"And your father?", Ben asked as Jasmine sighed. "Murdered.", she said as everyone went quiet.
Jasmine knew what she needed to say... but she couldn't do that to the memory of her father, "Murdered by someone he thought he could trust. Did it for power and all, I'm sure you've heard of some stories of business heads either having someone putting a hit on them or something like that.".
"Oh, my goodness...y-you were there?", May whispered in horror, and Jasmine nodded somberly, "It was a family night...We were going to celebrate my 16th birthday party...I was upset when he came in, talking about important news of Father's business...He was Father's most trusted advisor for many years...Then came the gun... He held us hostage...screaming at my father to confess the code to Father's personal computer, the safe, everything...leering at me like a pervert...threatening to kill me to pressure Father to give up the codes...Father did, and yet he wasn't satisfied. He killed Father in front of me...Then things went so fast...He escaped before the cops arrived, along with the paramedics...He disappeared like smoke, no computer trail, only vague appearances and rumors, using illegal ways to get himself rich from Father's business...", not wanting to reveal the worst part...
"Christ...", Ben closed his eyes tight. And here he thought his close call was bad enough... for Jasmine, that was a thousand times worse.
"I'm... still recovering but I like to think that I at least have gathered enough strength to keep going. It's what my parents would want, I know that for a fact.", Jasmine said.
Peter caressed her hair gently, "And I'm proud of you too...After all, the girls and I are better than a psychologist, am I right?", and Jasmine smiled warmly, "Yes, you three are...".
"I'm so terribly sorry, Jasmine...That's a very brave thing to do, to keep going...Peter's right...Friends are a better healing ailment than a stranger...", May spoke firmly.
Jasmine nodded with a soft smile, "I know, and if it wasn't for the girls who talked so much about Peter, I wouldn't have met him...", and Gwen chuckled, "You practically know him after all the stories we talked about, and you were so curious about him...I like to think that we did the best thing ever in our lives, right, Jean?".
"Indeed. We thought Jasmine would want a reason to go out, and so, it's our fault for talking so much about Peter, and bam, you two became great friends, and then hence girlfriend and boyfriend.", Jean smiled brightly.
Ben smiled, "That quite sounds like a matchmaking blind date story.", and Peter blushed, "Uncle Ben!", and Ben laughed warmly before glancing at May, "So, shall I bring the cake out?".
May chuckled, "Yes, better than stuffing ourselves to not be able to eat some cake.", and Ben nodded, getting up and going to grab the cake, to light up the candles.
"Um...", Jasmine rubbed her arm. "I hope you don't mind me asking if we can make this a bit quick... I need to leave a bit early still.", Jasmine said. There still was some time, but Jasmine, and by extension, the others didn't want to push their luck in terms of how much time Jasmine had in her current form.
May replied, "Curfew time?", and Jasmine smiled lightly, "Something like that. I just don't like to go out in the dark by myself...Embarrassing, huh?".
"Oh, no, it's not embarrassing or stupid, Jasmine...After suffering and braving a tragedy, I don't blame you for going home before dark, but could you spare time to eat one slice?", May asked warmly.
Jasmine smiled, "I wouldn't dare miss singing the song and enjoying cake with Peter and all of you, and yes, a slice would be just right...Thank you, May.".
May smiled in understanding, and a couple of moments later, there was the sound of Ben singing while he brought in the cake, vibrant with candles awaiting to be lit, and everybody joined in, singing for Peter as he blushed wildly from the attention, smiling bashfully yet happily.
Once the singing stopped, the cake was moved towards Peter as Ben lit the candles. "Okay then, Peter, go ahead and make a wish.", May said as Peter blushed.
"Aunt May... don't think I'm a little too old to believe in that sort of thing.", Peter shook his head, while acting like he was being embarrassed. "Oh, come now, Peter, what's the harm in wishing?", May chuckled.
"Yeah, come on, birthday boy!", Gwen teased, and Jasmine kissed him on the cheek, "You heard her, and besides, you know she got a sweet tooth. Don't keep her waiting.", teasing Gwen along the way, hearing an "Oi!".
Peter chuckled, and closed his eyes, making a deep, personal, private wish, and Jean, being polite, didn't read him, knowing the rules of wishes, and then Peter took a deep breath, opening his eyes, and blew the candles out.
"Care to tell?", Gwen teased as Peter smirked. "No, I wouldn't want it not to come true.", he said as Gwen laughed, "Oh, now you believe them? Not ten seconds ago, you were dismissing them as bunk!".
Peter chuckled, "This is New York City. Anything can happen.", and all the girls smile, nodding in agreement, seeing the underlining under that comment, knowing of what happened at Oscorp and all.
Ben then started to cut the cake into slices, giving portions to everyone, and there was a bit of chatting as they enjoyed eating the cake, complimenting the great job of the bakery for the cake.
