Chapter 4: Messages

I am the son
And the heir
Of a shyness
That is criminally vulgar
I am the son
And the heir
Of nothing in particular

You shut your mouth
How can you say,
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does


Peter smiled to himself despite the throbbing pain in his side. The blade of the boomerang had caught him badly enough to cause pain and irritation, and though he wouldn't need stitches, it was still pretty deep. Almost deeper than the gash the Goblin's flying bats gave him on Thanksgiving. But, the amount of money in his pocket more than made up for it. He'd have enough to pay his fair share of the rent for the month and still have enough left over to buy some decent Christmas presents for his friends.

Thinking of his friends reminded him of Harry. Harry had been staying at his father's home (his home now, Peter supposed) putting together some of his belongings and the like. Peter had basically been on his own since the funeral. However, Harry still paid his half the rent so Peter could stay. It made Pete feel more guilt than he already did, but there wasn't much he could say. *Gee Harry, sorry 'bout taking your dad away from you, sorry he went nuts and I hadda stand by and watch him destroy himself and almost me and my loved ones in the process. Really appreciate you letting me keep the apartment though. You're a pal.*

Peter sighed, gingerly pulling his fall jacket around his wound to hid the blood that had begun seeping through his t-shirt. Once he got home he'd bandage it up and by this time tomorrow, the thing should be pretty much healed. One more small victory to chalk up to his spider strength.

Pete turned up his block, happy to have the rest of the day to himself. Spider-Man had done his good for the day, and Peter Parker had gotten paid a good sum of money for both his photos from last night, and the ones he'd taken today. The latter ones had made J.J.J. a very happy man. Not that you could ever tell by the constant scowl he wore on his face. So far, it had been a pretty good day.

*************

Mary Jane sighed forlornly, stomping up the stairs to her building. Another audition blown. She swore there was someone out there trying to personally destroy her career. Which had yet to begin... she sometimes wondered if it ever would. Gathering up her mail at her box, she grumbled to herself as the elevator took her up to her floor.

Upon entering her apartment, she called out to see if her roommate was home. "Gina? You here?"

No reply. Which didn't surprise her. MJ liked her roommate well enough, she just hardly ever saw her. Gina was a nurse and was hardly ever home, constantly being on call. Which usually left MJ with the whole apartment to herself.

What she did find was a note on their kitchen table left for her.

MJ,

Your aunt dropped off a box of stuff from your old apartment. I left it on your bed. Hope I can borrow that awesome looking emerald necklace of yours one day! ;) Yes, I was snooping again! Sorry! See you tomorrow afternoon, working a late shift again.

Gina

MJ headed to her room and immediately saw the box lying on her blue bedspread. She had planned to move in with Gina a few days before the Goblin attacked her. It was a good thing she did. Her old apartment was left in nothing but shambles; littered in bits of broken glass and shattered wood.

And the contents of this box.

She dug in, pulling out her jewelry box, the emerald necklace Gina inquired about still gleaming behind the dirty glass case. She also pulled out some old pictures and frames before coming across her old answering machine. "Hmph..." Aunt Anna was never one to keep junk so she musta had a reason not to trash the beat up answering machine," she muttered to herself, examining it in her hands.

Shrugging, MJ plugged it in and it immediately she saw the red light begin beeping, telling her there was a stored message. "No wonder she kept it." MJ pressed the play button and after a recording told her the time and date of the message she felt a chill run down her spine. It was the night the Green Goblin kidnapped her.

"MJ, it's Peter... you there.... hello.... you there??"

MJ felt another chill, and although she'd heard the message before, it seemed like she was really hearing it for the first time. He sounded so frightened, so worried.

"Well I'm just calling to check up on you. Will you call me when you get in, okay? All right, well... don't... don't... don't go up any dark alleys..."

*Weird....just weird,* MJ thought.

All of a sudden, she heard that oh so familiar evil cackle and screamed in fright. When she realized it was only the answering machine playing that demonic voice that would forever haunt her, she managed to calm down somewhat. Quieting, she poised over the machine, listening to the message for the second time.

"Hello?" Peter had called when the phone was picked up.

"Can Spider-Man come out to play?" The Goblin's wicked voice teased.

"Where is she?" Peter demanded, voice shaky with concern.


MJ's heart pounded and her hands suddenly became sweaty. This had to mean... at first, she never suspected anything about Peter's call, thinking that it had been plain old worry about her safety. She thought it was his way of telling her he cared for her after what happened in the hospital. But now, hearing it a second time, and after the kiss and all the thoughts of him being Spider-Man...

