##Hey Everybody! Welcome to my new fic! Featuring both versions of my Spider-Gwen! So, for clarification, Older Gwen's life is, of course, vastly different from Earth-65's (the comic version of Gwen), but younger Gwen, from Earth-68, is almost identical to the comic version,just a few changes. Thus, you may notice references to issues of Spider-Gwen where events referenced occurred.

Anyways, I'm super excited to write this! It's been so much fun so far! Thanks for reading and pleas review! ##

Not all days were created equally.

Some are nice.

And some are… well, Weird.

Today is one of the latter.

Definitely the latter.

So it all started with a normal morning (honestly, it's getting to the point where I should just expect a weird day to follow anything normal). I was just walking downtown, doing my normal rounds through different thrift shops, looking for old records of my favorite bands. After leaving the THIRD shop that didn't have The Runaways' debut album, I continued down 10th St, taking a little break from the day. But as I crossed the street, something… Off.. happened. And, not like, almost got hit by a car weird. Like, suddenly the ENTIRE world around me shifted and became… Different…

That kind of weird.

Honestly, were I just a normal young adult, I don't think I would've even noticed for a while that the world around me had changed. Even then, I didn't understand why on Earth my Spider-Sense was going off. But as I looked around, checking my surroundings for the threat, I noticed the little details that didn't quite add up. ? Blueberry Phones? WalkDude mp3 players? What is going on?

I kept walking forward, looking around some more. The people looked a lot more forlorn, the world a bit less colorful than what I was used to.

What is going on? The New York I found myself in just seemed older…less fun.

I kept walking until I noticed a man on the cross walk standing directly in front of me, staring. He's tall, somewhat skinny, and carrying a toddler. And his jaw hanging in surprise. I'm a little put off by this and so I start to turn around until the man started to walk towards me. Fast.

Normally, this would've set off my Spider-Sense, like big time. But nothing happens. And for some reason, I don't move. He approaches me as people speed walk around us on either side. Neither of us say anything until the silence is broken by the toddler yelling, "Look, it's Mama!" and stretching her arms towards me.

The man opens his mouth and whispers, "Gwen?"

I take a step back and gasp. "Umm… how… How do you know my name?", fear starting to creep into my voice. Back home, people knowing who I am is actually normal, ever since I revealed my secret identity to the world (*see Spider-Gwen Vol. 2 #31-34*),but I was pretty sure I wasn't in Kansas anymore. So no random dude off the street should just know who I am. But… The more I look at this stranger's face, the more I can't help but feel that I do, in fact, know him.

He frowns, smiles, then throws his head back laughing. "Oh, I know you. I know you very well. My name is Peter Parker, and I'm married to you, Gwendolyn Maxine Stacy."

So, you may be asking yourself, Wow, you just found a crazy alt universe version of your best friend who died in your arms - and he's MARRIED to your alt universe self! That must have blown your mind!

Well… I mean, like, sure it's really #&*%ING WEIRD, but, if I'm completely honest, this ain't my first rodeo, y'know? Really, the fact that I didn't faint immediately is a testament to how often I cross dimensions. I've met carefree me's, evil me's, even a me where I married another Spider-Man named Miles Morales (long story. *See Spider-Gwen Vol. 2 #16-18*). And of course, lots of universes where I'm dead.

But. Gotta say. Meeting you and your dead best friend's kid is quite the trip.

After Peter introduced himself and Rachel (their kid. Or… My kid? I have never figured out how that works) to me, he invited me to come back to their place to wait for his Gwen to return home (she was off doing a quick grocery run, so he had decided to take Rachel for a walk, which is where they found me). I was still too shocked to really say no, so I stumbled along behind them as Peter led the way.

While my mind was still pretty numb and unable to execute anything outside of basic functions as we walked, I still subconsciously noted the path we took to Peter's house. It matched what I knew of New York's streets almost exactly. How did that even happen?

Peter finally stops in front of a small house on a street filled with them. Yet something stood out about it. It looked just like the houses on either side of it; one floor, small front yard with small patches of grass and a couple of flowers near the concrete pathway that led to the front door. Peter's in particular was painted a very earthy green with creamier accents on the panels that surrounded the windows and doors. The sidewalk abruptly transitioned into a wooden stairway, one of the only differences setting Peter's house apart from the rest of the duplicates on either side of the street.

