Spider-Gwen: Of Heroes and Dimension-Hoppers
A pet project I'm getting off the ground. A series of One-Shots and Multi-Shots depicting the life and hardships of Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen) of Earth-TRN702. From meeting familiar faces she hadn't thought she seen in her own dimension, to babysitting Peter B's infant daughter, and some other drama between her superhero and civilian lives.
Gwen's been asked to be babysit Peter's infant daughter and she accepts. But sometimes she wishes she had the foresight to see the consequences of bringing young Mayday to her own dimension for the first time.
Mayday Parker
Gwen's just the babysitter.
Promise.
Shortly after the collider incident, Peter B got back with his own version of Em Jay. It took a little while, but they ended up remarrying within the year.
As well as conceiving...
Meet May "Mayday" Parker.
She's two years old and going for three in a couple or so months. She's about everything you'd expect in a baby. Small, pudgy, smelly at times, and admittedly kind of heavy. Though there's a bit more to it.
Simply put Mayday was just so beautiful. She had her mother's eyes, not unlike Gwen's own Em Jay, which took some getting used too. Her hair color also seems to be a reddish-brown, a mix between Peter B's and his Em Jay's hair colors.
The baby in question was with Gwen at the latter's own dimension, swaddled in a bright red blanket and was being cradled gently in teenager's arms.
They were both in Central Park, situated on a bench near the Bethesda Fountain. The cheap, yet admittedly reliable stroller Peter B bought, was at the side of the bench with it's wheels locked, and the underlying basket containing all the supplies she needed for Mayday.
Gwen didn't miss the stares and sideways glances a lot of people passing by gave her. Some were out of awe and admiration for Mayday in Gwen's care, or scrutiny and thinly veiled contempt as they may have thought Mayday was Gwen's. She had some strangers asking, and of course many asked her if Mayday was really her daughter.
Gwen would just laugh off those notions and clarify that she's a babysitter, whilst pointing out that she and Mayday didn't really look anything like her.
There was a time when Gwen wanted siblings, but her mother, Helen, died when she was young and the notion was dashed altogether. George never even so much as considered seeing anyone else, and Gwen, out of selfishness, was glad admittedly that was the case. She had no idea if she'd even like the prospective step-mother.
She considered herself and the Mary Janes to be close enough to be sisters, but after Peter died, she ended up quitting the band and distancing herself from them, focusing on being Spider-Woman. She was still kind of friends with them if she were honest, but Gwen had that closeness diminish significantly.
When Gwen first heard that Peter B and his Em Jay were expecting, she was happy for them, but at the same time it also brought up some questions.
Would her Peter have had children if he didn't die that night? Would he have had them with Em Jay?
Then there was the matter the possibility of Mayday having inherited spider powers from Peter B. Would she grow up to be like her father or any of the other spiders? Would she be willing to toss her life away for the sake of others, whilst ignoring the pleas of those who care for her? Will she keep secrets from them in order to keep them safe?
Will she lose somebody close to her like they all had before?
Those are excellent questions, which will be answered in due time as she grows, and she won't be alone if those times ever come.
When Mayday was brought into the world (her own dimension anyway), it was hard not to fall in love with her. Infrequently but fairly often, Gwen, along with Miles, had taken to babysitting the newborn. This time it was Gwen's turn to look after Mayday. Peter B had to go on a date with his wife, and Miles had some schoolwork to do.
However, this babysitting gig is a bit more unique. Recently the Dimensional Travel Watches underwent an upgrade that would allow the users to stay within foreign dimensions for as long as they want without any risks to their health. It took some convincing, but after some testing. Miguel O'Hara, another Spider-Man and the inventor of the watches, convinced all who had it that it was safe, even for infants.
Up until this point, Gwen had been watching over Mayday in Peter B's own dimension, so Mayday is probably the youngest sentient being to ever make a dimensional jump safely.
"Hey Gwen! Is that a baby?"
Gwen was broken out of her musings and was greeted with the sight of Em Jay. Clad in her black leather jacket, converse sneaks, dark blue jeans and the promotional white t-shirt that hat the Mary Janes band logo on it.
"That it is." Gwen said. "What brings ya to Central Park?"
"I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by the park. Then I saw you out here. Also Betty's off to a wedding and Glory's working on some art project, so I'm kind of on my own here."
"Gotcha." Gwen tried to play it cool, but on the inwardly she was kind of anxious. Her friend was literally within arms reach of her daughter from another dimension.
"So who is this little cutie?" Em Jay's attention was now focused on the baby and she crouched to be more level with the baby. "You babysitting?"
"Yes I'm babysitting. This is May." Gwen introduced. "But everyone calls her Mayday."
"Like the distress signal pilots use?"
"It fits. She can be a bit of a handful at times." Gwen joked.
"Lol. So who was it who said a little while ago that she'd never babysit again?"
"Well this is different." Gwen defended. "Mayday's a sweet little baby and a joy to be around. Your eight year old twin cousins are absolute monsters, and Gary was even grabbing my ass."
"He must've been watching too much TV." Em Jay shrugged. "Whose baby is she anyway?"
"Um. A family friend, they're going to be out of state for the day so I've been asked to watch over until they come back." Gwen lied smoothly. If only she was able to do that when she met Miles, maybe then he wouldn't have been able to tease her about 'Gwanda' at times.
"Oh okay."
As this talk was going on. Mayday began reaching out to Em Jay with her stubby little arms and outstretched fingers. She started to make this incoherent garble.
