A Watery Web

Chapter 13

Peter was straightening up the apartment, when his phone vibrated.

Coming home now. See you soon! <3 - Mera.

Peter grinned and threw the towel he was using to clean into the corner of the apartment. He dashed faster than a speeding bullet out of the door and towards the abandoned building.

Arriving at the scene, he saw that Mera had yet to resurface, and waited patiently for her return. Okay maybe he wasn't all that patient, but he still waited and that's what counts.

Then finally, a splash was heard in the building and Peter spun on the spot. "There's the beautiful princess!" Peter called out to a wet Mera.

Mera grinned, while having one hand behind her back. "You're too sweet Peter." she commented.

"What's that behind you?" Peter asked, noticing her posture. Mera's smile widened and she brought her hand around to reveal a bag. She opened it and showed the opening to Peter.

In that were countless amounts of pearls of different colors. From white, to black, to gray and brown. And they all filled the whole bag, which was about three feet long!

"What the-?! You found all of these?" Peter asked with wide eyes and a joyful smile on his face.

Mera giggled at his reaction. She had been looking forward to see the look on his face once she returned with the pearls. Safe to say that she was not disappointed.

"I told you I know how to find pearls." Mera said. "And now we can use this for the new ho-OH!"

Mera suddenly shouted when Peter slammed into her with a bone-crushing hug. She then laughed, dropped the bag and then wrapped her arms around him in her own embrace. "I missed you so much." Peter mumbled into her hair, smelling the fresh ocean scent her red locks gave off. And he didn't care one bit if his face was getting wet or not.

"I missed you too." Mera said, leaning back so she could give Peter a passionate kiss. Peter instantly returned it. Both of them were surging with butterflies and fireworks at the moment, after not being with each other for a whole week. They were both relishing the opportunity to be with the other at long last.

"How is the little one?" Peter asked Mera once they had separated. And just like that, the fireworks had ended. Mera's eyes watered a little bit, and in response, she closed them and turned away from Peter so he couldn't see. "What? What's wrong?" Peter asked, cupping Mera's cheek. "Was it something I said? Did I do something to make you feel depressed?"

"No. You didn't." Mera said with a sniff. "We have something to talk about. Now." she added, opening her eyes to look at Peter again.

"We have lots to talk about." Peter said, nodding his head. Mera looked at him with a bit of a confused gesture. "Let's go to the apartment and we'll talk." he said.

That look that Peter gave Mera when he said that last sentence scared her a little bit. In the whole year that they have known each other, the one other time that he made that face was the moment he told her of Octavius' betrayal the night that the Sinister Six was formed. So she knew that this could not be good. But inside, she felt empathy for him too, because she wasn't going to deliver happy news herself.

Mera finally nodded, and the two grabbed the bag of pearls, sealed it up and set out of the building.

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"Okay. You go first." Peter said, once they had settled on the bed. Mera scooted closer to him and grabbed his hands tightly.

"Peter.......So as you know, I went to go and get a check-up for our baby......" Mera started to say. She then felt the pain again in her lower back. But this time though it was more intense. "The results were not good." she said with watery eyes.