Spiderman, Into the Spiderverse, and all other canon characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment, LLC.

Chapter 14

One glance up from the computer screen and the curse word just slipped out of Olivia's mouth. She stared at Gwen a bit surprised, the other girl's composition among the worst she had ever seen Gwen at. Her brow furrowed slightly.

"You look terrible," she said.

"Gee, thanks for the support." Gwen closed the door behind her exhausted.

She hurt. Her emotions, strung out. She had spent a better part of the evening trying to get back to the university while keeping a low profile. That included a couple of times of changing directions in case someone had seen her. Then after recovering her backpack, she had to make certain no one had seen her or followed her again. Finally, she had been able to change and then walk home. She was tired. Starving. Irritation ran through regarding the whole thing. She didn't like having to be paranoid. She didn't like having to be grounded a bit. Still, she tried not to let her mood be directed at her friend.

"I'm just tired." Gwen gave her roommate a weak smile as she closed the door behind her.

Olivia stared at Gwen a moment.

"Have you eaten?" She finally inquired. Coming over, the other woman took Gwen's backpack and gently guided Gwen to a chair. Using her free hand, she cleared a spot, pushing back the various handwritten notes spewed across the table.

"No." Gwen placed an elbow on the table and rested her forehead in her hand. She half contemplated just going to bed. If she wasn't so hungry she probably would. "I missed dinner."

Olivia set the backpack by the hallway to be taken later before entering the small kitchen. With the knowledge of an individual who had basically taken care of herself all of her life, she had no trouble putting together something for Gwen to eat. Within a few minutes she set some heated soap and a slice of buttered bread in front of Gwen. Pouring a glass of water, she set it down as well. She studied Gwen with a slight frown.

"What happened?" Her eyes seemed to look into Gwen.

"Huh?" Gwen looked up. "Oh nothing. Just…tired. A lot of walking."

Olivia didn't seem to believe it but she said nothing. Sitting down in front of her computer again, she glanced over her screen toward Gwen. She didn't press. That was one thing that Gwen was extremely grateful for. Olivia might ask something here or there but if she felt that you didn't want to talk about it then she didn't push. She had done that a lot while Gwen dealt with her mother's death. Not really pushing, just being there.

Now seemed to be no exception.

It was very interesting really. Gwen knew most people who met Olivia didn't realize how sensitive she could be. She gave a bit of an aloof loner vibe. If you interacted with her you quickly learned she was fairly sarcastic and had no issues giving cutting remarks. She was a bit cold. Calculating. Seeming to enjoy numbers and her work more than people. But that was just initially. True, she was still much like that. But there was a part of her that was gentle and kind. She just didn't show it in the way most did and only to a few individuals.

"Your father stopped by." Olivia's voice cut into Gwen's thoughts. "Was looking for you."

Gwen paused. She let out a sigh. She eventually texted him. Letting him know that she had been caught up in something – which was true – and wasn't going to get back home anytime soon. She apologized and asked for a rain check. His reply had been fairly quick assuring her that was fine. Asking if she was ok. He didn't say anything about the texts he had sent her nor the couple messages. He also didn't call her right after she texted. She was relieved but also worried.

Guilt hit her as she felt bad about missing dinner with him. Worse because she had to make it appear as she blew him off. She hadn't done that in a very long time. Which was why it worried her that he didn't immediately call after her text.

"I texted him," Gwen said. "I let him know."

Olivia's brow furrowed more as she eyed Gwen. She glanced back at her computer screen but her fingers didn't tap on the keyboard. Gwen felt she was still being observed.

She really did need to call her dad. Apologize. But what exactly to tell him. That something had gotten so important that she completely blew him off on a night that fell in their weekly pattern for some time now? She couldn't tell him the truth. And she couldn't use Peter as a lie as the two interacted. And there was no way she wanted her dad to catch her lying to him. That would make things only worse.

Sometimes being Spiderwoman was not that great. The lies, the secrets. Trying to hide who she was and what she did from her father. It weighed on her. She set her spoon down, losing her appetite.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Olivia's eyes glanced back up over the computer.

"About what?" Gwen asked quickly – too quickly, she realized.

Olivia's eyes didn't reveal what she was thinking. The expression behind her glasses fairly controlled.

"You look like h-," she said, frankly. "You didn't call your dad even after he seemed extremely worried. You seem tense a bit." Olivia lifted her hands up. "You don't have to talk about it but don't make me out as an idiot. You've done some unusual things before Gwen but this is very uncharacteristic of you." She dropped her hands back to the keyboard and looked at the screen. "But as I said, you don't need to talk about it." Her fingers moved across the keyboard as she went back to work.

Olivia was her best friend. But what to say? Gwen didn't know exactly how she could confess what was weighing on her without giving away her secret. And as much as it weighed heavily on her, she wasn't sure she was ready to tell anyone else about it.