"I think Mayday likes you Em Jay, would you like to hold her?" Gwen knew it wasn't really wise for a babysitter to let other other people hold their charges, but for Gwen she had this weird curiosity piqued and Em Jay is still technically Mayday's mom. Maybe she'll enjoy the inherent familiarity of this version of her mother?
"Oh no, I don't want to accidentally drop her or anything."
"You won't drop her. Just make sure your arms are supporting her. Don't squeeze or anything. 'kay?"
"Alright..."
As Gwen eased Mayday into Em Jay's arms, the look of worry and uncertainty on the latter's face quickly gave way to a soft and warm expression that Gwen couldn't help but be intrigued by given the strangeness of the situation. Em Jay almost seemed to be entranced, Gwen wasn't sure whether or not she had some strange and mystifying connection to Mayday. She might of noticed that they had the same eyes
Mayday calmed down as she was set in Em Jay's arms, but she managed to utter out a word that shocked them both. But none more so than Gwen.
"Mma Ma..."
It was Mayday's first words. To her knowledge, Mayday had not spoken a word yet, and Peter B was sure to inform everyone if she had. This was something her parents, or almost any other set of parents in a similar position, would've absolutely been excited for, but she wasn't sure how they'd feel in this context.
"Awww. She thinks I'm her mom." Em Jay cooed, being none the wiser.
"Well, to be honest you do kind of look like her mother."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah you do..." Gwen could've stopped there. But she couldn't help herself and said. "Or maybe she's really your daughter and you just don't know it. You haven't been going crazy since I left the band have you?"
"Oh aren't you just the comedian?" Em Jay smirked.
"I am to please."
There was no doubting that Gwen's Em Jay had felt some sort of connection to Mayday. As she went away with Mayday, Gwen didn't miss the brief sadness that flickered across Em Jay's eyes.
Em Jay was not really Mayday's mother, but at the same time she was. Another strangeness to the multiverse.
Gwen made sure to calibrate her Dimensional Travel Watch (or goober) carefully before making the dimensional jump to Peter B's dimension.
Once she arrived, she made sure Mayday was well tucked in and protected from the slightly chilly air, then made a beeline for the apartment Peter B and his wife shared.
Under normal circumstances Gwen would just web sling her way up to Peter's apartment, but she had Mayday with her.
She went through the very mundane process of using the spare key given to her once she reached to the complex, ascending up the elevator, and knocking on the front door once she got there.
The door opened to reveal Peter B, who was looking sharp and unmistakably chipper after the date.
"Hey Gwen! And hellooo Mayday!" Peter sing songed that last upon seeing his daughter.
"Hey Peter." Gwen gave him a one armed hug. "How'd the date go."
"It went great. Come on in."
"Whose there Pete?" The voice of Peter B's own Mary Jane reverberated from a farther end of the apartment, and her footsteps began to get closer.
"Gwen and Mayday are back." Peter called back.
Peter B's Mary Jane entered the scene as Gwen was crossing over to the living room. She had gotten out of whatever dress she must have been in and had swapped it and the heels for a pair of pajama pants and baggy t-shirt.
"Hello Mary Jane." Gwen greeted. She made it a point to call her that instead of Em Jay to avoid confusion, a point this version of her best friend was understanding about.
"And hello to you Gwen, thanks so much for doing this."
"Anytime."
"Need anything to drink, or something to eat?" Peter asked Gwen thoughtfully.
"Just water would be nice." Peter nodded and took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with one of those jug dispensers.
"So how did your day with Mayday go?" Mary Jane asked. "She wasn't too much trouble or anything right?"
"No, no. Not at all." Gwen said quickly. "But there is something that happened today."
"What was it?" Peter B asked when pouring a glass for himself.
"Mayday spoke her first word today." Gwen stated, taking a sip from the glass, and she watched as the eyes of both parents turned to the size of dinner plates.
"Oh my god! What was it?!" Mary Jane practically leapt of her seat on the couch and towards her.
"'Mama.'"
"She... she called you Mama?" Mary Jane asked carefully.
"Well." Gwen began awkwardly. "No actually..."
"What do you mean?" Peter B asked.
"Remember when I told you that I had a Mary Jane in my dimension?" Both nodded and Gwen continued. "Well Mayday mistook her for you."
"Oh, I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it." Mary Jane laughed gently.
"I guess it's the thought that counts." Peter B spoke. "How did your friend respond anyway?"
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that my Em Jay felt a connection of sorts to Mayday. I think she might love her too."
The couple shared a glance at each other upon her response and smiled warmly.
"How did our lives become this weird, anyway?"
"Comes with the job I guess." Gwen quipped. "Anyway I have to go."
"Do you still want money for a job well done?"
"I still don't accept payment for this Peter, that's what friends are for. You both have good night."
"You too." Mary Jane replied.
"Stay safe Gwen." said Peter B.
"Always."
Gwen walked back to the stroller, where she put her hand in front of Mayday and let the baby grab at her fingers. She smiled warmly at the act then said. "Thanks, Mayday. Its been fun as always."
A/N
Cobbling together a full blown, multi-chapter story with a dedicated story can be tricky, and so I opened this up to exercise my thoughts. Just this story is not linked to Closing In, the other Spider-Gwen centered fic I've been working on. However, I may tailor some events in that fic after after the prompts here, and maybe some other planned fanfics I'm considering.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this fic. Be seeing you all soon I hope.
COVER ART credited to vixiecosplay on Instagram
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