MJ awoke the next morning in her bed with a pounding headache. She glanced around confused. Was it all a dream? She thought. More like a nightmare. MJ corrected. As she walked around her apartment she noticed everything seemed to be just as she had left it. But still, she sensed that she hadn't been here for a while. Flashes of memory came to life inside her head, making her head spin. Harry? Is he dead? Or is it just wishful thinking? MJ shook her head in denial. "Harry's not dead," MJ announced to herself, "it was all a terrible dream." And a wonderful dream, MJ thought as she remembered Spiderman saving her yet again. But MJ stopped suddenly as her mind relived how, in her "dream," Harry had died. MJ covered her face in her hands, "Tell me it was a dream. Tell me you didn't kill him. I didn't kill him Mary Jane. I swear." MJ didn't know what to believe anymore. She was so confused. Tears started to form in her eyes, but MJ dashed them away.

"No use crying over a stupid dream. And that's what is. Only a dream. Harry's fine. Spiderman didn't kill him. And I'm just overworked, and underpaid." MJ smiled to herself. Being a practical city girl, she knew she had to get back on her feet and stop worrying about it. Everything would be fine. She would get dressed and maybe call Harry and tell him that they could be friends. Maybe that's what her subconscious was trying to tell her. Maybe it was time to bury the hatchet. If Peter could be Harry's friend and Spiderman's, well then, damn it, so could she.

MJ showered, changed, and started to make some breakfast. She walked to her door to get the Daily Bugle that she received everyday. She tried to tell herself that she got it for the entertainment/showbiz info for upcoming jobs, but deep down she knew she got it for the articles on Spiderman. It seemed almost every week there was some story, made-up and true, about him. The front page was face down when she opened the door. MJ smiled at the sale announcement at Macy's on the back. Maybe I'll go shopping today. MJ smiled ruefully, knowing she couldn't afford it. As she looked at the items on sale, she walked into the kitchen. MJ sighed as she flipped the paper to the front page. She turned without looking to get some orange juice from the refrigerator. As she turned around again, juice in hand, she froze in shock. The glass, now forgotten, slipped from her hand to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces. MJ walked slowly towards the paper reading the huge headline in big bold print:

IS THIS SPIDERMAN'S GIRL?

WHO IS SHE?

EXCLUSIVE DAILY BUGLE PHOTOS!!

The largest picture was of Spiderman and her kissing, passionately. The next is of her and Spiderman, face half exposed, looking straight at the camera. And the next is of him swinging off with her in his arms. MJ's mouth dropped open. How could they get these pictures, I don't reme…then suddenly MJ remembered her "dream" more closely. Could it not have been a dream? MJ looked at the photos again, she glanced at the bottom corner. In smaller letters in read: Harry Osborne, heir to OsCorp fortune, found dead in Central Park, see page 52. MJ gasped in shock, covering her mouth. Oh my God, it wasn't a dream. It was real, all of it.

Peter awoke in his bed feeling great. He glanced over at the clock, 7:33 a.m. Peter threw back the covers and walked into the bathroom. 20 minutes later, having showered, shaved, made his bed, and gotten dressed, he walked into the kitchen. It was sometimes lonely in the apartment, now that Harry was gone. But, it sure made coming and going as Spiderman a lot easier. Peter started to get some breakfast for himself, his thoughts drifted to what happened last night.

"Tell me it was a dream. Tell me you didn't kill him. I didn't kill him Mary Jane. I swear." But whom did MJ think he had killed? He hadn't had a chance to ask her as he took her home. She was so exhausted from what she had gone through. Peter had carefully rearranged everything in her apartment to cover up what the burglars had taken. He made sure that MJ was comfortable and okay as he put her in her bed. He stood next to her bed, wishing he could be there for her all the time, as Peter – not as Spiderman. Peter wished a lot of things as he stood there, looking down as MJ peaceful face. But he knew it wasn't to be, so he left her and returned home.

Peter walked to his front door, grapping the rolled up Daily Bugle that was there. Peter tried to tell himself that he only bought the "rag" to see if any more of his photos had gotten placed. But he knew that he bought it because he liked to read about his exploits as Spiderman, true or otherwise. The untrue stuff really made Peter laugh sometimes. "Boy, those writers really have some imagination, they should write science fiction."

