The Many Loves of the Amazing Spider-Man

Patriotic Stories (Margaret Carter, aka The Dryad)

She was approaching the door of the elderly woman that had invited her to her home. She really had to wonder just exactly why the female wanted to talk with her, but she was not going to deny her request. With a single movement, she had already pushed down the doorbell of the house of her most recent boyfriend. It came to a surprise to herself when she noticed various things she had in common with the man, actually enjoying spending time with him. She was thankful to have been revived in this current time while also being way younger than the time she had died of old age.

"Hello, Aunt May..." The former field agent greeted softly, her eyes staring at the elderly woman who opened the door. She could see the elderly woman immediately smile at her. Though thanks to being a trained agent, she could notice just how strained the smile actually was. She could see that the woman who raised the man who was now her boyfriend was hurting internally. She would have to ask in a bit, probably was the reason as to why she called her to begin with.

"Peggy, my dear..." She gave out a small smile at May, who returned the greeting kindly. The small and gentle hug that she received from Maybelle Parker was quite motherly, one of the things she had learned throughout her life before she was revived and became The Dryad. The two separated slowly, giving each other a caring stare for a few seconds. Seconds that told her that May was happy to see her. She could see the kindness that she has been told by her boyfriend. "Please, come in. I made dinner, if you want some"

"Thank you..." She whispered, slowly entering the house of the elder right in front of her. Her eyes were marveled by just how well kept the house was, noticing that it was an old-style building. It made her reminisce of her old house when she was younger in her first life. Sitting at the table that was close to the kitchen, she carefully watched May walk towards the stove. She breathed a bit, preparing herself to actually ask what was happening. "So, what happened, Aunt May? Is there something wrong with Peter?"

As soon as she asked, she could see just how May's shoulders slumped over. The unmoving body of the elderly woman preoccupied her greatly. She was wondering what may have happened to Peter Parker, the name of her boyfriend, to get such a reaction from the female elder. She didn't immediately notice, but May's reaction had made her tense. And it was slightly worse since she could not see her face to discern if it was a good reaction or a bad one. She hoped it was a good one but she knew Peter's life, knew of all the pain he went through daily.

"He... He tries to hide his pain, Peggy" She flinched back, internally understanding why she was feeling so powerless. She could see just how the elderly woman grabbed the pot and began to carry it to the table where she was waiting. She could see the woman starting to place the pot on the table and going out of her way to serve her a bit of food. Though she interrupted the elderly woman, grabbing a plate and serving herself a bit of food. The smile May gave her in thankfulness was gratifying. " I don't know what to do..." She gave a sad smile at that, watching carefully just how useless the female was actually feeling about everything. She wanted to blurt out that she was very important to Peter, the one person that actually made him keep going and never give up. She extended her hand towards May's and gently squeezed it, which brought a slight chuckle from the elder woman in front of her. "I want to help him, and I don't know how..."

"May... Just being there for him is enough" She whispered, her eyes looking at the aunt of his boyfriend with care. The tears that were falling down the face of the female in front of her only served to hurt her greatly. She didn't want to see the woman that was like a mother to her boyfriend suffering in such a way. "He is a hero, a great one... He pretends that everything is alright because he does not want you to worry" She explained, telling May that her nephew was a great hero. To Margaret Carter, both Peter Parker and Spider-Man were great heroes in their own respective ways. It didn't matter if it was by simply helping those around him as Spider-Man or being there for his close ones as Peter Parker, he would always be there to help those that were in need. "So, do not worry that you are not doing enough. Because to him, just being there is enough"

"Thank you, Peggy..." May whispered, a small smile on her face; which only made her happy that May was feeling better already. But even with the mood being lifted a bit, she could see that May was still feeling the pressure of not being able to do something else for Peter. She only reciprocated the small smile to the elder woman. "I just wanted to help him at least once... He has done everything in this house ever since Ben died and then after John died as well..." She closed her eyes, understanding slightly the pain that May must have gone through. Both men that have filled her life with such happiness had left her before she could as well. It was a pain that she, herself, did not want to experience again. "But I just hate to see him in such an awful state, losing himself to whatever he may be doing right now"

"Don't worry, May. I'll be there for him, just as he has been there for me..." She promised the elderly woman. She could at least see the aunt of her boyfriend thanks to a relaxing breath after her words. She would be right beside him, walking the untraveled road that was being the partner of the Amazing Spider-Man. She knew of the struggles he has gone through, especially recently with his previous girlfriend and then of what his clone has been up to. She would stand right beside him because the two of them were very much alike. The two of them have been broken and fragmented by the obstacles that life has given them, but even with such pains in their lives they kept going. And it has been these obstacles that had united the two of them, and she was not going to allow anything else to separate them.