Title: Memento
by: Satine16
Disclaimer: I don not own any of the following characters. They are all property of Marvel comics. I am not doing any of this for money, so please don't sue me. The song is Give Unto Me by Evanescence. I do not own that either.
Chapter 6: Deliver Her
"Mary Jane, I'm so glad that you agreed to come to lunch with me."
"Oh no, Gwen, I'm really happy to have been invited. So what's up?"
"Well, I just wanted to play catch up. See how everything was going. Especially now that you and Harry have broken up."
"I'm actually doing really well. I was the one who broke it off."
The girls sat in an outdoor café, eating chicken caesar salad, and looking just like two, young, New York women should look. Gwen sat in her loosely knit, ivory sweater and indigo jeans, her blond hair tied back on three sides, allowing some free fall, and Mary Jane sat opposite her. MJ's hair was left entirely down and her aqua turtleneck and faded denims seemed incomparable to Gwen's designer threads.
"MJ, I can't really lie. I have to admit the real reason I asked you here."
"'K."
"It's about Peter."
"Oh, my gosh. Did something happen?" a look of terror crossed her face.
"No, he's perfectly fine. It's just. Oh, I don't know how to put this politically," Gwen said biting her lip.
"Ummm…" MJ furrowed her brow at this sudden change in tone.
"He's always been crazy about you. There really is no denying it. In one swift motion you could have him wrapped around your little finger. He's always been in love with you. Right now, you are the only thing that could ever ruin our chances at happiness. That said, I'm here to ask a favor," frankly Gwen was pissed off. Every time she saw the two of them together, mary Jane was just a little too close to her boyfriend. Mary Jane didn't seem to understand that Peter was still her boyfriend.
"Alright," Mary Jane was wary. She wasn't quite sure where Gwen was going with this, but it didn't seem like it was about to get any better.
"Let him be. I really love him, MJ. I know that you care about him as well, and you could easily have him. But don't do what your body is telling you to."
"I'm not quite sure I understand what…"
"I love Peter. Let me love him. He's all I have left in the world. My only family. You can have any man you want. Let mine alone. I had to invite you today. I know what's going on inside your head. I have to say that I don't think I could fall in love again."
"Gwen…I…" MJ could only stutter. She couldn't even believe what she was hearing. (Even if it was right.)
"I have to get to work. Think about it," she pulled some bills from her purse and left. It seemed very awkward to MJ. Very business like. As if Gwen really wanted to get rid of her. She seemed almost bitter. But then Mary Jane figured she was only imagining some of the hostility. At least she was hoping.
"God! The one day I don't have to work there's a hostage situation at my work! What else could happen! I mean is this shitty or what? The one day I wasn't gonna to have to see Jameson's ugly…Oh, no!" Peter could see from where he was standing that it was Gwen in the distance. As he got closer he could hear her sobbing.
"Here comes the hero," his malicious voice whispered in her ear from behind the green mask.
"Let her go!"
"I could," his voice was wicked, and holding her by the neck, he dangled her over the street, "but she'd fall to her death."
Peter watched as her left shoe fell to the ground. Her right was already missing, and her ankle was at an unnatural angle. It was twisted brutally, and the bone was showing.
"What do you want from me?" he asked, practically pleading.
"I want you to die. Or at least suffer," and grabbing Gwen's left arm he tore the shoulder from the socket, forcing her to scream in pain, and leaving her now useless limb dangling. Her voice seemed to have pierced the sky around them, lingering in the air like the haunting death of hope.
"Please…help…me," was all she managed to say in-between sobs.
"She didn't do anything to you," he spat at his challenger.
"Ah, yes, but you have. Sometimes the greatest pain is inflicted vicariously through those that we love."
"I don't even know him!" she cried out in fear and frustration.
"Oh," he laughed, "she doesn't even know, does she?"
"Please. Just leave her alone. I'm here! You have me," Peter's voice had delivered the defeat. All he wanted was for Gwen to get to the hospital and to be ok. Even if that meant his death. He was prepared to lose her through his own demise, but couldn't begin to comprehend life without her.
"But see, by now that's too easy. I want to watch you suffer once, and then all over again. It's more fun for me that way." The sunlight glinted off of the reflective yellow orbs that were glaring him in the face and the sickening grin that was imprinted on the mask taunted him.
"What the hell do you want?"
"This…Peter Parker," as he said it Gwen's eyes grew large and frightened. She could only stare at him, her mouth agape. This thing, this sickening thing, was Peter. Her Peter.
