Peter groaned, fighting against jerking away from the latest application of a cold pack against his skin.

"Sorry," Mary Jane apologized.

"It's fine," he assured her, trying to relax as the cool slowly began to soothe the burned area of his lower back, as well as everywhere else that had one.

"You really should've just done a cold bath instead, maybe with ice in it," M.J. replied. "I imagine that it would be more effective than just sticking ice packs everywhere."

"Nope, I'm good," Peter insisted. "I've only been bad enough to go that far with it a couple of times, and it was almost as bad as how I got hurt in the first place."

"It's hard to imagine someone burning you much worse than this," M.J. said. "If you didn't heal so fast, I would have dragged you to the doctor if I had to."

"Sleeping tonight should still be interesting," Peter explained. "Plus, there's my costume to consider."

"Let me worry about that," M.J. said. "I was almost done with the spare I was making you anyway; I'll have it finished before you need it again. By the way, are you sure that you don't want to look at a different shade of blue?"

"Wow," Peter said, "I can't believe that you're still hating on my suit design."

"I'm not hating on it," his wife defended. "I actually really like it! It's just that I thought that maybe it was time to..."

"M.J." Peter said, glancing over his shoulder towards her. M.J. didn't try to hide her sigh.

"Okay," she said. "I won't change anything, I promise."

"Thank you," Peter replied. Silence fell between them for a moment as Mary Jane continued treating his wounds from his encounter with his latest enemy.

"So, any idea who this guy is?" she eventually asked.

"Nope, not a clue," he affirmed. "Whoever he is though, he's a walking disaster waiting to happen wherever he goes. Next time, I need to make sure he actually gets put away. I just don't know how I'll contain him."

"What about your webs?" M.J. said. "You've made special versions to counter certain things before; any way you can up with some that are fireproof?"

"That's something that I've been trying to tackle for a long time," Peter acknowledged. "I've been able to get them to where they're pretty resistant, but not nearly to where they can contain someone like Molten Man. No better time to revisit the idea than now though!"

"I'm sorry you weren't able to make it back to the party though," M.J. said. "I know how much you were looking forward to seeing Flash again."

"Yeah," Peter said, his tone a little less enthusiastic than before. "I wish that I had thought to call his mom back before too. If I had known about his paralysis in his legs, maybe I would have had something a little more encouraging to say to him."

"Being there for him right now is probably the best thing you can do," M.J. assured him.

"Yep, which, again, didn't go according to plan either tonight," Peter reminded her. "Maybe I'll try and stop by tomorrow at some point."

"That's works out well, actually," Mary Jane replied. "Tomorrow was the girls' day that Liz, Gayle and I were planning."

"Oh yeah," Peter said, realizing that he'd clearly forgotten that his wife had been planning the Sunday afternoon excursion for a while. "You know, we've been married for almost a year, dating for over two before that, and I still can't seem to keep both of our schedules together."

"Don't worry, Tiger," M.J. assured him. "You'll catch on, eventually."

Molten Man stormed into the lab, tired from his journey but still determined to get what he wanted.

"I need more."

The doctor turned to him.

"We can't yet, we need more time," he answered. The man wasn't having it though, grabbing the scientist by his shirt and pulling him closer, the guy starting to look panicked as a result.

"I want that injection," Molten Man demanded, "and no more temporary ones either. I need the real deal."

"The temporary one is all we have," the doctor explained. "The permanent one is still in its developmental phase, and we were told we need to be more conservative with the temporary ones."

"I don't care what they told you about them," the Molten Man demanded, his tone growing more and more frustrated. "I'm the one who's here right now, and I say..."

"That's enough out of you."

Molten Man turned aside to find that Hammerhead had entered the room. Seeing him caused the man to relinquish his grip on the doctor, turning his full attention to the dome-headed crime boss.

"I almost got him," he explained, "I was so close; if you just give me some more, I know that I can..."

"Pal, you had plenty of time to take down that pajama wearing pest, and you blew it," Hammerhead explained calmly. "If all you're going to do now is come back here and grovel, maybe we're just wasting our time with you after all."

"The crew ended up being able to get away still, didn't they?" Molten Man protested. "We still got the score, didn't we?"

"Fair point," Hammerhead conceded, "but at best, that might convince me to only give you one more chance. Like the doc here said, this stuff isn't exactly all that easy to make, and we need to make sure that we are using it on the right person."

"Alright, what is it that you need me to do?" Molten Man asked. "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

"That's the spirit," Hammerhead replied with a grin.

Mary Jane took her seat next to Liz, with Gayle taking the spot across from them.

"I'm so glad you all introduced me to this place," Gayle exclaimed. "On a day like today, this sandwich is just what I need!"

"It really hits the spot, doesn't it?" M.J. questioned as she took the first bite of her own sandwich, relishing the savory taste. "So, how's my business partner over here been treating you, since she's more your direct boss? Is she a hard task master?"

"No, she's actually treated me very well," Gayle explained.

"Oh, come on, you've got to give me something here!" Mary Jane insisted. "I'm trying to get ahead on the tally for best boss!"

"Uhm, when did that become a thing?" Liz questioned, looking at her incredulously.

"Since right now," M.J. replied hesitantly.

"Well, if that's the case, it sounds like I'm the one in the lead right now," Liz said, reaching over to M.J.'s older sister for a fist bump, which the woman reciprocated.

"Wow," Mary Jane complained, "my sister and my best friend since middle school teaming up against me. Maybe I should go sit somewhere else, so you all can conspire against me freely."

"You're the one who made it a competition in the first place," Liz retorted.

