A couple of weeks later, Peter had just started closing down the lab for the night, when there was an unexpected knock at the door. He went over and opened it, surprised to find that it was Flash and his mom.

"Hey," he said, his body frozen as he was unsure of how to react.

"I'm sorry about this little surprise," Flash said. "But I decided to go out today, and I ran into one of your old Bugle coworkers who told me about this place. Is it okay if we come in?"

"Oh, uh... yeah, sure," Peter finally conceded, opening the door. "I was just closing up shop for the evening, actually."

He then proceeded to give them a quick tour, sharing a few details regarding what some of the equipment was used for, hoping that would be enough.

"So, what are you working on in here?" Mrs. Thompson asked at one point. Peter didn't answer right away, uncertain of how much to share. His brain couldn't come up with anything better though, and he decided there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"I'm actually working on something to combat paralysis."

Flash and his mom both looked stunned.

"Really?" Flash said.

"Yeah," Peter affirmed. "I didn't want to tell you right away, because I didn't want to get your hopes up and then have things not work out. I have some pretty good ideas, but I'm still in the research phase. I'm still a long way off from any significant testing."

"So... you were doing this for me?" Flash questioned, seemingly taken aback by this news.

Peter nodded.

"Knowing someone that deals with everything you're going through right now... it gave me a motivation to try and find an answer, a cure, if you will," he explained. "I'm hoping that my work could help you and millions of others be able to walk again and do things they never thought they'd be able to do."

Mrs. Thompson looked as though she was about to cry, but Flash still looked like he was processing all of this.

"Wow," he said. "I can't believe this. You're really trying to help me walk again?"

Peter then moved over towards the front of his desk, with the Thompsons moving over as well. He gestured towards the picture of him and Flash together.

"I put this on here to remind me why I'm doing this on the days when things get hard or I'm not getting what I need," he explained.

Flash's expression shifted, and he quickly wiped his eyes.

"Thank you, man," he said. "Even just knowing that you're trying... it means more than I can express."

Peter nodded, and he could feel the smile coming over his face.

"Also, you must have felt like the luckiest man in the world on your wedding day, if that picture of you and your wife is any indication," his friend then said, gesturing towards the picture of him and M.J. If Peter knew his friend, he was likely doing this just to get off the subject before he got too emotional in front of them.

"Yep, then and every day since then," he affirmed. The three of them then continued chatting some more before the Thompsons prepared to take their leave. Before they did, however, Mrs. Thompson turned and gave Peter a hug.

"Thank you so much for what you're doing here," she said, wiping away tears from her eyes. Peter could tell she was speaking for both her and her son.

"You're welcome," he said. "Right now, I'm just hoping that I can keep this place open long enough to do anything significant."

"Why do you say that?" Mrs. Thompson questioned.

"Mary Jane was the one who introduced me to a lot of the connections that helped provide the means to get this place up and running," Peter explained. "But after everything with the other owner of the store and her brother, the stores have lost a lot of support, and so did I by association, I guess."

"Well, we'll certainly do what we can," Mrs. Thompson assured him. "I'll talk to some people; I'm sure we can generate some interest in your work."

"I would appreciate that," Peter conceded. Normally, he wouldn't be so readily accepting of such generosity, but knowing the personal investment they had in the matter already, it felt appropriate.

"Well, I guess we better let you close up shop," the woman said.

"Actually, mom, can you give Peter and I a minute please?" Flash asked. The woman obliged, and she stepped outside, leaving just Peter and Flash there.

"Look man, I just want to say thanks," Flash said. "Not just for this, but for everything. Ever since... ever since I tried to end it, you've been there for me every step of the way. I still have some bad days, but you've helped remind me that life is worth living. No matter what happens with all this, I just want you to know that you've already changed my life, and I'll always be grateful."

"I'm just glad I could help," Peter said. The two men then shook hands before Flash departed.

Stepping up to the door, M.J. reached up and gave a few knocks. It took a few moments, but eventually, her sister answered, opening the door for her to step in.

"Thanks for agreeing to see me," she said.

"Of course," Gayle replied. "What's going on?"

M.J. hesitated, tapping the manilla envelope with her fingers.

