" I like Emily... Emily Rose Parker, or if its a boy, Christopher James Parker,"

Mary Jane lay back in the web her husband of one year had built for them, it was baffling how the chords under them could desolve in a few hours when at the moment they were strong as steel, but then again a lot of things that Peter Parker did baffled her. At the moment said husband was perched next to her, still dressed in his Spider-man out fit and still sporting the fat lip that the bank robber had given him earlier with the butt of his gun. Even now the mark was fading, by tomorrow it would be gone, but the fact remained it had been there, MJ had given him a telling off worthy of his Aunt May on being careful. Peter ran his hand over his wife's round stomach, smiling as he felt the baby within her kick. He still marvelled how the geeky kid from Queens had managed to win her heart when all the fly boys and rich kids had failed. What had he to offer her except a tiny flat in the bad part of town and every second of his time when he wasn't trying to do Spidey work or odd jobs to pay the rent? His love, thats what, and apparently that was enough.

He had honestly never been happier.

"You sure you don't want an ultrasound? Wouldn't it be good to know before the baby is born?"

MJ shook her head, her red hair flying in all directions, once again he wondered at the flush of beauty that seemed to have taken hold after she had gotten pregnant. She was even more lovely than usual. And just as short tempered. She struck him in the leg, a blow that she knew couldn't harm considering his spider DNA, and glared fiercely at him.

"No! Absolutely not! I don't want to spoil the biggest suprise in our lives! You are just going to have to wait until the baby gets here Peter, end of story."

The young man grinned and kissed her nose, holding her close as they both laughed. All the old fears and pains were fading, he didn't have to worry about hurting her now, not with the symbiote gone for good. There hadn't been any threats lately beyond the average theif, and he knew that no matter what happened he would never let anyone know that he was Spider man, and therefore never give anyone any reason to harm her. Everyone who had known was dead. They couldn't hurt her anymore.

He cleared his throat and looked up at the skyline of New York City, his eyes grew sad and distant.

"I want to name the baby Ben if its a boy and May if its a girl... We could have Emily Rose May Parker or Christopher James Ben Parker, would that be alright?"

Mary Jane shook her head and smiled sadly, placing her hand on his cheek and stroking it gently.

"Oh Peter, of course it is, those are lovely names."

Spider-Man wiped at his eyes and sighed. For a moment they were quiet, but then he turned to her and took both her hands in his own.

"Mary Jane, I promise I am going to keep you and the baby safe, and that I will never hurt you ever again, I won't let anyone hurt my family, I promise you that. AS long as I live I will keep that promise..."

"I know you will Peter... I know..."

They held each other then, carefully and tenderly, as though the other was something fragile and precious that would break at any moment... Neither of them knew how true that was... And how their lives were about to fall apart before it could even come together...