Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last chapter. You are all fabulous.

Part 11: August 2025 part one (all my cards on the table)

August 1, 2025

Dear May:

I just realized I text messaged Flash on my work cell phone, not my personal cell phone. This is the type of mistake that one would make during a crisis and not realize it for about 24 hours. Maybe the fact he's not freaking out about this is why it took me so long to realize the mistake I made. No wonder he kept insisting it was me that saved his mom, not my other self. It did not help that I said I found the bottle of pills.

He really should be freaking out now. Although that might be because his mother just had an overdose, and she's in intensive care. Maybe he just has more important things to worry about than discovering my identity. Rediscovering my identity? I don't even know.

I found her while on patrol. She was only a couple blocks from our apartment. Thank God Flash made me go on patrol. We are unsure if it's an accident or what happened to Ned's mom. I don't think it matters.

A part of me wants to run away, but I can't. Flash needs me right now. Not just because his father showed up and had to be physically removed by security. Unsurprisingly, he got physical and tried to blame everything on Flash. Thanks to my special senses, I could catch him before he punched Flash. That's when he said something about me not being able to protect Flash forever. Thompson Senior referred to me as Flash's (that F word) boyfriend. This was also when I discovered that Harry Thompson realized Flash wasn't that straight when his assistant (mistress) saw us argue back in May. I deeply regret Flash not letting me punch his father out.

I know Flash needs my emotional support. I can't leave him to deal with this alone with everything going on. That wouldn't be right. That's not who you taught me to be.

But the truth is that a part of me doesn't want to leave. I don't want to give up movie night or special cookies after patrol. Despite trying not to, I ended up with people that give a fuck about me. I was so lost after losing you and everyone else. The only thing that saved me was Gloria and Flash. They kept me tethered to the world.

I think I'm even more worried about Flash because of how messed up I was after losing you. If Rosita doesn't survive, it's going to destroy Flash. Even though they've been estranged for so long. She is still his mom. It's been touch and go for the last 24 hours. She might've died if I had just found her 15 minutes later.

Flash hasn't left the waiting room beyond going to the bathroom. I actually had to leave when Matt and his cop friend showed up. I think Flash would starve if we didn't bring him food.

I'm starting to realize I need more backup beyond Gloria. Neither one of us can get Flash to leave the hospital. Not even after his father showed up. Unfortunately, MJ's in Boston until tomorrow. I'm contacting her as soon as she gets back to New York.

XXXX

August 2, 2025

Ex 1: How was MIT?

MJ: Orientation was good. I got most of the classes I wanted and did well on all my placement tests. So no remediation classes for me.

Ex 1: This does not surprise me.

MJ: Also, I think I found a possible roommate. She's from Chicago and a complete prodigy. She's just 16. We also align politically. This is good because I don't think I could take rooming with a rich spoiled brat. I really didn't want to take my chances with the lottery.

Ex 1: That's good. Are you already back in New York?

MJ: Yes, my train just got back like two hours ago.

Ex 1: That's good. I doubt Flash has had time to text you, but his mom is in the hospital. And honestly, he could use another friendly face right now. I don't think Ned is suitable for this situation.

MJ: Oh God, what happened? The fucking husband didn't have a good day?

Ex 1: Drug overdose. If Harry's angry rant is to be believed, she actually left him last month because he kicked out Flash.

MJ: At least she did one thing right.

MJ: Did Flash find her?

Ex 1: Spider-Man did during patrol. She was in her car a couple of blocks from our house. She stopped by just a few hours earlier to try to talk to Flash. He kicked her out. We don't know if it was an accident or intentional. That's why I didn't want to call Ned while you were in Boston.

MJ: You made the right call on not bringing in Ned. I don't think it really matters. Flash is going to blame himself.

Ex 1: He shouldn't. I feel like Rosita Thomas has had problems for a long time outside of her son.

MJ: She has.

Ex 1: I need a favor.

MJ: Whatever you need. I'm here to help.

Ex 1: Can you come to the hospital and stay with Flash? I don't want to leave him alone, but I need to run some errands. Although Vanessa and Guadalupe are giving me paid time off, I still have other responsibilities. Also, I need to get Flash fresh clothing. Gloria is at the shelter right now.

MJ: And will you actually come back from these errands, or are you going to go to the apartment and pack your bags because he knows the truth now?

Ex 1: What truth?

MJ: You know what? I'm just sending you screenshots of my last message from Flash. As soon as you texted me, I texted him. I've been trying to carry on a conversation with both of you when you two really need to have a conversation with each other.

MJ: [two photos attached]

MJ: Yes, he is "ex's future boyfriend" in my address book. You know why. You and Peter three have more in common than you think you do.

Ex 1: So, Flash remembers? I didn't accidentally tell him?

Ex 1: You remember? Are you actually trying to set us up?

MJ: I'm trying to make you be less of an oblivious idiot. I'm well aware you shouldn't date anyone, myself included, for at least a year. Yes, we got our memories back, or at least some of them. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that we know the fake memories are fake. Our current theory is that the spell got rid of memories but didn't erase feelings. Being around you made those feelings come back. And that's causing the false memories to fall apart. Dreams have been filling in the rest of the missing pieces.

