(POV Peter)

She was opening her eyes slowly and when she realized where she was her expression changed showing fear.

"So the princess already woke up" Harry said showing himself to Aria whose expression change once again, but now she showed an irritated face, she looked at Harry with a killing hate.

Harry started to laugh on that maleficent laugh of Green Goblin, now I realized that the hope I had of having my best friend back had already died, because there was nothing left of my childhood best friend.

"What's wrong pretty one? Oh… I know… my methods bringing you here right? I'm sorry".

Aria's face showed more hate and she was also trying to look brave.

"What are you winning having me here 'Beast Boy'? Don't you tell me you want to take over the world 'The Brain' oh and by the way… where's 'Pinky'? Aren't you suppose to have an evil stupid henchmen or something?..." although the situation, she was insulting at the Goblin by talking to him with nicknames, the Goblin was trying not to explode before Aria's comments but he couldn't avoid to frown for a second.

"Take over the world… maybe… that's a good idea, but what I'm looking for today is revenge" Goblin admitted.

Aria laughed.

"Oh please! You should spend your time on something more useful, like doctors or a psychiatrist; maybe go to some seminary for anger manager or something. You are losing your time here because you and I know exactly what is going to happen: Spiderman is going to come to kick your ass, you are going to jail and I will live to be a huge legend of Broadway. Everybody wins but you. Yei!"

That tried his patience, he went furious and he approached to Aria. Aggressively he pressed Aria's face.

"Don't you understand it little girl?! I want Spiderman and maybe when he's dead I take you as my trophy! But first I want to see him bleeding and begging for mercy so I could deny that from him!

I had to stop him know.

"Then here you have me Goblin" I said decided "Leave her out of this! This is between you and me! Be a man and fight with me!" I screamed Goblin turned to see me and then to see her again "I'm waiting for you!"

He still didn't look at me he was just staring at Aria with a huge smile.

"You don't want to repeat the same thing that happened two years ago right?" he said laughing "You think you have a chance to save this one"

I looked at her: so fragile, so afraid and confused because she had no idea of what happened two years ago and what was happening now.

I stared at the Goblin. He took Aria and pushed her. My heart began to speed up and I got much worried trying to react looking for her. I saw her holding into a small pole. I sight and Goblin started to attack me so I attacked him back.

"Aria! Hold on!" I yelled.

"I don't think I have another option!" she answered. "But I would thank you if you hurry because I'm a little clumsy!"

The Goblin hit me really hard that I fell, but I reincorporate and I went back to where Aria was. The Goblin had her and retained her trying to escape from me in the glider.

"Put me down you asshole!" Aria demanded, but she shouldn't ask for that.

"It will be a shame but if you want that pretty one" then he threw her.

Aria screamed.

Oh… no… no… no… it was a DéjàVu. I saw the same look in Aria, the same look as Gwen when she died. Tears streamed down Aria's face before she closed her eyes, because she was facing the end. Everything was happening again.

I couldn't permit this; the Goblin couldn't take Aria away from me too. I had to act fast if I wanted to save her.

I threw a web to Aria and I caught her, I pull the web to me and I held Aria in my arms. She clung to me trembling and I left her inside the building.

"Don't stay here! It's too dangerous!" I order her.

"Watch out Spiderman!" she warned me.

I turn my face and I defeat the Green Goblin. I didn't know how we ended inside the building in the same place I left Aria.

I received the Goblin's fist, I was losing. Aria was watching us worried. I was failing in front of her.

"What would you say if we show your identity to your little girlfriend?" Goblin said.

I tried to oppose but finally the Goblin took my mask off. I stared at Aria who was shocked, without believing what she was watching. I looked at her with sorrow and shame.

"There it is little princess, your hero is your beloved Peter Parker"

"I'm sorry" I murmured.

"Peter…." She said covering her mouth and slowly walking toward and trembling.

"TELL HER! Tell her the FRAUD you are! Tell her how you disappointed me, to your BEST FRIEND knowing how much I needed you and when you knew you could save me while I was dying! Tell her how you let your beloved Gwen Stacy die and how she looked at you before she died! You are a fraud!"

Now she knew, it was true: I was a fraud. But I got furious, I felt how the adrenaline grew inside of me so I defeated again although he was ending with me.

An extinguisher knocked him out. Actually it was Aria who knocked him out with an extinguisher in the scruff. I looked at her all astonished. She looked at me frowning.

"What? He owe me that, he brought me that way here, didn't he told you?" she said cynically.

But Harry wasn't knocked out for so long, he looked at Aria like a sanguinary killer. Aria started to walk towards afraid with her eyes on alert. He wasn't going to touch her ever again, I would never permit it. I hit him and I started to throw all my webs to him, some rubble fell to him and he got unconscious, I knew he'll remain like that for a while but when he'd wake up, he would be miles away.

I looked at Aria who was five meters away. She sight when she looked into my eyes, she ran to me and she hug me hard. I hug her and I felt her. Alive! I could save her! I kissed her forehead and I held her tighter.

"I guess part of me was suspecting it, but another part of me was telling me I was crazy" she said "…now I see that you said all that and did all you did, because you wanted the best for me".

We separate and I looked at her smiling like saying "This is me" and she made a bended smile. Then I got serious, today I was about to lose her too… this couldn't happen again.

"Aria… what Harry said was truth, my girlfriend Gwen Stacy died in a situation very alike to yours. She died because of my fault and… you almost died tonight, if something bad had ever happened to you… I would never forgive myself. I can't lose you too I love you too much and I can't do to you what I did to Gwen".

"Wait… do you…do you… love me?" she said crying.

"Of course I love you, but I told you I can't…"

"So… you prefer to be away from me and never see me again than being with me and something bad happening to me? It's almost the same!"

"No, it's not! Don't you want to live Aria? Of course you want to! You have dreams and hopes, friends and family! You deserve to have a life and you would never have it with me!"

"And what about you? Don't you deserve it too? Don't you deserve to have a life besides Spiderman?"

"With a great power comes a big responsibility" I said "My duty is to protect New York and I can't put you in danger again, we can't be together although how much I love you"

She knew she couldn't convince me so she resigned. She sight.

"The decision is all yours Peter. I love you too and I want to be with you more than anything but you are deciding for both of us to step away from me because you are afraid. I can't get it, but I respect your decision, because though it hurts I would probably do the same if I were in your place".

Her words broke me. My words also broke her.

"At least…can I ask you two things?"

"Anything you want" I answered.

"One last kiss?" she asked.

I pull her to me and I kissed her. My right hand touched her neck and the left her waistline, then she hugged my neck and I put my right hand in her waistline like with the left hand. In that kiss I felt her broken soul and her grief, but this decision was the best for both of us. Though all the pain and all our tears I enjoyed to felt those lips again, it would be the last time I'd felt them. When we finished I caress her cheek and I cleaned up some of her tears.

"What's the other thing?"

"Could you get me out of here? I don't know where the exit is…"she said and she gave me a sad smile which I returned to her.

I put my mask back and I hug Aria to get her out. We landed on the floor and we look to each other.

"Thank you Spiderman I would never forget what you did for me tonight" she smiled at me, kissed my cheek and turn to walk away from me.

And I saw her, so beautiful through the tears and the broken heart, so beautiful through the bruises in her face and the smeared makeup.