Sunshine flickered in through the open window causing the sleepy young girl on the inside to rise from her military style apartment. She dressed herself and continued to get ready for the coming day. Being back on the street last night had made her feel fresh again. She was prepared to go back to her aunts again after a talk with Fury. A few hours later she made her way to meet with Fury once more.
Closing the door behind her, she made her way to Fury's office. She wasn't surprised when his now familiar secretary was overly apologetic in telling her that he was late again.. Two hours later he finally arrived.
“Sorry I'm late Jess, the world’s got this unfortunate need to be saved by me every five minutes.” he said, smirking as he signaled her to follow him into his office. She remembered how much she disliked Fury’s arrogance at first but she'd come to realise it was that it was part and parcel of the way he operated.
“You ok after last night?” he asked her once they'd both been seated.
“Yeah, I think I needed the air. I did a lot of thinking when I was waiting for you. I'm gonna go back to May and MJ, I'm gonna try sort things out again.” she replied. “I need to be stronger for them, I've been wallowing in my own pity for too long. I know that's not what Peter would want or what I want.”
Fury perked up when he heard this. “Glad to hear it, Drew. As much as you wanna get revenge on Ock, sorting stuff out back home's more important. You did good last night too, kid. You gonna keep it up with the costume?” he asked.
She nodded. “It was such a relief after everything that happened, to just get back out there and do what I'm good at.” She smiled. “It helped me clear my head, feel a bit more normal. Funny, how running around in a costume beating people up makes me feel normal!” she laughed.
Fury smiled at her again. “Glad to see you're getting better. Listen Drew, some stuff came up, problem with some nutty terrorist cell in Japan, I'm probably gonna be dealing with that for the next few weeks so I won't be able to see you, but if Ock comes on the radar at all I'll let you know like I promised.”
“Thanks Fury. For everything you've done.” Fury could see she was looking far happier than she had been since they'd met.
“Even the Spider Slayers?” he joked.
“Maybe you shoulda made Octopus or Goblin slayers instead...” she grinned. “Good luck with your thing.”
“Good luck with your family kid. I hope I don't have to see your face around here for much longer.” he quipped while she left the room.
**
Jessica decided to make her own way to Queens rather than getting another lift from SHIELD. Meeting her aunt was a lot easier this time. After Jessica filled May in on what had happened to her since the whole cloning debacle and May had told Jessica what'd happened in the last few months.
“...and then Peter changed into his costume, caught him and left him hanging from the lamppost! I gave out to him for beating up a stranger in front of me, well he just said “Aunt May, that guy gets out of prison more times than I've seen you do that dreamy eyed thing when Captain America's on TV” Aunt May giggled.
“Yeah, that Shocker guy's a doofus Alright, I ran into him last night, small world! said Jessica giggling along with her aunt .
“Umm... Jessica?” May said a few moments after the laughter died down.
“Yeah Aunt May? She replied, noticing the slightly more serious tone she'd taken.
“Remember you told me you had Peter's memories the last day you were here?”
“Yeah, I remember. Why, what about it?”
May paused a minute. “I don't like to pry, but... does that mean that you feel the same way about things that Peter did?
“Ummm... I'm not quite sure what you mean.” Jessica said.
May looked visibly awkward now. “Do you... do you still love Mary Jane?”
Jessica looked down at the floor for a few moments before looking past May. “I'm---I'm not really sure this is the time to talk about this.” she said sadly before looking bad down at the ground.
May took the young girl's hand in hers, petting her gently.
“Oh Jessica... this isn't your fault. I.. I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing. I knew how much Peter loved her. I just don't want you to feel like you've got no one to talk to. Ok?”
Jessica slowly rose her head to her aunt's level. Her cheeks were soggy with the few tears she'd failed to hold back while her eyes were wet and red.
“I shouldn't even be thinking about this now. I'm a girl! She loved Peter... not me.” With each passing second she was finding it harder and harder to hold back the tears that were streaming faster now.
May pulled Jessica closer as she went to hug her. “It's ok Jessica. It's not your fault.” she told her. “Don't hold it in. Hush... It's not your fault.”
She could feel the young girl cry in earnest letting the emotions she'd held inside for so long come out. She told her aunt about how much she'd missed her, her home and how the girl who loved her and who she'd loved could never be hers all because of someone else's greed.
She cried until she couldn't cry any more, for the life that she thought she'd never have, the life that had been stolen from her original counterpart, Peter, and the people that had been hurt so badly Octavius. She hated him for creating her. She hated him even more for killing the person she used to be.
