The Amazing Spider-Man 3

Chapter 18

Gwen and I swung by her summer home to grab a few belongings that had survived the destruction. Then, we returned to my house. Five minutes later, Aunt May came home from work. I told Gwen to stay in my room while I talked to Aunt May.

"Aunt May?" I said.

"Hello, Peter," she said, taking off her purse. "It's awfully late, were you out and about again?" She was asking about me being Spider-Man.

"Kind of," I said. "Look, we need to talk." She gave me a concerned look.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you promise to listen to the full story before trying to do something about it?"

"Fine. Now what is it?"

"Gwen is back."

"She is?"

"Yeah, but she never really was gone."

"What do you mean?"

"She was in New York the whole time. She never went to England."

"Oh...do her parents know?"

"No."

"And why not?" Aunt May began to reach for the phone. I gave her a frown, and her arm dropped back to her side.

"I'm getting to that," I said.

"Please do."

I sighed. "Instead, she was experimenting. She recreated Dad's spiders. And she used them, on herself."

"Oh my word," she gasped. "Did they work?"

"Yes. And she decided to make her grand appearance during one of my Spider-Man battles. She made a suit and everything."

"But why?"

I clenched my fists tightly, enough that my knuckles turned white. "It's all my fault. She wanted to still be with me. She turned herself into whatever thing I am so we could be together."

"This is terrible! I have to tell her family!" She reached for the phone again. I reached for her hand, snatching it away before she could grab the phone. I shot a spiderweb across the phone so it couldn't be removed from its stand.

"Let me finish the story first. You promised," I reminded her. She moaned, slumping onto the couch. I sat beside her. "Gwen is going to deal with her family. She's just still trying to find out how."

"But where is she now?" Aunt May asked.

"In my room," I replied. Aunt May's eyes widened. I nodded. "She needs somewhere to stay until we get this all sorted out. Where she was staying before is kind of...destroyed. She needs a new place to stay until her family knows."

"You want Gwen to stay here? After everything she's already done? When her family finds out, they'll never trust us again! They'll never trust you again! They don't even know you're Spider-Man! How will you both ever get to be together again when her family feels you have betrayed them, and turned their daughter into...another monster, as far as they know?" She saw the hurt in my eyes that had appeared after she called me a monster. "I didn't mean it like that, Peter. I don't think you're a monster...they just might think so."

"No, no, I understand," I bit my lip. "I don't like this any more than you do, but Gwen has to stay here. Just this once." Aunt May sighed, looking down at her wrinkled hands.

"Alright, fine. But don't make me regret it," she decided.

"Thank you, Aunt May," I gave her a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Peter," she returned the hug. "Now, get Gwen out of your room! It's so messy and cramped in there; I don't know how you can stand it! I wouldn't be surprised if she's already moved something around. Let her relax, on the couch or something. Somewhere that's not covered in trash or clothing." I frowned again, then retrieved Gwen.

"Did it work?" Gwen asked anxiously.

"Yes," I replied.

"Great!" She exhaled, letting out a deep breath that she'd been holding in.

We walked into the living room together. Aunt May was trying to remove the spiderwebs from the phone.

"Hey, I'll take care of that," I said. Aunt May turned around.

"Very well," she said. Her eyes moved to Gwen, who was standing beside me nervously. "Hello, Gwen. There's an old guest room towards the back of the house, if you'd like to stay there. It hasn't been used in years."

"Thank you, Mrs. Parker," Gwen said respectively. She had hardly talked to Aunt May, only on a few occasions.

"Oh, please. Just call me 'May'," Aunt May said. Gwen nodded and smiled.

"Aunt May," I said, removing the spiderwebs from the phone. She looked at me. "That room is pretty old, wouldn't she be fine in my room with me?"

"Absolutely not," she snapped. "Not until you're married." I laughed.

"I didn't mean that we would..."

"Nope. She gets her own room."

"Okay, fine."

I turned to Gwen, embarrassed. She was trying her hardest not to laugh.