His eyes drifted from one side of the school yard to the other and, as soon as Peter laid eyes on a certain blonde kid, he raised his hand in the air and waved. The boy spotted him and ran across the yard as fast as his legs would carry him. As he came to a stop and took in the sight of Peter alone, he tilted his head in confusion.

"Hey buddy, did you have a good day?" He greeted him with a toothy smile.

"Yeah… Where's Gwen?"

"Oh… She uh- she wasn't feeling well, so it's just us for now. Is that okay?"

Simon frowned but nodded at the same time. "That's because of the baby, right?"

Though taken aback by Simon's knowledge, he mustered a small smile. "Yup." He confirmed, popping the P. "Is that okay?" He repeated.

"Hmm, maybe…"

"Maybe?" Peter questioned, raising an eyebrow. "How could I push that to a yes?"

Upon hearing his question, the kid smirked. "Gwen always takes me to get ice cream after school."

"Is that so?" He wondered aloud, placing his finger below his lower lip and pretending to think. "That can be arranged."

"Good. Now it's a yes." Simon giggled.

Peter clapped his hands together and opened the passenger side door of the truck for the kid to climb in before making his way to the other side. Once they were both buckled up, he pulled out of the parking lot, though unaware of the black Sedan that lingered behind.

"Just need to make a stop at the pharmacy before we hit up the ice cream parlor, okay?"

"Why the pharmacy?" He questioned innocently.

"Because I need to pick up a little something."

"For yourself?"

"For Gwen."

"Oh… Well, I guess that's fine. As long as we get to the ice cream parlor before it closes."

Peter couldn't help himself and snorted through his nose with laughter over the boy's tone and his firm expression. It reminded him of an argument he once had with his uncle Ben when he was not much older than Simon. Only instead of ice cream, they had argued over brownies and burritos not being a good mix; him insisting that it was while Ben tried fruitlessly to convince him that it wasn't. Of course, Ben knew better and he spent the remainder of the night with his head in the toilet bowl after failing to listen, but he could never forget the look on his uncle's face when he was proven right.

Meanwhile, the black Sedan remained parked outside the school and inside it, Eddie Brock sat in the driver's seat. He had originally intended to follow Peter but with what he had just overheard, there was no need to proceed any further. Though the new piece of information had caused him to become conflicted over what he was supposed to do next, Venom held no hesitation.

"So, that's what they were hiding." Venom, as if on cue, spoke.

Eddie grimaced, wishing for the first time that he could free himself from the symbiote. His palms had grown sweaty and he found himself unable to stop the tremors that had been vibrating through his body since he'd wound up the window after hearing what he needed to hear.

"I can't do this." He gasped.

"Tell me… you're not going cold on me are you, Eddie?"

"I can't do this." He repeated.

"You wanted to destroy Peter Parker. I want to destroy him. Knowing what we know now, it will be a lot easier to weaken him for the kill."

"No… I can't-"

"If we are to weaken Peter then we must destroy what gives him strength… We have to capture the blonde and exterminate that baby."

"I can't." Eddie frantically shook his head. "I- I won't… I don't like Peter and I do want him to suffer, but I am not a monster." He refused. "You'll have to find another host."

Venom shrieked in anger, causing Eddie's hands to fly up to protect his head as the windows of the car shattered and burst into a thousand tiny pieces. Within seconds, Eddie was invisible behind Venom's mask and unable to control his own body.

"You would dare to deny me the use of you as my host?..." He hissed, and Eddie yelled internally. "Need I remind you of the pain I can cause you?"

"I'm not killing a baby!"

"Then choose; the life of that baby or your own life!"

"I- I ch-" Eddie stammered, but Venom retreated before he could finish due to a fast approaching police officer, leaving him fearful and dazed by daylight. With a heavy sigh, he threw his head back in defeat.

Hearing the sound of the front door opening and closing again, Gwen raised her head but did not move from her spot on the bathroom floor. She had been there since they'd returned home from the fight and Peter had left again, and she dared not to move because she felt awful. If she moved, she knew she would only end up back on the floor less than five minutes later. The sound of Peter's voice traveled up the stairs as he called out her name, and she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

His voice was followed by footsteps pounding up the stairs just as she had expected since she hadn't greeted him yet, and as they grew louder the bathroom door swung open. She groaned both in discomfort and annoyance when he locked eyes with her. Her feelings about being seen this way hadn't changed and she doubted that they ever would. Despite this, she decided to let it go, even as he entered the room and sat down beside her.

