"Okay, Peter. Here are some papers for you to sign. I recommend you read them first, though, just to make sure I got everything right."

Anna stood outside the door to his apartment, a manila folder in her outstretched hand. Eying it carefully, he took it from her grasp and flipped it open. Skimming through the first page, he was bombarded by a king's ransom of legal jargon that threatened to bring his headache back in full force. Placing it quickly on his bedside table like a contaminated piece of meat, he turned back to Anna and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks. I'll have it back to you in a day or so."

She nodded. Peter was about to close the door when she spoke again.

"Hey Pete, you want to go get lunch or something?"

He stared at her in disbelief. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't really do anything about it in his present state of absolute shock.

"You mean… with you?"

Obviously picking up on the young man's hesitation, Anna quickly explained, "It's not a date or anything. I just thought that maybe you'd like to get out of this dismal apartment and have some fun for a change."

At the word 'dismal', she eyed the rusted sink, the collapsed bed, the one lone chair, and the various pots positioned to catch leaks as if they had personally insulted her.

"Um – uh… well…" Peter stammered intelligently. "… okay."

She beamed. "Great! I know an awesome Chinese place just down the road. Are you allergic to water chestnuts?"

Peter raised an eyebrow as he grabbed his keys and wallet.

"I haven't had that much experience with water chestnuts, to tell you the truth."

Peter stuffed the items into the pockets of his jeans as they made their way down the stairs and out onto the crowded sidewalk.

"Oh, well we'll just have to hope that you're not. This place has the best water chestnuts in the entire world; you just have to try them. Of course, their other stuff isn't that bad either…" Anna chattered away brightly, leading the way to the restaurant. Peter had forgotten his hoodie, and was determinedly ignoring the stares and whispers surrounding them as they made their way down the street. Anna disappeared into a small building with a sign sporting Chinese symbols above it. He followed her inside and was immediately assaulted by hot steam and the smell of cooking vegetables.

They emerged from the restaurant five minutes later, toting a full bag of food. Anna turned to Peter and said, "So. Where to?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Wherever you want to go."

She put a finger to her lips pensively and scrunched her eyebrows together in thought.

"Well… Central Park is really nice this time of year, but it's practically on the other side of the city…"

Peter grinned mischievously and grabbed Anna's hand, pulling her into a nearby alley.

"Peter, what - ?"

"You'll see. Hold onto the bag." He handed it to the confused young woman, and then wrapped an arm around her waist. She opened her mouth in surprise, and then shrieked as they took flight.

He held her to him tightly, grinning as they swung through the city. Her fear turned to amazement, and she laughed excitedly.

"You get to do this every day? Lucky duck!"

He chuckled. "Don't you mean 'lucky spider'?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant, you cad."

It only took a few minutes to reach the park. They landed gently on the grass, and Anna looked at Peter in amazement.

"Wow. That was a lot better than the subway. You should go into the transportation business. It probably pays a lot better than saving damsels in distress."

Laughing, he said, "Probably. But it wouldn't be nearly as fun."

They sat down on a nearby bench and took out their food. Water chestnuts for Anna, beef lo mein for Peter.

"Wanna try some?" Anna inquired, holding up a soggy chestnut with her chopsticks. He eyed it with distaste.

"As a rule, I avoid things that might make me go into epileptic shock."

"Oh, come on! They're not that bad!"

"They certainly look it. Lo mein?"

They kept up the light – hearted chatter as they ate, simply enjoying each other's company and the beautiful day. Peter couldn't believe he was enjoying himself so much. He hadn't spent time with a friend, just having fun since… well, since high school.

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud blare of sirens coming from a nearby street. Peter stiffened and turned toward the sound. He turned back to Anna, not looking forward to leaving her in the lurch, to find her smiling at him.

"I'll protect your food for you. Of course, I might have to raid it every once in a while, but that's just an incentive for you save the damsel in distress quickly."

He grinned and took off. Pulling his civilian clothes off and dumping them behind a bush, he pulled his mask on and swung after the police cars.

Tony Luthor was having a bad day. Not only had his attempt at robbing the bank gone horribly awry, now he had what seemed to be half the police force in Manhattan – and the Wall – Crawler after him.

Turning to his friend, Joey Frangione, who was driving their stolen vehicle like a maniac through the crowded streets, he swore colorfully and pulled out a pistol.

"Whoa! Whaddayou think you're doing with that?" Joey shouted, risking a nervous glance at the gun in his partner's shaking hands.

