A smack was heard on the window. But because the ambience was so goddamn silent, it sounded much louder, startling Gwen. She quickly checked on Peni to see she hadn't stirred from the noise. Sighing, she got out of the bed and headed to the window. Upon closer inspection, there was a splattered web that, judging from the noise it made, could only be produced by a web slinger. Through the window was a view of the others making their way back to the house, so she went to meet them at the front door.

"Yo. How'd the training go?"

Miles gloated, "Great. I think I've gotten the hang of it. You see that web on that window? That was me. Hope I didn't scare you."

"Heh, you kinda did. But, good on you."

"Except Miles didn't mention the part where he took like ten whole seconds to aim at the window," Peter B. said, embarrassing Miles and amusing Gwen, "Real threats won't be willing to wait around for him to aim, so we'll work on pace tomorrow. He is making progress though. So, have things been alright while we were away?"

"Yeah. I mean, Peni ran out of energy, so she's been sleeping for a bit. Someone almost woke her with a web." She gave Miles a look during the last sentence.

The boy shrunk. "My bad. Didn't know."

"If she's still sleeping," May suggested, "then we'll leave her be while we have lunch without her. I'll prepare her own meal when she wakes up."

As they sat in the dining room for lunch, Gwen had other plans. Once she got her plate of fish and vegetables, she excused herself from the group and took her meal to the bedroom where she can keep a close eye on her sick friend. She wouldn't want Peni waking up to nobody in the room and then calling out for someone. God, even thinking about that scenario had hurt a little inside. At least Gwen will be here to make sure it doesn't turn into a reality.

She'd look at the sleeping girl every now and then. The peaceful expression and slow breathing both put her at ease. Hell, the girl's presence in general made Gwen feel a whole lot better. It's times like these where she realises she isn't really an introverted Spider-Woman anymore; she's now a Spider-Woman who finally has a best friend again. She felt like a part of her has been revived, and she wants it to stay alive for good. Because it felt damn good.

The next day, Gwen was the first to wake up again, although considering Peni's state, it didn't really come as a surprise. She found herself still holding onto Peni's hand like the previous night to stop the girl accidentally touching her waist in her sleep. Not that Gwen minded; she liked holding it anyway. She turned her focus to the girl's face, who still looked pale, though her face was less flushed. Reaching her other hand out to feel the sleeping girl's forehead, she sensed it was healthily warm. That's a good sign, right? When the little girl had woken up yesterday after the midday rest, she had stomached her fish better than the meat she consumed earlier that day.

She tried to leave briefly so she can ask May for a more professional opinion. For once she had actually managed to exit the bed without awakening the girl.

"…Gwen? …Are you bringing May again?"

Never mind. But on the bright side, Peni's voice no longer sounded stuffy.

"Yeah."

"…Okay. But do you mind taking the chat outside? I wanna sleep more."

"Sure."

May reclaimed the thermometer after it beeped in Peni's mouth. She did a retest just in case, but the result remained that she was in fact comfortably warm. She checks on the unwrapped wound on the girl's waist before discarding the bandage completely. As promised, Gwen took May to the living room as to not disturb the girl any further.

May gave her professional opinion, with a smile, "She's making a fantastic recovery. Her body had fought off most of the cold. Her wound is also scabbed over completely, so it doesn't need to be covered anymore. She's free to change into her own clothes. The inside will take longer to heal though. Now, it'll take time for her body to make enough blood for it to be at a healthy level, but I think her energy will begin to return."

Gwen's never felt happier about somebody making a recovery.

"I can tell you're happy. I think you being around her has made things easier for her. By the way, at some point today, get her to stretch so she can get her blood circulation going. Be mindful of her waist—have her do something else if it hurts her. I'll give you a yoga mat."

"I can do that. Uh, thanks to everything you've done for us. You know, with giving us a place to stay, and taking care of Peni."

May smiled. "It's my pleasure."

With a yoga mat in hand, Gwen was on her way back upstairs when she was intercepted by Peter Benjamin beside the staircase. "Morning."

"Morning, Peter. What's up?"

"Oh, just enjoying the peace that we rarely have to ourselves."

"Tell me about it."

"…Well, uh… The peace here is…"

His literality amused the girl. "No, I don't mean literally tell me about it; it's just a way of saying I totally agree."

"…Oh. Right. Anyway, I heard what May said about Peni."

"It's good, isn't it?"

He chuckled. "Well, I would say you have no idea how glad I am, but I'm pretty sure you care about the little girl just as much." He then tilts his head towards upstairs. "Mind if I tag along?"