"You okay?" He raised an eyebrow.

Throwing on a small smile, she gave a nod.

"I will be."

"Still feeling rough?" He asked in concern, though his voice was soft.

"Mm-hm." She muttered.

Peter was unsure of how to move forward. He lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders, pulling her into him. It wasn't much, and he couldn't help but feel that he should be doing something more. All these super powers and yet not one of them could do anything for her. Being bitter about it wouldn't help either, so he shoved the thought out of his mind and focused on whatever little thing he could do.

"I stopped by the pharmacy after the school run; I picked you up some things that I thought might help." He informed her. "Oh, and we picked up some ice cream for you too."

At the mention of ice cream, she managed to lift her head and the sparkle returned to her eyes. "Good choice. I would kill every last spider for some ice cream right now."

Peter's eyes widened and a smirk etched its way onto his face. "Every last spider?" He questioned.

"All except one, Bug Boy." She laughed, though regretted it as it brought back the nauseated feeling even stronger.

"Do you want me to help you to the bedroom?" He asked.

"No, I'll be okay. There's still things to be done."

"I could do them." He offered.

"Thanks, but I kinda wanna be doing something." She smiled as she rejected the offer.

"Alright, if you're sure. Just take it easy."

"Peter." She smirked. "Stop worrying so much."

"That's not possible when it comes to you." He said, and got up from the floor, brushing himself down. "Need help?"

"I got it." She insisted and pulled herself up off the floor. "I should probably start making dinner, Simon must be hungry after school."

Out of nowhere, Peter began choking. His face turned a bright red and Gwen's eyes widened in alarm. Her natural instincts kicked in and she slammed her hand down on his back repeatedly until the coughing calmed down. As he straightened himself out, he burst into laughter. Gwen didn't see what was funny and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What was that about?"

"Not- nothing." He stammered. "But I kinda fed the kid ice cream less than an hour ago." He admitted sheepishly.

"Oh no…" She groaned. "Peter!"

"He told me that's what you always do."

"Yeah, but he's a kid…" She planted her face in the palm of her hand. "Okay, let me hear it. How did he blackmail you?"

"Come on, Gwen… I was just trying to get some experience."

Gwen folded her arms across her chest as she considered this. "I guess I can't argue there, but no more ice cream before dinner from now on."

Peter nodded and left the bathroom swiftly before she could scold him anymore. Rolling her eyes, Gwen followed shortly after, dragging herself down the stairs and into the kitchen. She took note of her brother on the couch in the front room, and wondered how long it would be before Peter joined him there. With that thought in mind, she wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a bag of carrots, carried them over to the kitchen counter and placed one on the chopping board. She opened up the drawer and pulled out a knife, held the carrot in place and slowly began to chop it into pieces, entirely oblivious to Peter hiding underneath the table.

He laughed silently but mischievously and rubbed his hands together before creeping out from his hiding place. Once he was positioned right behind her, he stood up straight and his hands crept to her waist.

"Boo!" He yelled.

Gwen turned around calmly without jumping and he scratched his head in confusion. Her cheeks were a rosey pink colour, but only amusement filled her eyes.

"You didn't actually expect that to work, did you?"

"Well, sort of." He admitted. "But I suppose that I should know better since you have the… the Gwen Tingle."

"Gwen Tingle?" She repeated, absolutely mortified. "Hmm, okay." She nodded and turned back to the half carrot that remained. "And did you really think it was a good idea to sneak up on me while I have a knife in my hand? I could have hurt you."

"Yes, I saw the knife, which you should not be handling, by the way, and I did it to remind you of that fact."

"Not this again." She complained. "I'm not a child or elderly, I can handle a knife and be safe with it, please don't deny me this one thing."

Peter shook his head. "Hand over the knife, I'll let you work the oven…" He compromised. "On second thoughts, you could burn yourself… I'll let you set the table."

"That won't take me five minutes." She protested. "I am going to continue cutting these carrots and then I am going to work the oven too." She insisted.

He hummed and then turned around and headed out of the kitchen. With a frown, she put the knife down and followed him.

