Seven Hours Later
11:34 A.M.
Christina's POV

The blonde tossed her half-eaten food away in the trash can closest to the double doors of the cafeteria, her appetite vanishing just as quickly as it had arrived. She then walked out into the hallway and leaned against the brick wall, sighing heavily and resisting the urge to place her hands over her face. The only thing that actually brought her comfort was the extremely stale air of the hospital and, although it was difficult for her to breathe at times, she felt more at ease at the moment.

Christina had been here for almost two hours and she was already becoming fed up with having to wait for news that she never wanted to receive in the first place. After what had happened to Peter the night before, she wasn't going to risk taking any chances anymore. She had considered bringing her gun in case Harry woke up and tried anything, but she had been persuaded not to. So she reluctantly listened to him and came unarmed.

She crossed her arms as she shivered from the cold air of the hallway despite that being the last thing on her mind at the moment. She felt isolated at the moment, almost as if anyone could leap out at her when she wasn't expecting it. It reminded her of that night...

Don't think about that, she reminded herself, shaking her head. You've moved past that now. He's dead and gone and he can't bother you anymore.

A shaky sigh slipped past her lips as she lowered her head and her shoulders slumped. Being here made her feel uneasy ever since that night over two years ago now and it wasn't due to grief, but paranoia instead. Remembering the image of her mother's head twisted around made her wince but it didn't sadden her as much as it did back then. At least Margaret Johnson's murderer was taken care of and had been for a long time, and that alone made her heart relax.

She remembered the confusion she had felt when Peter explained to her that Harry's own father had gotten himself killed with his own glider. That went away when he specified that the kill was supposed to be towards him, not Norman. It interested her that the infamous Green Goblin had fumbled just once throughout his atrocity and it had taken his life, but she tried to not let the subject dwell any longer.

Despite still having a nightmare once in a blue moon, Christina was healed and she finally had closure to the entire ordeal. She never had to go back to it again and she was immensely happy about that, but her main worry was now about the future and what would come soon.

What if – and the possibility was high up there – Harry never woke up and he was stuck in an eternal coma?

It would serve him right, she thought sarcastically.

But what if he did wake up and caused absolute chaos to ensue everywhere?

What if he tried to hurt... tried to hurt....?

"Chris!" came Peter's voice as he jogged down the hallway towards her.

"Hmm...?" she replied, snapping out of her thoughts to face him, turning to lean her left shoulder against the wall.

Peter caught up to where she was and caught his breath for a short moment before preparing himself for what he would say next. "He's awake..." he finally said after accepting it.

Christina's only reaction was to raise her eyebrows out of slight surprise. "He is?" she mumbled. "I would have thought a hit to the head like that would have killed him."

"There's a catch," Peter specified as his shoulders sagged slightly, stepping closer as if he were telling her a secret. "He apparently has short-term memory, according to the doctor. Harry said he doesn't remember what happened to him or... anything else that I know of...."

Christina crossed her arms in response, her body tensing up as alarms began going off all in her brain. "Are you sure he's not just making that up?" she questioned, becoming very worried. "You never know what he could be capable of... last night proved that to both of us."

"The story seemed pretty truthful when I heard it," Peter countered, shrugging his shoulders. "Look, if you don't want to see him, I get that. But if his memory really is gone... then he may not even remember... that night."

The blonde glanced at the epoxy floor, her right hand clenching into a fist as she squeezed her eyes shut. "That doesn't change the fact that that night did happen," she pointed out. "You don't know all of what he said that night. Sidney was too hysterical to tell you everything, according to you. And I couldn't bring myself to admit it. I don't care if he has no memory of ever saying what he said. He's still a fucking asshole in my eyes."

"What all did he say to you...?" he asked hesitantly, his eyebrows raised now as he took a step closer to her.

"It's not important," Christina said almost too quickly. "I can't tell you, not now. Look... I'll see him, alright? But let me tell you that I'd much rather be picking Sidney up from Dad's and then being introduced to her girlfriend than doing this."

"I understand that and– Wait... Sidney has a girlfriend now?" Peter suddenly brought up, tilting his head out of curiosity. He certainly hadn't heard this information yet and he was suddenly more interested.

Christina froze for a second as her eyes widened, her lips pressing together. "Shit..." she mumbled. "I forgot to bring that up. Oh, Sid's gonna kill me... You cannot tell her that I told you, okay? She hasn't told Dad or Allyson yet and I know she hasn't told you, so don't say anything!"

"I won't, I won't," Peter replied, holding his hands up defensively. "Y'all's secret is safe with me, I promise. That's great, though, that Sidney found someone. Good for her."

The shorter woman smiled for once and nodded in agreement, glancing downward. "Yeah, I'm glad she's beginning to come out of her shell a bit," she said.

