Peter has been missing for 5 years. They presume he's dead but they have no idea on how to be certain. MJ never told Peter how she felt towards him before he left to go on some mission S.H.I.E.L.D sent him on when he was just 18.
They'd been searching for years, but there wasn't a trace to be found.
5 years ago, Fury had given the all clear for Peter to go out on a mission, alone. He'd had all the training, he had the powers, there wasn't a chance that he would get hurt. But he did. From the moment they heard nothing but static down his ear piece after shouts and gunts, they went to find him. But they found no-one.
After a year of searching, they had to presume him dead. Just 18 years of age, and he's being anounced dead by Shield? Natasha and then entire team had yelled and shouted at both Fury, Hill and anyone else who allowed him to go.
"Agents die every other day." Fury said, trying to convince Natasha that it wasn't just a random occurance.
"But not all our agents are 18." She answered back. She said nothing after that, she just turned and left.
Michelle, or rather, MJ had been sat in class when they came to pull her out and talk to her. Two days prior, before Peter called in 'sick', he told MJ something. Something that now she wished she's said back. She didn't get chance though. She didn't even have time to take it in before Peter kissed her on her cheek and left the school building.
When she walked into that small classroom, Mr Harrington clearly already hearing the news, he gave a sad smile to MJ before closing the door behind her, leaving her in the room alone with only one other person.
"Hello." Said a voice, causing MJ to realise who was in front of her.
"Natasha Romanoff." MJ said in shock. Natasha smiled. "You're MJ, right?"
MJ nodded and took a seat as Natasha nodded the the seat infront of her. "Might - Can I ask what this is about?"
"I'm guessing you already know Peter's not actually sick." Natasha questioned and MJ nodded. "Yeah, he kinda told me what he was about to do."
Natasha smiled, looking down to her hands, a small shake to them. "Well...we...Something happened to Peter a few days ago."
MJ could feel her heart and blood rushing throughout her body as Natasha explained what happened and how they guessed it had happened. MJ sat there in silence the entire time after that. She didn't know what to say.
"Did Peter say anything, anything at all to you before he left?" Natasha asked her.
MJ, still keeping her head down, thought back to those days prior. A small tear rolled down her cheek and she shook her head, looking up. "...No."
Both Ned and Betty found out after her, however they had more of a nervous reaction, that one coming from Ned, the other, more angry and annoyed, that one coming from Betty.
But that was then. 5 years on, MJ hadn't said a word to anyone about what Peter had told her that day. She couldn't bring herself to do so.
They'd searched for him, even after the intimate funeral they had for him. Every time something came up of Shield's alert they checked everywhere within that space for Peter or any trace of someone like him, even if it was just a speck of blood that was the same as his.
To take her mind off Peter and the fact that he might not be dead, but they had no way of telling, she threw herself into her work and attempted at dating. For a while it was going pretty good, but any time they said thos three little words, MJ would cringe and could never say it back.
Currently, MJ was sat in the bedroom of her apartment. She'd began working at Shield part time, mainly desk work which she didn't mind.
Sometimes she'd go out into the field, but only when Natasha or another Avenger was leading it. They didn't want another loved one going missing or potentially dying on their own.
She must have been sat there for over half an hour or more, just staring at the picture inside the frame whilst tears rolled down her eyes silently. Mark, newly her ex, had broken up with her an hour ago. He knew there was something beneath the surface. It was calm and quick but when she walked into her bedroom once he left, she opened up her draw, ready to pull a book out to read but then she found the photo.
"MJ!" Natasha shouted coming into her apartment. "MJ! You here?"
As Natasha made her way towards MJ's bedroom, she could see the tear stained cheeks. Natasha's shoulders dropped and she softened her voice. "Are you okay?"
MJ shook her head - Natasha walked over, sitting next to her, finally spotting the photo in her hands. "I - I lied that day when you told me he'd gone missing." MJ told her, "I should have told you, but I didn't. I - I couldn't."
More tears slipped down her face as she held onto the photo that Betty had taken of the pair during the prep of Senior graduation. "I never said it back. I should have said it back."
Natasha could already piece together what had happened that day and simply placed her arm around MJ, pulling her in for a hug, allowing her to let her emotions go. Natasha hadn't see MJ show any emotion other than shock and a little anger against what happened to Peter. Now she knew, it had hit her much more than anyone could have comprehended.