"Wait!" Peter called, running over and stopping a few inches away.
Gwen lowered the axe a little, but didn't back away from Harry. She turned her focus to Peter and froze as she saw his face; full of both hope and worry.
"Don't stop me from doing this, Peter… I need this." She declared.
He sighed and looked away before looking back at her, this time locking his eyes with hers. "No, you don't!" He corrected her.
"How could you possibly know what I need?... You're not me, Peter. I know that you think you know what I'm going through, but the truth is that everyone is different and you only know what you needed when you went through something similar." She stated.
"Alright, yeah. Maybe that's it. Maybe you're right about that, but I'll tell you what I do know. I know you, Gwen. Not to big myself up or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I know you better than anyone else on this earth right now. This isn't you." He pointed out.
"No, but this is what I need." She insisted.
"Revenge?... Yeah, trust me, you don't. If you stoop to his level then you will hurt yourself more. There will be no going back to fix this mistake, if you go through with it. It will haunt you for the rest of your life because you're not a sadistic monster like he is." Peter reasoned.
"He is a monster, and he deserves to suffer!" She said, focusing only on that part of his sentence.
Peter ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. No matter what he came up with, she was only seeing things from that perspective. He was afraid that if he didn't think of something to say that would break through to the woman he loved, then she might lose herself to revenge completely.
"But you don't." He protested. "You don't deserve the pain that will eat you up if you end him like this. God knows he deserves it, but please, Gwen, be better than this. If not for your sake, then at least for ours." He pleaded.
"I can't…" She whispered.
"Yes, you can." He encouraged. "Just put the axe down and come back to me." He pleaded. "I love you, Gwen." He reminded her.
She raised the axe higher again, but hesitated as she held it up. Her hands began to tremble as she took in his words. She took one look at Peter before turning her attention back to Harry. Then she swung the axe, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut to prepare for the blow. But it never came. Instead the sound of the metal blade hitting the ground traveled through the storm. Gwen turned around and ran over to Peter, throwing her arms around him; both soaked right through to the bone.
"I'm sorry, Peter." She whispered, taking deep breaths, trying to take in air despite the rain.
Without another thought about Harry, Peter tightened his arms around her and closed his eyes as he buried his head in her shoulder, inhaling her scent as well as musk and rain. Harry struggled back to his feet and started towards the two, wanting to use the opportunity while they were distracted, but as he stepped over the burning wire, lightning crackled through the sky, striking a piece of scrap metal and bouncing off, causing it to strike him as well. Peter and Gwen turned their attention to him after hearing the clash and watched wide eyed as the light faded from his eyes and he fell to the ground.
Giving Gwen a kiss on the cheek, Peter raced over and knelt beside Harry, placing two fingers in the area between his jaw and neck. He swallowed hard as he removed them again and turned back to Gwen.
"He's… He's gone." He announced, still in shock over what they'd just witnessed.
"Gone? No, wait, hold up… What do you mean gone?" She stammered.
"I mean he's dead. Looks like his weakened body couldn't handle another blow." He clarified.
"So… It's all over now." She said hopefully.
"Yeah, it's all over." Peter repeated.
Gwen breathed a sigh of relief and the corners of her mouth tugged until a small smile crept onto her face. She took a step forward, intending to join Peter but came to a halt when a sharp pain spread around her waist. Dropping to her knees, she remembered the wound in her side and glanced down at the sleeve covering it, which was now loosened. She bit her lip and slowly removed the sleeve to inspect the wound closer.
"Peter…" She started as she watched blood gush from the wound.
He turned his attention away from Harry's corpse and looked over at her before rushing back to her side. Afraid of hurting her more, he carefully traced his hand along where the sleeve had been to get a good look at the wound.
"Heh, it's a good thing I'm not squeamish." He quipped, trying to stay positive.
"Is it really that bad?" She questioned, afraid to hear the answer.
"Not at all." He fibbed. "You don't have to worry." He assured her
"It's okay, Peter. You don't have to lie to me." She told him. "I can already feel how bad it is." She added.
