Commander 117: No, it doesn't cost anything to post a story on this site. Wanted to let you know, I started work on your story request, but it may take me a while. It won't be as long as this one, maybe somewhere around 8,000 to 15,000 words, I'm thinking? Just a couple of notes... I don't write stories above a T rating. My latest short story, "I Do", is as racy as I get, so you can check that for reference. I like your idea and will follow it as closely as possible, but please understand I may have to make a few minor changes. Check my profile for more details.

"How're you doing, Peter?" Carlie's voice was soft and tentative, as if she was afraid to speak to him. He glanced up from his corner desk at the Daily Bugle, where he had been sorting through photographs.

"I'm fine," he shrugged, attempting a smile. He certainly didn't feel like talking. His chest felt like it was on fire and every bone in his body ached. His muscles were practically screaming with agony. She had been right… every single one of his ribs was broken. Some in more than one place. It hurt to breathe… hurt terribly.

"I saw the news last night," Carlie added, lowering her voice even more. Slowly, she reached out and brushed her fingers gently against the side of his face where the skin had been torn and bruised.

"Yeah." Peter drew back from her touch. Partly from the pain and partly because he couldn't bear the thought of anyone touching him other than the girl he dreamed of. He could still feel the pressure of her lips on his cheek.

"I'm sorry again," Carlie murmured, lowering her head. He didn't answer. She leaned forward and dropped a newspaper on his desk, tapping it for emphasis. "There you are. The interview. It's on the second page… since Spider-Man's battle with the Lizard made the front. Let me know what you think. And… Peter… I really am sorry."

She left quickly, before he could even reply. He flipped past the cover page, scanning the columns until he found the headline.

EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH SPIDER-MAN. FANS' MOST PRESSING QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

oOo

Mary Jane didn't toss the newspaper aside this morning, like she had been doing all week. Instead she read carefully through the strange account of the Lizard, shuddering at the graphic description and assumptions of the monster's backstory. Turning to the second page at the story's end, she paused on the article of Carlie's interview with the masked hero. She read it carefully, imprinting each word into her mind. It all seemed so commonplace and vague… until she came to the final paragraph.

"Perhaps the most popular question fans ask about this mysterious hero of romance is if he has any love interest. "Is there a Spider-Woman?" citizens ask. Not meaning a heroine who can shoot webs and climb walls, but simply someone whom the hero loves. Spider-Man had little to say to this question, answering only that he's never really had someone that special in his life. But he hopes she's out there somewhere. The masked hero's life remains shrouded in mystery as he continues to amaze Manhattan. New Yorkers look forward to seeing the next exploits of the vigilante."

Mary Jane shuddered, an icy chill running through her body. Her eyes had grown wide, the newspaper slipped forgotten from nerveless fingers. She was remembering something… a voice echoing in her mind… words to match the evil yellow eyes that haunted her dreams.

"Have you ever wondered why? It's because yours is the rarest love of all."*

"The rarest love of all," Mary Jane repeated softly, her eyes filling with tears until the words in the diary open before her seemed to dance crazily over the page.

May 10, 2005

Does life even get better than this? I'm marrying the man of my dreams and now… I may be getting back on Broadway. I did an audition today. The director was irate when he learned why I was let go from Dreams of Manhattan. He said the entire problem was a sound system issue. That it wasn't my fault, but that the other director was an idiot. Peter emphatically agrees and I desperately hope so.

Oh, by the way, the play I auditioned for was, ironically, the Disney version of Cinderella, Broadway-ized. Cinderella is the first play I was ever in, in the first grade. The one during which Peter insists he "cried like a baby." It's not the most prestigious thing in the world, but neither was Dreams of Manhattan. I pray I get this part. It would be living my dream again to get back on Broadway! I'll find out if I got the part in the next couple of weeks.

Peter's been searching for some kind of a steady job lately, and I'm terribly afraid he won't be able to hold it. If I can keep acting, that'll give us a good income, and he can keep freelancing. His duties as Spider-Man take up so much of his time that he's been fired from every steady job he's ever had. Our finances will never be anything impressive, but I don't care. Honestly, I could have married a millionaire if I wanted to. Harry was a millionaire and so was John. Flash wasn't quite that rich, but nearly so. And I chose Peter over all of them, so money obviously doesn't matter that much. We've decided that we'll start out in my apartment, only we're moving to the top floor so nobody will see Peter going in and out of the window. Because he obviously will be. A lot. The top apartment has a tiny balcony with French doors, which is perfect. It also has a kitchen, a living room, a full bathroom, and a bedroom. Peter's apartment right now is pretty much just a bedroom. The bathroom is in the hall and shared with three other tenants. So this is our best bet. Not too expensive, so we can manage.

