A/N: Hey look another update! I am happy to see that people are liking this still in spite of how slow this is going! I am trying to figure out how to push it along and all of that! Hopefully you guys continue to like this! Please keep up with the reviews! Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed or favorited it! Enjoy this chapter and please review!

Mary Jane isn't sure what to say to Peter. The two of them are still standing there, right in front of his dorm. The laundry basket is tipped over at their feet, his clothes now scattered. He is staring at her intently and she's never seen him look so serious. She knows that he is waiting for her to say that she will do what he wants, that she will stay away from Harry. However she doesn't know why she would and it doesn't seem like Peter is going to explain himself.

"What the fuck was that?" she finally asks, motioning towards where Harry was standing," That was something Flash would do! I don't even know what your problem is with Harry but you can't tell me to stay away from him!"

She knows she shouldn't yell but sometimes her temper gets the best of her. It's a common flaw in her family only hers isn't fueled by alcohol. Before Peter gets the chance to say something she just shoves past him to go into her own room. She hears Peter shout her name but she just slams the door behind her and makes sure to lock it.

The sound of the door slamming makes Lacy jump. Mary Jane realizes that she thankfully didn't wake her roommate up but has clearly scared her.

"Are you okay MJ?"

She shakes her head as she drops her messenger bag and kicks off her shoes," I'll be fine."

It's nothing that a nice hot shower won't fix. After she slips off her clothes she puts on her bathrobe and grabs her shower caddy. Hopefully Peter is already in his room because she does not want to talk to him. In fact she doesn't even want to see his face. The last thing that she expected was for him to act like the other men in her life.

Honestly she can't believe he told her to stay away from someone. It is something that Flash would do and she couldn't stand it. After talking with Lacy for a few minutes she ventures out to the hall. It's deserted and that's quite a relief. She heads towards the girl's bathrooms, sliding her ID to get inside. The light flashes from red to green and she steps inside.

No one else is around and she heads straight towards the shower stalls. She puts her towel on the hook before shedding her robe. Once she turns the water on and it warms up, she steps underneath the shower head. Her hands rest on the tile as she lets the water run over her body. In her mind she keeps replaying the situation and she doesn't know what to think.

Peter all but throws his laundry basket to the floor the moment he steps back in his room. Without thinking his fist makes contact with the wall. He should have known, he should have realized that something like this would happen. He should have realized that Harry would somehow make a move. What he didn't expect was that it would involve Mary Jane.

How in the world could Harry have known about her? That's when it clicks, Harry's been having him followed. That's the only logical explanation. Instantly Peter's looking out the window to see if there is some car parked outside of the building. The street is empty save for the bikes that are locked up at the bike rack. He curses under his breath, turning away and running his hands through his hair.

Once again he feels helpless. He's reminded of the night of the clock tower and how he wasn't able to do anything. He can't afford to lose anyone else. He doesn't want to see something happen to Mary Jane because of him. The last thing he wants is to see her lifeless body in his arms because he failed. His gaze goes towards the pictures on his wall. They land on the one of him and Gwen on graduation day.

He thought that he might be able to be okay again. However when he looks at that picture that used to make him smile all he can think is that he's never going to be okay. He doesn't know why he thought he would be. He doesn't know why he thought that he could get close to Mary Jane. It was all stupid, it was just a horrible idea. Gwen's father was right about him gaining enemies.

Not even his mask can protect Mary Jane. It can't protect the ones he loves because Harry knows the truth. Harry knows that he is spiderman.

Mary Jane's finger is shaking as she slides her finger along the screen of her phone. Her eyes are focused on the crumpled up piece of paper with Harry's number on it. It's been two days since that night and she isn't even sure why she's calling him. She hits the last number before pressing call and putting the phone up to her ear.

It rings a grand total of three times before she hears him pick up.

"Hello?"

Instantly she feels nervous, extremely nervous.

"Hi Harry, it's MJ-I mean Mary Jane."

A few seconds tick by before he speaks.

"I'm glad that you called, I was starting to think you wouldn't."

She knows why he is saying that but knows better than to say anything about it.

"I have been busy with class and work, otherwise I would have called sooner."

"Right well I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime."

Dinner? With Harry Osbourn?

"Um, are you asking me on a date?"

He actually laughs before responding," I believe I am."

"Can I think about it?"

For some reason it doesn't seem right to say yes. She knows that any other girl would have leaped at the chance. Harry Osbourn is one of the richest men in New York and he's young. It isn't likely that he'll stay single long.

"Sure, just let me know soon okay?"

Before she can respond there is a click and the line goes dead. Mary Jane takes a deep breath and stares at her phone. Did she just say maybe to a date with Harry Osbourn? He's a guy that she would have loved to date back when she was in high school. Someone who could take her out to fancy restaurants and maybe even help her get a start with her acting career.

She shakes her head before tossing her phone into her purse. Her head lifts to look around to see the people walking around. All of her classes have finished and she's just sitting outside with a cup of coffee. She's waiting on her friend Eric to show up so they can do their assignment together. He's also a drama major and they have a couple of classes together.