"No, don't you worry. I'm gonna get you some help, okay!" He insisted.
Looking into his fearful eyes, she nodded. Although the pain was raw and her head felt hazy, she wouldn't fight him on this because she could see that he needed it, otherwise his fear would take over. Even though she could swear she felt like her body was being ripped in half when he lifted her into his arms, she stayed quiet and rested her head against his shoulder, fighting the overwhelming urge to close her eyes.
"Tired…" She whispered in his ear.
"I know, but you can't fall asleep. Not yet. You have to stay awake for me. Please." He pleaded.
"I don't know… If I can." She said, now in a delirious state.
"Uh… Erh…" He began to panic. "Talk to me." He instructed.
"Huh?" She muttered.
"Tell me something. A story. A memory. Anything." He prompted.
"You have… Very… Pretty eyes." She stammered with a disoriented giggle.
"Mmm, okay… Come on, Gwen, think. Keep thinking." He pressed.
With Gwen securely in his arms, he made a move for the front gates but remembered that they were locked. He looked around the area, trying to find a way out that would be possible to go through while he was carrying her. He thought about using his web shooters, but knew that with her injury that it would be too risky. Upon further inspection of the grounds, he saw a gap in the metal fence where the wire had previously been clipped, and made his way through it; finally exiting the abandoned theme park. He turned his attention back to Gwen and was immediately struck with fear. She hadn't managed to keep her eyes open.
"No! Damn it!" He cursed as he hurried away from the park.
Voices. Gwen could hear voices. One male, whom she recognised instantly as belonging to Peter, and the other female, this one she did not recognise. They appeared to be talking about something. She listened.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Peter's voice questioned, sounding concerned.
"Yes. She lost a lot of blood and I have to be honest that if it had been left any longer then she wouldn't stand a chance. Don't worry though, she will be fine. She just needs rest." The female voice answered his question.
Were they talking about her? She wondered quietly. She wanted to know who the female voice belonged to, but no matter how hard she thought, she just couldn't place it.
"And the wounds? They were pretty bad right?" Peter's voice sounded again.
"Well, that was a nasty gash in her side but thankfully our doctors managed to stop the bleeding. A few stitches, a concussion and a broken wrist to sum it up. All will heal within a matter of time." The voice answered.
So they were talking about her and taking into account what they were saying, she was wounded. Her memory of the events that had led up to this moment were foggy and unclear. She remembered settling down for the night inside Peter's arms, then getting up and writing a note. She remembered leaving the house and going to some kind of deserted ground. Then nothing.
Aside from the voices, there was another sound. This seemed to be some sort of bleeping, and what she found even stranger was that it seemed to be in time with her heart. Every time her heart beat, the bleeping sounded. She was awake, but her eyes would not open. It felt as though they were glued shut. Though after a few attempts, she was finally able to get them open; just a little. Facing up, all she could see was a white ceiling, highlighted by glowing rays of sunlight that were the result of a fading summer. She heard footsteps as someone left the room; the female judging by the sound of their shoes. Then Peter's face appeared in her line of vision, the sunlight providing an outline that made it seem like he was glowing. If she was still delirious, she probably would have mistaken him for some sort of angel.
"You're awake!" He cheered with a smile filled with mixed emotions.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words were produced. Instead she discovered that her mouth was drier than the Sahara desert, making it feel like rubbing sandpaper together when she tried to talk. Frustrated by not being able to speak, she gripped the edges of the bed and tried to pull herself into a sitting position, giving up as the pain in her side stopped her.
"Hey, hey… Don't try to move yet, it's not worth the risk." He advised softly. "I'm gonna go get you some water." He added, turning to exit the room.
Finding that she could move the hand that wasn't injured, she reached out and grabbed his sleeve, her fingers brushing against the back of his hand. He stopped moving and turned his attention back to her. He got closer and moved his hand to her face, caressing her cheek softly and brushing her disheveled blonde locks out of her face. She opened her mouth once more, this time she didn't try to talk and simply mouthed the words I love you to him.
