opens the opening to SP//DR, crawling out and waving awkwardly. Noir takes off his hat and then, reluctantly, his mask. He takes out glasses from his trenchcoat pocket and puts them on. He had multiple scars and a little stubble, but had a resemblance to Peter, though black and white. MJ feels her throat tighten, as Annie’s fussiness starts to fade. 

Ham keeps his mask on, considering MJ’s reaction to him he figures for now she should just see his fully clothed self. 

Everyone looks at Peter B, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 

“Do it, Peter,” May mumbles. “We can’t hide it anymore.”

Peter B looks at MJ somberly for a moment, before taking off his mask. MJ feels tears gather in her eyes. Nausea washes over her as she stares at him. Sure, he had brown hair, and brown eyes, and his physique was different. But it was still all there. His hair fell the same way, the same puppy eyes, square chin. Every single thing that MJ adored on Peter-- her Peter -- was also there for this Peter. 

“Aunt May, what’s going on?” MJ asks, tears falling from her eyes. Miles takes Annie from her carefully as it was clear she was about to have a breakdown. 

“We haven’t really been telling you the truth. I’m sorry, Mary,” May apologizes. 

“We didn’t know how you would react. That’s why we didn’t tell you. We… weren’t sure when we were gonna say something. We did plan on doing so sometime, I swear. Just… not so soon,” Miles explains, letting Annie hold his finger. MJ sniffles, turning away from them. Looking at that Peter hurt so, so much. It hurt almost too much. 

“Mary Jane…” Peter B starts, but MJ holds up her hand. His voice was different too. 

“ Don’t. ” 

The air was so thick it was hard for MJ to even breathe. Annie fusses, sensing her mother’s negative emotions. So many swirled in MJ; fear, panic, anger, sadness, disbelief. All of them made her hands shake, her eyes water more, so much they burned. May holds MJ as she loses her balance. 

“How long has this been going on for? The charity dinner? Did P-- my Peter, ever know about this? How long--”

“A few days before. I’m not sure what Peter knew before… We had all figured out how dimension hop a few months ago, and we’ve been down in the shed to develop the technology further,” Miles explains. 

“Di--The collider.”

They all nod. MJ sobs more, clutching May’s shirt, not caring that it got wet. May didn’t care much either. 

“We’re sorry, Ms. Parker, for not saying anything. But this is the reaction we feared,” Gwen speaks, rubbing her shoulder and neck awkwardly. 

“R--Well of course!” MJ felt her stomach burn. “How else do you expect me to react?! With excitement, with whatever else knowing that there’s more Peter’s?! That look so much like him?! What did you expect, that I’d be ok with this, immediately?! I’m a good actress, but I’m not gonna pretend that I’m even remotely ok with this! This is not something I’m gonna sweep under the rug!” 

MJ pushes away from May, tears streaming down her face. 

“Of course I’m upset!” MJ grabs her jacket, storming out of the house. 

“MJ!” Miles calls. MJ ignores him. She might be mad, but she trusted Miles and May enough to take care of Annie. As much as she loved her daughter, she didn’t deserve to deal with her depressed self. 

Gwen holds out her arm, looking at them.

“I’ll go after her.”

“Are you sure?” Peter B asks. Gwen nods. She pulls down her mask, running out after her. 

MJ keeps walking, walking such a long distance she didn’t even realize she was standing in the graveyard. She didn’t realize she had stepped all the way up to his headstone until it was too late. 

MJ stares, and stares, and stares. The merchandise, the fresh flowers, the never ending candles. The newspaper, the pictures, and the unopened letters. 

Peter Parker

1991-2018

MJ yells out in desperation, falling to her knees. She cries, and cries, and cries. She lets out a body-shaking sob, more following as she goes from clutching the dirt to covering her face. 

“...Ms. Parker?”

MJ’s breath stutters, sniffling and trying not to sob again. She doesn’t look. Gwen takes off her mask and pushes down her hood.

“We didn’t properly get introduced. I’m Gwendolyn Stacy, but you can just call me Gwen. I’m Spider-Woman in my dimension, E-65.”

MJ stays quiet, shedding her tears silently as she hears Gwen step closer. She then sees the blonde kneel next to her, looking at the headstone for a moment. 

“You know, I know how you feel, too.”

MJ looks at her. 