The two returned to the bedroom that felt like Gwen's second home since yesterday. The usual resident of that home—Peni—opened her eyes to them.

"Hey, sweet pea," the man greets, kneeling beside the laying girl and feeling her forehead. "Word's getting around you're getting better."

"Really? Is that what May said?" Peni asked. After she saw Gwen nod, she sighed with a smile. "Good."

Good is one hell of an understatement, Gwen thought.

Peter thought the same thing. "Have you tried getting up on your own lately?"

"Not really. I'll try."

"Let me help." Peni tried to rotate her body so that she could have her back on the bed, with Peter holding on so he could reverse the movement the moment she felt pain. As her wound pressed against the bed, she grunted and was lifted back to her side. "It stings," she said after breathing heavily.

"Guess you're still not ready yet. Gwen, you don't mind helping her out more, do you?"

"No," Gwen answered, "I'll be here."

Peni beamed at her. "You're the best."

Gwen returned the smile, until Peter spoke up again. "Peni, I might need your help with something, seeing as you're sort of the mechanic of the gang."

"Sure. What's up?"

He unholsters and presents to her his revolver. "During the fight, Tombstone shot the revolver off my hand, and his damned bullet pierced the chambers. I don't suppose you could get it fixed?"

Peni felt honourable, holding Benjamin's revolver in her own hands. She could tell every movement sent a rattling sound through the gun, especially from the cylinder which was holding on for dear life. What's worse was when she tried to slide the cylinder outwards, the thing had detached completely, and she found it had been split into two from the gunshot.

It seems really difficult to fix… Except that's what most people would think when faced with this request; to Peni, fixing this revolver will be a walk in the park. She'd be glad to fix it anyway, because this gun had reminded her of when her friends saved her from Kingpin's own gun, making her smile. "I can fix it, no problem. By the way… thank you for saving me in that fight."

Peter looked at her for a moment before carefully pulling her in for a hug. "Don't mention it." Gwen couldn't deny the sight was sweet. She wondered what Peni's hug felt like.

After the hug, Peter was ready to leave the two girls alone. "You need anything? Food? Water?"

"I'm fine," Peni giggled.

"Alright. Rest easy for now—you too, Gwen. I'll get back to getting the rest of my winks now."

Gwen watched the man close the door and listened for his footsteps to be distant before turning to Peni. "You two seem pretty close."

The smaller girl nodded though her smile was softer yet just as genuine. "Yeah. He's… basically the closest thing I have to a dad right now."

"…Oh." Gwen didn't know whether that was a good thing. On one hand, Peni could re-experience what she lost, but on the other hand, it could remind her of what she did lose. "…You okay with that?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I joke around by telling him 'you're not my dad.' But I kinda like it."

Gwen smiled at that.

After some time later, Peni felt like she had rested better. "I think I'm ready to fix the gun now. Help me up?"

Gwen did so and was curious as to how the girl works. Seeing her making her way towards the window, she figured she'll be able to see it first-hand.

But then they both froze at the same time. The only things they dared to move were their eyes, and their breathing volume was toned down to the absolute bare minimum.

"…Gwen? My Spidey senses tingled."

"Mine too."

There was no other sound. One might say things were too quiet, but this is how the place has always been ever since they first came here. They prayed it wasn't their enemies. But it can't be. How would they have found them here? Miles said he wasn't followed. Or was he mistaken yet again?

Gwen constructed a plan: move forward to shield Peni, then make a break for it together through the window, contacting the others on the way. She'd fight them, but Peni's safety is top priority.

"Peni," she whispered, slowly shifting forward, "get behind me."

The little girl kept facing ahead, though she nodded and prompted to take a step back. In the meantime, Gwen paid attention to her, and noted the left leg being the first to move. The right foot was firmly on the ground, but it was also firmly on the opposite pant leg.

Gwen figured out what set off her Spidey senses: those damn pants.

Before Peni could register the fact she had tripped and was about to land on her recovering injury, Gwen had already come to the rescue, holding her from behind.

The taller girl was already out of breath from that intense moment. "…May said you can change into your own clothes, so we should probably do that first."

"Yeah…" Peni then had a smile on her face. "Hey, your Spidey senses went off for me again!"

Gwen smirked. "I guess your theory was right."

Both girls turned to the front door which was frantically opened by Peter Benjamin. "Did you guys feel a tingle too?!"

"Aww, you cared as well," Peni cheered.

That caused Peter's cautious stance to loosen up. "…What are you talking about?"

