Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“My name is Peter Parker,” he said into the handheld audio recorder, “and this is my two-hundred twenty-first test of Project Flashpoint. Alright, little guy, let’s do this for hopefully the last time...”

After setting down the recorder, Peter then slid on his gloves before lifting the lid of the small enclosure. He then reached down and, taking the barely visible piece of nanotechnology and setting it on his fingertip, he slowly reached down towards his little mouse friend he’d affectionately named Steve, because that was the best possible name for such a creature and not at all just the first name that had popped into his head. The tiny creature lost the use of his back legs a year ago, and Peter had been seeking to help the little tyke overcome the effects en route to doing the same for Flash and hopefully millions of others.

“Alright, little buddy,” he said as he slowly lowered his finger containing the small device towards the creature. “Nice and easy...”

As soon as the tech made contact, it gently and subliminally merged with the creature, seeping under the skin just as he had designed to do.

“Good,” Peter said as he grabbed the recorder device again. “Subject has received the subdermal treatment; monitoring vitals now.”

Peter observed the screens carefully, watching for any changes in the little creature’s heart rate, blood pressure, etc. His early tests had resulted in almost instant crashes that he’d had to pull the creature back from, but things appeared to be holding steady this time, causing Peter’s own heart rate to increase in anticipation. He glanced towards Steve, waiting to see if any of the expected visible results were happening.

“Come on, little guy, you can do it...”

The creature did not move; in fact, its eyes appeared to be closing, and that was when the machines started to go haywire, especially heart rate monitor as it spiked in the animal. Rushing over to the table next to him, Peter grabbed the vial that had a small dose of both calcium blockers and digoxin, quickly but delicately sticking the little animal with the needle and injecting it. Within seconds, the machines seemed to calm down, indicating that the heart rate and blood pressure levels were returning to normal. Peter was relieved he’d managed to save the little creature, though he was frustrated that he was no closer to the desired results as he reported them to the recorder.

“Two-Hundred Twenty-First test of Project Flashpoint unsuccessful; subject unable to handle rapid changes to its system, which caused sudden spikes in blood pressure and heart rate...”

Shutting off the device, Peter rubbed his face with his hands.

“... just like the last ninety-seven before it.”

Peter then heard the door to the lab open, but he didn’t need to turn to find that it was M.J, since anyone else but her would have needed to buzz in to request entry without an access card. Instead, he just stared at his crowded whiteboard as she let herself in, though the smell of the food she’d brought did not escape his attention.

“Well, you certainly look like you could use a little pick me up there, Tiger.”

Peter let out a light huff.

“That would be an understatement,” he said as he finally turned and walked over towards the table she was standing at. The couple greeted each other with a quick peck on the lips before he spoke up again: “You’re definitely a sight for sore eyes.”

“So are you,” she acknowledged as she began setting out the burritos that she’d clearly acquired from the stand just a couple blocks away. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this place was turning into your new home.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Peter teasingly complained. “Last I checked, you were holed up in one of your stores a couple hours past closing time a couple days this week.”

“You got me there,” she conceded. “I guess we’ve both been burning the candle at both ends recently, and I’m guessing by what I saw coming in here that your overtime hasn’t been very fruitful so far?”

“The frustrating thing is that I’m so close, I know it,” he assured her, only continuing to speak after he’d taken a massive bite of burrito. “All the numbers I run show that all the compounds I’ve put into the tech I got should work, but then all of Steve’s numbers just start spiking.”

“Have I mentioned how adorable it is that you named your lab mouse?” Mary Jane said after swallowing her first bite of her lunch. “Seriously, I think we should take him home and make him our pet once you cure him.”

“IF I cure him,” Peter corrected her.

“I thought you said you were close?” M.J. asked.

“I am, it’s just... something’s missing,” he clarified. “I just don’t know what though. I’ve somehow stuffed basically every vitamin, mineral and even a microscopic dose of concentrated sunlight into that tiny little thing, pretty much everything that is supposedly good for you on the face of the planet into one super-healing concoction, but it’s not doing the healing. I just wish I knew what I was still missing.”

“You’ll crack it, Peter, I’m sure of it,” M.J. said. “I know that may sound like blind optimism, but I know you. You’re the smartest person in the world and also the most stubborn. You basically have to succeed eventually when you have those two things.”

“Stubborn, huh?” Peter questioned after swallowing his latest bite.

“I said it with love, Tiger,” M.J. playfully reassured him.

“Well, I guess that just makes it all better,” Peter teased. “How are things going at the store?”

