Yay! Suspense was what I was going for and apparently it worked! Glad you people liked that chapter, it was very tricky to write, and I managed not to give away the whole plot. :D

By the way, this chapter was named after my fave Oasis song! Just some useless information, lol.

Hey, Jewel59, I'd like to see some of your stuff (stuff as in artwork), do you have a website or something you post it on? If not, it's ok, I was just checking. :)Yep, me love art even more than me love writing- and that's saying something!

closetfan: Yeah, I read through the chapter again after reading your comment and I realise what you mean- lol! Oh well, let's just say that was MJ's fave word of the day... er yeah...that works... ;)

Jenn: Maybe... or maybe not. You'll just have to read to find out!

Brynn: In what way did I spell the chapter title wrong? Do you mean the 'Your' part should be 'You're'? Yeah, I was confused about which one was correct, so I just closed my eyes and picked one! Lol.

Mary Jane Watson-Parker: What does 'Boligrafo' mean? Sounds good... (shrugs)

Surprise, Surprise!

Part 8

Peter slumped back onto his bed with a depressed sigh. Why must things always be so hard? He mused to himself. He thought he should probably try to ring Harry again. He'd been trying to contact him for over two weeks, since the fiasco with Doc Ock and Harry finding out that not only was his best friend Spider-man; he had also killed his father. Well, I'd supposedly killed his father, it wasn't really my fault, Peter thought. He'd told Harry that how many times now he didn't know, with as much luck as he would have telling a brick wall. Peter sighed in frustration.

Staring at the ceiling, he absently played with a loose thread of his bed spread. Sighing as he accidentally ripped the stitching, he sat up wearily and was about to fix himself a drink when he saw his answer machine was flashing red.

Instead, he walked over to that and pressed the little button to play his messages.

"Hey Pete? Peter? It's me, Betty, and I really need to talk to you, and so does Robbie... can you meet us at the café at 3pm on Swansea street? If you're there pick up. It's really important, but I... guess you're not there, so please ring back as soon as you get this message... bye..."

'BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP...'

Her voice sounded strained, Peter thought. What if it's some kind of emergency? He instantly forgot about his drink and dashed out the door.

---

"Hey Pete! Peter! Over here!"

Peter followed the voice to it's origin and found Betty Brant and Robbie Robertson sitting huddled at a secluded table in the bustling café.

"Hi," he said, and dropped into the spare chair, before giving them a curious look. "What's up?" He asked warily.

"Well..." Betty began nervously. "I'm not really sure how to tell you this Pete, but well... we both quit the Bugle." She started with the easiest piece of information to digest, not wanting to drop the bombshell all at once.

"What? Why?" Peter said, puzzled.

"Well... you see..." Betty continued hesitantly, but Robbie interrupted.

"Jameson's got photographic proof of who you are." He said bluntly.

Peter felt his stomach drop and just sat there in stunned silence, letting it sink in.

"What?" He finally stuttered, mouth dry.

"I'm sorry Peter. Eddy Brock came in yesterday with some shots of you without your mask, Betty heard it all. We quit in protest, for all the good it did." Robbie said sadly, and smiled bitterly, without mirth.

"Yeah, I was right outside the door when I heard them mention your name, so I, well, I wouldn't say I eavesdropped or anything... just listened in... Anyway, I heard Jameson's planning page one as we speak for this afternoon, and three guesses who's the main article." Betty finished dryly.

"I can't believe this. What am I going to do?" Peter asked, but no one had an answer.

---

Grinning, Jameson looked around at the printing room. Dozens, no hundreds of copies of his newspaper were about to go out. All proudly bearing the headline "SPIDER-MAN: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MENACE!", with a colour photographic of Spider-man with his mask in his hands, obviously about to pull it over his head.

Jameson wasn't pleased with the quality of the picture, there was even a pink blob at one corner that was Eddy's finger over the lens, but it would have to do. It wasn't the quality that mattered- what mattered was that he'd got proof of who Spider-man really was in his grasp, and fame and fortune, and sweet, sweet, revenge, were almost close enough to taste.

He'd made a good choice in sending Eddy Brock on that job. Sure, he could be clumsy and overenthusiastic sometimes, but when put on the spot he could deliver. And how he had delivered this time, Jameson chuckled to himself. He gave one last, almost loving glance at the front page before walking out and shutting the door.

---

Peter darted out the small café as quickly as he could; ducking into the closest alleyway, he emerged seconds later wearing the familiar red and blue that made him instantly recognisable to any passers-by as the Amazing Spider-man.

So that had been what Eddy had meant? Peter thought grimly to himself. Damn it. Damn it all to hell, what am I going to do now?

