Summary: FOH has risen to power and the X-men must fight against them or perish. The X-men must also battle their own demons.
Categories: General Characters: None
Genres: Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 18
Completed: Yes
Word count: 157772
Read: 21134
Published: 04-17-08
Updated: 10-08-08
1. Chapter One by Stormkpr
2. Chapter Two by Stormkpr
3. Chapter Three by Stormkpr
4. Chapter Four by Stormkpr
5. Chapter Five by Stormkpr
6. Chapter Six by Stormkpr
7. Chapter Seven by Stormkpr
8. Chapter Eight by Stormkpr
9. Chapter Nine by Stormkpr
10. Chapter Ten by Stormkpr
11. Chapter Eleven by Stormkpr
12. Chapter Twelve by Stormkpr
13. Chapter Thirteen by Stormkpr
14. Chapter Fourteen by Stormkpr
15. Chapter Fifteen by Stormkpr
16. Chapter Sixteen by Stormkpr
17. Chapter Seventeen by Stormkpr
18. Chapter Eighteen by Stormkpr
Additional Notes and Disclaimers â“
I donât own these characters and no copyright infringement is intended here.
Please note that I have tried to keep the X-men in character based on how they appear in the animated series of the 90âs. However, I have made Bobbyâs character a bit more like a blend of how he appears in the movies, the comics, and a bit of my own thoughts instead (and so obviously, his background here doesnât follow TV canon). I ask Alpha Flight fans to forgive me; Iâve taken much more liberties with this team and their backgrounds.
The story will alternate between being told in first person by Bobby and being told by an omniscient narrator.
This fic is somewhat similar to an X-men fic I wrote years ago, but I donât intend this to be a re-write. Rather, itâs a different take on what might have happened. And just so you know, I tend to write long fics and I do complete them. I canât provide you a âquick hitâ but if you donât mind spending time with a story, I hope you might like this one.
***
âEverything is the same and everything is differentâ -- unknown
Professor Xavier turned over again, trying to steady his mind and determine whether he was dreaming or conscious. His mind was receiving a jumble of messages and his sheets were slightly damp with perspiration. At some level, he knew that his discordant slumber had nothing to do with the Friends of Humanityâs rise to power and their overarching control, though that fact haunted his waking life. But it was two in the morning and the messages continued to assault his brain.
One of the messengers was Magneto but his words were indecipherable. Xavier knew that his old enemy had left earth on a starship, determined to regroup and amass the resources needed to battle FOH from space. Erik called out to Xavier, but his words were nonsensical and Xavier couldnât determine whether the message was a call for help or a warning.
The second communication was even less tangible and Xavier wasnât sure if the messenger was even human. A string of repeating numbers comprised most of the communication â“ Xavier thought they might be coordinates of some sort and had written them down last time he had received a similar message from the same mysterious source. By now he had the coordinates committed to memory. The only word Xavier could decipher from this communication was âhealingâ. It echoed again and again. When he dwelled on the word and the coordinates, a restorative feeling overcame him -- but it did not last.
Several hours later, Xavier rose from the bed and began to prepare for the day. He knew that further sleep wasnât going to be a possibility and he had much work to do. He soon sat down to breakfast with Cyclops and Jean Grey inside his spacious room. He shared his messages with them.
âThey do sound like coordinates,â Cyclops agreed, as he wrote the numbers down and decided that he, too, would commit them to memory just to be safe. âAre you sure this second message isnât from Magneto? If he left earth to form some sort of battalion against FOH, wouldnât it make some sort of sense for him to be giving you his location in space?â
âI cannot say why,â Xavier said, dipping his spoon into his oatmeal, âbut Iâm certain that this second message is not from Erikâ. He added, âBesides, Iâm sure that at this point, Erik wouldnât want me to find him as he knows Iâm certain to try and stop himâ.
Scott and Jean exchanged a look. If Magneto were trying to take out FOH, neither of them would have been all that eager to dissuade him or his followers right now. Perhaps a few years ago their attitudes would have been different. But a few years ago FOH didnât control the governments and media of every super-power on the planet. A few years ago mutants werenât barred from attending schools or speaking in public. Jean shuddered slightly; Scott noticed her fear and gently touched her arm.
After a bit of silence, Cyclops spoke. âStorm and I met last evening to prepare for todayâs briefing,â he said, of the X-menâs co-leader. âWe should be ready to go at 10:30â. Scott would have liked to start the briefing earlier, but he grudgingly had to be accommodating of the fact that so many members of the group were not âmorning peopleâ.
Xavier nodded. He saw expectant looks on the faces of two of his favorite pupils, and suddenly a question popped into his mind. He had been far too preoccupied with FOHâs dominance and his mysterious messages lately to notice that something had been brewing. In the space of an instant, he suddenly suspected the news. âDo youâŠhave something to tell me?â he asked.
Jean and Scott again exchanged a look and smiled. âWeâre pregnant!â Jean announced and failed to contain a wide grin. She and her husband reached over Xavierâs hoverchair for their hugs. Xavier offered his sincere congratulations.
âI am quite awestruck,â Xavier murmured. âYouâll be the first of my students to have children of your ownâ.
âWe know this isnât the best timeâŠâ Scott began.
ââŠbut thereâs never going to be a ârightâ time, not for us mutants anyway,â Jean finished. âIf we wait until peace and harmony is achieved between humans and mutants, weâll be far too old to have kids. We canât postpone the things we want to do with our lives forever. And besides, we should be able to protect our child, here with all the X-menâ.
âI still hope we might soon see the day when peace is achieved,â Xavier said quietly.
Cyclops and Jean had their doubts but they did not verbalize them.
***
âMorninâ Jubes,â I said, running into Jubilee in the kitchen.
âI told you not to call me that!â she exclaimed, swatting me on the back with the cereal box. Sheâs told me a million times, but I still say the nicknameâs kinda cute. Jubilee then rummaged around the refrigerator. âDonât tell me weâre out of milk,â she grumbled.
âYou know I wouldnât let that happen. Itâs right there, behind the orange juice,â I answered. Soon she and I were sitting down together, hurriedly polishing off our sugary cereal before bounding into the war room in time for the briefing. Hank waved at me when I entered the room.
I looked around the circular table and saw that everyone was present. In addition to our leaders, Cyclops, Storm, and the Professor, sitting around the table were Jean, Rogue, Gambit, Colossus, Wolverine, Hank, Nightcrawler, Angel, Cannonball, Forge, and Jubilee.
Our numbers were a bit lower than weâd have liked. We were still reeling from the loss of Shadowcat in battle against FOH ten months ago. Plenty others had run off and gone underground; some might have joined Magneto. I gotta say this was not the best time to be a mutant, and with Shadowcatâs loss, some of our fighting spirit has evaporated.
Oh, and then thereâs me, Bobby Drake. I used to be called Iceman, but you donât hear that name used much now. I live and work at the Institute with the others, but I donât train in the Danger Room and I donât go into battle. Iâm a non-combatant, I guess youâd say. I used to train and fight with the others, but I sucked in battle. I was a liability on missions, and years ago Shadowcat once got seriously hurt due to one of my screw-ups. So I stay here with the X-men even though Iâm basically on desk duty now.
I started with the X-men when I was 19 and Iâm 25 now â“ I stopped fighting a few years ago. Even though I donât fight, I do earn my room, board, and stipend. I was always good with numbers; Iâve taken several Accounting classes over the years and I do the books for the Professor each month on time. I also do what I guess youâd call Office Manager work for the Institute. If Xavier or Cyclops tells me to re-organize our files or to research and install new software, I get it done. When Xavier used to go to conferences and speak on mutant rights (nothing like that happens now), Iâd research the city and the venue. When we used to have students, I functioned as registrar. We do also have a part-time cook, but when sheâs not here, I do the grocery shopping (easy for me since I donât âlook like a mutantâ) and cook. Iâve also made the arrangements for every birthday and anniversary party weâve had, and when we used to be allowed to eat in fancy restaurants for special occasions, Iâd make the arrangements too. I make sure I earn my keep, donât want to get kicked out since I donât know where Iâd go. I guess I could try living on my own but I donât want to. Ever since my parents kicked me out, the X-men have been my security blanket
Though yeah, I am embarrassed that an 18 year old girl - Jubilee - trains and fights, and I donât.
So anyway, back to the briefing. First, we got an update on the FOH situation. Storm gave us an estimate of how many starships they had and how many outposts in space they ran. I guess if you could see a silver lining to every cloud, you could notice that we donât deal much with Sinister or Apocalypse or any of our traditional enemies now. Theyâve all more or less disappeared. Storm continued to update us on FOH â“ how powerful they are, how surveys show most of the public agreed with them, how they run everything. Itâs a miracle we donât all have ulcers now. And it ticks me off that the X-men spent the last several years protecting humans from your Sabertooths and your Mr Sinisters -- meanwhile FOH rose up and took over when our backs were turned and we were helping humanity.
âIt is apparent to me,â Storm was saying, âthat we need to increase our numbers if we are to defend ourselves against FOHâ.
âYes,â Hank added. âThere are only 15 people in this room, and there is a limit to what we can accomplish with only 15 fighters â“ pardon me, I mean 14 -- no matter how robust our powers may beâ.
Hank mayâve corrected himself quickly on his mistake, but still a few heads turned and looked my way. I was the only non-fighter in the room; even the Professor had taken part in several missions when necessary.
The conversation flowed on. The Professor added, âWeâve tried to make contact with Excalibur but I cannot reach them,â he said, sounding bewildered. The poor guy, he really looked stressed out to me. Over the years, Iâve seen a lot of X-men very successfully mask fear and pressure as they go into battle but I think all this FOH garbage really is taking its toll.
âMagneto and his group are gone â“ not that weâd want to work them anyway,â Cyclops added. I looked over at Wolverine. Obviously, given that we think Sabertooth is still with Magnetoâs group, Wolverine would never agree to team up with them.
The Professor shook his head. âThe number of mutants who are trained fighters, who do not suffer from emotional problems, and who will fight for the cause of good instead of evilâŠis very lowâ.
âAnd Alpha Flight hasnât responded to our attempts to reach them,â Storm said. âItâs really a shame that they havenât. They are the next largest group of well-trained mutant fighters. I think we are going to need to make an alliance with them if we stand a chance against FOHâ.
âSo thenâŠdo we know why they donât get back to us?â Cannonball asked.
I glanced around the room and saw a few looks being exchanged.
âThereâs a rumor that theyâre going to follow Magnetoâs lead,â Jean spoke up. âGet a starship of their own and leave, though they might not return and fight FOH. If you have enough dilithium, you can last for quite a while in spaceâ.
Someone muttered the word âcowardsâ under their breath. But can you really blame âem?
âBut soâŠthereâs gotta be more to it than that,â Cannonball insisted. Heâs either brave or stupid to be pursuing this line of questioning, I thought â“ but then again, he is the newest member of the team.
âMe and their leader donât get along,â Wolverine said bluntly, speaking up for the first time at the briefing. Iâll never forget the time that Guardian, Alpha Flightâs leader, tried to use force to get Wolverine to rejoin his team. And of course rumor had it that Wolverine had a total crush on Guardianâs wife, a crush that was not unreciprocated. Since Guardian and his wife, Vindicator, are still members of Alpha Flight, it would sure make for an awkward situation if we did team up.
âThere is also the sense,â the Professor began diplomatically, âthat Alpha Flightâs leader prefers to work on his own. He likes to command his own group and believes that if we were to team up, heâd lose some element of controlâ.
âGambit tâink dere be some competitiveness too,â the Cajun spoke. âLike he donât wanna admit that his team ainât as strong or powerful as we areâ.
âI think he sounds like a jerk!â Jubilee piped up. You can always count on her to speak her mind.
âJubilee,â Storm cautioned softly.
âWell, I mean really. We mutants are getting hunted like weâre criminals,â Jubilee flailed her hands, âand it doesnât seem like this is a good time to be playing control-freak gamesâ.
âThere are two sides to every story,â Storm countered. âWho knows what the real reasons are? Perhaps we X-men also could have done a better job over the past few years trying to build a bridge with Alpha Flightâ.
âYeah, well we had our hands full fightinâ Magneto and Apocalypse the past few years â“ donât remember them helpinâ us out much then,â Wolverine grumbled.
I looked at him and at Storm and saw their eyes meet.
âI am still bewildered at their lack of interest in at least communicating with us,â Hank said. âI believe that the Canadian government has already reduced or eliminated their funding now that FOH has risen to power in that country as well. I do not believe Alpha Flight has any millionaires among its ranks, so how will they maintain the resources necessary to train and live together?â
âUnless the rumor that theyâre heading for space is true,â Storm responded. âI believe that one of their members is not of this worldâ.
Cyclops added, a note of finality in his voice, âLetâs continue to attempt contact with Alpha Flight. They might change their minds and at the very least, it canât hurt to keep the door of communication openâ.
âWe have a few other pieces of business to discuss,â the Professor said, changing topic. âI spoke with Moira and Banshee today. Since their facility has been closed, they are finishing up some business in Scotland and will be joining us, along with their childrenâ.
A few muted cheers were heard at that announcement. I think that everyone likes Moira, and Banshee is pretty cool too. But her son Proteus is way powerful and really did a number on us in the past, especially Wolverine. We have to hope that his powers are under control.
âHow old is Bansheeâs daughter, I wonder?â Angel asked.
I noticed that Colossus leaned forward in his seat at hearing Angelâs question, and I had to suppress a smirk. Angel tried to make the question sound casual but I knew that it wasnât. I knew he was hoping she was at least 18. We have a problem here â“ we have more men than women. Weâve only got four women here â“ and, well, Jeanâs married and Rogue and Remy are more solid and happy together than ever (especially since she has a supply of inhibitor collars now â“ and so she can suppress her powers just by slipping one on). Jubileeâs an adult now but I think no matter how desperate the guys might get, they wouldnât go for her since they all think of her as their kid sister. And as for Storm â“ either the guys are intimidated by her or intimidated by whatever is going on between her and Wolverine.
And itâs not like the old days where there just more options outside the Institute. Weâve gotten so isolated, and there are laws prohibiting mutants and non-mutants from marrying or having sexual relations anyway. So I guess you can see why the guys practically salivate upon hearing that an unattached female will be joining us. Iâm sure that cancels out any fears of Proteus, in fact.
The Professorâs face was blank as he answered, âI believe sheâs about 17â.
I saw Angel try to cover up disappointment. Iâm surprised no one asked when was Sirynâs birthday.
Cyclops then said, âLetâs dispatch a small team to locate the Morlocks. We might not be able to work with them â“ but you never know. We should at least check in with themâ.
âIâll lead the team,â Storm offered.
Gambit and Nightcrawler volunteered to join her. I mused that we must be getting pretty desperate if we were even considering teaming up with them.
The Professor then smiled and the tension on his face seemed to relax for a moment. He said, âWe have business of another sort to discuss now. Scott and Jean have an announcementâ.
âWeâre going to have a baby,â Jean smiled, beaming.
The room erupted with cheers and congratulations. I was thrilled too. A law was passed last year barring mutants from âknowingly reproducingâ, so this was kind of a nice âf youâ at the government. Seriously, I know Jean and Scott have wanted this for years and I was really happy for them. This was kind of a neat thing; none of us had kids. It stirred up a bit of excitement for the increasingly abysmal-looking future.
âI will read up on childbirth,â Hank declared.
âDr. McCoy, I would be so honored if you would deliver this baby,â Jean smiled.
For the rest of the meeting, the team was reminded to maintain their training schedule and Forge spoke briefly about some enhancements to the Danger Room he was making.
As a final note, the Professor then added, âOne other item. I do need to also mention that Veronica will no longer be with usâ. She was our part-time cook. âFrankly, she has been harassed for working with mutants. However, Bobby has agreed to take over her duties. Thank you, Bobbyâ.
I smiled and then spoke for the first, and last, time during this meeting, âBut if the cleaning service quits, forget it â“ I draw the line there!â People laughed, which made me happy.
***
Not long after the meeting, Rogue and Gambit finished up a game of pool in the rec room with Bobby.
âYou guys know Storm a lot better than I do,â Bobby said. âWhat is going on with her and Wolverine. Did you see those looks going on between them at the meeting?â
âSure did. Iâm gonna talk to that girl!â Rogue resolved. âWhatever kinda cat nâ mouse game theyâre playinâ has to end soonâ.
The three found gossiping about their teammates much more satisfying than contemplating FOHâs dominion, and soon the conversation drifted towards Cyclops and Jean.
âGotta wonder why dey doinâ dis now,â Gambit speculated, after checking to ensure that the three were indeed still alone in the large room. âWe wanted dead by FOH and by half the public â“ not a good time to bring a mutant baby into the worldâ.
âSugar, we wait for everyone to love us before we do what we want with our lives, weâre gonna be waitinâ a long time,â Rogue responded.
âI agree,â Bobby added. âYou canât lead your life worried about what the jerks are going to doâ.
âDonât hurt to be practical dough,â Gambit replied. âMaybe dis pregnancy was a surprise,â he added.
Rogue shot him a look. âI donât think so. They are a bit older than us, Swamp Rat. Maybe theyâre thinking itâs now or neverâ.
âWell Iâm happy for them regardless,â Bobby declared as Gambit shot one of the balls into the side pocket, effectively ending the game.
âGood job, sugar,â Rogue purred, and placed a gloved hand over Remyâs mouth to give him a congratulatory kiss. Her collars were in their room so this type of contact would have to do for now. Gambit grinned unabashedly at Rogueâs expression of affection and his win.
Heavy footsteps were heard descending the stairs, and Colossus entered the room. âItâs time for our baseball game â“ you two are still coming, yes?â he asked.
Rogue took a swig of water before she and Gambit got ready to follow Colossus outside. âSure you donât wanna join us?â Gambit asked Bobby, knowing what the answer would be.
âNo thanks,â Bobby said breezily. âIâm a gay guy, remember?â
âWhatâs dat gotta do witâ it?â Gambit responded.
Bobby shrugged and wished them a good game.
***
You know, I actually have it pretty good here. I donât have any complaints with how people treat me, especially considering that Iâm so different from everyone else. Theyâre all fighters, and Iâm not. Theyâre all straight and Iâm not.
Occasionally some of the others â“ Storm, Gambit, Hank and especially the Professor â“ would encourage me to go back to training, to try again to use my powers âfor the good of humanityâ. Theyâd tell me I should hit the Danger Room, my mutation could be a really powerful weapon, and on and on. I always shrugged them off.
Cyclops never asked me to train after I stopped doing so but hey, who can blame him? He led the missions that I screwed up on in the early years.
One year for my birthday, Hank got me this book about this guy whoâd been a decorated war vet but was gay â“ I kinda wonder if he was trying to give me a subtle message there. I didnât even read it, Iâm such a slacker.
But like I said, Iâm so different than everyone else but they treat me just fine here. In the non-mutant world, the social circle for most gay guys consists of other gay guys and straight women. I live as an X-man though, so my social circle is different. I mean, I live with a dozen straight guys and a few women (who are also all straight, not that that matters when it comes to girls). The women are, unsurprisingly, totally cool with me. Iâm friends with them pretty much all of them, closest to Jubilee and Rogue, but Jean and Storm are great too. As for the straight guys here, theyâre okay. None of them are openly rude to me and all are at least polite on the surface, though there are some I know who arenât totally comfortable with homosexuality in general (*cough* Cyclops, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Angel *cough*) â“ but even those are still fine to interact with. There are a few guys here who I donât think have a homophobic bone in their bodies so, needless to say, Iâm closer to them. Hank, Gambit.
After I came out, the Professor checked in with me a few times and asked how the others were treating me. I had nothing to complain about. I donât join them when they play sports, but when small groups go out to the movies or a museum I get asked along and I usually go. Before mutants got banned from seeing Broadway shows, I went with the others to a few. The guys have all even gone out for beers a few times -- usually done when the women are at a mall or the salon together â“ and when Wolverine, Gambit, and Cyclops arenât trying to kill each other -- and they invite me along too.
Actually one time Cyclops, Wolverine, and Gambit did practically try to kill each other during our beer night, but Iâll tell that story some other time. I actually rescued that scenario with my sense of humor, and when youâre a wimp no one beats you up if you âaccidentallyâ spill a pitcher of beer on others. Theyâre all used to my screw-ups anyway.
So anyway, you could take the most militant gay activist, show them a video of my life surrounded by straight people at the mansion, and the activist would agree thereâs no mistreatment going on. There was once when Colossus misused a term and said something that could be considered offensive, but Storm corrected him and he said he was sorry. English isnât his first language.
I should add too that I donât lead the life of a celibate monk. Thereâs a gay bar in town and I go there about once a week or so. Iâve seen the inside of lots of guysâ vans and apartments, and thereâs one guy I hook up with regularly, just for sex. None of them know Iâm a mutant; the guy I hook up with is actually married with kids. We always play safe. I try to be very discreet and I hope the other X-men donât know that Iâm going out and having meaningless sex with guys I donât know. Iâd be mortified if they knew what I like in bed, if they knew I was a bottom â“ though I guess if any of them have dwelled on it they could probably figure it out.
So with the bars, Iâm having fun and all but itâs not really what I want. Once I even stopped going for a while and was celibate for about 6 months. Physical needs made me go back but I tell you, emotionally Iâm not getting what I want. I donât go as often anyway now; if one of them figures out that Iâm a mutant (sometimes you can lose control of your powers a bit when youâre experiencing something intense), I could get in a lot of trouble.
One last thing, since Iâm baring my soul to you on my sexuality. During the briefing today, my ears perked up when Alpha Flight was mentioned because I knew they had a gay member. A few years ago, Wolverine was in a friendly mood and was telling us a bit about his adventures in Alpha Flight, and he looked at me and mentioned that Northstar was âa gay guyâ. I really really wanted to meet another gay mutant. I shouldâve extended myself and found a reason to contact him, but lazy and shy dork that I am, I didnât.
***
Storm took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air. She had no need to use her powers today â“ the sun was shining, a cool breeze flowed, and the grounds of the Institute still boasted flowers and scenery worthy of a painting. A nagging voice in the back of her mind questioned, âWhy are we playing baseball when thereâs so much to do now?â but she silenced it with a retort: âBecause we need to relax every now and then or we wonât be productive. Thereâs not a lot we can do right now anywayâ.
The game wound down, and Storm began to make her way back to the mansion, trailing the others. She soon turned, though, feeling a tug from inside. She spun around and walked towards the flower garden, the place of tranquility where she had spent so many hours cultivating flowers and greenery. She walked towards it, savoring the beauty of the flowers and their multitudes of colors and shapes.
âYou do a nice job on thisâ.
Storm tried to mask the emotions that streamed through her insides at hearing Wolverineâs voice. No, it was not the Canadianâs voice that caused a reaction but rather the subtle shift in *tone* that had been occurring lately, Storm noticed, whenever he spoke to her. It was the almost gentle tone that he had previously used only when speaking to Jean Grey.
âWell, thank you, Logan,â Storm responded, turning to look at him. She added, musing, âThis world is such a troubled place, but beauty such as this,â she gestured to the rose bush, âstill exists and even thrivesâ.
âYou got a poetic streak in you, darlinâ,â Wolverine teased, a slight smile on his face. âGuess Beast ainât the only oneâ.
Storm observed that Logan, too, clearly took pleasure in natureâs splendor. Fleetingly she considered asking whether he would like to go camping with her one day, but the words to form the question werenât presenting themselves.
Before Storm could say anything, Wolverine abruptly changed topic. âYou need help on the Morlock mission?â
âI appreciate the offer, but I think that for this one, a small team will be more than adequate. Nightcrawler, Gambit, and I will do wellâ.
âWhat about your claustrophobia?â he asked, again his voice sounding so unusual because a certain gentleness eased the bluntness of the question.
âWell, Logan, I strongly feel that I need to face my fears straight on if I am ever to conquer them. I struggled the last few times we had to search the tunnels, I wonât deny it, but I feel that I am up to the challengeâ.
Storm noticed a glint of admiration in Wolverineâs eyes. The excitement coursing through her insides picked up in intensity. There was so much she wanted to ask Wolverine. Did the news of Jeanâs pregnancy impact him, was he accepting the fact that Jean would never be his? Or had he reached that decision a few years ago, at the wedding? Her eyes then narrowed slightly, wondering why Wolverine had brought up her claustrophobia. Was it concern for her or did he need to feel protect and be stronger than any woman in whom he was interested? Inwardly, Storm shook her head. She still was not certain that he *was* interested in her, though she know her own feelings on the subject.
âWell lemme know if you change your mind. Good luck,â Wolverine offered and then took his leave of her.
Storm remained in the garden, in contemplation. Thoughts of Logan were not the only ones swirling around her mind. She meant it when she had remarked on both the beauty and the strife of the world. âThe earth could be such a paradise but we make it into such a hell. Am I foolish for feeling safe here? Can I blame the mutants who have gone underground or left for space?â
Dimly, Storm heard footsteps.
âSo does he finally got his damn fool head outta his butt??â
Storm laughed and shook her head. âRogue, I hardly feel that question is phrased appropriatelyâ.
Rogue shrugged. âJust wonderinâ whatâs goinâ on with you two. Everyone can see the way you look at each otherâ.
Storm placed a hand on her friendâs shoulder. Rogue wondered if Storm was truly at a loss for words, as a few moments went by in silence.
Storm finally said, âYou know that when I have something to share with you, Iâll share it.â
Rogue actually doubted her friendâs words; Storm kept her emotions in such a lockbox. Rogue briefly marveled at the control it would take to keep oneâs emotions under wraps at all times. She could never do it.
âBut for now,â the Wind Rider continued, âthe only exciting romantic gossip taking place here is watching the men get excited over Sirynâs impending arrivalâ.
âAnd them wonderinâ if sheâs of legal age,â Rogue rolled her eyes, though she did have some empathy for her male teammatesâ frustration at the difficulty in finding female companionship.
âThe other men are simply not as lucky as Remy,â Storm stated.
âAnâ I wonât let him forgit it!â
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Feedback and reviews are always welcomed.
Darkness caressed the night and a few bright starts gleamed through the blackness. Professor Xavier woke from another disturbed sleep, another experience of the same confusing messages. He began to fear that his powers were slipping from his control -- could that explain why he was unable to understand more of the ethereal communications? Yesterday he had attempted to look up the coordinates from his dreams, but even checking the most current star-map the X-men had, he found that the coordinates were too far out in space to determine anything about the place.
Xavier maneuvered himself onto his wheelchair and wrapped a robe around his shoulders. He became aware of the fact that Storm, Gambit, and Nightcrawler had returned from their mission and he met them in the main hall downstairs. Storm offered to update him, as Nightcrawler and Gambit retired to their rooms, though Xavier could have guessed at the missionâs result solely from observing Stormâs face.
âWe could not find any trace of them,â Storm reported, as she settled into a leather chair inside Xavierâs office. Based on the teamâs reconnaissance, it looked as if the Morlocks had left their home permanently, and signs of struggle were minimal. âWe donât have any theories as to what their destination wasâ.
âI will try to use Cerebro,â the Professor responded.
âYou are planning on waiting a few days though, right?â Storm queried gently. She looked into the eyes of the teacher whom she so admired and could almost feel his weariness.
âYes. Yes, I believe that would be wise,â he agreed.
***
âYou not still awake, chere?â Gambit whispered. His entrance into their room in the dead of night was silent. He had ensured the handle of the door did not creak, and no sounds could be heard as he removed his clothing. Rogue didnât respond, and Gambit was glad that his lover could continue her sleep undisturbed.
As much as Gambit wanted to join her in slumber right away, his investigation of the Morlocksâ former habitat left him in need of a shower.
The running water from the adjoining bathroomâs shower stirred Rogue. She rubbed her eyes and silently cursed herself. She had wanted to stay awake to ensure that Gambit made it home safely, even though this mission was a low-risk one. She had wanted to be there greet him when returned. She turned the alarm clock towards her and saw that it was two a.m.
âCanât believe I fell asleep,â she muttered, as Gambit emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist. âI wanted to be up to see you and make sure you got back safeâ.
âDonâ be crazy, chere. Iâd rather you get your restâ. His fire-red eyes had the ability to see well in the dark and he could discern that she didnât have her collar on. He wanted to kiss her, but putting that Genoshan torture device on would always have to be Rogueâs choice.
âI ainât that tired anyway; donât think I fell into a deep sleep. So howâd it go?â she asked.
As Gambit filled her in on their unsuccessful mission, Rogue rummaged around the dresser and pulled out a collar. She placed the device around her neck. The metal felt cool against her skin, though she knew it would soon share her warmth and heat up.
âHope wherever dey are, dey okay,â he finished, sliding onto the bed next to Rogue. His voice turned to honey. âYou put your collar on, chere. You want Remy to touch you?â
Rogue nodded, accepting his embrace. Gambit gently kissed her, starting with her shoulder and working his way up to her neck. She smelled vaguely of perfume, and he could feel her pulse beating when he pressed his lips against her neck. When Remy reached her lips, she returned the kiss but not with her usual passion.
âWhatâs wrong, chere?â Gambit whispered, as his hands leisurely caressed her back and shoulders. The thin material of the sage green nightgown he had given her allowed the sensations of touch to be felt thoroughly.
âNothinâ, Remy. Just that sometimes I feel silly havinâ to wear this collarâ.
Gambit reached for one of her hands and began kissing it. âDonât make no difference to me. And the collar lets us touch each other. Remy always be thankful for dat day you asked Beast to lend you one that he was studyinâ and you put it onâ.
Rogue couldnât suppress a smile at the memory either. She had been too shy and nervous back then to ask Remy for anything more than a few kisses, and he had been so respectful of her need for time. She would never forget the shock of touching someone with her bare skin and the sensation of his lips against hers. The weeks they spent after that, Gambit patiently teaching her and Rogue gradually shedding her fears, had convinced her. If she hadnât known that she loved him before, she knew it for certain then.
âBut if itâs botherinâ you, maybe you outta ask Xavier again,â Gambit continued. âHe could try again to help you get control of your powersâ.
Rogue shook her head. âWe tried already, but that ainât the main reason why I wonât ask him again. Remy, that man looks exhausted. He needs âbout a three month vacation â“ and he donât need people askinâ him for thingsâ.
Gambit looked into her eyes. Her forehead had a slight wrinkle above her nose. âDatâs what dis is. You worried more âbout the FOH and what the teamâs gotta deal witâ den the collarâ.
Rogue moved closer towards him and put her arms around his waist. âI think youâre right,â she said, resting her head on his shoulder. âSucks to be a mutant nowâ.
âNot when weâre togetâer dough. Not jusâ you anâ me but the whole teamâ. Gambit paused and took a breath. âNever though Iâd be sayinâ somethinâ like dat a few years ago. But itâs true. Used to like to work on my own, but itâs better witâ the whole group. Witâ all the shit the X-menâs been through, ainât nothinâ we canât handle now. Tâink of it. Tâink of all the battles we won, the times when the odds were against us. No different witâ FOH. Tâings look bad now but weâll win eventually. We always doâ.
Rogue sighed. âYouâre right, Remy. Youâre always right,â she said, her voice containing more of its signature spunkiness. âWeâll beat those bastards!â She then lunged at Gambit, covering his body with hers.
Gambit smiled at seeing the return of the Rogue he knew, as she covered his face with kisses. Her kisses grew more and more insistent and she began to grind her body against his. She soon hiked her nightgown up as Remy gently slid the thin straps of the top down and pressed his warm lips to the flesh.
***
âI donât think weâre the only ones still up tonight,â I said to Jubilee. I reached into the freezer, the cold feeling good against my skin. âOkay, chocolate or rocky road or Ben and Jerryâs Karamel Sutra?â
âRocky road,â Jubilee responded as she reached for two bowls and spoons. We scooped out the ice cream and topped it with whipped cream and walnuts. We were getting low on walnuts, and I made a mental note to add that to the next shopping tripâs list.
âI was telling Jean once about our late-night refrigerator raids,â she continued, giggling, âand she couldnât believe that we could just get up in the middle of the night and start eating, and then go to bed and have a normal day the next day.â
âOnce she has the baby, sheâd better get used to a lot of getting up in the middle of the night herself, from I hear. Thatâs what my mom told me anywayâ.
âI wonder what names theyâre thinking of. We didnât ask at the meetingâ.
At Jubileeâs mention of the briefing, I had to say, âIâm so glad to be talking about something other than FOH or battle plans. Talking about Jean and Scottâs baby is a good thing. And hey, are you happy about Siryn coming? Sounds like sheâs about your ageâ.
âYeah, thatâll be cool,â she responded, her mouth full of ice cream. âBut I donât know anything about her, only met her onceâ.
âItâll be nice once youâre not the baby of the group though. Being the youngestâs not all that funâ.
âYeah, I know. Sometimes I gotta wonder what things would be like if Iâd joined the X-men now instead of a few years ago. Maybe people would think of me as an adult instead of a teenagerâ.
âYouâre still technically a teenager,â I said, pointing a chocolately spoon at her.
âIâm old enough for a relationship! I want a boyfriendâ.
Hearing Jubilee say that wasnât new for me, but it was kinda new hearing how serious she sounded. Maybe it had something to do with all of FOHâs power. It almost made you feel like the world was ending, and everything now had urgency behind it. Especially, I would assume, losing oneâs viriginity.
âWell, there are lots of guys hereâ.
âYeah. And thanks to all these stupid laws, I canât have a non-mutant boyfriend. So letâs see my choices,â she began, counting on her fingers. âTwo of them are taken. The Professorâs like a father. Or grandfather. Beast I just canât imagineâ.
âHeâs a good looking guy,â I cut in, shrugging. I wasnât sexually attracted to him myself though.
Jubilee looked surprised. âLook, I love the guy but I just canât even imagine being in a relationship with himâ.
I nodded. âThe kiss test. If the thought of kissing someone weirds you out, itâs a sign heâs not right for youâ.
âTotally. So where was I? Wolverine â“ no way, he thinks of me like his little sister and heâs not looking at any female other than Storm lately anyway. Then you got Nightcrawler, whoâs a priestâ.
âMonkâ.
âWhatever!â
âThat still leaves Angel and Colossus and Cannonball. Oh, and Forge. Theyâre the ones who seem like they really want girlfriendsâ.
Jubilee shook her head. âIâve known Angel too long â“ thereâs that whole kid sister thing with him too. And he really is too old for me- heâs gotta be close to Scottâs ageâ.
âHe isâ. I was glad sheâd written him off, since Warren wasnât my favorite person and I knew the feeling was mutual. I went on, âI donât know how old Forge is but heâs gotta be older than Warren, Iâd guessâ.
âI knowâ.
âSoâŠweâre down to Peter and Sam then,â I said, not sure why I used Colossusâ and Cannonballâs real names. âThereâs a plus to Sam; he didnât know you when you were 15 so the whole kid sister thing shouldnât be there.â I swirled my spoon around in my ice cream. âPeterâs a really sweet guy though. Well, they both areâ.
âI canât see myself with Peter. I sometimes feel crazy ridiculous standing next to him â“ heâs like a foot and a half taller than me and he weighs double or triple what I do â“ and thereâs something else.â She paused. âI think Peterâs still dealing with Kittyâs death,â Jubilee said.
My eyes widened for a moment at her perceptiveness. I sometimes forgot that she truly was not a bratty kid anymore. She still had her spunky personality but she had matured a lot. And there likely was some truth to her words. Peter and Kitty had actually ended their romantic relationship years ago, but obviously he was shaken by her death, more so than any of us.
As I nodded, I tried to get us back to lighter topics and asked, âSo then what about Sam?â
Jubilee shrugged. âWouldnât he have said something by now if heâs interested in me?â
âMaybe heâs a shy southern gentleman. Or maybe heâs afraid Wolverine would kick his ass,â I laughed before adding, âButâŠyou donât seem all that interested in him yourselfâ.
âThe kiss test. For some reason, I canât imagine kissing the guy. I mean, I kinda could but Iâm not like dying to, you know?
âI gotta figure something out though,â she continued. âLook how happy Jean and Rogue are. I want a relationship too,â she insisted, sounding scarily way more serious than I was used to from her.
But I wasnât about to argue with her. I wanted a relationship too. I knew that I didnât need one to make me feel complete and whole or to make me happy, but I also knew that going to bars and having blow jobs with guys I just met wasnât that fulfilling anymore either. Iâd read about and seen movies with couples who were loving and affectionate with each other -- in bed as well as out of it -- and Iâd frankly never experienced that. Heck, Iâd almost never actually spent the night sharing a bed with someone. I wasnât 19 anymore and I really wanted to wake up next to someone, to grow with them, to deal with problems together. Iâd seen Rogue and Remy do it over the last few years and they both sure looked better for it.
But given the isolation we lived in, with FOH growing more powerful each day, things didnât look too promising for either Jubilee or myself.
As I went up the stairs to my bed that night, I noted that Jubilee had been wearing the pajamas I got her for Christmas last year. The top was a solid color with a picture of a wrapped gift, and the bottom had images of candy canes and sleighs. I pulled the covers around myself with thoughts of that Christmas on my mind. The tree trimming, sitting around the fireplace with the others and drinking spiced cider, seeing the looks on the othersâ faces during the âsecret santaâ gift exchange, Jean and Gambitâs annual argument over what dishes to prepare. I drifted off to sleep just fine then, thoughts of FOH replaced by warmth and happiness instead.
***
A horrible screeching sound grabbed Professor Xavier from his slumber. His hands rushed to his ears to try to block the cacophony but it was futile. The noise morphed into constant pain until he blacked out. He didnât feel the metallic collar gripping him when the FOH soldiers placed it around his neck.
***
At first I thought I was having a terrible nightmare. I kept blinking my eyes and seeing gray dots in front of me but the terrifying images wouldnât go away. I even went so far as to pinch myself in an attempt to snap out of the nightmare, and when it didnât work, I had to accept that I was sitting inside a cell with an inhibitor collar on. An FOH insignia was on the wall. My head felt as if someone had been beating me for a few hours.
But at least I wasnât alone. FOH had dumped all of us inside one large cell. I looked around the room as my eyes got less hazy. Everyone was there, most looking less dazed than I mustâve. There was enough room for us to sit on the floor or on a wooden bench and enough left over for a few of us to pace. Other than the FOH logo on the wall, the cell was as bare as could be.
I dimly heard the others discussing what had happened. âThey could not have penetrated our defense grid without helpâŠâ, âOr new weapons. We donât know what they couldâve developedâŠâ, âThey have all the top scientistsâ, âTheir weapon has to be very strong to have knocked us all unconsciousâŠâ, âI think it is based upon Banshee or Sirynâs powers â“they found a way to replicate themâŠâ, âMaybe they kidnapped them and tortured them until they helpedâŠ.We were expecting them at the Institute a few days agoâ, âBanshee knows some of our defense codesâ.
Hank walked over to me. âAre you alright?â he whispered, helping me to my feet. âWeâre all slowly recovering from whatever they did to knock us out; you will feel like yourself again soonâ.
âThanks,â I replied, still shocked at everything. I guess it wasnât a total surprise that FOH had the technology to beat our defense grid. They have so many brilliant scientists at their disposal. The others kept talking and didnât really know if FOH had somehow mimicked Bansheeâs or Sirynâs powers or created that weapon on their own. But I was really glad when they started talking about breaking out of the cell. There had to be a way.
But as soon as the others began speculating on escape methods, several FOH soldiers approached our cell. They stood facing us on the other side of the force field, and one of them pressed a button on a hand-held device. We could only watch helplessly as Jean, Jubilee, Cannonball, and Forge fell to the ground, screaming in agony.
âStop it!â Cyclops demanded. He rushed to Jeanâs side.
I looked at them and saw the panic in his eyes. I saw that his glasses were on the floor since he no longer needed them.
âThere is no need for this!â Hank added, fervently.
After what seemed like an endless amount of time, the FOH solider took his finger off the button and whatever he was doing to the four stopped. Jean, Jubilee, Cannonball, and Forge slowly staggered to their feet, panting. Wolverine and Storm had their arms around Jubilee, assisting her. The others were similarly helped. Cyclops looked like he wanted to kill the guy, and I saw Jean put a protective hand on her belly. I also saw the way Cyclops looked at his wife, the caring and the love, and wished someone would look at me that way.
Finally the FOH soldier spoke. âNice little device I have here. It will make sure you mutant scum are compliant. All I have to do is decide which of you I want to torture and press a button. So you do what we say or we torture you â“ we can leave these devices on for hours. They wonât kill you â“ but after a few minutes of the agony, youâll wish you were deadâ.
âWhat do you want from us?â the Professor asked. He sat on the floor of the cell. Obviously his hoverchair was gone.
The man continued as if the Professor hadnât spoken. âSo stay in your cell, donât talk, and stop planning an escape. Itâs hopelessâ.
Another soldier opened his mouth. âWe have two force fields containing you in this cell. You canât break through them. You canât do anything except follow our ordersâ.
âWhere are we?â Storm asked.
âShut up, bitch,â one of the soldiers answered. He then shrugged and pressed a button, and Storm closed her eyes, gripping her collar. For a split second I thought sheâd somehow be strong enough to withstand the pain, but she swiftly fell to the floor screaming. Wolverine and Rogue rushed up to her.
âYou made your point!â Cyclops yelled. âStop that at onceâ.
âWe give the orders here, mutie freak. Keep your disgusting mouths shut at all times!â
I heard more footsteps and saw about five other FOH soldiers join the ones who were taunting us. Somewhere along the way one of them pressed the button that stopped Stormâs torture. Again, Wolverine held her as she tried to recover. It was weird seeing Storm, normally so solid and so incredibly powerful, taken down so easily by those damn collars. Wolverine looked more pissed than Iâd never seen him.
So I suppose I donât need to say that I was scared out of my mind. Seriously, my heart was speeding faster than ever and I was probably hyperventilating. While I was shaking with fear, I got another reminder why Iâll never be more than a partial X-man. A half X-man. The others looked worried, thatâs for sure. But they also looked alright. Half the team had just been tortured and even they were starting to recover fast. Nobody but me was trembling in fear. You could see that they were assessing the situation and figuring out our next move. Fleetingly I thought about how much I admired and loved the rest of the team, and I prayed weâd get out of this mess. But all I could do was try to get my breathing down to a normal rate and try to control the panic that had started in my stomach and had spread to every muscle in my body.
You know I really try hard not to hate myself â“ and I donât, most of the time I think Iâm pretty okay â“ but I sure felt like a loser then. I think the others are just comprised of stronger material than I am. I donât have the bravery gene or the strong-fighter gene.
At one point, Hank came up to me, probably seeing my distress, and put a hand on my shoulder. But no sooner had he done so than one of the soldiers pointed at us and waved the horrible device. Hank stepped away.
As I was thinking all these thoughts, the now sizable group of FOH stood outside our cell watching us. Then they began to talk.
I knew that some â“ or most â“ people hated us mutants. I watched the news, saw our intelligence reports on FOH, and heard first-hand from the others who had dealt with FOH personally. Jubilee and Wolverine had had some particularly harrowing encounters with them. But I had also been a bit isolated too. In the past few months, I had hardly left the mansion except for quick shopping trips or the occasional jaunt to the bar.
So I wasnât prepared for the venom that the soldiers spewed at us. They spent the nextâŠtwenty minutes? Two hours?...telling us just what they thought of mutants.
I told myself itâs just words, itâs just names. They want to tell us that weâre âmutant shitâ and we deserve to die, thatâs just their wrong attitude. If they tell us weâre âborn of the devilâ and we âf--- our mothersâ and we are âsubhuman garbageâ, then why do I care what these maniacs think?
But for some reason I looked at the ground or at my hands and felt too embarrassed to look at the others during the tirade. I kept hoping it would end soon. It was hard to think against this constant stream of hatred.
And then FOH said some things that chilled me to the bone. A very official-looking guy walked in â“ he had some sort of rank insignia that indicated he was a top dog. The other soldiers saluted and stopped talking when he arrived.
âI just received word from headquarters,â the official said. âThe top four should be here in five to seven hoursâ.
The official then turned to us. âDid they tell you whatâs going to happen to you when the top four get here?â This one spoke more slowly than the others and his tone was commanding. Somehow I felt forced to look up again and listen.
By now weâd learned not to talk back, so he repeated forcefully, âDid they?â
âNoâ, Cyclops answered. He made the one word sound somehow strong and defiant.
A ghastly smile came over the face of the FOH leader. âThen let me do the honors of explaining what awaits you. The top leaders of the entire FOH organization are spending time with some Canadian mutant freaks called Alpha Flight. We captured them yesterday. Weâre getting ready to kill them â“ as we will all of you as well â“ but weâre having lots of fun with them first. The leaders are raping all of the women, and making the men watchâ.
He paused and just looked at us. I felt my face drain of color. That sick feeling in the pit of my stomach was almost intolerable now. I looked back down at my hands and hoped that I wasnât literally squirming. I couldnât dream of looking at the others right now.
âAfter they finish their fun with Alpha Flight, theyâre going to kill them. A simple bullet to each skull, we think. After all the f---ing, Alpha Flight is going to be happy when it happens. So we just need to wait for our four leaders to finish with that other group of mutant filth. And when theyâre done with the festivities, our leaders are going to come here nextâ. He then paused and asked, speaking slowly, âAnd guess what they are going to do to you?â
No one responded and he didnât force any of us to either. He then stroked his face and added, âHmmmâŠmaybe we should rig a live video feed in here so you can see what awaits you. Get you prepared. Weâd start doing the f---ing of your females right now but we do have to defer to our leaders â“ they get first pick of the spoils of war, that sort of thing. Weâll join in after they get hereâ.
After a few moments of silence, the guy went on. âSuddenly youâre all so quiet. Before, I was told, we couldnât shut you up. So quiet nowâ. He took a breath. âWell, enjoy waiting and thinking about what will happen to youâ.
The guy then turned to the other FOH soldiers. âThis is a glorious day! Two mutant groups captured and defeatedâ.
He turned and walked down the hallway. A few soldiers remained outside our cell, holding those control devices and staring at us.
And now the area was eerily quiet, with that manâs words repeating themselves over and over again in my head. I still couldnât look at the others. I think I wasnât trembling anymore but felt nauseated and found it hard to breathe. Pretty soon, my ears started to slightly ring though I donât know if it was due to the strange silence or fear or some residue of the weapon that attacked us.
Iâm not sure how long we waited there. When I lifted my head, I vaguely saw some of the others tugging at their collars or approaching the force field, but the minute someone made any sort of move like that, the soldiers raised the collar control device ominously.
There was one point where FOH threw into our cell several large bottles of water and a bucket. (How thoughtful! I guess they didnât want anyone passing out from thirst while we waited). The others made motions as if to rush the door, but there was no chance. The cell had two force fields and they worked kind of like an air lock. When one was off, the other remained on, so there was no way to get out â“ though Cyclops and Wolverine tried. And they ended up not only getting nipped by one of the force fields but also ended up being tortured with the collars for their attempt. It was a while before either one revived.
***
The X-men continued to wait in their cell, fighting the rage and fear that threatened to overwhelm. Any attempts to discuss possible escape plans â“ not that escape seemed remotely feasible â“ were thwarted by the torture-device on the collars. Any attempts for one X-man to try to touch or comfort another was similarly and brutally thwarted as well. The cell had no windows, nothing but smooth walls and the force field. Despite their anxiety over what FOH had promised, the keen minds of the group continued to consider possibilities for escape but had to abandon them one by one.
At one point, Cyclops attempted to improvise. He walked towards the force field and tried to approach one of the guards with a request. As soon as he opened his mouth, the guards used the torture device on Jean, not Scott. They left it on for over two minutes and when they finally shut it off, Jean took several minutes to regain consciousness. âDonât touch her,â the guards warned Scott when he tried to offer some comfort.
âNo talking â“ to us or to each other!â another guard barked out.
The guardsâ shifts were short, so as to avoid any possibility of them not being alert and ready. Never were there fewer than three guards standing outside the cell, and they watched every movement made by the group. They appeared eager to use the torture devices.
Rogue decided to try something. As the others watched, Gambit unsure if he should silently attempt to dissuade her, she approached the force field. She locked eyes with one of the guards and extended her index finger, gesturing directly at him. She raised her eyebrows and gave an unmistakably lusty look to him.
âMaybe you anâ I could find somewhere ---â
Her voice was cut off by the torture device. As Gambit lunged towards her, he was held back by Colossus and by the warning of the soldier who menacingly waved the remote control device at him. Rogue screamed agonizingly loudly, her voice ringing in the othersâ ears for an interminable amount of time before she fell over, still.
âNice try, mutant filth. How stupid do you think we are?â one of the guards said.
âDonât worry, sheâll wake up before our leaders get here,â another gloated.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the FOH leader who had spoken to the group earlier walked by the cell. âJust three more hours,â he informed them. âThen FOHâs top four get here, and then the fun really begins. Iâve already picked who Iâm going to f--- first, once our leaders are finishedâ. He paused and pointed at Jean. âYouâ.
***
Stormâs mind was exhausted. She had silently contemplated countless escape plans but not one was feasible.
She was able to keep her claustrophobia at bay. The cell was crowded, but large. Storm had room to move or at least stretch. But given what FOH promised to do later, claustrophobia was the least of her worries.
She sat across from Wolverine. Storm made eye contact with him a few times, seeing her own despair and rage mirrored on his face. She marveled at how well he was handling himself. Mostly, however, she wished that she had done more than simply consider asking him to go camping with her in the past. If they truly were to be tortured and then killed, Storm wished she had not postponed this. She doubted that she would be given a second chance, but had a few ideas of what she would do if the X-men did manage an escape.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Chapter Three by Stormkpr
Warning: This chapter also contains a few situations and references which may disturb some readers.
And I do promise that we will eventually get to the RoLo!
Chapter Three
Rogue and Gambit sat on the floor of the FOH cell next to each other. They sat close enough together that the guards didnât have a clear view of their hands entwined. Although her nerves were on alert, Rogue was also exhausted from her sleep being interrupted and from her bodyâs raging but thwarted desire to fight back against FOH. She drifted in and out of consciousness. She knew she dozed off intermittently but she was too filled with anxiety to get any fulfilling sleep, much less dreams.
Rogueâs mind wandered. As the strain of the current situation pressed down on her, she forced herself to think of pleasant memories as a distraction. She needed a mental diversion if she wanted to maintain her sanity, she knew. After all, the Professor had said that the brain was one of the mightiest weapons.
She tilted her head towards Gambit, who also dozed lightly, and smiled. As much as the man exasperated her sometimes, she loved him fiercely.
She remembered the days before she acquired an inhibitor collar. Her heart had been in her throat at the thought of their situation â“ Remy admitting that he loved her, watching him fight his desire for contact. Rogue vividly recalled forgot the day she told him to just forget her and to pursue other women, ones he could actually touch. She had gone back to her room and cried into the pillow even though she felt that setting him free had been the right thing to do.
Not too long afterwards, he had tapped on her door. âI canât jusâ forget you like dat, chere,â he had murmured passionately.
She had allowed him to witness her crying. âWhat do you want us to do then?â she had wailed. âI canât touch you!â
âRemy tâinks dat you gonna tâink of a solution one day,â he had responded, hugging her tightly through the protective barrier of their clothing.
Remy had waited a few days before Rogue had her epiphany. She had begun to wonder why he hadnât suggested it herself but then slowly it dawned on her that he had wanted it to be her idea; he wanted her to realize what she could do if she wore an inhibitor collar. She marched into Hankâs lab and asked for a collar. Rogue also asked him how it worked and whether one would suffer any harm from wearing it. Hank had smiled and reassured her as he reached into a drawer to pull one out.
Rogue remembered back to the look on Gambitâs face when she first told him what she had acquired. She remembered how she asserted herself and told him what she was and was not ready to experience. She remembered his smile and how he eagerly, and respectfully, complied with her guidelines. Her favorite memories were the long afternoons and evenings when he patiently and gently guided her, how she came to adore touch and to fully embrace her sensuality. Gambitâs words of love always helped. He would use his hands on her, and later his mouth, until she was finally ready to offer herself fully.
He had more than made good on his assertion from years ago that there was plenty he could teach her. She had learned from him and had overcome her awkwardness in finding out what to do, discovering how he liked to be touched.
Rogue stifled a giggle when she recalled preparing for one of her and Remyâs earliest dates. She had visited three stores to search for the perfect outfit and was unsatisfied with all of her purchases. She had collided with Bobby in the hallway and had poured out her frustrations to him. Before she knew it, Bobby had demanded that she fly them both to the nearest mall where they scoured every clothing store until both were satisfied that she had flattering clothes. Items were discarded breezily for being not revealing enough or too revealing or the wrong color or too expensive. They were fanatic about the clothing selection process and enjoyed every second of it.
Her reverie was interrupted by an FOH soldier who peered closely at them. âHey, you two. Quit holding hands!â He waved the torture device menacingly.
***
I donât know how much time was passing. Each minute felt like three hours. We had tried everything to escape but now the guards were torturing us even if we moved. Wolverine had stood up and started to pace, and just for that they used the collar on him.
I donât need to write out what I saw when I looked around the cell. We all looked ready to jump out of our skins. We all looked like death. I think everyone was eager for battle, for a fair fight but we had no way to get free of the collars.
We heard footsteps and the same leader guy approached. My heart fell out and landed on the floor. I thought it had been about three hours since his last visit. This had to be it. I couldnât even imagine living through what he had been saying. I couldnât fathom Jubilee and Rogue and Storm and Jean being raped. And the rest of us being forced to watch it. That all almost seemed worse than the execution he had promised afterwards. I mean, weâve battled some morally degenerate enemies before but I donât think it would even have occurred to them to ever suggest doing something like this. My mouth was dry but I glanced and saw that we had finished all the water.
âJust when you thought mutants couldnât sink any lower,â he began. During that split second, I was almost relieved since it didnât appear that he was announcing his leadersâ arrival.
My relief was very short-lived.
âNow we find out,â he went on, âthat you have a homosexual among your ranks. We donât have to wait until our leaders get here before we start having fun with you,â he said, looking directly at me. âYou worthless queerâ.
I kind of wondered how they knew, but I guessed there were a few possible ways. I assume FOH had been monitoring us and itâs possible they knew I went to a gay bar sometimes. Also, if they had indeed captured and tortured Banshee or Moira, perhaps one of them mentioned it. And years ago, at the Professorâs gentle suggestion, I had visited a psychologist just to have a non-X-man to talk things through with when I was coming out â“ if they went through our personnel files at the mansion, Iâm sure that wouldâve been in there somewhere.
I was, however, in fear for my life so I wasnât spending a lot of time pondering all that.
âCome here,â he ordered me.
I actually sprang to my feet in a matter of seconds. I didnât want someone else getting the collar used on them because of me, and I could walk even though my legs were stiff. The soldiers opened one of the force fields and I stepped through. I was dimly aware of the others again trying to rush the force field, but it didnât work --- thanks to both the collars and to that airlock thing they had going on where there was always one force field up.
Three soldiers and their leader led me down a hallway.
***
From what I saw when walking down the halls, I didnât think we were on board one of FOHâs starships. I even passed a window and from the glance outside I took, I guessed we were at one of their main headquarters.
But I didnât have much time for speculating. The soldiers shoved me inside a small room. I canât explain why, but I felt calm all of a sudden. I was still terrified, but my heart wasnât racing quite as much as I wouldâve thought.
âAlright, who wants to go first?â
Apparently they hadnât organized what they were going to do to me. One of them just took a swing at me and punched me. Then another. They just kept hitting me again and again. Iâd never been beaten up before â“ not without mutant powers involved -- so I guessed this was what it was like. As they hit me, they hurled out every anti-gay slur you could imagine. They shoved me from one guy to another. Sometimes one would hold me up so another could punch me. I fell to the ground several times and they either kicked me or scooped me up and held me up again.
Pain. Iâd never felt such intense pain before. One blow after another, it was torture. I think every part of my body had been hit. Pretty soon there wasnât a nerve ending in my body that didnât cry out. Years ago I had been defeated in combat back when I used to fight -- I had one encounter with one of Magsâ cronies that left me pretty black and blue but it was still nothing like this. I was in so much pain that I eventually couldnât even hear the insults they were throwing at me. Blood was everywhere.
At some point, there were several punches right to my mouth. When they stopped, I found myself coughing and I remember spitting out a tooth. How I didnât pass out right then and there, Iâll never know.
Something happened not much longer after that. I think some of their watches beeped â“ maybe it was their turn to be on duty somewhere else. So a few of them left, and then one of them grabbed me by the arm and threw me inside another room. He left. After some amount of time â“ I was in so much agony I had no idea how long â“ that roomâs door opened and another FOH walked in.
He closed the door and I was alone with just this guy. I couldnât stand up on my own so I was kind of crouching against the wall. Iâm sure one of the other X-men wouldâve been able to take this guy, even with a collar on, but I was so beat up all I could do was try to stay conscious despite the raging pain in my mouth and pray that Iâd get some sort of respite as I vaguely wondered why he was just standing there.
Maybe a minute or so passed with him watching me and doing nothing. Finally he took a few steps closer to me and started to talk. I was expecting another round of name-calling -- Iâd never heard the term âfaggotâ used so many times in one day -- but he said something else.
âI hate mutant scum,â he began, but he wasnât yelling the words. He was saying them conversationally as if we were sitting down to coffee. âI really do. I joined FOH because of that and because I needed a job. You rich mutants living in that mansion have no idea what itâs like to want to work and not have a jobâ. I trembled as I forced myself to listen to him. âBut my sister was raped and I donât want anyone else to go through what she did. And theyâre going to force us to participate once the leaders are done. You see,â he began again, emphasizing each of the next five words, âI just canât do thatâ.
I wondered if I was dreaming. The guy pulled out a map. âHereâs how to get back to your friendsâ cell. Iâm gonna take your collar off you and give you a gun. Youâll probably kill me, I donât know, I guess I donât care at this point. Iâm going to shoot myself in the side to make it look like you overpowered me. Your best bet is to steal one of our starships and get the hell off this planet. Good luckâ.
With that, he helped me to my feet and did exactly as he said. He reached around my neck â“ I flinched at being touched â“ and pressed a few buttons on his device. He proceeded to take out a pistol and shoot himself, and then hand me the gun. He mustâve had a silencer on it as it made almost no sound.
I stood there blinking for a few seconds, but utter fear of what awaited the X-men made me snap into action. I wasnât a warrior, not at all, but I had to figure this one out. I had to act.
Immediately I turned into my Iceman form. I hadnât done it completely for a while, but it came right back. I took the gun but was much more comfortable using ice. Changing into the ice form must have completely numbed the pain from all over my body; I remember it used to do that in the past and did so again that day. I didnât even think anymore about the effects of the beatings.
I didnât debate between using a slow and stealthy approach or a bolder one. The map indicated that I wasnât far from the X-menâs cell. I made an ice slide and barreled down the hallway, full speed ahead. I ran into a few FOH, reached my arm out, and iced them over instantly. It still worked! In truth, I hadnât had time to worry that it wouldnât. It just *had* to.
I continued to careen down the hall on my ice slide. I reached the area outside the cell and the soldiers guarding it didnât have time to do anything more than open their mouths before I froze them in blocks of ice. The other X-men jumped to their feet. I wanted to take a second to savor the looks on their faces but there was no time, and to this day I have no memory of it.
But now I had a problem â“ I had to figure out how to get the force field down. âThere!â Cyclops yelled, pointing at a panel on the wall. I started to freak out just a bit then and started randomly pressing pretty much every button on the panel. Miraculously, the force fields dropped.
An alarm sounded. I reached Wolverine first and turned his collar into ice. He tore it off, and we proceeded to use either his claws or my ice to remove everyone elseâs collar. I thrust the map I had been given towards Cyclops. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Colossus scoop up the Professor since obviously his wheelchair wasnât there.
In the past, Iâd lose all sense of reality in battle. Adrenaline or panic or whatever would kind of overtake me. In the chaos of combat, it really was hard for me to maintain any sense ofâŠnormalcy or equilibrium. Now that the others had their powers back, I just followed along, relieved to not be the one on whom everything was dependant anymore.
I remember us rushing down the hallway and encountering many FOH soldiers. I remember lots of lasers shooting from Cyclopsâs eyes, lightening bolts from Storm, charges from Gambit, and so on. We took some guns from some of the soldiers we encountered so that those of us who needed weapons had them. I remember Cyclops and Storm calling out plans over the din of battle.
FOH, at least at this compound, was toast.
Most proudly, I remember managing to stay rather sane during the pandemonium and shooting out ice whenever needed. A few times I had to fight back fear that I would accidentally freeze one of my teammates but somehow that didnât happen, which was a minor miracle given how untrained I was. Out of the corner of my eye, I once saw Jean nearly fall on the remnants of one of my ice slides, but she steadied herself straightaway. Fighting in a battle with a lot of powerful mutants is kind of like a big elaborate dance, but more like one where people can get really hurt.
Along those lines. The worst moment in battle occurred when I heard Colossus scream, âXavierâs hit!â I vaguely remember whirling around and seeing blood coming from the Professor, who was still held in one of Colossusâs arms.
Storm and Cyclops led us to a hangar which housed several FOH ships. I remember hearing Jean proclaim âThis one is empty!â and Forge declaring that it looked space-worthy.
As we bounded up the shipâs ramp, there was one conversation I remember well.
âWe gotta rescue Alpha Flight!â Wolverine yelled.
âWe canât,â I heard Cyclops reply. âThey had their chance to join us; we reached out to them. And we have to get Xavier to safetyâ.
At the same time Cyclops spoke, I heard Angel yell, âToo dangerous! We need to get out of here!â
Stormâs wisdom came through in the end. âWe donât know where they are. And if what FOH said is true, then they are already dead, anyway. And as Cyclops said, getting Xavier somewhere safe is our priorityâ.
âWhat about Banshee and Moira?â Hank asked.
Jean touched her hand to one of her temples. âI canât say why, but I believe they are safe. Wherever they areâ. Then I was surprised to hear her admit, âBut my intuition might be clouded a bit by my worry for the Professorâ.
That was enough debate. We piled on board the ship, rushing towards the bridge. Within seconds, Forge and Beast figured out how to engage the cloaking device and get us out of there. Itâs nice having a few geniuses on your team. By the time FOH got one of their starships into the air, we were already zooming ahead with warp drive and had the cloaking device functioning. FOH had no way to track us.
***
I went right to sick bay after that and the next several hours were a bit unclear for me, but hereâs what I know happened.
Cyclops, Storm, and Forge stayed on the bridge to take care of our immediate concerns. They made sure the cloaking device was holding and that no FOH ship was following us.
I guess the Professor had given Cyke and Storm some coordinates that he kept hearing in a dream or message or something. It was supposed to be a place of healing, which the Professor desperately needed though Iâll get to that in a second. The message or dream wasnât much to go on but we didnât really have any other destination. Going back to earth wasnât a good idea. Forge had checked the shipâs supply of dilithium, which is this power source that runs the engines as well as life support, the cloaking device, and the replicators. So itâs pretty important. Forge discovered that this ship had enough of it to take us to the coordinates Xavier had mentioned â“ I guess we had enough to last a while, regardless. So thatâs where they set the shipâs course for.
Beast dashed to sick bay to tend to the Professor. It was serious. With Jean assisting, Hank had to perform surgery on the Professor to remove two bullets. When their grueling work was finally done, the Professor was in a coma.
As for me, as soon as I reverted back to my normal form, I nearly collapsed in pain. The Iceman form and the adrenaline from our escape had numbed my pain but as soon as I changed back to myself, I was one beaten up guy. I went to sick bay too, which wasnât that big so I could always see what was going on with the Professor. As much pain as I was in, I fervently hoped Xavier would pull through.
Jean at one point apologized and promised that she and Hank would help me as soon as they were able. They were the two, obviously, best suited to taking care of the injured, but others had had at least basic first aid training. Nightcrawler and Rogue tended to my wounds.
They bandaged me up best they could. At one point I remember Rogue yelling over to Hank, âWhat do we give him for the pain? They knocked out a tooth!â I remember Nightcrawler hurriedly reading the label of whatever medication to make sure they gave me the right dosage, as Rogue brought up a computer and tried to search the database. The two of them did the best they could, and whether it was due to pain or fatigue or the medicine, I lost consciousness a few times. Which was fine with me.
When Hank was finally free â“ and he looked as exhausted as everyone â“ he bandaged my ribs. Two of them were fractured. At one point I took a look in the mirror and wished I hadnât. My eyes were blackened and my face swollen. I really looked hideous and felt that way too.
Okay, enough about me and back to what everyone else was doing. I heard that once they felt that the bridge was secure and our immediate needs taken care of, Cyclops and Storm worked on some logistic-type stuff. This is the kind of thing I love to coordinate but I was too sick to do any of it. Things like assigning rooms to people, learning the layout and workings of the vessel, creating a âbridge dutyâ schedule (for safetyâs sake, we needed at least one person on the bridge to make sure the ship was functioning alright, we werenât under attack, etc), using the food replicators to prepare meals since we hadnât eaten for a while, and most importantly putting together a âsleep scheduleâ. We absolutely had to get some rest, though there was so much to do. No one had slept much while we were imprisoned and I canât even estimate how many straight hours weâd all gone without sleep. I believe that the others slowly began to retire to their new quarters for rest, though I remained in sick bay, napping occasionally.
Despite everyoneâs urgent need for sleep, and the fact that I was in and out of consciousness myself, I did have many visitors once Rogue and Nightcrawler patched me up as best as they could. Gambit came. I think he was thanking me for rescuing the team, but his visit was right after I was given the pain killer and I believe I fell asleep while he was talking. Later on, I have dim memories of visits by Jubilee, Storm, Wolverine, and Cannonball I think. I remember being thanked and remember one or two wanting to hug me but they couldnât because I was so sore.
Iâll never forget my conversation with Hank when he was bandaging my ribs and admonishing me to not move.
âI am sorry, my friend, that I was not available to take care of you earlier,â he said.
I tried to not be stunned. âHank, give me a break. You had to *perform surgery* on the Professor! I think that takes precedenceâ.
âI still wish that I could have done more. And I also want to thank you for rescuing us. You are very braveâ.
I let his compliments roll right off me. In fact, as he was talking I really wished I couldâve stroked his blue fur reassuringly since I knew his regret at not being able to do more was sincere. But it seemed that the more I moved, the more pain I felt.
âWhen your mouth heals more,â he added, âIâll make you an implant to replace the tooth that was knocked outâ.
âSounds good. But Hank -- you look really tired. Promise me that as soon as youâre done with wrapping my ribs, youâll go to your room and get some sleep?â
He looked around the sterile sick bay. The Professor lay on his bed and I wish he had been just sleeping instead of just in a coma. âPerhaps I should remain hereâ.
âNo! Look, if I need you, Iâll call you on my communicator, okay? Gambit gave me one too. If the Professor wakes up, wonât his machine start beeping? So canât you get a bit of sleep?â
In the end, he compromised. Rather than heading for his quarters, he slept on one of the empty sick bay beds.
***
Jean Grey entered the bridge. Her husband and Storm were still stationed on the adjoining captain and first officerâs chairs, still discussing plans.
Jean stood behind Scott and circled her arms around him. âJean, honeyâŠyou need your rest now,â he said quietly, tilting his head around, though he enjoyed her embrace.
âSo do you,â she answered. Jean then looked at Storm. âAnd you too, Storm. We might have our powers back but it doesnât mean we donât need basics, like sleepâ.
Storm nodded. âWe spoke with Forge four hours ago. We had agreed that he would seek five hours of sleep and then come here to relieve usâ.
âGood,â Jean said. âBecause as much as we love our leaders, youâre not of any use to us if youâre brain-deadâ.
âIâll be able to join you soon,â Scott promised, standing up to embrace his wife. âJust one more hourâ. With an arm around her, he led her to the bridgeâs sliding door.
Later, Scott made good on his promise and joined Jean in their room. She was sleeping soundly. He looked around their quarters. The room was sparse and utilitarian. One dozen of the rooms on the formerly-FOH ship had been designated officer quarters and thus, although Spartan, had their own private bathrooms. The room itself contained a queen sized bed, shelves, desk and chair, and tiny window.
Cyclops kicked off his shoes and settled into bed next to his wife.
âI canât believe,â Jean murmured, âthat weâre on a starship heading through spaceâ.
âTo an unknown destination, in the hopes that *something* there can somehow help the Professor out of his coma,â Cyclops finished. He then added, âThough we have found ourselves in situations that were nearly this unusualâ.
Jean turned onto her side and rested her head on his shoulder. âTry to sleep,â she said softly. âWeâre worried about Xavier but thereâs nothing we can do nowâ.
âIs Hank getting any sleep?â
âHe said he would. Though knowing him he wonât leave sick bayâ. Jean paused and said, âI know youâre worried about the whole team, but I think everyone is hanging in there. Actually, considering what weâve been through, I think everyoneâs doing just fineâ.
âIs umâŠis the baby alright? I mean, I know you wouldâve told me if you sensed somethingâŠâ he let his voice trail off.
âI meant to tell you -- Hank checked the babyâs heartbeat with a stethoscope and said it was fine, thank goodnessâ. She took a breath, thinking back to the collar torture. âI canât remember ever feeling so much pain in my life. I donât even have words for itâ.
âSame hereâ. As much as Scott wanted to drift off to sleep, he knew he couldnât rest unless he brought up something else. He reached one of his hands to clasp hers. âTheyâŠthey threatened to do some horrible things to us. Are you alright?â
He silently chastised himself for feeling awkward about bringing this subject up with his own wife, but he didnât want her to think he was trying to forget it ever happened. It was fairly impossible to forget, given the number of times the soldiers told them what the FOH leaders were going to do.
Through her mindlink with Scott, Jean picked up on some of these thoughts. âI am glad you asked because what they threatened us withâŠweâve never experienced anything like thatâ.
âI know. It was shockingâ.
âBut Iâm alright,â Jean insisted. âIâm making a conscious effort to think of other things because I feel a bit ill if I dwell on it for too longâ.
Scott nodded.
Jean whispered, âLetâs get some sleep, my loveâ.
The couple soon fell into a sound sleep, wrapped in each otherâs arms.
***
Pretty soon, I think a sense of normalcy came over the ship. Well, thatâs probably the wrong word but I will say that once everyone had eaten and slept, things didnât feel as urgent and so Storm and Cyclops called us all together for a meeting.
I was still on pain medications, but Hank switched me to some that didnât make me spacey. I hadnât been out of sick bay much, so Rogue and Gambit escorted me to the meeting room since I didnât yet know my way around the ship. One of my eyes was still swollen and I couldnât see too well out of it, and I had to walk slowly. Rogue and Gambit took me to a large room adjacent to the bridge. It had a big circular table which we all barely fit around.
As I entered the room, a few of my teammates went up to me and shook my hand and thanked me for rescuing them. Colossus started to give me a manly slap on the back but fortunately stopped himself in time when I gently reminded him that every nerve ending in my body was sore. Cyclops made a point of shaking my hand and thanking me as well.
Hank entered the conference room last -- Iâm sure he was reluctant to leave the Professor even though his condition hadnât changed.
Storm kicked off the meeting by saying that it was a good idea for us all to get together in the same room and check in ânow that we have all rested and know the lay of the landâ.
âFirst thing we wanted to inform you of,â Cyclops began, âis that we estimate a six week trip until we reach our destinationâ. He looked at Forge and said, âWe will have enough dilithium to get us there â“ and back to earth â“ if we continue at this speedâ.
Rogue spoke up, âCan yâall remind us where weâre goinâ and why?â
Storm smiled. âIâm glad you brought it up â“ in the chaos of the last several hours, Iâm not sure how well we communicated with everyoneâ. She then went on to explain that Xavier had been informing both herself and Scott that he had been receiving messages of some sort that contained specific coordinates and conveyed the idea that healing would take place at those coordinates. The Professor viewed the message as important enough to tell the X-men leaders about it more than once and insist that they memorize the coordinates.
âDonât mean to sound critical,â Gambit began, âbut dat donât seem like a whole lot to go onâ.
Storm responded, âYouâre right, Gambit. We X-men have had severalâŠundeveloped plans before and we certainly donât claim that this is much different. Cyclops and I have been discussing alternatives but we havenât come up with a satisfactory oneâ.
âFor example,â Cyke began, âwe could return to earth but in Hankâs view, no medical facility that would agree to treat a mutant would be any better than the equipment he has here. And with FOHâs control over everything, thereâs a certain logic to staying away for now. They defeated us pretty easily at the mansion and I donât think itâs wise to risk any sort of confrontation with them now until we understand their weapons betterâ.
âAnd you can bet that airspace around earth is crawlinâ with FOH ships,â Wolverine added. âWaitinâ for usâ.
Hank then said, âOur main priority has to be to heal the Professor. His condition is stable now but I do not know to bring him out of the coma. There is a possibility that a few of the state-of-the-art facilities on earth could do more for him, but as Cyclops said, none of those facilities treat mutantsâ.
I saw lots of people nodding, and no one looked like they disagreed. Someone wouldâve spoken up if they had a better idea.
Jean shook her head. âI know this is totally unscientific, but my intuition tells me that we will findâŠhealing or help or something at these coordinatesâ.
Angel said, âI completely agree that this ship seems safer now than just about any place on earth. For the past year or so, I felt like a sitting duck at the mansion. Now at least we can move around quickly, weâre hidden by the cloaking device, and this ship has weapons tooâ.
Storm looked around the room. âSo, am I correct in thinking that you support this plan â“ or at least that thereâs no strong disagreement? That you can all get behind the idea of us proceeding to this place and deciding our next move from there?â
âIâm behind it,â Wolverine said.
âSo then,â Cyclops continued, âin terms of how we will spend the next six weeks before we reach our destinationâŠForge and Beast have agreed to work on reconstructing the Danger Room. We have enough dilithium that this is a reasonable goal. Thereâs a large empty room in here that looks like it was supposed to be used for a holodeck, so using that space for the Danger Room would be ideal. Once the new Danger Room is functional, weâll put together a training schedule. In the meantime, please use the gym to train. Itâs fairly large and has quite a bit of equipmentâ.
âHere are maps of the ship for anyone who didnât already receive one,â Storm said, passing out the papers. The major points of interest were the bridge, sick bay, mess hall, gym, recreation room, engineering, the meeting room in which we sat, and the personnel quarters. The personnel quarters all occupied one long hallway near the bridge.
Forge asked, his eyes still on the map, âArenât we going to be short one room? The personnel quarters, I meanâ.
I saw Cyclops and Storm look at each other. âOh yeah,â Scott began. âWe meant to mention that. There are twelve rooms on this ship that were designated officersâ quarters. There are lots of other sleeping quarters on this ship, but they are more like army barracks â“ big rooms with lots of bunk beds and with a group bathroom down the hallâ.
âSo with fifteen people on the ship and twelve rooms,â Forge said, âassuming that Cyclops and Jean are sharing one room and Rogue and Gambit another â“ weâre short a roomâ.
âYeah,â Cyclops said. âWe were thinking that we can deal with that when the Professor is out of his coma. We could always designate one of the large barrack rooms to be his â“ it would be further away from all the other rooms but it would be nice and bigâ.
âWe could also rotate who gets that room,â Storm added. âOr we could convert another space into a room for someone â“ there are a few other conference rooms that could be converted, though they wouldnât have private bathroomsâ.
âWeâll deal with it when we need to,â Cyke concluded.
âSo in the meantime, neither of the couples can break up!â Jubilee declared, and everyone laughed at her joke.
She then went on, âWhat is this ship anyway? I mean, what do we know about it? It looks like itâs never been usedâ.
âBest we can tell, this is a brand-new starship,â Wolverine answered. I guess heâd been doing some research on the place. âItâs got a few miles on it, but few enough that I think it was just taken for a few test-drives and thatâs it. Ainât no crew roster in the shipâs records; looks like this is the first time it ever left earthâ.
âWhat are we gonna call it?â Rogue asked. At the questioning looks she received, she went on, âNo, really, I think itâs gotta have a name. Canât keep callinâ it âthe shipâ â“ thatâd be impoliteâ.
I was really surprised to find myself speaking up. âHow about the Victory?â I asked. âFor Victory, over FOH. Which we haveta believe is going to happen some dayâ.
âI like it,â Cyclops said.
âAnd there is a certain logic to letting the man who rescued us all choose the name,â Storm added.
I felt myself blushing. âI was just doing what any of you wouldâve done in that situation,â I said. All the attention made my stomach fill with butterflies, though I kind of liked it too.
âSpeaking of that,â Storm began, as she got up and walked over to a cabinet in the room. She pushed a button and the door slid aside. A cake was inside, along with plates and forks. She lifted the cake and set it onto the table. âWe all wanted to thank you, Bobby, for the rescue. You are very heroic. Weâre trying to only replicate necessary items, as you all know, but we did want to make this cake to celebrate what youâve doneâ.
âYes,â Cyke added. âWe wouldnât be here without you, Bobby. Thank youâ.
People applauded and I felt embarrassed but great. (Can you feel embarrassed and great at the same time?) Slices of cake were soon passed around. I know I was smiling from ear to ear. Someone made a joke about wanting to carry me around on their shoulders as they sang âFor Heâs a Jolly Good Fellowâ but I laughed and reminded them that my sore ribs wouldnât be able to take it.
âIâve never heard,â Nightcrawler began, as he sliced into his piece of the chocolate cake, âexactly what happened. How did you get free of the soldiers?â
âActually, I donât think any of us know the story,â Rogue added. âWhat happened?â
I looked down at the cake. The meeting had turned so merry. Sorting through memories of our imprisonment would certainly bring the mood down. I stuttered for a bit, before I decided to just say what I was thinking. âThis will be kinda a downerâ.
âThatâs okay,â Cyclops said. âI think we need to hear itâ.
âOkay,â I said, and suddenly it was a lot easier to look down at the cake than at the group. âWell, they brought me into this room and they beat me up. As you can see,â I added, trying to put in a laugh. âIt seemed like it went on for a long time. Then they transferred me to another room. I looked up and it was just me and this one soldier. I think he was a big shotâ. My mouth felt dry and I realized that this would be difficult to tell. I wished I could be eating chocolately yumminess instead of retelling this tale. I made myself look up though since I couldnât stare at my plate the whole time. âHe started talking to me instead of hitting me. He, uhâŠhe said that his sister had been raped. He said he hated mutants but he didnât want anyone else to go through that. Then he started telling me that his plan was that heâd let me go and heâd shoot himself to make it look like I overpowered him. Heâs telling me all this and I can hardly believe him. Plus Iâm feeling a bit not myself since Iâm in tons of pain from getting beat up. But anyway, he did as he said and he took off my collar. I did the Iceman thing and headed right for the cell you were in. I didnât encounter that many soldiers but I froze those that I didâ.
I paused, and then tried to make a laugh, âSo you seeâŠI didnât *do* anything. I just let him remove my collar and I got over to you guys as soon as I couldâ.
âYou still behaved heroically,â Storm said, her rich, reassuring voice helping to soothe my nerves. âYou had been away from training for so long and yet you still reacted as an X-manâ.
All the praise was a bit too much for me, so I tried to turn the conversation. âI guess I am surprised by what the guy said. I didnât know any of them felt any sympathy for us or at least realized that we are human. But when he said he didnât want us to go through what his sister went throughâŠI guess he mustâve realized at some point that weâre not that different. At least not in that way, that weâd feel the same pain and sufferingâ.
I slowly realized that peopleâs heads were turning away from me and onto someone else. I looked over and saw that Jubileeâs head was bowed and she had a hand over her face. It soon became obvious that she was trying to hide that she was crying.
The party had suddenly turned very serious. Jean got up and went over to Jubilee, putting an arm around her. âItâs okay. You can go ahead and cry,â she said. âIâve cried at least once since we got freeâ.
Somehow Jean seems to know always just what to say. For a split second, Iâd worried that things would be really awkward and Jubilee would feel totally embarrassed. I mean, there was no reason for that but sometimes people can feel that way when their emotions get the best of them. But with Jean going over to Jubilee, somehow any weirdness just evaporated. How does Jean do it? Itâs like her voice and the way she says things seem to smooth things over. I could understand how both Cyclops and Wolverine â“ and heck, probably others â“ had fallen in love with her. She just seemed to light up a room.
Wolverine pulled out a handkerchief from who-knows-where and brought it over to Jubilee for her to wipe her eyes and nose. He also put a hand on her shoulder.
Once her voice was mostly steady, Jubilee spoke. âItâs just that thinking about us being caged up like thatâŠand thinking what they threatened to do to us. It makes me feel sick, and scaredâ.
âI think all of us feel the same way,â Storm said. âYou are certainly not aloneâ.
Cyclops added, âBut the important thing is that we did get free. Weâve gotten out of every situation like that beforeâ.
âBut it *was* scary,â I piped up. âBecause I think that was the closest weâd ever come toâŠwell, to getting tortured and killedâ.
Jubilee blew her nose and said, âIâm fine now. I had some bad nightmares last I slept, but Iâm okayâ.
Jean reached down and hugged her again. âCome to me anytime youâd like to talk, honâ.
The meeting pretty much ended after that. We went through a few more business items, such as getting everyone trained on basic ship functions, the bridge schedule, as well as stuff like times for when weâd have our meals. We were also reminded to minimize our use of the replicators â“ use them for clothing and essentials but remember that each time we replicate something, it uses up some of our power supply.
I didnât see my name on the âbridge dutyâ schedule. I guessed it was not on there since it was the type of pseudo-combat thing I normally didnât do. I started thinking that Iâd need to milk my hero-status and my injuries for all they were worth since I wasnât sure how Iâd earn my keep on board the ship. It seemed like most of Victoryâs functions took care of themselves; even the kitchen was self-cleaning.
âThe rec room is really nice,â Angel added before the meeting dispersed. âI imagine when weâre not eating or training, weâll spend a lot of our time thereâ.
âDereâs a pool table,â Gambit added. âDough I expect to be playinâ lots of card games in dere tooâ.
âAnd, no doubt, trouncing the rest of us at them,â Storm concluded.
***
As the X-men filed out of the meeting room, Wolverine kept his eye on Jubilee.
âHey,â he said, putting an arm on her shoulder.
âHey,â she answered, looking down at her plate.
Wolverine knew that Jubilee was not usually one to pass up on sweets, but her slice of cake remained half-eaten. Some frosting was smeared on the side of the plate. âThat ainât like you,â he said, ânot finishinâ your desertâ.
âGuess Iâm not hungryâ.
Logan nodded. âThat was brave of you, speakinâ about how you felt. I think everyone wanted to talk about it some but no one wanted to bring it upâ.
Jubilee nodded. âItâs just hard to realize how close we came toâŠ.to, god, I donât even want to say the wordâ.
âThose FOH bastards are pure evil. Once Xavierâs healed, we gotta figure out how to defeat them once and for allâ.
âDo you think itâs true what they said about Alpha Flight? What they did to them?â Her voice sounded much steadier than at the meeting.
âI donât know, Jubilee. It couldda all been a bunch of talk. Maybe they never even captured them and were just sayinâ that stuff âcause they knew itâd bother us. It might be a while before we find out what happened to âemâ. He then added, âYouâre safe here. And if anyone tries to hurt you, they gotta deal with meâ.
Wolverine came close to issuing a silent prayer that he would be able to keep that promise, if those grim circumstances ever should arise again.
Jubilee nodded and remained silent. After a few moments, Wolverine spoke again, âI know you got lots of people tellinâ you that you can talk to them anytime you need to. You got another one hereâ. His gruff voice could sound amazingly gentle when needed.
âThanks, Logan,â she said, reaching for the hug he offered. âI know I can always count on youâ.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
At the conclusion of the X-men meeting, Storm and Cyclops walked to the bridge together. They were alone, as it was his own bridge duty shift, and they sat side-by-side in the captain and first officerâs chairs. One more piece of business remained to be discussed.
âI just donât see it, Storm,â Cyclops said. âI meant what I said at the meeting â“ Bobby did perform well when he got free and we do owe our escape to him. He might very well have gotten paralyzed with fear and missed the chance, but he didnât â“ and I give him a lot of credit for that.â
âButâŠâ Storm prompted, knowing what was coming.
âBut heâs said so many times in the past that he doesnât want to train and doesnât want to be a fighter. Honestly, Storm, I donât even *know* how many times the Professor or you or I asked that over the years. He always said noâ.
âThat may be true,â Storm allowed, âthough it has been quite a while since the last time we asked. Perhaps the events that occurred at the FOH compound might have changed his perspective a bitâ.
Cyclops shrugged. âWe can ask. But I do think thereâs a point where you canât force someone to be something that they donât want to beâ.
Storm touched her chin. âI wonder if maybe we never dug deeper on this, on his refusal to fight. Itâs possible that he simply doesnât like combat, but I wonder if there might be more to it than that. Self-esteem issues or confidence issuesâ.
âWe did dig deeper, Storm. When heâŠcame out â“ I guess thatâs the term Iâm supposed to use --, the Professor arranged for him to talk to a therapist to have someone to sort things out with. Heâs had counselingâ. Cyclops took a breath. âAnd besides. I led some of those early missions he was on, back when he fought with the team. He was impulsive, he was never prepared, and he didnât follow orders wellâ. Any time those memories came up, Cyclops couldnât help but to feel anger at an X-manâs incompetence. It reflected poorly on the rest of their team but especially on their leader.
Storm tilted her head and noticed that Cyclops had grit his teeth. âHow old was he at that time? Twenty? Twenty-one? At that age, people arenât always known for following orders or for taking the time they should to prepare. I â“â
Cyclops cut in, âJubilee and Shadowcat â“ may she rest in peace â“ had no trouble doing so at that age. Storm, we were better off without him on missionsâ.
Storm continued speaking, âI havenât been with the team as long as you, but I have seen Bobby mature over the years. I think he can train with us again. And I think he can learn ship functions and serve on bridge duty like everyone elseâ.
Cyclops nodded. âWell, StormâŠI still donât think this is the best idea, but if you want to, why donât you go ahead and ask him to consider training with us again? I wonât try to stop you from askingâ.
âI think it would sound best coming from both of us. I think perhaps that he wants to know that all of us want him backâ.
During his years as leader and co-leader of the X-men, Cyclops had learned the adage âPick your battlesâ. He surrendered on this one.
âAlright. I donât fully agree, but like I said, we can ask himâ. Scott then smiled. âThough if we were back on earth and had money, I would bet you a year of my stipend that his answer will be noâ.
