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 didn’t have anything like the Danger Room on their ship and several said that they felt out of shape.
“So you go first, X-men,” 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 “official” 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. James’ tone had seemed nearly aggressive. `Perhaps not aggressive,’ Storm amended. `Maybe entitled is the word. As if this place belongs to him and since we’re visitors, we need to share our story first’. Storm amended her thoughts again. `Of course, the fact is that this place does belong to them’.
“We would be happy to tell you how we arrived here,” Professor Xavier began. He gave an honest and candid account of the X-men’s capture at FOH’s hands, imprisonment, and escape. He included information about the dreams and messages he received back on earth, containing this planet’s coordinates. A few members of Alpha Flight looked at each other when Xavier talked about the messages and dreams.
“I wonder why Snowbird’s people reached out to you,” Walter said.
“So you have “ who? “ Iceman to thank for your escape from FOH?” Puck asked. “Where is he anyway?”
Aurora spoke up, “He’s with my brother, cervelle d’oiseau. I have not seen my twin since last night!”
“You missed him this morning,” Heather added. “He darted into the kitchen and threw some breakfast on a tray before darting back out”.
Radius crossed his hands over his chest and muttered, “At least somebody’s getting some action around here,” but his voice was low enough that not everyone heard.
Heather changed the subject, “I’m 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, Professor”.
“I will always be grateful as well,” Xavier said.
“Hey, wait a minute. What about the Sh’iar?” James asked. “Aren’t you friends with their Empress? Why didn’t they heal you “ and can’t they help us with FOH on earth?”
“My last communication with Lilandra was over a year ago,” Xavier responded. “She is embroiled in civil war now “ 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 well”.
“I see”.
“We are eager to hear what happened to you, how you came to leave earth,” Storm then said, hoping to prompt Alpha Flight to tell their story.
James began to describe what had happened. “We’d been planning on leaving earth for a while and coming here, to Snowbird’s people’s place. They call it Haven. We wanted to come here because we wanted to get away from all of FOH’s 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.
“But FOH nabbed us, same as they nabbed you. Same type of weapon you describe and we don’t know anything more about it than you do. One of our members, Witchfire, got killed in the scuffle.
“Just like you we spent days in one of FOH’s 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 --- “
“My brother and Walter,” Aurora broke in. “They acted the most quickly and got right to the soldiers. Both strong enough without their powers”. 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. “So 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 didn’t think about it much and just got into space and left.
James took a breath and continued on. “The Maple Leaf wasn’t completely ready for space. Its navigation system was crap and got us off course”.
“It’s not just that,” Heather added. “We 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 it’s 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,” she patted her abdomen, “and 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 away”.
James was glaring as his wife as if outraged at her words, which surprised most of the X-men.
“Anyway,” James continued, when he was finished glaring, “we 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 “ 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 battle”.
The Alpha Flight members’ faces looked very somber at this point. Snowbird had been with the team for a long time.
“I am sorry to hear about all of your losses,” Cyclops said sincerely.
James nodded curtly and continued, “So we took the pirates’ supplies and got enough dilithium to make it here. We didn’t take their ship though, since it was a bigger piece of crap than ours”.
Murmurs among Alpha Flight members could be heard at that comment. Storm guessed that perhaps not everyone agreed with James’ assessment of the pirate ship; indeed she thought she heard one of the members of Alpha Flight whisper, ‘Their ship wasn’t so bad’.
“It’s good that we made it here,” Sasquatch said. “But we have to get back to earth. My son is there and I want to see him again”. Walter was divorced and his former wife, who was not a mutant, had custody of their child.
“And Marrina and her husband,” Puck said. “I can’t believe we left them behind, though I know they can hide a lot better than we could. They could always hide in the ocean”.
“I told you,” James said, sharply. “We’re not deciding anything until Heather has the baby! Get it? You’re all in strung out shape. We’re resting here until she has the baby and then we figure out what to do next”.
The look in James’ 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, “Snowbird said that this planet has a power source, much like dilithium”.
