The End 7- 'I'm not going to Cry'

Mary Jane wasn't the smartest person on this side of the Earth, but she did have the best and most pure hearted of intentions. She was a gentle and kind person but Piper felt MJ had something that she didn't. And for the life of her, Piper could not figure out what that something was. Mary Jane was an enchantress of emotions, temptress of passion and a very compelled and determined person. The girl took care of herself well and held her head up high.

Piper was not like Mary Jane in the least bit. She didn't care what people thought about her, if she knew she was good enough, than she was. Piper did not need anybody to tell her that.

And yet, at this very moment Piper wanted to hear some words of encouragement from someone, because after all nobody wants to live a solitary lonely life, she wanted to be recognized as someone important! Someone that meant something to somebody! That somebody being Peter, but all Piper could think of at the moment was: "I'd like to see Peter Parker again"

She and Mary Jane were more alike than they thought.

"MJ…the girl Peter liked even before he liked girls…" Piper silently mused to herself on top of a nearby building. She had gone home to do her homework but she didn't stay for long. Now that she didn't have to be cooped up, she explored her vast freedom often.

Piper never had a boyfriend before, and did not understand why she was thinking such traitorous thoughts to her personal beliefs. Boys were scum; they would only hurt and use you! Why spend time with them as boyfriends! They made much better friends to play sports or video games with. At least, that's what Piper thought.

Why did Peter Parker change at that for her? She knew next to nothing about him, other than his most coveted secret of course. But it would be nice to know the guy a little more before finding out the juicy gossipy part of his life. Hey, maybe even just getting to know him a little better. Perhaps over a coffee or something? No time for that, Piper always did rush into things and act on her own emotions. That seemed too dull anyway. "He's the root of this confusion" she grumbled mentally. Just as she had thought that she saw Spiderman's figure swing overhead and down to a near by alleyway.

"Speak of the devil" She mumbled.

It was indeed the person that caused the teenage girl these confusing thoughts. At the current moment he was fending of a bunch of criminals. Nothing really out of the ordinary, to say in the least, or at least in their situation it was normal. It was normal at least for him anyway, who had probably been hurled through a few building in his hero career. A few scratches and bruises from a couple of thugs wouldn't faze him now. This was the mundane everyday routine for him. If Piper only realized that it wasn't…She eyed the situation almost lazily.

It was then Piper eyed one particular thug; he held a metal crowbar that would certainly leave a mark upon impact. That was when she realized: "I could save him from a little less pain in the morning"

And it was that phrase that struck Piper. She could save him from a small amount of pain. Even helping a little, didn't that matter? Sure no one could fix every problem in the world, but if she helped out when she could, wouldn't that save someone from a little less pain?

It was then and there Piper decided to use her web to disarm Spiderman's opponent.

She swung down and proceeded to knock down a person creeping up on the spandex clad man who already had his hands full. The man dropped the crow bar and it made loud clank on the wet pavement. THUD! The attacker dropped to the ground as well.

With only one thug left Spiderman took care of the last one with a good, strong and well-aimed right hook to the man's jaw that made a satisfying crunch upon impact. The noise of cop cars near by assured the two crime fighters that their actions were about to be paid off and the attackers would be subject to the law of New York City.

"Ah, the hero's dream"

And no one would ever know they had done it.

"That grin of yours is almost disarming, Piper" Spiderman said on top of his apartment roof.

He was dressed in his normal clothes, seeing no reason to stand around in an outfit that a passing by helicopter might take notice of. Peter Parker's normal clothes consisted off usual navy v-neck sweater and his oldest, most comfortable khaki's.

Piper was sitting on the side of Peter's roof enjoying his confused reaction. It did not bother her now that Peter was standing right next to her. In fact during the day she almost never came into contact with him. It always seemed like at night on a rooftop is where they always met.

"Disarming? How so?" the blonde-haired girl said unconcerned about the man behind her.

