Spidey vs Jarod

by Kirsten-B

SpiderMan Movieverse The Pretender Crossover: What if Jarod met Peter Parker...? work in progress

Disclaimer: This is a Spider-Man (movie-verse) / The Pretender - Crossover.

I do not own any of the characters belonging to either of the shows. I'm just

toying with them and I do not intend to make any money out of this.

A/N: This is my first Spider-Man-fic and this is not my mother language. So

don't sue me, but please tell me how you liked it or did not.

Rating: PG (I think...)

Spidey vs. Jarod (working title, unfinished)

Monday, 10:00 am Haydn's Grocery Store, N.Y.

The sweets displays covered almost the full wall of the grocery store. Jarod studied the offers and had a really hard time deciding, which of the sweets he wanted to try. Even though he had left the Centre almost five years ago, there were still new things to be found. He had even thought about trying himself as food developer. He would probably be excellent in that job. Grinning he thought, that he was excellent in any job he tried.

"MegaCandy, heaven on earth..." Jarod turned the coloured little package in his hands, trying to find out, what it was. "This is nothing compared to a true home-made apple-pie..." A voice behind his back startled Jarod. He turned around and found an older woman standing there. She smiled at him, like a grandmother at her grandson, who was trying something foolish. Jarod smiled back and put the MegaCandys back into the display. "I like any kinds of sweets..." She put some apples in her shopping-cart and headed for the counter. Jarod grabbed some cans of Dr. Pepper and followed her quickly. "I have tried applepie with cream some months ago. But it was not home- made." He placed the Dr.Peppers on the counter and took out some cash. She examined him , he could tell, while she packed her purchases into her baskets. "All those things in plastic are not real." She shoved the cart back into the line and headed for the door. Jarod followed her, putting the cans into his duffel back. "But these are real applepies as well. Their made of the same ingredients..." "Rubbish." She declared. "You, Sir, have never eaten an applepie made with love and dedication." Jarod smiled. "You are right. Those ingredients were missing." She gave back the smile. "May I?" Jarod asked, pointing at her baskets. She hesitated to give her purchases to a total stranger. Finally she could not resist his genuine smile.

Jarod carried her basket, which was really heavy. They strolled down the street towards her house, chatting about this and that. Jarod enjoyed to listen to her, since he had never had a real life of his own.

When they arrived at her porch she reached for the baskets. Jarod gave them back. She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sir. That was very kind of you." Jarod almost blushed, because it was rare that he got a thank you without having done something important. And sometimes not even at those times. "You are welcome, Mam." He tipped at his imaginary hat and started to leave. She watched him retreat. "Where are you headed?" Jarod turned around again. "I am going to find myself a place to stay, I guess. Do you know any clean boarding house?" She shook her head, deep in thought. Jarod waited, curious what she was thinking about.

"I was considering to let a spare room from time to time. Maybe you are interested...?" She watched him expectantly. There was no need to think about more than a couple of seconds. "That sounds wonderful, Mam. There is not by any chance a piece of home- and heart-made applepie included?" She laughed and asked him in.

Monday, 11:30 am

on a Manhattan Street

Peter was standing in the street, stunned. The people walking by stared at him. Frozen, Peter did not realise it. ***Spider-Man arrested*** He blinked and thought he had misread the screaming headline...but when he looked again at the bold printed letters they still said the same. Spider-Man had been arrested.

Now, Peter wondered, who was crazy enough to claim he was Spider-Man? Hurriedly he bought a copy of the Daily Bugle and started reading the editorial. He did not move until another citizen wanted to buy a newspaper and shoved him away. Peter blushed and resumed his way to the Daily Bugles headquarters.

Monday, 4:30 pm FBI-Branch-Headquarters, N.Y.C.

It was late in the afternoon when Jarod entered the room in front of the cells. He had put his things into the room Aunt May had shown him to and changed into his suit. At the Headquarters he had met Joel Warner, his temporary partner. Jarod felt immediate dislike against Warner, who was boasting with this assignment, as if he was in charge of Charles Manson.

Jarod watched the young man in the cell through the mirrored windowpane. His name was Michael Seymour, he was 27 years old, 6'2'' tall, had blonde hair and brown eyes. He made a sportive impression. Except that he seemed very shy and reserved. He was terrified and Jarod found it hard to believe that he should be the famous wallcrawler. Still he could not deny the fact that the young man had glands at his wrist and that about two dozen people had witnessed a sticky substance coming out of them.

Jarod had read everything about the arachnid superhero and was fascinated. Even though almost all of the articles in the newspapers described him as a menace and a criminal Jarod did not share that belief. He knew from experience that things often were not as they seemed. That was why he had hacked into the FBI-computer and assigned himself to that case. It was fun reading about the wallcrawler but the news of his arrest was a shock. As far as Jarod knew Spider-Man had not committed a crime so far.

His intention now was to prove the young mans innocence. Nevertheless it would be hard for him, since the public now knew his identity. Newspapers never cared which consequences their news would have. Jarod was a little bit angry about their ignorance, but that would have to wait...

After he had been watching Michael for several hours he still had no clue. Sighing Jarod rose and headed for the door of the cell. Maybe a discussion more personal would make his charge cooperative.

He was stopped by his partner, Joel Warner. The older man was very proud that he was assigned to the Spider-Man-Case. Jarod was almost tired of his boasting.

"Now, McPhee, still no change, huh? I told you, he will not cooperate..."

Jarod hid his annoyance. Warner was convinced that Spider-Man was a criminal, no matter the facts.

"Well, Warner. I think he is scared and does not know whether he can trust us. I would not..." With a mocking grin Jarod opened the door and entered the cell.

***

Michael looked up when he heard the door opening. The younger of the two agents entered. His expression showed annoyance and for a moment Michael felt fear. But then, when the other agent stepped into the door, he knew, why Agent McPhee was annoyed. Michael could not stand Agent Warner. He was so arrogant and treated him like a mass murderer.

Bad enough that Michael did not know what was happening to him. About a week ago he had noticed changes. His sight had become so clear that he did not need his glasses any longer. For the first time in his life he had managed to finish the mile at the athletic-lessons... His body had gotten shape, his muscles had doubled....and and and.

And then he had found out that he was able to produce webs, just like Spider-Man. Unfortunately he had made this discovery right in front of a bank counter. By accident.

He remembered clearly how everyone had stared at him. At first all of them had been speechless, then they had began to murmur. At last everyone had shouted his supposed name. Before he knew what was going on the security guards had thrown him to the ground and cuffed his wrists behind his back. And now he was here at the FBI-Headquarters.

"Mr. Seymour, it would make a good impression if you would at least talk to us. I do not ask for a confession of any kind. Just show a bit of good will..." Agent McPhee leant against the wall, his face sympathetic. His eyes were so dark and feeling, showing honesty. Michael could not help but trust him.

"I cannot confess anything. I am not Spider-Man. I did not even know I could do this, before it just happened. I did nothing wrong." Michael leant back in his chair but he was too tense to relax.

Agent McPhee nodded. "To be honest, Mr. Seymour, I do not believe that you are Spider-Man. I studied him, and it does not fit to your profile..." Michaels eyes suddenly shone bright with hope.

Jarod hated the fact that he had to crush his hopes. "The problem is, I cannot prove my belief. Not yet, but I am working on it. It would be much easier

if you would give me some details of what has happened to you."

Michael thought about the agents words. True, he maybe would be able to help him, but otherwise might he as well send him to some top secret FBI or CIA-lab for research. One could never know.

"I don't know..." Michael hesitated. Jarod understood the fears of the younger man. "Listen, go to sleep and think about it. I promise not to abuse whatever information you give me." Jarod smiled reassuringly and then left, leaving Michael staring after him.

Monday, 6:30 m Peter's and Harry's Apartment, Manhattan

When Peter had returned from the Bugle Harry was in a bad mood. Peter assumed that his friend did not like the fact that the FBI had claimed Spider-Man. Harry still wanted revenge for his fathers death and Peter hoped he would never have to meet Harry face to face about this. This revenge thing had become an obsession over the last three months. Dozens of PIs were looking for Spider-Man all over town. That was one of the reasons, why Peter had shifted his action from day to night mostly. When he went out in the daytime he was also much more careful in hiding himself.