A few minutes later, the two of them walked towards the room that Harry was meant to be residing in for the time being. They were both making sure to be cautious about the situation, and Christina's shoulders were tense despite Peter subtly rubbing her back to put her at ease. The blonde could see her ex-friend through the blinds of the window of his room and she almost thought he was dead and that she was just lied to.

She stepped into the doorway and examined him as he started moving his head around, and she noticed that this was the most peaceful he seemed in a long time. It nearly made her smile but she just couldn't bring herself to do so and, when Harry turned to face her and Peter, she was entirely prepared for him to scream obscenities at them for what they had apparently done to him.

But, much to her incredulity, he smiled in their direction.

"Hey, guys..." he greeted cheerfully and it seemed very genuine for once.

"Hey," Peter replied with a surprised smile.

Christina, who was still very tense, could only let out a, "Hi..."

Harry pointed to his head, gesturing to the bandages that he was wrapped up in. "Hit my head..." he mumbled sleepily. "The doctor said I was in an accident. Hit and run. I don't remember much of anything..."

The couple stepped closer to him and the blonde stared down at her former best friend, just making sure that there wasn't a secret up his sleeve. But she masked it with a smile and he seemed to have bought it, much to her relief.

"My father..." Harry continued with a saddened frown. "He died, right?"

While Peter nodded, Christina said, "Yeah, he did..." She tried her best to maintain a facade so he wouldn't suspect anything, and she knew she was doing a good job since she wasn't freaking the fuck out at Harry.

"You lost your mother, too, right?" he asked suddenly and, when she nodded, he lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry, Chris."

"I'm alright now," she responded to assure him. "It was almost three years ago, and I got help."

"That's good..." he whispered before narrowing his gaze out of puzzlement. "This is all so weird... Last thing I remember, I was falling... somewhere. I don't know."

"Hey, you're alright now," Peter reluctantly said to offer comfort, never wanting to let on about the circumstances that led all of them into this scenario. "You're here with us." As much as I'd rather you weren't after what you did to Christina... he thought to himself bitterly.

"Yeah, he's right..." Christina agreed with him, just praying that she was seeing and hearing the truth. "You can have a fresh start after you get out, all right?"

Harry nodded before a thoughtful expression formed on his face, and he stared almost distantly across the room. "It feels like somehow I've been gone for a really long time... and now I'm back home."

"It's good to have you back," said Peter.

Suddenly, a nurse came up behind Christina and gently tapped her on the shoulder with a smile. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to ask you guys to scoot, okay?" she murmured.

"That's fine, ma'am," the blonde replied, to which she was thanked as she began to depart from the room.

"Well, I'll see y'all tomorrow," Harry spoke up, hoping he would get a positive response from his friends since he noticed how tense they seemed and was concerned.

"Yeah, great," Peter said, actually smiling for once as he seemed to finally have a bit of optimism about the situation.

Afterwards, the two of them walked outside of the hospital and went to Christina's car in the parking lot, still making sure to stay cautious about what had just happened. The woman's shoulders were still pretty tense but she tried to ignore that as best as she could, especially when Peter grasped her metal hand and that made her smile.

"You want me to drive you home or are you going to swing?" she asked him as she unlocked her Volkswagen.

"I'll swing," Peter answered. "You go on and pick Sidney up. You call me and tell me what you think of her girlfriend, though. Make sure she's nice to her and all."

"I will, don't you worry," Christina assured him as she leaned in and pecked his lips. "Be careful going home."

"You too," he said. "Bye, I love you. And you look pretty!"

Despite her blush, Christina just laughed in response. "Thank you, I love you, bye!" she shouted back as she got in her car and he swung away after changing into his suit.

_____

Thirty Minutes Later
12:10 P.M.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, Christina!" twelve-year-old Arabella Carpenter said excitedly as she stood in the front doorway to the older woman's apartment.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Arabella," Christina replied with a bright smile. "Come on inside, Sidney's in her room. I can make you guys something to eat, if you'd like."

"You don't have to do that if you don't want to," she mumbled almost shyly, linking her hands together. "I'm only going to be here for an hour or two."

"No, I insist. It's the least I could do."

"Hey, Belle..." came a trembling voice from the hallway, and the two of them turned to see Sidney standing there and looking at her girlfriend with astonishment in her brown eyes. The sight made Christina stifle a giggle because she had never seen her sister act like this, and she even had to cover her mouth.

"Sid... hi..." Arabella replied with a grin, walking over and hugging her gently but quickly so they wouldn't get teased by Sidney's sister.

Arabella was much shorter than Sidney, with dirty blonde hair cascading to her slumped shoulders and dark sea green eyes that went well with her appearance. She wore a plain purple blouse with a red Letterman jacket, and everything about that screamed 'cheerleader' and it sort of made Christina feel a little uneasy about this pairing. But, the moment she saw the girl pull back from Sidney and saw the adoration in her eyes, she knew there was nothing to worry about.

"How was the bus getting here?" Sidney asked timidly as she looked down at Arabella.

