-1Only a few more chapters to go kiddies, then this long and hard road will be complete as promised. Thank you to those who have been in for the looong haul and I do mean long. A four year journey is coming to an end. Still, I can't get enough. I smell a sequel of sorts in the wings. More to come on that… Enjoy and hey, if ya really did enjoy, hit the pretty review button and lemme know what you did enjoy, eh? Reviews are like the whipped cream in hot cocoa, you can't ever get enough and there's always some left behind you have to scoop out. Ok, so maybe they're not similar…
How To Save A Life- The Fray
Step
one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a
talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on
through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and
you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you
begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a
friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have
stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let
him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try
to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a
list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And
pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a
friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have
stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As
he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one
last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the
ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will
admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And
you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I
lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would
have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
The mid morning sun was bright and unusually warm for the end of the year. New Year's Eve was a day away and still the city was a bustle of activity, people hard at work despite the impending holiday. The sun's warmth had more people out on the street than usual.
MJ dodged in and out of the crowded sidewalks with a bright smile on her face. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. Her pictures came out astounding and she couldn't wait to show them to Zolandra Mocky, her agent. She clutched them in the protective folder Peter had given them to her in as she headed for Zolandra's building.
They had a great time last night snapping the photos and an even better time in soft conversation as Peter developed the photos for her. It had been a peaceful night with no interruptions of his alter ego, heck they didn't even discuss the bug. Instead, they shared childhood memories never explored from the other's point of view, their feelings on different ethnic foods, and they even branched world news and politics. MJ found Peter's level of intelligence refreshing, appealing and she even learned a thing or two from him and vice versa. It was everything she ever wanted in someone and she wouldn't even let the fact he remained unattainable dampen her spirits right now. Everything was going right and she didn't want to bring herself down.
She stepped out of the sun's glow and into the stuffy lobby of the agency. She took the stairs instead of the elevator using the steps as a way to burn off some excess exhilaration.
She stepped into the waiting room and approached Zolandra's secretary with her smile unwavering. "Good morning, I'm here to see Zolandra."
"Oh, Miss Watson. How convenient. I was to call you this afternoon to meet with Zoey. She has some things to discuss with you," the elderly woman paged her schedule book. "I believe she has some free time in the next half hour."
"Wonderful, I'll wait. Thank you," MJ sat down, her interest piqued. What did Zoey have to talk with her about? Perhaps she had some bad news? Oh no… not when everything was going so right…
It was the longest half hour wait of her life as she thumbed magazines and half heartedly listened to the morning talk show playing on the T.V. in the background of the room. Finally, Zolandra emerged from her office door and greeted MJ with a warm smile. "Good morning Mary Jane, why don't you come on in?"
MJ stood up, remembering her photos and smiling at Zoey. "Hey Zoey, how are you?"
Zoey waited for MJ to step into her brightly colored office before closing the door behind her. "I am well, how about you? How was your holidays? Looking forward to a New Year, hmm?"
MJ grinned, preparing to answer Zoey's barrage of questions. She had a terrible habit of saying too much at once, or asking. "Doing well also. Holidays were a check and New Year looks promising. I hope… Well, speaking of promising, I have something here."
"So do I," Zoey announced cryptically.
"You do?" MJ asked, unsure what to think.
"What do you have there, darling? Portfolio? My last marriage certificate? What?" Zoey reached out for the folder.
MJ nodded, handing it over as she giggled. "Take a look."
Zoey thumbed them silently. Then she exploded into her usual range of excitement. "Mary Jane, these are stunning! Absolutely brilliant!" she crowed, her loose European accent showing through. "Beautiful shots! You must have paid a lot! I hope you didn't pay too much you know. Though they are worth it!"
MJ beamed, bouncing in place. "Not a cent! My friend Peter took the photos and my friend Harry rented the studio for us!"
"Fabulous, you'll need to save every penny you got for now!" Zoey dropped the folder on her desk going back to being aloof.
"What? Why?" MJ asked, sounding concerned. This didn't sound good.
Zoey looked emotionless before her face split into a grin. "We got you a small deal with a perfumery! You are going to the poster face of a new scent of perfume coming out called Emma Rose!"
MJ's jaw dropped and she nearly fell over in shock. "Really?"
"Truly! Your face is going to be everywhere! Billboards, magazines, T.V. ads, even movie screen advertising!" Zolandra informed, feeling her own excitement for her.
MJ hugged Zoey tightly, squealing excitedly. Zoey had been more like a friend to her than an agent for the past year. She knew she was really excited for her as well. "Zolandra! I don't believe it! Really? This is really happening?"
"Yes, it is!" she chuckled. "Get used to it, dear! Once I get these photos out there, I am sure we will be turning people down left and right because you're booked solid!" she took MJ hands, trying to control her own joy. "The best part is Emma Rose is based right here in New York so you won't have to travel far. You will need some travel money though. A few shots may be done out of state but never mind that right now. Bask in your success MJ, before you know it Broadway will be knocking on our door!"
