|
It was…weird.
Gwen was unaware how much of her life had been oriented around Ray—her fear of him, the caution she had needed, how little she had gone out.
Ray was gone now, and she had begun to pick up the pieces of her life again. Apologizing to those she had avoided, for fear of putting a target on them. A couple had been understanding. Others…had been hurt deeply. Gwen ached about that.
Right now, it was comfort food. Tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches with chopped-up bacon, and a decadent dessert planned.
Mary Jane knocks on the door, as she's showing up right on time. She's been a bit busy with school and work and being 'official' with Peter now, but when Gwen sent out the invitation, of course she'd make the time to come over. So, here she is, wearing a fashionable blue shirt and black skirt, hair pulled back in a ponytail as she waits.
The door is opened immediately, as if Gwen was just on the other side. She smiles, but the smile is guilty and uncertain. "Hi! MJ!" She stepped aside for her to step in. "I was just…well, I was hoping you'd come."
*"Hey, GWENNIE!"*
Gwen closed her eyes. That was Ray, gone from the charts but not from her heart.
"I'm making something Dad made for me all the time…"
MJ grins, "Okay, that sounds good… figured I'd see how you were doing. With all the crazy after… well, I haven't had a chance to swing by, so." She comes in and gives Gwen a quick hug, then looks at her, "How are you holding up?"
Gwen quickly closes the door. As soon as only MJ can see, she slumps visibly. "It's been bad. I pulled away from a lot of people. I've had to apologize to many of them." She looks down. "Especially you. I wish to God I'd never gotten you involved…!"
Mary Jane makes a face, then puts an arm around Gwen, "Hey, you didn't get me involved. Ray did, when he decided to kidnap me." She shudders a little at the memory, "And you can't blame yourself for having friends, Gwen. He was trying to strike out at you in the cruelest way he could think of, that's all." She seems pretty low key about the kidnapping thing… but then again, she might just be jaded by how often it happens…
Gwen raises an eyebrow. "You are remarkably cool about being shanghaied, MJ. Do you get kidnapped by psychotic lunatics a lot? Cause if you do, tell me. I'm in the person-saving business, you know…" She heads back to the kitchen with MJ. "So…tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwches, with bacon if you have a hankering, and have something delicious planned for dessert…"
MJ chuckles, "Maaaybe, but Spider-Man tends to show up when I need it, so that's all good." She smiles a bit, "But if he's ever busy I'll keep you in mind Gwen. And that sounds great!"
Gwen sighs. "Spider-Man. Guy's a jerk. Met him once in costume…he had the brass cojones to ask me if I was willing to commit myself to this kind of occupation."
Mary Jane narrows her eyes, "Well… it isn't like what you do is exactly low-risk, Gwen. Besides, he saved me quite a few times already, I don't care what the Bugle says, he's a good guy." Her tone has a definite protective tone about it where Spidey is concerned.
Gwen exhaled. "If he only knew…" she shuddered. "…no. He's probably better off not knowing what I went through. I can't even LOOK at BBQ without wanting to get sick…" She takes a deep breath, exhales. "Anyway, if you think I should give him the benefit of the doubt, okay…but he he shows up with a snootful of attitude, then he's gonna get a good smack or two."
Well Gidget hadn't talked to Gwen since that day in the Chinese restaurant to catch up. Playing hockey from her office in Midtown, she caught a cab over to her place over in Queens. Glancing at her watch she'd frown a bit too as she seemed to wander if she was even home but oh well. Not like it would hurt to go and see.
Once she arrived, she made her way to that door of Gwen's and gave three knocks on the door before looking around. For once, the tall woman was dressed down and seemed to have really been off of work. Instead of her usual Vogue chic, she was wearing some black wedge heels, black hot pants and a white off the shoulder top. Pulling her sunglasses off her face she'd toss them in the black handbag while still waiting patiently.
MJ sighs a bit, "Geez, Gwen, I'm pretty sure he's not a mind reader. How the hell is he going to know what you went through?" She looks at Gwen with a wry expression, "Maybe next time you see him you should give him another chance, huh?" And then, well, she blinks a bit at the knock, "Who else did you invite?"
Gwen looks puzzled. "Well, nobody…but like you said, should give them a chance?" She walks over to the door and opening it.
She smiles immediately. "GIDGE!" She abruptly hugs the woman, half-pulling her inside. "How are you doing?" She looks from Gidget to MJ, then completely looks blank. "Uhm…you two know each other, right?"
Laughing as she was pulled and hugged, she'd return the hug with a smile. "I'm good. Playing hooky from the office today." Stepping inside she would run her fingers through her short black hair to look past Gwen to MJ. "Um…I think you came to the fashion house for that line launch…..but…..I could be wrong." There was a smile as she then nodded. "Anyway….I'm Gidget."
MJ grins at Gidget, "Glad to meet you, I think I saw you but didn't really get a chance to say hi. I'm Mary Jane Watson, but call me MJ. Everyone does." She nods over towards Gwen, "Just, well, we'll talk about that later. Right now, well, how's the food looking?"