"The Queensboro Bridge, come rescue her if you dare," Goblin threatened.

Then there was a click as he hung up, the dial tone the only sound blaring through the room.

The machine played an automatic message as it reached the end of the tape, telling her to press 1 to save, 2 to rewind, or 3 to erase.

MJ didn't move. She felt paralyzed as another thought came to her mind, another piece of the puzzle sliding into place from that night.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight; remembering the feeling of dangling from the Goblin's grasp and something else he said as well.

"Let die the woman you love...."

"Oh Peter...you really are Spider-Man...." MJ whispered as if he were in the room beside her.

She sat, unmoving, for what seemed like hours though in reality, only minutes had passed. Then, with a rush of resolve, she stood up, unplugged the machine, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. She had to see him.

*********

She knocked firmly on the door.

Peter had just finished bandaging his wound and was slipping on a crisp white t-shirt when he heard the knock. Wondering who it could be, he ran a hand through his hair before jogging downstairs to answer the door.

MJ waited there, tapping her foot anxiously. She was nearly exploding with all things she wanted to say. Like how she knew about his secret and how she thought it was a stupid excuse for turning her away, especially if he loved her like she loved him. He had to stop denying who he was and what he felt for her. It was doing no one any good. Resolved, she put on her firmest expression.

All that changed as soon as he opened the door.

One look into his soulful blue eyes, one second of seeing his expression, the way he turned surprised, and then lit up from within upon seeing her, was all it took to make her melt. She forgot all her anger and pent up emotions when she saw him. She forgot that she was there to confront him. Instead, an understanding reached her when they locked gazes, and she knew that she was really here to tell him that she understood his secret and why he kept it. All of this from one glance at his boyish face and easy smile.

"MJ...." he whispered, drowning in the sight of her. He felt a giant, goofy schoolboy smile tug on his lips.

"Hey, Tiger," she greeted with a small smile, at a loss for words. She knew they needed to talk, to clear things up between them. And she wanted the truth from him this time. But, was it right for her to force it out of him? All he wanted was to keep her safe. But she was tired of being coddled. She wanted to be with Peter, at any risk. It would be far worse a life without him. Yet, her voice died on her lips. All she could manage was another small smile before asking if he could come in.

Peter stepped aside hastily, letting her in. He closed the door behind him, fidgeting in a bout of nervousness. "H-how are you?"

MJ smiled tensely. "Okay. Yourself?"

He ran a hand through his hair smiling shyly. "I'm fine. I'm good."

MJ's smile widened, brightened a little at his news. "Good," she nodded, staring at him. He was wearing a thin white t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. She couldn't help noticing the attractive bulge of every muscle the thin fabric clung to.

Peter felt his face flush with heat as she stood there, just staring at him intensely. "Uhh..." He could feel himself coming undone at the seams under her gaze. How did she do this to him? "Uhh, not that 'm not happy to see you MJ...but..."

She shook her head, snapping out of her trance. " Right… I uh, I just wanted to see how you were. I haven't heard from you since...since the funeral." She played with the tie on her trench coat, looking slightly pained at the reference. "I mean..." she met his eyes. "You said we'd still be friends and all..."

"Of course," he replied readily.

"Good..." she replied just as quickly. Needing a change of subject to dispel the awkwardness, she looked around the apartment, not having been to visit since Thanksgiving. "Harry around?"

"Uh, no...usually he stays at the mansion. He still pays his rent though, so most of the time 'm by myself here..." he answered. "Hey, do you want any coffee or something? Take your coat off?"

"Coffee'd be nice," she replied, easing out of her coat and handing it to him.

It was his turn to stare. She was wearing a soft purple knitted sweater and bleached denim jeans. She was gorgeous. As always.

She giggled under his wandering gaze. "Like my sweater?"

He nodded, smiling that sheepish, boyish smile. The smile she'd come to love, much like him, with its softness of expression and myriad of adorable dimples. "Wanna borrow it?" She cocked her head to the side. Was he even on planet earth?

"That'd be nice of you," Peter replied automatically, too enthralled by the emerald diamonds sparkling in her eyes to acknowledge the nature of the question.

MJ laughed at his response, a soft, but genuinely heartfelt laugh. This was the man under Spider-Man's mask? If she didn't know better, she'd almost toss out her thoughts of Peter Parker and Spider-Man being one in the same and check herself into Bellevue Hospital's psych ward.

