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"I know," Gerry answers plainly. "I know."

Without thinking, Gerry just drops to his knees and hugs her. As tight as he can.

She seems so small.

Surprise locks her muscles, but not for long. She sags and loops her arms around him in turn, head against his shoulder, and breathes with the deliberate unnatural rhythm of someone who's been taught how to avert panic.

"He— he'd changed himself into a big lizard creature, I didn't even know it was him," she mumbles, when she feels steadied. "Dad just— he found us at the exact wrong time and I could never—"

"Hey." Gerry stops her gently. "It's okay. You don't owe me an explanation. I figured it's 'cause you were still learning how to do the whole hero thing and you had an accident. You're a kid. That shit happens sometimes. It's horrible and tragic, but it happens. You are not a murderer, okay? You're a human being who made a mistake. And he should be fucking ashamed of himself for thinking of you that way."

Gerry's never been "family" to anyone but Mary, and maybe, for a time, Gertrude. Never had any siblings, never thought himself the type to start his own family, never considered himself particularly paternal. So when thoughts of if you were my daughter rise to his mind unbidden, it's jarring, but at the same time... if she was his daughter, he would be proud.

Gwen swallows a lump in her throat and nods with a jerky uncertainty. She feels all of a sudden like she's fourteen again, not coming up on seventeen with a few stray months on top.

"...thanks," she says in a small voice, fists flexing a little where they grip at Gerry's clothes. "...apparently it was sort of— destined, to happen, or something, I-I don't know, learning that didn't make it feel any better."

"Fuck no, that doesn't make it better. That sucks ass." Gerry sighs. It feels weird to him, maintaining contact for this long, as someone who's still getting used to things like physical affection. But he doesn't let go until she does. He's not gonna take this away from her if she still needs it. "But it does make it even less your fault, so there's that. ...Hope you're not too mad at me for cussing out your old man, though."

Gwen laughs a little. "Nah, that's— you're not the first person who's wanted to. The other Spider I stayed with for a while after I left my own universe was... he was never happy when I talked about dad. You'd like him. He's cool like you."

Not that it isn't odd for her, thinking of people having that conversation with her dad, but... it's hard to be too mad, these days. Even if she struggles to imagine being able to argue with him herself. Everyone she's ever told seems just as unimpressed with him.

She exhales and after a moment longer her fists loosen, then release. She rubs her face. There's more colour in it again.

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