After Jasmine finished her only slice, she smiled, "I better get those plates to the kitchen and wash them up...", and May replied, "No, no, Jasmine, you don't have to do that. You're our guest here.".
"Please, I want to help a bit, and besides, it's the least I can do to thank you for welcoming me here.", Jasmine replied, and May chuckled, "You're a stubborn young lady, and so polite...Alright, then. I will help, and I will show you where to put those dishes away, deal?".
Jasmine smiled warmly, "Deal.", and they headed into the kitchen, with May going to wash Jasmine's plates and cups, after which she opened the cabinet for Jasmine to put the dishes away upon drying them.
"I'm really glad that you and Peter seem to be getting along so well.", May said. "Part of me was a bit curious why Peter seemed to have only been staying 'just friends' with Gwen and Jean. Sure, he's known Gwen for quite some time prior to high school, but...".
"I get what you're saying.", Jasmine chuckled. "I think the issue was just not many guys beforehand wanted to hang out with Peter. I don't know what high school was like from you, but according to Peter... it's cutthroat in terms of social hierarchies.".
May nodded, "Especially with that Thompson guy...I was worried about him when he started, but now he's so confident, and especially happy to have friends who relate to him, and then there was you...I'm relieved that Gwen and Jean convinced you to be socializing with them, and then Peter...".
Jasmine smiled with a nod, "They truly have become my best friends, and Peter, somehow I wouldn't imagine life without him or them...They always find a way to make my day brighter, you know?", as she dried the first dish after May handed it over.
May smiled, "That's wonderful to hear, Jasmine, and yes, that certainly makes sense. You are truly a remarkable young lady.", and Jasmine chuckled with a blush, "Thank you, May.", putting away the first dish, tiptoeing up on her toes as her long-sleeved shirt rode up.
May glanced over to see where Jasmine's skin was starting to be exposed thanks to her shirt riding up before seeing a fairly nasty looking scar on her skin. May's brain managed to just barely keep her from speaking out about it since the last thing she wanted to do was upset Jasmine or open any old wounds by discussing it.
That didn't stop her from having an expression of surprise, as Jasmine was about to grab the next dish from May, and saw the expression on her face, and she was confused for a moment before pinpointing it and glanced down, realizing, mistakenly, that May is having pity, and tears came, stuttering, "I-I'm sorry! I gotta go!", throwing the towel, and sprinted all but out of the kitchen, hearing May's call, "Wait, Jasmine, I didn't-", realizing that she did something awfully wrong by looking at her scar, wanting to say that she was sorry.
Peter heard May call after Jasmine, and looked over to see Jasmine sprinting, tears falling, sobs choking out, hugged him so tightly, and Peter rubbed her back, "Jasmine?".
"I gotta go...I...need time...Tell them for me...I can't say it...", Jasmine sobbed, and Jean can feel the emotions reeling off Jasmine, "Come, Jasmine, let's get you home...We will take care of her, Peter.".
Peter nodded, whispering softly to Jasmine, "I will tell them...I love you, Jasmine, don't forget that you are alone.", kissing her on the lips, and Jasmine choked out, "I believe you, Peter.", before going with Jean and Gwen, out the front door...
Peter then heard footsteps, and looked over to May who looked so devastated, "Peter, please believe me, I didn't want to drive her away, I swear!", as Ben went to comfort May.
"It's alright, Aunt May... she's just... emotional about that. Believe me, I was in the same position when I first saw it too. I almost thought for a minute I'd never see her again.", Peter told her. Obviously, it was a bit of a half-truth if indeed the scar was what she had seen and caused Jasmine to leave.
Ben replied, "What just happened back there, Mayflower?", comforting her, and May sighed, "I didn't mean to...We were doing just fine, washing dishes and talking, and I was surprised and shocked to see it...A scar...Her shirt was riding up when she was putting away the dish...".
Peter sighed heavily, "Did you pity her?", and May blinked, "What?! No, I didn't...", and Ben frowned, "Peter, you don't have to tell us if she doesn't want us to know...".
"She gave permission...She loves me even if she can't say it, I know it in my heart...She hates to be pitied ever since it happened...", Peter sat down deeply before looking at Ben and May, "You deserve to know...".
They realize that Peter is being serious, looking like a man instead of a teenage boy, and May whispered, "What happened?".
Peter sighed, "It was that night...When she said that things went fast after her father was shot, she wasn't wrong, but wrong at the same time, for it went tortuously slow for her...She...she was forced by him, throwing her to the ground, ripping away her clothes...She fought, screaming for help, but he shut her mouth...making her helpless...".
Horrified looks start to appear on Ben and May's faces, and Peter took a deep breath, and continued, "She kept fighting desperately, giving him a hard time, and just as he was getting close to...to r-rape her after he hit her and all, she had a last spurt of strength, and she inflicted a nasty scratch on his face...He was infuriated after that, and grabbed a knife, going to threaten her to surrender in submission or kill her either way, she assumed at first before he did the worst way possible for her...".