"What?" Peter asked, regarding her curiously.

"Pete, I never pictured you as a cross-dresser, really..." MJ couldn't resist and leaned over to pinch his dimpled cheek.

Peter's smile died and he coughed discreetly. "Uh, oh sorry… I wasn't thinking..." he excused, turning to hang her coat over the armchair. "Um, lemme go see 'bout that coffee."

MJ nodded and sobered, sitting down sedately. "So... how's Aunt May?"

"She's well. She asks about you all the time," Peter informed her, pouring them each a cup of coffee.

"That's sweet. Tell her I said hi," MJ instructed him, meaning it. She'd come to care a great deal from Peter's aunt. "How's working for the Bugle?"

"Okay, I actually scored pretty well today. Caught some nice shots of Spider-Man fighting some whacky villain who called himself the Boomerang this afternoon. He was trying to rob that new jewelry store in the District." Peter handed her a cup, sitting down on the hand woven rug, opposite her side of the coffee table.

"Oh? How is he?" she couldn't resist asking.

"Well, we really didn't have time to chat," Peter swallowed hard. What was she asking for? He'd just seen her last night. "He seemed pretty tied up with that Boomerang moron. Actually caught a piece of poor Spidey with some bladed boomerang."

"Was he okay?" MJ worried, even though he was sitting right in front of her, as fine as can be.

"Yeah, only seemed to be a flesh wound." Peter informed, touched be her concern. Sorta...

"Ah..." MJ nodded, setting down her mug. She couldn't resist. "I saw him last night."

"Did you?" Peter played it cool.

"We slept together."

Coffee spurted out all over the place when Peter choked.

MJ made a blundered face, gritting her teeth together. *Whoops.*

Peter pounded on his chest staring wide eyed at her, coughing.

"Pete, shame on you. I never thought you had such a dirty mind." MJ tsk-tsked. "It wasn't like that." *Like I need to tell you.*

"Than just what was it like, Mary Jane?" he croaked in a mocking, motherly tone.

"I was lonely, and I was scared." MJ crossed her arms, suddenly defensive. "Something you'd know if you were my friend. He just kept me company till I fell asleep. Nothing happened."

"I wouldn't need an explanation if something did happen, MJ," Peter responded, staring down guiltily at the soiled coffee table. "That's your own business, not mine."

"It could've been yours, Pete." MJ rejoined. "Which is why I'm really actually here."

"So much for just wondering how I was huh?" Peter felt himself growing defensive too. He had to be. "MJ, we've been through this."

"Don't treat me like 'm some crazy stalker chasing you down, Peter Parker!" MJ stood, seething with anger. "You know me better than that." She felt herself shaking with rage. "Or I thought you knew me."

Peter immediately felt guilty. "I do. I'm sorry, MJ."

"I don't know who the hell you are anymore, Peter..." MJ felt her eyes begin to water up. She blinked back the tears furiously. "If you didn't want to be friends..."

"You know who I am," Peter replied without much conviction. "You've always known. And I do want to be friends."

MJ sunk to her seat, his words ringing in her ears.

"You know who I am..."

She found herself transported back in time, to the garden rooftop the day of the World Unity Festival, staring at Spider-Man.

"You know who I am..."

He was standing before her in all his glory, barely registering a labored breath despite his earlier excursions. He looked over at the people upon the rooftop.

"Don't mind us, she just needed to use the elevator!"

*His voice seemed so familiar,* she'd thought, just as he'd turned to leave.

"Wait!"

He looked back at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am..."


MJ snapped back to reality. Now she was more sure than ever. He couldn't trick her anymore. Peter Parker was Spider-Man and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to make her think otherwise. "Yeah...I guess I do know who you are, Pete..."

Peter stared at her with nervousness bubbling up in his stomach. Her words had an eerie tone of finality to them. Just what did she mean? How come she'd just spaced out like that? "MJ, are you okay?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, 'm fine." She paused, feeling nervous. "Pete, we really need to talk..."

"We are talking." He seemed confused.

"About something important," she started, her palms sweating all over again. She wiped them on her jeans. "Pete, it's something I don't think you really want me to know...."

The rest of her words didn't register because his spider sense was screaming at him in full power. He wrinkled his brow in thought, trying to signal just what it was coming from. At first he thought MJ was going to say something that could be dangerous, but the sound of sirens drew him away from that thought, the premonition signaling danger from the outside world.

He jumped up quickly, startling MJ.

"What?" she searched his face.

