Caty was out Christmas shopping. She had been going really hard on patrolling lately and have been a pretty massive jerk to her family lately, especially her mom. They didn't fight or anything. She was just rarely there for her. She lost her husband, the love of her life. If anyone understood how she was feeling right now, it was her mom. But she felt bad, because she couldn't tell her mom about everything. That she killed both her dad's killer and her girlfriend? That she was this superpowered freak that could speak to spiders and climb walls and punch hard? She'd probably think she was some kind of monster. That's what she was starting to feel lately. She was hoping buying these gifts would alleviate her of that feeling. They always said giving was better than receiving.

Jumper nuzzled against her neck tickling her. A small giggle escaped her lips. [color=E137E3]"Stop it."[/color] She said with a slight smile. She looked up and opened her eyes, but what she saw when she opened them made her eyes open cartoonishly wider. [color=E137E3]"Liz!?"[/color] There she was standing across the street, smiling at her. No, she had to be imagining this. Caty wiped her eyes to make sure she was awake and wasn't just seeing things. When her eyes readjusted she saw that Liz wasn't where she just was. No one was. Was she that sleep deprived? She looked around and up the road a bit and saw Liz again. She was just further down the street, walking backwards as if she were calling her to come get her. This wasn't right. Liz was dead. She saw her die. She held her in her arms. She... Tears started to fall from Caty's eyes as she the feelings from that horrid night flooded back into her mind and heart. 

This actually saddened Liz. She dropped her face solemnly and turned to face an alley. She looked back up and nodded in the direction of the alley and walked into it. It was clear that the two needed to talk. She reached the end of the alley and waited for Caty there.

Caty rushed across the street and ran into the alley to find Liz at the end of it. She couldn't believe it. It really was her, but how? She knew this was a world of superheroes, gods, and aliens, but dead people coming back to life? If dead people could come back to life why couldn't her dad? She needed him. All of this was so hard without him. None of this made sense. That [i]couldn't[/i] be Liz. [color=E137E3]"You have five seconds to tell me who you are before I make you wish you chose another face to wear to torment me with."[/color]

Liz had the same saddened expression from earlier. [color=99d6ff]"I'm sure you took up my five seconds, Caty. But I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd hurt like this. I [i]am[/i] Elizabeth Allan. Well, sorta. Same me, but a new body."[/color]

Caty was confused. She clenched her fist in frustration and confusion. [color=E137E3]"How?"[/color]

[color=99d6ff]"Come on, webhead. Don't tell me you let your big beautiful brain become vacant in my absence. I'm a clone."[/color]

[hr]

Denise walked into the house with some Christmas gifts herself. She knew this year had been really hard on her kids. From losing their father, Caty's girlfriend, and their best friend's dad. It was all a lot for any normal teenager to process or shoulder. But her twins weren't normal teenagers. She discovered it back in California, but her kids were Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. She couldn't be more proud of them, but she was honestly more worried for them than anything. She knew they could physically handle whatever the world threw at them, but she was seeing firsthand the toll this life was taking on Caty. Her daughter was a ghost of a shell of her former self. Only did things because she had to. Not out of any personal feelings towards them. Like she had become a robot outside of her life as Spider-Woman. That's why she hasn't been pushing back so hard with either of them. She understood what grief did to people, especially those who felt they shouldered the weight of the world. If it got too bad she'd step in, but she had seen some improvement lately even if it was just a little.

[color=ffccff]"Danny, I'm home! I'm going to put some things away!"[/color] She knew that he had a movie night planned with his boyfriend, but figured it was over by now. Despite this she still heard the sound of the TV playing. Maybe Danny just felt like continuing the Christmas marathon. Maybe Caty was home. She put the presents away in her closet and returned downstairs and walked into the living room to see Danny watching a movie with a young girl about twelve years old and for some reason she looked exactly as he did at that age. [color=ffccff]"Um, Danny? Who's your friend?"[/color]