- Happy New Year, people! It has been some time. I had planned to write another chapter regarding Christmas but I didn't get the holidays off and my job got a bit overwhelming so I didn't have a chance to work on anything else.
- The good news is I got some time off now so maybe I'll be able to write more often. I managed to get this one done but that's because I stayed up real late. Of course, I felt a little more tired than usual so it probably won't happen very often.
In any event, I hope you all have a good time reading this.
...
It was only a day away from the beginning of the New Year and though it should've been an exciting event for everyone to look forward to, Anya wasn't exactly in a celebratory mood.
For it would be the first New Year without her father...and such a fact made her heart ache in sorrow more than she thought it would.
It was confusing at first because she believed herself to have already made peace with his passing. Thinking back on it though, Anya realized she had never given herself time to properly grieve for her father.
With everything that happened in the aftermath of his death, the only thing Anya could do on such short notice was lay his body to rest. She visited the grave whenever possible albeit rarely given her super heroine duties.
Her mind thought back to every moment she had spent with her dad...when her mother died, he set aside his own grief so he would be able to help with her own. He was always there for all of her birthdays and every Christmas. His gifts weren't always expensive nor fancy looking but Anya still appreciated them nonetheless.
As she sat on her bed fondly replaying each memory in her head, the tears she tried hard to hold back slowly began to fall one by one. Her hands carefully grasped onto the last picture she had taken with her dad...she missed him so much and what hurt the most was that she wasn't there for him when he needed her.
"Siento no haber podido salvara...te extraño mucho, papá." Anya sadly whispered, looking into the sky.
"...You miss your father a lot, don't you?"
Spider-Girl turned her head to see Peter standing at her door. Dressed in full costume minus the mask, his tired eyes were looking on with a hint of worry.
"P-Peter? I thought you were out in space with the Avengers?"
"We won the day and I just got back." He shrugged, walking towards her. "More importantly though...are you alright?"
Anya quickly wiped her eyes. "I-I'm fine. I just-"
Peter sat on her bed and looked at the picture in her hands. "Is this your dad?"
Her fingers traced the outline of her father's image. "Yeah...this is my papa."
"...Not a bad looking guy." He praised, making her chuckle a little.
Peter noticed Anya's hands were shivering as her grip held onto the picture frame firmly. It didn't take long for him to understand she was trying hard not to cry in front of him.
"Anya?" He whispered, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay...there's no need to hide your tears."
The teenager girl gritted her teeth before she hugged Peter hard and quietly began to sob. Her mentor simply held her in a firm embrace, his hand gently rubbing her back in a soothing manner as he whispered quiet words of solace.
It pained Peter to see Anya in such distress. Hope told him what had happened to her father and while it wasn't any fault of his, he cursed the fact that there was nothing he could've done to prevent his death.
The sense of loss, anger, and helplessness after losing someone you love...he knew that feeling all too well.
"I should've been there for my dad, Spidey." She cried out. "But I wasn't...what kind of a hero am I if I can't save my own family?"
Peter pressed a kiss against the crown of her hazel head. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill your father and you weren't even there when it happened...there was nothing you could've done."
The young lady thought about what her mentor just said...and she understood deep down that he was right.
"...I'm just scared." Anya admitted, looking into Peter's eyes. "This will be the first New Year where dad's not here with me."
"You're afraid of what life will be like without your father. I felt the same way when I lost my Uncle."
"...Really?"
He nodded. "Things will get better...you just have to give it some time. If you ever need anything, Sable and I will always be here for you."
Hearing that last part made Anya Corazon warmly smile for the first time tonight. "Okay."
Peter smiled back and ruffled her hair. "Now there's the Anya I know. Get some rest...it's really late and a good night's sleep will help ease your mind."
The teenage girl nodded but her arms didn't let go of his waist and it puzzled him. "Hm? What's up?"
"Wait..." As embarrassing as it was to ask, Anya really didn't want Peter to leave. "Could you stay here with me? At least until I fall asleep?"
His lips curved into a kind smirk. "Of course...I'll be here for as long as you need me."
Anya smiled again and her lips pecked a grateful kiss on Peter's face before she laid her head back down on the pillow. It didn't take long for her to drift off into a peaceful slumber...mostly due to Spidey's reassuring presence.
Her mentor remained where he was until Anya finally slept and he moved to pull the blankets over her. The last thing she needed now was to catch a cold.
"...How is she?"
His eyes looked behind to see the Symkarian Queen standing at the door with her arms crossed. "I thought you were already asleep?"
"I was but I can't sleep very well without you by my side." Sable whispered, kissing Peter before she sat down on Anya's bed. "...How's she doing?"
"A bit better now." He quietly replied. "...But her father's death is still fresh in her head."
Sable sadly nodded as she caressed the side of her face. Hope informed her about what happened to Anya's parents once before and it nearly broke her heart to know such tragedies had befallen her precious student.
"It's not fair...for her to lose both parents at such a young age."
Peter held Sable close as they quietly stood up and left Anya's room. His heart agreed with her sentiments...neither of their beloved students deserved to go through such sorrow.
"I know...It's not an easy life we live in." He said, gently closing the door. "I'm just glad I have you to keep me strong."
Sable smiled as she hugged Peter from behind. "I'll always be with you, my love...why is it the world always seems to punish those who only try to help keep it safe?"
He had asked himself the same question on many occasions but despite having experienced much in his career as Spider-Man, he still didn't have an answer.
"...I really wish I knew."
...
- The sentence Anya spoke in Spanish translates to "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I miss you so much, dad." I can only speak a bit of the language and even then, it's pretty rusty.
- I don't bother keeping up with the comics anymore so I'm not certain whether or not they allowed Anya to mourn her dad. Probably not but then again...I wouldn't really know. But I hope you all liked it and reviews are always welcome. Until next time, folks!