Disclaimers:

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.

As Harry already left the house for the night - most likely to attend an upcoming Oscorp meeting for the next day - Peter and the Watsons continued to have the rest of the party time to themselves.

In the midst of their fun conversations, Madeline just remembered something. "Oh, Mary Jane, have you heard from your sister lately?"

MJ's head tiled in curiosity at the mention of her sibling she hadn't seen her since she was accepted into a scholarship dance program in Florida four years ago. "Gayle? What about her?"

"She's coming home this week," Madeline informed.

MJ's eyes lit up in excitement at the news of her older sister's coming to town. "Really?"

"Hey, that's great news, MJ," Peter joined in on the conversation.

"And she's very keen to seeing your play some time this week," Madeline added.

"That's wonderful," MJ's smile spread across her face, feeling joyful to see her big sister again. "Did she say anything else?"

"She seemed rather vague in her letter, but she said she also got something big and exciting to announce, but wanted to tell us in person," Madeline said.

"Well, I can't wait to see her again," Mary Jane said eagerly. "It's been four years since we all last seen each other."

Everything seemed to go on well at the party, until Madeline noticed someone's missing as she was glancing around the living room. "Where's May? Surely, she wouldn't want us to celebrate your party by ourselves."

Peter looked behind and saw Aunt May resting her head on the table way back. "Oh, she's resting in the kitchen."

As he was walking away from the living room to try check on May, Madeline, all of the sudden, looked like she was going through a dizzy episode. She then began to collapse on her knees in front of her daughter out of nowhere.

"Oh my god, Mom!" MJ exclaimed quietly, being caught off-guard by Madeline's sudden relapse. She quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders, holding her up to keep her balanced.

Peter stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Madeline looking like she was struggling to stand a little. "Are you okay, Mrs. Watson?"

"I'm fine, you two," Madeline tried to reassured them both, as she tried to regain her footing.

MJ had a suspicious feeling that's not the complete truth. "Maybe you're just a little tired from all the excitement," She said.

Not wanting to make her boyfriend worried on his birthday, MJ decided to leave the party to help her mother get back home next door. "Pete, you don't mind if we leave a bit early? I think Mom's needs to get a little rest for the night. I'll wait for you outside when we're done."

Peter just nodded, seeing that everyone's need to be home for the night anyway. "Sure, MJ."

Giving a big smile in response to his kind words, MJ let go of her mother for a bit to give a lovely kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. "Thanks, Pete."

After that, the redhead was putting back on her warm coat as she grabbed her mother's and head back to her old home next door.

As Peter walked back in to check up on Aunt May, he noticed a piece of paper was concealed in its letter, laying on the table adjacent to her resting head. When he carefully opened it, Peter realized they were mortgage bills that she had yet to pay, and by the look of it, it's on the verge of foreclosure on her only home.

Peter deeply scolded himself, dreading on the fact that his aunt was left alone to deal with her own financial difficulties without himself or his Uncle Ben to support her.

Trying to push the terrible thought aside, Peter took a seat close to Aunt May and slowly soothed her elderly hand, waking her up from her deep slumber. "May," He said softly.

"Oh, what, Ben?" Aunt May blurted out, just awakened from her daze. Her mind slowly came back to reality. "Wait," She looked up to see Peter smiling.

"Aunt May."

"Oh my. Oh, Peter. Oh, for a second there, I thought I was years ago," Aunt May let out a surprised relief. "Everybody's gone, aren't they?"

"MJ's still waiting outside for me to take her home," Peter reaffirmed.

Aunt May smiled. "Oh, such a sweet girl," She complimented the redhead, especially after the last heartfelt conversation they had together before handing out Peter's birthday cake. "Did they have a good time?"

Peter nodded. "I'm sure they did," He then frowned a bit about his concern for his aunt. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Aunt May tried to reassure her nephew. "But you and MJ go home. And be careful. I don't like that scooter thing you two always ride around."

"I'm worried about you," Peter said downheartedly. "You're so alone. And I saw the letter from the bank."