The whole night he had been thinking about a way he could get in contact with the arrested man. According to the newspapers and the late news he had been seen shooting spiderwebs from his wrists. Until now it was not known whether that happened by some kind of device or if he had glands, just like Peters. If he had, he probably had developed his talents the same way. And he could be a valuable ally...

Tuesday, 7:30 am Daily Bugle

J. Jonah Jamison growled at the mornings headline. 'Young man mutated!' As much as he was looking forward to bring exclusive information about the demasking of that bug, he still felt somehow uneasy. Maybe it was, because deep down inside, he considered the bug the hero he was and had always been. All the time nobody had come near the superhero and so it did not harm the bug, if Jamison printed negative headlines. At least that was what he had been telling himself.

But now the wallcrawler had been locked up and was facing serious law suits. He would be sued for things Jamison had thought up and that gave him a bad conscience. Jamison had forgotten he had a conscience. But since it was haunting him right now he decided that he would bring a positive story once...

He grabbed the phone. "I want Parker in my office. Pronto!" He shouted. Watching his secretary through the window he saw, that she held the receiver half a metre away. Nonchalantly she answered his request and shouted through the office. At the far wall Peter Parker rose from a desk, where he was working

on his story. It was his first and Jamison was curious what the boy would make of it. He put his notes into his rucksack and headed for his office, his expression was careful. Jamison liked the way his employees were afraid of him. He liked being the boss. He liked ruling them like a monarch.

"You wanted to talk to me, Sir?" Parker stood in the open door, waiting until Jamison asked him in. As always he wore dark trousers, a neatly ironed shirt and a boring black tie. "Come in and sit down, Parker." Parker seated himself and watched him closely. Jamison tossed him a folder titled 'Spider-Man'.

"Now, Parker, this is your chance to prove your quality. I want pictures of Spider-Man. No mask. I want information on the man. And I want it yesterday. You write the article, you chose the pictures. It is your front page."

Taken aback Parker did seemingly not know what to say. He swallowed. "My article? You mean, I may write what I want and you are actually going to print it?"

Jamison almost smiled about his disbelief. "Are you deaf, boy? Don't you listen to what I say? This is your chance. Use it!" Parker stumbled to his feet and started for the door. Jamison could tell the young photographer was shaken. But since he had defended the bug from day one, he would be the perfect author for this article.

Tuesday, 8:15 am FBI-Branch-Headquarters, N.Y.C.

Peter still was not sure whether he was not dreaming. Jamison had given him free reins, no censure, no limit. He must have missed something, somehow. But at least he had this folder with an attendance permission. He could go and talk to the supposed Spider-Man.

He had never left the building of the Daily Bugle that fast. And he made it in record time to the FBI-Headquarters, even though he considered the subway the better alternative. Web-slinging was not very popular at the moment.

The clerk at the reception watched him closely but he had to let him pass. His permission was signed by Wolfram Hart, Director of the New York Branch.

An Agent, arrogant and suspicious, lead him to an elevator. He chose a sublevel which was four floors beneath the ground. Peter felt uneasy, like being caught. He wondered if they would search him before he was allowed into the cell. That was, if they allowed him into the cell at all.

At the bottom floor another agent waited for them. He was tall, trained and seemed to have authority. He examined Peter thoroughly before he held out his hand.

"I am Agent Jarod McPhee. I am in charge of the case." Peter nodded carefully. "Peter Parker. I am here to see Michael Seymour." Peter could see annoyance in his expression and felt uneasy. He was not used to being a reporter. He was a photographer. Then Agent McPhee nodded. "I do not like reporters. Mr. Seymour has enough problems without the Daily Bugle exploiting his case." He said and Peter did not like his tone. He did not like the hidden accusations, especially since the Agent did not know him at all. "I do not intend to do so, Sir...," was all Peter answered on that. He reminded himself, that it was not really important what the Agent thought of him. He would be surprised when he read the next days paper. Agent McPhee started walking down the corridor. Peter followed the agent who stopped in front of a big windowpane. Behind it Peter saw a man, a bit older than himself, sitting at a table, having breakfast. He looked tired and Peter assumed that he had had not much sleep during the past

night. No wonder, he thought, being innocently arrested.

"Why was he arrested?" Agent McPhee shot Peter a surprised look. He then looked back at his charge.

"Mr. Seymour was in the Grand Central Bank at Rush Hour. He stood in the queue and waited for his turn. Then suddenly he made a move and a spiderweb shot across the room. Witnesses say he froze where he stood and looked as surprised as everybody else. The securities then struggled with him to the ground and cuffed him. He fought them so they called the police." Peter studied the features of the young man. So he was really producing spiderwebs. "What kind where the spiderwebs?" Agent McPhee was silent for a moment. "They came out of his wrists. He has little glands there." Peter was not really surprised but he tried to pretend he was. "Really? I always thought Spider-Man had developed a device to produce the webs. At least that is what everyone is thinking..."

"No offence meant, Mr. Parker, but considering you are working with the Daily Bugle I would have guessed you already knew the story..." Agent McPhee shot him a mysterious look. Peter nodded, sighing. "I suppose I should. But I do not like second hand facts."

Jarod watched the young man intensely. He liked the young man, even though he was a reporter. "I do not believe he actually is Spider-Man. What do you think?" Jarod tested his reaction. Parker stiffened but stayed silent. His eyes were still on the man behind the windowpane. Jarod could tell Parker was weighing his answer. Then he shrugged.

"It is hard to believe that Spider-Man gave away his secret in an incident like this. Still he shot webs all around the bank, if you believe the eye witnesses."

"There is visual proof as well...Seymours profile does not fit with Spider- Mans." Parker shot him a questioning look not wanting to show his curiosity. Jarod noticed it nevertheless when he asked:

"Profile?"

Jarod nodded. "I worked through all information I could get and I think that I am pretty close to the spot with my analysis. I assume that Spider- Man is white, about thirty and coming from a suburban background. I suppose he is educated, college or university. He has a strong feeling for justice and responsibility and might have endured a big loss in his life. He probably is a quite shy person with a positive expression. Someone everyone would like..."

Peter swallowed carefully. The agents profile was very close to the truth.

"Sounds very stereotypical, don't you think?" Jarod shrugged. "Since I do not know him personally I have to judge from the things he does and says. I think he is special in many ways." Jarod turned to watch Michael Seymour.

"Michael Seymour was as surprised as everyone else, when the webs came out of his wrists. Spider-Man would not have been. He would have taken care, that he would not give away his secret identity."

"Those glands at his wrists. Do you have an explanation where they came from?" Peter watched Michael Seymour as well. He could feel his uneasiness.

"I am planning on finding out. Do you have any idea?" Jarod examined Peter closely. Peter struggled. If he told Agent McPhee what he knew, he would probably become suspicious. On the other side he could not watch this man being locked up for something he did not do and as someone he wasn't. No, Peter decided. Secrecy came first at the moment. It would do no good if he was locked up as well.

"Not a clue. But I would like to find out." Agent McPhee watched him skeptically, not believing him. But he did not comment.

"Fine. Stay here if you want, and watch. I hope Mr. Seymour is going to talk to me this morning." Peter nodded and stayed behind, when Agent McPhee entered the cell.

***

Michael was looking forward to Agent McPhees visit. Overnight he had decided that he would be honest. He had nothing to lose.

"Good morning, Sir." he greeted the older man. Agent McPhee grinned. "I see you have slept well, Mr. Seymour." Michael grimaced. "I have not slept at all. But I decided to cooperate with you. Your promise still stands?" Agent McPhee nodded reassuringly. "I promised not to use anything you tell me against you, but to prove your innocence. I am a man of my word."

"Glad to hear that. I hope you can help me." Michael got up and started pacing the room. "I attend the Columbia University. I do biology and genetics. Last week we had a seminar concerning the genetic research the University is doing on spiders. They have an extra lab for that and we were allowed to help with the research. That was when one of the spiders climbed onto my neck and bit me. The scientist in charge said I shouldn't worry, the spider was not poisonous. He was really glad to have it back. In fact, he told us, that the spider had gone missing almost a year ago..."

"You think your changes resulted from that spider bite?" Michael shrugged. "I was pretty sick that night. The wound on my neck was swollen . The next morning everything was fine again including the bite wound...."

Jarod sighed. It did not seem very obvious, that a spider-bite, even from a genetically enhanced spider, would have those effects on a human being. But these mutations were not usual as well.