"MJ, I gotta go..." he started for the door, but stopped to grab a large camera bag.

"What?! Why?! Pete!" she jumped up.

"I...I...forgot!" his mind searched for a lie. "I forgot to get those photos to the Bugle!" He took another step for the door.

"But Peter!" MJ pleaded. "We have to talk!"

"Later MJ, I promise," he hurried his answer. "I just really gotta go right now!"

"Don't you need your coat?" was all she could think to say.

"No time!" Peter swung open the door.

That's when she noticed the blotchy crimson stain on his white t-shirt just below his arm. "Peter, you're bleeding!" she called, but was answered only with the slamming of his door.

Bleeding...?

MJ fell to her seat a second time, their words from earlier flashing in her head.

"Well, we really didn't have time to chat. He seemed pretty tied up with that Boomerang moron. Actually caught a piece of poor Spidey with some bladed boomerang."

"Was he okay?"

"Yeah, only seemed to be a flesh wound."


Mary Jane shot up, grabbed her coat and ran out the door after him. "Wait for me Spider-Man..."

***********

Spider-Man tossed his camera bag onto the rooftop of his building, careful to bring the camera with him, leaving his clothes inside the bag. Once the necessities were gathered, he sprinted across the roof and leapt into the lights of the city below. His webbing connected with the building across the street and he swung along the side, the cold winter air stinging him as he raced against its force.

His mind went back to leaving Mary Jane all alone in his apartment as he swung and sighed, reminded of one of the many reasons why they could never have a healthy relationship. He would always be abruptly leaving in the middle of something important. Just what had she wanted to talk about?

"Pete, it's something I don't really think you want to me to know...."

He jumped onto a smaller building and looked down below, at the flashing lights of the squad cars. His mind wandered to what she was talking about. What could she know?

Gunshots rang out and Pete knew there was no more time to dwell on thoughts of MJ. Spider-Man had work to do.

His eyes scanned the streets below and settled on a lone figure clothed in black, running down the sidewalk with something silver in his hand, its shine glittering in the moonlight. The culprit ran ahead steadily, crashing into anyone or anything that got in his way. "Peekaboo I see you..." Spider-Man muttered, swinging down onto a light pole a few feet ahead of the man. He set up his camera quickly and went to work.

Peter was just about to swing down and intercept the man when he noticed another figure coming out from an alley, oblivious to the man who was about to run into them.

"Look out!" Spider-Man called swooping down just as the gunman collided with the figure.

A woman screamed, and Spider-Man looked back to see that was the figure from the alley.

The gunman had stumbled to his knees and was about to set off on a run again when he noticed Spider-Man. "You!" he cried. He grabbed the woman by the arm, pulling her to her feet in front of him, like a shield. He placed the nozzle of his gun at her temple. "Don't move an inch, you insect, or the lady gets it!"

"Ooh that's a new one," Peter replied with sarcastic admiration. "Good for you."

"I mean it! I'll kill her..."

The woman gasped in fear, struggling not to cry. She wasn't winning.

Peter faced the victim. She was about his own age, her gray eyes filled with fright, though she looked back at him with wonderment. "Don't worry miss..."

"Oh she better worry!" the gunman pushed the barrel harder against her temple, causing her to wince.

"Easy there..." Spidey warned. "Why don't you just let her go and give up easily? It won't hurt nearly as much that way."

The gunman laughed. "I'm the one holding the cards here spider-freak!"

"And you're obviously not playing with a full deck..." Spider-Man drawled dryly. "Say… I was never much a card player anyway. I think 'Go Fish' is the extent of my talent. I like 'Gin Rummy' well enough and all...but, well...how bout you show me your cards and I'll show you mine?" Instantly, he shot a strand of webbing at the gun, snapping it from the man's grasp before he even had time to register Spidey's distinct style of humor.

The woman elbowed her attacker in the ribs causing him to double over in pain and she ran back into the alley from which she'd come when he released her.

Spidey flipped his way (showing off for the camera) to the harmless buffoon; dropped kicked him again in his already sore ribs, and then webbed the incapacitated burglar up tightly. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," Peter cooed in his ear, winking (for his own self humor) before the man passed out.

"Thank you!" the woman enthused, peeking out of the alley and stepping around her would-be murderer.

Peter turned about face at the sound of his voice and nearly fell off his feet. She was drop dead beautiful. No MJ...but still... From even closer up, her steel gray eyes were filled with warmth and although tousled, her long, wavy champagne blonde hair framed her face like the halo of an angel.