She told her aunt that she was afraid she was going to kill Octavius. She told her how much pain he'd caused, how he kept taking and taking and taking. May tried to talk her down but Jessica wouldn't listen.
They talked for hours, crying, holding each other, remembering Uncle Ben, Gwen, Captain Stacey, Peter, all the people that had been taken from them.
Eventually Jessica burned herself out with all the sudden emotion. She fell asleep at her Aunt's side as her aunt stroked her long brown hair.
**
A few hours later, May placed a blanket over Jessica as she was sleeping on the sofa. She conked out a little after her emotional outburst. She seemed exhausted so May gently placed her on the sofa and allowed her to sleep.
“Goodnight Jessica.” May whispered to her niece as she kissed her gently on the forehead and departed to her own bed up the stairs.
**
Jessica was awoken by glistening sunshine for the second morning in a row, but she wasn't in the unfamiliar bed she'd been sleeping in for the last week, but on a sofa in her home. Her old home at least. She pushed off a blanket that'd been placed on top of her. “Aunt May...” she thought happily.
Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from the staircase.
“Oh good, you're awake. Sorry for not waking you last night but you looked so content on the sofa, you looked too angelic to move.” Her aunt said with a smile.
Jessica blushed. “Thanks for letting me stay the night Aunt May, you don't know what it means to me to be back home, even if it's just for the night.”
May smiled at her once more. “Don't be silly Jessica, this is your home too, if you want it to be...”
Jessica wasn't sure she heard the older lady correctly. “You... you really mean that?”
May nodded happily. “It's what Peter would have wanted and it's what I want. You're my niece and I can't have you living in some shoddy apartment.”
Jessica couldn't believe her ears. She stretched the biggest smile she could before hugging her aunt tightly.
“Thank you Aunt May... for everything. You really helped me last night.”
“Don't be ridiculous!” she replied. “It was nice to talk about Peter with someone and to learn about my new niece too. Anyway, I'm gonna make some breakfast. Eggs and Bacon anyone?
“Me, me, me!” Jessica giggled.
As they ate breakfast they discussed Jessica moving back in. Neither of them felt comfortable with the idea of Jessica sleeping in Peter's room, although May didn't say this, being worried that not allowing her to sleep in her old room would upset her again. Fortunately, Jessica herself suggested taking the guest room as her own if she was going to live with May. After talking about moving in and collecting Jessica's things for a while, May brought up Mary Jane again.
“You should go see Mary Jane again. She needs a friend right now. I know she didn't react so well to you before but it was hard for her. God knows it was hard for all of us...You need to sort out things with her for your own sake. Plus you need someone your age to talk about these things, I'm not much use to you...”
“Aunt May, seriously, stop. You've helped me more than anyone ever could.”
The older lady just smiled back at her niece.
“Be that as it may, you have a lot of issues to deal with. Go see Mary Jane later today. Talk to her. Let her know she's not alone in this.
Jessica didn't say anything for a while before nodding in agreement.
“Ok, Aunt May, you win. I'll go over to her place after I'm finished eating.” she told her.
“That's my girl.” her Aunt said happily.
After they'd finished breakfast, Jessica cleaned the dishes and cutlery before turning to her aunt.
“I guess now's as good a time as any to see her. I'll be back in a while.” she told her.
“Good luck Jessica. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you.”
“I almost forgot, I have to go into town for a couple of hours, I'll be back as soon as I can.” her aunt added.
“Don't worry I'll be fine. I might go into town myself after I meet Mary Jane anyway. I have to pick up my stuff from the apartment Fury was letting me stay in.” Jessica said, tried to reassure her.
“Well if you're sure...” her aunt said slightly uneasily. “Still I shouldn't be too long. You know where the spare key is in case you're back first, right?
“Top of the draining pipe on the right hand side?” she said, humouring her aunt.
“Sorry dear, I forgot who I was talking to.” she said with a smile”
Jessica smiled back as she turned to leave.
“Oh and Jessica?” her aunt said before she left.
“Yeah?”
May looked at Jessica for a moment, thinking back on Octavius, trying to think of something to say to stop her from letting her desire for vengeance take control, to keep her safe.
But she didn't.
“Say hi to Mary Jane for me.” she said with a slight smile.
“Will do!” she said before taking a few more steps.
“...Aunt May? Thanks for all this. I missed you.” she said as she turned back to give her aunt a hug.
May was a little startled at first, feeling the feeling she'd so long associated with her Nephew coming from a young girl.
“No problem sweetie.”
Jessica gave a brisk wave as she passed the window.
“No problem at all...”
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