“I didn’t expect to become Spider-Woman. When I did, I had my own version of Peter Parker. I… I loved him, too. But he was my best friend and that’s all that we would be. I did, however, tell him I was Spider-Woman. For a while, it was all fine. But… he became jealous, and wanted to be like me. He… he became my dimensions’ Lizard, and I tried to save him. But… unfortunately, he got killed in the process. When I found out there were two other Peter’s who looked like him, aka Peter B and Noir, I was… honestly devastated.”

MJ frowns, wiping at her eyes.

“Peter B, especially, looks like my Peter, and acts like him the most. Noir is... more quiet, soft spoken. But Peter B… basically everything. And I’m sure he’s a lot like your Peter, too.”

MJ nibbles on her bottom lip. 

“But, eventually, I became used to their presence. I still miss my Peter everyday, and I see him a lot in both of them. But, I also knew that they are their own people, and it wouldn’t be healthy of me to project on to them. I don’t expect you to be ok with this immediately, none of us do, and I’m still coping with it myself. But I want you to know that--” Gwen gently takes MJ’s hand. “--you’re not alone.” 

MJ holds back a sob, and hugs Gwen. Gwen is shocked at this, but slowly, hugs the redhead back.

“Thank you, thank you, Gwen,” MJ mumbles, shutting her eyes tightly as they still burn. 

“Of course, Ms--”

“MJ.”

Gwen laughs softly, pulling away.

“You know, I have my own Mary Jane in my dimension.”

“Really?”

Gwen nods.

“I’m the drummer for her band that she has. She’s really cool, just like you.”

MJ rubs at her eyes again with her arm, laughing a little. Her dimples show. 

“A band? That’s much cooler than being an actress.”

“Oh, please! Both are really cool! Maybe I can show off my talents sometime,” Gwen states a little jokingly. 

“I’d like that,” MJ agrees. They both stand, and MJ looks back at the headstone. 

“I, uh, brought some flowers, they’re a little crushed, but…” Gwen pulls out some flowers from her pocket. They were indeed a little pressed due to the swing here.

“Snapdragons, sweet peas, and tea roses. Those were some of his favorites,” MJ points out. 

“I know.” Gwen smiles a little, and places them gently down in front of his grave. MJ presses her fingers to her lips, and then presses them against the cool surface.

“Bye, Tiger… I love you,” she murmurs. 

“Would you like to walk or swing?” Gwen asks. MJ hums as they walk together. MJ rubs at her eyes a little more. 

“You know what? I want to get home quickly.”

Gwen snorts, hooking her arm around MJ’s waist after they get out of the graveyard. Gwen then shoots a web towards the nearest building, and away they went. 

MJ stands in front of them all, May now holding Annie as the baby sleeps peacefully. 

“I’m sorry for yelling at you all, earlier. I was upset, and I admit I still kinda am. I just need some time to… process, all of this. But I don’t resent any of you for not telling me. I understand it was a big secret, and it was too big for... me to handle, right now. But we can’t change what happened. It’ll take me some time to get used to all of you. But, I am glad that you all helped Miles in some way, shape, or form during his first week as Spider-Man. As someone who saw my Peter struggle a lot with his secret, especially in the beginning, it’s nice to know that Miles has more spiders to back him up.” 

She brushes back her hair with her hand. She then sits down next to May.

“So, I’m ready for introductions. Tell me all the nitty gritty. What’s the origin, and what are your names, or rather, what should I call you?” MJ smiles. “I want to hear all about it.”

And, for the next few hours, that’s what they did.

Chapter Text

Click. Click.

MJ goes at it with pictures. It had been exactly a month since she found out about the other dimensions. Since then, for some odd reason, crime had accelerated to high heights. It seemed that some supervillains were making a comeback. All MJ knew was that if Dr. Octopus was alive, she’d be the one to punch her first. 

Because of that, MJ was very busy taking pictures of Miles, or well, Spider-Man. 

Like she was now.

It wasn’t a usual villain, don’t get her wrong. It was just a few bank robbers, thinking they could get away from Miles. But with taser-like zaps and a few punches, they were all hung like decorations. 

“So? How’d I do?” Miles asks her, landing next to her and moving his mask up. MJ chuckles, looking at the screen. 

“Like Spider-Man, Miles.” She pats his shoulder. Then she gets serious. “Listen, can you promise me something?”

Miles looks up at her.

“If… If any of the villains come back, which feels like it might happen, can you promise to be careful? It’s not that I don’t trust you, but the villains who Peter faced in the past are super dangerous. Max is especially bad, and Sherman… Electro and Shocker, if you didn’t know. I’m just worried.” 