âWe could always bet one bridge duty shift,â Storm suggested, with a slight smile.
âYouâre onâ.
âI suggest that we wait a few days, until his injuries are more healed up. He might be more receptive to our idea then,â Storm concluded.
***
One night, I woke up shivering and terrified from a nightmare. In the dream, I was back with the FOH soldiers and they were beating me to a pulp and threatening to suffocate me. I broke free from them and ran but no matter how fast I ran, I couldnât find the other X-men and the soldiers kept gaining on me. I kept getting frustrated that I couldnât locate the X-men and felt scared to death that the soldiers would catch up with me.
I woke up at last, thank goodness. The sheets were covered with sweat. I badly needed someone to throw my arms around, someone to hold me and tell me that everything would be alright. But I didnât want to bother Hank given how busy he was, and it wasnât like I was a teenager anymore. I didnât want anyone to see me this weak. So I turned the light on and sat up in bed, with my arms wrapped around myself.
***
Rogue and Gambit were feeling much more like themselves now. As most of the X-men, they had been hungry and exhausted after the ordeal in the FOH cell and then the chaos of getting Victory up and running. Before the meeting, they had gotten just enough sleep and food to feel back to their prime.
They now sat together at the computer on the bridge. It was Rogueâs bridge duty shift, and both she and her lover had learned quickly how to monitor the surrounding areas of space and keep an eye on the shipâs major functions. The FOH vessel was not difficult to master; it had been designed to be as âuser friendlyâ as possible. Rogue pressed a few more buttons on the computer, while periodically checking a few other screens to ensure everything was in order.
âThatâs it,â Rogue muttered. âLooked at every damn inventory list on board this ship and there ainât one lousy collar on itâ.
During the heat of battle when the X-men escaped from their captors, neither Rogue nor Gambit had retained their collar. The devices had felt so evil during their imprisonment and had been used to bring so much pain to all the X-men that neither had mulled over the decision to discard them. The immediacy of the fight for freedom had trumped anything else.
âI âtink Forge or Beast can replicate the materials dey need to make one,â Gambit said. âAlmosâ sure dey canâ.
Rogue looked down for a second. âI feel almost funny askinâ âem for it. Theyâve got so much goinâ on with the Danger Room and lookinâ after Xavierâ.
âXavierâs condition ainât changed since the surgery so I donât tâink they doinâ much witâ him right now other den monitorinâ himâ. The X-men all took time to visit the Professor and talk to him even though he was in a coma, in the hopes that it would help pull him out of it.
âAnd hell, deyâll probably have the Danger Room up in no time,â he continued. âAinât no shame in askinâ for deir help on dis, chere.â He placed a hand on her shoulder. âEveryone got a right to be touchedâ.
âI know,â Rogue said softly. âAnd Remy, I tell you that I canât wait to touch you again â“ kept worryinâ when we slept that Iâd accidentally touch you even though the only part of my body not covered was my faceâ.
âBut sometâinâ makinâ you hesitateâ.
Rogue smiled and shook her head. âDamn, Remy, youâre always so perceptive!â
âNo I ainât,â he chuckled. âJusâ dat you canât hide your feelinâs even if you wanted to!â
Rogue smiled along with him, and she took a moment to sober up before she replied. âWell, Remy, I do feel kinda bad for them. I gotta go ask Forge and Hank to help with this so that I canâŠtouch you, and meantime they donât have anyone. No one to touchâ.
Gambit took in her words. This was a new one for him. It hadnât occurred to him that Rogue might feel sympathy for some of the other X-men this way. He himself was certainly thankful that he was one of the only men on the team to have a love interest also in the X-men; he was proud, in some way, of that fact. He just hadnât thought of feeling sympathy for the othersâ single states.
âWell, chere, ainât much you can do âbout dat. âSides, maybe dey used to it. Hankâs been single a long time. Forge too,â he added, though he knew Forge had long had his eye on Storm.
âI just feel bad for them. Everyone wants to be touched, everyone wants to be loved. Can anyone get used to not havinâ it? I never did, in all the years from when I first kissed Cody to when I asked Hank for that collarâ.
Gambit nodded in acknowledgement of her words, which certainly made sense but which he could do nothing to help with.
âWell, is your decision, chere. I do hope date you ask dem to make you a collar soonâ.
âOh, I will, Remy, I will. Iâll just feel bad about itâ. She paused and added, âAnd I gotta hope that puttinâ the damn thing on donât bring back bad memories from when we were in FOHâs prisonâ.
He placed an arm around her and asked gently, âDo you wanna talk âbout dat? Bout what they said dey were gonna do toâŠus?â
âDonât ever even wanna think about itâ. Rogue then laughed and added, âDamn, Remy, donât you wish you had a normal girlfriend instead of one with all these issues??â
âNah, whereâd the fun be in dat??â
***
The meeting room adjacent to the bridge contained many large windows. Storm stood alone in the room, staring out the window. Over the ever-present hum of Victoryâs engines, she heard the door open behind her though she didnât turn around. She knew who had entered the room by the sounds of his footsteps.
âItâs awe-inspiring, isnât it?â she mused. âThe vastness of space, the bright stars surrounding us. To think that weâre sailing right through it allâ.
âKinda makes you feel small,â Wolverine said.
âIn a way,â Storm turned towards him. She didnât want to admit to him that she rarely felt small, actually. Although she knew that in space her powers wouldnât be of much use, she still intuited that she was such a powerful being that spaceâs enormity didnât make her feel the least belittled.
âI, uh, I hear Forge and Beast are makinâ good progress on the Danger Roomâ.
Storm nodded. âWe will all be glad when itâs finished. Though Iâve enjoyed the training weâve been doingâ. Without the benefit of holographically-created villains, the X-men had been training by hand-to-hand combat with each other, sometimes using their powers and sometimes not. âThereâs a lot to be learned from an old-fashioned fightâ.
âCouldnât have said it better myselfâ.
After a pause, both Storm and Wolverine attempted to say something at the same time. Wolverine insisted that Storm speak first, after they stumbled around a bit.
âI was going to ask if you had visited the Professor lately,â Storm finally said.
âYeah, I was there this morninâ. Poor guy. No change to his conditionâ.
âI know. I suppose we should be thankful that he was the only one injured in the battleâ.
âWhat were you gonna say?â Wolverine asked.
âI was just wondering about the place weâre heading towards. Weâre too far away for our sensors to detect anything. I was wondering if itâs a planet or a moon or another vessel like this oneâ.
âGuess we wonât know âtill weâre a lot closer. I gotta crazy dream that itâs someplace gorgeous, someplace we can get out and explore. I like Victory enough but I about had enough of metallic walls and sterile corridorsâ.
Storm nodded and stepped closer to Wolverine. âMe too,â she said. âI really enjoy the outdoorsâ.
âI know,â he smiled. âI like it a lotâ.
âOf course there is a certain allure to our surroundings now. Weâre cloaked and hidden. We can get away quickly if someone attacks us. A bit of stealth feels comforting nowâ.
âMaybe, but I ainât ever gonna find it as comforting as a bit of green under my feetâ. He added, âI donât have my hopes up too much about this place, though, since we donât know what it isâ.
Stormâs mind was spinning. She wanted to tell Logan that back at the mansion, she had contemplated inviting him camping since they shared a love for the outdoors. But would saying those words be a clear admission that she had intentions that went beyond friendship? Storm then wondered why he wasnât making more of a move. âAm I mis-reading his signals and heâs not interested in me?â she speculated. Although Wolverine wouldnât count Cyclops or Gambit as an enemy any longer, he didnât have a lot of friends on the team either, as Storm knew. âPerhaps it is just friendship that he seeks from me,â she thought. She then began to wonder if she was giving off the wrong signals. `I might appear too confident, as if I donât have a need for a mate. And in truth, I do *not* need a man to be happy. However, at the same time I would like to see if a relationship with Logan could workâ. She then thought to herself, âI donât want to make the first move though â“ not if Iâm not fully sure that he has an interest beyond friendshipâ.
With these thoughts swirling around her mind, Storm wondered how her facial expressions must appear. She then mused that perhaps Logan felt awkward too, since his next question came out sounding that way.
âYour claustrophobia doesnâtâŠaffect you on this ship, does it?â
âNo, fortunately, it does not,â Storm smiled. âThe ship is large enough that I donât ever feel fenced inâ. She then asked, âWhat about youâŠdo you ever feel fenced in? I know that in the past you sometimes liked to get away from the rest of the team at timesâ.
He shrugged. âIâm an X-man. Iâm stayinâ with this team. If I need time away from everyone, I can always come in here. Itâs usually pretty quiet in this roomâ.
Storm agreed. They remained together silently watching the stars go by until the dinner bell rang.
***
I was sitting in sick bay, holding onto the Professorâs hand and just talking to him. Hank told us that those types of things might help. I was telling him how much he had helped me in my life. Meanwhile Hank was working nearby in the adjoining lab on creating a new inhibitor collar for Rogue, when an alarm sounded.
âEveryone report to the bridge immediatelyâ, Nightcrawlerâs heavily accented voice rang out over the intercom. Hank stepped out of the lab and looked at me. âThis is not a drillâ.
We bolted to the bridge. Within seconds, all of us were there.
âI donât wish to alarm anyone,â Nightcrawler was saying when we got there. âBut there is an FOH starship nearbyâ.
I gasped. It definitely was newsworthy; weâd been in space for almost seven days now and hadnât encountered anything. Nothing. We had heard that FOH had several outposts in space, and the Professor had said that Magneto had fled to space -- but the truth is that space is really humungous and we hadnât encountered any outposts or ships, or really anything other than some floating rocks and asteroids and maybe one barren moon.
âWhatâs its position?â Cyclops asked.
âHas it changed course?â Storm asked.
Well, our cloaking device was working because the FOH ship hadnât changed position, wasnât on any sort of intercept course, and gave no sign that it knew we were there.
âI donât get it,â Angel said. âIsnât it odd that they canât detect one of their own ships? Not that Iâm complainingâ.
Forge shrugged. âWe knew thatâs how it could be. The whole reason why they developed cloaking devices was so that they would be able to move through space undetected. All of our tests indicated that they wouldnât be able to detect us, so Iâm not surprised that they are going on their way as if they havenât noticed usâ.
Nightcrawler punched some buttons on the computer and told us what he could about the other ship. It was comparable in size to ours and we guessed that they had a crew of about 60. But they were too far away for Jean to get into their minds and learn much more. Soon the other ship was out of sensor range again. I breathed a sigh of relief that we now had proof that the hallowed cloaking device actually worked!
***
So Iâd had about a week on the ship at that point. My ribs were still healing, and as they started to get better I could join others in pool or play ping pong games in the rec room. I also looked forward to being able to work out again in the gym. I was able to start up again with light workouts. My normal kind of working out was not youâd associate with a superhero. I didnât fight bad guys in the new Danger Room or use my powers; I just did cardio machines and weightsâŠyou know, the kind of working out you associate with wanting a good body in the unlikely event Iâd ever get laid again (One star ship, 4 women, 10 straight guys, and me. Not good).
Other than those activities, Iâd sit around and talk with those I was close to, play card games with others, Iâd slowly linger over meals like everyone else did, occasionally read a book on the computer, play computer games, or sometimes watch a movie with the others in the rec room. Victoryâs computer had a small supply of halfway decent movies and several really loathsome ones given what assholes FOH are. I asked Hank if he needed any help in the labs, like keeping track of supplies and stuff, but he said it was really a one-person job. My days seemed longer than everyone elseâs because I didnât have a five hour bridge duty shift and didnât do the Danger Room or the hand-to-hand combat drills. Sometimes Iâd hang with Hank or Jubilee or even Rogue and Gambit during their time on the bridge just to keep them company and because nothing ever happened on bridge duty. The sighting of the FOH ship during Nightcrawlerâs shift that one time was about as thrilling as it got. I heard grumblings that we didnât need to have one person sitting on the bridge at all times and that our leaders were being too cautious, but I think most of us thought it was better to be too cautious than not enough.
The other thing I spent my time doing was thinking up practical joke ideas. That had been my specialty but I was drawing blanks for ideas on this ship. The group seemed to be in such a serious mood â“ after all, we had the Professor in a coma and we had nearly lost our lives â“ that joke ideas either werenât flowing for me or didnât seem appropriate. I did a few of my infamous card tricks for the others, provoking eye-rolls and a few laughs. I thought of re-programming the bridgeâs computer to make it look like an FOH fleet was approaching us but I knew that would get me absolutely no laughs and maybe get some people wishing I had another black eye. Some things you donât joke about.
One day we were finishing up lunch. Food from the replicators tasted pretty good. It wasnât great but it was way better than cafeteria food. The computers had a few menus already programmed into them but Iâd learned that they werenât hard at all to program and I put in a few dishes that hadnât been there before. Iâd looked up a Russian borcht dish for Colossus (the appeal of that dish really eludes me), some Southern and Cajun dishes for Rogue and Gambit (the fried catfish, greens, and sweet potato pie were my favorites), enchiladas and burritos (I was surprised the computers didnât come with any Mexican dishes, but Jubilee especially loved that type of food), and an African peanut stew that Storm said was delicious. I knew that Cyclops had a thing for Reuben sandwiches and planned that for my next project.
So you see, the days were leisurely.
Anyway, after lunch, I noticed that the mess hall had emptied out and it was down to Storm, Cyclops, and me. I had been sitting on the other end of the rectangular table from them, and they got up and sat closer to me. They both said hellos to me and looked at me as I said hi back.
âI didnât do it!â I joked. âI mean, I *thought* up lots of practical joke ideas, but I didnât do them!â
âAre we *that* overbearing and strict that if you see us you assume youâre in trouble?â Cyke was trying to sound like he was joking back at me, but I could tell he was uncomfortable about something.
âJust giving you a hard time,â I smiled.
âHow are your injuries healing up?â Storm asked.
âWell, my ribs are starting to feel better and Hank switched me to milder pain killers,â I answered seriously now. âIâve gotten used to the tooth implant Hank put in. I still have a few aches and pains but Iâm alright. Iâm glad my face isnât the black and blue swollen mess it wasâ. I did look a lot more like myself now.
âHank once told me that even mutants without Wolverineâs healing powers do heal faster than regular humans,â Scott chimed in.
âI guess I should be glad for thatâ.
Storm then smiled, âYou know, Bobby, people are still talking about how you rescued us at the FOH compound. You really did a fantastic jobâ.
âTheyâre still taking about it because thereâs just not much else to talk about here,â I smiled back and then turned to Scott. âOther than people being excited about your and Jeanâs baby. We have a long ways to wait but people do like to talk about how cool itâll be to have a baby on the team. Do you have any names picked out?â
âJean has a few ideas. Maybe once we have the ultrasound and find out if itâs a boy or girl, then Iâll start thinking about names more tooâ. He then paused and said, âBut back to what Storm was saying. She and I are very impressed with what you did. You kept your cool and you fought well against the soldiers you encounteredâ. He leaned forward. âWeâd like you to start training with the team againâ.
âYou have great powers, Bobby,â Storm said. âWe donât know what weâll be facing in the coming months or years other than the fact that we need to deal with a very powerful FOH. We need you and want you to be training with usâ.
I looked down at my hands. I had wondered if this might be coming. I had even thought they might ask me sooner after our escape from FOH.
I shook my head. âI used to do that, but you remember, Cyclops, I was never very good in battle. I made a lot of mistakes. And I get really scared. I donât think Iâm like the rest of you in that wayâ.
âWe all get scared,â Cyclops said. âNone of us is perfectâ.
âAnd things are so much easier if you take them one step at a time,â Storm said. âWe wouldnât expect you to go into the Danger Room alone against Apocalypse. You start small and then you slowly build. When I started training, I found that approach helped me deal with my fears and improve my confidenceâ.
There was silence for a bit. My mouth felt dry. I then said, âLook, Iâm not sure how to say this, so Iâll justâŠtry to say it. I donât think Iâm made of the same material as the rest of you. I kinda think youâre either born to be a good fighter or not.â I shook my head. âItâs just not in meâ.
They really looked disappointed. Well, Storm looked really disappointed â“ itâs always hard to tell with Cyke what heâs thinking behind those glasses.
âIâm sorry,â I went on. âIs it required of me, that I train?â
âNo,â Cyclops said. âWeâre not going to throw you overboard if you donât want to trainâ. He didnât smile as he said those words. Which almost made me wonder if heâd considered tossing me âoverboardâ at some point. Iâm kidding, I knew he wouldnât â“ though you have to wonder if part of him wanted to.
âYouâre part of us no matter what,â Storm said. âI would add that the only thing that is required is that you give some more thought to changing your mind. Because I donât think that weâre doing anything in the Danger Room that canât be taught or learned by almost any mutant. And with FOH being so powerful now, it is only to your own benefit if you can learn how to even better defend yourself â“ and others - against themâ.
âIâll think about it,â I said. I didnât know if I really would.
âThank youâ.
âHey, in the meantime, are there any things I can be doing to help run stuff on this ship? I mean, it seems like Victory pretty much takes care of itself but Iâd always like to help. I kinda miss doing the Accounting I used to do at the Institute. I wonder if FOH have crashed all our accounts back on earth nowâ.
âWeâll see if we can think of something,â Cyke said. His voice sounded tight and formal. I knew he was pissed. âThanks for offeringâ.
At that point, they headed off to wherever their duties took them. I was glad that conversation was over!
***
âBeast and Forge â“ dey be miracle workers,â Gambit proclaimed. His arms were around Rogue, as she leaned back against him on their bed. Instead of a collar, the two scientists had created a *bracelet* for Rogue. It blocked her powers just as the old collars did, but had none of the negative connotations.
Rogue turned her head around to face Gambit. âI shouldnât have waited so long to ask,â she said. Once she had approached the scientists, it had taken about three days for them to produce the materials needed and to construct the bracelet.
âWell, dey say dat absence makes the heart fonder. And dose days of not beinâ able to touch you had dat effect on meâ. He leisurely stroked her arms as he said those words. Gambit was a patient man indeed, though he was very glad he and Rogue no longer needed to wait.
âMe too,â Rogue said. âNot that I coulddaâŠcouldda grown much âfonderâ of you than I already am,â she added, suddenly feeling a bit shy. âI love you,â she added quietly.
âI love you too, chereâ. He brought his lips to her shoulder and kissed it.
Ever since they had acquired the bracelet, Rogue and Gambit hadnât spent that much time out of their room other than on mandatory bridge duty shifts and training.
A gentle sound rang. They realized it was the doorbell for their room.
âWho is it?â Gambit asked.
âStormâ.
âGive us jusâ a second,â Gambit replied.
Both members of the couple welcomed any visit from their beloved friend. They scrambled off the bed. Rogue located her nightgown and Gambit found a pair of pants. They pressed the button to open the door.
Storm entered. She had thought that by mid-morning they would have been awake and dressed, especially given that Rogueâs scheduled Danger Room session was to start in an hour. Being on board the ship did force the X-men into more of a routine, though Storm shook her head and silently told herself she should have known better.
âI hope Iâm not intrudingâ.
âNot at all, sugar! We love to see you anytime,â Rogue replied.
âHave a seat,â Gambit said, pulling over the chair from the desk. On top of the desk were a deck of cards, Rogueâs gloves, a pecan roll, and a comb.
Out of the corner of her eye, Storm took a look at the shirtless Gambit. Attraction worked in mysterious ways, she mused. Remy was a very fine looking man, but she never had viewed him as anything more than a friend. She recognized his beauty but didnât desire him, and she knew â“ without it ever being discussed â“ that he had always felt the same way towards her. She wondered what made someone not feel a sexual attraction to one person and feel it for another.
Then Storm wondered at her own thoughts; she was in their room to discuss important business, not to speculate about sexual attraction. Though she had to admit that the general topic had been on her mind, especially whenever she looked at Wolverine. She had not seen him much for the last several days. He sometimes took his meals in his room.
âWell, I stopped by because I wanted to get your perspective on something,â Storm began. âItâs about Bobby. Cyclops and I approached him a few days ago asking if he would consider training with the team again. He declined. Though he said he would think about it, I suspect he wonât. Do you have any idea why he wonât do this?â
Rogue and Gambit looked at each other. They sat side by side on the bed. âHeâs never liked combat,â Rogue guessed. âBy the time I joined the team, he was already done with itâ.
âDo you think itâs as simple as that? That fighting is simply not to his liking?â
âDere are people dat like it better den others,â Gambit allowed. âEven on dis team. Canât fault a guy for not likinâ to fightâ.
Storm nodded. âBut his powers are so strong. And we need every capable mutant we can find. Once Xavier is healed and we feel we can return to earth, it is imperative that we topple FOH. We all need to do our part whether we like fighting or notâ.
âWell we sure donât disagree with you on that, but I guess Bobby just donât see it that way. And âsides, we got the same problem we had as before, with or without the Iceman,â Rogue said. âWhen you got a team small as ours, does one person make a difference? âSpecially when FOH has some goddamned power that was able to beat all of usâ.
âWe all make a difference,â Storm said. âWeâve had plenty of missions that were made or broken by one personâs contributionâ. She looked from Rogueâs to Gambitâs eyes. âDo you not agree that he would do well on the team?â
âGuess I do tâink he could do well,â Gambit said. âBut you canât force a guy to do somethinâ he donât wanna eitherâ. He paused and added, âI wasnât around when Bobby used to fight but I heard about some of the mistakes he madeâŠâ Gambit allowed his voice to trail off but his unspoken message was evident.
Rogue took a breath. âI kinda wonder if Bobbyâs justâŠa bit lazy. Thatâs not the right word, and I feel like a mound of hogslop for sayinâ it about a friend thoughâ.
âPerhaps you mean that he is not as *driven* as some others,â Storm suggested.
âYeah, thatâs it!â Rogue responded.
Storm took in their words. âWell, I hope he might change his mind someday, but I suppose as you said, Gambit, we cannot force others to our willâ.
Rogue smiled and looked at her friend. âSo while weâre on the subject of talkinâ âbout other X-men, I gotta ask you somethinââ.
Storm had a feeling she knew where this was going. Meanwhile Gambit looked at his lover, wondering if this was going to get the answer she sought. Storm never opened up about her feelings, as Gambit had learned from one or two long-ago attempts.
âAnythinâ ever gonna happen with you and the Canadian? The two of you look like youâre dancinâ some kinda tango. Even Xavier can see youâre attracted to each other anâ heâs sittinâ in a coma!â
At Stormâs placid look, Rogue continued, âIâs just wonderinâ if you were both waitinâ for someone to give you their blessing or somethinââ.
Gambit offered, âMaybe Stormâs old-fashionâ and sheâs waitinâ for him to make the first moveâ.
Rogue looked at Storm. âYou ainât old-fashionâ in any other way thoughâ.
Awkward silence prevailed for a minute or two. âSoâŠyou ainât gonna talk âbout this, then?â Rogue asked.
âWell, I must admit that Iâd rather not,â Storm said. As usual, she didnât sound anything other than serene.
âYou know, girl, when I was strugglinâ to figure out what to do âbout my feelinâs for Remy, you helped me a lotâ. Rogue patted Remyâs leg. She didnât mind mentioning that right in front of Gambit; she had already told him. They were at the point where they could look back and talk about the progress they had made, how it was when they were first becoming âa coupleâ.
Storm walked over and put her hand on Rogueâs shoulder. âI guess, my friend, that I am more comfortable listening and offering advice than pouring out my heart myself. But I do always love to listen and help othersâ.
âFine. But I think you outta just jump him some day! Heâd love itâ. Rogue paused and then asked, emphatically, âWhat man wouldnât?â
After a beat, Gambit muttered, âWell, dereâs Bobbyâ.
The three laughed, though not in any sort of derisive way.
***
We kept heading towards wherever it was we were going. We still, weeks later, didnât have any sort of readout on the place and the Professorâs condition hadnât changed. If the others were nervous about these uncertain things, they sure didnât let on. I guess we all just took it as a leap of faith.
There was one thing that made us nervous though. We were finishing up dinner one evening â“ I mean, I guess it was evening though on a starship I kind of missed seeing the sun rise and set â“ and Cyclops and Storm said they wanted to address the group. I looked around and noticed that everyone was there except for Forge, who was on the bridge. Wolverine had decided to eat with us.
âWe donât want to alarm you,â Cyke began, which was never a good sign. âBut we wanted to let you know that Storm and Forge and I have been doing some testing lately. It looks as though we are using up our power supply at a faster rate than we had anticipatedâ.
âWeâre not in any immediate danger,â Storm said. âWeâre certain that we have more than enough to reach our destinationâ.
âWeâve been trying to determine the cause. At first we thought that maybe the cloaking device or Danger Room were using up more power than we expected. That is the case, but it doesnât fully explain why we are so much lower on dilithium than anticipatedâ.
âForge is checking all of our systems to see if we have a leak somewhere. That is our best guess at this point as to the causeâ. Storm continued, âItâs also possible that our internal sensors have or had some errors. Weâre re-checking and re-calibrating all of them as wellâ.
As I sat and munched on my oatmeal raisin cookie, the others lobbed a ton of questions at our leaders. But I wonât write them all out because basically it was just a repetition of what they said already. They didnât know why the drain on the dilithium was happening, they werenât worrying in the short-term, and theyâd keep trying to figure out what was going on. The thing that made my stomach clench a bit was when someone asked if we had enough power left to get back to earth once we reached the coordinates.
âWe donât know, but we think so,â Cyclops responded.
Iâm not always the most perceptive guy but I really wondered how bad things were and if Storm and Cyke were just kind of glossing over it so that we didnât all start panicking. Hank did raise the question of whether it might be better to turn around and go back to earth but all the reasons for not doing so were still there â“ FOH had a power source that overwhelmed us last time, they had their ships patrolling space around earth, and no medical institution that allows mutant patients would provide any better care for Xavier than he was getting here.
I had another idea as to why we werenât going to change course, and I decided to run it by Hank later that evening. We were in the rec room, where most of us spent our free time, and after a spirited game of charades he said he was turning in for the night. I asked him if I could talk with him and so I went with him to his room.
âDo you think itâs that weâre all just plain scared?â I asked, seating myself on the chair in his room. Hank reached into a drawer and pulled out some clothing. âScared of what we left back on earthâ.
He knew exactly where my thoughts were. âIt may very well be. Weâve been captured by enemies many times before, but never beforeâŠâ he hesitated, then continued, ânever before did any of them threaten to do what FOH threatened to do to us. Even saying the words feels horrifying, and I do not consider myself to be a cowardâ.
He didnât need to say the words. What FOH said they were going to do is so vile I canât type it. And itâs even scarier when you think of the fact they said theyâd already done it to Alpha Flight.
âMy sense is that people do not discuss it much, but that it greatly disturbed each of us,â Hank went on. âAnd for weeks we all had your black eye and other injuries to look at as a reminder of what they did to you. We have an immensely powerful and immensely *evil* enemy on earth and they are determined to humiliate and torture us. The fact that we chose not to return now is no surpriseâ.
âI know,â I agreed. âIt makes my stomach churn. I think itâs like we all want to get as far away from that as possibleâ.
âPerhaps we prefer to face the devil we *donât* know than the devil we did know,â Hank concluded.
I was glad to see that someone else had the same hunch as I did. We talked a bit about nothing in particular â“ Hankâs not one for small talk, but he can do it. I almost wonder if he did it because he liked my company and wanted me to stay in his room but then I told myself that I was flattering myself. He checked on my injuries every day, and asked about them again that night, but I was pretty much back to normal by then.
A question popped into my mind. I noticed that the fur on Hankâs back was askew. âIs it hard to comb the fur on your back?â I asked.
He seemed taken aback, so I went on, âItâs a bit crooked right nowâ.
âAh,â he said. âWell, I am very agile but given the amount of fur on my body, it is hard for me to make the time to comb all of it. Is it that unaesthetic?â
âNo, no, not at all. Well actually, I donât know what âunaestheticâ means but I assume youâre asking if it looks really bad. It doesnât - I just happened to notice it. If you ever want me to brush it, just hollerâ.
I surprised myself by asking the question, and Hank surprised me with his answer. He entered the bathroom and came back with a brush. âBe my guest, if youâd likeâ.
âSure,â I said. I sat behind him on the bed and gave his pelt a thorough brushing.
It felt nice to touch another person. No, not that way. I was never attracted to Hank so I wasnât trying to do anything inappropriate, and obviously he wouldnât be attracted to me either. Iâm just saying that I realized I hadnât touched anyone that much at all and thereâs something neat or important about having contact with another person. The family that I grew up in never hugged or kissed or anything. We always had a dog, and my parents and I always lavished a ton of affection on the dog. Several years after my parents disowned me for being a mutant, I realized why we were always letting the dogs lick our faces and brushing and petting them â“ it was our only source of affection.
âThere you go,â I said, when finished. âIâll be glad to do it anytimeâ.
âWhy thank you,â he responded, sounding sincere. âI may just take you up on your offer againâ.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Comments and reviews are welcomed and adored.
Chapter Five
After dinner one day, Storm walked onto the bridge, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She was to relieve Forge of his shift and to work into the night.
âHow does it look?â she asked him. He continued to mull over the computer.
Forge rubbed his eyes. âAt this point, Storm, I think I need to get some rest. Iâve been analyzing and diagnosing for hours and I canât pinpoint the problem. Maybe I need to approach it with a clear headâ.
âThat is a very sound approach,â Storm responded, settling down into one of the chairs.
She expected Forge to rise from his own chair, but instead he swiveled it towards her. âIâve wanted to ask you a question, Storm,â he began, taking on a serious tone.
Storm took a sip of her tea. She had an idea about the nature of his question and nodded for him to continue.
âI would really like to get to know you better. As a person, not just as a teammate and as our co-leader. Would you be interested in perhaps having dinner with meâŠmaybe alone, in one of our quarters together? I guess what I am trying to ask you for is a date â“ though our options for dating locations are pretty limited here,â he said, with a laugh.
She laughed along with him, knowing it came out forced. âYouâre right â“ it certainly seems like the traditional options of movie and dinner or a night on the town arenât available to us nowâ. She then continued, âForge, I am very flattered and I cannot think of the right way to say this. But I like our friendship and I would like to keep our relationship the way it is. I sincerely thank you for the offer even though I must turn it downâ.
Storm had been mentally toying with a few such replies as she suspected Forgeâs question would be asked sooner or later. She hoped that her words did not sound too rehearsed and came across as sincere.
Forge nodded. âI understandâ.
And then it was very awkward. Storm managed, âThank you for your understanding. And again, I do enjoy our friendshipâ.
âMe tooâ. A pause, as he stood, âWell, I should turn in for the night then. Goodnightâ.
âGoodnightâ.
Storm sat at the computer, wanting to resume Forgeâs work on the dilithium but instead looking out at the stars. She did not find him unattractive, she knew. In fact, she liked both his personality and his physical appearance. But she had her sights set somewhere else. At this point, she wanted Logan and no one else. This eveningâs incident, however, reminded her that approaching a teammate for a matter such as this could turn embarrassing. Rejection was always painful. She wondered how long she should wait to see what â“ if anything â“ would ever pan out with the man she did want.
***
The days continued to pass. As for our dilithium situation, our leaders said that their best guess was that the sensors had been giving false readings and said that they had been re-calibrated now. They continued to say that we had enough resources to reach our destination. I didnât press for any more details than that. Putting the uncertain future out of my mind felt like a good idea.
I hoped we would find the healing that Xavierâs odd messages had promised. He lay on that bed in sick bay like a statue, no matter how long all of us spent in there talking to him.
Meanwhile, I was still stuck for practical joke ideas. Like I said, I never felt that the mood was quite right. There was one kinda fun thing that happened one day. We sometimes used the meeting room to watch movies, so as to not get in the way of those in the rec room and get hit with stray ping pong balls.
I donât know what a romantic comedy was doing in FOHâs movie library on Victory, but there it was. Perhaps because of the movieâs subject matter, that day it ended up being the four women and me in the meeting room with the movie. One or two guys had started out watching the film, but one left for his bridge duty shift and the other got bored.
The movie treated us to lots of scenes of the couple in bed, though none were gratuitous or anything like that. But after the third such scene, I noticed a pattern and I pretended to be exasperated as I asked, âDo they always do it with him on top??â
At the laughing from the women, I continued, âI thought I heard that girls preferred to be on top instead. Not that I would know, of courseâ.
More giggling from the ladies, so I had to ask, âWell? Do you?â
I guess the mood was sufficiently loosened up. Rogue, still laughing said, âYeah, if I had to pick a favorite, Iâd probably go with thatâ.
All eyes turned to Storm, who shook her head and responded, âWell, itâs been a while but Iâm pretty happy with any position. Except for standing up â“ that one never works in real lifeâ.
âThough it sounds like someoneâs givinâ it a try before!â Rogue teased. âWhat âbout you, Jean?â
Jean had the faintest hint of a blush and I thought for a moment she wouldnât answer. But then she said, âBeing on top is not actually my favorite. I do like it thoughâ.
We didnât get more of an answer from her than that. Jubilee didnât look upset at all and said something to the effect of âIâll have to wait and seeâ. Fortunately, none of them asked me for details or anything on what I liked.
***
The starship Victory continued on its path. After nearly six weeks in space, it came within sensor range of its destination. Wolverine had been on bridge duty, and called the X-men leaders and Jean to the bridge.
âNothing,â Cyclops said, looking at the monitor. âWeâre so close to it but our sensors still canât read any information on itâ. He tightened a fist in frustration.
Storm punched a few buttons on the computer but found information equally unforthcoming. âAt this point, all we know is that itâs a land mass of some sortâ.
âLooks like itâs got some sort of heavy mist surroundinâ it,â Wolverine observed.
âYes,â Jean said. âItâs almost like the mist functions as its own cloaking deviceâ.
Victory continued to draw nearer to the land mass. Various X-men entered the bridge, seeking more information on their destination. The X-men decided to launch a probe.
As the team waited for the probeâs readouts, Jeanâs blue eyes widened.
Cyclops turned to her, âWhat is it?â
âIâŠI can sense something on the planet. A presence of some sortâ. Jean stopped, suddenly feeling foolish as all eyes turned to her. âIâm sorry. Iâm suddenly wishing that my powers were as strong as the Professorâs. Iâm sure he would be able to shed more light on thisâ.
Cyclops touched her arm. âItâs alright. *None* of us is the Professorâ.
Jean nodded, as Storm gently inquired, âIs there anything you can tell us about the presence you sense?â
âItâs benign. And powerful. Very powerful,â Jean said.
âWhat if itâs Apocalypse?â Angel asked. The nemesis had not been heard of since FOHâs rise to power.
âNo,â Jean responded. âIâve sensed him before and this is definitely not him. Iâm certain that the presence is not at all harmfulâ.
The probe returned data, and the X-men learned that the air on the land mass would be breathable and atmospheric conditions hospitable to humans. The probe indicated no humanoid life forms. Although they questioned the probeâs results, given Jeanâs assertion that a presence exited on the planet, after minimal discussion they decided to land Victory.
***
I guess landing a ship is a lot harder than taking off in one. Either that or I just donât remember much about our take-off given that back then, I was kind of freaked from the battle and the escape from FOH. For Victoryâs landing on the whatever-you-call-it --- we werenât even sure if it was a moon or planet or what -- Hank took the helm since he had the most dexterity combined with the most scientific mind. The rest of us found seats and strapped ourselves in, either on the bridge or in the seats in engineering.
It started out smooth, slow, and boring. And then I felt an abrupt jolt almost as if the ship was going sideways. My stomach and my mouth traded places, though I managed to keep from losing my lunch. From then on, it was a very bumpy landing; the feeling wasnât unlike turbulence youâd feel in an airplane on earth, though it had been a while since Iâd ridden in one of those. If we hadnât had seatbelts on, weâd have been sprawled over engineeringâs floor. Finally there was one big lurch and I thought we were done. Then I heard this loud crash and a hissing noise.
Forge rushed over to deal with it. The long and the short of it was that we had a bad landing and we managed to bust a hole in engineering during the descent. I heard Forge say something about a hull breach and the âpossibility that weâve lost more dilithiumâ.
But everyone was so eager to get out and see where we were and see if this place or the âpresenceâ there did have some way to heal the Professor, that I donât think we gave hull breaches much thought at the time. I didnât, anyway. Though during all the running around, I was tempted to find Hank and ask if heâd been drinking prior to the shipâs landing, but I suspected that even a patient guy like him wouldnât want me to joke with him on this.
We opened the exit ramp to the ship so that we could set foot on the planet. Wolverine would go first â“ in case our probe was wrong and the air on the planet was bad, he could heal quickly. The rest of us waited eagerly on the other side of the ramp.
âItâs okay,â Wolverineâs voice called over the communicator. âYou can come outâ.
The word âokayâ turned out to be a gross understatement.
When the ramp was lowered, I blinked at what I saw. For a few seconds, I felt my eyes gray over as if I were getting light-headed because it was too hard to believe what was in front of me.
Victory had landed in the middle of an open field. The color green was everywhere. I walked down the ramp and took a deep breath â“ and inhaled the sweetest, freshest air ever. I heard a strange sound and looked up to realize that it was the chirping of birds. It felt like years instead of weeks since Iâd seen or heard one. The sky was bright blue, and rays of sunlight streamed down through a few clouds. We were surrounded by trees and I felt a light breeze pass by. It was both gentle and invigorating.
It was like we walked into a resort or a prime vacation spot or at least a gorgeous campground. I could sure see why the Professorâs messages had associated the word âhealingâ with this place.
Forge looked down at a device called a tricorder and said, âFrom what I can tell, this place isnât very big. Perhaps a few miles from end to endâ.
âLetâs split up and search this place,â Storm said.
âWhat about the presence you sensed, Jean?â Cyclops asked.
âItâs still here,â she said. âBut I donât know where. I do still sense that itâs benignâ.
âStill, we need to be careful not to lose our guard,â Storm said.
âShould someone stay on board the ship, just to be with the Professor and to ensure there are no problems?â Hank suggested.
âYes,â Cyclops said. âItâs better to be too cautious than not cautious enough. I doubt that weâre in any danger here but we do need to be prepared for anythingâ.
I looked around at the group. The view outside was tantalizing. Weâd be hard pressed to find any volunteers to stay on board the ship. I wondered if I should volunteer, but felt that in the unlikely event that something happened, I wouldnât be much use. I was very grateful when Nightcrawler volunteered to stay on the ship, though I sure felt bad for the guy too.
Storm then assigned us to teams. As I joined mine to search the place, I had to remind myself to stay focused and not get like all dizzy. The place was so beautiful that it did make my head spin a bit.
This was probably the most relaxed âreconnaissanceâ mission weâd ever gone on. On my team, Rogue and Gambit held hands as we walked. Colossus looked visibly moved as he took in the beauty of the place, and I bet he wanted to start painting it right then and there. The temperature was warm and the day sunny but it wasnât at all humid. The ship Victory was nice and had pretty much every amenity that we needed, but after being confined to it for six weeks, this place was just so freeing and stunningly beautiful.
We came upon a lake, I exchanged one excited look with Jubilee, and we jogged towards it. No one tried to stop us. The sight of the sun sparkling on the water was breathtaking. The water looked crystal clear. Forge told us that his tricorder indicated that the water should be as safe as the air. Part of me wanted to dive right in, but I knew that Iâd need to hold back.
âThere are two small buildings over there,â Forge observed, though I had been too enraptured by the lake to notice them.
We walked towards the structures. One of them looked not unlike a tool shed (my Dad had one when I was growing up). It was small, appeared wooden, and was locked. The tricorder started beeping when Forge pointed it at the shed.
âThereâs a power source in here,â he said. His brow wrinkled. âI canât get more specifics than that, but it looks like some sort of strong power sourceâ.
âDilithium?â Jubilee asked.
âI donât know. Maybeâ.
âToo bad itâs locked,â Rogue said. ââCourse I could always break the door downâ. I silently thought that we could also later get Wolverine to open the door with his claws, when our group joined back up with the other.
Rogue then apparently thought again. âBut I hate the idea of destroyinâ anything on this planetâ.
âMe too, chere,â Gambit added. âSuch a peaceful place, I donât wanna break anytâin. Stuff here ainât for our takinââ.
The rest of our team nodded in agreement.
The other structure was a bit larger than the shed, but not by much. It also appeared wooden, and the door easily opened when Rogue reached its handle. She shrugged and opened the door.
The room, which was just big enough to allow all six of us inside, was warm and a bit humid. It was very sparse. In one corner was something that I wanted to call a bed but it was maybe more like a large, well-padded mat. There was one window in the room, and a few empty pots and urns. A small cabinet hung on one wall, but when Gambit opened it, it was empty.
âYou know, I feel weird saying this butâŠpart of me thinks we should be creeped out because this place is so gorgeous,â I began. âBut I donât feel anything at all strange hereâ.
Although I saw Jubilee nodding along with me, Forge said, âStill, we shouldnât let our guard down. If Jeanâs right, there is some sort of presence hereâ.
âShe said it was good presence though,â Colossus responded. âI will stay alert but I do feel place is nice and comfortableâ.
We heard footsteps, and Gambit stuck his head out the door to investigate.
âThe other team,â he told us.
As Forge had said, the place wasnât very big so itâs no surprise that it didnât take long for us to meet up with the others. We compared notes, with Nightcrawler listening in on the communicator.
The major natural features of the place were the lake and a heavily forested area, which the other team had investigated a bit. In between the two was a large, open field (onto which we landed Victory). We didnât detect any animals other than birds overhead.
We told the other group what we had seen, but they had bigger news. On the other side of the field had been a large building.
âIt might be better if you see it for yourself,â Storm said. So we eagerly followed the other group.
It was kind of funny, being here and walking through a lush, grassy field with the others. I made a joke about an âX-men field tripâ. During the walking, I noticed everyone just trying to drink it all in â“ tilting their heads up towards the blue sky, looking at the clouds and birds, eyeing the trees. In a matter of minutes, we reached the other side of the place and spotted the building.
âIt was unlocked,â Cyclops said. âWe took a quick look inside earlierâ.
We spent the half hour or so doing a more thorough exploration of the building. I will try to describe it best as I can. Probably the most striking overall comment I can make about the building is that it didnât look alien or foreign to me. Just as this planet (or moon or whatever it was) looked like a prime vacation spot to me, this building looked not unlike something youâd see on earth, like a classy lodge or retreat center. Nothing about it looked *weird* -- no oddly-shaped doors or strange symbols on the walls or unusual colors. Nothing jarring. For a moment, my head started to spin again at the thought that I was so far from earth and standing inside a structure that looked like some wealthy personâs get-away home.
Like the smaller structure we had seen earlier, this building was sparsely furnished. But it wasnât barren either. And I described it as a âlodgeâ because most of the walls appeared to be made of either large stones cemented together or logs. Like an upscale log cabin, if that makes any sense, in some parts.
The main entrance opened into a large foyer. From the foyer, you could head out in two directions.
One direction led to a staircase. Both the upstairs and downstairs had hallways that contained about two dozen rooms. The rooms were furnished, all of them. Their general layout was not unlike the rooms on board Victory â“ beds, most had desks, all had chairs, closets, small bathrooms. The rooms werenât totally identical though; a few had alcoves, one had a sofa instead of desk. Of course unlike on Victory, each room contained a window with another delightful view of the planet. In fact, there were plenty of windows throughout the structure which gave the whole place a breezy feel.
If you went the other direction from the main entrance, you again arrived at an upstairs and a downstairs. The upstairs contained a large room, which was furnished with plush sofas and several chairs, and was highlighted by a large fireplace. Its dark walls â“ again, made of that stone and log combination â“ gave the room a rich and warm feeling despite the large size of the room. There was also a ladder on the side of one wall, which led up to a corridor and a few empty rooms.
If you took the staircase down, you came to a space containing three main rooms, again all of them large. One of them was totally empty. It was just like a wide open space. You had to walk through it to get to the other two rooms. One of those other two rooms looked like a dining hall since it was full of wooden tables and benches. I sat down on one of the benches and found it more comfortable than Iâd expect from wood though. When I entered the other room that was connected to it by a doorway, my first thought was âkitchenâ, though this room didnât have much equipment. It did have tall counter tops, cabinets, and one large sink. All the rooms had spacious windows, and both of the main rooms on the upstairs and downstairs of this wing opened onto porches. There were also a few bathrooms on this wing of the building so that one didnât have to walk all the way back to the bedrooms for that.
Hank and Forge had been taking tricorder scans. âI canât tell what materials this building is comprised of,â Forge said.
âThey certainly appear to be standard materials used on earth,â Hank added. âWood, stone. This countertop looks like marble,â he said, placing his furry hand on it.
âWalls smell like wood and stone too,â Wolverine muttered. I glanced at him. My guess was that he was frustrated by not knowing what was the deal with this place while also being a bit in love with the surroundings. I bet he couldnât wait to get back outside.
âAnyone else tink dis is very weird?â Gambit asked. âThis beautiful place in the middle of space, no one on it, looks like itâs all ready for us?â
âI wish I could explain it,â Storm said. She did look mildly bewildered, but she wasnât the only one.
Cyclops then turned to look at his wife. âWhatâs wrong?â he asked, putting a hand on her back.
âIâŠâ she touched her fingers to her temple. âI feel a message of some sortâ. Jean closed her eyes and appeared to tune out the twelve faces waiting for her next word. At one point her eyebrows scrunched together. She appeared to be listening or silently communicating for another minute or two. Then she gasped.
âWhat is it?â Cyclops asked.
Jean opened her eyes. âItâs okay. Itâs alrightâ. She smiled, âIn fact, Iâm more confident than ever that we are welcome hereâ.
âWhat did you hear?â Storm asked.
Jean took a breath. âI did receive a message of some sort. I canât explain it exactly. I can onlyâŠconvey feelings and impressions. The feeling I received was that we are welcome here. IâŠI can say that I feel this place was created for someone else â“ not us â“ but still that we are welcome to stay. I also sensed that the small hut by the lakeâŠwe should take the Professor there and the place will help him healâ.
âA bunch of mumbo-jumbo,â Wolverine grumbled. I was surprised to hear him react negatively to anything Jean said.
âMay be so,â Jean replied. âBut what would be the harm in it?â
We didnât debate much. Half the group returned to the ship and, along with Nightcrawler, brought the Professor to the hut.
Jean hovered over the Professor inside the hut. Cyclops asked the rest of us to back away since we couldnât all fit inside. Several of the X-men started to again leisurely look around the place. Jubilee eagerly led Nightcrawler around, showing him the sights that he had missed.
âCan I do anything to help?â I heard Hank ask, as he stood in the doorway of the hut.
âJeanâs monitoring his signs,â Scott said. âI think as long as you stay in the vicinity, that should be fineâ.
Hank nodded and seated himself on a log near the hut.
I sat on the ground right next to him. It was soft. âYou were the only person not looking totally thrilled with this place,â I observed. âOther than Wolverine who never looks thrilled at all,â I added.
âIt is not that, my friend,â he began. âIndeed I find our new surroundings so lovely that I nearly want to begin to recite poetry. However, something else is on my mindâ.
âWhat?â I asked, though I had an inkling.
âThe shipâs landing. I had simulated it three times and yet I still made errors. We were all so eager to explore this location that we did not even thoroughly check to see how much dilithium was lost due to my negligence. I should have performed that task betterâ.
âHey, hey, thatâs not fair,â I protested. âYou landed Victory better than any of us could have! You got us down safe and in one piece! None of us has ever landed a starship beforeâ. I paused, since I was nearly ranting. âBesides, everyone loves you so itâs not like anyone will hold it against youâ.
âI am disappointed in myself,â he insisted. He then tilted his head. âHowever, I hope this demonstrates to you, Bobby, that we *all* make mistakes. To err is humanâ.
I shrugged as I played with a blade of grass. It felt just like the grass on earth. âIf it had been me at the helm, we wouldâve landed in 97 different pieces. There wouldnât have been any need to carry the Professor into a hut and hope that a miracle occurs,â I smirked.
Hank put a hand on my shoulder. âI am serious, Bobby. If any good can come out of my blunder, I hope that it will illuminate that none of us is above errorâ.
âBut some of us make more than others,â I said, hoping to end that conversation.
***
Scooping Gambit up in her arms, Rogue took flight. They surveyed the tree tops which looked like broccoli florets from their vantage point, coasted alongside birds - some of which flew from Rogue as others sang near her - and saw the metallic gleam of Victory which took up a substantial area. Rogue then set them down inside the thick forest.
âDey was right, dis place ainât dat big,â Gambit observed. It hadnât taken long to fly from one end to the other. Gambit was a bit breathless. Each time Rogue had picked him up and given him a ride, it was a thrill. Flying was such an exhilarating experience.
âIt is pretty small,â Rogue agreed. She looked around. A tiny stream flowed behind her. Purple wildflowers grew alongside dense bushes and wide trees. Sunlight was muted in the forest though enough light filtered through.
Gambit stepped closer to her. âIs nice and private here,â he observed. âDid you bring your bracelet?â
âMy bracelet?â
âJusâ wanna kiss you, datâs allâ.
Rogue eagerly reached into her jacket pocket and procured the bracelet. She stepped up to Gambit and kissed him. He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. They kissed for many long minutes, slowly and sensually. The gorgeous surroundings of the place certainly freed something inside both members of the couple.
However, when his hands began to drift, Rogue gently pulled away. âRemy. You said yourself this place wasnât so big! What if someone wanders by?â
âNot gonna happen,â he said, before he began to explore one of her ears with his lips.
Rogue gave him a playful slap. âShame on you for gettinâ me all excited here!â she declared, though again not angrily. âYou wanna walk back yourself!?â She paused. ââCourse I guess we could go back to our room on the ship,â she suggested, her voice sweet again.
âNow youâre talkinâ!â
At that point, both of their communicators beeped. âAll X-men, please report to Professor Xavierâs hut,â Cyclops ordered.
Gambit quietly muttered, âSometimes I hate Cykeâ.
Rogue swatted his behind before scooping Gambit up once again. As they flew, both felt a hint of remorse for their joking tone, when potential news of the Professorâs condition was likely behind Cyclopsâ summons.
***
X-men congregated inside and around the doorway of the hut. Many craned their necks to get a better look.
âHeâs conscious!â Hank exclaimed, staring at his tricorder. âHis vital signs are returning to normalâ.
Xavier lay on the mat, his eyes still closed. His body stirred. Jean lay a hand on his forehead, unable to resist a wide smile. âHeâll be back with us soon,â she said.
âDo you have any idea how it happened?â Storm asked.
âStorm, Iâm sorry to say that I have no more idea about that then I do about to whom this place belongs or why we were made so welcome here,â Jean replied.
Hank continued to press buttons on his tricorder. âIt indicates that he is sleeping nowâ.
As if on cue, a muted but distinct snore was heard from the Professor. Most X-men started cheering.
Shortly afterwards, Hank ushered the X-men out of the hut. âI believe we should allow him to rest. I imagine he will be tired and we need to give him spaceâ.
âShould we return him to the ship? It has more medical equipment,â Cyclops said.
Hank thought for a moment. âI would rather not move him, and additionally I believe that the equipment I brought with me will suffice for nowâ.
âIf he does start to need more, I can always teleport him back to sickbay,â Nightcrawler offered.
***
So we left the Professor with Jean and Hank. Cyclops and Storm meanwhile had no trouble thinking up work for the rest of us. They sent Forge, Angel, and Rogue back to the ship to assess the damage that happened during the landing. They had the rest of us take some readings of the planet and the building, to get a sense of when night would fall, and to double check things like making sure the air would still be breathable long term (Iâd think weâd be keeling over by now if it wasnât, but I suppose you never know). Storm and Cyke also said that they themselves would go back to the ship too, to find a way to get a remote feed from the shipâs computers so that we could monitor space from the planet, rather than from Victory. Although it appeared that this place was hidden by mists surrounding it and although FOH ships would be cloaked anyway, we still wanted a way to get a sense of what was out there without having to return to Victory.
***
Storm pressed a few buttons on the hand-held device and was satisfied with the resulting images on its screen. It was larger than a tricorder but still portable. âIt looks good,â she said. âIâd like Forge or Hank to take another look at it just to make sure itâs calibrated correctly, but it should give us a good reading of the surrounding area of spaceâ.
âBut this isnât too bad considering two non-techies came up with it,â Cyclops responded, proud of himself. His stomach suddenly made a loud grumbling noise.
Storm smiled and remarked, âI guess we didnât exactly think about stopping for lunch today given what this day has been likeâ.
âI think I will make a trip to the mess hall. Iâll bring something to Jean and Hank too. Do you want anything?â
âNo, thank you â“ I will go laterâ.
Cyclops piled soup and sandwiches onto a tray and then walked down Victoryâs ramp to make his way to the hut. He looked forward to eating his Rueben sandwich. As he walked, he fleetingly wondered if he should ask Hank and Forge someday to make him an inhibitor collar. His glasses allowed him to get a sense of the beauty of the place but he knew he didnât perceive it as well as everyone else did. Still, he appreciated the feeling of the warm sun on his skin and the scent of clean air. Cyclops had always felt an aversion to anything that prohibited mutant powers or simply could be seen as being anti-mutant. He remembered, years ago, talking with mutants who had flocked to Muir Island for a supposed cure and fervently trying to convince them that they were whole as is.
âHow is he?â Scott asked softly when he reached the doorway of the hut.
âStill sleeping,â Jean whispered.
âBut we are certain that he will recover,â Hank added. âAt this point I would like to return to the ship and replicate a wheelchair for him. It will require a lot of dilithium but of course it is a necessity, since we are sure that he will be back to normalâ.
âThis is great news! Thank you, Hank -- please do make him one,â Cyclops said. âHereâs some lunch,â he offered.
Hank grabbed a sandwich and left. Scott then sat on the floor next to Jean, and they availed themselves of the food.
âIâm so happy,â Jean murmured. âThe Professor is going to recover, weâre here on this beautiful place. With a baby on the wayâ. She stopped herself. âAlthough maybe itâs wrong to be this happy, when FOH is controlling everything back homeâ.
âHey. I donât think itâs ever wrong to be happy. I think we need to enjoy these times when we have them; weâve had enough strife in our lives. And I am as happy as you about these things. I canât believe I am finally going to become a fatherâ.
âAnd what a wonderful father you will make. Iâm happy for our child. He or she will be raised by two people who love each other very muchâ.
âYes. And will have the Professor as a grandfatherâ.
âDid you ever doubt that he would recover?â Jean asked.
âA few times, sure. I just kept hoping that we would be right about the coordinates he kept hearing. I wonder why weâre not contacted more directly byâŠthe beings who sent the messagesâ.
Jean lifted her soup spoon to her mouth. âI couldnât tell if it was because they *couldnât* be more direct, or if they were perhaps waiting for the Professor to get betterâ. She set the rest of her food aside and nuzzled against Scott.
Scott put his sandwich aside and pulled Jean into his arms. Another memory came back to him. He remembered the day that the X-men had had to rebuild the mansion after Juggernaut destroyed it. After a long day of hard work, he and Jean had cuddled in one of the half-finished structures. She had sat much as she was now, surrounded by his arms. Scott reached and again kissed her.
Jean sighed contentedly and turned so that she could more fully return the kiss. The kiss grew more passionate, and Scottâs mind raced with sensual images. He forced himself to pull away.
âSorry, Jean,â he whispered. âI, umâŠyou get me so excitedâŠbut with the Professor right here, we canâtâŠâ
âYou have the same effect on me. But youâre right. It would be wrong, on so many levels, with him here,â she said, though her body heartily protested. âAlthough I so desperately want to go back to the ship with you right now!â
âI know. Me too. But we canât leave himâ.
***
We reassembled outside the hut in a few hours, after weâd gotten word that the Professor was now awake. A wheelchair was parked outside of the hut, and we all pretty much took turns going up to the Professor. He was sitting up on the mat and he looked well. Jubilee, who was right ahead me, eagerly reached down and hugged him.
âDo be careful,â Hank cautioned. âHeâs still weakâ.
âActually, I feel better every minute,â the Professor said. âSeeing all of my X-men is certainly lifting my spirits. And I appreciate the hug, Jubileeâ. His voice sounded the same as before, just a tad weaker and scratchy.
âIâm so glad youâre better!â she enthused. âAnd you gotta see this place!â
âIn due time. How are you, Jubilee? Have you been keeping up with your training?â
âOh, of course!â
When it was my turn, I knelt before the Professorâs mat so he could be on the same level as me. Then I was really surprised. He extended his arms and hugged me briefly. Itâs not like the Professor had ever been stern or distant but I didnât associate affection with him either.
âYou did very well, Bobby,â he said. âYou rescued all of usâ.
âYou remember that?â I asked. Then I felt stupid. Of course he did â“ he didnât get shot till after we were out of the FOH cell.
âOf course I remember. Thank you for what you didâ.
I got all flustered and said something stupid like, âIt was my pleasureâ. I was really floored that he remembered and mentioned the rescue.
âWe had a cake and celebration in honor of Bobby afterwards,â Hank added.
âI wish I could have been there,â the Professor said and he totally sounded like he meant it.
âWeâll have to have a celebration for your recovery,â I said.
After everyone had had a chance to talk to the Professor, he spoke to the group. He was still inside the hut â“ Hank strongly felt that he needed to rest â“ but he wanted to talk to us. So everyone assembled either inside or near the hut. It was kind of an awkward set-up but it worked. I stood outside and listened.
âI have been communicating with those to whom this place belongs. They did indeed contact me back on earth, more than once. We are safe and welcome on this planet,â he said. âWe were invited here by mystical beings. They are beings from whom Alpha Flightâs Snowbird hails. They have told me that we can stay as long as we wishâ.
âSo if they areâŠfriends of Snowbirdâs, do they have any word on what happened to Alpha Flight?â Storm asked.
âI do not think that they know,â the Professor answered. âThey want to see Snowbird again, that I can sense for certain. If Alpha Flight were to somehow appear, they would be more than welcome by the mystical creaturesâ.
âSeen many weird tâings during my time in the X-men,â Gambit began.
âBut this one wins the prize at the county fair,â Rogue finished.
Wolverine shrugged. âIt donât seem strange to me. We knew during her time in Alpha Flight that Snowbird came from mystical creaturesâ.
I think that everyone was obviously confused by the whole situation but not looking a gift horse in the mouth either. I loved this place, the atmosphere and feel of it, and loved that the Professor was back. From the looks on their faces, I guessed the others felt the same. So hey, if some demigods or whatever who knew one of Alpha Flightâs members said we could stay in their paradise, whatâs the harm?
âI have news to share about the status of our dilithium,â Forge spoke up, bringing my thoughts from mystical creatures down to scientific reality. He had a grim look on his face. âWe did have a hull breach during the landing and we lost some dilithium. We ran several test scenarios. Based on our best estimates, if we were to turn around and leave this place tomorrowâŠwe donât have enough to make it back to earth. Close but we couldnât make it all the way there. We could *possibly* make it back to earth if we didnât use the cloaking device, but that would be riskyâ.
âFar too risky,â Storm added. âIf FOH detected us, they could send their entire fleet after us and overwhelm Victoryâ.
Hank spoke up. âI wish to apologize to everyone. It was my bad landing that caused this. I know I erred and I sincerely regret what I have doneâ.
My heart fell. I wondered if there was anything I could do for the guy. Anyone could tell he felt terrible.
Forge responded, âI donât think that this situation is due just to the landing. We knew we were running low beforehand. The landing didnât help the situation but it definitely didnât cause itâ.
âI agree,â Cyclops said. âBeast, there is no need for you to apologize. Whoâs to say if any of us could have landed Victory any better?â
âWeâre safe and not in any immediate danger,â Storm added. âWe always find a way out when weâre trappedâ.
âSo what do we do now?â Wolverine asked.
âPerhaps we could revisit the locked shed that contains a power source,â Storm suggested.
âI have a proposal to make,â Cyclops spoke up. âIt has been a long day and weâve had a lot to take in. Our sensors show that the sun will begin to set in just over an hour. Letâs pick this discussion up tomorrowâ.
I was a bit surprised. Just that Iâve known Scott a long time and this didnât seem like him, but no one objected.
âI agree,â the Professor added.
âSo likeâŠcan we sleep in the rooms in this building here?â Jubilee asked. âI mean, it seems like Snowbirdâs friends said weâre supposed to make ourselves at homeâ.
We talked it over briefly, and most of us wanted to stay here. Even when I had entered the ship again to get lunch, I hadnât liked its artificial environment and longed to get back out here. So we ended up heading for the building and picking out rooms â“ they all looked pretty much alike so which one you selected just didnât matter that much.
Once weâd settled on that, I noticed that Scott and Jean, and Rogue and Gambit were the first people to break away from the meeting and head back for Victory. I didnât see either couple again for a while. Over the next few hours, most of us packed our few personal possessions in our duffle bags and moved into our new rooms in the building. We powered up the buildingâs generator and transferred a food replicator from Victory to our new temporary home. Since everyone was kind of scrambling around and getting settled, we didnât all eat dinner at the same time.
Of course someone stayed with the Professor at all times in the hut; he wasnât up for moving out of there just yet.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Authorâs Notes â“
Just a friendly reminder that, as I promised way back in Chapter 1, Alpha Flightâs backgrounds and canon have been altered in this story.
Chapter Six
The sunset on the planet was just as breathtaking as all of the planetâs natural views. Storm watched it from the buildingâs back porch and enjoyed the myriad of colors in the sky. She was tempted to fly up and gain a better view, but the one allowed from the porch was more than satisfactory. Her eyes drank it in. She noticed the temperature dropping and sensed that the evening would be cool but not cold. Her powers gave her the ability to alter the planetâs temperature, but she sensed that tampering with this location would be not only wrong somehow but also unnecessary.
The Wind Rider stifled a yawn. Powerful as she was, she did sometimes get tired and this day had contained more excitement than she had seen in weeks. Her system had almost gotten used to the routine on board Victory. She turned towards the rooms and looked forward to getting some sleep.
As Storm walked down the main hallway, Wolverine approached from the other direction. He carried a backpack with him.
âHave you settled into your new room?â she asked.
âYeah. Great place here,â he responded.
Storm didnât know what gave her the push to ask the next question. Perhaps the headiness of fresh air and open spaces had gotten to her. âDo you ever rise early in the morning?â she asked.
Wolverine seemed a bit taken aback by her question before he responded. âI can. Hell, in a place like this I probably would just to see the sun riseâ.
âI was wondering if youâd like to see the sun rise tomorrow,â she offered, boldly. âI know how much you like the outdoors. If you want, I could evenâŠâ Storm now was at a loss for words as she couldnât think of a non-awkward way to word her idea, âgive you an aerial view of the planet. I could fly you around itâ. She then felt her cheeks warm. âIt sounds silly, perhaps, but you know what I meanâ.
Storm then began to fear that she had been too forward. She had picked up plenty of X-men, including Wolverine, and flown them somewhere when needed â“ often into battle. She realized, however, that plenty of men might find the experience of being carried around by a woman a bit odd, a bit too much like a role-reversal. And when the scooping up of a teammate was not done in battle, didnât it possibly carry different connotations? Storm tried to calm herself, reminding herself that they *had* just been talking about getting a good view of a sunrise.
âSure, Iâll try it. Thanks for the offer, âRoâ.
Storm noted that he didnât usually call her by her given name â“ few did so. âLetâs meet on the porch tomorrow,â she suggested. They settled on a time.
âSounds good to me,â he said, before taking leave of her for the night.
Wolverine then walked to the foyer and exited the main door. He was going to spend the night outside and sleep under the stars.
***
Several hours after I ate dinner, I left several X-men in the large open room adjacent to the dining room. They were talking about moving some of the items from the rec room on board Victory to this room. The pool table and ping pong table would easily fit in here with lots of room to spare for tables around which we could play cards and board games.
I couldnât help but to be in a good mood â“ we had a gorgeous place to stay in, the Professor was recovering. But I knew the fact that we lacked enough dilithium was serious and Hank was blaming himself.
So I walked towards Victory and entered the ramp up to the ship. We were leaving it ajar. The ship was powered down so as to save on dilithium, but we left emergency lights on in a few corridors so we could retrieve things from Victory as needed. I made my way to the supply room and located a lantern.
Once the sun set on the planet, it was really dark. I walked towards the hut where the Professor was staying and tilted my head up. The stars looked so incredibly bright. Like they were right there on top of you, like you were totally *there*, in the galaxy, if that makes any sense. They never shone so brightly back on earth.
I gently knocked on the door of the hut. Hank sat on a chair someone had brought him. I looked at the tray and smiled when I saw that heâd eaten the dinner Iâd fetched earlier.
Hank put a finger to his lips. âThe Professor is sleeping again,â he whispered.
âHow is he â“ like, overall?â I whispered back.
âOther than the fact that he is overall weak, his health is back to normal. I suspect that tomorrow he will be up and aroundâ.
âThatâs greatâ. I entered the hut, leaving my lantern just outside so we had a bit of light, and sat on the floor next to Hankâs chair. âAre you going to sleep here tonight?â
âI donât see any reason not to. I volunteered to stay with the Professor. And I know that Scott, Jean, and others will be here at daybreak to check on himâ.
âYeah, but what if you have to go to the bathroom during the night?â
In the dim shadows cast by the lantern, I could see Hank making a face. âWell, Bobby, I am sure that I can take hold of my lantern and reach the building in timeâ.
âYeah, I guess youâre rightâ. I paused. âYou want me to get you a blanket?â
âItâs warm enough in here, and of course I have my omnipresent fur coatâ.
âYou want me to brush you?â
âNot right now, but perhaps some other time, my friendâ.
Actually his refusal was good since I didnât have a hairbrush with me. âYou wanna play a round of Uno? I brought a deck of cardsâ.
âI believe the lack of light here would make that difficultâ. Hank leaned forward in his chair. âI know why you are here, Bobby, and I appreciate that you are attempting to elevate my mood. I understand that no one is angry for me for the poor landing and that I am not blamed. I am the one who feels most disappointed in myself. And I do not think that I can do anything about it other than try to forgive myself and resolve to perform better when I face my next challengeâ.
âAnd remind yourself of all the amazing things youâve done for the team over the yearsâ.
âI know,â he said quietly. âThank you for your concernâ.
I rose to my feet. I got that he was glad Iâd paid him a visit, he was totally bummed at himself, but heâd be okay. So I wished him a goodnight and went back to the building.
I turned down the covers of the bed in my new room and undressed. I liked to sleep in boxers and a T-shirt. Weeks ago on Victory I had replicated clothes that looked just like the ones Iâd liked back on earth. I found the bed at this place to be soft and comfortable, more so than the one on board Victory. Part of me knew I should be mildly freaked out just due to the weirdness of the situation. But I didnât actually feel weird at all. The atmosphere on this planet belonging to Snowbirdâs people felt soothing and refreshing, mixed with a hint of excitement too.
The only thing was that I wished I had someone in the bed with me. Not just for sex, though that sure wouldâve been nice too. I had to congratulate myself for going so long without it, though it wasnât like I had any choice. But I really thought it would be wonderful to have someone to wake up with in the morning. I wanted someone to warm the bed next to me. As much as I wished for a boyfriend though, I didnât feel alone either since I at least had family in the X-men and that was worth gold.
With those thoughts, I was asleep before I knew it.
***
âRemy, shouldnât we be worried and all? We canât get back to earth,â Rogue said, cuddled against Gambit in their new bed. She loved her inhibitor bracelet. It was so much less bulky and she could easily sleep wearing it, so she didnât have to worry about accidentally touching Gambit during the night. Gambit preferred to sleep *au natural* in warm temperatures.
âI ainât too worried, chere. Storm said we always find a way out. I say we enjoy this for what it is. We need a vacationâ.
Rogue had to smile. Did Gambit ever fail to see the positives of any situation? âI love that about you. Mr. Sunshine,â she teased.
âRather you call me Swamp Rat den dat,â Gambit muttered at his new nickname.
âWhat do you wanna do tomorrow?â
Gambit smiled at the question. He wasnât one for planning out a daily schedule. âSleep late and make love again. And I suppose somewhere in dere we gotta show at the meeting Cyke promised to discuss dilithium. Tâinkinâ âbout datâs enough to make me fall asleep nowâ. He yawned audibly.
***
Wolverine woke just before dawn. He could sense its approach, and knew that he had time before the sun began its ascent. He had slept peacefully the night before; in fact, it had been his best sleep in months. He had felt a sense of anticipation during the night too but it hadnât prevented him from resting well.
He rolled up his sleeping bag and packed his backpack, wondering if Storm might ever enjoy sleeping outdoors. She loved nature which had to be a good sign that she might enjoy this as well.
When he reached the porch, it was still dark outside. He settled into one of the chairs, noticing that the porch also contained an old fashioned porch swing and a few coffee tables along with its many chairs. They looked not unlike any furniture one would see on earth. Eventually he heard footsteps and saw light emanating from inside the building. Storm approached, holding a flashlight.
âHello,â she greeted him.
âMorning,â he nodded.
âI believe I will get some tea and something to eat. We still have time before sunrise. Would you like anything?â
âThanks, darlinâ. You need help?â
âNo, Iâll bring it to youâ.
âThanks. Iâll have whatever youâre havinâ thenâ.
Storm soon appeared with a tray. She and Wolverine slowly picked at the breakfast as the first hint of pink began to appear in the sky. Wolverine took in the beauty, and wondered if Storm read his mind when she spoke. âCome on. I will take you up thereâ.
âYou sure I wonât be too heavy for you, darlinâ? I know youâre strong, but I ainât light eitherâ.
âIf I get tired, I can always set you down for a bit and rest. Are you ready?â
He nodded, and she scooped him up in her arms and flew up.
Wolverine liked it. He was able to see the sunrise from the sky itself, the light starting to emerge from behind clouds. He felt the rush of air as they coasted above the treetops, taking in the colors of the place. It seemed to have a healing effect on his soul, though he doubted that anything could fully replace the damage or return what had been taken from him so long ago. But this place helped. Whatever awkwardness he might have felt about being carried by a woman who was taller than he evaporated when he allowed his senses to receive the views around him. And he enjoyed the warm feeling of Stormâs arms around him, although he had to admit that being in contact with her this way was pushing his willpower to the limit.
After a few sweepsâ“ it did not take long to fly from one end of the planet to the other â“ Storm asked, âHow would you feel about landing for a bit?â
âWhatever you wantâ.
Storm landed next to the lake. Wolverine breathed in a tranquil feeling as he enjoyed the scent of the clean water. He hoped the serenity of the scene would help him restore some measure of control.
Storm stood next to him, also facing the lake.
âThank you,â he said.
âWas it worth getting up early for?â she asked.
âYeah. Iâd do it againâ.
Something dawned on Wolverine that morning, a thought that he had been mulling over for a while. He knew then that nothing would happen unless he made it happen. He guessed that many things in his life had been that way, had been the result of his agency.
And it had taken all of his willpower to not aggressively pursue her these past months. Restraining the animal inside had been his fulltime occupation. Perhaps holding back had been the wrong thing to do. He knew that he could restrain this no longer. He had to deal with the daily frustration of not being able to fight and crush FOH, and he could not afford to be frustrated in yet another area of his life.
Wolverine knew that Storm was interested in him. If nothing else, he could detect from her bodyâs subtle scents that she had a carnal attraction for him. Whether or not she was interested in someone to spend her days with, someone to love, he didnât know. But at this point, he wasnât going to continue second-guessing things.
Wolverine put an arm around Stormâs shoulders and turned to her. She met his gaze and the look in her eyes gave him confidence. âCan I kiss you, âRo?â he asked.
âYes,â she replied, eagerly stepping towards him.
He hadnât kissed a woman for a long time. Her lips felt soft against his and the kiss was pleasurable. When they paused for a moment, they drew back together again quickly. This time one of their mouths opened and Logan enjoyed the feeling of her tongue against his. He wanted to grab her body even harder but again summoned unknown depths of control to keep the kiss at a more romantic than passionate level.
And then Storm asked if he wanted to fly again, and he agreed. She picked him up and, after flying for several minutes, set them down inside the forest.
âIs this where you spent the night?â she asked.
âI slept outside,â he said. âI love sleepinâ under the stars. You wanna try it sometime?â
âYes,â Storm said. She reached for him again and pulled him into another kiss.
As they kissed, Wolverine wondered how he could convey to her what he wanted to say. He didnât want her just for the sex, and he was over Jean once and for all. He wanted to have a relationship with her, but those words sounded so charmingly wrong. Verbal communication wasnât his strong point, he knew, and when it came to matters of the heart it wasnât Stormâs best suit either.
But he decided to take try it. She had been so receptive to everything so far, just as he had dreamed she would be. And if she didnât respond, well, he had weathered plenty of disappointments in his life.
âI donât know how to ask this,â he began, when they drew apart from their kiss. âYou wanna be together? You and me, give it a try?â
âI would like nothing better,â Storm responded, sounding a bit breathless, which he liked. She pulled him into another kiss.
And Wolverine loved that she didnât push him to discuss it more, didnât require that they sit down and spell out what they would be to each other anymore than that. They simply continued kissing, with hands beginning to roam over each otherâs bodies. The feel of her hands under his shirt was intoxicating and his senses began to get dizzy with excitement. He liked the way she touched his back. His body, deprived of sex for so long, was responding with ardor. He again silently marveled at how well he was able to harness the animal instincts.
âI, um, I hope you donât think that I want you just forâŠwell, for sex,â Storm said.
Wolverine smiled. âYou got a bit of blush on your face, âRo,â he teased, feeling relieved that she had brought it up. He also felt proud of himself for his self-control.
She smiled, which he took to mean that she didnât mind a bit of teasing. âI suppose you know that I am not good at discussing this kind of thingâ.
âYeah, me neither. But no, I ainât lookinâ just for someone to warm my bed. Lookinâ for more than thatâ.
Storm once more smiled, wider than Logan had ever seen, before she again pulled him into a kiss. âMe too. So with that settled,â she began, breaking off the kiss again, âshall we warm your bed or mine?â
He looked downwards and felt a playful smile on this face. âWe could warm the forest floor insteadâ.
âLogan, you are full of wonderful ideas todayâ.
***
Nightcrawler had decided to do early morning prayer and meditation in the forest. Fortunately, he did not have exceptionally strong hearing and fortunately the forest was large enough that he didnât stumble upon Storm and Wolverine.
***
Cyclops tapped his fingers impatiently. He was eager to call the team together so they could discuss their next steps. And he had been kind enough to let them have free time yesterday evening. But this morning, even Storm had turned her communicator off and was nowhere to be found. This was most unlike her.
He walked from the hallway containing the bedrooms towards the dining hall. Yesterday most X-men had slapped a piece of paper with their name onto each door so each personâs room could be identified. Scott resisted the urge to tap on Stormâs door.
He took a breath and reminded himself to be patient with the entire team. They had only arrived in this strange, but gorgeous, place yesterday. Could he really fault them for setting off and exploring it? Besides, yesterday it had been clear that there was nothing urgent occurring now anyway and no immediate action to take. And he had to accept the fact that at least half the team would never be up for morning meetings. Rogue and Gambit were the worst in that regard, but several others such as Bobby and Jubilee werenât morning people either.
Scott decided to post a sign in the dining room, making the guess that everyone â“ even the late risers -- would stop to eat either a late breakfast or a lunch at some point. The sign specified that a meeting would occur in the dining hall, and he gave the time for the meeting as mid-afternoon.
He then went to check on the Professor. This morning he was up and around on his new wheelchair. Hank had marveled at his recovery, and to Scott it nearly appeared that Xavier had never been in a coma.
***
We had a meeting on the afternoon of our first full day there. For a team of free spirits and people who donât like schedules, you gotta give us credit for getting our butts in one place when weâre told to.
I had spent my morning the same way most of the team did. I slept late. I sauntered out of bed and to the kitchen to replicate some food. Took a shower in my roomâs own bathroom, which I should mention was sparkling clean. Had forgotten to bring my towels from Victory which presented a problem (Iâd remembered soap and shampoo though). Greeted the Professor who looked like heâd never been ill and he said that his new wheelchair was fine. Wandered around the planet, still almost wondering if I was dreaming when I felt sun warming my back. Hung out with people in our new rec room outside of the dining hall â“ but not too much since most wanted to be outside. Watched an impromptu volleyball game. Ate lunch in the dinning room with five others. And then before I knew it, it was time for the meeting.
We sat around the tables in the dining room, and first we got an official update on the Professorâs condition, even though everyone had hung out with him that day. He said he felt just like himself, only a bit tired. But he said he was feeling better with nearly each passing hour. Many of the buildingâs staircases had ramps next to them, but a few entrances would need to be modified to allow his wheelchair to pass.
Forge gave us some more information on the planet. We learned that the days were estimated to be 23.5 hours in length, with approximately 13.5 hours of sunlight and 10 of darkness. He talked about the distance between this planet and this solar systemâs sun.
Then, changing subjects, Wolverine asked, âWhat about the Danger Room? Can we get back onto Victory and use it?â
We talked it through (it was boring, I wonât write out the whole thing here) and decided to have it on at two specified time periods each day, to minimize the dilithium usage.
Angel asked if we really had enough dilithium to stay here for a while.
âThe fact is,â Forge began, âthat all we need to power here is the main buildingâs generator â“ so that we can turn on lights and run showers and food replicators -- things like that. Those types of activities use up a very small amount of dilithium. The things on the ship that drain our power supply so much are the warp drive, life support, and cloaking device. Even with us using Victoryâs Danger Room and gym five hours each dayâŠmy estimates show that we would still have enough dilithium to last us about six to seven years at this rateâ.
We talked about a few measures weâd take to conserve dilithium here. We made plans to install timers on showers and to ensure that lights were not turned on when not needed â“ with all the windows and abundant sunlight, the building didnât really need lights on that often.
âWhat about the shed we saw, next to the hut where you healed up?â Storm asked, facing the Professor. âOur readings show that a power supply of some sort is insideâ.
The Professor spoke, âA few times when I have communicated with the beings who allow us to stay here, I have asked about it. They do not want us to open that shed. They feel that whatever is in there belongs to Snowbirdâ.
âWe could force the door open, if we had to though, right?â Angel asked. âBetween Wolverineâs claws and Rogueâs strength, we could tear it downâ.
âTheoretically yes, but I cannot support that,â the Professor said. âI know we want to return to earth and defeat FOH. I share that dream too, but I think we need to put the dream on hold for now. To destroy something and to take something from these beings who have been so welcoming to usâŠit would be morally wrongâ.
I saw lots of people nod their heads. Storm and Cyclops both voiced agreement.
âEven if we could return to earth, we still face the same problem we had before we left. Thereâs not enough of us to make a difference against FOH â“ not when theyâve gotten as powerful and swayed as many minds as they have,â Cyclops added.
The Professor said, âMy biggest regret is that we did not devote more energy towards preventing their rise to powerâ.
âLetâs not be too hard on ourselves,â Storm said. âWe had so many powerful enemies to face over the years and our numbers were so few. We cannot berate ourselves for not doing moreâ.
Jean looked dejected. âI always thought that FOH was so extreme that they would never get as far as they did. I hoped that regular people would see through them, but I guess I was in denial for a long timeâ.
âPerhaps we all were,â the Professor added.
âSo it appears that our plan is to remain here indefinitely,â Storm concluded.
I know it sounds terrible of me, but I wasnât too upset. I looked around the room. Was it my imagination or were others trying to not look as thrilled as they felt? We so needed a vacation.
âPerhaps,â the Professor spoke up again, âour hosts may let allow us to take some of their power supply at some point. If we demonstrate that we would be good stewards.â He paused and added, âThey might not though. I donât think that they view things quite the same as we do. However, I am certain that they would be upset if we took anything from them nowâ.
So that was the meeting. We gradually dispersed. âWhoâs up for volleyball again?â Angel asked. Teams started to form. I made a remark: âWe canât leave here, so letâs party!â and got a few laughs for it.
***
The X-men decided to eat dinner together as a group, in the dining room, and celebrate the Professorâs nearly complete recovery. They replicated a bit more food than usual including some delicious deserts and alcoholic beverages â“ items that they did not often indulge in. Jean turned down the lights and lit a few candles to create an atmosphere. There was much talking and laughing around the table as serving bowls were passed. Various X-men took turns filling in Xavier on events he had missed while in the coma, though some stories were a bit embellished.
âThat is utterly untrue!â Storm exclaimed, picking up a grape and lobbing it at Colossus. âYou did not beat the Apocalypse level 12 program singlehandedly in 10 minutesâ.
âYeah, tell us another one, iron-man,â Wolverine muttered, good-naturedly. He sat next to Storm, close enough that their thighs touched under the table.
Colossus continued to brag to the Professor of his prowess in the Danger Room. âIs true! No one else finish him off that fastâ.
Xavier smiled indulgently, âMay I remind you, Colossus, that I can read minds if I have to?â
The group laughed even more.
The Professor then turned towards Scott and Jean, who were sitting next to each other as usual. Scott reached his fork towards Jeanâs plate and snatched a bite of her ice cream. She threw him a mock-angry look. âAny word on the little X-baby?â the Professor asked.
âThe baby seems fine but we still have a ways to go before we can have an ultra-sound,â Jean answered. She then made a face and added, âAnd we greatly appreciate all the name suggestions, but if anyone really thinks weâre naming the baby after them, forget it!â
âSo no little Remy den, eh?â Gambit asked.
âIâm afraid notâ.
The sun began to set but most of the X-men remained in the dining hall, laughing and talking. Someone brought out a board game from the new rec room, though as the board was set on the table, Storm got up and took her leave of her teammates for the evening. Wolverine followed a few minutes later.
Gambit nudged Rogue under the table. She responded with a quizzical look.
âWhat is it, Cajun?â Rogue asked eagerly as she and Gambit took a walk outside after dinner. Gambit illuminated their path by charging one of his cards.
âYou notice Storm and Wolverine at dinner?â
âDid IâŠwell, no. Notice what?â she asked, nearly flustered.
âAh, chere, Remyâs always been more observant den you,â he noted with a smile. âI say dey are a couple nowâ.
âWhat? Really! Whyâd you say that?â
âDey sittinâ next to each otherâ.
âBig deal! Kurt and Sam sat next to each other and I donât think theyâre a couple, Swamp Rat!â
âYou see the way Storm and Wolverine were lookinâ at each other?â
âThey been doinâ that for months nowâ.
âI tell you, chere, the looks changed,â Gambit insisted. âI could feel a change in the air between demâ.
Rogue considered his words. âBut she said sheâd tell us when she had news to share!â Rogue exclaimed. She was truly hurt at the idea that her friend really might be holding out on her, not to mention chagrined at the idea that Remy truly *was* the more observant one.
âAnâ you believed her? You know how she is. Never shares nothinâ personalâ.
Rogue shook her head. âIâm gonna give that girl a talkinâ to next time I get her alone!â
***
Rogue couldnât resist it. She knocked on Stormâs door later that very evening. When she didnât receive a reply, she considered using the communicator to reach her friend but fought back that urge. She walked towards the rec room but didnât see either Storm or Wolverine. Could Gambit have been right? She pulled Bobby aside and asked him about it â“ he often was quite aware of his teammatesâ comings and goings â“ but he said he had no idea if anything had transpired between Storm and Wolverine.
The next morning, she rose earlier than usual and saw Wolverine working with Jubilee outside. The Danger Room wasnât set to open for the day yet but he was apparently instructing Jubilee in a few moves. Jubilee seemed to be catching on quickly; she had matured as a fighter and always responded well to Wolverineâs tutelage. Rogue searched around the main building and, when she didnât locate Storm, decided to try the Wind Riderâs bedroom.
âHi,â Rogue greeted, when Storm opened the door.
âHello, Rogue. Wonât you please come in?â
Rogue had been prepared to lay into Storm and berate her for not opening up earlier. But something about Stormâs tone of voice seemed open and very welcoming. It was hard, even for Rogue, to remain angry at Storm for long and besides, she knew that Gambit may have been wrong.
âNice room you got here,â Rogue observed.
âDoes yours look much the same?â Storm asked.
âMostly. Ours is on the other side of the hall, so we face a different way and get a different view out the window. Yours ainât no less beautifulâ. She continued to survey the room. âWe got a cabinet above the closet,â she noted.
âThereâs an ample cabinet inside the bathroom instead,â Storm gestured. She then smiled and sat on the bed. âThough I must confess that I have news more important than room design to share with youâ.
Rogue absorbed her friendâs excitement as she sat next to her on the bed. Ororo really was going to share her news! âWhat is it, girlfriend?â
Storm placed a hand over Rogueâs gloved hand. âYou know that I am not one for gossiping. Or for taking too much of an interest in other X-menâs love lives. We all desire different degrees of privacy. So I ask you to keep this close to the vestâ.
âCut the preamble! Out with it, Storm!â Rogueâs lack of patience often got the best of her.
âWell, Logan and I have decided toâŠgive things a try. We are a couple nowâ.
âOh, Storm, thatâs great! You do look like youâre glowinâ with happiness! I got a whole passel of questions for you. Like, how did it happen? Was it just yesterday? And girl, you have to tell me how the sex is!â
Storm smiled indulgently, musing that some things simply never change. She had always found Rogueâs quirks endearing though. âNow, Rogue. I am happy that Logan and I are together, but a lot of the details I really consider private. My plan is to tell Jean the news, and I should let Jubilee know as well. I know that youâll talk to Gambit for me. Beyond thatâŠI donât see the need to make an announcement and, as I said, I would rather hold the details to myselfâ.
âBut I shared all that sorta stuff with you! When Remy and I were gettinâ togetherâ.
âI must add the fact that *you* sought me out for advice and offered all of that information. I never priedâ.
âIs that what Iâm doinâ?? Pryinâ?? Friends donât pry. They just wanna know whatâs goinâ on!â
âOh, Rogue,â Storm turned towards her friend and embraced her. The sincere display of affection seemed to placate Rogue; Storm held her for several moments. âYou know I care about you deeplyâ.
âYeah. Anâ youâre right,â Rogue said, pulling back from the hug. âIn fact, I sure appreciated your guidance back then. But youâre different and if you donât wanna share every detail, thatâs fineâ. Rogue paused and added, âBut itâd sure be nice to hear *somethinâ* âbout the lovemakinâ! I ainât after your man â“ Iâs never attracted to him myself -- just curiousâ.