Someone is sitting down next to her and she looks to see it's Peter. He looks like he hasn't slept and she doesn't know if she should leave. A big part of her wants to get up and walk away before he can say anything. He actually reaches out to hold onto her arm as if he is reading her mind.

"Listen, I just-I need to talk to you."

"I don't need to talk to you," she states, not even thinking about it.

He actually lets out a groan at her reponse. He knows he should have anticipated this. She has a reason not to be happy with him but he can't explain it. She can't know his secret because of what could happen to her. So how can he fix this?

"Mary Jane please," he pleads, not letting go of her because he knows she's walk away," Can you come with me?"

She looks away from him in hopes of seeing Eric. However he is no where in sight and Peter is holding onto her arm like his life depends on it. She doesn't exactly know what to do. After a second she looks back over at Peter and takes a deep breath.

"Fine."

At first she thinks he's going to let her go. Instead he just stands and pulls her up with him. He lets go of her arm only to grab her hand. Clearly he is not going to let her get away like she had hoped he might. Instead she finds herself being led off campus. He guides her to the nearest subway station and she just gets on the train since she really doesn't have any choice.

She finds herself walking into the cemetery. Peter literally has not let go of her hand the entire time. It's honestly confusing to her. She doesn't know why he's brought her here. He hasn't said a word the entire time and she finds herself standing in front of Gwen's headstone.

"Peter why am I here?"

Peter really has no idea what he is doing. He's basically just winging this whole thing and he knows that it's likely it's going to go badly. How can he possibly explain this without telling her his big secret?

"I don't want you to end up here," he states, knowing it probably makes him sound insane," That's..why I acted the way that I did."

He doesn't want her to end up dead? Mary Jane just looks over at him in confusion. Honestly none of this is making sense and it's hard for her to wrap her head around it. She just wants to grab him by his shoulders and shake him. Of course she knows that's a bad idea and refrains from doing so. Instead she chooses to just look down at the headstone. At the base of it rests a bouquet of flowers. If she has to guess they are either from Peter or maybe Gwen's mother.

"Did you put those here?"

Peter looks to see what she's talking about since he has been staring at her. He didn't even notice the flowers up until he looks down. He hasn't brought flowers in a while and he knows that they aren't from Gwen's mother. Gwen's mother always brings roses and it looks to him like there are at least three dozen there. Who would leave that many flowers at Gwen's grave?

He slowly shakes his head after realizing that he hasn't said a word. Mary Jane sighs at the look on his face and turns to face him. Her arms reach to wrap around him for a few seconds before she pulls away.

"You can't protect me Peter, I protect myself," she tells him," I take care of myself, I always have."

Before he gets a chance to say anything she turns and walks away.

The Oscorp building can be described using many words. Yet the only one that crosses Mary Jane's mind is intimidating. It's not the first time she's seen it but it's the first time she's been up close to it. She remembers seeing it when the giant lizard attacked and the photos that had graced the newspaper. It was the same night that Gwen's father died. There are tons of people walking in and out, none of them seeming to notice her. She feels out of place standing there amongst the people dressed in business suits.

She's been standing there, staring for the past twenty minutes. At this rate she is starting to think that she should turn and go. But she knows that she came here for a reason and that's to talk to Harry. After taking a few deep breaths and straightening her shoulders she marches inside. The lobby is filled with people, all of them seeming to be in a hurry. Above the main desk is what looks like a screen of a woman talking about Oscorp and everything that they have been doing for the great city of New York.

After some more staring Mary Jane finally steps up to the desk and clears her throat," Hello, I'm here to see Harry Osbourn."

The woman doesn't even look up at her," Do you have an appointment?"

Instantly she feels like such an idiot for not thinking ahead. She just thought that seeing him face to face would make it easier. The fact that he's running a company seemed to have slipped her mind. She wants nothing more at that moment than to disappear .

"I-no-my name is Mary Jane Watson," she begins to explain," If you could just give him a call, I'm sure he'll tell you it's okay."

Before she has even finished her sentence a visitor's badge is being slid her way. Mary Jane's eye brows shoot up when she sees it. Instead of questioning it she reaches for it and clips it onto her shirt. After making sure it's in place she looks up at the woman, not sure where to go.

"Just go into the elevator and say you need to go to Harry's office."

Say it? Mary Jane shakes her head before she walks over to the elevators. It takes a few moments for one to open before she steps inside. It's a relief that it's empty and she turns to see another small screen with the same woman from the other screen in the lobby.

"Floor please."

"Harry Osbourn's office," she states, feeling like this is some kind of weird dream.

The elevator begins to move within a few moments. Mary Jane finds herself chewing on her thumb nail, her nerves beginning to get to her. The elevator doesn't stop on any of the other floors. Instead it only makes the one stop and she's told that she has arrived. It takes her a second to actually move and she finds herself walking towards another desk.

