Nine Months Later
June 9th, 2005
Christina's POV

She steered the wheel as carefully but also as casually as she could, turning onto Columbus Avenue, a little surprised at how quiet her little sister was in the passenger seat. She was tempted to ask her what could have been wrong, but she didn't want to bother her under any circumstances even if she wouldn't get mad. Besides, the twenty-two-year-old woman wasn't in the mood to push anybody's buttons, since a sliver of her timid nature remained from the year prior even though she was almost entirely recovered now.

Christina Johnson was tempted to twirl a strand of her now-again blonde hair that was slowly growing out and was down to the middle of her back, but she managed to keep her eyes on the road for the thirty seconds she drove until reaching her apartment complex, West 96th.

"Oh, good, I love being at your mansion of an apartment," Sidney mumbled sarcastically, although it was with a playful smirk.

Christina looked towards her with both eyebrows raised as she tried not to giggle; she briefly took notice of her sister's now shorter brown hair reaching her shoulders now. "It's not a mansion, far from it," she said jokingly. "We both wish it was one, though, right?"

"Yeah, obviously," Sidney said with a chuckle, her feet resting on the dashboard before falling quiet again, chewing on her fingernails rather nervously but inconspicuously.

Christina wasn't about to be fooled, however, as she pulled into the parking lot; she said nothing yet, not wanting to piss Sidney off or anything, but she was aware that something was up with her sister. After enduring therapy for several months before she was let off of it in May, she was able to pick up certain signs that someone was thinking about something or if a topic was upsetting or confusing them. Her brand new knowledge of mental health made her want to reach out and help... when they were inside, of course.

Parking the Volkswagen, the blonde opened her door and stepped out. She was relieved that it was way easier to operate her prosthetic arm now compared to nearly a year ago when she had initially lost her left arm. Sometimes, she preferred to walk around her apartment and even her office at work without the arm, but today was an exception. In fact, she placed the handle of her purse on the metal arm before closing the driver's side door.

Sidney opened the passenger door and climbed out of the vehicle, clutching her purple jacket closer to her as a slightly chilly gust of wind blew through the air. She chose to be a little quieter than normal today, especially since she was preparing herself to tell her sister something very important; she knew Christina wouldn't judge her for what she would be bringing up, but she was still rather scared to bring it up, much like she was worried to say anything around her despite how happy the older woman was now.

The two of them entered the building and climbed the stairs, both of them grasping the railing so they wouldn't topple down to the first level. They could both hear the chattering of neighbors as they journeyed to Christina's apartment, but they chose to ignore it, choosing to not get involved in the new gossip that could have possibly transpired while they were gone.

Christina took her key out of her purse and unlocked the door to her apartment, opening it and walking inside. "Home sweet home," she declared proudly as Sidney stepped inside behind her. "I hate that you can only stay for tonight."

"Well, Mom and Dad were planning on taking Aidan and I to Coney Island tomorrow, so..." Sidney explained timidly, interlocking her fingers together. "I'm sorry."

"No, no..." Christina assured the younger girl with a smile. "It's alright. I hope you guys have a fun day tomorrow."

"And I hope you and Peter have a lovely date tomorrow night," Sidney wished upon her semi-teasingly, not missing the mild blush that came upon her older sister's face.

Sidney was all too aware of how overwhelmingly excited Christina was for the night following today, as she was going on a date with Peter. She apparently went on a date with him once a week, either to the movies or to a fast food place now that Peter had started to get his life back together (she was unaware of how he was able to balance his personal life with his antics as Spider-Man ever since last year), and they would always have romantic nights where they would talk or spend time together.

There were even days or nights where Peter would come by the apartment to spend time with Christina when Sidney still lived there. They would have dinner together and then watch a movie or two before he went back home for the night; and, although Sidney found their love to be disgustingly affectionate at times, she couldn't deny how adorable they were and how perfect they were for each other. She was truly happy for them when she would notice how uplifted they always were around one another compared to the prior year.

Christina had mentioned to Sidney what the date would be like, that she and Peter would be attending the Broadway musical titled Manhattan Memories; it starred their very own best friend, Mary Jane Watson-Jameson in a third-billing lead role. Once she had heard about this, Sidney – despite still not knowing Mary Jane all too well – was very proud of the redhead for growing from a small theatre actress to having a main role in Broadway. She had optimism that she would eventually grow to be an A-list actress in film or television one day.

