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All Spider-Man and all its related characters belongs to Marvel Entertainment, which is owned by Walt Disney Company, and the Sam Raimi Original Trilogy belongs to Sony Pictures Entertainment. No infringement of these copyrights are intended, and not authorized by copyright holders.

Mary Jane was restlessly trembling back and forth in her own bed as she kept hearing Peter's words echoing repeatedly into her ears, as if they were haunting her for how her choices had a horrible after-effect on Peter before he eventually threw out his suit.

Please... stop

"... It took me away from any time I wanted to spend with you..."

No, stop it...

"... This city just doesn't need me..."

Stop it!

"... I'm Spider-Man... No More."

"STOOOOOOP!" MJ jumped her head up tensely from her pillow, with a loud outburst from the top of her lungs, no longer able to bare hearing those words repeated in her own thoughts.

MJ started to feel like she was sweating from her internal panic. She clasped her head with her hands with a heavy sigh, trying to shake the guilt that was plaguing her about Peter feeling his low ever since she hung up her suit.

With a few deep breaths, the redhead got up from her bed and stepped towards her wardrobe that was by the corner of her apartment.

Now standing in front of it, after taking a few little deep breaths, she opened its doors and looked down, seeing a suitcase that had been collecting dust since she last touched it.

Kneeling down, MJ removed the locks and lifted the suitcase cover, revealing her red-and-white costume that's been laying to rest inside for more than half a year now. She then reached out both her hands out, feeling the soft silkiness of the fabric as she lifted it up from its hell, its dark silver spider-logo literally staring straight at her green eyes.

Before, all MJ wanted was just be away from the crime-fighting, because it took a major toll on her personal life and her acting career, not to mention the support needed for her very sick mother.

But seeing how her choice also had a negative effect on Peter in the process, was it worth bringing someone she loved down for it? To make the city lose its only savior? To make someone feel more lost with himself, just for her own selfishness?

She just didn't know what to do. But it doesn't mean she had to make it unfair to him either.

Knowing these conflicting thoughts just won't leave her alone and seeing that the sun just about to appear in the distance from outside her apartment window, MJ just got up from her knees and looked through her wardrobe for something casual to wear.

Maybe a little distraction from a friend she was planning to do shoe-shopping with in the afternoon could help.

At the Parker House in Forest Hill, Queens, Peter and Aunt May were sitting at the living room table and drinking supper together, despite the former already moved out a few years ago, as this day was also the second anniversary of the late Ben Parker's death.

When his aunt came from the kitchen and poured their tea, Peter noticed how down she looked. "Aunt May. You don't have to punish yourself," He tried to ease her.

"Oh, I know I shouldn't," Aunt May said. "It's just that you wanted to take the subway, and he wanted to drive you. If only I had stopped him..." After finishing pouring the tea for her nephew and herself, she sat down on her chair. "... We'd all three of us be having tea together."

After long moments of silence, no longer wanting to bare the reality of his Aunt putting more blame herself for something that's not even her fault to begin with, Peter took a deep breath before pulling together the courage to utter what he should've told her a long time ago.

"I'm responsible."

Aunt May raised her eyebrows, suddenly confused by her nephew's choice of peculiar words. "For what?" She wondered.

"For what happened to Uncle Ben."

"But... but you were at the library. And you were doing your homework," Aunt May presumed, despite still not understanding what Peter was trying to say.

"He drove me to the library, but I never went in," Peter admitted.

Aunt May's confused expression then turned to a frown of disbelief. "What do you mean?

"I went someplace else. Someplace where I thought I could win some money... to buy a car, because I wanted to impress Mary Jane," Peter said tearfully, trying to sallow the lump in his throat as he confessed to her. "It happened so fast. I won the money, but the guy wouldn't pay me. Then he got robbed. The thief... was running towards me. I could've stopped him, but I wanted... revenge. I let him go. I let him get away."

After an exhale of guilt escaped from his breath, Peter continued. "He wanted a car. He tried to take Uncle Ben's. Uncle Ben said no... and then he shot him. Uncle Ben was killed that night... for being the only one who did the right thing. And I... I held his hand... when he died."

Aunt May almost looked in horror when Peter confessed the whole circumstances of how her Ben's died this whole time.

Peter tried to reach out to her with his hand, hoping she could understand why he had been keeping the truth from her. "I've tried to tell you so many times, but... "

No longer able to bare hearing it any longer, Aunt May just stood up from her chair and slowly turned her way to the stairs, walking to her room.

After hearing the loud thud from the bedroom door closing, Peter was left alone, now feeling more guilty for, what he terribly assumed, hurting Aunt May more with his two-year-long confession.

Later that day, Mary Jane was inside a shoe shop with her friend and co-cast, Louise Wood, as they were browsing the selections together while in the middle of their usual friendly chats about what's been going on during their lives.

"... Really, your sister actually accepted his proposal? Just like that?" Louise said, shocked by what she was told about what happened at the Planetarium few nights ago.