After filling Peter in on the theory of Spidey senses going off for other Spider-People—which he liked the logic behind as well—Gwen followed the little girl to the bathroom, and once she stepped inside, she was brought back to yesterday when she helped the girl out of her pants and saw those legs of hers. Gwen wouldn't be lying if she said she was looking forward to seeing them again.

She was brought out of her memory when Peni turned around to face her. "Thanks for saving me back there. Don't know what I'd do without you." Gwen smiled, thinking the same.

Peni then turned around and began unbuttoning her oversized shirt. Gwen was instantly reminded of yesterday again and held her breath. It looks like she was going to see more than her legs this time.

Once the final button became undone, Peni stripped off the top. Gwen watched as the clothing gracefully slid off from her shoulders down her back, revealing her upper body in only her white bra. She almost made an audible sound of awe. The way the girl disrobed that shirt looked like something out of an erotica.

Due to the smaller girl's thinner build, her shoulder blades were clearly visible through the skin. The exit wound on the back of her waist was also in view, and Gwen thought she was rocking it.

She tried to revert to her casual demeanour when Peni slowly but surely turned around, revealing her front as well as her flushed face. The small girl got closer before taking her own pyjama top from Gwen's hands and began unfolding it. Like with the shoulder blades, Peni's collarbones were easily shone, and her bra size confirmed that her breasts were much smaller than Gwen's—but that didn't stop the latter from thinking they looked really good on her. She watched a very modest cleavage being formed due to Peni raising her arms, putting herself inside the top headfirst.

Now for the pants. Gwen noticed Peni watching her, looking more nervous than last time. She wondered why.

She went ahead to kneel to pull down her pants. But she was having trouble pulling them. The pants seem to have somehow gotten tighter around the waist, like there was a waist belt or something… Right, that makeshift waist belt Gwen made out of webs was still tied on. She undid the knot, and the pants were suddenly as loose as they originally were. In fact, they were so loose that, without Peni holding onto them, the pants seamlessly dropped to her feet. Peni softly gasped, not having prepared for her legs to be exposed that soon.

This time, Gwen saw much more than just legs. Thanks to the other no longer wearing the shirt that covered part of her lower body, Gwen was presented to her hips, sporting a nice thigh gap as well as matching white panties that covered her most intimate region. Adorable… That explained why she was more nervous this time.

To stop her feeling any more nervous, Gwen laid the new pants on the floor for her to step into before pulling it up. However, it turned out she had put them on back to front. "They're on the wrong way," Peni said in amusement, albeit still flushed, "Pull them down and I'll just turn around." Gwen assented and pulled them down again—that was exciting—so she could turn around in place.

That was when she was greeted by the sight of Peni's butt. Wow. The cheeks were mostly covered by the panties, and judging from how they were hugged by the undergarment, they looked supple. Gwen wondered if it felt supple too. She bet her breasts did too.

She distracted herself by checking the feet placement before pulling up the pants, covering up the girl's dainty body until further notice. Fortunately—though it was seen as unfortunate—the pants were finally put on the right way around.

As Gwen stood and stepped back to admire the view, she found Peni looking back, and looking very endearing in her pyjamas. Gwen had the urge to squeeze her, but she didn't want to risk seeming creepy about it. Who knows if people in her dimension were creepy to Peni. So, she just settled with, "You're very cute."

That got Peni red. "Thanks."

Gwen followed behind Peni back to the room and then asked, "I know you were going to work on the gun first, but you up for some stretching together first?"

"Oh. Sure."

Gwen left for a bit, leaving Peni confused. Though her curiosity was answered upon seeing Gwen make a return in her Spider suit. "It's better for stretching," she explained.

"Makes sense." Peni was brought back to yesterday when she stared at her doing stretches. She wouldn't be lying if she said she was looking forward to it again. But if the girl is going to be in a skintight suit this time, then she's in for a treat.

She was brought out of her memory by Gwen's question. "You ready?" The latter had already laid the yoga mat on the area in front of the bed.

"Oh. Yeah."

They did a repeat of the same stretches they did together yesterday, which Peni found just as enjoyable. After her stretches were done, she eventually found herself sitting back on the bed, being blessed by the sight of Gwen doing her own stretches on the mat.

The girl was doing the same things she did yesterday and more, and the skintight suit gave Peni a whole new viewing experience; she was able to get a better view of her limbs being stretched to her limit, and the curves were no longer hidden by the inconvenient clothes, allowing her to appreciate them more.

