Well, that's the end of Holding Out for a Hero. Annabelle was killed by the Lizard and now Peter will spend his days alone now and feeling misery that hes the reason Annabelle's dead. Thanks for reading everybody!

~x~

Nah! Just kidding! Did you really think I'd leave the story like that?! No! I'm just getting started! Thanks everybody for the reviews lately. I really appreciate it! Hope you guys like this chapter and don't forget to review and tell your friends about it!

Song for this chapter is:

Tattoos on This Town by Jason Aldean

Enjoy!

Chapter 19: Laid a lot of Memories Down

It seemed so peaceful. Dying, I mean. One minute, your struggling to hold onto your life just a little bit longer. Just a little bit longer so you can see your family and friends again and then the next moment, it all escapes you. You fell at peace. Like, you have nothing else in the world to worry about. No more fearing every turn you make. No more fearing of the future a head of you. All you have to worry about is your life now. Dead. In the after life...or wherever the hell I was.

I stood there, in the middle of a white, foggy room. In a white skirt with white flats on my feet. A style of clothing I've never worn before and I soon became all confused. Where was I? Was this Heaven? Or some sort of form on it. I couldn't actually be dead...could I? It was impossible to believe. I mean, I know I said I was dead before but...I...I can't be dead. There is still so much more I wanted to do. Graduate from high school, go to collage, get a successful job and get married and raise a family. I still wanted to do so much more with Peter before all this. I just wanted a little more time.

"Annabelle" I heard a whisper of my name.

I quickly turned around and still saw myself alone.

"Hello?" I asked, hoping to hear a response but there was a still dead silence (no pun intended).

I stood there, shaken in fear as I slowly stepped back hoping to find some sort of way out of here. I turned back around and came face to face with a figure and fell down to the ground, surrounded by thick fogy ground, only seeing a shadow above me.

Scared, I shifted back, wanting to get as far away from the figure as possible. The figure let out a warm chuckle as I kept backing up.

"Don't be silly, Annabelle," the figure, who sounded like a woman, said. "You wouldn't run away from your own mother would you?"

I froze when she said the name. Mother. My own Mother. That voice. I thought I would never hear that voice again. I slowly pushed myself and stood up only to see that familiar face again. My face warmed up into a smile.

"Mom!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I ran into her and wrapped my arms around her as tight as I could. Wrapping my fingers into her warm auburn hair and inhaling the aroma of lavender that she always gave off when we were in Roseboro.

My mom laughed that warm laugh of hers as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Yes, honey, its me"

I then pulled away but placed my hands on her shoulder.

"But, mom, how is this possible?"

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes.

"Honey," she pulled my hands off her shoulder and wrapped her soft hands around mine. "It's not easy but...you're dead. You drowned down there in the sewers"

I slowly nodded.

"I figured" I said as I backed away from her.

"Sweet heart-"

"Is Peter okay?" I asked as I looked at her with tears in my eyes. "Did he make it out?"

There was a pause as she looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. I waited to hear the worse of it.

"He's fine. He's alive"

I exhaled the breath I held in and looked at the cloudy space surrounding us. "And where are we?"

"The in-between" she answered.

"Whats that?"

"The space between death and the living"

I let out a chuckle as I wrapped my arms around me. "That sound like some weird sci-fi shit,"

Mom glared at me.

"Sorry," I then walked around as I looked throughout the in-between. "So, I really am dead...aren't I"

"Perhaps," she said. I turned and looked back at her, still standing there. "It depends on what you what? Do you really want to be dead?"

I sighed as I looked back into the beyond. "Yes...and no," I looked back at Mom who gave me that look to continue. "I mean...there is part of me that...for so long wanted to die...ever since you did,"

"And?"

"And...there's a part of me that still wants to live. To still fight to see another day"

I sighed as I looked down as stared at my shoes on my feet.

Mom let out a sigh too as she slowly walked up to me and placed her hand on my back.

"Do you want to live?" She asked.

"More than anything" I said with tears in my eyes. "But its too late."

"It's never to late to fight for something you want" She said.

"But...I'm dead"

"Oh, honey," she said with a smile as she rubbed my back. "That's why its called the in-between"

I paused as I started at her with hesitation.