Storm shook her head and smiled patiently. She then spoke, âI will never forget that morning you pounded on my door after your first night with Gambit. You practically jumped up and down on my bed, telling me how wonderful it was and yelling at me for not pushing you to do it earlier â“ even though I seem to recall you being fully in control of when you made the decision to ask Hank for a collarâ.
Rogue felt a hint of embarrassment at the eagerness of her slightly-younger self. She tilted her head back and said, âWell, Remy had that effect on me and he still does. Glad you got someone who makes you feel that wayâ. She then added wryly, âOr at least I reckon he does, since you ainât gonna tell me âbout it!â
***
That evening the X-men decided to build a campfire outside and roast marshmallows. They didnât need a real reason for the campfire other than a desire for more outdoors activities. The rec room inside the building often remained empty since most wanted to experience being outside. The six weeks on board Victory had been long and tedious for the team. This planet had beautiful weather; it had only experienced rain once, for about ten minutes, since they had arrived. The group wanted to avail themselves of the fantastic weather outside at every opportunity.
Jean pinched her hot marshmallow between her fingers to hoist it off her stick. She popped the gooey treat into her mouth. Looking at the fire and hearing the conversation of the others around her almost had a lulling effect. She simply could not bring herself to feel guilty about enjoying the days on this planet, she realized. The X-men had fought so hard for so long, and when they had left earth it felt as if they had nothing to show for all their battles. If something on this planet had healed Xavierâs body, perhaps it would also heal the teamâs psyche. She looked at the faces of her teammates and hoped that most of them felt the same way and were equally free of guilt. Of one thing Jean was certain â“ the X-men had many long battles ahead of them.
She noticed Wolverine sitting behind Storm and brushing her hair. Jean remembered that she herself had touched Stormâs hair more than once. It was thicker than her own and felt like silk. Jean had almost been envious. She hoped that Wolverineâs rough hands would enjoy the sensation.
This was good, Jean felt as she continued to watch Storm and Wolverine. When she had told Cyclops what Storm had shared with her, Cyclops â“ who generally wasnât interested in the love lives of any X-men other than his and Jeanâs -- had also been genuinely happy. It had to have meant that Wolverine had finally accepted that Jean would not be his and had moved on, emotionally. He and Cyclops had been getting along so much better the past few years.
Other X-men noticed Wolverineâs gesture of affection towards Storm, and also saw the way she sat back against him when he was finished with her hair. Jean knew that the others would soon guess the truth if they hadnât been told or heard it through the grapevine.
***
With everyone in a much better mood, it was time for me to get back into practical jokes!
I offered to again brush Hankâs pelt out one afternoon. I had done it a few times since my initial offer and he seemed to really like it. We had been having a picnic by the lake with Jubilee, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. The others eventually took off to get ready for their afternoon Danger Room session but Hank declined to join them.
âI would rather spend the afternoon continuing my research of the soil samples from this planet. Additionally, I had an intense Danger Room session this morning,â Hank explained. âThus I am bypassing another Danger Room bout this afternoonâ.
âYeah, I had a pretty intense session about 7 weeks ago,â I joked, âso Iâm going to bypass anymore training tooâ.
Hank didnât say anything but that quip sure fell flat. It made me sound just lazy instead of truly scared of combat. I shrugged it off; Hank liked me the way I was, flawed and all, I knew.
âHey, didnât you spend some time with the Professor this morning?âI asked, happy to change topics. âDid he say if heâd gotten any ideas from Snowbirdâs friends about whether we can use some of their power supply?â
âHe did not,â Hank said. âI am certain that he will tell us if and when he has some dialog with them. However, he has always been clear that they might not decide to give us anythingâ.
âTheyâve already been pretty generous,â I said. I shifted my weight and began brushing out the left half of his back. âGuess we canât ask for more. So would we really be stranded hereâŠforever?â
I still wasnât complaining or the least bit upset about our predicament. I never heard anyone complain about it actually. The planet may have been small but you could never get tired of roaming around the forest or swimming in the lake. A few people had asked about replicating a canoe and were given permission from Cyclops and Storm. It actually didnât require that much dilithium. So canoe rides were added to the list of things we enjoyed doing.
âThat we do not know, my friend. I have never been one to accept ideas without firm evidence, but in this case I may make an exception to my policy. My instincts tell me that we are simply not going to be here for years on end, though we do have enough dilithium if the worst case scenario does occur. When I was in jail so many years ago, at times all the evidence indicated that I would languish there for years, but I continued to have hope and was released much sooner than logic would have told meâ.
I nodded. âWe gotta hope that something will come up one way or anotherâ.
I finished brushing Hank. As I set the hairbrush down, I subtly reached into my pocket and pulled out a pink barrette. I was sitting behind Hank so he couldnât see. We were allowed to replicate small amounts of personal items and when I had looked up how little energy this would require, I had to whip up this barrette. Deftly I clipped it on to Hankâs back and then came around and sat next to him.
âLooks like the picnic was a success,â I said.
âHow could it not be, in such a glorious surrounding?â
Perhaps since we were alone, Hank then asked, taking a serious tone, âHow have you been lately? Have you had more nightmares?â
I had mentioned to Hank that Iâd had a few bad dreams since our escape from FOH. Nothing serious but maybe three nightmares in total. So I shrugged and said, âItâs been a while since I had the last one. Iâm fineâ.
I felt a strong gust of wind and looked up. Storm was flying overhead. I shielded my eyes against the sun with one hand and looked up; it looked like she was carrying Wolverine as well. They flew in the direction of the forest.
âHow romantic,â I said.
Hank wasnât one for gossip but the look in his eyes suggested to me that he was actually interested in discussing this. So I went on, âI always knew theyâd get togetherâ.
âDid you?â he asked.
âWell, no, actually,â I admitted. âI didnât think heâd get over Jean or that either one of them would get vulnerable enough to admit that they needed someone else. But then again, he did come a long way in general since he joined. At first he didnât even want to be around us and kept running off. But when Juggernaut totaled the mansion, he told Jubilee how much the whole thing meant to him. And you knew the team meant a lot to him when we â“ er, the rest of you, I mean â“ decided to go after Master Mold and the 20,000 or so Sentinels. He said as much then too. So he grew a lot the last few years emotionally. Storm was always mature â“ just not quite able to like share her feelings and such. I think seeing Rogue so happy with Gambit made Storm decide to risk itâ.
âYes,â Hank said, sounding distracted. He was gazing after Storm and Wolverine though by then you couldnât see them in the sky anymore. Just lots of fluffy clouds against sunlight.
And then Hank murmured something that shocked me. âI envy them,â he said.
âYou meanâŠthe couples?â I asked. Duh.
âYesâ.
I was still surprised that Hank admitted this but was dying to hear more too. âYou mean like you wish you had someone too?â
âVirtually every human being has certain needs. Most humans need companionship and affection. I feel that my need for those requirements is met through my friends in the X-men â“ for example, you, Jubilee, Jean, and others. One need that is completely unfulfilled for me, however, is sexâ.
I wanted to joke, âDude, join the club!â but was really too surprised for levity. Maybe I had wrongly written Hank off as asexual. But can you blame me? In all the years Iâd known him, I couldnât remember him ever talking about sex, at least not his own need for it. He did talk about romance and love during that whole episode with Carly, so long ago. And then after that, he never spoke about it again, at least not with me.
âThatâs gotta be hard,â I managed. âIs it?â
âWell, yes, of course. Sometimes I find myself dwelling on the subject quite a bit. I suppose it is not a surprise; if one is chronically experiencing hunger, then one dwells on food. I think about sex very often. For years I allowed the subject of science to absorb my interests, and I have truly always loved science. However I realize it also helped distract me from my lack of sexual activityâ. He paused and then asked, âDoes discussion of this subject cause you discomfort?â
âNo,â I answered, still shocked to hear Hank admit that he thought about sex all the time. âI like sex. I miss itâ. I paused and added, âAnd Iâm sure youâre not the only person here who misses it tooâ. To help prove that the subject didnât cause me âdiscomfortâ and because I did kind of wonder, I asked, âWhat kind of woman are you attracted to? Like, do you find a big and furry type like yourself attractive, or do you prefer a more conventional appearance?â
âI have met many fellow mutants over the years. Some of the women have unusual appearances as I do, and Iâve learned to see beauty in that. However, I certainly appreciate conventional beauty in a woman as wellâ.
I wanted to joke, âSo basically youâll find any woman hot,â but it didnât seem appropriate. So instead I said, âWell, I hope that someday you meet someone who is available and who you find attractive, and vice versa. âCause it totally sucks not getting any sexâ.
âYou had no trouble finding it, back on earth,â he said, and I couldnât tell if it was a comment or question.
I shrugged. I figured he knew this already, but I told him, âThere was a gay bar I went to every week or so. But you never meet anyone who actually wants a relationship there, you know? I mean it was nice to go andâŠget that physical need taken care of. Iâd kind of like to try being in an actual relationship though. Get both of these needs met, not just the sexual one or the companionship one. I guess Iâm like you now â“ I love the friends I have here, but having to play with myself is getting a little oldâ.
At that moment, Jean walked by. She was behind us, and she called out, âLovely barrette, Hank!â
Hank turned and gave me a sour look. I laughed. Then I helped him remove the barrette.
I wished that Jeanâs timing hadnât been what it was though. It was a breakthrough hearing Hank talk about this, and I couldnât think of how to get the conversation back to where it had been. But then again, what else was there to say on the subject? Perhaps it was better left where it was.
I did find myself thinking about it for a while though; I wondered if I had done Hank wrong by kinda not thinking of him as sexual over the years. I also wondered about some of the other guys. Nightcrawler was a monk so presumably heâd taken a vow of celibacy and presumably his appearance would have made it difficult for him to find a sexual partner regardless. I wonder if he was ever preoccupied with sex too. Whatever the case, I felt really bad for Hank that his prospects for ever getting that itch scratched didnât look so good, but I also thought of my own predicament too. My prospects werenât any better, at least not as long as we were stranded on this place.
***
Cyclops walked up Victoryâs ramp. The contrast in atmosphere between the planet and Victory always took a moment to get accustomed to -- despite the couple of weeks they had spent on the planet, its beauty still never failed to move Scott. Walking through the metallic and sterile corridors of Victory was such a different experience.
According to his watch, the Danger Roomâs afternoon session still had 45 minutes before it would be shut down for the day to save energy. Scott silently chided himself for having lingered over a canoe ride in lieu of starting the training session right when the Danger Room opened. `Itâs okay,â he told himself. `This would be the first session Iâve missed since we got hereâ.
Cyclops entered the Danger Room to find Jean in the midst of a combat program. Various other X-men were in the room as well, though most were engaging in hand-to-hand combat with each other rather than fighting alongside Jean.
Scott opened his mouth in surprise and stood still for several minutes. He then turned around and returned to the building on the planet.
Jean entered their room twenty minutes later. She was slightly damp with perspiration though she also appeared invigorated.
âScott,â she approached him, her voice soothing as she reached to put a hand on his shoulder.
âI thought we agreed that you were going to take it easy,â he said.
âScott, Iâm pregnant, but Iâm not an invalidâ.
He forced himself to take a breath. âIt could be dangerous though. We discussed this and I thought we had an agreementâ.
âWe agreed that I could take part in the Danger Room on lower settings,â Jean insisted.
âYeah, reluctantly I did agree to that,â Scott recalled. âWhat setting was it on? It didnât look to me like it was level 1â.
âIt was level 2,â Jean admitted. âLevel 2 is low, so I donât think that I went against what we agreed upon. Scott, level 1 is too easy for me â“ pregnant or not. Even Bobby would find level 1 too easy!â
Jeanâs remark provoked a slight smile in Scott, but it was soon replaced. He stepped closer to her. âI canât help but to be concerned for you and the baby. It just seems pointless for you to push yourself when youâre in there, since weâre not going to be going into combat any time soonâ.
âThat may be true. But we donât know what the future holds for us. I find training as an X-man to be fulfilling, as you do. And besides, I donât engage in the same type of combat as Wolverine. I use a lot of my telekinesis. Iâm not often in the thick of battle, even inside the Danger Room. And thereâs a long way to go before this baby is born. I donât intend to sit around knitting all day until the baby arrivesâ.
âI understand that and I wouldnât ask you to do that. Itâs just that if something happened to the baby, youâd never forgive yourself, Jean. I am saying this for your own good and because I love youâ.
Jean put her arms around Scott. She noticed that his voice hadnât softened during their conversation and she didnât need her telepathy to detect his disappointment and concern. âI love you too. I do think youâre overreacting. But can you agree that level 2 is still a low setting? I intend to continue training at that level. Anything lower and I fear that I would lose my touch. I do need to be able to protect myself and the baby, should the need ariseâ.
Scott allowed himself to remain in the hug. âWhat did Hank say about this again?â he asked, groping for a logical resolution.
âOur doctor said that moderate physical activity is recommended throughout pregnancy. He did say that I need to avoid higher-risk activityâ. Jean then offered, knowing how much her husband responded to logic, âLetâs go see him and ask him specifically what he thinks of level 2. I am certain it falls in the category of moderate activity, but letâs ask for his professional opinionâ.
âYes,â Scott agreed. âThat makes senseâ. His voice finally did take on a more gentle tone. âItâs just that I care about you and the baby so much. I love you so muchâ.
âI know, Scott. You always want to do the right thing, and that is one of many aspects of you that I loveâ.
***
Chapter Seven by Stormkpr
Chapter Seven
***
Storm began to wake from her sleep when the first light of the morning started streaming through her window. The sheets felt cool against her bare skin.
She had slept alone that night. As Storm and Wolverine navigated their relationship, they were experimenting with different ways of being together. Some nights they slept outside, side by side in sleeping bags or snuggled together inside one bag. Other nights they spent apart, perhaps with one outside and the other in his or her own room. Many nights they cuddled up together in one of their beds and remained that way until dawn.
`We donât talk about it too much,â Storm mused, as she stepped into the shower. `But if one of us needs space, then the other gives itâ. She guessed that other couples who had more closely fused together might judge their flexibility as odd but Storm spent minimal time concerned with othersâ opinions of her personal life.
She didnât feel the need to compare herself against others, though she did have a few observations. The other couples seemed as if they could spend all day together. Even Rogue and Gambit appeared to never run out of things to say to each other. Perhaps because Logan was naturally not verbose, he and Ororo didnât find themselves having extensive conversations often, nor did they need to be in the same Danger Room session each time or sitting next to each other at each and every meal. It didnât mean that they didnât enjoy each otherâs company; it was just that neither felt the need to be together every minute.
Storm knew that many of the other X-men watched them, at least a little. Ororo and Logan received many covert glances during meals or social events. Perhaps some found it odd that they werenât inseparable, though any who knew either Ororo or Logan should not deem it so. She suspected that several of the men might envy Wolverine and she fought against the urge to find that flattering.
As she stepped into her shower, Storm wondered if Cyclops ever felt irritation at his personal life being under such a microscope. It seemed to come with the territory; leaders were subject to more scrutiny in pretty much every area of their lives. But she didnât plan to ask her fellow co-leader about it. He seemed adept at taking many things in stride now. Storm also considered that she could discuss some of these thoughts and experiences with Rogue or Jean â“ she sensed that both would love to talk on the subject â“ but she simply had no desire to discuss it. She was more content than she had been for a long while.
Stormâs communicator chirped. âYes, Cyclops?â she asked.
âCan you please report to the Danger Room right away?â he asked.
âI will be there momentarilyâ.
Storm dressed quickly and flew outside, up Victoryâs ramp, and into the Danger Room. When she entered the training facility, she saw Angel and Cannonball practically snarling at each other, and Colossus standing by looking nearly as angry. With their rumpled uniforms and hair, the three appeared as if they had been in a scuffle. Jubilee stood off to the side appearing puzzled, and Storm heard Professor Xavierâs wheelchair make its way into the Danger Room behind her.
âIs something the matter?â Storm asked.
âWhat happened?â Xavier asked at nearly the same time.
Cyclops looked at Angel and Cannonball and sounded mildly disgusted. âWell?â he asked. âDo you care to tell them what happened?â
âHe picked a fight with me,â Cannonball claimed.
âThatâs crazy. He started it!â Angel responded.
âLetâs start at the beginning,â Xavier said, calmly. âI want to hear from both of you. Tell me exactly how this beganâ. He turned to Colossus. âAre you involved in this too?â
âUnfortunately,â Colossus muttered.
âWeâll start with you, Angel. Please begin and tell me what happened, step by stepâ.
Storm listened to the X-men tell their versions of what had occurred. As far as she could tell, none of the three had any sort of ongoing grudge or feud against each other. It appeared that Angel and Cannonball had simply let their tempers get the best of them, Colossus got dragged into it, and a fight ensued.
The Professor pressed his hands together as he listened to each manâs tale. When they were finished, he said, âI propose that we have a cooling off period. I want the three of you to walk away from this and not have any contact with each other. Difficult to do in our surroundings, but I know you can manage it. Letâs discuss this situation tomorrowâ.
Angel, Cannonball, and Colossus wordlessly filed out of the Danger Room. The Professor turned to Jubilee. âYou are well, are you not?â he asked.
âIâm fine,â Jubilee shrugged. âSeen plenty of arguments in my life. I, uh, think Iâll hit the gym,â she said, turning to leave the Danger Room for Victoryâs regular gym. Xavier watched her depart, confident that she truly was unflustered.
âA âcooling offâ period,â Cyclops remarked, when he was alone with Storm and Xavier. âItâs a good ideaâ.
âI daresay if I had enacted it each time you, Wolverine, and Gambit had argued in the old days, you would have had many cooling off periods as well,â Xavier commented. âI didnât consider the concept until recentlyâ.
âThe three of us didnât fight quite that aggressively when we got on each otherâs nerves back thenâ.
Storm raised an eyebrow. âBut you perhaps came close a few timesâ. She took a breath, âSo what do you think was really behind todayâs fight?â
âI believe that they were looking for a way to let off some steam,â Xavier said.
âDonât people usually let off steam when theyâre under stress or anxious?â Cyclops asked. âGranted, weâre stranded here for now, but we couldnât be in a more tranquil or welcoming settingâ.
âYes, but the fact remains that we are stranded, tranquil setting or not. I suspect that many team members are feeling somewhat helpless knowing that not only is FOH in control back on earth but there is nothing we can do to combat them right nowâ.
Storm nodded. âYes. All of us wish we could remedy the situation and make a difference on earth, but as of right now we can do nothing but train for battle - even though we may not have an opportunity to truly use our combat skills for a long time. If everâ.
âThat does make sense,â Cyclops admitted glumly.
âThere is another possibility as well,â Storm began. âThe fact that we all live in close quarters with each other, that each of us interacts with the same 14 people each day; it could result in us simply getting on each otherâs nervesâ.
âThat might be it as well. When people get irritated, they might look for reasons to start fightsâ.
âI believe there may be another component which is exacerbating the situation,â Xavier began. âAs everyone surely has noticed â“ indeed I hear jokes made about it during dinner and such â“ we have a gender imbalance on the team. I believe that a lot of the men are finding it difficultâ.
Storm knew it was illogical but she felt a hint of discomfort at discussing this subject. She couldnât even say why, other than perhaps she was feeding off of Cyclopsâ and Xavierâs own discomfort. She hoped she could mask her emotional reaction and she responded, âI understand that. Unfortunately we can do even less about that situationâ. She paused and said, âI do have empathy for those who would likeâŠa love interestâ.
âThe situation was difficult back on earth due to the laws passed regarding mutant and non-mutant contact, but now we are in essence marooned on an island with only the 15 of us. There is potential for the situation to escalate and to, perhaps, someday become very uglyâ.
âIâd never really thought of that,â Cyclops said. âI mean, of course, I always knew I was lucky to have Jean. But Professor, when you say that this situation might escalate, do you mean that we might see more fights like this?â
âIt certainly is possible,â Xavier answered.
âWe should brainstorm on solutions then,â Cyclops said.
âWell,â Storm began, âat least we have the Danger Room and the gym so that people can work off that type of energy. Perhaps we can ask Nightcrawler to offer some type of counseling or mediation as necessary. He has experience with that sort of thing. Of course, that wonât solve our gender imbalance nor will it topple FOHâ.
âBut as weâve said, those two problems are beyond our control,â Xavier remarked. âSo we need to consider any solutionsâ.
Storm suspected that if some of the other X-men had been in the room, an off-color joke or two may have been made but she herself was not about to make one.
âWe could offer an anger management class,â Cyclops threw out. âThough I donât know who would teach it. But it couldnât hurtâ.
The three departed with no ideas other than asking Nightcrawler if he would be willing to offer counseling should team members request it and Storm agreeing to do some research on the subject of anger management.
***
I was eating dinner one evening, sitting at the table with Gambit, Rogue, Colossus, and Storm. Wolverine joined us just as we were starting the meal, and I had to smile as I saw him give Storm a peck on the cheek. We were eating a bit later than everyone else; the sun had set and the glowing from the dining hallâs lights cast shadows across the walls.
Rogue and Gambit sat next to each other, of course, and they did all these couple-y things. As I munched on my salad, I noticed them coming up with practically any excuse to touch each other. She had her bracelet on, so when she made a remark about how delicious something was, she could pick it up and give it to Gambit to nibble on. I actually didnât mind it when people did that kind of thing, though by the time we were eating our dessert, they were awfully frisky with each other.
âYou have good Danger Room session today?â Colossus asked.
âDos Sentinels in dere no match for me today,â Gambit said.
âYou had it on a high setting,â Wolverine added.
âDatâs rightâ.
Rogue rolled her eyes. âIt was so high, it wiped him out for the day! He was too tired to do what *I* wanted to after the Danger Room session!â she exclaimed, pretending â“ I guessed â“ to sound upset.
âAnd whatever could that have been?â I asked innocently.
âWell, sugar, it involves a bedâŠâ Rogue began. Then she started again, âThough it doesnât have to â“â
Storm normally tolerates a lot from Rogue, but she actually cut in and said, âNow, Rogue, perhaps this isnât appropriate dinnertime conversationâ. As Storm said the words, I noticed her glance in Colossusâ direction.
I wondered what the deal was. âItâs okay, Nightcrawlerâs not here so we donât have to worry about offending a Catholic monk,â I said, trying to come off as funny. I didnât think this one went over too well. I have a lot of quips that donât end up coming off as funny as I intend.
âDatâs okay, we be leavinâ soon,â Gambit began. âRemyâs not tired any more now, chere, so if you want â“â
He couldnât finish his sentence before Rogue grabbed his jacket and led him out of the room. They both left food on their plates.
âAh, lovely!â I remarked sarcastically at their behavior. I stabbed my slice of replicated watermelon with my fork. The food replicator churned out decent food but this watermelon was too bland. I resolved to look at the program.
And then I went on, saying, âWell itâs nice to see that some people have someone to get down withâ.
Storm sent a look my way and I had to wonder if she had become a prude or something. Since when was alluding to sex not okay at the dinner table? I could remember lots of risquĂ© conversations back at the mansion over the years, though they usually occurred when certain people (such as the Professor, Nightcrawler, Cyclops) were not around â“ and they werenât around this day either.
Colossus at least didnât look like he was ticked off by Rogue and Gambitâs behavior or my comment. If anything he looked curious.
And then I knew for sure he was in an inquisitive mood when he asked me, âBobby, when did you become aâŠwhat is right word? Gay?â
âWell, I didnât really *become* gay. I was just kinda born this way,â I said. I was a bit surprised that Colossus brought up the subject, but maybe once youâve been stuck with the same 14 people you decide to try to get to know them better? Weâd pretty much gone through all the âsmall talkâ subjects.
âSo this not a choice for you?â
âGod, no, not at all. I wouldnât choose itâ.
âWhy not?â Storm asked. Maybe she thought this subject of discussion was okay then?
I shrugged, âI dunno, itâs easier to be normal. This has made me feel bad about myself, like Iâm a wimp or something. I mean, I know in my head that I shouldnât feel that way, but I guess I just do sometimesâ.
âIt donât mean youâre a wimp,â Wolverine said. I was surprised that he was contributing to this particular discussion. âIn Alpha Flight, there was a gay guy. Arrogant guy, Northstar, but a good fighterâ.
I took another bite of the tasteless watermelon and was suddenly wishing this line of discussion would finish up before it turned into another attempt to get me to train as a fighter. And it also reminded me that, given what FOH bragged they had done to Alpha Flight, it wasnât like Iâd get to meet Northstar ever. That didnât cheer me up.
Colossus spoke up, âI would choose to be mutant. Of course I did not choose to be mutant, but I would choose it any dayâ.
âWhy?â I asked.
âLife in Russia very hard now. My powers help me to get out. And coming to Xavier give me family. Nothing ever replace my sister Illyana. I miss her always and miss rest of my family too. But at least here I have different family, I have somewhere to belong. If I am not mutant, I not have thisâ.
âWouldnât be under attack by FOH either though,â Wolverine mumbled.
âIn Russia, we under attack every day by hard life. This is better for meâ.
I glanced over at Storm and she really looked pensive. I wondered if she was thinking of her godson Mishnari. She didnât talk about him much but I guessed that she missed him.
***
The days passed in a slow but enjoyable way for me. Since I didnât set foot inside the Danger Room, I didnât have a block of time each day spent on training. So I generally did what the others did in their leisure time â“ went swimming, canoeing, wandered around the forest, played games in the rec room, used Victoryâs gym, watched the others play sports, and fiddled with the food replicators trying to make the food even better. Iâd sometimes tag along with Hank as he took samples of, say, the material the buildingâs walls were constructed from or of a birdâs feather that had fallen to the ground but, as usual, I never understood the science part. It got chillier in the evenings and often Iâd sit in the room with the fireplace, along with the others, drinking hot chocolate and just talking.
I know many of the others would think itâs weird of me, but one thing I missed from our days on board Victory was playing computer games. But the only part of the ship that we powered up was the Danger Room and gym, so no computer games were available. They did use up energy and we always had to try to conserve it, which I totally understood.
Once the four women decided to have a âgirlsâ night outâ. I was told that this consisted of them doing things like painting each otherâs nails and giving each other facials, and they decided that they were going to sleep in the rec room that night. So the guys were all like whatever, we sat around outside, played cards, and drank beer. So it was pretty much what we do any evening except none of the women joined us. I remember Colossus musing about what a great evening it was and Hank then said, âIt is hard to believe that we have been here for a total of five weeksâ.
I also had a hard time believing that five weeks had passed, but they had.
A few days after that, Jubilee bounded up to me as I was working out in the gym. âI gotta talk to you when youâre done!â she exclaimed.
âI can be done right now,â I said, eager to get an early ending to my workout. I wish weight lifting and cardio machines werenât so boring. Whatever Jubilee had to say looked to be much more interesting, judging by the look in her eyes.
Just then, Forge entered the gym. The other X-men used it quite a bit too since the Danger Room didnât necessarily train you in every way.
âCome on,â Jubilee said, leading me towards the door. We walked to her room. Whatever this was going to be, it was going to be really good if we needed privacy.
âYouâll never guess what Angel said to me today,â she began, just after she closed the door.
âYouâve got to tell me!â I said, sitting down on the chair and leaning forward.
âIâm walking from the building to the lake. And he comes up to me and asks if he can walk with me. Which seemed kinda weird, but whateverâ.
I was practically hanging on her every word. I couldnât wait to hear what would come next though by this point I had a small inkling.
âThen he says â“ and god, I hope I can remember this right â“ he says, âYou know, Jubilee. Iâve always liked to have feminine companionship. I know Iâm quite a bit older than you and you might think of me like an uncle or other brother. But maybe you could think of me in a different wayâ. Then he asks something like if I wanted to get together or get to know each other better â“ I donât remember his exact words after that since I was so freakedâ.
âOh. My. God. That! That ding-dong!â I exclaimed.
âDing-dong??â Jubilee asked, and we both laughed heartily.
âWhat did you say? I gotta hear this!â
âI didnât know what to say! I mean, I want a boyfriend but just the idea of it being Angel feels so wrong. I mean, I thought about what me and youâd talked about before and the idea of kissing him makes me want to start laughing. Even though I want a boyfriend â“ and even though he is rich and kinda handsomeâ.
âHeâs not rich here!â I said. âAnd I sure wouldnât be surprised if FOH crashed his accounts back on earth anyway. I thought there was some legislation where they were proposing to do that to all mutants. And besides, who cares about money if the idea of kissing him makes you feel like bursting out laughing?â
âTotallyâ.
âAnd were those the exact words he used? âFeminine companionshipâ??â I echoed, incredulously.
âYou canât make that stuff up. Those were his exact wordsâ.
âSo â“ what did you eventually tell him?â
âI managed to get out something like that Iâve known him since forever and think of him like a big brother so that itâd just be too weird. Even though heâs very nice, I said. I mean, sheesh, we have nothing in common, but I didnât say that. He looked disappointedâ.
My head was still spinning. âWow. Did this like come out of nowhere?â
âI guess now that I think about it, maybe it didnât. Heâs been really sweet to me the last few weeks. He did all sorts of nice little thingsâ.
âI see. Now we know whyâ.
âI gotta tell Wolverine!â
âI dunno, Jubilee. He might break the guyâs wings offâ.
She rolled her eyes. âWolvieâs gotta get over that. Angel didnât do anything wrongâ.
âNothing wrong, just something totally embarrassing and out of placeâ. I then quickly added, âNot that thereâd be anything wrong with a guy hitting on you, of course. Youâve become a beautiful young womanâ.
âThanks, Bobby, but you sound like Storm nowâ.
âItâs true!â I insisted. And it was. I liked her hairstyle now; it was long and had bangs. Even her face itself was no longer as girlish and she was really starting to mature into beauty. And hey, maybe Angel really did want a relationship, but if he just wanted sex then I have no doubt Wolverine would break his wings off, regardless of whatever Jubilee might want.
There were still so many things I wanted to ask, so I went on, âHowâd Angel take it?â
âHe seemed fine. He said something about letting me know I could change my mind or think it over or something. I do almost feel bad for turning him downâ.
âDonât. You canât go out with a guy out of sympathy. That wouldnât be right. Hey, I think itâs cool what you did â“ even though you want a boyfriend you turned him down since he wasnât the oneâ.
âI knew youâd have something cool to say. âCause right now I just feel *weird* all overâ.
I nodded. âI think itâll pass though. And I wonât tell anyone, if thatâll helpâ. Though I was dying to tell Rogue and Gambit.
âThanks. Now I gotta figure out how to avoid a guy in a small place like this. Maybe Iâll camp out in the woods for a few days,â she joked.
âYou might run into Storm and Wolverine there though,â I pointed out. It was said that the two of them spent a lot of time in the forested area.
âAs long as I donât run into Angelâ.
***
Victoryâs sick bay had been powered up and Hank stood facing Jean and Scott. The couple held hands, Jean sitting on one of the beds and Scott standing next to her.
âEverything looks splendid,â Hank said, holding printouts with the ultrasoundâs results in his hands. âThere are no abnormalities, the fetus is growing at precisely the rate I would expect, and the placenta is in a good location in relation to the cervixâ. He walked over to the couple to show them the test results and pictures.
âWe are so lucky,â Jean said, beaming. âMy intuition told me that everything is fine but itâs nice to have it confirmed by scienceâ.
âYou had said that you wanted to know the babyâs sex, correct?â Hank asked.
Jean and Scott looked at each other. âIt would be nice to know,â Scott said. âWe can at least start picking out a nameâ.
âWeâve had plenty of surprises in our lives â“ and Iâm sure weâll have plenty more â“ so it would be nice to have something *not* be a surprise,â Jean added.
âWell, the baby is a boy,â Hank said.
After thanking Hank for his help, Jean and Scott found Professor Xavier and shared with him the news that the baby was healthy and would be a boy. The ultrasound was also the main topic of discussion for the X-men at dinnertime. Jean shared the ultrasound pictures with anyone who wanted to see them.
âPeople are desperate for something to talk about,â Scott said, when he and Jean had retired to their room for the evening. âMaybe âdesperateâ is the wrong word but since not much happens here, I think theyâll talk about anythingâ.
Cyclopsâs words had much truth to them. The X-men had now watched all of the movies that had been on Victoryâs computer, even the most insipid and juvenile ones.
âWell, I think they are sincerely interested in it too,â Jean added. âAfter all, weâre doing something that none of them has ever done. Some are more interested in the topic of babies than others but all are at least curious, I thinkâ. She sighed, as she opened a drawer and pulled out her pajamas. âI wonder if weâll be off this place before the baby arrivesâ.
âSomething has to come up by then,â Scott said, but his tone was unconvincing to both himself and his wife. Snowbirdâs people had not contacted Xavier for weeks. The hand-held sensors that he and Storm had designed so shortly after the X-men had landed proved unnecessary. The area of space surrounding the planet had been devoid of any remarkable activity whatsoever. Scott nearly had to laugh when he remembered the haste with which he and Storm and worked on the devices.
âI hope so,â Jean said, though without much passion. She patted her abdomen which was beginning to protrude slightly. âAlthough I have to admit that the idea of remaining here has an appeal, at least when I think of having the baby. And raising him. Earth right now is such a bad place to raise a child, especially a mutant child. Though we knew that alreadyâ.
Scott sat down on the bed. âWe did. But somehow the babyâs arrival feels more real, more imminent now. And that really changes everything. It makes the situation on earth feel more direâ.
âI know. And we wonât be able to tell if our sonâs a mutant until heâs bornâ. Jean finished dressing and sat next to him. âYou havenât seemed all that worried lately,â she said, putting an arm around his back, âbut you do seem a little worried nowâ.
âNo, no â“ not that much. Itâs more that Iâm realizing that raising a child will be as challenging an undertaking as leading the team has beenâ.
âIâm sure that weâre up to the challenge. Never for a moment did I doubt that youâd be a wonderful father. Youâre a great team leader and youâll be a great fatherâ.
He turned to her. âAnd you will be a great mother. Anytime I feel nervous about raising a child, I just remind myself that youâll know what to doâ.
Jean smiled widely. âI am always so honored that you think so highly of me. Because I always think so highly of you. After all these years, I canât get over itâ.
âMe too,â Scott said. âSometimes I have to pinch myself to think that you chose to be with meâ.
âAnd I feel exactly the same way! Iâve always felt totally honored that you pick me to loveâ. Jean paused. âI mean what I said at our wedding so long ago. I truly wish everyone was this happy. I feel sad that not everyone isâ.
***
A beeping noise woke Cyclops and Jean several nights later. Jean heard it first, and she nudged her husband.
âWhat is that?â Jean asked. The tone was different than the one on the communicators.
Cyclops sat bolt upright when he realized the origin of the strange sound. âItâs the device that Storm and I created when we first landed. Victory is sensing something!â
âCan you tell what it is?â Jean asked.
âNo,â Scott said, reaching for the gadget which was sitting on the desk. Jean turned on the light as Scott peered at the device. âI think we need to get to Victory to get more information. Iâll go there and power up the bridgeâ.
âIâll let Storm and the Professor know,â Jean said, scrambling out of bed and covering her nightgown with a blue robe.
Cyclops opened the bedroom door and saw Storm a few steps ahead of him in the hallway, carrying a lantern. Her device had also awoken her. Jean headed in the opposite direction towards the Professorâs room.
Storm and Cyclops walked rapidly out of the building, into the crisp night air, and through the field where Victory had been parked. Storm resisted the urge to fly; for some reason she did not want to appear to be trying to speed ahead of or trumping Cyclops. So she felt the slightly damp grass under her feet and wished she had found her slippers or some other shoes earlier. The first light of the morning was just beginning to present itself from behind full clouds. She knew her heart was beating faster than normal.
The X-men leaders walked up the ramp and reached a control panel. Punching in a code and several instructions, they restored power to the bridge and then walked down the dimly lit corridor.
Storm sat at one of the chairs and turned on the computer, silently speculating that it felt almost alien now, to be surrounded by the hum of computers and the feel of metal. Granted, she visited the Danger Room every day but the atmosphere in that holographic room was unique. On the bridge, the process of punching keys on a computerâs keyboard came back to her instantly though she acutely felt that this type of activity had not been part of her life for the past couple months.
Jean and the Professor soon reached the bridge.
âDo you have any idea what it is that you sense?â the Professor asked.
âWe should have a clearer reading very soon,â Storm responded.
âDo either of *you* sense anything?â Cyclops asked the telepaths.
âNo,â Xavier responded. âNothing out of the ordinaryâ.
âHere,â Storm said, a minute later. âIt looks likeâŠa starship. Another starshipâ.
âLook at these readings,â Cyclops said. âIt appears that the other ship is on a direct course to this planetâ.
âI thought that there were some mists or something surrounding us,â Jean said. âLike a natural cloaking device. So how could it be directly on a course here?â
âI donât believe it could be just a coincidence,â Storm said. âTheir trajectory is definitely taking them directly here. They must have some way of sensing this placeâ.
âHow far away are they?â Xavier asked.
âFrom what we can tell, at this rate they should be here -- not for a while,â Cyclops managed, surprised. âThey are travelling slowly, much more slowly than Victoryâs top speedâ.
âIt looks like at least 6 or 7 days until they reach this planet,â Storm said. âUnless they do increase their speed, if they can. I wish we could detect more information about their ship but it is simply too far awayâ.
The Professor added, âAs they get closer, we should be able to learn more about their ship and, at some point, Jean and I should be able to reach their minds. We forget how vast space is, and without Cerebro we canât reach into minds that are this far away,â he said, studying the chart of space.
âBut we will eventually,â Jean concluded. âI wonder which type of sensor will learn about the ship and its inhabitants sooner â“ Victoryâs or the Professorâs and mineâ.
âI will attempt to communicate with the beings to whom this planet belongs and discern if they have any information,â the Professor said. He closed his eyes as the others watched him intently. He remained withdrawn from them for a minute or two before opening his eyes and shaking his head. âNothing. They are not responding to me nowâ.
âI guess itâs not a surprise,â Jean said. âThey havenât communicated with us since you recoveredâ.
The room fell silent. Cyclops surveyed the three other faces. âI wish we knew whether the ship that approaches belongs to friends or foesâ.
Storm nodded. âI suppose we are all wondering if itâs FOHâ.
âI dearly hope not,â Jean said. âSince Snowbirdâs people own this planet and since she was or is a member of a team of mostly mutants, I really hope that they would somehow not allow FOH hereâ.
Cyclops and Storm looked at each other. âWe wonât know for a while who is on board this ship or whether the mystical beings of this planet can or will stop them. So I believe we need to prepare for the worst, just to be safe,â Cyclops said.
âI agree,â Storm said, as both co-leaders rose to their feet.
âWhat do you propose?â Xavier asked.
âWe could get everyone out of bed now and get them to the Danger Room,â Cyclops said.
Xavier shook his head. âI do not think that would be a good idea. We do not want to cause people to panic, especially given that there is nothing we can do now and given that the X-men *have* been training every day here. I simply do not see any benefit in waking everyone up and sending them to the Danger Roomâ.
âAre you certain though?â Storm asked. âWhat if it is FOH? We might be safest if we board Victory and cloak ourselves. Our ability to hide and flee quickly is one of our strongest assets nowâ.
âIf it is FOH, we will find out in enough time that we will still be able to board Victory and leave if need be. The other ship is still days awayâ.
Cyclops and Storm looked at each other.
âI suppose youâre right,â Cyclops said. âBut if itâs FOH, remember how quickly they beat us at the mansion? We still have no idea how they did itâ.
Jean spoke up, âI still like the Professorâs idea of not wanting the others to panic. As quickly as FOH beat us last time, we should still know with plenty of advance if itâs them or notâ.
âI just donât see any benefit to pulling everyone out of bed and either into the Danger Room or having them pack their belongings,â the Professor said, and it became clear that his idea would be the one they followed. âI propose that we instead call a meeting, share with the others what we have learned, and advise everyone that they might need to prepare to leave if we believe itâs FOH. We do need to emphasize that we have no idea who is on board this other ship. And we should let them know that we will continually monitor space â“ and Jean and I will attempt to reach them telepathically â“ so that as soon as we have more information, we will then act accordinglyâ.
âI like that plan, Professor,â Storm said.
Stormâs communicator chirped. âWhere are you, âRo? You want breakfast together?â Wolverine asked.
âActually, Logan, can you come to Victoryâs bridge? We have newsâ.
âBad news?â
A second or two elapsed before Stormâs reply. âWe do not know one way or another at this pointâ.
***
Gambit slept next to Rogue on their bed. His dreams were largely pleasant ones these days. He dreamt of Mardi Gras, of someday experiencing it again with Rogue at his side. He dreamt of warm nights and long, lazy days of games and companionship. He dreamt of the excitement of a mission from which he emerged victorious. He dreamt of the sweet woman at his side who appeared so fierce towards others and so loving towards him.
âWhat is that banginâ noise?â Gambit heard Rogue mutter. He almost turned over and went back to sleep.
âRogue and Gambit, I am sorry to bother you,â Stormâs voice could be heard, though Gambit wasnât sure if she was standing outside their door or talking on their communicator. âBut please report to the dining room at onceâ.
âAre we under attack or somethinâ?â Rogue asked, her voice throaty.
âNo, but it is important,â Storm insisted.
Every muscle in his body protested, but Gambit slowly pulled himself out of the comfortable bed.
Soon all of the X-men were sitting at the tables in the dining room. Given the hour of the day, most were in various stages of undress though Remy noted that the Professor, Jean, Cyclops, and Storm had all put on regular clothing. The others wore an assortment of pajamas, robes, sweatpants, and the like.
The four leaders shared the news and answered a barrage of questions. They did not know any more than they had earlier that morning.
âAll we can do now,â Cyclops said, âis to continually monitor space. Storm and I will be doing that constantly either from the bridge or with our sensor devices, and of course the Professor and Jean will be telepathically trying to learn about the other shipâs inhabitantsâ.
âAnd I will attempt to reach the beings who own this planet again,â the Professor added, âto see if they will be willing to share any informationâ.
One or two X-men raised the idea that had been discussed earlier, of leaving the planet and taking advantage of Victoryâs cloak, but everyone came to agree that this would be premature.
âHowever, any of us should be ready to depart at a momentâs notice now,â Storm finished. âWe are going to put an escape plan in place, like a fire drillâ.
âI hate not knowinâ!â Rogue exclaimed. âI feel like I gotta know whatâs cominââ.
âI understand. All of us feel that way to same extent. But our best course of action is to wait and see what we can learn and then act when we have more informationâ.
âDere any advantage to takinâ Victory out and tryinâ to intercept dis other ship?â Gambit asked. âWe could learn more about it sooner if we get closer to itâ.
âThat is not a bad idea,â Cyclops said. âBut remember that we still have an issue with not having enough dilithium, so anytime we power up the ship, engage the warp drive and the cloaking device and the life support, we are really draining our supplies. And if it does turn out to be FOH, we are going to need all of those things in abundanceâ.
âAs far as we know, the other ship doesnât know that weâre here, and we wouldnât want to lose this advantage,â Storm added.
âIf it is FOH, then maybe we gotta take some of the power supply thatâs on this planet,â Wolverine said, referring to the contents of the locked shed. âI hate to do it but maybe we donât got a choiceâ.
âWe can cross that bridge when we come to it,â the Professor replied. âWe can at least consider it as a possibility though right now I am not in favor of itâ.
The meeting ended soon afterwards, with the team abuzz on the news. The morning Danger Room session took on a new urgency for all of its participants.
***
More than a day had passed since we got the news and we still didnât know anything else about the other ship. I could sure see where Gambit had been coming from when he had the idea of taking Victory out there to learn more. All we knew at this point was that the ship wasnât wavering from its direct course here.
I sat on the porch eating lunch with a few of the others. I noticed everyone chomping on their burritos a lot faster than usual, as if they couldnât wait to get back to the Danger Room. Hank had even invited me to join them in the Danger Room the day before, and believe it or not, I had almost considered saying yes. But I was too afraid of looking like a dork in front of everyone else.
Once I was done with my lunch and had watched everyone scamper back to the Danger Room, I got an idea in my head. I walked over to the forest alone. When I was satisfied that I was deep enough within the thicket, I iced myself over and made an ice slide. I sped around the forest and shot out bursts of ice at various targets. Well, the targets were huge trees so this exercise wasnât exactly that hard, but whatever. One advantage of my powers is that they arenât destructive. The ice always melts eventually and it wouldnât harm the forest in any significant way.
As I glided along on the ice slide, I was doing a great job dodging the trees and other obstructions. I was doing so well that I kind of forgot about it. Until I hit a tree head on and fell.
Muttering swear words to myself, I got up and limped out of the forest. My head was killing me. If I needed a reminder as to why I didnât fight alongside the others, I had it. I couldnât recall any of them ever banging into something in the middle of combat. And now I had to think of an excuse for staying in my room the rest of the day and hope that I wouldnât have any visible bruises or a bump on my head the next day.
***
âCâmon, âRo. Sittinâ on this damn bridge ainât gonna help things,â Logan insisted.
Storm leaned back and stretched. âYou are right. We havenât been able to detect anything more about this ship since the sensors initially picked it up this morning, no matter how many times I attempt to recalibrate the machineâ.
âAnd you got the portable sensor in case somethinâ does come up. So bring it with you â“ letâs take a walkâ.
âLogan, you are always full of excellent ideas,â Storm said, smiling.
As the two walked hand-in-hand through the forest, Stormâs thoughts kept returning to the other ship. âPerhaps when we wake up tomorrow morning the ship will be close enough that we can learn more about it. I also need to remember to remind the Professor that if he senses anything during the night, he should wake me up at onceâ.
âHeâll do it. You donât gotta remind himâ.
âHow do you think the team is handling the news?â Storm asked. âDo they seem anxious to you?â
Logan nearly chuckled at the question. Feelings werenât exactly known as his area, though he wasnât unperceptive either. âWell, there were lots of bad guys demolished in the Danger Room todayâ.
âThe group definitely seemed to have more energy in there then Iâve seen in a while,â Storm acknowledged. She then turned to Wolverine. âWe should talk to Jubilee. She might be afraidâ.
âKidâs a lot tougher than anyone realizesâ. He paused. âBut yeah, it couldnât hurt to talk to her. We donât gotta do it this instant thoughâ. Loganâs keen eyesight caught something in the distance. âYou in here earlier making ice?â
âIce? No; I generally do not use my powers anywhere other than the Danger Room. The climate is so perfect here anyway. Is â“â Storm stopped speaking as she and Wolverine got closer to the object that had caught his eye.
âLooks like one of Bobbyâs ice slides,â Logan said. âHalf-melted. And I can smell that he was here earlierâ.
âI wonder what he was doing in here making ice slidesâ. The couple looked around and saw several puddles on the ground, which suggested that several more ice slides had been made and fully melted.
âHis idea of a joy ride maybeâ. Wolverine would never admit it, but he felt that the mutants who could do things such as fly or careen on an ice slide were lucky. He loved speed and he greatly missed his motorcycle.
âBut we have been here for two months and not seen any ice slides in here before,â Ororo observed. âPerhaps Bobby does want to train! I should talk to him againâ.
âHold on, Storm. You donât gotta solve all the worldâs problems today. Bet youâd be better if you take some time to relax. âSides, these ice slides are in the middle of the forest â“ maybe that means he donât want anyone to talk to him about trainingâ.
Ororo took a breath. âAlright. It is just hard to take some time for relaxing right now. I feel full of excitement and nervousnessâ. Admitting her feelings was never easy for Storm, but she found that each time she made a small step in that direction, it became less difficult.
Logan stopped walking and stepped close to her. âI got an idea for somethinâ that might relax you. Might make you more excited though tooâ.
Storm smiled. âI did say earlier that you always have excellent ideas, didnât I?â She pulled him into a kiss, one that became passionate very quickly.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Chapter Eight by Stormkpr
Chapter Eight
***
Nearly 48 hours had passed since the initial detection of the other vessel. Storm and Cyclopsâs sensors both sounded at the same time, and they rushed to Victoryâs bridge.
A handful of other X-men had been around when the sensors beeped; they followed their leaders to the bridge.
âAnytâin?â Gambit asked.
âYes!â Storm hissed eagerly. She and Cyclops hunched over computers as the other X-men stood back. âSeveral details about the other ship are loading inâ.
âItâs old,â Cyclops said. âAn old ship, or one containing lots of scrap metal. It almost appears as if it were patched together. And itâs small. Much smaller than Victoryâ.
âLess than half its size, if thatâ Storm added. âFrom what I can tell, the ship is not in great condition. Many of its readings are weak. Its cloaking device must be weak as well if we can detect all of thisâ.
Gambit and Nightcrawler, standing next to each other, exchanged a look. âPerhaps that means itâs not an FOH ship,â Nightcrawler said. âFrom what we knew, their fleet contained newer, sleek ships like Victoryâ.
âLook at this,â Cyclops said. âIt appears that this ship doesnât have any weapons. No phasers or photon torpedoesâ.
âNo weapons?â Gambit echoed. It was another sign that this was unlikely to be an FOH vessel.
âThis reading shows the number of life forms on board the ship,â Storm began, excited. âIt looks like a total of 10 people are on boardâ.
âYes,â Cyclops said, peering at his monitor. âThatâs what Iâm picking up as wellâ.
âOnly 10 people? Forge asked. âThat has to be another good sign. I donât know if FOH would send just 10 people on an old, unarmed starship out after usâ.
âCould always be a trick dough,â Gambit added.
âCan you sense anything else?â Nightcrawler asked.
âTrying,â Cyclops responded, still focused on the readouts appearing on his screen.
The Professor and Jean entered the bridge, responding to the calls they received on their communicators. Forge filled them in.
âCan you sense anything?â Forge asked the telepaths.
Xavier shook his head. âThey are still so far awayâ.
âAccording to this reading, they should arrive here in about 4 days. Or 102 hours, to be precise,â Storm said.
âThey havenât changed their course at all since we first detected them,â Cyclops added.
Eventually all of the X-men made their way onto Victoryâs bridge. They shared what they had learned, and Hank asked, âAre we close enough that we can attempt to communicate with them?â
âNo,â Cyclops said. âWeâll need more time before weâre within subspace rangeâ.
***
A lot of us ended up spending a lot of time on Victoryâs bridge. I think everyone was hoping we could learn more about the other ship, though our sensors werenât picking up anything else useful since Storm and Cyclopsâs last report to the group.
During our camp-outs on the bridge, I sometimes discreetly played a few computer games in the background. Since the bridge was powered up, I had to take advantage of that. The others checked and re-checked sensors like 200 times a minute, hoping to learn more.
Storm once asked me if I had been practicing my powers lately but I shrugged her question off.
The next morning, I was on the bridge with Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, and Forge. We heard footsteps and saw the Professor, Jean, and Cyclops enter the bridge just as Cyke used his communicator to tell the rest of the team to get to the bridge. Pretty soon, the rest of the group eagerly joined us.
âWhat is it?â Storm asked, rising to her feet.
âWe can sense the minds of the people on board the other ship,â the Professor said. âItâs Alpha Flightâ.
âAlpha Flight??â Rogue asked. âSo the FOH bastards were wrong when they said theyâd killed âem?â
âAre you certain?â Storm asked.
âBeyond a shadow of a doubt,â Jean answered.
I looked around the room and everyone looked mostly happy and relieved. Except Wolverine.
âDonât mean to doubt you,â he began. âBut what if itâs some sort of trap? Like the FOH bastards want to get us all disarmed and relaxed, and then they overwhelm usâ.
The Professor said, âIt is true, Wolverine, that it is not completely outside of the realm of possibility that FOH might be working with a telepath who has the ability to deceive Jean and me. But I highly doubt that is happening now. I communicated briefly with James Hudson, Guardian, right before I entered the bridge. I am certain it is himâ.
âStill, it is wise to be cautious,â Storm said. âFOH overwhelmed us at the mansion using weaponry we were unprepared for. Could this be a trick of theirs, especially given that they had told us that they had captured Alpha Flight? Perhaps they have brainwashed the entire teamâ.
I looked at everyone elseâs facial expressions, and I gotta say something. Wolverine and Storm were the only ones who looked skeptical and afraid to let their guard down. Even as Wolverine and Storm spoke, I could tell from other peopleâs scrunched eyebrows and the like that they werenât doubting that it really was Alpha Flight. Maybe itâs just because that was what we all really wanted to believe. Or maybe it was that the chances of the Professor and Jean being bamboozled telepathically were just so remote. Even a powerful telepath like the Shadow King hadnât been able to do it, so how could FOH?
And then I heard Gambit sum it up best: âAny mutant strong enough to fool the Professor and Jean ainât gonna team up witâ FOHâ.
âAnd if FOH is indeed sending troops after us, I simply cannot believe that they would opt to send them in an unarmed vessel,â Hank added.
The Professor said, âWhen I communicated briefly with James, I did not wish to be too invasive. And, indeed, he does not like having his mind probed, which is understandable; most people do not. However, I can certainly scan his mind again and specifically look for any evidence of tampering or brainwashingâ.
âIt could not hurt,â Storm said.
So the Professor did as he said and again told us he was confident that it really was Alpha Flight on its way, un-brainwashed and all. Most all of us were satisfied with that, I thought. The X-men continued to train in the Danger Room like always but I could almost see a dark cloud dissolve and feel everyoneâs sign of relief.
After a while, Alpha Flightâs ship was close enough that we could communicate with them over subspace. That meant we could exchange written messages only.
Alpha Flight asked us how long weâd been on the planet and who all was there. We responded to them with the information and asked them who was on board their ship and if they had any injured people who required medical attention.
They provided their roster. I tried to read the names but everyone was hunched over the screen. So Storm read the names out loud.
âGuardian, Vindicator, Sasquatch, Northstar, Aurora, Puck, Shaman, Flex, Radius, and Feedbackâ.
I heard the others mention the fact that Snowbird wasnât listed, which was odd since this place belonged to her people. They wondered where she was. But I wasnât so interested in that subject, I must admit. I was trying to digest the fact that Northstar was on board that ship and I would finally, for the first time ever, get to meet another gay mutant. My heart started speeding at the thought even though I still had a few days to wait.
âLook at this,â Jean said. âThey are telling us that Heather â“ Vindicator â“ is eight months pregnant!â
That tidbit of news certainly provoked lots of interested looks. There were even a few comments along the lines of âA playmate for Jean and Scottâs sonâ.
âHowever, they state here that none of their team needs immediate medical attention,â Hank said, studying the read out. âI am glad to hear of thatâ.
We would find that during the next few days â“ the time it took for them to get here â“ Alpha Flight didnât want to share much more than that over subspace. They suggested that we talk in person once they got here. It certainly made sense to all of us. Our last communication to them said that we looked forward to seeing them and taking with them in person. They said the same in their response and that they looked forward to landing on âtheir planetâ.
***
That evening, most of the X-men sat together in the gathering room which contained the fireplace. As they sipped various beverages and enjoyed the warmth from the fireplace, they discussed the dayâs events.
âI wonder if Alpha Flight will be allowed to use the power source thatâs on this planet,â Cyclops speculated. âSince this place belongs to Snowbirdâs people, they might be given the powerâ.
âI wonder if they might share some with us,â Jean said.
âWe will need to think carefully about how to best broach this sort of discussion with them,â Storm began. She sat next to Wolverine, holding hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she could glance outside the window and see bright stars lighting the dark night. After having been alone on the planet for so long, she pondered the arrival of more people. âPerhaps we might want to consider teaming up with them. Our combined forces might be able to overtake FOHâ.
âMaybe dey know somethinâ âbout FOHâs weapon, the one dat beat us so easily,â Gambit said.
âOf course with Heather eight months pregnant, they might not be considering a return to earth â“ let alone battle â“ anytime soon,â Jean added.
âI wish we knew some answers!â Rogue said. âI hate havinâ to wait. We got no choice thoughâ.
Jubilee looked down at her soda and began to stir it with a finger. Wolverine was sitting next to her, and he had noticed that she had not been her usual effervescent self for most of the day.
âSomethinâ botherinâ you?â he asked, somehow making the terse three-word sentence convey deep caring.
âI dunno,â she muttered.
âOut with it. Whatâs on your mind?â
âItâs just that Iâm confused,â Jubilee admitted. âFOH told us that they killed Alpha Flight. So we donât know what happened â“ heck, we donât even know if FOH had ever even captured Alpha Flight in the first place or if they did but they escaped from FOH or what. I hate to think of any mutant being captured by FOH. But what ifâŠ.what if FOH did to Alpha Flight what they told us they did?â
The room fell silent at Jubileeâs question. Although she didnât specifically say the word, everyone knew she referred to FOHâs threats stating that they had raped the women in Alpha Flight. Jubilee vocalized something that everyone had wondered at least once since it had been revealed that Alpha Flight was on its way.
âIndeed, it is horrifying to think about,â Storm admitted.
âWe do need to be prepared that this is a possibility though,â the Professor said. âIf it did happen, then we should be aware that the members of that group are likely feeling a range of emotions right now and are probably traumatized to different extents. We should be prepared for anythingâ.
âIsnât the fact that Heather is eight months pregnant a good sign though?â Jean asked. âI meanâŠgod, this is terrible to talk about, but if FOH hadâŠraped her repeatedly then I think there is a good chance that she would have miscarriedâ.
Hank nodded. âI agree. However, there is also a chance that she would not miscarry in such a circumstanceâ.
âFOH is fulla shit, I think,â Rogue piped out. âHell, they told us that theyâd killed Alpha Flight and here they are! So maybe they didnât do the other thing eitherâ.
âI dearly hope that is the case,â Nightcrawler spoke. âI do agree with the Professor that we should be at least mentally prepared for anythingâ.
An awkward silence descended. Jean then asked, âShould we do anything special to prepare for their arrival? Perhaps we could try to create a festive atmosphere, put up some decorations, play some music when they get hereâ.
âIt couldnât hurt,â the Professor said. âWe do want to get on good terms with them. They might not be in a festive mood when they arrive here, but if that is the case we can always calm the celebration downâ.
âThey might want to celebrate a bit though,â Angel said. âGetting off the starship after weeks or months is cause for celebration, especially given how great this place is. And I agree that we want to get on good terms with themâ.
âYeah and besides thereâs another case for wanting to be on good terms with them,â Bobby began. âDoesnât this planet belong to them? If it belongs to Snowbirdâs people, then is the planet considered Alpha Flightâs? If it is, I sure hope they donât like kick us outâ.
âThey wouldnât do that,â Jubilee said. âUmâŠwould they?â
Storm and Cyclops looked at each other. âI think we should also be prepared for the fact that this is not out of the realm of possibilityâ.
âBut where would we go? We donât have enough dilithium to get back to earth,â Angel said.
âLetâs do what we can to get a good relationship with them and hope it doesnât come to that,â Cyclops said.
Wolverine snorted. âWe can kick their asses if we havetaâ.
The Professor said, firmly, âLetâs not allow the situation to get that badâ.
***
After the discussion ended, Angel sat on the porch. He was usually in bed by this hour but, like many of the team, felt more stirred up than usual. Colossus and Cannonball moved their backgammon game to the deck and sat near Angel.
âI love this view,â Colossus said. âI am working on painting of the lake, but I like this too. All stars in the skyâ. He had shown Beast, who deeply appreciated art, his in-progress painting. Beast had noticed that the passion Colossus poured into the painting belied his quiet and steady appearance.
âWeâre not bugging you, are we?â Cannonball asked Angel.
âNot at all,â Angel replied.
As he and Colossus played their game, Cannonball said, glumly, âSo there ainât a lot of women on board Alpha Flightâs ship, it seemsâ.
âJust Heather and Aurora,â Warren answered, equally sullen. âHeatherâs married and pregnant. Last I heard Aurora has an on-again, off-again thing with Sasquatchâ.
Sam shook his head. âEven if they are off-again right now, what are the chances sheâs single? Thereâs a lot of other guys on that ship â“ whatâs the likelihood sheâs not with one of them?â
Sam silently added to himself, âAnd whatâs the likelihood that one of the other guys wonât go after Jubilee?â He cursed himself for his shyness and his fear of Wolverine; he should have approached Jubilee weeks ago. He desperately missed the touch of a woman, of wrapping his arms around a girl and kissing her. Being without a girlfriend â“ or even without just a woman to sleep with â“ was causing him to feel an acute loneliness. Of course he knew that he wasnât the only X-man feeling that way, but took little consolation in that fact.
âIs pretty sad situation for us,â Colossus muttered.
***
Jean and Storm literally collided with each other in the hallway outside the bedrooms. Both women giggled as they held onto each other making sure the other was unharmed.
âIâm a telepath, I take full responsibility for this,â Jean smiled. âI should know when another person is coming down the hallwayâ.
Storm matched Jeanâs levity. âBut surely you do not have your telepathic sensors switched on every minute?â
âNo, youâre right â“ I canât. It would give me a headacheâ. Jean smiled and looked around at the empty hall. âDo you want to go somewhere to talk for a bit? It just seems like forever since we had a chat, just the two of usâ.
âI would love toâ.
The two women acquired beverages in the kitchen. They sought out the porch but saw that it was occupied by Colossus, Angel, and Cannonball so they instead walked outside and sat by the lake. Now that the sun had set, the moonlight reflected against the rich waters, enhancing the allure of the lake.
âYou know, I just wanted to say that Iâm so glad you and Logan are together now,â Jean said, after taking a quick scan to ensure they were alone. âYou both seem very content. Happyâ.
Storm nodded. âThank you. I cannot speak for Logan, but I definitely am happy. Our relationship isâŠdifferent than yours and Scottâs but it works for usâ.
âI know this is a bit awkward to say â“ but Iâve wanted to talk about this with you for a while. Iâm glad that heâs finally over me,â Jean finally let out.
âIâm glad you brought that up,â Storm smiled. âIt certainly did have the potential to be a difficult situation, especially given that our friendship means a lot to me. But yes, it seems to me that he has long since accepted that you will never be his. Iâm sure he still finds you very attractive, Jean. What man would not? He and I have not discussed the situation ourselves. Perhaps the passage of time was what helped himâŠget over you, so to speakâ.
âTime heals all wounds. Maybe it also makes men look up and realize that they have something beautiful and amazing right in front of them â“ youâ.
Storm took Jeanâs hand and held it for a bit. âThank you,â she said, appreciating the compliment and knowing it was sincere.
âAnd of course I am long since over my attraction to him. I always did find him very attractive, but never once did I ever consider betraying Scott. What we have is so special that I would never have dreamed of risking itâ.
âI know. A love like that is very rare and preciousâ.
The two women remained talking and sipping their drinks until they agreed to turn in for the night.
***
Gambit sighed contentedly as he leisurely stroked Rogue. Normally he would fall off to sleep after their lovemaking but this night he knew it wouldnât happen.
âDat was so good, chere,â he murmured.
âI got me a good teacher,â Rogue responded. âJust like you said youâd beâ. Rogue turned and looked at him through half-lidded eyes. She mused that Remy had always come through on anything he had promised her. âFunny how that all was a couple years ago, when we were first gettinâ together, but I remember it like it was yesterdayâ.
âMe too. Anâ I only love you more anâ find you even more beautiful each year, Rogueâ. His hands gently stroked one of her arms.
Rogue buried her head against Gambitâs chest. âI wanna sleep now but Iâm all stirred up,â she said.
âNot jusâ stirred up âcause of Remy?â
âNo, Cajun,â Rogue smiled back at him. âItâs so weird to think soon thereâll be other people here. We had it all to ourselves for two monthsâ.
âRemy was jusâ startinâ to feel bored and like we had enough of a vacation,â Gambit admitted. âNow I tâink dat maybe dey lend us some dilithium and we gonna get outta hereâŠand Iâm wishinâ we had more time hereâ.
ââCourse we donât know if theyâre gonna give us anything. Maybe they got business here, they do it, and then they hightail it outta here. I jusâ hope they wanna cooperate with us and not do anything dumb like try to kick us outâ.
âIs all jusâ guessing now. We not gonna know till dey hereâ. He took a breath. âGambit ainât gonna worry âbout it till we know what the score isâ.
Rogue smiled as his hands traced a playful pattern down her back. âRemy, stop that. Youâre gonna turn me on againâ.
âYou complainâ âbout dat?â he teased.
âNo. Jusâ that IâŠ.I guess Iâm still hung up on this whole Alpha Flight thing. I mean, what if FOH *did* torture them?â
Gambit accepted that his distraction techniques had failed. âWell, chere, I guess itâs possible,â he said, his voice serious. âBut you said it yourself around the fireplace earlier dat FOH lied âbout havinâ killed âem. So maybe dey lie âbout everythinââ.
âBut you know, I been thinkinâ âbout it and I really do think that FOH was gonna do what they threatened to do to us. I didnât get the idea that they were bluffinââ.
âMe neither,â he admitted. The warmth of the room had vanished and Gambit felt a distinct chill. âAnd Remyâs never been a coward, but in a way I wish dat we stay away from FOH and never see dem again so dat we donât gotta risk gettinâ captured againâ.
Rogue paused. âI feel the same way. And I sure never thought of myself as scared of much of anythinâ before FOH captured usâ. She took a breath. âBut we haveta defeat âem. We gotta find a way to beat âem otherwise theyâre just gonna hurt mutants all over the placeâ.
Thinking about the subject made Remyâs head hurt. There was nothing the X-men could do right now to get at FOH. âMaybe Alpha Flightâs got some ideas or some resources,â Gambit said, though he wasnât too optimistic.
âMaybe. You ever met any of âem?â
âNo. When Storm and Jubilee and me were on Genosha, the twins were there too â“ Northstar and Aurora. But we didnât get to talk. Dat Northstar is gay dough. I wonder if he and Bobby gonna get togetherâ.
âHmmm. I wonder,â Rogue said. She suddenly realized that had never really thought of Bobby having a relationship or having any sort of amorous hookups. Her mental image of him had been nearly asexual. âBobbyâs a sweet guy; I hope he could be as happy as you and meâ.
***
Something dawned on Storm. She noticed that Wolverine didnât care to talk about his Alpha Flight days, or at least he didnât care to talk about a few members of Alpha Flight. Since the impending arrival of the other team was the subject of nearly every discussion lately, many X-men asked Wolverine to tell them about his time as a member of the Canadian group. Sometimes Wolverine obliged, other times he remained tight-lipped. The team was used to a taciturn Wolverine.
Storm noticed that when Wolverine was asked about specific members of Alpha Flight, there were two in particular who he never brought up on his own: James and Heather. Storm knew little of the team members herself; her main source of information was what she had read back at the Institute from Xavierâs files. However, she had seen pictures of James and Heather, and had at least learned a bit about them. Her talk with Jean the other day also brought the general subject of Wolverineâs previous loves to the forefront of Stormâs mind.
She made the decision to ask her lover about it. It would not be long before Alpha Flight would be landing their ship next to Victory.
Ororo and Logan were spending the morning, before their Danger Room sessions, taking a canoe ride together on the water. There was no dock in the lake and getting in and out of the canoe could sometimes be a wet experience. During their ride that day, they alternated between Wolverine rowing and Storm summoning breezes to propel the canoe.
Ororo mused about how comfortable she felt with Logan and that she enjoyed the fact that neither felt obligated to make small talk. In fact, both were happy to take turns rowing and just enjoy the scenery.
Still, she also knew that she would need to break the silence to discuss what was on her mind. âAre you tired of everyone asking you about Alpha Flight?â she queried.
âNo,â Logan answered. He left it at that for several moments before adding, âBeen a long time since I was on that teamâ.
âYesâ. Storm also remained quiet for a moment, and then asked, âDid anything bad happen between you and anyone on that team?â
âWell, James and me never got along well. The time he dragged me back and they wanted to cut me open didnât help much eitherâ.
Storm nodded. The incident Logan referred to occurred after he had joined the X-men, so Storm had heard of it.
âI can certainly see why you would be angryâ.
There was silence for a bit. Storm observed a bird dart towards the water. A few bushes near the shoreline rustled gently in the breeze.
âDid you have a girlfriend when you were on the team? If you donât mind my asking,â she added.
The words felt awkward on her tongue, but Storm had to ask what she had been wondering about and it was obvious that Wolverine wasnât going to volunteer the information. She questioned why she would feel odd bringing the subject up. Neither liked to discuss their pasts, though Wolverine more so than Storm. Neither discussed their previous relationships, though Storm wryly admitted to herself that she didnât have much in the way of previous relationships to talk about. Lovers, several; long-term relationships, not really.
âNo girlfriend. Not anyone steadyâ.
âDid you find any of the women in Alpha Flight attractive?â
If Logan was angered by her questions, he did not display it. He simply answered, after several seconds, âYesâ.
Ororo thought that perhaps that would be the end of it, but then Logan spoke again. âHeather. I really liked her. But she was marriedâ.
âDid she like you?â
âI think so. A bit. She never cheated though, and I never asked her to. It was better that I leftâ.
Ororo knew that it was unlikely that this was the sole reason Logan left Alpha Flight, but she sensed that it was a big part of the reason. Which suggested to her that his feelings for Heather had been deep. She also had to bite her tongue to keep from pointing out the obvious similarities to Wolverineâs relationship with Jean and Cyclops.
And then Logan did something unexpected. He set the oars in their holders and reached across to hold Stormâs hand. âThat was a long time ago. I want you. No one but you. You ainât worried, are you?â
âNo,â Storm answered. She then hesitated and said, âWell, perhaps a little, but I suppose itâs simply because I care about you so much. I really like youâ. She looked down as she caressed the side of his leg with her foot. She desperately hoped her words did not sound like those of a school girl.
She reminded herself that love had a way of making everyone sound like a blithering idiot. If it was indeed love that she felt for Logan, and vice versa. They had never told each other that they loved each other.
Logan chuckled. âWell I like you too, âRo, so no need to stew over the pastâ.
Ororo smiled. A very small part of her also wanted to remind herself that if Heather was eight months pregnant that meant she would be cumbersome and achy all over, but Ororo put that type of catty thought aside.
***
You could really feel the excitement in the air as the hours leading to Alpha Flightâs arrival were counted down. Hey, after nine weeks of doing nothing, this was an event, so you canât blame us. It was the main subject people talked about at meals, in the rec room, while swimming in the lake or at any of our hang out places. No one knew if it meant we might be teaming up with them, leaving soon, or what.
When Alpha Flightâs ship was a few hours away, we got serious about preparations. I helped with decorations. We decided to use the large room outside our dining hall â“ the room that was normally our rec room â“ as the main indoor party space. Weâd also have the porch outside plus the dining hall to use. We planned to put food out in both the dining hall and the rec room. Replicating a few streamers and balloons didnât use up much power, so we were okay there and the place looked good.
Alpha Flight was scheduled to land a few hours before sundown. They told us via subspace that â“ by luck, we guess â“ that time of day corresponded pretty decently with the time of day they had been keeping on their ship too. So they wouldnât be jet lagged, which would be good.
We X-men assembled outside in the large field where Alpha Flightâs ship would land next to Victory. I held my breath as it came into my field of vision, slowly grew bigger and bigger, and made its landing. Their ship had a smooth landing from what I could tell. My hair got ruffled by the winds the ship kicked up.
After getting the okay from the Professor, I had replicated a new outfit for myself the day before. Believe it or not, Iâm not all that into clothes. Not too long after we left earth on Victory, I did what the others did â“ replicated a few changes of clothing for me, nothing fancy. But it was getting old wearing the same few shirts and pants, and I wanted to look good for the party.
Okay, part of my motivation was that I wanted to look good when I met Northstar. I had a few expectations for how it would go. I thought that he and I would meet and talk a bit at the party, and then maybe slowly get to know each other over the next few days or weeks. Maybe nothing would happen, or maybe weâd become friends, or maybe weâd have a âfriends with benefitsâ sexual relationship if we were compatible and found each other attractive (or hell, maybe even if not since presumably it had been a long time for him too). But things donât always turn out the way you expect them.
***
Alpha Flightâs ship landed alongside Victory. Wolverine stood towards the front of the assembled X-men as they watched the members of Alpha Flight descend from their shipâs ramp. He inhaled deeply as they got closer. There was no mistaking the perception of his nose; these people *were* indeed Alpha Flight. Their presence here was no diabolical illusion or trick, he decided.
James and Heather led the way. The Professor, Storm, and Cyclops greeted them, shaking their hands and welcoming their team. Wolverine bit back a smirk; it almost came to look like the receiving line at a wedding, with the two groups pretty much having lined up and going down the line, making introductions and shaking hands.
Wolverine rather enjoyed seeing his former teammates though, with the obvious exception of James who slapped him on the back and commented that âit had been a whileâ. Wolverine fought his instinct and complied with the Professorâs request to play nice, so he choked back the words, âNot long enoughâ in favor of shaking Jamesâ hand. He then shook Heatherâs hand while noting the size of her abdomen. Definitely very pregnant.
He had always liked Puck and Shaman, and they looked the same as always. Aurora was no less beautiful than she had always been as well; Wolverine wondered if her mental illness was under control or if she still suffered from multiple personality disorder. He had to admit that he knew little about the subject though he did see in her eyes the occasional wild and unbalanced glint that suggested she was still struggling. He greeted Northstar and Sasquatch. Wolverine had never met Flex, Radius, or Feedback before, and he shook their hands.
Alpha Flight didnât look as if they had been tortured, Wolverine decided. His gut told him that whatever had happened to them, rape and other forms of agony at FOHâs hands had not been part of it. His instincts indicated that the team was tired, eager for a vacation, but not traumatized. He exchanged a look with Storm and felt that she understood his thoughts as well.
He heard Jean and Scott telling Alpha Flight about the party they had prepared. James said that his team would first like to select their rooms and would then enjoy socializing with the X-men. So the two groups headed towards the buildingâs wing that contained bedrooms. Although Wolverine happened to be walking several paces behind Cyclops and James, he heard them talking.
âWeâd be interested in hearing your teamâs story â“ how you got here, when you left earth,â James said.
âUs too, for your team,â Cyclops replied.
âLetâs talk about it tomorrow,â Heather suggested.âWeâve had a lot happen and there were some grim moments in there. For you too, I bet. Letâs celebrate today and spare each other the details until tomorrowâ.
Wolverine saw that people seemed to like Heatherâs idea. He watched the members of Alpha Flight behaving much the same way as the X-men had when they first walked outside on this planet. As they walked through the field, they observed the setting sun, breathed the fresh air, and looked enchanted to be outdoors. He heard a few X-men telling them about the lake, and the Alpha Flight members expressed eagerness to see it.
âBeen a while for you, since you been outside?â he asked Puck, who happened to be the Alpha Flight member walking closest to him.
âBeen way too long,â Puck responded. âThis place is as gorgeous as Snowbird said it would beâ.
Wolverine was never one to pry; he respected those who didnât want to reveal everything. But since Puck said her name, he felt it wouldnât hurt to ask. âWhere is she?â
Puck looked down. âSheâs deadâ. He shook his head and said, âWeâll talk more about it later. I donât want to think about it right nowâ.
âFair enough. And â“ my sympathiesâ.
Puck nodded at the words of his former teammate. Wolverine then found Northstar falling into step next to him.
âNice place here,â Northstar murmured.
Wolverine nodded and subtly gestured at Bobby, who was walking several paces ahead of them. âHeâs gay,â he said, quietly.
âMerci,â Northstar responded. He then added, with a smile, âI did not know that you enjoyed playing matchmakerâ.
Wolverine gave him a dirty look, and soon the large group of people reached the building.
***
The members of Alpha Flight slowly began to filter into the porch, rec room, and dining hall after each had selected a bedroom and placed a few belongings inside. Jean Grey had gone first to the rec room and cued up the music selection that had been prepared. It was a potpourri of different artists and styles, but all musical artists played were Canadian. She hoped the other team would notice that touch, along with the red and white color scheme of the balloons, streamers, and sign.
One of the first Alpha Fight members to enter the rec room was Heather. Jean smiled and approached her. Heather rubbed her lower back, best as she could reach it, before settling into a chair.
âCan I bring you anything?â Jean asked.
Heather returned the smile. âWhy, thank you, Jean. Iâd love a glass of waterâ.
âYou need more than that; you have to eat for two. Iâll just put a plate together for youâ.
âGreat! Just please, nothing with too much sugar â“ I need to watch my sugar intake, whether itâs replicated sugar or notâ
When Jean returned with the food, she sat next to Heather. âIâm pregnant too,â Jean offered.
âAre you?â Heather asked, looking at Jeanâs midsection. âI kind of wondered but of course I didnât want to say anything. When are you due?â
âAbout four more monthsâ.
âDo you know what youâre having?â Heather asked.
âA boy,â Jean answered. âWhat about you?â
âA girl,â Heather said. âJames is disappointed that itâs not a boy. I didnât care one way or the other. Iâll be glad with a healthy babyâ.
âThat is the most important thing,â Jean responded. âDo you have all the supplies you need?â
âWe have the basics. We, uh, left earth rather quickly and we donât have a ton of dilithium on board the ship, so we were just able to replicate the most necessary items. I do look forward to having the baby here. Itâs so peaceful and beautifulâ.
Jean made a mental note of that; whatever Alpha Flightâs long-term plans were, they would at least be here for a month or so.
âItâs very healing too,â Jean said. âThe Professor was shot by FOH and put in a coma. He didnât heal until he came hereâ. Jean saw the look on Heatherâs face. âBut I know you said you wanted to focus on happy things today, so enough about that. Are you excited about becoming a mother?â
âI have wanted this for a long time,â Heather said, a smile on her face.
âMe too,â Jean admitted.
Storm entered the rec room, with Wolverine and Shaman on her heels. The two were engaged in a discussion, so Storm walked over to the kitchen to get herself something to eat. On her way there, she passed Jean and Heather and noted that they appeared to be getting along well. She caught a snippet of their conversation and was unsurprised that it had to do with the topic of babies.
As she replicated a drink for herself, Storm was nearly shocked to notice herself experiencing a twinge of jealousy. `Is that what Logan likes?â she asked herself. `Pale-skinned red-heads? Both of them *are* very beautiful. I am not like thatâ. She shook her head and questioned what was the matter with herself. `Iâm a goddess. And I donât need to be someone else. My brown skin is beautiful just as my unusual hair is. Logan likes me â“ and more importantly, I like myself â“ as I amâ.
Storm again blanched inwardly, this time at her feelings instead of her thoughts. `He makes me feel like a schoolgirl. All the petty emotions that come up like jealousy and insecurity. Is this what falling in love feels like?â Storm was forced to admit that for once, she didnât like the impact that being with Wolverine had on her feelings.
The subject of her thoughts came up behind her. âHow you doinâ, âRo?â Logan asked. He rested a hand on her back.
âVery well,â she answered. âCan I get you a beer?â
âLove oneâ.
Storm and Wolverine drifted towards the porch where they sat together. Alpha Flight members continued to gradually filter in from the other wing of the building, and most spent a bit of time sitting near Wolverine and catching up with their former teammate.
Storm also noticed a few of the Alpha Flight members â“ particularly Radius and Feedback â“ making eyes at her and attempting to talk with her. She would be happy to get to know them, of course, but had no desire to lead them on or give them the impression that she was available. She reached for Wolverineâs hand and held it, noting out of the corner of her eye the disappointed looks on the menâs faces.
***
Eventually the party came into full swing. Jubilee looked around and guessed that people were enjoying themselves. They often darted into the dining room for food and took it to the porch to experience the cool breeze. A few others clustered together in chairs in the rec room, but most seemed to prefer the porch.
Jubilee recognized one of the songs that came on, a faster-paced tune, and unselfconsciously sprang up and started to dance. One of the Alpha Flight men approached her and fell into step with her.
âIâm Radius,â he said. âMy real nameâs Jaredâ.
âJubilee,â she smiled. Then added, âItâs both my code name and my real name. Well, itâs really Jubilation but everyone calls me Jubileeâ.
The song eventually ended and another young man brought Jubilee a glass of water, saying that she must be thirsty. He introduced himself as Flex â“ nee Adrian â“ and said that he was Jaredâs half-brother. They struck up a conversation, though it flowed awkwardly; Flex appeared shy. Soon another Alpha Flight man, Feedback, stepped in.
âYou keep looking over your shoulder,â Storm murmured to Wolverine when the two had a rare moment alone.
âJusâ seeinâ how popular Jubilee isâ.
âAnd not liking it,â Storm stated.
Wolverine looked at her. âJusâ wanna make sure the guys behave themselves with herâ.
âI donât think that anyone is going to take her in their arms and ravish her. Relax, Logan. Itâs not a crime for them to talk to herâ.
He was silent for a few moments and took several more glances in Jubileeâs direction. âDonât like the way they look at her. Theyâre hungry. Iâm goinâ over thereâ.
âLogan,â Storm said, fighting to keep from raising her voice. She wanted to add in that she didnât think it was quite necessary or appropriate, but he had already risen and headed over to Jubilee. She saw Wolverine put a protective arm around Jubilee and lead her to the area of the porch where he had been sitting with Storm.
***
Once Alpha Flightâs ship landed, we led them to the wing of the building that contained the bedrooms since theyâd said they wanted to get settled. Most of the X-men came along though a few went over to the rec room to wait for the party to start. It was a bit unwieldy with a couple dozen people walking up and down the stairs as the newcomers picked out rooms. Keeping track of who claimed which room seemed like the kind of task that normally would be mine but Cyclops had a tricorder into which he punched that information and I saw him give a device to James as well.
So I went over to the rec room. When I got there, Jean was talking to Heather. Itâs a stereotype to say that pregnant women are radiant, but they both did look lovely, I gotta say. Storm was passing our beers to Wolverine and then to Shaman and the three walked out towards the porch. Forge and Hank were having a discussion that looked intense. Usually if the two of them are talking, itâs about a subject I canât begin to grasp so I didnât want to interrupt it.
I went to the kitchen to get a drink so Iâd have something to hold, and then sat down on one of the chairs in the rec room, really hoping that I didnât look like a dork sitting there alone. I never knew what to do in these situations. I was just considering going over to Hank and Forge and trying to wheedle into their genius-level conversation (not sure exactly what Iâd contribute but I could try, Hank put up with a lot from me) when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Northstar walking towards me.
I had been wondering when or how to go up to him. During our âreceiving lineâ right after Alpha Flight landed, we had shook hands and introduced ourselves, Iâd given him my best smile, but that was it. It sure hadnât seemed right to tell him that I was gay them. I did want to meet him though, and Iâd thought that I could always ask Wolverine â“ heâs so sociable, you know â“ to introduce us later. But in the rec room, Northstar really did go right up to me.
âHello, mon pote. May I sit here?â he asked.
âOf course,â I said.
I was nervous. Damn, he was *good-looking*. He wasnât wearing particularly tight or revealing clothes, but I could tell that he was really built. Muscular arms and shoulders. He had a beautiful face too, if a face can be described as both beautiful and masculine at the same time. Maybe it was that his jaw was really distinct and masculine, yet he had these narrow eyebrows over his eyes. Great cheekbones, intense and wide eyes, jet-black hair, and elfish ears that had points at the top. His accent was thick and sexy. Oh dear. I didnât know if heâd find me attractive or interesting, but I already knew how I was finding him and I wonder if I was blushing already.
âUm, can I get you anything to drink?â I managed.
âWhat do you have there?â he asked. As he asked the question, he gently touched a few of his fingers to both my glass and my hand.
âOh, its, um, just water. Iâm actually not all that into boozeâ.
âReally? What do you like to drink then?â
I shrugged. âIâm not much of a drinker at all. I like food. I like to eat and I even like to cook. When it comes to drinking, Iâd just rather use up the calories on food instead, you know?â I hoped I wasnât rambling and then asked, âWhat about you? What do you like to drink?â
âI miss a good wine. The replicated stuff isnât quite as goodâ.
âI know what you meanâ.
âI very much like to eat too but donât care to cookâ.
âBack when we lived at the mansion, I could whip up a few dishes pretty wellâ.
âReally? What did you specialize in?â
Was it just me or did he totally have a twinkle in his eye? He was looking right at me and really had a fetching look on his face. I was so thrilled that he looked interested in me that I was thrown off-kilter too.
And Iâm not sure how exactly I answered his question. I rambled on about some of the dishes I made, though of course none of them were that fancy and there really wasnât much to the omelets or special pasta sauces I whipped up. But he listened intently to my words.
When I figured Iâd rambled on enough, I asked him if he liked Chinese food and I have no idea how I came to that.
âI donât like sweet and sour. I like stir fry,â he said, âif it has a more salty and sour taste instead of sweet and sour tasteâ.
âAh. I can make a good stir fry too,â I bragged, realizing how ridiculous I probably sounded. âI mean, I used to. Here we donât really cook. You just punch a few buttons on a replicator. Takes some of the fun out of it but itâs sure nice and convenientâ. I paused and asked, âSo, do you want me to bring you something to eat? And some wine, even though itâs not as good as the real stuff?â
âIâd love that. Iâll go with you thoughâ.
We walked over to the dining room and he filled up his plate. I tried to notice which dishes he was selecting and which ones he skipped over. He got the food on his plate quickly but he didnât use his hyper-speed. Sometimes it seemed that a lot of mutants didnât use their powers except when they had to. Colossus was in the dining room and we said hello before we went back to our seats in the rec room.
âYouâre not having anything?â Northstar asked me.
âNot right now. I had a late lunchâ. And I was too nervous to eat.
As he dug into his food â“ and he definitely ate with gusto â“ I decided to be a bit more forward than usual. I gathered that he had either guessed I was gay or perhaps someone had mentioned it sometime between when Alpha Flight landed and when he entered the rec room. But I wanted to make sure he knew. So I said, âI always wanted to thank you for coming out publically. I remember reading about it when you came out. It was really great â“ you showed a lot of people that a gay guy can be strong and powerfulâ. I stopped there, wondering if I was laying it on a bit thick.
But he seemed to like the praise. He seemed to puff up a bit. âYou are gay too?â he asked.
I nodded.
And then I nearly keeled over at his next words. âHandsome man like you must have a boyfriend back on earth. Or here,â he added, looking around the room and not at me for practically the first time since weâd seen each other in here.
âMe? No. No boyfriend. What about you?â
âNoâ.
At this point I was trying to not grin from ear to ear. He was interested in me. Both of us were in âvery deep likeâ with each other, I could tell. My heart was still racing. I wanted to spend time with him and forget about everyone else. I vaguely knew that others were chatting on the porch and even spotted some dancing out of the corner of my eye.
âHow old are you?â he asked.
âTwenty-five. You?â
âAurora and I turned thirty earlier this yearâ.
