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Chapter Six

The sunset on the planet was just as breathtaking as all of the planet’s natural views. Storm watched it from the building’s 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 planet’s 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.

“Have you settled into your new room?” she asked.

“Yeah. Great place here,” he responded.

Storm didn’t know what gave her the push to ask the next question. Perhaps the headiness of fresh air and open spaces had gotten to her. “Do you ever rise early in the morning?” she asked.

Wolverine seemed a bit taken aback by her question before he responded. “I can. Hell, in a place like this I probably would just to see the sun rise”.

“I was wondering if you’d like to see the sun rise tomorrow,” she offered, boldly. “I know how much you like the outdoors. If you want, I could even…” Storm now was at a loss for words as she couldn’t think of a non-awkward way to word her idea, “give you an aerial view of the planet. I could fly you around it”. She then felt her cheeks warm. “It sounds silly, perhaps, but you know what I mean”.

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 “ 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, didn’t 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.

“Sure, I’ll try it. Thanks for the offer, ‘Ro”.

Storm noted that he didn’t usually call her by her given name “ few did so. “Let’s meet on the porch tomorrow,” she suggested. They settled on a time.

“Sounds good to me,” 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 couldn’t help but to be in a good mood “ 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 he’d eaten the dinner I’d fetched earlier.

Hank put a finger to his lips. “The Professor is sleeping again,” he whispered.

“How is he “ like, overall?” I whispered back.

“Other than the fact that he is overall weak, his health is back to normal. I suspect that tomorrow he will be up and around”.

“That’s great”. I entered the hut, leaving my lantern just outside so we had a bit of light, and sat on the floor next to Hank’s chair. “Are you going to sleep here tonight?”

“I don’t 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 him”.

“Yeah, but what if you have to go to the bathroom during the night?”

In the dim shadows cast by the lantern, I could see Hank making a face. “Well, Bobby, I am sure that I can take hold of my lantern and reach the building in time”.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right”. I paused. “You want me to get you a blanket?”

“It’s warm enough in here, and of course I have my omnipresent fur coat”.

“You want me to brush you?”

“Not right now, but perhaps some other time, my friend”.

Actually his refusal was good since I didn’t have a hairbrush with me. “You wanna play a round of Uno? I brought a deck of cards”.

“I believe the lack of light here would make that difficult”. Hank leaned forward in his chair. “I 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 challenge”.

“And remind yourself of all the amazing things you’ve done for the team over the years”.

“I know,” he said quietly. “Thank you for your concern”.

I rose to my feet. I got that he was glad I’d paid him a visit, he was totally bummed at himself, but he’d 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 I’d 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 didn’t actually feel weird at all. The atmosphere on this planet belonging to Snowbird’s 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 would’ve been nice too. I had to congratulate myself for going so long without it, though it wasn’t 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 didn’t 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.

***

“Remy, shouldn’t we be worried and all? We can’t get back to earth,” 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 didn’t have to worry about accidentally touching Gambit during the night. Gambit preferred to sleep *au natural* in warm temperatures.

“I ain’t too worried, chere. Storm said we always find a way out. I say we enjoy this for what it is. We need a vacation”.

Rogue had to smile. Did Gambit ever fail to see the positives of any situation? “I love that about you. Mr. Sunshine,” she teased.

“Rather you call me Swamp Rat den dat,” Gambit muttered at his new nickname.

“What do you wanna do tomorrow?”

Gambit smiled at the question. He wasn’t one for planning out a daily schedule. “Sleep late and make love again. And I suppose somewhere in dere we gotta show at the meeting Cyke promised to discuss dilithium. T’inkin’ ‘bout dat’s enough to make me fall asleep now”. 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 hadn’t 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.

“Hello,” she greeted him.

“Morning,” he nodded.

“I believe I will get some tea and something to eat. We still have time before sunrise. Would you like anything?”

“Thanks, darlin’. You need help?”

“No, I’ll bring it to you”.

“Thanks. I’ll have whatever you’re havin’ then”.

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. “Come on. I will take you up there”.

“You sure I won’t be too heavy for you, darlin’? I know you’re strong, but I ain’t light either”.

“If I get tired, I can always set you down for a bit and rest. Are you ready?”