"I love you too." He whispered. "I'm gonna get you some water for real now." He told her, leaning over and kissing her forehead before swiftly exiting the room.
Her smile faded as she watched him leave and she sighed quietly to herself as she moved her head to an angle so that she was able to see more than just the ceiling, taking in the sight of her wrist in a plaster cast. She hadn't been conscious when the medics had applied it, but she was frustrated over not being able to remember how she had broken it in the first place. She hated having no recollection of the previous night's events. With nothing else to do, she closed her eyes for a moment, but opened them almost instantly as the image of lightning filled her head, followed by Harry's bloody-toothed smile. She could feel a teardrop rolling down her cheek and took a breath to calm herself before Peter returned to the room, holding a plastic cup filled with water in his hand.
"Sorry I was gone a little longer than I would have liked. Turns out that the water dispensers in this place are mostly all broken, so I had to go all the way to the waiting room and then I kinda lost my way back here and- Yeah, I'm gonna stop rambling now." He explained.
She watched as he walked over to her bedside and pulled out a chair, taking a seat as he lifted her head gently with one hand while putting the cup to her lips with the other. She drank from the cup gladly and after she'd finished, she felt her mouth return to normal. Peter placed the cup on the unit beside the bed and looked around the room before focusing his stare on her. It was only then that she noticed the butterfly stitches on the side of his forehead, starting beneath his hairline and cutting off just above his eyebrow.
"What-" She began, but her voice wavered before she could finish. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "What happened to your head?" She asked, looking at him with worried eyes.
"The stitches? Oh, I uh… I hit my head pretty hard when I landed against that beam after being thrown by Venom. Don't worry, it's nothing." He explained.
"Wait, what? When did we fight against Venom?" She quizzed, confused by his statement.
He frowned, equally as confused before a horrible thought crossed his mind and he hoped more than anything that he was wrong. "Literally last night." He told her. "Do you seriously not remember?... Hold up, what is the last thing that you do remember?" He asked, testing his theory.
"I don't… I mean, I remember leaving the house, the weather was stormy, and I got to this abandoned site… I don't remember much after that." She admitted.
Peter simply gave her a sympathetic smile. It was no secret that her actions last night; waiting until he'd fallen asleep then leaving him without a word, had hurt him and he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't mad at all. The truth was that he was mad a little bit, but not because she wanted answers. He was mad because she had entered a fight with no intentions of letting him back her up. Despite how he felt, none of it mattered to him at that moment. He only cared that she was alive and recovering from the fight, which also meant that he didn't have the heart to share with her the excruciating events that had led up to now. The details could wait for another day because if he said something now, it would only upset her and hold her back from getting better.
"Peter!" Gwen said, this time more firmly, catching his attention.
"Huh- Oh, sorry. I zoned out. You were saying…" He prompted.
"What happened… Erh, with Venom?" She repeated.
"Well, you uh- You know what? Don't worry about it. Doesn't matter now. We're both safe and here to see another day, that's all that counts." He brushed off.
"Please… It's bugging me. It's almost like it's there but I just can't reach it. Help me reach it." She pleaded.
"Not much happened. We got into a fight with Venom, who was using Harry as his host and we took on a little more than we could handle. We took down Harry, Venom ran off and you got a little banged up, that's all there is to it." He explained, leaving out most of the details.
"So it was just a fight. That's it?... You promise?" She questioned.
"I promise." He confirmed, feeling sick as the words left his mouth.
He felt awful for lying to her. It wasn't who he was and he hated that he felt the need to lie. Gwen wasn't the type to walk away after one fight or even deny her own mistakes. She always owned up in the end when she was wrong. But she couldn't fix it if she wasn't aware that she'd done it in the first place. She was a reasonable person and yet he'd felt the need to lie; now he was afraid that if she did remember and discover that he hadn't told her the whole truth, she would be pushed to her limit and leave.
"Actually, Gwen, I-" He began, wanting to come clean before things escalated.