Xavier nodded. “It is in one of the sheds by the lake”.
“Excellent”. James then asked Xavier, “What are your plans? How long did you hope to stay here?”
“Well, I am afraid that we are stranded here for the time being. We don’t have enough dilithium to get back to earth”.
James was silent for several moments and his facial expression suggested a certain amount of smugness. “I see,” he said.
***
“Well, he shouldn’t be so smug,” Cyclops said angrily. “They 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. It’s ready to fall apart at the seams”.
Cyclops, Xavier, and Storm were assembled inside Xavier’s bedroom. They were now realizing that with Alpha Flight’s arrival, finding private places to speak could be a challenge; they did not want to risk being overheard.
“Indeed,” Storm added. “I do not know what Alpha Flight will ultimately decide to do “ and clearly they do not know either “ 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 alone”.
“Convincing them will be a difficult task,” Xavier said. “I 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 people”.
“And I cannot see him relinquishing command, though I doubt he is as effective a leader as…well, the three of us, if I say so myself”.
“The rest of Alpha Flight doesn’t 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,” Cyclops said.
“We should ask Wolverine if he has any ideas on how to reach James, though I know they did not get along,” the Professor added.
Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Xavier called.
Rogue entered the room and closed the door behind her. “I thought y’all would be in here,” she said. “Am I interruptin’?”
“Not at all”.
There was an awkward pause. Storm then asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“I uh, I actually just wanted to thank y’all. For bein’ such wonderful leaders. Sometimes you don’t realize what you got till you see somethin’ 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 you”.
The room was silent for a moment. The X-men’s leaders weren’t used to gratitude for their work in guiding the team.
“That is very sweet, Rogue,” Storm managed.
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Xavier added.
“I’m gonna bet I ain’t the only one who is feelin’ this way right now too,” Rogue added. “Well, anyway, I’m gonna head over to the Danger Room. See y’all later”.
Cyclops soon resumed the discussion. “One other thing I think we need to find out from Alpha Flight is more information on the pirates who attacked them. I don’t like the thought that there is a band of pirates out in space “ 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 pirates”.
“Agreed,” Xavier concluded.
***
The morning after Jean Paul and the rest of Alpha Flight arrived, I woke up to a gentle nudging. “Ma puce, I have breakfast for us!”
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. “You are wonderful,” I murmured. Not the most original thing to say but it was true. I just couldn’t have dreamed that last night could have gone any better.
“As are you. But come now, let’s eat. And I hear that the Danger Room is open certain hours. I am so eager to train again! Our ship Maple Leaf didn’t have anything like that”.
I gazed at Jean Paul. He was full of energy. “You’re a morning person, aren’t you?” I mumbled.
“Oui”. He paused. “You are not?”
“Not really”. The correct answer would have been ‘Not at all’. I then added, “But how stupid of me “ of course you’re eager to see this place! You didn’t get to see much of it yesterday. Let me get showered and then I can show you around”. I looked at the clock. “And we have time before the Danger Room opens, don’t worry”.
As groggy as I was, I managed to shake off the sleepy feeling. When I showered, I replayed last night with Jean Paul’s hands all over my body. It had all been so thrilling and so incredibly fulfilling.
But I also sensed that he wasn’t 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. “May I pick you up and fly around?”
“I’d love that,” I said.
Can something be both fun and terrifying? His arms were very strong and I knew he wouldn’t drop me, and it is kind of cool to be up so high. But it’s also scary. At least he didn’t fly very fast. I was glad for the moment he set me down near the lake after a few sweeps around the planet.
“It’s not very big here,” he said.
“But there’s still plenty of room. And it is lovely”.
“Yes. As lovely as you are”.
It was an old line, but I didn’t 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. “Indeed, 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 “ so much excitement all at once”.
“For me too,” I admitted. All of my instincts told me that this wasn’t going to be just a fling. And it was weird too since I’d 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, “Do you feel like telling me Alpha Flight’s story, what happened since you left earth? I am curious to know”.