Ex 1: That makes sense. What about Ned?

MJ: Not yet, but you haven't been around him as much. He's also magical. Maybe the spell would work differently on him. Although he does now remember I used to date someone named Peter.

Ex 1: At least he remembers something.

MJ: I don't care about your powers. If you try to leave Flash right now, I will kick your ass.

Ex 1: I feel like this is not an idle threat.

MJ: It's not. You're not doing to him what you did to me. Especially not with his mother in the hospital. May taught you better than that.

Ex 1: I'm sorry. I really was planning to tell you, to make you remember. I had a speech prepared and everything. I just couldn't go through with it in the end.

MJ: I remember you coming to the shop in November. Why did you change your mind?

Ex 1: Because you were still hurt from what happened at the Statue of Liberty. It made me realize that being in your life would always put you in constant danger. You almost died that night, and I didn't want to risk that again. I'm a curse. Everyone I touch dies.

MJ: That is a lie. Rosita Thomson is alive right now because of you. Let's be honest; Flash might be alive right now because of you. Who knows what his father would've done without you. Flash told me that you're why he started making plans to get out of his abusive family. You're not a curse.

Ex 1: It feels that way. I'm so sorry. I really did love you.

MJ: I know. I still love you. But love isn't everything.

MJ: You didn't give me a choice to decide what I wanted

Ex 1: There was no choice but to make everybody forget about me.

MJ: I mean after. You needed our support, and you didn't have it.

Ex 1: You do have a point.

MJ: I usually do.

Ex 1: I still need you to come, though.

MJ: I'm not going to enable you to leave.

Ex 1: I promise I'll come back. But I really need to get some stuff from our apartment, like a fresh change of clothes. I also need to do the night job a little bit. At a minimum, I need to make sure Harry Thompson isn't waiting outside the hospital. I can do that better in uniform. He doesn't seem like the type of man that would respect a restraining order.

MJ: Restraining orders don't stop people like him.

Ex 1: Spidey does.

MJ: That would definitely be easier to do in the uniform.

Ex 1: I can't web him up in civilian clothes.

MJ: Very true. However, it might be better if I drag both of you back to your apartment to actually rest.

Ex 1: Gloria tried. Flash does not want to leave.

MJ: She isn't me, though.

XXXX

August 3, 2022

Dear Peter:

I really hope that you're reading this after coming back from patrol. Not that it waits here forever because you left without even bothering to take your belongings. I've been afraid of that possibility for the last several days. It was partly why I didn't want to leave the hospital. If I went there, then you would leave me. MJ promised you would be back, but I don't know if I believe her.

So you know that I know who you are. I remember most of what happened before the reset, but not everything. That spell was fucking powerful, but I remembered calling you Penis Parker a lot. Which may have been the first sign I wasn't that heterosexual. I made some questionable choices during the Narnia years.

OK, I made questionable choices overall. I'm sorry about the fake tell-all book. I'm also sorry that I never told Betty to go fuck herself. I definitely should have told JJJ to go to hell. I am sorry for doing none of those things. Also, I was a jealous toddler who just wanted your attention and didn't know how to get that positively, so I was a dick. I'm sorry.

You really needed a friend when Mysterio dragged you out of the closet. I wasn't the friend you needed. I was an opportunistic dick, and I regret that. I should have made things easier for you, not written a tell-all book that was pretty much an RPF without the porn. I knew better than to try to pass myself off as your lover because MJ would have killed me (and if she did not, my father would). At the time, at least. Now I feel like she would give me dating tips or suggest a threesome. I'm not even sure which.

Maybe I should have told you I remembered the truth back in March. But I didn't want you to leave. I needed you. I think I would have gone crawling back to Harry without you in my life. You kept me strong.

Also, please do not blame yourself for me getting kicked out. It was going to happen eventually. I couldn't stay in the closet forever. Your tendency for self-flagellation was why I didn't tell you. You have to stop blaming yourself for everything. You really do.

Neither I nor MJ remembers everything that happened the night of the reset. I think I got to meet other Flashes. However, we don't blame you for it. We blame Doctor Strange but not you.

Maybe I should have told you that we figured out the truth earlier, but I was worried you would run. I still am, which is why I'm returning to the hospital. I don't want to be here when you leave. I'm too much of a mess right now to deal with that. I hope you don't leave me because I don't want to be alone. Yes, MJ and Gloria are here, but they're not you. Maybe you thought the world would be better off on that fateful night in November without you. That they only need the superhero. Perhaps the world only needs him, but I need you. All of you.

I want you to stay. Therefore, I'm going to be completely honest with you. Back in January, my "brilliant" English teacher decided for us to write letters to a public figure. I initially chose Spider-Man. Once I figured out the truth, I switched to Captain America 2.0 for the assignment but kept writing to you. Even though I really want to redact parts of my July letters, I'm letting you read them.

PS: Do not be awkward about the crush thing. I'm well aware you're off-limits at the moment despite hearing about the very bisexual Peter three. You're still healing. Although you must already know about my crush on SM, considering the pictures I sent you on Presidents' Day. I may have been a little overly excited. Sorry.

To be concluded…

You read that right. The next one is the final chapter of this story.