"Where are you going?"

"To turn the power off so that you can't work the oven." He grinned.

"No! You are not!" She shrieked and pushed in front of him before he could reach the end of the hall. "Peter Parker, you stop right there!" She demanded. "If you turn the power off then you are sleeping on the couch tonight." She warned him.

"Gwen…"

"Listen to me!" She snapped. "You have to let me do normal everyday things like a normal person. It's not fair to treat me like a child, just because we are going to have one."

Peter sighed and sucked in a breath. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Just stop." She huffed. "It drives me crazy."

"I'm just trying to keep you safe." He muttered.

Her expression softened and she dropped her hands by her sides. "There's a difference between keeping me safe and smothering me, Peter."

"Awe… you're just mad because you secretly love it." He teased her.

"Noooo. I'm mad because it's frustrating and makes me want to do these things all the more."

"Well you can't." He concluded.

"I…" She began. "Wow… okay." Gwen turned and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. I just… I need a minute to myself."

"Gwen, come on. I didn't think we were actually arguing."

"We're not. That's why I'm heading out for a minute, because I don't want to get into it with you and if we stick around talking like this then it's going to happen."

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"I know." She dismissed. "But I'm still heading out." With that, she continued out the front door and gave it a medium slam behind her.

Peter swallowed and headed back into the kitchen, just as confused as he had been throughout the conversation. His eyes drifted to the half chopped carrot and the knife that was discarded beside it, but he made no move to pick up the task.

Gwen wrapped her arms around herself as the cold evening air hit her like a brick. She stalked down the street, pausing briefly and glancing behind her as the darkened sky put her on edge. Seeing nothing behind her but the beams of light from the street lamps highlighting very fine rain, she continued forward and around the corner onto the next street. The feeling of eyes on her washed over her and she stopped again, scanning her surroundings.

"Stop it! You're not afraid of the dark." She scolded herself. A gust of wind sent chills up her spine and she shivered, but not seeing any reason to be alarmed, she carried on walking. As she approached the end of the street, a second set of footsteps caught her attention and she spun around. "Is- is anybody there?" She called out, feeling stupid about the growing uneasiness.

"You know, it's not wise to be out alone at this hour… a pretty blonde like yourself."

Gwen's eyes widened and she turned around slowly, only to be met with Eddie blocking her path. She let out a breath of cold air and backed up a few steps then spun around with the intention of walking back the way she'd come. Eddie reached out and grabbed her wrist, and startled by the move, she gave him a hard shove.

"Don't touch me again." She warned him.

Eddie grinned and took a step forward. She took two steps back, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

"You really shouldn't have done that." He growled.

Seeing no other option, Gwen got closer to him and then raised her knee, hitting him. Eddie's face twisted in pain and he doubled over. Before he could recover, she turned and ran in the direction that would lead her home.

"You can't outrun me!" He called.

She didn't bother to look behind her. The sound of his footsteps told her all she needed to know. Instead she picked up her speed as she turned the first corner and with invisible black ice caking the pavement, she slipped. Losing her balance, Gwen landed on her back on the cold ground, scraping both hands and hitting the back of her head on concrete. She attempted to blink away the disorientation, but made it worse by doing so. Her head spun in a dizzy haze and by the time she was able to see somewhat clearly, Eddie was already above her.

Aiming her wrist at the right angle, she activated her web shooter from beneath the sleeve of her jacket and a web shot out, attaching quickly to Eddie's face. With him temporarily blinded, she got back on her feet and attempted to run in the opposite direction. Unable to see clearly, she stopped abruptly as the ground beneath her moved like waves in the sea and staggered drunkenly forward until the feeling worsened. Eddie's footsteps echoed in her ears and then his hand clamped over her mouth. Gwen managed to get his finger between her teeth and bit down hard. Eddie yelped and removed his hand but her dizziness returned, even stronger than before. She turned to run again, but fell backwards instead.

Eddie's grin widened as he caught her. "Got to admit, you put up quite the fight." He laughed maniacally and struck her head, rendering her unconscious.

Peter chewed at his fingernails as he sat at the kitchen table. Simon sat across from him, only just finishing up the plate of food in front of him and he couldn't help but feel annoyed by the kid's lack of speed. It made no sense, there was nothing else to do for the evening and no need for the kid to rush, but his senses were tingling to the point where his hands were numb with pins and needles.

