Spider-Man: Duty and Loss Chapter 28: Felicia Part 3

Finally reaching the edge of the building Peter couldn't move back any further as Felicia got closer and closer. "If you know it's me, that still doesn't answer my question, why are you back?" Peter didn't realize that when he spoke to her this time his tone had turned a lot colder.

Felicia who was moving closer stopped and the smile faded from her face for the first time. She stood there for a few seconds not saying anything as she thought to herself, even turning her back to think. Finally after a few minutes she turned back around.

"Look, my family wanted to get away from New York after the giant battle. I tried calling a few times afterwards but you never picked up." She sent a small pout his way as he grimaced on the inside. His Phone had been thrown away a long time ago. "I convinced my parents to let me come back, because I missed you. You were one of my best friends after that day." She then threw her hands up. "But guess what I find when I come back after all this time, no one knows where you are at school, they all said you disappeared after that day."

Her voice turned low in sorrow as she continued. "I was worried sick that something may have happened for a little while, but then I remembered you were Spider-Man. And you had been showing up a lot more recently, so it could have been something else, but then…" She trailed off as she looked Peter in the eye, or more like looked into the lenses of the mask.

Sorrow passed through her face as she once again took in his state. "Look Peter, I know about Aunt May, I'm so sorry." She was so genuine when she said those words that Peter was frozen to the spot, he felt his emotions flare as he heard her words.

Stepping closer and in a much gentler way, she reached out towards him. He flinched as he saw her hand moving forwards, and Felicia couldn't help but notice, but she didn't stop she continued to reach forwards and rested her hand on his shoulder.

With one hand on his shoulder she moved closer and soon gave Peter a hug. His shoulders trembled as he fought back the tears that threatened to come out. Peter stayed frozen in that hug for a small while before his brain came back to him.

Looking down at the Platinum hair that rested on his shoulder and the warm body that was hugging him, he quickly struggled to get free. Felicia was shocked from the sudden move and Peter quickly distanced himself.

"Peter?" His shoulders slumped in defeat as he stayed away from her. "You shouldn't have come back Felicia." She shook at his words as a sense of hurt started to creep up inside her. "All those close to me don't have a happy ending." Peter spoke bitterly as he tried to push her away.

A light of understanding passed through her eyes as she heard his words and she thought back to all the people that she and Peter used to hang out with. Gwen and Harry were both gone, their families left in a mess, both fathers dead.

Her eyes softened even more as she realized that peter just wanted to keep her safe. "Hey it's ok, I'm here to help you, just like you helped me. Nothing's going to happen to me" She spoke softly again as she was moving to get close and comfort him, he still moved back out of reach. "I just want to help." Felicia continued to try and give him words of comfort, but nothing was getting through. Finally after a while of this happening, Felicia finally gave a sigh of defeat. She wouldn't get anything done like this.

Raising her hands in defeat she spoke. "Fine ok then. Look would it be too much to ask for you to come back to my place for a drink then, catch up on old times. Some place warm to stay for the night even." Peter hesitated for a few seconds before speaking. "Ok I'll have a drink and chat, but I've got some place to stay." "Uh huh"

Giving a not convinced look, she looked down at the state of his costume noticing the rips, tears, and water damage that it had been through; she didn't think he usually spent nights in any place good. Peter spoke up though before she said anything else. "But first I have to continue my patrol for a while longer."

"But it's already so late." Felicia commented as she looked up. Peter also looked at the night sky and realized that it was getting to the early hours of the morning. "Fine 1 more hour, then we go back to your place."

"So a team up until then?" Peter looked at the playful smirk that was on her face and his spine shivered. "Yes." "Yay! I forgot some of my gear tonight; you're going to have to carry me." Felicia threw her hands up and quickly jumped into the embrace of Peter, who stood stunned at the turn of events. Wrapping her hands around Peter's neck and then one leg around his waist, Peter could only sigh in defeat as he looked at the smile on her face that was just inches from his own."Could we at least go to the edge of the building first?" Peter asked in exasperation. "No." She cutely replied.

After that, for the next hour the night was ruled by a cat and a spider, all the crime they ran into was quickly dealt with as they usually got distracted by Black Cat before Spider-Man would knock them out.

While they were swinging through the air though, finished with their last thug for the night, Felicia couldn't help but grimace as she felt the bony body beneath her, ideas flying through her mind.

She couldn't imagine what he's been through all this time.

Chapter end