Gwen ohs! "Right! We're making grilled cheese sandwiches! With tomato soup!" She heads back to the kitchen. "Join us! I'm cooking!" She looks happy. Been a long time since she felt like smiling like this. "I'm…I'm making a choice, and I want to celebrate it."
Making her way in she would smile then. "Nice to meet you MJ." Finding a spot near her she'd just sigh as she leaned back a bit, setting her handbag. "How are you feeling?" Looking to the kitchen where Gwen ran she'd laugh. "I don't want to impose. But it sounds so good…."
Mary Jane grins, "Well, I can't speak for Gwen, but I think it'd be great to have someone else here." She looks over at Gwen, "Oh… what choice is that?" She sounds a bit curious, as this might be news to her.
Gwen smiles. "Everyone's welcome at the Stacy house. Dad…" She sniffs, but she is smiling. "Dad said that you never turn a guest away." She takes out a few more slices of bread, some slices of cheddar cheese, and points to the plate with the cooked bacon on it. "If you want bacon on your sandwich, say so. And I have dessert planned." She takes a deep breath. "MJ…remember when I told you I was White Widow? I asked Gidget to make the new costume for me." She looks a little sheepish. "I…didn't tell mer that I and Widow were the same person."
Sighing a bit she would just shake her head. "I just hate to show up unannounced is all…." Chuckling then she'd lick her lips before looking to Gwen. "Well thanks for not turning me away. I wasn't even sure if you'd be home or what not." Now Gidget would grin a bit more. "Dessert. Awesome. And…." Looking to MJ she would chuckle a bit. "I almost screamed when she told me. Well…I think I did. But….her secret is safe with me. She has a couple of mine as well so we're even…"
Mary Jane grins, "Oh, so that's your work then? Very stylish. If I ever get bit by a radioactive whosit and get powers, I'll come see you." She jokes, sure, but around here who knows! She then glances over towards Gwen, and relaxes a little bit, "Good to know she's in on it then, it's important to have a support group, I think. People that know and can help you out." Not that she's preached that to anyone else, oh no…
Gwen hums as she works. "Yeah, but if Gidget had secrets, *she* tells you about them. Not me." She starts spreading butter on the bread. "Anyway, Gidget's been a real big help. And her design moves like it was painted on." She pauses. "Kinds looks like it, too, now that I think about it. Does it make my butt look fat?"
Laughing softly she would nod a bit then looked to MJ. "She's being so kind now…..but that's why I was asking how you were feeling. I was there that night Gwen went to get you…." There was a smile before she looked to Gwen. "I aim to please. I only do the best for the best. Also….I don't really care anymore. After a group decided to 'hire' me….I'm kind of like whatever now."
Mary Jane ahs and nods, "Well, I managed to trick the dork that was guarding me… and then I ran and hid, but Spider-Man managed to find me and he got me out of there." She takes a deep breath, "But yeah, he was gonna kill me no matter what Gwen did, so I'm glad I got out of there when I did."
Gwen blinked. "Yeah…I read some of the notebooks he wrote about his exercises in 'distribution.' There were hints he was figuring out the best method to incite a citywide race riot, or some kind of anti-mutant riot." She turns the sandwiches over. "One with bacon, two without for you two, right?"
"I'll take bacon….!" Giggling she'd then look back to MJ. 'Spider-Man? Oy that guy…." Sighing softly she would just shake her head before chuckling. "Anyway…yeah…that Ray guy was a real dirtbag." Glancing to Gwen she smirked. "You should have let me blow him up…."
MJ chuckles, "Well, considering the number of times Spidey saved me, yeah, I'm down with him." She smiles, "And um, I'll take bacon too. But yeah, that Ray guy… well, he got what he deserved, and that's good enough for me." Considering his repeated threats to her, well, MJ isn't shedding a tear over his death.
"Three bacons it is." She begins to take strips of bacon and lays out four on each sandwich before covering them with cheese and the buttered slices of bread. "Well, considering his handiwork before I ran afoul of him, I'm sure his soul will scream in Hell forever…"
Then she stops. Gidge admitted she was there? She stopped, then looked to Gidget warily, as if trying to make sure she heard what she thought she heard…
Gidget seemed to spacing out and then blinked a bit as she looked over at Gwen. "….this is so not on my diet but I don't even care!" Laughing softly she wold then look back to MJ. "Oh no stress. I met him once….helped him by dropping my old sewing machine on a guy's head. The other time was the night we went after you. I could tell he was worried but….dude just let me get to where I need to be. I know I'm barely around but I wanted to help my friend help her friend…."
Mary Jane smiles, "Yeah, well…" She blushes a bit at the mention of being worried, then shrugs, "Considering all the walking I do between school and my job and everything else, I'm not worried at all about the bacon." She grins, "Bring it on, Gwen!"
Gwen turns the sandwiches over, the bread that was face-down showing a golden brown, a little dark toasting along the crust. She nods, then says, "Well, MJ has asked me to cut him some slack. Seeing as it's MJ, I have decided to give him a little leeway." She smiles, then goes to the oven and takes out a glass tray of dark fudge brownies.