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 Storm’s 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 sweeps“ it did not take long to fly from one end of the planet to the other “ Storm asked, “How would you feel about landing for a bit?”

“Whatever you want”.

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.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Was it worth getting up early for?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’d do it again”.

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 body’s 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 didn’t know. But at this point, he wasn’t going to continue second-guessing things.

Wolverine put an arm around Storm’s shoulders and turned to her. She met his gaze and the look in her eyes gave him confidence. “Can I kiss you, ‘Ro?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, eagerly stepping towards him.

He hadn’t 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.

“Is this where you spent the night?” she asked.

“I slept outside,” he said. “I love sleepin’ under the stars. You wanna try it sometime?”

“Yes,” 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 didn’t 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 wasn’t his strong point, he knew, and when it came to matters of the heart it wasn’t Storm’s 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 didn’t respond, well, he had weathered plenty of disappointments in his life.

“I don’t know how to ask this,” he began, when they drew apart from their kiss. “You wanna be together? You and me, give it a try?”

“I would like nothing better,” Storm responded, sounding a bit breathless, which he liked. She pulled him into another kiss.

And Wolverine loved that she didn’t push him to discuss it more, didn’t 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 other’s 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.

“I, um, I hope you don’t think that I want you just for…well, for sex,” Storm said.

Wolverine smiled. “You got a bit of blush on your face, ‘Ro,” 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 didn’t mind a bit of teasing. “I suppose you know that I am not good at discussing this kind of thing”.

“Yeah, me neither. But no, I ain’t lookin’ just for someone to warm my bed. Lookin’ for more than that”.

Storm once more smiled, wider than Logan had ever seen, before she again pulled him into a kiss. “Me too. So with that settled,” she began, breaking off the kiss again, “shall we warm your bed or mine?”

He looked downwards and felt a playful smile on this face. “We could warm the forest floor instead”.

“Logan, you are full of wonderful ideas today”.


***

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 didn’t 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 person’s room could be identified. Scott resisted the urge to tap on Storm’s 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 weren’t morning people either.

Scott decided to post a sign in the dining room, making the guess that everyone “ 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 don’t like schedules, you gotta give us credit for getting our butts in one place when we’re 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 room’s own bathroom, which I should mention was sparkling clean. Had forgotten to bring my towels from Victory which presented a problem (I’d remembered soap and shampoo though). Greeted the Professor who looked like he’d 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 “ 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 Professor’s 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 building’s 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 system’s sun.

Then, changing subjects, Wolverine asked, “What about the Danger Room? Can we get back onto Victory and use it?”

We talked it through (it was boring, I won’t 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.

“The fact is,” Forge began, “that all we need to power here is the main building’s generator “ 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 Victory’s Danger Room and gym five hours each day…my estimates show that we would still have enough dilithium to last us about six to seven years at this rate”.

We talked about a few measures we’d 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 “ with all the windows and abundant sunlight, the building didn’t really need lights on that often.

“What about the shed we saw, next to the hut where you healed up?” Storm asked, facing the Professor. “Our readings show that a power supply of some sort is inside”.

The Professor spoke, “A 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 Snowbird”.

“We could force the door open, if we had to though, right?” Angel asked. “Between Wolverine’s claws and Rogue’s strength, we could tear it down”.

“Theoretically yes, but I cannot support that,” the Professor said. “I 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 us…it would be morally wrong”.

I saw lots of people nod their heads. Storm and Cyclops both voiced agreement.

“Even if we could return to earth, we still face the same problem we had before we left. There’s not enough of us to make a difference against FOH “ not when they’ve gotten as powerful and swayed as many minds as they have,” Cyclops added.

The Professor said, “My biggest regret is that we did not devote more energy towards preventing their rise to power”.

“Let’s not be too hard on ourselves,” Storm said. “We had so many powerful enemies to face over the years and our numbers were so few. We cannot berate ourselves for not doing more”.

Jean looked dejected. “I 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 time”.

“Perhaps we all were,” the Professor added.

“So it appears that our plan is to remain here indefinitely,” Storm concluded.

I know it sounds terrible of me, but I wasn’t 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.