"Well, thank you," Christina said genuinely, nodding slightly after the blush vanished. "I'm sure we'll have a good time. I've been excited to see M.J's play for a while."

"I don't blame you," Sidney replied, shrugging her shoulders. "It's amazing to see how far she's come. Is John gonna be there to see it?"

"Most likely," Christina answered. She was incredibly cheerful that Mary Jane's and John's marriage had remained happy and healthy since they had recited their vows last September. They always looked out for one another and supported each other every single day, and it actually reminded her of her relationship with Peter, which made her smile to herself. "He'll probably bring flowers for her, I'm sure."

"Ugh, romance..." Sidney said, mock-gagging and making Christina laugh. "Gross..."

After saying this, the young girl paused what she was about to say as she sat in one of the dining table chairs; she took a deep breath or two as her fingers fiddled with the wooden pattern on the table, feeling as though that were the only thing she would be able to do right now. Her heart felt as though it was about to stop either once or dozens of times with what she was about to say, almost as if it were about to be the end of the world.

Christina instantly noticed her sister's change of attitude, sitting down in the chair next to her and reaching out to take her smaller hand into hers. "Hey, what's up, kiddo?" she spoke up, tilting her head with curiosity.

"Huh...?" Sidney mumbled, breaking out of her slight trance.

"You alright?" Christina pressed further. "I don't know, you just seem a little quiet today."

Sidney briefly removed her hand from Christina's as she contemplated how she wanted to answer that question; she knew she was about to admit something truly risky, but she knew her older sister would support her no matter what even though she was frightened. "Yeah, I'm fine..." she whispered. "Something's just been on my mind today... Something I need to tell you."

"Well, what is it?" Christina muttered, leaning forward slightly. "You can trust me, you know that?"

"Yeah..." Sidney said before inhaling a huge breath and taking the leap of faith. "I'm dating Arabella Carpenter... She's been my girlfriend for a while now."

Christina's only reaction was to lift her head up a little bit and smirk almost knowingly; her response seemed to be completely unsurprised and she nearly started to giggle at how much she was already aware of. "I had a feeling..." she said teasingly, grinning at Sidney. "You can't keep a secret too well."

Sidney's face turned completely red at that as she lowered her head from complete and utter embarrassment. "You knew...?" she muttered quietly.

"You think I didn't?" Christina responded, chuckling out loud. "I'm not mad, but come on, Sid. I know you too well. The days you would come home from school with a dumb grin on your face? The times I'd hear you talking on the phone late into the night and giggling? How long have you two been together?"

Sidney awkwardly cleared her throat, closing her eyes and preparing herself for the next few seconds. "A few months..." she mumbled meekly. "Uh, six months... Since December."

"Six months?" Christina questioned with wide eyes. "You could have told me, I wouldn't have been mad at you, kid. I'm happy for you... Does Arabella treat you well?"

Sidney nodded. "Yeah, she does," she whispered, smiling gently. "Arabella... she's... she's so sweet and kind. She's actually popular, trying out for cheerleading next school year. But she has the purest heart. And she's so pretty. Really, she's very beautiful. I really, really like her."

Christina couldn't help but smile at that. "You have no right to tell me that my relationship with Peter is 'gross' when you're gushing about your girlfriend like that," she said jokingly before laughing at Sidney softly punching her arm. "But, really, I'm glad you're happy with her," she added. "I'm happy that you have someone who cares about you like that. I'd like to meet her sometime soon..."

"I can bring her over," Sidney offered. "Maybe in a few days, if you're okay with that."

"Of course... Of course you can bring her over. We can hang out and everything, I'm sure she's very nice."

Sidney just nodded in reply to that, looking down timidly. "I still haven't told Mom and Dad..." she admitted in a very quiet voice, weakly shrugging her shoulders. "I dunno... I guess I'm scared as to how they'd react... probably."

"They'd support you," Christina said almost instantly. "I mean... they know you're a lesbian, right? So they would be happy for you. They would be happy that you found someone, I'm sure they would be."

"You promise?"

"Of course, I promise," Christina mumbled, reaching out to take Sidney's hand into hers. "Listen, kiddo... You don't have to be afraid to tell me, Dad, or Allyson anything. We won't judge you, I can make sure of it. We're gonna love you no matter what... I swear...."