“I’ll be fine, I promise MJ.”

MJ smiles. 

“I gotta go bring these to Jameson. Get back to school before someone notices.”

They fistbump, and MJ climbs down the fire escape from the roof. She puts the camera, notably the one Peter used to use, into it’s bag. She walks towards The Daily Bugle building, calling the elevator once she gets in.

“Oh my god. Mary Jane Parker.”

MJ grins, recognizing his voice.

“Eddie! Hey! I haven’t seen you all week here, I thought you quit!”

“No way! Just been busy.” He walks over, a smile on his face.

Eddie Brock, a lifetime friend of the Parker family. He had brown hair, blue-green eyes, a friendly smile, and a bit of stubble. He had worked with Peter for years, especially when they both got newspaper jobs. 

“I’ve been working on an assignment, investigating the spike in crime. So I’ve been undercover for a little while.”

MJ nods, both of them getting in the elevator. 

“So, I heard you had your baby.”

“Yeah! Annabelle May. She’s almost three months. Maybe you can come over sometime and meet her.”

“I’d like that.”

They go quiet.

“How… How have you been?” he asks, a bit more sadly. MJ smiles softly.

“Coping. How have you been?”

“Well, Peter was a hero. He was protecting the city. I’m sad, but proud of him.”

MJ smiles a little wider, her dimples impacting as she pats his arm. 

“I’m glad. So, what’s the scoop, then?”

Eddie looks at the silver doors of the elevator. 

“I think Doc Ock might be alive.”

MJ freezes. 

“She… The Maggia guys I was sneaking around mentioned a ‘crazy lady with eight arms.’ That… unfortunately sounds familiar.”

MJ sighs. 

“I feared this would happen.”

Ding!

“I’ll see you around. Thanks, for telling me.”

Eddie nods, drifting off from her to his dusty cubicle. MJ grips the Manilla folder tighter as she walks towards Jonah’s office.

“May, where’s all the spiders?”

“They’ll be coming tonight! Why, what’s wrong?”

MJ holds Annie worriedly. 

“Eddie.”

May’s casual stance shifts into a more serious posture. 

“He told me Olivia is alive.”

May’s eyes widen. 

“We gotta tell Miles right away then, too. The others can wait.”

Annie notices the shift in the atmosphere, getting a bit fussy. MJ kisses her forehead, murmuring softly to her. 

“It’ll be ok, Ann. We’re just a little worried, nothing bad is happening.”

Only ten minutes later was Miles at the front door, bursting in. 

“Olivia is alive?!” Miles asks, concerned. “But I saw her get hit by a truck in the weird color dimension. How can someone survive that? They couldn’t even find her body!”

“I’m not sure. I’m just as freaked as you are, even if I’m not showing it. Either way, this is serious. If she’s reappearing, who knows who else is out there. She might even break her team out of jail… Including Kingpin.” MJ goes stoic, glaring at the floor. Annie keeps fussing as the atmosphere gets even more thick. 

“Want me to hold her?” Miles questions. MJ nods, giving him Annie. He softly sings to her, walking her upstairs. MJ sighs, rubbing her face. 

“What are we going to do?”

“I’m not sure, Mary. I’m sure once the others come here from their dimensions tonight we can figure it out together.”

MJ paces around the living room for a moment, May watching feeling a bit helpless. She was also worried, but she could tell MJ could walk into the wooden floor if she wanted to. 

“Come on, come on, we can make some tea, ok?” May comforts, and MJ sullenly nods. Miles comes down a few minutes later, humming. “You want some tea?” May asks Miles, and he nods. 

MJ spaces out, fist digging into her cheek as she stares at the portrait of Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and a teenage Peter. Miles and May talk to fill the awkward atmosphere, but MJ just lets her thoughts sweep her away. Even as a steaming cup of chamomile was placed in front of her, she just kept staring. 

“Hey, guys!” Gwen greets cheerfully, entering in from the backdoor. She wears casual clothes, though has a backpack with her suit in it. Miles does a little handshake with her, a grin on his face. Gwen almost immediately notices afterwards MJ’s forlorn expression, and frowns. “What’s going on?”

“Olivia didn’t die. She’s apparently still alive out there,” Miles explains, making Gwen look shocked. 

Soon, more and more spiders started pouring in, next Noir, then Peni with SP//DR trailing behind, then Porker, and last Peter B. 