“Perhaps,” the Professor spoke up again, “our hosts may let allow us to take some of their power supply at some point. If we demonstrate that we would be good stewards.” He paused and added, “They might not though. I don’t 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 now”.

So that was the meeting. We gradually dispersed. “Who’s up for volleyball again?” Angel asked. Teams started to form. I made a remark: “We can’t leave here, so let’s party!” 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 Professor’s nearly complete recovery. They replicated a bit more food than usual including some delicious deserts and alcoholic beverages “ 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.

“That is utterly untrue!” Storm exclaimed, picking up a grape and lobbing it at Colossus. “You did not beat the Apocalypse level 12 program singlehandedly in 10 minutes”.

“Yeah, tell us another one, iron-man,” 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. “Is true! No one else finish him off that fast”.

Xavier smiled indulgently, “May I remind you, Colossus, that I can read minds if I have to?”

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 Jean’s plate and snatched a bite of her ice cream. She threw him a mock-angry look. “Any word on the little X-baby?” the Professor asked.

“The baby seems fine but we still have a ways to go before we can have an ultra-sound,” Jean answered. She then made a face and added, “And we greatly appreciate all the name suggestions, but if anyone really thinks we’re naming the baby after them, forget it!”

“So no little Remy den, eh?” Gambit asked.

“I’m afraid not”.

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.

“What is it, Cajun?” Rogue asked eagerly as she and Gambit took a walk outside after dinner. Gambit illuminated their path by charging one of his cards.

“You notice Storm and Wolverine at dinner?”

“Did I…well, no. Notice what?” she asked, nearly flustered.

“Ah, chere, Remy’s always been more observant den you,” he noted with a smile. “I say dey are a couple now”.

“What? Really! Why’d you say that?”

“Dey sittin’ next to each other”.

“Big deal! Kurt and Sam sat next to each other and I don’t think they’re a couple, Swamp Rat!”

“You see the way Storm and Wolverine were lookin’ at each other?”

“They been doin’ that for months now”.

“I tell you, chere, the looks changed,” Gambit insisted. “I could feel a change in the air between dem”.

Rogue considered his words. “But she said she’d tell us when she had news to share!” 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.

“An’ you believed her? You know how she is. Never shares nothin’ personal”.

Rogue shook her head. “I’m gonna give that girl a talkin’ to next time I get her alone!”

***

Rogue couldn’t resist it. She knocked on Storm’s door later that very evening. When she didn’t receive a reply, she considered using the communicator to reach her friend but fought back that urge. She walked towards the rec room but didn’t see either Storm or Wolverine. Could Gambit have been right? She pulled Bobby aside and asked him about it “ he often was quite aware of his teammates’ comings and goings “ 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 wasn’t 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 Wolverine’s tutelage. Rogue searched around the main building and, when she didn’t locate Storm, decided to try the Wind Rider’s bedroom.

“Hi,” Rogue greeted, when Storm opened the door.

“Hello, Rogue. Won’t you please come in?”

Rogue had been prepared to lay into Storm and berate her for not opening up earlier. But something about Storm’s 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.

“Nice room you got here,” Rogue observed.

“Does yours look much the same?” Storm asked.

“Mostly. Ours is on the other side of the hall, so we face a different way and get a different view out the window. Yours ain’t no less beautiful”. She continued to survey the room. “We got a cabinet above the closet,” she noted.

“There’s an ample cabinet inside the bathroom instead,” Storm gestured. She then smiled and sat on the bed. “Though I must confess that I have news more important than room design to share with you”.

Rogue absorbed her friend’s excitement as she sat next to her on the bed. Ororo really was going to share her news! “What is it, girlfriend?”

Storm placed a hand over Rogue’s gloved hand. “You know that I am not one for gossiping. Or for taking too much of an interest in other X-men’s love lives. We all desire different degrees of privacy. So I ask you to keep this close to the vest”.

“Cut the preamble! Out with it, Storm!” Rogue’s lack of patience often got the best of her.

“Well, Logan and I have decided to…give things a try. We are a couple now”.

“Oh, Storm, that’s great! You do look like you’re glowin’ 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!”