“Good,” M.J. said before suddenly turning more fully towards him, her eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, I almost forgot: Gayle was doing some number crunching last night, and it looks like we might finally be ready to try opening another location again!”

“That’s great!” Peter exclaimed. “Would you try for a similar area that you were targeting before?”

“I think so,” M.J. said. “We still appear to have a strong customer base there, but I would still want to look at some demographics research before I make a final decision.”

“Well, I know how hard you and Gayle have been working to try and build it back up again, so I’m proud of you,” Peter said, “and I think your mom would be too.”

“Thanks, Tiger,” M.J. replied, adding a gentle stroke of his arm. “I’m proud of you too. Maybe it would help if you went out for a swing or something? You’ve mentioned before how it helps clear your head and give you new perspectives on things.”

“That is true,” Peter said. “Now that you mention it, I really haven’t been out in the city much these days, but there hasn’t been a huge need for Spider-Man recently.”

“I’d chalk that up to you and Matt working together again,” she said. “You guys basically cleaned up the city in a matter of months once you started teaming up.”

“It doesn’t help that I’m actually coordinating with the police now too,” Peter said. “Well, sort of.”

“How are things with the detective?” Mary Jane inquired.

“Pretty good,” Peter said. “She still tries to keep our working together more under the radar in the department, which I don’t blame her for.”

“Careful, Tiger; you make it almost sound scandalous,” M.J. teased.

Peter let out a light chuckle.

“Eh, she’s not my type anyway,” he playfully reassured her. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that not even literal mind control could make me want anyone else but you.”

“I was just messing with you, Tiger,” his wife assured him.

“I know,” Peter said, stepping closer to her. “I just like reminding you anyway.”

Peter slowly leaned his face towards hers, his wife meeting him in the middle as their lips joined in a kiss. As they tried to deepen it, however, M.J. suddenly pulled away, letting out a slight but painful-sounding moan.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so; I’ve just felt a little off today,” M.J. replied.

“If you’re coming down with something, maybe you should take the rest of the day off,” Peter suggested.

“It’s not that serious, Tiger,” she tried to assure him. “I’ll be fine.”

“M.J...”

“I’ll be fine,” she again reassured him. “You know it takes more than a little intestinal issue to take me out of the game.”

“Alright,” Peter said, though he wasn’t a hundred percent convinced. “Just try and take it easy, okay? It’s actually a good thing to let others do some of the work from time to time.”

“I let people do plenty of work,” she countered.

“Uh huh,” Peter replied, prompting a playful push against his arm from her.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

The truth was, M.J. wasn’t so sure that it was just some intestinal issue. In reality, she wondered if something else might be what was causing her slight discomfort, something that was actually GOOD, but she didn’t dare get her hopes up. Still, as she went about her afternoon helping customers and handling inventory, Mary Jane’s mind was never far from the subject, something that her sister seemed to pick up on when she stopped by to drop off some number sheets.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” M.J. said. “Seriously, you and Peter both see me looking a little off, and it’s like the end of the world or something. I’m okay, really.”

“Okay, the fact that you way overreacted to a basic question like that tells me that your husband and I are more on the mark than you’re willing to admit,” Gayle replied. “What’s going on with you?”

Frustrated at being caught in her lie, or at least less-than-honesty, she glanced around the busy area before turning back to her sister.

“In the back room.”

The women then walked into the large inventory room where boxes and shelves of women’s clothing dominated most of the place as Mary Jane summoned her courage before finally speaking up and talking with her sister.

“I’m two days late.”

Her sister’s eyes widened exponentially.

“Two days!?”

“Shh!” M.J. replied. “Yes, two days.”

“But you and Peter have only been trying for a few months!” Gayle shouted, though her tone was quieter than before.

“I know!” Mary Jane replied.

“Well, have you taken a test yet?” Gayle inquired.

“Of course not,” M.J. replied. “It’s not THAT abnormal for a woman to be a little late sometimes.”

“Mary Jane, if there’s one thing in this world that I know is predictable, it’s that you are NEVER late,” Gayle countered. “You should take a test and find out.”

“No!” M.J. said. “I don’t... I don’t want to get my hopes up only to find out it’s a false alarm.”

Her sister’s expression then shifted from one of excitement to one of sympathy.

“Look, I know how much you want this, not only because you’ve talked about it non-stop since you and Peter started trying, but because I’ve been where you are,” Gayle assured her. “The first couple times I thought it was happening turned out to be just me being late, and yeah, it was disappointing, but I never regretted taking the tests though.”