Aunt May was thrilled beyond words when we told her we were engaged. She was hugging us both at the same time and laughing and crying. She is so sweet, I love her more than almost anyone. Except Mom and Peter. And Mom was just as thrilled as Aunt May was. I think she always hoped I'd end up with Peter. Both of them did.

May 12, 2005

People have started sending in wedding gifts and my apartment is so full that I've turned half-mountain climber lately, just to get around. Peter and I have been working on getting that top floor apartment secured so we should be able to get everything settled soon.

Someone from the Daily Bugle sent us one of those enormous la-z-boy recliners. It's so huge that Peter and I can both sit in it at the same time. It's stuffed in a corner of my living room, next to a stack of kitchen appliances. We tried it out last night to watch tv and ignore the fact that we have major chaos going on all over the place. It's only temporary anyway. And it's just lovely of everyone to be sending us gifts. I can't believe there's so much! The only people we even know are those from the Daily Bugle and the different actors and actresses I've worked with. And some old friends from highschool. There's more here than I could ever have imagined. We won't need to be shopping for pretty much anything at all.

May 17, 2005

Peter came over tonight to pick me up for dinner. I was still getting ready, and when I came out of the bathroom, he was on the ceiling. Which isn't really anything new. But he knelt down on the ceiling, stuck a bouquet of flowers in my face and said "Prithee, fair maiden, wouldst thou accept this paltry token of my heartfelt and honest affection? Huh? Wouldst thou?"*

So… I kinda lost it… he was so ridiculously hilarious and adorable. He's strange… and wonderful.

June 2, 2005

I did it! I landed another role on Broadway! I'll be starting in a month and a half as Disney's famous Cinderella, blond wig and everything. And with a perfectly pompous and annoying Prince Charming. They should change his name. He isn't half as charming as Peter. But nevertheless, I'm absolutely thrilled. I can NOT wait to get back on the stage again.

We've decided to get married right away, before I start working steady. That way we can get a few days off for a honeymoon. Peter doesn't dare take more than a week. He's afraid to be gone for so long. We'll just be going up to Niagara Falls and spend some time in the state parks in the area. Get away from the city for a while. Nothing super fancy, but it will be enough. It will be perfect, actually, cause it doesn't really depend on where you are or what you're doing, but who you're with.

I've been packing everything up and sending it all up to the top floor. The apartment is beautiful, and I love it. The times Peter and I have spent there, unpacking and arranging and rearranging have been the most fun I've ever had. And his wall-crawling and spiderwebs have really come in handy with this moving business. Not to mention the fact that he can pick up anything with just one hand. We don't even need to get people to help us! I can't wait. I'm getting ready to start my perfect life. Because, like I said above, "perfect" all depends on the people in your life. And the people in my life are perfect.

We've set the date for June 12. I'll be wearing the wedding dress that I almost got married in last year. I know it sounds kind of crazy, wearing a wedding dress that I intended to marry someone else in, but it signifies more than that to me. It's what I was wearing when I decided to leave everything behind and go to Peter.

We've got the wedding rings too... We've decided to do silver. It's cheaper than gold and (this was my idea) it's the same color as the webbing on Spider-Man's suit. Peter's gotten the rings engraved on the inside, so nobody knows about it except us, (and the guy who engraved them, but he's got no clue, probably thinks we've got some weird obsession) with a web pattern and a tiny spider. A constant reminder. They're perfect... I love them!

We found a church on a hilltop for the service… because Peter said he always imagined I'd be married on a hilltop. It'll be a pretty small wedding (at least compared to the one I almost had) after the Sunday morning service. Aunt May, Mom, and Dad are the only family we have to speak of. I include Dad in that family circle now, even if only on the edge of it, because of his support last year when I almost married the wrong guy. He actually said something smart, for once. And I do want him to be there. Because, in spite of everything, he is my dad, and I love him.

