After over 3 years of neglect, I've returned to this story. I've found a bit of inspiration (primarily the Iron Man movie) for the next few chapters...but after that I'm not sure where to go. I was really disappointed in the 3rd Spider-Man movie and it kind of sucked what little bit of creativity I had left in me at the time. I was hoping that you all could give me some ideas or suggestions. I always love to hear your input. I apologize for my absence and I hope that I will finally be able to get somewhere with this story.

This chapter will be a bit short but I hope to make up for it with the next chapter.

Chapter 8: The Confusion of Mary Jane Watson

It was mid afternoon and Mary Jane found herself sitting on her couch staring at a blank television screen. She was suppose to be reading a script for an upcoming play she was hoping to land a part in, but her mind kept wondering back to a certain someone she had not seen in quite some time.

She had admitted her feelings to Peter that day in the cemetery. Sure, it probably wasn't the best place or time for it...but she couldn't help herself. She needed to finally get it off her chest and she had expected Peter to sweep her into his arms. Never in a million years did she expect the answer she received from him. She was so surprised that she almost didn't hear the voice in her head saying that she had tasted those lips somewhere before. That little voice was what shocked her the most. She spent nearly every waking moment since trying to identify the source of that thought. She felt like she was loosing her mind trying to find the answer that she knew she should know.

'I don't understand it. Why did it feel like I had kissed him before? Why can't I stop thinking about this? Is this some part of me trying to make myself miserable because he turned me down?' she had wondered for the millionth time that day. The more she thought about it, the more obsessed she became with finding an answer.

She had attempted to call him, but he either wasn't at his apartment or refused to take the call. She even showed up there once. She was sure she heard him moving around in there but he wouldn't answer the door. When she broke down and asked Harry, who she could tell didn't really want to speak to her yet (even though she didn't do anything wrong), he told her that Peter had been busy at the Bugle taking pictures of Spider-Man. He said the superhero's name with a sneer and promptly hung up the phone.

She had also called Aunt May several times, not only to see how she was doing but to find out what Peter was up to. May had since moved out of the house and into an apartment. She missed the house that she had shared with her late husband for many happy years, but she could no longer afford to live there. The apartment that Peter helped her find was well withing her price range.

When she had gone for a visit, she spoke of what happened while the Goblin held her hostage and what had taken place at the funeral. He meekly asked for some advice on how to approach Peter, being that Aunt May knew him best. May had simply told her to give him some time and when he was ready he would come around.

It wasn't till her mind ran back over that conversation, if you could even call it that, with Harry that something inside her mind clicked. There were only two men that she had kissed during the recent months: one was Harry, and the other was...

"Oh...my...God..." she whispered out loud as everything neatly fell into place in her mind. The reason he always seemed to be gone right when something happened. That day in high school when he beat up Flash without even trying. Why he seemed to look so guilty at Norman's funeral. Why the kiss...

"He couldn't be! He couldn't! He just...plain old Pete...who always has he face in a text book or hidden behind a camera. There is no way he could even be Spider-Man!" she said aloud to herself as her mind whirled a mile a minute; one half of it making up excuses while the other worked diligently to put the pieces together. After several minutes of thought, she finally came to a quick decision.

'I have to get him to talk to me. Then I will ask him point blank...even though I will more than likely be making a fool of myself.' Now the hard part was getting him to talk to her.


The sewer tunnels were dark and damp as he made his way through them toward what could loosely be called his 'secret hideout'. In reality it was an old rail station that hadn't been used since the turn of the century, judging by the old advertisements on the walls and the plethora of cobwebs. He had stumbled on it by accident one day while he was trying to familiarize himself with the layout of the sewers. It was conveniently located almost in the middle of the city , so he had several ways in and out should the need arise to flee.

Dr. Octavius soon settled himself down in a chair he managed to get from his former residence and relaxed. He had spent the day gathering more materials for his machine. He figured it would only be a few more days before he went to retrieve the Detrick woman and the item at Oscorp that he needed.

'The world will be mine soon...very soon,' he thought as his insane laughter filled the massive room. The sound echoed down the tunnels...heard only by the 'track rabbits' (rats) and the lone homeless man who had been aware of the Doctor's presence for a few days. The man quickly fled in the direction he came in order to warn the others not to venture anywhere near the station.