“As I am, about your story. You must tell me what happened to the X-men and how it is you became a hero!” 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 hadn’t been a fighter for years. I kind of got the idea that he admired the “warrior” type and I had to let him know that I wasn’t that, never had been.
“But you can always change,” he said. “Your powers are very strong”.
Jean Paul told me Alpha Flight’s 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 “ including how they nearly starved to death when their supplies ran out and their attack at the hands of some pirates “ it was time for the afternoon Danger Room session. “I cannot miss this!” he said.
“I know, but I totally want to hear more! I, um…” this might sound weak but I had to say it, “I love talking to you and I want to hear everything”.
“I 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 well”.
“I, uh… you know, I’d like to, but not this time. You go on ahead. Buzz me on the communicator when you’re done and we’ll get back together afterwards. I still want to hear more about the Olympics”.
He grasped one of my hands tightly. “Alright. But train with me tomorrow. Please?”
“Sure,” 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.
“I was so moved, I honestly didn’t know what to say to her,” 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.
“Sometimes a little outside perspective is all people need,” Jean said. “You and the others have been fantastic leaders all these years, and it’s a bit easy to take it for granted”.
“And people do expect the world of us,” he added.
“Yes. Leaders are expected to always make the right decision, to be compassionate when needed, tough when needed, to always put the team’s 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 it’s all one can do to stay afloat. It is overwhelming. I have never envied what you “ or the Professor or Storm “ have had to do all these years. I truly don’t think that anyone gets it unless they have had to lead themselves”. She paused and then added, quietly in case others were in the forest, “Or until they see a bad leader like James”.
“I will say one good thing about him,” Cyclops said. “I think it’s wise that he’s waiting until Heather has the baby before they decide what to do next. Sometimes it’s smart to take a break and take stock”.
“Though they can’t really do much of anything until she has the baby anyway,” Jean added. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to return to earth now. I didn’t 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 it’s not a boy. You know, I am not trying to have a James-bashing conversation, but I must say that I don’t understand that attitude at all”.
Scott shook his head. “I never really thought much about the whole question of boy or girl,” he admitted. “I’m glad the baby’s healthy. I wonder if he’ll be a mutant. But I sure wouldn’t be less excited if it was a girl. No, I don’t understand his attitude either”.
Jean smiled at her husband’s remarks though they came as no surprise.
“Okay, now I have to admit that earlier I was saying that James seemed smug at the end of the meeting,” he went on. “Now I am feeling smug as compared to him. But I suppose it is wrong of us to compare ourselves to them”.
“I do agree. None of us is without flaw”. Jean stepped closer to Scott and pulled him into a hug. “But to me, you are as close to perfect as can be”.
“And you know I think the world of you,” Scott said, nestling his face against her and breathing in her scent. “In fact, I still do believe that you are without flaw, even though you tell me otherwise”.
Jean gently smacked Scott’s backside. “Come on,” she urged. “We could have a little alone-time back in our room”.
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.
“How did it go?” she asked. “Everyone noticed that you and Northstar seemed totally into each other!”
“I can’t believe how well it’s going!” I said. I told her everything. I told her what we’d 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 Jubilee’s eyes wandering a bit, and I asked, “How are things with you?”
“Um, I’m really popular lately. It took the guys in Alpha Flight about three seconds to realize that I’m the only single girl here. They were like way attentive at the party”.
“Really?” I asked. I’d had no idea. Heck, Apocalypse could have been at the party last night and I doubt I would’ve noticed.
“It’s kinda flattering, I guess”.
“Yeah. So, do you like any of them? Do you think you might pursue something with one of them?”
“Gosh, I don’t know. I think it’s kinda a bit much, a bit fast. I mean, I’d like to get to know them “ I’m open to anything but it’s hard gettin’ all this at once”.
“I thought you wanted a boyfriend though”.
“I do! It’s just that…well, I don’t know”.
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, “Well, how about if Bobby comes along too?”
