Final Preview for Chapter 42

(Baxter Building)

Watching the coffee brew is the only form of distraction Felicia can find. It’s so late in the day that’s it’s already tomorrow. She’d been up all night, and not by doing something she enjoys doing. Instead she had been a good girlfriend and is waiting for one of her lovers to come by so she can be there to support them.

Real relationships are exhausting.

The past few hours have been a rollercoaster of emotions. The anxiety of the date, how it was going great before it ended badly, and then finally, this. How she is standing in the kitchen of the home of the Fantastic Four, or Future Foundation as she’s heard them calling themselves now, and is waiting for her shared girlfriend to finish talking to their shared man’s revived ex.

Just thinking about that is giving her migraine.

She thought that the drama that would come from being in this relationship would stem from insecurities and jealousy. Mostly from her, and maybe just enough from Mary Jane so that the thief wouldn't feel completely inadequate. She did not think it would come from outside sources, like potential partners or revived exes. But considering who her shared beau is, she should’ve known not to have realistic expectations. If anything, she should have thought even crazier outside the box scenarios. Like maybe one of them being taken over by a villain and fooling them into believing they are them.

‘Yeah, like that’ll ever happen.’ She muses as she takes the coffee pot and pours herself a cup of coffee before taking a swig to give her the boost she needs to stay awake.

Back to the matter at hand. She knows having that Gwen girl back means big changes. What kind of changes she can’t say for sure, but she knows both her romantic partners, so she can surmise what will likely happen.

First, the easiest one is Peter. That man will do everything and anything he can to make things right with his resurrected girlfriend, while also trying not to ignore Felicia and MJ. So he’ll be spending a lot of time here to try and help her with her new powers that come with the Enigma force that’s inside of her, which Hardy is still wrapping her head around.

But that’s all stuff that could eventually happen. Right now things are tense to say the least.

She can easily surmise as to what's going on in Spider’s head right now and what he's going to do to deal with it. After having found out that Gwen knows who he is, he is feeling a massive amount of horror, guilt, and shame. Horror because his college girlfriend died thinking he had something to do with her dads death, guilt because he does blame himself for her and her fathers death, and shame for not telling her himself when she was alive. All of that combined means he’ll do one thing; he'll be venting all those emotions the only way he knows how. By beating up crooks.

Lo and behold, she got a text a few minutes ago that he is doing just that with Elektra Natchios and that Laura girl who is living here as a live-in babysitter. And while a little bothered he is out and about without her, she knows she needs to be here for their other partner.

Said partner walks into the room, but not with her usual air of confidence and vibrancy, even when in a fabulous dress and jacket. The supermodel instead has an air of depression and melancholy.

The redhead plops down on the couch in the living room area by the kitchen. She hangs her head on the back of the couch and Hardy takes that as her cue to go and comfort her shared lover. She picks up the second cup she made and strides over to her.

“Hey,” she greets her as she hands her a cup of coffee, “Figured you could use a pick me up.”

MJ gets a small wobbly but grateful smile as she takes the cup from the thief’s hand, “Thanks.”

Felicia saunters around until she sits beside her girlfriend. “So this has been a hell of a day.” She comments as she takes a sip of her drink, “It started with some problems with our joint business venture, then the mayor coming by and asking us about our boytoy’s activities, then a date that started out great until the hard questions were asked that resulted it ending in disappointment, and now our man’s ex is finally awake and revealing she knows what he’s been doing since he was fifteen years old.”

MJ continues to stare blankly up at the ceiling as the steaming cup of coffee sits in her lap. “Thank you for the coffee and summary of this lousy day, Hardy.” She sarcastically says.

“Technically that was only in the last twelve hours,” Felicia retorts as she looks at her watch.

Now the supermodel closes her eyes and lets out a groan, “Does that mean it’s past midnight?”

Hardy nods on confirmation, “‘Fraid so, Red.”

Mary Jane lets out an exhausted sigh before she drinks her coffee.

“We knew this was coming.” MJ finally speaks. “We knew she’d wake up and she’d be scared, heartbroken, and so many other things. And we also knew that we couldn’t do anything to be ready for it.”

Hardy nods, “All true.”

“But what we’re feeling right now doesn’t matter,” she states, “Gwen is the real victim here. She’s the one that died and has to deal with a world that moved on.”

“Mostly true.” Hardy states. She leans forward to place her cup on the coffee table before turning her body to MJ. Her head propped up by her hand and legs folded beneath her. “Your feelings still matter, Red. This is a messed up situation for everyone involved.”

Mary Jane stares down at her coffee for a moment, “What’s worse is that she only has us.” She says, “She can’t tell any of her old friends or even her family like her cousin, Jill.”

If she is as amazing as you’ve guys said she is, then she’ll be fine. The girl died, sure. But now she’s back and gets a second chance to live her life.

Except we didn’t know she knew about Peter’s secret.

Would he have told her now?

I don’t know. I mean, he could explain his familiarity with Reed Richards easily enough. With both of them being scientists. But then he’d have to explain why she is alive and hosting that… cosmic thing inside her.

She still doesn’t know?

Sue said that the cosmic energy in her doesn’t seem to react to any emotional stimuli, since nothing blew up when she woke up screaming.

See? There’s a win there. Your friend won’t destroy a building if she has a panic attack. That’s more than some heroes and villains can say.

You know, you’re right?

“I gotta tell ya. I expected drama when joining this thing of ours, but I got more than I bargained for.” Felicia states.

MJ tiredly looks at her with questioning eyes and asks, “What kind of drama did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Maybe some jealousy, petty jabs, a little competition. I’m just surprised we haven’t been doing anything like that. Outside the bedroom, I mean.”

“Why is that the place where your and Sonja’s mind always goes to?”

“Oh I’m sorry that a stressful life gets to me and I need something that I can take my frustration out on and feel satisfied when I do.”

Just because he heals faster now doesn’t mean it’s okay to try and maim him for your own benefit.

I don’t do it to hurt him. He just gets the job done and I don’t have to hold back when he does.

I am of the same mind.

Okay, can we dial it back.

Very well. Let us discuss what occurred this evening on our date.

Wow. You want to pile more crap on the crap were already dealing with.

There isn’t much else to discuss over the matter with miss Stacy. More to the point, what occurred this night should not be ignored. If only because I know I wasn’t the only one that was disappointed over what happened.

Red?

“You saw it too, right? What Natasha did?”

How she basically shot her own foot when she asked hard questions that we should’ve talked about? No.

From everything we know, she is a practical woman. She analyzed the data and posed important questions that needed answers to formulate proper understanding of this dynamic and come to a conclusion on what her decision would be in regards to whether she would join this or not.

But before she asked those questions, she got this look in her eye. One I recognize. She got scared.

Scared of being a part of this?

Scared of being vulnerable.