“You didn’t?” Mary Jane asked.

“No!” Gayle replied emphatically with a shake of her head. “Because once I knew for sure, I could stop wondering and focus on whatever else I needed to put my energy into at the time. Trust me, if you just let this linger, it’s just going to dominate your mind, and you won’t be able to be present for Peter, your customers, your niece and nephew, or anybody else as long as your mind’s somewhere else.”

M.J. let out a sigh as she contemplated her sister’s words.

“I’ll think about it,” she said. “How are Maddie and Thomas? Still enjoying school?”

“Oh yeah,” Gayle replied. “I’m very lucky that both have always made friends easily. They get asked to sleepover at friends’ houses all the time!”

“And I’m guessing you still don’t let them?” Mary Jane asked.

“I’ve gotten to know a couple of the parents better recently, but I’m still holding onto my rule of them being thirteen first,” Gayle replied. “They’re just so sweet when they ask sometimes though, it makes it hard!”

“They are really cute kids,” M.J. said.

“Yeah, which is clearly why you never say no to them!” Gayle retorted.

“I can’t help it!” M.J. replied. “I like being the fun aunt!”

“Except now they ask why we can’t have a chocolate bar for breakfast!” Gayle replied.

“That was one time, and I didn’t really have anything else!” M.J. said.

“ANYTHING would have been better than that, Mary Jane!” Gayle replied, the two ladies then breaking out into a brief fit of laughter before the older sister spoke up again. “Seriously though, don’t be afraid to take the test. If you do, you’ll feel better at some point, one way or the other.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Here you go, ma’am,” Peter said upon landing back on the ground, offering the cat he’d just pulled from a tree to its owner.

“Oh, thank you so much, Spider-Man,” the lady said as she turned and handed the animal to her young son, likely no older than seven years old. “He would have just been devastated if he hadn’t been able to get him back. He loves this cat.”

“I wish I could say I knew the feeling,” Peter said. “Before I became, well, like this, I was basically allergic to anything with fur.”

“Joe used to be so nervous around him, even when he was just a kitten,” the mother said. “It took forever to get him used to him.”

“How’d you do it?” Peter asked, admittedly enjoying the pleasant, casual nature of the conversation. It was proving a welcome distraction.

“The biggest thing was that I convinced the shelter to hold him a little longer than we’d planned,” the woman explained. “We just brought Joe by here and there to introduce the two of them and get them used to each other. Eventually, we brought him home, and they soon became the best of friends. Well, we’d better get going; thank you again, Spider-Man.”

“It’s really my pleasure, ma’am,” Peter assured her. “Saving cats from trees is basically at the top of a superhero’s job description, after all.”

He then squatted down so that he was level with the child and his pet.

“You take good care of him now, okay?”

After the little boy nodded and smiled, Peter leapt and fired a web, swinging off. The interaction had been really refreshing; he couldn’t remember the last time he did some good old “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" work with the community. Little situations like this where he got to interact directly with the public in a more laid-back setting had always been his favorite times in the suit, as it was where he felt he made the most real impact in their lives... well, other than when he saved the city from being destroyed, turned into giant lizards, etc.

Still, there was something about the conversation he’d had with them, particularly something the mother had said that was stuck in his mind. It was the part where she’d talked about introducing the cat to her son steadily through shelter visits before finally bringing him home. His brain was churning over the wording even, but he wasn’t even fully sure why. He just knew that somewhere in there was something that could be useful to him if he could just figure it out...

Suddenly, a lightbulb moment happened in his brain, causing Peter to abruptly snag onto a nearby pole on a rooftop and come to an abrupt halt.

“THAT’S IT!!”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“So, yeah, I went straight back to the lab after that, extracted just the tiniest necessary bit of DNA from the mouse and inserted it into the piece of subdermal nanotech. All the scans I’ve run say that it should work, but then again, that’s what they often said about the others that were a total failure. Still, I just feel confident that this is going to work; it just makes sense that this was the missing piece, as the mouse was seemingly overworked by the tech trying to get used to its system, so now, the transition should be much easier on its body.”

Of course, Eddie couldn’t respond, the man still in a comatose state in his holding cell at Ravencroft, where he was being heavily monitored for both health and security reasons. Though he’d been there several times over the last couple of years, the sadness Peter felt at the sight of his friend in this condition still weighed on him heavily, causing him to sigh.

“I should hopefully know for sure if it’ll work tomorrow,” he said. “I better get going. I hope you wake up soon, Eddie, and whatever happens when you do, we’ll face it together.”