"Now, let us assume that the bite initiated the changes, Mr. Seymour. What changes did you actually detect?"

***

Peter turned, fists clenched. He had heard enough. Michael Seymour and him had something in common. Swallowing he checked his camera. Hopefully Agent McPhee would allow him to meet Michael Seymour in person. He would reassure him, help him by writing a controverse article...

"If you want you can go inside now, Mr. Parker." Agent McPhee stood behind him. Deep in thoughts Peter had not heard him approach. Even his Spider- sense had not worked. He unclenched his fists and tried to look relaxed.

"Thanks. Will you come along?" Agent McPhee shook his head and Peter knew, he would watch them from behind the windowpane.

Tuesday, 10:45 am MJs flat, Downtown Manhattan

It was Mary Janes day off. She had been running up and down her living room the whole morning, ever since she had received her copy of the daily newspaper. Spider-Man had been arrested...so his identity was uncovered now.

Since that morning at the cemetery she had been wondering whether Peter could possibly be Spider-Man. She had kissed both and she had had this special feeling with both of them. Still, it was just a guess.

She fought with herself to call Peter. If she could talk to him he could not be the masked hero. But talking to him was very painful. He had rejected her just when she had collected all her strength to admit her love to him. And he had pushed her away. She had only seen him twice since then. He treated her as always - as a friend. Her worries won. Standing in front of the phone she grimaced and then grabbed the receiver.

It took some time until the phone was answered. "Hello?" MJ knew the voice and cursed herself. She had not thought of Peter and Harry sharing the

apartment.

"Hi, Harry, it's MJ." Silence. Harry was still hurt because she had ended their relationship.

"Hey, how are you doing?" His voice sounded reluctant and MJ sighed. He would not like her question.

"I am fine. Is Peter there?" Silence again.

"No, he is not in. He said something about a job Jamison gave him. He will be back later."

"Thanks, Harry. I will phone later. Take care of yourself!" Relieved MJ leaned against the wall, her knees giving way.

"Bye!" The connection was suddenly ended and for the hundredth time MJ prayed to god that Harry one day might understand that she loved another, that it was not fair to pretend love to him. Whatever did not work in their relationship should not affect their friendship. And she knew he needed friends after he had tragically lost his beloved father. She turned and went over to her cupboard to take out her coat. Something fell to the floor. MJ knelt down to see what it was and held her answering machine in her hand. It had been damaged the night when the Green Goblin had kidnapped her to blackmail Spider-Man.

She remembered that someone had spoken to the tape when the Goblin had knocked her out. Suddenly curious she opened the answering machine and took out the tape. Luckily it was a normal tape and she could listen to it with her cassette player.

"Hi MJ. It's Peter." Pause.

"You there? Pick up. Well, I just wanted to see how you were, check up on you. Make sure you were ok. Call me as soon as you get in. Oh, don't go up any dark alleys." Another voice could be heard. " Can Spider-man come out to play?" Peter responded, "Where is she Goblin?"

"If you want to see your precious girlfriend again meet me at the Queensboro Bridge."

***

Peter sat in the bunk of the Moondance Diner which was farthest away from the entrance. He had been disappointed because MJ had her day off but had told himself, that it would only hurt to meet her. It had hurt the last two times. He really regretted that their relationship had become so difficult.

It took Peter long to banish her from his thoughts. He had an article to write. Still, he did not now, how to start or in what way he could describe Michael Seymour so the public would not think of him as a criminal anymore. The best way would probably be to present photographs of his alter ego to Jamison. And there had to be witnesses of one of Spider-Mans appearances, while

Michael Seymour was under arrest...

"Here you are. I tried to phone you." Peter looked up and found MJ standing before him. He rose hastily and smiled. "Hey, MJ. That is a surprise. Enrique said this was your day off..." She smiled back and took the seat opposite him. Peter could not take his eyes off of her, for she looked stunningly beautiful.

"I was in the neighbourhood." MJ said and Peter wondered where that strange tone in her voice came from. "Uh, I have to write an article about the conviction of Spider-Man." Peter pointed at his notes and gave MJ a weak smile.

"Well, that should not be to difficult. I mean, you used to write scientific essays..." MJ ordered a cappuccino. Peter stared at his cup of hot chocolate.

"There is a slight difference, you know." She grinned. Peter again stared at his cup, not knowing what to say. He then remembered, what she had said.

"You have been looking for me?" She nodded. "Yup, Tiger. Wanted to talk to you."

Peter sighed inwardly, because he feared MJ would again declare her love to him. Even though he loved to hear the words he had to deny them, to reject them.

"What about?" Peter sipped his hot chocolate and tried to look as calm as possible. MJ thought for herself that he gave an uneasy impression. Fine, she thought, let him find out how awkward that is.

"You know, I just stumbled over my answering machine, the one that was crashed when the goblin kidnapped me." No response. Peter played with his pencil and drew imaginary circles on the blue surface of the table.

"I remembered that there was a call that evening, so I listened to the tape."

"Yeah?" Was all Peter had to say. Of course he knew, that he had phoned that evening. And he knew what had been spoken. This was not good. Not at all.

"Well, I wondered why you called." Peter suddenly sat upright. "Well, uh, you know - I was worried. I mean, the attack at Aunt May. I just wanted to know

if you were okay." MJ sighed. Peter had never been a good liar.

"Now, the Goblin did not seem to be surprised when you called. Actually I had the impression he expected you to."

Peter stopped in the middle of drinking. MJ watched him expectantly, wondering how he would explain.

"He attacked JJ because he thought I had a connection to Spider-Man. Then he went for Aunt May, because I care for her and then he went after you, because Spider-Man apparently likes you. I guess he thought I would try to warn you..." It sounded logical and MJ hesitated to dig on. But she did.

"Yeah, but it sounded like he was talking to Spider-Man..." She said and smiled apologetically.

Peter again stared at his cup and then reminded himself that he had to convince her of the opposite. If MJ knew he was Spider-Man, she would maybe not accept his reasons, because she would be ready to take the risk. But since Peter was not willing to endanger any of those he loved, he could not tell her. Oh, how he wished he could share his secret with her, enjoy the comfort and

warmth she could give him. But it was not meant to be.

"I was angry. And I went to tell Spidey immediately after the call. He came for you..." And nearly died. Peter thought of the moment when the Goblin had released his grip on both Mary Jane and the cable car. For a second he had thought he could not do it. But he had, even if it had nearly killed him. And it had definitely killed Norman Osborn.

"You were successful on that part." MJ admitted. Peter grinned.

"Yup, Spidey handled it, did he not?" MJ still did not look convinced but at least Peter had the impression that she was doubting her assumption. He hoped she did.

"You did not actually believe I am Spider-Man, did you?" The question was out of his mouth before he even realised he had meant to ask. Swearing at himself he produced a lopsided grin. MJ hesitated to answer, clearly undecided. Then she smiled, one of those smiles that made Peter loose the ability of speech.

"I was not sure. You know, after the kiss at the cemetery I was pretty sure you both were the same person. But now, I mean, you seem to be amused I could even think of that. Sure, you have never been much of an athlete...." She stopped abruptly, because she feared she might have hurt his feelings. Peter tried to look as if he was hurt, but did not want to show it. That was not easy,

because ever since that spider had chosen him for dinner, his self- confidence had grown. He was not the same old nerd anymore, that people had called him for years.

"It is okay, MJ. I mean, really, who would mistake me for Spider-Man? Remember that stunt at the Bridge? The cable car must have weighed tons. I cannot imagine anyone carrying that much weight..."

He knew MJ would remember that incident. She had been very close at that moment, clinging to his body for dear life. He saw her shudder and then she nodded.

MJ remembered those terrible moments all to well. She thought she could even feel Spider-mans muscles, his body stretched beyond possible. Still he had not cared for himself. He had saved her life and he had saved the life of nearly twenty children.

"That was stupid." she said and left. Peter stared after her, suddenly sad, that she had been so easy to convince. His gaze followed her walking down the street, then she suddenly stopped and spun around. She studied his face with a thoughtful expression and then gave him one of her million dollar smiles. He could not help but grin back.

***

MJ shook her head while she was walking down the street. He had nearly convinced her. But all these changes he had gone through, the self- confidence he had gained ever since he had faced Flash at school. That was not the same Peter anymore, who had ducked whenever he had raised Flashs attention. She remembered clearly the day of the field trip, when one of Flashs friends had made him fall in the bus. And that was just one of uncountable incidents. How embarrassed he must have felt.

