Chapter 1

"Desiree, this is unacceptable," Roderick Kingsley sat down across the boardroom table from his current antagonist. This was all a tactic, a see-through mockery of camaraderie. Kingsley was dressed superbly wearing a dark purple suit and red shirt. The flower in his lapel and the fragrance on his person were a slap in Desiree's face. "We're experiencing needless losses and delays. When it was agreed to put sales into your hands there was an agreement for your best. I'm starting to see why Revanna struggled."

The "we" cut the deepest. January 1st Kingsley had come for Revanna. Desiree's last ditch efforts through Christmas, on the ground, in the faces of any potential customer because she couldn't afford another saleswomen, had been fruitless. The only thing she had to show for it was a memory of coming face to face with Spider-man.

The legal, ha, takeover of Revanna by Kingsley would have left her destitute and listless. She had managed to assure this position with the expensive aid of a local PI named Ashley Moon. She hardened her eyes. She wasn't going to be bullied further. "There are costs to doing business, Roddy."

"Yes there are," He responded to her mirror of his familiar reach with a smug smile. "However the troubles highlighted in your folder suggest sabotage."

"Are you making an accusation?" Desiree sat rigid.

"I would hate to make this get together hostile, Desiree." He didn't lose an ounce of composure.

"Then all you have is hearsay. I won't sit through this persecution." Desiree stood up. Kingsley appeared aghast at her tone and demeanor. She marched towards the door. Her hand stopped at the knob. "If you were being sabotaged, it would take years to even touch the profits you're bleeding out of my work and my dreams."

She ripped open the door to see Jason carrying a folder. "Your dog is here, Roddy."

"Ms Vaughn-Pope," Jason remained in her path, "You'll want to sit back down."

The blonde sneered at the bodyguard. The staring contest was in his favor. She curled her lip in disgust as she marched back to her seat. Jason stood over the shoulder of her chair. She adjusted the silver blouse she was wearing. She felt exposed and vulnerable between these two men.

"In this proposal," Kingsley opened the folder in front of Desiree, "You'll see an agreeable solution."

The charts and affidavits were doctored. Evidence planted and conceived to match the damage she had caused. Only, she had been clever and traceless. Given time she could fight it, but she had little savings and Kingsley could tie this up in court forever. This weapon of his was worse than the corporate muscle she had been hammered with over the last two years. She snarled. It took months of lawyering to find her any headway last time.

"You have me over a barrel," Desiree turned through pages. The severance was the rest of her year's pay. There was no victory in that but there could be opportunity. "What is it you want?"

Some small part of her dreamed of being coerced into a sexual affair. Not out of attraction. Kingsley was slime as far as she was concerned. She just wanted some means to fight him. He had taken her ideas, her dreams, her hard work. What was her pride to hurt him?

"Just sign the forms, Desiree," Kingsley affected an air of remorse. Jason handed her a fountain pen. She sneered. Her signature was beautiful quickly over with; a theme to all of the events in her life. "Do you need to be escorted out?"

"Roddy? Please go straight to hell." She answered yes.

Martha Connors leaned back against the glass doors. Florida wasn't treating her well. Picking up and moving from the city she had adopted and loved was hard enough. Feeling the foot on her ass to get her moving was enraging. Curt had been despondent since The Lizard. The few moments of the old Curt since then had been chased by immediate favors. Billy missed his friends. He wasn't taking to the new school with anything but antagonism. Martha had hoped she still had five more years before he grew into a disgruntled teenager. Life went on. She rolled her shoulders and stood up. She stepped forward to enter the supermarket.

"You look like you're having a bad day." The woman's voice made her back stiffen. Martha had been living fairly insular since coming to Florida and wasn't expecting anyone to take an interest in her. The woman who talked to her was tall and beautiful. A black woman with the hint of a Caribbean accent. She was probably a few years younger than Martha.

"It's not just the day," Martha sighed. She hated being so gloomy, "But I can push through it."

"It's not always just pushing through it that needs to be done," The black woman fell into step beside her. "I find a distraction helps."

"I haven't really had time to find myself distractions since I moved here."

"Oh?" The black woman smiled, "I'm new to the state as well. Just a few days out of New York City. It's so hard when you don't know anyone."