Sidney's only response to this was to lean across the table to envelop her in a tight hug, her brown eyes filling up with tears. "Thanks, Chris..." she whispered, burying her face in the older woman's shoulder.

Christina didn't hesitate to hug back just as fiercely, making sure her metallic arm didn't dig into Sidney's back too much. "No problem, sis..." she replied, leaning her head against hers.

_____

One Day Later
June 10th, 2005
1:24 P.M.

"Today, we are here to certify and finalize the adoption of Connor Joseph Roberts," the judge spoke aloud to the small courtroom filled with about two dozen people. Her black hair was tied back into a tight and seemingly uncomfortable bun. A gavel was resting next to her right hand and she was ready to raise it either if a commotion broke out or when everything went well and it ended.

Christina glanced over at the small boy in question, who was now ten, and she saw that he was looking back at her from across the aisle of the room. She smiled in his direction in an encouraging way, almost as if to say "You can do this." He grinned back, seeming to be the happiest he had been in his whole life; his foster parents were sitting on either side of them, Judy having a tearful smile on her face, and Christopher was ruffling his soon-to-be adopted son's hair jokingly.

Christina herself was dressed in a professional gray jacket and a black skirt that went past her knees, which went well with the black slip-on shoes that adorned her feet. She didn't have any makeup on at all since she was waiting to put some on later that night for her date with Peter; besides, makeup didn't matter that much since she saw Connor's adoption to be the most important task at hand today.

"First, we will have the boy's social worker, Miss Christina Johnson, confirm that this boy is fit for the family he is to be adopted by," the judge stated, gesturing to the blonde woman sitting in one of the chairs at the front of the room.

Christina curtly nodded before standing up and walking to where she was standing five feet from the Judge's Bench. She carried a manila folder, the exact same one she had when she met the boy nearly a year ago, in her left metallic hand as she strode to the front. She then cleared her throat and pried her lips apart to speak.

"Your Honor, in this folder is every file I could possibly find about Connor," she said confidently, subtly brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "He currently resides in Brooklyn with Judith and Christopher Nelson – who have had a history in foster care and helping out young children – and he still attends Carter G. Woodson Elementary School. He will be entering the fifth grade this August, and he's ten years old. From my monthly visits to the Nelson home, I can safely provide you with the news that he is thriving and adjusting just fine in their care."

"And do you swear that Connor is perfectly fit for adoption by the Nelsons?" the judge questioned her further.

"Yes, I swear, Your Honor," Christina replied politely.

The judge nodded before turning a page in the files she was also reading. "Miss Johnson, you've previously told me that Connor received physical abuse from his biological mother, Laura Roberts. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"And there is no father in the picture, is that right?"

"No, Your Honor," Christina answered. "He passed away when Connor was three."

"And do you swear that what you have told me nine months ago is the truth entirely?"

"Yes, ma'am," Christina said, her face focused and determined.

"Thank you, Miss Johnson," the judge said with a kind smile. "You may have a seat."

Christina smiled back before carefully walking back to her seat, making sure she didn't trip over her own feet in the process. She then sat down in the brown chair, resting her back against it whilst still sitting up straight. Turning her head to the right, she made eye contact with Judy and they both smiled at one another, and the younger woman could see the love that the mother had for the young boy that she would get to call a son very soon. She could tell that she would do anything for him, and she deeply respected that since she felt the same way towards her own family.

She would do anything for Sidney, Aidan, Allyson, and Michael at this point because she had nearly truly made amends with the latter two. She would even die for them if given the chance; she wouldn't hesitate to jump to that possibility.

She had the same type of love for her growing family that her mother had for her while growing up, and she finally understood that kind of love. It was love that you couldn't live without, that you would kill for and die for and even live for. After all, lack of love was something you could die from... at least, in Christina's eyes.

"Now, if the Nelsons would come forward?" the judge spoke up after thirty seconds of writing down Christina's statement on a piece of paper.

The parents stood up with the young boy and they walked towards the Judge's Bench like Christina had done before. Meanwhile, the blonde social worker waited and composed herself. Herself was a thing she was supposed to compose now, as if she were composing the score to a musical.

As she sat there and witnessed the questioning of the Nelson parents, Christina lightly traced her right index finger over the sleek metal of her other hand under the gray satin glove in order to keep her racing heartbeat from bursting out of her chest. She just hoped that this would end happily; she created the story and she was destined to make the ending cheerful for the Nelsons. Connor was a sweet and innocent child and he deserved a great outcome, not a horrible one where he would end up back with that abusive bitch.