"Spider-Man, I presume..." she smiled.

"The friendly neighborhood kind....well the one and only kind really..." he replied.

She giggled. "You're so funny, not to mention brave. And fast." she put an arm on his shoulder. "I can't thank you enough. You'd think I'd have to worry about being attacked in an alley, not coming out of one..."

"What were you doing?" Spidey inquired.

"Oh, how rude of me! My name's Amber Dieson. I just moved into the city, from Long Island. I'm gonna be working for the Daily Bugle. A freelancer. It stinks but..."

"Nah, it doesn't," Spidey laughed. "Okay, well, it does, but you gotta do what you gotta do eh?"

"Yeah." She crinkled her nose when she smiled. "I suppose so."

"There!" a man's voice shouted and cops began coming in from all ends.

"Well looks like you got your hands on your first story Ms. Dieson." Spidey looked up to his camera, fixated atop the light pole. "And as you'll learn, they're my cue to hightail it outta here. It's been a pleasure meeting you." He was about to leap up, but paused briefly. "Oh, and J.J.J doesn't like me so much, so you might wanna be careful with what you say about me..."

"I'll write the truth. You saved my life, and you're a hero." she answered, a promise in her voice.

Spidey snorted. "I'd love to see that in a print J.J. approved," he replied jokingly, before jumping onto the light pole and discretely retrieving his camera. With his livelihood secured for another few weeks, he shot a strand of webbing and soared into the night sky. "Looks like my fan club is expanding," he chuckled to himself, swinging in-between buildings. That made him think of MJ. He'd have to get back to her, if she was still waiting for him.

*************
Earlier:

MJ had stood outside Peter's apartment door, wondering where he'd gone. She tried to think like Spider-Man and glanced at the elevator. "Up," she muttered, heading for the rooftop. She ran for the stairwell and jogged up the next 2 flights, to the roof. The door wasn't locked (surprisingly) and she stepped out into the cold night air. It was dark, but the lights from Manhattan offered some illumination of the dirty rooftop.

MJ searched the area for any signs of Spider-Man. She shivered when she neared the edge. She'd never been scared of heights until her ordeal on the bridge.

There was nothing here. No sign.

"Guess my instincts were wrong..." she sighed. Where else would he have gone? She turned away from the ledge and nearly tripped on a brown bag lying on the floor.

MJ gasped. It was Peter's camera bag.

She knelt down and looked inside. She saw his jeans, his sneakers and the telltale white shirt with the red stain.

"Well Pete, unless you're running around the city naked....you definitely are Spider-Man," she concluded, packing it all back inside to hide her snooping.

In the background of city noise so far below, the usual flow of car horns blaring and people talking was interrupted when MJ heard a car backfire.

But it wasn't a car. It had been gunshots.

Then sirens.

"Peter!" she yelped and ran for the roof ledge.

*************

MJ arrived just in time to see Spider-Man webbing up a man on the floor before a young woman approached him. They had a short conversation and MJ watched as Spider-Man jumped to a light pole, grabbed something, and then swung away into the night.

MJ was about to follow him, but turned back to look at the woman who was now surrounded by ten or fifteen officers.

"Spider-Man saved me!" she shouted to them with a smile.

MJ smiled. "Way to go, Spidey," she murmured, before remembering herself. She turned around and ran back towards the roof access door. She had to try to make it back before Peter did, now she had proof, and there was nowhere else for Peter to hide.

************

Peter landed on the roof of his building with a thud, and searched for his camera bag. He was later than he thought he'd be. He'd wanted to drop the roll of film off at the Bugle to be developed. But with time so short, he'd had to forgo. He really had to talk to Harry about turning their spare bathroom into his own private darkroom. He needed to be careful with all of the pictures he took of his alter-ego. Left with no choice, he'd decided to leave the pictures to be developed tomorrow. He'd sealed the roll in its film casing before locking it securely in his locker back at the Bugle.

Finally locating his camera bag on the floor, Peter decided it best to change into his civvies in his room rather than out here in the bitter New York cold. It looked (and felt) like it was going to snow at any moment. He slung the bag over his shoulder and started climbing down towards his balcony. Finding his window open a crack, as he always left it, he slid soundlessly into his room.

He gasped in shock when the light flickered on.

MJ sat on his bed, legs crossed, and a bemusedly triumphant expression on her face.

Dumb-struck by her presence there, Peter was too surprised to do more than stare at her.

MJ stared down at him, where he still knelt in his spider crouch. "Hey, Tiger..."