There was another incident she remembered clearly now. She stopped dead on the street and turned around to see Peter staring behind her through the window of the Moondance Diner.

"The lunch tray." MJ had spoken the sudden thought aloud. People passing by eyed her suspiciously. She did not care. Liz' lunch tray had flown right onto Flashs neck. Peter had left the cafeteria hurriedly pulling Liz' lunch- tray after him. Nobody, not even MJ had realised what it was. Now she knew: Spider-webs. It must have been the moment, when Peter had found out, he could do it. Like this poor guy in the bank.

And that was the reason why he had beaten Flash in the following fight. He had been shocked by his own violence, or at least that was what she had thought when he had run away. And he really had been shocked, not about the violence but the strength and the agility he had suddenly had...Smiling she waved at Peter and then resumed her way. Had she waited another second she had seen the puzzled look on Peters face.

***

"Spider-Man?" Parker frowned. "You mean a man who is a spider?" Broots nodded cheerful. "Yes, he looks like a human, but he can crawl walls and shoots spiderwebs..." Parker examined Broots silently. Then she turned and headed towards the door. Before leaving the techroom she turned again and glared at Broots. "I want everything on that bug."

Broots stared after her, grimacing. He had planned to make an early leave to spend some time with Debbie. Investigating this superhero would take hours if not days...

He sat back on his chair staring at the flatscreen displaying the picture of the arachnid hero. He wore a tight red and blue suit, which stressed the perfect shape of his body. The red fabric at the top of his suit was covered with a black webbing, showing an emblem of a spider. He looked every ounce like the comic heroes Broots admired since he was a kid.

"I would really like to meet him, one day...." sighing he began typing in the keywords for the search on Spider-Man.

***

Sydney was reading one of his medical magazines when Parker entered. She walked right up to his desk and waited until he had finished his article. The psychiatrist closed the magazine and laid it aside. Examining her outfit he sighed.

"Another sighting?" He asked. Parker nodded. "And this one is really hot. So get into your shoes so it will not be cold when we reach the spot..." Sydney slowly rose, knowing that the Pretender would be careful not to let Parker come near. Haste was unnecessary, but since Parker certainly thought she was a step ahead of her prey he was the last one to argue.

"I will be ready in a minute. Shall I come directly to the rooftop?" He assumed they would be taking the Centre-Helicopter. But to his surprise Parker shook her head.

"No, I do not want witnesses this time. Lyle is up to something. We are going by car!" With these words she turned on her heels and stormed out of his office.

***

The room Aunt May had shown him to seemingly belonged to her nephew and she had just put his personal belongings away in a locker. She needed the money, since her husband had been killed by a carjacker several months ago.

Jarod liked the old lady. She was just like he would imagine his grandma, if he had one. She was a cook unlike any he had encountered yet and she was glad to have someone to cook for. Her nephew had moved to Manhattan late last year.

From the moment he had learned about the murder Jarod had been digging into details. Aunt Mays husband had waited for their nephew, who had been at the library. While he was waiting a man had pulled him out of his car and shot him. After that the murderer had taken the car and had fled. The police suspected that the carjacker had had an accomplice, who had pushed him through a third story window soon afterwards. The accomplice had never been found. Jarod planned to investigate further, so he could bring the accomplice to justice. But first he had to find out, who Spider-Man was. Michael Seymour wasn't. No doubt. But who else was? Absentmindedly he took out the list of suspects Warner had given him earlier that day. He had not bothered to check the names, since it included every single person who was known to have had contact with Spider-Man. He counted six pages. Sighing he read the names but he found nothing suspicious, since he already had studied most of the incidents of the last months. One name made him alert. Peter Parker. Nobody had ever seen him near Spider- Man but during most of the bigger incidents Parker had been reported present. Jarod moved to the table and booted his laptop. Minutes later he hacked into the town database and searched for Parkers file. It did not take him long to read the file, since it was not very extensive. Parker had grown up in a suburb of New York, attended high school until graduation last year. Afterwards he moved to downtown New York and attended college. Nothing suspicious. Parker worked as a free-lance photographer for the Daily Bugle. As to the information Jarod had available most of the pictures of Spider-Man had been taken by the young man. In Jarods opinion they were quality pictures. Having experience as a photographer Jarod could not have taken them any better. Still, to take pictures of this quality the object had to stand still, at least for a second or two... Someone knocked at the door. Even though Jarod knew that it could only be Aunt May, he startled. "Jarod, are you in there?" She asked through the closed door. Jarod got off the bed and opened the door. Aunt May already wore her night-dress and a bathing robe. On a tray she had a steaming cup of what Jarod thought was hot chocolate. Smiling she handed him the tray.

"My Peter always loved to have hot chocolate for bedtime. Well, when he was younger. But since you like sweets, I thought, you might enjoy it."

Jarod was taken aback by her kindness.

"You don't have to..." He argued. She gestured and he stopped mid sentence.

"It is my pleasure, Jarod." She said with grace. He smiled back.

"Thank You, Aunt May." She nodded and turned. Looking back over her shoulder she said:

"Have a good night, Jarod."

"You, too, Aunt May." She entered her bedroom and closed the door. Jarod stared at the closed door for some minutes, before he stepped back into his room, placing the tray with the precious sweet on the nightstand. Enjoying the smell of chocolate he laid down on the bed his head leaning

against the pillows and sipping carefully. It took another five minutes for him to realise what Aunt May had said. He sat upright in an instance.

Her nephews name was Peter. Aunt Mays last name was Parker. So how big was the possibility that Peter Parker, object of his interest, was related to Aunt May Parker? Very big, Jarod decided. Jarod watched the room with new interest. If Peter Parker was the nephew, then this was his room. For a moment Jarod was tempted to search the things Aunt May had locked away in the cupboard. Finally he decided against, because he did not want to betray the old lady's trust.

Jarod took a can of Dr. Pepper out of his duffel bag and enjoyed the sugary taste. Sipping slowly he returned to the small bed he had chosen for his studies. It was comfortable. You could see out of the window right into the neighboured house. There was no light on and Jarod wondered what kind of people lived in a neighbourhood like this, on such close space. He could have grown up here, if his life had been normal. If, if, if....Jarod shuddered. He didn't want to think about this now. He would inevitably be confronted with his past in his dreams. It was the same every night.

His gaze stopped at some photographs hanging on the wall next to the bed. They all showed a pretty red-haired girl with a million dollar smile. They showed her in different poses standing in front of something that looked like a lab. Jarod assumed that they had been taken at the high school both teenagers had attended...

Focussing his thoughts back on the subject Jarod started to sight the information systematically again.

***

Parker and Sydney were watching television. They had arrived in New York late in the evening. It had been a problem to get a hotel room this late, because Parker insisted on at least four stars. She had been in a bad mood ever since they had left Blue Cove and Sydney assumed that her ulcer was hurting her again.

Broots was sleeping on the couch. He had been totally exhausted, first digging for information on Spider-Man, then travelling for hours in the car with Ms. Parkers driving style. Even Sydneys nerves had been strained.

They were waiting for Ms Parkers source. Ms Parker, as impatient as always, stood up from time to time and walked around the hotel room. The news were full of Spider-Man being arrested. The channels all showed specials about the man behind the mask. Sydney seemed very interested in that, so Ms Parker did not disturb him further.

She hoped that this time she would be successful. The Triumvirate and especially her father were getting impatient. Mr Parker even had assumed that she did not want to bring Jarod in anymore. It did not matter, that he was right, but she did not want to get fired. Getting fired from the Centre meant to be carried out in a bag. She looked out of the window onto the bay. She remembered clearly the pictures she, as everyone else, had seen when the mighty towers had collapsed. She had felt the terror of those who could not get out in time. Her inner sense, the soothing voice of her mother, had comforted her. But ever since that day she felt hollow. What good did it do to hunt an innocent man around the country to bring him back to people she hated herself? And she hated the place, maybe always had.

"Parker, you should see this." Sydneys voice called her back to reality. She turned and leaned against the couch on which Sydney sat. The screen showed a photograph of Spider-Man, taken weeks ago, when some villain named the Green Goblin, had attacked the Roosevelt Island Cable Car. The masked hero was hanging on one of his webs from the Queensboro Bridge, holding the cable of the cable car full of children. A woman was clinging to his body and the Goblin guy attacking him on a glider. "Not bad." Ms Parker muttered. Sydney frowned.