Chapter Text

“M.J?”

As she glanced up toward her husband, it finally dawned on Mary Jane that she’d been so caught up in her own thoughts that she’d completely missed what Peter had said.

“Sorry,” she said. “What did you say?”

“I was asking if you were feeling better today?” Peter asked.

“Oh, yeah, I think so,” she replied. “Taking the time to actually eat some real breakfast is definitely helping.”

“Agreed,” Peter said. “Nutri-Grain bars and a donut or two do not cut it for a guy with a superhuman metabolism.”

“You need to especially be on your A-game today, too,” M.J. noted as she stuffed a fork full of scrambled eggs in her mouth. “Today’s the big day, right?”

“I hope so,” Peter said as he let out a nervous breath he hadn’t even realized was inside of him. “I mean, it makes sense that the fault with my previous attempts was that, though I had all the right ingredients, it was too much of a strain on the device and the host for it to get enough genetic information and work through the body’s various systems in order to find what it needed. Introducing the DNA over a twelve-to-sixteen-hour period should hopefully be plenty of time.”

“Well then, I’ll eagerly await some good news later,” M.J. said.

“Yeah, but then comes the real challenge: human trials,” Peter remarked as he wiped his mouth before taking his plate to the sink. “Though to be fair, that’ll probably still come only after doing several more tests on animals, but it’ll be that much closer still.”

“Didn’t Flash say he would volunteer?” M.J. said.

“Yeah, but... if something goes wrong and I make it worse, I don’t know that I’d ever forgive myself, M.J.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong, okay?” M.J. tried to assure her husband. “It’s going to work today, then it’ll work the next time, and next thing you know, you’ll have cured paralysis across the world.”

“That would be nice,” Peter said. “Seeing Flash and all he’s had to deal with since his injury, knowing that I FINALLY have a real shot at taking that all away from people... it’s bigger than anything I’d ever dreamed of being able to do as a scientist. I can finally make a difference beyond just being a guy in a spandex suit beating up bad guys.”

“I mean, you do more than just beat up bad guys,” M.J. said as she rose from her table, coming alongside Peter. Assisting him in loading the dishwasher, she continued. “You’ve helped inspire so many people, especially kids.”

“I know, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world,” Peter assured her. “It’s just that... okay, maybe this is a little bit selfish, but it would be nice to be known for making a difference as Peter Parker, not just as Spider-Man. I hate saying that out loud, because it makes me sound selfish, and it probably is, but...”

“Peter, stop,” M.J. directed as she grabbed his hands, stepping in front of him and drawing his gaze towards her. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be appreciated a little for what you’re good at, and besides, I know that you’re doing this first and foremost to help people. It’s who you are, and it’s one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you.”

“Come on, we both know it was the suit,” Peter teased.

“I won’t lie: that definitely didn’t hurt,” M.J. conceded as she reached out, setting her hand on his chest. “But what really did the trick was when I learned what was in here. You’re a good man, Peter Parker, and you deserve every bit of what’s coming.”

Peter let out a light huff.

“Thanks,” he finally said. “And I feel the same for you. You’ve worked hard at the store, and I’m sure that you’ll be back on your way towards being the biggest fashion chain in the city in no time.”

“Honestly, I hope you’re right,” M.J. said. “Gayle and I are hoping to talk over lunch today about the potential expansion opportunity Liz and I were originally going to do. Speaking of which, I better get going; I need to look over some things related to that before the store opens today.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight,” Peter said.

“Can’t wait, Tiger,” M.J. replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “See you then.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Alright there, little fella,” Peter said as he finished the last step of lab set up. “Today’s the day... hopefully.”

He then grabbed his recorder.

“My name is Peter Parker, and today is the two hundred and twenty second test of Project Flashpoint. Sample of subject’s DNA was inserted into device approximately fourteen hours and twenty-three minutes ago; data is showing no rejection, so I will proceed.”

Setting down the recorder, Peter took the device on his finger and slowly lifted the top of the cage away. He paused before the insertion though, letting out a breath in the hopes of expelling the anxiety that was suddenly threatening to overwhelm him. Then, just as he had done over two hundred previous times, he slowly and gently placed the tiny device against the creature’s back, its skin absorbing it as before. From there, Peter then went over to the vitals, watching carefully. Just like before, everything started off normal, though the creature still wasn’t moving.

“Please,” he muttered. “Let it work this time...”