They chat amongst themselves, Miles explaining in MJ’s place, who still stared, her thoughts loud and proud. Tinnitus rings a little, losing all senses for a moment. She just… she couldn’t comprehend anything.

“MJ. Mary Jane!” Miles snaps his fingers in front of her face. 

MJ snaps out of her trance, gulping down some tea in response. They all look at her concerned as she scoops in some air, slamming the cup down. 

“I don’t know how to react,” she finally says, her voice croaking a little. “Kingpin isn’t the only person who… Olivia also contributed by making that--that damn collider!” MJ closes her eyes tightly, trying to absolutely not cry in front of them. She feels a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looks up at Noir, who was closest to her. MJ groans softly, holding her forehead in her hand for a moment while she tries to let everything sink in. “How did she live?” 

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Miles says softly. May leans with another cup of tea to Gwen.

“We saw her get hit by a sixteen-wheeler in the collider. She must have some nasty scars if she really survived that.” Gwen takes the gestured teacup from May’s hands, sipping a little.

“Unfortunately, if I know anything about Liv, she’s too stubborn to die in a boring fashion,” May quips dryly, teacup up to her lips as her blue eyes wander to the letter drawer. “And too stubborn to quit. Hell, if she really had died she’d probably haunt the science lab she once headed.” 

“You aren’t wrong,” MJ sighs. 

“Who told you she was alive anyway?” Peter B asks, folding his hands neatly. MJ can barely spare him a glance, she’d be a liar if she said she had gotten used to the mirror that is Peter B Parker.

“A friend of Peter and mine’s from high school, Eddie Brock. He’s an investigative journalist and tends to do his own detective work.”

Immediately, it’s like the room got cold.

Peter immediately went rigid, Peni’s eyes wide. Though the majority of the room was met with confusion.

“Addy Brock?” Peni asks in a small voice. SP//DR noticeably goes to console it’s pilot, hugging her close with it’s mechanical arms.

“No? Eddie Brock. Are… are you ok, Peni?”

Peni nods, though her brown eyes hold something with deeper meaning. MJ didn’t pry; she knew Peni would say something in due time.

Peter B, however, stayed silent. His eyes carved metaphorical holes into the table wood, for he could not look up at anyone.

“Peter?” May asks, worried. 

In an instant Peter B snaps out of his daze, clearing his throat. 

“Nothing. It’s—“ he sighs. “In my universe, Eddie… he’s not a good guy. He bonded to this galactic black goop, a Symbiote, by the name of Venom, and nearly... I’m not saying your Eddie will become like that as well, but I will ask you, and by extension you Miles, to be extra careful.”

MJ falls silent herself, looking down at the steaming cup in her hands. 

“Right…”

She hoped to god that wouldn’t be the case.

Another week passed by, Eddie and MJ seeing each other occasionally in the Bugle ’s work room. Otherwise, it was tense and foreboding. 

“Hey! MJ, wait up!” the friendly voice of Eddie shouts. MJ forces herself to relax, her jaw having been already tensing from seeing Eddie. It felt so strange, walking on eggshells around the old friend. Just a few weeks ago she felt she could tell him anything.

“Yeah, Eddie? What is it?” MJ asks, holding her photography bag close to her body. Subconsciously, she was already memorizing all the exits she could take.

“This is just as friends, before I begin. No romantic interest or anything nefarious, ‘Kay?”

MJ raises a brow at him, looking at him suspiciously.

“Ok?”

“Would you like to get coffee sometime?”

That made MJ pause for a fairly long time. She looks down at the bland gray carpet, quiet for a moment. The only sound was of a coworker, awkwardly getting water from the cooler. Even they could sense the atmosphere.

“Well, last time we saw each other was Peter’s funeral, and before that?” Eddie eggs on. MJ calculates in her head. 

“...Like, three months?”

“Exactly!”

MJ pauses, chewing on her bottom lip. She then sighs.

“Sure, why not?” she finally replies, looking up at him as casually as possible. “When?”

“Tomorrow, maybe? After work?” Eddie shrugs.

“Yeah! Yeah, that’d be fine.” MJ nods a bit stiffly. They wave goodbye to each other. 

Once MJ is out of the building, she rapidly rubs at her face, slightly panicked. But Eddie didn’t seem like a possessed-by-alien guy, or in a murderous mood. He was the same, goofy but friendly Eddie. 

And that’s what scared MJ the most.