╭ ╮
━━━━  " 📂 "

𝘼 𝙋 𝙊 𝘾 𝘼 𝙇 𝙔 𝙋 𝙎 𝙀

╰ ╯

SINCE THEIR DATE AT THE ITALIAN RESTAURANT, everything had seemed.. perfect. Not once had MJ ever thought she would be able to describe her life in such a way after it had descended into such a mess - what, with her mom dying and his dad partaking in a tirade to find more partners and drink himself to death - but now, things had changed.

Something had finally clicked in John Watson's mind, at least for now anyway, and all of Margot's precautions had set into place a new routine. He hadn't gone to the bar since Wednesday, and when Peter walked her back up to her apartment with an exchange of kisses in the elevator leading all the way to the front door, he had been awake and watching Sunset Strip again (it had come out a year previous and he had ended up watching it over Margot's shoulder on one of the days she didn't work), and had shaken Peter's hand thoroughly once reminded who he was.

Which meant that he was fully sober, and hadn't left the apartment since MJ had left. It was the same on Thursday, and then Friday as well. But as much as three evenings was a small feat in the reality of it all, Margot couldn't remember the last time he had achieved such a streak. It was a massive step forward, and she didn't know how it had been prompted - but she didn't care.

They had gone grocery shopping on Thursday night with Jack to get him a toy he had seen advertised amongst the many cartoons, and she had let him buy a bottle of wine. There were still some left by the end of Friday night. He had made spaghetti bolognese then, and even made garlic bread with it. If it continued, and for Jack's sake, MJ really hoped it would, she would ask him what it was one day.

But John's breakthrough with his alcoholism wasn't the only good thing in MJ's life. On Thursday she found that her job was getting back into the easy, every-day scheduling again, except now she could return to her desk after helping Dr. Connors with something to see a text waiting from her, not just from Gwen or a cry for help from Felicia in another department, but Peter as well.

There seemed to have been a gap in her life created since moving out of Forest Hills for the first time. She had lost two of her closest friends in her mom and Peter. But now that they were talking again, something just seemed to work. There were songs in her playlist she hadn't listened to before, a hoodie hung on the doorknob of her bedroom because after it had started to rain on Friday, when they were walking part of the way home before splitting off, there was a folded note in the pocket that described a theory she needed to answer a question in class earlier that day that she had been too busy daydreaming in to listen to.

There was a sticker in his locker of a butterfly she had drawn in art class before meeting him at his locker, a text on his phone with a list of movies she insisted they had to see, his desktop a picture of them as kids that Aunt May had dug up after hearing he had become friends with her again.

There was a passing period late Thursday afternoon when Gwen and MJ had been walking down the corridor towards Chemistry and all of a sudden she had found herself being dragged into a quiet corner and kissed oh-so sweetly. He'd been waiting to do it since the previous night. On Friday they sat next to each other in Biology and held hands whilst she ridiculed Flash in the seat in front for commenting on the fading bruise.

MJ had found, when she woke up on Saturday morning, almost a week since the Sunday when he had almost knocked her over with his skateboard and helped her find her vinyls, she didn't feel the same regret as she usually did when the weekend came and she slept in even a half hour late. Now, it didn't feel like she would be wasting her day.

It was an hour after the usual time she forced herself to wake up - and it wasn't even for her job, it was just so that she didn't feel guilty doing nothing all day. But there was a warm feeling in her stomach that grew further when she smelt bacon - and pancakes.

She didn't even bother to change, pulling a hoodie over her pajamas as she made her way through into the kitchen, where her dad and Jack were crowded around the counter, the six-year old busy cutting up fruit with the plastic-handled knife that came in his cutlery set.

It had been strange; he was cooking for them both again - from scratch, he was calling her by her full name or sometimes one or the other. Jack wasn't watching cartoons, and she had watched as John had arranged blueberries and strawberries with maple syrup and whipped cream. He had even managed to remember that both of them liked bacon completely separate from the sweet food.

They had gone to the grocery store before she had even woken up, and by the time MJ had dressed in the blouse and black sweater vest with the gray skirt and blazer she considered one of her more formal pieces she owned, John had made her lunch. And a thermos of coffee, both of which were hastily stuffed into her bag and joined with a kiss on Jack's cheek and a promise from John to make him do all of his homework before watching anything. And with that, in a haze of quickly-straightened hair held in place with a couple of silver-shaped barrettes, MJ had left for the day.