Then, suddenly, the mouse’s back legs suddenly began stirring. Checking the vitals one more time and finding them unchanged, Peter slowly came up to the box as his heart thumped harder in his chest with anticipation. He then watched as the creature began stirring around and walking, its back legs acting as though they’d never lost their ability to move in the first place.

“YES!!” Peter shouted as he jumped in the air, pumping his fists in celebration before his brain reminded him that he still needed to document the moment properly, so he scrambled to grab his recorder. “This is Peter Parker; test two hundred and twenty-two successful. Subject has regained locomotive abilities in its back legs and is moving around on its own. Vitals appear stable and unchanged from prior to reception. Will need to monitor over the coming days to ensure effects remain before proceeding, but attempt appears successful.”

Leaning on his hands against a nearby table, Peter let out multiple joyful gasps, the disbelief keeping him from laughing fully. He just couldn’t believe he’d done it; there were several times over the course of his research and experimentation that he’d come to believe this idea was a fantasy. Yet, today, he’d finally done it. Even so, as his brain finally started to come down from the euphoric high of the moment, Peter remembered that there was still a long way to go. He would need to prove this process could be repeated on other animals first before he could even consider human trials. Still, right now, to say today had been a success would be an understatement in his eyes.

Observing the picture of Robbie from his primary workstation, Peter took the frame in his hand.

“I’m almost there, Robbie, and I wouldn’t have even got here in the first place if you didn’t believe in me enough to get me started. Trying to make you proud every day, boss.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Mary?”

“Oh, hey dad,” M.J. said; she could feel her face suddenly flushing with embarrassment at the sight of her father. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you kidding? This is the best place for an afternoon coffee,” the man explained. “What about you? I thought you’d be having lunch with Gayle right about now.”

“Oh, I am,” M.J. said, “or, rather I will be. Just, you know, stopping to pick up a thing or two. Well, I better get to it!”

“Hang on,” her father said, stopping her from making her escape from the aisle. “Why are you acting so...”

As M.J. turned around, she realized why her father had paused: he’d seen what was in the portion of the aisle she’d been standing right next to, and his face suddenly grew wide with joy.

“Okay, I’m just grabbing one just to check,” she explained. “It could be nothing though.”

“Or it could be the fact that I’m about to get another grandchild?” her father suggested, his smile wide.

“First Gayle, now you, I just... I just don’t want to get my hopes up so soon,” M.J. said.

Her father’s expression shifted towards a more sympathetic one, similar to the one from Gayle yesterday.

“Mary, I understand your caution, but just know that it’s okay to actually hold a little hope in your heart for something you really want.”

“I’ll try,” M.J. said with a sigh. “Now, can you please walk away? The last thing I need is for my daddy to be with me while I’m buying a pregnancy test like I’m some teenager or something.”

“I’m pretty sure if you were getting a pregnancy test as a teenager, you’d want me here with you even less than you do right now,” her father said.

“Okay, like I’m some young adult who still needs her hand held; you know what I meant!” M.J. protested. “Just... please?”

Her father nodded in understanding as he started to back away.

“I’ll keep an open mind for some good news soon.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“M.J? Are you home?”

“I’m in the bathroom!”

Following his wife’s voice to their bedroom, he found the door of the bathroom door shut, so he came up to it.

“Hey, so, I hate to interrupt, but I’ve got something I really need to tell you.”

“Oh, uh... okay,” his wife stammered out from within.

“I did it, M.J; the test went perfectly!” he exclaimed. “I... I think I just found the cure for paralysis.”

He was met with several seconds of silence at first before M.J. finally spoke up.

“Wow, that’s... amazing.”

“I know right?” he said, the still restless energy causing him to begin pacing around the room. “I’m trying to not to get too excited though; I still need to watch the little guy for at least a few days to make sure there are no side effects or that they diminish completely. Then I would need to do some more tests on other animals first, probably at least fifteen to twenty; actually maybe more like forty or fifty. Wow, now that I think about it, I’m probably still at least twelve to eighteen months before human trials, unless I can get a bunch of animals to test at once, but finding that many at one time would be...”

Peter paused as he saw that his wife was now standing in the doorway to their bathroom, a smile like nothing he’d ever seen on her before spread across her cheeks. It wasn’t forced, but soft, pleasant, and peaceful.

“What is it?” he asked.

She said nothing, but instead met his gaze before walking over to him. She then held up what was in her hand: a pregnancy test... and it was positive. Time seemed to grind to a halt as he took the test in his hand, staring at it as if it were some complex equation he needed to solve. Only it wasn’t; instead, it was a sign that one of the greatest gifts he ever could have asked for was coming soon. He finally met his wife’s gaze once again.

