Still
I'm going to say that this story has about…five or six chapters left. The song I'm using in this chapter, by the way, is called Still, sung by Ana Johnsson. It's a really nice song but if some parts don't really fit with Merc and Johnny, kind of ignore it. I don't want to change any of it because it's so nice. I recommend listening to it while you read this chapter, it's on youtube.
"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?"
"I do."
"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"From those gathered here today, are there any objections as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Everyone present looked at each other but no one said a thing. "Very well…by the powers invested in me, by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."
Merc smiled a partially forced smile as she clapped her hands. Mary Jane and Peter kissed as everyone else clapped. Some point afterwards, Merc was introduced to Peter's aunt May. She wasn't really at all surprised that, outwardly, May had no idea that her nephew was Spiderman. Merc got a glimpse in the older woman's head that she sort of suspected it.
Seven years since we first fell in love
Seven years since my heart came undone
Oh the memory still makes me warm
Cos I love you still
"So how much longer again?" Mary Jane asked, lightly putting her hand on Merc's rounded stomach.
"Couple more months." Merc said. "We're thinking two or three."
"Guess you get worse heartburn then most other pregnant women." Mary Jane said.
"Oh yeah." Merc said. Mary Jane smiled and hugged her. Merc was glad that no one was really behind her because her smile slipped off. It quickly replaced itself as the two broke apart. Merc looked at the red head's husband. "One more time Peter…did you pack the suit?"
"For the last time no!" Peter said. "MJ went through my entire luggage before we left."
"Good." Merc said. "Don't worry about New York, the rest of the team has it covered. You just enjoy your honeymoon."
"Thanks again for arranging it, Merc." Mary Jane said.
"No problem guys." Merc said. "Just take loads of pictures." She waved as Mary Jane and Peter went through the gate to board their plane. Then her smile was completely gone. She turned and walked out of the airport, over to her car. It was still a bit of a surprise that neither Mary Jane nor Peter had a car but it didn't really matter much at the moment.
And I will learn to go on
I'll smile when I'm expected to
I know I will
Yeah I will learn to move on
But I love you still
She drove by a newsstand and glanced at the magazines. Half of them had Johnny on them, stating he was still gone. It was a month, nearly a month and a half, later and that's all anyone was talking about. Did they think she enjoyed it? She didn't want to hear about how he was gone, probably dead.
"Hey sweetheart." Brian said, somewhat sadly as he greeted Merc. She smiled slightly at him. "How you doing?"
"Same as always, Brian." Merc said. "Same as always." She just got a nod from her boss. Brian watched the broken girl as she gathered her stuff. Her heart was gone, she was a robot…just like when she had her powers gone. Brian wasn't around at the time but he knew the story.
He looked over everything she had done for a new story. There was one thing to say about Merc as an author, everything she wrote reflected her own experiences or feelings in some way. The stuff Brian held now had a dark, sad air about it. It fit beautifully with everything else though and there was almost no way of saying when the mood changed.
So they say that all wounds heal with time
Then how come time is not healing mine?
It's like you've locked yourself into my mind
And I love you still
"Adrian, help me with this diaper." Alicia said to her son as Merc walked into the apartment. Alicia looked up. "Mercy, that you?"
"Yeah." Merc said.
"How was work?" Alicia asked.
"It was there." Merc said.
"Merc…you wanna play video games with me?" Adrian asked.
"Diaper first, then games." Alicia said. Merc took over changing Natalie then put her down for a nap before sitting next to Alicia on the couch while Adrian played some game. "You wanna talk?"
"No." Merc said.
"Eventually you will have to." Alicia said, softly. She held out her hand and, sighing, Merc took it. "Sweetie, there's nothing wrong with how you're feeling. You lost the man you love right when you were getting him back." Merc blinked as her eyes started watering. She hadn't cried since that day. She remembered, when she had kissed Johnny, how he had told her what he planned in her mind. She had listened and protested but he wanted her and the baby safe. Merc would have stopped him if seconds later he hadn't said he loved her and Max hadn't knocked her out again.
"I don't know what to do, Alicia." She muttered, letting a tear roll down her cheek. Adrian turned around to face them then paused his game before climbing onto the couch and hugging Merc. That just got her to really start crying.
"Don't cry, Mercy." Adrian said. "Please don't cry."
"I'm sorry, buddy…I can't help it." Merc said. They were like that when the other three returned. No body knew how to comfort Merc, this wasn't something they knew how to deal with.
