A/N : Quick chapter, but essential nonetheless. It puts these two character's relationship in check as they wonder how to continue with life later on. A moment of reflection. More to come soon.

Traces of blood within the constant water traveled down the skin of her shoulders and later through the drain.

It wasn't hers. At least that

Now late in the night, Gwen was sat in the shower and against the soaked wall, hugging her raised knees while leaning her forehead against them. Her wet hair met her back.

The hot steam took over the room.

She sighed heavily. Her muscles had just began relaxing for a moment.

In matter of minutes her whole life had been turn upside down again. She didn't feel those sensations, since a long time.

She couldn't say she missed them. She didn't, at all.

Gwen stepped into her bedroom, clothes now changed. She sat in the edge of the bed, eyeing the open laptop besides her.

So many unread emails. And the majority of them being about her absence in her job. She didn't have the time to catch up until now.

How would she even explain that to them? That she got kidnapped by a group interested Spider-Man, and the now wanted vigilante somehow found the time to be aware of her situation and help her get out of it?

The connections would be too evident. There wasn't too much room to excuse wouldn't make it after suddenly going off the radar for days without any warning.

Gwen closed the laptop. She headed outside the room, taking a quick look at the twin's, they were sleeping peacefully, unaware of everything.

She wished they could remain that way for as long as possible.

Peter had told her everything that had happened in the last days, everything.

She sighed at the sight, taking one last look at their peaceful expressions before closing the door, gently.

She slowly walked past her daughter's room, the door was slightly open, she could still get to see her bed and all her Spider-Man plushies.

Gwen tried to keep her thoughts positively. She missed her, she missed her daughter very much.

It was like a part of her was gone.

At the kitchen, Peter held their almost adoptive daughter, Olive, while he wore the entire minus the mask. She had her chin over his shoulder, sleeping innocently.

He cooked something in the stove with his free hand, the smell was quite good.

He also had a wireless earphone in his right ear, probably listening to police chattering. She thought.

Gwen leaned in the counter behind them, bringing her hand over the top of her hair and behind her head, holding a few strands of hair in the same hand.

"Peter…"

He looked over his shoulder. "Hey, how are doing? He asked, delicately.

"I'm… trying," She answered, not meeting his eyes.

He nodded, slowly. He began moving the spun around once again. "I'm cooking you some meal."

Gwen remained in silence for a couple of minutes. "Where did we make… where did it all go wrong… ?"

Peter turned around once again, leaving the spoon to the side, holding Olive with a single arm. She had her arms snaked around his neck.

"What do you mean?"

She made eye contact. "Look at where we are, right now. Look at all that happened in the last days. You made a quick decision… and you are now a criminal in their eyes, you almost died, I was kidnapped, our daughter is missing, and you are again off to fight someone of your level if not higher…"

"I'll find Elizabeth, Gwen." He continued, "She's our girl, I know she's out there taking care of herself while I don't reach her."

"Okay," Gwen nodded to herself. "And then… what happens when we have to find her again? Will we this time, Peter? Will your everyday friends be around to help you too?"

"Gwen, I'm sorry I have caused all of this… but… what was I supposed to do?"

"I'm not…" Gwen sighed deeply, before turning around and walking away from the kitchen and into the living room, hugging herself as she gazed the balcony and the dark city.

Peter limped towards her, before lying Olive down in the couch, moving the covers over her shoulders.

He stood besides his wife now.

Gwen spoke, "I'm not sure this lifestyle… is sustainable anymore as everything keeps falling apart over and over again."

"Whoever caught you to get to me is still out there... I like this just as much as you do, this wasn't part of my plans.

"Then what is your plan, Peter?" She met him once again. "I mean just look at you, how many punches will you take before you turn unrecognizable? And you aren't even off that suit for the whole picture."

"I just can't… leave this city like this. You know that better than anyone else."

"But you can leave your children for me to raise alone by myself if it comes to it?

Peter silenced. "Gwen… that's not happening…"

"Are you sure?" Her eyes began watering up. "You made a decision without even warning me first, did you think of what could happen before that? If you were killed… I wouldn't even know about it."

"Please…"

"Look at who's getting caught in the fire," She continued, "You tortured someone to get to me, at what point will you know when to stop? And now… you have a brother...?"

Peter listened to her words, feeling defeated.

"Who are you, Peter? What is… happening to the guy I fell in love with? Am I losing that person?"

He took a step further. "Gwen, okay - it's me. Please… I had to find you. I am still me. I didn't care about anything else. I had to protect you."

"Stop with this," Gwen took another step back away from him. She now stood still, "I'm not growing younger, Peter. I don't have superhuman genes in my body, and I will probably be long gone before you... I have a family to raise so that they can eventually go on with their lives without me, that's my priority, that's what I will be doing."

"Honey…"

A single tear fell down her right cheek. She lowered her chin and spoke almost to herself, "... you do... what you have to do."

Gwen walked past him to retrieve Olive from the couch and into her arms. She took her and calmly headed towards Elizabeth's room.

Peter didn't follow her trail, his eyes were fixated at the ground. He eventually moved them to his wife once he noticed her stopping her walk near the door.

"My mother suggested bringing the kids and I to England with her, that it would be safer…" Gwen paused briefly. "... I am thinking of doing that, at least for them, I have to find my daughter first… our life isn't just about you and me anymore, there's more at stake... I… I thought I should let you know."

Gwen waited for a potential answer that never came. Peter remained quiet. She headed inside the bedroom, leaving him alone to his thoughts.

Peter glanced the balcony, taking in her words. He held his right hand, that still twitched in pain after Venom stabbed it.

Go back to her...

Peter shot a web-line to his mask that was over the couch and jumped into the balcony, wearing it down his face.

He watched the traffic below him.

What am I doing…?

Every fiber of his body told him to go back and talk to her.

He couldn't. Elizabeth was out there. But maybe that was an excuse for not going back immediately, he wasn't sure.

What he knew was that he would turn the city around to find her. He jumped into the air, and fired a web-line to the nearest building, holding it tightly.

His ending was near, but not near enough yet.