“That’s actually the second one, too.”

Peter glanced back down at it again, his mind still processing whether what he was seeing was even real, or if he was stuck in a dream.

“We’re... going to have a baby?”

His wife only nodded enthusiastically, and Peter scooped her up in his arms, the two joyfully laughing as he swung her around in the air a couple of times before setting her back down. They then planted a couple of strong, loving kisses on one another’s lips before resting their heads against one another.

“Wow.”

“I know,” M.J. said. “Can you believe it? We haven’t been trying that long, but it’s already happening. We’re going to be parents!”

“I... wow,” was all Peter could find to say. “I’m going to be a dad; it doesn’t even feel real.”

“It doesn’t for me either, but it is,” she said. “It’s so crazy to think there was a time where I wanted nothing to do with having a family, but this moment is one of the best of my entire life. Well, way too early prediction time: what do you think it’ll be, a boy or a girl?”

“I... have no idea,” Peter finally managed to stutter out.

“Are you okay, Tiger?” she said. “I know it’s a lot to process.”

“No, it’s... like you said, it’s incredible,” he said. “I just can’t believe that, right now, for maybe the first time in my life, I have everything I ever wanted: a family, a job as a scientist where I’m making real change... it all used to seem so far away, even three or four years ago, but now, it’s here... it’s all here.”

“I know,” M.J. said. “I can’t believe it either. I was so nervous to do the test, actually, because I was afraid of getting my hopes up for nothing. Maybe Gayle and my dad were right though; maybe it’s okay to let yourself hope for something you really, really want.”

“Yeah, maybe so,” Peter replied; he could feel the happy smile making his cheeks stretch wider than normal. “Also, I think it’s a girl.”

“Really? I think it’s a boy,” M.J. countered.

“Well, whatever the case, as long as it’s healthy, I’ll be happy,” Peter replied.

“Sure, but it’s definitely a boy,” M.J. replied as she kissed him again, the couple holding the position indefinitely as, finally, Peter allowed himself to believe it was all real: the successful test, the baby... it was all happening...

... and he couldn’t be happier.

Chapter Text

Peter shot up to a seated position, breathing heavily as he suddenly found himself wide awake, his senses on high alert. After what was likely about ten seconds though, his mind and body began to settle, and he realized that what he’d just experienced had been only a dream. This reality was only reinforced further as he glanced over to his side, finding his wife still lying beside him, peacefully asleep.

Letting out a soft, quiet breath as he tried to steady his still rapidly beating heart, Peter slowly laid back down. His eyes remained open though as he contemplated what he’d seen in his dream: he’d been out swinging as Spider-Man in the nighttime sky of Manhattan when, suddenly, a light had appeared in the sky. He remembered looking at it but not thinking much of it at first, but it had grown brighter until Peter was able to tell there was an object producing that light, something dangerous that had been speeding towards him, M.J, their child...

“Easy, Pete; it was just a dream, nothing more,” he thought to himself. Frankly, he’d had dreams of this nature for years; even before Spider-Man was part of the picture, he could remember having nightmares as a young child that either his aunt and uncle would leave him, just like his parents had, or that someone was going to come and take them away from him. It seemed his subconscious had never truly gotten over that fear, the fear of losing those closest to him for any reason. It wasn’t like his waking life had helped him much either, given the losses of people like Gwen and Robbie in his adult life. Still, in this case, it had only been a dream, and one that he had no reason to believe would come to fruition.

He then lay back onto his side and shut his eyes, hoping that sleep would come soon.

 

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“Thanks so much for offering to cook, Aunt May,” Peter said as he took his usual seat at the table.

“This is a rare pleasure for me these days, really,” his aunt replied as she stirred the delicious-smelling macaroni in the pot on the stove. “Being a house of two entrepreneurs has made you and Mary Jane both quite busy, it seems.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry we don’t come visit as often as we should,” Peter replied, feeling a little guilty at the reminder. His aunt must have sensed this too, given her next words.

“And I’m sorry too; I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you. I know that you and Mary Jane visit as often as your schedules, and the city, will allow.”

“Well, maybe once you’re officially retired here soon, you’ll just be able to come visit us more frequently,” Peter suggested. “Are you counting down the days yet?”

“Honestly, I’m thinking of just rescinding it and continuing with the job,” his aunt replied as she came and took her seat as the food continued to cook.

“What?” Peter questioned. “You were talking just last week about how you were looking forward to having so much more time!”