Dr. Connors called her whilst she was running her way to the station, and the call continued until the carriage got too far out of range and they got cut off, before being picked up again as soon as she arrived in the busy hub of Midtown. She was sent on one last final task before she reached the Oscorp tower because they had forgotten one of the most simple things; name tags and stickers. But eventually, with the stickers purchased and shoved beside her lunch, she reached the building and could hurry to scan her way through security measures, said her good morning to the current receptionist - Martha - and headed up the escalator.

"MJ!" She spun on her heel as she heard her name, expecting to find Gwen rushing towards her but instead finding a head of sleek black hair, low-cut bangs and plenty of smudged eyeliner. "You look different. Somehow prettier." Felicia Hardy reached her in just a couple of strides, head tilting.

"I do?" Margot blinked, fingers curling around the ends of her hair. "How, exactly?"

"Happier. You look happier." Felicia hooked an arm under her elbow, pulling her in the direction of the elevators. "So, tell me, MJ, what's got you so happy? Because Gwen didn't let anything slip when we arrived this morning."

Margot already knew the blonde wouldn't. Gwen would never say a word about anything without checking if it's okay first. "She didn't?" However, there was every indication (given that the three girls had hung out together several times both on their work breaks and outside work and Gwen knew Felicia and how close she and MJ had become) that the Stacy could have, but it seemed she hadn't.

"I was testing the waters!" Felicia's eyes had widened. "I didn't actually know something had happened - I just thought I'd ask in case."

MJ shook her head as they stepped into the elevators. "You're so sneaky... but do you remember when I first came to STM?" She asked, memories of the science, technology and math-based middle school days swimming around her mind.

"Yeah, of course I do. No offence, J, but you were a sad little kid when you first came. It took me sneaking three cases of my favourite princess dresses to cheer you up."

"Yeah.. well my mom had died and my dad forced me to move away from all my friends." Margot paused. "Geez - sorry, sunny deposition doesn't stop brutal honesty."

"It's fine, you have to say it how it is sometimes. But yeah call I remember." Felicia waved away her worries. "Is it one of the friends you moved away from? Is it a him? Is he cute?" There was a growing excitement on her face when she saw Margot's expression. "He is a he! And he is cute!"

"His name's Peter. I lived next door to him, and even when I went to Midtown, we still didn't end up talking." MJ's guilty conscience played through then, although she knew it was equally their faults but still, she didn't exactly make herself accessible for a conversation, seeing as her choice in company happened to be Flash Thompson. Her other friends weren't bad.. it was just Flash. "But, we ended up talking and.. I went on a date with him on Wednesday."

"You have a phone for a reason, woman!" Felicia's gasp echoed around the small glass room as they reached MJ's floor. "You took three days to tell me!"

"I thought it's the sort of news to tell in person." Margot shrugged, a small smile curling up the corner of her lips. "He's called Peter."

"You got any pictures?"

"No, not yet. He takes pictures though. His photography's amazing." They managed to reach her desk on the edge of all the others, lifting her bag onto the surface and shredding her blazer for the lab coat. "And he skateboards.. and he's smart and he walked me home and he left me his sweater in the rain and-"

Felicia watched as she unpacked her lunch, storing it in one of the small shelves below. "He seems sweet. Your dad?" The subject was changed quickly, the dark-haired girl testing the waters. She had seen almost everything that MJ had when she was younger. But the smile remained on her face.

"Stopped drinking for now."

"And Jack?"

"He's six, all he does is watch cartoons."

"Good. That's what six years olds are supposed to do - not reading massive quantum physics books." Felicia said pointedly.

"I was nine."

"And reading a massive quantum physics book." She continued. "Which is crazy."

There was a loud clicking on the floor beside them and they looked up, turning to see Dr. Connors heading towards them.

"MJ! Good, you're here." The man looked between them. "Your friend here should be wearing a lab coat in this environment. Do you work here?" He asked, eyes on Felicia.

"Financial Division, Sir." Felicia nodded. "I'm just.. catching up with a friend. But I'll be going now, thank you. See you, MJ."