"Like you coming down and helping me, I thought you didn't like that"

"Hey!" Piper commented. "I saved you a couple bruises didn't I?"

"Yeah but…" Peter started.

"Isn't that good enough?" she asked staring straight ahead. Piper couldn't look him in the eye, she just couldn't. It wasn't that she was afraid of him or what he might say. No, it was more like a fear that he would get in her heart. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what her heart was telling her and no matter how much it hurt. But you know he's already in there…She thought that if she didn't look at him, maybe he wouldn't get caught in it.

"I'm not going to lose my heart to you, not here and not now" she silently thought.

"There's more behind it though" Peter said knowingly.

Piper cringed. He was smarter than she took him for. Ever so slowly she turned around masking the slight shine in her eyes, the flutter of her heart and the fact that her heart was now in her throat. She sighed, even though it was more like a heave of air coming up from her lungs slowly and in nervous intervals.

"Do you really need my reason? Remember, you're not involved with me, right?" The teenage girl said as her voice quivered with uncertainty.

For the first time in her life at this very moment she felt like every other teenage girl who was standing next to a person they really cared about. It was unnerving and a whole new experience for Piper to base her feelings on someone she barely knew. It was something about him…something about Mary Jane. Something Piper could not figure out.

"As I recall you did seem to want to be involved with me." He commented. He might have been mentioning what just had occurred or he might have been mentioning the kiss Piper had given him. Piper wasn't sure which.

She wanted to say 'Sorry' she wanted to apologize. But she didn't. She didn't because she wasn't sorry.

"I would tell you I'm sorry, but I'm really not so I can't say that"

Now it was Peter Parker's turn to be confused. Before Piper was much more open to him, as well as easygoing. He sort of felt it was partly his own fault for pushing her to the side. After all she was in just about the same position he was in. The brown-haired man knew that he wasn't the best person in the world to deal with people's emotions but it seemed Piper was copying this unfeeling, 'I-have-to-do-it-out-of-love' mission statement. When confined with a choice, was this the first and only option?

Piper looked down waiting for Peter to say something sagely and that everything she had done ultimately had a consequence.

But he didn't.

"I'm sorry for confusing you Piper; I know you're going through a rough time right now and I certainly haven't been able to help as much as I should have…I hope I didn't hurt you." Peter said in a slightly bashful way now fully considering his actions and everything he had missed.

"It's okay." Piper said getting up trying to cheerfully smile, not wanting Peter to she her vulnerable face. "I understand."

"You have Mary Jane after all"

And Piper left the roof, like she always did.

With a Graceful leap down Piper wanted badly to cry. But she didn't because the tears wouldn't come. With a loud thump she landed on the pavement and ran her heart out. The cold steam rose from the ground on the wet pavement. Piper just ran, through almost empty streets, past stores and at least twelve 7-11's, which by the way were not open even though the sighed said "Open 24/7!"

"I'm not going to cry" was the only thought in her mind.

That fact that it was dark out didn't help either. Piper assumed she was supposed to be home and her Dad was worrying. It still didn't cross her mind though. Because most of it was concentrating on how she could make Peter understand, for some odd reason something she wanted him to know. She wanted him to know she wasn't an inconsiderate, uncaring person. She wanted to show him that she could make a difference and make sacrifices, and that she was capable of loving too.

Even if she had lacked an important figure in her life, her mother. It wasn't like he knew about that anyway.

Piper didn't blame her mother because she didn't believe she had been brought up wrong. She loved living with her father and she loved him. It was just Piper had never asked her father for the girly sort of growing up topics. Piper wasn't embarrassed about it, it was just that the other girls had their mother's to go to and well Piper didn't… and she felt a loss at that. And she didn't understand why. She didn't understand a lot of things.

Piper searched in her pocket for a slip of paper. The old piece of paper that she never wanted to use in her life. The piece of paper that was her link to the past she never wanted learn about. The blonde-haired girl took a deep breath as she stepped up to the nearest pay phone.