Storm smiled indulgently, musing that some things simply never change. She had always found Rogue’s quirks endearing though. “Now, 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 you’ll talk to Gambit for me. Beyond that…I don’t see the need to make an announcement and, as I said, I would rather hold the details to myself”.

“But I shared all that sorta stuff with you! When Remy and I were gettin’ together”.

“I must add the fact that *you* sought me out for advice and offered all of that information. I never pried”.

“Is that what I’m doin’?? Pryin’?? Friends don’t pry. They just wanna know what’s goin’ on!”

“Oh, Rogue,” Storm turned towards her friend and embraced her. The sincere display of affection seemed to placate Rogue; Storm held her for several moments. “You know I care about you deeply”.

“Yeah. An’ you’re right,” Rogue said, pulling back from the hug. “In fact, I sure appreciated your guidance back then. But you’re different and if you don’t wanna share every detail, that’s fine”. Rogue paused and added, “But it’d sure be nice to hear *somethin’* ‘bout the lovemakin’! I ain’t after your man “ I’s never attracted to him myself -- just curious”.

Storm shook her head and smiled patiently. She then spoke, “I 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 “ even though I seem to recall you being fully in control of when you made the decision to ask Hank for a collar”.

Rogue felt a hint of embarrassment at the eagerness of her slightly-younger self. She tilted her head back and said, “Well, Remy had that effect on me and he still does. Glad you got someone who makes you feel that way”. She then added wryly, “Or at least I reckon he does, since you ain’t gonna tell me ‘bout it!”

***

That evening the X-men decided to build a campfire outside and roast marshmallows. They didn’t 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 Xavier’s body, perhaps it would also heal the team’s 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 “ 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 Storm’s hair more than once. It was thicker than her own and felt like silk. Jean had almost been envious. She hoped that Wolverine’s 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 “ who generally wasn’t interested in the love lives of any X-men other than his and Jean’s -- 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 Wolverine’s 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 hadn’t 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 Hank’s 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.

“I 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,” Hank explained. “Thus I am bypassing another Danger Room bout this afternoon”.

“Yeah, I had a pretty intense session about 7 weeks ago,” I joked, “so I’m going to bypass anymore training too”.

Hank didn’t 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.

“Hey, didn’t you spend some time with the Professor this morning?”I asked, happy to change topics. “Did he say if he’d gotten any ideas from Snowbird’s friends about whether we can use some of their power supply?”

“He did not,” Hank said. “I 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 anything”.

“They’ve already been pretty generous,” I said. I shifted my weight and began brushing out the left half of his back. “Guess we can’t ask for more. So would we really be stranded here…forever?”

I still wasn’t 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 didn’t require that much dilithium. So canoe rides were added to the list of things we enjoyed doing.

“That 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 me”.

I nodded. “We gotta hope that something will come up one way or another”.

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 couldn’t 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 Hank’s back and then came around and sat next to him.

“Looks like the picnic was a success,” I said.

“How could it not be, in such a glorious surrounding?”

Perhaps since we were alone, Hank then asked, taking a serious tone, “How have you been lately? Have you had more nightmares?”

I had mentioned to Hank that I’d had a few bad dreams since our escape from FOH. Nothing serious but maybe three nightmares in total. So I shrugged and said, “It’s been a while since I had the last one. I’m fine”.

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.

“How romantic,” I said.

Hank wasn’t one for gossip but the look in his eyes suggested to me that he was actually interested in discussing this. So I went on, “I always knew they’d get together”.

“Did you?” he asked.

“Well, no, actually,” I admitted. “I didn’t think he’d 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 didn’t 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 “ er, the rest of you, I mean “ 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 “ just not quite able to like share her feelings and such. I think seeing Rogue so happy with Gambit made Storm decide to risk it”.

“Yes,” Hank said, sounding distracted. He was gazing after Storm and Wolverine though by then you couldn’t see them in the sky anymore. Just lots of fluffy clouds against sunlight.

And then Hank murmured something that shocked me. “I envy them,” he said.

“You mean…the couples?” I asked. Duh.

“Yes”.

I was still surprised that Hank admitted this but was dying to hear more too. “You mean like you wish you had someone too?”

“Virtually 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 “ for example, you, Jubilee, Jean, and others. One need that is completely unfulfilled for me, however, is sex”.

