Peter had left Felicia, Psylocke, and Emma at Bar Sinister, and headed back to the warehouse to fill everyone in on what had happened. He could understand the thick anger that rolled from each of them, and he knew better than to poke his nose where it wasn’t wanted.

Wanda had left almost immediately, heading to the mansion to visit her father, taking more of the biogel with her. Laura could feel his pain, and his anger and simply sat on his lap until his phone buzzed.

The women had finished, and while Felicia and Psylocke dealt with the police, Emma had excused herself and was on her way to talk to him.

She looked pale, and the red rings under her eyes betrayed her true feelings on the subject. Even after Peter had offered her coffee and she sat staring lifelessly at the mug in front of her, he waited until she was ready.

Emma was sat, holding her head in her hands, letting her long flowing blond hair dangle down between her legs,

“I have one thing to ask of you, just one and then I will leave.” and Peter shrugged,

“Sure, you helped with Rogue, Carol is healing nicely because of you and Felicia has agreed to your terms. So, another boost?”

Emme shook her head, “No, a symbiote,” but Peter shook his head,

“You know we can’t. Even after everything else, I know about you shielding his mind, and you forgot to mention that. You forgot to mention a lot of things.”

“I did, but would you trust a twenty-one year old to completely. Shaw had me over a barrel, and yes I knew about the shield, I knew about the MGH but the rest. I wanted that bastard dead no matter the cost.” but Peter shook his head, Emma was on edge, and after what she had found at Bar Sinister, he couldn’t blame her.

“You still lied, and the only reason you’re even here and not with Selene is because of Carol.”

“Fine, but I had faith you could handle it. I had enough trust that you still owe me, so what? Do you need me to prove myself? If we get all lovey dovey do I earn your respect again? Isn’t one of the rules around here that your little sex family gets one? So then, we can have sex. You’re handsome and while I think I want to be sick after what we found, I can at least have one last tumble before I close up shop. Is that what you do? Screw each other and then make each of them into your little sex aliens?”

Peter scowled and shook his head, frowning, “it doesn’t work like that either. It’s not a sex club, it’s a family. We don’t just sleep with someone and give them a gift card and a symbiote Emma.”

Emma glared at him, “Are you being obtuse for a reason? Or is it something I’ve done to offend you? Did Shaw’s little experiment send you running to the hills once you found out who he based his little sex clone factory on?” and he could see the hurt in her eyes. “Or are you just like him? Would you rather fuck the younger, more docile version of me?”

“Stop. I know this isn’t you, and you know I’m nothing like Shaw.” Peter moved over and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. She was hurting, and even though she was directing that at him, he knew she didn’t mean it and it would be wrong to just lash back at her.

”Your past, your sexual past has no bearing on this whatsoever, and neither does what we found. The symbiotes are living things, sentient, and not toys. You want to have sex, sure. You’re stunningly beautiful, amazingly smart, and incredibly talented. You tick every box on my list and without owing me anything I would say yes in a heartbeat but a symbiote isn’t a pet.”

Emma stood and towered over him. “I don’t want a pet, I want someone to keep me safe, from people like him. Someone I can trust without a doubt, someone I can be completely sure won’t stab me in the back and turn me into a fucking cloned sex doll.” and even in her anger the tears dripped down her face, “Somone who is a family.”

As the normally steadfast Emma stared at him he broke inside a little, he couldn’t tell if she was just pushing one of his buttons or if she was being honest with him. After what they had found though, he doubted that anyone would be fine, and he gave in.

“You do know that heightened emotions are part of the bonding process?” and Emma frowned slightly but nodded. 

“If we do, we do. I want this, and nothing you say or do will make me change my mind.”

“Give me your hand,” and she held one out and Peter sighed and let his symbskin cover her,

“Oh, shit,” was all she said as she was swallowed.

As the pair sat staring at each other they realised that their powers had created a bridge. The quaint room was very Victorian in decor. A drawing room with stiff wooden leather-backed seats, a massive writing desk and a crackling fireplace.

“Well, this is different. My fathers study, a memory I believe?” and Peter shrugged,

“Not one of mine. I do want to show you, but this is you.”

Emma snorted, “Oh I know why we are here.” and she pointed. In the memory, Emma was leading a young man into the room and saw the chair slide back and he was pushed down. Whoever it had been before it was now Peter and as a younger Emma, with a smaller bob cut, got down on her knees she unzipped his pants and after stroking him for a few moments took his erection in her mouth.

Both Peter and Emma watched as she pleasured him, amateurishly, “uh, I get the memory, but do you really want me to see this?” Even if the young man was now him, it was clear this was a part of Emma’s past.

Emma shrugged, “My father was a terrible man, always pushing me to be better and my first act of rebellion was to give my childhood friend a blowjob in his study.”

Peter watched as Emma’s head bobbed up and down and the younger version of him suddenly grabbed her head, holding it while he twitched and moaned. Peter frowned, and as a definitely looking Emma reached up, she spat the mouthful of white liquid into a glass, poured in a measure of scotch and drank the whole thing, wiped the lipstick off and then returned the soiled glass to its place on the tray.

“I watched my father drink from that very glass the next day.” Emma said, with her arms crossed, “if he ever knew he never said, but then how exactly do you bring something like that up.”