"Peter?" the word barely escaped her mouth before it was silenced. While Peter had been watching Gwen the Goblin had been busy. He sent a large, shaped knife through her body, and the three, shining blades of the weapon protruded through her torso. She began to cough violently, and a thick, red pouring of blood erupted down her ivory sweater.
"No!" a blood curdling scream erupted from Peter's core, tearing his head in two as it left his body. For a moment time seemed to freeze. Gwen's beautiful body impaled in front of him, and there was nothing he could do. He watched helplessly as she writhed on the blades, vomiting up blood and stomach acid.
"So long, hero!" the laugh broke what time had stopped and the knives pulled back into the glider as he rode off.
Gwen's body began to tumble and Peter dove to catch her plummeting frame. He managed to wrap one arm around her torso and bring her back to the top of the building despite the tears that blurred his vision. At the top of the building he cradled her lifeless form in his arms. Her entire midsection was soaked in blood, three large holes cut through her slender frame. The beautiful, splendid white locks that used to frame her face were stained red from the copious blood loss.
The sobs began to escape Peter's lips as he tore the mask from his face. "Goddammit! I was too late. Look at you," he wiped the blood away from her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Gwen. I'm so sorry," he held her heavy head to his chest as he rocked back and forth, the pain now uncontrollable. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." "My beautiful Gwen," he pushed the blood-soaked, matted hair from her face. The once perfect silver locks seemed pink in sunlight. "I love you." He held her until he heard the sirens arriving in the distance. Tenderly, he placed her lifeless frame on the ledge of the building, crossing her arms over her torso and pushing the hair from her eye. Gently closing her eyes and kissing her forehead, he knew it would be the last time to ever see her face. In two motions he had left the scene, knowing what they would presume had they found him there.
The police had no leads and ruled the homicide a brutal stabbing and it soon became a cold case. There was no one to find. No one to arrest. Gwen's death was tragic, but there would be no justice. The police captain's daughter. They made quite a show of trying, but found no answers. There wasn't any evidence. It was left at that and they released her body for burial.
I've been watching you from a distance
The distance sees through your disguise
He couldn't go to class. He wouldn't try to take pictures to make any money. He had only seen Aunt May once that week. It was ridiculous. All he could let himself do was hide at the top of the tallest buildings. Never the same place twice for fear of being seen. Every waking moment of every day for two weeks was spent in solitude. No one can love you in solitude. That meant no one can get hurt.
All I want from you is your hurting
I want to heal you
I want to save you from the dark
Her funeral was held on a cold grey day. She was buried under a willow tree. She always loved willow trees. Claimed that they were the drama queen trees and that somehow that meant they were her trees. It made him laugh. The weeping willow and his dramatic girlfriend. One time he had taken a picture of her under one. In the spring time. She was ecstatic about it. It was a black and white print. He left it sitting in the top drawer of his night stand. Every photo he had ever taken of her went there.
Give unto me your troubles
I'll endure your suffering
Place onto me your burden
I'll drink your deadly poison
There was a decent turnout. She was a familiar face. And the press sufficiently mourns when one of their own dies so young. She was a tragic tale. The woman he loved had been written up as the sob story of the decade. She'd hate it. It would be the kind of story that would make her puke, written by the people that pissed her off. He was the only one who would ever know it. He could hear the priest from where he was located. That is, he was never formally invited to the funeral. They forgot about him. He stood in the same clothing he wore to his uncle's funeral, on top of a hill above where the crowd of mourners was gathered. They were crying. They never even knew her.
Why should I care if they hurt you
Somehow it matters more to me
Than if I were hurting myself
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Save you (save you)
I'll save you
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Give unto me your troubles
I'll endure your suffering
Place onto me your burden
I'll drink your deadly poison
She didn't even know if she believed in a God.
Fear not the flame of my love's candle
Let it be the sun in your world of darkness
Give unto me all that frightens you
I'll have your nightmares for you
If you sleep soundly
As Peter left her gravesite they were lowering the casket into the ground. He would return later. After the others had left. When they could be alone. The sky was heavy on his shoulders as he headed down the hill. The Goblin knew who he was. His Gwen was dead. It was his fault. Peter Parker broke down into tears as he reached the bottom of the hill. It was the first time he had allowed himself to cry since he had held Gwen in his arms.
Fear not the flame of my love's candle
Let it be the sun in your world of darkness
If he let himself cry the entire situation would become too painfully real.