âDid you have a big double celebration?â
âIndeed we did. It wasâŠwas a very good partyâ. His tone had changed drastically from flirty to reflective. He tilted his head upwards. âVery good. It got me to thinking a lot about my lifeâ.
âReally?â I leaned forward in my seat. âLike about what?â
âI, eh, had a lot of things happen in the past few years. I do not want to bore you by spilling out my life story. I will tell you more of it later if you would like. But I did resolve to be a better person, to be better in all areas of my life. You â“â
He was cut off when two people approached us. I looked up and saw his sister and the guy who was named Walter and sometimes went by Sasquatch. They had their arms around each other and definitely looked like an item.
âHow are you liking this new place, my brother?â Aurora asked.
âIt is a nice place,â he said, sounding a bit irritated at the interruption. Then his tone changed completely and he added, âWith very nice people,â as he took a glance at me.
We made small talk with them for a while before Walter found a way to politely excuse himself and his girlfriend. Aurora looked like she wanted to hang with her brother a bit more but his body language sure showed he felt otherwise. I asked Northstar about them and he said that they were making an attempt to be together though they had broken up more than once before in the past. He told me a bit about his sisterâs struggle with mental illness and said that her current condition was as up-and-down as usual. And we continued to sit there and talk; I was fairly oblivious to the other activity around us and I think Northstar was too.
***
Gambit and Rogue stood in a circle, with a handful of others, talking together on the porch. Gambit took another sip of his drink and enjoyed the pleasant buzz. The Alpha Flight members they had met seemed just fine, though he hadnât spoken much with their leader. The others that Gambit and Rogue had been chatting with began to drift away.
Gambit gently nudged his partner on the arm. âLook over dere,â he gestured subtly towards where Bobby and Northstar sat in the rec room.
âTheyâve been there a while,â Rogue observed.
âYes. And deir body language sayinâ only one tâingâ.
âReally?â
Gambit nodded.
âI guess I should be happy for Bobby then,â Rogue said quietly, puzzled as to why she wasnât feeling that at all right then.
Gambit said nothing more. He was not physically attracted to other men but he did love sexuality in general, in all its forms, and was happy for what he saw developing.
***
I donât want to bore you so I wonât share every bit about what Northstar (or Jean Paul, as he asked me to call him) and I talked about. Only that we sat there for what seemed like minutes but surely was more than two hours and we talked a lot. He wasnât arrogant at all; at least he didnât seem that way to me. He did brag a bit when he got to talking about his days as an Olympic athlete, but he never monopolized the conversation or failed to ask me about myself. He listened and seemed interested when I talked about myself.
âI donât know if Iâve had as interesting a life as you,â I admitted. âI havenât done much with the X-men or been an Olympic competitor.
Suddenly Gambit and Rogue were standing behind us. âYou did do somethinâ pretty amazinâ and heroic dough,â Gambit said.
I turned around and reintroduced Rogue and Gambit to Jean Paul.
âI am not surprised,â Jean Paul said. âWhat did Bobby do?â
âMaybe you should tell him all âbout our escape from FOH. How we owe it all to youâ.
Remy and Jean Paul then exchanged something in French that I couldnât understand, and Jean Paul reached to hold my hand. âPerhaps we discuss it tomorrow morning. I am so happy to be off that ship that I do want to celebrate tonightâ.
âI totally understand,â I said, not wanting to revisit that bleak time either. And the touch of his hand was making it hard for me to think. âThereâs a lot of dark moments to that storyâ.
âBut it does end witâ you beinâ the hero. We wonât keep you from your celebration anymore dough,â Gambit said smoothly. He and Rogue drifted away, and I fleetingly wondered why Gambit looked so interested and Rogue looked just a bit weirded out.
By the way, Jean Paul did seem fine. I sensed that this wasnât the best time to ask him, âHey did FOH gang rape your sister?â so I didnât, but from looking at Alpha Flight, I guessed that they were basically okay. I didnât want to broach the subject of how they escaped or even if they had been captured in the first place. It was such a sad topic in general and Jean Paul said he wanted to keep this day happy. I wasnât about to argue. I was about as happy as Iâd been in a long time.
I realized at one point that my stomach was rumbling, and that I hadnât eaten. I looked up and saw that we were nearly alone in the rec room. It was pitch dark outside and only two members of Alpha Flight plus Colossus were left, playing cards on the porch. Everyone else must have turned in for the night.
âIt is late,â Jean Paul said.
âYes,â I said.
His eyes shifted around the room and back at me. His eyes were beautiful. âI am dying to kiss you. Come to my room and let me do that, mon chouâ.
âLetâs go!â I said, not even thinking about the fact that I had no idea what âmon chouâ meant.
And next thing I knew, we were in his room. I wonât tell you all the details about the night we spent together, just that we didnât leave the room, we didnât sleep much, and I had never before been with anyone who was so affectionate and loving.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Reviews are always appreciated.
Chapter Nine
The following morning, most members of Alpha Flight took the time to fully explore and enjoy the planet. Various X-men also led them aboard Victory to show them the Danger Room. The X-men told Alpha Flight that they were of course welcome to use it as well and most of the group looked eager to take advantage of it. Alpha Flight didnât have anything like the Danger Room on their ship and several said that they felt out of shape.
âSo you go first, X-men,â James Hudson said. By late morning, most members of the two teams had assembled in the room with the fireplace, and everyone was eager to hear the âofficialâ versions of what had happened. Several people had talked about the events casually the evening before but most had not heard the full accounts.
Storm exchanged a brief look with both Professor Xavier and Cyclops. Jamesâ tone had seemed nearly aggressive. `Perhaps not aggressive,â Storm amended. `Maybe entitled is the word. As if this place belongs to him and since weâre visitors, we need to share our story firstâ. Storm amended her thoughts again. `Of course, the fact is that this place does belong to themâ.
âWe would be happy to tell you how we arrived here,â Professor Xavier began. He gave an honest and candid account of the X-menâs capture at FOHâs hands, imprisonment, and escape. He included information about the dreams and messages he received back on earth, containing this planetâs coordinates. A few members of Alpha Flight looked at each other when Xavier talked about the messages and dreams.
âI wonder why Snowbirdâs people reached out to you,â Walter said.
âSo you have â“ who? â“ Iceman to thank for your escape from FOH?â Puck asked. âWhere is he anyway?â
Aurora spoke up, âHeâs with my brother, cervelle dâoiseau. I have not seen my twin since last night!â
âYou missed him this morning,â Heather added. âHe darted into the kitchen and threw some breakfast on a tray before darting back outâ.
Radius crossed his hands over his chest and muttered, âAt least somebodyâs getting some action around here,â but his voice was low enough that not everyone heard.
Heather changed the subject, âIâm very glad to hear that this planet has the healing abilities that Snowbird told us about. She said we would always find restoration among her people. Thank heavens they healed you, Professorâ.
âI will always be grateful as well,â Xavier said.
âHey, wait a minute. What about the Shâiar?â James asked. âArenât you friends with their Empress? Why didnât they heal you â“ and canât they help us with FOH on earth?â
âMy last communication with Lilandra was over a year ago,â Xavier responded. âShe is embroiled in civil war now â“ her sister is trying to take her throne. I am able to help her no more than she can assist us now. Their empire is very far away as wellâ.
âI seeâ.
âWe are eager to hear what happened to you, how you came to leave earth,â Storm then said, hoping to prompt Alpha Flight to tell their story.
James began to describe what had happened. âWeâd been planning on leaving earth for a while and coming here, to Snowbirdâs peopleâs place. They call it Haven. We wanted to come here because we wanted to get away from all of FOHâs bullshit and we all needed a break, time to regroup and figure out what we wanted to do next. Plus we thought this would be a good place for Heather to have the baby. So we started working on a starship.
âBut FOH nabbed us, same as they nabbed you. Same type of weapon you describe and we donât know anything more about it than you do. One of our members, Witchfire, got killed in the scuffle.
âJust like you we spent days in one of FOHâs cells and they kept threatening us with the same thing they threatened you. I thought we were goners the day they told us that their leaders had arrived at the compound and were ready to torture us. But when they took down the force field to pull us out of the cell, the bastards took down both force fields instead of one at a time. We had just a second or two to react and we did. We rushed the entrance, we grabbed the soldiers and the collar control devices. We --- â
âMy brother and Walter,â Aurora broke in. âThey acted the most quickly and got right to the soldiers. Both strong enough without their powersâ. She sounded proud as if she, and not her lover and her brother, had accomplished the deed.
James looked perturbed at the interruption but continued on. âSo we overpowered them and got our collars taken off once we got our hands on those devices. We got the hell out of there and back to our headquarters and our ship, the Maple Leaf. We didnât think about it much and just got into space and left.
James took a breath and continued on. âThe Maple Leaf wasnât completely ready for space. Its navigation system was crap and got us off courseâ.
âItâs not just that,â Heather added. âWe soon realized that we had left too quickly and should have done more preparation. Several of our loved ones and team members were left back on earth, and we really started regretting how hastily we departed. I think itâs just that being captured by FOH and hearing all of their threats freaked us out completely. It made us panic. It traumatized me more than anything in my life. They kept threatening to cut open my stomach with a machete,â she patted her abdomen, âand kill the baby. That is, after all the rape they promised the other women and me. I feel sick all over just thinking about those horrible days in the FOH cell. So you see, as soon as we got free, we had to get awayâ.
James was glaring as his wife as if outraged at her words, which surprised most of the X-men.
âAnyway,â James continued, when he was finished glaring, âwe got off course. We could keep you here for weeks and tell you what we faced for the next few months. We oughtta write a book. We nearly ran out of supplies and out of dilithium. We got boarded by some space pirates â“ but we turned the tables on them, even though by that point we were half-starved since our supplies had run so low. We overtook the pirates, but not until they had killed Snowbird and Murmur during the battleâ.
The Alpha Flight membersâ faces looked very somber at this point. Snowbird had been with the team for a long time.
âI am sorry to hear about all of your losses,â Cyclops said sincerely.
James nodded curtly and continued, âSo we took the piratesâ supplies and got enough dilithium to make it here. We didnât take their ship though, since it was a bigger piece of crap than oursâ.
Murmurs among Alpha Flight members could be heard at that comment. Storm guessed that perhaps not everyone agreed with Jamesâ assessment of the pirate ship; indeed she thought she heard one of the members of Alpha Flight whisper, âTheir ship wasnât so badâ.
âItâs good that we made it here,â Sasquatch said. âBut we have to get back to earth. My son is there and I want to see him againâ. Walter was divorced and his former wife, who was not a mutant, had custody of their child.
âAnd Marrina and her husband,â Puck said. âI canât believe we left them behind, though I know they can hide a lot better than we could. They could always hide in the oceanâ.
âI told you,â James said, sharply. âWeâre not deciding anything until Heather has the baby! Get it? Youâre all in strung out shape. Weâre resting here until she has the baby and then we figure out what to do nextâ.
The look in Jamesâ eyes and tone of his voice belied the fact that he may have been the most stressed and jittery member of the entire team.
He then paused and continued, âSnowbird said that this planet has a power source, much like dilithiumâ.
Xavier nodded. âIt is in one of the sheds by the lakeâ.
âExcellentâ. James then asked Xavier, âWhat are your plans? How long did you hope to stay here?â
âWell, I am afraid that we are stranded here for the time being. We donât have enough dilithium to get back to earthâ.
James was silent for several moments and his facial expression suggested a certain amount of smugness. âI see,â he said.
***
âWell, he shouldnât be so smug,â Cyclops said angrily. âThey have the power source from this planet but we have a much better ship. I took some readings on theirs and it really is a piece of crap, excuse my language. Itâs ready to fall apart at the seamsâ.
Cyclops, Xavier, and Storm were assembled inside Xavierâs bedroom. They were now realizing that with Alpha Flightâs arrival, finding private places to speak could be a challenge; they did not want to risk being overheard.
âIndeed,â Storm added. âI do not know what Alpha Flight will ultimately decide to do â“ and clearly they do not know either â“ but I hope we can convince them that teaming up will be the better way. We have the superior starship and they have the power source. If we are to overtake FOH, we need more people than either of our teams aloneâ.
âConvincing them will be a difficult task,â Xavier said. âI did not need to use any of my psychic powers to see how threatened James feels by our team in general. He wants to be in control of his peopleâ.
âAnd I cannot see him relinquishing command, though I doubt he is as effective a leader asâŠwell, the three of us, if I say so myselfâ.
âThe rest of Alpha Flight doesnât seem that enamored with James, though. We have to get them to see that we have a common enemy, FOH, and that FOH has to be taken down,â Cyclops said.
âWe should ask Wolverine if he has any ideas on how to reach James, though I know they did not get along,â the Professor added.
Someone knocked on the door. âCome in,â Xavier called.
Rogue entered the room and closed the door behind her. âI thought yâall would be in here,â she said. âAm I interruptinâ?â
âNot at allâ.
There was an awkward pause. Storm then asked, âWhatâs on your mind?â
âI uh, I actually just wanted to thank yâall. For beinâ such wonderful leaders. Sometimes you donât realize what you got till you see somethinâ different and maybe none of us never realized what good leaders you are till we spend time with a fellow like Guardian. So I just wanted to thank youâ.
The room was silent for a moment. The X-menâs leaders werenât used to gratitude for their work in guiding the team.
âThat is very sweet, Rogue,â Storm managed.
âI appreciate the sentiment,â Xavier added.
âIâm gonna bet I ainât the only one who is feelinâ this way right now too,â Rogue added. âWell, anyway, Iâm gonna head over to the Danger Room. See yâall laterâ.
Cyclops soon resumed the discussion. âOne other thing I think we need to find out from Alpha Flight is more information on the pirates who attacked them. I donât like the thought that there is a band of pirates out in space â“ even if Alpha Flight beat them, I want to know if there might be others where that came from. And find out exactly what they did to the piratesâ.
âAgreed,â Xavier concluded.
***
The morning after Jean Paul and the rest of Alpha Flight arrived, I woke up to a gentle nudging. âMa puce, I have breakfast for us!â
I turned onto my side and rubbed my eyes. The room was very light. I was tired but felt good. Wonderful memories from the night before (or, technically, that morning) were replaying themselves in my mind. I saw Jean Paul set a tray down on the desk and he came around to my side of the bed.
I hugged and kissed him. âYou are wonderful,â I murmured. Not the most original thing to say but it was true. I just couldnât have dreamed that last night could have gone any better.
âAs are you. But come now, letâs eat. And I hear that the Danger Room is open certain hours. I am so eager to train again! Our ship Maple Leaf didnât have anything like thatâ.
I gazed at Jean Paul. He was full of energy. âYouâre a morning person, arenât you?â I mumbled.
âOuiâ. He paused. âYou are not?â
âNot reallyâ. The correct answer would have been âNot at allâ. I then added, âBut how stupid of me â“ of course youâre eager to see this place! You didnât get to see much of it yesterday. Let me get showered and then I can show you aroundâ. I looked at the clock. âAnd we have time before the Danger Room opens, donât worryâ.
As groggy as I was, I managed to shake off the sleepy feeling. When I showered, I replayed last night with Jean Paulâs hands all over my body. It had all been so thrilling and so incredibly fulfilling.
But I also sensed that he wasnât the patient type either, so I made myself put the brakes on replays of the previous night and got to soaping and rinsing instead.
By the time I came out of the shower, Jean Paul had already eaten. I hurriedly dressed. I had kind of hoped we might make love again too, but on the other hand, I was a bit worn out in that area, and Jean Paul clearly had his mind set on exploring the planet now. I grabbed a breakfast burrito, went to my room for some clean clothes, and we set off on a tour of the planet.
We walked around the place quite a bit, and then Jean Paul said that he wanted to get an aerial view. âMay I pick you up and fly around?â
âIâd love that,â I said.
Can something be both fun and terrifying? His arms were very strong and I knew he wouldnât drop me, and it is kind of cool to be up so high. But itâs also scary. At least he didnât fly very fast. I was glad for the moment he set me down near the lake after a few sweeps around the planet.
âItâs not very big here,â he said.
âBut thereâs still plenty of room. And it is lovelyâ.
âYes. As lovely as you areâ.
It was an old line, but I didnât care. It was wonderful to hear and I think it was heartfelt too. Despite the fact that there were a few people milling around not far from us on the lake, I let him pull me into a kiss.
Jean Paul went on. âIndeed, my head is spinning from all the excitement. I had trouble sleeping last night because I was so stirred up. From being cooped up in that starship for months and then arriving here and meeting you â“ so much excitement all at onceâ.
âFor me too,â I admitted. All of my instincts told me that this wasnât going to be just a fling. And it was weird too since Iâd never really had a relationship. He had never mentioned having any sort of long-term relationship either, though I resolved to ask him about it.
I led us over to a bench that faced the lake and said, âDo you feel like telling me Alpha Flightâs story, what happened since you left earth? I am curious to knowâ.
âAs I am, about your story. You must tell me what happened to the X-men and how it is you became a hero!â As he said the words, he affectionately stroked my hair.
We talked through what had happened. Jean Paul sounded sincerely thrilled for me when I told him about my role in the escape, after he added in several curses towards FOH for their hatred of mutants and of queers. But I was honest too about my role in the X-men and that I hadnât been a fighter for years. I kind of got the idea that he admired the âwarriorâ type and I had to let him know that I wasnât that, never had been.
âBut you can always change,â he said. âYour powers are very strongâ.
Jean Paul told me Alpha Flightâs story as well. I was relieved to hear that FOH had not assaulted any of them. And Jean Paul got to brag a bit about himself since he and Walter were the ones who rushed the door when the idiot FOH soldiers took down both force fields. He had played a key role in their escape and was rightfully proud.
By the time he was done telling me of the months Alpha Flight spent in space â“ including how they nearly starved to death when their supplies ran out and their attack at the hands of some pirates â“ it was time for the afternoon Danger Room session. âI cannot miss this!â he said.
âI know, but I totally want to hear more! I, umâŠâ this might sound weak but I had to say it, âI love talking to you and I want to hear everythingâ.
âI know, mon chou, and I feel the same way! There is still so much I want to talk about with you. And I want to make love to you again. I want to hold you for hours. But training must come first. Come with me! You can train as wellâ.
âI, uh⊠you know, Iâd like to, but not this time. You go on ahead. Buzz me on the communicator when youâre done and weâll get back together afterwards. I still want to hear more about the Olympicsâ.
He grasped one of my hands tightly. âAlright. But train with me tomorrow. Please?â
âSure,â I said, not exactly thinking through the ramifications of my answer. He planted a quick kiss on my mouth and then disappeared in a flash.
***
Cyclops and Jean decided to skip the afternoon Danger Room session. Much was happening on the planet that Alpha Flight referred to as Haven. Although the X-men had led lives of excitement before, the past few months had lulled them a bit. Now everyone was stirred up again.
âI was so moved, I honestly didnât know what to say to her,â Scott admitted, talking about the sentiments Rogue had expressed.
He and Jean were strolling through the forest. It was cooler inside the thicket of trees. Jean loved to look up at the sky and see it through the canopy of trees. She marveled at all the different shades of green that existed and wished that her husband could see them the same way.
âSometimes a little outside perspective is all people need,â Jean said. âYou and the others have been fantastic leaders all these years, and itâs a bit easy to take it for grantedâ.
âAnd people do expect the world of us,â he added.
âYes. Leaders are expected to always make the right decision, to be compassionate when needed, tough when needed, to always put the teamâs needs above their own, to somehow know exactly what to do in each battle against very different enemies, to come up with new and different strategies when sometimes itâs all one can do to stay afloat. It is overwhelming. I have never envied what you â“ or the Professor or Storm â“ have had to do all these years. I truly donât think that anyone gets it unless they have had to lead themselvesâ. She paused and then added, quietly in case others were in the forest, âOr until they see a bad leader like Jamesâ.
âI will say one good thing about him,â Cyclops said. âI think itâs wise that heâs waiting until Heather has the baby before they decide what to do next. Sometimes itâs smart to take a break and take stockâ.
âThough they canât really do much of anything until she has the baby anyway,â Jean added. âIt wouldnât make sense for them to return to earth now. I didnât tell you, but I spoke with Heather a bit before the party started. She is having a girl. She also told me that her husband was disappointed that itâs not a boy. You know, I am not trying to have a James-bashing conversation, but I must say that I donât understand that attitude at allâ.
Scott shook his head. âI never really thought much about the whole question of boy or girl,â he admitted. âIâm glad the babyâs healthy. I wonder if heâll be a mutant. But I sure wouldnât be less excited if it was a girl. No, I donât understand his attitude eitherâ.
Jean smiled at her husbandâs remarks though they came as no surprise.
âOkay, now I have to admit that earlier I was saying that James seemed smug at the end of the meeting,â he went on. âNow I am feeling smug as compared to him. But I suppose it is wrong of us to compare ourselves to themâ.
âI do agree. None of us is without flawâ. Jean stepped closer to Scott and pulled him into a hug. âBut to me, you are as close to perfect as can beâ.
âAnd you know I think the world of you,â Scott said, nestling his face against her and breathing in her scent. âIn fact, I still do believe that you are without flaw, even though you tell me otherwiseâ.
Jean gently smacked Scottâs backside. âCome on,â she urged. âWe could have a little alone-time back in our roomâ.
They eagerly headed for their room and an afternoon of lovemaking.
***
I got to spend some time with Jubilee while Jean Paul was in the Danger Room. I used the regular gym on Victory for just a bit before going back to the building and just walking around outside. I was used to the place being quiet during the times when the Danger Room was open but with Alpha Flight present there were a few more people than usual milling around. Jubilee caught up with me.
âHow did it go?â she asked. âEveryone noticed that you and Northstar seemed totally into each other!â
âI canât believe how well itâs going!â I said. I told her everything. I told her what weâd talked about, how attentive and sweet he was, and how both of us were totally excited by each other.
At long last I finished up. I noticed Jubileeâs eyes wandering a bit, and I asked, âHow are things with you?â
âUm, Iâm really popular lately. It took the guys in Alpha Flight about three seconds to realize that Iâm the only single girl here. They were like way attentive at the partyâ.
âReally?â I asked. Iâd had no idea. Heck, Apocalypse could have been at the party last night and I doubt I wouldâve noticed.
âItâs kinda flattering, I guessâ.
âYeah. So, do you like any of them? Do you think you might pursue something with one of them?â
âGosh, I donât know. I think itâs kinda a bit much, a bit fast. I mean, Iâd like to get to know them â“ Iâm open to anything but itâs hard gettinâ all this at onceâ.
âI thought you wanted a boyfriend thoughâ.
âI do! Itâs just thatâŠwell, I donât knowâ.
Almost as if on cue, one of the Alpha Flight guys walked up to us. I tried to remember his name but I honestly could not. He asked Jubilee if she wanted to go on a canoe ride. Jubilee turned to me and asked, âWell, how about if Bobby comes along too?â
I looked at my watch. âCan we keep it short though? I mean, not that I donât want to hang out with you, but I just want to make sure that Iâm there when the Danger Room session is done. Northstar and I are going to get together afterwardsâ.
âWe got time. Come onâ.
The guyâs name turned out to be Radius. The three of us ended up in a canoe, with Radius doing most of the paddling and a lot of flirting. My thoughts were totally elsewhere and Iâm sure I looked like a space case to them. But I did get a few impressions of Radius and he seemed a bit arrogant and forward, and just not quite right for Jubilee. And for one who kept saying she wanted a boyfriend, she really looked a bit ambivalent about the whole thing.
But maybe my impressions were wrong. I honestly couldnât think about much else other than getting back in Jean Paulâs arms.
***
Heather found Wolverine on the porch, reading through some papers. She sat down in a chair next to his.
âI canât believe how beautiful this place is,â she said. âMy head is spinning a bit at it, almost like my eyes just canât take it all in after living on the Maple Leaf for so long. Did you feel that way when you first got here?â
Wolverineâs reply came after a few seconds. âI love it hereâ.
âIâm so happy that my baby will be born hereâ. She patted her protruding belly. âItâs so different here than on earth, so peaceful. I canât help but to think that the birth will be easier hereâ.
âYou got any names picked out?â he asked, taking a glance at her abdomen.
âI like the name Brianna. It sounds pretty and elegant to me. I have a few other candidates in mind, but I know that want something that sounds pretty and feminine. I always liked the name Amber too though, so I havenât made a final decision yetâ.
Both were quiet for several moments. Heather knew that Logan wasnât going to help move the conversation along. âI, um, wanted to see if everything was okay between us,â she said, softly. Just as she began the sentence, the conversation of several others could be heard just off the porch, but no one entered the porch itself. âI know that last time we saw each other, Department H had us do a terrible thing in kidnapping you. They tricked the rest of the team into it, of course, but James and I knew everything. IâŠ.â Heather broke off. Wolverineâs gaze was steady. âIâm sorry. You have every reason to be angry at us, to hate us evenâ.
Logan again remained silent for several moments. He then said, âDonât think I could ever hate you. But I sure donât appreciate what you went along withâ.
âI know it was wrong of me. I should have â“â
âLeave it. Let the past stay in the pastâ.
Heather nodded. âThat is very wiseâ. She soon added, âOur teams will be together on Haven for a while so I hope we do get alongâ.
She looked up and saw Storm flying around outside, with Rogue on her heels. She wondered if the two were having a race of some sort.
âHow long have you and Storm been together?â she asked. âIf you donât mind my asking?â
âNot long. A few monthsâ.
âAre you happy together?â
âYesâ. Had others been privy to their conversation they might have been surprised, but Heather had always possessed the ability to make Wolverine open up. His voice also tended to soften when he spoke to her. âWhat about you and James?â
Heather looked down at her hands. Her voice was just above a whisper, though Wolverine had no trouble hearing. âI hoped having the baby would bring us closer together. I always wanted a babyâ.
Wolverine looked intently at her. âBut it ainât worked that wayâ.
Heather shook her head. What she could not bring herself to share with Logan was the fact that she had tricked her husband into the pregnancy. She told James that she had forgotten to take several of her pills since the team had been so busy and under so much stress. But she knew that James hadnât bought the story. In truth, Heather had trashed the entire monthâs supply of pills. Given the events of the past few months, it was not a surprise that James seemed constantly angry and the fact that he had not wanted to become a father was not helping.
When James tracked Heather down, a few moments later, he gave her a stony stare when he found her sitting next to Wolverine.
***
That eveningâs dinner was the first meal where all members of both teams made a point to be present. Despite the coolness of the eveningâs air, the windows of the dining hall were open; Alpha Flight was still getting used to and soaking in the fresh breezes of Haven.
The dining room was also full with all 25 people seated at its tables. Maneuvering around the room became difficult. Professor Xavier pulled his jacket more tightly around himself and looked at the crowd. He considered that perhaps one or two of the tables should be moved out into the rec room at some point, to create more space, though that might take away from the warmth of the dining room.
He noticed that conversations seemed to be flowing well; the room buzzed with peopleâs voices and the clinking of silverware. He observed that the two teams seemed to be doing a bit of intermingling. Cyclops, Storm, Puck, and Sasquatch were engaged in a discussion over the afternoonâs Danger Room training. Jubilee had one Alpha Flight man on each side of her, both clearly vying for her attentions. And of course Bobby and Northstar sat next to each other.
Perhaps there was hope after all, Xavier mused. Alpha Flightâs leader might be stubborn and difficult to work with, but if the rest of his team came to appreciate the X-men, then the two teams might indeed be able to share Havenâs power source or even work together to defeat FOH.
Xavier listened to the interactions over dinner but rarely spoke. He was used to being the oldest person in the room; he had long since gotten used to functioning as the approachable and respected â“ though slightly distant - father-figure. His days on Haven had been pleasant; he spoke with the others about their happenings and their emotional states, he lifted weights in the gym and used his powers in the Danger Room.
There were many things from earth that he missed though. He missed Cerebro. He missed contact with Moira and he worried about her and her family often. He had to fight his feelings of helplessness over the fact that he could do nothing to help her now. Xavier also missed the work that X-men had done on earth. Years ago, before FOH grew so powerful, he had felt that the X-men had been making a difference. That sense of accomplishment had slowly diminished though he also tried to not doubt that the situation on earth could someday be improved.
Another glimmer of hope remained as well. Magneto. Charles knew that his old friend and enemy had left earth. He did not know why Magento did not come to Haven; perhaps he didnât know that this place existed. But perhaps somehow they would find each other again and Xavier could succeed in convincing his former friend the error of his ways. All human beings had some good inside them, even Magneto, even FOH members.
Although lonely, Xavier refused to give up hope.
***
Jean Paul and I sat down near Aurora at dinner.
âThere you are! I nearly forgot that I have a brother!â she exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes at his sister and said to her, âNo need to be such a drama queen. It is not as if I have forgotten youâ.
âThe rest of us just want to get to know the guy who youâre spending all your time with,â said Puck, who was sitting across from us, âthatâs allâ.
I smiled and suddenly felt very shy. I managed to say something like, âI hope to get to know the rest of you, as well. Of course Jean Paulâs told me a lot about youâ.
âDid you, my brother?â Aurora asked. âI have truly wondered what it is you say about me when I am not here. Of course there is much we can share with you, Bobbyâ.
Aurora and Puck started to tell me a story of one of Alpha Flightâs early days. It was actually a tale that Jean Paul had mentioned earlier in the day. I tried to make like I was listening, but I glanced around and noticed that Hank was sitting at another table. I wanted to catch up with my friend and share my happiness but it didnât look like that would happen during dinner anyway. There just werenât enough hours in the day and I couldnât get enough of Jean Paul.
After dinner, we again headed for the lake and sat on one of the benches near it. âI want to tell you something,â Jean Paul began.
I had a fleeting worry that it would be some bad news but I saw the look on Jean Paulâs face and could tell that it wouldnât be. âI want to tell you about Joanne,â he said, sounding both very serious and eager.
âThe daughter you adopted,â I said quietly. I had heard a bit about the story since it had been news when it happened a couple years ago. He had adopted an HIV-positive infant, she had died soon after, and he then came out publically. Granted, most Americans donât pay that much attention to events in Canada but since this involved mutants, those of us at the Institute knew about it.
âYes,â he said.
As I listened to him talk about her, I could tell that he really cared about her. He may have had his arrogant side â“ I saw glimpses of it during the past day â“ but he wasnât someone who thought that the world revolved around him either; this girl meant a lot to him. She had been dead for a couple years now and he definitely thought about her often. He told me exactly how old she would have been had she been alive.
Jean Paul and I again ended up talking for the rest of the evening and I didnât get around to spending time with Hank at all. Jean Paul asked me what my team members were like and he wanted to hear my perspective on some of the battles we (er, they) had fought over the years. I spent a long time telling him about their personalities, how they acted, which ones I was closest to. But I didnât have the level of detail he was interested in when talking about the battles.
âBut how exactly did they defeat Apocalypse and his horsemen?â he asked. âEverything I had heard about them made it sound like they couldnât be stopped. What did the X-men do?â
âI donât exactly remember,â I said. âI just remember them coming back to the mansion and everything was good. We went out for drinks afterwards. Everyone was real charged up, of courseâ. I went on to recount a few of the songs that were playing at the bar we went to afterwards, the fact that Rogue and Gambit had danced together, that Scott and Jean had shockingly joined in the dancing, and that even more shockingly that Scott hadnât been a bad dancer. I told him that the bar later ended up closing its doors to mutants. But I couldnât tell him anything about the battle other than the outcome.
I stopped myself. âIâm sorry I donât know more about what exactly they did to win that one. Itâs hard since I wasnât in the battle myselfâ.
âIt is alright that you donât remember. I just enjoy hearing about strategies and battles -- I try to think of things I can use myself. And weâve done so little fighting the past few months that I miss it. But I see that you donât care for combatâ. He paused and then added, âYou do have great powers though. And you said youâd train with me tomorrow,â he reminded.
âI did?â I joked. I then gulped. He looked serious. âI guess I didâ.
âYou can do this, Bobby. It is not so hard. Remember, you rescued the rest of your teamâ.
âThat doesnât mean that Iâd make a great solider though. I was never good at it in the past. I think Cyclops hates when I try to go into combatâ.
âSo? Why do you care what he â“ or anyone else â“ thinks?â
âI care about that a lot,â I said. It was true. âI mean, the X-men are family to me and I do worry about what they thinkâ.
âThat must be difficult, mon cher. You spend your life worried about what others think of you, and you are in for one difficult experience after another. You need to feel strong from within yourselfâ.
I paused and listened to his words. I suppose he had a point. So I took a different route. âFighting just isnât in my nature. Iâm more of the sweet and nice typeâ.
âMost people do not like to fight. But we donât have a choice with the immonde FOH in power back on earth. We have to use the powers God gave usâ. He took a breath. âAnd I so dislike the stereotype that we gay men must be sweet and nice. I suppose I come across to others as rude sometimes, but I will not act all meek and nice just because Iâm gayâ.
I looked down at my hands and was very quiet. He didnât continue speaking. So I finally said, âJean Paul, that is the way I am. I donât know if itâs because Iâve felt I had to be that way because Iâm gay or if itâs really the way I am. I mean, Iâm a smart ass at times and I like to play jokes on the others, but basically Iâm justâŠ.nice. So if you dislike guys who are sweet and nice and are not good fightersâŠ.â I let my voice trail off.
He grasped my shoulders. âBobby,â he began, his voice very serious now, âI like *you*. I would not try to change you. There is a lot to be said for beingâŠsweet. I have perhaps learned that over the years. So please do not feel that you ever have to change the way you are for me. I like you as you areâ. He paused. âBut come with me to the Danger Room tomorrow. Please. Just try it onceâ.
âOkay,â I said.
And then he swept me up into his arms. We had such a wonderful night together that most of my fears started to evaporate.
***
The next morning, Cyclops, Beast, and Storm arrived early to the Danger Room. They wanted to prepare the facility for a tough session and were reviewing the pre-set programs.
âThis one is too predictable,â Hank said. âThe X-men have gotten used to it, even when itâs on the higher levels. I shall endeavor to make it more challengingâ.
The trio looked up when they saw Puck enter the room. Storm smiled in his direction. Her estimation was that Puck was â“ perhaps after Heather â“ the most approachable member of Alpha Flight.
âAm I early?â Puck asked.
âA little,â Cyclops answered. âBut thatâs okay. You can always warm up in the gym down the hall â“ it opens up before the Danger Roomâ.
âAlthough actually, Puck, if you donât mind,â Storm began, âthere is something I would love to ask you aboutâ.
âAsk away, Storm!â he encouraged, as she walked over towards him.
âI am curious to hear more about the pirates who attacked you when you were in space. We like to learn all that we can and, although the chances appear remote that pirates would attack us here, knowledge is powerâ.
âThe chances are lower than remote, Storm. We toasted them. Theyâre not coming backâ. He took a breath and added, âI know you might be outraged to hear what we did to them, but you gotta remember that they attacked the Maple Leaf without provocation, they forcibly boarded us, and were ready to kill us all so they could salvage and sell our ship as scrap. They killed two of our members. Maybe we could have found a more compassionate way to deal with them but we were angry as hellâ.
âUnderstandably. But I have no interest in remonstrating anyone for actions in the past. I simply wanted to learn more about those who attacked youâ.
âThereâs not much to say. They werenât mutants. They werenât FOH. Just a rag-tag group of about seven men with big guns and even bigger phasers on their ship. They never wouldâve gotten as far as they did if we hadnât been nearly starving to death. Our supplies had almost run out and we were down to eating one meal a day - most of us gave our rations to Heather because of the baby. Weâre lucky that the baby is doing fineâ.
âDo you think there are any more where those pirates came from?â Cyclops asked.
âI doubt it. They werenât part of any sort of organized group, not as far as we could tellâ.
Soon the hour of the morning session began. Over a dozen mutants were ready to train once the doors were opened. Storm was disappointed to observe that Wolverine wasnât among those. They had shared a bed last night but she hadnât asked him if he would take part in this session. And then Storm nearly had to restrain a surprised gasp when she saw Bobby walk in with the group. She nudged Hank who had been pouring over the computer program.
âOh my stars and garters!â he said quietly. âIt looks as if he intends to fight with usâ.
âWe better use a low setting today,â Cyclops added.
Storm looked around the room. âBut not too low,â she suggested. âI bet that he can handle more than you thinkâ.
âI do agree,â Hank began, âbut as a mere precaution, I will keep an eye on him during the fightâ. With that, he bounded over towards the group in the center of the room.
Cyclops asked the group if they were ready, punched a few buttons, and the simulation began.
Storm observed the proceedings. The Alpha Flight members who had joined them today were Puck, Northstar, Sasquatch, Feedback, Flex, and Radius. She noticed that the first three fought quite well, which made sense as they were veterans of combat. Feedback, Flex, and Radius were far rustier and Radius appeared as if he was trying to show up the others, particularly his half-brother.
Her main interest today was in watching Iceman though. She knew that Cyclops was also looking in his direction.
âHeâs good at making the ice slides,â Storm noted quietly. âI think he needs to slow down a bit though â“ in this scenario, speed is less important than accuracy but I donât think he realizes thatâ.
âHe needs to be more deliberate with his movements. And his aim isnât the best â“ half his bursts of ice arenât hitting the targetâ Cyclops responded, equally quietly though no one could hear them over the din of battle. âItâs not terrible either, though. For someone who hasnât been practicing, he is doing better than I would thinkâ.
As the others began to file out of the room, Storm, Cyclops, and Beast approached Bobby. Northstar stood next to his lover, clearly happy as well.
âWell done, my friend,â Hank said.
âThanks!â Bobby replied. âHey, it was okay that I was here today, wasnât it?â
âIt was more than âokayâ,â Storm answered. âI am delighted to see you training here! You did wellâ.
Cyclops decided to try to add some levity. He said, with a smile, âAll this time weâve been trying to get you to train and you havenât, but one day with Northstar here and then you decide to hit the Danger Room?? I guess he has more influence over you than we doâ.
âWell,â Bobby shrugged, matching Cyclops for levity, âthe fact is that Northstar has sex with me and you guys donâtâ.
Hank and Storm laughed along with Bobby. Cyclops decided to try to give the humor right back to Bobby. âThe Professor did always tell me that different people are motivated by different things, I supposeâ.
Northstar was in a serious mood, âYou did do very well, Bobby. Tres bien. We need to work on your aim thoughâ.
âYes,â Storm said. âYou did perform exceptionally well, but aim is an area to work on. In some scenarios, you just want to hit the enemy with everything you have but in todayâs scenario, a few targeted shots would have been a more effective approachâ.
âOkay,â Bobby said. âIâll work on itâ.
âSo we will see you in here tomorrow then?â Hank asked. âOutstanding!â
***
A member of Alpha Flight made a mistake. Frustrated at his lack of progress with Jubilee, Radius approached Rogue when he found her alone one day. He knew that she and Gambit were an item. But he hoped that perhaps they werenât serious or perhaps Rogue could be swayed or might simply want some variety; he didnât always think through his actions completely.
âIf you ever get bored with that Cajun fellow, I could really rock your world,â Radius began.
âWhat in tarnation are you suggesting, mister??â Rogue asked angrily at his stale words.
He touched a hand to her thigh. âJust that if you wanted a bit moreâŠexcitement in your li---â
Rogue grabbed Radius by the collar, hoisted him upwards, and threw him halfway across the grassy field. He would later need to seek Hank out for minor medical treatment.
âThat no-count loser!â Rogue exclaimed when she and Remy had some time alone together in their room. âI donât feel the least inklinâ of guilt over his injuries! Serves him right!â
âWell, chere, Remy appreciates your loyaltyâ.
âAww, Gambit, you know Iâm crazy âbout you! I ainât interested in anyone elseâ.
Gambit knew her words were true. It was one thing he actually never had worried about, the notion that she might be tempted by another. Back on earth, before the X-men had become so isolated, Gambit had perhaps had legitimate cause for concern that Rogue might someday observe him looking at another woman and fall into a jealous rage. But she herself truly seemed not to have eyes for anyone else, despite the variety of men on Haven.
âFor dat I am grateful, chereâ.
Rogue affectionately tousled Gambitâs hair. âSilly, Swamp Rat, you donât gotta be grateful for any of that! I love youâ.
âLove you too, chereâ. He paused and added, âAnd Gambitâs gonna seek out Radius a bit later, jusâ to have a talk witâ him and make sure he is clear on everythinââ.
âI think thatâs a great idea!â
***
âI hope we do not see further strife,â Storm said to Wolverine.
âServes the bastard right,â he grumbled.
The couple sat side by side on the porch. News of the incident involving Radius and Rogue had spread quickly. Many were surprised that Radius had made a pass at her given that she wasnât single, and some felt that her response may have been too harsh.
âI know,â Storm admitted. âBut we may see problems like this escalateâ. She had shared with Logan the incident from weeks ago when Angel, Cannonball, and Colossus had ended up a pointless fight. It had been a fight which may have bubbled up due to frustration, including frustration over the lack of available women.
âHeâs hit on Jubilee too. Maybe we gotta talk to Alpha Flight. Ainât right for their people to be hittinâ on our womenâ.
Ororo listened to his words and replayed them a time or two. âOur women?â she asked.
Logan was surprised the slightly reprimanding tone of her words. He took a moment to respond. âDidnât mean anythinâ by thatâ.
Cannonball stepped onto the porch. âHi Storm, Wolverine,â he greeted. He was smiling and looked at ease. âNice eveninâ weâre havinââ.
They both greeted Cannonball, and he asked, âMind if I join you? I got somethinâ I wanted to ask you aboutâ.
âPlease, ask away,â Storm encouraged. âWhat is on your mind?â
Cannonball pulled over a chair so he could sit near the couple. âWell, itâs about Jubilee,â he began. âI, uh, Iâve been thinking about her a lot. I know sheâs an adult now, though a lot of us still think of her as younger just âcause weâve known her so long. She told me the other day that sheâs almost 19. Weâd gotten to talkinâ about our ages. But anyway, I was wonderingâŠ.I wanted to ask her out on a date. But I wanted to make sure yâall knew about it and were okay with itâ.
Ororo weighed his words. âSam, as you said, Jubilee is an adult. It is not our â“ or anyoneâs â“ place to give approvalâ.
âHang on, âRo,â Logan said. âGood of you to ask, Sam. Ainât a whole lotta guys that Iâd be okay with askinâ out Jubilee. But if you treat her real nice and with lots of respect, then you and I will get along fineâ.
âBut itâs not our place to say that, Logan,â Storm insisted. âWe donât own Jubileeâ.
âNo harm in Cannonball askinâ though. He just wants to let us know that heâll treat her right. If sheâs interestedâ.
âI still believe that this attitude of asking for approval harkens back to days when women were owned like pieces of propertyâ.
âI swear, I didnât mean that at all!â Sam broke in. âHonest. I know in the south we got some different customs, but I was just trying to be like a gentleman. I know how much you care about her and how much she looks up to you. And I know that there are some guys out there who are only interested in one thing, but Iâm not like thatâ.
âHow old are you?â Wolverine asked him.
âTwenty-twoâ.
He nodded. âWell, bub, if Jubilee is interested itâs fine with me. But if you donât treat her right, youâd better watch outâ. For emphasis, Wolverine slowly extended one claw.
âDonât worry. Iâll be really sweet, I promiseâ.
With that, Sam left, leaving Storm to wonder how many men would still be interested in pursuing Jubilee despite Wolverineâs protection of her. More prevalent on her mind, however, had been Wolverineâs comments and actions.
She bit back the comment, âNice macho posturingâ regarding his gesture of extending a claw. Instead she remarked, âI have a serious problem with Jubilee being spoken about as if she belongs to usâ.
âIt ainât that. The kidâs like my daughter and I gotta protect her. Sheâs had a hard time before joininâ the X-men, and the FOH run-in didnât help her. We gotta watch over herâ.
âProtect a mutant with powers as strong as hers? Sheâs not some delicate, dainty childâ.
âItâs the emotional stuff. She ainât never been in a relationship before and not every guy out there knows how to treat women. Thatâs what we gotta protect her fromâ.
Ororo observed that her normally serene countenance had given way to exasperation. Rather than continuing to talk in circles with Logan, she rose from her chair and left the porch. Logan did not follow.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
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Chapter 10
Jean made a mental note that she would need to tell Rogue something. She remembered, years ago, Rogue making a comment that Jean and Scott never seemed to argue and Jean having to insist that they sometimes did disagree. One morning Jean silently wished, almost, that she could share with Rogue the argument that she and her husband had just engaged in.
They had been leisurely walking along the lake. Jean had begun to reminisce. Being pregnant made her think, naturally, about her life on earth before the X-men - about the family into which she had been born.
âSometimes I forget what they look like,â Jean admitted to Scott. âI wish we hadnât had to leave earth so quickly. I wish we somehow had some pictures of themâ.
âI know, Jean,â Scott said. âI can imagine it must be hard for you to be so far from themâ. He paused and added, âI guess in a way Iâm lucky. My only family is here. I donât have anyone back on earth to missâ.
âAnd I do miss them,â Jean said. âMy parents, my sister, my niece and nephew. None of them even know that weâre going to be parents soonâ. She paused and then an idea came to her. âScott, can we replicate a camera? I donât know how much dilithium it would take. But I wish we could take some pictures of the baby when heâs born. It would also be nice to have some pictures of me pregnant. But our baby â“ once heâs here â“ will grow up so fast! If we had some pictures of him, it would helpâ.
âIt would be nice to have them,â Scott responded. âBut Jean, every time we replicate something, it costs us dilithium. And we have a limited supply of dilithium and no way to get more. We need to hold the line and only replicate things that we needâ.
âDoes a camera really require that much dilithium, Scott?â Jean asked, trying to keep her tone light.
âWell, itâs definitely not like replicating a meal. A camera has complex parts. It certainly wouldnât require a *low* amount of dilithiumâ.
âBut Scott,â Jean began again, âweâre talking about getting pictures of our son. Heâll only be a baby for a short amount of time. And besides, we use the Danger Room twice a day. That takes up a lot of energyâ.
âBut the Danger Room is a requirement. Weâre a team of fighters, after all,â Scott insisted.
âCanât we at least ask the Professor and Storm about this?â
âNo, I donât think we can,â Scott said, trying to keep his voice gentle and not overly stern. âIâm one of the leaders of this team; we need to be role models. If we get approval to do this, then we canât say no whenâŠwhen someone wants to replicate a movie or a new board game or clothes and shoes that they donât need. We make enough exceptions and weâll run out of dilithium before we figure out a way off this planetâŠwe donât even have any idea how or when weâll be able to leave here. We donât want to have to someday not have enough food for our son because we wasted dilithium on a camera to take pictures of himâ.
âDo you really think it will come to that, though? Donât you think weâll find a way to get more dilithium one way or another â“ I donât think Alpha Flight would exactly let us starve before theyâd share some of their power source with us. Come on, Scott,â Jean encouraged.
âNo, Jean. And Iâm saying no as the co-leader of the team, not as your husband. I stand by what I said. We need to be role models. I donât want the team getting angry at us because we were given an exception to the rulesâ.
âBut none of them are expecting a baby,â insisted Jean.
âThatâs not the point,â Scott said firmly.
Jean muttered a few words under her breath.
âWhat was that, my dear?â Scott asked. His question had carried a slightly playful tone but both members of the couple were getting exasperated and knew it.
âOh, nothing, dear,â Jean answered. âJust a hope that youâll be more flexible as a parent than you are in other areas of your life!â
The two had then spent the rest of the morning apart just to take some time to cool down. When they next saw each other, each had missed the other. They quickly kissed and made up, and agreed that this was not worth staying angry at each other.
***
The day after my Danger Room debut, Hank asked me if I wanted to spend some time working on target practice. I thanked him, but Jean Paul had already said he would work with me on that in the afternoon. So my boyfriend and I worked together in a sectioned-off part of the Danger Room while the other fighters that day went on with their simulation.
You know, riding around on an ice slide was fun but target practice was really boring. I knew what the others had said after the Danger Room session had been right though; I couldnât hit the broad side of a barn. Jean Paul told me that aim is something that can be improved, that itâs a learnable skill. So we worked on it that afternoon.
We were nearing the end of the session when Jean Paulâs communicator beeped.
âItâs Walter,â we heard on the other end of it. âCan you come here? Your sister is in a moodâ.
âAh, she is always in a mood! Is it really worse than normal?â Jean Paul asked.
âLook, sheâs been driving me up the wall for two days straight now and Iâve had all I can take. You havenât been spending that much time with her lately. So can you kind ofâŠtake over for a bit?â Walter really sounded like he was at the end of his rope.
Jean Paul sighed. âIf I must. Where are you?â
âOur roomâ.
âIâll be right thereâ. He turned to me and added, âShe is like a childâ. He gave me a quick kiss and then made like he was going to leave, but spun on his heel before he left.
âThere is one thing I keep forgetting to say to you,â Jean Paul began. His voice was low but he spoke with an urgency too. âIt is about Jubilee. I know that all of the men are after her. Tell her that Radius is no goodâ. He took a quick glance towards the rest of the Danger Room, as if to ensure that Radius was out of earshot.
I smiled. âI kinda picked up on that already,â I said. âHis incident with Rogue didnât leave much doubtâ.
Jean Paul still sounded serious; was having nothing to do with my more casual tone. âHe wants only one thing. Unless that is what Jubilee wants as well, he is no good for her. He once told my sister that if she ever got tired of Walter, she should go to him. My sister has many flaws, but she would never cheat on her boyfriend. Some people have no morals!â
âThanks for the tip. I think Jubilee sees how Radius is and sheâs not all that interested, but Iâll say something to her to make sure she knowsâ.
With that, Jean Paul said, âa bientotâ, gave me a peck on the mouth and disappeared in a flash.
For the remainder of the session, I tried, I really did. The program got harder as you progressed and I think I hit less than half the targets.
When it was finished, Rogue and Gambit approached me.
âYou did a nice job, sugar,â Rogue said.
âWith the target practice? Câmon, I was terrible!â
âIt takes time. But youâre off to a good start and you oughtta be proudâ.
I always want to start talking in a Southern accent when I converse with Rogue. Her accent is somehow so contagious.
âShe be right,â Gambit added. âWelcome back to traininâ. If we back on earth, we buy you a drink to celebrateâ.
I was really sincerely touched, though also feeling ridiculous at the attention. I wasnât even doing that well! But I thanked them and left it at that.
***
Iceman was not the only one who had a discussion after a Danger Room session. Forge also approached Storm after training. âAre we allowed to compliment our leaders?â he asked. âBecause you were amazing just nowâ.
Storm smiled. âForge, please, I hope that no one comes to regard me â“ or Cyclops â“ as being in a separate category simply because we are leaders. I will happily accept any sincere complimentâ. She then added, âAnd you fought very well too. I hope that someday we can win against FOH and we are lucky to have you with usâ.
âWeâre the lucky ones, to have you as a leaderâ.
Storm made a few observations. The look on Forgeâs face and the body language he was using suggested that perhaps more was going on here than a discussion of a Danger Room session. Could Forge have heard about her quarrel with Wolverine? If that was the case, Storm marveled at the way word could spread so quickly on Haven. She also noticed that everyone else had left the Danger Room and the two were now alone.
âListen, Storm, I just wanted to say that if you ever would like someone to talk to, about anything, I would certainly like to be your friendâ.
Stormâs first reaction was slightly negative. If this was a come on, she didnât care for it. She found Forge attractive, always had, but did not desire him the way she acutely did Wolverine. She was also still reeling at the notion that gossip may have spread about her disagreement with Wolverine. However, Storm tempered her reaction with compassion. She reminded herself that she could totally be misreading the situation, and that Forge had always seemed a sincerely caring person.
So she opted for a gentle approach. âThank you, Forge. I appreciate that. Now if youâll excuse meâ. With that, she flew off.
***
I had an interesting interaction with Hank the other day. Northstar was showering after a Danger Room session, and Hank looked glad to run into me in the hall. âMay I have a word with you in private?â he asked.
âOf course,â I said, and he led me to his room.
Usually I never felt awkward around Hank. It was nearly impossible to. But he looked embarrassed and flustered, and words seemed to be failing him, which was really odd. When the guy who can quote poetry from memory isnât sure what to say, you know somethingâs up.
âI simply wanted to inquireâŠknowing that the matter is none of my business, of course, but as a doctor and as a friend, I just wanted to ensure that safety and protection are not forgottenâŠsometimes, I have heard, in the heat of situations we make decisions that are not â“â
I took a guess at what he was getting at. âDonât worry,â I said. âWeâre not doing any of the real risky stuff yet, but when we do, weâll use condomsâ. Hank had had this conversation with me years ago, back on earth. Maybe he felt I needed a reminder. Then I had a moment of fear that perhaps Iâd guessed wrong on what we wanted to discuss with me in the first place.
âThank heavens,â he said, assuring me that I had correctly figured out the topic. âPerhaps you should even replicate some in advance and have them with youâ.
I decided to make a joke of it. âIâll carry them with me at all times, okay? I wonât leave my room without them!â I then had to add, seriously, âThanks for your concern for me, old buddyâ.
***
Jubilee wondered if she had somehow developed psychic powers. She knew, from the moment Sam Guthrie approached her that afternoon, what he was eventually going to ask.
Sam asked her if she wanted to go out canoeing. She speculated that he wasnât being terribly original, though she reminded herself to cut him some slack. It was not like they had a ton of options either, especially for a place for two people to get away, alone.
As Cannonball rowed the canoe, Jubilee thought about her situation. She dearly wanted a boyfriend. Although the attention had initially been flattering, she was now tired of all the buzz and activity around her with different males approaching her. She knew that people had been gossiping about her, wondering who (if any) she would pick being the only single female on the planet. And Jubilee had been deciding that Cannonball was probably the best of the lot. He was on her team and it seemed easier to date another X-man than someone in Alpha Flight, especially since it was likely that the two teams would part sooner or later. Jubilee look a lot of pride in being an X-man. Wolverine liked Cannonball, he was closest in age to her, and she was comfortable with him. He didnât make her heart sing though, but none of the others really did either - though she did find Radius to be very attractive, physically.
âHey, SamâŠyou can kiss me if you want,â she said out of the blue. He was so painfully shy that she decided to make it easy for him.
âI can?â he asked, hardly believing his ears.
âYes. I mean, if you want toâ.
âI do!â he insisted.
It was awkward. The canoe rocked as they shifted position for the kiss. Jubilee had never been kissed before. She tried to think of whether Sam had or not and mused that perhaps he had. A few things he had said about his life in Kentucky had led Jubilee to think that he had been popular before anti-mutant bigotry took over and that maybe heâd had a girl, though the awkwardness of the smooch led Jubilee to wonder again. All of these thoughts swarmed through Jubileeâs head and she hardly thought of the kiss itself.
Sam talked about his family for the remainder of their canoe ride. Jubilee had heard him mention them before â“ he was obviously very close to his parents and sister and missed them horribly. She had a hard time relating to that since the X-men were so definitely her only family; she could truly say that there was no one back on earth who she missed at all. Everyone who she loved was here with her. The more Sam spoke about the Guthries, the more clear it was that he had a hole in his heart at his separation from them. Jubilee didnât have much she could say to him on the topic but he seemed to enjoy having someone to talk to on the subject. When he finished, Jubilee kissed him again, this time very softly.
And that was that. The two sat together at dinner. Jubilee noticed Wolverine eyeing Sam very closely. When Feedback later said something to Jubilee that could be interpreted as a polite come-on, she told him that she and Cannonball were an item. In the evening they went for a walk together and held hands. Before bedtime Sam gave her a chaste kiss on the mouth outside of her room. The following morning, he greeted her with a small bouquet of wildflowers from the forest.
***
Wolverine had been enjoying a walk in the forest when he heard footsteps. He silently cursed. It was more difficult than he would like to get a minute alone and he had not wanted company. His sour mood shifted somewhat, though, when he recognized the other personâs unwieldy gait. It was Heather. He stopped walking so that she would catch up with him.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. âLogan!â she greeted. âI didnât expect to run into anyone in here. How are you?â
He gave a grunt in reply. He wasnât in the mood for niceties.
âHmmm,â Heather replied. âMy day isnât going that much better. Care to talk about it or would you rather not?â
âNo thanks, Heather,â Wolverine responded.
She was actually surprised to get three entire words from him. She truly did not know the cause of Wolverineâs foul mood either. Although word traveled fast in Haven, neither Wolverine nor Storm had told anyone else of their quarrel and Cannonball was not the type to gossip. He had told no one. If anyone had noticed Wolverine and Storm avoiding each other, no one had commented upon it. However the two never had been joined at the hip as some of the other couples were, hence a rift between them would be less apparent.
âWell, I am sorry to hear youâre not in a good moodâ. She shook her head. âI look around Haven and cannot believe how gorgeous this place is; it almost seems impossible to not be happy here. But maybe my problems are of the type that will follow me anywhere. Of course it doesnât help when my back aches, my ankles are swollen, and I donât have my mother or anyone else here to teach me how to be a parentâ. She silently added that she didnât expect much help from her husband either.
âYouâll figure it out. You always were a smart womanâ.
âWhy thank you, Logan. Youâve always expressed such faith in me, whether I deserve it or notâ.
Wolverineâs ears perked up again and he heard more footsteps. âJames,â he said quietly.
Heatherâs eyes widened again. Wolverine took a quick whiff of her scent and sensed that she hadnât wanted to run into her husband.
âThere you are,â James called, when he saw his wife. âPuck told me heâd thought you went into the for â“â He abruptly stopped. âWolverine,â he said flatly when the other man came into his view.
James strode up to Heather and grasped her arm. âI canât leave you alone for ten minutes and you go off with the man who always had a crush on you!â
âI didnât even know he was here,â Heather said. âAnd we were just talking! Relax, James. I doubt anyone would want to ravish me when Iâm eight months pregnant anyway. Lord knows you havenât laid a finger on me in agesâ.
âDonât you talk like that!â he warned, his voice aggressive and his grip on her arm tightening.
Wolverine strode up to James. âLet her go! Ainât no way to treat a ladyâ.
James dropped his grip on Heather. âI suppose you think you could treat her better,â he snarled.
âThatâs enough!â Heather cried. âBoth of you. Letâs not get into a fight. Thereâs enough strife back on earth, we donât need to recreate it here. FOH wants us all dead - we shouldnât be fighting with each other!â Her voice turned tender and she held her hand out to her husband. âJames, you have nothing to be jealous of. Come on, walk with me back out of hereâ.
Jamesâ tone somehow turned around quickly and now mirrored his wifeâs. âWith pleasureâ.
They turned and walked away without a word to Wolverine, leaving him with the solitude he craved.
When Wolverine left the forest, however, he had a second encounter with a pregnant redhead whom he had once loved but couldnât have.
âHi, Wolverine,â Jean said. She was standing on the path facing him.
He realized that it was something of a surprise to see Jean alone. She normally spent as much time as she could with her husband. He took another look at her face and saw a purposeful expression. Jean had a mission, Wolverine surmised.
âHi,â he said.
She fell into step next to him. âDid you have a nice walk through the woods?â
He was tempted to answer ânoâ but stopped himself. âOut with it, Red,â he said instead. âYou know I ainât one for small talkâ.
âAlright,â Jean smiled. âI understand thatâ. She stopped walking and faced Wolverine straight on. âYou and Storm are the two most stubborn people I know. And neither one of you likes to open up much either. So I knew, as soon as you two got together, that you two would have a hard time of it when you came to have disagreements. All couples have them sometime, but I knew that neither one of you would want to talk it out or admit that you missed the other or admit that you might have been wrong. I donât know what your disagreement is about but I can tell that something is wrong between the two of you. So Iâm asking you to fix it. Being stubborn and not admitting that you miss your lover doesnât get you anywhere, except miserableâ.
âThanks for the lecture,â Wolverine grumbled.
âLecture or not, it is true. One thing I know how to do is be in a happy relationship for years and I can tell you that it sometimes means being uncomfortable and opening up more than you want to, and it sometimes even means eating a bit of crow too even if you still think that you were the one who was rightâ.
âYou give Storm the same lecture?â
âMore or less. So please go talk to her. Iâll give whichever one of you approaches the other first a prize. I donât know what the prize will be, but Iâll think of something. Iâll take one of your bridge duty shifts if we ever get back into spaceâ.
Wolverine shrugged. âYouâre on. Except I didnât hate bridge duty as much as everyone else. It was nice to be alone for a few hoursâ. He paused. âIâll talk to herâ.
âThank youâ.
***
Storm reached Wolverine first. They wordlessly walked to her room. She silently rehearsed two speeches inside of her head.
The first one contained her deepest thoughts and fears:
âSometimes I donât like who I am when I am with you. I become jealous of other women. I sometimes feel upset at comments you make. I cannot abide by this out-of-control feeling, especially when I am of the sort who prefer their emotions to be under control at all times. Yet at the same time, I also love the wild feeling I have when Iâm with you - and Iâm not talking only about what occurs in the bedroom. Sometimes being with you feels so freeingâ.
The second one was the far less revealing and more measured speech:
âPerhaps I misinterpreted what you said. I know that you believe you only have Jubileeâs best interests at heart. Perhaps you can assure me that you understand that she is not our possession and then I can feel better about our disagreementâ.
Storm continued to silently debate which of the two speeches to share with Wolverine. One made her feel absolutely naked and vulnerable. But the second one, she feared, was not as authentic.
They reached her room, and she sat down on the bed. Wolverine sat across from her on the chair. She eyed him, thinking for a second he had made a motion as if he wanted to kiss or caress her, but that the gesture had been aborted.
`To hell with it all,â Storm said to herself. `Iâll throw caution to the wind and tell him the first version. If it scares him off then we can be done with this entire affair and only my pride will suffer temporarily, though at least I donât have to fear him gossiping about the situation. And then I will not have to worry about ever falling for someone againâ.
âLogan,â Storm began, âI have something to tell you.â She took a breath. âSometimes I donât like who I am when I am with you. I sometimes become jealous of other women. I sometimes feel upset at comments you make. This feeling of being out-of-control is very difficult, especially when I am of the sort who prefer their emotions to be under wraps at all times. Yet at the same time, I also love the wild feeling I have when Iâm with you. Sometimes being with you feels so freeingâ.
Loganâs eyes were wide as he listened to Storm pour out her emotions. âWow, âRo. I think thatâs the most I ever heard you talk about how you feel or admit that sometimes you have trouble with thingsâ.
Ororo forced herself to shrug. âWell, I felt it could not hurt to share with you what is going on inside my mind. Though I realize it may have been too muchâ.
âNo. No, it ainât. I like it when a woman opens up and lets me in. I kinda wondered about some of that stuff you mentioned. Wondered how you feltâ.
Ororo nodded and waited for more of a response from Logan.
âI donât feel the same way,â he said.
She struggled to keep her face neutral. âSo that is that,â she said to herself. âHe simply does not care for me that muchâ.
âI mean,â Logan continued, âthat I donât dislike the way I feel when Iâm with you. I like the way you make me feel. I get that outta control feelinâ but you know me, it doesnât bother me. I like beinâ with youâ.
âAh,â Ororo managed. âI see. I mean, I am flattered that you enjoy being with meâ.
âSo maybe we can cut the fights over little things. Or not let âem bother us so much since thereâll always be disagreementsâ.
âThat is certainly wiseâ.
âI get overprotective of the women I love,â Logan admitted. âBut that donât mean that I think I own themâ.
With that, he lunged forward and pulled her into a rough kiss. It took Ororo off guard at first. She then released herself and fell into the kiss, as she both enjoyed and feared the wild rush of sensations coursing through her body.
***
So the days slowly passed. When I could tear myself away from Jean Paul and see what was going on, it looked like us X-men and Alpha Flight were getting along ok. The two teams worked together in the Danger Room and also played sports together. Jean Paul was telling me that there was a little bit of misunderstanding when X-men and Alpha Flight tried to play football against each other since the Canadian rules are different. They worked it out okay in the end, Iâm told, though not without James getting pissed. Alpha Flight also introduced to the X-men a game that they sometimes played, âExtreme Volleyballâ, which involved a wider net and the ball never being considered out of bounds. I didnât play either game, of course, though I did watch one of the Extreme Volleyball games. âNo powersâ was a rule during sports like these, and Alpha Flight actually won the game I watched.
We also found that both of our teams scored the game of Scrabble differently, but we worked that one out peacefully too.
Other than the incident between Rogue and Radius (I canât believe the guy, hitting on Rogue! How stupid do you have to be?), it looked like the two teams coexisted decently. Jean Paul told me that Alpha Flight was really enjoying the planet, though James was often grumpy despite the great surroundings and Aurora had her own emotional issues to deal with. Jean Paul had to spend a lot of time with his sister since you never knew how her mental illness would be on a given day or what condition sheâd be in. Aurora was more or less friendly but distant towards me. I wondered if she might someday lash out at me for taking her brother away or something like that, but I didnât worry too much.
And then suddenly, one night, I was back at the FOH headquarters, a prisoner in one of their cells again. Guards were coming to get me, smothering me. Then I was trying to escape, running down an endless hallway, but unable to find the X-men. The soldiers were chasing after me and catching up to me with each passing second, and no matter how fast I moved, I couldnât locate the other X-men. I woke up just as the soldiers were slapping a collar on me.
I must have kicked Jean Paul or maybe he woke up due to the tangled mess Iâd made with the blankets. I was sweating and my heart was still racing. It was the first nightmare Iâd had since Alpha Flight landed.
And I didnât want Jean Paul to see me like this. He reacted the way I knew heâd react as soon as he woke up and figured out what had happened. He gently encircled me with his arms, he called me âmon cherâ and whispered soothing words to me. I could not ask for anything more, but I felt like an idiot too.
âIâm fine,â I said. âItâs just a nightmare. Itâs over withâ.
âIt must have been very intense,â he said. Our room was mostly dark but I saw him take a look at the blankets which were scattered all over the place.
âNo, Iâm fine now, reallyâ.
âWhat happened in the nightmare? Is it one you have often?â
Iâm of the mindset that honesty is the best policy. So I told him. âIâve had a few nightmares since we escaped from FOH. Thatâs what my nightmare is about â“ the time we were prisoners. Itâs like Iâm running down the hallway with the soldiers on my tail and I canât find the other X-men. Do you ever have nightmares about that, the time you were prisoners of FOH?â
âNo. I think somehow I have the whole terrible time erased from my memory. All I tend to remember is the moment that Walter and I rushed the door and got us out of there. I think my brain has forced itself to forget the days we sat in that cell and listened to them taunt usâ. He paused and gently caressed my arm. âYou are still shaking. You poor thing. This really bothers youâ.
âI guess thereâs no hiding it. Iâm a coward, Jean Paul. Thatâs why Iâm shaking, why I still have nightmares about something that happened months ago. You want to make me into a fighter, but Iâm just a chicken. I bet the other X-men are like you â“ they never even think about when we were FOH prisonersâ.
âNone of the other X-men got beaten up by FOH as you did. None of them rescued the whole team eitherâ. His voice was passionate and forceful as he said the words. âYou are not a cowardâ.
I still clung to Jean Paul but avoided meeting his eyes. I didnât want to keep insisting that I was a wimp but I also thought it might be wise if he saw the real me early on. I didnât know what to say.
âYou are progressing well in the Danger Room,â he added. âVery well, in factâ.
âYeah? Well yesterday I was scared shitless before the simulation began. And during it, and, hell, after it too!â
âEveryone gets afraid, Bobby. You just need more experienceâ. He stroked my back gently as he spoke. âI am certain that you are not the only one who has nightmares sometimes. Being captured by FOH wasâŠ.was too horrible for any words to describe. Everyone has their own way of coping with the terrible memoriesâ.
I pulled out of our embrace slightly so I could look at him. âYou really think Iâm not a coward, even though Iâm having nightmares? Are you sure? Because I want you to see what Iâm like, what the real me is likeâ.
âI see it. I like what I see. You are sensitive and caring â“ maybe I can learn from you how to be more that wayâ.
âIâd rather be like you. Strong and braveâ.
Jean Paul resumed stroking my back. âThank you, mon poteâ.
He kept touching and consoling me until I fell asleep again. I heard him repeatedly murmur something in French. This time I slept peacefully though all my old insecurities remained as well.
The next morning, I asked him what heâd said to me in French. He repeated the phrase: âje ne te quitte pasâ. He then explained, âIt means that I shall never leave youâ.
My heart thumped intently. âThank you,â I whispered.
***
Hank strolled along the lake, enjoying the morningâs fresh air and beautiful views. He saw Jean and Cyclops, walking hand in hand, approach from the other direction. They greeted each other, and Scott then said, âCare to join us for our walk, Hank? Unless, of course, you wanted solitudeâ.
âI would enjoy nothing more than your company,â Hank responded.
Jean smiled at her husband as Hank fell into step with them. âAfter all, heâs not Wolverine. Hank *likes* being around other people,â she said.
They shared a giggle over the slight dig at Wolverineâs tendency to go off alone, though Scott added, âI think heâs doing a lot better here than I wouldâve thoughtâ.
Hank then commented, âI am still awed at the natural beauty of our surroundings. I find myself sincerely hoping that we do not begin to take it for grantedâ.
âMe too,â Jean said. âThough it was neat seeing Alpha Flightâs reactions when they first landed. It made me think back to the wonder we felt when we first got hereâ.
âThe longer we stay, though, the more likely we are to forget what it was like back on earth and to take this place for granted,â Cyclops added. Although his visor still did not allow him to see all of Havenâs splendor, he still could use his other senses to appreciate the feel of a breeze or the wetness of the water when they went swimming.
âDo you have any sense from Alpha Flight as to whether they might share the planetâs power source?â Hank asked, keeping his voice low. He heard voices in the distance.
âStorm and I talked about it yesterday and we donât want to push it. Alpha Flight hasnât brought it up eitherâ.
âThereâs still a ways to go before Heather has the baby,â Jean added. âI donât think we should rush asking them about itâ. She paused. âI also donât think we should hold our breaths. James is not going to wake up one day and be filled with joy that heâs a father and in his great mood decide to share the power source with us. I just canât see it happeningâ.
âPerhaps as our teams continue to get along well â“ with the noted exception of Radius and Rogue â“ that may at least inspire some goodwill towards us,â Hank observed. He then added, âFrom what I have heard, it appears that there is no lingering resentment between Rogue and Radius, which Iâm certain is a positiveâ.
âI heard that Gambit had a little talk with him afterwards,â Cyclops added. âI also hear that he kept it respectfulâ.
âGambit has matured well,â Jean chimed in.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hank saw the source of the voices he had heard a moment earlier. Bobby and Northstar had been on a canoe ride and their canoe was now reaching the shore. Hank, along with Jean and Scott, paused to watch them for a moment. The lake had no dock, so when people ended their canoe trips they had to paddle as close to the shore as possible and then get their shoes wet as they exited the boat. This morning however, Northstar hopped out of the canoe and dragged it onto the grass so that Bobby could exit on dry ground. He reached a hand up to steady Bobby as he got out. The couple waved hello to Scott, Jean, and Hank before going on their way.
Hank turned back to Scott and Jean. He did not typically talk about someone who was not in the conversation and was not about to begin doing so now. However he wondered if Jean had read some of his thoughts when she asked, âYou donât spend as much time with Bobby now as you used to, do you?â
Hank shrugged. âI suppose it is natural for someone falling in love to spend less time with their friendsâ.
One could see Scottâs eyebrows raise over the top of his glasses. âWow, Hank, you sounded so sad when you said that just nowâ.
âI am fine. I do miss spending time with Bobby â“ he always brings a sense of merriment and he possesses a very sweet temperament. Perhaps if I, too, were falling in love then I would have less time to devote to friendships as wellâ.
âMaybe you ought to talk to him though,â Jean suggested. âHeâs never had a relationship before and maybe someone needs to gently remind him not to neglect his friends. Every now and then Bobby needs a little reminder on this type of thingâ.
Hank shrugged. âI do not see his behavior as out of line, however. When Rogue and Gambit were first beginning a relationship, the rest of us did not see them too often eitherâ.
Hank silently added that when he had fallen for Carly years ago, she had been first and foremost on his mind for a long time. A few years after her operation, Carly had gotten married. She had sent Hank an invitation to the wedding, but he declined it. He had never mentioned that to any of the others.
âAt least this relationship has gotten Bobby back in the Danger Room. I hope he will be okay when Alpha Flight leaves though,â Scott said.
Jean looked at her husband. âI hadnât thought of that. Do you think Bobby will leave us and go with them? Or would Northstar stay with us?â
âI donât know. And I wonder if thereâs some way that Northstar can intercede and help us get some of the power supplyâ. Scott paused. âBut one thing at a time. Like you said, we have a ways to go before Heather even has the baby, and Iâm sure theyâre not going to leave right after that. No sense in trying to do anything now â“ who knows what could happen in the next several weeks and monthsâ.
âYouâre right. As great as Haven is, itâs just hard to get used to the long days of no action here after all the excitement we had on earthâ.
Scott nodded, though he wondered at Jeanâs choice of wording. `Excitementâ seemed a mild way to describe much of the battle and angst the team had endured over the years.
âJamesâ disposition sure hasnât seemed to improve much since landing here,â he muttered quietly. Then, in a more upbeat tone, Scott began, âBut anyway, since weâre talking about relationships -- not that I am one for gossiping -- but I just want to make sure Jubilee is okay. She seemed fine at dinner yesterdayâ.
âI think she and Sam are happy,â Jean said. âIâm not going to worry. Heâs a very sweet guy. Even Wolverine seems okay with them datingâ.
âGoodâ.
âI am glad to hear that as well,â Hank added. âIt is hard to think of our little girl as having grown up, but at this point she must be considered an adultâ.
***
Rogue picked Gambit up and flew them through Havenâs skies. Boredom was their main motivation for that afternoonâs swift ride around the planet. Gambit enjoyed being flown around occasionally.
When their joyride was finished, Rogue set them down in the forest and they walked, hand in hand.
âJean is really startinâ to show,â Rogue observed. âWonât be long before sheâs as big as Heatherâ.
Gambit nodded. Rogue continued on, âWhat do you think with all these babies on the way? You ever wanna have one of your own?â
âBeen tâinkinâ âbout it more because of all the babies on the way now,â he admitted. âMostly I been tâinkinâ dat I want one someday but not now. We still young, Rogue. Got so much time ahead of usâ.
âI like the way you think, Cajun. Thatâs what I been thinking too. Someday maybe have one but not now. âCourse, I want a weddinâ before any babyâ.
Gambit smiled. âAh, Chere, if we be back on earth I târow you the biggest and grandest weddinâ you ever seen. I had me a lot of moneyâ.
Rogue squeezed his hand tighter and slowed her pace. âAww, Gambit, you know I donât care âbout that stuffâ.
âI know. And datâs good âcause I tâink FOH probably broke into my accounts. Dough Remy was real creative âbout where he put some of his money and can still get to some of it. He hopesâ.
âIf you can, thatâs swell. But I mean it, Remy, I donât care if you donât got any money. And Iâd love a big weddinâ someday but I also wouldnât mind if we get married by a justice of the peace in a courthouse someday. It donât matter to meâ. Rogue paused. âI wonder how Scott and Jean handled that for their wedding, the finances. Jeanâs family has some money though theyâre not rich like Xavierâ.
âI tâink I hear dat Xavier give them a budget to manage, and Jeanâs father kicked in some too. Chere, if you want sometâinâ small den we can do sometâinâ small but donât you want sometâinâ at leasâ as nice as dey had? You should be the belle of the ball somedayâ.
âI guess itâd be nice. But for me it ainât about how elaborate the ceremony is, itâs about what weâll say to each other, the vows weâll makeâ.
âDat very sweet, chere. You got your heart in the right place like you always doâ.
Suddenly the couple felt a strong gust of wind from overhead. They looked up to see Northstar and Bobby flying through the air.
âLooks like dey had the same idea we had,â Gambit observed.
âYeah,â Rogue muttered, looking down.
âOkay, chere, what is it? Ever since Bobby get together with Northstar, you have dis look where I can tell you donât like it. You ainât no homophobe, are you?â
âNo, lord no, not at all,â Rogue insisted.
âBut sometâinâs botherinâ you âbout dis whole situation. Do you not like Northstar? Or you miss seeinâ Bobby more often?â Gambit silently added that Bobby sure could be doing a better job of spending time with his friends.
Rogue shook her head. âNo. I mean I guess not, though I hardly know Northstarâ. She took a breath. âI guess somethinâ does bother me but I ainât no homophobe. I did grow up where things were pretty traditional though. The times we went to church â“ which werenât all that often â“ they did talk âbout it beinâ a big sin. I didnât ever really think âbout Bobby beinââŠgay âtill now I guess. Before he was just a nice, sensitive guy who didnât ever date or anything like thatâ.
Gambit chuckled at Rogueâs comment. He then added, seriously, âDough he did do tâings like dat before. You know he was headinâ out to a gay bar every week or so back homeâ.
Rogue shrugged. âI kinda put that outta my mind. Figured he was goinâ there for a drink and to be with his own kind for a bitâ.
âAnâ to find people to have sex with, you can bet. He wasnât never no celibateâ.
Rogue had to stifle a mild shudder, and Gambit caught her movement. âIs it the sex part of it dat you have trouble with?â he asked. If it was, he was surprised given how uninhibited and passionate she was between the sheets.
âMaybe,â Rogue said quietly. âGuess I oughtta put it outta my mind. We ainât supposed to think âbout what our friends do in bed anywayâ.
Gambit nodded. âJusâ tâink âbout how much you like the person. Heâs been a good friend to you all dese years, âmember how he went witâ you to each anâ every store in New York lookinâ for the right outfit for one of our first dates?â
âI could never forgit that!â Rogue said, sounding more like herself. âCourse the date was so good I almost forgot what happened before itâ. Rogue then mused about their night on the town, the clubs they had visited, the drinks they shared, the music they had danced to, and the improv troupe whose performance they had enjoyed. Haven was a serene and beautiful place but Rogue was starting to miss the excitement of a big city.
On the other hand, Rogue conjectured, with all the anti-mutant laws, even if she and Gambit were back on earth they would no longer be able to enter any of those nightclubs or theaters now.
As they went on with their walk, Gambit continued to feel surprise at the notion of Rogue being uncomfortable with any type of sexuality. Perhaps it was what she had alluded to earlier, the teachings of her church, that caused the uneasiness. Yet surely the same church had preached against heterosexual sex for those not married? Gambit himself liked the little he had been exposed to of gay culture. He wasnât attracted to other men, but he envied gay menâs openness about sex and desire, at least based upon what he had observed back in New Orleans. He felt that there was nothing quite like that among heterosexuals, even in New Orleans where attitudes towards sexuality were quite open. Of course strip joints and prostitution had flourished there, as in other places, but Gambit clearly saw that at the root of those arrangements were financial transactions rather than an open and sincere expression of sexuality. When he was being sexual with a woman, it had to be because she wanted *him* and she enjoyed sexuality and sensuality â“ not because she needed his money.
As he had these thoughts, Gambit realized that he didnât feel he could share them with Rogue. He thought that she wouldnât understand at all, and that idea caused a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Reviews are always appreciated.
Chapter Eleven by Stormkpr
Jubilee tapped Storm on the shoulder just as the older woman was sitting down to dinner. âCan you join me and Jean and Rogue in the hut after dinner?â she asked quietly.
âOf course,â Storm said.
Storm went on to eat her dinner with a small measure of excitement. The days were sometimes long and it was nice when something unexpected happened, she mused as she lifted a spoonful of the rice dish to her mouth. Jubilee calling the other X-women together? And having them meet in a place that typically went uninhabited? Storm could only wonder as she exchanged a brief glance with Jean across the table, but whatever the case it seemed a mature thing for Jubilee to do, especially if her purpose might be to ask for advice. As the meal progressed, Storm turned her head towards the table at which Jubilee sat. The young woman was taking her time eating her ice cream.
As the sun began to set, Storm and Rogue flew to the hut where Jean and Jubilee had already gathered. Jean used a lantern to illuminate the small room and enticing shadows bounced off the walls. As the temperature began to drop slightly, Jean was glad for the warm sweater she had brought.
âThis is kind of neat,â Jean said. âAlmost like weâre camping or going on a special tripâ.
âYes,â Storm agreed. âAnd we have not had a girlsâ night out for weeks, so thank you for calling this one, Jubileeâ.
âAny special reason you wanted to have one, sugar?â Rogue asked. She wished sheâd saved her dessert for now; it would have been nice to snack on something sweet as they talked.
âWell, I uh, just wanted to ask you for a few tips,â Jubilee began. She was attempting to sound nonchalant. âSam and I are going to beâŠgetting intimate soon. Iâve never done it before so I just wanted to ask if you had any pointersâ.
âI am glad you have asked us, Jubilee,â Storm said. âThat is very mature of youâ.
Jubilee smiled. She also knew that Storm enjoyed feeling wise, feeling needed. She had guessed that the Wind Rider would appreciate this.
âI agree,â Jean said. She leaned in a bit closer to Jubilee. âItâs not any of my business to second-guess a personal decision you have made like this one,â she began, âbut are you sure this is the right time? You and Sam have only been a couple forâŠ?â
âOh, about six days,â Jubilee supplied. She had to bite back the question of how long Jean and Scott had dated each other before they slept together. (Unbeknownst to Jubilee, it had been after their second date). âBut weâve known each other for years. Itâs not like heâs some strangerâ.
ââSides, Jean,â Rogue chimed in, âit ainât 1950 anymore â“ not like they gotta wait till they get married or anythinâ like that. Unless they wanted toâ.
âI know, I know,â Jean said, worried she had come off like a prude. âI was just saying that thereâs no need to rush. Heâs not pressuring you into this, is he?â
âWolverine would kill him if he was,â Jubilee remarked. âUm, no, I guess Iâm the one whoâs pressuring him. I really want thisâ.
âIf you feel you are ready and that it is the right time then there is no reason you should hesitate,â Storm said. âBut there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Birth control is one of themâ.
âI just ask Hank to replicate some pills for me, right?â
Storm nodded. âAnd make sure you start taking them soon enough, and take them at the same time every day. The other thing to keep in mind is sexually transmitted diseasesâ.
âOh. I hadnât thought of that,â Jubilee admitted. âSo what do I do about that?â
âI would recommend that you ask him about his history and whether he has any STDsâ.
âYeah,â Rogue said. âItâs an awkward conversation to have but the way I see it, if youâre ready to have sex then youâre ready to talk about venereal diseasesâ. Though Rogue silently added that she had never asked Remy about it, not once.
Jubilee looked down at her hands. âI guess youâre right. It seems like such a drag to bring it up thoughâ.
âWhy donât you mention it before things start getting intense?â Storm suggested. âBring it up at a time when youâre not kissingâ. She had actually never discussed the subject with a lover either.
âSo like over lunch someday?â Jubilee quipped.
Storm smiled. âWell, I agree with what Rogue said. Part of being mature enough to enjoy sex is the ability to have difficult conversations like thatâ.
âOkay, okay, I will. But back to what you were saying about *enjoying* thingsâŠdo you have any tips on that?â
Storm, Rogue, and Jean all looked at each other. Jubilee then said, âYouâre going to tell me it hurts the first time; I already know thatâ.
âIt is at least uncomfortable the first time,â Jean admitted. âSometimes the first few times. I think the best thing you can do is be realistic and donât expect fireworks. Just take things slowly and relax, and try to enjoy the different sensations you experienceâ.
Jean silently remembered back to her early days with Scott. The love they felt for each other, the coursing emotions. All of the passion, Scott fighting to restrain his, Jean encouraging him to let it out. Jean honestly and breathlessly telling him that she loved him so much that didnât care what they did in bed, she just wanted to please him and make him happy. Scott telling her that he had the exact same thoughts, wanted nothing more than to please her and was not concerned with his own gratification. When they were first getting together, it was a blissful, nerve-wracking, heady time.
She also silently observed that she didnât quite sense the same exhilaration between Jubilee and Cannonball.
âYes,â Storm added. âSome books and movies would have you believe that the moment he enters you, you will be writhing with pleasure. It typically does not happen that way. In fact, many or most women donât reach a climax through intercourse aloneâ.
âDoes he got any experience?â Rogue asked.
âI think so. But heâs kinda vague on that,â Jubilee said. âHe had a girlfriend back in Kentucky for a while but Iâm not sure how far they ever wentâ.
âYou can always just ask him how serious they were. Itâd be better if he knows what heâs doing, then maybe heâll have some ideas on how to please you,â Rogue insisted.
âHow do guys even learn that stuff?â Jubilee wondered.
âI guess through experience,â Rogue said.
âOr from women who communicate what they enjoy,â Jean added.
âAnd how will I learn what he likes?â Jubilee asked. âThe same way?â
âI think so,â Storm said. âYou can always ask. Or watch his reactions, listen to his breathing. Most young men, I have observed, do not have problems climaxing, if thatâs what youâre concerned aboutâ.
âAnd I agree with what Jean said âbout takinâ things slowly,â Rogue said. âI dunno, for me the whole experience of losinâ my virginity was wonderful âcause I had such a great loverâ.
âReally?â Jubilee leaned forward. âWould you tell me a bit about it?â This was the type of thing she had really wanted to hear â“ not because she was interested in what any of the X-men were like in bed but because she knew she could learn from the X-womenâs experiences in general.
Perhaps it had been the glass of wine she had savored with her dinner but Rogue felt emboldened. âThing is, we didnât do everythinâ in one night. Maybe other people get in a rush to âgo all the wayâ or whatever you call it, but Remy made sure we took everythinâ real real slow. He showed me all these other ways to enjoy myself before we didâŠthe big event. I mean, this went on over several days, even weeks. Like first, heâd just use his hands on me. Next time heâd use his mouth. We kinda worked our way up to the main event. I honestly think that was the best way and Iâll always be grateful to him for havinâ the skill to do it that way. It wasnât even all that painful the first time he entered meâ. She quickly amended, âIt was still kinda uncomfortable though. But not painfulâ.
Rogue then realized she was blushing and wondered if she perhaps had given away too much. But Storm already knew it; Rogue had told her all of this before. And Jubilee looked immensely grateful.
âThank you,â Jubilee said.
Storm said, âThat does sound ideal. My only fear is that most men might notâŠhave the skill, as Rogue said, to know that that approach is probably bestâ.