I wanted to joke, ‘Dude, join the club!’ 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 I’d known him, I couldn’t 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.

“That’s gotta be hard,” I managed. “Is it?”

“Well, 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 activity”. He paused and then asked, “Does discussion of this subject cause you discomfort?”

“No,” I answered, still shocked to hear Hank admit that he thought about sex all the time. “I like sex. I miss it”. I paused and added, “And I’m sure you’re not the only person here who misses it too”. To help prove that the subject didn’t cause me ‘discomfort’ and because I did kind of wonder, I asked, “What 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?”

“I have met many fellow mutants over the years. Some of the women have unusual appearances as I do, and I’ve learned to see beauty in that. However, I certainly appreciate conventional beauty in a woman as well”.

I wanted to joke, ‘So basically you’ll find any woman hot,’ but it didn’t seem appropriate. So instead I said, “Well, I hope that someday you meet someone who is available and who you find attractive, and vice versa. ‘Cause it totally sucks not getting any sex”.

“You had no trouble finding it, back on earth,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if it was a comment or question.

I shrugged. I figured he knew this already, but I told him, “There 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 and…get that physical need taken care of. I’d 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 I’m like you now “ I love the friends I have here, but having to play with myself is getting a little old”.

At that moment, Jean walked by. She was behind us, and she called out, “Lovely barrette, Hank!”

Hank turned and gave me a sour look. I laughed. Then I helped him remove the barrette.

I wished that Jean’s timing hadn’t been what it was though. It was a breakthrough hearing Hank talk about this, and I couldn’t 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 he’d 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 didn’t look so good, but I also thought of my own predicament too. My prospects weren’t any better, at least not as long as we were stranded on this place.

***

Cyclops walked up Victory’s 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 Room’s 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. `It’s okay,’ he told himself. `This would be the first session I’ve missed since we got here’.

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.

“Scott,” she approached him, her voice soothing as she reached to put a hand on his shoulder.

“I thought we agreed that you were going to take it easy,” he said.

“Scott, I’m pregnant, but I’m not an invalid”.

He forced himself to take a breath. “It could be dangerous though. We discussed this and I thought we had an agreement”.

“We agreed that I could take part in the Danger Room on lower settings,” Jean insisted.

“Yeah, reluctantly I did agree to that,” Scott recalled. “What setting was it on? It didn’t look to me like it was level 1”.

“It was level 2,” Jean admitted. “Level 2 is low, so I don’t think that I went against what we agreed upon. Scott, level 1 is too easy for me “ pregnant or not. Even Bobby would find level 1 too easy!”

Jean’s remark provoked a slight smile in Scott, but it was soon replaced. He stepped closer to her. “I can’t help but to be concerned for you and the baby. It just seems pointless for you to push yourself when you’re in there, since we’re not going to be going into combat any time soon”.

“That may be true. But we don’t know what the future holds for us. I find training as an X-man to be fulfilling, as you do. And besides, I don’t engage in the same type of combat as Wolverine. I use a lot of my telekinesis. I’m not often in the thick of battle, even inside the Danger Room. And there’s a long way to go before this baby is born. I don’t intend to sit around knitting all day until the baby arrives”.

“I understand that and I wouldn’t ask you to do that. It’s just that if something happened to the baby, you’d never forgive yourself, Jean. I am saying this for your own good and because I love you”.

Jean put her arms around Scott. She noticed that his voice hadn’t softened during their conversation and she didn’t need her telepathy to detect his disappointment and concern. “I love you too. I do think you’re 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 arise”.

Scott allowed himself to remain in the hug. “What did Hank say about this again?” he asked, groping for a logical resolution.

“Our doctor said that moderate physical activity is recommended throughout pregnancy. He did say that I need to avoid higher-risk activity”. Jean then offered, knowing how much her husband responded to logic, “Let’s 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 let’s ask for his professional opinion”.

“Yes,” Scott agreed. “That makes sense”. His voice finally did take on a more gentle tone. “It’s just that I care about you and the baby so much. I love you so much”.

“I know, Scott. You always want to do the right thing, and that is one of many aspects of you that I love”.

***





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