"New York? That's where my husband and I came from," Martha lit up a smile, "Well, you know someone now. I'm Martha."

"Calypso," The black woman took Martha's hand, "Let's say we get to know each other as we buy healthy food for people who won't appreciate it."

"Ha!" Martha smiled, "You know, I can see us being quick friends."

In nature, everything is connected. As scientists we explore and expand on those connections. Maybe as people, we should do the same?

That had been the first connection Peter had made with Liz. That had been September. Things had changed since then. She had barely kept a thought in her head. The quarterback's girlfriend, she had built the socially acceptable persona of the dumb cheerleader. Peter had given her more.

"You can be a nerd," he had told her. "You're smart."

Peter Parker had seen the best of Liz Allan and expected it of her. In doing so, she could hardly remain the half person she had been with Flash. She blamed herself for that relationship. She and Flash had done more growing up in the last nine months than they had in all their life. Still she bombarded herself with ifs and whys. If Flash hadn't been hurt, Liz would have been with Peter in early November. In that tiny window, Gwen had muscled her place in Peter's heart.

She loved Harry Osborn. Whatever Liz believed about Peter and Gwen, she knew they wouldn't be together. Gwen had chosen Harry. Gwen wouldn't leave Harry and steal her Petey.

Still he had hurt her. He had dressed up some it's not you it's me horseshit. Nothing had hurt like that. Not the fear she had felt when Flash went into surgery. Not the anger she felt when Mark had become Molten Man and was determined to gamble out of his hole.

Heartache had armored her. Liz had become someone who could keep Peter if not love him. He had saved her again. The flowers were both apology and testament. She had known he had feelings for her. He couldn't hide that. She had been second and that had stung. But now she was together with Peter. She understood. She had realized that love wasn't being the first one but being the right one.

He cared for her and she saw it in everything he did. She learned from him and more than just biology. She had a goofy smile on her face while he explained how mitochondria produced energy.

"ATP is--Whoa! Liz!" He was cute by how much he jumped when her hand settled on his thigh.

"Maybe its time we switched to chemistry," Liz suggested through a heated smile.

"I made a promise to you, to Aunt May, to professor Warren to bring your grades up." Peter ended the kiss.

"And you think I'm not going to make it?" Liz cocked an eyebrow and grinned.

"No, actually you're going to ace it," Peter backpedalled, "You just need a little more work and you'll be at the top of the class."

"Well I'm never going to beat you," Liz pointed out.

"No," Peter's agreement caused Liz's smouldering gaze to burn. "But it doesn't mean you can't tie me for a perfect score."

"Ha!" Liz laughed releasing a tension she hadn't quite felt coiling inside her. "There's got to be a good way to see how much work I need."

"I could quiz you," Peter suggested, "That'd be the easiest way."

"Excellent," Liz sat up, shook out her hair and smiled. Peter overcame his temporary hypnotic trance.

Peter closed the textbook. "What are the 5 kingdoms of living organisms?"

"Animal, plant, fungus, eukaryotes." She stopped for a second just until the look of pride on Peter's face started to waver. "Prokaryotes."

"Right," Peter grinned and then twitched at the clump clump of Liz's shoes hitting the floor.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked shocked.

"There's got to be some prize for getting the answers correct." Peter jumped as she felt her sock slide down the inside of his thigh. "Now close your mouth or you'll catch flies."

"Uh..." Peter closed his eyes and thought. "What is DNA an initialism for?"

"Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid." Liz responded quickly and sharply. She grabbed the hem of her teal t-shirt and ripped it off her torso.

"I don't know if this is the best test of your skills," Peter goggled at her blue bra, "I don't want you to get these questions wrong."

"Your Uncle Ben taught you a lesson." Liz pointed out. "You're not the kind of man to be corrupted by power."

The statement of fact enamored Peter further with Liz. She had also picked that moment to hand her right arm over the back of her chair. Her breasts displayed outward.

"What is the difference between plant and animal cells?"

"Plant cells have a cell wall made of cellulose and are more square than round in shape."

"Excellent!" Peter grinned. "Liz, what the--"

"I got the question right." She grinned sinking downwards. "I choose what clothes come off."

She stood up with a wide grin and both of Peter's socks. Peter watched her settle back onto her chair. Her beautiful smiled dared him to choose a harder question.