Jean shrugged, âWell, then, if that sounds good to you, Jubilee, why donât you verbalize what you want? You can tell him that you donât want to âgo all the wayâ at first and ask him to show you some other things. There would be nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I think that perhaps many men would appreciate a woman who knows what she wants and has some ideas instead of expecting him to guide the entire encounter. Oh, and I remembered that thereâs one more thing I wanted to mention. Lubrication. When you do think itâs time for penetration, use some lubrication, replicate a bottle of it beforehand. You should be wet down there beforehand but some added lube will only make your first time much easierâ.
Jubilee looked around the room. She had always loved being an X-man, and this evening again she intensely felt how much the rest of the team meant to her. Although she wasnât at all religious or even spiritual, she actually sent a silent prayer to the universe for making her a mutant and giving her this community. Jubilee may have joined the X-men at a young age, but she knew enough of the rest of the world to realize that most people were not surrounded by this much community and caring. She knew now that the day she ran into Storm, Rogue, and Gambit at the mall as the Sentinels chased her had been the most fortunate day of her life.
âThank you,â she said quietly, wishing she had the right words to verbalize the rest of her feelings. âI am *so* lucky to have you. All of the X-men. Thank youâ.
***
Heather Hudson glanced longingly at an X-man one morning during breakfast, but the object of her gaze was not Wolverine. It was Jean.
Heather had wanted to ask the other woman to be her coach during her impending labor. Her husband had been so distant and so perpetually angry. But when she had broached the subject with James, he scoffed at the notion that anyone other than himself would play that role. She did stand her ground, though, that Jean be allowed to be present in the hut so that she could observe, if she would like. And James had agreed that Hank McCoy would be the ideal candidate to deliver the baby since their own occasional medic, Walter, had far less medical experience than Hank.
But James had grumbled, âI donât want to be in the X-menâs debt. Bad enough everyone flocks to their shipâs Danger Room and gymâ.
âHoney,â Heather began, âweâre not going to be in their debt. Letâs not forget that they are living on a planet that belongs to the people of one of our membersâ.
âAnd I like to keep it this way, with us in the upper hand position. So letâs limit the number of things we ask them to doâ.
âIâm just glad that Hank agreed to deliver the baby. I feel very confident in him. You know this is a little scary, James. Iâve never had a baby beforeâ.
âYou were the one who wanted this,â he reminded her.
***
The days continued to pass on by. I sat next to Heather one day at dinner and she was *big*. Looked like she could go into labor any day. Even Jean was starting to get big I noticed, surprised.
I kept up with the Danger Room training. My aim improved. I still got scared. I made mistakes, even crashing into Forge once during a simulation resulting in a sprained shoulder for him. I apologized profusely but he didnât seem ticked; he shrugged and said that worse had happened to him in the Danger Room before and he wouldnât mind a few days off. The other X-men in general complimented me on the progression of my training (umâŠexcept for the day of that incident with Forge) but they didnât go overboard with the praise. Maybe they wanted me to just take it in stride and realize that, yeah, this is the way itâs going to be and I fight with them from now on. No one showed any sign of being uncool with the fact that I was training, even the ones who I can tell donât like me, like Angel. Even after the Forge incident everyone seemed alright with me training. The Professor made a point to go up to me one day and say that he was proud of me for training again.
I continued to spend most of my waking hours with Jean Paul. We slept in the same bed every night; I hardly set foot in my room anymore. Iâd been warned that he was arrogant but truly he was never rude to me in any way. Proud of himself and his accomplishments, definitely. But I never saw him behaving like a jerk. Iâd been warned that he was overly proud of his Quebecer heritage, but if he held the fact that I didnât speak a word of French against me, (I was surprised when Iâd learned what âmon chouâ translated to!) he didnât show it. The two of us just were compatible in most ways. I was easy-going and he was more intense. I had the sense of humor that could remind him not to always be so serious and that sometimes playing a practical joke on a friend was just what the team needed. He was a strong leader, a role model, for me in terms of training, diligence, confidence and even in asserting myself. I followed his lead in these areas. We never ran out of things to talk about. And I wonât say anything about our sex life other than that it was great and we were very compatible there too. It all just worked.
Part of me was eager to play some practical jokes on people. But maybe I was so swept up in what was happening with Jean Paul, that I was just out of ideas. One day I suggested to him that we could perhaps find a time when Cyclops was returning to his room and pretend like we had snuck in there and had been having sex in there. Or if not Cyke, then Wolverine. But Jean Paul was like no way, and after thinking about it more I was glad he had nixed the idea. So I remained practical-joke-less.
Anyway. I wasnât always as in tune with what was going on with everyone else, as I should have been. One day in the Danger Room, I noticed Cannonball looking very worried when Jubilee was knocked to the ground by a simulated Sentinel. I resolved to tease her about Samâs concern and obvious crush next time I saw her alone. But when I did, she said, âSam and I are dating each other, Bobby,â and she said it like âduh, where have you been?â I felt silly for not having noticed and muttered an apology.
That incident should have woken me up in preparation for something that happened the next day. I had left Jean Paul in the gym â“ he wanted to do more reps of his weight lifting but I was really tired. We tended to spend most of our time together but I told him my head was starting to hurt a bit (which was the truth, of course), and that an outdoor walk would do me some good. So he said heâd catch up with me later, we gave each other a quick peck on the lips, and I left. And I really hoped that the look of malaise on Rogueâs face that Iâd seen out of the corner of my eye was just my imagination.
I ran into Hank as I was walking across the grassy field where Victory and the Maple Leaf were parked.
âHello, my friend,â he greeted me.
âHey,â I said.
Hank was stooped down towards the ground. It looked obvious that he was collecting samples, but I asked him anyway, âWhatâre you up to?â
âThis planet contains no pests,â he said. âIt is a wonder that we can sit outside all day and not fear being eaten by mosquitoes or any other insect. I am trying to learn how this is possibleâ.
âInteresting,â I said. I added, âIt might not be any easier than trying to figure out how the Professor was able to be cured here just by laying in that hut thoughâ.
âStill, we should try. Pursuit of knowledge is rewarding in and of itselfâ.
I smiled and shook my head, âDang, Hank, youâre a better person than Iâ.
He matched my chuckle. âNot better, simply more curious about science. Each of us has our strengths and weaknessesâ.
I then started to turn towards the building, but Hank said, âWill you stay with me a minute?â He set his equipment down and removed his glasses.
âSure,â I said. I sat on the grass. âI have a bit of a headache, but I knew getting out in the air would help me and I feel a bit better already. Jean Paulâs in the gym lifting weights. The amount he can bench press is insane. Though Iâm sure you can do moreâ.
âI am glad to hear that your headache is improving,â he said. He was using his serious voice so I knew something solemn was coming up next. âI wish you and I saw each other more often,â he said.
I felt a bit of a stab at the hurt in his voice. He masked it well but even I could tell that there was some pain there. âIâm sorry,â I said, looking down at the grass. âI havenât spending that much time with you â“ or the others â“ latelyâ. Of course I thought back to my last conversation with Jubilee.
âWe understand what you are experiencing. It is normal for young lovers to want to spend a lot of time together. All I am requesting is that you donât neglect your friendsâ.
Which I clearly had already been doing. There really was a part of me that wanted to say, âCut me some slack, Hank,â but I kept the irritation out of my voice. It was hard to imagine being angry at Hank anyway. So instead I said, âYouâre totally right. Itâs just that, you know, itâs a big deal for me and Jean Paul. Neither of us has ever met another gay mutant before. And weâre falling â“ really falling for each otherâ.
I had actually started to say âfalling in loveâ but I stopped that. I didnât really know what falling in love was all about, and Jean Paul and I had never exchanged the âLâ word anyway.
âI can imagine it must be intense,â he said.
âIt is,â I said, but my head was full of thoughts about my friends now. âIâve hardly seen Rogue at all. I wonder if sheâs ticked at me for not spending as much time with her. Though she and Gambit donât seem to object to spending most of their time glued together eitherâ. I was thinking out loud and as I said the words, I realized how true they were, at least the part about not interacting with Rogue much. I couldnât remember the last time Iâd had an actual conversation with her. Even when weâd ended up across from each other at lunch the other day, she hadnât spoken to me much. Gambit had been his usual self though.
I heard a noise and then looked up. Jean Paul had flown out of Victory and was heading towards the building. But he doubled back when he saw us and landed.
âI must tend to my sister,â he said, sounding a bit rushed, worried, and annoyed. âShe and Walter had a big fight, apparently, and she is cryingâ.
âGood luck,â I said, as Jean Paul ascended back into the air.
Hank and I then started to say something at the same time. He signaled me to go ahead and speak. I just repeated, âIâm sorry and I will try to spend more time with my friends. Maybe you and me and Jean Paul can even schedule some time together. Like plan a board game in the rec room at a certain time or a forest walk. Maybe you and me can even plan some one-on-one time, if you wamtâ.
âThat is a splendid idea, and I am amenable to any such plansâ.
***
Storm and Wolverine were sitting on the porch together. It was after lunch but before the start of the afternoon Danger Room session. They sat quietly, holding hands and just observing the view.
Cannonball stepped onto the porch and looked around. âOh, hi, Wolverine, Storm. I thought Jubilee might be out hereâ.
âShe is not here right now,â Storm said. âYou could call her on the communicatorâ.
âI think I might,â Sam said.
Wolverine took a pointed sniff in Samâs direction and quickly processed the information his nose transmitted back to him. For a second he got an angry glare in his eyes before he jumped to his feet. Sam took a step backwards.
âOkay, bub,â Wolverine snarled. âYou hurt her, you die. Got it?â
Cannonball held his hands up and open in front of him. âWolverine, I promised you Iâd take good care of her and I meant it! She was the one who initiated it, not me. She was very clear about what she wantedâ.
Storm stood up and placed a hand on Loganâs shoulder. âEase up, Logan. Ease upâ.
âI am eased up,â he said gruffly.
Storm smiled. She could tell that he actually wasnât about to attack Cannonball. His teeth werenât bared, his claws werenât out. He didnât even have his hands in attack position. Logan was taking it better than Ororo had thought he would.
âI promise, Iâm real good to her,â Cannonball repeated.
âWe know, Sam,â Storm said. âDonât we, Logan?â
âYeah. I still stand by what I said though. You better stay real good to her unless you like the feel of adamantium tearinâ through your skin,â Wolverine promised.
âI promise,â Sam vowed before making for a hasty exit. He wished he hadnât decided to look for Jubilee on the porch that day, though he also mused that the confrontation with Wolverine would have to have happened sooner or later. He also felt that as awkward and clumsy as the previous night with Jubilee had been, it had still been worth it.
âSamâs right in what he said,â Storm said quietly to Wolverine, once they were alone. âShe did initiate it; she told us she was going toâ.
âWhoâs us?â
âJean, Rogue, and I. She spoke with us about it a few days agoâ. Ororo paused. âLogan, sheâs nearly nineteen. What do you think is the likelihood that you werenât sexually active at that age?â
âIt ainât that. Just that if he hurts her, heâs gotta face meâ.
âThereâs no need to threaten Sam though. Donât you believe that he has behaved well with her?â
âI guess so. I just want him to know thereâs someone looking out for Jubileeâ.
âI am certain that he understands that quite clearly,â Ororo said, with a smile.
Logan returned her smile. He had known that this would likely happen once Jubilee and Cannonball started dating, and the understanding that Jubilee would be fine had begun to sink in.
âYouâre right,â Logan grumbled.
Ororo stepped closer to him and gently ruffled his hair. âYou know, enjoying lovemaking is part of becoming an adult. It is certainly something I enjoy a lot, with youâ.
âWhy thank you, âRo. I feel the same wayâ.
âDo you?â Ororo asked, her voice taking on a very sensual but flirtatious tone. His hands were now around her waist and pulling her tightly against him.
âYeah,â were the last words he spoke before pulling her into a kiss.
âWe could always skip the Danger Room session this afternoon,â she suggested, when she pulled away for a bit of air. She then pulled him into another deep kiss, over which they lingered for many moments.
Jubilee dashed onto the porch. âHas anyone seen S â“ ooops, sorry, see you later!â she said, before making an abrupt about face and heading out the way she came.
***
Hank approached me one day after my Danger Room session. âI have been observing your training for a while now,â he began.
âDid you count how many mistakes I made?â I asked.
âNot at all. I have observed that you are progressing well. I think that in order to enhance your training, however, you need to do some more intense weight-training. I believe that additional upper-body strength would assist you in many ways during battles. I can assist you with coming up with a weight regimenâ.
âOh, come on, Hank. I *hate* weight training. You know that. Why do you care if I get more upper body strength or not?? Hmmmm,â I teased. âMaybe you have a secret. Maybe you want me to me to look more hunky for some deep dark reasonâ. I flexed a bicep for emphasis.
Hank rolled his eyes, something you didnât see him do that often.
***
âYou guys are so smart. Thank you for all the advice you gave,â Jubilee enthused.
âIs that all the info weâre gonna get? You ainât gonna tell us anythinâ more?â Rogue teased.
âNow Rogue,â Storm admonished softly.
âJudging from the look on your face,â Jean turned towards Jubilee, âI think we can guess that things with Sam are going wellâ.
Jubileeâs smile remained. âThey are. You guys give great advice. I just wanted to thank you againâ.
The four women sat inside the hut early one afternoon. They had decided to take an âice cream breakâ and have another talk. Everyone wanted to know what was happening with Jubilee and Cannonball, especially given that they had been the topic of the last time the X-women had gathered inside the hut.
âGlad it all went well for you,â Rogue said.
âIt is always my pleasure to give advice,â Storm added.
***
Heatherâs labor began early one morning. She and James moved several items from their room to the hut and they called Hank on the communicator around breakfast time. He diligently appeared at the hut as well, with Nightcrawler helping him transport some equipment from Victory. Jean arrived shortly after breakfast too; she had been honored at Heatherâs invitation.
âIâm certain that this is the place I want to have the baby,â Heather said as she surveyed the warm, dark walls. âIt feels so secure and so full of healing in hereâ.
âThis hut certainly has a strong reputation due to the speed in which the Professor was healed in here,â Hank agreed. âHowever, should it become necessary to transport you to the infirmary on board Victory, Nightcrawler said he would be happy to stand by all day, and all night, to teleport us â“ along with the equipmentâ.
âThe Maple Leaf has an infirmary too,â James added.
âI believe that Victoryâs infirmary is better stocked. And the readings I have looked at indicate that it would take some time to start up the Maple Leaf since it has been shut down for a monthâ.
âFine, fine. Whateverâ.
It was a long day for Heather, as well as for Hank and James. Jean, along with Cyclops and members of Alpha Flight, brought food and supplies to the hut as needed. Heather walked around outside, near the lake, several times when it became apparent that she was strong enough and that the baby wasnât going to be appearing for a long while. Using the bathroom was becoming a problem as Heather needed to stay hydrated but the hut lacked restroom facilities. Nightcrawler gladly helped by teleporting Heather to and from the bathroom inside her room.
***
Jean Paul left our bed far earlier the next morning than usual. Everyone was in a bit of a stir due to Heather having been in labor since the previous morning. The sun wasnât even up when I heard him get up and start showering.
âAny news?â I asked, very groggily, as I heard him checking his communicator. He had a towel wrapped around his waist.
âNothing. I am going to drop in and see if they need anything. Do you want to come with me?â he asked.
âIt okay if I go back to sleep?â I was eager to help and see the baby when she arrived. But not at four in the morning, which was what I estimated the time to be. I was too tired to turn the clock in my direction.
âOf course. Iâll let you know if thereâs any news,â he said, as he began pulling on his clothing.
Hours later, I was coming out of the shower when Jean Paul re-entered our room. He had a smile on his face and was shaking his head.
âEverything okay?â I asked.
âHeather and the baby are fine. Brianna, is what they are calling her. Lovely name and lovely baby as well. She was born just over an hour agoâ.
âWhatâs so funny though?â He had this sort of smirk on his face.
âJames is what is so funny. He has turned into a blithering idiotâ.
âWhat?â I asked.
Jean Paul shook his head. âFor a man who didnât want a baby â“ and then was sorely disappointed when it wasnât a boy â“ he has become smitten. He is reduced to carrying Brianna around and muttering baby talk at her, acting like she is the best thing to ever enter his worldâ.
âReally?â I asked. âI have got to see this! A side of your leader Iâve never seen beforeâ.
âNor have I. It is priceless. Come with meâ.
As we left the room, I looked at Northstar. As bemused as he was by Jamesâ turnaround, there was something else on his face. I knew how much Joanne had meant to him. It may have been longing, it may have been jealousy.
***
Jean and Cyclops sat on chairs inside the buildingâs foyer. Neither had slept much the previous night but they werenât in the mood for slumber now either. They also quietly shared a few giggles over Jamesâ transformation.
âI guess sometimes the things we least expect are exactly what happen,â Jean speculated.
âEven after he sang to her for a half hour, I still never expected him to look so happy to change her diaper though,â Scott noted.
They laughed again. âI am thankful to Heather for letting me be in the room though,â Jean said. âI need to be sure to thank herâ.
âOh, Iâm sure sheâll call in a few favors. Something tells me they will be needing babysittersâ.
Jean smiled. âYou know, I was always grateful that Iâm an X-man but feel even more so when I think about that. Raising a child isnât easy. If we lived the lives of a normal middle-class couple in America, weâd probably not live near our families and we might be really struggling, trying to juggle our jobs and raise the baby. But here, there are so many people who I trust right here with us, and who are willing to helpâ.
âI feel the same way. And so many of them have already volunteered to help us when needed. We *are* lucky to be mutants and to have this family,â Scott added.
âI know. I just hope my labor goes as easily as Heatherâs didâ. Although Heatherâs labor had been somewhat long, all had gone well and at no point had Hank worried about her medical condition.
âBetween Hankâs expertise and the healing powers of this place, I am not the least bit worriedâ.
The Professor entered the foyer. âNor am I,â he chimed in. âAlthough the spirits to whom Haven belongs have not been communicating with us directly, I feel their presence. I am certain you have nothing to fear, Jeanâ.
Jean went over the Xavier and spontaneously hugged him, feeling a sudden burst of affection. âThank you for everything you did to build the X-men, Professor. The team has saved my life and made me who and what I am todayâ.
âWe all feel that way, Professor,â Cyclops added.
âI am grateful to hear that,â Xavier answered. âBecause I cannot help but to feel frustrated that our hands are tied right now when there is so much to be done on earthâ.
âItâs true that we canât get back to earth now,â Jean said. âBut that doesnât mean that someday we wonât use the foundation you gave us â“ our skills, and our ability to work together as a team. It just may be farther in the future than weâd likeâ.
***
The presence of a baby on Haven was a new experience for its 25 adult inhabitants. The members of Alpha Flight were, of course, impacted more since two of its members were the parents. Most of the rest of the team volunteered to babysit, an offer which was frequently taken up. Sasquatch felt the sting even more greatly of his separation from his son and eagerly looked forward to the day when he would return to earth and reunite with the boy. And Northstar missed his deceased daughter even more.
The X-men, too, enjoyed Briannaâs presence; if nothing else, a baby on the planet broke up the monotony of the days. Jean and Cyclops particularly enjoyed watching and spending time with Brianna; their own babyâs impending arrival felt more immediate and real now. They would observe Brianna on day three, for example, of her existence and wonder what their son would be like at that point. They, and other X-men, were allowed to hold Brianna, though James tended to watch her like a hawk and was always close by.
Briannaâs growth and development were the subject of many mealtime conversations. If Heather or even James appeared somewhere without the baby, others wanted to know where she was and wanted to see her soon. Brianna frequently reached up and grabbed hair, fingers, and whatever other objects appeared within her range.
Approximately two weeks after Briannaâs birth, the Professor assembled Cyclops and Storm in his room.
âHave either of you heard any news on Alpha Flightsâ plans?â Xavier asked. Last time the two teams had had an official conversation on the subject, James said that Alpha Flight would discuss its next steps and future plans âsometime afterâ the baby was born.
âNothing,â Cyclops said.
âNor have I,â Storm added. âNone of its members have brought up the subject during dinner or in the Danger Room. I have not asked anyone about it either though. I asked Logan if any of his former colleagues had offered this information to him and he said that no one has. He spoke briefly with Puck about it but said that Puck merely shrugged and didnât seem to know where Jamesâ thoughts were atâ.
âJean tried to gently bring it up a few days ago with Heather,â Cyclops added, âbut she said that Heatherâs mind just wasnât on the subject â“ sheâs obviously so focused on the baby -- and she didnât say anything or give any informationâ.
âI do not want to push James,â Xavier said. âHowever he has appeared in a much better mood since the baby arrivedâ.
âAnd we cannot formulate our own plans until we have an idea of what Alpha Flight wants to do â“ and whether they will share any of their power source with us,â Storm said.
âBut I agree with the idea of not pushing James too hard,â Cyclops said. âHe has been in a good mood lately but we can tell that itâs not his natural style. In fact, I almost think that anything could push him back into being the way he was before. And I also think that once the euphoria over his daughterâs birth wears off, he will be just like he was earlierâ.
âPerhaps we should try to find out Alpha Flightâs plans indirectly,â Storm suggested. âJean and Heather seem to have a rapport. But if Heather isnât telling Alpha Flightâs plans â“ or if she doesnât know them â“ we may not be able to learn anything from her. But apart from Jean and Heather, obviously the member of their team who is closest to one of ours would be Northstarâ.
âWould he know their plans though? It doesnât look like Northstar talks to James at allâ.
Storm shrugged. âI really donât know, but we can at least ask Bobby to ask him what he knowsâ.
âYes,â Xavier said. âLetâs do that. And if that doesnât pan out, then we will need to bring up the subject directly with James at some pointâ.
***
I slept late. Really late. Jean Paul tried to first gently persuade and then jostle me out of bed to get to the morning Danger Room session, but I stood firm (or lay firm, whatever) and didnât budge.
By the time he returned, I was sitting up in bed, reading a book Hank had printed out from Victoryâs computer and fervently wishing that we had TV or computer games here. Donât get me wrong, I loved Haven. But every now and then I wished for a bigger variety of things to do.
âYou naughty American boy,â Jean Paul smiled and shook his head as he chided me for my laziness.
âI just wasnât in the mood to get up and train in the morning,â I shrugged. âIâll do it this afternoonâ. I then grinned and added, âSee, I never was a coward â“ Iâm just lazy!â
He ignored my comment and sat next to me on the bed. âHeather was at the session this morning. She is in good shape for someone who gave birth so recentlyâ.
âThatâs good. Are we going to babysit Brianna again this afternoon? Iâd be glad to do it, but remember that we have our Scrabble game with Hank planned too. Jubilee might join usâ. Iâd held firm to my resolution from several weeks ago of making time to spend with my friends.
âIf they conflict, I can watch Brianna myself. Or I will bring her along and just watch you play since I cannot do as well with the English words anywayâ. He shrugged. âWe will make it workâ.
âGood,â I nodded, though I also thought that watching a Scrabble tournament might not be so much fun. Jean Paul then looked lost in a thought. I touched my hand to one of his thighs and asked, âWhatâs on your mind?â
âI was just thinking about Joanne. It is hard to not think of her â“ Iâve not spent time with any other infant since she passed away, and now I see Brianna every dayâ.
âIs it hard for you?â
âSometimes. I cannot help but to think of all the things that Brianna is doing that Joanne never did. She was born with this horrible virus inside of her. She never got to grow up as Brianna will. She spent most of her days inside a hospital and never got to experience the love and attention that Brianna hasâ.
âBut wait a minute,â I said. âShe had you. You gave her most of the love and affection that she experienced in her short life. You held her as â“â I broke off, stumbling over the words.
âI held her as she died,â he finished for me. âYesâ.
Needless to say, Jean Paulâs eyes were full of sadness. I reached over and embraced him. I muttered a few platitudes like saying that I was sorry for his loss. Whatever the case, it was clear to me that this infant who had been in his life for only a few days several years ago would always mean a lot to him.
âBobby,â he began, sounding very serious â“ heck, I knew it was serious because he rarely called me by my name and it almost sounded strange with his accent. Usually I was âmon cherâ or âmon chouâ, or my favorite, âma puceâ.
âWe have never discussed this before,â he said, âbut I have a question for you. What does this mean to you? You and me. I have been assuming all of this time that whatever we have together means something to you and it is not just a fling. But I have never had a relationship before and I donât think you have either. I dated but never had anything long-term with someoneâ.
I was glad he brought it up because â“ he was right â“ we had never discussed it during all these weeks.
âI havenât ever been in one either,â I admitted. âIn fact, sometimes I get worried about messing this up since I havenât ever been in a relationship before and I want this to work out. Um, well to answer your question - you definitely mean a lot to me and this is definitely not a fling to me. I see this as serious. So weâre like on the same page then, as they say?â
âYes. That is how I feel as well. I am glad we see it the same wayâ.
âBut Jean Paul,â I began, hoping Storm would be happy that I was broaching what she had asked me, âdoesnât our future â“ together â“ depend on getting an idea of what our teams are doing? You know the X-men are stuck here until we get more dilithium or if Alpha Flight will share the power source thatâs here. Do you know what James and Heather plan to do? Do they have any desire to team up with us and go back to earth to defeat FOH?â
âWell, mon cher, I am not all that close to either one,â Jean Paul began, âbut I do not think that either one of them wants to do battle now. They listen to Walter and he keeps saying how much he wants to go back to earth and reunite with his son. And they listen to Puck who constantly reminds them that we might have made a mistake in leaving Marrina and her husband on earth â“ though I do not agree with that one; I think they wanted to stay and they can easily hide in the ocean. But regardless, I spoke about it with Heather recently and she said that she wants them go back to earth to gather those left behind. She said nothing about teaming up with the X-men and fighting FOHâ.
âWhat do you want to do?â
âI am afraid that I am torn. Part of me wants to return to earth and defeat FOH at all costs. Part of me wants to stay here with you forever, where it is peaceful and quiet and we do not have to fear FOH capturing and torturing those of us we love the mostâ. He paused. âYou? What do you want?â
âUm, you know how we agreed earlier that weâre on the same page about our relationship? I think weâre exactly on the same page about this too. I feel both ways. But I suppose in the end I should defer to what the X-men decide to doâ. I took a breath. âThough we canât *do* anything until we get some dilithiumâ.
âDo you want me to ask James and Heather about it? I truly think such a query might be better received from one of the X-menâs leaders thoughâ.
âWould it? I mean, it seems that James doesnât much like the Professor. Or Cyclops. Or Stormâ.
âYou see, he does not like anyone lately! Other than his daughter. But you do not want him to think that the X-men are trying to sidestep anything. They should approach him directly. He doesnât like anything that could be seen as subterfuge. Even if it is notâ.
I nodded. âCool. Iâll mention it to Stormâ.
***
When the Professor approached James, he decided to take the direct approach. After asking the Alpha Flight leader how his daughter was faring, Xavier got down to business. Judging by Jamesâs reaction, it appeared as though he had reverted to his pre-fatherhood personality.
âI was just wondering if you had decided what Alpha Flightâs next step will be,â Xavier began. âI know you have a few family members and teammates who you want to see again. And you must be eager, as are we, to defeat FOH and make a difference for the mutants back on earthâ.
âDonât assume we have any goals in common, Xavier,â James replied, a hard edge to his voice. âMaybe we canât do anything about FOH at this point. The bastards are so powerfulâ.
Xavier, slightly taken aback at his reply, remained silent.
James continued, âI havenât decided yet what my team is going to do. Maybe in another week or so Iâll call a meetingâ. He then added, âI hope your X-men are enjoying it here. Itâs nice of Snowbirdâs people to let you stay here when the place belongs to her and to themâ. He did not need to state his next thought, âAnd, by extension, to Alpha Flightâ.
***
When Brianna was about 25 days old, two things happened that really changed things in my life. The first one was that Walter dumped Aurora.
From what I had been gathering, this had been in the works for a while. I hadnât spent a ton of time with Walter and Aurora, but I had kinda noticed that they didnât seem like such a great match. He was scientific, brilliant, serious, and often appeared a bit remote or withdrawn. She was mentally unstable so itâs hard to say what her personality would be like on any given day. But often she was a bit childlike and demanding of Walter (and Jean Paul), and sometimes she came across to me as a bit superficial. Okay, maybe thatâs harsh coming from a guy who loves computer games and misses cheesy horror flicks, but thatâs just my opinion. I could also tell â“ from a few glances, a few remarks â“ that she didnât care for all the time her brother spent with me.
Aurora had her good traits too. She was fun-loving and always up for having a good time. But Jean Paul had once told me that he thought that Walter stayed with her only for the sex. I had no idea if that was true or not but I can say for sure that Walter and Aurora didnât seem to have at all the solid and strong foundation that Jean and Cyke or Rogue and Gambit so obviously had. Or heck, even Storm and Wolverine since they looked really tight now.
Once I asked Aurora how long she and Walter had been together. She smiled and said, âI donât know. Three years, maybe four. Or is it five now? I cannot recallâ.
I found out about the break up one morning when Jean Paul wasnât in our bed when I woke up. I had slept late, of course, but when I called him on his communicator he said he was with his sister. I didnât actually see him again for several hours, which was a while for us.
âI am sorry I cannot talk more,â he said, when I saw him in the hall. âWalter has broken up with my sister and she is out of her mind with sadness. I must go back to herâ.
âCan I help?â I asked.
âI do not think soâ. He then quickly added, âCan you bring me some food? Weâre in her roomâ.
âSure,â I offered.
The glimpse I saw of Aurora, when I delivered the food, was not good. Her hair was askew, her face pale, her eyes really wild. She looked like she wanted to keep crying but had no more energy. Jean Paul sat with her quietly. He gave me a quick kiss on the mouth but nodded for me to leave.
The other thing that changed my life was that James made a decision as to Alpha Flightâs plans.
The very next day, Jean Paul told me that James called a meeting for Alpha Flight. Great timing, James, but whatever. The location they held their meeting seemed to send a message too. Usually when lots of us gathered to talk, we either did it in the dining room or the large room with the fireplace. But of course both rooms lack privacy, especially the fireplace room. So James led his team outside and crammed them into the hut. The hut doesnât hold more than five or six people comfortably, and there were ten Alpha Flight team members plus a baby. I guess some of them wouldâve had to have crowded around the doorway?
Several of us X-men watched them troop across the grass towards the hut. Jean Paul and his sister flew as the others walked, Heather pushing a stroller.
âIâd love to know what theyâre going to talk about,â Angel remarked.
âDonât they know that we could still spy on them if we want to?â Forge wondered.
âI confess that I am tempted to teleport there right now to listen, but of course I will not,â Nightcrawler added.
âSeems so silly to me,â Angel shook his head. âThey got to know that if we really wanted to find out what theyâre saying, the Professor or Jean would read their mindsâ.
âBut we wonât, Angel,â the Professor said as he entered the foyer. âI am sure weâll find out what we need to know soon enoughâ.
âI still want to know nowâ. Angel looked at me. âHas Northstar said anything to you?â
âNo. I donât know think he knows â“ heâs been spending all his time in his sisterâs room listening to her cry, so he hasnât exactly been up on anything elseâ.
As I said the words, I also wondered if a lot of the guys were now salivating at Auroraâs newly single status. Though surely theyâd know theyâd be getting a handful with her and all of her issues, but on the other hand there are plenty of people out there whoâd be happy with just a bedroom partner too.
Alpha Flight did not talk for very long. It didnât seem to me that more than ten or fifteen minutes had passed before we saw them walking back to the building. By then, pretty much all of the X-men were congregating in the foyer.
âCome on,â James said, eyeing us and gesturing towards the room with the fireplace, âweâll tell you what we decidedâ.
I tried to make eye contact with Jean Paul but he had his arm around his sister and her face looked damp â“ I guess sheâd cried again. I did sit on Jean Paulâs other side, though, when both teams had walked over the creaky wooden floors and found seats in the large room. He held my hand.
***
âIâve decided that we are going back to earth for a quick mission,â James said to the group. âWeâre going to find our family members and other teammates and bring them back here if they want. So it will be a very quick tripâ. He paused and added, âHeather and the baby will stay here for their own safetyâ.
The X-men looked at each other and digested Jamesâ words.
âWhen do you plan to leave?â Cyclops asked.
âA few daysâ.
âHave you made any decision,â Storm began softly, âas to whether you can share some of your power source with us?â She observed that most of Alpha Flight were either looking down or at each other; none of their facial expressions suggested confidence.
âI havenât decided yet but I am leaning towards no. The Maple Leaf has enough dilithium to get us to earth and back, but we want to keep intact the power supply thatâs inside that shed out there. We want to keep it untouched for nowâ. He took a breath and added, âMaybe when we return, we can negotiate to give you someâ.
âIt seems like a rather dangerous mission,â Xavier said. âFOH is so powerful on earth. Would there be any harm if some of us came with you? It would help us at least get a handle on whatâs happening on earth and will provide some reinforcements for your teamâ.
âWeâd prefer to keep this just to Alpha Flight. The Maple Leaf isnât very big anyway; it canât take much more than a dozen people, so when you add in the fact that several others will be returning with usâŠweâd prefer not to bring any X-men with usâ. James silently added that he didnât want Xavierâs influence on his team; he didnât want any X-men trying to usurp his authority. Though he didnât speak the words, his meaning, however, came through clearly.
âIs your ship up for such a mission?â Cyclops asked, trying to keep his tone questioning rather than doubtful. âYou had mentioned that there were issues with its navigation systemâ.
âWe think the ship will be fineâ.
âAre you certain though?â Storm asked. âI do not mean to question you but some of your team members look doubtful nowâ.
That comment did not sit well with Alpha Flightâs leader. âLook, X-men - I donât need to justify myself or my plans to you! Youâre not sending any of your team with us, youâre not getting any of our power supply, and Heather and my daughter had better be in really good condition when I get back!â
Xavier, Cyclops, and Storm looked at each other for a few moments. Many X-men wanted to reply to that but Xavier made a slight gesture that indicated silence or patience.
Meanwhile, most members of Alpha Flight looked embarrassed, and Heather spoke first. âJames, I feel very comfortable that Brianna and I will be in good hands here. It was Hank, after all, who delivered herâ.
James gave his wife an off-putting look at that comment. Brianna woke from her nap and began to cry. Heather reached for the stroller and pulled the baby onto her lap.
âYes,â Jean added, âweâre glad that Heather and Brianna will be here and we really enjoy their companyâ.
For a few more moments, the only sound in the room was Briannaâs wailing.
âHow well does the cloaking device on the Maple Leaf function?â the Professor finally asked. âIâm sure you know that stealth is of utmost importance on this missionâ.
âOf course we know,â James said. âThe cloak is fine; weâre not going to get caught by FOH againâ.
âI see. We certainly wish you the utmost luck on your mission and sincerely hope you find your friends and family. If you happen to hear any news of Moira MacTaggert and Banshee, we would be grateful if you would share it with us. Along with any other news on the state of FOH and mutants in generalâ.
âOf course,â James replied, sounding calmer.
âAbout how long do you think it will take the Maple Leaf to travel to and from earth?â Storm asked.
Walter answered that question. âOur best estimate is that the trip is eight weeks each wayâ.
âEight weeks?â Northstar questioned. He looked at James. âYou said seven maximum, maybe sixâ.
âThereâs no way our ship can make the journey in six weeks, Northstar,â Walter replied. âIt took Victory that long to do it and the X-menâs ship is faster. No, the trip will definitely take longer than six or even seven weeksâ.
âAgain, we wish you the best of luck and we look forward to your return,â Xavier said. âWe are happy that Heather and Brianna will stay here to keep us companyâ.
With those words, Xavier turned his wheelchair around and departed. Most of the X-men followed him.
***
I looked at Jean Paul. âCome with me,â he said quietly.
Aurora tensed up, apparently at the thought of being parted from her brother. âCome with me too, ma soeurâ.
The three of us stood up. The twins looked like they wanted to fly, and next thing I knew Jean Paul asked me for permission with his eyes, I nodded, he picked me up, and away we went.
The twins flew us inside the forest. Aurora sat down on a tree stump. Jean Paul and I stood facing each other. For once, I could care less about the beauty of our surroundings and didnât even try to take in the trees or wildflowers.
âYou said youâd never leave me,â I said. I tried to make my voice sound even and calm though I think it came out trembling.
âI know. And I am *not* leaving you. I stand by what I said earlier. This separation is only temporary. I will return!â
âBut sixteen weeks apart!â I bemoaned. âThatâs four whole months! More, when you add in how long it might take you during the mission to locate your people. Maybe I should go with youâ.
âI have been thinking about that endlessly since James told us his plans,â Jean Paul said, passionately. âI would much rather that you stay here. Youâre becoming a good fighter but there is still a chance that something could happen on this mission. You are safe hereâ.
âAnd how do you think I feel about watching you go off on this mission where there could be danger? The thought scares me so much. I wonât even know if something happens to you! Canât you stay here?â
âI cannot. I must stay with my sister and she wants to go on this missionâ. Aurora remained eerily quiet as her brother talked about her. âShe is adamant about going on this mission. She hopes she can win back Walter. If my sister was well, then maybe I could allow her to go off on this without me. But sometimes I think I am the only member of the team who cares about her enough. I need to watch over her, Bobby, and I cannot watch over both of you and be effective on this missionâ.
âSo you put her over me?â I pouted.
âNo, no, jamais! I love you both deeply and my heart is aching! One can love more than one person. I am making the choice that I feel is best for everyone! Do you not realize that this is agony for me as well?â
I was too distraught at Jean Paulâs impending departure to even realize that he had said he loved me.
âBut Aurora is needier than you,â he continued. Again Aurora was silent though I noticed that she watched us both. He pulled me towards him and whispered in my ear, âBobby, it is serious. I think she might try to do something drastic, try to hurt herselfâ.
âThen canât she stay here?â
âShe is stubborn as I am. More so. I can try to convince her again but I believe that nothing will keep her from this mission. From Walterâ.
âThe bastard. For dumping herâ.
Jean Paul took another glance at his sister. âShe may have been heading for a break-down for a long time, mon cher. This just hastened it. And she has put Walter through a lot over the years, though her mental illness is not her faultâ.
We were silent for a few moments. Jean Paul then spoke, âAnd think about it, mon cher. Do you truly *want* to go on this mission?â
âI want to be with you,â I said.
âBut on this mission? Eight weeks in space in a run-down old ship with far fewer amenities than Victory, time back on earth trying to find people, and then eight more weeks back on a ship that will then be crowded. If all goes well. It will not be funâ.
âBut if we are togetherâŠâ I let my voice trail off.
âI know. But I will worry about you constantly. I want you here where you are safe and I do not need to agonize over you. I donât want you to be anywhere near earth. Besides, I also have a loyalty to Alpha Flight and to do my part to help the team on its mission as we try to find the othersâ.
I was sad and hurt, and an irrational thought popped into my mind. âIs there someone else? Is that it? You want to reunite with someone on earth?â
âThat is absurd. I most certainly do not have another loverâ.
I looked down and felt bad at my question. âI know,â I mumbled. âIâm just so sad right nowâ.
âYes. But you would be more sad if something happened to you on this mission. Please, mon cher. You are safe hereâ. With that he pulled me into a hug.
He was right. But I felt ill, right down to the pit of my stomach. I rested my head against his shoulder for a bit. From the way we were positioned, I could see Aurora when I opened my eyes. I tried to not hate her for this. She gazed in our general direction but her eyes were glazed over.
âDid you mean what you said earlier?â I asked quietly, pulling back from the hug. âThat you love me?â
âYes. With all of my heart and all of my mind. That is why I want you to be safe. Do you love me as well?â
âYes,â I said, knowing it was true from the way I felt torn inside by our impending separation. Like I was being ripped apart and would have this terrible void until he returned. âYesâ.
***
Most of the X-men did what Alpha Flight had done not long ago: they searched for a private place to talk. Unfortunately it was even harder to find a private space that accommodated all of them.
âLetâs go to the dining room,â Cyclops said. âWe can always close the door if we want privacyâ.
So the team trooped downstairs to the dining hall, with Colossus closing the door behind them. Jubilee took a quick peek inside the adjacent kitchen to make sure no one was inside of it. The Professor looked around and saw that all of the X-men except Angel and Iceman were present.
âSo now we know their plans,â Xavier began.
âThe bastard,â Wolverine muttered. âWould it kill him to give us some of the power here on the planet?â
âThis is the reality we must face. Alpha Flightâs leader is insecure and controlling, and despite our best efforts to âplay niceâ during the past two months, we have been unable to influence him in the way we would likeâ.
âHe hates me too,â Wolverine added. âThat donât help, no matter how âniceâ we been to his peopleâ. Storm put a hand on Wolverineâs shoulder.
âWe of course must hold firm to our word to treat Heather and the baby with the utmost respect â“ not that I foresee any of you having trouble with that,â the Professor added.
âAre there any options we have not explored?â Storm asked. âAnything? Could we offer to loan them Victory on this mission in exchange for allowing us to have some of their power?â
âI donât like that,â Cyclops said. âWho knows if we would ever get Victory back? And while they were on their mission, weâd be stuck with their bad ship, which I donât think any of us would want to use to take on FOH anywayâ.
âVictory really is the only bargaining chip dat we got,â Gambit said. âFar as I see. But I agree â“ itâs too much to bargain awayâ.
ââSides, it donât seem to bother James that his ship is a pile of crap,â Wolverine added. âI donât think he even wants our shipâ.
âCanât we just *take* some of the damn power supply?â Rogue asked. âWe can force open the door to that shed. Maybe, Professor, you can explain to Snowbirdâs people why we did it. Maybe theyâll understandâ.
âI cannot support that idea,â Xavier replied. âThey have been hospitable and generous to us, and they healed meâ. He paused, âBesides, I have been trying to reach them and broach the subject with them. The signals they send back indicate for us not to take itâ.
âSo what we do den?â Gambit asked. âWait four montâs for Alpha Flight to get back and hope dat dis time dey share deir power supply witâ us?â
The X-men looked around the room at each other. Silence reigned in the dining room as one blank look was met with another.
âIt is clear that James will not consider anything else right now,â Storm summarized. âUnless there is some other bargaining chip â“ as Gambit called it â“ that we can offer, we do not have any other way of trying to convince himâ.
âStill think we oughtta think about taking some of it,â Rogue muttered. She looked at Xavier. âJust kiddinâ, Professorâ.
âCanât Bobby use some influence over Northstar to help us here?â Forge asked.
âThe problem is that Northstar has no influence over James. Itâs become apparent that no one in Alpha Flight does, not even his own wife,â the Professor concluded.
âSpeaking of Bobby,â Hank began, âI notice that he is not here now. I fear that perhaps he is considering going with Alpha Flightâ.
âNot gonna happen!â Rogue said. âItâs too dangerous for himâ.
âYeah, he oughtta stay here with us,â Jubilee added.
The X-men soon adjourned their brief meeting. However, it turned out that they had been concerned about the wrong X-man departing.
***
The twins and I flew back to the building when we were finished with our talk. I canât even describe how I felt. Maybe I should have seen this coming but even if I had, it wouldnât have made the pain go away any.
âI must go talk with the others about our preparations to leave,â Jean Paul said to me. He said something to his sister in French, gave me a kiss, and they went off to find the rest of their team.
Hank, Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee walked up the stairs and met me in the foyer. âThere you are!â Rogue said.
âHere I am,â I muttered.
âWe are concerned for you,â Hank began. âWe feel you would be much safer here with us, though we understand that you might have the desire to return to earth with Northstar. However, on Haven â“â
âItâs okay,â I interrupted. âYou donât need to convince me of anything -- Northstar doesnât want me to go. He says Iâm safer here and he really wants me to stay here. And he canât stay behind himself because his sister needs him. So Iâm staying hereâ.
I looked at the four expressions of relief and happiness. And then for a minute I was able to step out of my own misery. I had friends who cared about me so much that they wanted me to stay with them and be kept out of danger. I had to be grateful for that. It provided something to fill the hole in my heart.
âIt ainât that we think you couldnât handle yourself,â Rogue said. âWe know youâre a good fighter now. Itâs just that itâs a lot safer hereâ.
âAnd itâs better to keep the X-men together,â Jubilee added.
âAnâ dis separation only temporary,â Gambit said. âHeâs a strong fighter â“ he be back witâ the rest of his team, you just gotta wait and be patientâ.
âI know, I know,â I said. âAnd heyâŠI really appreciate your concern for me. Thank you all. Iâm lucky to have such good friends. But enough with the mushy stuff!â
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Reviews are always appreciated.
Chapter Twelve by Stormkpr
Chapter 12
The day after Alpha Flight announced its plans, Angel tracked down the Professor, Cyclops, and Storm. He requested a meeting with them in private, so the four X-men assembled inside Angelâs room.
âI have something I wanted to tell you,â Angel began. âI have decided to return to earth with Alpha Flight. I spoke to James and he agreed to itâ.
âWhy do you want to do this?â Storm asked, surprised.
âAre you planning on returning to earth permanently or just going with Alpha Flight on this mission and then coming back here, with them?â Cyclops asked.
âThe latter,â Angel responded. âI donât intend this to be a permanent separation from the X-men. Assuming youâd still want me backâ.
âOf course we do,â the Professor insisted. âBut I share Stormâs question â“ can you tell us why?â
Angel smiled. âI canât think of a delicate way to put this, so Iâll just come out and say it. Iâm the kind of guy who needs to haveâŠa woman in my life. A girlfriend. Thereâs no one here for me. So I have to go back to earthâ.
âBut it seems as though Alpha Flight has no intention of staying on earth for very long,â Storm said. âI believe they plan to retrieve their loved ones and return. If all does go well, then they may be on earth for a matter of days onlyâ.
âAnd there are still those laws prohibiting mutants and non-mutants from dating,â Cyclops added. He was using the term âdatingâ as a euphemism. The law actually stated that mutants and non-mutants were prohibited from marrying or engaging in sexual acts with each other. Additionally, mutants were forbidden to marry other mutants or to reproduce.
âThere are ways to get around that,â Angel said. âI might not have a lot of time on earth but I think I can work something outâ. He paused and added, âProfessor, Iâll also do my best to find out what happened to Moira and Banshee. And it wouldnât hurt to check on both your and my financial accounts though I am not optimistic about what weâll find thereâ.
The Professor nodded. He wondered what it had taken for James to agree to ferry an X-man to and from earth. Perhaps Angel had promised some of the contents of his accounts as payment. Of course Alpha Flight could also use all the strong fighters it could find if they did encounter trouble, too.
âI see that you have made your decision,â the Professor said, âand I will not try to convince you otherwise. We will miss you here and definitely look forward to your returnâ.
Storm and Cyclops voiced similar thoughts. âAlso, be warned that their ship really isnât that good,â Cyclops added. âItâs nothing like the Victoryâ.
âI know. James had Feedback give me a tour last evening. It doesnât look good from an amenities standpoint but I think itâs space-worthyâ.
Cyclops remained silent but he wasnât fully sure of Angelâs assertion. He silently said to himself that perhaps his standards were simply too high.
âI will say my goodbyes to the rest of the team one at a time,â Angel added. âOf course I view them as âuntil-we-meet-againsâ rather than farewellsâ.
***
âI can understand his frustration,â Storm said to Wolverine. âI also appreciate Angelâs honesty about his decisionâ.
The couple was taking a walk in the woods. The main building seemed to buzz with activity as of late, with Alpha Flight members transporting belongings to the Maple Leaf. Each Alpha Flight member had participated in nearly each Danger Room session since they announced their departure, the team knowing they would miss having that strong facility since their own ship had no Danger Room. The Canadian team also tended to spend much time apparently trying to memorize their surroundings; they would miss Haven. Wolverine sought tranquility and quiet more often than usual now.
âToo bad to be partinâ with one of our own though,â Wolverine muttered. âHeâs gotta really want it bad if heâs leavin for itâ.
âIt is natural to want love and companionship. Or just sex. Iâm not sure exactly which of the above Angel is seeking â“ perhaps it is all of themâ.
âYeah. Guess it is natural â“ lot of the guys here donât seem happy without a girl of their ownâ.
Storm made a few mental calculations. âIf all goes well, by the time Angel and Alpha Flight return, Jean and Scottâs son will be about two months old. If Alpha Flight does finally agree to give us some of their power supply then â“â
âThatâs a big âifâ,â Wolverine cut in.
âThen I wonder if Jean and Scott will even *want* to go back to earth,â Storm speculated. âBeing the parents of a two month old, they might not want to go into a dangerous battle on earth. Perhaps Jean would remain here as Heather is doing; perhaps both she and Scott will do soâ.
âI still say youâre gettinâ ahead of yourself, Ro. We donât know if weâre ever gonna get off this ball, donât know if Alpha Flightâs ever gonna give us any power. Hell, donât even know if theyâre gonna make it backâ. He paused. âBut if they do, youâre right. Jean and Cyke might stay here with their baby. You might be leadinâ the team. Youâll do a damn fine job of itâ.
Storm forced a smile. âThank you, Loganâ.
He slowed his pace and looked into Ororoâs eyes. âAlways knew you were a brave leader. Knew it soon as I joined the team and saw you on our first missionâ.
Ororo squeezed Loganâs hand harder. âThank you,â she said softly. She hoped his words were true. Part of her believed that Wolverine had noticed little else besides Jean back when he had first become an X-man. She shook that thought from her mind and added, âSometimes I am brave. Other times I think about leadership and battles and I feel fear. A very intense fear, one that makes my palms sweat and my stomach clenchâ.
A thought popped into Loganâs head. âYou ainât told anyone else this, did you?â
âI mentioned it once to Xavier when he asked me to be second-in-command, years ago. I have not shared that with anyone since thenâ.
âWell, lady love, Iâm honored that you told me. Youâve done a damn fine job of hidinâ any fear too. But you know you ainât got a lot to be afraid of. You know how to lead the teamâ.
âI do. I can do it, and I thank you for your vote of confidenceâ. Ororo then stopped in her tracks. âWhat about you, Logan? Could you be a co-leader someday?â
He shrugged. âI could. But we ainât a big team. We got fifteen people and three leaders. Donât really need more than that â“ whatâd be the point?â
âI wonder if perhaps someday we found other groups of powerful mutants, some who want to join us â“ perhaps then our team would growâ.
Loganâs gaze drifted towards the forest floor. As much as he missed action, he also knew he would never grow tired of Havenâs forest. No matter how many times he walked through it, it always appeared different and there was always a gnarled bush taking an unusual shape or bright batch of wildflowers that he had never seen before.
âMaybe,â he said finally. âI ainât bankinâ on that happeninâ, Roâ.
***
Iâm going to sound like a jerk for saying this, but I was really intensely starting to dislike Aurora. I now had less than 24 hours left with Jean Paul and she was still monopolizing his time â“ despite the fact that theyâd have the next four months together on the ship. She was still emotionally needy and he hated leaving her alone for any stretch of time. I guess in the past Heather had played a kind of âmotheringâ role with the rest of Alpha Flight. But she was occupied with her baby now, and the other person Aurora had leaned on â“ Walter â“ wasnât on speaking terms with her, so Aurora really had no one else but her brother.
I should show more compassion, I know. I guess itâs that I didnât know anything about mental illness. Maybe I kept blaming Aurora for her condition and maybe that was totally wrong of me; I suppose she didnât choose to be mentally ill. I can be a jerk, I know.
But I kept my resentment inside of me and didnât share these thoughts aloud. I didnât want Jean Paulâs last several hours with me to be filled with my complaints, especially given the condition his sister was in. I let the resentment out during a crowded Danger Room session. I fought aggressively, fought rough â“ still didnât hit a lot of my targets, though Storm had told me that my aim was getting better.
During Alpha Flightâs final evening on Haven, Jean Paul felt it was okay to leave Aurora with Puck and Shaman for a bit. She protested that she was not hungry, but they said theyâd sit with her during the meal so we could get a bit of time alone.
âIf Angel thinks he can hit on my sister during the trip back to earth, I will show him â“ what is the expression? â“ that he has another thing coming,â Jean Paul whispered as we walked about to his room.
âI still canât believe heâs going with you guys,â I began.
âI know. But Bobby, I stand firm with what I said earlier. I will feel so much safer and happier if you stay here, so you are not to come with usâ.
There was no use arguing about it. I wanted to remind Jean Paul that the X-menâs ultimate goal â“ if we could ever get any damn dilithium â“ was to return to earth and fight FOH, and I would certainly be in danger during that war. A lot of danger. So it was wrong of Jean Paul to think that I could be protected forever. But I could also see his point â“ no point in taking unnecessary risks either and I wasnât really needed on this mission. Jean Paul was as stubborn as an ox anyway, that was evident.
We reached my bedroom. Jean Paul had already transferred all of his belongings to the Maple Leaf; since his room was bare, we decided to sleep in mine. My room had been nearly untouched during the past two months since Jean Paul had arrived. The sheets felt cool and crisp as we pulled them back, to make love for the last time. He went even slower than usual and I again marveled at him -- he had been the only person to make love to me with tenderness and gentleness. He held me and promised to return, promised he could handle whatever danger heâd face on earth. I had been in a daze since the announcement was made but now it really hit me that he was going away. Four months seemed like an eternity.
And then his communicator buzzed. Puck said that his sister was crying and would respond to no one. Fortunately we were done with the lovemaking by then. He dressed and kissed me goodbye. I next saw him the following morning when he tapped on my door. We cuddled together until it was time for Alpha Flight to eat its last meal here. In the dining room we sat next to each other and ate breakfast. I hadnât slept well the night before and had no appetite.
âCheer up, Bobby,â Puck urged. He looked energized and refreshed. âWeâll be back in no time!â
âIt is true,â Jean Paul added. âHave something to eatâ.
Along with a handful of X-men, I walked across the field with Alpha Flight as they headed towards the Maple Leaf for the last time. The team members climbed the ramp of their ship.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Heather and James kiss for a long time. Their farewell kiss, I guessed. My mind certainly wasnât on them but maybe it did help to realize that I wasnât the only person in pain. I felt guilty glancing in their direction but I saw a measure of passion in that kiss. Weeks ago, Jean Paul had told me that the two really did love each other â“ they were just horribly unsuited to each other, he said; it was a very illogical love but they couldnât ever permanently split, either. I hadnât believed him but now I saw a small spark of it, or at least a remnant of the fact that there had once been something strong and good between them.
Jean Paul reached for me. He pulled me into a kiss, and I didnât care that there were assorted X-men milling about. We kissed for a while.
âI love you,â Jean Paul said.
âI love you tooâ.
I saw Hank standing nearby. For some reason it hadnât registered that he was there. But he always was there for me; he was always standing in the background and helping me but I always took him for granted.
âTake good care of him while I am away, my friend,â Jean Paul urged Hank.
âYou have nothing to fear, Northstar,â Hank promised.
Jean Paul flew up the ramp, Hank rested a hand on my shoulder, and I finally did let out a few tears.
***
âIt seems quieter here,â Cannonball observed that afternoon.
âThere are only ten fewer of us but it certainly makes a difference,â Storm said.
Cannonball, Jubilee, Storm, and Wolverine were sitting together in the rec room. Cannonball had wanted some time alone with Jubilee but she had preferred to spend the afternoon with Storm and Wolverine. Three of the four X-men in the room were playing a board game. Wolverine sat drinking a beer, observing and talking with the others, but not participating in the game himself.
Haven was experiencing one of its brief and rare rain showers. The room felt slightly humid though the group knew it would pass. Storm always hesitated to use her powers here; she did not want to upset the planetâs natural balance. She also knew that Haven never seemed to have more than an hour or two of bad weather per week.
As Jubilee moved her game piece along the board, Cannonball took a glance at Wolverine and felt unsurprised at the older manâs disinterest in playing the game. It involved answering questions and occasionally divulging feelings and opinions. It just wasnât Wolverineâs thing, Sam mused.
âIâm glad Briannaâs staying,â Jubilee added. âSheâs such a sweet baby. Itâs kind of fun to have her aroundâ.
Wolverine leaned forward in his seat. âYou ainât thinkinâ of havinâ one yourself soon, are you?â
Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Storm shoot Wolverine a look. He also saw Wolverine take a glance in his direction.
Jubilee just giggled and said, âDonât be crazy! Iâm like way too young to even think about whether or not I ever want oneâ.
A bit of silence fell. Storm then said, âWell, I hope Alpha Flight will be successful on their mission. I wish them wellâ.
âMe too,â Wolverine grumbled. ââCause sittinâ hereâs gettinâ suffocatingâ.
Sam silently remarked to himself that Wolverine wasnât the only one feeling suffocated lately.
***
The dining room felt spacious and open at dinnertime. Rogue carried her tray into the kitchen, selected her items from the food replicator, and took a seat next to Gambit at one of the tables. The afternoonâs rain had long since ended and the open windows brought fresh, post-rain breezes into the dining room.
Hank and Bobby entered the room shortly afterwards. âI will bring you something,â Hank was saying to the younger man. âWhat would you like?â
âI can get it,â Bobby mumbled. He followed his friend into the adjoining kitchen and, a minute later, they sat across from Rogue and Gambit.
âSo howâre you hanginâ in there, Bobby?â Rogue asked.
âAlright,â he muttered, looking down at the rich lasagna that he had no desire to eat.
âWish dere was somethinâ we could do,â Gambit said.
âI wish the same as well,â Hank added.
At that point, Nightcrawler entered the dining room and took a seat with the group. âBobby, I too am sorry as well that you are separated from the person you care about. I am sure you are tired of hearing everyone say that it is only for four monthsâ.
âNo, no, keep saying it,â Bobby insisted, sounding a bit more like his old self. âMaybe if enough people say it, itâll sink inâ.
âIt may indeed be a clichĂ©, but you may be surprised at how swiftly the time does pass. One day you will wake up and see the Maple Leaf landing, and be surprised that the day has arrived so soon,â Hank speculated.
âI hope so. I just hope I stop feeling like this all the time,â Bobby said. âWell, whatever. I gotta get over it, I guess. Itâs not like somebody died. I just really miss himâ.
âThe important thing is that he is coming back,â Nightcrawler said.
âYouâll be training with us tomorrow, right?â Rogue asked.
âIâll be there. Missing the target as usual, but Iâll be thereâ.
âYou should not put yourself down,â Nightcrawler advised. âIâve been in the Danger Room with you many times and you fight wellâ.
Bobby forced a smile. âThanks for all the encouragement, guys. Iâll be fineâ. He sliced into his lasagna and forced himself to take a bite.
Later that evening, Rogue and Gambit took a walk around the lake. They held hands as they observed the sunset. It painted the sky in rich hues of pink and gold.
âRemy feel sorry for Bobby,â Gambit said. âI canât tâink of how hard Iâd be takinâ it if you and me were apart for four montâsâ.
âOf course, Remy. I feel the same way. Weâre lucky that we ainât been apart, not since you joined the X-men in the first place. But you donât think thatâŠwell, I mean you donât think what Bobby and Northstar got is as serious as what we got, do you?â
âDunno, chere. You anâ me be soulmates. Donât know if Bobby and Nortâstar are or will be. Dey do care bout each otâer a lot dough, maybe even love each otâerâ.
Rogue closed her eyes for a second. âI do sure care about Bobby myself and always will. I hope heâll be alrightâ. She couldnât say why but she had been noticing all day that she seemed to like Bobby better now that Northstar was gone. She knew that sentiment was completely illogical and tried to put it out of her mind.
âIâm startinâ to miss earth myself,â she said quietly.
âDat so?â
âI mean, I know itâs in a badly messed up state right now. But I wanna know whatâs goinâ on there and find a way to make it better. I love it here on Haven but Iâm startinâ to itch to get back. I wanna go with you, see Jackson Square someday like we talked âboutâ. Rogue stopped talking and looked at her lover. âYou donât feel the same way?â
Gambit was silent for several moments. He finally said, âDonât know. Remy sometimes feel tired of fightinâ. Fought enough battles in my life, first in New Orleans and den with X-men, and I wanna enjoy be able to enjoy my life. Nice to be here, take a break, spend all day witâ you and not worry âbout who we defendinâ ourselves from today. Itâs beautiful here and my eyes like to see beautyâ. He paused and added, âGettinâ rid of FOH be the right tâing to do, but no one know how to do it. It may be dat we canât, dat dey get too powerful nowâ.
âBut we haveta try. We gotta! Part of beinâ X-men means tryinâ to make the world a better place, for everyone â“ human and mutant. Even if it does mean some sufferinâ and sacrifice on our partsâ.
Gambit smiled. âI know, chere. I know. Once we get the means to go back to eartâ and fight, I go anâ I do my best. But now, we canât. Ainât nothinâ we can do âbout dat so Iâm enjoying tâings the way dey are nowâ.
***
That first night, I couldnât sleep. Iâd been alone for most of my 25 years â“ alone, in terms of not having a lover â“ but somehow during the past two months I had gotten so used to falling asleep next to Jean Paul every night that anything else felt alien. The bed seemed huge and cold without a warm body to snuggle with. I didnât do much sleeping, just a lot of tossing and turning and hugging the pillow.
When the sun first came up, I was tired enough of laying around and not sleeping so I just got up. I decided to head towards the lake and walk around the path, hoping it would at least clear my head or remind me that things werenât so bad. My heart still felt really heavy and then I felt even worse when I reminded myself that it wasnât like anyone had died, and it wasnât like Iâd never see him again. I just needed to be stronger and deal with it and stop being such a sentimental wimp.
I involuntarily gasped when I heard a noise. I turned around and saw Jubilee on her skateboard, using the paved pathway around the lake. You didnât see her whip out her skateboard that often anymore. You also didnât usually see her up at this hour.
She skated right up to me and slowed down.
âYouâre not usually up at this time,â I said. She looked tired. I canât imagine how I looked.
âNeither are you,â she shot back. âI just couldnât sleep. I had to get out and get some airâ.
âReally?â I asked. âIs something going on?â
âNo, noâŠitâs just thatâŠâ She let her voice trail off.
âJust that what? Tell me,â I prompted, knowing that she would tell.
âJust that Iâm tired of Sam snoring,â she admitted, looking down at her gym shoes.
âOh, he snores?â I asked.
âAnd tosses and turns and hogs the blankets. I dunno. I just miss being able to stretch out and take up most of the bed. And get a full nightâs sleep without having to turn him over and try to get him to stop snoringâ.
I nodded and listened to her intently. My experience and thoughts on this were totally different for my own relationship but it was interesting to hear someone who felt otherwise.
âIs that the main thing thatâs bugging you?â I asked, wondering if there was more.
âI dunno,â she said, as she reached down and scratched her knee. âSamâs such a sweet guy that I feel bad saying anything like this. Donât you tell anyone, Bobbyâ.
âI wonât,â I promised.
She continued. âSometimes I just want to be able to swim in the lake or ride my skateboard without him following me all the time. I even â“ I know this sounds silly -- but I even started writing a short story, but I canât sit down to do it without him standing over me and wanting to read it. Itâs like ever since we decided we were boyfriend and girlfriend then he thinks we need to spend every minute togetherâ.
I guess I was surprised. Well, not surprised but again, our views were so different. I wanted to be with Northstar most of the time and had never felt sick of him. So that led me to speculate.
âMaybe Samâs not the one for you,â I wondered aloud.
âMaybe,â Jubilee said.
âOr maybe you just need some time apart. Just because youâre a couple doesnât mean you need to spend all your time togetherâ.
âYeah, but Rogue and Gambit are almost always together. Of course Cyclops and Jean too, And you and Northstar â“ we couldnât get you alone during all the time he was here! So shouldnât I *want* to be with Sam all the time?â
âWell, maybe not. Look at Storm and Wolverine. It seems to me that they are good with spending some time together, some time apart. Actually, itâs not at all rare that you see one without the other â“ and they apparently donât think that you need to sit elbow to elbow at every meal either. Being apart some never seems to bother them. Maybe for them absence makes the heart grow fonder. So I dunno, maybe you and Sam need some of thatâ.
Jubilee was quiet. âHeâs such a sweet guy that I feel bad saying all thisâ.
âHowâs the sex? If I may askâ.
âItâs good. Actually, itâs really good and it keeps getting betterâ. From the glint in her eyes, I could tell that she was being honest. Which was nice, Jubilee deserved that.
âWell, thatâs good,â I said.
âYeah,â Jubilee mumbled.
âI can tell thereâs a âbutâ after thatâ.
She shrugged. âBut shouldnât there be more than that? Itâs like I like the sex a lot but sometimes I feel like thereâs somethingâŠI dunno, missingâ.
She then added, sounding far away, âHeâs such a nice guy though. He really is. I just donât knowâ.
***
âGood to see you still traininâ, bub,â Wolverine said to Iceman after a Danger Room session. This time the term âbubâ was spoken in a manner such that it didnât come across as an insult.
âYes,â Storm added. âSeeing you improve each week has been goodâ.
âThanks,â Bobby replied. He walked with them down Victoryâs corridor towards its exit ramp. âYou guys will probably hate that I say this, but I still donât *like* fighting and I donât think I ever willâ.
Storm stopped and faced Bobby. âBobby, I do not like to fight either. I do it because I must, but I cannot ever relish inflicting pain or causing destruction, even against FOH. But we have a duty to use our powers for goodâ.
After a moment, Bobby said, âIâm glad to hear that Iâm not the only one there who doesnât like fighting. Because I really donâtâ. Bobby shook his head. âI had the weirdest dream last night. It reminded me that I donât think Iâm a born fighter. I was back at the house I grew up in. Outside, on the lawn and the driveway, there were these giant white eggs that had been left by some weird dinosaurs that were going to attack us. Then these tiny lizards started coming up the street, ready to fight. And the rest of the X-men were all there, getting ready to fight back against the lizards. I was standing near the garage and not wanting to miss the battle but I had to get my shoes on. And it was taking me forever to get my shoes on which was making me nervous and anxious -- but no matter how hard I tried, I couldnât get them onâ.
Storm and Wolverine exchanged a look. Storm wanted to raise an eyebrow. Wolverine muttered, âLizards, eh? Were you traumatized by Sauron? You werenât with us in the Savage Land thoughâŠâ
âNo, it was just a weird dreamâ.
âYou can say that again,â Storm remarked with a smile.
***
Storm felt that time was passing quickly. She looked at her calendar and realized that already six days had passed since Alpha Flightâs departure.
âI believe that means we have been gone from earth for over five months now,â she told Wolverine as they strolled through the forest. âI wonder how things have changedâ.
Logan nodded. He wondered as well. âSometimes it feels like the days are passing fast. Other times, seems real slow hereâ.
âDo you ever wonder if we will be here forever? Sometimes I fear we will never leave this placeâ.
âNot gonna happen, âRo. Weâll get outta here sooner or later, and soon after weâll wish we were back here again. Somethinâ always comes upâ.
Ororo stopped walking and turned to face Logan. âDid you know that there are some days that I do not wish to return to earth? There are days when I contemplate living the rest of my life here and I feel that I would enjoy that. It is a truly terrible thing for a co-leader of a team to say, is it not?â
Logan smiled. âIâm kinda honored that you tell me this stuff, âRo. I know you donât tell anyone else this. But Iâm guessinâ that only a small part of you feels that way. I know you wanna get back to earth and fight the good fightâ.
âI suppose so. A good leader should be comfortable with uncertainty -- and the fact that I do not know when or how we will leave Haven sometimes bothers meâ.
âIâm sure it bothers Xavier and Cyke too. You ainât aloneâ.
They resumed walking together. After some time, Ororo spotted a log and decided to take a rest on it. Logan rummaged around in his pocket.
âHere,â he said, âI made this for youâ.
It was a wood carving. The piece of wood was circular, and it featured an image of a woman standing, with her cape and hair flowing.
âFound the piece of wood on the forest floor â“ didnât chop anything down,â he added.
âI am very touched,â Ororo managed. âI have never received so lovely a gift. Thank you, Loganâ.
âMy pleasureâ.
âA hand-made gift is very specialâ. She held the gift in her hand and continued to look at it. She ran a finger along the carvings, enjoying the feel of the smooth wood. She then looked up at him and said, simply, âI love you, Loganâ.
He smiled. She had never said those words before, nor had he ever expressed the same sentiment to her. âLove you too, Ororo. Always willâ.
She rose from the log and put her arms around Logan. They kissed happily and passionately. Storm planned to place a cord around the wooden medallion and wear it as a necklace.
***
Jubilee turned over ideas in her head, agonizing over one and discarding another. She tried reciting different speeches silently but none felt right. She finally sought out Stormâs counsel, and the two women spoke in private, inside Stormâs room.
âI donât know what to do,â the young woman admitted. âI like Sam. Heâs nice. But I think I realized that I donât want toâŠbe boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. Itâs just that I think I need space. Maybe Iâm not ready for a relationship or maybe I just donât want one â“ I dunnoâ.
Storm nodded and began to say something, but Jubilee continued speaking, âBut wait. Thereâs more to it than thatâ. She took a breath. âI sound like such a slut when I think of this. But I like *want* to have sex. I like the sex part of it but I donât like the being-a-girlfriend part of it. Thatâs terrible, isnât it?â
âWell, I certainly do not think itâs terrible at all,â Storm said.
Jubilee smiled. She knew that Storm was non-judgmental.
âIâm sure Wolverine wouldnât approve,â Jubilee muttered.
âWolverine does not need to know. His memory might be gone but I am fairly certain he has not led a celibate monkâs life either. And regardless, it is not his decisionâ. Storm paused. âSo, do you intend share these thoughts with Sam?â
âThatâs what Iâm struggling with! How do you tell someone, âGee, youâre really nice but can we like not be in a relationship anymore? Oh, and can we still have sex sometimes?ââ
âThe words might indeed be hard to say. But the positive of it is that you are being honest and straightforward. After all, the idea of being someoneâs girlfriend solely because you want sex seems dishonest. At least this way, you are being truthful and open. How do you think Sam feels?â
âI canât tell. He doesnât talk a lot about his feelings. I think sometimes he gets frustrated with Wolverine watching over us like a hawk. I think he likes me but I doubt he thinks Iâm his soulmate either. I donât think he loves me likeâŠyou know, like you and Wolvie or anything like that. I know I donât feel that way about him â“ though he is really niceâ. Jubilee smiled and shook her head. âFor the longest time, I wanted a boyfriend. Now I just want to be free. Am I fickle or what?â
âYouâre human. And youâre nineteen. We all learn new things about ourselves as we grow and mature, and sometimes our needs and wants change tooâ.
âYouâre so wise, Stormâ.
âAs I believe you are. I am glad that you are thinking of what you do and do not want, and are getting ready to communicate itâ. She took a breath and asked, âWhat will you do if he wants something different?â
Jubilee shrugged. âWell, if he wants to stay together as a couple then I think Iâll hold firm and tell him that I need some space. Or if he wants a clean break and doesnât want to sleep with me anymore, then Iâll be okay with that too. In fact, Iâve been kind of wondering about some of the other guys here, like Peter. Or even Forge, though heâs too old for me to have like an actual relationship with, but I wouldnât mind sleeping with either one of themâ. She shook her head. âI still bet there are some people whoâd call me names for thinking about all thisâ.
âThere may be some with that attitude but they are not worth wasting your time on. I believe that sex is a wonderful thing and there is no harm in enjoying it, as long as you are not causing anyone harmâ. Storm paused, and then continued, âI am sure that many or even most of the men speculate about us in a similar manner. I really do not think you should agonize over speculating about themâ.
âThank you, Storm,â Jubilee said, impulsively hugging her. âI wish every girl on the planet had a big sister like youâ.
âJubilee, I am the lucky one,â Storm insisted, feeling that all aspects of her life were indeed more positive than she would have dreamed possible decades ago.
***
I missed Northstar like crazy, and everyone was getting a bit bored, but the sun kept rising and setting and time kept moving on.
Space was quiet. No other ships were in this sector. What had started out as peaceful felt almost eerie now.
We did all sorts of things to stay busy and fend off boredom. We held card game and board game tournaments, organized into teams with scores diligently kept. (I was on one of the winning teams!) Ditto on sports games though I just watched and didnât play those. I wasnât competitive but a lot of the team liked a good competition, and I did sometimes keep score. We also programmed more and more challenging Danger Room sessions to keep us on our toes.
Of course we had Brianna to entertain us. That helped. Most of us were happy to take her off Heatherâs hands so that Heather could rest. It was fun spending time with her though honestly at that age she didnât do much other than eat, sleep, and use her diaper. She was adorable though. Everyone was cordial and kind with Heather and she got along well with us. She was nothing like her husband, thank god.
Despite our best efforts, boredom did sometimes happen. Weâd watched every movie in Victoryâs library twice, even the ones we couldnât stand the first time through. Hank and Jean even started talking about getting a few of us together to put on a play, but you have to admit that the logistics for that would be hard â“ when you had only fifteen adults and needed several actors, there werenât too many people left to actually watch and enjoy the play.
Colossus painted a lot and two of his completed works were hung in the foyer. One was a brilliant, deep red sunset and the other depicted the lake at dawn. Both were stunning. I could stand there and look at them all day; the level of detail and emotion in the paintings were incredible.
We talked about leaving Haven. People speculated that once Alpha Flight returned, we had to get them to share their power source with us, no matter what. Some even wondered if James might demand that we give over Victory, become members of Alpha Flight, and work under his leadership in exchange for the power source. People talked about it and even considered the idea of pretending to agree to it, in order to get back to earth. Others again raised the idea of just taking Havenâs power source now, though none of our leaders would even consider that notion. Only once in my presence did someone speculate that Alpha Flight might not return, but Forge looked immediately embarrassed to have said those words and quickly added that he âwas sureâ they would be fine and come back. Someone else chimed in that as long as Heather and Brianna were here, Alpha Flight was returning for sure. I clung to that.
There were a few scuffles and brief fights among the team. Generally the X-men had been getting along well. But it was all the news when Gambit and Wolverine had a brief brawl one evening. I didnât see it myself and no one seemed to remember what it was over. When I saw Remy the next day he shrugged and said, âEverytâinâs coolâ. I guess they worked it out. Or Rogue and Storm made them work it out.
I remember once watching an impromptu basketball game. Only Wolverine, Cyclops, and Gambit were playing. I thought back to the early days when those three hated each other and were always fighting. I actually wanted to smile when I realized that they now not only tolerated each other but actually liked each other deep down (well, despite Gambit and Wolverineâs scuffle the other day). Theyâd never admit it though.
Oh, and can I gossip for a second? Jubilee and Cannonball broke up. Jubilee told me the whole story not long after the two had agreed to splitsville. She seemed fine with it and glad about the decision, and the two looked okay with each other. But a few weeks later, I saw Sam leaving her room. I asked Jubilee about it, and she shrugged and said that they now had a âfriends with benefitsâ arrangement. She said she was happy with it, and that it had actually been her idea; it had just taken Sam a while to come around to it. I told her, sincerely, that if she was happy then I was happy. I wondered how Wolverine felt about it and imagined him grumbling about it with Storm in private.
And Iâve mentioned it too many times so I wonât say it again other than that I obviously missed Jean Paul like crazy. The short time he was here, we had spent most of each day together so now I had a big hole in my days. I wished that we had some way to keep in touch. As I went through my day, I thought of things I wanted to say to him, things I wanted to ask him but couldnât. His absence really ate at me.
I was bored enough that I did keep up with what Hank had started with me on months ago â“ building more upper body strength. Heâd supervised my training in the gym and had me on a diligent schedule involving one day of intense work and one day of rest. I didnât like doing it but, what the hell, there was nothing else to do. I was able to gradually lift more and more and I noticed that lifting and carrying things became a lot easier. I sure was a long way from being anywhere near as built and bulky as some of the other guys though.
One day I woke up and happily crossed out a red âXâ on my calendar -- two months had now passed since Alpha Flightâs departure. If all was going well, we were at the halfway point; they would be at earth now and returning home soon. I didnât pray much, never had, but I whispered a few prayers again.
Later that day, several of us were eating lunch on the porch when Storm flew over and told us that Jean had just gone into labor.
***
Professor Xavier left the hut. Scott, Jean, and Hank were ensconced inside, medical equipment and communicators at their fingertips.
âWeâll be fine,â Jean had told their visitors. âIt should be a while before the babyâs here, judging by my contractionsâ.
âPromise that you will call us if you need something,â the Professor had insisted.
âYes,â Nightcrawler had agreed. âI can teleport you anywhere. I will have my communicator right by my bedside, assuming that your labor does go into the nightâ.
Jean thanked them for their kindness. It was when Xavier was moving back towards the building that he first felt the mental tug.
A presence from the past. No. Two voices from his past. He shut his eyes and concentrated.
âProfessor?â Nightcrawler had asked.
âIâm fine,â he answered Nightcrawlerâs unspoken question. âThere is something I need to investigate but it is nothing to be alarmed aboutâ.
As Nightcrawler nodded, the Professor called Storm on his communicator. He asked to meet her inside Victory.
When Xavier reached the ship, Storm was landing on its ramp. âIs something the matter, Professor?â she asked.
âLetâs power up the bridge,â he replied.
`Not giving a straight answer is unlike the Professor,â Storm mused as she pressed several buttons. Victoryâs lights switched on and its machines began to hum. Xavier and Storm headed for the bridge.
âCan you detect anything unusual in this sector?â he asked her as she tapped buttons on the computer.
âScanning now,â she said. Her eyes read the data on the screen. âNothing so far, Professor. Do you sense something?â
He closed his eyes again and once more concentrated. He then opened his eyes. âYes,â he breathed. âI sense Magneto. And I sense Moira MacTaggertâ.
Storm raised an eyebrow. âBoth of them? In space?â
âI donât know. But I have not sensed anything like this for a very long timeâ.
Stormâs eyebrows were knit in confusion as she again studied the computer monitor. âWhen Alpha Flight first approached Haven, we first sensed their ship and only later were you able to sense their minds. Do you know why you believe that Magneto and Moira might be in this area? I am running every scan I know of and nothing is being detectedâ.
âI donât know the answer to that question, Storm. My impression might be wrong. Or perhaps we detected the Maple Leaf early on due to its advanced age and its cloaking device not being the most powerful. Or it may be that because I was so emotionally close to Magneto and Moira that I have more of a connection with them and can sense them more easily than anyone in Alpha Flightâ.
Storm observed that the Professor sounded confused and unsure.
âI believe they are somewhere out in space,â he posited. âBut I do not feel that I can reach out to their minds and communicate with them as of yetâ.
âYou must be relieved to have a sense that Moira is still aliveâ.
âI am. But I am equally confused at the situation,â Xavier admitted.
The Professor and Storm remained on the bridge for a while, long enough that their absence did not go unnoticed.
âEverythinâ alright in here?â Wolverine asked, entering the bridge.
âWe are unsure of what exactly may be taking place,â Storm said.
Xavier turned his chair towards Wolverine. âThat is indeed correct, and while we are unsure, I ask that we do not discuss this. I especially do not want to disturb Jean now that she is in laborâ.
âI know what you mean, Xavier. But people notice that you and Storm ainât in the buildinâ and theyâre gonna wonder why youâre on the ship with the bridge powered up,â Wolverine pointed out.
âI understand, but it is premature to try to alarm anyone right nowâ.
âHe does have a point, Professor,â Storm insisted. âI can activate one of those portable sensors that Cyclops and I made and continue to observe space from there. You, of course, can do your monitoring from any locationâ.
Xavier agreed to Stormâs idea. The three filed out of Victory, Wolverine and Storm walking behind Xavier. They entered Havenâs main building and turned towards the wing of the personnel quarters. The couple walked into Stormâs room.
âWhat is it?â he asked quietly.
âHe thinks that he senses both Magneto and Moira MacTaggert. But our sensors are not detecting a shipâ.
âCould be a ship with a hell of a cloaking deviceâ.
âThat is what I suspect as well, since we know the Professorâs mind must be accurate. But you can understand why he does not want word of this to spread. This must be a very sensitive time for Jeanâ.
âYeah. And Magneto spells trouble. We donât wanna bother Jeanâ. He paused. âWhat would Magento and Moira be doing together out in space?â
âI donât know. But Magneto has fought bitterly against us in the past and I think we need to prepare for anythingâ. She paused. âIt is hard to *secretly* prepare to fight though â“ it will be difficult to keep this information from Jean and Scott for too long. That is why the Professor wants to wait to gather more information before we take action. I hope Jean and Scottâs son arrives soonâ.
***
Jean experienced another wave of pain, another intense contraction. She gritted her teeth and squeezed Scottâs hand harder before deciding to use her psychic powers. She closed her eyes and mentally took the pain and placed it inside a box. She closed the lid and stored it away. She concentrated on keeping that pain box away from her until the contraction passed.
âI told myself that I wasnât going to do that,â Jean breathed. âWasnât going to use my powers to block the pain. But Iâve never felt such extreme pain in my life. Not even during the Phoenix sagaâ.
Scott reached a damp cloth to her forehead and, after receiving Jeanâs nod, patted it. He hated to be reminded of the Phoenix saga. Those months spent apart from Jean had been nothing less than agonizing. That epoch fortunately felt so long ago, especially with the Shiâar so distant, embroiled in their own civil war. Scott hoped never to be separated from Jean again and had no idea how he had survived their time apart. He had never felt like himself during their separation, like he had been missing his very soul.
âThereâs no harm in using your powers. Weâve been given them and we should use them. I donât see any point to suffering for sufferingâs sakeâ. Scott smiled. âBesides, if we ever have a second one youâll need to have pleasant memories of the first oneâs birthâ.
Jean made a face. âScott, I donât know if anything about this will be pleasant until I have the baby in my armsâ. She smiled. âBut you holding my hand and using that cloth on me does helpâ. She then asked, âHow are you holding up? Are you nervous?â
âHank keeps saying that all your vital signs are strong and he anticipates a smooth birth. That helps me feel much betterâ. The doctor was sitting on a chair outside the hut, resting.
âIâve said it before, but I know youâll make a wonderful father. I look forward to watching you interact with our sonâ.
âPlease keep saying it, Jean, that part about me being a wonderful father. Because sometimes I worry. Growing up in an orphanage, I never had a father. Thank God for the Professor though. Heâs been like that to meâ.
âSo then you know what to do, how to be a role model for a child. And weâll always stay with you, Scott. You have the family you craved as a child, and with our son, weâll only be closer as a familyâ.
âI know. I feel it. And I am so lucky to you have you, Jean. I love you more than anythingâ.
âI love you too, Scottâ.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Reviews are always appreciated.
Chapter Thirteen by Stormkpr
Chapter 13
I sat with Jubilee on the porch as we leisurely sipped drinks. The sun was going to set soon and it was always neat to watch. I loved looking at all the different colors. The latest word was that it would be a long while before the baby would arrive, probably not until the morning at the earliest.
âHey, um, Jubilee?â I began. âCan I ask you a question?â
She nodded.
âI know itâs none of my business, but I was just curious. I saw you leaving Colossusâs room last nightâŠso I was just wonderingâŠâ
Jubilee smiled. âWeâre sleeping together,â she said. She then added, playfully, âWell, duh, since you saw him leaving my room â“ Iâm sure you figured he wasnât giving me painting lessons!â
I laughed along with her. Then I asked, âButâŠwhat about Cannonball?â
âWhat about him? Weâre doing a friends-with-benefits thing, remember? If I want to sleep with someone else too, itâs my business onlyâ. She paused and asked, âDo you think Iâm like a total slut?â
I decided a truthful approach would be best. âUh, Jubes, if you knew how many guys Iâd slept with back in the day, youâd know Iâm like not in a position to make that sort of judgment. You have a way to go to catch up with me in terms of numbers of different guysâ. I silently added, âA long, *long* waysâ.
âBut now you want only Northstar?â
I nodded. âYeah. Iâve sowed my wild oats and thereâs a difference between having sex and making loveâ. I then added, âBut hey, nothing wrong with having sex. We all need itâ.
âDefinitely,â she said.
âSoâŠPeter does know that itâs just a friends-with-benefits thing too, right? Like, heâs not expecting that youâll be his girlfriend now, right?â
âOh, I was real clear about the score when I approached himâ.
âThatâs good. Honestyâs a good thing. And Peter must be really happy. If heâs anything like most guys I know, and given that itâs been a while for him. And of course given what a beautiful lady you areâ.
âHeâs happy,â Jubilee smiled.
âYou do, um, use protection, right?â If Hank could ask me about it, then I could ask Jubilee.
âOf course,â she said, sounding like sheâd wanted to say an exasperated âDuhâ instead.
Jubileeâs gaze drifted. âHey, look. Thereâs the Professor and Storm and Wolvie coming back from the field. I wonder what they were doing out thereâ.
âMaybe taking a walk â“ or ride â“ in the forest. You never know. Itâs a beautiful place; it doesnât get oldâ.
âYeah, thatâs trueâ.
I would later find out that Colossus had made a sketch for Jubilee before their first night together. Jubilee showed it to me once. It was a beautiful drawing of two people embracing. I wasnât an art critic or anything, but Peterâs work always seemed to have so much depth in it. âRomanticâ was the first word I thought of when I saw the sketch. âWarmâ was the second. His artwork was always rich.
***
Two happenings occurred in the early hours of the following morning: the Professor made contact with Moira, and Jean and Scottâs baby was born.
//It is true, Charles// Moira responded to Charlesâ telepathic contact. //I am on a starship with Magneto and a handful of other mutants. We are coming to your planet. He has no intension of attacking you, of that I am quite certain. We will be there in a matter of days.//
As he probed her mind to feel her response. Charles knew that something was wrong. //What is wrong, Moira? I feel intense sorrow from you.//
//My son and my husband are dead. I saw FOH kill them in front of my own eyes. And Sirynâs own eyes, God bless her soul; my poor stepdaughter is fatherless.//
//My deepest condolences, Moira. I cannot imagine the pain you must be feeling. I am so deeply sorry.//
Moiraâs mind was silent. //Let us wait until the ship arrives and we can speak in person, Charles. The pain is too deep right now. FOH did other things to us too, things that I canna even speak about. Please, Charles, I would rather wait until I see you in person before we talk more.//
//I understand, Moira. I will wait to contact you until I see you in person. You are certain that Magneto is not planning to attack?//
//Completely.//
From his gentle probing of Moiraâs mind, he knew that this was indeed the case. Of course Magnetoâs mind was impenetrable to him due to Magnetoâs formidable helmet. That fact provided very little comfort to Xavier, however. Moiraâs comment about FOH doing âother thingsâ to Moira and her family was haunting the Professor. He feared the worst and had to will his mind away from speculating on that, in order to preserve his sanity.