"I wonder what his motive is." Ms Parker did not need to question his remark. If Sydney wanted to talk about this, so he would anyway. She sat down and sipped her vodka lemon. Thank god for room service.

"It is a shame, the police are arresting him. As far as I can see all he did so far was help people in need..." Sydney shook his head, sounding disappointed that the world was not fair. Ms Parker could stop herself from referring to Jarod.

"Syd, you should have learned by now that the world is not a nice place."

She knew he did not like her being so arrogant but it was getting on her nerves. He nodded, sadly.

"I know, Parker. But is it fair to help people, save lives and then get arrested by the police?" Ms Parker shrugged.

"Is it fair to help people all over the country, to do good every day, without ever asking for a reward and being chased around by the bad guys?" Their gaze met, and they sighed.

***

Now that MJ was one hundred percent sure that Peter was the masked hero, she was relieved. It was a bad feeling being in love with two men at the same time. She did not like the insecurity at all. But the problem she was now facing was, that Peter was apparently not willing to let her know. She understood that it was a matter of trust. Her knowledge included a huge responsibility for his life.

She did not pay attention to the late news, because she had to figure out how she could gain his trust. Trust was something one had to earn, like respect. But how should she prove to him, that she would never betray him? That she loved him more than anything else in the world? That she would, as he had promised to her, always be there for him? She had to confront him with that in situation when he had no way to deny. She would have to take care, that he had no possibility to evade her... Smiling she went into her bedroom, a plan forming in her mind.

***

Spider-Man sat on the roof of the Chrysler Building. He enjoyed the sight of the city at night. The lights around him seemed like stars. Today he had swung around New York, a bit later as usual. There really was not much to do. Finishing the article had taken him longer than expected. When he finally had arrived at the Bugle Jamison had been gone already. Peter had been relieved, because he had not wanted to argue with his choleric boss about his article. On Jamisons orders Robbie had taken over the manuscript and sent it to the typesetter immediately. Now Peter was curious about Jamisons reaction on the article. He had given his best to present Michael Seymours story as objectively as possible. Peter thought that his open consideration of whether the young man was Spider-Man or not would make the public think about it, as well.

He still waited for the perfect opportunity to present the real Spider-Man to the city. It had to be an incident news would be interested in. At the moment there were not even small ones. Spider-Man wondered whether it would always be like this. Would the authorities always see him as a menace? Jamison had titled him that once. And it seemed the public authorities had more belief in a man like Jamison than in their own eyes and ears.

Suddenly a movement in one of the alleys raised his attention. A woman walked down the alley, slowly and careful. She seemingly wanted to meet someone there, which alone was highly suspicious. Spider-Man swung down to one of the roofs, so he could hear what would be spoken. He clung to the wall, head first. She waited in the dark, controlling her surroundings watchfully but for some time nothing happened. Spidey used that time to take in her looks. She was tall for a woman and her features were delicate. The dress she wore might as well have been Armani. It suited her perfectly. She had dark hair falling onto her shoulders. He could not see her eyes, but her tenseness told him, that she was on high alert. A dent showed in her back and Spidey assumed that it was a gun. She listened exerted but Spidey heard the newcomer first. A man, clad in dirty clothes was creeping closer. His face was stained with dirt and he limped. He seemed harmless but the way he moved showed clearly that he was in disguise. Spidey watched him, his spider-sense was humming. The woman got even more tense, if possible. She took her gun out and held it ready to defend herself. Spidey admired her movements. As her opposite she was well trained and maybe would be underestimated. "Where is the information?" She hissed, her voice low and threatening. It was the first unpleasant thing Spidey noticed about her. The man seemed to be careful about her. He stayed out of reach. His eyes lay on her, examining her closely and taking in the gun in her hand. The safety was off. "Where is the money?" he asked, his voice low, but not less threatening. She shrugged, as if it did not matter to her. "You'll get it, if I find the information useful." She snarled. The man stiffened, but he did not move. "Information against money. That's the deal, or no deal." He almost shouted. The woman shrugged again and turned to leave. Spidey could tell the man was weighing what to do. Obviously he had the wanted information and wanted the money it would earn. The woman had already reached the corner of the alley. She did not look back. Cool as ice, Spidey thought. "Wait." The man shouted and ran after her. She stopped and turned slowly, as if she was annoyed. "So?" she asked and examined the man closely. Spidey realised that her move had brought her an advantage. He was now standing in the light cone of a streetlight and she had a better view. He took something out of his pocket and held it into the light. Spidey saw a photograph which was taken in front of the New York FBI Headquarters. What really surprised him was, that he knew the man on the photo. "Did you see him personally?" The woman asked, hiding her interest well. The man nodded excitedly. "Yeah, he went into the building, yesterday morning. Phoned up the source immediately." Expectantly he stepped back. She held the photo in the light and smiled. "Now, your turn." He demanded. She reached into her jacket and took out an envelope, throwing it to him. Spidey saw the man count the money and then a satisfied smile. "Nice to do business with you, Mam." He waved and then hurriedly left the scene. The woman still stood where she was staring at the photograph. "FBI, huh? What are you up to this time, Jarod. Why can't you just vanish and live a life of ease." She turned on her heels, which where really high and wanted to walk out on the street. She stopped dead and Spidey saw immediately why. Approximately a dozen men surrounded her in bare seconds. They were all armed and clothed in the dark suits. The woman watched them cautiously. She knew them and felt threatened by them. "Who sent you? Lyle, that son of a bitch?" She received no answer. Instead one of her opponents aimed his gun at her heart. She held her breath and tried not to show her fear. And she was good at it. There was no other option, since the attackers stayed out of her reach. Spidey decided that it was time to react. He leapt from the roof and hit the guy with the gun and the two to his left and his right. He threw them to the ground and immediately was back on his feet while they struggled to get up again. A swift movement and Spidey had them bundled up with his webbings. The dark men mainly focussed their attention onto the new attacker. Spidey blocked them off, whirling around them and taking one out after the other. In the angles of his eyes he saw the woman attacked by two of the opponents at once. Wanting to help her fight them off Spidey whirled around. "Watch out." He heard the woman shout. Even with his reflexes it was impossible to evade the hit. A pole smashed into his stomach mid jump and nearly forced all air out of his lungs. Landing in a crouch he caught his breath and send the attacker flying to the wall by the might of his punch. Turning he feared that the dark men had fought the woman down, so he was surprised to see that she had her gun triggered at them. The men had surrendered, realising that she would not make fun. Spidey finished the last attacker and saw to it, that they were not going to go anywhere but to jail. He shot some webs and pulled them until they all lay in a heap. One over the other. He webbed them tightly like a present to the police. When he turned he found the woman standing behind him. Her hair was slightly in disorder, but otherwise she looked as before the fight. He could not read her expression, but she still held her gun in her hand. "Are you okay?" Spidey asked, just to be sure she was not in shock. She nodded silently. "Well, I gotta be going..." Spidey aimed at the roof and shot one of his spiderwebs, ready to swing away. "Wait!" Her voice was not loud, but her tone had clearly changed. He heard surprise and stayed. "Why did you help me?" Her voice shivered and now she looked shaken. "Because you needed help!" She smiled uncertainly. Her gaze followed him, as he swung himself up to the roof and away into the night.

