Two Days Later
September 25th, 2004
12:36 P.M.
Christina's POV

The brunette tried her best to avoid the feeling of the metallic prosthetic arm against her elbow as she looked around the back room of the enormous church. Since she felt insanely insecure about how it looked in replacement of her actual arm that was amputated a few days prior, she wore long and white satin gloves that went past her elbows. Luckily, nobody asked any questions about why she wore gloves, especially since the other bridesmaids were also wearing long satin gloves, except theirs were black. She herself had decided to wear a different color to stand out more to the guests.

Christina was clad in a breathtaking dress that was the color of red velvet; the skirt of the gown extended all the way past her feet and was poofed out elegantly, but she secretly wore black leggings underneath it. Her brown locks of hair were in perfect curls thanks to Allyson's insistence that she work on her hair and makeup, and her face was prettied up more than ever. Her eyelashes were adorned with thick layers of mascara, the eyeshadow was golden and made her bright blue eyes more apparent than ever, the blush was a light pink and almost unnoticeable unless someone looked closely, and her lipstick was a dark red and almost burgundy.

I wish Peter would see me like this, she thought and, although she blushed at the idea, she also frowned.

Peter wasn't at the church, so he wouldn't be seeing Mary Jane finally marry John. Christina figured he was just trying to avoid her, to try and protect her.

Well, she didn't need protection from anything. She could take care of herself.

Christina remembered that none of her family would be attending the wedding either; Michael and Allyson were both at work, Aidan was at a nearby daycare, and Sidney was at a friend's house... or so she said. The young woman suspected she was at Arabella's house and she smirked knowingly.

Excusing herself to a nearby bathroom for a moment, she stood in front of the mirror and removed the satin glove on her left arm.

The metal fingers moved by the will of her mind as she raised the artificial arm upward, and she studied its movements with a curious smile. The nurses had helped her adjust to it the day before and, although it was still difficult to operate and was a little painful, she was getting the hang of it. The arm eerily reminded her of one of the tentacle artificial intelligence arms that belonged to the now deceased Otto Octavius. She had been told about his body being retrieved from the river, how the arms had been detached from him, and how he was to be buried in a few days from now.

At least he'll have a proper burial, she thought, feeling a form of genuine grief for the man she only interacted with once.

She tried to snap out of it, yanking her glove back on and calmly stepping out of the bathroom.

It seemed that there were around two to three hundred guests that had been invited to the wedding, and she amusingly thought about John being possibly the most famous astronaut in New York City.

Playing football on the moon, she said in her mind and she even chuckled. I'll say. I would have loved to see that.

Christina straightened her posture and clasped her fleshed and artificial hands together in a formal and polite way. Her face was set to greet the guests with nods and smiles, and she even shook their hands and prayed that they wouldn't know about her metal fingers.

If they did, they didn't ask a single question about it.

She glided across the room where the ceremony would be held and went to stand at the altar with the other bridesmaids. She didn't really know them that well, but she could recognize a few of Mary Jane's friends from high school and she chatted with them for a few moments. She hadn't seen the redhead all day, and that was her choice, wanting to see her in her wedding dress when she walked down the aisle.

Next to her, Christina instantly noticed how nervous John looked as he practiced his vows one final time. She chuckled to herself before stepping over to him, trying not to stumble in her crimson high heels. She clutched his arm with her right one and he spun around, a little startled.

"What is it, Chris?" he asked, and it was obvious his voice was trembling.

"How about we take some deep breaths?" she advised. "You look like you're about to hit the floor."

"Maybe I am," he replied sarcastically.

Christina rolled her eyes and held his arms to stop them from quivering. "Here, look at me," she instructed him. "In. Out. In. Out."

He followed her advice and took several deep breaths, and he visibly looked much calmer.

"Try not to have a heart attack today, especially right now. You're about to marry a wonderful woman that loves you," the brunette said with a happy grin. "And she's about to marry a man that actually cares about her and loves her for who she is. And I'm happy for both of you. I'm proud of you two."