"Mom, please tell me how to be a hero"

And she dialed the number.

The End 8 'That's not funny'

Suze had just gotten ready for bed after her boyfriend Jesse had left for the night.

Tonight she opened the draw in her bedside table and looked for an aspirin for a small headache she'd had. Rummaging through the draw she came across a picture Ed had sent her of Piper. It was Piper's senior picture. That little girl she barely had ever seen was eighteen years old. She paused for a moment to look at the photo. Piper seemed happy and content. If Piper was happy then that had to be enough for her.

She knew Piper had her cell phone number. Suze kept the same number in case Piper ever needed to talk her in or she was in trouble. The cell phone went everywhere with her, she felt it was a necessary duty to carry it.

She asked herself over and over again why she had left her little girl. But no answer came to mind. She had left Ed too, and that had hurt him. Ed was a good and responsible man. Suze at that age was young, wild and free. When Piper was born she saw her freedom go out the window and panicked. It was so selfish.

Suze reached over to turn off the lights when a ring came from the phone. She leaned over to pick up the phone but did not recognize the number.

"Hello?"

Piper didn't know what to think. At first it took at least three rings for her to pick up, and then she heard a 'hello!' and her jaw sort of dropped for a split second in the realization that this could be her mother.

"Hel-lo?" she stuttered nervously "Is Suze there?"

"Piper?" the voice said in the same tone. She could not believe it. The voice she was wearing had to be Piper's!

"Yeah…that's me." Suze responded just in case it was not her daughter but she was sure it had to be "Piper?" she asked slowly.

Piper responded choking back her tears. "Right now, I'm in New York using a pay phone and I just needed to call you. I would use a cell phone but Dad doesn't believe in them." she added with a small laugh through hazy eyes.

Suze felt a wave of relief sweep through her.

"I want you to know, I don't hate you." Piper said at last.

Suze stopped her daughter from saying any more, "If anyone should be apologizing, that should be me" her mother said seriously. "Just tell me what's wrong Piper."

"It's…about...It's about me".

"Go on" her mother encouraged her drinking in Piper's every word being able to comfort her daughter after all these years was the best thing she could have asked for at that moment.

"I think I want to help people but I just keep thinking that how even if I try I will only end up hurting someone."

Piper's mother laughed a small laugh before the tears of joy came to her eyes.

"Sometimes, Piper you have to put that behind you, and do it because you have the freedom to. You have to make your own mistakes and you have to learn from them. Once you do, you can find your happiness with no regrets. So whatever you're doing, give it a chance."

"I was just so afraid of hurting someone" Piper said concernedly. Give it a chance?

"Don't hurt yourself in the process Piper." Suze advised.

Piper's spirits were lifted up. She wanted to talk to her mom more, but realized her dad was going to be worried.

"Look mom, I'd like to talk more but Dad's gonna be looking for me. You want the apartment phone number?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much." Suze said feeling the joy that her daughter was bringing her back into her life.

After a long series of goodbyes Piper hung up the phone and departed for home.

When Piper cracked open the door to the apartment her Dad was sitting at the table typing on his laptop for work.

"Sorry I'm late." Piper said muttering her apologies even though she still had at least a half an hour before her curfew.

"Its okay, you're not in trouble."

"I called mom." Piper said. Piper resisted the urge to ask about the cell phone thing again out of unconscious sarcasm.

Ed looked up surprised.

"I think I'm ready to talk with her in person again." the teenager said lifting the dull expression from her face. "If that's okay with you."

"You know me," her father said. "I'm happy when you are."

Piper went over and hugged her understanding father.

"Thanks dad." and she went into her room.

Piper knew everything was coming together. What her mother told her made a lot of sense. She felt she was ready to don a costume.

"Besides," she thought.

