Mary Jane pulled her apartment key out of her pocket. She dropped her bag of skimpy swim suits that she had modeled in that day. "Dammit," she muttered as she reached down and stuffed them back in her bag. She then picked the bag up and stuck her key in the lock. She twisted, but the door knob wouldn't turn. Finally, it gave in, and she pushed her door open. "I just hope my whole night isn't like this," she sighed. Ever since I've been divorced with Peter, she thought, everything has gotten so much harder. I don't have anyone to comfort me anymore, no one to take my mind off of my busy schedule. It's just my photographers and me. She tossed her clothes bag onto the couch and walked into the kitchenette. She opened her cupboards, but nothing suitable for a dinner was inside. She slammed the doors shut, leaned against the counter, and began sobbing. "Something wrong, my dear?" M.J. jumped at the sound of a voice behind her. She turned and saw him. He was clad in a green suit, yellow gloves, thick-rimmed glasses, and he had two mechanical arms on either side of his body. Dr. Octopus. "What are you doing here?" M.J. asked, her voice harsh. "You see, Mary Jane," Doc Ock began, "I've noticed that you always seem to have Spider-Man as a guardian. Whenever you go into the city and there is danger about, he is there to save your beautiful behind. You're closer to him than anyone I know. Now, who is he? What is his secret identity?" M.J. gasped. Even though she and Peter were no longer married, she still felt an obligation to protect his identity as Spider-Man. There was still a layer of trust between them, no matter how thin, and her morals couldn't let her disregard that. After all, she didn't hate Peter. She didn't even dislike him. They just-weren't right for each other. "I don't know," she said. "And you are mistaken. Spider-Man and I have never had a close relationship. He saves everybody, and I just so happen to get into trouble quite often." "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this," Doctor Octopus said, his voice barely audible. "BUT YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE!" One of his mechanical arms shot forward and began wrapping itself around her throat, tightening its grip with each passing second. "Spider-Man is," she gasped, "Peter Parker." Doctor Octopus grinned and released her to fall onto the ground. "Thank you. You have been most cooperative." **************************************************************************** ** Peter Parker tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't get to sleep. Too many thoughts were jumbled in his mind like jigsaw puzzle pieces in their box. Aunt May had been so terribly surprised when he had revealed to her that he was Spider-Man, and she had also been hurt by the fact that he had kept it a secret for so long. M.J. was so involved in her modeling career that he didn't even have an opportunity to talk to her just to see how things were going. Deep down, a regret about the divorce still lingered in Peter. They had had a fight just as so many couples do, but they had let it split apart a good relationship. He remembered how she had been able to console him in times of trouble just by rubbing his back before they went to sleep, and how she had caressed his face so gently....... "What the hell is wrong with you, Peter?" He said to himself. "You have to stop reminiscing. What's done is done." Peter closed his eyes and settled his head against the pillow. I'll call her tomorrow, he said to himself, even though he knew deep down that he really wouldn't. He just had to get himself to sleep, and the only way to do that was to settle all of the unsettled thoughts in his head. Knock, knock, knock, he heard just as he was beginning to drift away. He looked at his clock. It was 11:04. Who would be visiting now? It had to be Aunt May! Maybe there was some kind of emergency. He jumped out of bed and pulled on pants and a shirt. He sprinted to the door and pulled it open. Doctor Octopus stood right there. "Hello, Spider-Man," he said. Peter backed up in shock. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. To Be Continued.......