"Oh my," Aunt May looked on her table to notice her mortgage bills were left opened. "You did? Oh, well. So? I'm a little behind," She stood up from the kitchen table and walked to her purse that was residing on the counter. "Everybody is. Anyway, I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm tired, and you better start back home,"

After taking something out of her purse, Aunt May turned back to Peter with something in her hands. "Here, kiddo. Happy birthday," She said, offering an actual 20 dollar note to her nephew. "You need it more than I do."

Peter shook his head, trying to gently refuse what little money she had left. "No, I can't take that from you."

"Yes, you can!" Aunt May cried out, startling Peter by her uncharacteristically loud tone. "You can take this money from me. For God's sake, it's not much. Now, take it! And don't you dare leave it here," She said in a tearful outburst, before realizing how staggered Peter was by her tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aunt May tried to fight back her tears and emotions that was boiling its way to the surface, with no success. "It's just that I miss your Uncle Ben so much. Can you believe that it's two years next month since he was taken? I think to myself at times... were I to face the one responsible for what happened, I'd... I don't know what I'd do."

Aunt May wiped away her tears as she gave Peter a kiss on the cheek, then walked towards the sink to clean up the plates.

Hearing all those words left Peter more in heartbroken tears and guilt due to the fact it was actually his own fault this had affected her, that she was left as a widow with no closure for her husband's death while also going through all the money troubles that even he couldn't provide for himself.

Peter still thought about that day every day, just as much as his aunt.

"Now... " Aunt May said. "You better take the rest of your cake home."

Breaking out of his deep guilty thoughts, Peter decided to help May with cleaning up the rest of the birthday party.

Meanwhile next door, Mary Jane had her mother laying down comfortably on her bed.

"Honestly, MJ, I told you I'm very fine. It was just merely just a little exhaustion from the party," Madeline tried to reassure her.

"Have you been avoiding your medications?" MJ asked, when she glanced over to see a number of pills that looked like they had been left untouched on her mother's bedroom cabinet.

Madeline's eyes looked down in guilt, knowing she was caught red-handed. "I just thought I could handle at least one night without those horrible pills," She assumed.

"Mom!" MJ scorned her mother. "This is like the second time you've been avoiding your meds."

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart," Madeline apologized for her recklessness. "I know how much you were looking forward to Peter's party, and I don't want you to deal with the burden of being forced to take care of me. You already did more than enough to try pay for the doctors."

"That's a load of nonsense," MJ disagreed with her words. She let herself exhaled a bit to relax before saying her next words. "All these past years, even after Da... "

MJ then swallowed something, as if a mention of the word she just cut off disgust her. After clearing her throat, she continued. "Even after all the hurt he made us endure through before he abandoned us, you've given everything to help raise me and my sister alone through our difficult childhoods. You're the best mom we could ever asked for."

Madeline couldn't help but smile in pride at how much her little redhead had grown up.

"All I asked for you now is let me try take care of you this time and try rest for a little while," MJ begged to her mother. "Just for me... please."

"Okay, Mary Jane," Madeline said in a dismayed voice, reluctantly giving in to her begging request for her wellbeing. "I just wish I never get to miss my beautiful baby girl's first play."

"I know," MJ said sadly. "I wish you could be there, too. But all it matters now is that you'll get better," She clutched her mother's hand. "Sleep well, Mom."

After giving her mother a lovely kiss on the forehead, Mary Jane gave her farewells for the night and left her, hopefully, to her wellbeing. She then stepped out of her mother's bedroom and walk out of her old home.

As she stepped out of her old home, MJ found that Peter was already waiting for her on his moped in front of the lawn, giving her a cheesy grin as he was holding a white helmet for her, almost resembling the secondary colors of her Spinneret costume.

MJ shook her head with a fond smile, knowing this was just his own dorky way of teasing her, but she still loved him nonetheless, and she wouldn't change anything for it.

With that, she approached her boyfriend's bike and put on the helmet, riding off together into the evening moon.