John couldn't help but smile at that and he actually hugged Christina. "You're a great friend," he told her. "I'm glad M.J. introduced me to you. I don't regret being friends with you."

"Neither do I," she replied with a small smile as she pulled back from the hug. "Now, enough with the sappy shit. Let's get you two married."

"Language!" he playfully scolded her. "We are in a church, you know?"

Christina caught herself and covered her mouth as her face turned red. "Oh, my bad..." she muttered.

"I swear..." John mumbled as he laughed a little. "What are we gonna do with you?"

"You may as well just kill me," Christina said jokingly.

"As if," John said.

That was when the grand piano chorus filled the room and everyone stood up from the pews and looked towards the back doors to the lobby of the church. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of Harry six or seven rows back from her, and their eyes locked. Her blood boiled a little but she gave him a curt nod, which he respectfully returned; she could have sworn that, for just a moment, she saw a sliver of remorse on his face before he turned around with everyone else.

Good, feel bad, she thought nastily as she went to join the other bridesmaids. Doesn't mean I'm gonna forgive you anytime soon. Or... ever.

She clasped her hands together once again and stared ahead with a kind and anticipating smile on her face. For a brief second, she felt as though she were higher in power than anyone else in the room; it probably had something to do with the way she was standing. Her eyes were bright with excitement and happiness, but she wished that John and Mary Jane had arranged the order of people to include her and the Best Man. But they had decided not to do too many formal things and chose to only have the mother of the bride and groom walk down the aisle, as well as the flower girl and ring bearer.

They wanted to be married as soon as possible, which was understandable to Christina.

After John's mother and Mary Jane's mother journeyed down the aisle, as well as the adorable ring bearer and flower girl, her gorgeous best friend appeared at the doorway with her father holding her arm.

Christina was beyond relieved that Mary Jane had made amends with her father recently, that way she could have a proper wedding. She turned to look at John and noticed how immensely happy he looked, which made her heart uplift a little bit.

Mary Jane was dressed in a perfect white dress that expanded to the floor, and there was a train that dragged across the carpet behind her. Her auburn hair was pinned up in a pretty bun, and she was adorned with light mascara and clear lip gloss. She knew that John was admiring his soon-to-be wife, and she couldn't blame him. She felt a bit envious of her friend for a few seconds, wishing she was as beautiful as she was.

When Mary Jane reached the altar, she briefly made eye contact with Christina and silently asked if she was still doing okay since what had happened to her the other day. She nodded her head quickly before her father gave her away to John and went to sit with his now ex-wife. The brunette was aware of how they had divorced several months prior but they were still good acquaintances.

As the young and vibrant couple recited their vows and were on the verge of tears, Christina found herself zoning out and daydreaming. She suddenly pictured herself at the same altar with the man of her dreams, which was something she had thought up only a month prior when she danced with him at the planetarium. She remembered how he had held her so gently like she would break, and how he had kissed her cheek repeatedly, and how she imagined herself in a wedding dress.

Tears pricked her eyes just a little but she blinked them away, not wanting her mascara to be ruined.

"I will... always be Spider-Man... She and I can never be... I love her more than anything, but... I can't risk loving her."

She remembered those words insanely clearly and how she had thought about going against those words in the hospital. She hadn't seen him since that night and she feared that she would never get to see him again. Her heart was hurting at that possibility, and she actually had to try and avoid the surge of crying.

There's something I can do about it, she thought suddenly, and her eyes brightened slightly.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant said proudly as the couple grasped each other's hands. "You may kiss the bride!" he added to John.

Christina's best friend was now Mary Jane Watson-Jameson; the redhead had told her that 'Mary Jane Jameson' sounded stupid, and John happily accepted her suggestion of hyphening her last name with his.

And the married couple kissed one another happily.

Christina grinned not just out of joy for her two friends, but at the idea that it was possible for her to do something about her dilemma. It was possible! She still had a chance. A brilliant idea swarmed her mind as her heart skipped a few beats.

She had one more chance and she couldn't destroy it.