With a sigh, he checked the watch on his wrist and as he saw the time, his chair tipped back, sending him to the floor. He got back to his feet in haste and turned to Simon.

"You can look after yourself, right?" He questioned. "I mean, you can sit in front of a TV watching cartoons without having an accident for a little bit, right?"

"I survived on my own for months, of course I can handle an hour or so." Simon retorted.

"Good… because I need to go somewhere." Peter informed him and hurried up the stairs to put his suit on.

He changed quickly and then threw on a t-shirt, hoodie and jeans over the top before running back down the stairs and out of the door. She had said a minute. Several had passed. Something was wrong. He knew it. Slamming the door behind him, he hurried out onto the street in search of Gwen.

Peter stopped as he came across a patch of the ground that was covered in black ice, noticing a purplish tint to it, and bent down to examine it closer. He reached out a hand and touched one of the patches of purple and brought it closer to his face. Under the light of the street lamp, the purple turned red and he felt his heart physically drop. It was just blood, it could have come from anyone, but he had a bad feeling that it wasn't just some random stranger in a street fight. Gwen had told him she was going out for a minute and it had been almost an hour. She was always specific with him and when she said something, she usually stuck to it.

As if to confirm the feeling in his gut, his eyes drifted back to the patch of black ice and he caught a glimpse of blonde hair shining under the light. On the other side, he saw something that confirmed his fears. Laying discarded on the ice, was a web shooter. He had been too focused on the blood to notice at first, but as he stared at the little gadget on the ground, reality set in. Unwilling to waste another second, he grabbed the shooter and slid it into his pocket, stood up straight and scanned the area for any more clues on where she could be. Whatever had happened, her web shooter had been ripped from her wrist, but there was still a chance that she could have run.

But if that was the case, she would have been smart enough to run back to the house. Peter sighed. He already knew who was responsible for her disappearing act, and there were only so many places someone like Eddie would think to take her.

Venom had come from the Oscorp headquarters. The chances were that he would run back to carry out whatever plans he had for her.

Gwen's heart pounded in her chest as she began to regain consciousness. A dull throb started in her head before she'd even opened her eyes and as she did, bright ceiling lights blinded her. She attempted to move, but found herself unable to due to a force that she could not see. Flat on her back, on a surface that she found most uncomfortable, she attempted to lift her head. From what she could see, he'd strapped her down to a metal table. She could just about see him standing at her feet, with another trolley full of test tubes and syringes in front of him. As he looked up from what he was doing, she let her head fall back and closed her eyes, not wanting him to know she was conscious.

"I really don't like the idea of killing a baby."

"And I don't like the idea of letting the child be born."

She recognised the voice instantly as Eddie's and her chest heaved with heavy breaths as she processed what he'd said. The sound of clinking glass and liquid being poured replaced his voice and she squirmed. Her sudden movement caught his attention, and he looked up at her then smiled. She swallowed back the rising fear and froze as he put down the test tube and strode casually over to her.

"Don't worry. Just one little pin pricked and then we'll let you go… that is, if you behave yourself. If you don't then it's going to be a lot worse."

Gwen tried to find her voice, to scream or yell, but nothing came out when she opened her mouth. She attempted again, to move her arms, but to no avail. Eddie smirked and chuckled in a way that made her feel sick, then leaned over until his face was blocking the light from the ceiling.

"I wouldn't bother. You'll never be able to break through the leather.

Panic grew inside her and she did the only thing she could think of; lifting her head and headbutting him right between the eyes. Eddie staggered back and she adjusted her wrist beneath the strap, aiming to shoot a web at him. But the button couldn't be found and within a second, he had recovered.

"Punish her!" Venom hissed.

Eddie took a couple of steps closer and instead of leaning over her again, leaving himself vulnerable, he struck her face with the back of his hand. Gwen squinted her eyes and traced her tongue along her lip, where she could taste blood. He moved back over to the trolley with the test tube and picked up a syringe. Unlike the others, this one was full with a liquid of apple green colour. He flicked it twice with his finger and then returned to where she was strapped on the table, lifting her top up to her chest and exposing her stomach.

As she laid eyes upon the syringe and saw his face light up, she finally found her voice and screamed.