She had worked this long to keep him in a safe environment with parents that were truly fit, and she was not going to let him be in danger again. She would adopt him herself if it turned out that the Nelsons weren't fit, since it was up to the judge. She and the boy had formed a special bond that had transformed into a close friendship, and she could tell that he saw her as an aunt of some sort. Christopher had even told her one day that, if all went well, she could even come over for dinners with the family whenever she wanted to.

"Oh, you don't have to do all that," Christina had said, shaking her head and waving her human hand around.

"No, we insist," the older man had replied. "It's the least Judy and I can do considering you helped us take Connor in."

Christina had shook her head again before lowering her head timidly. "You don't have to," she had mumbled. "I'm just some social worker trying to do the right thing, that's all."

"To us, you're our friend," Christopher had said in response to that. "Connor sees you as family, and you're our friend. We can't thank you enough for helping us."

And Christina had accepted the offer.

"Miss Johnson, will you step forward again?" the judge asked, breaking Christina from her brief thoughts.

"Yes, Your Honor," Christina said, choosing to act as though she weren't nervous at all. She then stood to her feet once more and crossed to where the family was, acknowledging the rest of the children belonging to Judy and Christopher towards the back of the courtroom.

Please let it work, please let it be successful, she thought to herself, trying to keep a straight face.

"Miss Johnson, I would like to ask you one final question," the judge told her firmly. "It is within my best interest that Connor be safe for adoption by Judith and Christopher Nelson and live with them permanently until he reaches the age of eighteen and graduates high school. Are you willing to allow these parents full custody of the child?"

"Yes, ma'am," Christina said happily, sighing internally with complete relief. Thank you, Lord.

"Will you sign your section of this paper right here?"

Christina stepped forward and delicately took the pen into her hand, scribbling her signature in neat but slanted and curly letters. Christina L. Johnson. She couldn't prevent the smile from creeping onto her still young face the entire time.

Then Judy signed the paper, as did Christopher. And then it was over.

"As of today – June 10th, 2005 – Connor Joseph Roberts is now Connor Joseph Nelson. He is now being placed in permanent care of Judith and Christopher Nelson," the judge said excitedly, raising her gavel. "This meeting is adjourned."

When the gavel lightly tapped against the wood, Christina walked towards Connor and swept the boy into a hug of pure happiness for him. "Congrats, kiddo," she said joyfully.

"Thanks, Christina," Connor replied in his childlike and youthful voice.

"And as for you, Miss Johnson," the judge said more quietly, more towards her directly. "We will find a way to have you promoted within the next week. Congratulations on your first successful client. You've done very well."

"Thank you very much, ma'am," the younger woman replied with respect laced in her eyes.

Meanwhile, across the street and unbeknownst to Christina, her beloved boyfriend was glancing through the front windows of a jewelry shop. He was looking for something in particular, a gift of some sorts, to give her one day in the future. He hoped it would be soon, very soon.

Peter Parker was praying for a night to arrive where he could ask his love a sacred question that he'd been repeating in his mind for the past few weeks. He pondered for a while on whether or not this was the correct time to do so, but he knew he would find out in the near future. He knew he loved her, he knew that well enough, but he always kept Christina's wishes in mind.

So, for now, he was just taking a look at the engagement rings; he just hoped that he would be able to save enough money to buy one as soon as he could. And he couldn't wait to give it to his girlfriend.

A/N: i know it's been a million years but the first chapter of Part Three is finally out! i hope you guys enjoyed it.

so, thoughts on this chapter? did you like it, despite how short it was? i wish it was longer but there was no way i could have made it longer without making it boring.

did you like the scene where sidney confessed the truth that she was dating arabella to christina? it feels so good to see sidney back!

don't worry, adorable scenes with sidney and arabella to come!🤗

did you enjoy the moment where connor from Part Two was adopted by his foster parents? i loved writing christina being confident again and not so timid anymore. and i'm very proud of her and connor!

did you like the little scene at the end with peter? i chose to make it subtle but effective in the foreshadowing!

predictions for the next chapter? i'm very excited to write it, as it will be an adorable one!

be looking for to the next chapter!

-denbroughswife