Moments later, the Professorâs communicator beeped and Hank spoke, âProfessor? Jean just gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He is 7 lbs, 2 ounces. Mother and baby are doing well. If you are awake, they are eager for visitorsâ.
âI will be right there, Hankâ.
***
âWeâre naming him John Charles,â Jean said. âJohn after my father, andâŠ.well I suppose I donât need to explain the Charles partâ.
âI am very honored, Jean and Scott,â the Professor said, humbly. âI am delighted for you, and deeply honored,â he repeated.
The baby was red and small, fast asleep in Xavierâs arms. He had a bolt of red hair on his head. Scott sat next to Jeanâs bed.
A few other X-men had begun to filter into and near the hut. âYou must be godawful tired,â Rogue said.
âThe word âexhaustedâ doesnât even begin to cover it,â Jean smiled wearily. âMy body has never been through anything like that. It was very hardâŠbut now that Iâve done it, I also feel a bit exhilarated, if that makes any sense. The whole process is ratherâŠawesomeâ.
âAnd we had an awesome doctor,â Scott added. Hank had only left the hut when he had been satisfied that all was well, and he now dozed inside his own room though attached to his communicator.
âWe are going to have a party to celebrate Johnâs birth, right?â Bobby asked.
âOnce Jean and I get caught up on sleep, weâd love to,â Scott answered.
âGood luck with that,â Heather smiled knowingly, her slumbering infant strapped to her back. âI suspect youâll have trouble sleeping for the next eighteen years or soâ.
âWe also plan to have Nightcrawler baptize John,â Scott added. His religious background was Protestant, not Catholic, but Nightcrawlerâs religious ministrations would suffice especially given that there was no alternative.
âIs John a mutant?â Rogue asked.
âHankâs going to run some tests tomorrow to find out,â Jean said, stifling a yawn. âAt this point, all I care about is the fact that heâs here and heâs healthyâ.
âMe too,â Scott said, gratitude evident in his voice.
***
As if the birth of Jean and Scottâs baby wasnât enough to get us all talking, the Professor dropped a bomb on us during breakfast. We, of course, didnât usually all eat breakfast together since we didnât all get up at the same time, but he said that enough of us were there that he wanted to share with us what he knew.
It was shocking news. Magneto â“ on his way here. With Moira MacTaggert, who says that Magnetoâs not coming here to fight us. And then the news that Bansheeâs dead, along with Moiraâs son.
âI will discuss this one-on-one with those who arenât here,â the Professor added.
âAt this point, our strategy will be to continue on as we always have,â Storm said. âContinue to train and be prepared for anything. Though it seems as though Magneto is not bringing a war with him, it still behooves us to continue to train hardâ.
âMagneto always means trouble,â Colossus added.
âSo Moira is not telling you anything else?â Nightcrawler asked the Professor.
âI must respect her wishes,â the Professor answered. âShe is in such an intense state of grieving. It was nearly painful to be in contact with her mind. Magnetoâs ship will be here soon enough and I believe that we must find out from him face to face what his plans areâ.
I looked closely at the Professorâs face. It looked like an odd mixture of hope and worry, covered by his always-present calmness.
***
Jean cradled the sleeping infant as Hank activated the tricorder in front of him. The doctor pressed several buttons.
âThe odds would have it that heâs probably a mutant, right?â Scott asked.
Hank smiled. He had had this conversation with Jean and Scott before, not long after they announced their pregnancy. But there was no harm in having it again. He could only dream of what it would be like to be an anxious, excited parent. Hank knew that it was an experience he would never have. He banished the brief sensation of self-pity and sadness and replaced it quickly with his usual serenity.
âIt is difficult to say with absolute certainty,â Hank began. âIt is not as if we can reference decades of research on this subject matter. In all likelihood, John is a mutant. However, having two mutant parents does not guarantee a mutant child eitherâ. He didnât want to bring up the most infamous example of this: Graydon Creed.
âBeing a mutant â“ being an X-man â“ has brought me such happiness in life,â Jean began. âIf John is a mutant, I hope it will do the same for himâ.
Moments later the test was completed. John was indeed a mutant. Jean and Scott greeted the news with a kiss.
âJust fourteen more years to go to find out what his mutation will be,â Scott smiled.
***
âTwo montâs of nothinâ happenâ and now Jean and Scott had the baby and we got Magneto on his wayâ. Gambit shook his head. âI know if the Professor say Magneto ainât cominâ to fight, den Magneto ainât cominâ to fight. Still makes me wonder doughâ.
âI know,â Rogue said, sitting next to Gambit on the porch, taking a sip of her sweet tea. âI guess Stormâs right, though. Not much we can do other than keep traininâ. Anâ hope that the Professor ainât lost his touch. Iâm sure heâs rightâ.
âMe too. Anâ dis groupâs fightinâ is as strong as ever. If it is all a trick â“ say, if Magnetoâs holdinâ Moira hostage â“ den we can beat him. Always did in the pastâ.
âHe may be powerful but thereâs fifteen of us to fight back!â Rogue agreed. âHeâd actually be crazy to try and pull somethinââ.
Rogue looked down at her hands. Since she didnât have her bracelet on, she wore her gloves. She gently tugged at the fingertips. âI wonder if Mystiqueâs with him,â she said quietly.
âShe may not be, chere. Donât sound like Moira said he had dat many mutants witâ him. What are the odds?â
âNot too highâ. Rogue sighed. âBut she did usedta fight along with him, sometimes. I wonder where sheâs at now. Things on earth are such a mess. But sheâs a shapeshifter â“ she oughtta be able to find her way outta anythinââ.
âYou feelinâ sad, like you miss her?â Gambit asked quietly.
âI dunno. I never know what I feel âbout her. I talked to Kurt and he said he feels the same way. Iâd almost rather that she *ainât* with Magneto now,â Rogue said resolutely.
The two sat together in silence for several moments. âGlad Jean and Scottâs baby okay,â Gambit said.
âMe too, thank goodness. Cute little thing. Wonder if heâll keep that red hair or if itâll get darker. Wonder what his mutation will be. Good thing he donât have his daddyâs eyesâ.
Gambit leaned in closer, after checking to ensure that no one was approaching the porch. âRemyâs still surprised dat Jubilee and Colossus sleepinâ togetâerâ.
âMe too. Peter sure seems happy âbout itâ.
âDid you see the look on Samâs face dough? I donât tâink he and Jubes gonna be âfriends witâ benefitsâ dat much longerâ.
Rogue nodded as she took another sip of her tea. âCanât imagine the whole thing myself. âFriends with benefitsâ? Ainât for me. Why wouldnât a girl want a real relationship instead?â She paused and added, âI ainât judginâ â“ just wonderinââ.
âEveryone different, Rogue. But I sure agree dat I like what we got insteadâ.
Gambitâs prediction regarding Cannonball and Jubilee would turn out to be correct. Sam soon decided that he didnât like the fact that Jubilee was sleeping with Colossus, even though Jubilee was neither manâs girlfriend, and so Cannonball ended his arrangement with Jubilee. Jubilee continued to have Peter as a âfriend with benefitâ.
***
The days leading up to Magnetoâs arrival contained a flurry of activity. The X-men opened the Danger Room for extended hours. They also planned to put Victoryâs bridge into a sort of stand-by mode, though planning the timing for this proved difficult. The sensors didnât detect Magnetoâs ship at all and the X-men didnât know exactly what he would arrive.
âGot one hell of a cloakinâ device,â Gambit muttered, standing on the bridge next to Storm.
âThe cloaking device on Victory should be equally strong, according to our last diagnostic,â Storm said.
âStill, ainât for the Professor, weâd not even know Magneto be on his way hereâ.
Meanwhile, Scott and Jean tried to get used to being parents. Their sleep was interrupted by John no fewer than two times each night. However, the night Magneto arrived, it was Xavier who roused them from their bed.
âHeâs almost here; itâs just a matter of hours,â the Professor said. âI can feel it. Iâm going to tell Stormâ.
âWeâd better wake up everyone and get them ready,â Cyclops said, vaulting out of bed. He felt the bodily aches of one not getting quite enough sleep, suffused with a jolt of adrenaline. He had several ideas of what he would do if Magneto tried to harm his son.
âIâll have Storm start up the bridge in case we will be in a fightâ.
Cyclops smiled when he saw how quickly the X-men were prepared. Despite months of inactivity, they hadnât lost their touch. The entire team was in uniform and looked ready for anything. `Now I have to hope that *I* havenât lost my touch either,â he said to himself.
Jean and Heather trooped with the others to Victoryâs bridge and with their babies strapped on their backs. Scott hoped that he could focus on the events at hand without worrying about his wife and son.
In the end, however, the X-menâs preparations were for nothing. As Magnetoâs ship approached, Xavier was able to sense his foeâs mind. Apparently Magnus had removed his helmet.
âMoira is right,â Xavier said. âI am completely convinced that he is not here to fight usâ.
When he had gently probed Magnetoâs mind, he also tapped into Moiraâs once again. He nearly recoiled at the depths of pain stored inside his former love.
***
I was glad when the Professor told us that we truly had no reason to be ready for battle. Fighting in the Danger Room is one thing, but the thought of a real battle had made my stomach knot up. Even after we left Victory and stood in the field, waiting for Magnetoâs arrival, the knot remained even though the threat of a fight was gone.
It was still dark outside. Gambit kept using his lighted cards to illuminate the area in front of him, and a few others had flashlights. My eyes adjusted. Along with Jubilee, I made a run to the kitchen and brought coffee and tea for those who wanted it. Heather and Jean brought out those stroller/carriage type things so their babies could more easily go back to sleep. Some sat down in the field or even migrated to the porch to relax as they waited.
Magnetoâs ship decloaked only just before it landed. I scrambled to my feet and watched it land, feeling the strong wind it kicked up and hearing its engines. The ship looked nearly identical to Victory.
âCould he have stolen one of FOHâs ships too?â I heard Cyclops wonder.
It landed smoothly, settling down on the grass alongside Victory â“ where the Maple Leaf had been earlier, though Magnetoâs ship was much larger than Alpha Flightâs. We all stood watching as the shipâs ramp descended, and its inhabitants walked out.
Magneto walked down first. The knot in my stomach intensified. I knew the Professor said we had nothing to worry about but for years I had thought of this man as our powerful enemy and it was hard to see that dark uniform, cape, and that white hair without remembering battle. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. It was Hank. He mustâve noticed that I was shivering. I whispered a thank you to him.
Moira and her stepdaughter Siryn disembarked next. Good god, they looked terrible. Both were clad all in black. Both were rail-thin, at least as far as I could tell from looking at the bones jutting on their faces, since their clothing was quite baggy. I couldnât quite read the expression on Moiraâs face, but Siryn looked a bitâŠblank. A bit absent. I donât know how else to describe it. Moira went up to the Professor and stood next to him, but didnât hug him or touch him in any way. I saw him make a brief gesture with his arms, maybe like he wanted to hug, but it went nowhere. Siryn stood back, looking like a statue.
There were a handful of others with them, some of whom we already were acquainted with. Pyro and Avalanche were there, and I quietly muttered, âOh greatâ to Hank when I spotted the two troublemakers. But they were quiet â“ neither Pyro nor Avalanche said anything or tried to provoke us in any way. That was kind of weird, I thought.
Next, a good-looking blonde woman descended the ramp and I had thought that Iâd seen her somewhere before. Then I remembered where. I had read the reports and seen pictures of what my teammates fought during the Dark Phoenix saga. She was Emma Frost â“ like Magneto, another old enemy and a very powerful one too. I wasnât happy to see her there either. I tried to see the look on Jeanâs face but she was out of my visual range. Those X-men I could see sure didnât look thrilled at Emmaâs arrival. I wondered where the rest of the lunatics from the Hellfire Club were since there were none here with Emma.
There were some friendlier faces coming down that ramp too. The small green Morlock known as Leech was there, along with another of his brethren â“ Caliban. I tried to remember what their powers were but it was hard for me since I had never actually gone on any of the missions where the X-men had encountered them.
The last two people to disembark the ship were two young women, neither of whom we had met before. One had short hair and a tough look on her face. When she got closer to us I saw that she had some odd protrusions coming from her body. They looked like sticks or clubs, and it seemed like they just were just growing right through the skin. It was too bad she couldnât, apparently, retract them. Next to her stood a shorter girl with long black hair and light brown skin. She looked ânormalâ. The young women were introduced to us as Marrow and Moonstar.
âEnough with the introductions,â Magneto said. âWe must talk at onceâ.
âI am all ears, Magneto,â the Professor said. âWould you like to talk here or inside?â
I heard some of Magnetoâs group make comments about wanting to sit down and wanting something to drink. And Magneto did look a bit tired, I noticed. I reminded myself that he wasnât exactly twenty years old anymore. So we X-men led Magnetoâs ragtag team inside our building and before I knew it, we were all sitting in the room with the fireplace. Food replicators had been activated and many people had drinks in their hands.
Jean and Scottâs baby began to cry in the background. Jean, who looked strong and not at all like sheâd given birth a few days ago, shushed John.
Magneto began talking. âCaliban sensed that you would be here. I come to you because the situation for mutants on earth is graveâ.
âWe know, Magneto,â the Professor said. âWe have not been gone that long and it is our greatest wish to return and make a differenceâ.
I noticed that Cyke and Storm were holding back a bit. It only made sense to have the Professor be the one to lead the discussion with his former friend and enemy.
âIt had been my intention to leave earth once and for all. I saw that life for mutants was becoming only more and more bleak -- and thus at one point I had been content with the idea of finding a haven in space to live out the rest of my life. I am old and tired of fighting what I thought was a hopeless cause. I did in fact find a planet, a peaceful retreat. So I left, along with my children, Wanda and Pietro. But then I received news that FOH is building concentration camps for mutants. They intend to âexterminateâ each and every one of usâ.
Although this wasnât exactly a surprise â“ we had to have known that that was FOHâs final goal â“ it still was hard to hear. We all exchanged looks with each other.
âHave they begun imprisoning mutants into these camps yet?â the Professor asked.
âWhen I left earth six weeks ago, they had not but they were very close to doing so. Very few countries had any laws or protections for mutants any longer and most governments were more than willing to cooperate with FOH fully. I returned to earth attempting to build an army butâŠâ Magneto paused. âBut there are few mutant fighters left. Most of the Brotherhood was killed when I left earth the first timeâ. Magneto looked at Wolverine. âSabretooth is dead. As is Mystiqueâ.
There was a bit of rumbling heard around the room at that news. It was hard to tell what Wolverine thought of anything but I had to guess that he wouldnât be mourning Sabretooth much. He didnât look jubilant either though; what Magneto had said about concentration camps would certainly mute any happiness in the room. I wondered what Rogue and Nightcrawler were feeling about Mystiqueâs death. It was safe to say that neither was close to her. But heck, I had been estranged from my parents for a long time; if I were to receive news that either had died, I wasnât sure exactly how Iâd feel either but I would be at least a little sad.
âAre you certain?â Nightcrawler asked quietly.
âYesâ.
Nightcrawler closed his eyes and I saw his lips moving though he spoke no words. He made the sign of the cross.
Magneto continued, âThese are the only mutant fighters I was able to round up. Pyro and Avalanche have been with me since I left earth the first time. I rescued Moira and Siryn from FOH on my return trip to earth. By then, those mutant-haters had already killed Banshee and Proteus. Theyâve destroyed most of the Morlocks too. Marrow, Caliban, and Leech were the only ones I could find and rescueâ.
âMy group was also killed in battle against FOH,â Emma Frost said. âI am all that is left of the Hellfire Clubâ.
I looked down at my hands. I was sad to hear what had happened to the Morlocks but I sure couldnât mourn the Hellfire Club that much, not when I think of what they did to us. But still, Emma looked a bit weakened and diminished â“ the loss of her group must have impacted her in some way. The rest of the X-men didnât look that moved though.
âI knew I needed more people than I have here to bring down FOH,â Magneto said. âWe canât do it alone. So we used Calibanâs powers to locate you here. We must join together. We must destroy FOHâ.
âWe must prevent mutants from being rounded up into concentration camps,â the Professor said. âAnd we must get the public to see the evil that is espoused by FOH. But I will not destroy or harm individual FOH soldiersâ.
âCharles,â Magneto shook his head. âCanât you see that this is war? No, it is beyond war. It is genocide. If we do not fight back, and fight with all we have, we will be annihilated. When I returned to earth, I was shocked by how far FOH had gone and how brutal they have become. I â“ who had been planning to live out my final years removed from conflict â“ was forced back into action. FOH will stop at nothing to torture and kill all of usâ.
âI see the need to fight back inasmuch as we need to defend individual mutants. But we must work with the common man. We need to help people see the truth that is FOH, while doing so in a way that wonât incite more violenceâ.
I looked at the two older men. And as bad as it sounds, I almost said to myself âHere we go againâ. It was the same argument the two had been having for years now and I worried weâd be sitting here until the sun rose and set again, listening to our leaders rehash it.
But then Moira said something that shocked me, shocked everyone.
âCharles, we need to do whatever it takes to stop FOH,â Moira began. She still had that beautiful lilting accent. But her voice also sounded icy, hoarse, distant, and broken. It was freaky. âFOH held my family in custody for weeks, trying to learn how to replicate Banshee and Sirynâs powers. They raped me. They did it repeatedly, in front of Banshee and Kevin, while they held us prisoner. My son actually went blind for days from it. Iâve no doubt that FOH will rape every mutant female on the planet before killing us all. FOH must be defeated at all costs and I donna care how many of those bastards have ta be killed!â
It was like a bomb went off in the room. Or like someone dumped freezing cold water over each of us. Everyone started talking at once.
I saw the Professor turn to Moira and it looked like he was apologizing to her. I heard Rogue express some agreement with the idea of killing âFOH bastardsâ. Siryn was sitting across from me and she still looked alarmingly blank and detached, even a bit like she wasnât really in the room with us.
Magnetoâs voice rose above everyone elseâs and the room quieted down so he could be heard. âYou see what is in store for us! You heard it from one of your own. All mutants will be enslaved and all of our women will be raped â“ just as Siryn and Moira were - if we do not stop FOH!â His voice was adamant and even a bit majestic as he said, âLet us find a way to work together, Xavier! I have a strong ship and plenty of dilithium. Come with us back to earth and letâs bring down FOH together. I cannot do it without you. And I suspect that you need something from me as well â“ perhaps dilithium â“ otherwise you would have returned to earth long agoâ.
I looked at the Professor and wondered if I saw a bit of uncertainty, something I didnât usually see on his face. Then again, he had to still have been reeling at hearing what had happened to Moira and Siryn. I wondered if he had ever stopped being in love with Moira throughout all these years.
âI know that my X-men agree that we must stop FOH,â the Professor began.
âThat is right, Professor,â Storm said. âThere is no doubt that we all agree with the idea of overthrowing FOH. I am certain that the area where we disagree with Magneto is in terms of exact tacticsâ.
âMaybe not,â Wolverine spoke up. I craned my head to see him and then nearly jumped back. He looked ready to kill someone. âWe gotta stop FOH. I donât care if any of their bastards get killed in battle against us. You saw what they did. They were gonna do it to us and it was just a stroke of luck that we got out in timeâ.
Magneto said, âI know that you might not trust me. That is understandable. We have been foes for a long time. But I am willing to give you enough dilithium to return you to earth. You can take your own ship, provided it is space-worthy. We may not always agree on tactics, but we have the same goal and we must prevent mutants from being placed into extermination camps!â
âI still do not know if we can work together,â the Professor began. Where Magneto was now sounding energized and inspiring, the Professor now sounded deflated and injured. âI will not condone killing of anyone, even those who have done horrible things to mutants. If we do that, the hope of mutants and non-mutants ever working together will be dashed and the public will just view us as a bunch of murderersâ.
âWe will have a much better chance of defeating FOH if we all agree on tactics,â Cyclops pointed out. âA united team is a lot more effective than a divided oneâ.
âPerhaps we should take some time to think about this,â Storm said. âMaybe even tomorrow we can all fight together in the Danger Room and see how we do as a teamâ.
âI say we get off this rock and kill some FOH bastards,â Wolverine said. âRight now. Why the hell are we sitting here talking about this??â
âBecause the risk is too great if we team up with Magneto and our different beliefs cause the situation for mutants to get even worse,â the Professor answered patiently.
âXavier, I tell you that it *cannot* get any worse!â Magneto insisted. His tone then softened a bit. âBut yes, please do take some time to think about it. My group would be more than happy to train with yours in the Danger Room if you think that would be best. Tell us when and whereâ.
So it was settled and our meeting ended at that point. The plan was that weâd all turn in for the night and regroup the next day. Magneto and his group rose to return to their ship where they said they would spend the night.
Just as I was wondering if any of Magnetoâs people might want to explore Haven (it was still the middle of the night but we had lanterns), the young woman named Moonstar walked right up to Hank.
âYouâre Henry McCoy, right?â she asked. The look on her face, even her tone of voice and demeanor, were not of the type that Iâd associate with a Magneto crony. She sounded level-headed. Self-assured but not the least bit conceited. Actually, she also seemedâŠnice.
âYes I am,â he said.
âI briefly knew a female mutant on earth who reminded me of you. She looked like you, but more like a panda bear. She was with the group I was hiding out with when we got captured by FOH. In fact, we all called her Panda â“ I donât know what her real name was. A few of us fought back and I escaped, but she was fatally shot during the escape. Iâm sorry to bring this up, itâs just that I didnât know her for very long but something about you really reminded me of her. Iâm sad that sheâs goneâ.
âI am very sad as well,â he said solemnly. âThough I did not know her, FOHâs treatment of mutants is nothing short of a tragedyâ.
âThatâs for sureâ.
The one named Marrow then went up next to Moonstar. The two held hands and followed Magneto back to their ship. I stood there watching them and looking at their joined hands.
***
The Professor watched the large group disperse from the room. He felt chilled to his bones; even the heat from the fireplace did not warm him. His head throbbed and he suddenly felt very old. The serenity he had found here over the past several months had already drained.
He and Magneto exchanged a look before Magneto left to board his ship. âYou mentioned your children,â Xavier began. âWhere are they now?â
âI left them on the planet I mentioned earlier, the place to which I retreated,â he explained. âI wanted them to stay safe. We must take on FOH, but of course there will be dangerâ. With that, Magneto nodded, âUntil tomorrow, Charlesâ.
As Magneto departed, Xavier saw Moira out of the corner of his eye. She looked as if she was going to follow Magneto back to his ship.
âMoira,â he began softly, âwould you like to talk? I would also be happy to offer my listening ear to Siryn if she would like that as wellâ.
Moira gazed at the man she once loved passionately. She knew in her heart that she could not take another loss, could not open herself up to someone else after everything she had been through.
âSiryn doesna talk at all anymore, Charles,â she said, her voice chilly and barely above a whisper. âI think it would be best if I went to bed now. Thank you for the offerâ.
âThe offer is always extended to you and Siryn. If there is anything at all I can do to help â“â
âThank you, Charles. Goodnightâ.
Moira turned and walked towards Magnetoâs ship, Siryn mutely following. The Professor remained sitting by the fireplace for a long while.
***
âI wonder why Magneto rescued Moira and Siryn,â Storm pondered. She sat on her bed and removed her boots. âI suppose he knew that Sirynâs powers could be useful and he wanted to understand how FOH had replicated them. Perhaps he also wished to gain more leverage and credibility with usâ.
Wolverine stood facing the door, his arms crossed.
âIâm gonna sleep outside tonight,â he said. âI hope itâs our last night on this planet before we get backâ.
âI know you must be feeling restless and angry. Perhaps some time outdoors would do you good. Would you like company?â
Logan turned to face her. âIâm pissed off that weâre waitinâ here, thinking it over. We oughtta be headinâ back for earth this very secondâ.
Ororo gently touched a hand to his arm. âI know that it frustrates you. But Magneto has been our deadly foe for so long. We donât trust him. Working with him could end up being a disasterâ.
âI donât think life for mutants could get any worse. You saw Moira! And her daughterâ. Logan clenched a fist. âWhen I think of what they were gonna do to you and Jubilee and JeanieâŠI canât sit still and be okay with it!â
Ororo stepped closer to him but he pulled back. She saw the look in his eyes and noticed him trembling with rage.
âMaybe we could open up the Danger Room now,â Ororo suggested. âGive you an outlet for your understandable angerâ. She knew that he would not be feeling calmed down for a while.
âNo thanks, darlinâ. I guess I need to be aloneâ.
Ororo nodded. âCall me on the communicator if you change your mindâ. She wanted to tell him that if sex would make him feel better then she would be ready and willing. But once again, the proper words failed her and she marveled at how Logan could do that to her, cause her to question what to say.
After Logan departed, Ororo could not get to sleep. There was too much going on, and keeping the nerves and anticipation calm in her belly required a lot of effort. As she lay on her bed she watched the sunâs rays begin to paint the sky with the early light of morning. Ororo showered and then decided to fly around Haven, saying goodbye to its splendor as she, too, suspected that the X-men would not be here for much longer. She willed her eyes and her mind to commit each detail of the place to memory
During one of her overhead sweeps, she located her lover inside the forest. Ororo landed near him. He was sitting on a stump, looking at a creek.
âIf you still wish to be alone, I will leave. I, um, I thought you might like someâŠwell, some lovemaking thoughâ.
Logan looked at her. He once again wondered how she could keep her emotions in check so well, how she could remain so calm. He was also stirred, as he always was, by her beauty.
âOnly if itâs what *you* wantâ. He didnât need to explain more than that. He inhaled the scents coming from her body and understood that she did, indeed, want it.
Storm deftly removed her blue, silk nightgown and stepped close to her lover. This time he didnât pull back. Logan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with passion and love.
***
Cyclops and Jean did not sleep for the remainder of that night either. They sat on their bed watching their son slumber peacefully. Cyclops was drinking coffee, a rare treat for him since it tended to irritate his stomach.
âIt looks like one way or another the X-men are going back to earth,â Cyclops said. âI think the Professor and Magneto will reach some sort of agreement. Everyone was so shaken by what happened to Moira and her familyâŠâ he let his voice trail off.
âI agree,â Jean said, her voice equally soft and glum. âThe mood in that room was definitely one of joining up with Magneto. Whether we trust him or not, Iâm sure itâs what weâll doâ.
They looked at each other.
âItâs going to be a war,â Jean said. âWe canât bring our son into itâ.
âMaybe you and he could stay on the ship and not go into combat? That might be the safest wayâ”â
âScott,â Jean cut him off. âWe canât put John in any sort of danger like that. Cloaking device or not, itâs too risky to bring the baby on the starship and bring him to earth when FOH runs everything. We canât do that that to himâ.
âYouâre right. So are you thinking that you would stay here with him?â It was hard for Cyclops to keep his voice steady. He set his drink down and put his arms around his wife.
âI just donât see any other option. This is a safe place. And John needs me. My powers would be useful on the mission but the Professor is a powerful telepath too. As is Emma Frost. So I am not crucial to this mission. Or this war,â she corrected herself.
Scottâs voice had a hint of desperation. âI want to stay here with you two. I canât imagine being separatedâ.
âI know. But what do you think is best?â
Scott had known it would come to this. In the back of his mind, he had known as soon as Magneto had started talking with the group.
He was quiet for several moments. âThe best thing for us, for our family, would be if I stayed here with you. But the best thing for mutants back on earth is if we do everything possible to make this mission a success. Which would include me playing a part in leading our teamâ.
Jean nodded. âI know. Like you, I suspected it would come to this as wellâ.
âI canât imagine being apart from you and John. It feels like having my heart torn open! It was hard enough during the Phoenix saga, and I canât imagine being parted again. And from John, heâs just a few days old and he hardly knows meâ.
âIt will be very hard,â Jean said soothingly. Her eyes were dewy with muted tears. âBut it is better if you are there to lead the team. Youâre such a strong and powerful leaderâ. She struggled to keep her voice from wavering. âPerhaps the battle â“ or the war â“ will not be a long one. Maybe we wouldnât be apart for that longâ.
âMaybe. We just donât know though. FOH is so powerful. It could be months or years, if we are even able to defeat them at allâ.
âAnd all this time, Iâll be back here, not knowing how you are! We have a psychic bond butâŠbut is it strong enough that weâll be able to sense each other so far away?â By now, the tears were cascading down Jeanâs face.
âMaybe thereâs another way. Maybe you and John really could come with us. If we keep the ship cloaked at all timesâŠ.â
âIâve thought about that, Scott, I really have. Itâs so tempting. But we just donât know what weâll face on earth. For all we know, they might develop the technology to sense our cloak by the time we get there. If anything happened to our son, would we ever forgive ourselves? Can you imagine what FOH would do to him? He must stay safe at all costs. And heâs a newborn who needs his mother if heâs to surviveâ.
âYouâre right,â Scott said. Despite his years of practiced control, he was having trouble keeping his voice steady now too. âWe just canât bring him with, and he needs you here with him. At least when Iâm fighting FOH, Iâll have one consolation. Iâll know you and John are safe here. That will helpâ.
Jean didnât add the fact that she would spend every moment of her existence worried about Scott while he was away. Instead she let herself cry freely now, and Scott held her tenderly as the tears flowed out unfettered.
***
Not long after the sun rose, word started circulating that the X-men would be having a meeting early in the morning. It made sense. I didnât think anyone had slept the night before. I had managed maybe an hour or two. I never knew Moira or her family that well, but I felt ill and terrified on their behalf. We had to stop FOH.
After Iâd showered and dressed, I sought out Storm. I found her, walking next to Wolverine as they emerged from the woods.
âUm, hi guys,â I said. I started feeling very awkward all of a sudden, just because I could tell from their general disheveled state what they had been up to. Storm, especially, had that flushed face look. Wolverine was undressed from the waist up. âIâm sorry if Iâm bothering you. I was just hoping I could talk to you for a second, Stormâ.
âYouâre never a bother, Bobby. We can talk right now if youâd likeâ. She glanced at Wolverine. âIs it of a private matter?â
âWell, no, not really,â I said, falling into step beside them. âI was just wondering that if the X-men do go back to earth with Magneto â“ which Iâm guessing we will â“ what about Alpha Flight? Will we plan to meet up with them? Some of them might want to join us in fighting against FOHâ.
âAnd of course one of our own, Angel, is with them,â Storm added. âI am certain that we will want to meet up with them and ask if any would like to join usâ.
âWhereâd you think theyâre at now?â Wolverine asked.
âIf their missionâs going as planned, they should be near earth now,â I offered. âSo maybe weâll meet them as theyâre returning to Haven and weâre on our way to Earth. But I know that space is really really bigâ.
âWith the Professorâs help, we should be able to sense them,â Storm said. âDo not worry, Bobby. I know you are eager to be reunited with Northstar and we will do all we can to ensure that you are reunited. No one will question that â“ and of course weâd like to get Angel back and see if anyone in Alpha Flight will want to join usâ.
âWeâll need all the help we can get,â Wolverine said. âThis is gonna be the fight of our livesâ.
I got the assurance I needed, so I thanked them and left. I had wanted to talk to one of our leaders beforehand just to get a sense of that sort of thing. I then went to the kitchen to get something to eat and saw Rogue there.
âGood morning,â I said.
ââMorninâ sugar,â she greeted me. She looked only half awake. âMeetingâs in 35 minutes. Iâm bringinâ coffee to Gambit. Hope thatâll wake him up. Man can sleep through anything, donât know how Iâm gonna get him to this meetinââ.
âHe just shouldâve stayed up all night,â I said. âHeâs done it in the pastâ. Then I got serious. I knew standing here alone with Rogue in the kitchen that this might be my only chance to say what needed to be said today. âI, um, was sorry to hear about Mystique. I wanted to offer my condolences to youâ.
It sounded stiff and formal but it was the best I could come up with. These things are never easy.
âThanks, sugar,â she said, and then hugged me. I was a bit surprised at that. âIâm doinâ okay. Maybe her poor soul will find more comfort in the next world than this world. Though sheâs probably givinâ ole Lucifer a scare right bout now!â
I smiled and chatted with her for a minute before she took the coffee to Gambit. She seemed fine, and I resolved to find Kurt and say a few words to him too.
***
The Professor had used his communicator to invite Moira and Siryn to the meeting the X-men were having that morning. He had expected them to decline but was surprised when he sensed Moira walking through the buildingâs main entrance.
âWould you like some breakfast, Moira? I didnât get a chance to show you around the place last night,â Xavier said.
âNo thank you, Charles. With the time weâve been keeping aboard Magnetoâs ship, itâs the middle of the afternoon for us right nowâ.
âAh, yes, jet lag,â he responded, observing that he felt tongue-tied. âIs Siryn coming to the meeting?â
âNo. She decided to stay in her room. She doesna leave it too much â“ it took all my effort to get her off the ship with everyone else last nightâ.
âMoira, IâŠI was wondering whether you would like us to have a memorial service for your husband and son. You might â“â
âNo thank you, Charles,â Moira said, abruptly turning away from him. âWill the meeting be in the same room as last night?â
âYes. I will show you the wayâ.
***
The X-men assembled in the large room with the fireplace. Their emotions were a mixture of excitement, anticipation, outrage, and fear, tempered by general grogginess.
âI have been thinking about what Magneto said last night,â the Professor began. âI, of course, have some thoughts regarding it but I want to hear from all of you firstâ.
âActually, Professor,â Jean began, âmaybe you should share your thoughts with us first. You know him better than any of the rest of usâ.
Upon seeing a few nods at Jeanâs words, Xavier replied, âVery well then. I have grave reservations about our ability to trust Magneto. However those reservations are outweighed, in my mind, by the need to return to earth and stop FOH. What I believe we should do is talk with Magneto and attempt to get more specifics. I believe we should take him up on his offer to give us dilithium, and we should require that we take our own ship â“ as he said last night. I think we should talk with him about what tactics we can plan to use when we reach earth, keeping in mind that reaching an exact agreement with him on this may be difficultâ.
The X-men looked at each other.
âYou could not have summarized better my views on this quandary,â Hank said.
âYes, I agree as well,â Storm said.
Cyclops looked around the room and interpreted the othersâ looks as agreement. âDoes anyone have any differing views?â
No one did. Cyclops then added, âThere is something that Jean and I would like to share with everyoneâ.
From the tone of Cyclopsâs voice, the Professor knew what he was going to say. He had guessed that the couple would have no choice should these circumstances arise.
âI will be staying here, with the baby,â Jean said. âI will miss all of you very, very muchâ.
Heather Hudson sat in the room with her baby as well. âSo it will be you and me, Jean, along with our babies left here?â
Jean tilted her head. âI guess thereâs no choice, is there? Itâs too risky to bring them with. We just canât expose our children to potential danger like thatâ.
âI agreeâ.
âCyke,â Wolverine began, âyou could stay here with Jean and the baby. You donât haveta be separatedâ.
Cyclopsâs reply sounded a bit wooden. âI feel so strongly that defeating FOH is one of the most important missions we ever had or ever will have. Iâm compelled to be there and to co-lead the teamâ. His voice then softened. âAs wrenching as it will be for me to be apart from my wife and sonâ.
After some silence and a bit more discussion, Xavier requested Magnetoâs presence in the room. As the X-men waited, they talked. Jubilee sat, still sleepy, watching the others. She saw Moira sitting next to the Professor, not speaking to anyone.
`Wow,â Jubilee thought to herself. `Moira was a total brainbox, and she was always with it. Now she just looks like an empty shell. God, that couldâve been *me*â. Jubilee looked down and squeezed her eyes shut. Moiraâs son and husband had been killed by FOH, which was bad enough. But Jubilee shuddered at the thought of what else FOH had done to Moira and Siryn. `Repeatedly,â Jubilee reminded herself. `And we barely escaped from that last timeâ. She had to remind herself of her duty as an X-men though a large part of her wished she had a valid reason to remain on Haven with Jean and Heather.
âYou cold, my dear? I bring you some tea,â Colossus said quietly.
âNo, itâs okay,â Jubilee said. âIâm fineâ. She also wanted to add, âQuit acting like Iâm your girlfriend just âcause weâre sleeping together â“ and I donât like tea anywayâ but couldnât think of a polite way to say that to the very gentle person.
***
Magneto joined us after not long at all. He sat down next to the Professor and they talked. I donât think Iâll rehash the whole thing for you. Basically the two were like, yeah we donât totally trust each other but we need to bring down FOH. Magneto again reiterated that heâd give us plenty of dilithium and that we could take our own ship.
âAnd when we get to earth â“ then what?â the Professor asked. âAll-out war is not acceptable to me â“ any plan where innocent bystanders could be killed is not acceptableâ.
âI knew that you would say that, Charles. And I believe so strongly in the need for us to work together that I have thought of a few ideas for you to consider during our trip back to earth. We could infiltrate FOHâs headquarters and use their communications equipment to broadcast messages showing the truth about their plans and what they have done to mutantsâ. He paused. âMy other plan is for you, Charles, to use your powers and enter the minds of FOH leaders, world leaders, and ordinary citizens to convince them that mutants mean them no harm and to show them what FOH has doneâ.
âI am sure you know that I do not care for your second idea. But I am quite impressed with your first. I cannot tell if you are describing these more peaceful tactics only because you know I will approve of them. But I can tell you, Magnus, that if we reach earth and you engage in tactics that cause havoc and harm citizens, or if you torture any FOH soldiers, my team will fight you first before any of us can do anything about FOHâ.
âUnderstoodâ.
I was actually surprised that the Professor didnât look even more strongly opposed to Magnetoâs second idea of using telepathy. But then I glanced at Moira and reminded myself of the reason. I looked at the Professor again and wondered if he was a bit heartbroken. I think he was.
So that was basically it. The Professor, Storm, and Cyclops looked at each other. âX-men, pack your bags,â the Professor said. He gave us a departure time that left less than five hours on Haven.
Then I looked at Jean and Scott again. I was giddy at the thought of getting to possibly see Northstar sooner, but I wasnât insensitive to my teammatesâ pain either. Obviously the Professor wasnât the only heartbroken one.
***
Wolverine spent his last few hours on Haven bidding it farewell. Though not a sentimental man, he loved nature and knew he would miss Havenâs thick forest, grassy field, and clean lake. He was eager for battle, eager to take down FOH. As he walked through the forest, he appreciated the serenity he had experienced on Haven even as he looked forward to a fight, a victory.
Logan knew that he was trading the carefree life on Haven for a month and a half of schedules and bridge duty shifts on board Victory, walled up inside the metallic ship every day. At least he would have Storm with him to help make the days go by more pleasantly.
He would miss Jean, he contemplated, as he walked. She was not his and never would be, but he still liked her presence â“ her smile, her stunning beauty, her sense of humor. That was one thing he wished he could change about Ororo; she had a more serious demeanor than Jean. But he was content with Ororo and glad for her love. In fact, he realized as he continued to say silent farewells to Haven, he would not trade Ororo for Jean even if the choice had been his.
Logan wished that he had a camera. His surroundings for the next six weeks would be comprised of metal and machines instead of lakes and sky. And then, a battle â“ one which could last for months or even years. One that the X-men had to win.
***
//Moira, as you know we will be departing in less than an hour. Would you and Siryn like to move your belongings to our ship and travel with us back to earth?//
The Professor had not seen Moira since the meeting, which she had abruptly left, so he contacted her telepathically.
//I dona think so, Charles. Siryn doesna leave her room much. It is better if we stay here.//
Xavier understood. Moira had lost too much for her to seek out the companionship of others. Isolation and solitude were useful in preventing someone from getting oneâs heart ripped open again.
//If you change your mind, please do let me know. Magneto has given us a good supply of dilithium, so we could use a shuttle to transport you from his ship to ours.//
Moira did not respond.
***
We hauled our bags and belongings from the building back to Victory. Nightcrawler offered his teleportation services to anyone who needed it but most of us didnât have that much to carry. Storm, Rogue, and Wolverine had loaded Victory with the dilithium that Magneto had given us.
I had a lump in my throat at leaving Haven. I had met Jean Paul here, the Professor had been healed here â“ it was such a peaceful place. Who knew when we would be back?
Jean and Cyclops had spent the hours leading up to our departure alone together. So we didnât see Jean until our final boarding when she came out to say goodbye to the rest of the team. I felt my insides quiver just looking at her; it was obvious that sheâd been crying. We hugged goodbye but didnât say much. I felt that every second she spent with another X-man was a second sheâd rather have had with her husband, and who could blame her for wanting to use every last minute of dwindling time with Cyclops?
Out of the corner of my eye, I did see Jean spending a bit more time with the Professor, Hank, and Storm â“ the ones who I guessed she was closest to after Cyclops. I couldnât really read Cyclopsâs expression as he stood by. Itâs hard to see what is under those glasses, but his jaw looked set and stern and he seemed to be standing more stiffly than usual.
Magnetoâs team had spent most of their brief time at Haven aboard their ship, which I learned they called The Prevail. I was glad that unsavory losers like Pyro and Avalanche had stayed out of our way. There was talk that perhaps Magneto had tightly leashed his group, so to speak, so as to make the task of convincing us to come with him easier.
But two members of his team walked down The Prevailâs ramp and over to us while Jean was saying her goodbyes to the team. They were Marrow and Moonstar. They each held a duffle bag and walked up to Storm.
âCan we come with you guys?â Marrow asked. It sounded a bit abrupt to me; I didnât think sheâd even said hello.
âWeâd like to learn more about this whole X-man thing. It seems like you have a really cool team,â Moonstar said. âWe promise not to cause any trouble. Magneto said itâs okay, and if you do get tired of us he said heâd send a shuttle so you could return us to him if you wanted toâ.
âMaybe you could train us to fight too,â Marrow said. âMagnetoâs a good talker but he doesnât have a clue how to actually *train* someone. But Emma said that you guys do know what to doâ.
I saw Wolverine looking at the young women. He said, âWe do need trained fighters. Nothinâ whips people into shape better than our Danger Roomâ.
Storm looked at the Professor. The Professor gave a tiny nod, which made me wonder if he had done some sort of brief scan of their minds.
âI do not see why not,â I heard Storm answer.
But Forge was standing nearby and he said, âWe would have a problem with personnel quarters though,â he said. âRemember, there are only twelve officer quarters. Angel isnât with us on this trip, but the Professor will be using the room that was his beforeâ.
Forge was right. During our trip to Haven, the comatose Professor hadnât had his own room since heâd been in sick bay the entire time. So each of the twelve officer rooms was occupied. I was wondering if Storm and Wolverine would offer to share a room, when Marrow spoke up.
âYour shipâs got the same layout as The Prevail,â Marrow said. âDani and I can sleep in the troop barracksâ.
The barracks was basically a huge room that contained lots of bunk beds and a bathroom down the hall â“ apparently where FOH had intended its rank and file to sleep. It was far from the officer quarters that we inhabited and even more sparse, if that was possible. There really was nothing else in it except for bunk beds and a few shelves. The one time Iâd looked through them, the word that had popped into my head had been âdingyâ, though Victory had never actually been inhabited by any FOH soldiers so I donât know where the shabbiness would have come from.
âThat would be fine,â Storm said.
âYay!â Moonstar said. âThank youâ. She had a really nice smile, and I was glad that sheâd be with us for the trip. She just didnât seem like she belonged with Magnetoâs people. She looked sincere and laid back.
Marrow, on the other hand, just didnât look that friendly. I couldnât remember ever seeing her smile and she often looked bored too. Maybe I was weirded out by those bones growing right through her skin but she just didnât seem personable.
Colossus carried one of his paintings up the ramp to the ship. He left the sunset painting in the foyer of the building but was taking his portrait of the lake at dawn with him.
Anyway, there wasnât much to it after that. We boarded the ship, communicated with Magneto over subspace, set the coordinates, and warped towards earth. We set up a bridge duty schedule and a training schedule, and I was assigned to both - same as any other X-man. For my first bridge duty shift, Forge said he would sit with me and train me. Hank added that it wasnât hard and he was sure I could do it.
The first night in my room on Victory was weird and it took me a while to fall asleep as my mind tried to process all the sensory changes. Weâd been on Haven for more than five months, after all. My room on Victory had a small window, as did all the Officer quarters we X-men slept in. But instead of looking out and seeing trees or the lake as I had on Haven, now all that stared back at me was darkness interspersed with a few bright but distant stars. Haven had been fairly quiet other than the chirping of birds but now there was the constant hum of Victoryâs engines as background noise. And space was really cold; the temperature on board the ship would never be as balmy as on Haven. I liked the cold but tended to wear a jacket or sweater most of the time on the ship.
I hoped weâd reach the Maple Leaf soon. Despite all the excitement, first and foremost on my mind was the Quebecer Iâd fallen for. I prayed that Jean Paul and the rest of Alpha Flight had been safe on earth and hadnât encountered any problems.
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you for your review.
Chapter Fourteen by Stormkpr
Cyclops stood staring out the tiny window in his room. With Victory at warp, Haven was already so far away. During Victoryâs first several hours in space, he felt compelled to perform Captain-like duties. He sat on the bridge as he checked coordinates and poured over the schedules with Storm, he inspected the Danger Room though he had used it countless times on Haven, and he later asked Hank to take him around the engine room.
He paused to âtalkâ with Jean. //It wonât be long before you are too far away for us to communicate. I already feel the mental connectionâŠbeginning to fade// Jean communicated.
//Me too// Scott thought back. After all these years, he found Jeanâs ability amazing. He just had to think his replies back to her and she could pick them up.
//This separation will be one of the hardest things Iâve ever done.// Scott continued. //Being away from you, not being able to bond properly with John.//
//I know. But I will talk about you all the time. Heâs too young to understand but I can give him mental glimpses of you â“ your voice, your manner. I can do it in a way that wonât confuse him but will give him an impression of you.// They had discussed this before but Jean sensed that a reminder would not hurt.
//It will be hard for me to lead this team and be apart from you. You are my strength and my light.// He wished he had a picture of Jean and the baby to bring with him, and he deeply regretted his argument with Jean over the subject of replicating one. He wished he had listened to her. Scott closed his eyes and tried to remember his sonâs appearance. He thought back to the last kiss he had placed on the infant.
//You are my strength and light as well, Scott.//
By nighttime, the ship was too far away for telepathic communication to take place. The X-men had left a communications device with Jean and Heather, but it did not have a wide range. Jean and Scott could type messages to each other for a bit longer before too much distance separated the ship and the planet. Scott tried to send his last message and looked hopelessly at the screen as the error message repeated itself. He took a breath. The message was nothing that he hadnât communicated in the last 48 hours â“ words of love for Jean and the baby, words of hope for their mission to defeat FOH, words of pain at being separated from those he loved.
The X-man leader looked at his watch and realized that night on board Victory had passed. It would soon be time for his bridge shift.
Scott walked to the small bathroom and prepared for a bleak day without Jean, without their baby. He disrobed and surveyed the tub and shower. It was clean. Over the years, Scott often would find tendrils of Jeanâs hair adorning the shower. It was so long and thick; she had a lot of it and so it tended to just end up all over the bathroom despite Jeanâs best efforts. He would gently nudge her to clean it up since Scott preferred things to be neat and orderly. The site of a spotless bathroom used to please Scott but today it just reminded him of Jeanâs absence.
***
During Victoryâs first âeveningâ in space, Storm, Gambit, and Rogue stayed up late in the rec room. Once their pool game was finished, they remained to just talk and enjoy each otherâs company.
âSeems kinda pointless to say that I miss Haven,â Rogue said. âBut I miss it, even though goinâ back to earthâs the right thing to doâ.
âI suppose that the saying âNo use crying over spilt milkâ may apply here,â Storm said. She paused and added, âAlthough I realize that I sound like Hank when I say that!â She then said, âOur time on Haven was beautiful but we must prepare ourselves for our obligations and the challenges we faceâ.
âVacation over, get back to work,â Gambit muttered in agreement, taking another swig of his drink.
âI wish that Moira MacTaggert were on board the ship with us for our journey,â Storm said. âI believe that being around the Professor could only help herâ.
Rogue looked down at her gloved hands. âBeinâ around herâs kinda hard though,â she admitted glumly. âCanât believe what the FOH bastards did to her and Siryn. We barely escaped from it ourselves. What if we hadnât?? What if theyâd done that to us??â
Gambit reached for one of Rogueâs hands and held it. Storm was quiet for several moments and then said, âBut they didnât. I donât know if speculating on how terrible things might have been will ever help usâ.
âCanât really help it, Storm! Weâre goinâ back â“ goinâ up against them again. And I just canât imagine what weâd do if they did do somethinâ like that to us! Weâd fall apart! Howâd we X-men ever get goinâ again??â
âWe do it somehow, chere,â Gambit murmured. âDis team been târough so much, we all so strong. Weâd survive somehow, dough I tâink it be hardest tâing we ever faceâ.
âI agree,â Storm added. âThough it is hard to dwell on this subject, I am certain that one way or another, the X-men would survive and continue on. I dearly hope we never have to deal with such a situationâ.
âCanât think of how awful itâd feel if that happened to us X-men. âAwful ainât nowhere near strong enough! We escaped by the skin of our teeth last time, Storm,â Rogue reminded her. âWe gonna be so lucky again this time?â
âWe do not need luck. We are strong, we are brave, and we have justice and goodness on our side. That will have to be enough for the next time we face FOHâ.
âI hope soâ.
None of the three slept well their first night back on board Victory.
***
I was nervous when it was time for my first bridge duty shift. In fact, I was starting to think that a session in the Danger Room now sounded good in comparison. But I had no choice. Forge met me on the bridge when it was my turn that second day in space, and he had an instruction manual with him.
âFor today, Iâm just going to teach you the basics,â Forge began. âHank is going to sit with you for your next shift to teach you moreâ.
Oh great, like I needed to be babysat, I thought. But I nodded mutely and reminded myself that this was a huge starship, able to warp through space and execute a bunch of complex tasks â“ being responsible for the bridge wasnât something small.
I didnât want the other X-men to think I was lazy or stupid, so I tried to pay attention. It was boring as hell though. I was glad Forge had a manual with him because there was no way I was going to remember which sensor detected what.
âThe main things you need to do are monitor space and monitor the ship,â he went on. He showed me which controls I could use to scan space and detect our position in it, as well as which monitored our life support system, cloaking device, and engine functions. He showed me the normal ranges for each and said that if anything ever had an abnormal reading, just call Cyclops or Storm. I wrote a few notes in the manual. I noticed that we travelled just behind The Prevail and, as Forge said, we needed to make sure that neither ship got too close to the other. He showed me how to use subspace to contact The Prevail if we had to.
âThe hardest thing about bridge duty is boredom,â Forge said. I had sure heard that many times! âYou need to stay alert and keep your eye on the sensors. If you have to, you can read or play computer games but you have to keep pausing periodically to monitor the sensors. Always keep in mind that there is a possibility that something could happen â“another ship could come into range or a problem could happen with the engines or with life support, and you want to be damn sure that if it happens on your watch, you are right on itâ.
âGot it,â I said. âI promise to pay attentionâ.
Forge then looked away and touched a hand to his temple. âAre you alright?â I asked.
He was quiet for a few seconds which weirded me out just a bit. He then focused on me and said that he was fine. He sat down at the captainâs chair and brought up subspace. He started typing.
âIs something happening?â I asked, confused.
And then I got more confused. Forgeâs cheeks were suddenly just a bit flushed. Was he blushing?
âIt looks like Emma Frost is contacting our ship,â Forge finally said, sounding distracted. âI, um, I need to take this to the Professor or Cyclopsâ. He then focused again and looked more like himself. âItâs nothing to be worried about, Bobbyâ. He stood up to leave and said, âRemember, just call me or Storm or Cyclops if you need something. Or Hankâ.
Or anyone, I silently added.
âOkay,â I answered, but Forge was already heading out the door and down the hallway.
***
I tracked down Rogue and Gambit in the rec room as soon as my shift was over. They saw me and smiled. They both had a certain eager look on their faces, and I wasnât surprised when Rogue suggested we talk somewhere private. The three of us walked down the hall to my room.
âYou got news for us, Gambit can tell,â Gambit said.
âAnd you have news too,â I said. âBut Iâll go firstâ. I told them about the strangeness with Forge and the communication from Emma on the bridge. Then I added, âI spent the rest of my shift decoding a message that was sent from Victory to Prevail â“ while periodically keeping my eyes on all the sensors, of course,â I quickly added. I was proud of my computer ability too, and I said, âA shuttle was launched from our ship. I guess Forge took a shuttle over to the Prevail?â
Rogue nodded. âHe was in here talkinâ to the Professor before he left. We couldnât hear what they said, just the Professor sayinâ that he was sure Emma didnât have any bad intentions and he could take her message at face valueâ.
âSo dat Emmaâs invitinâ men overâŠto enjoy deir âcompanyâ,â Gambit said.
âI guess thatâs the conclusion,â I added. âIf âenjoy their companyâ is a euphemism for sex since I donât think theyâre sitting there discussing literature. I just hope she doesnât have any sort of trick up her sleeveâ.
âShe donât,â Rogue said. âIf the Professor says she ainât lyinâ then she ainât lyinâ. Poor Forge. Havinâ to go to the Professor and ask him if he can take a shuttle to the other ship so he can have sex with Emmaâ.
âAre you kidding?â I asked. âAt this point, the guyâs gotta be overjoyed. Been a while for him. It was smart of the Professor to let him goâ. I looked at Rogue and Gambitâs faces. Rogue didnât look angry. âBut what if Emma umâŠ*invites over* some guys who arenât single?â
âWell, if she invites over one Cajun, sheâs either gonna get a âno wayâ as her answer, or one Cajunâs gonna be single again,â Rogue said matter-of-factly.
But she was smiling and Gambit was too; from the looks on their faces they both understood that the former response was the only one that could conceivably happen. They cuddled and kissed in front of me which I thought was cute. I got up and left them in peace.
I would later learn that in the next few days, at least one other X-man got an invitation from Emma and had accepted it. It was Cannonball. I guess it made sense, since he had ended whatever he had going on Jubilee. Anyway, I was happy for Forge and Cannonball, seriously â“ if they are anything like me then itâs hard for them to go for a while without some sex. And I used to like meaningless sex so maybe they did too. Emma certainly seemed to love the arrangement, at least thatâs what I assumed though I didnât know her.
I wondered which of the other X-men would receive invitations from Emma during our trip back to earth. I never got an invitation myself; perhaps word was out in the mutant community that I was gay â“ or, more likely, she read my mind to learn that fact. Or heck, maybe she didnât find me attractive in the first place.
***
During Victoryâs second evening in space, Rogue and Gambit heard a knock on their door. âItâs Storm. May I come in?â
ââCourse, sugar,â Rogue said, pressing a button to slide the doors apart. The two had been just sitting in their room talking alone, almost ready to go to bed.
âThank you,â Storm said, stepping through the entrance.
Gambit smiled. âYou always so formal, Storm. You donât gotta tâank us for lettinâ you in our roomâ.
Storm returned the smile. âHowever, I might owe you a thank you when you hear what I have to request of youâ. She paused. âAs you know, we have twoâŠnew people on board. Marrow and Moonstar. I am not sure why they requested to join us for the trip back to earth â“ they may truly be interested in learning about the X-men, they might simply want a change of pace after spending weeks with Magnetoâs group â“ there could be any number of reasons. But I do want to show them what the X-men are all about, and at the same time I would like to help them learn to use their powers. But as you know, much of my time is spent with the Professor and Cyclops trying to determine tactics for when we reach earth. And the two of you have a wonderful way with people. Will you take charge of their training? Find out what they need, help them control their powers, train them. Perhaps even see if you can learn their reason for being here though I am certain we have no cause for concern there. The Professor briefly scanned their minds before we allowed them on boardâ.
The six-week trip to earth had the potential to be boring, especially since the initial journey to Haven hadnât been thrilling. Both Rogue and Gambit appreciated the offer; it was an honor to be asked. They both eagerly assented to Stormâs idea.
âThank you,â the Wind Rider said sincerely.
âOur pleasure,â Rogue said. She then got a glint in her eye. âAnd since weâre helpinâ with this, weâd sure love to get the scoop on how things are in your neck of the woods. Howâs everthinâ goinâ with Logan? You two seem happy together. Anâ I notice sometimes you wear a medallion around your neck â“ did he make it for you?â she asked, referring to the piece of wood that Logan had carved.
Storm gave an indulgent half-smile as she rose to leave. âI am very happy. I believe Logan is as well. And yes, he carved this for me,â she said, fingering the smooth wood.
Gambit chuckled, âTâink, chere, datâs all weâre gonna get from Storm on dis subjectâ.
Rogue shrugged, still looking at Storm. âItâs somethinâ. We just want our friend to be happyâ.
âThank you,â Storm said. âAnd I assure you that I am very happyâ.
***
Rogue and Gambit looked forward to carrying out their mission. The next day, they contacted Marrow and Moonstar using the communicators that the new duo had been given.
âWeâre in the gym,â Marrowâs brusque reply came over the communicator. âSure, letâs talk. Weâre not going anywhereâ.
Rogue and Gambit soon entered the gym. It was a large room, intended for a sizable FOH crew. Aside from Marrow and Moonstar, the gymâs only other inhabitant was Bobby, who was grudgingly working on one of the cardio machines on the other end of the gym. Marrow and Moonstar were in the weights section, with Marrow reclining on a bench and pressing a barbell.
âYou findinâ your way âround dis ship okay?â Gambit asked.
âYeah,â Marrow replied.âSeems pretty easyâ.
âHowâs your room?â Rogue asked. âWish we had enough of those officer rooms to give you one of themâ.
âActually, we like the room we have,â Moonstar said. âItâs really big and spacious. Not that we have a ton of belongings or anything like that. We just pushed two of the beds together and that works fineâ.
As Moonstar talked, Gambit noted again that his initial impressions of the twosome were being confirmed. Moonstar smiled, looked interested, and generally appeared as if she wanted to be liked. Marrow was more closed and less approachable. He also noted Moonstarâs comment about pushing two of the beds together and felt that confirmed his feeling that they were lesbians.
âYou ainât been inside the Danger Room yet, have you?â Rogue asked.
âNo,â Marrow answered.
âWanna?â
Marrow sat up and looked at Moonstar. âWeâd love to. But how does it work? We havenât ever done much training to fightâ. Moonstar said.
âWhat sorta traininâ did you have?â Gambit asked. âYou fight any? What your powers like?â
âI got bones growing outta my body,â Marrow said bluntly. âBeen in plenty of fights in my life â“ I can just break a bone off and use it like a clubâ.
âDoes it hurt when you do that, when you rip off a bone?â Rogue asked.
âA lotâ.
âWho have you fought againsâ?â Gambit asked. âOther mutants?â
âNot usually other mutants. Usually itâs thugs, mutant-haters, gangs, that typeâ.
âWhat about you, Moonstar?â Rogue asked. âWhatâre your powers like?â
Meanwhile, Bobby apparently finished up his workout. He exited the gym.
âMineâs a bit moreâŠcomplex,â Moonstar began. âI can sort of read other peopleâs minds and kind of create a projection. Like a hologramâ.
âA projection of what?â
âOf what I can get from their minds. Like, what theyâre thinking about at the timeâ.
âWow, I bet the Professorâd be really interested in learning more about that,â Rogue commented. âLike, does the projection do anything? Is it just an image floatinâ in the air or can you control it? And does it have to be somethinâ the personâs thinking of at the time or can it be somethinâ from their past? Do you have any other telepathic abilities?â
Moonstar smiled and looked down. âUh, RogueâŠI honestly donât know. When this first started happening, I thought I was going crazy. I didnât know where to go or what to do. Iâm from a reservation and my family was way poor. So all I learned was really how to shut my power off, like to contain it. I taught myself how to do that, and thatâs it. I left the reservation and took a bus to New York, hoping to get some answers. But I donât know much about my powersâ.
âI know what thatâs like, sugar,â Rogue said. âPowers can be scary stuff. But youâre in the right place to learn more about âemâ.
âYou are,â Gambit agreed. âWanna?â
âYes. I really doâ.
âLetâs get you witâ Xavier den. He is the expert in dis area and he can helpâ.
âThatâs be greatâ.
Gambit decided heâd had enough serious talk for the day. He shifted the conversation. âSo how long you two been togetâer?â
âAbout a year and a half,â Moonstar answered. She didnât see Rogueâs questioning look in Gambitâs direction. âAs soon as we met each other, we fell for each otherâ.
âYou ainât alone, you know. Bobbyâs gay too. His boyfriend, Northstarâs, on a mission on earth. He misses himâ.
âWhich oneâs Bobby again? The young guy with the light brown hair? The one who was just in here now?â
âDatâs the oneâ.
After making plans to see Marrow in the Danger Room soon and to get Moonstar some time with Xavier, Rogue and Gambit left the gym. As they walked down the hall, Rogue asked, âSo theyâre likeâŠlesbians. How did you know?â
âSaw âem holdinâ hands dat one night on Haven. And dey jusâ told us dat dey pushed the beds together in deir roomâ.
Rogue looked towards the ground. âI heard that Mystique had aâŠa lesbian lover once. But that was after Iâd left her group. She had lots of male lovers too, though, in her dayâ.
âYou missinâ her?â Gambit asked gently.
âNo. No, I ainâtâ. She didnât want to add anything else to that, didnât want Gambit to again ask her if she was a homophobe. Rogue vividly remembered how uncomfortable she had felt when she had learned about Mystique and Destinyâs relationship, years ago.
***
Storm approached the Professor after lunch on the third day of the voyage to earth. Most of the rest of the team had finished eating and left the mess hall.
âI was wondering, Professor, if you had any luck reaching Moira,â Storm began gently. âI know that she is obviously still traumatized, but at some point we need to find out what FOH learned of Banshee and Sirynâs powers. It may hold an answer as to how they overpowered us back at the mansionâ.
The Professor nodded. He glanced at his bowl which still contained a fair amount of stew. Hank had asked him yesterday â“ âout of medical concernâ â“ to please ensure that he ate enough. Charles had not had much of an appetite lately. He ran his spoon through the lukewarm stew as he replied to Storm.
âI agree that we need to find out how much FOH learned from Banshee and Siryn, but I want to be careful when I broach the subject. Obviously the subject of their imprisonment is a very traumatic one for them. Siryn is not speaking with anyone â“ not even Moira - these daysâ. He paused and added, âBesides, Iâm not sure how much we would learn from them. FOH obviously found some way to replicate their powers. Hank began some research into techniques that might defeat Bansheeâ.
Wolverine strode up to where the Professor sat next to Storm. He put an arm around Stormâs shoulders.
âYou eatinâ enough, Professor?â he asked.
âI appreciate your concern. I am fine,â Xavier answered.
Storm touched one of her hands to the Professorâs. âI can only imagine how difficult this is for you,â she said quietly. âWe know that Moira and her family mean a lot to you. And we also know thatâŠwith you being our teacher, it may be hard for you to feel that you have a peer here to confide in. But we offer â“â
âThank you, Storm,â Xavier cut in. âI know that you â“ all of you â“ care about me. I assure you that I am well. Being with the X-men, returning to earth, seeing all of you trained and ready â“ all of those things help sustain me. I look forward to working with Moonstar on her powers too. But most of all, I thank you for your leadership of the teamâ.
Storm and Wolverine both thanked the Professor and took their leave of him; it was obvious that he appreciated their concern but that was all. As they walked down the corridor, they talked.
âLeast we tried,â Wolverine said. âI think heâll be okay. Ainât gonna be great but heâll hang in thereâ.
âI know. Still, I would like to see him doing more than merely âhanging in thereââ.
âYeah, me too, but ainât no miracles happeninâ here. Xavierâs right about one thing â“ thanking you for your leadership. Cykeâs more on edge than Iâve ever seen him. Thank god we got youâ.
âIt is understandable that Scott is hurting right now. I have every confidence in him as our co-leaderâ.
Logan remained silent for a moment. Did Ororo always need to sound so professional and so restrained? It wasnât as if he had wanted a Cyclops-bashing session â“ he had long since moved from disliking the leader to respecting him. But he thought that perhaps he liked Ororo best when he got to see the real Ororo, raw and unrestrained.
`Wish I saw that more often,â he thought to himself, and realized that his wish was more likely to remain unfulfilled.
***
Later that afternoon, Wolverine and Colossus ended up in the same Danger Room session. The Russian had been weakened by an earlier skirmish. When the computer matched Colossus and Wolverine up for a fight, Wolverineâs teeth were barred. The Canadian fought as if his own life were at stake. Colossus hadnât even had time to change into his metallic form before Wolverine overpowered him, roughly pushing him to the ground.
âStop, comrade, stop â“ you win!â Colossus bellowed.
âYeah. I win,â Wolverine said, as he slowly got off of Colossus.
Forge had been in the Danger Room with them. âYouâre injured,â he said, looking at Colossus. âYou might want to ask Hank to meet you in sickbay. You should get that arm bandaged upâ.
âYes,â Colossus said. He watched Forge leave the room. The Russian was normally pleasant and even-tempered, but he couldnât ignore this incident.
âYou use a lot more force than you need on me today,â he began. âYou angry at me?â
Wolverine glared at him. âAinât mad at you,â he muttered, though he gave Colossus a look that could kill.
âYes you are. I not blind. You act this way with me for days nowâ.
Wolverine looked at the ground. He had not been consciously aware that he had been treating Peter any differently. The last few days had been full of activity, with Magnetoâs arrival and the departure from Haven. Interpersonal relationship had not been at the forefront of Wolverineâs mind, though he began to realize that they had been at the back of it.
âIs about Jubilee?â Colossus asked. âShe the one who come to me. And I act like â“ how you say? -- perfect gentleman with herâ.
âReally?â Logan asked, taking a step towards Peter. âIs that why you use her, bub? âCause if you really cared youâdâŠâ Loganâs voice broke off as he realized that he didnât have the words to say exactly what he intended to say.
âI would do what? Jubilee come to me and say she want this arrangement. Me, I prefer be her boyfriend not herâŠwhatever you call it. I rather have *real* relationship, but she one who want this âfriend with benefitâ, as she call it. Not my idea â“ it *her* ideaâ.
âCanât believe this was her idea,â Wolverine grumbled, though as he said the words, he knew that he could believe it.
âYou donât believe me, ask Jubileeâ. Colossus turned towards the door. âAnd do not do this again to meâ.
***
Colossus walked down the corridor after his confrontation with Wolverine. Confronting the Canadian had not been easy, not even for the man of steel, and he was glad it was over and that his point had been made. Colossus continued to walk, unsure of where to go. Part of him wanted company and thought the rec room might be a good place to visit, but part of him wanted solitude and to resume working on either his latest drawings and painting.
His words to Wolverine had been honest. His relationship with Jubilee was not structured in a way he found ideal. He had only consented to the arrangement because he thought it would be better than having no woman in his life at all. Although one of Colossusâ needs was being fulfilled, he longed for something more substantial. It was hard to not envy the couples on board Victory who were happy together, who came together to do more than fulfill a physical need. He was used to keeping his emotions inside of him, though, so he had no plans to share his angst with anyone.
Colossusâ desire for sex had been strong enough that heâd had to, at first, overcome his perception of Jubilee as a younger sister. He had forced himself to think of her as simply a woman. He had no trouble with that perception now, but he still felt that their situation was not what he hoped for with a woman. He couldnât confide in Jubilee . She had a passing interest in his paintings and in hearing about his life back in Russia, but she didnât feign that she had a deeper interest. Most of the time, the two didnât have a whole lot to say to each other. As far as he could tell he was satisfying her in bed though he didnât know for sure. He hoped he was.
An idea popped into his head. He picked up his communicator and asked Hank if he wanted company. With Hank fluent in Russian, Colossus could get a taste of home. He could also show Hank his latest sketching and know that Hank would be sincerely interested in them.
***
Look, there wasnât a lot to do during the trip back to earth. Sitting on the bridge, training in the Danger Room, hanging in the rec room, eating meals together, and hoping Cyke or the Professor would be in a decent mood were all we had to occupy our days. So youâd just have to forgive us for speculating on the sex lives of the other X-men. There was nothing else to do.
I sat in sick bay as I watched Hank âcalibrate the tricordersâ or something like that. Iâd asked if he wanted my help but heâd said no, so I just chatted with him as he worked. He told me that it was a welcome break from researching Banshee and Sirynâs powers.
âIt looks like both Forge and Cannonball have made several trips over to âvisitâ Emma,â I said. âShe sure didnât waste any time on that. Too bad she wasnât with us on Haven during all the months we were there. She wouldâve been popular. And itâs really too bad Angelâs not here â“ he wouldâve been the first one on the shuttle. Heâll actually be pissed when he finds out what he missedâ. I stopped. âSorry. You hate gossiping about other peopleâs sex lives, donât you?â
âI do not hate it,â Hank replied. âThough I cannot say that I find it of the utmost interest eitherâ.
âThanks for indulging meâ. And then I had to get at the question Iâd been wondering about, as inappropriate as it may have been. âSo, does Emma just not interest you? I mean, you mustâve rejected her offer,â I spoke the last line as somewhere between a question and a statement.
âThere was no offer, Bobby. She never contacted meâ.
âOh. Maybe sheâs just real busy with Sam and Forge and she just doesnât have time for lover number three,â I managed.
âPerhaps she does not find me attractive,â he stated simply.
âDo you find her attractive?â
âPhysically, of course â“ I believe most heterosexual men would find her so. Emotionally, no, I am not interested in her or her personality. I cannot forget what the Hellfire Club did to us X-men. Perhaps for Forge and Cannonball it is different, as they were not with us when it happened. Or perhaps their desire for sexual relations with Emma has outweighed their better judgmentâ.
âSo if Emma invited you over, youâd say noâ.
âThere is no use speculating on it, Bobby. She will not be issuing an invitation to me. I understand that my appearance is uninviting to many and I am at peace with that factâ.
I sat there with a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Or a bit of a nervous feeling, like you might get if you had an inkling that you did something wrong, pushed something too far. My head started to hurt and I started feeling that I not been acting the way that a good friend should.
âIâm sorry, Hank. I guess I let my curiosity on the whole thing get the best of me. I didnât mean toâŠI donât know, rub it in. Maybe some people find the way you look âuninvitingâ like you said, but I have to believe that there are plenty out there who do find you physically attractive. And besides, whatâs on the inside is more important anywayâ.
âIt is not a crime to be curious, and there is no need for you to apologize. Truly, I am very well aware of the adage that the inside is more important than the external trappingsâ. He took a breath and added, âNo one understands it better than Iâ.
I looked at Hank and wondered if he was feeling pain over this. I tried to make light of it. âEmma hasnât invited me over either, so maybe she doesnât think Iâm all that hotâ.
Hank had his usual non-judgmental look on his face, and then turned back to his tricorders. My gossiping that day hadnât gone all that well.
***
Jubilee pulled up the bridge duty schedule. According to it, Wolverine should be in the middle of his shift. He had not been lucky; this shift would span much of the night, according to the time they kept on the ship. Still fully dressed, Jubilee had declined Colossusâs offer to spend the night with him. She took a breath and made her way down the corridor, towards the bridge.
When the doors slid open, Jubileeâs first instinct was to gasp. Storm was sitting on the bridge with Wolverine, and for a split second Jubilee feared that she might have interrupted something. But she soon realized that the two were fully clothed. They appeared to be simply sitting together, looking out the large picture window at the stars. Storm was apparently keeping Wolverine company.
âHi, guys. Hope Iâm not interrupting anything,â Jubilee began. She was biting her tongue. She wanted to stride up to Wolverine and give him a piece of her mind, but somehow just *looking* at Storm made her want to take a calm and polite approach instead. And she did remind herself that she wanted to be treated as an adult; maybe a more restrained approach would remind them that she was no longer a child.
âNot at all,â Storm said. âPlease come inâ.
Stormâs calm manner deflated some of the anger and confidence Jubilee had been feeling, though she couldnât say how or why that happened. She suddenly felt very awkward. Jubilee began to wonder if she should try to make small talk or somehow ease into what she wanted to discuss, but she was depleted of ideas in that area as well.
âI, uh, I noticed that it seems youâve been pissed at Peter lately,â she said, looking at Wolverine. âI was just wondering why and if it had anything to do with meâ.
Wolverine crossed his arms over his chest. He finally asked, âHe treatinâ you okay?â
âYes,â Jubilee insisted. âI mean, I think itâs really cool that youâre concerned about me and all, but Peterâs treating me fine. He hasnât done anything wrong. I umâŠI realized that I like donât wanna be someoneâs girlfriend, that I kind of like being single now. So what Peter and I have going on now works for me. It was all my idea anywayâ.
âWell, darlinâ, if it works for you, then thatâs fine with meâ.
Jubilee wanted to retort that it did not *look* fine to her, that he still seemed angry about something. Well, when was Logan ever not upset over something, Jubilee asked herself. But she couldnât say those words to him.
âGood. So I hope that means you wonât bother him or be mean to him or anything like that. âCause thereâs no reason toâ.
After a few moments, Wolverine said, âYou got it,â though he didnât sound particularly happy.
âThank youâ. Feeling more at ease, Jubilee asked a question about the shipâs heading and its speed in comparison to The Prevailâs. She talked with the couple for a bit and then felt a yawn overtake her due to the late hour. She said, âI just wanted to make sure weâre all on the same pageâŠthank you,â before returning to her room.
Alone on the bridge now, Storm and Wolverine looked at each other. Storm opened her mouth to speak, but Wolverine said, âDonât want to discuss it anymore nowâ.
Storm forced herself to take a moment before responding. âThat is your right. I just hope that you sincerely meant it when you said that you agreed to not bother Colossusâ.
âI donât ever go back on my wordâ.
Storm nodded. After more silence, she then began again, âAfter all, Jubilee is an adult nowâ.
âSaid I donât wanna discuss itâ.
She bit her lip. Ororo knew that Logan was generally not verbose but did he have to sound so brusque with her? As much as Ororo disliked comparing her relationship to others, she couldnât ignore a silent voice that wondered, âWould Cyclops ever speak to Jean that way?â
Logan looked at Ororo and stepped closer to her. âHey,â he said softly. âThanks for keepinâ me company hereâ. He put an arm around her.
Ororo wondered if she was weak. If all it took were a more gentle tone and a touch from Logan to soften her disposition, was that not a sign that she had taken her guard down far too much? If matters of the heart were this complicated, Ororo would see why she had remained single for so long. She could see why some, like Jubilee, chose to remain unattached.
She touched a hand to Loganâs face, feeling the rough hairs on his cheek. It was true, Ororo admitted to herself. He made part of her just melt. âMy pleasure, Logan,â she said softly. âI would like to stay a bit longer too. Would you like some coffee?â
âNot unless youâre gettinâ somethinâ for yourselfâ.
âI was going to get some tea. Iâll bring you something as wellâ.
âThanks, Roâ.
***
Cyclops was not in a good mood. That was pretty clear to all of us. Iâd known the guy for years, and over the years, Iâd seen him be strict, stern, and a stickler for rules. But Iâd also seen him learn to relax a bit, learn to trust the rest of the team, and have fun. The last several years, heâd been way better on those fronts.
Believe it or not, I liked Cyclops. I always had. I thought that by any standard, heâd been a great leader and co-leader over the years. He really cared about people â“ he cared about the team and he always wanted to make the world a better place for mutants and non-mutants. And yeah, Iâd always had the sense that he wasnât all that comfortable with or fond of the idea of homosexuality in general, but heâd never once made a homophobic comment or done any homophobic actions that I was aware of. When Northstar was here, Cyclops treated me the same as he always had and heâd even said some good things about Northstarâs fighting ability. I came to think that if Iâd been straight, my relationship with Cyclops would have been no better and no worse.
He was always way tough on me and my training, thatâs for sure. I knew that I was never his favorite fighter. Since Iâd resumed training, he had again been tough but fair. He has even given me a few compliments (though nowhere near as many as Storm and others have).
But with Jean gone, things were not good. I always felt that Jean had helped lighten him up and make him more easy-going. All of us had known, I guess, that things would be hard for Cyclops now that he was apart from his wife and son â“ and were they ever.
I was in the Danger Room with Gambit, Cyclops, and a few others. It had been a typical session; no better or worse than usual. My aim was okay, Iâd been nervous during it, and everyone had trained pretty much as they usually had. As the group was filing out of the room though, my ears perked when I heard Cyclops say to Gambit, âMay I have a word with you?â It was clearly a command and not a request.
I heard Gambit reply in his usual easy-going manner that they could talk anytime, and then I heard Cyclops lay into him.
âYouâre not trying hard enough!â Cyclops yelled. âYouâre putting in a half-assed effort and weâve got the fight of our lives coming up in five weeks! I canât have you slacking off like this! Next time try harder or donât even botherâ.
I couldnât listen anymore â“ partly because it was painful and partly because Iâd gathered up all my stuff and had no reason left to be in there. But I waited in the hallway for Gambit. If he didnât want to talk, Iâd leave him alone but I thought I could at least ask.
Gambitâs eyes were glowing and fists clenched. âAre you okay?â I asked.
Gambit shook his head. âOh, Bobby. It take all of Remyâs willpower to not beat dat Cyke to a pulp! Every last bit oâ willpower. Storm would be proud of me, at leasââ.
âHow bad was it?â
âYou heard mosâ of it. You leave, he just repeat himself and add in dat I ainât traininâ Marrow and Moonstar hard enough. Yeah, well Xavierâs the one who be traininâ Moonstar â“ I ainât no telepath!â
I shook my head. âYou know what he said is bull though, right? I mean, it seems to me that youâre training plenty hardâ.
âRemy know it. Anâ I know dat Cyke sufferinâ âcause Jean ainât here. Dat be the only reason I donât punch him in the face. Heâs actinâ like an asshole but Remy feel bad for him tooâ.
I wanted to say that Gambit did seem remarkably calm and he sure deserved some props for that. But I couldnât think of a good way to say it. So I just asked, âWhat are you going to do?â
âI tâink I mention dis to Storm. And maybe Xavier. Maybe I ask dem how dey tâink my trainingâs goinââ He sighed, âAnd I gotta act like dis donât botâer me or Rogue gonna knock out Cyke. Dat wonât be goodâ.
âI hadnât thought of that. Sheâs gonna be pissed and she doesnât have as much restraint as you doâ.
He smiled, âShe let tâings botâer her a lot more den I do. She gonna be madder âbout dis den I amâ.
I returned Gambitâs smile. I thought it was neat how the members of the couple were different from each other in many ways but they just seemed to jell. It was like their differences complemented each otherâs well.
***
A day or so later, I was on the bridge. Bridge duty had quickly become routine and not nerve-wracking for me. It really wasnât that hard, it wasnât scary like combat, and the biggest challenge was boredom. I checked the shipâs logs and there wasnât much activity. A few subspace messages between Victory and The Prevail. I assumed most of them had to do with transporting men to and from Emma. I was sure the Professor must have reached out to Moira a few times but then remembered that those would likely have been telepathic communications.
I played my computer games, kept one eye on the important sensors at all times, daydreamed, and waited for my shift to end. At long last, the doors slid open and Jubilee, my relief, entered the bridge.
âThank god,â I said. âBridge duty is overâ.
âYeah, yeah, quit gloating,â she said. âMineâs just beginning. Is there anything in the world â“ or the galaxy â“ more boring?â
âNot that I know of,â I said. âYou want me to bring you anything?â
âNo, Iâll be fine,â she said, plopping down into the captainâs chair. âBesides, Colossus will pop his head in here at least twice asking me if I need anythingâ.
âThatâs sweet of him,â I offered.
âYeah, yeahâ.
âYou sound quite unimpressed,â I observed.
Jubilee shrugged. I thought for a moment that she was going to blow off the subject, but she motioned for me to step closer even though we were alone on the bridge.
âI miss Sam,â she confided. âI donât want to be Samâs girlfriend â“ Iâm cool with the decision I made to end that. But I gotta say he was better in bed than Peterâ.
âReally?â I asked, leaning in closer. I know, itâs terrible but I love this sort of gossip. âIn what way?â
âI dunno. Peterâs technique isnât very goodâ.
I thought for a moment. âThat can be improved though,â I said. âYou can try to teach himâ.
âIâve said a few things. I donât wanna hurt his feelings though. He is really sweetâ.
âThereâs probably ways you can do it without hurting his feelings though. I mean, sheesh, Jubes, you gotta speak up about something like that if youâre not enjoying itâ.
âIâve tried to kinda be subtle in what I said but Iâm starting to think that maybe it was so subtle that he didnât get the hint. The other thing is that PeterâsâŠkinda, um, big. I mean heâs big all over but heâs big there tooâ.
âOhâ. I took a breath. âYeah, that can be tough. Itâs actually not all that much fun when the guy trying to get inside you is huge. You canât do much about that though. But maybe some positions would be easier than othersâ.
Jubilee nodded. âBummer that Samâs not interested anymore, and now that Emmaâs offering unlimited shuttle rides to guys she wants to do it with, Samâs not gonna come back to my bedâ.
âI donât get that. I mean, if heâs pissed that youâre sleeping with Peter, then shouldnât he also be pissed that Emmaâs sleeping with Forge?â
Jubilee shrugged. âI think I hurt his feelings. Didnât mean to but thatâs how he took it when I said I didnât want to be his girlfriend anymore. And as for Emma, well, I guess people just expect her to be sleeping around so maybe from her itâs viewed as okay. Samâs old-fashioned in some ways, and it bugs me that he feels that way about this whole thing. But I donât let it make me mad anymoreâ. She paused. âAnd besides, Emmaâs prettier than me. Probably better in bed too and sheâs obviously had way more experience than me, so maybe thatâs why Sam doesnât mind that sheâs also sleeping with other guysâ.
âYou donât need to compare your looks against Emmaâs. I think youâre beautiful, Jubileeâ.
She laughed. âComing from a gay guy, that means a lot,â she joked. She then got serious for a second and said, âI didnât realize the two new girls we took on board were gay tooâ.
âI knowâ. Marrow and Moonstar always sat together at mealtimes. At a recent dinner, Storm had asked them something about how they had met and their answer had made it clear to anyone who hadnât known that they were a couple. âI go for years not meeting another gay mutant, and now I meet three in the span of a few monthsâ. I got choked up for a second thinking about Jean Paul. I missed him so much.
And then I clammed up, not wanting Jubilee to see me all emotional. She put an arm around me and murmured, âDonât worry. Weâll meet back up with them soon. It canât be long nowâ.
***
Gambit was starting to actively dislike the Danger Room. He walked into it and saw Wolverine training Marrow in hand-to-hand combat. He stood to the side and observed them. When they appeared to be finishing up, Gambit offered his thoughts. âNot bad, Marrow. You doinâ better at anticipating what your opponents gonna doâ.
âThanks,â Marrow managed. She was sweating profusely.
âYour staminaâs still gotta improve though,â Wolverine added. âTry hittinâ those cardio machines in the gym or runninâ around the track moreâ.
Marrow nodded. She was too winded to give any sort of lengthy reply.
âBut you did good. Iâll show you some more moves tomorrow,â Wolverine promised.
âGimme a minute to catch my breath,â Marrow began. âCan we give it one more try today?â
âSureâ.
Gambit stood by, wondering if this was worth an altercation with Wolverine. He thought that training Marrow and Moonstar was a responsibility given to him and Rogue, not to Wolverine.
`Oh well,â Remy told himself. `No point in gettin territorial âbout itâ. He reasoned with himself that the more trainers the new duo had, the better. Everyoneâs fighting style was a bit different. And Marrow really wasnât the most pleasant person to be around anyway, so if Wolverine wanted to spend more time with her, let him knock himself out.
Gambit knew that there wasnât a lot he could do to enhance Moonstarâs training though â“ she spent time with Xavier every day now. But he still hoped to help acclimate Moonstar to the X-men. Unlike her girlfriend, Moonstar seemed eager to learn more about the X-men and what they stood for. At dinner yesterday, she listened raptly as Storm and Hank described various missions and battles they had experienced over the years.
As he headed towards the Danger Roomâs exit, Gambit nearly collided with Jubilee. âWhoa, âscuse me âpetite,â he said.
âOh, sorry,â Jubilee said. âNot watching where Iâm going. Is Wolvie in there?â
âYeah. You lookinâ for him?â
âSorta,â Jubilee replied.
Gambit stood by as Jubilee walked through the Danger Room. He watched the young woman out of the corner of his eye as she got ready for training. He noted that Jubilee watched Wolverine and Marrow closely.
Gambit decided that he was finished with the Danger Room for the day. He walked down the corridors towards the bridge. When he looked at a clock on the way, he saw that Rogue still had over an hour left for her bridge shift, and he decided to join her.
âThanks, sugar,â Rogue smiled when she saw her lover. âBeen like watchinâ the grass grow. Itâs nice to have some companyâ.
âMy pleasure, chere,â Gambit responded. He glanced at Rogueâs wrists, which were now usually the first place his eyes settled upon. She wasnât wearing her bracelet, so a kiss on the mouth would not be an option. He settled for a demure kiss on her gloved hands, which reminded him of the past, when this was one of the only ways they could touch.
âHow was traininâ today?â Rogue asked as Gambit sat down next to her
He told her. He then added, âI almosâ wonder âbout the look on Jubileeâs face when I leave dere. Almosâ like sheâs jealous to see Wolverine traininâ another young girlâ.
âYou think?â Rogue asked.
âHe anâ Jubes used to work togetâer closely. Sheâs good in the Danger Room. Has been for years. She donât really need his help dat much no moreâ.
âIt is always hard to think of Jubilee as havinâ grown up, but she didâ.
There was silence on the bridge for several moments before Rogue asked, âSo, you ainât gotten any invitations from Ms Frost, have you, Swamp Rat?â
Gambit wondered where this question had come from. The discussion of Jubileeâs possible jealousy? Or the fact that Emma and her invitations *were* frequent subjects of discussion on Victory, usually conducted when Cannonball and Forge were not around.
âNo, chere. You donât gotta worry âbout dat if I do. You know I gonna say no if she ever askâ. He paused and asked, ââSides, why be jealous? Dere way more men den women here â“ if anyoneâs gonna get reason to be jealous, youâd tâink itâd be meâ.
Rogue looked at her gloves and tugged on the ends. âYeah, I guess. But you see, Remy, I donât *want* anyone but you. Compared to you, all the other guys look like hogslop. Ainât a one of them I find attractive, not next to youâ.
âReally? Remy be very flattered, chereâ.
âBut thatâs the problem. You donât feel the same way. You find other women darn right gorgeousâ.