"No… Shh, don't say anything. It was a fight and that's all there is to it. I trust you, Peter." She interrupted.
"Oh, it's not about that. I mean, it is but…" He struggled.
"Peter! Why so nervous? It's just me, you know whatever it is you can tell me." She assured him.
"Right, I know that." He told her.
"So, what was it that you wanted to say?" She quizzed, giving him a smile brighter than he'd seen on her face in a long time.
He'd wanted to tell her. But seeing that smile had frightened him. He didn't want to be the reason why it left her face. The thought of it alone made him want to crawl under a rock and hide.
"You know what? Don't worry about it. It's a story for another time." He brushed off.
"O-Okay." She stammered.
Mentally kicking himself, he thought fast to come up with something to say that would change the subject. Though, deep down he felt like an utter coward. He knew he should just come clean before things escalated, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Oh and I spoke to the nurse again while I was getting some water, and it looks like you can come home the day after tomorrow." He informed her, keeping a cheerful tone.
"Thank God! This place is so depressing! And my legs feel like cardboard. I can't wait to get out of here and start training again!" She stated eagerly.
"Easy there missy, when we do get home you're going straight into bed until your stitches are out." He chuckled.
"But afterwards… Right? I mean, we can still train… Can't we?" She questioned.
"Look, Gwen, I think it's best that we lay low and don't train for a while." He explained gently.
"What? Why? Does this have something to do with the fight? Come on, Peter, that's not fair, you know I can't remember!" She begged.
"No, it has nothing to do with the fight at all." He lied, kicking himself again. "I just want to wait until we return from Oxford before our whole superhero alter-egos continue their line of work." He added.
"I guess you're right." She said, having thought it through for a moment. "More than anything, I just want to live our lives together without having to constantly look over our shoulders." She admitted.
"And we will. That I can promise. You know what? Forget about Spider-man, and forget about Spider… Erh… Spider-Gwen, how about from now on we just be Peter and Gwen, using our powers only when we absolutely have to?" He suggested.
"I like that. I like it a lot." She agreed.
"Saving the world wasn't our responsibility back when we were just typical teenagers and it did just fine without us, so somehow I think they'll manage." He added.
"Oh no, we can't just stand by and watch people suffer when we have the ability to help them. Peter, when I said I liked the idea I meant that I like not having to fight anymore science experiments gone wrong or people who are just out to get us, but I don't want to stop saving people. Running into a fire or dodging a car to save a child is a small price to pay compared to someone's life." She protested.
"But I don't want their lives in exchange for yours, Gwen." He half whispered.
"That's what being a hero is. We can't determine that we will always make it out without a scratch, but we can take pride knowing that we make the world just that bit better. Remember what your uncle Ben said?... " She prompted.
"With great power comes great responsibility." He repeated, remembering that moment with Ben like it was only yesterday.
"Exactly, and what do you think he would say if he were here today to witness you talking about quitting?" She questioned.
Peter pondered the question for a moment, remembering what he'd said to Ben that had led to him saying those wise words of advice. He remembered how bratty he'd sounded, very much like the typical teenager he was back then, and thought about how far he'd come since those days and the lessons he'd learned as he had grown.
"He would most likely reprimand me for thinking selfishly. You can't walk away from the world now that you've given it hope." He said, hearing Ben's voice in his head as though the words had actually come from him.
"Then there you go. We can't quit saving people, but we can quit making enemies like Harry Osborn that lead to fighting to the death." She concluded.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, I just-" He began to apologize.
"Shut up, stop apologizing and just kiss me already!" She demanded, taking him by surprise with the amount of energy put into her tone.
He didn't hesitate, leaning over he crushed his lips against hers and closed his eyes, feeling grateful to have such a powerful woman behind him. It was a blessing to have someone who kept him on the right track, and he had to wonder if it had been the work of an angel named Ben that allowed him to keep her. Pulling away, he smiled as he sat back in his seat. He knew that he should probably go home and freshen up, but he refused to leave the building until she was leaving with him.