"Bye." Margot smiled, waving her hand in a wave before moving to tie her hair up, turning towards the Doctor. "So, how long until these interns get here?"

Dr. Connor's eyes turned towards his white sleeve, pulling it back to reveal his watch. "Three hours." He replied. "You manage to get those stickers?"

"Right here." She produced the sheet from her bag. "Are they name tags.. for them to stick on.. or..?" It wasn't supposed to be rude, it was just that she couldn't exactly see any of the teenagers wanting to put them on willingly.

"No - God no, I think I might be crucified for that. Kids and their fashion, huh?" Dr. Connors shook his head. "I'm going to be spending my time today setting up semi-permanent IDs instead. No name stickers.. come by my office, I have some files for them all, you wouldn't mind writing their names on please? Permanent marker?"

"Of course." Margot agreed, already prepared to bring up the files on her computer. " I can help with the ID badges, if you want." She offered. " Let you go back to the important biology-related stuff? The interns are mine and Gwen's responsibilities after all."

"You are always such a star, Miss Watson." Connors placed a hand on her shoulder, similar to the way her father once did when he wasn't as close to her. "You'll be back on the exciting stuff soon. Back into the technology side of things, promise." It was no secret that Dr. Connors seemed to favour his bright assistants over anyone else. It was by no means creepy, it was just he never managed to have children of his own, and the two girls who stood out from anyone else in that damned internship had never once stared at his lack of arm. "You got that, MJ?"

"I got it, Sir. I'll be by for those files in a moment." She agreed. And as Dr. Connors made his way from her desk, Margot smiled to herself. Felicia was right; she hadn't seemed this happen in a long time - hadn't felt like that in a long time. She could get used to it being like that, and that was how it would stay, from the looks of things.

Hopefully anyway.

🕸

"Twenty temporary ID passes, set to terminate after two months of usage, names and schools attached." MJ held the small cardboard box tight between her fingers before placing it down on the glass countertop of the reception. "Do you want us to set them up?"

"And where do you want us to wait?" Beside her, Gwen was knotting her fingertips together as she rested on the surface, the both of them watching as Martha was about to speak but instead quickly answered a call in her earpiece.

The both of them waited for a moment, MJ considering if they had enough time to get a coffee before the interns arrived, but soon enough Martha had finished her call and looked up at them. "They're set to start arriving in five minutes. Dr. Connors asked for a table to be set up right here, so if you don't mind setting up there." The woman stood from her seat, pointing out the table below.

"Got it, thanks." Gwen took the box from MJ's hand and began to lay them down in equal gaps across the surface. A few moments later and they were all set out, and awaiting being picked up from one of the twenty.

MJ straightened up, cursing the back pain that came from hunching over, and looked towards Martha, who was on another call. "Sign-in sheet?" She whispered, mouthing the words from anything and when receiving only a nod and a waved clipboard, she took it and set it down beside them. "So we'll wait for them to gather at the top of the stairs, take them into the lab and then do introductions there.. you have the list of activities, right?" She got a nod in return. "Good, and Dr. Connors...?"

"Will be available for the introduction talk." Gwen confirmed. "I think we're ready, right?" There was a nod from MJ and they began their way back over to the escalators, their gazes not wavering from each other or the other employees around them. They weren't so interested in the gigantic beige-stone atrium anymore, although MJ knew her father had helped on the screen up on one of the plain walls - it was 3D - and she glanced over at it as it spilled out the same regurgitated story of how the company came to be.

The pair of them waited as they spoke to one of the technicians in the bioreactor room, who knew it was the first assigned stop on the tour for the day, and when MJ looked over towards the sign post, quite a crowd had gathered. "I think I can count twenty there, right?" Margot asked.

Gwen agreed, the both of them thanking the technician before heading towards the group. "Are you leading this or am I?" The blonde asked, watching the faltering smile on her best friend's face. "You do it, MJ - honestly, you should do it. Go on - go."