She was close to Olivia but they didn't really have the whole – you tell every secret you know to each other – type friendship that most best friends seemed to have. And honestly, she wasn't certain how her friend would take it.

Still, she needed to say something. She let out a sigh, formulating what to say that gave a bit of the truth but didn't give anything away.

"I had a major scare tonight," she admitted.

The tapping stopped and Olivia's gaze was back up. Her forehead creased a bit in either concern or anger. It was difficult to tell. Gwen continued slowly.

"It…scared me. I panicked and ran." Very true. "I really didn't want to tell Daddy, you know how he could be." Overly protective and he'd press her for details. "But I couldn't come here right away. In fact, I took my time to ensure that I was safe getting her."

"Did someone try to attack you?"

There was a bit of cold fury in Olivia's tone. Her feelings on the subject were a bit intense. Gwen remembered someone attempting to accost her roommate one dark evening. The perpetrator didn't know though that the nerdy, bookish girl he had been attempting to attack had taken self-defense. Years of a strong desire not to be like her mother had given Olivia the means and will to ensure her own safety. She had broken the man's nose, almost crushing it and killing him. He survived, much to Olivia's confessed regret. She had a very low tolerance for those kinds of individuals.

Though the situation wasn't similar, it was close enough that Gwen didn't bother correcting her friend. She was shot at and it shook her. That was enough.

"Don't tell Dad, please. I don't need his fretting. And I'm fine," she quickly added. "Just…just shaken up a little. A good night's sleep and I'll do better."

Olivia's stare made Gwen shift slightly and she glanced back at her soup. She picked up her spoon and stirred the liquid. She looked up.

"I'll be ok, seriously."

Olivia gave a slight nod.

"Did you get a good look at him?"

Perhaps telling Olivia might not have been a good idea. There was a hint of cold fury in her friend's tone and Gwen had a feeling that if she had seen the person who shot her and mentioned it to Olivia, her friend might actually do something about it.

Anyone who didn't know Olivia might find that hilarious. The girl didn't come off as a threat. The thick glasses. The very nerdish look. The social inaptness. But Gwen knew a bit more about her friend. There was a lot of power underneath her friend's composure. Power and anger. But then again, Gwen also knew a bit about Olivia's backstory and what drove her.

The daughter of a dead-willed mother and an abusive father, Olivia had once told Gwen that she would NEVER end up like her mother. And if anyone dared to hurt her, she'd kill him.

Gwen didn't know the full story as her friend was not completely forthcoming but she knew enough to draw conclusions. And despite Olivia's vow, she also knew that future was the one she feared would come true. Thus why she was so passionate in her hatred for certain things.

Realizing she hadn't said anything Gwen quickly pulled her mind to the present. She really needed to turn in.

"No. No I didn't. I don't know who it was. It just…scared me a bit. And then I got a bit paranoid." She forced a smile to play it off. Olivia didn't return it.

"Nothing to apologize for." The other girl's voice held a bit of firmness. "I can recommend a self-defense class if you're interested." She stood and walked out of the kitchen a moment. She returned setting a small purse-sized can of pepper spray beside Gwen. "Carry it with you at all times. It's amazing how effective it can be."

Gwen couldn't help the smile of gratitude.

"Thanks. I'm normally fine. I'll be ok." She didn't really need mace.

Honestly, she just needed to know who shot at her. It didn't make sense it was the police. Whoever it was, if she had seen them, it would have been easy to deal with. It was the unknown that had her shaken up a bit.

"Carry it." There was no room for argument. Olivia dropped back down behind her computer. Her gaze looked up at Gwen. "You are a lovely girl Gwendolyne. You need to be careful."

"Now you sound like my dad." Gwen couldn't help but tease though she was a bit touched. And the fact Olivia used her full first name showed the seriousness the other girl saw the situation. "I'll be careful. Honestly." She smiled softly. "Thanks, Olivia." She rose. "I really do appreciate it. It's nice to know people care." She gave her roommate a partial hug, ignoring the stiffening of her roommate.

Olivia straightened, her back rigid as Gwen pulled back. She gave a half shrug and glanced back at her computer.

Gwen couldn't help the smile of amusement.

"I really need to get some sleep," she admitted. She picked up her bowl and carried it to the sink. Rinsing it out, she put it in the dishwasher.

She also needed to call her dad. Tell him something. Olivia was right – that was extremely uncharacteristic of her. She wondered briefly if she could tell him something similar. Sure, he'd freak out. Probably want to put an officer to watch her, be overly paranoid about her safety, call her more regularly. But it would help explain why she blew him off.

She guessed it had to hurt him. If anything, it made him overly worried anyway. She'll sleep on it. If she said similar to what she did with Olivia, being firm about not wanting to go into details and talk about it, he just might not press.

But she couldn't think about that now. Now, she was going to sleep and get rested.