Fic: If Only for Today (Ultimate Spider-man)
Title: If Only for Today
Fandom: Ultimate Spider-man
Characters: Jessica Drew, Peter Parker, most of the USM supporting cast, plus the debut of Ultimate Big Wheel
Rating: PG
Words: 1336
Summary: An injury strands Jessica in New York for Christmas, and Peter gives her the Christmas present of a lifetime.
Author's Notes: Written for
mark_clark in Yuletide 2008. I really need to write more Jessica fic.
This was not what Jessica Drew had in mind when she decided to swing by Queens for a Christmas Eve visit. She had planned on checking in with her "brother", maybe giving the normal girl thing a try. She had not planned on swinging around New York chasing some nutjob in a giant wheel.
"Is this guy for real?"
"Yeah. He calls himself the Big Wheel. He's an ex-monster truck driver who got fired for crushing the boss' car, so he built himself a giant wheel and crushes things for revenge. He's pretty much the worst villain ever."
Jessica fired a line of webbing at the back of the Big Wheel, and felt the line go taut as she was pulled along.
"Jess! Be careful!"
"Come on, Pete! It's the Big Wheel!"
Jessica grinned as she tugged herself closer to the back of the speeding vehicle. She had to admit, this was actually kind of fun. She spent most of her time evading SHIELD agents that chasing down some costumed crazy was a nice change of pace. And as soon as she pulled this goon out of his giant wheel, she could -
Jessica was so lost in thought that she didn't notice as the Big Wheel took a hard right turn, sending her swinging to the side. Her foot clipped a lamppost, and she cursed at the sudden sharp pain. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself onto the back of the Big Wheel, punched out the back window, and yanked the villain out. The wheel started swerving wildly without anyone at the controls.
"Little help here, Peter?"
Jessica leapt off the Big Wheel with the driver on her shoulder, diving to the side. Peter swung in front of the giant wheel and knocked it to the side.
"Okay, no casualties besides that Honda. Poor car, never saw it coming. Good work, Jess." Peter grinned. "Hey, you okay? You took a pretty hard hit there."
"I'm fine." Jessica moaned as she got to her feet, leaning on a signpost for support. "I just bruised my foot." Jessica tried to take a step, but stumbled when she couldn't put any weight on her injured foot.
"Uh-oh." Peter looked around, hearing the sounds of police sirens in the distance. "This is one of the less pleasant parts of my life. The friendliness of New York's finest."
Peter grabbed Jessica by the waist, fired a web-line at a nearby building, and swung out of there just as the police arrived and began yelling that they were under arrest. They landed on the roof, and Jessica sat down and gently eased off her shoe. Her foot was already swollen and turning a nasty shade of purple.
"That doesn't look good."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I should get going anyway. I was just dropping into town to check in with you, and this is probably as good a sign as any that staying here is a bad idea.
"What if it's broken, though? Why don't you just stay here until we go to the hospital and get you checked out?"
"Really, Pete? It's that simple? In case you forgot, I don't have a legal identity! I'm a secret genderswapped clone! And a minor to boot! How soon do you think SHIELD is swarming the hospital while I'm getting X-rayed?"
Peter rubbed his head, trying to think of a solution. "Look, I'll call my Aunt. She knows about Spider-man, and you, and the girl who was Carnage for a little while is living with us, so she's pretty open-minded. She can vouch for you, say you're my cousin or something. You won't get caught. Trust me. I've got a little experience in keeping SHIELD off my butt."
"Okay, okay." Jessica sighed. "But if I wind up in military detention again, I'm totally holding you responsible."
=
"Hey, it's not that bad. I mean, if I'm any indication, you'll heal in like half the time."
Jessica groaned as she tried to get comfortable on Peter's couch. The x-rays had found a small broken bone in her foot, hence the new red cast covering her lower leg. "That's still three weeks, Peter! A cast and crutches aren't exactly helpful in the fugitive lifestyle."
"Oh, yeah. That. No problem." Peter stood up and stuck his head into the kitchen. "Hey, Aunt May! Can my clone/sister stay here a few weeks until her leg heals?"
"Of course! She's family,,,such as it is!"
Peter walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Jessica. "Told you. By now, she's pretty cool about these things."
"So...I guess I'm staying for Christmas? It's odd. I remember all your Christmases, obviously, but this is my first."
"Wow, you're right. It is." Peter thought for a second. "Wait right here. I've got something for you."
Peter raced upstairs as Jessica wondered exactly what her crazy brother was up to. A second later, Peter raced back down and handed her a bag.
"I had this made out, after all the craziness with the clones. I don't know if you'll ever use it...but I wanted you to have it. Just in case."