Before the bride and groom journeyed back down the aisle as every guest clapped, Christina briefly pulled Mary Jane aside, making sure they didn't talk for way too long.

"Hey, M.J," she said timidly. "Something's come up, and I need to go for a little while. Do you mind if I...?"

Mary Jane had a knowing smile on her face as she patted Christina's shoulder. "Go..." she whispered. "I know what's come up."

"What?" Christina asked dumbly.

"Go to him, Christina," Mary Jane emphasized with a hearty chuckle. "Follow your heart like I did with John. Who knows? Maybe you'll convince him. He loves you and you love him. Don't let that be for nothing. Be happy."

Christina smiled hopefully, her eyes brighter than ever.

She had a job to do.

_____

Ten Minutes Later
Peter's POV

Peter sat on the edge of his bed and stared towards the outside world that was potentially waiting for him to stop another criminal. He was more worn out than usual lately, but it was more due to his emotional state than anything this time.

He had taken Aunt May's advice after all and, although he regretted it, he knew that he was doing the right thing. He was sacrificing everything he truly cared about in order to fulfill his destiny: to save the city as Spider-Man.

His mind suddenly drifted to Christina. He hadn't seen her since the other night when he had rescued her and Mary Jane from Octavius. He had heard that she had survived the horrible injury to her arm and that she was recovering. For that, he was relieved.

He wanted to see her. He wanted to be there for her, to comfort her, to whisper her name and tell her that everything would be okay. But he knew that was impossible now. He couldn't risk being with her... not now. Not ever.

He just hoped she would stay safe and sound. Even if he couldn't be with her, he would be immensely happy to see that she was living a life filled with joy and peace. It's what she deserved, after all. She deserved everything.

He could feel tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as he continued to think about her. He pictured her bubbly personality that he admired so deeply, her radiant smile that lit up every room she was in, and the way she could make anyone happy with just one word of reassurance.

_____

Christina's POV

A little out of breath, Christina slowly climbed the stairs of the apartment complex, being careful with the heels she was wearing so she wouldn't topple down to the first floor. She didn't deserve more physical pain than she had already suffered from.

She recalled how she had run out of the church and attempted to hail a nearby taxi but, in New York, nobody had been bound to stop their car for her. Yelling a, "Fuck this!" she had sprinted all the way to her destination, and her face was red not only from the determination etched into her features, but also from how blisteringly hot it was today.

She then reached the room she was looking for. And she saw him. Just looking at him, even if he wasn't looking back, made her smile grow into a grin. To alert him to her presence, she gently knocked on the open door to his room.

"Peter...?" he heard from behind him.

He already knew that she was behind him, but that didn't surprise him any less. He didn't expect her to be here. She was supposed to be attending Mary Jane's wedding. She was her Maid of Honor, after all.

Still, at the mere sound of her gentle tone of voice (a tone she specifically used for him), he turned his head around. He was instantly greeted with the sight of a literal angel, and he was in absolute shock as he slowly stood up to get a good look at her.

The moment he saw her in that red velvet dress that was specific to her role in the wedding, Peter Parker was convinced that he had fallen for her all over again. How in the hell did she manage to look so stunning every time he saw her? Christina Johnson always left him awestruck from her beauty.

The only thing he could do was smile as he looked at her longingly, lovingly. It was as if she was the only person in his small, fragile world. And he quite liked that, if he was perfectly honest.

"Hi..." was all Christina said when she saw Peter look at her. The blush on her face refused to leave as soon as she noticed him admiring how she looked. She felt a lot more shy than usual, which was the normal at this point. She didn't know what else to say, so she just waited for Peter to talk.

"Christina..." Peter mumbled as he stared in her direction, his smile fading just a little bit. What was her reason of being here? Just to say hi? To inform him of something that happened?

A thought formed in his head; the most likely of reasons was suddenly in front of him and, while a part of him was happy, he was kind of dreading this moment. But he would allow her to talk regardless. He always gave her a choice no matter what.