"W-What are you saying, Mom?"

"Now, you have to promise me," she said, ignoring my question. "Something"

"Yes, anything"

"Promise me you won't blame Dr. Cross for my death," she said. "It was my decision to take the drug, no hers. She only tried to help. Promise?"

"I promise, mom"

"And another thing"

"Yes"

"Ashley is trying so hard to love you and raise you as her own. Don't push her away. I'm happy shes there to raise you since I'm not there too. She makes a great mom"

I gave her a smile as tears formed in my eyes. "No as great as you"

Mom gave me a great big smile as she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me as tight as she could. I did the same thing to her back. After a couple seconds, she pulled away and placed her hands on my shoulder.

"Now...you ready?"

"Ready for-" Before I could finish, the room around me, including Mom, disappeared before me and I appeared in another white room, gasping for air at the top of my lungs. Noticing the people surrounding me in white lab coats.

"Shes back!" Some one screamed as I laid there, gasping for air.

Some one then came over and stuck a flashlight right up to my eye. "She's stable, but she'll be okay"

"Wh-Where am I?" I asked as I was still trying to breath.

"The New York University School of Medicine"

The bed I was on then started to roll.

"Whe-Where are you taking me?" I asked again, panicked.

"You're room. You almost died, sweet heart, we pushed you in the nearest room as possible to get you out"

"But...I died"

"Only for a couple minutes"

"But I drowned"

"You were unconscious for a minute. You almost died when you entered the hospital when Spider-Man brought you in-"

"Spider-Man brought me in?" I asked in shocked as she rolled me into an empty room.

"Yes, he was badly beaten up too. He's probably here if you wanna thank him"

"No, its ok...I wouldn't want to bother him"

"I'm sure he wouldn't be bothered," the nurse than kicked the breaks in and looked at me for a seconds. "You're very lucky to be alive. Anyway, you just get some rest. You're family can come visit you after you get your rest"

I smiled at her. "Thank you"

She gave me a nod and then left the room. I then slowly closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to a sound of a woman sobbing. I couldn't tell who it was..land why were they sobbing? I was alive, wasn't I? What would you be crying about? As I slowly open my eyes I saw a woman with red hair with her head bow downed as her hand buried into her crying face as she sat in a chair on my left hand side. I let out a groan as I slowly awoke myself. The woman then popped up her head at me and looked at me with shock written all over her face and tears all over her face.

It was Ashley. She stared at me for a couple seconds before I finally decided to ask the question.

"Whats the matter, Ashley? Why are you crying"

There was a pause. I guess Ashley didn't know how to react. So, instead of saying English words, she blabbed something I couldn't understand before jumping up and wrapping her arms around me as tight as she could.

"I'm so happy you're alive" she whispered as she started patting my hair behind my head.

Ashley then let go of me and backed away. Taking her hands off me.

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry, Annabelle. I know you don't like it when I do that"

I slowly shook my head and smiled at her.

"No, I like it. It makes me me feel good" I said with a even bigger smile.

Ashley looked at me in shock for a couple second before she gave me a great big smile and then wrapped her arms around me again and I did the same back. She then looked back at me with her hands wrapped around my shoulder.

"I'm so glad you're safe. We almost lost you down there"

I slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry"

"It wasn't you. It was the Lizard and that Dr. Cross," Ashley then looked out the window. "I knew she couldn't be trusted," She then looked back at me with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Annablle. I'm so sorry" she said and then, again, wrapped her arms around .

I started shaking my head as she hugged me again.

"No, Ashley, its not your fault. You didn't know"

Ashley stayed like that for a couple minutes before backing up and letting go of me.

"Well, I better go let your dad know you're awake. He's just downstairs"

"What about Ariel?"

"Shes at home. She insisted on being here until you were awake but I made her go home and get rest"

"H-How long was I out for?"

"A day and a half. The doctors insisted on your getting rest"

"Wh-What about Spider-Man?"

Ashley gave me a smirk.

"Who told you about that?"

"The nurse"

"Of coarse she did," Ashley then let out a giggle. "Hes fine...or so they think. He brought you in here while he was in ruff shape as well but before anyone could treat him...he was gone'

I nodded. "I hope he's ok"

"I think he will be"

"And...and Peter? Where is he?"