"It will certainly shock him"

Beth Hammond was definitely not happy with her failing career at the moment.

"Those bastards at the T.V. station…" she murmured as she walked down the street.

Beth was a news reporter for a local station, and the whole place was abuzz with the prospect of firing her because of the co-worker rivalries with 'who-could-come-up-with-the-best-story' and Beth wasn't doing so great, she hadn't been able to find a top story important enough to compete with them.

It was her utmost dream to be in the spot-light of a T.V. camera with millions of viewers turning to her for their viewing pleasure. She thought about the wardrobe she would have to acquire so she would look appropriate for all her adoring T.V. audiences. She would be so famous she would even make guest appearances on 'Good Morning America'.

However, that aspect of her work life wasn't going to well. Her tan coat whipped against her sides showing the pace of her feet as her heels clicked on the ground in an angry manner.

Beth was always well dressed and fashionable. She sincerely doubted that there was a better-dressed news reporter than her in the whole state of New York.

The curly black-haired woman was practically made out for this sort of job, and if she had not been a news reporter she would have most certainly been a very successful actress. Many of her co-workers called her over dramatic. Beth didn't consider herself to be dramatic. She considered herself a person who aspired for her goals and to earn them with whatever means necessary.

"What I need is a miracle now." She uttered under her breath.

That's when Beth heard a shout from a nearby ally way. Out of curiosity she went to investigate.

There were two figures, one slightly shorter than the other. As she crept in closer she definitely knew one of them was Spiderman, and perhaps someone dressed just like him.

Beth reached for her note pad and pen in her pocket. She also pulled out her cell phone. It was a camera phone. She grinned. She was going to be rich.

"What do you mean, 'I-can't-do-this?" Piper said dressed in a Spiderman costume she had cleverly stole from Peter. Piper discovered he kept an extra in his bottom dresser draw. She regretted rummaging through his draws though she felt kind of awkward seeing his underwear.

By the sound of the other person's voice, it sounded female. Beth checked again, it was hard to tell but she eventually detected some curves.

"I mean, I'm not going to let you 'fight crime' you're not ready!" Spiderman argued back.

Beth furiously took down notes.

"Excuse me," Beth said in the middle of their argument holding up on finger. "Who is that next to you?" she questioned.

"That's Pi-Spider-uh girl" Spiderman said noticing the woman who had heard them arguing.

"Spidergirl! Come on! Why not Spiderwoman? I'm only a year younger than you!"

Spidergirl took off in a huff.

Spiderman followed after her climbing up the nearest building Piper had escaped to.

Beth Hammond smiled. This looked like a good jump starter for her career.

"It doesn't matter what you say Spidey," Spidergirl said from atop the roof. "I am going to do this whether you like it or not".

Spiderman mimicked her. "Anything you can do, I can do better."

"I can do anything better than you." Piper said narrowing her eyes under her mask.

Piper was already getting frustrated with her mask as it didn't allow her express all off her finest facial expressions that she used to convey emotion and it got hot and sweaty very fast.

And the spandex…well it was tight. Very tight. But it did allow for more movement. Piper still felt guilty she had broken into his apartment and stolen the suit.

She was more surprised the costume fit. Piper had only guessed she might be able to wear it, apparently it was a one-size-fits-all. Spandex is stretchy like that.

Spiderman sighed. He knew she wasn't going to give up. "Alright you-

Spiderman didn't get to finish.

"IIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Spidergirl screeched as an unearthly noise escaped her lips.

"A spider!" she pointed to the thing crawling up her leg "kill it, kill it, kill it, kill it!" she said making her phrase seem like one big word.

Spiderman raised an eyebrow under his mask seeing as Piper had clung onto him. He was doing his best to hold back all his laughter.

"Isn't that sort of…ironic?"

"I don't care!" Piper whimpered pathetically. "Get it away and off of me!"

"I'm not going to kill it." Peter stated picking up the poor creature from Piper's leg. He brought up the creature to show Spidergirl but she screamed again so he let it down near the side of the building.