There was a small shove on her shoulder as they came to a stop in front of them. Margot hated the fact she felt so uncomfortable in front of a group this large - but she knew that she could do it, if she really tried. Things weren't the same anymore. "Welcome to Oscorp." She spoke just loud enough for the group to hear and she watched as they turned towards her, instantly falling silent upon her announcement. "I'm MJ Watson, this is Gwen Stacy, we're both seniors at Midtown Science, as well as head intern and lab assistants to Dr. Connors. You are here, of course, for your internship in some of the most important laboratories in the company. I would recommend taking as many notes as you can, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I would not waste it."

"Right. MJ and I will be with you for the duration of your visit in which, I'm sure, many notes will be taken. Where we go, you go." Gwen continued, and MJ, her focus grazing over each face in the crowd before her, some complete strangers and some she recognised from school saw someone entirely familiar who definitely wasn't one of the names she had written on perhaps hundreds of forms to ensure they were allowed in without compromising anything. But she blinked and he was gone and rather forcefully, she looked back at Gwen, hands folded on her lower stomach. "That's the basic rule. If you remember that, all will be fine, if you forget that then-"

There was a shout and their attention turned down towards reception. Two of the entrance security guards were dragging a guy back towards the revolving glass doors. "Look, listen. Tell them Rodrigo Guevara is down here. Please! Just tell them Rodrigo Guevara is here! My name's Rodrigo!"

"Well... I guess we don't need to tell you what happens if you forget." MJ chirped, looking rather cheerful as she turned back to them. "A reminder that this internship is a coveted opportunity for you all, and you are lucky to get it. There are plenty of people who would be more than happy to replace you." She swallowed the awful feeling of being too harsh, but after that.. display, she knew her and Gwen had to say something. "Basically, follow the rules and there will be no problems."

"Right, everyone got that?" Gwen checker, looking amongst their faces, her file clutched to her chest. "Good, shall we?"

They turned simultaneously, leading them down the corridor that they too had been walked down once before, rattling off information about their schedule, the internship in general as well as Oscorp in itself, and when they split into two groups to take the elevators up to the Cross-Species division, MJ was bombarded by various questions and had somehow managed to answer almost all of them when walking out.

"Hybridisation is about combining the qualities, not honing in on one - there's a term for that and it's called selective breeding." Margot replied, her knowledge shining through as she glanced back at a girl flanking her side as they stepped out the metal capsule. She hadn't done anything wrong per se, there was just always someone who attempted to know too much before coming.

Margot continued once making sure that everyone had gotten out safely. "Here we're working on combining traits, not entirely eliminating one in preference of another. Think.. mules. Smaller than horses, stronger than donkeys. A mule is a combination of the both, not one or the other. It's also generally about different traits, whereas selective breeding focuses on making one stronger. A cow who produces a lot of milk would be bred with a bull whose offspring generally produced more milk.. and so on. But good question - it's differences like that which cause so much debate in the scientific world and makes it a lot more interesting." She added on the end, a bright tone shining through as they continued into her usual workspace, smiling at the people they passed.

"They all look like they'll never be interested in anything else ever again." Gwen nudged her side as they reunited, groups merging together once more as they walked towards the centre point. "And you were talking about cow breeding."

"It's one of my areas of expertise." MJ smiled back, turning towards the group. "Come round here, please." She instructed, as they came to a stop.

Dr. Connors approached. "Good afternoon Gwen, MJ." Both girls acknowledged him politely, clipboards clutched to chests. "Welcome. My name is Dr. Curtis Connors. Yes, in case you're wondering, I'm a southpaw. I'm not a cripple... I'm a scientist, and the world's foremost authority on herpetology. That's reptiles, for those of you who don't know." He said.

Connors had them holding on to his every word. "Like the Parkinson's patient who watches on in horror as her body slowly betrays her, or the man with macular degeneration whose eyes grow dimmer each day, I long to fix myself. I want to create a world without weakness. Anyone care to venture a guess just how?" He looked over the group expectantly, waiting.

The answer glimmered on MJ's lips. Of course she knew.

One of the guys in the front row offered up his hand for a moment before it darted down again once the scientist nodded at him. "Stem cells." He replied.

Dr. Connors nodded slowly before dashing the intern's hopes of being right. "Promising. But the solution... I'm thinking of is more radical." The intern deflated slightly, efforts obviously futile. "No one?" He asked, looking around the group as they began to whisper to each other as to what it could be.