“I know, but I just... I feel like I still have so much more to give,” May countered.

“And I believe that too, but you’re also always talking about how you are tired all the time, even when you do sleep good,” Peter replied. “Seriously, this will be good for you; you can still volunteer at the community center or something to keep a little busy while still helping people.”

May sighed.

“I guess you do have a point; I don’t know, maybe I’ll give it some more thought,” she said. “But anyway, enough about me; congratulations on the big win with your experiment! That’s so great that you figured it out!”

“It feels good after so long just in this phase,” Peter replied. “I still have a long way to go though, but definitely a step in the right direction.”

“Have you told Flash yet?” his aunt asked.

“Not yet,” Peter replied.

“Why not?” May questioned. “I’m sure he’d be excited to know!”

“And that’s exactly why I don’t want to tell him, at least not yet,” Peter explained. “Not until I can be sure by successfully repeating the process on other animals first. It’s a golden rule of science: you must repeatedly demonstrate something will happen before it can be considered a true discovery. Once could technically still be just a fluke.”

“Okay, I guess you have a point,” May finally conceded. “Still, I’m guessing you’re feeling confident about it?”

“I am,” Peter assured her. “Sometimes it’s still hard to not let my paranoia of something going wrong play into things, but I’m just taking it one day at a time right now.”

“And how’s Mary Jane doing with the store?” May inquired. “Last we talked, it sounded like things were looking up for the place again, finally.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Peter said; he caught himself fidgeting with his hands out of restlessness, forcing himself to stop. “She actually is talking about hopefully following through with opening another store again. It’s taken her quite a long time, but her and Gayle finally seem to be heading in the direction.”

“That’s great!” May replied. “She really seems at home at that place.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Peter replied as he tried to discreetly place his hand on his jittery leg, forcing it to stop. The big reveal was getting harder and harder to hold back; he’d been looking for just the right opportunity to say it but had never been quite sure when that would be.

“Peter, what’s going on?” his aunt asked, obviously having caught onto his nervous gestures too.

“Okay, I was trying to draw out the suspense a little,” he confessed, “but I might as well just come out and say it: M.J.’s pregnant!”

May squealed with delight, the sound making her seem as though she’d de-aged by at least twenty years as she hugged Peter and congratulated him.

“Wow, it’s about time you all gave me some grandchildren!” she added.

“Hey, we had to take some time to enjoy the newlywed phase, since you know, stuff kept coming up,” Peter defended. “Also, we’ll go with that title, because I’m just now realizing that I have no idea what your title to them would technically be. Great Aunt, maybe?”

“That makes me sound so much older!” May insisted.

“And grandma doesn’t?” Peter asked, producing joint laughter between them.

“Well, how are you feeling right now?” May inquired.

Peter let out a breath as he contemplated his answer.

“Honestly, I don’t even know how to describe it,” he admitted. “Last night, it was a mix of disbelief and excitement, but then this morning I was analyzing all the stuff in the apartment that would need to be baby-proofed, all the extra expenses we’ll have to deal with...”

“Basically, your sciency, always-have-to-find-the-answer mind is working overtime right now?” May asked.

“Something like that,” Peter acknowledged. “The biggest thing I’m thinking about is Spider-Man though.”

“What do you mean?” his aunt asked.

“I just don’t want to end up being an absent father... or worse,” Peter replied after a small hesitation.

His aunt let out a sympathetic sigh before replying.

“I understand, given all you went through,” she said.

“I still feel a responsibility to the city though,” Peter said. “Plus, keeping the city safe keeps my family safe too. Having a kid doesn’t negate my responsibility to the city, but I’ll have an even bigger responsibility to my family as well. I’m just not sure what balancing it will look like.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” May said. “Plus, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Where is M.J. anyway?”

“She’s having lunch with her dad and sister to tell them,” Peter replied. “And yeah, I suppose you're right.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

After apparently pulling off the world’s worst poker face and receiving congratulations and hugs from her family, M.J. sat down with Gayle and their dad.

“Oh, and do you have something to say to me?” Gayle asked, her tone reeking of smugness.

“Nope, can’t think of a single thing,” M.J. replied as she looked at the menu.

“Really, because I can,” Gayle replied.

“Ugh, are you like this around your own kids?” M.J. teased. “I guess you’re as poor an example of a parent as you are a big sister.”

“Okay you two, I don’t need flashbacks to when you two were teenagers,” their dad spoke up as the server came and brought their usual drinks. They then placed their orders.