Louise, my old co-star from The Importance of Being Earnest, will be my maid of honor. If Harry were still alive, he'd be Peter's best man. I desperately wish that he was here. We all miss him terribly. No matter what happened, he was a dear friend… one who sacrificed his life for us… and I'll always remember him as such. Shockingly enough, the best man is going to be… get this… Flash Thompson. Seems he and Peter actually became friends. I guess he respected him a little more after Peter punched him twenty foot down the hall back in high school. He's been dating Betty Brant, J. Jonah's secretary. Robbie Robertson along with several others from the Daily Bugle are coming too. And even… get this… J. Jonah himself. Rumor has it, he raged terribly at Peter when he realized he was marrying me. But then he laughed and said that kids these days are fools and he's happy for Peter anyway. And, turns out, John is dating someone again. A girl who works at NASA. She's probably a genius.

Other than that, some other acting friends of mine are coming, and a few old friends from highschool, and that's about it. But that's all we need.

Sorry, MJ, not trying to snoop. And I know, it sounds dumb, cause this is like the first time ever you remembered to actually put the diary away. Yeah, I fished it off the bookshelf, because I wanted to be sure you saw this. And now I doubt I can put into words everything I'm feeling inside.

I guess I just want to say thank you, more than anything. Thank you for being who you are, the sweetest, loveliest, most beautiful girl in the world… and thank you for making me the happiest man on earth. Thank you for loving me. I can't wait to spend forever with you. I love you so much it would take a book a hundred times this size to tell you.

June 11, 2005

Tomorrow is my wedding day and I can't sleep. I guess I've got what they call the "bride jitters". I feel like I've got several frogs living in my stomach. But it's so different than what I felt when I almost married John. It was awful then. My heart ached and I felt almost… dead… inside. Sort of a sick, dead feeling. And tonight I'm just deliriously happy and horribly nervous. This is really such a big step. Twice as big as any other girl takes when she gets married. I mean… I'm marrying a secret vigilante. A man who seems normal, but is a superhero, and who risks his life daily for strangers. I could be putting myself into horrible danger or in the way for even more horrible heartbreak. And I ask myself for the millionth time, am I willing to take the risk?

Of course I am. Because I love him. And that's the best reason in the world.

I talked to Peter earlier tonight and he says he's been pacing the ceiling. Wish I could do that. It would be more interesting than pacing the floor, at least.

Come tomorrow, we'll be bound together for life. Joined as one. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and adversity, in Spider-Maning times and in normal times...

...Till death do us part.

June 20, 2005

I'm absolutely as happy as possible. Maybe even more than that. Just popped in here to say that everything is absolutely perfect. We just finished getting settled in our new apartment. Got back from the honeymoon yesterday (which was beyond perfect). You know, I've always dreamed of one day being carried over the threshold, but never thought that my husband would be carrying me with one hand, while carrying all of our luggage in the other hand.

My husband. How wonderful those words sound! And… I just have to write it out… my name is now Mary Jane Parker. I love the sound of that! I'm the proudest and happiest woman in the world to be called his wife.

June 21, 2005

More about the honeymoon… I've never really been outside of New York City in my entire life, so it was amazing. Niagara Falls was beyond gorgeous, even if it was surrounded by city. We rode the Maid of the Mist boat right up to the falls and it was like a tsunami… nothing but mist and the most vibrant rainbow I've ever seen. Afterwards we were able to go behind the falls. I dared Peter to climb the cliff wall behind the water, and I'm afraid he'd have done it too, if I hadn't held him back and swore I didn't mean it.

We spent the first night in Niagara City and moved out into wilder country the next day. I don't think either of us was built for life outside the city, but man, it was gorgeous out there! Stayed in our own little cabin in one of the state parks and "braved the wilds" for a few days. Waking up to look out the window and see trees and wildlife instead of brick and concrete is an amazing experience. It was so quiet out there… so peaceful and lovely and romantic. I'm almost afraid it wasn't good for us, since we were together literally 24/7 and now that we're back in good ole' Manhattan, it sure isn't gonna be that way. But wow. I'll always look back to that week as the best in my life. And I mean literally the best. Walking down those wooded paths hand in hand, wading in the creek, watching the stars at night… it couldn't have been more perfect. Oh and also, watching Peter act like a squirrel. Because it turns out he can climb trees as well as he can climb skyscrapers. And jump from treetop to treetop too. We're nuts. I'm afraid we did as much shameless goofing off as we did being romantic and serious. Laughing until our sides ached and all that. It was fun. Loads of fun. For the first time in years, we both got to be completely and one hundred percent, ourselves. No acting, no superheroics, no pretending to be anything we're not. Just me and him, the way God intended us to be. And there simply can't be anything better than that.

