Gwen nursed the cup of coffee in her hand, she breathed deeply as she inhaled the steam and gently placed the tip of the cup to her lips, absorbing the hot liquid as her eyes trained on Mary Jane beside her, holding her own cup of coffee and sharing stories of her theatre work.
How does she do it? Gwen thought.
How can she be so dapper, so cheerful?
A smile as bright as the sun.
Gwen hadn't smiled like that since Peter died.
Maybe she ought to remedy that.
"So how was your day? I think I've said enough about myself, you're the star attraction today Ms. Stacy, hose me down with all the soap in your opera"
"Don't you mean 'feel free to spill the tea?'" asked Gwen jokingly.
"I'm a dramatist Gwen, besides the tea ought to go one way right now...I didn't pour it just so you could stain the floor" Mary Jane replied.
Gwen meekly chuckled, Mary Jane caught on quick. Ms. Stacy was not only enjoying her company, she was as determined as she was not to let this afternoon together be marred by misery.
Today would be a celebration of their friendship, and their love for one very special man.
Feeling comfortable, Gwen sat back in the chair, and reminisced
"It's been a difficult few days" Gwen admitted, "Losing Peter was just like losing my father, I went through the same motions. I didn't pause, I retreated more into myself, I found someone to blame, I got angry, I bore a grudge, but in the end something about the two of them, that gentler, kinder side, spoke to me at my lowest point, urging me to listen. I'm glad I did, I could have sullied their memories as a monster, but instead I honoured the men that they were"
"Glad to hear it, if only you'd gotten through to Harry too" Mary Jane added, "I should have been there for you both, I just hid in my roles at the theatre, playing all kinds of parts, but never trusting myself to be the part you all needed at the time. Tiger wouldn't have approved, it's probably the reason he chose you over me. I'm too flighty, too undependable"
Unwilling to see her friends spirits dwindle, Gwen stepped up.
"Never say that. Peter and I have always thought the world of you, your ability to take a bull by the horns in life and ride it all the way out of the gate, there was a strength in you that I know Peter admired. When Harry spiralled, he didn't ask me for my opinion, he asked for yours. I think that's when I knew our days of innocence were numbered"
"What are you saying?" Mary Jane asked.
"When the Goblin kidnapped me, I was in such a conflicted state of emotion, I wasn't just thinking about Harry, I was processing where Peter and I were heading. I saw a wanderer in him, drifting on occasion, preoccupied with so many things, things he wasn't telling me. Things I'm sure my father knew, there were constant secrets, and I was never as patient with Peter as I was with my father. I began to wonder how long we could hold on to what kept us together, and if we couldn't, would all of us just fall apart?"
"No use fretting about what might have been when the worst has come to pass Gwen, Tiger's gone and Harry? He's in need of a different sort of drug, the remedial kind. One that heals, that's love Gwen, your love, my love, we need to find him and remind him everything Peter sacrificed for is right here in this room"
"You don't understand, Harry blames me for what happened to his father, that I set him up and forced him to kill Mr. Osborn. If he were in the same place as me, it'd be curtains for the room"
"Good thing I never liked the drapes" MJ remarked.
Mary Jane took a gentle sip of her coffee, placed it on the edge of her seat, walked over to Gwen and gave her a tight hug.
"I knew, you know" she said.
"Pardon?" Gwen asked.
"I knew Peter was Spider-Man, I've known since his uncle was killed" she admitted.
Gwen's eyes swelled up, she needn't have kept this knowledge a secret, she now knew someone who'd known longer. A perspective untainted by misunderstanding. A trusted friend, she could feel safe.
"Why didn't you tell me? Tell anyone? Knowing he compromised everything ,jeopardised our relationships"
"Hey, are you happy or angry about all this?" MJ observed as she read Gwen's facial demeanour-.
Gwen took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes as she sought to bring her emotional state to order, again amazed at how in control and approvable MJ was.
"I suppose if I must be selfish about this, I'm relieved" Gwen revealed.
With relief came laughter, as Gwen realized something else.
"He tried to confess once before remember, right in front of you, me, Flash, my father...I didn't take it too well, but you? You cut deep with some catty remarks, trying to bring a sense of wry wit to an overly tense situation"
"Just my way of bringing everyone down to Earth. Pete could act just as crazy as you sometimes, just as selfish, thinking the world revolved around whatever he was doing without a shred of consideration for how it affected people involved with him. I loved him, but even friends need to keep their own in check, otherwise it isn't a party worth inviting anyone over for"
"You tell me what I need to hear, even when I didn't want it, your view on Peter is so grounded, he's on no pedestal where you're concerned Ms. Watson, is it any wonder why I became convinced he'd choose you over me?"
"Guess we'll never know, but I'll tell you one thing Ms. Stacy, unless you gave me written permission, I'd have never come between you and Peter" Mary Jane assured her friend.
Gwen and MJ gave each other another tender and endearing hug.
"Now, how do we best go about bringing Harry home?" MJ asked.
"Before we start, there's something else I have to confess..." Gwen began, intending to reveal her intentions to take over Peter's mantle as the wall crawler.
"Let me guess, Peter left you with a cub in the oven ?" MJ asked.
Gwen smiled, clasping her waist.
"No, but it does concern Peter's legacy, and what we can do with it"
"You want me to keep my Tiger burning bright?" MJ replied enthusiastically.
"You have my written permission" said Gwen, and laid out to her friend, now confidante, exactly what she intended.