MJ fought back tears as she watched Zoey shake her hands in excitement. She felt her stomach churn in excitement and she chuckled in happiness. Peter! She couldn't wait to share her news with him! He would be so proud!
"Come darling, sit and we will go over the details. I need a few things from you and then you can go share your news with everyone!" Zolandra directed her to a seat breaking her train of thought.
MJ sat down, looking around the room at the different, famous ads and movie posters of some of Zoey's other clients. Soon her face would be up on these walls and all over the country! Her dreams were finally coming true and she couldn't believe it! MJ snapped back to reality once Zoey's voice addressed her again. She listened to Zoey carefully, pushing thoughts of stardom and her excitement to share with Peter aside for just now.
The rapping on the door woke Peter up as he had fell asleep on the couch in the midst of reading through some folders on Betty's laptop. The warmth of the computer on his lap had lulled him into a sleep, something he had been lacking more than usual.
He yawned tiredly, setting the laptop aside on the coffee table. "Be right there!" he shouted, getting up. He stepped on the plug, becoming tangled in it. He nearly fell flat on his face as he became tangled in it in his attempt to get to the door. The laptop slid from the table and hit the floor with a thud. "Oh…boy…" he muttered.
"Peter?" Amber's voice came from the door.
"Be right there!" he answered, his voice going to a higher level than he'd like. He untangled his foot and ran to the door, opening it. "Hey Amber! Nice to see you!" he called politely over his shoulder as he rushed back inside. "Come on in!"
Amber stood there a moment in puzzled anger, then she giggled warmly and stepped in. "Hello to you too, Peter. Are you ok?"
"Oh fine, sorry! I… uh… think I broke Betty's laptop," he leaned down, picking it up from the floor. "Well…" he stared at the black screen. "If nothing else its definitely powered down again. I think I may have done her a favor, every time I try to look at it, the power goes off. I think she needs a new one." he rambled, feeling Amber's eyes on him. He stood up, putting it on his kitchen counter. He turned to Amber for the first time since she stepped into his apartment and he couldn't help but appreciate what his eyes found.
Amber smiled innocently, enthralled by his gaze. She had chosen to wear a pair of fitted jeans and a cropped teal top that brought out her eyes and hair color. She left her hair in waves and pinned it back with only a clear headband. She turned her hip a bit, playing a bit of flirtation. "What are you staring at?"
Peter blushed having been caught staring. "I'm sorry. You just look very nice." he squeezed out.
Amber nearly went into convulsions of joy over his small compliment. "Thank you, you're not looking so bad yourself. As usual." she smiled sweetly, lowering her head a bit, playing shy.
"Thanks…" he nodded, not knowing what else to say. After a moment of awkward silence, he spoke up. "Have a seat, maybe we should get started."
Amber grinned her agreement, bringing herself to the couch where she could see tons of folders spread out over the coffee table. "Boy, you really want to get to the bottom of this don't you?"
Peter fiddled with the computer, hoping to get it to turn back on. "Yeah, I do. I don't like to see people I care about get hurt."
"Like Betty," Amber added.
"Like Betty, yes," Peter answered, giving up on the laptop for now. "There's been so many deaths because of this venom. It needs to be stopped."
Amber was surprised by the tone of his voice. He certainly felt strongly about it. She held her disagreement back, and continued to smile. "Well, with all this information, I am surprised you haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet."
"Me too," he muttered. "But I think we're getting closer. At least we know who is behind the attacks now." he frowned.
"Spider-Man?" Amber questioned, wondering if he felt the same way Betty did.
Peter raised a brow, surprised at Amber's suggestion. "No… I thought you were a fan?"
"Oh..." Amber paused. "I am. I just read Jonah' column yesterday and thought…" she trailed off.
"Did you not look at today's paper?" Peter asked, confused.
Her heart sped up and she took a controlled breath. She spent most of her time, preparing to see Peter this morning. "No, why?"
Peter chuckled, bringing her the paper from the kitchen. "Usually the Bugle reporters read the paper everyday…" he hinted. "Maybe you should start." he grinned playfully.
Amber took the paper from Peter took distracted by the thudding in her chest to enjoy Peter's laughter. Her heart plummeted to her feet and everything stopped as she read the headline:
Widow Maker Spreads Venomous Plague
The article read written by Ned Leeds and pictures credited to Peter Parker. There on the front page was a dark picture in black and white of the Widow Maker fighting off Spider-Man in the alley way from the other night.
Amber stared hard at the picture, not breathing. "How did you get this picture?" she asked slowly and softly.
Peter was surprised by her subdued reaction. "Right place, right time. I was trailing Spider-Man the other night and I happened upon the action." he answered easily, used to such a question whenever it involved his photography. "Spidey told me her name."
"Spider-Man told you?" she asked with disbelief.
He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning a little. "Well, you know I take a lot of pictures of him. He always gives me a lecture about getting a little too close to the action sometimes. I ran into him and he told me what she called herself." he pulled off a blush, shrugging.