Peter puts down Rachel and unlocks the door, holding it open for both his daughter and me. I enter and get hit by a rush attack on my senses: the cool yet very welcoming temperature, the smell of fresh fruits in a weird yet pleasant combination, the well lit and very modern windows letting in huge rays of sunshine. Pretty picturesque. Heck, it could be a dream home for me, which I suppose makes sense.

Peter sits down on a light sea blue fabric coach and pats the seat next to him, inviting me to join him. Before I move to sit down, Rachel rushes by and sits down next to Peter, much to his surprise. I laugh and sit down next Rachel; all three of us fit easily on the 2 cushions.

"So…. Uh, Gwen. Can I ask you a question? Like I know I trust you, cause, well, again I know you very well, but… I don't know, it feels kind of weird to ask, like….," Peter starts to blabber, but then loses steam and trails off.

"Um, I mean, yeah you can ask me… Whatever you wanna ask. I understand being, like, fascinated by finding out there are… Different… Versions… oh. Please no." I whisper the last part, horror entering my voice because I know EXACTLY what he's going to ask me. Pleasedon'tpleasedon'tpleasedon't

But, of course, Peter is not a mind reader, and unsurprisingly asks what everyone wants to know-at least the first time.

"What am I like? Like, in your other universe? I mean, assuming you knew me?" he asks, excitement springing from his voice with every word.

The smile that was playing on my lips disappears like a wisp of smoke. I turn away from him, obscuring the pain displayed so clearly across my face. The flood of memories race back into my heart, reminding me of why I hated jumping universes. Sure, over time, between meeting hundreds of different Peter's, and the handful of years that have passed since my Peter's death, the hurt stopped… Hurting, so much. But now, seeing such an Innocent, kind, and loving Peter, just like mine was, well… It's a bandage ripped off all over again. All I can hear in my head is Peter's last words.

I just wanted to be special… like you…

My eyes burn with liquid regret. I try to regain control, face my demons. I can't lose it. Not in front of him. Not now.

I try to wipe my eyes as discreetly as possible and mumble, "No, I've never met him."

The excitement Peter had barely been able to contain moments before leaves instantly , leaving him deflated like a poked balloon. "Oh. Well. I guess that's OK. Oh well. Bet he's cool anyways."

It's better this way, Gwen. It's easier for him not to know. You know how traumatic it was when you found out you were dead in Peter's dimension. "Yeah," I respond clearly but very softly, "I bet he is."

Peter notices the dead silence and starts to put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry if that was too weird of a question, or-"

I start to cut him off by saying I'm fine, but I'm interrupted from interrupting him as the front door opens and a VERY familiar voice calls out, "Petey! Rachel! I'm back!". We can't see her from where we're sitting, but I know exactly who it is. My heart sinks into my stomach. Oh, this is SO weird.

Peter sits straight up, a big smile back on his face. "There's Gwen! Finally!" He looks back at me, his smile twisting into something a bit more confused, but still happy. "Um… I should probably go explain… You… before she walks right in and sees you. She's been kind of on edge lately." Peter gets up and walks into the hallway to the front door, leaving me and Rachel alone.

I look at Rachel as she plays on the wooden floor. I get down on my knees and join her. She giggles in delight, shouting, "This is fun, mama!" I beam at her, the heavy burdens I'd been carrying melting away for a moment. But that moment is short lived, as a voice I know well screeches, "You met WHO?!", the last word accentuated by the clatter and thump of groceries falling on the floor.

Rachel looks up in worry, a slight confusion displayed across her tiny features. She looks at me, no longer sure I'm her mom (which, I mean, I'm not, not exactly). She gets up and walks over to the front door, asking, "Wait, you're mama! Then…. Who's that?! "

I sit alone for a second until I hear sets of footsteps start towards me-one slow without grace, but hiding a surge of anxiety, the other light and and almost to a beat- then stop. I turn around and come face to face with, well, myself. Just… Older.

Old Woman Stacy gasps while her face moves through a number of expressions : fear, confusion, intrigue, deep thought, then blank.

After a little bit of staring from Mom-Me, I break the silence with a small, "Um…..hello."

She looks suddenly taken back, as if she'd just discovered her age regressed clone all over again. After another eternity of blank looks, Adult Gwen picks up Rachel, who has been clamoring to be carried this whole time, turns to Peter and says, very curtly, "Yeah, I'm going to be outside because I need to process all of this and I'm taking Rachel with me." And with that, she turned back to the door she came from, and exits.

I flop back onto their couch. "This sucks."