Jessica opened the bag and looked inside. It didn't look like much. Just a bunch of papers, documents, and identification. It wasn't until she recognized her own face on it that she gasped."
"Peter, what is this?"
"It's everything you'll need to start a normal life. You'd be Jessica Parker - or Jessica Drew, if you prefer - ordinary 16-year-old girl who's free to go wherever she wants, be whoever she wants. It wasn't easy to get these things together, but I just wanted to have them...you know, if I ever saw you again."
Jessica found herself without words. She had all of Peter's memories, but in the time that she had been herself, this was the first time anyone went out of their way to show her kindness. Thanks to Peter, she could have her own life now.
"I mean, it's not perfect." Peter stammered. "SHIELD would still be looking for you, so you'd have to be careful, and - "
Jessica reached up and hugged Peter. "Pete. You're ruining the moment. This is the best gift anyone's ever given me...bro."
Peter grinned. "Thanks, little sis."
"Wait, little? Who says I'm the younger one?"
"Well, we're technically twins!" Peter smirked. "And I was around first, so that makes me the big brother! It's just logic!"
Jessica swatted at Peter with her pillow as he dodged, laughing.
=
Christmas at the Parkers was everything Jessica "remembered" and more. Aunt May was an incredible cook, and it was even better by comparison to the food she usually ate on the run. MJ and Gwen joined them for dinner, and no one looked at her like the strange girl with Peter's face. By the time dinner was over, Jessica was starting to feel like she had come home. Aunt May was cleaning up in the kitchen, and once Peter, Gwen, and MJ had finished helping, they joined Jessica in the living room.
"So, are you staying?" Gwen asked. "I mean, I was dead, and no one seems to have a problem with that. Midtown high could always use another butt-kicking girl."
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I mean, I've obviously got a few weeks before I have to make any decisions."
"I think it'd be great if you stayed." MJ grinned. "It'd be like having another Peter around, only one I could go shoe-shopping with!"
"Great, just what I need. My sister, my girlfriend, and my best friend conspiring against me!"
"You love us, though." MJ said as she kissed Peter.
Jessica smiled as her friends continued talking and discussing her future. She didn't know what her plans were yet, but the bag Peter had gave her was full of possibilities. For right now, though, she was just enjoying being a Parker. She had a home. She had a family, if only for today.
Fandom: Ultimate Spider-man
Characters: Jessica Drew, Peter Parker, most of the USM supporting cast, plus the debut of Ultimate Big Wheel
Rating: PG
Words: 1336
Summary: An injury strands Jessica in New York for Christmas, and Peter gives her the Christmas present of a lifetime.
Author's Notes: Written for
mark_clark in Yuletide 2008. I really need to write more Jessica fic. This was not what Jessica Drew had in mind when she decided to swing by Queens for a Christmas Eve visit. She had planned on checking in with her "brother", maybe giving the normal girl thing a try. She had not planned on swinging around New York chasing some nutjob in a giant wheel.
"Is this guy for real?"
"Yeah. He calls himself the Big Wheel. He's an ex-monster truck driver who got fired for crushing the boss' car, so he built himself a giant wheel and crushes things for revenge. He's pretty much the worst villain ever."
Jessica fired a line of webbing at the back of the Big Wheel, and felt the line go taut as she was pulled along.
"Jess! Be careful!"
"Come on, Pete! It's the Big Wheel!"
Jessica grinned as she tugged herself closer to the back of the speeding vehicle. She had to admit, this was actually kind of fun. She spent most of her time evading SHIELD agents that chasing down some costumed crazy was a nice change of pace. And as soon as she pulled this goon out of his giant wheel, she could -
Jessica was so lost in thought that she didn't notice as the Big Wheel took a hard right turn, sending her swinging to the side. Her foot clipped a lamppost, and she cursed at the sudden sharp pain. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself onto the back of the Big Wheel, punched out the back window, and yanked the villain out. The wheel started swerving wildly without anyone at the controls.
"Little help here, Peter?"
Jessica leapt off the Big Wheel with the driver on her shoulder, diving to the side. Peter swung in front of the giant wheel and knocked it to the side.
"Okay, no casualties besides that Honda. Poor car, never saw it coming. Good work, Jess." Peter grinned. "Hey, you okay? You took a pretty hard hit there."
"I'm fine." Jessica moaned as she got to her feet, leaning on a signpost for support. "I just bruised my foot." Jessica tried to take a step, but stumbled when she couldn't put any weight on her injured foot.
"Uh-oh." Peter looked around, hearing the sounds of police sirens in the distance. "This is one of the less pleasant parts of my life. The friendliness of New York's finest."