***

Sydney was nervous. He worried about Ms Parker even though he knew she was good in taking care of herself. She had always been. But over the last month the mood at the Centre had changed and Sydney feared that the Triumvirate may have listened to Mr Lyle and his lies. The Tower-people shared the opinion that Ms Parker had lost her strength. She had begun to care again, after years of not caring at all. She had made priorities, where the Centre wanted to be the only priority. And she had begun to doubt the Centre, beginning with the mighty Mr Parker, her father. Pacing up and down the window front of the room Sydney reminded himself that Ms Parker had always shown dedication to bring Jarod back to the Centre. She had never refused to follow one of the leads, even if everyone knew they led nowhere. Yet, she may have failed to often. Shaking his head Sydney frowned. It was not Ms Parkers fault if Jarod escaped again and again. He was a genius after all. Be it or be it not so, Sydney did not like the fact that Ms Parker was alone in the streets of New York. Even without the danger presented by the Centre there were enough criminals, gangs and insane people out there. He startled when the door opened and banged shut again. He whirled around and saw Ms Parker leaning against the door. Her hair was slightly in disorder, but otherwise she looked fine. Except from her expression, which was dead serious. "What happened?" Sydney asked closing the distance. She seemed shaken. As if she had been deep in thoughts she looked him in the face, questioning. "Parker, are you alright?" Sydneys worry was in his voice as well. He took her hand, which was cold. She did not shiver. "I'm fine, Syd, just fine." She walked over to the mini-bar pouring some whisky into on of the glasses. She emptied it in one big gulp and filled it again. Feeling Sydneys eyes on her back she sighed and turned to face him. "That's more than the Centre expects." She mumbled, sipping from her glass of whisky. Sydney froze. "What do you mean, the Centre is not expecting you to be fine?" Sydney feared he already knew the answer. Ms Parkers laugh had an ironic touch. "I mean that a dozen of sweepers were waiting for me there." Trying to kill me. She did not say it aloud. She knew Sydney knew what this meant. He sat down, looking even older than usual. She sat down in the seat opposite his. "What are you going to do?" He asked watching the ceiling. She tried to find out, what he was looking at while trying to come up with an answer. "Honestly, Syd?" She asked instead of answering his question. His eyes met hers and she saw the fear he felt. Fear, that the same might happen to her, as had to her mother before. "I do not know... now, where is our genius when genius is needed?" She said, almost smiling. "How did you get away?" Sydney asked suddenly. Ms Parker was good, but a dozen sweepers were better. She shrugged. "I had a little help from our mysterious wallcrawling hero. I guess I would not be here without his interference..." Sydney almost bolted in his chair. Curiosity spoke of his face and Ms Parker groaned. "Did you talk to him?" Parker sipped her whisky again, nodding. "Yeah, I wanted to know, why he had helped me. He said it was because I obviously needed help..."

***

Peter cursed the attacker with the pole. He had hit him in the left side of his stomach, which was by now perfectly black and blue. It hurt whenever he took a breath and was, to Peters surprise, even bleeding. The wound was about three inches long and seemed to be caused by a lot of tiny needles. The bleeding was not very strong, still it needed treatment. He had already stained one of his favourite shirts. Peter was glad that Harry was staying at the mansion overnight. He had had a meeting with his lawyers who were helping him to administer the inherited wealth. Harry was not prepared for the responsibility he had inherited after his fathers death. He still thought he could buy everything but he would soon find out, that the world went differently. After the death of Oscorps board members Norman Osborn had been the only one in charge. Since Norman had been partially insane Peter assumed that there were a lot of things that needed to be figured out. Peters only hope was, that Norman had not left any clues as to who he had been. And yet, a little part of him wished, Harry would find out by himself, what his father had become. Harry would know then, that Spider-Man was not to blame for his death. Sighing loudly Peter lowered himself into the armchair. Gritting his teeth he poured iodine from his little medical stock onto gauze and cleaned the wound. It burned like hell. Suppressing any sound Peter forced himself to go on. What a hero he was, sitting in his apartment licking his wounds, while outside crime went on and on. Wincing, because he had pressed a little harder to the wound, Peter threw the gauze away. He had prepared another gauze which he fastened over the wound, so nobody would get curious because blood sipped through his clothes. Usually his wounds healed pretty quick. At least they had the last time he had been wounded. He forced himself not to think about it. It worked most of the time. He came to his feet with a slight feeling of nausea. The room rotated around him and he grabbed for the armchair to steady himself. It somehow reminded him of the night after the spider had bitten him. He had felt similar that day. The room was still again after some minutes and Peter let go of the armchair. Wow, he thought, it is time to go to bed. A short look at the clock told him it was nearly 2 o'clock, still early for his means. He stumbled up the stairs to his bedroom. He was sweating suddenly. The room was dark but he instantly felt that he was not alone. He stayed with his back to the wall and tried to locate the intruder. He heard nothing, no movement, not even breathing. "Who's there?" he asked into the dark, his voice sounding hard. Now he heard movement. He turned into the direction where his bed was. The sounds were somehow muffled, as if under a blanket. Peter suddenly realised that the intruder actually hid beneath the blanket of his bed. Cautiously he tiptoed towards the bed. Thanks to his agility he made no sound. He stood in front of the bed. His eyes had adjusted to the dark and he saw a heap under the blanket. Peter did not hesitate but threw himself onto whoever was lying in his bed. He heard a muffled groan and his opponent struggled to get his arms free of the blanket. Peter was well aware that he did not have his usual strength and that he maybe could not stand a longer struggle. So he tried to get hold of the arms. Stars exploded in his head when the opponents knee hit him in the stomach, but he held on until the struggle ended. He breathed heavily, feeling dizzy of the stinging pain in his side. Holding the intruders hands with one hand of his own he pulled down the blanket with his other. "What the ..." A well-known voice uttered, even before Peter recognised the shining red hair that lay dangled on his pillow. Speechless he stared in her narrowed eyes. "MJ..." Was all he managed to say in this moment. He had been quite rough because he had expected an enemy. Peter hoped he had not hurt her, even in his weakened state. "Are you alright?" He then managed to ask, still holding her hands in his grip. She still stared at him, silently. He knelt over her hips pinning her to the bed. It took him a moment to actually take in the intimate position they were in. In fact they were as close together as two people can be, having only a blanket between them. Embarrassed Peter let go of her hands and jumped of the bed. Landing at the floor he nearly lost his balance and inhaled breath sharply. MJ sat up in the bed watching him with still narrowed eyes. She wore a tight grey shirt, her sleeping clothes, Peter figured. The same she had worn at the bridge in that fateful night. "What is it? Did finally get someone through your defences?" She asked sympathetically pointing at his bandage which could be seen clearly on his tanned skin. Peters eyes widened but he held at least part of his composure. "What do you mean?" He asked while he knelt on the floor. MJ nodded towards his bruise. Peter followed her gaze and started to explain. MJ cut him off. "Do not tell me you have been clipped by a bike-messenger." she said and Peter knew from her tone that she knew. So he had not convinced her at the Moondance Diner. He did not answer. "Come on, sit down and let me see!" MJ ordered gesturing to the bed. Peter did not move. He stayed on the floor trying to come up with a solution for this mess.

MJ watched him, as he sat on the floor. He seemed tired, still in only his boxers he appeared extremely sexy to her. She had never seen him without clothes on and what she saw now in the dim moonlight not only pleased her, but confirmed her suspicion. His body was perfectly shaped and proportioned. She had felt his strength, several times, and she had seen his agility even more often. It felt strange to see Spider-Man in the friend of her childhood. She had never really known him, because she had never made an effort to. He stared at her, clearly struggling with what to do next. MJ hoped he would not deny everything. There was really nothing to deny. The bandage at his belly was dark red, even in the moonlight. MJ decided that any explanations could wait. Switching on the light she got out of Peters bed and knelt next to him. His eyes followed her, cautiously. She smiled reassuringly and reached for the bandages. They were pretty soaked already since the short struggle in his bed had promoted the bleeding. Peter gasped when MJ pulled the bandage away. She examined the wound and then shook her head. "You really should go and see a doctor. You might get an infection..." She pressed the edges of the wound and Peter winced. "I heal fast..." He watched the floor, feeling a bit uneasy, now that MJ knew. She smiled, but he did not see it. Then she sighed. "What on earth has happened to poor jerky old school nerd Peter Parker?" She stood up and flung herself to his bed again. Her bedclothes concealed pretty few of her curves and Peter had to swallow. The girl of his dreams sat on his bed, ready for bed and he sat on the floor of his room with nothing on except a pair of boxer shorts. Carefully he came to his feet, again feeling a little dizzy. Placing the bandage back onto the wound he moved over to his cupboard to get himself a shirt. He took his time searching for a shirt. He needed it to decide how to tell her, everything. When he finally turned to face her again she had snuggled into his bed, steadying her head on her bent elbow. She still watched him. Peter would have given much to know what she was thinking. "I am sorry for not being honest with you." He mumbled. MJ nodded. "I know." she just said and padded to the bed in front of her. Peter studied the floor again. "Come on. We have a lot to discuss, haven't we? We could as well make ourselves comfortable." MJ smiled reassuringly, obviously sensing his shyness. Slowly Peter went over to his bed, sitting down on the edge. MJ pulled at his shirt and made him lay back. Laying beside her Peter felt the old problem surfacing. He wanted to say so many things at the same time, but could not find the one thing to start with. He remembered the incident at the schools cafeteria. Closing his eyes out of sheer embarrassment he relived the incident again. he had been so happy that MJ had spoken to him at all and then, when he could have talked to her all he had managed was this stupid grin. "Shy, huh?" MJ still studied his features, for she liked what she saw. She had used the name Peter had been given in high school: school nerd. Actually she felt like the nerd, because all those years she could have been with Peter Parker, the friendly, caring and sensitive friend of her childhood. The one that had always accepted her as herself. Instead she had followed this idiot Flash, just because his wealth made her feel safe, gave her the chance to escape from the hell she called home. Looking back now and considering that the Parkers had never been wealthy, she realised that it was not necessarily money that provided security, it was love as well.