Cramming the last of her clothes into the third suitcase she'd filled in the space of only two hours, Gwen pulled at the zipper as she attempted to close it using only one hand. It had been a challenge to pack their luggage ready for Oxford when her wrist remained in a cast, but so far she had managed just fine. Tugging on the zipper one last time, she stumbled backwards as it broke off. Hands gripped her waist to steady her and she turned around with a sigh.
"This is impossible! These are just the suitcases with the clothes as well, I can't imagine how the heck I'm going to be able to pack all the other important stuff!" She huffed in frustration.
"Relax. We have plenty of time. We don't leave for Oxford until tomorrow night and I'm sure we can get it done." He assured her. "Here, let me get that." He offered, taking the zipper and reattaching it before zipping up the suitcase.
"I know, I know. I just want to be prepared." She stressed. "Thank you." She added.
"No problem. And please stop stressing so much, we're going to be fine. I don't want you causing yourself any discomfort, it's only been three days and your wounds are still healing. You have me to help you out, always." He soothed.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I've always been so independent and not being able to do the simplest things just frustrates me." She admitted, leaning into him and closing her eyes to calm herself down.
"Hmm… Well, why don't you go take a nice hot bath and let me finish up the rest of the packing?" He suggested.
"Ugh, that sounds like heaven right now but are you sure?" She questioned.
"Absolutely. That cast is waterproof and there's nothing else stopping you, so go on." He prompted.
"Mm- Okay. Thank you." She breathed as she headed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.
Peter stared after her before turning his attention to her half finished packing. With the final suitcase all ready to go, he grabbed Gwen's backpack and neatly packed in her laptop, ipad, all chargers they would need and some other important things before zipping it up. Picking both the bag and the suitcase up, he carried them downstairs and placed them beside the door with the others that he'd taken down earlier, then headed back up the stairs. Tucking in the chair to his desk, he noticed a framed photo atop and stared at it. He remembered exactly when that photo had been taken. It was a few nights before he'd broken up with Gwen for the second time after thinking about the promise he'd made. That night, they had been laid on his bed, snuggled up to shield one another from the cold, and he'd listened to her talk for hours about their future; a future that was now only just beginning.
As he laid down on the bed, it was that thought that stayed with him as he closed his eyes for a moment of peace. He could see his whole life from this moment on; going to Oxford, getting a temporary apartment until Gwen had finished her studies and got her degree, coming back to New York, planning their wedding and saying their vows on the big day, their lives as a married couple… The petty arguments over who's cooking dinner or him leaving the toilet seat up, the celebratory nights out and maybe even one day starting a family. Everything he saw, he could only ever imagine happening with one person. With Gwen. He was excited to start living their lives without being locked in a battle, and it would all start tomorrow when they left for Oxford.
Hearing the bathroom door open with a click, Peter opened his eyes and sat up just in time as Gwen walked in, wrapped in a towel. She glanced at him with a smile before heading over to the drawer and pulling out a set of pyjamas and throwing them on quickly after getting dry.
"All fresh ready for an evening with Aunt May?" He questioned.
"As fresh as I can be with a cast that smells like bad cheese." She quipped, clearly much happier now than she had been before.
"Well if that bad cheese belongs to you then I love it." He said.
Gwen cringed. "If that was meant to be cute, you failed." She informed him.
"Yeah… Forget I said it." He told her, also cringing at his words.
"So what else are we doing with May tonight, besides dinner?" She questioned.
"Oh this isn't just dinner. As much as I tried to persuade her not to make a big deal out of it, she is throwing us a going-away party." He explained.
"She's your aunt, she gets a free pass. If she wants to make a big deal about you traveling to England for the next few months then she can." She told him, her smile wavering just a little; which didn't go unnoticed by Peter.
"Hey, what is it?" He questioned, jumping up and taking her hand, placing his other below her chin and lifting her head slightly.
"... Nothing. I'm sorry, it's just hard to go through all these major life events without my parents around." She admitted.