"Yeah," MJ nodded. "Even I was surprised to see her ready to make such a big leap."

"Wow... had I known she would, I wouldn't have left too early," Louise complained at herself for bailing out on the Planetarium just before the real action started.

MJ chuckled at Louise's antics. "Yeah, maybe you should've."

"Well, my biggest congrats to your sister," Louise gave her gratitude. Then, another thought occurred to her. "And what about you?" She asked fondly and curiously. "How are you and, uh... what's your boyfriend's name?"

MJ smiled at the mentioned of the boy she loved. "Peter."

"That's right, Peter," Louise bumped herself on the head for somehow not remembering such a simple name. "How you two been going along?"

"Oh, good, we've been doing good," MJ said. "Actually, we had been hanging out a lot, lately. He even got a chance to see our play last night."

"Really?" Louise was surprised by that fact, considering, to her knowledge, this was the first time she heard of her co-star's boyfriend attended their play. "MJ, I gotta asked: Does this guy really love you? What makes this guy so much special you're willing to wait till now for him to show up to our play?"

"Of course, Peter does love me," MJ then paused as she let out a deep breath, feeling the need to reveal more of herself. "Did I mention what I used to be like back in High School?"

After seeing Louise shook her head, MJ started. "Back then, I kinda groomed myself to be some beautiful queen boys would flaunt over and girls would be jealous of, because I don't want them to know about my own shame of who I am or what my family been through. And I forced myself put up with it for a while.

"Even after my... " The redhead gulped at the thought of her next word, as if it left a souring taste in her mouth. "... Father… abandoned me and my family, I still hide behind this 'mask' I made up, just for my own self-worth."

MJ then paused when she let out a little smile at an inside joke she made about her alter ego. "But with Peter... I don't know what it was, but when I looked into his eyes, like something about him always gives me this feeling of, like, so amazing in ways you just couldn't even begin to describe in words. And the way he stared at me... it's almost like he could see through that mask and only see the person I truly am inside, and I don't have to feel any shame for it.

"That's why I loved him very much. And I will always wait till the End of the Earth to be with him, and nothing would change any of that for me."

As Mary Jane finished her heartfelt words about the boy she loved, she started to feel her cheeks blushed from a little embarrassment for how she spoken in front of her co-star. "I know all that may sound like it was from some corny love story -"

Louise cut her off as she shook her head. "No, no, no, that actually sounds like a beautiful love story," She said, amazed by the way the redhead described this kind of love her boyfriend would have for her. "I'm happy that you actually found such a wonderful person for you."

After Louise expressed her thoughts about the boy her co-star loved, she continued. "So, how's he been doing now?"

MJ's happy look turned to an upset one when the thought of Peter's personal life situation just came up. "Now... now, I think he's going through a problem right now."

Louise's excited expressions suddenly turned to a worried one. "What kind of problem?"

"Even long before we became a couple, there were times where he thinks too low of himself, because he was always being made fun of by our classmates when we were still in high school."

"Oh," Louise said in a sympathetic voice. "It must've been horrible being treated like that almost most of your life."

"It doesn't help even that I used to date the very bully that takes enjoyment in making his life miserable. Sure, I could've easily say that it was my father that forced me put up with it, but that doesn't excuse the fact I should've at least try to help make Peter's life a little better."

MJ continued in a regretful tone. "And now, ever since I landed my role in our play, I couldn't help but feel like I've been neglecting Peter, leaving him to carry his own issues without anyone there to help him with the load. Does that make me a bad girlfriend?"

Louise shook her head. "No, no, not at all," She reassured her co-star. "If anything, by the way you described your love to Peter, you two brought out the best in one another, that's what makes love so eternal. And something tells me, after how much he made you happy, I think this is your chance to do the same for him."

Without a reply back, Mary Jane looked off into the store window as she was self-contemplating over her co-star's thoughtful words.

After much needed self-contemplation, with a look of determination and acceptance slowly appearing on her face, Mary Jane Watson ultimately came to a decision.

It's really time for 'her' to return.

Taking a late afternoon stroll on the lonely streets of Manhattan, Peter was still loathing to himself as he wasn't over the fact he gave his terrible two-year confession to Aunt May earlier.

When Aunt May undeservingly blamed herself for his Uncle Ben's death, he couldn't bear to see her going through the pain she pinned herself in, so he thought maybe he revealed the truth, it could at least to give her closure, to relieve the tensions he was carrying on her shoulders.

But instead, the way Aunt May stared at him with a horrified look on her face, Peter realized how much it backfired and probably hurt her deeply, making him feel like he done something selfish to make himself feel better.

Peter just wished he could take it all back and let the truth be buried with him.

Suddenly breaking out of his train of thought, Peter just heard a loud commotion taken place nearby an alleyway he was about to walk past by.

"Come on, man. Get the money!"

When he looked deeper into it, Peter just witnessed two tall thugs towering over a small innocent guy, beating him down mercilessly to no end until they gotten what they wanted out of him. Even when the poor victim tried to escape, he just got pulled right back in, almost like an endless cycle of abuse till they were done with him.