"What is the process by which life continues to evolve?" He softballed.

"Natural," Liz grinned to display her teeth, "Selection." She thought for a second and then hopped forward. She pulled Peter's blue and grey shirts off together.

"Hey that's two articles of clothing!" Peter managed no legitimate outrage.

"I thought you were in a hurry with these easy questions." Liz shrugged the challenge was clear. Peter wouldn't have his teaching skills besmirched.

"Fine," he grinned darkly, standing up in front of Liz. She looked up at him. Her smile was both innocent and daring. "What are essential amino acids? Name five."

"Better." Liz stood up. The distance between them negligible. Peter felt tingles running up his spine. He could feel the cups of her bra lightly pressed against his chest. They never broke eye contact.

"Essential amino acids are amino acids the body is unable to produce on its own. Therefore they must be provided through diet."

"Exactly right." Peter said and Liz reached behind herself. He felt her breasts jiggle as she unlatched their support. "Slow down Liz. You still have to name--"

"Lysine." Liz interrupted. Peter nodded and she reached forward to unlatch his belt. "Tryptophan." She pulled down his zipper. Peter swallowed air. "Phenylalanine." Another nod and she undid the button of his jeans. They began falling down his legs. "Methionine." Peter was now smiling like a fool. Liz pulled down the zipper of her skirt. That tumbled to a crumpled heap around her ankles. "And cysteine."

"Actually, cysteine is a nonessential."

"Damn!" Liz barked with feeling. She reached up behind her self and closed the hooks of her bra. She stepped back from Peter. Turning from him, she stomped and cussed. He laid his hands on her shoulders.

"C'mon Liz that was a pretty advanced question. If Dr Warren asked something like it it would be circle two essential amino acids." Peter stepped against her back and wrapped his arms around her belly. She smiled triumphantly at the hard penis pressed against the top of her butt.

"Almost isn't good enough, Peter." Liz turned and put her arms over Peter's shoulders. She caught his eyes and stepped forward and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I need to make you proud."

"I am ecstatically proud for how far you've come." Peter kissed her black hair. He took his hands from her side and began pulling down his underpants. "I know you're ready. I'm going to be fighting you for top marks."

Liz looked up brightly. Had he just said that she would outscore Gwen? Her smile turned feral. Her breath grew hot. Her panties flooded. She needed her Petey.

Peter worked her bra off. The spider-sense aiding him and in his confidence he stepped back pulling the garment down her arms and away from her body. She had dark nipples, erect and excited standing up from her breasts. The were high, round, full and beautiful. Peter would have swept her up in an embrace. Kissing her fiercely while he took her flesh in his hands and worshipped her. Liz acted faster than Spider-man good she sank down to her knees. Her long slender fingers directing his cock to her glistening lips.

"This is a beautiful cock," She whispered hungrily. Her left hand was cupping his balls. Lovingly, stroking the down from his shaft. Peter stepped a little wider apart. She kept her index finger draped over top of his cock. The nail of her pinkie finger scraped down across his asshole. Her right hand held the shaft. The pad of her thumb setting pressure against the base of the head while her fingers tugged up and down over the top of his shaft. She kissed the red head along the bevelled foreskin. Returning to rub her tongue back around. Peter grabbed her hair.

"Liz! I'll come! Slow down. You--Ah!" Peter grunted as he quickly succumbed to Liz's expertise. Her lips squeezed down over top of his cock and her hands tightened. She pulled every drop of semen onto her tongue.

A dribble escaped the corner of her coy grin when she looked up at Peter. Her boyfriend's head rolled backwards. She licked around her lips to keep from spilling anything on her kitchen floor.

"How's that Petey?" She asked as Peter finally breathed and slightly recovered.

"Liz! I kinda don't deserve you." He gasped. His hand stroked her cheek. She nuzzled into the caress. She didn't agree with him this time. Her fingers slipped back over his cock. He was already recovered.

"Oh, Petey..." She smiled up to him. He reached for her elbow and lifted her to her feet. "I'm always surprised by you. Do you know how strong you are?"