Seated behind it is a young woman with dark brown hair and dressed entirely in black. She looks up from her computer to Mary Jane and instantly stops typing.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Harry Osbourn," she states after taking a deep breath," I'm Mary Jane Watson."

The woman nods and to Mary Jane's surprise she stands. She assumes she has to follow and she does as the woman walks over to the double doors. She pushes them open before motioning for her to go inside. Honestly Mary Jane thught that she was going to have to wait a while. Surely someone as important as Harry would be busy all the time when he was at work.

To her surprise it's just Harry sitting in his office. She had thought that he might have been in a meeting with others. He looks up and she notices the surprise on his face.

"I hope it's okay that I stopped by," she says after a few seconds of silence.

The doors are closed behind her and than it's just the two of them.

He quickly stands and walks over to where she is," I'm glad that you did."

"I just wanted to tell you that as much as I would love to go on a date with you," she begins to say," I'm thinking that it wouldn't be good, I am not the type of girl you would want on your arm."

She has thought about this over and over since he asked her to dinner. Honestly she feels like such an idiot for even saying no or explaining herself. Why did she think this was a good idea to tell him face to face? Maybe a phone call or even a text would have been better.

"Mary Jane," he begins to speak, reaching for her hands," I don't care about where you come from, I would just like to get a chance to get to know you even if it's just as friends."

Something tells her that he is going to be stubborn. That there will not be a way in hell she will leave unless she agrees to go to dinner with him.

"Just as friends then," she agrees, pulling her hands from his," I work for the next three nights but what about lunch on Sunday?"

He agrees before telling her that he will have his driver pick her up and take her to the restaurant that is his choice. It's clear from the tone of his voice that he will be the one paying and she will not get to argue with him about it.

It's a relief when she finally leaves his office, ignoring the woman behind the desk. It feels like it's takes forever for her to get out of the building. She all but runs towards the subway station and only starts to relax when she is on the train.

Peter hates feeling helpless and that's exactly how he feels every time he sees Mary Jane. He's not sure how to handle the situation. He wants to try to talk to her, to make her understand. Honestly he doesn't see why she can't just trust him. Than again he's never given her a reason to trust him. They were just starting to get to know each other more and now that's ruined.

He tries to bury himself in his work and trying to figure out what Harry has planned. He is just waiting for something to happen and he knows it's only a matter of time. He wants to be able to prevent anything from happening but he knows it's a waiting game. He forces himself to actually be social and make an effort to make more friends on campus.

He is running across campus to head back to his dorm to meet up with his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend. It's early in the afternoon and they had talked about going to see a movie. His roommate's girlfriend also said she would bring one of her friends so that Peter didn't feel like a third wheel. Of course she made sure to make it very clear to her friend that it wasn't a date. Lucas wasn't around much but he knows that Peter is not ready to date someone.

Just as the building comes into view he sees a town car parked right in front of it. The driver is standing outside of it and seems to be waiting on someone. A group of girls are gathered by the entrance of the building and they are all pointing and staring at the car. Instantly his stomach sinks as he forces himself to walk across the street.

"That has to be Harry Osbourn's car," stated one of the girls," I asked the driver and he said it was! I wonder who he is waiting on!"

Peter's jaw clenches since he knows exactly who. He knows that he shouldn't do or say anything stupid. He wants to just walk into the building to get changed. Before he can force himself to do that, Mary Jane comes walking out of the doors. His eyes widen when he sees how she's dressed.

She has on a simple white top with a plum colored skirt. Her hair which he has usually seen down is done in a simple braid. There are a few bracelets on her arms and she has on a leather jacket. His gaze travels down her legs which seem to go on for days in that skirt. Her shoes are a pair of heels that he fears she could break her ankle wearing.

"Mary Jane!"

His hand slaps over his mouth the moment he realizes what he's done. Her head turns and she looks surprised to realize it was him that yelled her name. Some part of him thinks she'll pretend she didn't hear him and just keep walking. To his delight and surprise she begins to walk over to him.

"Are you okay?"

He nods, realizing his hand is still over his mouth," What are you doing?"

"I'm meeting Harry for lunch."

The way she says it so casually makes him want to groan. She knows that he will not be happy but he has the feeling she doesn't care.

"I told you that you should stay away from him."

"I don't really care what you told me since I am old enough to make my own choices," she states, glancing towards the driver who they both realize is watching them with interest.

"Just," he begins and without thinking grabs her purse.

She goes to grab it back but he's already going through it. It takes him a few seconds before his fingers close around her phone and he pulls it out. The purse is shoved back into her hands and he enters his number, saving it.

"If anything happens, call me, I don't care if it's for a ride or if you are just uncomfortable," he states, his tone showing that there is no room for protest," Promise me you will."

She stares at him for a few seconds in confusion before she nods," Thanks Pete."

He has no choice but to watch as she walks away from him and goes to get into the town car. The driver tips his hat in Peter's direction before he goes to climb into the driver's seat. He bites down on his lip, feeling his heart race the moment the car begins to pull from the curb.