The next morning…
Arthur was preparing breakfast when Jean came downstairs accompanied by Gwen.
Gwen walked up to Arthur without saying a word and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for helping me save that idiot…" she murmured.
"I'll always help you, you silly girl." Arthur smiled as he replied, gently patting Gwen's hair.
Jean, standing at the entrance to the kitchen, crossed her arms and watched the scene with a faint smile on her lips.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes!" Gwen nodded energetically, as if her stomach were answering for her.
"Then go wash up. Leave your suit in my workshop—I'm going to make a few improvements to it."
"Improvements?" Gwen's eyes lit up when she heard that.
"I'm sure you'll like the result. Now go wash up… and come eat soon."
Gwen left with Jean, and a few minutes later they returned.
"Just another normal morning in the Morgan family," Arthur laughed as he watched Gwen devour the food while Jean ate elegantly beside her.
He simply observed them with a soft smile.
When the meal was over, he gathered everything and took it to the kitchen to wash up, then headed to the workshop.
He turned on the computer and began working on Gwen's suit.
A few minutes passed before Jean appeared.
She didn't say anything right away. She simply entered the room silently, carrying a cup of coffee. She set the cup down on the table and gently leaned against Arthur's back, resting her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist.
Arthur felt the warmth of her touch… and the softness of her breasts against his back.
"You're going to distract me like this…" he commented with a laugh.
Jean chuckled softly and handed him the cup.
"Just pretend I'm not here." She laughed as she gave a playful bite to Arthur's ear.
"Jean, seriously, I was working," Arthur laughed as he stopped what he was doing and turned to face her.
She rolled her eyes and sat on his lap.
"So, Arthur…" she said lightly.
"Have you ever thought about turning one of your books into movies?"
He paused for a moment. He had forgotten about that since the Kingpin incident.
"To be honest, I recently got in touch with a studio about an adaptation. Unfortunately, some things happened, and I ended up completely forgetting about it. Why do you ask?" Arthur said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
She shook her head.
"Just curious. And what are you doing now?"
"Just a few adjustments to Gwen's suit. Cortana brought me the data from her fight yesterday, and I'm optimizing it. After that, I plan to take the rest of the week off. Spend more time with you and Gwen."
Jean smiled, but raised an eyebrow.
"Something tells me you're planning to disappear for a while after that," Jean said.
"You're very perceptive," Arthur replied.
"I don't know whether you're praising me or mocking me…" Jean muttered.
"Hahaha! It's a compliment. Anyway, see that device under the workbench?" Arthur asked, pointing at the Tempad.
"I do. What about it?" Jean replied, confused.
"Before Saeko left, she told me to run the test exactly two weeks after she was gone," Arthur said.
"…I think I know what's going to happen…" Jean murmured.
"Yeah. I'll probably end up in another world again. As much as I'd like to test it on another day and see what happens, it was my future daughter who told me when to test it, so…" Arthur said.
"So if you don't do it, you might cause some weird butterfly effect in the future," Jean finished, massaging her forehead.
"Have you talked to Gwen about this yet?" Jean asked.
"Not yet. I was actually planning to talk to her tonight, but you figured it out first," Arthur replied.
"Now, could you get off my lap? I still have work to do," Arthur said as he gave Jean a light slap on the butt.
"Do you really want that~?" Jean asked seductively as she wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck.
"No way," he replied immediately as he pulled her into a kiss.
---xXx---
Empire State University — late morning
The campus buzzed with student activity, debates about exams, and side conversations about the city's recent events. Gwen walked forward with firm steps.
But she had barely reached the courtyard when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Gwen! Wait!" someone shouted from behind.
She turned and saw Harry Osborn heading toward her, his face tense, clearly showing how worried he was.
"Harry…" Gwen said with a tired smile.
"You heard already?" she asked.
He nodded, eyes lowered.
"Yes, I heard everything. About Peter. About what happened to him…"
He took a deep breath, his shoulders tense.
"I tried to stop it. I asked my father not to cut funding to Peter's lab… But you know him, he never listens to me. He's always—" Harry said.
"Cold and calculating," Gwen finished, without emotion—just stating a fact.
Harry looked down at the ground.
"The only time I had a chance to talk to him was at that Oscorp exhibition… and even then, it felt like he was just promoting the company, not caring at all about the students."
Gwen gently touched his shoulder.
"Harry, none of this was your fault. Peter made his own choices. Now he'll deal with the consequences."
He looked into her eyes with gratitude.
"Are you going to see him today?"
"Yes." She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Do you want to come with me?"
Harry thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "Sure. I'll give that idiot a good scolding," he said with a light laugh.
---xXx---
It was already around four in the afternoon when the car stopped in front of the gates of Empire State University.
At Gwen's request, George had personally come to pick her up to take her to the hospital where Peter was being held. She got in and sat in the passenger seat, while Harry Osborn settled into the back seat, his gaze distant and lost in thought.
George, at the wheel, glanced in the rearview mirror before speaking in a firm voice:
"Peter is under police surveillance and is hospitalized at an Oscorp hospital."
He made a point of emphasizing the last part while discreetly looking at Harry through the mirror.
Harry gave a bitter smile, his lips tightening.
"Of course he is," he replied, not hiding the resentment. "Because everything revolves around Oscorp, doesn't it?"
George didn't press the issue. He took a deep breath and continued, this time with a lighter but still concerned tone:
"Last night… if it hadn't been for Spider-Woman, I doubt anyone on that team—including me—would have made it home."
He was referring to the battle against the out-of-control Peter, already corrupted by his mutation beyond control.
"Not just the team," he added more seriously.
"The entire city could be in chaos right now. Maybe even the country."
It was the first time George had spoken of Spider-Woman without a trace of suspicion. His view of her was changing. She had saved thousands of lives—there was no denying that.
As he drove, George shared with the two youths what had happened after the confrontation: the containment, the emergency protocols, the quarantine around the site, and the decision to keep Peter under observation with the utmost secrecy.
The trip to the hospital didn't take long. When they arrived, they were led through without much resistance. No one would stop Captain Stacy—especially not with Norman Osborn's son at his side.
The infirmary was guarded like a maximum-security cell. There were cameras along the corridor, two armed agents by the door, and a biometric sensor on it. But George's presence alone was enough to clear the way.
Gwen and Harry entered together.
Inside, Peter was lying down, his skin pale and his eyes tired. Several machines monitored his vital signs. When he saw his friends, his expression softened, but there was a weight in his eyes. Guilt? Shame? Perhaps both.
"Gwen… Harry…" He tried to sit up, but failed.
"I… I don't even know what to say…" he murmured.
Gwen stepped closer and took his hand.
"You don't need to say anything. We're here, Peter."
Harry remained mostly silent, watching his friend while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
They talked for a few minutes—nothing deep, just enough to ease the tension a little. Peter seemed confused, still under the effects of medication… or perhaps something more.
When visiting time ended, the three of them left the infirmary in silence.
(End of the chapter)
Just four more chapters and this arc finally ends