With Flash and even with Harry it had been the money she had loved, not the men. She grimaced on that realisation. Norman Osborn had been right, when he said that women always were after the mans trust funds... "I am glad that I finally came to my senses." She suddenly said and felt Peter twitch. He had not said a word since he lay next to her. She felt his warmth and enjoyed the proximity. Rubbing closer she laid her arm over his chest, bringing her face close to his. Love shone bright in his beautiful blue eyes. MJ wondered how she ever could believe what he said at the cemetery. "It is you I love!" MJ stated and enjoyed Peters irritation. "What?" he finally managed to say. She rubbed even closer and he held his breath, because she was almost laying on top of him. It felt good but he was still feeling uneasy. "I did not love Harry or Flash. I did not even like Flash. I liked their money." To Peter she could admit it for she knew he would not judge her. And he did not. He merely nodded. "I know." He smiled weakly. "I know that you know. You always understood me." She laid her head onto his chest. Her hair tickled Peters nose, but he did not mind. Was this not what he had always dreamt of? Yup, he said to himself. This is what I want. Understanding MJ was easy and had always been easy to him. "You just have to feel, you know. Most people judge their fellow men by the looks. But it is the heart that counts." And MJs heart was as beautiful as her looks. She had been the only person he had encountered in his teenage years who had treated him as an equal, even though he was so unpopular. Well, except Harry, who had been unpopular, too. "And, uh...what do you think? I mean..." He wondered if she was really loving him or if she liked the fact that there was more to him than the eye could see. MJ sensed his insecurity and sighed once more. It hurt that he doubted her love. Yet, it was understandable because she had told him at the hospital that she was in love with Spider-Man. "I do not like the fact that you are Spider-Man." Peter stared at the back of her head wishing to see her face while she spoke. As if she had heard his thought she turned around to face him. "I do not like that the man I love risks his life for just anyone. I do not like the fact that he gets injured and has to hide his alter ego, because people cannot accept someone just wants to help." Peter wanted to say something but MJ laid her fingertip on his lips. "I know you did not tell me, because you feared I might uncover your tracks." She smiled sadly and Peter seized her wrist and pulled her hand from his mouth. "You would never uncover my tracks, MJ. That is not the reason why I keep it a secret. I just do not want you to be hurt, or by that means, anyone else I care for." "That is what happened to Aunt May, isn't it? She was hurt because someone wanted to get to you." MJ shook her head, cursing this person. Peter stayed silent waiting for her to realise. "That is what happened to me, too. The Goblin knew your identity..." Wide eyed she took in his features and the guilt. There was more behind this, something that was a burden to Peter. She sensed that there was still something he was hiding from her. Peter did not want her to think about this, so he changed the subject again. "What on earth were you doing in my bed? I thought you were some villain. I am sure I hurt you." He stated what he suspected. MJ blushed a little, then she smiled sheepishly. "I knew you would not admit being Spider-Man....well, I thought if I arrange a situation in which there was no point in denying, you maybe wouldn't..." She studied his expression carefully and grinned when he suddenly smiled. "Why did you chose my bed? I mean, well....you know, what I mean..." It was Peters turn to blush now. MJ seemed a bit embarrassed. "Well, uh, I did not know when you would be back. I guess I was a little tired...." They both laughed. Peter laid his arm around her shoulders and she turned to her side, posing her arm over his belly. Peter did not wince even though it hurt. He too much enjoyed the situation. Soon after pulling the blankets over the two of them MJ was asleep. "Sweet dreams, MJ." Peter whispered then closed his eyes, a smile still on his face.

***

In the morning Jarod was tired. He had fallen asleep over his files in a very uncomfortable way. His neck throbbed and the two hours he estimated he had slept were not nearly enough. I am getting soft, Jarod thought. After his escape from the Centre he had been used to work for days without rest. Sleep had been something that only interrupted productivity. After five years of following his own will Jarod finally felt human restrictions . Moaning he got off the bed and changed into a clean suit. He splashed some water into his face, hoping to fully wake up. He wanted to go to Columbia University today, and check Seymours testimony. He was curious, whether the professor would confirm the story of the spider- bite. When he came downstairs Aunt May had prepared breakfast. Jarods stomach made clear it did not matter to him whether Jarod was late or not. Seeing the pancakes Aunt May had prepared for him Jarod had lost the battle even before it had begun. Aunt May was in the kitchen, hovering from one end to the other, humming a happy melody. The scent of coffee was in the air. Jarod went to the kitchen door and wished Aunt May a good morning. She smiled at him, pushing him towards the table. Jarod obeyed, not daring to withstand her. Happily he worked himself through tons of sweet pancakes, delicious waffles and maple syrup. He especially enjoyed the cup of hot chocolate. Short, it was heaven on earth. A good hour later he looked at his watch and was shocked. He was really late now and it was not good for him to be late, when he was the one asking for something. "Aunt May, I have to go now. I am really late." He got off of his chair nearly falling over, because he had eaten to much. Aunt May hovered around him, looking worried. "Are you alright?" She asked, handing him his jacket. Jarod smiled at her. "I am fine, Aunt May. That was the most delicious breakfast I have ever had. I fear my brain was to busy enjoying it and forgot to warn my stomach that there wasn't any space left..." It took a moment until she understood his joke. Then she laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Oh, you are playing jokes on dear old me..." Jarod laughed and felt at ease, like she really was his grandma and not somebody else's aunt.

***

The laboratory of the Columbia University was impressing. Even to someone used to much more modern labs. It was in an historical building, surrounded by columns. A lot of people were busy there, running from one corner to the other, carrying charts and reports. Jarod examined the people closer. He had read Professor Saunders file and knew about his reputation, which was flawless. He had great achievements in genetic-research and had recently released a report in genetically enhanced spiders. The aim of his research was to develop a way to combine the strengths of the spiders with human DNA. Jarod felt uncomfortable at the thought of mixing animal with human genes. It reminded him, that he himself was not like all the other individuals. He had a clone. Someone had already messed with his genes to exploit the gifts Jarod had been given by nature. No, Jarod definitely had a dislike on manipulative genetics. Since Jarod was really out of place, recognisable by his clothes, he soon was welcomed by Professor Saunders. The head of the Research Department was polite but he clearly did not appreciate the fact, that the FBI showed interest in any of his businesses. Jarod followed the scientist into his little office, which was filled with heaps of paper. Saunders freed a chair so Jarod could sit down and then sunk into the chair behind his desk. He knew why Jarod was there, since Jarod had asked for this meeting the day before. Saunders came straight to the point. "Of course I will provide you with whatever information I have on Michael Seymour. It is very disappointing. He was one of the most promising students I ever had." He shook his head, just to make sure Jarod saw his disappointment. Jarod could not have missed it, anyway. He fought a frown which almost showed on his face. Similar to the instant liking of Parker he felt an instant dislike against this man. "I need you to answer me some questions about Mr Seymours testimony. He claims, that he was bitten by one of the experimental spiders. Is that true?" Jarod shifted on the chair, which was uncomfortable, nicely spoken. He held his eyes on Saunders who was as uncomfortable in his chair, as Jarod was. The reason obviously was another, though. "That is right. Mr. Seymour was bitten by an experimental spider about ten days ago. He had a swelling which healed soon and he called in sick the day after." Saunders took out his filofax. "That was on the fifteenth." He added. "Is it right that this spider had been missing." Jarod could tell Saunders did not like this situation at all. It was bad enough that one of his students was under arrest, but having to admit that an scientific object had gone missing and now was possibly involved in that case, was even worse. "It is right. The spider has gone missing nine months ago. It escaped through a leak in the plexicage. Do you want to take a look?" Saunders rose, not waiting for Jarods answer. He seemingly felt safer on this subject. Jarod followed him silently, listening to the descriptions Saunders gave of the experiments. The Plexicages stood in the middle of the lab, plain to see for everyone passing by. There were fifteen cages, each containing one arachnid. Jarod was fascinated against his will. "It was the smallest one. I do not know how it survived outside the cage, but it did fine. It was sheer luck, that Seymour got bitten. We did not expect to see it again." Jarod watched the little spider. He could not quite agree on Saunders heartfelt luck, since the return of the spider had probably destroyed Seymours life. He did not listen to Saunders explanations, because he was wondering, if a bite of a genetically enhanced spider could make a man mutate. He stepped back and froze. He watched the plexicages from the distance and almost laughed out loud. He had seen them before, those cages. He had seen them on the pictures in Peter Parkers bedroom, the ones with the red-haired girl. "...kind of embarrassing, because it was one of those school-kids that noticed on of the experimental spiders was missing..." Saunders shook his head. "Can I have copies of the surveillance tapes." Saunders shot him an awkward look, realising the agent had not been listening. Annoyed Saunders moved along, trying to find a reason why the agent could not have the tapes. He knew the agent followed him close behind and stopped suddenly, hoping to embarrass the agent. Without luck. Jarod watched the professor very close and could tell that he liked attention. Good for a professor towards his students, Jarod thought. As an agent he had no interest in hearing a lecture. "Now, what is with those tapes?" He asked nonchalantly, pretending not to notice Saunders anger. The scientist walked another four steps then stopped again. "Which dates do you want?" He growled and Jarod smiled politely. "It would be very kind of you. The tapes of the day Michael Seymour was bitten and the day the spider was reported missing would do, Professor."