Peter grabbed Jessica by the waist, fired a web-line at a nearby building, and swung out of there just as the police arrived and began yelling that they were under arrest. They landed on the roof, and Jessica sat down and gently eased off her shoe. Her foot was already swollen and turning a nasty shade of purple.
"That doesn't look good."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I should get going anyway. I was just dropping into town to check in with you, and this is probably as good a sign as any that staying here is a bad idea.
"What if it's broken, though? Why don't you just stay here until we go to the hospital and get you checked out?"
"Really, Pete? It's that simple? In case you forgot, I don't have a legal identity! I'm a secret genderswapped clone! And a minor to boot! How soon do you think SHIELD is swarming the hospital while I'm getting X-rayed?"
Peter rubbed his head, trying to think of a solution. "Look, I'll call my Aunt. She knows about Spider-man, and you, and the girl who was Carnage for a little while is living with us, so she's pretty open-minded. She can vouch for you, say you're my cousin or something. You won't get caught. Trust me. I've got a little experience in keeping SHIELD off my butt."
"Okay, okay." Jessica sighed. "But if I wind up in military detention again, I'm totally holding you responsible."
=
"Hey, it's not that bad. I mean, if I'm any indication, you'll heal in like half the time."
Jessica groaned as she tried to get comfortable on Peter's couch. The x-rays had found a small broken bone in her foot, hence the new red cast covering her lower leg. "That's still three weeks, Peter! A cast and crutches aren't exactly helpful in the fugitive lifestyle."
"Oh, yeah. That. No problem." Peter stood up and stuck his head into the kitchen. "Hey, Aunt May! Can my clone/sister stay here a few weeks until her leg heals?"
"Of course! She's family,,,such as it is!"
Peter walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Jessica. "Told you. By now, she's pretty cool about these things."
"So...I guess I'm staying for Christmas? It's odd. I remember all your Christmases, obviously, but this is my first."
"Wow, you're right. It is." Peter thought for a second. "Wait right here. I've got something for you."
Peter raced upstairs as Jessica wondered exactly what her crazy brother was up to. A second later, Peter raced back down and handed her a bag.
"I had this made out, after all the craziness with the clones. I don't know if you'll ever use it...but I wanted you to have it. Just in case."
Jessica opened the bag and looked inside. It didn't look like much. Just a bunch of papers, documents, and identification. It wasn't until she recognized her own face on it that she gasped."
"Peter, what is this?"
"It's everything you'll need to start a normal life. You'd be Jessica Parker - or Jessica Drew, if you prefer - ordinary 16-year-old girl who's free to go wherever she wants, be whoever she wants. It wasn't easy to get these things together, but I just wanted to have them...you know, if I ever saw you again."
Jessica found herself without words. She had all of Peter's memories, but in the time that she had been herself, this was the first time anyone went out of their way to show her kindness. Thanks to Peter, she could have her own life now.
"I mean, it's not perfect." Peter stammered. "SHIELD would still be looking for you, so you'd have to be careful, and - "
Jessica reached up and hugged Peter. "Pete. You're ruining the moment. This is the best gift anyone's ever given me...bro."
Peter grinned. "Thanks, little sis."
"Wait, little? Who says I'm the younger one?"
"Well, we're technically twins!" Peter smirked. "And I was around first, so that makes me the big brother! It's just logic!"
Jessica swatted at Peter with her pillow as he dodged, laughing.
=
Christmas at the Parkers was everything Jessica "remembered" and more. Aunt May was an incredible cook, and it was even better by comparison to the food she usually ate on the run. MJ and Gwen joined them for dinner, and no one looked at her like the strange girl with Peter's face. By the time dinner was over, Jessica was starting to feel like she had come home. Aunt May was cleaning up in the kitchen, and once Peter, Gwen, and MJ had finished helping, they joined Jessica in the living room.
"So, are you staying?" Gwen asked. "I mean, I was dead, and no one seems to have a problem with that. Midtown high could always use another butt-kicking girl."
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I mean, I've obviously got a few weeks before I have to make any decisions."
"I think it'd be great if you stayed." MJ grinned. "It'd be like having another Peter around, only one I could go shoe-shopping with!"
"Great, just what I need. My sister, my girlfriend, and my best friend conspiring against me!"
"You love us, though." MJ said as she kissed Peter.
Jessica smiled as her friends continued talking and discussing her future. She didn't know what her plans were yet, but the bag Peter had gave her was full of possibilities. For right now, though, she was just enjoying being a Parker. She had a home. She had a family, if only for today.