May and Ben were shocked to hear more, their faces becoming more horrified, and Peter closed his eyes with a deep sigh before he then opened them, finishing, "He cut into her, destroying the ovaries, and left her to bleed out, all while she was still conscious...The paramedics got her to the hospital in time, but it was too late...Both of the ovaries were all dead and unable to be salvageable...They had to be removed to save Jasmine from bleeding out further...Her womb was miraculously intact, but she will never be able to have children biologically which was one of her greatest dreams...".
If May or Ben truly thought more about that... they might have realized that it seemed somehow similar to Princess and her whole 'spaying'. Peter mentally slapped himself when he realized that, but thankfully, it seems neither of them were putting two and two together there. They both were still just horrified by the tale.
"Peter... I'm so sorry...", May whispered as Peter nodded, "It's alright, Aunt May... like I said, you obviously didn't expect to see that or know about it. She usually does a much better job at keeping it hidden but I guess, with all the layers of clothes one needs to wear with the weather out there... I guess it just loosened her shirt or something there.".
Ben whispered, "Jesus...That's why she said that she's recovering...", and Peter sighed, "Yeah...I suspect that the girls are comforting and reassuring her on the way home, that it isn't her fault for being helpless and all...".
Indeed, Jean had brought Jasmine back to her cat body, and Gwen is currently with her in the dreamworld while Jean is driving the car with Gwen's mortal body sleeping in the passenger seat, to keep up the ruse of driving Jasmine home.
Jasmine is back in her old clothes, crying and sobbing, not for the reason of being nearly defiled by Jafar, but because of her lost dream, like almost always in the past after lovemaking with Peter and other things.
Gwen held her, shushing her, kissing her on the cheek, "I'm here, Jazz...I'm not going anywhere, and the others will come soon, eventually...".
"I'm sorry... I just...", Jasmine shook her head as Gwen kissed her cheek again. "It's alright, just let it all out, no one could ever blame you for being emotional about this.", Gwen assured her.
Jasmine sobbed softly, "They must hate me for reacting like that...I embarrassed Peter...", and Gwen replied, "Nonsense, Jasmine. Peter loves you so much, and knowing Peter, he would have made sure that May and Ben got the facts, and they would never pity you...Hell, they would be shocked to know that you survived, but pitying, never! They adore you already, seeing that you make Peter happy...".
"It was one thing when I was a cat...and now...it felt like it was so real...I...I don't want to go to high school if they see me...like this...", Jasmine croaked out with tears, and Gwen shushed her, kissing her on the lips, "It's okay, Jazz...I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to go after the curse gets broken...one day...But you still have time, and Peter would understand if you wouldn't be at the prom...", having told Jasmine yesterday after the idea of the triple birthday love-making for Peter, about the plan of somehow having Jasmine's cat body in Jean's car in the school parking lot, and Jasmine would have a modern dress, to show up in the middle of the prom like a surprise for Peter, giving the second shock to the school that Peter is romantically interested in Jasmine, having a girlfriend.
The prom has been pre-planned now, and is set for late April, and Gwen and Jean are planning to shop for their dresses in Spring Break.
Nothing was said for a few moments as Gwen continued to embrace the lightly sobbing Jasmine. After a few moments, Jasmine slowly was calming down, "I just... I just wish that all this could be fixed... my curse, my injury...".
"Jazz... we'll find a way, I promise... somehow we will...", Gwen whispered. Jasmine cried as she looked at Gwen, "Five years, Gwen! I know Jean kept saying that the curse is slowly breaking into pieces because of you all, and Peter's love, and more, but I...I, it's so hard to see a miracle coming for me...".
Gwen sighed deeply, her heart breaking for Jasmine as always, realizing that it would be the sixth year of this curse once her supposed birthday comes, and yet she would never age until the curse is broken or something..."I blame myself, Jazz...if I had met Jean earlier like in middle school or something, I would have done something earlier for you, have gotten her to meet Peter sooner...", guilt filling her voice...
Jasmine was shocked to hear her say like that, and she looked at her with a fire in her eyes, "Gwen Stacy, listen to me, and listen good! It's not your fault, and honestly, you made Peter happy by being his first human friend as much as you knew back then, and I would never thank you enough for that...Wow, Papa was right...", realizing something at last, "We...we can't change the past, no matter how much we want to. What's done is done...".
Gwen was taken aback by the fierce tone of her voice, seeing not a young lady, but a princess, amazed to hear her talk like that, and she's glad that she fell in love with this Arabic beauty of sass and fierce determination...Hold on, fell in love?
She exhaled, sending her thought to Jean, praying that Jean's not mad...Gwen would always have Jean as her first love.