***

The simlab was calm. Raines preferred to sit in the dark. Nothing went as planned recently. Instead of concentrating on new resources the Centre kept to the idea of bringing that cursed Pretender back. Everyone with brains knew, that Jarod would not cooperate. Jarod would withstand all threats and dangers. Jarod was one of those blessed people whose good-heartedness could not be destroyed by evil. Once Raines had been blessed - by his little daughter. Annie indeed had been a blessing but the world had taken her from him. Without blessing Raines had felt damned. His marriage had failed and he had to take care of Edna, who was not willing to help him with his work anymore. She, too, had been damned...Now, many years later he was still at the Centre. He still had aims and still there were people that stood in his way. "Damn Parker." Raines muttered, coughing. Everyone despised the old dinosaur chairman. Everyone, including his own children, was working against him. Still Parker always was the winner. This time Raines wanted to be the winner, finally. This time his plans included not only the wayward Pretender but also a certain infamous superhero in red and blue tights. From supervising Broots Raines had learned a lot of Miss Parkers plans. He doubted that she really was betraying the Centre, but she nevertheless was a feeling woman, like her mother. And she had given order to the tech to research Spider-Man. In Raines opinion that meant, that it had to do something with Jarod. All Miss Parker did had to do with Jarod in some way. And after having done his own research on that matter Raines was impressed. It was as much a genetical sensation as was the cloning he himself had achieved with Gemini. He had never thought of crossing animal DNA with human one. Creating a lifeform with human intelligence and animalistic instincts and abilities seemed very appealing in Raines opinion.... A sadistic smile formed on his face because he knew exactly where to start.

***

Harry glared at all the folders that covered his fathers big desk. All of them needed attention, his attention, but even after more than three months Harry still felt helpless. All his fathers lawyers and advisors did their best to teach him the business. Now Harry knew, why his father had never had time for him. Worse was, that the meeting which was scheduled for the afternoon very probably would be unpleasant. In his fathers notes Harry had only found vague information about those business partners. Nevertheless Norman had marked them as mysterious and dangerous. If he felt helpless towards all his late fathers partners he almost feared this connection.

tbc

***

Something tingled his nose. Peter did not want to wake up, but he felt the urge to sneeze. So he opened his eye trying to find the disturbance. All he could see was shining red hair, which was displayed on his pillow. Some strands were tickling his nose. He closed his eyes again, fearing he might be hallucinating. When he opened them again his view steadied again on the soft red hair. And then it all came back to him. Mary Jane. Peter almost jumped out of the bed before he realised that they were already beyond shyness. She had fallen asleep in his arms last night. For Peter this had meant the first night without nightmares in months. In nine months, to be exact. Somehow Peter still could not believe that his secret was finally revealed. He had underestimated MJ. And he loved her even more, because she had believed in him. Who would have given a second thought to Peter Parker being Spider-Man? "What's so funny?" MJs voice brought him back to reality. She looked sleepy, still. Peter smiled at her, taking in her features in his bed. "Nothing. I was just realising that I was not dreaming." MJ smiled back at him. She then rubbed closer and hugged him. "No, it was no dream so far. Let us make one." She whispered into his ear. Peter twitched when she suddenly nibbled at his ear. He heard her chuckle and fought his nervousness. "Come on, Peter. We're both grown ups. Don't tell me, this is going to fast for you...!" MJ grinned. Of course she sensed his embarrassment. Peter blushed. "It's not that. I just have to get accustomed..." Peter managed to say but she just shook her head. Instead of answering she climbed on top of him, coming to sit on his belly. Her hair surrounded her face like a veil. Peter looked up to her, overwhelmed by her beauty. "You know what?" MJ did not expect him to answer and he did not, waiting for her to continue. "I have known that I loved you for so long now. It does not seem new at all. It is, as if we'd been together for the past months already...Don't you feel this?" She watched him, expectantly. Peter assumed that he knew what she wanted to hear. What he wanted to say, would not please her. "For the last nine months I've been fighting my love for you. I've been doing that my whole life, I guess. But now, knowing, that you felt the same, made it hell..." MJ started to say something, but Peter made her stop. "For me this is very new. I have never had a girlfriend before. I've always been a loner, you know. I will have to learn to confide in someone else. Especially with my secret...But I will learn. Promised."

MJ smiled. Then she suddenly bowed down and kissed him. Again there was this burning passion, like on that day at the cemetery.

***

Jarod was angry. Since he usually was a very balanced person, it normally took a while until he was losing his temper. Having to deal with Joel Warner really made him crazy. The older agent had bathed in his triumph that he was in charge of Michael Seymour. And now Warner celebrated his triumph over Jarod. When Jarod had returned to the Headquarters from Columbia University to watch the tapes, Michael Seymour was gone. In sheer disbelief Jarod had watched the cell, which Seymour had inhabited the last two days. When he had finally found Warner he only earned a mean grin and a signed confession. Michael Seymour had agreed to confess if in turn he was released. The only condition he had had to accept was, that federal labs would be allowed to do research with his DNA. Of Course the federal scientist had happily agreed on Seymours demand, that he wanted to be part of the research team.

Jarod faced one of the rare moments, where he wanted to smash his fist into someone's face. Warners face. His so called partner had known, that intelligence had made an approach towards the younger man.

For the moment Jarod was no longer interested in the tapes and Spider-mans identity. His first thing to do was, to find Seymours whereabouts. Still angry Jarod thrust the tapes onto his bed. He assumed that he had reached May Parkers home in a record breaking time. He changed into more comfortable clothes and Jarod McPhee had disappeared. He sat down in front of his laptop and tried to hack into the FBI- Mainframe.

***

Peter did not need to feel the searing pain in his side to know that the wound was not getting better. The opposite was the case. Every movement hurt and he was breathing hard. He was on his usual round through downtown Manhattan and thoroughly glad, that the usual villains obviously had decided to stay at home tonight. Panting Peter swung himself to his outlook-point at the tip of the Chrysler- Building. Holding his breath he sat down and threw a look around. Manhattan was almost dark, even though it was often titled the city that never sleeps. Obviously not many people were mad enough to be out at three in the morning, when it was raining. Peter probably would have continued his round, had he nod very narrowly evaded the wall of the United Nations Buildings 13th floor, because he had missed the neighboured building with his webbing. Ever since his second week of being Spider-Man he had not missed a single aim. Well, excluding those villains, who usually minded being hit with his webbing anyway. He had never experienced that before. His sight had blurred suddenly, so that his webbing had probably frightened some of the gulls circling the skyscraper instead.