"I came to talk to you," Christina said after gathering the courage. She took a deep breath as her right hand began shaking, pure nervousness hitting her like a brick. "It took a lot for me to get here... but you're worth me coming all this way," she added bravely, her timid smile growing into a hopeful grin. She adjusted her Maid of Honor dress a little bit just so she could calm her heartbeat.

Peter couldn't help but blush at that. If there was one thing he knew, Christina surely had a way with words that he couldn't quite describe. Instinctively, he walked around his bed and stepped towards her, growing curious to what she would say.

Christina merely waited for him to come closer to her so she could start explaining. All she wanted was to hold his hand and spout out how much she loved him again, but she didn't want to push his buttons.

He now stood a mere two feet away from her, and Christina's heart began to calm itself now that he was closer. He had that effect on her, it was like a spell, but she utterly adored it.

"You shouldn't be here," Peter told her genuinely, shaking his head lightly as he examined the look on her face. He couldn't really do anything else but look at her in that moment, unable to think of what more to say.

"I understand what you said the other night," Christina began. "That you think we can't be together. But I want to have a say in this...." She then took a deep breath. "I need you to understand that you didn't even give me a choice about this," she continued. "I know that you're scared of me being hurt or being in danger. But you know what? I'd rather take that risk than not being with you. You've made my life so much better, you've helped me even when you didn't have to, and I want to return the favor."

Peter was absolutely surprised at what Christina was saying to him. He actually began to think about her words and her point of view of the situation. He started to realize that she was actually right, and he began to feel stupid for not even thinking of what she wanted.

"I've looked at you and I've seen that you're hurting," Christina pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone. "And I want to help you. I really want to help you. I've wanted to be with you for a while now. Sure, it doesn't compare to how you feel, but it's something, at least. I hope you can understand that for me."

After a long moment of not speaking, she finally decided to finish. "I love you...." she mumbled shyly, smiling so much.

Peter couldn't help but smile, feeling a few tears in his eyes again. She still loved him despite him being Spider-Man, and that meant everything to him. It was what he needed to hear. It reminded him of just how much he truly loved her. He vowed to care for her, be there for her, and protect her for the rest of his days at that moment.

He could also hear the former confidence that his love had in her personality almost two years ago; the Christina he had fallen for was back and his heart warmed even more as he found himself more head over heels for her than ever.

"And I want to prove that to you..." Christina emphasized, her own eyes filling with tears as a brand new form of courage entered her soul. "I want you to know how much I love you, so I'm going to show you every day."

She was about to continue when she saw something that made her heart break.

Peter was crying.

"Hey..." Christina murmured soothingly, placing her right gloved hand on the left side of his face and caressing his cheekbone. She instantly wiped one of his tears away and stepped closer to him to where they were less than a foot apart now. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Peter whispered so quietly that Christina almost couldn't hear him, and he finally smiled again as he leaned into her hand. Then, his eyes closing, he took her hand and removed the satin glove; he then kissed the palm of her hand repeatedly, wanting to show her how much he loved her.

The blush on Christina's face was so intense she thought she would be set on fire. The feeling of his lips on her hand sent shivers coursing down her spine, and her eyes fluttered closed as her heart began racing once again.

Her eyes opened just as Peter let go of her hand and respectfully placed his hands on her waist, and he admired her trance-like beauty. "You're so beautiful..." he mumbled bravely, his eyes filled with utter love for her and only her.

Christina stepped a little closer to Peter as she grinned again, placing her right hand on his arm now. She felt insecurity clawing at her chest because of the metallic arm that replaced her former left arm and her smile faltered but, when she felt a hand on her elbow just above the metal, she felt reassured once she realized that he would still love her despite her insecurity. So, finally knowing this, her smile came back. "So are you..." she replied confidently.

Peter tried his best to blink back the tears of pure happiness and relief. "I... I love you so fucking much, Christina Johnson..." he said affectionately.

Christina stepped even closer to him and there was only a few inches of space between them now. "Then kiss me, you dumbass..." she whispered lovingly.

And he did.