Gambit wondered what mood Rogue was in and how he could get out of this one without telling a lie. Of course Gambit found other women attractive. He found most women attractive, he loved sex, it was just the way he was and the way he would always be. Sometimes intense emotions scared Rogue, and maybe the intensity was causing her to experience a bout of insecurity â“ at least that was what the Cajun speculated. He finally began, âChere, I love you and only you. Iâd never do nothinâ to hurt you â“ âcause I love you and âcause youâd break all my arms and legs and every bone in my body if I ever did!â
That provoked the desired response. Rogue chuckled a bit. âSo I guess I donât gotta worryâ.
âI promise dat you donât. And Remy again be very flattered dat you find him so attractive. I tâink you the mosâ beautiful woman I ever seenâ.
âOh, Swamp Rat, youâre makinâ me wish Iâd brought my bracelet so I could kiss you,â Rogue smiled.
âDat is too bad. We can wait till later. Or I can make a trip to our roomâ.
Rogue looked at the monitors and sensors in front of her eyes. âMaybe we oughtta wait. I donât have too much time left on this darn shift. My tummyâs rumblinâ too â“ canât wait for dinnerâ.
âSame here. Bobby did a good job on dat sweet potato pie recipe. Tastes a lot better nowâ.
âI agreeâ. Rogue paused and then asked, âSo how you think Moonstar and Marrow are likinâ what they hear about the X-men? I was thinkinâ about when Storm and Hank were talkinâ about over dinner yesterday, and the look on Moonstarâs faceâ.
âI was jusâ tâinkinâ âbout dat,â Gambit admitted. âMoonstar look like she really into it. Like in her eyes she missinâ sometâinâ â“ somethinâ dat we gotâ.
âReally? But I get the idea that girl hates battlesâ.
âI donât tâink it was combat she longinâ for. Tâink it was communityâ.
âOh,â Rogue digested that information. âShe does miss her home, she told usâ. Rogue thought about the community aspect of X-men. As much as some of her teammates irritated her at times, she cherished the X-men and the bonds they had together. She knew that Gambit felt the same way.
âYeah. Hope we can give her what she missinâ. Anâ dat her powers can help usâ.
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you for your review.
Chapter Fifteen by Stormkpr
Chapter Fifteen
A knock sounded on the Professorâs door. âCome in,â he called.
Cyclops was right on time, per what they had agreed the previous day. The two had discussed having breakfast together in Xavierâs quarters, and Cyclops now entered carrying a tray of food.
This was good, Xavier mused as Scott sat down beside him and spread the food out on the small table. Both men were lonely, both missed someone they loved, both carried the burden of trying to solve earthâs problems and oust FOH once and for all. Xavier was glad that Cyclops was here. Isolation didnât help anyone, he believed.
âHow is your research going?â Scott asked
âI have gathered quite a bit of data,â the Professor answered as he poured his cup of Earl Grey tea. âI plan to begin reading through it in depth today, looking for strategies and ideas that we can useâ.
The Professor had told Cyclops of his research plans a few days ago. He was studying movements throughout history which had changed a culture, and he hoped that the X-men could glean some ideas on tactics from them. They needed to learn how to win the war for the general publicâs hearts and minds so as to convince them that mutants were not a threat and deserved to live in peace alongside non-mutants.
âAre any of the subjects of particular interest to you? To us?â
âThey all make for fascinating reading. Gandhiâs fight against colonization, the Black Civil Rights movement in the United States, struggles for religious freedom throughout history. They achieved goals that had been considered impossibleâ.
Xavier looked at the expression on Scottâs face. âAre you thinking that the scenarios are too different for us to gather anything useful from?â
âI guess so,â Scott admitted. âFOH is so powerful, they have turned everyone against us. We may have powers, but there are so few of usâ. He paused. âSometimes I despair at the idea of us being able to change anythingâ. Scott didnât admit the second part of his thoughts. He doubted whether the hearts and minds of the public could be changed without Xavier using his powers to tap into their minds either. He thought the situation had deteriorated far too much for any less drastic tactic to be effective.
âWe must not lose hope. Each of these social movements that I am studying experienced numerous times when the prospect of success looked bleak. But we can do what may seem impossible nowâ.
âI hope so,â Scott said, as he spread a thin layer of butter on a slice of toast. âI really hope so, and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen,â he added, though he certainly did not need to convince the Professor of his sincerity. The fact that he had left his wife and son behind spoke volumes.
âSo, how is Moonstarâs training progressing?â Scott asked, changing the subject.
âVery well. She is bright and eager to learn, and her powers are strong. She has not had any formal training before, but we are progressing slowly and steadilyâ.
âColossus told me that heâs working on something to brighten their room. Like a drawing on a huge sheet of paper. He said heâll frame it to make it look nice â“ since replicating a frame wonât use up that much dilithium. I thought that was nice of him. I feel bad for our two new â“â he searched for the right word âwell, I guess they are our guests â“ to be sleeping in those ugly barracksâ.
âColossus is always so thoughtful,â Xavier remarked. âI am sure that Moonstar in particular will appreciate the gestureâ. The Professor paused. âHow are you, Scott?â
âOh, the same as yesterdayâ. Scott paused for a moment, debating whether or not to open up. Describing his feelings would be stating the obvious, but he also thought it would somehow help. âI feel like my heartâs been torn open. I thought every day apart from Jean and the baby would get a little easier, but I can tell you that it hasnâtâ.
âI am sorry that you are in so much pain, though I certainly understand why. What are you doing to help you manage your pain?â
âThe same thing youâre doing to manage yours, Professor. Fighting, helping the team improve, and hoping for a better futureâ.
***
Wolverine reclined against the headboard. He was content. Spent and tired, and very content.
Storm emerged from the bathroom. âWould you like me to bring you something to drink?â she offered, as she wrapped a bathrobe around herself. Wolverine wished she would remain unclothed instead. âI could use a cool glass of water myselfâ.
âYou donât gotta leave the room for that, darlinâ,â he answered. âThereâs a pitcher right there on the desk,â he gestured.
âOh,â Storm responded, looking â“ Wolverine thought â“ sincerely embarrassed at having forgotten. âOf courseâ.
She poured water into a glass and touched her fingers against it, summoning ice to make the drink more cool and refreshing. She then brought the glass to the bed and resumed her earlier position, cuddled up against her lover.
Logan liked having her near him. They hadnât altered their sleeping patterns â“ some nights they spent together in his room or hers, other nights they slumbered apart. Today he felt quite mellow as the sweat on his body cooled and he savored the relaxing sensations his body had generated. He wondered if he might fall asleep, when Ororo asked him a question.
âDid you enjoy it?â
Logan chuckled. âYou gotta ask, âRo?â
âI suppose I do notâ.
âYou seemed to like itâ.
âI did. Very much soâ.
Ororo was silent again. Logan again reclined, as his lover rested her head against his chest. He shut his eyes and started to experience the pleasant sensation of his body drifting off to sleep.
Ororo spoke again. âYou are not angry with me, are you Logan?â
He was jilted from the possibility of a nap by her question. âWhereâd that come from?â he asked. âI ainât makinâ you feel like Iâm mad, am I?â
âNo, no,â Ororo insisted. âIt was justâŠa feeling I had. Of course I do hope you would come to me and try to discuss it if you were upset about something. As difficult a conversation as that might be,â she added.
Wolverine nodded. He wasnât angry with Storm. But he didnât know how to share with her what he had been feeling lately. He did wish that Storm was less restrained, and he wished she had more of a sense of humor and would laugh more freely. He wished she would let her guard down around him more often. Sometimes their interactions seemed so formal. Of course in the bedroom she was completely unrestrained â“ which he loved â“ but that was the only time and place he saw that side of her.
But when Wolverine thought about trying to share this with Storm, he felt a slight stabbing at his heart. As if this would hurt her needlessly, and he didnât want to hurt her at all.
`Canât change a person,â he said to himself. `At least canât change âem too much. Tellinâ her this is just gonna upset her. If we act a little formal together, hell we ainât been together that long so that explains itâ.
So Logan just said, âI love you, âRoâ.
âLove you too, Logan,â she whispered.
He enjoyed being cuddled up against her and sensed that she soon drifted off to sleep. He stroked her hair but remained awake.
***
Hank received a subspace communication one afternoon. It was an invitation from Emma.
He surprised himself with the fact that he took a moment to seriously consider it. She certainly was a beautiful woman, and who knew whether he would ever get another chance? But he responded the way he knew he would: he declined it. He didnât like Emma, didnât like the memories of the X-menâs run-in with the Hellfire Club, no matter how many years ago it may have occurred. And he had gone for this long without sex; he could certainly go for longer. He didnât judge those who chose to âvisitâ Emma but he himself didnât want to engage in meaningless sex with her.
Hank didnât mention the invitation to anyone and took pains to delete Emmaâs invitation from Victoryâs communication logs. Her invitation did, however, bring the general subject of sexuality to the forefront of Hankâs mind.
***
Gambit, Rogue, and Bobby stayed up late one evening. They were in the rec room, leisurely enjoying a board game. Gambitâs bridge shift would start soon, and the other two were keeping him company until the night shift would begin.
âIs dat a yawn?â Gambit teasingly asked Bobby.
âSorry,â Bobby mumbled. âI guess it is. Maybe I should turn in for the nightâ. He stood up. âBut if you do find yourself falling asleep,â he said to Gambit, âjust call me and Iâll get to the bridge and bring you some coffee, play a few more card games with youâ.
âTâank youâ.
The X-men frequently did what they had to do to stay alert when on the bridge, even if they sometimes needed to call someone else to keep them company. Three days ago the Professor had telepathically detected an FOH vessel. Due to its strong cloaking device, it had never shown up on the shipâs sensors despite most of the X-men crowding onto the bridge and looking at every sensor on board. The FOH ship gave no sign that it could detect them either. And yesterday during Beastâs bridge duty shift, he had caught a swarm of pea-sized asteroids on a collision course with Victory. The asteroids were small enough that they would have passed through a regular scan, but having someone on the bridge, running detailed scans and staying alert had allowed enough time for the tiny menaces to be detected before they would have ripped Victoryâs hull, having the same effect as thousands of powerful bullets. Both events served as a reminder that the X-men needed to remain vigilant at all times.
âGoodnight,â Rogue bid Bobby as he turned to leave the rec room. As the doors to the room slid open, Cyclops entered. The X-menâs co-leader greeted the others in the room.
âYou stayinâ up late?â Gambit asked. He had decided to take the high road following his altercation a week ago with Cyclops in the Danger Room. He had let it go, given Cyclopsâs understandably depressed and irritated condition. He had, however, spoken to Storm and Xavier. Both had assured him that his fighting skills appeared as strong as ever. When Gambit had recounted the incident to Rogue, he had glossed over it and vastly toned down Cyclopsâs words so as to avoid an abrasive Rogue-Cyclops fight.
âI canât sleep. I thought Iâd see if there was anyone in here who might want to play a game or something,â Scott said, holding a drink and sounding very dejected.
âSure, weâd love to. We got 35 minutes till Remyâs on the bridge,â Rogue said. âHeck, if weâre havinâ fun we could always take the game on the bridge. While of course makinâ sure we keep our eyes on the sensors too,â she quickly added, though she noticed that Cyclops did not seem at all concerned about the possibility of them not paying enough attention while on bridge duty.
Cyclops pulled up a chair as Gambit set out the game board. The three started to play.
Rogue and Gambit exchanged a look. Cyclops rested his head on one hand, glumly and slowly moving his game piece across the board and mumbling the words when it was his turn to pull and read a card. Sitting closer to the man too, they could see uncharacteristic stubble on his face. They were playing one of the more fun and lighter games â“ it wasnât competitive â“ but Cyclops definitely did not appear to be enjoying himself. Although they couldnât see his eyes through his visor, the rest of his body language left little doubt as to his feelings.
âCyke,â Rogue said, after a while, gently laying a gloved hand over his. âYou okay? You wanna talk âbout it?â
âWhatâs there to talk about?â he asked. âI miss my wife and son and I canât do a damn thing about itâ.
âCould you dough?â Gambit asked. âIf is dis bad, maybe you take a shuttle and go back to Havenâ.
âI canât do that,â Cyclops said, sounding irritated. âI have a duty to be here, to take this fight against FOH to the end. Given what FOH is doing on earthâŠhow can I bail out?â
ââCause youâre human. Anâ maybe you have a hard time really beinâ effective if you dis hurtâ.
Cyclops was silent for a beat or two. âIâm fine,â he insisted. âIâm not suicidal, Iâm not depressed â“ I just really miss Jean and John. Like a part of me is missing. At least Jean and John are safe on Haven though. I have that to be thankful forâ.
Rogue shook her head. âSad to see so many folks missinâ others. Bobbyâs startinâ to get all worried âcause we havenât heard from Alpha Flight yet. He really misses Northstar. Poor guy â“ heâs real sad tooâ.
Cyclops muttered, his tone harsh, âThatâs not the same thingâ.
At Rogue and Gambitâs questioning looks, he then amended, âI didnât mean to sound that nasty. I just meant that he and Northstar havenât been together that long, not anywhere near as long as Jean and I haveâ.
âI do reckon itâd be harder to be separated for a couple thatâs been together a long time,â Rogue said.
Gambit looked at Rogue and then at Cyclops. âWhen you really love someone, dat donât matter so much. Missinâ someone you love hurts the same no matter any dat stuffâ.
Rogue began to say how glad she was that she was here with Gambit, but then stopped herself. She didnât want to add to Cyclopsâs misery and had no idea what she could do to help him.
***
I donât know if it was just me or not, but time passed really slowly. Maybe it was because we had spent so long on Haven, and there had just been more things to do on Haven and a more beautiful setting in which to do it. Victory was nice, we had all the amenities we needed (and with the supply of dilithium we got from Magneto, we splurged slightly more often on goodies like desserts or alcohol), but it still got boring.
Maybe it was because each bridge duty shift you had to sit through just made your whole day feel longer.
I sat next to Hank at lunch one day and asked him if he knew how long it had been since we left Haven. He was about to open his mouth to reply when Cyclops, sitting across from me, said, âFour weeks and three daysâ.
Poor guy. Heâd been a grouch the whole trip but I didnât blame him at all. Being light-years away from the person you loved was no fun.
And Iâve already written about it so I wonât say anything more. I missed Northstar like crazy. I thought of him all the time, thought of things I wanted to tell him. I thought of his facial expressions, his accent, even the way he walked and I so desperately wanted to see and hear them again. I had gotten used to sleeping alone again, as I always had, but I didnât like it. I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him, and how his sister was doing.
I did some mental calculations and realized that if it had been four weeks since we X-men had left Haven, that meant it had been more than three months since Iâd seen Jean Paul. We had had less than two months together on Haven. Sometimes I felt sad because those two months now felt like so long ago. It was starting to feel like weâd been apart since forever. I wondered how often he thought of me, but I didnât wonder too much â“ my gut told me he thought of me as much as I him.
With each passing day, I began to feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I wondered when weâd hear from Alpha Flight again. Would the Professor tell me he had made telepathic contact with Alpha Flight? Would I be sitting on bridge duty one day and detect the Maple Leaf? Or would someone wake me up in the middle of the night during their bridge shift to tell me that the ship had been contacted? Would we get a subspace message from the Prevail telling us that Caliban had detected Alpha Flight?
But none of these events happened and I started to worry. The others noticed it. Iâd get sympathetic pats on my hand during meals or friendly slaps on the back during Danger Room sessions. âSpace is really big,â people reminded me. âIt might be taking them a while to find the others on earthâ. And of course, âTheir ship is slow. Remember they canât travel as fast as we doâ.
I tried not to worry. Worrying wasnât my usual thing anyway â“ I was usually pretty relaxed about things in general. But with the long, slow days and not a lot to occupy my head, I did worry.
On the gossip front, there wasnât a whole lot going on. I didnât hear of any big fights or observe any tension among the couples. The most interesting thing was a discussion I had once with Jubilee. She said that Emma had invited Colossus over for âa visitâ. Colossus had asked Jubilee beforehand what she thought of it, and sheâd said that given their arrangement, he was free to sleep with whomever he wanted. So he went over once and Emma has yet to invite him for a return trip. Jubilee then added that sheâd given him some coaching and that, perhaps combined with whatever Emma may have said or done, had improved his performance somewhat. Meanwhile, Cannonball and Forge continued their visits to Emma. On most days there was one shuttle going from one ship to the other.
But the Professor didnât go over to meet with Moira, nor did Moira come here.
One day, not long after Cyclops had told me weâd been gone from Haven for over four weeks, the Professor, Cyclops, and Storm made an announcement at dinner.
âWe will be going to the Prevail to meet with Magneto tonight,â the Professor said. âNow that we are close to earth, it is time for us to have a discussion on tacticsâ.
âWhy are you going there?â Wolverine asked. âThereâs one of him and three of us. Shouldnât he come here?â
âI really donât think it matters,â Cyclops said. âHe let the Professor read his mind. He doesnât have any plans to deceive usâ.
âI was hoping I might see Moira over there as well,â the Professor admitted. âPerhaps I can talk to her. We do still want to learn all we can about how FOH replicated her husbandâs and Sirynâs powersâ.
I saw Jubilee look down at her plate. âI know you said thereâs nothing to be worried about,â she began. âBut for some reason, the thought of all of you going over there makes me nervousâ.
âIf Magneto had any plans to attack us, heâs had weeks to do so,â Storm said. âEspecially given that we will not be the first X-men to board his shipâ.
She said the words straightforwardly but there might have been a smirk or half-grin on a few faces, I noted.
Storm continued, âAnd of course, we have every confidence in the Professorâs ability to determine Magnetoâs intentionsâ.
âSo thereâs like no chance Emma could be using her powers to like block Magnetoâs real thoughts or anything like that?â Jubilee asked.
âNo,â the Professor said. âI would be able to detect it. My powers are far stronger than hers, and I say that not as a conceit â“ merely as a factâ.
âGood. So we donât have to worry about youâ.
âNot at allâ.
***
The shuttle bearing the Professor, Storm, and Cyclops docked inside the Prevail. A fourth passenger was aboard as well; Cannonball decided to join them for his visit to Emma. It only made sense to make as few trips as necessary. Magneto may have given the X-men copious dilithium but they still found it wise to conserve the energy source as much as possible.
Emma met the group in the shuttle bay. Stormâs composure remained as calm and steady as always, though she had to nearly bite back an eyebrow raise at Emmaâs revealing attire. Storm thought to herself that there was a time and a place for sexuality and she couldnât imagine wearing such a get-up on a daily basis, and outside of the boudoir no less.
However, Storm didnât judge Sam, or anyone else, for going to Emma. Sexuality was a basic need that most humans felt and there was no alternative for Sam or Forge. Forge had indeed tried to pursue a relationship with Storm herself and she had turned him down, months ago. And when Sam had had an alternative â“ a relationship with Jubilee â“ he had enthusiastically pursued it as well. Though a part of Storm had felt a bit of sadness to see the ending of that relationship, she was glad that Jubilee had realized what she did and did not want and was going after what she wanted. And Storm reminded herself that Jubilee could always change her mind and decide someday that she wanted a more conventional relationship.
âIâll take you to Magneto,â Emma said, and turned for the others to follow her.
At those words, Storm silently chided herself for having her mind on matters of the heart and reminded herself to focus on the task at hand.
âI had hoped we might see Moira as well,â the Professor said.
âDid you tell her that you were coming?â Emma asked.
âYes,â the Professor admitted, suspecting where this was going.
âThen Iâm sure if she wanted to see you, sheâd be here now. She hardly leaves her room, Xavierâ.
âThat is why Iâd like to talk with herâ.
âCanât make someone do something they donât want,â Emma said, as the group walked down the corridor. âIf she wants to be left alone, you have to abide by that. Those FOH bastards, damn them for doing that to her and Siryn. Magnetoâs right, you know, when he says thatâs what theyâll do to us all. Put all mutants in camps, rape every last female, before they kill us all. They live for thatâ.
âWell, weâre going to stop them,â Cyclops said.
Storm turned and looked at her co-leader. His voice conveyed more determination and fire than sheâd detected from him in a while.
The layout of the Prevail appeared identical to Victoryâs. Emma led the group to a conference room, in which Magneto sat, and then left with Samâs hand in her own.
A couple of hours later, the Professor, Storm, and Cyclops waited in the shuttle for Cannonball to return so that they could head back to Victory. The Professor telepathically contacted Moira again and received the same frustrating silence that he always did.
Storm mused that it was a bit awkward as Sam knocked on the shuttleâs door and, hair rumpled, entered. She thought that Bobby would crack a joke now, ask Sam whether he had had good sex. But her present company was not in much of a mood for humor and Sam quietly strapped himself into his seat.
***
So, our leaders returned and gave us the scoop. Basically they agreed that our first approach would be to infiltrate FOHâs headquarters, gather evidence as to what they had done against mutants, and use their communications equipment to broadcast that evidence widely.
If that didnât work, we would switch to Plan B. The Professor would use his powers to open the minds of FOH leaders and get them to change their attitudes on mutants. He might also need to do so for other world leaders, not just FOH. He had always been so loathe to use his powers that way but apparently he thought that he might not have a choice now.
Hank said that he had perfected a psionic shield that would protect us from powers similar to Bansheeâs and Sirynâs if FOH did use that weapon. The Professor was trying to get Siryn to help us test it but she refused to be contacted. Hank was pretty sure that this defense would work, though. Magneto, we were told, was very glad for it.
âDid you get into any specifics?â Rogue asked. âLike for Plan A, any ideas how we gonna get into FOHâs headquarters?â
âWeâll work out the details when we get closer and know more about the situation there,â Cyclops said. âBut our initial thought is that some of us will provide a distraction and others will do the infiltratingâ.
âWe think that perhaps a smaller team should infiltrate the headquarters while most of us are distracting them,â Storm said. âWe began to think of who we would want in the group doing the infiltrating of FOHâs headquarters. Some ideas we had were Forge and Beast, because of their technical prowess â“ that would help in terms of gathering the evidence against FOH and using their communications equipment. Gambit, because any mission calling for stealth has his name written all over it. Nightcrawlerâs teleportation might come in handy inside as well â“ though we are, of course, not certain about that as we know it is harder for you to teleport when you are not familiar with the place previously, Kurt. Our other thought was that it might behoove us to have a telepath on that team as well, so perhaps Emma would be part of it. It would be useful in any circumstance to have a handle on the minds and thoughts of those aroundâ.
âCan we trust her?â Nightcrawler asked.
âYes,â Xavier said. âI know that she has fought us before, but I firmly believe we must leave that in the past. I read her mind again. She *wants* this mission to succeed and has no plans to turn on usâ.
Cyclops then said, âIf the rest of us are creating distractions and fighting FOH during the infiltration, we will need to train in the Danger Room with Magnetoâs team. We need to get used to fighting alongside them. So they will be coming here tomorrow to work with us in the Danger Roomâ.
So that was that. Now the big battle wasnât an abstraction, it was actually going to happen. We were going to fight FOH, we were going to create a diversion, going to have some of our team infiltrate their headquarters â“ despite the fiasco last time we went up against them. Between thinking about all that and my now-constant worry about Jean Paul, I must have looked how I felt â“ like crap. Hank went right up to me after the meeting.
I have this rule. I try to not initiate touch with straight guys given that most straight guys, even the non-homophobic ones, donât particularly like being touched by gay guys. But I didnât even think about that, as soon as we were alone I just kind of collapsed into Hankâs arms and let him hug me.
***
âAll will be well, Bobby,â Hank insisted. The two were alone in Bobbyâs room, minutes after the meeting had ended. âRemember that we X-men have fought and triumphed against powerful opponents. Even when the odds seemed insurmountable, we won the battle. I assure you that there is no need for you to worryâ.
âNo need to worry?â Bobby croaked. âWe got our asses kicked last time we fought FOH!â
âBut this time we have a defense against their main weapon. And we have been training relentlessly for months. You are stronger and more powerful than ever. I have every confidence in you and the teamâ.
âWell I donât feel so confident, not when I donât even know where Northstar is or what happened to Alpha Flightâ.
Hank reached for Bobby and again pulled him into a hug. He patted his back and quietly said a few soothing words. âI know this is a time of great anxiety for you, but I strongly feel that we will triumph. I feel that weeks from now, you will look back on this day and smile when you realize how far you have progressed. Try to relaxâ.
Bobby relaxed into the hug. His insides still swirled with anxiety but he appreciated his friendâs gesture.
âIs there anything we can do to help you relax?â Hank asked, again his voice low. âYou always enjoyed brushing me â“ would that provide you with a soothing, rhythmic activity?â
âUm, yeah,â Bobby said, amused at the way Hank phrased the sentence. Hankâs near-bombastic word choice always made Bobby want to smile. âI guess soâ.
Bobby broke away from the hug and searched for a comb. He found one on his bathroomâs countertop. Meanwhile, Hank seated himself upon Bobbyâs bed.
Hank was perceptive. Bobby did find the activity of brushing his hairy friend to be comforting. It was such a vast task â“ moving that comb through the dense fur on Hankâs large body that Bobby was often able to put aside his worries as he did it.
âI guess youâre right,â Bobby said, after he had begun brushing Hankâs back. âWeâre the strongest team of mutants out there. We have an amazing telepath, weâve got incredible fighters, and we even have Magneto on our side. I can hold my own in battle. I can do itâ.
âThat is the attitude, my friend. I assure you that we will fight well against FOH. We will defeat themâ.
âI hope so. Itâs just hard because so much is unknown â“ who knows what will happen when we actually go up against them? And Iâm just so worried about Jean Paul. I keep thinking that we shouldâve heard from Alpha Flight by now. And thereâs nothing I can do about the whole situation except wait for the Professor to detect them. I guess I just need to accept that. And try to be patient, but itâs hard. And â“ hey, do you want me to do your legs after I finish your back?â
âI would enjoy that. Thank you. The backs of the legs are difficult for me to reach, despite my agility,â Hank replied.
The two continued to talk, both of them bolstering Bobbyâs confidence as Bobby continued to run the brush through Hankâs fur. When Bobby finished Hankâs back, the larger man lay face down on the bed so that the backs of his legs could be combed. They continued to talk, Hank enumerating the many possible â“ and harmless - reasons why the X-men had yet to make contact with Alpha Flight.
As they spoke, Hank felt a subtle shift overtake his body. At first he questioned what he was feeling. But as the moments passed, he realized that his body was beginning to respond in a new and somewhat shocking manner to the sensation of the combing.
`It is nothing,â Hank told himself. `I can ignore these stirringsâ. But as the sensations slowly built, Hank had to reason with himself. `I must be having this reaction because I rarely experience touch. Perhaps my body is starved for it, in a way, and it is only reacting accordingly. I only fantasize about women, not men; I certainly do not have any inappropriate feelings towards my friend. I believe this must be a flukeâ.
Hank soon began to realize, however, that he would need to gently extricate himself from this situation somehow.
âYou got awfully quiet,â Bobby said. âI guess repeating the same reassuring stuff to me over and over has gotta get boring after a whileâ.
âNo, no, not at all,â Hank assured his friend. âI simply lost myself in the pleasurable sensations from the brushing for a moment. I â“â
Hank was cut off by the sound of a communicator. âHank? Itâs Forge. Just wanted to see if you were okay. You were supposed to relieve me of my bridge duty shift ten minutes agoâ.
âOh my stars and garters!â Hank exclaimed, immensely grateful. âMy apologies, Forge. I lost track of time. I shall be there as soon as possibleâ.
Thankful for the cue to exit, Hank abruptly stood up and faced the door. âThank you, Bobby,â he said, over his shoulder. âPlease visit me on the bridge if you would like to continue our discussionâ.
âYou want me to come with you and brush you more?â Bobby asked, speaking to Hankâs back.
âNo, thank you,â he responded, quickly. âI must focus on the sensors. Thank you, my friend!â
As Hank left and the doors slid closed, Bobby shrugged and said, âOkay â“ bye thenâ.
***
Light-years away from the X-men, Jean Grey sat on a rocking chair on Havenâs porch. She nursed John as she watched the sun set.
Her days were long, peaceful, and quiet. After living with the X-men for most of her adult life, the experience of sharing a tranquil place like Haven with only one other adult required quite an adjustment for Jean. She and Heather got along well enough to make the situation somewhere between tolerable and good. Heatherâs personality and temperament, Jean noted, were similar to her own, which functioned as both a positive and a negative. The two coexisted peacefully enough but also tacitly agreed that time apart was necessary as well.
However, given that both women had a newborn baby to which to tend, Jean knew it was a blessing to have someone else to share the work with. While Brianna kept to a regular sleeping schedule now, John didnât sleep through the night no matter what Jean tried. Jean was very grateful that Heather would keep an eye on both babies so that Jean could occasionally doze during the day. She returned the favor when Heather needed it.
Jean checked the calendar. Less than five weeks had passed since the X-men departed. As much as Jean enjoyed the calm and the unending time to bond with her son, it truly felt to her as if Scott and the others had been gone for ten weeks, not five. As fulfilling as Jean found the work of parenting, she wished she had other pursuits with which to occupy her mind as well.
âWe knew weâd have to make sacrifices when we joined our teams,â Jean said to Heather later that day as they ate dinner on the porch. She often longed to eat each meal earlier and earlier in the day just to give herself something to do. âAnd we knew thereâd be greater sacrifices still when we decided to have children. But I am really finding it hard to be away from Scott, and all the othersâ.
Jean was, of course, making an understatement. She had cried herself to sleep more than once. Without Scottâs arms around her, she sometimes didnât fall asleep at all.
âI know,â Heather said. âSometimes I wish I had a normal lifeâ. She paused and added, âI really miss James. Our marriage isnât perfect â“ I know you know that. Heck, heâs not perfect, and neither am I. But I really miss him. He always has such a strong sense of purpose, sense of direction. Itâs hard to not have that nowâ.
Jean nodded. âI also feel bad for Scott. I know itâs killing him that heâs missing so much crucial time in our babyâs lifeâ.
âWe just have to keep praying that our teams will return safely â“ and soonâ.
Jean listened to Heatherâs words. It wasnât anything that they hadnât expressed countless times during the past few weeks. Jeanâs life was so absent, she knew, without Scott. She had the baby to devote her energies and attentions to, and she loved the baby wholeheartedly. But with Scott, she shared such a passionate, continual, consuming love. Her days were odd and empty without him, even though she had her son to dote on and bond with. But she was without Scott, without the man who still â“ after all these years â“ could cause her to catch her breath, so intense was their love.
***
Jubilee narrowly dodged a blast from a simulated FOH soldier. âWatch out, girl!â Rogue hollered, as she flew through the Danger Room, picked up a simulated truck, and dumped in on top of a band of FOH.
âThanks, Rogue!â Jubilee called. She forced herself to snap out of her daze. She pivoted and mustered energy to blast more advancing soldiers with her fireworks. Some of the simulated soldiers were knocked out, one turned and fled, and the remaining two were finished off by a charged card that Gambit lobbed at them.
After the session, Jubilee walked back to her room. She had lost her focus for a few moments there, and she knew that she could not afford such a mistake during the impending battle. She suspected it had to do with what she had seen in the Danger Room earlier that day: Wolverine training Marrow.
Wolverine had certainly thrown himself into his self-appointed mission of training the young woman in combat skills, Jubilee noted. She had seen the two working together several times now. It was completely irrational, Jubilee knew, but she missed his attentions. When he wasnât working with Marrow, he tended to naturally spend his free time with Storm. Wolverineâs attitude towards Colossus â“ and the fact that Jubilee had had to confront him regarding it â“ didnât help matters any.
Mentally, Jubilee played back the consoling words that she knew Storm would say to her: `Your skills are at a level where you donât need one-on-one training any longer, and Wolverine knows that. And you are making adult decisions now in all areas of your life, which is certain to change all of your relationships with the othersâ.
But was it wrong for Jubilee to miss the days when Wolverine taught her to drive and doted on her in his gruff manner? Jubilee had no idea how to get that type of relationship back.
***
Back on earth, Northstar flew through the air. He reached a speed that was inhuman; it should have been impossible. He flew so fast that if someone from the ground were to look up, they would not have seen a person â“ at most, they would have seen a ripple in the sky and felt a gust of wind.
As he flew, Northstar desperately wished that Alpha Flight had a telepath on their team. He had to find his sister. Aurora had run away once since the team had covertly landed on earth. Northstar had found her and brought her back to the team. Now she had run away again and he was determined to once more retrieve her. James thought that FOH was closer and closer to realizing that Alpha Flight had returned to earth, and was now hot on their trail. Northstar had to find Aurora, fast.
His stomach made a rumbling noise. His clothes were damp from flying through rain. Northstar wished he was back on Haven, safe and satisfied, with Bobby in his arms. Some sense of duty had compelled him to return with his sister to earth, and now duty again had him scouring Canada for any sign of her. He wondered if he truly had made a mistake in returning to earth.
Just over 24 hours later, Northstarâs communicator sounded. âHurry!â Puck urged. âWe think FOH detected us. We had a glitch on the bridge and our cloak dropped for a few seconds. Weâre starting up the engines and getting ready to take off if we need to. I think theyâre sending a ship this wayâ.
âWeâre on our way back,â Northstar answered. âI found herâ.
He flew with Aurora in his arms. She had somehow injured her arm. This time she didnât resist when her brother carried her. She didnât yell at him or kick him, but she didnât make any attempt to fly herself either.
Northstar pushed himself harder and faster. His hunger, general fatigue, and the strain of carrying Aurora slowed him down considerably. He flew at a fraction of the speed he had the day before.
The twins reached the spot where the Maple Leaf had been hiding. Northstar looked at the indentations in the ground and he somehow knew that the cloaked ship was gone. He tried his communicator â“ a low-range device that would only pick up those in North America â“ and received no reply, no matter how many desperate times he tried.
âTheyâre gone,â Aurora breathed. âThey left us hereâ.
Northstarâs ears perked up. He grabbed Aurora and flew higher into the air. Two FOH trucks roared through the wilderness and reached the area that the Maple Leaf had been hiding. Soldiers dispersed and began to scour the area. Northstar, still holding his sister, flew away as fast as he could manage.
***
My communicator sounded just as I was walking towards the gym to begin my boring every-other-day weights workout.
âBobby, itâs the Professor. Can you join me in my room please?â
âIâll be there right away,â I said. I kind of half-walked and half-jogged towards the personnel quarters. I couldnât think of too many reasons why Xavier would be calling me. He had never summoned me to his room before. I hadnât been playing any practical jokes or doing anything that could get me in trouble, so I started having both fears and hopes about what this could mean.
âPlease, sit down,â he said, gesturing to the chair as soon as I stepped through the door.
âWhat is it?â I asked. I realized I was a bit winded and it obviously wasnât just from the fast pace I used to get to his room.
âI just made telepathic contact with James Hudson. He is in a starship with most of Alpha Flight; they left earth several days ago and should be rendezvousing with us soon,â the Professor said.
I couldnât read his expression, but I hung onto every word. âMost of Alpha Flight?â
âNorthstar and Aurora are not with them,â he said, plainly.
âWhat happened?? Are they dead?â Oh dear god. All the fears and worries I had over the past few weeks bubbled up. I knew my heart was racing. I tried to make myself just breathe. Then I had to make myself focus and listen to what the Professor was saying.
âJames does not knowâ.
âDoesnât know?? So they might be dead??â
âI know this is difficult. Please try to listen; I will tell you what happened, based on what James told me. He said that the team reached earth and began to search for their loved ones. During that time â“ and they were on earth for many days â“ Aurora ran away. Northstar and the others went off in search of her, and after a while, Northstar found her and brought her back to the team. By then, FOH was beginning to realize that Alpha Flight had returned and was close to tracking them down. James says that Aurora ran away again, and Northstar again went in search of her. The Maple Leaf took off when an FOH ship attacked it. He said that he didnât have a chance to ensure that everyone was accounted for, and that the FOH ship damaged their engines. They made it out of orbit and have enough power to cloak and move at low warp speeds. James felt that it was not safe to return to earth and look for Northstar and Auroraâ.
âNot safe?? What kind of asshole leaves his people behind like that?!â
âI share your frustration, Bobby. James told me that he had to make a decision based on the good of the majority of his team, who were on the Maple Leaf when FOH attacked. He said that had their ship not been damaged, he would have returned to earth to retrieve the twins. He felt that he couldnât risk his team being captured by FOH againâ.
I forced myself again to breathe and try to get calm but my heart was thudding. My throat was dry, I felt a bit dizzy, and was glad that I was sitting down.
âCan you sense them? Northstar and his sister?â
âWe are too far from earth for me to sense anyone on it. I am sorry, Bobby. When we are close to earth, I should have that ability and I promise you that I will let you know as soon as I have something definitiveâ.
âWhat about Caliban? Why didnât *he* sense Alpha Flight earlier? Can he tell us where Northstar is?â
âI believe that his powers allow him to only sense mutants whom he has met. He met several X-men before but apparently has not met anyone in Alpha Flightâ. Xavier took a breath. âFor all we know, Northstar and Aurora might be fine. There is a good chance they are evading FOH. Both are strong fighters with many years of experience in combat. Their powers to fly at hyper-speed should be a great asset in helping them resist captureâ.
âBut with Aurora being all mental, Iâm sure sheâs not in the best condition. And a big part of their plan was to use the cloaked ship as their base on earth. Without that, they donât have that many places to hide. And FOH probably still has that Banshee-like weapon, and the twins donât have a psionic shield to protect themselves from it. After all, they â“ and all of Alpha Flight â“ was captured by FOH once beforeâ. Despite the dread I was feeling, I was forcing my brain to think and function.
âThere are plenty of places to hide. And fortunately, it is only two of them who have to hide - and they should be on familiar territory. I knew this would be difficult news for you to take, Bobby, so I wanted to tell you first. Here is what I can promise you. When we get closer to earth, as I said, I will attempt to reach them telepathically. I will also insist to Magneto that our first order of business be to find them, when we reach earth. Convincing him may be a struggle as he is eager to defeat FOH, but I assure you that I will do everything I can to get him to agree to doing soâ.
I guess I was feeling all emotional or whatever, so when Xavier said those words, I got off my chair, reached over and bent down to hug him. âThank youâ. Then I stood back up. âWhat if he doesnât agree?â
âI will do everything I can to convince him, Bobby. If I canât, then we can explore other options such as breaking off with Magneto. I would prefer to keep that as a last resortâ.
I nodded. The Professor reached for one of my hands and gave it a squeeze, which was not a characteristic behavior of his.
âBe strong, Bobby. I encourage you to both hope for the best while mentally preparing for the worst. If FOH has captured them, there is a good chance that they would leave them alive for a while. They did so with both the X-men and Alpha Flight when they had captured us beforeâ.
âThey didnât leave Banshee or Kevin alive when they had them,â I said. My heart again fell to the floor.
âBased on what Moira shared with me, FOH waited weeks before executing them. But remember that we do not even know if FOH has captured Northstar and Aurora. They might be doing quite well hiding and waiting for a rescueâ.
The Professor paused and then said, sounding more business-like, âYou are the first person I have shared this information with â“ I have not yet told Cyclops or Storm that weâve made contact with Alpha Flight. I would like to do so now. Come with me; I am going to summon everyone to the bridge. We must discuss our planâ.
Obediently I followed his wheelchair. I tried to focus. Xavierâs tone and actions somehow kept me from breaking down and crying. But as I walked to the bridge, with my head down, I had to remember an article I read years ago. It was by this woman who waited her whole life to find her soulmate. She found her soulmate and the soulmate died within a year of cancer. Decades had passed and sheâd never met another â“ that had been her one chance, her one soulmate. I wondered if I would have the same kind of luck.
We got to the bridge, Xavier made an announcement, and everyone else was there within a minute or two. I slid down into one of the chairs as everyone else milled about and waited for the news.
So Xavier basically told the others what he told me. He said that he estimated Alpha Flightâs ship to be about four days away. When he gave them the news about Northstar and Aurora, Hank and Jubilee went right up to me. Hank put his hand on my shoulder.
I had been so wrapped up in thinking about Northstar, that I hadnât cared too much about the others in Alpha Flight or who was on the ship with them. The Professor said that all the others who had set out for earth were now back on the Maple Leaf, including Angel. In addition, Angel had located Psylocke. Years ago she had spent about 15 months with the X-men before leaving but apparently now she wanted to rejoin. They had only a few others with them: Sasquatchâs son and Heatherâs parents. Alpha Flight had not had much luck regrouping with the rest of their team. While on earth, they had learned that three members had died. Marrina and her husband had elected to remain on earth.
And that was that. The Professor said he would talk with Magneto in person. Apparently another shuttle was already scheduled to go from our ship to his; Forge was going to be on it to pay Emma a visit. Someone muttered something about Emma being âone busy and energetic ladyâ but I was so crushed over the news on the twins that I didnât crack a smile.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you for your review.
Chapter Sixteen by Stormkpr
Chapter Sixteen
Cyclops and Storm stood in the shuttle bay, watching as the forcefield was erected and the shuttle bearing Xavier and Forge departed into the dark vastness of space. The Prevail still warped slightly ahead of Victory. Both vessels had slightly lowered and matched their speed so that the shuttle transfer would be made easier. Cyclops looked at spaceâs blackness and again felt another twinge, thinking of HOW much distance now separated Jean from him. Anything could happen in the next few days or weeks â“ or months. And this enormous gulf separated him from the ones he loved the most.
âI thought I was getting used to it, but it still hurts every dayâ.
After the words escaped his mouth, Cyclops visibly started. He hadnât been aware that he was speaking aloud, but he wasnât upset by Storm gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
âI can only imagine what you are experiencing,â she said quietly. âI dearly hope this mission will go well and we can return to Haven soon. I believe it willâ.
Storm missed Jean too. And she didnât add in some speculation that had been occurring as the X-men got closer to earth. If they were able to topple FOH, wouldnât most X-men want to stay on earth and try to rebuilt mutant/human relations? Would Scott alone take Victory to return to Haven so he could be with Jean? Would some X-men want to go with Scott so they could remain on Haven, temporarily or permanently?
âI hope so too,â Scott murmured. He then added, sounding more like himself, âI hope the Professorâs discussion with Magneto goes well. Magneto might not agree to rescue the twins firstâ.
âHis whole reason for traveling through space, finding us, and giving us dilithium was so we could defeat FOH. I agree that convincing him to take a detour will be a difficult task. I am worried, for Bobbyâs sakeâ.
âYeah,â Scott said, realizing how true his words were, âme tooâ.
***
Magneto sat facing Xavier. He looked at the other man, unable to decide whether he loved him, despised him, pitied him, or was mystified by him. Perhaps it truly was all of the above, he speculated.
âI was not aware that the X-men planned their battles and strategies to suit the needs of a homosexual romance,â Magneto commented. He had asked Xavier why they cared so much about Northstar and Aurora - above and beyond the fact that they were two powerful mutants - and Xavierâs answer had been honest.
âI truly believe that finding the twins â“ and rescuing them â“ will not require more than a day or two of our efforts,â Xavier insisted. âFOH has been in power for so long, does a day or two really matter?â
Magneto chuckled. âNo. No, it does notâ. He spread his hands. âI will not oppose your plans, Charles. Find and rescue the twins, and then we will get to work on defeating FOH. Do not look so surprised. I am consenting to this because we need every powerful mutant we can find and, as you say, this will not take the X-men long to doâ.
âThank you, Magnus,â Xavier said, still truly surprised.
Magneto shook his head. âYou X-men. Always sopping over with love and compassion. It is your fatal weaknessâ.
âOn the contrary,â the Professor replied, âit is a strengthâ.
***
Rogue nearly bumped into Hank as she walked down the corridor containing the personnel quarters.
âDidja just come from Bobbyâs room?â she asked Hank. âHow is he?â
âHe appears worse, from my perspective,â Hank answered. âI brought him some ice cream hoping that it would cheer him up. He seems both depressed and anxiousâ.
Wolverine had been walking down the hallway as well and heard their exchange. âSession in the Danger Roomâs what the boy needs. Thatâll help him work it offâ.
âI truly am not certain what will assist him in feeling better, other than us demonstrating that we care about himâ.
âI can do that,â Rogue said, âLemme talk to him nowâ.
With that, Rogue rapped gently on Bobbyâs door. âItâs Rogue. Can I come in?â
Bobby mumbled his assent, and Rogue entered the room. Although she failed to coax him out to join the others for games in the rec room or for action in the Danger Room, she did sit with him for a long time. He said that he didnât want to talk about Northstar, so Rogue just kept him talking about whatever subjects came to mind. He seemed to appreciate her presence, Rogue surmised, as he stirred a spoon around his half-eaten bowl of ice cream.
After a while, Professor Xavier knocked on the door and asked to be let in. Bobby nearly leapt to his feet.
âHeâs back from Magnetoâs ship,â Rogue said, though she was stating the obvious.
âHello Bobby,â the Professor greeted as his wheelchair glided through the doorway. âI do have a bit of good news for you. Magneto agreed with our plan to search for the twins first. He didnât resist that plan; he agreed with the idea of finding Northstar and Aurora first before we battle FOHâ.
Bobby blinked and then went up to the Professor. âThank you,â Bobby said. âThank you very much. Whatever you said to Magneto mustâve convinced himâ.
âThere is no need to thank meâ. The Professor then turned towards the door. âI will let you know as soon as we are close enough to earth to make telepathic contact with people on our planetâ.
Rogue looked at Bobby. She guessed that the Professor must have noticed Bobby getting choked up and perhaps timed his exit so he would leave quickly in case Bobby did not want the older man to see him crying. She did notice a tear forming in one of his eyes and reached to give Bobby a spontaneous hug. Rogue realized that she couldnât remember ever seeing Bobby cry. He was certainly more in touch with his emotions than a lot of people she knew, but he tended to have a happy-go-lucky, joking persona at most times.
âIâm okay,â Bobby muttered unconvincingly.
âItâs okay to cry if you wanna,â Rogue said. She continued to embrace him until he slowly pulled away.
Bobby wiped at the moistness in the corner of one of his eyes. âIâm okay,â he repeated, sounding more sure of himself this time. âIâm so relieved that Magneto agreed to it. And Iâm so worried about Jean Paul. If something happened to himâŠRogue, I donât know what Iâd do. I really donâtâ.
Rogue spontaneously hugged Bobby again. She felt something click inside her head; perhaps an emotional wall fell as well. She wasnât sure if it was the look on Bobbyâs face, the quavering of his voice, or the certainty she had that Bobby truly would suffer immensely if harm befell Northstar.
The two sat together for a while after that. They again resumed talking about whatever subjects came to mind. At one point Jubilee knocked on the door and delivered more ice cream to Bobby, which he ate with relish despite his earlier consumption of the dessert.
âPoor guy,â Rogue said, a few hours later as she lay in bed next to Gambit. Gambit reached over and turned the light off. âHeâs really hurtinââ.
ââCourse heâs hurtinâ, chere,â Gambit said gently. âBad enough when he jusâ missed Northstar. Now he knows dat we donât know where he is, dat sometâinâ couldda happen to him. Itâd drive Gambit crazy if you were in Northstarâs placeâ.
Rogue turned towards Gambit. âYes,â she said slowly, her mind at last coming to a realization. âYes, I can see that! It really would be the same, it would hurt just as muchâ. She flung her arms around Gambit. âThank you, Remy. I get it nowâ.
Gambit returned the embrace, knowing that Rogue truly did understand at last.
***
Our ship met up with Alpha Flightâs. The Maple Leaf was not able to keep up with the warp speed of Victory or the Prevail, so we ended up tugging them in our tractor beam after Cyclops and James talked over subspace and figured out that would be the best way. We sent two of our shuttles to the Maple Leaf so we could meet face to face with Alpha Flight. Alpha Flightâs members used the shuttles to board Victory, and we met inside Victoryâs largest conference room.
I sat there with a neutral expression on my face. I was really mad at James, mad at all of them for leaving Northstar and Aurora. But Iâd cried and pounded the walls so much the past few days that I was a bit drained inside too, and not up for any confrontation.
Puck went up to where I sat and slapped my back. âIâm sorry, pal,â he said, sounding sincere. âI gotta think that Xavier can find the twins soon. If I couldâve done anything to prevent taking off without them, I wouldâve but we honestly had no choice if we didnât want to get captured ourselvesâ.
I quietly thanked him, my anger - at him anyway â“ fading away. Puck then added that heâd be glad to talk with me more, later. I think I nodded and said Iâd like that.
Angel and Psylocke were greeted with hearty handshakes and hugs by the X-men. I donât remember if I said anything to them but I didnât think that I went up to them or anything like that. During the meeting, I just had to look at their body language and it was clear that they were âan itemâ again. Man, that Angel, he sure doesnât waste any time. He obviously had determined that he wanted a woman (I had heard a more crude term used by someone else to describe what he wanted) and did whatever it took to get one, even if it meant leaving his team and hopping on board a creaky old starship for a journey lasting months. He and Psylocke looked happy enough, which filled me with resentment. Puck later told me that during Alpha Flightâs trip to earth, when Aurora was the only female on board the ship, Angel had hit on her. Northstar had told him to stay away from his sister, Puck said, but Aurora might have thought she could make Walter jealous and return to her, so she had slept with Angel a few times. Whatever the case, now Angel was obviously with Psylocke.
We sat down in the conference room with Alpha Flight, and each team filled the other in on what it had missed. Alpha Flight was obviously upset that their mission hadnât gone too well. They lost the twins, and they learned that three more team members had died while they were away. Their only successes were reuniting with Heatherâs parents â“ who were eager to join their daughter and grandchild on Haven â“ and Walterâs son. They also said that FOH was âeverywhereâ and more powerful than before. They had spent all their time on earth on the run, using the cloaked ship to hide.
Once we updated them on our plans for what we wanted to do earth, Storm then asked, âWhich of you would like to join us and which of you will be returning to Haven?â
Alpha Flight must have been discussing that very question ever since the Professor had made contact with them. Those who wanted to join us in our fight against FOH â“ in addition to Angel and Psylocke, of course -- were Puck, Shaman, Flex, and Radius. That was it. All the others wanted to return to Haven.
I tuned back in to hear James say, âOf course the Maple Leaf was damaged by that FOH ship when we left earth. We think we can make it back to Haven but we would really appreciate it if Forge and Beast would take some time to look at our engines. My team is smart but we donât have anyone quite as good with technology as the two of you. I think if some repairs could be made, we would have no problem making it all the way back to Havenâ.
And then Rogue shocked me. She nearly burst out of her seat and said, âNo way â“ we gotta get to earth to rescue the twins and we ainât got no time to fix your blasted ship! Our first priorityâs to get the twins back - Bobbyâs gotta be with his partner!â
I was surprised â“ or really shocked --- to hear her say that, and so passionately too. A few times in the past, Iâd had the tiniest feeling that she hadnât been comfortable with the idea of me being gay ever since Iâd had a boyfriend, but wow â“ I mustâve been totally wrong on that one.
I noticed that her outburst may have raised a few eyebrows, but not that many. I actually saw a few people nodding agreement. That surprised me too.
Puck said, âSheâs got a point. Every minute we delay getting back to earth isnât good in terms of us finding Northstar and Aurora. I donât think FOH has them, but if they do, we donât have time to wasteâ.
The issue was not debated much, as it turned out. After talking through several options, it was decided that Hank and Forge would board the Maple Leaf and assess the engine damage. If they could repair it quickly, then they would do so. If it would require more time, then Victory would tow the Maple Leaf back towards earth in our tractor beam, and those who didnât want to fight FOH would remain on board the cloaked Maple Leaf while the X-men and Magnetoâs team took out FOH. If the battle took a long time, it would obviously delay those on the Maple Leaf who wanted to return home but it might be better for them in the long run anyway given how long the trip to Haven would take with their ship weakened.
The group discussed the matter quickly, which I was glad for. Puckâs words kept rolling around in my head. He didnât think FOH had Northstar and AuroraâŠbut what if they did? We just had no time to lose.
***
Cyclops rode in one of the shuttles, along with Hank and Forge, to the Maple Leaf.
Part of his reason for accompanying them was pure curiosity. He had never been inside the Maple Leaf â“ no X-man other than Angel had â“ and wanted to see how bad it was.
The ship was small, much smaller than Victory. From the inside, it appeared even tinier, as if the insides were folding in on the ship and most of its bulk was comprised of ship equipment. Apparently the inside of the ship was one large cylindrical shape with only one large corridor connecting the different rooms. The bridge was at one end of the cylinder, the engine room at the opposite end. In between were personnel quarters and a few other rooms. As James led the X-men to the engines, they walked right through the mess hall; there was no other way to get from the loading dock to the engines. The mess hall consisted of little more than a large rectangular table, alongside a food replicator and several cabinets. Adjacent to it was Maple Leafâs version of a rec room, which consisted of nothing more than a sofa and a few chairs around a table. They also passed an infirmary, which contained a large window allowing Scott a glimpse inside. It was no bigger than one of the personnel quarters on Victory and contained only two beds.
Cyclops watched Beast and Forge as they surveyed the engineâs damage. He wanted to learn more about this function himself and struggled to follow their dialog and diagnostics.
âWell?â James asked, after a while.
âThere are a few parts we need to replicate from Victory,â Forge said, âOnce we have them, we should be able to get this fixed in a matter of hoursâ.
âI estimate three to five hours,â Hank added.
The two men worked quickly once they had the parts needed.
âWould you like something to eat or drink?â James asked Cyclops. âFeel free to make yourself at home in our mess hall while you waitâ.
âThank you,â Cyclops replied. âI wouldnât mind some coffeeâ. He had been drinking more of it than he knew was prudent, but the feeling of his stomach being irritated didnât bother him as much anymore â“ not when the rest of him constantly hurt so much.
Cyclops sat opposite James at the table. The seat creaked a bit, and Scott noticed that the mug containing his coffee was slightly chipped. Looking at Jamesâ face, though, he had a sudden insight that James loved this ship, flaws and all. Perhaps he loved it more due to its flaws. James had touched one of the walls in the engine room with what could only be described as affection.
âI know itâs very hard for you,â James said, âbeing apart from your wife. For what itâs worth, though, Iâm glad sheâs there to keep Heather companyâ.
âI am as well,â Scott admitted. âI would have had a very hard time with the idea of leaving Jean alone with the baby on Haven. I think it must be much easier for both women that there is another adult there with themâ.
âThey seemed to get along well. I know that Jean was a big support to Heather before and after she gave birth to Briannaâ.
âThey spent a lot of time together before we left as well. Comparing notes, that sort of thingâ.
âI take it your son is doing well?â James asked.
âYes,â Scott replied. âHe was very well and healthy when we left. He always woke up at least once during the night though. I wonder if he still does that,â he added, and his heart ached anew.
James got an idea. He stood up and opened a drawer, retrieving pen and paper. âSince it looks like your people will be able to repair our engines, weâll be heading back towards Haven then. Would you like to write a note for Jean? I will take it to her. Of course I hope the X-men will succeed on their mission â“ and if all goes well, you might get to Haven only days after we do, given how much faster your ship is. ButâŠâ
âBut we donât know what will happen,â Scott finished. âThank you for the offer. I would love to write a letter to Jean. Thank you,â he said, reaching for the pen and paper.
âI think I have some envelopes in my room. Iâll bring one to you so you can seal your messageâ.
***
So we were lucky, I guess. Forge and Beast got Alpha Flightâs ship fixed fast. So the Maple Leaf headed for Haven, and the other two ships continued on to earth. Puck, Shaman, Flex, and Radius had gathered their few belongings and actually boarded Magnetoâs ship, not ours, for the rest of the trip to earth. We were out of empty personnel quarters on Victory, but I suspect that the real reason they elected to ride with Magnetoâs team may have been because word got out about Emma offering freebies. Heck, some people speculated that Flex and Radiusâs main reason for choosing to fight FOH instead of return to Haven had to do with Emma. There were also whispers that Cannonball and Forge might not have been too thrilled about getting to see less of Emma. When certain people were not in the room, this topic in general was the subject of some bawdy remarks.
I tried to be happy that things were going about as well as they could be. We had more people with us going off to fight FOH. When I counted everyone on board the two ships, I came up with a total of twenty-seven fighters, plus Moira and Siryn. So we had a small, well-trained army. And we had all agreed to find Northstar and Aurora before doing anything else. The rest of the group took good care of me, checking in on me often. Even Storm, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler made time to talk with me, in addition to the people I was closest to. Rogue had always been a sweetheart to me but she seemed even warmer now.
I still had butterflies in my stomach most of the time, I still had trouble eating much, I didnât sleep too well either â“ but maybe things would turn out to be alright. I would repeat that to myself, anyway, each night before Iâd fall asleep for a few hours.
***
âHow badâs it on earth?â Wolverine asked.
âItâs bad,â Angel replied. âWorse than when we left. FOH really does run everything. People hate us more than beforeâ. He paused and added, âAnd FOH crashed every one of my accounts except for the one that I took the most pain to hide, a Swiss bank account. Everything else I owned is goneâ.
Storm, Wolverine, Bobby, Angel, and Psylocke were sitting in the dining hall. They had lingered over their dinner; everyone else had dispersed for the evening.
Storm tried to muster some words of sympathy for Angel. She had never known the wealth he had been born into; she knew that she didnât realize what this loss meant to Angel.
âI am sorry to hear this,â she said. âI imagine it also means that most of the Professorâs accounts are likely compromised. Still, I am certain that we X-men as a team will always find a way to get by â“ once FOH is defeatedâ.
âMaybe there are enough of us here that we can defeat them,â Psylocke said. She turned to Bobby. âYou didnât used to be a fighter but I heard that youâre back in the Danger Room. Congratulations. What made you decide to do it?â
âOh,â Bobby said, and then smiled, âMy boyfriend made meâ.
Psylocke returned his smile at the comment.
Wolverine then said, âBack to that part about defeating FOH. What do you think, Psylocke, from your time on earth â“ got any tips?â
Psylocke and Angel had made a full report to the X-men shortly after they boarded the ship. Psylocke had been in hiding for the last several months and had been part of a loose band of mutants who had attempted to fight back against FOH.
âJust that I hope Xavier is about ten times more powerful than I,â she replied. âI tried to use my powers on them but I could never influence more than a few of them at one time. I spent most of my time on the run, trying to figure out what I could find food and weapons. I never had much time to think about how to beat them. I was so glad when I sensed Warrenâ.
Storm listened to Psylockeâs words. Years ago, during a meeting with the Professor and Cyclops, the Professor had said that he sensed Psylocke had potential to be nearly as powerful as Jean. But Psylocke had never cared much for hard work, or for some of the restrictions life as an X-man could entail.
Storm then took another look at Psylocke and then one at Wolverine. `Does he find her attractive?â Storm wondered. She had a momentary flash of intuition telling her that he did, and she found the notion alarming. Storm forced herself to calm down. `Why am I so jealous? If he does find her attractive, then so be it. It does not mean that he will be unfaithful to me. Besides, Psylocke does not â“ as far as I know â“ comport herself the way Emma does. I donât think she intends to sleep with anyone other than Angelâ. Storm again took a breath and quelled the storm inside of her.
She wished Jean were here. Storm momentarily found the idea of pouring her emotions out to Jean appealing. She could ask Jean how she could stand opening her heart the way she did, knowing that it could be trampled any day. She could ask Jean if she ever faced these insecurities, if she ever disliked the way love made her feel. Jean would say that it is better to be open to the possibility of hurt, no matter how uncomfortable it made you, Storm told herself.
âWhatâs on your mind?â Logan asked, as they walked towards the personnel quarters. The two had agreed to share a room so that Angel and Psylocke would have a room â“ otherwise Angel and Psylocke would have no other quarters other than the barracks, which Moonstar and Marrow had already taken over.
âI, um, I was wondering how you would fare now that we have to share a room,â Storm said, as the door to the room slid open. Storm had moved her belongings into what had previously been solely Wolverineâs room. âI know that you value time aloneâ.
âYou do too. But we all gotta make sacrificesâ.
Storm looked at his face and detected a playful tone in his voice.
âSacrifices?â she queried.
âYep. Like I gotta wake up next to a gorgeous lady every morninâ. Thatâs gonna be rough,â he said, as he reached for her.
âOh, Logan, surely you have seen me enough times early in the morning to realize that I am not quite gorgeous then,â Ororo smiled.
âThereâll be other sacrifices too,â Logan went on. âWe might haveta shower together sometimes. To save time, if weâre both runninâ lateâ.
Ororo had wanted to begin a serious discussion of how they would balance both of their needs for alone time with the fact that they now had to share a room. But she realized that perhaps Loganâs attitude was the better one. There was nothing they could do about it, so why not have a laugh over it? Victory was a large ship; if one of them absolutely had to get away, there were places they could go.
âThat is very true,â she said, as Logan nuzzled her neck with his lips. âIn fact, I could test the shower right now. I could ensure that it functions as well as the one inside my former roomâ.
âI could watch you,â he offered, as his hands roamed her body. âCould do some things to you when you get outta it tooâ.
Storm moaned. Sharing a room would have some upsides, she realized.
***
Hank and I were in the gym. He was making sure I stayed on track with the weight regimen Iâd been on.
âTry to focus, Bobby. The aphorism is âmind in the muscleâ, and I do believe there is truth to it,â he said.
âOkay, okay,â I grumbled. âWhat, are you Cyclops in the old days, thinking that lecturing me is gonna make me work harder?â I then realized that I likely came off as more harsh than sarcastic. I set the barbell down. âSorry, Hank. I didnât mean to sound like a jerkâ.
âThere is no need to apologize; I did not take offense. I understand that you have been preoccupied as of lateâ.
âI have. We keep getting closer and closer to earth but Professor Xavier hasnât been able to make contact with anyone there yet. I know heâll tell me as soon as he can. But I keep wanting to go up to him every minute and ask him if heâs tryingâ.
âI understand, Bobby. I am certain that the Professor views your need to know Northstarâs whereabouts as an important priority. He demonstrated that he views it as important by traveling to Magnetoâs ship and insisting that we be allowed to find the Northstar and Aurora before we undertake anything else on earth. Thus you can rest assured that he will inform you the minute he has more informationâ.
âYouâre right. I need to chill out a bitâ.
We got back to weight lifting. I tried to focus and do all the reps slowly and with the right form. After all, it still wasnât like there was much else to do so I had plenty of time. But I was still happy when Iâd finished the last one.
âWhat do you want to do now?â I asked Hank once Iâd finished stretching. âNeither of us has bridge duty till tomorrow. Hey â“ you want me to brush you?â
âI thank you for the offer, but I believe that my coat is sufficiently maintained right now. Would you care to join me in the rec room? I would enjoy a game or two before resuming my lab workâ.
âSure,â I said. I think that was the first time Hank turned down an offer of coat-brushing.
***
Cannonball walked down Victoryâs corridor towards the shuttle bay. He had some time scheduled with Emma today. He was surprised when he heard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Jubilee, carrying a tote bag.
âHi, Sam,â she said. âIâm going to the shuttle bay too. I thought Iâd share a ride to the Prevail with youâ.
âReally?â he asked, confused. âWhat are you going over there for?â
âRadius. He and I have been talking over subspace and are going to spend some time togetherâ.
âOhâ.
Sam made a concerted effort to not look at Jubilee. He avoided eye contact with her as they boarded the shuttle. He sat in the pilotâs seat and punched in the familiar coordinates, not taking his eyes from the console.
âYou donât have to treat me like I got the plague,â Jubilee finally said.
Sam looked at his fingers on the control panel and idly began to play with the band on his watch. âSo what does Colossus think about all this?â he finally asked.
âI donât know,â Jubilee said simply. âI didnât really think about it when he made a visit to see Emma that one time. Peter and I are just friends who sleep together but we donât own each otherâ. Her dialog with Sam today was already the longest exchange she had had with him for weeks.
Sam took a breath and tapped his hand against the panel. âOkay, Jubilee. I donât get it. Youâre a sweet, warm, *nice* girl. Youâre not like Emma at all, and I mean that as a compliment. I wouldâve loved to have still been your boyfriend. Whatâs with all thisâŠplaying the field?â
âI already told you, Sam,â she responded, keeping her tone light. âI thought about it a lot and Iâm just not into being in a relationship now. I donât want to be someoneâs girlfriend now, but I donât want to be celibate either. So this is what works for me. Radius invited me to spend some time with him and I thought Iâd give it a tryâ. She paused, âMaybe later on someday Iâll wanna settle down and be someoneâs girlfriend or wife, but Iâm just not ready to do that now â“ and maybe I wonât ever want it, I dunnoâ.
âIt seems like it makes Jean, Rogue, and Storm happy â“ to settle down with one manâ.
âBut Iâm not Jean, Storm, or Rogue!â
Sam finally looked at her. âItâs your life and you can do what you want with it. But I really care about you, Jubilee. Emma might beâŠa hottie, or whatever you call it, but shuttling back and forth to have meaningless sex with someone who I donât got much to talk about with â“ it ainât doing it for me. It ainât doing anything other than relieving a physical need, anyway. Jubilee, if you ever want more thanâŠmore than an itch scratched, if you ever get tired of sampling the field and you do want a relationship again â“ Iâd be honored to be your boyfriendâ.
âYou are such a sweetie, Sam. But like I said, thatâs just not where Iâm at nowâ. She paused and then boldly put a hand on his shoulder. âYou were really good thoughâŠif you ever want to go back to being âfriends with benefitsââŠâ She let her voice trail off.
Sam shrugged her hand off. âNo, thanks. It just doesnât feel right to me. Guess Iâm too old-fashioned to have that sort of relationship with a girl I actually care aboutâ.
âSuit yourselfâ.
There was silence for several more moments. And then Jubilee asked a question she had been wondering about. She knew how much Sam loved his biological family. âHas the Professor made contact with your parents and sister yet? Do you know how theyâre doing?â
At first Jubilee thought that Sam wasnât going to answer, because he was quiet for a bit. He finally said, âHe hasnât reached anyone on earth yet. He said heâll tell me as soon as he can reach them. I really hope theyâre okayâ.
âMe tooâ.
The shuttle soon began docking procedures as it reached the Prevail. Jubilee didnât know what Radius would be like in bed and looked forward to finding out.
***
Jubilee found it natural that she went to Bobby to talk about her experiences. He was really the only person she felt comfortable confiding in when it came to this type of thing. Storm and Wolverine were too much like an Aunt and Uncle. Other than Rogue, Jubilee wasnât close to the other women on the ship, and even she and Rogue had never been the best of friends; Jubilee sensed that the older woman was perhaps even a bit judgmental regarding the way Jubilee conducted her personal life. But Bobby was never judgmental and very curious. Additionally, Jubilee was glad for anything that would distract Bobby from his worry over Northstar.
âSoâŠhow did it go?â Bobby asked. The two sat inside his room for privacy.
âItâs was good,â Jubilee said. âPretty good, I mean. I guess itâs usually awkward when itâs your first time with someone new. He definitely knew what he was doing thoughâ.
âHow did he compare with the others? If I may be so boldâ.
Jubilee thought. âUmmmâŠnot as good as Sam, but better than Peter. But even if I wanted a boyfriend, I definitely wouldnât want Radius as my boyfriend. The guyâs kinda arrogant and I think some of that came through when we were together. Even though we didnât talk that much,â she added.
âAre you gonna go to him again?â
âIâd like to, I guess. Yeah, I guess I would since heâs better at it than Peter â“ who has improved, by the way. But I kinda want to wait for Radius to invite me rather than asking him. I dunno whyâ.
âMaybe you donât want to appear too desperate,â Bobby suggested. âThereâs something to thatâ.
âPlus, it does kinda feel *weird* to be taking a shuttle to go to another ship to go and have sex. Iâm not embarrassed about it but it just feels funny when everyone knows what youâre doingâ.
âYeah, I could see that. I bet Sam and Forge feel awkward about all their trips to see Emma. But you know, I guess at some point you canât care too much about other peopleâs gossip, you know? Iâm sure some people gossip about me and I really donât care that muchâ.
Someone knocked on the door to Bobbyâs room. âCome in,â Bobby called.
His heart skipped a beat or two when the Professor entered the room. There could be only one reason why the Professor was paying him a visit.
âI have made contact with Northstar,â the Professor went directly to the information Bobby wanted. âHe is alive and relatively wellâ.
âOh thank god!â Bobby said, practically leaping out of his seat. âWhat did he say? Where is he?â
âHe and his sister are hiding out from FOH. He thought it wise not to divulge their exact location until we X-men were in a position to rescue them, an idea with which I agreeâ. Xavier paused and added, âThey are both tired â“ being constantly on the run, trying to get enough food and enough rest is difficult. He also said that Aurora has injured her arm and needs medical attentionâ.
âHow far are we from earth?â Jubilee asked.
âThree days and about, oh, seven hours,â Bobby answered. He regularly checked in with the bridge for the latest ETA and had just gotten one before Jubilee entered his room.
âSo I guess itâs good news then,â Jubilee said. âTheyâre alive and okayâ.
âWhat do they think about their chances to stay away from FOH?â Bobby asked. âLike, is he worried that they might get caught?â
âHe is always worried,â the Professor responded. âHe is always vigilant, which I think is the only reasonable mindset. He hopes they will continue to evade FOH but knows that one can never be too cautiousâ. He paused and added, âHe told me to tell you that he misses you and loves you, and hopes to see you soonâ.
***
Rogue entered the equipment room, adjacent to the Danger Room. During her practice session today, she wanted to get familiar once more with firing a gun. The X-men frequently trained in combat skills that didnât use their powers; Rogue wanted to be even more prepared to use a weapon and fight back in the event that FOH could somehow again nullify her powers.
As she examined the gun to ensure the appropriate safety measure were on, Storm entered the equipment room.
âIt appears that you are doing exactly what I had planned as well,â Storm said.
âYou said it! Gotta be ready for anythinâ,â Rogue commented. âDonât wanna forget what to do with one of theseâ.
âI could use a refresher myselfâ.
As Storm searched through the rack where the guns were stored, Rogue took on a more solemn tone and asked, âYou talked to Jubilee lately?â
âI talk to her all the time, Rogue. She seems quite well to me. Is there something you are concerned about?â
Rogue rolled her eyes, âOh Storm, quit beatinâ âround the bush! Whatâs with Jubilee goinâ over to the other ship so she can sleep with Radius? Bad enough all that business with her droppinâ Sam as her boyfriend but keepinâ him in her bedroom, and then her startinâ up with Colossus this wayâ.
âNow, RogueâŠâ Storm began.
âWhat? Iâm just worried âbout her. I really donât get it. I never slept with anyone but Remy and never wanted toâ.
âIt is not our place to judge her,â Storm said calmly. âAnd people are all different in what they need and want. What works well for you might not work for someone elseâ.
âSo you really ainât the least bit worried? Youâre not thinkinâ that there is something wrong with her?â
Storm loved Rogue as a sister but she failed to see the point of this line of questioning. Part of her suspected that Rogue herself was not truly concerned with Jubilee but rather wanting to call Jubileeâs motives into question. She also had to bite her tongue to keep from pointing out that Jubilee certainly had not had anywhere near the number of bedroom partners that Gambit had surely had before he met Rogue.
âJubilee seems well and healthy, in every interaction we have had lately. I would be concerned if that were not the case or if she were not practicing safe sex, but she assures me that she isâ. Storm paused. âI know that Jubilee conducts her personal life differently than you conduct yours, but that is alrightâ.
âI guess so. It just seems real weird to me, especially when Samâs so nice and heâs so sweet on her stillâ.
âJubilee is young. Perhaps with youth thereâs a desire to experiment and to not want a sense of being tied down. Truthfully, Rogue, when I was her age I did not want to settle down with one man eitherâ. Storm paused. âBeing in a relationship requires some degree of work, and a big degree of emotional investment. You can see how being separated from Jean is hurting Cyclops. I can understand that not everyone would like that type of emotional investmentâ.
Rogue was silent for a moment or two. âBut you got it now. You and Loganâ.
âYes,â Storm said. She was unable to suppress a small smile. She put a hand on Rogueâs shoulder. âBecoming emotionally attached to someone can open one up for heartbreak. And yet I am happier than I ever dreamed possibleâ.
Rogueâs heart warmed. It was refreshing, and indeed surprising, to hear Storm open up and to see the obvious joy on her face. âThat so, girl? Iâm happy for youâ.
âI am happy for Logan,â Storm said. âPerhaps it is boastful of me to think so, but I believe he is happier than he has been before, and I do hope that our relationship is part of thatâ.
âYou can bet it is,â Rogue said. She thought of Gambit and wrapped her arms around herself. âNothinâ like cuddlinâ with the man you love, fallinâ asleep in his arms, feelinâ that security. Itâs worth every bit of the uncomfortable feelinâ you get from havinâ to open your heart up. That girl Jubilee donât know what sheâs missinâ!â
***
The Professorâs communicator sounded. âProfessor, itâs Nightcrawler. You have a subspace message from Moira MacTaggertâ.
The Professor raced to the bridge. He imaged that Moira had used subspace to reach him because she could not initiate telepathic contact.
âIs the offer to get together still available?â her message read. âIf it is, perhaps we could have breakfast together somedayâ.
Soon, Moira was on board a shuttle heading from the Prevail to Victory. The Professor met her in the shuttle bay and they went to his room together. Moira had said that she would prefer a private meal, and so Xavier had made arrangements.
As the two headed through the corridors to his room, the Professor told Moira about his progress with Dani Moonstar, sensing that she had always liked the young woman. âShe has such potential and she is learning wellâ. He paused and asked, âHow is Siryn?â
âThe same, mostly. She comes out of her room about once a day. But she is not interested in anything,â Moira answered. âAs far as I can tell, she spends all day either sleeping or in the bathtub. I think her skin has turned pink from all the bathing - though I rarely see any of her skinâ.
âDo you think she would be interested in talking with me? Or with anyone?â
âI asked her again but she said no. She barely even talks to me. I canna imagine how she isnât bored out of her mind. But the poor dearâs mind is so destroyed nowâŠâ
They reached the Professorâs room. A table and two chairs had already been set up, and Xavier pressed a few buttons on his communicator. Shortly afterwards, Bobby arrived at his door holding a tray full of food.
âHow sweet,â Moira smiled thinly. âRoom serviceâ.
Xavier looked at her as she spoke. He heard remnants of the old Moira. Her voice still sounded so weak though, so distant. But the smile warned Xavier, even if it had been a small one.
âI moonlight as a waiter; the Professor said heâd give me a tip when we get back to earth,â Bobby grinned. He set the tray down and arranged the breakfast on the table. âAny news, Professor?â he asked.
âNo updates. I will contact you immediately after my next check-in with Northstarâ.
After Bobby left, the Professor explained, âI telepathically check in with Northstar every two hours. Bobby likes getting a regular updateâ.
Moira was silent. Xavier again saw the very far-away look in Moiraâs eyes. He was unsure what to say and almost wished to probe her mind though he would never do so. âWe are just under 48 hours from earth now,â Xavier said.
âCharles. Will you be going into combat? I mean, will you be in danger?â
âI believe that all of us will be in one form of danger or another. Based on our initial discussions with Magneto and with the X-men, I will likely remain on board the ship though. I can use my powers from a distance, and we do need to have people remaining on board the shipsâ.
Moira was silent. The Professor gently began, âYou look as if you have something to say. Please, Moira, I am always listening to youâ.
Moira looked at her tea instead of meeting Charlesâ gaze. She then said, âBut you will be in some danger, Charles. We dona know what might happenâ.
âThat is true,â he admitted. âThere is always some risk. We must â“â
Moira stood up. Her voice was calm and steady, almost robotic. âI am sorry, Charles. I should never have come here. I want to be as numb as Siryn. I dona want to care about another living soul â“ not for the rest of my lifeâ.
With that, Moira turned and left the room, nearly colliding with Cyclops who had been walking down the hall. The Professor followed Moira, asking her to stay and talk or at least stay and finish the breakfast. Moira did not speak again, entered the shuttle bay, and began preparations to depart Victory in the shuttle.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you for your review.
Chapter Seventeen by Stormkpr
Chapter Seventeen
Welcome to the penultimate chapter!
***
Gambit undressed for bed, deftly slipping out of his clothing. He missed the warm temperatures on Haven. Although Havenâs evenings tended to be quite cool, the fact was that Victory â“ being out in space - was always a few temperatures colder than heâd prefer.
Rogue entered their room, straight from the bridge. âWe got 36 hours till earth,â she said. Normally the sight of an undressed Gambit under the covers would have stirred her up quite a bit, but they had been intimate earlier in the day and Rogue was ready for sleep as well.
âYou nervous?â he asked.
âA little. Mostly Iâm ready to kick some FOH butt!â Rogue would never enjoy battle for battleâs sake, but she had always found it satisfying when the X-men defeated a foe â“ especially one as truly evil as FOH.
âMe too. We better trained den everâ.
âAnâ we got more fighters too, and Xavier willinâ to use his powers on their minds. FOH is gonna be toastâ.
Rogue then rummaged through her drawer for her nightgown and donned the sage green item. She already wore her bracelet so she could safely nestle next to Gambit on the bed.
âWhat you tâink happen after we beat âem?â Gambit asked, as Rogue settled in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her.
Rogue tilted her head up to try to look at Gambitâs face in the darkened room. His red-black eyes were always alluring but still mysterious. âYou never been one for planninâ too far ahead, Cajun,â she observed.
âGotta take each day as it come,â he admitted.
âSo whyâre you wonderinâ what comes next when we beat FOH?â She guessed that her lover had something on his mind.
Remy hesitated. He hadnât been planning on telling her the real reason. But then he entertained the idea of just opening up and seeing where it went. It wasnât like they hadnât discussed the subject before; just a few months ago theyâd had a talk about it on Haven.
âRemy wanna marry you. Been tâinkinâ where we can do it. Tâinking âbout where I wanna propose to youâ.
âOh, Remy, how romantic! You really think âbout all that, and right when weâre about to battle FOH. Youâre such a gentleman!â
âI wanna spend the rest of my life witâ you,â he said simply.
âI feel the same way too!â She paused, âAnd Remy, I mean what I said back on Haven. I donât need no big fancy weddinâ. I mean, I wouldnât mind it but I donât need it, you know?â
âStill wanna make sure you get to experience what you deserve dough. Anâ it be hard to plan dat out since we donât know what gonna happen in the fight againsâ FOH and the weeks and montâs after datâ.
Rogue placed a few kisses on Gambitâs face. âWe donât know whatâs gonna happen, thatâs true. But maybe we can find somewhere, somehow to make it happen. We got time. I ainât worried about it, Remyâ.
âDen I wonât worry eitâer. I love you, chereâ.
âLove you too, Remyâ.
Gambit soon drifted off to sleep. He was feeling good about their future. FOH could be defeated, he thought. He and Rogue were happier together than ever.
***
The Professor sat with Cyclops during Cyclopsâs bridge duty shift.
âDo you want to talk about what happened with Moira the other day?â Scott asked gently. He hadnât been sure whether or not to bring it up, but was feeling that by now Xavier would at least be able to open to the question.
âI do not feel a particular need to discuss it,â Xavier responded. âShe has been through so much trauma. Emotional numbness is her way of coping with it. In the short-run it may work well for her, though I believe in the long-run it will not. However, at this stage I do not know how I can help herâ. He paused. âFor all we know, perhaps something will happen to me during our struggle with FOH. If she were to become closer to me, only to see me perish in battle, that would wound her even more gravely. I do not know what the best course of action is only â“â he hesitated, and then decided to say it â- only that I care deeply for her and feel immense pain at her mental conditionâ.
Scott nodded and was quiet for a moment or two. âDo you think that, on some level, she does want contact with you though? She and Siryn could have chosen to remain on Haven, but they didnâtâ.
âI have not been entirely certain what their reasons were for remaining on board Magnetoâs ship,â Xavier admitted. âPerhaps they couldnât handle the beauty and tranquility of Haven. Or perhaps Moira did or does hope to allow herself to get closer to me some day. She always used to care about current events; maybe she wants to see how our battle will turn out. We can only wait and seeâ.
Cyclops turned back to his sensor, ensuring he was studying it carefully. Victory and the Prevail were very close to earth now and the X-men had to remember to exercise every precaution.
As the Professor watched Cyclops examine the sensor readings, he noted that it was time for him to telepathically check in with Northstar. He closed his eyes and began the work of drifting through the astral plane until he could find Northstarâs signature. Due to their frequent contact over the past several days, he was usually able to reach Northstar quickly.
Today, however, he could not find Northstar. The Professor opened his mind further, sharpened his focus, and tried again. He did not have any success. Northstarâs mental signature was nowhere to be found. Xavier then began to look for Aurora. He reached out to her far less often but had contacted her in the past. After some searching, he located her.
âWhat is it, Professor?â Cyclops asked, alarmed at the look on his face.
âThe twins! They have been captured by FOHâ.
âOh no,â Cyclops breathed. âAre they alive?â
âNorthstar is unconscious. Aurora is barely conscious. As far as I can tell they are alone in a cell somewhere. I do not know the extent of their injuries, and I cannot pinpoint their exact location yetâ. He took a breath. âHow far are we from earth?â
âJust over 10 hoursâ.
âCan Victory go any faster?â
âI will check with Hank or Forge. We may be able to push it a bit more, but we canât expect any miracles either. Weâve been pushing the engines fairly aggressively since we left Haven six weeks ago. Thatâs a long time for them to have been going at such a speedâ.
Xavier thought for a few moments. He then said, âScott, see if you can covertly approach Forge and find out if we can go any faster. In the meantime, I will summon Storm to the bridge to take your place. I will also see if I can reach the minds of whatever FOH soldiers are near the twins. If I can locate their mental signatures, maybe I can prevent any more torture. I donât want any more X-men ending up in the mental condition that Moira and Siryn are inâ. Xavier paused. âAnd Scott, keep your talk with Forge quiet. I am of the mindset that we do not tell Bobby yet, about the twins being captured. We are only 10 hours from earth and there is nothing he could do. Telling him would do nothing other than causing a panicâ.
âI agree,â he said, standing up and heading for the bridgeâs door. âI hope to God everything will be alrightâ.
***
For me, it seemed like time had slowed to a crawl. I did everything I could to occupy myself. Most of us were using the Danger Room a lot as the hours before weâd reach earth started to dwindle, but Storm also cautioned us against overtraining too. As we got closer and closer to home, there was a general buzz of excitement in the air; you could feel it. Of course I was mostly anxious about getting to find Jean Paul. The other X-men were great about looking for ways to distract me and take my mind off things.
I tried to get to the Professor for an update on Jean Paul and his sister, but Xavier was always on the bridge, discussing strategy with Storm and Cyclops, and sometimes with Magneto over subspace too. So I just stayed away from the bridge â“ since I didnât have much to add to strategy discussions â“ and reminded myself that heâd tell me if there was anything I needed to know.
Finally our leaders called us together. At long last we were close enough to earth to start talking about specific plans. We all assembled in the large conference room. I looked around and guessed that most felt really ready for battle, ready for action. Everyone had their uniform on. Half the group wasnât even sitting down. The people on board the Prevail were linked in to our discussion via subspace.
âThe Professor, Storm, and I have been talking since the Professorâs last check-in with the twins,â Cyclops said. âWe think that sending a smaller group down to earth for the rescue would be the best betâ.
âThat is right,â Storm said. âAfter all, we do not want to lose the element of surprise that we have now since FOH is unaware that we are back on earthâ.
I didnât like speaking out at meetings. Especially now that the group was so big, it just felt a bit intimidating. But I had a vested interest in this and something perplexed me.
âBut all weâre doing is getting down to the surface and bringing the twins back up, right?â I asked. âShouldnât we be able to do that easily, without FOH noticing?â
âBased on our last check-in with Northstar and Aurora, they think that FOH is right on their tails,â Cyclops said.
I gasped.
âDo not worry, Bobby,â Storm said. âWe are optimistic that we can get to them b- quicklyâ. Storm had stumbled a bit with one of the words in that sentence, which was very unlike her I thought.
âNightcrawler will teleport the team down to the surface,â the Professor said. âThe group will consist of three additional fighters â“ Storm, Wolverine, and Colossus. And Puck will go with the group to help serve as a diversion if necessaryâ.
âProfessor, it is easier for me to teleport if I know where I am going to,â Nightcrawler said. âBetter still if I have been there before. Do you know exactly where the twins are?â
âYes. Weâll discuss this with the away team as we get close enough for you to teleportâ.
âOnce we have the twins back on board Victory,â Storm said, âweâll then regroup with Magnetoâs team and discuss our next stepsâ.
I got the idea that the Professor, Storm, and Cyclops were eager to usher us out of the room and discuss their plans in more detail with those who were going on the rescue. I told myself that was a good thing. I felt a sense of urgency in the room; they were really eager to get Jean Paul and Aurora rescued â“ which was great. And although part of me did want to be on the mission, mostly I was glad to leave it in the hands of those who were more competent. We filtered out of the room and Gambit and Jubilee and others kind of slapped me on the back and told me it wouldnât be long now and that Storm and the others would do well on their mission.
***
âAlright you filthy mutie freaks! Weâve waited long enough!â
The FOH soldiers stood outside Northstar and Auroraâs cell. It was a good day for FOH and they had to gloat â“ and share FOHâs plans with these two mutant rebels.
FOHâs leaders had finally decided to begin rounding up mutants into extermination camps. They had been waiting to do that, wanting to first ensure there would be no public outcry and minimal counterattacks from mutants. Enough of their leaders now felt confident that the time was right. Their research and focus groups had shown that the public would even accept the term âExtermination Campâ to describe the places where mutants would be housed until termination. The capture of these two former members of Alpha Flight was also taken as a good sign to kick off the festivities of rounding up mutants.
FOH had extermination camps built in four locations. All they had been waiting for was the green light. FOH now had busses, trains, and jets ready to go on three continents; their leaders had ordered the troops to begin rounding up mutants today.
âWeâre going to take you to Extermination Camp 1,â the FOH officer bragged. âSince you two pathetic creatures are former fighters, weâre going to put you two up on a stage and show all the incoming mutie prisoners whatâs in store for them. Weâll broadcast it to muties at the other camps, just to show them that itâs useless to fight back since we so easily took down these two former Alpha Flight freaksâ.