"Come on, come on!"

Although he knew it's horrible for such distasteful action being inflicted upon the poor guy, Peter tried to ignore it and move on with his day.

After all, what could he even do about it? Peter doesn't have his powers anymore, he reminded himself again; he'd probably do more harm than good if he tried to help him.

"MAKE THEM STOP!'

Then, the instant he heard that desperate cry from the poor man, Peter's body froze before he could take another step away, a harsh reminder of that fateful night, a reminder of his first greatest mistake of his life.

Flashback to the Night Peter let that Thief go

A loud smack was heard before the thief ran out of the promoter's office and made a break for the elevator that just opened its doors behind Peter.

"Hey! He stole the gate!" The promoter shouted.

A security guard, appearing from around the corner when he heard the commotion, ran after the fleeing thief. "Stop that guy!"

Peter, with a petty look on his face, stepped away from the thief's path, allowing him to escape to the elevator unscathed.

"Stop him! He's got my money!" The promoter shouted again

"Thanks," The thief gave his appreciation to Peter as the elevator doors were closing on his face.

End of Flashback

Peter tried to fight the inner conflict that's telling him to go back. But if he left the poor guy at their mercy, how could he even look at himself in the mirror without feeling ashamed for his irresponsibility... again?

"HELP!"

As if a stone brick was dropped hard on his head, that scream hit Peter with another brutal reminder.

Flashback to the Night Uncle Ben Died

After Uncle Ben was dragged out from his car and was violently being thrown on the concrete floor of the street, then, a loud bang of a pistol being fired was heard, making him wincing in shock to the inflicted gun wound close to his chest.

End of Flashback

Not able to bare to endure that kind of reality again, Peter, as he closed his fists fiercely with a painful look on his face, turned back and confronted them. "HEY!" He yelled at them.

The two thugs stopped what they were doing and turned to see Peter approaching them. "Just butt outta here, kid. This has nothing to do with you," One of the thugs warned.

"He wants nothing to do with you punks, so why not you leave him alone?" Peter tried to convince the thugs.

After they gave each other a quick look, the thugs chucked the poor man to the side, who just took the opportunity to run away from the scene, and menacingly confronted Peter.

"You think being some kind of hero makes you some kind of big man, huh?" The thug shot back.

"Maybe you need to learn a few lessons," His buddy said, as he was cracking his knuckles.

Peter realized he got himself caught in a bad situation. There's a great chance he probably wouldn't be able to stand up to these thugs without his powers, so Peter decided to do what he thought would be the bravest, or maybe the most stupidest move he ever made, since he first web-swinging towards that one billboard.

In one quick motion with a loud yell, he tried throwing himself forward, using his own body as a charging ram, but ended up being a futile effort when all that action did was just hug him aggressively in a humiliating fashion.

Scoffing at the guy that just embarrassingly tackled him, the thug just high-knee kicked him in the stomach, making Peter grunt in reaction as he face-planted on the disgusting floor of the alleyway, knocking his glasses out of his face and on to the side.

Seeing this brave, yet stupid guy as the next person to terrorize after the last one bailed, the two thugs got him back up and threw him against the walls, already beating down him with no signs of remorse.

Just when he thought there's no chance of fighting back, as the thugs were continuously brutalizing him for God knows how long, a familiar elastic splatter and manly screams were heard before the sounds of punches followed after.

When Peter realized the thugs, for some reason, stopped beating him down, he slowly opened his eyes, though only with smudges of red and white in front of him, considering that he now no longer could see clearly without his glasses.

"Hello, Tiger."

That couldn't be. Peter thought in disbelief when he heard a familiar, feminine voice. Feeling someone in front of him offering his glasses to his hand, he carefully took them.

When Peter could finally see again with his glasses back on his face, he was gobsmacked the moment he saw the thugs being tied to the walls up high by recognizable webs almost completely covering their entire torso.

What caught him by surprise most of all, was seeing the long-absence Spinneret, who was in her red-and-white suit as her iconic red hair combed and wrapped around in a bun-style.

"Ma... Mary Jane?" He murmured, still in a state of shock.

A bright smile slightly appeared through Spinneret's mask. "Did you miss me?"

Words: 3050

A/N: Finally, she's back, folks; the Spectacular Spinneret returns in her full glory, and just in time for the love of her life's rescue.

Really hope this makes up for her lack of appearance as the heroine since the beginning of this 2nd parter, as she'll finally be more involved in the story from here on out, especially even more so when I eventually get to Spider-Man 3 (Unfortunately still not even close to half finishing, as I'm kinda lacking motivation lately, most likely taking another long hiatus again after Spider-Man 2 will be done till I feel it's good enough to be posted).

Anyway, any constructive criticisms and comments would be greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

Reviews:

spiderfanboi: Oh, it's about to get more juicy in time.

FandomLover2006: Hmmmmmmmm...

DCDGojira: Cheers for your kind words again, and best of luck with your projects.

TW: Thanks, man.