DISCLAIMER: Same as last chapter. I don't own the quotes or Ultimate Spider-Man. I do own my OC's and the idea.

Chapter 27: Memorable

"In the end,

we only regret the chances we didn't take,

the relationships we were afraid to have,

and the decisions we waited too long to make."

-Unknown

Monday.

Most people detest Mondays. They see them as an end to the weekend, a goodbye to the fun; I always saw them as a new beginning. A fresh, new challenge that I had to face. Mondays would never be my endings; they were always the beginnings, because I always starkly refused to give up on a day which filled so many other people with misery. One's miserable Monday was my Marvelous Monday.

That was my last Monday. The beginning of the end, so to speak. I still didn't want it to be sad, though. I want my last days to be my happiest, because that's what I wish my life was—happy. This past year and a half with my friends has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I want to celebrate those moments, make more joyful memories, reflect on the beautiful things that have happened; not remember the tortured months that we all endured, or wallow in sadness. As many people have said, each ending is simply a new beginning.

Funny the way it passed me by so quickly. The hours in the lab with Peter passed in the blink of the eye. He showed me how to make things explode (and how to burn my fingers), and made me laugh at his silly puns. I never used to pay attention to how funny and smart he is. Not so bad after all, you know?

Tuesday.

Another day that passed way too fast.

Sam talks a lot. He doesn't just talk, though, he actually says things. He went on for hours about the different spices. I loved the way he just acted normal, like this wasn't 'let's talk before I die'. And that he did yell at me a bit when I blew up the microwave (tinfoil and microwaves... yeah). It made me feel absolutely, horribly, magnificently human.

Wednesday.

Looking back, this was the slowest day. Not to say that it wasn't enjoyable, but it was more solemn.

Luke has never been one for talking. Not one for philosophy, either. He's more "down to earth, get the job done". Which has always seemed ironic to me, because Danny is very spiritual, yet they are best friends.

I spent a lot of time around him, this past year and a half, but that was mostly because I spent a lot of time with Danny. I won't claim to really have known him; I didn't. Danny did, and I admire that he could get Luke to talk at all. Or maybe they never really talked like that, and their relationship was built solely on mutual understanding and acceptance.

In any case, my final Wednesday was no exception. He didn't say much, but when he did talk, his words had a lot of meaning. There is so much about him that he never talks about. I suppose that's apart of his 'tough guy' persona. I managed to talk to him a bit about his parents, which he had only discovered to be alive a few weeks ago. They are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and are only just discovering the person that Luke's become.

Most of the day was just spent doing. Not thinking, but just enjoying doing things. Danny joined us in the afternoon. None of us are exactly talkative, so I guess that we just accepted each others silence and basked in the simplicity of doing.

Thursday.

Ava and I just did girl things, I suppose. Things that neither of us usually did, like shopping and drinking coffee, but things that we did just for the sake of doing, the same way that Luke just did stuff. The coffee was gross—that we both agreed on—and there wasn't any point in me buying clothes. (Which, in itself, made me kind of sad, but then we ate a bunch of ice cream, and I felt better again.)

When she carefully brought up the subject of me, well, dying, I told her a bit about everything. We both ended up half laughing, half crying, in the middle of a sandwich shop. Which was okay with us. It felt good to be sad together. We weren't crying in a depressed sort of way, but a "look at everything that we did together" reminiscing sort of way.

Friday.

For fun, Sam flew us to the island where they apparently had encountered the Sandman a few years ago (which had resulted in a lot of trouble). The Sandman had since been moved to a more permanent holding place, but Peter still flat-out refused to venture into the woods.

I hadn't been swimming since I was a little kid, and the salty taste of ocean water was new to me. For some reason, my eyes continually wandered to Danny, who, I must say, looked good without a shirt (a new sight to me). Really good.

We played volleyball too. It was a sort of 'fun' day. Enjoying things together while they lasted, because this wouldn't ever be an option again, and we knew it. Danny was leaving New York forever to be king of K'un L'un, and I was saying goodbye for a different, more permanent forever, numbed by death. Peter, Sam, Ava, and Luke were all remaining behind, to grow and change by themselves. Already, a dull ache had begun in my heart, a pang for all those memories with my friends. Forever is a really long time, and after tomorrow, the next time I would see them would be in death—a time hopefully quite far away.