âYou didnât easily take us down!â Northstar said. âIt took you days to track us. We were outnumbered 20 to one and yet still we nearly â“â
Northstarâs remarks were cut off when one of the soldiers pressed a button and sent waves of pain through Northstarâs body via the inhibitor collar. Aurora did the best she could to hold her brother in her arms until the torture device was turned off. However, one of her arms was in a crude sling which limited her mobility.
Northstar fought to regain his breath. He also brusquely shrugged off his sisterâs touch. He hoped FOH didnât realize how much the two cared for each other, fearing that fact would be used against them sometime. Aurora sat next to her brother, trembling.
âShut your mouth, you mistake of nature! Next time you talk, your sister gets it, not you. Now where was I? Oh yes. Weâre going to broadcast your torture to all the muties who enter each of our Extermination Camps. First weâre going to chop your misshapen, freakish mutant ears off â“ they look disgusting. Then weâre going to f--- this bitch here, till her insides fall out. We know deep down youâll love it and youâll beg us for more. Itâll be good to show all the incoming bitches what awaits them. Weâre not sure what weâll do with you,â he said, looking at Northstar, âbut since youâre a mutant and a faggot, weâll think of something extra special. Maybe weâll just tie you to a stake and burn you to death as they used to. Weâll do it real slow so you get to smell your own burning flesh. That will make a nice image for all the incoming muties to experience. Theyâll look at the two of you and realize that resistance is hopelessâ.
âSo what are we waiting for?â one of the other officers asked. âThe truck to transport them is ready to goâ.
âYes. First we gotta knock them unconscious though. We canât take the forcefield down unless the muties inside are unconscious. We have learned from our mistakes in dealing with this filthâ. He looked at the twins again. âYou wanna beg me to spare your miserable lives now? If you beg really hard we might be nicerâ.
âFâ”you!â Northstar spat.
âI thought so,â he said, raising the collar control device.
The officer suddenly fell over, never realizing what hit him. Wolverineâs claws swiftly sliced through his midsection.
Out of the corner of her eye, Storm saw what Wolverine did. She filed it away, to be dealt with after the battle.
Meanwhile, alarms sounded. Storm shot out bursts of fog in both directions of the corridor to obscure the view. Wolverine, Colossus, Puck, and Nightcrawler easily took out the remaining FOH soldiers who had been outside of the twinsâ cell. Storm reached for the collar control device, deftly removed the twinsâ collars, and removed the force field at the cellâs entrance.
âThank you,â Northstar breathed, scrambling to his feet.
âGrab onto me,â Nightcrawler implored. FOH had taken the twins to the same compound in which the X-men had once been held prisoner, which made it easier for Nightcrawler to reach via his teleportation.
Within an instant, the group was teleported back to the Victory.
***
The group wasnât gone for very long. We all either waited on the bridge or in the rec room â“ I was on the bridge. I stood there, feeling tension in the room and feeling worried myself, but mostly confident that Jean Paul and his sister would soon be here. After all, how hard could it be for Nightcrawler and the others to teleport down, grab them, and teleport back up? After literally just minutes, a beep from a communicator sounded.
âMission accomplished. They are back, with Northstar and Aurora,â Cyclops said.
Iâd just kind of assumed Nightcrawler would teleport the group back to the bridge, but he didnât. âWhere are they?â I asked, confused.
âSick bay,â Cyclops said.
âSick bay? Is anyone hurt?â
âHank is there to take a look at them right nowâ.
I raced to the infirmary. Dimly I was aware that most of the others followed me. It was one of those moments when time kind of slowed. The corridors all looked alike, their metallic walls identical. I kept getting closer and closer to sick bay, but no matter how fast I moved my legs it still felt like it was taking forever to get there. During the second I stepped through the doors to the instant I laid eyes on Jean Paul, the notion that I hadnât been given the whole story entered my mind. The twins â“ especially Aurora â“ didnât look good. Granted, Iâd been told that theyâd been on the run for a while but from what I could see of Aurora (Hank was tending to her which obstructed my view) she looked to be trembling and traumatized.
I ran up to Jean Paul who sat on a bed next to hers. It was just a wonderful moment, despite the circumstances that slowly made me feel like I had been misled. We wrapped our arms around each other and we clung together forever. I wanted to start tearing up but I didnât. We just kept hugging each other for a long, long time.
âWe should never have parted,â Jean Paul said.
I nodded. My throat closed a bit and I couldnât quite speak.
âSo let us agree. We shall not part again. It was far, far too long for us to be separatedâ.
I murmured something about being glad that he felt that way and that of course I agreed.
Now that my senses were coming back to me and I could accept that Jean Paul was here, alive and well, I took a closer look. His hair was a mess, he had a few visible bruises including a nasty one on his face. His clothes were torn and frayed. He also smelled like heâd gone without a shower for a few days, which was definitely not like him at all.
âWhat happened?â I asked, my mouth finally cooperating with my brain.
âWe were captured by FOH again. Do not worry. They did not torture us. They were ready to when the X-men rescued usâ.
Jean Paul looked around sick bay, and thanked those who had rescued him. I hadnât really been aware that the infirmary was full of people. I was just trying to process Jean Paulâs words.
âYou were captured?â I squeaked out. âWhen?â
âExactly when I am not sure as we were unconscious for a while. But we are fine now,â he insisted. âAnd they did not torture us,â he said again.
I heard Hank say something about Auroraâs arm being fractured and that he needed to tend to it better. Jean Paul added something about them having done the best they could to take care of it. I glanced at Aurora, and saw that she was still trembling and I guessed that her mental state was bad. But physically, other than the arm, I think she was alright.
âWe could use some food though. It has been a while since we have eaten. And a bathâ.
I heard Puck offer to replicate some food for the twins, and I told Jean Paul that Iâd take him to my room for a shower if Hank let him leave sick bay.
âMagneto is on his way here in a shuttle,â Cyclops said.
I turned around and focused. Cyclops, Storm, and the Professor looked ready for action, as if they didnât want to lose a minute.
âWeâll talk about our next steps with him,â the Professor said. âX-men, be ready. I expect weâll be going into combat against FOH very soonâ. He then looked at the twins and said, âOf course, please tend to whatever you need to tend to as well. Weâre very glad youâre safe nowâ.
âThank you again for the rescue. Hank, I can leave sick bay now, yes?â
Hank responded in French, which brought a smile to Jean Paulâs face. He reached for my hand and said, âLetâs go, mon ameâ.
As we got to the door, Puck said something to Jean Paul - I think he was asking him what he wanted to eat. Gambit was there suddenly, and he asked me quietly, âYou know what he call you jusâ now?â
I was always a bit embarrassed that, unlike many X-men, I only spoke one language. My belovedâs native language was still a mystery to me. âIt sounded like âmy friendâ?â I guessed.
âNon. He called you âmy soulâ. Very deep, serious termâ.
By then, Jean Paul was done with his exchange with Puck. I nodded at Gambit as Jean Paul took my hand and we headed for my room so he could shower.
***
Jean Paul showered quickly. I sat on my bed, still digesting information even as Puck came by to drop off a tray with food. So they had been captured. Surely the Professor had known. As had most of the others, at least those who went on the mission. But what did it matter if they were alive and safe? I kept reminding myself that they had not been tortured. We were so lucky for that. I replayed Jean Paulâs promise for us to never part again. And then I replayed Gambitâs words to me on the way out of sick bay.
Jean Paul emerged from the shower and, towel wrapped around his waist, gave me a quick kiss and then went right to the food. He ate with gusto. I kind of put my arms around his shoulders, rested my head against his damp back as he ate. I wasnât hungry myself.
âThe others probably think weâre in here gettinâ it on,â I joked.
âOh, mon chou, I would love to,â he said, in between bites. âI would love to kiss you right now but I can only do one thing with my mouth at a time and I am ravenousâ. He did always love food. Jean Paul took another swallow and then said, âIt sounds like we will soon be going back to earth for the big fight against FOH. Xavier told me about the plans when we communicated. I want to be part of that fightâ.
âYou do? Are you well enough?â
âYes. I suppose I should be tired but I have too much adrenaline now. And I am so happy to be with you again. And fighting to defeat FOH is the right thing to do. As soon as I finish eating and get dressed, I want to get to the bridge and see what the X-men plans areâ.
âThat makes sense,â I agreed.
And it did. It made sense. We were X-men (well, I guess technically Jean Paul wasnât yet, but he was a mutant and a fighter) and our whole reason for being back at earth was to fight FOH so that mutants could be free. Thatâs why we were here. For me though, my heart disagreed. I felt that I wanted some time with Jean Paul, wanted to be alone with him and to catch up. I wanted to just talk and hold him in my arms. Shouldnât we get some sort of free pass given that heâd been captured by FOH?
But I realized it didnât work that way, and the side of me that had its own wants would have to lose out to duty. Just like Cyclops had had to put the desires of his heart aside and focus on his duty instead. It only made sense. However, another idea popped into my head.
âBut wait,â I said. âThere is one thing I want to do, real quick. Itâll just take a few minutes,â I said, reaching for his towel and undoing it, as I knelt on the floor in front of him.
His eyes widened at my boldness. âBobby, my goodness!â He then smiled and chuckled. âIt is not usual that the bottom takes the initiativeâ.
âLet me just do this for you and then we can join the fight. Okay? I donât want anything in return,â I said. I didnât really allow him to disagree, and it was fortunate that heâd already eaten most of his food since I gave him something even more pleasurable to concentrate on.
âWhen we come back from the fight,â he said, a minute or two later and â“ it appeared â“ feeling very good, âwe do this properlyâ.
***
The X-men stood on the bridge of their ship, talking over subspace with Magneto and his group.
âI am glad that you were able to rescue the twins,â Magneto said. âAnd I am more glad that we are ready to get down to businessâ.
âWe talked not long ago about our plans,â Cyclops said. âAre you still in agreement with them?â
âYes. We send a small group in to infiltrate FOH headquarters and broadcast evidence, while everyone else fends them off outside. We are ready to begin teleporting to earth right awayâ.
âOur team is ready to go tooâ.
âWhat are we waitinâ for then?â Wolverine asked. âLetâs get a move onâ.
It was settled. Remaining on board Victory would be the Professor, Aurora (due to both her physical injury and mental condition), and Psylocke (because the group felt it would be wise to have someone in addition to Xavier holding down the fort). On the Prevail, only Moira and Siryn would remain behind, Moira having learned plenty about ship functions over the past several weeks. Everyone else prepared for teleportation at Nightcrawlerâs hands, down to earth and ready for battle.
***
It had been a while since Storm had gone into battle. Months had passed now since she had faced any foes other than those created by the Danger Room. Her heart began to pound. She felt confident and strong, surrounded by so many well-trained mutants. But she also knew how high the stakes were in this battle, and she also remembered how handily the X-men had been defeated last time they had faced FOH.
Storm wished her reasons for returning to earth were happier ones; she wished she could someday visit with Mishnari, see her home country again, and return to her garden at the Institute as well. But Stormâs disciplined mind quickly pushed such diversions away. She had Xavierâs word that Mishnari was safe, and she would have to wait for the rest knowing that she might never see Africa or the Xavier Institute again. All of her focus was now on the impending battle.
Storm was teleported to the surface, along with everyone, within the span of an instant. She knew that FOH must be expecting them. After all, moments ago a small group of X-men had rescued Northstar and Aurora; surely FOH didnât expect them to stop there. Beastâs psionic shield was established and surrounding the team, ready to protect them from the Banshee-like powers FOH had duplicated.
The large team landed on a hilltop overlooking FOHâs headquarters. The main compound was guarded by troops stationed outside, spreading out over a large airfield. As soon as the X-men were teleported down, alarms instantly began to blare â“ FOH knew immediately that it was under attack. With the psionic shield up, the X-men were protected and they sprang into action.
Storm flew into the air. She used powerful lightning bolts to strike at FOH aircraft before they could get off the ground. She targeted her blasts to push the FOH troops back and away.
The smaller team set off for their mission. The small group consisted of Gambit, Forge, Beast, and Emma and they were charged with sneaking into the compound to complete the real goal of todayâs raid. As planned, Storm created a heavily mixture of fog in their area to shield them from the views of FOH troops. Then Storm resumed her work, blasting FOH aircraft before they took off.
Storm continued to swoop around and repel the FOH troops. They clearly looked worried, seeing that their Banshee-like weapon was doing nothing to keep the X-men at bay. Storm saw Rogue swoop down, pick up two FOH tanks, and drop them near a cluster of troops, causing the men to scatter. Cyclopsâs blasts were keeping a dozen FOH men on the run. Avalanche caused the ground to shake wildly underneath another group, and as they tried to stagger to their feet, they found themselves being pulverized by Colossus and Marrow. Bobby was doing well â“ moving through the battleground on his ice slide and coating soldiers and weaponry in blocks of ice. Caliban was using his powers to absorb the soldiersâ fear and use it to cause them to flee. Moonstar apparently had been well-trained by Xavier. She reached into several FOH soldiersâ minds and had an effect not unlike that of Caliban â“ the men saw something that terrified them, turned, and ran.
A few things were not going well. Pyro had already started several fires, one of which was spreading too close to the main compound. It wouldnât do them any good if they burned the building down â“ and especially not with four of their people inside. Storm quickly flew to the area and directed a torrent of rain to wash away the blaze.
Angel at one point was hit with some type of weapon. He began falling to the ground but was fortunately caught by Shaman. Storm flew over, got the signal that Angel would be well, and then resumed blasting FOHâs remaining aircraft.
The X-men were winning, Storm could see. She flew over to where Magneto and Cyclops stood.
âJust talked to the infiltrating team,â Cyclops said. âThey need a lot more time to carry out their missionâ.
Storm knew that oneâs perception of the passage of time during battle was always skewed. It had seemed like they had been in combat for a while but a quick look at her watch showed that less than twenty minutes had passed since the X-men reached the surface.
Storm spoke into her communicator, âHow much more time, Beast?â she asked.
âOptimistically â“ 30 minutes,â his reply came over the communicator.
âDo you need reinforcements?â Cyclops asked.
Gambit then spoke, âLooks like mosâ FOH leave dis buildinâ and fight you. Anyone we run into here, eitâer I blast âem or Emma attacks deir mindsâ.
âCall us if you do need reinforcementsâ.
Magneto looked up into the sky. âSpeaking of reinforcementsâŠ.â
Planes bearing more FOH troops began to swarm through the sky. This compound, though FOHâs headquarters, was not its only stronghold. Several more troops gunned their vehicles, driving towards the scene of the battle in tanks and trucks. Storm, Cyclops, and Magneto resumed their work. Magneto commanded the metal inside the approaching vehicles, lifted the vehicles high up into the air, and brought them crashing down. Cyclops blasted the tires of many, but still more approached.
Storm fought again to take out the planes approaching from the east. She saw Rogue fly up to one, grab it by its tail, and fling it around. Storm disabled another plane with several well-aimed bolts of lightning.
âWolverineâs surrounded!â Rogue yelled to Storm, pointing.
Storm swooped back down towards the battle on the ground. Wolverine had been knocked to his feet â“ having taken hits from several heavy weapons simultaneously - and was indeed surrounded by countless troops, who were closing in on him. Storm was ready to carry the troops away in a whirlwind when suddenly an explosion of pyrotechnics hit the soldiers. Half of them were hit with Jubileeâs blasts. The young woman powerfully repelled the soldiers who had been after Wolverine. Wolverine was back up on his feet in an instant and able to take out the rest of his would-be attackers.
Storm observed Jubilee and Logan hug briefly, once they were in the clear. She was glad to see it and she thought about them for a moment. Whatever had been going on between Logan and Jubilee, Storm noted, it was too small to be termed a rift but too large to be completely ignored either. Jubilee was an adult now, and Logan had thrown himself into working with Marrow. The man needed to be needed, and it had to be hard for him to find someone who needed him, given that he was surrounded by powerful women. Storm hoped that this brief moment on the battlefield might move Wolverine and Jubilee forward.
âCould use your help back up here!â Rogue called.
Still more FOH aircraft approached. FOH was determined to not allow the X-men to win this one, to defeat them at all costs, no matter how many of their own men were killed, no matter how much of their equipment was destroyed. The longer the battle waged, the more apparent FOHâs determination became.
This aircraft was both larger and faster than the previous ones. Rogue tried to grasp the vessel but its tail was too hot even for her powerful hands and she was propelled backwards, away from the aircraft. Storm flew over towards her friend, wanting to ensure that she was safe when she was hit by a powerful blast from the aircraft itself.
This was no mere graze like the one that had nipped at Angel. Storm took the blast full on. As she tumbled out of the sky Northstar, who had been keeping an eye on the planes as he battled ground troops, flew up and gently caught Storm.
Northstar landed on the ground, still holding Storm. Rogue swooped down next to them.
âIt looks bad. Real bad,â Rogue said. Already bloodstains appeared on Stormâs uniform. Rogue was shocked at the sound of her own voice; her words had come out with a tremble.
âWe need to get Storm back to the ship,â Northstar said. âThis is seriousâ. He called for Nightcrawler to teleport Storm back to Victory.
Enough X-men had witnessed Storm being shot down â“ and then teleported to Victory â“ that the battle was disrupted. The powerful aircraft made another swoop, firing indiscriminately at the ground and causing the X-men to scatter. Another truckload of troops drove up and the troops had time to begin firing. Leech and Pyro began running, away from the battle, until Magneto spoke to them over the communicator and commanded them to stay and redouble their efforts.
Wolverine ran up to Nightcrawler as soon as he returned. âTake me back up there!â he barked. âStormâs hurt, and Hank ainât there to help her!â
Jubilee was right on Loganâs heels. âNo!â she said. âThey got more troops after us! We need you hereâ.
âYes, my friend,â Nightcrawler agreed. âThe battle might be turning - we must stay here and win it before anything elseâ.
Wolverine stepped back. He knew they were right. He turned his attention to the latest batch of FOH soldiers. Dozens and dozens more approached, heavily armed.
***
Sitting on Victoryâs bridge, the Professor concentrated on mentally monitoring the battle. His skills had not been needed at this point. He checked in with Emma and though he did not thoroughly approve of the way she used her telepathy to âshut downâ the troops she encountered inside the building, the Professor knew that the smaller team had to succeed. Once the public could see with its own eyes the way mutants were being treated, surely the tide of public opinion would turn.
When Storm was teleported to sick bay, Psylocke notified the Professor that she would do what she could to patch up her wounds. All of the X-men had undergone training on the basics of field medicine. He hoped that Psylocke remembered hers.
Moments later, Psylocke telepathically contacted Xavier. //This is really bad, Xavier. I canât help her. We have to get Hank up here right away//.
The Professor immediately contacted Hank telepathically. //Storm is seriously injured. Can your team succeed in its mission without you?//
Hank needed a moment or two to contemplate the answer. He finally responded, //I believe that I am needed for the next five or ten minutes. Once the footage is spliced together, we should be ready to go since Forge has already set up the communications equipment.//
Xavier agonized over what to do next. He couldnât risk the success of what Hank and his team were trying to accomplish. But he couldnât risk Stormâs life either.
Emma contacted him. //I sense two dozen more FOH troops just entered this building. Iâll mentally blast them. But I worry that I canât get them all â“ I might need Beast here if it comes to hand to hand combat.//
Xavier did not waste a moment deliberating. He mentally located the new FOH troops inside the compound. He locked onto their mental signatures and sent them a telepathic blast that knocked them unconscious.
He then instructed Nightcrawler to teleport inside the compound and be ready to teleport Hank to Victory.
***
âWe on the air!â Gambit spoke into his communicator.
âNot a moment too soon,â Magneto commented. The battle outside was still hot. The X-men had won back some of the ground they lost after Stormâs injury but the FOH ships and ground troops kept coming.
âWe still have to hold FOH off long enough to make sure the whole thing gets aired!â Cyclops noted. He quickly turned and blasted three FOH soldiers who were running and firing in his direction.
âTape is fifteen minutes long,â Gambit said. âWe make it short and to the pointâ.
Cyclops looked into the sky. Yet another battalion of FOH aircraft approached, at least a dozen this time joining the few that were still in the air and firing on the X-men. And now they had no Storm to blast them with lightning. He looked at Magneto. The older mutant closed his eyes and summoned his powers. One of the FOH ships began to split apart, its metal being manipulated and torn.
But Cyclops continued to watch Magneto â“ when he didnât need to take a quick second to fire at more approaching ground troops. He remembered the X-menâs report from Asteroid M, Magnetoâs failed project from years ago, when he had created an asteroid sanctuary for mutants. Magneto had weakened, exhausted from using his powers. And now, Cyclops noted, Magneto was no younger than before. The older man was shaking. Clearly the efforts it had taken just to destroy one FOH aircraft had been debilitating, but they had over a dozen FOH planes to contend with. And it had taken several precious seconds for Magneto to destroy just one of them. Cannonball and Northstar, armed with guns, were flying through the air and firing on the aircraft now. FOH still had ever more ground troops closing in. Cyclops began to realize that the X-men would likely lose this battle.
***
On board Victory, the Professor realized it too. Thirteen minutes. Thatâs all the X-men needed for the tape to finish playing. Thirteen minutes for the world to see â“ on their televisions and on their computers â“ the truth about FOHâs treatment of mutants. Thirteen minutes for mindsets to change, for the Extermination Camps to close down before one single mutant was tortured. But the battle had turned and was not going well. And Storm was urgently in need of a doctor.
Xavier made the decision. He closed his eyes and summoned his energy. He focused and directed his powers. Each FOH solider, all of the ground troops and those inside the aircrafts, was hit with a mental blast. Instantly, each man was knocked unconscious.
For those FOH troops in the approaching aircrafts, this was nearly a death sentence. With their pilots unconscious, the planes would crash. Xavier mentally ordered Rogue to attempt to grab the planes and ease them to the ground. He mustered his telekinesis and slowly lowered one of the other aircraft to the ground. But he knew that he and Rogue would not be able to save them all.
Xavier felt Magnetoâs happiness and his sense of smugness. He could practically hear the words: You should have done this earlier, Charles.
He wondered about that. After all, did knocking hundreds of FOH troops unconscious do them any more harm than blasting them with Cyclopsâs lasers, for example, or freezing them with Bobbyâs ice? Couldnât one argue that it did them less?
But that was not the point, Xavier told himself. In order to knock them unconscious, he had entered the soldiersâ minds. He had violated them. And several of them would perish in plane crashes.
But was it justified when it compared with how mutants had been and would be violated by FOH?
Xavier had no more time to debate himself. Now that the battle had been won, Nightcrawler had immediately teleported Beast and the rest of the infiltration team aboard Victory to tend to Storm. He then stood by, ready to bring the rest to Victory as soon as the remaining twelve minutes were finished and the tape had been aired.
***
My head was still spinning. It was too much for me. I couldnât believe, couldnât digest, all that I had experienced in the last several hours. Too many things had happened at once
Northstar was back and unharmed. We had our battle against FOH, and I actually fought well. I was terrified, but I did it and did it well. Storm was wounded and her status was uncertain. But we got the tape on the air! So many ups and downs.
I stood outside of sick bay, Jean Paul next to me with an arm around my shoulder. All we knew at this point was that Hank was there inside, working on Storm. Wolverine was in there too, and I think Psylocke was still inside as sheâd been tending to Storm before. Obviously Hank needed space to take care of her and we couldnât all poke our heads in and bother Hank with questions.
âSheâs in good hands now,â Jean Paul said. âThere is nothing more we can do. Hank will do everything that he canâ.
âI know,â I said.
He reached for one of my hands and held it. âYou are trembling,â he observed.
âJust nervous. A lot of excitement for one day I guessâ.
âThe fight is over. You fought very well. You did not panic once. Your blasts hit their targets. You moved quickly and with confidence. I am very proud of youâ.
I couldnât help but to smile at the praise.
Jean Paul took another look at me, gently pulling up one of the sleeves of my shirt. âMagnificent,â he said. âYou are more muscular than before. What a difference!â
âThanks,â I said. My face was hot for some reason. Actually, I was thrilled. âHankâs been training meâ.
âSomeday I must thank the man! Come with me, Bobby. The battle is over. Everyone is waiting to see the reaction to the tape, and we cannot help Storm now. I promised you that we had something we needed to do properly after the battleâ. He caressed my arm as he spoke.
âYes,â I said, breaking into a grin. I could hardly wait! Despite all the emotions going through me at that time, all the experiences I had to process, this was what I really wanted to do. âLetâs goâ.
We turned and started walking down the hall, but Aurora came up to us. She said something to Jean Paul in French â“ whatever it was, I got the gist that she didnât want us to go off alone, she wanted to be with her brother.
Jean Paul responded to her and, again of course, they spoke in French, so I didnât understand their conversation. Jean Paul translated it for me much later. He had said:
âI must have some time alone with Bobby. You and I have spent the past three months together, and you know how much I care for you because I always went after you when you ran off. So you must allow me thisâ.
Her reply, I was told, was along the lines of âf--- youâ.
But I didnât care. Jean Paul and I finally had our time alone together and it was so wonderful that I could easily tell myself that nothing else mattered.
***
Wolverine stood outside of the infirmary, his arms crossed. He looked at the window, watching Hank observe a monitor. Storm remained motionless on the bed. Wolverine knew that various X-men had wandered by and were milling about outside of sick bay. He sensed Jubilee was now standing next to him.
âHey,â he said to Jubilee.
âHey yourself,â she said, smiling. She then quickly withdrew the characteristic smile. Happy as she might have been to be with Wolverine, they obviously had a very grave situation on their hands.
âGood job down there. You fought well. Even helped me out onceâ.
Jubilee rested a hand on Wolverineâs back. âWell, I trained with the best. There was this rough Canadian guy who made sure I knew how to use my powers, kinda even looked after me like I was his niece or daughterâ.
âStill does. âCept he can tell youâre growinâ up nowâ.
âYeah. Heâll always be like my uncle thoughâ.
âAlways,â he agreed, firmly.
Hank stepped through sick bayâs doors.
âWell?â Jubilee asked eagerly. But she wasnât raising her hopes too high. She could easily read the look on Hankâs face.
âHer condition is now stable,â Hank said. âI believe that had she gone without a doctorâs care for even five more minutes, she would have perished. She is stable now,â he repeated. âThank goodness the Professor intervened so that I could care for Stormâ.
âButâŠâ Jubilee began, knowing that the full story would not contain good news.
âBut she is in a deep coma. Very deep. At this point, there is nothing more I can do for her. Perhaps she will come out of the coma on her own, though I am not optimisticâ.
âThen we gotta get her to Haven,â Wolverine said. âThe place cured the Professor, and itâll cure herâ.
âDeir any harm in leavinâ her in a coma? Like, she gonna get worse as time goes by?â
Wolverine whirled his head around. He had only partially been aware that Gambit, and several others, were outside of the infirmary. Storm was quite well-loved among the team.
âPerhaps not,â Hank responded to the Cajunâs question. âI believe her condition will remain stable, though of course it is impossible to say for certainâ.
Wolverine fought to contain his rage, his fear, his sense of loss. âStill gotta get her to Haven. Whereâs Xavier?â he asked.
âHeâs on the bridge with most of the others,â Forge said. âTheyâre monitoring earthâs stations, trying to assess the reaction of our tapeâ. Forge had also been hungry for news of Storm. He would always care about her, even though his rejection of her and preference for Wolverine felt like a slap in the face. No matter. Storm was a wonder, a beauty, an amazing woman â“ she would never fall in Forgeâs estimation.
Wolverine turned and headed for the bridge. Colossus came up to Jubilee and put a consoling arm around her. âStorm get better. We must be patientâ.
âI hope so,â Jubilee said, allowing herself to relax into the tall manâs bulk. âI really hope soâ.
***
The X-men then entered a period of waiting. They spoke with Magneto and agreed that they needed to monitor the media and assess the impact their tape had on peopleâs attitudes towards mutants before determining their next move. They would also monitor FOH to ensure that their âExtermination Centersâ were not being filled. And they waited and hoped for better news about Storm, though none had high hopes.
***
Nightcrawler could not believe what he had agreed to. As he walked towards Rogue and Gambitâs room, he questioned himself once again. `Am I only lying to myself when I tell myself that this is harmless and easy? What if it is not harmless? Did I agree to this because I hold the sanctity of marriage in high regard? Did I only agree to this because part of me views Rogue as a step-sister, part of me views all the X-men as the only family that I have and sometimes we do things that might not be right, to help family members?â
Nightcrawler was used to a life of contemplation. He knew he would be mulling over these questions for days or even weeks to come.
âThank you again, sugar,â Rogue said, as Nightcrawler entered their room.
âPlease do remember to keep this brief, 60 seconds or lessâ he reminded them. âContact me the minute you are ready to returnâ.
âWe promise,â Gambit said. He couldnât resist smiling on this day.
Gambit and Rogue had made a decision. He wanted to give her a proper proposal, a notion to which she had eagerly agreed. Right now, there was nothing they could do either in terms of Stormâs status or in terms of the mission. Surely Rogue and Gambit now deserved a small break. When pressed by Nightcrawler, they had been forced to admit that they had not sought permission from Cyclops or the Professor, but they were certain that this would take no more than a minute or two. As most X-men, they had adapted to living life in close quarters and without much privacy. But surely they were entitled to do something without permission, something semi-spontaneous? It was bad enough, Gambit had shared with Nightcrawler, that he had had to let Rogue in on his plans; he couldnât even surprise his fiancĂ©e with the proposal itself.
But he did have another surprise in store for her.
Gambit and Rogue agreed that the location for the proposal would be New Orleans. Nightcrawler teleported them instantly, and then disappeared just as quickly, leaving the happy couple in Jackson Square, mid-day. St. Louis Cathedral loomed in front of them, white and glistening in the sun. Trees and bushes in front of the cathedral were lush, many boasting leaves in shades of red and pink. The statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse stood proudly before the cathedral, and horse-drawn carriages lined up on the street, eager for travelers.
Gambit wore sunglasses so that stray passersby would not glance at his eyes and realize that he was a mutant. Although New Orleans was in Remyâs blood, his system still took a few seconds to adjust to the surroundings. Spending weeks in space on a cool starship left one unprepared for the heat and humidity of New Orleans. He briefly touched his fingertips to his forehead and they came away damp. He smiled. He would always love this place and its energy though he doubted that he would ever live there again.
âLetâs go here,â he said, gesturing to a bench.
Rogue held his hand as they walked to it. Remy noticed her uncharacteristic quietness and wondered if she could be feeling nervous.
For Remy, the main thrill would be seeing the look on Rogueâs face, he knew. She had dreamed of this. For years, the concept of having a soulmate had been something she had written off. She had painfully observed Jean and Cyclopsâs love and affection â“ and Gambit had practically felt the heartache it had caused her because she so desperately wanted a love like that for herself. Now she had one, thanks in no small part to her own bravery and Gambitâs persistence.
Gambit went down onto one knee. Rogue couldnât resist flinging her hands to her cheeks in a gesture of girlish delight. Was this really happening? This dashing man, whom she only loved more with each passing year, was going to propose marriage to her. He reached for one of her hands and held it.
âRogue, chere, I love you anâ I always will. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?â
Rogue was grinning from ear to ear. âYes, Remy, yes! I would be happy to!â
âI have a little gift for you, chere,â Gambit said, rising to his feet and rummaging around in his pocket.
Rogueâs eyes grew wide. They hadnât talked about this. It couldnât beâŠ
Gambit produced a small ring box. Rogue blinked a few times before reaching for it with trembling hands. She opened it up to find a sparkling diamond nestled atop a gold band. As Rogue stood there incredulously, Gambit gently took the ring and slowly placed it onto Rogueâs finger. Rogue stood silently just looking at the ring.
âI â“ Iâm not even gonna ask, Swamp Rat,â Rogue said, recovering her voice and sounding more like herself. âIâm just gonna be happy. And â“ and thank you, Remy. I am amazedâ.
At that moment, their communicator beeped. Nightcrawler said, âForgive me, I do not mean to rush. But we did agree that 60 secondsâŠâ
âWe ready,â Gambit said. âCome get usâ.
Nightcrawler appeared, and Rogue and Gambit quickly left behind the clear skies and thick air of New Orleans.
***
Rogue and Gambit kept the happy news to themselves for the rest of the evening. They stayed in their room, stayed up late and made love many times.
The next day, at lunch, Jubilee took a pointed look at Rogueâs hand and wrinkled her brow. âUm, when didja start wearing a diamond ring?â she asked.
Conversation at the table suddenly ceased. âRemy gave it to me yesterday,â Rogue said simply. âWeâre engaged!â
âWeâre you gonna ever tell us?â Bobby asked, across the table.
âAll in good time,â Gambit said, smiling. The room erupted into cheers. The X-men were eager for some good news. Alcoholic drinks and sweet deserts were replicated, and everyone offered their congratulations to the happy couple. Music was switched on and a bit of spontaneous dancing occurred. Those who hadnât been having lunch with the group soon streamed into the mess hall to congratulate Rogue and Gambit.
âWhen will the wedding take place?â the Professor asked.
âWe ainât figured that part out yet. Maybe when life gets less crazy,â Rogue answered.
âWe hope tâings get better for mutants real soon,â Gambit added.
The impromptu party continued, with several people even shuttling over from the Prevail to celebrate with the couple. Many were surprised to see Moira enter the mess hall. She still looked pale and withdrawn. After muttering a cursory greeting to Xavier, she briefly hugged both members of the couple before leaving.
As the party wound down, Rogue and Gambit looked at each other. They were thrilled and delighted, but they were missing one person they both loved: Storm.
âWouldda loved to have seen the look on her face,â Rogue said.
âWe will, chere. She gotta get outta dis. Someday she gonna be able to congratâlate us in personâ.
âI hope so, Remy. I really hope soâ.
***
Wolverine sat next to Stormâs bed in the infirmary. He watched the blips on the monitor, steady and unchanging for days. He held her hand which was mildly â“ but not alarmingly â“ cold. He stroked her hair. It still felt silky and thick as usual. He thought of something he wanted to discuss with her but couldnât. He dimly heard Beast say something about no change in her condition. He muttered replies to those who checked in on Storm during the day. He picked at the food Jubilee brought him. He heard someone say something about Rogue and Gambit getting engaged. He allowed Hank to lead him to his room and nudge him in the direction of the shower as he spread clean clothing on the bed. He wondered again why he had allowed himself to care for others. Then he remembered. The alternative was worse.
When Hank left, Wolverine yelled, extended his claws, and left gaping gashes in one of his walls.
***
We were all still waiting. We waited for Storm to improve and we waited to see the result of our tape getting on the air. Hearing that Stormâs coma was deep and that Hank couldnât do anything was, of course, really hard to take. I pretty much only saw Wolverine when I went to sick bay to visit Storm myself. He was always beside her, holding her hand, looking like misery.
On the bright side, we did have Rogue and Gambitâs happiness to share, which was awesome. I really wondered where he got that ring from too. I wondered how they would do married. Years ago, if youâd asked me I wouldâve said that Gambit wasnât the marrying kind but now I actually thought he and Rogue would do quite well with the knot officially tied.
While everyone was waiting, I spent most of my time with Jean Paul. We talked a lot, him telling me what had happened on earth and filling in the gaps of our months apart. It sounded like it had been exhausting. Jean Paul reiterated that he thought it was a mistake for us to have ever separated, which I was again very glad to hear. When he wasnât with me, he spent time with Aurora or with Puck (Puck sometimes shuttling over from Magnetoâs ship). Both ships still maintained orbit around earth, cloaked and apparently quite invisible still to FOH.
Cyclops did seek me out once during a meal. He went up to me, pulled out the empty chair next to me, and sat down. He said, âIâve been meaning to apologize, Bobby. We did mislead you a bit, about Northstar and Aurora having been captured by FOH. We knew that hearing that wouldâve really bothered you, and that there wouldâve been nothing you couldâve done. We didnât find out that they were captured until we were about eight hours from earthâ. He paused and said, âAnd I know the Professor feels the same wayâ.
I nodded. Is it weird that I wasnât mad at all? Maybe I was just so happy to be back with Jean Paul. And I did see that Cyclops was right. âYouâre right, Cyke. Those eight hours wouldâve been an agony for me. So I think you and the Professor made the right callâ.
I meant what I said. Though I did have to wonder â“ do we X-men sometimes coddle our members? Jubilee was kept from going on dangerous missions for years even though she had been well-trained and ready. And now they had kept this news from me. But then again, maybe a bit of coddling was not such a bad thing. Families do need to take care of their less-strong members.
âGood. And thank you for understandingâ.
He got up after that and left the mess hall. I almost wouldâve liked to have talked to him more. His voice had sounded so warm. Did our mostly-successful battle help put him in a better mood? Was he really that busy or did he just feel that he had nothing else to talk about with me? Was he jealous that I was reunited with the one I loved while he wasnât? Iâd never know since he didnât hang around to talk.
But then again, despite what I wrote above, the battle *wasnât* a complete success as we slowly learned during the four days following the fight. Hereâs what happened.
The tape had aired very broadly. We estimated that 5-6 million televisions and computer screens had had the broadcast forced on them. Considering the timeframe they were under, the team had put together a very concise and coherent video showing FOHâs treatment of mutants.
But FOH had struck back in the media wars, quickly. They had their own tape ready to go within 24 hours, including one with footage of our âunprovoked attackâ on their headquarters. They also had plenty of other footage, showing mutants beating up little old ladies, stealing from families, causing untold violence. Fake footage, we were sure, but it all looked real. FOHâs production was obviously much more slick and professional. And they were able to get theirs aired around the clock. Ours had only been shown once.
So we tapped into their computers â“ Forge and Hank had picked up enough from their raid on headquarters to learn how to do that. We were able to get our tape aired broadly (though not as widely as before) twice more. FOH again struck back quickly. The second time we tapped their computers to get our tape on the air, we mustâve given something away so that they could make an educated guess as to our location. Angel was on bridge duty when they started firing at our general location in space. They didnât hit us â“ obviously space is really big, even the space around earth. We just moved the ship to evade them - that was safer than firing back at them, as we would need to de-cloak in order to return fire. They gave up after a while. We thought they fired on us only to send us a message.
We didnât try to get the tape aired again. As a few days went by, it became clear that no matter how many times we would get our side broadcast, they would drown out the air waves with their tape. Our tape didnât seem to be having the reaction we wanted.
And it still looked like FOH planned to go ahead and transport mutants to its Extermination Camps. From what we could tell, all the signs indicated that they would start filling the camps within a few days. Soon Magneto was calling us over subspace, saying that we needed to talk about our next steps.
***
Hank sat watching the propaganda tape made by FOH. A part of him felt guilty, that he should be at Stormâs side. But he was certain that, at this stage, there was nothing more he could do for her. And he told himself that he needed to remain current with FOHâs plans and schemes. So he sat in the main conference room, getting ready to watch the tape.
He wasnât alone in wanting to do a re-watch either. âYouâve got a strong stomach if you can watch that piece of crap again,â Marrow said to Moonstar as the former got up and turned towards the door.
âWe have a lot to learn from them,â Moonstar shrugged. âEvery time they do something like this, it sheds some light on them and how they thinkâ.
âWhatâs there to learn?â Marrow mumbled. âThey hate us and want us deadâ.
Moonstar looked around the room; the fact that Hank was there finally registered with her. âOh, and Hank â“ I wanted to show you something on their tape!â she said.
âPlease do so,â Hank responded.
The FOH video began. Moonstar paused the player during one scene, a scene that purportedly showed âviolentâ mutants attacking innocent bystanders.
âThatâs her,â Moonstar pointed, âthe girl I was telling you about â“ Panda. Had no idea they were taping it, but this is from what I told you before â“ when they came to arrest us and we fought back. I canât believe what they did with this footage, making it look like she just went up to some FOH guys and started beating up on them. But like I said back on Haven, they shot her. Three times, twice in the head and once in the heart, I saw it myself. How convenient that they left *that* part off the tape. The rest of us ran, and itâs a miracle I got out of there. I wish Panda had made it as wellâ. Moonstar paused, âAnyway, sorry to talk about this; itâs such a grim subject. She just really reminded me of you, thatâs all. I didnât know her for long but she did seem really smartâ.
Hank could not logically explain why, but he suddenly felt very alone.
***
The X-men assembled in the conference room. Magneto, and those on board his ship, were linked in via subspace. The X-men looked at his commanding image on the screen.
âIt has been nearly four days since our mission was completed,â he began. âThe tape was aired. Unfortunately FOH has redoubled their propaganda efforts and they show every sign of being on the brink of filling their Extermination Camps. You must admit that I have been very patient in waiting and watching â“ hoping that our Plan A would work. But at this stage, we are forced to admit that it failed, and we must turn to Plan B nowâ.
The X-men looked around the room at each other. None were surprised by Magnetoâs words. The Professor and Cyclops had had a lengthy discussion the previous day. The X-men had tried diplomacy, years ago. They had tried reasoning with people, influencing world leaders. But it came down to the fact that they could not allow thousands and thousands of mutants to end up like Moira and her family. Or like Moonstarâs friend Panda, shot and killed for no reason. Whatever harm Xavier might cause by entering peopleâs minds, whatever immorality that action entailed, was outweighed by the impending reality of thousands of tortured and killed mutants. Xavier could accept that, on some levels.
âAgreed,â Xavier said. His comment was not a surprise either, but still several X-men exchanged glances. âWe fought well and we made a valiant effort. It is time to move to Plan B nowâ.
âExcellent. Is there anything we can do to assist you, Xavier? I have been compiling lists of world leaders and other influential peopleâ.
âI would appreciate checking your list against mine. I also think that it is critical that we think through our next steps. I do not expect that Plan B will work quickly. It might take days, weeks, or even months before I can influence and change enough minds. I believe that we will need to stay here, in orbit, to ensure that progress is made, ensure that those Extermination Camps do not get filledâ.
âI agree. If we cannot prevent the camps from getting filled, I will not rule out an attack then. Would you like Emma to use her telepathic skills to supplement yours as you begin this endeavor?â Magneto asked.
âInitially I would prefer to work alone, though I will let you know if I change my mindâ.
Wolverine was at the end of his rope. For four days he had been playing nice. He had been sitting by Stormâs bedside, holding her hand and talking to her. He had been fighting in the Danger Room, more ferociously than ever. He had worked with Marrow, trying to lose himself in her training. He had been staying awake all night, every night, in his empty bed and he had tried to muster a sincere congratulatory sentiment for Rogue and Gambit. He could simply handle no more.
Wolverine sprang from his seat, extended his claws, and cut a huge gash into the wall. Shards of metal spilled to the floor from the ravaged well.
Moonstar shrieked with fear. She had only heard of this side of Wolverine, never seen it. Several more X-men were stunned. Those who had known Wolverine for a long time had seen him gain control over his rages and didnât expect this.
âWhat about Storm?!â he lashed out. âSheâs layinâ in that bed and ainât gettinâ any better!â
âLogan, please,â the Professor began. âI am sorry thatâ”â
âSorry donât cut it! Now what weâre gonna do is take one of these ships, turn it around, and get back to Haven. It cured you, Professor, and itâll cure Storm! We gotta get her there! We ainât all needed for this mission. We donât need anyone who ainât a telepath on this mission!â
âThere is an element to truth in what you are saying, Logan,â Xavier admitted. âAlthough I would be open to us performing rescue missions at the camps should I fail â“ and for that, we certainly do need the talents of each of you. I hope to succeed in my telepathic mission thoughâ.
âCanât stand around waitinâ! We gotta get Storm back to Havenâ.
Magneto spoke up, forcefully, âThis is war, Wolverine! One of your soldiers was hurt, and that is unfortunate, but we cannot make tactical decisions around thatâ.
âThat is one difference between us, Magnus,â Xavier said. He was glad to be disagreeing with Magneto on something, glad to be differentiating himself from his old friend and enemy. âStorm isnât just a soldier to us. We love her. The X-men revolve around loveâ.
âHow very touching, Xavier. You have always been a sentimental fool. All the dilithium we have here is mine and you are not gett
Chapter Eighteen by Stormkpr
Chapter Eighteen â“ Final Chapter
It felt really weird for a while. No Jean (which we were kind of used to, given that it had been over six weeks without her), and now no Cyclops, Storm, or Wolverine. For the first day or so it didnât quite feel like X-men at all. But hey, we still had the Professor, we had Hank, we had Rogue and Gambit and enough others that we got used to it.
One good thing came out of the departures. Aurora had not had a room to herself before. For the past four nights she had slept in the barracks where Moonstar and Marrow were housed. It was a huge room, and a few screens had been put up to give privacy. But thereâs a lot to be said for having a door that closes as well as your own bathroom, instead of one down the hall. And I can only imagine that the arrangement wasnât so great for Marrow and Moonstar either, even though their bed was on the other end of the room. But Aurora had been threatening to move to Magnetoâs ship, where there were empty personnel quarters, and saying that her brother should go with her. Fortunately, once Wolverine and Cyclopsâs shuttles departed, Aurora moved right into Wolverine and Stormâs old room. She told us there were large gashes in one of the walls, obviously the work of adamantium claws combined with despair and frustration. Poor Wolverine.
Marrow and Moonstar were asked if they wanted to move into Cyclopsâs room, but they declined the offer saying they liked the large barracks. To each their own, I guess. The barracks did at least have several cool paintings that Colossus had made to brighten the place up.
But enough of the personal stuff. The Professor got right to work on entering the minds of FOH leaders. The door to shuttle bay had barely closed before he went off to his room, saying that he could conduct this work best if he was alone.
The day after Cyclops and the others left, I sat in bed next to Jean Paul. It was morning on board the ship, and I had gone to the mess hall to fetch breakfast for us. We ate it together in our room. I was really glad that both of us agreed that we wanted to spend some time together, just the two of us. We sat on the bed, more or less draped over each other. He was paying more attention to me than the food, which was definitely cool considering how much he liked to eat. Having been separated for so long, we were back in the canât-get-enough-of-each-other phase.
âSo whatâs the deal with Angel?â I asked. âDid he really sleep with your sister on the way to earth? Puck told meâ.
âYes, he did. And I could punch the bastard for taking advantage of a mentally ill woman like that,â he said, sounding more disgusted than angry. âBut she would not be stopped. I am sure she hoped it would make Walter jealousâ.
âI take it that it didnât?â
Jean Paul sighed. âI hope the fact that he is on his way back to Haven, light-years away from her, will wake her up. Maybe it will start to sink in, as they say. I believe Walter is completely done with her. During our trip back to earth, someone told me that he said he doesnât care if he has to remain celibate the rest of his life, he is finished with herâ.
âSoâŠhow is she doing?â I paused and added, âI have a hard time reading where sheâs at. Some days she seems fine, other days notâ.
âI think overall â“ sheâs doing badly. Her arm is better but mentally she is not any better. Being on the run for all those days and then captured by FOH didnât help, even though we were rescued before they could torture us. The days where she appears to be doing well, I think they are just a maskâ.
âWow, that sucks. Do you think she could work with the Professor? He is an expert in this areaâ.
As he spoke, Jean Paul leisurely stroked my arm. âHeâs so busy though. I have hardly seen the man since I returned, and especially not since the Professor began his telepathic work. And I do not think you can help someone who does not want to be helped. In all these years, my sister has never liked the idea of seeing a professional for assistanceâ. He shook his head. âIt didnât help, the fact that everyone around her was in denial. I kept telling myself that she would just get better. And when she and Walter started getting serious, I know that I hoped deep down that he would take responsibility for her and make her get some treatment. It was selfish of me, but I felt that I needed a break from her. Sometime it feels that caring for her is like caring for a childâ.
âMaybe it is, in a wayâ.
âPerhaps,â he said slowly, now sounding very far away. âYes. Maybe it isâ.
âWhat is it?â I asked gently, guessing that there was something behind his tone, which sounded lost in thought.
âJust thatâŠjust that when I think of Aurora, I wonder what kind of parent I would have made. If Joanne had lived, maybe I would not have been such a good father since I cannot even take good care of my sister. For years I have had the idea in the back of my mind that I would adopt a child again someday, but now I wonder if I could really do itâ.
I heard Jean Paul say the words but, looking back now, I donât think I really digested them. I didnât want to be a father myself, and despite everything Jean Paul had told me, I somehow never thought that he would actually talk seriously about adopting a child again. So I murmured some platitudes to him, telling him that of course he would have been a wonderful father to Joanne.
We were silent for a while, just holding each other. I loved the way he would sometimes stop what he was doing to kiss my shoulder or wrap his arms around me.
âIâm so glad youâre back here. I was so worried when you were gone. I canât believe how lucky I am to have you back, and Iâm happier than ever,â I said. And then I said the words that I had wanted to say for days. Iâd been avoiding saying them because they sounded so mushy, but I couldnât help it now. âIt feels so amazing, being with you. None of the other guys I was with were ever like you â“ affectionate, tenderâ. I was really worried that my words were too corny, so I just kissed him.
âThank you, mon ame,â he whispered. âI am so glad to be with youâ.
***
Several of FOHâs members were confused. They knew that just a few days ago, the X-men had broken into their headquarters and engaged their troops. The mutant rebels made a tape and got it on the air a few times. Although they liked how quickly FOH responded, a lot of FOHâs members were confused at the freeze at the Extermination Camps. The orders from FOHâs top leaders were still to wait; no mutants were to be rounded up for transportation to the camps yet.
This order to wait seemed odd, especially given the fact that public opinion was on FOHâs side. It made no sense. But FOHâs top leaders were unapproachable and unaccountable to all but a few. It didnât look like FOHâs rank and file members would be getting answers any time soon. They could just wait and hope, and pray that FOH wouldnât find them unnecessary and begin a rumored round of layoffs. Many had joined simply because they needed a job.
***
Hank knocked on the door to the Professorâs room. As he held the tray of food, he was prepared to wait as long as necessary, suspecting that due to the type of work Xavier was engaged in, he might not be aware that someone was at the door. He expected to wait and knock again, but was surprised when Xavierâs voice told him to enter.
âI brought you a meal,â Hank said, stepping into the darkened room. âMany of us were concerned when we did not see you at lunch or dinner. We should arrange to bring you your meals regularly while you do this work â“ though as your doctor I would also suggest that regular breaks might be beneficial to you. Of course I am no expert on psychic powers, but based upon what I can surmise, this is what I recommendâ.
Hank stopped, concerned that he might have been rambling. He looked at Xavier. The older man seemed to have absorbed his words on one level. But on another level, he looked ghastly. Hank struggled to find the words to describe it. Xavier looked drained, deflated, even a bit otherworldly.
When Hank left the Professorâs room, he walked swiftly to the bridge. He brought up subspace and urgently patched in to the Prevail.
***
Another knock sounded on Xavierâs door. Fleetingly, the Professor wondered who it was. His mind was exhausted at this point, so he was not about to use his telepathic powers to discern the identity of his visitor. The knock sounded strong and sure.
âCome inâ.
He was surprised to see Moira MacTaggert standing before him. The firm knock hadnât sounded like her. The determined look on Moiraâs face, with her jaw set firmly, was also new; Xavier had not seen her looking robust for too long to remember now.
âCharles, I am worried about you,â Moira began, crossing the room and walking directly to Xavier. âI am here to do something to help you. You are one of the worldâs most powerful mutants, so maybe you are thinking there is nothing I can do for you, but I am here to do something. I will either make sure you had something to eat or give you a bath or give you a massage but I will help you somehow and you wilna stop meâ.
Xavier listened to her words, allowing them to penetrate his mental fog. His head hurt so much, his mind exhausted from the constant work. No one currently aboard the ship, not even Psylocke, could truly understand how much this mission entailed. Charles entered minds one at a time, unraveling the knot of hatred, peeling the layers, trying to coax and enlighten rather than command. He had to plant suggestions and ideas rather than directives. He had to proceed slowly because he wanted each leader to come to the conclusion himself rather than have the right answer forced upon him. There were so many leaders, so many minds, so much irrational fear and hatred of mutants, so many who truly believed FOHâs propaganda. It was grueling work.
And Xavier was tired of being in charge of it all, and even more shocked by this glimpse of a Moira from long ago.
âI suppose you are right,â he said. âDo what you willâ.
âVery well then,â Moira said, rolling up her sleeves and moving herself directly against the wheelchair. âWe will start with a massage,â she decided.
She placed her hands on his head. It was as smooth as she remembered, but very, very warm. âAre you too hot, Charles? Do you want me to lower the temperature in here?â
âNo. No, that wonât be necessaryâ.
Moira began to gently massage his temples. She took her time, and her touch was light and gentle. She wasnât sure if he would want a firmer touch. It had been so long since they had been together, and she couldnât remember ever touching him quite this way. Moira moved her hands lower to massage Charlesâ neck and shoulders.
As her hands worked, she asked, âWhenâs the last time you had something to eat?â
âI ate some of what Hank brought meâ.
âAh, I see the tray. And before that? Dare I even ask?â
âIâm not certain when the last time before then wasâ.
âAre you hungry now?â
âNot particularlyâ. And then, because Charlesâ defenses were completely gone, he added, âDonât stopâ.
âI wilna,â Moira promised. She continued to work his neck, shoulders, and occasionally move her hands back up to rub his temples again.
âWhat about the rest of you?â Moira asked, after several minutes. âOf course we would need to get you out of this chairâ.
This break was exactly what Xavier needed. He was starting to feel a bit more like himself though he still wasnât quite as in control as usual. After taking control of so many othersâ minds, he had to relinquish some control now.
âWhatever you feel is bestâ.
âLetâs get you to the bed so we can continue massaging you,â she said, gesturing towards the bed.
Xavier moved his chair astride the bed. He used the rails combined with his telekinesis to maneuver himself onto the bed.
âExcellent. Can I get you out of some of these clothes? I think I could do a better job with the massage â“ I want to massage your hands and arms and that would be easier without the suit jacket. You are always so formal, Charles. You and your suitsâ.
âYou have always dressed formally too,â he observed.
âI suppose that is the case,â she said, as she began unbuttoning his jacket. âThis is alright with you, yes?â
âYes,â he said. He let Moira remove the clothing from the upper half of his body.
She resumed her work, massaging his arms and hands, and then later rubbing more of his back. Moira continued to work slowly and rhythmically.
âDo you not take breaks, Charles? Donât you think regular breaks would help you?â she asked.
âIt is such intense work,â he said.
âAll the more reason to take breaks. Is that not the advice you yourself would give to one of your students?â
âI suppose it is. It is just that once I stop, it is harder to start againâ.
âAh, I see. I wish I could fully understand you and your powers. It is so strange for me. All of the people I have loved the most in this life have been mutants. Yet I am not one myself. I dona know exactly what it is like to have a special power, though I have studied the subject enough to have an idea. I suppose I will never have first-hand knowledge thoughâ.
âYou understand us better than any non-mutant. You have done more than any to build bridgesâ.
âDonât be silly, Charles. You have done more than anyone else. You have such great power and you have always used it for goodâ. Moiraâs hands were massaging each of Charlesâ fingers separately.
âUnfortunately, that is not the case. I cannot consider what I am doing now to be remotely good. Rather, it is the lesser of two evilsâ.
âI canna agree with that. You are saving mutant lives. If your work can prevent just one mutant from suffering the hell that my family went through, thenâŠ.â Moira stopped her words, though she continued the work of her hands, not letting up. But she didnât want to break down in front of Xavier, not when her goal was to comfort him.
âMoira,â he began, tenderly. âI â“ â he broke off his sentence as well. With his defenses down, he was having trouble observing the appropriate mental boundaries. He had a flash of insight regarding Moira and he knew not whether it was the result of logic and intuition or whether he had accidentally entered her mind.
But he decided to share it with her. âYou and I both feel guilty,â he observed. âYou, because you could not prevent what happened to your family â“ no matter how illogical that feeling of guilt in your case may be. I feel guilty for entering so many minds unbiddenâ.
âWell, it is good that we have that in common,â Moira said. She had gotten a hold of her emotions and her voice only quavered slightly.
She wanted to add that she had another reason for feeling guilty. She was here with her first fiancĂ©, feeling intense emotions for him and longing desperately for his comfort â“ while her beloved husband was not dead seven months yet. Moira had loved Banshee deeply. Of course she had loved Xavier before and never ceased loving him, but the words âmorally reprehensibleâ sprang into her mind to describe her feelings.
But no, Moira told herself. She reminded herself of words she had once told a student. Feelings are feeling, and one should not feel guilty for an emotion. It is our actions that we must be judged against.
âThat is correct, Moira. You have no reason to feel guilty,â Charles said.
âWhy, Charles. Did you not just read my mind?â
âDid I?â Xavier asked, alarmed. âI â“ I, for some reason I thought you had spoken aloudâ.
âYou are so tense now,â Moira said, as she stroked his shoulders. âDona worry. You are tired now and I am sure it was unintentional. I dona mind. You are welcome to read my mind if you would like. I dona think you would be surprised by anything inside of itâ.
âI would not intentionally enter your mind. I am sorry for the intrusionâ.
âThink nothing of itâ.
When Moira had finished the massage, she offered to bring Xavier some tea.
âNo thank you,â he responded. âBut your visit today has me feeling enormously refreshed. Will you visit me again?â
âCertainly. Letâs make it a habit. How about every day?â
âI would like nothing moreâ.
***
It was time for my bridge duty shift so off I went to the bridge. Jean Paul was with his sister; sheâd had another tantrum. He said he was going to take her swimming in the gymâs pool hoping that might calm her down a bit.
Bridge duty was serious business, I knew. A few days after we had gotten our tape re-aired, FOH ships had fired on our general location. It served as a reminder that one never knew what could happen while you were at the helm, so as I stepped through the doors, I reminded myself to stay alert.
Hank was on the bridge. He was taking his command duties very seriously. It hadnât even been his shift (Cannonball had been on duty, and he left after saying hello to me) but I guessed Hank wanted to stay on top of whatever was going on.
Hank and I exchanged greetings, and I sat in the captainâs chair. I touched a few buttons on the monitors and found that everything was in the normal range.
âAre you working on anything in particular?â I asked Hank. He was hunched over one of the computers.
âI am studying a dilithium usage report,â he said.
âReally? I thought we had nothing to worry about. I mean, Mags has a ton of it â“ and I thought he gave us a whole bunch tooâ.
âHe did. I simply want to ensure that we do not again experience the problem we had during our first voyage into space when we found that we possessed less than we had thoughtâ.
âOh. That makes senseâ. I also thought it was a bit of overkill, but thatâs just like Hank. I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye. A bunch of thoughts went through my head as I glanced at the big blue frame. I remembered how I had kind of neglected him when Jean Paul and I were first getting together on Haven and I felt a twinge of guilt. I remembered the time, before that, when heâd confided in me that he was lonely and longed for a romantic relationship. I remembered how I used to brush him and how the last few times Iâd offered, he hadnât been interested. I also remembered that the last time I had exchanged more than a few sentences with himâ“ at lunch two days ago â“ he had told me that he really missed Jean. He was so busy now â“ or he made himself so busy â“ that it was my turn to feel a tad neglected now. But I didnât want to make a big deal about it or bother him because he had so much on his plate.
Despite all these thoughts whirling around my head, I also somehow had the feeling that everything would be okay and our friendship would always be there. I really just felt it, knew it, deep down somehow and that made me feel better.
Subspace beeped. âItâs the Prevail,â I said.
âPatch them in,â Hank said.
I pressed a few buttons. âHere we go,â I said. âAudio onlyâ.
âThis is Magneto,â the commanding voice on the other end said. âI would like to speak to Xavierâ.
âThe Professor is in his room, carrying out our mission as we had discussed,â Hank said. âI prefer to not disturb himâ.
âIt has been three days since we last spoke,â Magneto said. He was referring to the big meeting when Cyclops and Wolverine had announced they were departing for Haven. Mags had seemed pretty ticked off as that meeting had gone on. It was almost kind of funny. âI would like a progress reportâ.
âI will convey your request to the Professorâ.
âThank you,â Magneto said, with an odd formality. And that was the end of the conversation.
I was still on my bridge duty shift when Hank returned with an update. By then, Jean Paul had joined me (his sister decided to take a nap after her swim). We were sitting together, doing not much more than talking and staring out the window when we werenât periodically keeping our eyes on the sensors.
Hankâs update to Magneto was short and to the point. He said that the Professor was making steady progress. He talked a bit about the Professorâs methods, which were more along the lines of presenting evidence and gently coaxing people to a conclusion, rather than forcing them to adopt his viewpoints. Magneto didnât like that, but he did like the fact that no mutants had been transported to the camps, and that the leaders of three of the worldâs superpowers were publically questioning their support of FOH. One of FOHâs top leaders had resigned, and another had aired his concerns over their treatment of mutants with FOHâs other leaders.
So in other words â“ it was slow going but it seemed to be working. Just listening to him, I felt hopeful. I felt like we really would win this. Maybe our method wasnât the ârightâ method or the fairest, that I donât know and minds greater than mine can debate it. But if we were preventing mutants from being tortured in FOH camps, if we were getting world leaders to question FOH, then we were winning in my book.
âI have become a patient man,â Magneto said. âSo I can continue to wait although I look forward to retreating to my planet and reuniting with Wanda and Pietro. Please update me regularlyâ. He paused. âI know Moira visits him every day now. How is Charles?â
Hank looked down for a second. I wasnât sure how heâd respond. He finally said, âHe is well. I believe he is tired, and he still deals with ethical concerns over the fact that he is entering othersâ minds unbidden. But overall, he appears well. Moiraâs visits indeed seem to help himâ.
âGoodâ.
With that, Magneto ended the conversation. Jean Paul smiled at Hank. âHow about taking a break, my friend?â he asked. âThe three of us could play a board gameâ.
âI am a firm believer of not playing games while on bridge duty,â Hank said. He paused. âHowever I would be delighted to play when Bobbyâs shift is overâ.
I smiled and told them I looked forward to it. âLetâs also invite Jubilee,â I added.
***
Wolverine was sitting inside a shuttlecraft, a space no larger than his bedroom on board Victory. He was alone, except for Storm who might have looked to an observer as if she were merely sleeping. The steady beeps and hums of the medical equipment attached to Storm clearly gave another story though.
He wondered if perhaps he hadnât changed at all. Wolverine always had a reputation as a loner, and he realized that after several days alone inside this shuttle, he was doing fine. He didnât mind being alone, eating alone from the replicator, and taking sponge baths inside the shuttleâs tiny bathroom which contained no more than a toilet and a sink. He was warping through the vast, cold, expanse of space with and for a woman he loved, and he knew that he had always taken his relationships with women he loved very seriously. Being inside the tiny shuttle all day, every day didnât bother him. He wished for a larger space to exercise, he wished for a whiff of the outdoors, but he also suspected he had endured far worse conditions during his lifetime.
But no; it would be wrong to say that he hadnât changed at all, he realized. He missed the other X-men; he could almost touch and taste their absence. And the highlights of his days were his subspace contacts with a man he once hated and whom he now realized he actually liked. He and Cyclops talked over subspace, though most often they discussed computer games â“ which to play next, whose turn it was, when theyâd play again. âBobby would be proud,â Cyclops wryly remarked.
The days were long. Wolverine realized that to make them tolerable, one simply had to make each activity last about five times longer than it needed to. Brushing teeth lasted longer than ten minutes now. Washing clothing and hanging them to dry took over forty five minutes. One meal could be stretched to nearly an hour. Weight lifting could take up to two hours. Scrolling through the computerâs file and choosing a book or an article to read was another way to make the time go by. Sitting by Stormâs bedside, holding her hand, and talking to her could last half the day. The time did pass slowly, but tolerably and still the dayâs highlights centered around talking to Cyclops. Yes, Wolverine realized, he had changed.
Talking over subspace required less dilithium when it was just an audio connection, no video â“ and so that is what Wolverine and Cyclops tended to use.
âWeâll hit the seven day mark in just about four hours,â Cyclops said. âThat means we just have five weeks to go. Give or take a dayâ. He then added, âSometimes I dim the illumination on my clock, so I canât see what time it is. Then I challenge myself to see how long I can go without checking. But I felt I had to look just nowâ.
Wolverine bit his tongue to keep from adding that he sometimes did the same thing, temporarily shutting the clock off. âWonder where Alpha Flightâs at,â he muttered.
âItâs hard to sayâ. They had actually had this conversation before, but no harm in repeating it. âOur shuttles are in better condition than their ship, and I wonder if we could catch up to them. But even if we could, I donât know how weâd find them since theyâre cloaked too. They donât have any telepaths on boardâ.
âHell, donât know if Iâd wanna even board their ship. That James is a piece of workâ.
âHe seemed mellower now. I mean, not much,â Cyclops quickly amended. âBut he seemed better, last time I talked to himâ. Cyclops paused. âHe offered to take a letter to Jean for me. So I wrote it and gave it to him. He found an envelope and sealed it up. That was niceâ.
Wolverine was surprised. Both at Jamesâ offer and the fact that Cyclops was telling him this. He couldnât think of a tactful way to acknowledge what Cyclops told him, and it didnât seem like a good time for sarcasm either. âThatâs somethinâ,â he said. He then asked, âHow oldâs John now?â
âFifty-one days. Or 52, but Iâm pretty sure itâs 51. Heâs just over seven weeks oldâ.
âStill a young little guyâ.
âYeah. I wonder how big he is now. I canât wait till weâre in subspace range from Haven and Jean can tell me more about how heâs doingâ. Cyclops was quiet for a few seconds before he asked, âWhat about you, Wolverine? You ever want to have a kid some day?â
Wolverine heard the question and realized that he definitely had changed, a lot. Because he had no desire to hit Cyclops for asking the question and he almost wanted to discuss it. He didnât see any harm in answering the question it, anyway. âDonât know. Maybe, maybe notâ.
âYouâd be good with kids. You did so well with Jubilee when she first came to usâ.
âI think I maybe like âem better when theyâre closer to that age. Not so much when theyâre really young babies. Canât talk to âem thenâ.
âBut they grow up. So, what do you think? Do you think youâll have one someday?â
âDamn youâre nosy today. The trip must be gettinâ to youâ. He was quiet for a moment and then sighed. âI donât know, Cyke. Depends on if Storm gets better, if she even wants one - she ainât gettinâ any younger and Iâm not a spring chicken myself. She never said anything about wantinâ one. Iâm fine if she donâtâ.
He silently added that it was bad enough that he had allowed himself to care about Storm and so many other people now too. Having a helpless baby to worry about wouldnât make life much easier.
âYou and Jean havinâ another someday?â Logan asked.
âWeâd like to. We donât know when. Things are so up in the air for mutants now; thereâs so much uncertainty. But thatâs what we said when we agreed to get pregnant the first time, and itâs just as true now as it was then. You canât put off the things you want to do in life waiting for things to get better for mutants. By the time that happens, weâll be too old to have kids. We have to do the things that matter nowâ.
Wolverine grunted his assent. The things that matter. He glanced at Storm and he willed the shuttle to go faster.
Cyclops wanted to say more. He wanted to toss in a question along the lines of, âYouâre over Jean now, right?â But the question was too awkward, the answer too obvious.
However, if Scott changed his mind and decided to ask the question, they did have five more weeks to Haven.
***
Epilogue -
Four weeks ago the Professor began his work, entering the minds of world leaders. We all think itâs made a huge difference. FOH chapters have disbanded as FOH overall has lost droves of members. Several governments have officially severed their ties with the hate group. Some television stations stopped airing anti-mutant propaganda and one even did a sympathetic piece on mutants. With each passing day, it became clear to me and everyone else that this would be a huge task that wouldnât be ended quickly, but with each day we also saw more good actions than bad ones. That was amazing.
We monitored news reports all the time. When it looked like mutants â“ even X-men -- might be able to safely walk the streets, people started talking about wanting to see the mansion. Or what was left of it. It was still a risky prospect, but we were curious. So we talked to Hank one day and he agreed that if we used our psionic shields and if Nightcrawler was alert and ready to teleport us back to the ship if needed, weâd be okay. Hank said he would stay on the bridge and monitor FOH activity (I think he like got some information from the Professor which made keeping track of FOH easier) so he could alert us if any of them came into the area.
It seemed safe to me and I really wanted to go. I missed the Institute, even missed my bedroom inside it. It had been over nine months since that night when FOH attacked us, nine months since Iâd seen the mansion, the place that had taken such good care of me. I couldnât believe all that had happened during those nine months.
So we got a small group together. It would be Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee. Jean Paul wanted to go with me so he decided to join us as well. The others either said theyâd take a rain check or didnât seem as interested.
The six of us got to the bridge, and were ready to activate the psionic shields, when Colossus stepped through the bridgeâs doors. âI go with you,â Colossus said, looking at Jubilee. âJust to protect you. Help keep an eye on youâ.
âThanks for the offer, Peter,â Jubilee said. âBut I donât need protectingâ. She seemed to have mastered the âpolite but firmâ mode of delivery.
I saw Colossus nod and then step back. I couldnât tell if he was disappointed or frustrated or just accepting it. I think it may have been the latter.
We turned the shields on, held onto Nightcrawler, and down we went.
FOH had destroyed it, of course. There was rubble and ruin in place of the mansion. You could see the outer perimeter of about half the building, and if you walked through it you could even see the outline of where a few rooms had been. One wing of the mansion had a few crumbling walls left. I didnât see any furniture or anything of value left.
âIâm surprised at how quiet it is here,â Nightcrawler said. âFOH apparently didnât try to build a base here or do anything else with the landâ.
âMaybe dey tâought it had bad karma here, all dese mutants,â Gambit suggested.
He was probably right, I thought. FOH may very well have avoiding doing anything here other than destroying the building, given that so many of them had seemed to believe that we were nothing but pure evil.
âIt looks like somethingâs taken up living here though,â Jubilee called, as she walked towards a wing of the mansion. âLike an animal or something. Or lots of animalsâ.
âWe rebuild dis once before,â Gambit said. âDat time Juggernaught destroyed itâ.
âWe can do it again someday too,â Rogue added.
I looked at them and nodded. They were right.
Hank spoke through our communicators just to confirm that Victoryâs sensors still picked up no signs of FOH soldiers in this area.
Jean Paul and I started to walk off by ourselves. I held his hand; I did it automatically and without a second thought. As we walked, we did keep an eye on the others, just for safety reasons.
âAre you sad that the mansion is destroyed?â he asked me. He switched the hands that held me and put the other on my shoulder.
I shook my head. âWe knew there was no way FOH wouldâve left it in tact. Itâs just a buildingâ.
âYou are right. The more important thing is that you have a strong team together, you care about each otherâ. He paused. âI would like to be a part of it. I would like to be an X-manâ.
âThatâs awesome,â I said. I kind of knew that weâd been heading this way for a while. I had known for sure that Jean Paul was going to stay with me, and I would be wherever the X-men were. âI know the rest of the team will be glad to have you. Maybe when we teleport back up, we can tell Hank and make it official. And then have a long overdue celebration, for that and for Hankâs promotionâ.
âI would like that. I would like it more if we celebrate on earth someday, maybe in a restaurant that was once closed to mutants,â Jean Paul added.
I smiled. âIf the Professorâs work keeps doing what itâs doing, that day shouldnât be too far offâ. And then I thought of Aurora, who always lurked in the back of my mind. I hated to say it, but I realized that I viewed her as a potential black cloud always in the distance. âWhat about Aurora?â
My question might have been vague but I think Jean Paul knew what I meant. âI think she will want to stay wherever I am. I was the one who went back for her when she ran off from Alpha Flight beforeâ.
I took a breath. âWhat about her mental state though? I mean, I know itâs not her fault that sheâŠhas mental problems, but something needs to be done to help herâ.
âI know. I am trying to give her subtle ideas, about asking Xavier for help. Maybe by the time his work is farther along and he has more time, I will have convinced her to work with himâ.
âI hope so,â I said.
Nightcrawler teleported to us and reminded us to stay not far from the others, so that we could be teleported away if trouble arose. I knew that weâd be fine that day, though. And if, for some reason, FOH did surprise us and we couldnât teleport back to the ship, I wasnât that afraid of facing them either.
***
Rogue and Gambit continued to walk through the mansionâs rubble. Rogue observed her fiancĂ© and thought that he almost appeared to be searching for something. She knit her brow, wondering about that. With the mansion in pieces, Rogue had only a vague idea of what room had been where. After not long, she found a small stump and sat on it.
Gambit went up to her. âYou not lookinâ around?â
âSeen one pile of rubble, seen âem all,â Rogue remarked.
Gambit looked at her. Behind her tough exterior he saw a few flashes of pain. âYou miss dis place?â he asked gently.
Rogue sighed and shook her head. âI shouldnât. After all, it ainât the place that matter, but the peopleâ. She took another breath. âI guess I do miss it thoughâ.
âNothinâ wrong witâ dat,â he said, settling down next to her.
Rogue rested her head on his shoulder. âItâs just that thereâs so much history here. In what was this building. We met here, you and me. We came together first here. And I found a family here for the first time. Any time I feel pain or feel scared, I just kinda close my eyes and picture a few things and I feel better. I think of the mansionâŠthe X-menâŠyou, RemyâŠ.the family I made here. So the mansionâs gone. The other things still existâ.
âDatâs the important thing,â Gambit said. âAnâ I know youâre sad dat Storm and the others ainât here. But I tâink dey be back soon. We just gotta waitâ.
âI know, Remy. I know. And when they get back, weâre havinâ that weddinâ!â
âA day I look forward toâ.
***
Moira and the Professor sat inside his room, eating breakfast together. It was their daily ritual now. Moira looked forward to the shuttle ride from the Prevail to Victory each morning. Charles saw it as a much needed mental break from his strenuous daily work.
Charles looked better, Moira noted, than he had that day when she had insisted on giving him a massage.
âI scanned the news after I first woke up,â Moira said. âI saw even more reasons for hope. The UN is going to vote on a resolution supporting mutant rights, and they said it is certain to pass. It may be symbolic, but it is an important symbolâ.
Charles nodded. âMagneto is so convinced that things will continue to get better, that he contacted me last night. He said that he is thinking of taking his ship and retiring to that planet where his son and daughter are. He thinks the battle is over and we are certain to winâ. At Moiraâs slightly alarmed look, Charles added, âWe would of course welcome you and Siryn on Victory, should you choose to stay with the X-men. We can take the barracks and make them into several rooms â“ I am sure that several of the X-men would look forward to a construction project like that, actuallyâ.
Moira nodded. âThat would be well, Charles. Of course I would decide to remain with you. I am so happy that it appears we are winning. And it is all thanks to youâ.
The Professor shook his head. âI never wanted to play God. I had hoped for years that words and deeds would be enough to change mindsâ.
âPerhaps we are living in a time when good words and deeds are not enough, when too many evil-spirited people are in positions of powerâ. Moira paused. She knew that they had held this conversation many times before, and yet she suspected that Charles perhaps needed these reminders. âYou are doing it to prevent a greater evil - evil such as the kind that was done to my family. For that I will always be grateful, Charles, and I will always believe you are doing the right thing. I know you will agonize over it, Charles, but I pray you willna give it another thoughtâ.
âThank you, Moira,â he said quietly, as he reached for his warm mug of tea.
Moira sliced a small piece of cantaloupe. âThere is something I have wanted to ask you, Charles,â she began.
âWhat is it?â he asked, noting her serious tone.
âI would like to have a memorial service, for Kevin and Banshee. I think I need to bid them a proper farewell. I dona know if Siryn is ready or not â“ the girl still barely speaks to me or anyone - but I strongly feel that I need to do this. Will you help me plan it? The others here barely knew Banshee. Rogue and Hank had met my sonâŠunder less than ideal circumstances, I know. You knew them better than anyoneâ. She paused. âYou are the only person in my life who knows meâ.
âMoiraâŠI am honored. Of course I will plan the ceremony with youâ.
Moira stood up. âThank you, Charlesâ. She walked over towards him and, without further ado, bent down, placed her hands on his temples, and kissed his bald head. âI have been dying to do that for weeks now,â she said, smiling a rare smile.
Her smile lit Charlesâ heart. For a moment, words failed him.
âI, um, I dona how exactly you feel about me, Charles,â Moira began. âBut I do have an inkling or two. I need to tell you that I still love Sean. And I have such strong feelings for you, tooâ. She paused. âAnd that every morning I wake up and I ask myself how long is enough time. How much time after the death of one man you love is enough time for you to allow yourself to be withâŠanother man you love?â
Charlesâ heart stirred and his insides felt electric. For years he had thought that a love relationship would detract from his work, that he didnât need a wife. He was starting to feel now, though, that such a relationship might enhance his work. He wondered if it was melodramatic to speculate that such a relationship might save his life.
âI donât know the answer, Moira,â Charles began. âI only know that when you feel the time is rightâŠI will be here waiting for youâ.
***
Jean Grey was in the kitchen punching a few buttons on the food replicator. She placed her food on a tray and made her way to the dining room to eat. It was a few hours after the usual lunch time and Jean wasnât particularly hungry but she knew that she at least should eat.
John lay sleeping in his stroller, next to her table. One of the members of Alpha Flight walked by, looked as if he wanted to start cooing at John, but thought better of it when he saw that the baby was sleeping peacefully.
Jean patted the letter from Scott, which she kept folded inside her pocket at all times. The Maple Leaf had landed on Haven three days ago. They had burned out their engines, pushing them aggressively all the way to return to the paradise. Their ship might not be useable any more but they were where they wanted to be. After so many weeks of near solitude â“ with only Heather and their babies for company â“ it still required some adjustment on Jeanâs part to sharing Haven with numerous others. But at least they had delivered the letter from Scott. Reading it had meant the world to her; just thinking of it gave Jean hope.
Still, it had been hard. It was hard watching Heather gleefully reunite with her husband, though Jean managed to muster up some sincere happiness for them. It was hard getting used to noise and commotion in the halls, much of it generated by Walterâs rambunctious son. Jean was the only X-man here. When she had first come to Haven, it had been with her team, her family, who meant so much to her. Everyone was kind and friendly but none of them were Scott Summers either.
âThat looks good. Eat something, honey,â someone said to Jean.
The speaker, Jean remembered, was Heatherâs mother though Jean questioned her own sanity when she realized that she could not recall the womanâs name. She smiled vaguely in reply and murmured something pleasant. She forced herself to take a bite of the Rueben sandwich. John soon woke from his slumber and the older woman asked if she could hold him.
Just as Jean assented, she felt a mental jolt. Without really thinking of it, her brain continually did a telepathic scan, reaching as far out into space as she could. She detected something. Jean then concentrated deeply, probing that connection she had detected.
âScott!â she cried out, unaware that she was speaking aloud.
//Is it you? Are you there, Scott?// she then asked, telepathically.
//Jean! Yes, it is I. I am on my way to Haven, in a shuttle. Wolverine is in another shuttle, with Storm. Storm was injured and is going to need Havenâs healing powers. Sheâs been in a coma for weeks.//
Jean took it in. //What about everyone else?//
//Theyâre fine. Theyâre back on earth. The Professor is using his telepathy to change peopleâs minds about mutants//.
//How far are you from Haven?//
//It will be almost four days. Three days, and eighteen hours.//
Jean and Scott spent the balance of those three days telepathically catching up. The other inhabitants of Haven were a bit concerned since Jean spent so much time at this, but once Heather saw that Jean was doing enough eating, sleeping, and tending to John she told the others that there was no reason for concern.
âIâm doing better than fine, Heather!â Jean had actually spoken, one of the times Heather checked in on her. âMy husbandâs coming home!â
***
The shuttles landed. Wolverineâs was first; Cyclopsâs would touch down a minute or two later. Jean greeted Logan, and he was friendly enough in response but he wasted no time in hoisting Stormâs stretcher and heading straight for the hut that had healed Xavier. Sasquatch followed his former teammate, offering his assistance. Jean had had time to squeeze Stormâs hand and say a quick prayer for her recovery.
The ramp to Scottâs shuttle opened. Jean was amazed at her own response, her heart beating faster than that of a teenage girl attending a rock concert of her heartthrob. Scott descended the shuttleâs ramp and the two just looked at each other before coming together in a most enthusiastic hug. Their kiss conveyed excitement and gratitude for their reunion, but Jean knew that Scott was eager to hold the baby too.
âHeâs grown so much,â Scott said, lifting John out of his carrier.
Jean was worried that John might start to cry since he didnât seem to enjoy being held by anyone other than Jean. But the subtle telepathic images that Jean occasionally shared with the baby must have helped. John remained placid as Scott cuddled him.
âYou look so happy to be holding him,â Jean said. She knew she was stating the obvious but it was fun to say it.
âI am so happy, home with you and John at lastâ.
They hugged once again as Scott held John. A few members of Alpha Flight stood by and greeted Scott. He returned their greetings but was wrapped up in Jean and John.
Scott kept his gaze alternating between Jean and John. He held his son, feeling his heart overflow with love. Jean wrapped her arms around Scott and variously planted kisses on this face.
âI love you so much,â she murmured.
âI love you too, Jeanâ.
***
Wolverine sat next to Stormâs prone form, inside the small hut. He didnât know how long he had been there. His sense of time during the trip to Haven had been skewed. He did register that Sasquatch checked in on him once or twice, and that Jean and Scott also visited once, bringing food and a lantern, and expressing concern over Storm.
Wolverine tried to remember how long the Professorâs recovery inside this hut had taken. He rubbed his temples. His head felt foggy and he couldnât recall whether Xavierâs recovery had been instant or more drawn-out. Six weeks cooped up inside that shuttle, worrying about Storm, had not helped his mental acuity.
When it was too dark to see Storm, Wolverine lit the lantern. He then resumed his vigil seated beside Storm. The Wind Rider still failed to stir. She remained motionless as ever, her eyes shut.
Patience, Logan told himself. Maybe that was what the universe was trying to teach him. As if he hadnât been patient enough during the journey here.
What if the universe was trying to teach him something else, he feared. Maybe the lesson was a cruel one. Perhaps the lesson was that men like Cyclops would always get what they wanted while those like Wolverine were destined to be bereft. Perhaps the lesson was that it truly had been a mistake to allow himself to love and care for anyone else, that he had been better off alone.
No. That sentiment was wrong, and his years with the X-men had proven it to him over and over again, despite his silent protests to the contrary. And Logan knew that allowing himself to love Ororo, despite the fact that she wasnât perfect, despite the fact that she was attainable â“ and despite the fact that she wasnât Jean â“ had been the right thing to do.
Sunlight streamed in through the hutâs sole window. Logan rubbed his eyes, suspecting that he had dozed off for a moment. It couldnât have been too long though; heâd had no dreams. He heard a quiet moan.
âStorm!â Wolverine jumped to his feet, to Stormâs side.
Her eyes were open. She made another guttural sound.
âYou in pain, darlinâ?â
Ororo slowly shook her head from side to side. She tried to speak, failed. She waited another moment before she said, âNo painâ. She let out a sigh. âI just feel like crapâ.
Logan started to laugh at hearing the uncharacteristic expletive from Stormâs lips. It was a moment to savor. Though he wanted to be alone with his lover, he called for Sasquatch to come and monitor Stormâs condition. But his gut told him that she would be well.
âAre we on Haven?â Storm managed.
âYeah. Itâs a long story. But youâre gonna be alright, darlinââ.
Storm slowly brought herself to a sitting position. âYou sure thatâs a good idea?â he asked.
âIt is probably not but I feel like I have been laying down for weeksâ.
Wolverine smiled a laugh-smile. âYou haveâ.
âOh. Shitâ.
âHey, Ro? Would you swear more often? âCuz I like itâ.
âIf I had enough energy, Iâd swat at you for thatâ.
âIâd like that too,â Logan admitted. âMaybe gettinâ injuredâs brought out your playful sideâ. He paused and thought again. Perhaps if the universe was giving him a lesson, it was a reminder that he had to love and accept her as is.
Logan bent over and embraced her. Ororo returned the hug with as much energy as she had. When Walter entered the hut, the couple were exchanging âI love youâsâ.
***
Things were going so well on earth that Magneto did what he told us he was going to â“ he took his ship and left for that planet where his son and daughter were waiting. Along with him went Pyro, Avalanche, Leech, Caliban, Flex, Radius â“ and Emma. I really hoped that half of them werenât going just because Emma was. I know that some of our guys were extremely disappointed that Emma was leaving but she said that she was tired of combat and strife on earth. All I knew about âMagnetoâs planetâ was that it was really far, but I suspected that we hadnât seen the last of him, or Emma.
Moira, Siryn, Puck, and Shaman moved from Magnetoâs ship to Victory since they didnât want to leave with Magneto. We installed some walls in the barracks to make them actual, separate rooms.
Given how well things were getting on earth, our next order of business was to retrieve Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, and Storm from Haven. But we couldnât all go â“ the Professor and several others needed to stay near earth and make sure progress kept happening. So we called a meeting and had a long discussion. We decided to âborrowâ another starship from FOH, a decision which Iâm surprised the Professor didnât express more angst on. (But really, what choice did we have? And FOH had a ton of ships that they werenât using since they had âdecidedâ not to keep waging war on us). We also decided that Psylocke needed to be on the journey, because we needed a telepath just in case something had gone awry during Wolverine and Cyclopsâs treks back to Haven â“ it would just make sensing them easier.
The Professor then asked for volunteers to return to Haven, in addition to Psylocke. Angel was a given. Jean Paul and I looked at each other and ended up volunteering to go as well. We couldnât do much good here on earth â“ most of the work was really being done by the Professorâs mind â“ and I was eager to get the X-men reunited. Aurora was okay with going with us as well. Jubilee also volunteered to go; I know she was missing Wolverine like crazy, and once she spoke up, Colossus also said that heâd like to go.
So that was the final group â“ Jean Paul and me, Aurora, Psylocke, Angel, Jubilee, and Colossus. It might seem like a lot, but we did need several people so that we could have enough to cover bridge duty.
Remaining on board Victory would be the Professor, Hank, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Cannonball, Forge, Moonstar, Marrow, Moira, Siryn, Puck, and Shaman.
I knew Iâd miss Hank, Rogue, and Gambit a lot â“ but I also knew it was just temporary and hoped weâd be back on earth in no time. Hank was always so busy anyway since he was our team leader.
âWhen you all get back with all the others,â Rogue said, during our meeting, âRemy and I are gonna have the greatest weddinâ!â
Smiles and cheers broke out at that proclamation.
âI look forward to it,â the Professor said. He looked happier than Iâd seen him in months. âThe X-men are spread out across the galaxy. I am very eager for our reunionâ.
âWe all are,â Hank added. âLet it be soonâ.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed âParallelsâ. I havenât yet decided if Iâm going to do a sequel but please let me know what you thought of the story. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.