As Peter entered the kitchen area of his apartment, he unrolled the paper, choking on the drink that was in his mouth when he saw the headlines. There it was. The image that Peter had dreamed about since her was 12. Even though you couldn't see his face, Peter knew who was under the mask. Peter didn't know if he wanted to cut out the picture and frame it; or rip it into a million shreds. "Damn it, Jamieson!" Peter swore out loud. He looked at the picture again, at MJ's face. Now EVERONE in New York thinks she's Spiderman's girl. Which was dangerous for both her and Spiderman. Peter remembered the Green Goblin, and his sadistic choice. Peter didn't want to make that choice again. He could only hope that in a city with 8 million people in it, they wouldn't be able to find her. Peter grapped his keys and camera, and walked out, not noticing the small print in the lower right had corner.

MJ walked out of her apartment knowing that everything in her dream had really happened. She really knew that she had been gone for almost a week when she called the theatre and they told her had been replaced. Now she was really depressed. AS she came out of her apartment building, MJ was accosted by over a dozen reporters, newspapermen, cameras and what not.

"Ms. Watson, is it true your Spiderman's lover?" The reporter demanded as she shoved a microphone in MJ's face.

"How long have you've been together?"

"Did you always know about his superpowers?"

"Can you tell us anything about him?"

"Where's he from? Is he from Earth or from another planet?"

MJ shoved her way through the throng of people, some of them weren't even reporters, just curiosity seekers.

"You're so lucky! I'm jealous! Is he a good kisser?" as one starry-eyed girl as MJ moved around to get away. Another grabbed MJ and shoved her.

"What makes you so special, huh? You're not even that pretty. I could kick you're ass if I really wanted to." MJ almost took her up on it, but the reporter and cameraman where back.

"Ms. Watson, please, tell us the truth are you carrying Spiderman's child?"

That was it, MJ lost it right there. "NO! NO! NO! Everyone get away from me! I wouldn't tell you a thing about him, because..because." MJ almost told them that she didn't know who he was either, which was revelation – even to MJ. But something swooped down from the sky and landed directly behind MJ. It was Spiderman. His body language told everyone around him that he wasn't very happy. The crowd around MJ moved back several feet as Spiderman moved forward. MJ noticed the change and turned around, happy to see him. The smile on her face spoke volumes.

"Enrique, are you getting this!" the reporter demanded as the cameraman zoomed in a MJ and Spiderman.

"Are you okay?" Spiderman asked quietly.

"Yeah. Now that you're here." MJ whispered, peering cautiously towards the crowd. "It's going to be kinda hard to deny anything now."

Spiderman looked towards the crowd. He hadn't meant to interfere. He knew that MJ could handle herself, but as he listened to all the abhorrently personal questions being flung at MJ he couldn't let her go through it alone. It was his fault anyway. He should've, and could've, stopped her from kissing him last night. MJ was right; they couldn't deny anything that anyone said now that he was here. Peter made a decision, he put his arm around MJ, who in turn but her arms around his neck, and flung a web up onto the building adjacent to them.

'This 'interview' is over, ladies and gentlemen."

"And with that announcement, Spiderman and Ms. Watson flew off into the city. But not before our cameras caught this exclusive WTVD footage of an interlude between the two just before their dramatic departure." The footage ran, showing MJ and Spiderman standing very close together, Spiderman's hand lightly touching MJ arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Now, that you're here. It's going to be kinda hard to deny anything now."

"Information has been discovered that his isn't the first time Ms. Watson has been saved by Spiderman. This footage of the OsCorp Unity festival last year shows Ms. Watson being saved by Spiderman and then being whisked away to an unknown location. Could this have been their first meeting? There also seems to be some connection between Harry Osborne and Ms. Watson, seen in the same footage together only moments before the attack by the Green Goblin. And only last night, the same night the photos of Ms. Watson and Spiderman were taken, here in Central Park the heir to the OsCorp fortune was found murdered. The police have no leads, but this reporter has discovered that the police do believe there were two other people were at the scene of the attack. Could it be that a lover's triangle ended in murder? Or is it just a strange twist of fate? And who is the murderer of Harry Osborne? Mary Jane Watson or Spiderman? Kelly O'Donnell, WTVD Action News."

Harry sat back in his padded leather armchair, smiling to himself. This is going better than expected.