"Better now?" Peter asked removed Piper's clutch from his arm.

Piper nodded slowly.

"Come on" Spiderman said. "We've got work to do. I've got to show you the ropes of being a super hero"

The spider that frightened Piper so much happily crawled down into the grass hoping to find a new home to spin a web and catch a few tasty insects. What the spider didn't know was that it was crossing from the grass onto a street with heavy traffic. So as the ordinary spider began to cross the road, a giant Mack Trunk came throttling down it.

The spider didn't think anything of this because it didn't have any idea what an eighteen-wheeler Mack Trunk was.

As the trunk got closer to the spider, the poor little spider, now aware of something giant going over it was fortunately positioned under the bottom of the truck were no wheels could smush it. Its poor little life had been saved for a second time tonight.

But it thought it was safe to soon because another giant trunk followed behind that one as the spider leaped up in the air to try and find safety. The Mack Trunk smushed it and sent it to live where all the smushed and dead spiders went.

The genetically altered spider was happy to be reunited with its first love in the spider's after life.

Piper wasn't exactly thrilled the next afternoon as she finished typing up an incredibly boring paper on 'Hamlet'. She proofread it and finalized her copy shoving it into her school folder.

"Hey, Piper! Take a look at this!" her dad called from the next room. He sounded like he was chuckling.

Piper decided to come see what her dad was laughing at.

The blonde-haired girl walked into the kitchen/living room with her socks making a soft padded noise on the spotless white carpet.

Her father handed the paper to Piper. Its headlines read:

SPIDERGIRL? A SPIDER ROMANCE IN NEW YORK?

Her eyes widened in horror, on the front page a blurry picture of her and Peter arguing last night stood out blatantly. She could not believe it. There was even an article.

Piper gagged reading the article. It really wasn't anything about her, just about Mister Hero himself, but it did say that at the 5 o'clock news there would be a special report on it. She looked at the clock 4:55.

Piper had about five minutes to drag her butt over to Peter's apartment.

"Dad, can I pick up something at the mini mart? I just finished a paper and I want to grab snack." The cinnamon-brown eyed girl said lying through her teeth.

"Sure" Her Dad nodded.

Piper felt really bad lying to her father…a lot.

Piper burst through Peter Parker's apartment door just in time.

"What?" Peter said confusedly though he knew Piper had a habit of randomly entering his apartment with out notice. He had gotten used to this.

Without a word Piper turned on the T.V. to channel 5.

"And now welcome to our special episode of 'Talk host live!' with Beth Hammond."

"That's the lady we saw last night!" Piper said pointing to the T.V. furiously.

Peter nodded. "Come on it can't be THAT bad. I deal with what the presses say about me all the time. They hate me, slander my name, call me and idiot when in fact- I graduated top of my class with the science award!"

"Just listen Peter." Piper said feeling as though she was sweet-talking to a brick wall.

"Thank you for having me tonight Dave! And do I have some news for you." Beth said smiling her calm smile making her audience stand on edge waiting for her to tell her report on the hottest topic in New York City's gossip.

"I saw 'Spidergirl' last night in New York while I was walking home. They didn't seem to notice me though," the same blurry picture that had appeared in the article in the paper now appeared on a small screen behind the reporters.

"What were they doing?" Dave the talk show host asked politely.

"They were fighting; they bickered just like an old married couple! I think they have a relationship going on."

Piper's face faulted and Peter laughed hysterically.

"In fact" Beth continued on. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were married-"

Piper had, had enough of that and turned off the T.V. "Guess I'm married to you now."

"Hey, you know how reporters are! They make up stuff like that all the time about celebrities. Don't get mad! You knew what you were getting yourself into and really dear, you're going to have to get used to it-I mean you're married to me after all."

Piper chucked a couch pillow at Peter's face.

"That's not funny."