Gidget would chuckle a bit as she looked over at Gwen. "I guess. He was a mouthy one but….whatever. I mean he seems like a good man just…a child…" She didn't mean to say it like that but Gidget is older than everyone here.
Gwen sighs. "It's not the kind of life that preserves your youth, Gidge." She walks over to rest her hand on Gidget's shoulder. "But it is better with help. You looked very flamboyant out there."
"I know but…." There was a rolling of her eyes then. "He just seems a smidgen childish. I just didn't like how he approached me on the roof that night." Exhaling she would just shrug as she leaned back a bit. "But I was also testy…."
Gwen shrugs, then hops over to the griddle, using the spatula to lift her sandwich onto a plate, then filled a bowl with tomato soup. Because they go together. Another one goes to MJ, and a third goes to herself. The soup is classic Campbell's. but there is a little scatter of cheese in the center.
"Oh man this looks so good…." Sighing softly she would just inhale as she closed her eyes. "…good thing I'm not one of those bratty models. And this is why I can't. I love to eat…."
Gwen smiles, then clasps her hands. "Bless us, our Lord, for these thy gifts we have received from Thy bounty through Christ, our Lord. Amen." She looks up and smiles wryly. "Sorry. Force of habit."
AS she heard that she would stay quiet as she then chuckled a bit. "It's okay just…." Looking between the two women she would chuckle more quietly then. "….we pray a little differently in my house is all…."
Gwen tilted her head. "Really? What do you say in your home, Gidget?" She has curious eyes, focused intently on Gidget. She gives the illusion that Gidget is the only other person in the world…
Gidget would blink and then shrunk a bit in her seat. "Um…" It was really silly to see someone so tall try to disappear. "….well…my family is Jewish. I…never learned it in Hebrew but we….save it for holidays. But…we keep that part of our family secret…"
Gwen blinks. "Uhm…okay. I suppose you've got your reasons for that." She reaches over to hug Gidget lightly. "Well, enjoy your food." She takes a big bite, smiling. The bacon is form without being crispy, and the cheese is still warm, and the toasted bread provides plenty of crisp.
"Yeah….the war wasn't kind in France as you know…." Clearing her throat she would then return the hug then smiled softly as she looked to the food. Picking up a spoon she'd start on the soup then smiled. "….oh man this is good…."
Gwen nods. "Name a place war *is* kind." She pauses for a moment of silent, then sighs and chuckles. "Always on rainy days. Dad would cook the bacon first, then the soup and the sandwiches last. We shared them over homework, or one of Dad's police files. Sometimes he'd quiz me to see what I learned, asked what i thought."
"You have a point…." Sighing softly she would then continue to eat then giggled a bit as she nodded. "Nice! Sounds like an awesome tradition. You should keep it up with friends…."
Gwen nods, swallowing before saying, "You're right…friend." She winks, then dips one corner of her sandwich in the tomato soup before taking a bite.
Chuckling she'd give her a wink before finally taking a bit of that sandwich. "….ooohhh…." Licking her lips she would smile softly.
Gwen eats quietly as the other two do, smiling thoughtfully, but not wanting to spoil the moment by talking or eliciting conversation. That would come between dinner and her surprise of dessert.
Gidget had been stuffing her face quietly before she finally spoke up. "So….I heard dessert earlier. I'm really excited…." Grinning she would lean on the table. "What is it that you're making to ruin my figure?"
Gwen grins. "Three scoops of chocolate ice cream…hot fudge…whipped cream…a few chopped nuts…" The grin grows crafty and she points to the cooling pan of brownies. "Sitting on one of those.":
"Oh…dear god…." Facepalming she would just laugh then as she shook her head. "…I'm going to be in a sugar coma. This is….oh goodness."
Gwen grins, then begins to clean up the plates. "Nothing but the best for my friends." She places them in the sink before taking out three wide, shallow bowls. a 2-inch-square brownie cut for each. The freezer yields the ice cream, a plastic gallon bucket of chocolate ice cream. She soon assembles the brownie sundaes with deft agility, anointing them with hot judge, nuts, then the aerosol can of whipped cream. A stainless-steel spoon is added, and then the completed product is placed in front of Gidget and MJ, the ice cream already starting to melt over the hot brownie.
"…this is….ridiculous…" Laughing a bit, Gidget would just shake her head. "This is….just….
"…this is….ridiculous…" Laughing a bit, Gidget would just shake her head. "This is….just…." Watching her put the the dessert together she would just shake her head a bit. "Girl….I may not make it home after this….."
Gwen chuckles. "Don't sweat it. I'll just drive you home, carry you up the stairs if there are any." She winks, then wields her own spoon. "Eat hearty. We deserve a little indulgence after what we had to deal with…"
Chuckling a bit Gidget would just shake her head. "I guess….but…I'm going to need a nap after this meal. I'm glad I don't drive around here…." Picking up her spot she would just start to dig in then….silent as the dead.
Gwen takes a bite, and for a few savory, chocolate-filled minutes, she is at peace, enjoying the life she has and imagining that her life is normal, that she had never heard of Ray or Clarisin.
It is a thoroughly-enjoyable time, over too soon.