He swung into his bedroom and landed with a thump on the wooden floor. He tossed his mask into a drawer and hastily began to change into regular clothes, cursing to himself at the injustice of it all the while.

He heard a sudden knock at the door and looked up sharply, still with his shirt half on and half off his body, exposing the black spider logo on his chest. He sighed in relief when he saw it was only Mary Jane knocking and looking through the letter box on his door expectantly, an amused expression on her face.

He pulled the shirt down over his head and quickly opened the door, immediately wrapping his girlfriend in a hug. He'd never been so pleased to see her in all his life.

She pulled back after a few minutes and frowned at him, looking very worried. "Is there something wrong, Peter?" She asked softly.

"Mary Jane..." He took her hand. That wasn't good. He never called her Mary Jane unless there was something wrong. He led her to the bed and they sat down on the edge. MJ took his other hand in her own and rubbed his fingers in a comforting gesture.

"What is it?" MJ asked. He looked at her and she thought she could see tears welling up in his eyes. "You know you can tell me anything..." She reassured him quietly.

He took a deep breath then said shakily. "Jameson knows who I am, and he's got evidence. Eddy Brock got him some photos of me without my mask." He said it quickly, as if that would somehow stop it from being true. MJ just sat in silence, letting it sink in.

"Are you sure?" She finally asked cautiously.

"Yes" He said firmly. "Robbie and Betty told me personally."

"They know who you are too?!" She exclaimed in surprise. Peter hadn't told her before, he figured it would just cause her to worry more.

"Um... yeah... but they won't tell anyone, I'm sure!" He defended them hastily, seeing MJ open her mouth to start a rant. She sure could be fiery sometimes. Better not let her and JJ stay in the same room for too long, could have a shouting match erupt, Peter thought absently. Not that they'd consent to be in a room together after this, he added bitterly.

MJ slowly shut her mouth reluctantly. "I'm sorry Tiger." She gave him a warm hug. He sighed and leant into the embrace, smelling the sweet scent of mango and strawberries that was uniquely Mary Jane.

They pulled apart after a while and MJ sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. "So," she said assertively, and pulled her legs up onto the bed and crossed them. "What's the plan of action?"

"There isn't one." Peter groaned and flopped on his back, staring up at the dingy ceiling. MJ's face appeared in his field of vision, looking annoyed and concerned.

"So what? You're just gonna sit here and wait for the inevitable? We have to do something Peter!" She said angrily.

"Like what?" Peter retorted tiredly, defeated. "You said yourself it's inevitable..."

"It doesn't have to be." She protested, and he sat up.

"You have something in mind?" He looked at her carefully, hope rising in him once more.

"Maybe," she said informatively, and crossed to his desk, grabbing a pen and paper.

"Right... if it comes out this afternoon we've got..." she checked her watch. "Roughly an hour". She finished and her face fell.

"An hour? MJ, what do you hope to accomplish in an hour!" Peter exclaimed in frustration, though it was misplaced.

"Peter calm down and just listen!" MJ snapped and he immediately looked contrite.

"Sorry MJ. It's just... so frustrating... I feel like there's nothing I can do... I'm just sitting here, waiting for my life to be torn apart." He confessed, and MJ's face softened.

"I'm sorry too, Tiger," she said quietly, and by mutual consent they pecked each other on the lips quickly.

"Ok," MJ said, all business again. "Where does Jameson store the negatives for the paper?"

"The printing room, he always does. Why... oh!" Peter said, seeing where she was going.

She grinned, seeing his face brighten. "You could sneak in, Spider style, and take them!" She said triumphantly.

"MJ, what would I do without you?" He said smiling.

"I don't know," her grin grew even wider and she peered at him from under her side fringe mischievously. "What would you do with me?"

He just grinned back and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. She giggled and blushed.

"But right now, I have an identity to save." He said out loud, and started to unbutton his shirt again.

When he'd finished changing and was standing ready by the window, MJ walked up to him. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, mask and all.

"Good luck." She whispered.

End of Part 8

Meh, I don't like the Peter/MJ scene in this chapter, it's too... I don't know what it is, there isn't a word. I just don't like making them argue, but it's all for the good of the plot! I swear! And they did kiss and make up! Please don't hurt me! (cowers in corner until rotten tomatoes stop whizzing by)

You'll just have to imagine what Peter whispered to MJ, I don't write that kinda stuff! ;)

Thanks for reading, if you even bothered to read it. Also, please review, and thanks for reviewing the last chapter!

Also thanks for reading the authors note, which is always too long. Oh well. (whistles innocently)

Also, I like the word 'also'. It's my fave word of the day!

Also PS: Still getting truckloads of homework, but I'm getting used to it now, so next chapter up in 5 days-ish. Yay, I invented a new word! :P

Also, bye! :D