"Gayle... you've been a huge help to me ever since Liz left, and I wanted to say thank you."

"Of course," her sister assured her. "Have you spoke to her recently?"

"We've talked," M.J. replied. "She's... adjusting, but it sounds like she's doing a little better."

"That's good," Gayle said.

M.J. nodded, again hesitating a bit before continuing.

"The first few days after she told me she was leaving, I kept thinking that it would only be temporary," she explained. "I thought that she would see her family, things would get better, and she'd be back before I knew it. But the last few days... I've finally come to accept that that isn't going to happen. When I did, I realized that I needed to be thinking about someone to potentially replace her... and the person that I kept coming back to was you, Gayle."

Her sister's eyes widened in shock.

"Me?" she questioned. "Why me?"

"You're smart, you pick up on things quickly, you're good with numbers... but more than that, I need someone that I can trust to do this job," Mary Jane explained. "Someone that understands where my vision for this place comes from. You knew how much mom meant to me, because she meant the same to you."

"Mary Jane," Gayle said hesitantly, "I don't know about this. I mean, being the CFO in this, being one of the main ones that everyone else on site looks to? I don't know if I'm ready for something like that."

"I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't think you were," Mary Jane explained.

"But what about the kids?" Gayle questioned. "I'm going to have to figure out a sitter situation for them more often now."

"I'll help you figure that out," Mary Jane assured her sister. "Look, Gayle, I'm sure if I really wanted to, I could find someone else who would do the job well... but I don't want anyone else. I want this to be our thing now, our vision. I know we're still kind of rebuilding our customer base after everything that's happened, but I think the two of us working together have an opportunity here. Let's build something together, sis; let's honor mom's memory, her passion for life and helping other people and making them happy by doing exactly that. What do you say?"

Gayle let out a sigh, glancing down at the envelope M.J. was holding out to her.

"Oh, why not?" she said, taking the envelope.

The two women then embraced in a sisterly hug.

Matt & Karen laughed together as they continued their stroll down the block towards the latter's apartment building.

"This has been really nice," she said.

"It has," Matt concurred. "I don't think I even realized how much I missed this, missed us, until our first date...er, second first date, I guess."

This produced a chuckle out of Karen as they came to the steps of her building.

"I guess Foggy really did know what he was talking about when he said we were good together," Matt said.

"Ooh, does that mean there is a proposal in the near future?" Karen questioned teasingly, producing a nervous chuckle out of Matt.

"One step at a time," he replied. "I just know that I want to get it right with you this time. I need to be sure that I'm going to be able to be the man I need to be for you, a man who's going to make you better, just as you make me better."

"You're already there, Matt," Karen assured him. "You just don't know it yet."

"I appreciate your confidence," Matt said. "With any luck, maybe it will rub off on me someday."

There was a pause between the two of them, and Matt could feel her leaning in, drawing him to do the same. Their lips met in a deep, powerful kiss that ended all too soon, as they always did with her.

"You uh... you want to come inside for a little bit?" she questioned. "You know, before you have to go prowl the night?"

"I would love to," he said.

"But..." Karen said.

"But I promised Peter that I'd meet him," Matt explained.

"Oh, right," Karen said, apparently realizing she'd forgotten. "Tell him hello for me."

"I will," Matt replied. "Goodnight Karen."

"Goodnight, Matt."

Peter observed as the horned figure came into view, landing on a higher perch right in front of him.

"Wow, it's rare that I'm the early one to... well, anything," he quipped. "What's the latest?"

"By all accounts, it sounds like we really were able to get to Tombstone's new drug operation before it even really got going, so let's take that as a rare win," Matt explained. "Some of the other crime families are likely to try and make some moves to seize power soon though, now that there's a vacuum on the underworld."

"We'll be ready," Peter assured him, "especially now that both of us are back in the picture again."

"Yeah," Matt said. "Listen, Peter, I just wanted to say thank you again, not just for what you said to me that day, but for everything. You helped me remind me that there is good that comes from what we do, even in tragedy. I just hope I can do the same for you right now."