“I can’t believe my little sister is going to be a mom!” Gayle said. “Alright, I’m going to go ahead and submit my guess now and say it’s a girl.”

“Nope, my way-too-early mom instincts are saying boy,” M.J. replied. “Dad, care to break the tie?”

“How should I know?” her dad replied. “I just want a healthy kid.”

“Oh, come on; Peter says it’s a girl, and I really need someone else on my side!” M.J. pleaded.

“Hey, it may have taken me a long longer than it should have, but I’ve learned that taking sides with either one of you girls is ALWAYS a mistake,” her father insisted.

“Fine,” M.J. replied with a huff. “I still have May at least.”

After a short while and some further conversation, everyone’s food was set before them.

“So,” Gayle spoke up as they all prepared to dive into their meals, “have you thought about how much time you’ll want to take off from the store?”

“Time off?” Mary Jane questioned, her brain seemingly forgetting about her food entirely as she locked in on her sister’s inquiry.

“Yeah,” Gayle said. “Believe me, you’ll need at least some time to recover, even if things go as smooth as possible.”

“Oh, uh... I hadn’t thought about it very much,” Mary Jane replied.

“Well, and I know this isn’t going to be easy for you to hear, but my suggestion would be at least two weeks,” Gayle said. “That includes online work too; you focus on yourself, Peter and the baby that whole time.”

“Two weeks?” M.J. questioned. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever taken off more than a week, and that was for mine and Peter’s honeymoon.”

“Your sister’s right,” her dad chimed in, “and honestly, I’d tell Peter the same thing. You’ll both need to focus on each other and the baby for a while, if only to take turns sleeping while the other handles the little one.”

“I guess that is a fair point,” M.J. noted. She was slowly beginning to realize that she hadn’t even begun to really think through the logistical aspects of how bringing a child into her and Peter’s lives would shake things up.

“Okay,” her sister spoke up, “now that I’ve sufficiently scared you, let me offer a little encouragement to you in that I’ll be here for you every step of the way; dad and I both will.”

“Absolutely,” her father replied. “Honestly, it wasn’t long ago that I thought knowing my grandchildren would even be a possibility, so believe me when I say there’s nothing that I won’t do to help you now in ways I should have before.”

As they all finally began to enjoy their delicious-smelling meals, M.J. had to admit that she was at least somewhat encouraged by their last statements. Gayle was a relatively experienced mother by now, certainly much more compared to her, so having her by her side would be invaluable, and her father certainly seemed committed to doing his part as well. Still, she couldn’t help but feel just a slight tinge of anxiety beginning to well up in her heart. She’d always been protective of the store, so the thought of leaving it alone completely, not even checking in or doing any promotional work online for it disturbed her greatly, even if it was only for a short time. At the same time though, she knew they were likely right, as Gayle in particular had regaled her with countless stories of late nights due to sickness, nightmares, or just children simply refusing to sleep for no particular reason. She and Peter would need to come together on this, despite their normally busy schedules.

“Wow,” she thought, “this really is going to be a big change...”

Still, despite the suddenly daunting nature of the whole thing, Mary Jane resolved not to let these new thoughts cause her enthusiasm to waver. She was still going to be a mother, and she and Peter were going to get to be parents together. Nothing was going to take that away from them.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“What’s the latest on our patient, Dr. Beeman?”

“Same as ever, I’m afraid,” the doctor replied to his colleague, who’d just entered the room. He then rose up, walking over toward the holding area for their patient as he continued. “Brain activity remains low, and vitals remain unchanged. Frankly, this is the most baffling case I’ve ever seen in all my years on the job.”

“Well, it’s not every day that you deal with a man who was once possessed by an alien creature,” his colleague, Dr. Holloway, replied.

“Fair,” Dr. Beeman conceded. “Still, it’s just hard not to understand why absolutely nothing has changed in any of his readings. He’s not so bad that he needs life support, but his brain activity hasn’t given us any reason to believe that he’ll wake up any time soo...”

Suddenly, their patient sat up, his eyes shut as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Open the unit!” Dr. Beeman cried out as he hurried over, quickly acquiring a dose of sedatives. He’d just filled it up in time for the door to be opened, where he and Dr. Holloway rushed in as the man, known as Edward Brock, continued his screaming even as the two men forced him back down. The man injected him with the sedative, with Brock gradually settling down from his crazed state, his eyes shutting again. Dr. Beeman then looked towards his colleague, a look of bewilderment written on Dr. Holloway’s face.

“What was that?”