June 30, 2005

Only a week until opening night. It's on July 7th… can't wait! Everything's going great.

There's just one thing. The worst part of being married to a superhero is waking up at two in the morning and realizing you're alone in bed. I hate that. And it seems to happen just about every other night. If not every night. I told Peter he'd better wake me up from now on, before he leaves. Actually, the first night back from our honeymoon, I woke up and realized he wasn't there and freaked out for about thirty seconds, at which point he came back from the bathroom. But the next night, he really did go out, so I got to freak out for a good two hours. And he came home bleeding. That was awful. But it was just a small cut, as bad as it looked. Head wounds bleed about ten times as much as anything else, I guess. I stitched it up at like four in the morning. It's a weird life, but I'm slowly getting used to it. Glad I took that first aid class in highschool. Knowing how to do stitches is incredibly useful. I'm gonna stock up on heavy thread and needles.

July 7, 2005

Today was utterly fabulous! Opening night of Cinderella. It was gorgeous. I love the settings and costumes for this play… it all looks so magical. Peter was in the front row with Aunt May. He didn't cry like a baby this time, but he was smiling at me with that adorable smile of his the whole time so that I almost kept forgetting that I'm actually supposed to be looking at my costars. His eyes are so much more beautiful than "Prince Charming's" so it was hard to focus. But I managed.

July 8, 2005

Cinderella is officially a huge success! The reviews this morning were favorable and I was sooo relieved.

"Miss Watson is the perfect fairy tale princess, with her golden voice and sparkling smile. This is the kind of Cinderella that girls all over the world will look up to and admire. We look forward to seeing more of her work on Broadway."

July 17, 2005

Peter seems to take great delight in scaring the daylights out of me. Today I was doing dishes and I had the window in front of the sink open, just to enjoy the summer breeze. And the next thing I know, Spider-Man is staring through the window at me, upside-down. I yelled and dropped a plate, which promptly shattered all over the floor. When Peter got through laughing, I dragged him through the window and made him sweep it up. My life is incredibly interesting at times…

July 18, 2005

Today I got back at Peter for yesterday. We were both sitting in that enormous chair and he was reading the latest Spider-Man article in the Daily Bugle. I've told him a hundred times he shouldn't read them, they're so awful, but he most of the time just seems to think they're funny. Anyway, I was holding his hand… and then I thought of something. I pushed his middle and ring finger down into his palm and a string of webbing shot out. Scared him to death. It was hilarious. But it sort of led to an all-out war, and I never can best him in these things. He jumped up and landed on the ceiling and, since I had been sitting on his lap, took me up with him. He threatened to stick me to the ceiling so he could read in peace. Of course he was joking, but he really did weave a web all over the ceiling and leave me up there for a minute. And I found out pretty quick that he's the only one that can break those webs. I tried. He's faster than anything I've ever seen at it isn't fair. He's too good at dodging.

Someone knocked on the door then, while we were all tangled up in that webbing and we both froze and didn't say a word until the person walked away. I have no idea who it was. But when we heard the footsteps going back down the hall, we both burst out laughing and couldn't stop. We stayed up there until the webbing started to dissolve. He pulled me down and kissed me. I can't remember ever being so happy.**

July 22, 2005

I did deep-cleaning today. Just got done cleaning all the footprints off the ceiling. He does that all the time… literally just jumps up and before I even notice that he did it, he's standing on the ceiling. Just a couple of days ago, he woke me up like that. Scared me half out of my wits. Once he pulled me up and helped me stand on the ceiling and so I guess his aren't the only footprints up there. Man, if those webs didn't dissolve in a couple of hours, I'm not sure I'd let Peter inside.

Okay, that sounds awful grumpy. I shouldn't complain. I'm really the luckiest girl in Manhattan… probably the entire world!

July 25, 2005

I kept telling Peter not to leave clothes all over the floor. Guess he'll listen to me now. This morning when he got out of bed, he tripped over them and fell into the wall between our room and the living room. I mean into the wall. He's the only person I've ever seen that can fall against a wall and then straight through it. So now we have a hole in our wall. And he's mad. I laughed and I think it made him madder. We've gotta figure out how to fix the wall now…

*Quoted from the original comics

**This diary entry was written into a longer story "Promise" (formerly titled "Always"), posted on my profile.