"Yeah," Peter replied, recognizing what Matt was referring to. "Robbie believed in me, in what both of us do, and I see no better way than to honor him than for us to carry on."

"Indeed," Matt concurred. "Have you been by his grave since the day of the funeral?"

"I went over there yesterday, actually," Peter explained.

"How was it?" Matt asked.

Peter let out a breath.

"Good. Hard, but good."

"Well, just know that, no matter what comes next out there, you have a partner again in your war on crime in this city," Matt explained.

"And so do you," Peter agreed. Matt then offered his hand for Peter to shake, which he promptly accepted. "Also, how are things going with Karen?"

"Good," Matt said. "Really good. Knowing how things tend to be, it's hard not to wait for something to go wrong. Maybe I can get to your level one day and actually work up the courage to propose."

"Trust me, I still wait for things to go wrong all the time," Peter assured the man. "You're not alone in that. I guess it's just something that never goes away for guys like you and me."

"Maybe so," Matt concurred. "I guess all we can do is just try to not live in fear as best we can."

"Well, you should know what that's like, given the nickname people have given you over the years," Peter teased.

"Yeah," Matt replied with a chuckle. "I guess so."

"Well, how about a little patrol together?" Peter questioned. "Maybe hit up the known trouble spots in the area?"

"Lead the way," Matt replied. Peter then did exactly that, as the two men swung off on their respective lines and out into the night.

The next day, Peter and Mary Jane got an early start packing up their belongings. With the recent financial struggles with the store and Peter's subsequent relying on more of the city's money through grants to keep the lab open, the Parkers had realized that it was time to downsize a little bit. They'd managed to get a place still in the heart of the city, though much smaller than they'd grown used to in the year since they'd been married.

It was a long day of packing, transporting stuff and then unpacking, but eventually, they were able to get everything to their new place and at least unload enough where the remainder of the process wouldn't be so overwhelming in the coming days. Still, M.J. and Peter collapsed into each other's arms in the center of the living room, embracing one another after the long day.

"Well, it's a start," M.J. said. "The place has potential though. I think we'll make a home out of it yet."

"Me too," Peter said. "But right now, there's something else I'd rather do."

"Yeah, what's that?" Mary Jane questioned.

Peter then took out his phone and began playing some romantic music he'd found the other day, setting it on the counter as he came back, placing his hands on his wife's hips. She threw her arms over his shoulders, and soon, the two were swaying gently to the music. They remained this way for several minutes, both of them seemingly content to soak in the moment. Eventually, Peter would be the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry for how we've had to spend today; it's not exactly what I had in mind for our first anniversary."

"It's okay," M.J. said, offering him a gentle, if somber smile. "This is all I need."

The couple then leaned in, planting a deep, long kiss on each other's lips. When they separated, M.J. rested her head on Peter's shoulder, the man gently resting in his chin along his wife's head as the two continued dancing slowly to the music.

"We're going to be okay, right?" she suddenly asked at one point. "Like, we're going to rebound from everything that's happened?"

"I hope so," he said. "We'll answer that question one day at a time though. For tonight, let's just focus on what we do have: each other."

"I'd like that," his wife replied as they continued dancing.

Though their lives were currently filled to the brim with uncertainty, one thing was certain to Peter: as long as he had Mary Jane in his life, in the end, somehow, it would all be okay.

Well, another one complete! As always, thank you all so much for your support, especially comments. Your feedback in appreciated, and know that I don't take for granted your readership. Seriously, thank you all.

Now, regarding the future... frankly, I don't know when I'll tackle another multi-chapter story in this series or any other one right away. My wife and I are expecting our second child in 8 days, so my focus will be there primarily. Once things settle down and I know I'll at least be likely to continue at a solid pace, I'll get at it again.

I will also add that I'm not sure if the next story in this series is what I will tackle next or not. I have some thoughts in my head for my own original Spider-Man universe story, plus I may or may not have an idea for a story set in the Playstation universe once the game comes out. We'll see; I will say that I my intent for this series, whenever I get to it, is to have 2 more stories, and I am excited to share those with you all at some point.

Again, thank you all so much, and please, let me know what you thought of the conclusion!

Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay." Matthew 28:6