Peter glanced at Christina's lips once and didn't hesitate to pull her impossibly close so he could kiss her. She returned his embrace instantly and they were soon kissing more passionately than they ever had before; they couldn't pull away even if they wanted to. They both put everything they could into this moment, and the brunette instinctively placed a hand on his shoulders to try and keep herself upright, but her legs were trembling from the effect of what they were doing.

Peter noticed this and held her even closer to keep her knees from buckling, and it was to the point that Christina was lifted off of her feet.

She pulled away from the kiss and giggled at what he was doing, resting her forehead against his. "You're such a dork..." she said teasingly.

"I know..." Peter replied shyly as he managed to shut the door behind them, not wanting Mr. Ditkovich to see what was happening. "Um... so... what does this make us?"

"Well..." Christina said, thinking for just a moment. "Would you maybe like to be my boyfriend, Peter?"

Peter's face brightened as he smiled, happier than he had been in a very long time. "I'd love to be your boyfriend, Christina," he answered her.

Christina responded with an even more feverish kiss that Peter immediately returned, and he shuddered when he felt her fingers in his hair.

Just when Christina was about to deepen the kiss further, the sound of police sirens from a mile or two away shattered the moment. She pulled back as they both stared out the balcony doors across the room from Peter's front door, and her face turned red. "Well... this is awkward..." she muttered and they both chuckled a little.

Peter's heart dropped a little as he realized that he had to leave Christina there, and she would probably go back home. He wanted to stay with her, to keep kissing her, to talk to her more, to spend time with her. But he knew his current responsibility and that was to stop whatever crime had transpired this time. It was something he had gotten used to over the past two years. He didn't want to leave his girlfriend.

His girlfriend...

But the comforting smile on Christina's face as she squeezed his hand delicately told him that she was okay with him leaving, that she understood why he had to go. She was aware of his duty as Spider-Man, and she didn't really have a problem with it.

"Go on," she assured him. "Go stop whatever the hell is happening out there. I'll be here when you come back..."

Peter nodded as he smiled, pecking her lips before he left. "I love you..." he told her.

"I love you..." Christina replied with an admiring grin.

And Peter suited up and was swinging away from the apartment in less than thirty seconds. Now alone in his apartment, Christina timidly stepped to the balcony doors as she watched his figure get smaller in the distance. The smile on her face refused to go away, and her heart was truly uplifted.

Now, she was completely healed.

She felt like everything would get better from this day onward....

END OF PART TWO.

A/N: well... that's it. that's the ending of Part Two! i actually finished it!

it feels weird now that two-thirds of the book is actually done. but i hope you guys are enjoying this entire book so far!

ANYWAYS, thoughts on this chapter alone? was it a good conclusion of Part Two?

did you like the entire wedding scene, as well as the amusing moments with christina and john? they're good friends!

mary jane and john are married! woo-hoo!

also, do you guys like christina's metal arm? don't worry! that arm is completely normal and helpful to her and doesn't lead to her becoming evil or something stupid like that. it's a regular artificial arm.

did you like the final scene? CHRISTINA AND PETER ARE OFFICIALLY TOGETHER! YOU CAN NOW FREELY SHIP THEM!

do you guys feel as though it took too long for them to get together? or was it the correct amount of build-up? let me know!

be looking forward to absolutely adorable moments between them in Part Three! :D

now...

thoughts on the entirety of Part Two? tell me everything you enjoyed about it!

what was your favorite overall chapter? favorite individual scene?

what was your favorite christina moment of this section?

favorite peter moment?

favorite sidney moment?

favorite christina and peter moment?

what was the biggest surprise for you? what did you absolutely not see coming?

do you guys appreciate how i tackled the theme of mental health and trauma throughout this section of the book? i wanted to treat these themes with as much respect as possible, and i never wanted to write it insultingly or badly. let me know if i wrote those themes well.

did you have any problems with Part Two? do you have any problems with this whole book so far? let me know!

which section of the story do you prefer? Part One or Part Two? let me know why you prefer which one!

predictions for the entirety of Part Three?

what are your hopes for Part Three?

be looking forward to Part Three, the third and final section of "Something Greater Than Us!"

-denbroughswife