"It was alright, nothing new," she replied with a giggle. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm glad you are," the brunette said before looking over at Christina. "Do you mind if we hang out in my room? I'll leave the door open, I swear."

Christina just smiled as she nodded her head. "I don't mind," was her response. "I'll make you guys something to eat in the meantime. Spaghetti, perhaps?"

"Sounds good," both of them said as they both walked towards Sidney's room. Sidney quickly turned back to her sister and formed the words "Thank you" with her sign language.

"You're welcome, kiddo..." the blonde mumbled more to herself as she began to prepare dinner for all three of them.

_____

Sidney's POV

"Hopefully, the band posters don't freak you out but this is what my room looks like," she said as she opened the door to her bedroom, leaving it open as promised.

"You like Metallica?" Arabella murmured as she glanced around the bedroom, her eyebrows raised in surprise. A small smile graced her face as her bright eyes looked towards Sidney.

"Yeah, I've liked them for a few years now," Sidney admitted sheepishly as she touched the black poster. "My favorite song of theirs is Enter Sandman, personally."

"I'm a Master of Puppets fan, myself..." the blonde replied with a grin now, staring right at the brunette.

Sidney glanced back at her with shock and utter relief on her face before letting out a chuckle. "I have another reason to like you, I see," she said playfully as she smiled back. "I didn't even know you were into music like this."

"It's not quite my favorite type but it's up there, for sure," said Arabella before she suddenly walked toward Sidney and pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you..." she added in a whisper.

Sidney's face turned pink as she hugged her girlfriend back, shyly pecking her cheek. "I missed you, too..." she mumbled back, her eyes closed as felt pure contentment.

Arabella pulled back as she removed her Letterman jacket and rested it on the chair in front of Sidney's desk. "Your room is nice," she complimented with a bright expression in her eyes. "Your sister's very nice as well."

"Yeah, she is," Sidney agreed. "A pain in my ass sometimes, but I love her, anyway. But be easy on her, alright? She's been through a lot in the past few years."

"Yeah, I heard..." the shorter girl said somberly. "The way her mom died... that shouldn't have happened. I get it. My dad died when I was really little... Car accident."

Sidney froze for a moment as she looked at Arabella, her heart breaking at this information. "I had no idea that happened to him..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm okay now," she assured her, placing a hand on the taller girl's arm. "I hardly remember him, but I have a few memories of him and they're good ones. But my mom and sister... it's been the hardest on them ever since. They had more time with him and I understand that."

"I hope they're doing alright considering..." Sidney said. "That must be difficult for them..."

"We all have each other, and that's what mainly matters," Arabella replied. "I can introduce you to them one day. My sister, Mindy... she's very kind even though she teases me sometimes. I think she'd like you."

"I think I'd like her, too," Sidney mumbled with a smile. "Christina, though.... She's better, thank God. She got therapy and I helped her out some as well. It was really bad for her around a year ago but I finally knocked some sense into her, and she's doing well now."

Arabella just nodded with a grateful expression on her face now. "'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted...'" she murmured. "My mom taught me that as a kid. She's religious."

Sidney hummed for a moment, a little distracted by past memories around a year ago... back when she nearly lost Christina thanks to the grief dominating her soul. Her heart became heavy and she nearly began to cry but, thankfully, she was distracted by Arabella kissing her on the cheek and her face turned red as a result.

"Are you okay?" she blonde asked in a concerned tone, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Yeah..." said Sidney, clearing her throat awkwardly. "I was just thinking about something, that's all..."

"Alright..." Arabella muttered, although she still seemed very worried for her well-being. "Why don't you show me all of the cool stuff you have before we go back to eat with Christina?"

Sidney smiled as she sighed in relief from the fact that she didn't have to talk about what was going on with her. "Yeah, sure, that'd be great," she responded, sitting down on her bed and grabbing a collectible of Princess Leia that she had gotten at a thrift store a few months prior.

A/N: hey, guys! sorry for not getting this chapter out sooner, i've been busy with college and keeping up with all of my homework (i'm doing just fine, by the way) and i didn't know how to execute this chapter without it being shorter. but i know you guys are fine with that! i hope you all are doing okay and happy early halloween!❤️

anyways, thoughts on this chapter? did you enjoy it?

did you like the subtle indication that christina is still slightly traumatized from the events of part one? don't worry, she won't slip back into depression again, she's still alright!

did you like her being cautious despite harry actually losing his memory?

what about the scene with her and peter in harry's room? we can only wish that harry kept his amnesia lol

what about the small interaction between her and peter afterwards? i love them being so deeply in love but being casual about it lmao

what about the introduction of arabella's character? she'll be an absolute sweetheart throughout this last part of the book! did you like the small scene with her and sidney?

don't you worry! more sidney and arabella scenes to come!

predictions for the next chapter?

be looking forward to the next chapter!

-denbroughswife