Peter heaved a sigh as he materialized in his bedroom back in his own universe. A part of him was relieved to be home, in the reality that he knew best, but there was another part of him, that now that he was home, didn't quite know what to do with himself. Peter one had his MJ, and Peter two had his own MJ to go back to. Then there was himself. Of course, he had his Aunt May, but that didn't stop the empty feeling from creeping back upon him.

He couldn't get his mind off of the events of the night; working with two strangers that he'd never met, yet instantly was drawn to them as though they were his brothers that he'd known his entire life. Though what was playing on his mind more was one moment in particular. MJ had fallen and he had been the one to save her. He was happy that Peter one didn't have to suffer the way he had when he'd lost Gwen, and in a way, it was comforting to know that they would get to be happy because he had caught her.

But it did not take away the pain. Instead it acted only as a painkiller; easing it for a while but eventually it returned. And usually, when it did, it was with a vengeance.

He didn't understand. He had saved MJ. So, why couldn't he save Gwen?

With the lingering question, he threw his mask down on his desk and quickly pulled on some pajamas before his Aunt May could come knocking. His eyes were growing heavy and his body ached still a bit from the fight, and the moment he laid his head down upon his pillow, his eyes fluttered closed and he fell vastly into a deep sleep.

He didn't know exactly how much time had passed, but when he woke up the room was still plastered in darkness with the moonlight streaking the room being the only source of light. He peered into the darkness with hooded eyes and closed his eyes again as his imagination ran wild. Though he soon turned over to the other side as he found himself unable to get comfortable.

As he settled into his new position, he opened his eyes once more and almost fell off the bed in shock. Laid in front of him, with her body parallel to his own, and her blonde hair sprawled out behind her, was Gwen. Not the distorted, broken visions he'd been seeing in his nightmares since her death, but Gwen Stacy as he always knew and loved her. He could just make out the shape of her face in light provided by the moon and her eyes that bore into his own. Before he could stop it, a whimper escaped from his throat and he swallowed back the lump that had formed in his throat.

"It's okay, Peter." Her soft voice traveled through the air almost like a lullaby.

He couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say, and when he opened his mouth all that came out was a choke that set free unshed tears from his eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by her as she reached out with her right hand and caressed his face gently, catching and wiping away each tear that fell with her thumb. It was only then that he was able to find his voice.

"No." He shook his head. "It's not okay, Gwen. I- I should have saved you." He stammered, sniveling as he unsuccessfully attempted to pull himself together. "It's my fault. Everything… it's my fault."

Gwen's expression twisted into a pained one and she appeared to be struggling with her own tears. "You can't think that way. It's not your fault, okay? None of this is your fault."

"I- I saved her tonight. She fell, and Peter- the other Peter, couldn't catch her. So I saved her." He cried. "Why couldn't I save you?" He questioned.

"Peter…"

"This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be together and I was supposed to keep you safe. I- I'm so sorry."

Gwen watched with doleful eyes as his voice broke and his speech turned from words to sobs. His face creased up and twisted with pain and his fists were bunched up, clutching his blankets. He blinked a couple of times and tried to look at her without his vision being blurred by unshed tears. She simply gave him a small, sympathetic smile as she continued to caress his cheek in an attempt to sooth him. Once more, he shook his head and bolted into a sitting position, causing her to sit up with him. Her eyes didn't tear from him and this time, she reached out and grabbed his face, turning it gently so that he was staring back at her.

"Listen to me, okay. You don't owe me any apology. None of what happened is your fault. I know how much you've been hurting, and how much it hurt you in that moment tonight when you looked at MJ and for a brief moment, you wished that you'd caught me." She began, pausing as he gasped for air through his tears. "You're in pain because you feel guilty, but you have nothing to feel guilty for. This pain will never leave you, but that doesn't mean that you can't use it to make you stronger… but don't forget those words; with great power comes great responsibility. You couldn't save me, and that's okay because you've saved so many more people. Those that truly matter."

Peter screwed his face up again and frantically shook his head. "But you mattered, Gwen. You mattered to me and I screwed it up… I let you down."

Gwen placed both her arms around him and pulled him into her, so that his head laid upon her shoulder and her mouth was close to his ear. She bit down on her lip as she thought about what she wanted to say.

"Sshhh." She soothed. "You are so wrong…"

"B-but-"

"You didn't let me down." She cut in before he could express anymore negativity towards himself. "Not even close. You can't save everyone, no matter how badly I know you want to. And I love how big your heart is, it's why I fell in love with you from the start. Don't lose that just because of one mistake. There's not really anything to forgive, but I know you need to hear this… I forgive you. Now, you just need to forgive yourself."

He pulled back just enough to see her face, though his hands never left her. "I can't- I saved that girl and I'm glad I did, but I should have saved you."

"Look, I don't have much time left."

"What do you mean?" He cut in.

"Time is running out and I'm not gonna get to say all that I want to tell you. But before I go… I love you, Peter. And I am so proud of you and everything that you have done. Don't ever stop being who you are. New York needs you. You're not the villain, Peter. You're the hero." A few tears escaped down her cheeks. "I'm afraid my time is up now, but please don't forget what I have said."

Peter's eyes widened and he looked almost panicked. "Wait-"

"I love you, and I am so proud of you, Peter Parker."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but she was gone. Right before his eyes, she had vanished into thin air.

"Wait!... I love you too, Gwen."

But his words fell into the empty air of where she'd just been laid.

Peter gasped as he jolted awake. His heart pounded away inside his rib cage and he sat up, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and glancing around the darkness of his room. It immediately sank in his chest when he realized that Gwen was not next to him, and it was just him alone in his room. His face twisted with pain again and he buried his head in the palm of his hands.

Deep in thought, he didn't notice when the door to his bedroom opened and May entered until he felt the bed dip under her weight and her arm unfolding around his shoulders. He looked up at her, and her mouth dropped as she took in his reddened eyes and felt his shaking body. She didn't need to ask him what was wrong, she just knew, and so didn't bother to bombard him with questions. Instead, she tightened her arms around him and caught him as he fell into her.

"I miss her… I miss her so much." He expressed through gritted teeth.

"I know the feeling." She whispered back, stroking chestnut locks of hair back and resting her cheek atop his head.

A/N; Phew! Just a one shot, but one that I poured a lot into. I think this may be one of my favourites so far. And, now my eyes burn from writing such raw emotion. XD Those who took the time to read this, it actually means so much to me after the work I put in. So, thank you.

Look out for more one shots in this fandom. These two are my favourite pairing from anything I've ever seen and there will be a lot more on them.