That evening, Danny and I went on a walk in the woods alone. As we left, I saw Peter and Ava taking another path, their fingers entwined.

Today was Saturday. The Last Day.

It was hilarious.

Watching Nick and Agent Coulson trying to do the positions—everyone was laughing. I don't know how the others felt, but I thought it was peaceful.

Danny insisted on going to a really expensive place for dinner, and paying for it. We talked and laughed, ignoring the goodbye's, because those are too sad. We just enjoyed what we had for the moment. After dessert, though, I gave them their presents.

Each gift was only a quote and a photograph, but those were the best things I could have given them. We cried a bit, and hugged.

Good-bye's hurt. A lot. Especially "forever goodbye's" that truly are permanent, like mine. Because forever is a really, really long time. Death is a really long forever, though, so what could I have expected?

Ava's voice shook as she said, "Thanks. You know. Just... I'm sorry." Her voice broke at the end. She didn't cry, though, because she's Ava. Ava always feels like she needs to be strong for her team.

I saw the lonely little tear sliding down Sam's cheek, as he grinned lopsidedly at me, giving me a one-armed hug.

Luke's face was stony, but his embrace was long and firm.

Peter was hiccuping a bit, and I saw Ava kick him underneath the table, telling him to stop. His goodbye was awkward, but heartfelt.

Nick and Coulson looked emotionless at first glance, but their eyes were deep and feeling.

Of course, at the end, Danny embraced me, then kissed me. I kissed him back, and for a golden minute, we were in our own little world that knew only love. When we broke apart, grinning, Peter started clapping, and everybody joined in.

Gosh, I love these people. Forever good-bye's never get easier, do they?

F-O-R-E-V-E-R-G-O-O-D-B-Y-E- F-O-R-E-V-E-R-G-O-O-D-B-Y-E-F-O-R-E-V-E-R-G-O-O-D- B-Y-E-

Sunday.

I wake up at five in the morning to Danny gently shaking me. He hands me a beautiful blue robe with gold trim that sparkles lightly in the faint light. I shower and slip it on. When I return from the bathroom, Danny is standing there. He is majestic in his clothing from K'un L'un, a white hooded cloak draped over his shoulders.

"You must look beautiful."

I blush slightly, but don't reply as I pick up my only luggage, a small suitcase filled with journals and poetry for Danny to burn.

It is too early for any of our teammates to be up, and we leave the Tricarrier without any more tearful hugs goodbye. It's funny; I have, at times, felt like I wanted to leave this place forever and never return, but now, as I actually do, it's an entirely different feeling. I have left and returned to this place countless times, for various reasons, but now it is truly The End.

I shiver, not because of the cold wind, but because of my frosty heart. The heart that continues beating, feeling, keeping me alive. How many breaths do I have left?

As if he can hear my thoughts, Danny wraps an arm around my shoulders. We stand there, just the two of us, on 100th Avenue, waiting. A black limousine pulls up in front of us, and we step in.

"The monks are waiting for us in K'un L'un," he says quietly to me. The drive to the airport is long, and I feel alone, despite that I am with Danny. I will be alone in death, because, ultimately, I was born to die. Others are born to live. Not me.

The private jet is warm. Rand Industries. I sigh, sitting down in the aisle across from Danny, feeling that it is likely disrespectful to sit by a 'king'. Danny shakes his head at me, patting the seat next to him, and I stand to join him.

So close to the end, I remind myself. My hands buzz and shake, and I wring them anxiously. My fingers are pale and boney, far too thin. I feel so frail after being strong for so long. In many ways, death will be a relief.

"The beginning of the end," Danny says softly, and he pulls me closer. I give in, laying my head on his shoulder, and closing my eyes, letting sleep overwhelm me for the remainder of the journey.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Nearly at the end. :,(

The sequel will be called "Stones Taught Me to Fly" in the Ultimate Spider-Man category, and will be uploaded soon after the final chapter of this. I hope you all decide to read the sequel to this sequel!

Thanks for the reviews:

TheOnyxDragon12: You are an extraordinarily good guesser.

Nerdy-Tomboy: Well, at least she has a week! (Well... five days anyway...)

DannyLover99: Ironically, as I read your review, "She Loves You" by the Beatles came on. Sigh, life and love are fleeting.