"I'm getting these morons off our backs, that's what I'm doing." Tony tried to sound confidant, but failed spectacularly. Crawling into the backseat and smashing the back window with his elbow (which hurt quite a bit more than he thought it would), the young man tried to hold the gun steady as he aimed at the nearest police car. He started firing erratically, not intending to hurt anyone, but just trying to get them off their tail. The cars swerved as gunshots filled the air.

Tony stopped to load, and inspected the police cars still hot on their tail. Not one of them had a single bullet hole in it.

I'm a worse shot than I thought, he thought wryly as he fumbled with the gun. Suddenly, the roof of the car buckled with a tremendous thump. Something was on top of them!

Joey started swerving madly, trying to throw whatever it was off. But his efforts were in vain. They yelled with surprise when a red and blue clad visitor joined them inside the car.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" inquired Spiderman sweetly before he lunged for Joey. Pushing him out of the way, the superhero slammed his foot down on the brake, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The police cars behind them barely managed to avoid rear – ending them as they left smoking tire tracks on the asphalt.

"Sorry to break up the party, but you kids should know better than to steal and drive."

Tony didn't know what came over him. All he knew was that he had the gun, loaded and ready in his hands. He brought it up, and saw Spiderman turn towards him, his hand outstretched, trying to reach the gun before something terrible happened. And then his finger, oh that rebellious finger, that went right ahead and did what his brain was screaming for it not to do, tightened on the trigger.

The gunshot exploded deafeningly in the enclosed space of the car. Joey was shouting, Tony was screaming, and Spiderman was yelling in agony. The young superhero clutched his arm with one gloved hand, curses in more than one language spilling from his mouth. Tony stared, wide – eyed at the blood seeping from between the man's fingers, hardly able to believe what he had just done.

Growling in anger, Spiderman reached towards Tony with his good arm and yanked the gun away from him. Tumbling out of the car onto the street, he handed it to a confused policeman and took off, hugging his injured arm to his chest as he used his left one to shoot webbing.

Tony and Joey didn't put up a fight as they were handcuffed and pushed roughly into a police car. They had seen enough of crime to last them a lifetime.

Anna knew something was wrong when she saw Peter come walking up, gripping his right arm tightly and looking paler than usual. He sat down with a grimace and turned towards her. Seeing her questioning gaze, he said, "Some punk kid got a shot at me back there. Only grazed me, though. My ego is hurt more than anything."

She smiled slightly and said, "You were probably just having an off moment or something. I wouldn't worry about it. But let me see that arm! We can't have you getting an infection or something. Imagine how ridiculous that would be, if they had to amputate it! I can just see the headlines now…"

She spread her hands out animatedly. "The Amazing Spider – Missing – Five – Limbs – Man!"

Despite himself, Peter laughed. "That would definitely be amusing. At least for you. You wouldn't have to have your arm cut off."

She grinned cheekily up at him as she rolled back the bloodstained sleeves of his shirt and costume.

"You've never heard of schadenfreude, have you my friend?"

"As a matter of fact, I took German in high school. That's making fun of another person's pain or something isn't it? You evil woman."

"I never said I was perfect."

"And I never said I was either, but I wouldn't laugh if you were getting your arm chopped off."

"And that's why you're the superhero, and I'm the reporter."

She pulled his sleeves back down and said, "Well, I'm no doctor, but I think you'll live. Put a Care – Bears Band – Aid on it when you get home."

"Sorry, I'm all out."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okaaay. I guess a regular Band – Aid would do. Now, are you going to give me a ride home, or am I going to have to revert to the subway?"

Harry flipped through the tabloid gleefully. Every page held a better and better photograph of Spiderman and his little girlfriend. The two lovebirds had been totally oblivious to the various photographers who had captured their date on film.

This was the chance he'd been waiting for. Anticipation made it hard for him to sit still. Tomorrow, he would act.

Anna Luis. It was a nice name. Flowed off the tongue easily. She looked like a nice girl, too. But then, Peter always did know how to pick them.

It was too bad really. Such anice looking girl didn't deserve to die. But that's what you get for hanging out with the Goblin's worst enemy.

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make it extra long to make up for the last one. Ooo, chemistry between Anna and Peter! I think their banter is a tad bit on the stupid side, but whatever.

Thanks to all my reviewers: closetfan, hedi, ilovethestorys, IcyWaters, deppfreak, Goth Child of Zyon, funvince, Locathah, and htbthomas.

PLEASE REVIEW!