"Cross-species Genetics." A voice replied - a voice MJ recognised, and as the others looked back to see just who had answered correctly (the change in expression on Dr. Connors' face told them everything), her former, somewhat suspicious, sighting had been confirmed. Peter met her eyes before looking back towards her boss, cheeks slightly pink as he pushed up his glasses.

She didn't know that he wore glasses.

By her side, Gwen was hurriedly looking down at the list of names on her list. Peter Parker wouldn't be one of them - Margot already knew that - but when her friend nudged her and pointed it out, she found herself quite unable to understand why he was there exactly.

Peter was still avoiding her confused gaze as much as he could, but seemed to be looking between her and Connors as he elaborated. "A person gets Parkinson's when the brain cells that produce dopamine start to disappear. But a zebra fish has the ability to regenerate cells on command. If you could give this ability to the woman you're talking about, that's that. She's... She's curing herself. Yeah, you just have to look past the gills on her neck." He finished, a small smile on his face.

Dr. Connors looked as though he had discovered something wondrous. The expression that had formed was hopeful, as though he had doubted the rest of the set of interns to ever say anything as intelligent. He paused, before composing himself. "And you are?"

Peter faltered, and MJ's mind worked ever-so quickly when she saw the familiar badge on his chest. One that definitely didn't bear his name. "He's from Midtown Science.. One of our best and brightest."

"Oh really?" Connors looked most interested in the link. To him, it appeared that Midtown was churning out some of the more intuitive students.

"Yeah." MJ nodded. "One of the top of our class. Third, probably."

"Third?" Peter found her gaze again, except now it was a little more confident and teasing. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'd say so." She confirmed, a heat crawling up her neck at the emotion in his eyes and the stark realisation that they were being watched by not only nineteen other interns, but Gwen and Dr. Connors of all people.

Connors smiled as he looked between them, before drawing himself up as his phone rang. "Well, I'm afraid duty calls. I leave you in the more than capable hands of Miss Watson and Miss Stacy."

There were murmurs of gratitude as Dr. Connors left them behind. The hologram of the tree of life popped up. Gwen turned to it, their faces bathed in blue light. "If you'd like to gather round." She instructed as the robotic voice began to play through the sound systems describing exactly what they were looking at, and the blonde turned to her friend. "I'll handle this, we'll be going to the bioreactor room next - find out why he's here, please?"

"Don't worry Gwen." MJ took a step back from the group and allowed someone to slot into her place surrounding the hologram. "I've got this.. I'll make sure he won't get in trouble."

"Not what I said." Gwen said pointedly. "But you know him best." She shrugged and turned back to the tree, and MJ spun on her heel to find Peter quickly slipping away from the group, backpack and coat both incredibly recognisable against the clean, modern background.

There was no sense in denying the feeling that had jumped in her stomach at the sight of the boy in the back of the crowd, and she wouldn't ignore the small smile that had grown on her lips at his answer - which was perfect, probably better than anything she could have come up with put on the spot (although she would never inform him of that fact, especially after the teasing about his ranking in the class). MJ was happy to see him, even though it was unplanned and insanely random.

That being said, she also had to find out why he was here - and considering they had plans to meet up somewhere the very next day, it better not be for her and he had some other abnormal reason as to why he had stolen someone's ID for the internship and why he had come to the Oscorp building in the first place.

Her pace quickened oh so slightly, reaching to tap him on the shoulder and stopping him in his place. Peter turned wincing as he saw the expression on her face. "Hi there, 'Rodrigo'." She crossed her arms over her stomach, lab coat pulled over her blouse.

His hand reached up to the badge clipped onto the flap of his coat pocket. The Parker hazarded a smile. "And you must be MJ Watson." He paused for a moment, before leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. "Hi, Margot."

"What are you doing here, Pete?" She diligently ignored the heat that burst on the spot high on her cheekbones. "You know you shouldn't be here.. stealing some poor kid's chance at an internship."

"I know - I know. I feel bad." Peter's gaze was on the floor for a moment before looking back at her, drawing a breath in. "Thought I'd come see you in your natural habitat. I've missed you."

MJ stared up at him. "I missed.... you too." She admitted with a sigh. "But come on - you're sweet, but not that sweet. And I know you have some sort of patience to wait until tomorrow. Why are you here?"