After dropping off Mary Jane at her place in Greenwich Village and giving her a good night kiss, Peter rode back to a three-stories apartment building in the neighborhood of Soho.

A few years back, Peter and Harry used to live together in the same apartment, but over time, they felt it best to move out of their old one, considering their friendship was starting to get rocky, even more so since the funeral of the late Norman Osborn, a rather sensitive topic that the former didn't feel really comfortable about being brought up every time.

Soon after, the spider-powered couple did plan to move in together in the Big Apple together after discovering each other's secret alter egos, but as the more time moved on, Peter and Mary Jane began to realize their career goals really made it difficult for them to live under one roof, so they considered it for the best they lived under their own separate places, at least until they're both really ready.

Despite that, it didn't even shake their strong relationship in the slightest.

As Peter parked his moped by a nearby street lamp, he had it clipped and securely locked around it, before walking up to the front entrance of his apartment.

Just as he was reached to the end of the stairs, leading to his room, Peter heard a door creaked open behind him and a voice with a distinctive Russian accent calling out for his attention.

"Rent!"

That was his landlord, Mr. Ditkovich, who was playing a game of cards with his group of friends.

Peter turned to his landlord, trying to play it cool as he greeted him with a small wave. "Hi."

"What's 'hi'? Can I spend it?" Mr. Ditkovich quipped.

Peter walked towards Mr. Ditkovich's door, hoping he could convince him to hold out on the rent for a little longer. "I have a paycheque due this week and-"

"You're a month late again," Mr. Ditkovich cut him off with a scolding look. "Again."

Peter still tried to reassure his landlord. "I promise as soon as I-"

"If promise were crackers, my daughter will be fat," Mr. Ditkovich chuckled, pointing to his daughter, Ursula, who was standing by the kitchen stove with a spatula in her hand.

"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Ditkovich," Peter apologized, as he goes through his pocket and showed the money Aunt May gave him as a birthday present. "All I got was this twenty for the rest of the week."

Without a warning, Mr. Ditkovich swooped in and snatched the twenty dollars from Peter's hand, leaving him frowned. "Sorry doesn't pay the rent. And don't try to sneak past me - I have ears like a cat and eyes like a rodent," He said, lifting his nostrils and quirked his eyebrows that made his expression resembled a fearsome, yet hilariously ridiculous creature.

Peter gave an unsure look, but took his landlord's word for it. "Thank you, Mr. Ditkovich."

"Hi, Pete," Ursula waved, before accidentally touched the heated part of her spatula, making her dropped it on the kitchen stove and igniting it into a burst of flames.

Mr. Ditkovich proceeded to close the door to his apartment, shutting it in on Peter's face.

After the conversation with his landlord, Peter turned back to his apartment door and opened its flimsy lock. He entered inside and switched on a single light bulb to reveal a relevantly small room.

His computer desk in the far corner close to the balcony, his old Spidey photos clipped on the wall, one bottle crate as a makeshift table with a lamp on top, a decent sized bed, and a cabinet that had a police scanner and a couple of framed photos of his Mary Jane, Aunt May and Uncle Ben on top.

Peter placed his backpack and helmet next to the makeshift table and sat down on his bed. He sighed to himself, contemplating on his own personal struggles between helping Aunt May with her financial situations, being late on rent payment and his responsibilities in crime-fighting alone without his girlfriend by his side.

For now, Peter turned on his police scanner to check if any crimes in progress for him to handle. After a long while of hearing nothing that required his help for almost half an hour, he changed to his sleepwear to rest for the night.

Words: 2440

A/N: Well, we finally got the reason why MJ stopped being Spinneret, as well as another character from the comics that'll have a crucial role in her part of the story.

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

Reviews:

Rivet94: Thanks, man.

And I do hope the reveal is worth it, for it is just beginning of what I had in store for MJ

CT311998: Cheers, dude

And same as I said to Rivet

Heath Johnson: Greatly appreciate it.

TW: Thanks

DCDGojira: Thanks for your review, man.

Mastercardin42: Cheers for the love, man

And *shoosh*