How I wish I could go back
I'd never let us make the same mistakes again
How I wish I could go back
Cos I love you still
A few of them noticed, as the next few months rolled by, that Merc was behaving the same way she did without her powers. She didn't use them anymore, apart from the accidental mind readings and causing a few things to explode when she ended up giving birth to her son a month early. Once baby James entered her life, she changed relatively back to normal. She smiled more unforced smiles when she was around her son but everyone noticed the toll it took on her to have to look at someone that so resembled Johnny. Especially when James had a tendency to catch things on fire.
"Come on, Mercy, let's go to the park." Sue said. "What good are babies if you can't show them off?"
"Sure." Merc said. She wrapped James up in warm clothes since it was nearly winter before they set off. Merc and Sue met up with Mary Jane at the park.
"How's my godson doing?" Mary Jane said, instantly taking James out of the stroller and kissing his head.
"Growing up happy and healthy." Merc said. She waited then smiled slightly at the look on Mary Jane's face. Sue noticed it as well then giggled.
"He likes projecting dinosaurs into other peoples' heads." She said.
"That would explain it." Mary Jane said, shaking her head.
"Reed loves his nephew." Merc said. "He went out and bought a whole bunch of dinosaur toys and now puts on these little shows for James and Natalie."
"It's really very amusing." Sue said. "Hearing him do the different voices then using big words." Merc smiled more.
"Oh speaking of playing…Peter's birthday is coming up." Mary Jane said. "I was wondering if we could do a party for him at your apartment."
"That's fine with us." Merc said. Sue nodded. "We'll swing it by Reed but I'm sure he'll agree."
"Great." Mary Jane said. The three women hung out at the park for a bit then went walking around, spending time in shops to keep the babies warmer.
Been counting endless nights and days
You're hundred thousands miles away
But I feel you
And what I feel will never change
All tomorrows for one yesterday
Cos I love you still
Yeah, I love you, love you still
With the way things were going, it turned out to be Merc's job to keep Peter away from the Baxter building. It wasn't that hard to do, all she had to do was bring James along and Peter was so into playing with his godson that he didn't even figure that there was something sneaky going on.
"If you weren't so stubborn and had to be born a month early, you could have had the same birthday as me." Peter said, tickling James. Merc grinned as she watched them. Peter was still in Spiderman costume because she had shown up just as he was returning. James seemed to love the costume, he never made any fuss when Peter was in it.
"Would you actually want to share your birthday with someone cuter then you?" Merc asked.
"Oh ha, ha Mercy." Peter said. Merc just smirked and shrugged. He turned to her, picking James up off the bed. "How you doing, by the way?"
"I'm okay." Merc said, taking her son so that Peter could finally put some clothes on.
"It's just…you know…been almost a year since you were locked up." Peter said, grabbing some clothes. "And then you only got a minute…"
"Pete!" Merc cut in. "I do not want to hear about it alright?"
"Yeah, right…sorry." Peter said. "So…I gotta ask…what do you want for Christmas?"
"I don't know, surprise me." Merc said.
"What should I get Jimmy?" Peter asked, buttoning up his shirt.
"Something he can't swallow." Merc said. James patted at his mother shoulder and she looked down at him. Merc had learned with Natalie to always keep her hair tied up whenever handling one of the babies. Mary Jane now had short hair because James had accidentally singed off the ends the other week.
I'm pretending to be strong
Fooling myself everyday saying I'm ok
When there's mothing left I will hold on
I will love you still
I will love you still
"I found him several months ago in the middle of the ocean." Peter and Merc walked out of the elevator and frowned, seeing the backs of two men they didn't know but one of them looked familiar. Merc looked at Sue who looked sad but relieved at the same time. "Took a while to get him feeling better, that water was freezing. When he was finally well enough, I asked him where he lived and he told me he had no idea."
"What's going on?" Peter whispered.
"Uh…it was supposed to be a surprise party…but I think it changed." Merc whispered back.
"He was hard to recognize for a while but then he accidentally burned the bed in his room." The man talking had an English accent. "Knew who he was then. So I booked a couple of seats on a plane and here we are now."
"Merc…give me James." Peter whispered. Merc handed over her son without even thinking. Everyone suddenly noticed they were there.
"Merc! Peter!" Sue said. The two men turned around and once again, Merc found herself locking eyes instantly with a man she hadn't seen in months.
"Umm…surprise." Mary Jane said.
Merc Fainted.
Well this could be classified as a bit of a cliffhanger but honestly, come on. We all know who it is.