He paused as he tried to think of a plausible answer. But.. there wasn't really one. And above all else, he didn't really want to lie about her. Peter had promised a later explanation about his interests with his father's former work, and this was another rung up the ladder. "Well-" He began, hand reaching to itch the back of his neck. "I wanted to try and speak to Dr. Connors. About my dad."

MJ frowned. "I could've helped arrange that."

"No - no, you don't need to." Peter quickly adjusted the central meaning to his words. Of course she could have helped.. she just didn't need to. "I got here, I spoke to the receptionist who thought I was here for the internship and well - Dr. Connors has to be a busy man and I thought well.. if she thought I was an intern.."

"There's your ticket in?" MJ raised an eyebrow. "I know you weren't here for it, but if you wanted the internship position I could get you an ID - I mean, Dr. Connors looked at you like you were the... how many wonders of the world are there? Do you count the Great Wall of China - many do, I mean.. but he looked at you like you were a wonder of the world."

"I don't know." Peter shrugged, his hands pushed into his pockets. "I mean my dad ended up..." He winced at her change in expression. "Not that his profession had anything to do with his death."

"But you think it could be?"

Damn her and her perfect intelligence and easy ability to read people like they were open books printed in the largest font known to man. "Er... possibly?"

"Right." MJ's eyebrows darted upwards, the hands curled around the soft curve of her lab coat tightening on her side. There were various thoughts swirling through her mind, and Peter was looking oh-so pretty. "Well I mean I can't help you with that..." Her hands moving to her middle and fingers twisting together in nerves. "But in a moment me and Gwen are going to the bioreactor room and hey - I haven't got eyes in the back of my head so who actually knows if you're following or now."

Peter stared at her for a moment, before leaning down and kissing her again. There was a snicker, and as he straightened up he saw one of the interns grinning and nudging his friend. His jaw dropped. "Inappropriate work conduct, MJ - you're killing me." He joked, watching as her jaw dropped and she reached up to shove his shoulder.

"I'll be dead if you get in trouble. Stick to the group... and if you happen to sneak off, I'm not involved." She watched as he began to back away, hands raised. "Oh - watch out-"

But her warning came too late and a man - not in a lab coat but a dark suit who MJ recognised from seeing him a couple times in Dr. Connors' office - bumped into Peter, the file on his hand that he had been so intently focused on that he didn't notice the two teens standing there.

"Oh." Peter crouched down instantly to pick up the small slip of cardboard. He straightened up, gaze lingering on the red symbol on it before looking up to the man. "Sorry." He said, before handing it back to him.

It was snatched out of his grasp and the pair watched as the man stalked away. "MJ." Peter asked, and her attention returned to him. "What does that symbol mean?"

"The two crossed circles?" Margot looked up at him when he nodded. "The Biocable Development unit. I've never been in.. but I've heard what is in there and it's pretty.. dangerous stuff. You didn't know him, did you?"

"No. Why?"

"It just looked like he was recognising someone after a long time of not seeing them." MJ let out a sigh, saw how he was dancing on the balls of his feet. "Just go back through that corridor and follow him around the building. But I want you back here in twenty minutes so I can kick you out."

"Ouch." Peter clutched at his heart. "You're too kind to me, Watson."

"You're threatening my job, Parker." She replied. "Back here, twenty minutes, and I'll take your pass and promise to call you tonight."

"Your job'll be fine. I'll behave. I promise."

"You better do."

"Now go and check on your actual interns." Peter told her, expression adamant. "Before they poison themselves. I promise you, Rodrigo will be fine."

They had begun to slowly walk towards the group again, who were crowded around Gwen once more. Margot's eyebrows rose. "He'll be fine if he stops referring to himself in third person." She said.

"You got it." Peter called over his shoulder as he continued to make his way away. "Oh." He paused, before turning around and rushing back to her before her attention was diverted to the group. His hands cupped her jaw and pulled her into a kiss. "Thank you."

"Twenty minutes." MJ spluttered, watching as he disappeared into the hallways. There was no use in denying the heavy thud of her fast-beating heart as she followed the group of students into the bioreactor room.

Peter Parker was going to get her in a lot of trouble if she wasn't careful. And in more ways than just her job.