"It's okay, Gwen. I get it. I mean I love Aunt May like she is my mother, but I sometimes wonder how my mom would feel about some of my choices and the things she would say to me on important days." He said and thought for a moment. "But you know what helps me?" He questioned.
"What?" She prompted.
"Whenever I think about them not being there, I also think that they are always with us. No matter if we can see them or not. So when these important days of our lives come around, I always feel like we're doing them proud." He explained.
"That's a nice way of thinking." She agreed.
"Ready to go celebrate a new beginning?" He asked, breaking out into a smile.
"Yeah… I'm ready." She decided, returning the smile.
Not letting go of her hand, Peter led her downstairs to where aunt May was just placing the last of the mini buffet on the table. Upon noticing their entrance, she poured three glasses of white wine and handed them both a glass each.
"What's the wine for?" Peter questioned.
"I think it's about time that we made a toast to your success." May explained. "Both of your success." She added, making eye contact with Gwen.
Gwen gave her a smile and raised her glass. "To us! And those that unfortunately couldn't be here today to celebrate with us!" She toasted.
"Cheers!" The three of them toasted simultaneously before drinking from their glasses.
"Let's get this party started!" May beamed excitedly as she pressed play on the stereo.
As music blared from the speakers, Peter filled a small tea plate with mini cocktail sausages, two chocolate muffins, three mini sausage rolls, a few chocolate fingers and a handful of cheetos before handing it to Gwen, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What? It's a party! Time to have fun… And you need all the food you can eat if you wanna get your strength back up." He informed her.
"Alright, I'll make an exception." She agreed, rolling her eyes as she took the plate and nibbled at one of the sausage rolls.
Grabbing a plate of his own, he loaded it up with food and sat down next to Gwen before grabbing a handful of the cocktail sausages on his plate and shoving them all into his mouth at once. Gwen rolled almost choked on her glass of cola as she laughed at his piggish behaviour. Aunt May did not fail to notice this and tapped him lightly around the back of the head in disapproval.
"Mphw m whas mhahft fwore?" He asked with a mouth full of food.
"Mind your manners. Your future wife is present and it's impolite to act like a pig around a woman." May scolded.
Swallowing his food, Peter looked back and forth between May's stern expression and Gwen's comical one, and laughed. Though really he was just happy to be able to spend this night together before they set off on their big adventure for the next few months. After they'd eaten, the night passed by rather quickly with a lot of hugging, dancing and drinking before he'd noticed the time and told May that they should be getting to bed so that they would be ready for tomorrow. Raising one last toast, they continued up the stairs to bed, getting a good night's sleep and waking up the following morning with more energy than either of them had had in a long time.
"How do I look?" Gwen asked, presenting herself to Peter having changed into a black dress with a belt around the midsection and a pair of short heels, curled her hair into little ringlets and placed little pearly clips at the side to keep the strays out of her face.
"Amazing… But it's not a special occasion, why the fancy dress?" He questioned.
"No reason. Just that Oxford is a pretty posh place and I want to make a good impression on these people." She explained.
"Oh, Gwen. They'd be crazy not to like you. You'll be the smartest one of the bunch." He assured her.
"You think?" She questioned, an excited gleam in her eyes.
"I know." He told her.
"Well, I stand corrected then." She said with a little laugh. "So you don't think the cast makes it look tacky?" She asked.
"Not at all. I think it makes you look pretty badass." He informed her.
Reaching out with her free hand, she cupped his cheek in her palm and leaned up to kiss him, feeling good about where they were at in their lives. So much excitement and wonder, but most important of all; hope. She had high hopes for their future.
"Your cab is here!" Aunt May called from downstairs.
Gwen sucked in a nervous breath and took Peter by the hand, leading him downstairs before helping him load their luggage into the trunk. After a warm farewell to May and her wishing them luck, they climbed into the back of the cab and began the ride to the airport. Peter looked at her and smiled. She smiled back, feeling a healthy mix of emotions. She was grateful that she was able to go and live her dream, but she was even more grateful and happier that she would have Peter by her side in Oxford… And for the rest of her life.