The fury that was rumbling inside her threatened to break. Spider-Man was still alive? Impossible! It couldn't be true! "So Spider-Man fought the Widow Maker then?"
"Yeah, something about revenge. I think maybe she was hurt before, too many times and she may have snapped. Perhaps if she is apprehended she can get some help," Peter sat next to Amber on the couch.
"Well, I can't say I feel sorry for the scum she has killed so far, rapists and abusers. They got what was coming to them, don't you think?" Amber snorted unable to keep her anger aside.
Peter was unsure how to answer her. He believed in people being reprimanded for their sins and paying back society but he certainly didn't feel anyone should be punished by being brutally murdered. "Uh, like karma?"
Like revenge. She thought with a dark smile. "Right." she answered simply.
"Right," Peter replied, a bit disturbed by the look upon her face.
Amber scanned the article in shock. How could they have gotten all this information? Off of mere speculation! Something was definitely not right. "With all these victims, how did Spider-Man survive a battle?" she tried not to cross the boundaries and give something away but she was stunned by how close this was getting.
Peter rolled his shoulder muscle, working out the stiffness from his battle wound. "I don't know, he is pretty relentless." he paused with a comical smile, but Amber's face was still twisted in distaste. "I think he was hurt, but he got away."
Amber searched her mind, replaying the events of that night. They pumped him with so much venom he shouldn't have gotten up at all let alone get away! No! This couldn't be happening! "Well… that's… good. I am glad." she forced out, then even managed a smile. Her eyes met Peter's and all thoughts of the Widow Maker and Spider-Man disappeared from thought. Her heart filled with desire. "You know, I admire your dedication to your friends, Peter. You are really sweet."
Peter looked at Amber with confusion. He didn't understand her change of mood. A moment ago she seemed at battle with confusion and now she was grinning at him with a gleam in her eye. It made him feel uncomfortable and he didn't know what to make of her comments. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, but she appeared to be flirting with him. "Thanks, Amber."
She continued to smile at him, staring at him for a moment.
"So… let's get to work then, shall we?" Peter picked up a folder, looking through it's contents. "Basically we're looking for anyone who fit's the motive and is female. A vigilante, if you will."
Amber snapped back to reality. "But how could they, I mean she… poison people with the venom?"
"Well, Betty remembered something about finger nails, or needles… But I don't know how she gets the actual venom or how she stores it." he tried to recall the hand that jammed the needle-like nails into his shoulder. "A mystery I guess that won't be solved until she's caught."
"You can't be serious. How could she possibly carry the poison. She must use a syringe…" Amber played along. A bell rang in her head and she turned to Peter, suspicious. "I thought Betty didn't remember anything?"
Peter gulped, knowing it was not a memory of Betty's but his own. However, he couldn't tell Amber that. "Well, maybe… she didn't feel comfortable sharing info with you. I'm sorry Amber, but Betty is… well.. She's selective about who she trusts, ya know?" he frowned, seeing Amber frown sadly. "I think you're great. Don't worry, Betty will too. She'll see how great you are too."
Amber was more sure than ever that she needed to have Peter. He was perfect. She had never been more sure of anything. He would never hurt her like the others did. Peter was too kind and gentle and sweet. "Thank you, Peter. I think you're kinda great too…" she placed a hand over his. The touch of his skin sent shivers through her body.
Peter didn't know how to respond without upsetting her or thinking she wasn't nice. He knew what it was like to try so hard to be liked by people and being rejected. He didn't want to hurt Amber, but it seemed she was growing attached to him. Too attached.
"Peter, I want to be honest with you," Amber bowed her head. "I didn't come here just to help with the research. I came here to spend time with you." she gripped his hand now. "I like you a lot, Peter."
"Amber-"
"Now, I know it's important to catch this… villain… I want justice served. I really want to help you find out more information but I just needed you to know how I feel. I was hoping maybe you could possibly feel something to…" she paused briefly. "You've been more than wonderful to me and I really wanted you to know I appreciate it. You have been nicer to me than any other man in my life."
"Oh, Amber, I really think you're great, I do-"
Amber wasted no time for him to finish, she leaned over and kissed him. Her lips found his quickly and she put a hand to his neck to deepen the kiss. Her other hand went to his shoulder and she gripped tightly, ready to devour him.
Peter was beyond stunned as Amber fell atop him and her lips crashed into his. Her hand gripped his neck strongly and the hold over his injured shoulder rendered him unable to move. Her lips tasted sweet and soft but he wasn't enjoying this at all and he tried not to kiss her back but her lips were powerful and artful. They forced his to move in return and he was helpless. His spider sense was tingling in warning at the power of her hold. She was strong. Too strong.
"Peter!"
That was not Amber's voice and it was not his own.
Amber finally pulled away releasing her vice like grip.
Peter looked to where the sound of his voice being said originated from. His heart then broke into a million pieces.