"Something that hasn't changed, I see," Gayle added.

"Says the one who was always challenging me to stuff when we were kids!" Mary Jane fired back.

"I just knew that you would have done the same eventually, so I figured that I might as well get it over with," Gayle answered, causing all three of the girls to chuckle. They were interrupted by a loud buzzing sound, which turned out to be Liz's phone. The woman took it out, with M.J. observing her face shifting to one of concern as she examined it.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Liz assured her as she suddenly scrambled to pack her stuff. "Something just came up at the back at the apartment, so I'll have to meet you all at our first shopping spot."

"Is it serious?" M.J. questioned. "We can all come help if you need?"

"No, I can handle it," Liz assured her. "Besides, it will give the two of you a chance for some more sister bonding time. See you later!"

Quickly packing up her food, Liz then departed in even more of a hurry.

"Something's off with her," Mary Jane suggested.

"What makes you say that?" Gayle questioned as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"I'm not sure exactly," M.J. explained. "Her brother came by the store the other day to talk, and their conversation didn't exactly look like two siblings just catching up. Ever since then, she just seems like her mind's always somewhere else."

"I mean, you and I aren't exactly strangers to family drama," Gayle pointed out. "If we can work things out, I'm sure Liz and her brother can too."

"Fair point," M.J. conceded, glancing back out in the direction of the exit again. "Seriously though, how has the job been? Everything working alright with the kids and their schedule?"

"Yeah; it helps that they're in school most of the day and that I can do most of the work from home anyway," Gayle explained.

"Good, I'm glad it's been working out for you," Mary Jane replied.

"I really do owe you one, sis," Gayle said. "Between leading the charge on getting me out of prison and the job, I... I was so skeptical about letting you back in at first, but you've literally changed my life."

"It's the least I can do," Mary Jane replied. "Besides, like you alluded to, I wasn't exactly the model sister for a while anyway. I'm just trying to make up for lost time."

"Yeah," Gayle said. "How have you been doing anyway? You and Peter settling into married life okay?"

"Honestly, it's been just about perfect," Mary Jane replied. "I know how cheesy this is going to sound, but I just seem to fall in love with him more every day. Peter... he does so much already, but he does so many little things like helping keep up with dishes, always coming with me to company events, and just being my biggest supporter in everything. I just really appreciate him more all the time."

"I'm happy for you," Gayle said. "It's not often that you find a guy like that. He seems like a man of many talents."

"You have no idea," Mary Jane replied; she could practically feel the smile coming over her face at her inside joke with herself. "What about you? Thought about getting back out on the dating scene, trying to meet people?"

"Are you kidding?" Gayle questioned. "I'm still way too busy to throw that into the mix! I'm adjusting well for now, but between the job and the kids, I'm still figuring out how to balance things."

"Makes sense," M.J. conceded, "but are you sure it's just that though?"

"If I'm being honest, it's still hard not to be a little skeptical of most guys right now anyway, after what happened with my ex," Gayle explained. "Maybe someone will come along one day, but for now, I'm content with my work and my kids."

"I get it; I just don't want you to miss an opportunity if it comes along," Mary Jane explained. "I understand that you need to do this at your own pace though, so I'll stop being the annoying little sister prying into big sis's love life."

"Thank you, though we'll see how well you hold to that," Gayle teased. "Seriously though, you found the diamond in the rough when you married Peter. Hold onto him, Mary Jane; never let him go, and above all else, NEVER let him forget that he married quite a catch too.

M.J. laughed.

"I will."

Liz glanced around, looking for Mark. He'd texted her to meet him a few blocks from where she'd been about to have lunch, but there was no sight of him at first. His message had seemed urgent though, so she was sure that he would be here.

"Liz."

The woman glanced over in the direction of the voice, finding none other than her brother, who was leaning against a building in an alleyway. She hurried over to him, discovering upon getting closer that he was bruised in his face, with some fresh blood still lingering around his nose.

"Mark!" she exclaimed as she came alongside him. "What happened?"

"Remember that group I was telling you about?" her brother questioned, "the one that I was trying to get out of?"

"They did this to you?" Liz asked. Her brother nodded.

"I thought I'd slipped off their radar, but I guess they really leave no stone unturned," he explained, "or more appropriately, no debt repaid."

"We need to get you to a hospital," she insisted.

"Yeah, then what?" he questioned. "Wait for them to beat up on me some more?"

"Or go maybe go to the police?" she suggested.

"Not with all the connections these guys have in the force," Mark countered. "Word would get back to them for sure; they said if they ever got wind that I was trying to rat them out, they'd not only come after me, but you too, Lizzie. I won't risk that."

Liz's brain nearly froze; when Mark had first told her about the trouble that he was in, he hadn't even considered that these people might use her to get to him. She'd been nervous enough for him as it was, but now, knowing that her life was in danger too...

"Look, I'm not afraid to play a little more hardball if I have to," Mark explained. "If they try and extort you for more money than what was promised, I'll do everything I can to hold them to their original word, but if I don't get that payment to them, I'm a dead man. Will you help me, sis?"

Liz was torn; on the one hand, she wanted to help her little brother out so badly, but was this really the right way? If what he said about the police was true though, involving them was likely to only make things worse. What about Peter though? Her best friend's husband was literally a superhero, so maybe he could help? No, that wouldn't work either; whether through the police or through Spider-Man, either way would end up taking the matter to the system, which would only endanger Mark... and herself.

"Alright," she said. "I'll help you. Can we get you to the hospital now?"

Hope you're still enjoying it! Thanks again for all the support, especially for those who've stuck it out from the start of the series and some even beyond that!

Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30