But the curves she appreciated the most was Gwen's backside as it stuck out during stretches. She's never seen a butt look so good on anyone before, and the thickness of her legs only compliment it even more.

Wow, she thought. She wondered how it felt; she bet it felt as good as it looked; maybe better.

"Hmm?" Gwen responded, hearing the thought and turning her head to see the girl ogling her ass as clear as day. Wait, she heard the thought? …Peni's blood ran cold. Did she actually say wow out loud?

"Oh!" Gwen noticed the stare and turned her red face back forward. Peni hid her own face with her hands as much as she could. They stayed in relative silence, and for once, the silence was painful.

Gwen thought being honest was a good way to tread the situation. "…I think your body is also… you know… wow." She heard Peni squeak but nothing more, so she looked back to see her still hiding her face, probably still as red as ever. She sighed to herself. They shouldn't need to feel awkward about this. If anything, Peni expressing her attraction to Gwen's body—and vice versa—was a big compliment. So what if best friends find each other hot? It happens all the time and it's not a bad thing. If anything, it could strengthen the friendship if they express their attraction. She supposed Peni was too freaked out about their friendship being hindered over this. Like hell I'll let that happen, Gwen thought with courage before speaking.

"Look. I… don't mind you checking me out. There's nothing wrong with best friends who find each other's bodies… attractive. I'm just not used to it cuz, you know, I just started having friends lately. Sorry if I made a big deal out of it."

After what felt like forever, Peni finally uncovered her face though only partially. "…I'm sorry for making a big deal too. So… you don't feel creeped out?"

"Of course not. If anything… it makes me feel better about myself. So, thanks."

"…You're welcome. Do you really… think the same about my body?"

"…Yeah."

"…No one's complimented my body before. I never thought it looked that good."

"Well, I do."

"Thanks."

Gwen responded with a soft smile, causing Peni to smile back just as softly. That made Gwen smile wider, once again making the other do the same. They knew there was nothing wrong.

"You know," Gwen smirked, "I've been wondering… How does Peni Parker work when she's making a goober or fixing a revolver?"

A confident smug found its way on Peni's face. "I'm glad you asked. Allow me to show you."

With the console in hand, she walked towards the window where the morning scenery, RV and car trailer were in view. She pressed some buttons on her controller when the robot in the trailer suddenly boots up. Gwen figured she was controlling the robot with that console of hers. "That's pretty cool."

"Thanks. But, I'm kind of rough around the edges when it comes to controlling the robot like this." Her difficulty showed, as the robot unsteadily walked towards the house. Slowly but surely, it crawled its way up and stopped at their window before opening up and making the cockpit accessible. From within the robot, both girls transferred tools and hardware to the bedroom's desk. Conveniently, the desk was the right height to comfortably work while standing.

With the tools prepared around the desk, she placed the broken revolver and cylinder on a paper in the centre.

After inspecting the gun, Peni sighed. "Looks like the whole gun is broken; not just the cylinder."

"Oh. So, what are you gonna do?"

Peni brought out her console and took pictures of the gun. "Well, I've already got the revolver figured out, so I'll just measure the gun and cylinder before recycling them. Then I'll remake the whole thing from scratch."

"…Wow. All I know how to make is a web slinger and a Spider suit."

The mechanic stopped taking photos at that. "You know, you shouldn't belittle that. Did you forget the math you did to make the web slinger functional and accurate? What about the science to make the actual webs? And to make the suit still let you stick to surfaces?"

"…I guess you're right."

"You should be proud of yourself. And you did an awesome job with the suit by the way." Peni got red with her next comment. "I mean… you do look stunning in it."

Needless to say, Gwen got red too. "Thanks."

"You're welcome… By the way, do you mind changing out of it? I'm trying to work here and it's… distracting."

Gwen smiled at the indirect compliment. "Sure thing."

She returned in her borrowed pyjamas that hid much of her body, to see Pen in the middle of measuring the firearm.

"So… is there anything I can do to help?"

Peni turned with a smile. "Could you give me your phone? I wanna copy your songs to my drive."

Gwen entrusted her with her smartphone. "You like them that much?"

"Mm-hmm." She plugs the phone to the dashboard in her robot. Leaving the phone to do its job, she brings a speaker to the desk and makes a few selections on it. "And what you can do to help… is listen to the kind of music I listen to when I'm working. But, if you don't like the songs, we can switch to your playlist. And if you don't feel like watching anymore, you can play on my console, or you can just use your phone."

What I'm trying to say is just stay here with me.

Gwen read between the lines and smiled. "Sure. I've got nothing better to do."