FAITH IN HUMANITY
THE SECOND AFTERMATH

28th May 2004:

It took a very short time for Peter and MJ to settle into a routine. They would come and go from the other's flat every day, MJ would go to rehearsals in the evenings, and Peter would work his schedule around that. It went okay. He still occasionally had to fight off guilt from both sides- guilt that he wasn't out saving people all the time, and guilt that he wasn't with MJ all the time. But it worked. Pretty much.

About a week into things, he walked into her flat to see her staring at the phone, a tissue in her hands, crying a little. He raced over to her.

"MJ, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said hastily. She wiped her eyes, and plastered an obviously forced smile on her face. "I didn't hear you come in."

"MJ, you were crying."

She sighed, and tried to throw her tissue into the waste-paper bin opposite her. She missed. "It was just...my dad."

"Oh."

"On the phone. He rang me and said John had been calling and calling," she said, looking at the ground. "And he said...my dad said...he said he'd made a stupid mistake, and I should go back to John, and beg him." She sniffed loudly. "Beg him to take me back and marry me."

"Oh, MJ." He hugged her, and something occured to him. "He'd made a stupid mistake?"

"He let me run away," MJ said quietly. "On that day. Both of my parents told me to go, if it would make me happy. My mom and my dad. Guess he changed his mind."

"He does want you happy, MJ." Peter said helplessly. "He just...goes about it wrong."

"He doesn't want me happy. He wants me married off and rich, so I can lend him money." MJ said bitterly. "S'always been like this. Since I started dating."

Peter held her silently. For half a minute, at least. "Er, did he tell you what John had to say?" he finally said, in a very low voice.

"No," MJ murmured. There was five seconds or so of something big hanging in the air, and then MJ rushed on. "Peter, I was...I mean...I did love him. Not like I love you, not like that at all, but...I did."

Silence.

"O-of course," Peter mumbled. "That's why you agreed to marry him."

"I don't want to hurt him anymore, Peter," MJ said miserably, "but I don't know what to do."

More silence. MJ shifted about uncomfortably. "Peter...I'm sorry. But you needed to know the truth."

Peter said nothing. Sometimes you don't need to know the truth. If I told you everything I know, about Harry for example, it'd put you in danger. You don't need to know, you don't need to know... He repeated those five words like a mantra round his brain.

"Thanks," he said.

"I should write to him," MJ said glumly. "but I can't. I don't know what to say."

"That you're sorry?" Peter tried.

"It doesn't seem like enough. I was going to marry him."

Peter put his arms around her again. "It'll be enough. 'Cos...you mean it, don't you? That's all that matters."

"Yeah." MJ said.

An email, 29th May: John Jameson to Mary Jane Watson

I heard that you're singing in Manhattan Memories on Broadway soon. If I come see you there, will you talk to me? Please?

-John

May 30th, 2004:

As the days hurried on, MJ found herself having a brief conversation with Ursula, the landlord's daughter. She was the shyest girl MJ had ever met, but endearing, and MJ liked her instantly, although she did consider at the back of her mind that the kid should eat more.

She came across her when walking upstairs. Ursula was on the landing, peeking out of her bedroom.

"Hi!" she said, on seeing MJ. She came forward. "Hi," she said again, quieter this time. "I'm Ursula."

"Hi, Ursula," MJ said. "I'm Mary Jane. Well, MJ," She stuck out her hand, which Ursula shook. "Peter mentioned you."

"Really?" Ursula said, smiling widely. That was the moment MJ took to her. "Wow," she went on. "Um, I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I've seen you in papers, and things."

"Yeah. I'm an actress."

"Cool!"

The conversation having reached it's natural end, Ursula retreated, and MJ did likewise. "See ya," she said cheerfully.

"See ya," Ursula said shyly.

MJ went to Peter's room to wait for him. After two minutes or so had passed, suddenly I've seen you in papers popped into her head. Her picture had been in the papers once, after all, after the Bridge Incident. And this time around...John's father knew she had been kidnapped, knew who'd she'd been kidnapped by, and owned a newspaper. Oh god. People would start to have suspicions. If her name was printed, they'd start hounding her for interviews, asking her if she knew who Spider-Man was. Maybe making the connection between the man she was with and the man who'd saved her life.

She sank onto the bed.


The World And Superhumanity by Anna D Webb:

There is one role in this that has not often been discussed, and that is that of Mary Jane Watson. She is a working Broadway actress- and she was present at the climatic Sandman battle, and observers noted that Spider-Man seemed to definately have some sort of familiarity with her. The papers never offically named who it was taken hostage by Doctor Octopus (and details of that incident remain sketchy to this day); nor did they release details of the woman thrown off the bridge by the Green Goblin- although I imagine they would have liked to- but they did release a few pictures. The woman in the pictures certainly looks like Watson, but it may very well not be her. New York is a big city: there is more than one redheaded young woman in town, after all.

I would like to issue a friendly warning to anyone in the journalism business who reads this book: if you are thinking of using her in some way to acertain Spider-Man's real identity- don't. Using her against him, that's exactly what all these people you claim to despise have also done.

May 30th, 2004:

"What?" John's father demanded.

John sighed and went over it again. "Don't print her name. Or any details at all about her."

Jonah Jameson rolled his eyes theatrically. "Why?"

"Because she has a right to privacy-"

"You have no idea how glad I am you didn't become a journalist, boy."

"-and because I'm asking you to. Come on. What good will it do? She was kidnapped. That's a pretty bad experience for anyone, and you're just gonna drag it up for her again."

The pair of them shared a long look. Jameson looked away first, and grunted. "Guess you really do love her. Pity she couldn't return the favour, really."

"Dad, we've been through this."

"Fine," Jameson said gruffly. "We don't print her name. And I hope to completely forget her name as soon as possible." He flipped his chair around and turned his back on John, who folded his arms in irritation.

"Right, Dad. I'll see you around, I guess."

"Bye," Jameson said cooly, but after John had left the office, Jameson turned around again and watched him through the glass doors as he left.