The room swirled and spun and now Peter and Emma found themselves in what looked like a college dorm room, a single bed on one side of the room with a small wooden desk on the other. This time Emma was sat open-legged, masturbating furiously while holding her phone over her crotch.

“Ah, Jordan. Long-distance relationship, what I couldn’t see was my best friend giving him head while he recorded me fingering myself. Arsehole.” and Emma tutted as Peter watched her slide her hand up and down before letting her fingers enter her, Her thighs twitch as she came and he heard her moan softly. “He blackmailed me the week after to get his grades changed, and I got my revenge by sleeping with his father.”

“Okay, I get it. Sex was always a weapon, do we really need to see you screw Shaw next cause I really don’t want to watch that.”

“Oh I don’t know, there were a few famous movies stars at times, sure you don’t want to see me go down on James Bond?” but as the room swirled once more Peter shook his head,

“Not into voyeurism Emma, get to the point.” and as the room stopped it was a simple white room with a simple white wooden bed with white linen sheets and on it sat a blonde woman, dressed in a simple white bodysuit, with a zip partially undone.

“Sex has always been part of my life, Peter. It was never a pleasure, always a tool. Seeing what Shaw intended for me. Seeing those damn Stepford Rogue’s hurt. To think that I struggled, sweated, and bled for everything I earned and in the end, I was reduced to a pair of tits and a cunt. You owe me and I want payment.” The young girl on the bed stood and undid the bodysuit the rest of the way, and Emma blurred and stood in her place,

“You want something, what I know you want, and you can have it, all I want is some dignity afterwards, all I want is someone who will love me for me, and not what I can give them.” and as she lay back on the bed she spread her legs, “now, take what everyone else wants and then give me my reward.” as she spoke, her clothing disappeared and Peter could see everything, including the look of pain and betrayal on her face.

Peter sighed. “Get up, and stop being so melodramatic.” and he waved a hand over her stunningly beautiful form and a white blanket appeared and drifted over her. “I’m not going to even consider that,” and as she grabbed the blanket and huffed he just shrugged,

“This isn’t an issue of what I owe you, this is an issue of damage,” and as Peter closed his eyes, Emma saw the first time Gwen and he made love, and the symbiote’s anger, and as the scene switched to MJ, she saw Muse and its domination of the situation. Finally, he showed her Talon and the two fists digging into his stomach as she cried and begged for help. 

“Right now, you’re hurting and angry, and a symbiote will make that a hundred times worse. I can’t, I just can’t unleash an unstable and volatile rage monster with powers so vast she could level half the city. A symbiote is not a thing. It’s a living breathing alien mind, with wants and desires. I get you’re angry, I do. I made Shaw suffer for the things I saw, but this, this will make it so much worse you can’t even imagine.”

“Then promise. Promise me that if I prove myself I will get my wish.” and she threw the blanket to one side and a pale cream business suit materialised around her.

Peter nodded, “That’s all I can do.”

“I,” and she cleared her throat, “I am grateful, really. And there is nothing I will do to harm either Felicia or her Cats, you have my word, but, I-” and as small tears welled up in here eyes Peter just shook his head, 

“Hey, no one expects you to, no one will ever force you to.” and she nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“It’s fine Darling, I have seen worse, and done things nobody would be proud of.” but Peter knew she was lying. It was one thing to entice someone with sex, it was a completely different matter to find out your boss made underage sex clones of you to sell.

“Look, That’s behind you now. Legitimate, well, almost. We got the lab, we got Shaw. A new Emma for a new start,” and she nodded, pursing her lips and smiling softly.

“Right, I should go and make myself known to everyone, even if we didn’t, I am still part of the family I guess.” as they shifted back into the real world, and Emma stood and straightened her outfit. 

“I’m not moving into the warehouse though. I have a perfectly good penthouse. but sorry darling, a warehouse? Really?” and Peter laughed, seeing a small smile on her face, “and I am so very hungry. You can at least buy me dinner, and I mean a real meal, not some food truck convenience store thing you cook for twenty minutes. I have standards, you know.“

Peter shrugged, “Liv runs Parker Inc, Felicia runs the Cats. Me? I’ve got twenty bucks.”

Emma sighed, “I suppose coffee will do, but I don’t know what you’ll be having,” and with a swing of her hips, she grabbed a jacket and strutted past Peter, “I think darling, you might just need to start a tab on exactly how much you owe me.”

Malisson

This chapter breaks 500,000 words and wow, what a trip it's been.

As a web author, I enjoy a privilege that normal traditional authors do not. I don't get rejection letters. I don't have to sit nervously waiting to hear if what I've written is acceptable or I have to do another rewrite.

I get to set a publishing time and simply continue. Even if there were no readers, no favourites and a lot of one-star ratings I could simply continue posting.

Which is why I will always maintain that the readers are just as important as the author and that a single comment can be the line between encouragement and discouragement.

Everyone is probably painfully aware of how many novels are dropped or authors simply disappear, but we never know why and the ones that post they why is usually 'got abuse, moving site or quitting'

Thank you for your support, and for giving me the drive to continue the novel. A few times, a few unpleasant DM's, and one badly received chapter almost halted the novel in its tracks, but thanks to the words of encouragement, even a simple TFTC, was enough to keep things going.

There will be a few announcements tomorrow but nothing major, just the usual end of arc stuff.

As always, thank you for reading, commenting, and favouriting

• Mal