"Not always," Peter grimaced but she pushed her right knee over his left thigh and brought her lips to his. Peter accepted the kiss without considering where her mouth hand been. He let his hands settle on her hips. He pulled her body forward as she rolled her shoulders up. She kissed down onto his tilted back head. The stiffness of his cock rested against the soft skin of her thigh. He was balanced on the lip of his chair with just the curve of his ass.

Liz picked up his cock in her hand. It was still slick from her saliva. Her fingers tried bringing it to her sex. She had never felt so ready for sex. Peter seemed excited to. He was guiding her hips toward himself.

To Peter it was an awkward position but not undoable. The limits of his balance, flexibility and strength had been so far expanded that he could easily make it work. Every moment that he felt the press of her soft brown skin against his was incredible. Every second he saw the sexual drive reflected in her eyes was unmatched. Every kiss. Every whimper. Every connection. The head of his cock slipped up from her vagina and bumped into her clit.

"Petey..." She moaned. She took the base of his cock with her index finger and thumb.

To Liz it was hard to concentrate. She had spent weeks and weeks in a hurt filled angry denial. She was finally having Peter. Every previous fuck had been nothing more than a bookmark. She was impatient to get him inside her. There was no bad feelings in her heart. She would be filled by him. Their physical arrangement was horrid. Peter's cock slipped backward to be nestled between the curves of her ass.

"Petey?" She leaned forward and crooked her head into his shoulder. He brushed her hair. She shivered, expecting a collapse into a heap on the floor. "Let's try the table."

Their biology textbooks smacked the floor with two thumps. Liz moved the vase of Petey's flowers to the kitchen counter. He came up behind her. She felt his erection flush against her naked back as he started kissing the corner of her neck. She guided his hands. From her left hip to the valley of her breasts. Peter felt the fluttering beat of her heart. He nipped her neck as he collected her breast in his hand. His thumb crooked over her nipple. Hard tipped and pointing outward.

"You have such an incredible body." Peter praised. She directed his left hand over her waist and across her stomach. He began the descent and she reached into his hair. Her shoulders falling limp against his chest.

The fingers that teased her pussy were so strong. Liz had been excited, craving, ready. The first pressure against her clit nearly jellied her knees. She gripped tightly around Peter's head.

She was so wet. Peter swirled the tip of his middle finger over her clit. She gasped. Shudders running under her skin. He held apart her lips. Her need was drooling over her thighs. Peter started walking her backwards. He needed to satisfy the erection held against her back.

"Liz ... Liz..." He whispered when he bumped into the kitchen table. He nipped the lobe of her ear to get her attention. Liz only sighed. He stopped caressing her sex.

"Huh? Petey?" She struggled through the haze. He turned her to face her. She accepted the kiss as an explanation. Liz turned the two of them. She hopped up onto the lip of her table. He pulled her knees apart. If he was any taller or shorter he would have had to take a an awkward bend of his knee. This was it. Peter grabbed Liz underneath her thighs and pulled her forward.

"Petey," Liz held his cheeks while he pulled her ass off the table and onto his cock, "I'm in love with you."

The words matched the entrance into her sex. Peter stopped. All of her weight balanced easily with his superhuman strength. He wanted to speak and his lips flapped like a hungry yellow puck chasing ghosts.

"No," Liz kissed him and lifted his eyes to hers, "I don't need you to say anything before you're ready."

There was an inherent promise in this. He had to fall in love with Liz. Or he had to break her now. Sweat beaded on his forehead and all he could see was Liz's affection. She began rolling her hips. The sweet sexual flesh rising up against his cock. Peter could only wallow for so long before the pussy around his cock took precedence. Liz's ass settled back on the table. The brown skin of her ass rippled with Peter's first thrust.

"Uh, ha-aaa," Liz sighed slowly. They started so slowly. She rolled back and forth the breadth of her ass. He slid his hands up behind her shoulders. Their bodies molded together. Some perfect feeling they had only previously imagined. Liz rested her head on his shoulder. Her left hand was palm flush against the tabletop. An unnecessary requirement, Peter had her and he wasn't letting go. His cock slid deeply inside her. He was drawing out and she was chasing. They brought themselves together again. Liz whispered a plea: "More."

Speed joined their sex seamlessly. The wet collision of flesh was the first movement of their orchestra. Liz grunted and keened with musical need. Peter huffed and hissed in rhythm. Their hearts added a crescendo percussion.