"He's fine. Hes here too...somewhere. He went looking for you when he heard Connors kidnapped you. Poor kid got mugged when he went looking for you. He's in pretty bad shape"

"Yeah...mugged" I let out a small giggle that Ashley caught onto.

"Whats so funny?" She asked with a concerned look.

"N-Nothing" I said as I tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"Okay...I'll go get your dad and Peter" She said as she started walking towards the door.

"A-Ashley?" I asked making her stop just outside the door. "Th-Thanks for staying...here...with me"

Ashley gave me her warm smile. "No problem, Annabelle" she then turned to walk out the door but not before she ran into somebody.

Peter. Who stood there with a shocked look on his face as she ran into my step-mom.

"Oh, sorry Mrs. Jamison. I just came to check on Annabelle"

"No problem, Peter. As a matter of fact," Ashley backed up and showed me who was wide awake. "Annabelle just woke up," she then turned and looked at me. "I'll just go downstairs and let your father know. We'll be back up in a bit"

She then walked around Peter and diapered down the hall.

I then looked up at Peter who was still standing by the door. Leaning against the frame, looking at me. He started at me with sorrow in his eyes. I broke the silence.

"Ar-Are you gonna come in?" I asked as I gestured towards the empty chair beside me.

Peter slowly walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He then slowly turned to me and walked up to my bed. Before sitting down in his chair, he leaned in and kissed my forehead as hard as he could as he wrapped him right hand around my head. His fingers wrapped around my brown hair. His tears started hitting my forehead and strolling down my face as the sobs started coming out.

He then fell into his chair beside me and grabbed onto my hand as he started sobbing violently and crying into my hand. It pained me so bad to see this.

"An-Annabelle, I'm so sorry," he started saying through the sobs. "I-I never meant for this to happen to you"

"No, Peter," I started saying to him as I took my free hand and started patting his head. "It wasn't you. It was Cross and Connors. You had nothing to do with it"

"Don't say that. Don't you dare say that," he said, now glaring at me. "They only took you cause they knew I loved you"

"No," I snapped back at him. "They took me because my mom took their falsely drug and she died!"

There was a pause.

"Then why was Noah there?"

I started at him back in shock. I'd forgotten all about Noah. It made my heart break as I started to remember that night, making the tears drip down my face.

"No-Noah only did it for me. So...He and I could be together," I then grabbed onto his hand that was holding onto my other hand. "Pete...what happened to Noah? Is-Is he actually dead?"

Peter looked at me, blankly, for a couple seconds before he started rubbing my hand with his thumb and slowly nodded. "His folks are already in. Trying to make preparations," I stayed silent. "Your dad told them everything and...his parents wanna see you"

I slowly nodded. "Okay. Will-Will you go with me? To the funeral, I mean?"

Peter gave me a slow nod. "For sure," I nodded back at him and then sank back into my pillow. "But," I turned my head back at him. "After that, we-we can't see each other anymore"

I looked at him with confusion.

"What? What do you mean, 'We can't see each other?"

Peter then started squeezing my hand.

"Annabelle...I put you in danger...because of who I am," Oh no, he was pulling this crap on me. "And I don't want you involved with it...again. I made a promise to Gwen's dad I wouldn't do it to her and that's why we broke up. I'm now making this promise to you. I will not see you get hurt again"

"Peter," I smiled at him. "I'll be fine"

"But what if next time you die? I can't go through that again. You know how hard it was to watch your parents cry while you were almost died a few night ago. It pained me to see it. I can't...I can't do that" He then buried his face into the bed.

"Peter," I said as I tilted his head up. "You can't do this to me. I love you to much to even be away from you for a second. This...job...had its ups and downs from the moment you put on that suite...but...we'll just learn how to live through it. We'll play it safe now. I promise"

Peter gave me a smile and then lifted up his hand to caress my cheek.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he whispered to me.

"More then anything" I smiled back at him.

Peter then pushed himself out of his chair and stood up to lean in and give me a kiss.

"I promise to keep you safe" He said as he put his forehead up against mine. I smiled back at him.

"You better keep that promise, Spidey" I said as I leaned in again and kissed him and we stayed alone like that in those peaceful couple minutes.