Climax: a symphony of Peteys, Lizzes, oh Gods, one I Love You and an untold number of wet splashes. The cum raced inside her pussy. No fear, she was protected. Peter had shown her what kind of woman she was. Intelligent, loving, capable, situationally obsessive. She was going to be a woman with a future not another teenaged statistic. She just wouldn't imagine her future without Peter.

For the first time since Liz had coerced him, Peter held her tightly. His and her bodies satisfied. He put his nose into her hair. Her shampoo and sweat made an intoxicating aroma. She kissed the side of his neck as he had for her. The clock said Peter would have to be on his way, but they were determined to share this moment a while longer.

Peter usually managed to arrive at M3 before high school started to suck. Today was a different sort of day. On the bus he was forced to suffer MJ's black silence. Meanwhile, Sha Shan and Flash were glaring at him. Apparently, stopping MJ had set Flash's recovery back months. He gripped his cane tightly. He had already lost any chance of a college picking him up. His mom and dad could help with university but he had been intent on making his way on his own. He didn't blame it on Peter, not the injury. He didn't even blame the exacerbation on Peter. He would have dived for MJ in the same situation over and over again. Sha Shan was proud of him, as were his parents, his sister had even laid off calling him jerk last night. He took no direct action against Peter. He made no juvenile attempt at bullying. Peter felt the atmosphere begin to crush him.

MJ strode off the bus. Her chin up and her legs hurrying as she left Peter behind him. Flash and Sha Shan passed him like he was dog crap on the sidewalk. Peter envied dog crap, at least that felt a few moments of warmth.

Sighing, he soldiered forward. His eyes caught Harry walking hand in hand with Gwen. Peter's sighs seemed chronic. What else was going to destroy his day?"

"Petey," Liz was waiting for Peter by the fountain. She was in her cheerleader costume. The breezy summer look accenting her complexion and figure. She brushed her hair over her ear. Peter did his best not to verbally curse the heavens as he prepared to defuse this bomb.

"Listen, Liz," Tear it off, like a bandage, drawing it out only hurts more, "About last night, I didn't--"

The trumpet made him jump. I had been a long time before he had been so startled. His spidey-sense didn't seem worried about tonitis. He flashed around. Liz's hazel eyes widening and her smile tugging as she saw the extravagance. It was three men dressed as Spider-man wearing those flat america hats that seemed omnipresent in old movies and political rallies. The black spider emblem on their chest had been replaced by a bright pink heart. The first Spider-man stepped forward on bended knee. He placed one hand over his heart and offered a single rose.

"To Liz, you've caught my heart in your web!" He presented in a bright tenor.

"Oh my God, Petey!" Liz jumped up and down. "This is so embarrassing you must want to die right now!"

"That's the nice way to put it," Peter's redness was caused by anger. First at Harry, but then he realized he had he had somehow agreed to this. Now he was just angry at himself and the spider-slayer. He was still raw and sore from the pitched battle yesterday. The second Spider-man stepped forward. He held a huge black box of chocolates tied off in a red ribbon. Peter looked to the last Spider-man and grimaced at the burgundy felt box. At least it was oblong, for a necklace or a bracelet maybe. Had it been ring sized, the world would have discovered his secret as he instantly webbed to safety. Perhaps in front of an oncoming bus.

"Lovely Liz," The Spider-man offered the chocolates to the giddy cheerleader. "You turn me upside down."

Peter wanted to flee. How come no one who wears my costume ever gets the quips right?

"Miss Liz Allen," The third Spider-man had come forward and opened the jewelry box to reveal a light silver chain with a little sapphire pendant. It looked beautiful and in Peter's price range. The non-extravagance deflected the idea that Harry was behind the gesture. "For all the things I've never said I'm sorry for. For all the ways you'll make me a better man. From your Petey."

The spider-man offered to fasten the necklace around Liz's neck but she shooed him off. She passed the chain to Peter and used both her hands to lift her long black hair up from her neck. Peter swallowed as he caught the beauty of her skin and the invitation to be with her in front of the whole school. There was no escape, not without stomping her heart down and that wasn't the man Peter was. Liz was a lovely creature, a bright affectionate girl that quite fiercely felt for him. Maybe she wasn't his first choice, maybe she wasn't Gwen, that didn't mean he still couldn't choose her now. He would have to wait for Gwen, like a vulture over Harry's slowly dying body. After the fight last night and the ice he was feeling from MJ and May, Peter needed a little happiness.

It took him three attempts to figure out the clasp and attach the chain behind Liz's next. The Spider-men were clapping lightly, infecting some of the crowd with their applause. Liz spun on her toes and slung her arms around behind Peter's head. Their kiss caused the well wishers to explode with cheers and some of the worse class clowns to throw inappropriate catcalls.

"Ugh, just when we were through with the geek," Sally sneered. Rand gripped Sally's shoulders.

"She hasn't smiled like that since the breakup, Sal," Rand held his girl close.

"Yeah, she thinks she's found the perfect shoes doesn't mean they fit her." Sally grumbled.

"But they're her feet," Rand overextended the metaphor.

Gwen was watching the display from her first class's window. She didn't have History with Harry so she wasn't hiding the look of hurt or the knots tying her guts. She squeezed her eyes shut holding back tears. A few slow breaths and she took her seat next to MJ.

"What's wrong girlfriend?" The redhead had avoided the whole display, unconcerned with whatever high school bullshit was going to explode today. She had wanted to keep her hurt and anger fresh for Peter.

"A little bit of everything," Gwen declared. She leaned in against MJ as she received a hug. Mary Jane felt she needed it as much as Gwen.

"What's wrong Gwen?" Peter had been getting the cold shoulder. The bus ride to his after school internship had been a frosty silent hell. He had been forced to call and check in with May. He had sat next to Gwen and while their conversations had been quiet and melancholy in the recent months, they had existed. He had never felt this anger from her since they had gone skating over Christmas break.

"What's wrong is that you've given up on me!" Gwen had wanted to growl but somehow couldn't work out the rage. She wouldn't kick him out of his bus seat but she wouldn't force herself to talk to him yet. He was slow to catch on. He had tried broaching the subject about he and Liz but she shut that down. Now they were doing their jobs at the lab and she was going out of her way not to share a workstation with him.

"Mr Parker assist me." Dr Warren announced as he strode past Peter.

"Of course, Doc," Peter put down his cloth and windex and pulled off his thick rubber gloves. There was a box of medium sized blue latex gloves on the counter next to Doctor Warren. Peter inserted his hands into a fresh pair with two snaps. "What are we doing?"

"I have here a blood sample that has been seeded with a strengthening agent." He gestured to a test tube rack that held one glass tube of blood and a metal tube. "I am going to attempt introduce healthy jupiter spores into the mix. I am looking to see if they can be regulated."

"Interesting," Peter's eyes perked up. Debra walked behind them, her face twisting into an envious grimace. "And this could lead to helping John Jameson?"

"Among others." Doctor Warren agreed vaguely. "Please pipet 2 ml of Jupiter Spores into this mixture." He slid a graduated beaker in front of Peter. It contained a strong smelling solvent. Peter stepped back. "It's non toxic but harsh smelling. Please, don't be so cowardly."

"Of course," Peter stood up straighter. It was something Kurt would have forced him to perform in the fume hoods. Peter drew a pipet and bulb from a drawer and set to work. Doctor Warren was preparing glass slides with his SM-07 sample. Peter added the jupiter spores to the solvent and stepped back, rubbing the water from his eyes. Gwen and Debra had appeared over their shoulders to spectate. "The solution is ready."

"Excellent." Doctor Warren gestured and Debra handed Peter an eyedropper. "add one drop to both the B and C slides."

The slides were prepared while Debra brought over additional microscopes. Doctor Warren was looking into the first sample typing shorthand notes into a word processor. Peter taped the left edge of each slide after sandwiching the blood and parasite between the glass.

"Remarkable." Warren finally stood up after looking in the third instrument. It had been nearly twenty minutes.

"May I take a look?"

"By all means." Warren stepped out of the way for Peter. Gwen stepped up and examined Sample C while Peter looked at Sample B. Their two shoulders touched and the sophomoric instinct to flinch away was quickly overridden by their shared curiosity.

"The leukocytes are active!" Which was surprising in a cold blood sample without the oxygenation and digestive processes of the human body to promote life. "They're surrounding the spores. It's incredible."