I looked at my watch. “Can we keep it short though? I mean, not that I don’t want to hang out with you, but I just want to make sure that I’m there when the Danger Room session is done. Northstar and I are going to get together afterwards”.
“We got time. Come on”.
The guy’s 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 I’m 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 couldn’t think about much else other than getting back in Jean Paul’s arms.
***
Heather found Wolverine on the porch, reading through some papers. She sat down in a chair next to his.
“I can’t believe how beautiful this place is,” she said. “My head is spinning a bit at it, almost like my eyes just can’t take it all in after living on the Maple Leaf for so long. Did you feel that way when you first got here?”
Wolverine’s reply came after a few seconds. “I love it here”.
“I’m so happy that my baby will be born here”. She patted her protruding belly. “It’s so different here than on earth, so peaceful. I can’t help but to think that the birth will be easier here”.
“You got any names picked out?” he asked, taking a glance at her abdomen.
“I 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 haven’t made a final decision yet”.
Both were quiet for several moments. Heather knew that Logan wasn’t going to help move the conversation along. “I, um, wanted to see if everything was okay between us,” 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. “I 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. I….” Heather broke off. Wolverine’s gaze was steady. “I’m sorry. You have every reason to be angry at us, to hate us even”.
Logan again remained silent for several moments. He then said, “Don’t think I could ever hate you. But I sure don’t appreciate what you went along with”.
“I know it was wrong of me. I should have ““
“Leave it. Let the past stay in the past”.
Heather nodded. “That is very wise”. She soon added, “Our teams will be together on Haven for a while so I hope we do get along”.
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.
“How long have you and Storm been together?” she asked. “If you don’t mind my asking?”
“Not long. A few months”.
“Are you happy together?”
“Yes”. 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. “What about you and James?”
Heather looked down at her hands. Her voice was just above a whisper, though Wolverine had no trouble hearing. “I hoped having the baby would bring us closer together. I always wanted a baby”.
Wolverine looked intently at her. “But it ain’t worked that way”.
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 hadn’t bought the story. In truth, Heather had trashed the entire month’s 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 evening’s dinner was the first meal where all members of both teams made a point to be present. Despite the coolness of the evening’s 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 people’s 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 afternoon’s 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 Flight’s 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 Haven’s 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 “ 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 didn’t 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.
“There you are! I nearly forgot that I have a brother!” she exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes at his sister and said to her, “No need to be such a drama queen. It is not as if I have forgotten you”.
“The rest of us just want to get to know the guy who you’re spending all your time with,” said Puck, who was sitting across from us, “that’s all”.
I smiled and suddenly felt very shy. I managed to say something like, “I hope to get to know the rest of you, as well. Of course Jean Paul’s told me a lot about you”.
“Did you, my brother?” Aurora asked. “I 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, Bobby”.
Aurora and Puck started to tell me a story of one of Alpha Flight’s 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 didn’t look like that would happen during dinner anyway. There just weren’t enough hours in the day and I couldn’t get enough of Jean Paul.
After dinner, we again headed for the lake and sat on one of the benches near it. “I want to tell you something,” Jean Paul began.
I had a fleeting worry that it would be some bad news but I saw the look on Jean Paul’s face and could tell that it wouldn’t be. “I want to tell you about Joanne,” he said, sounding both very serious and eager.
“The daughter you adopted,” 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 don’t pay that much attention to events in Canada but since this involved mutants, those of us at the Institute knew about it.
“Yes,” 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 “ I saw glimpses of it during the past day “ but he wasn’t 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 didn’t 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 didn’t have the level of detail he was interested in when talking about the battles.
“But how exactly did they defeat Apocalypse and his horsemen?” he asked. “Everything I had heard about them made it sound like they couldn’t be stopped. What did the X-men do?”
“I don’t exactly remember,” I said. “I just remember them coming back to the mansion and everything was good. We went out for drinks afterwards. Everyone was real charged up, of course”. 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 hadn’t been a bad dancer. I told him that the bar later ended up closing its doors to mutants. But I couldn’t tell him anything about the battle other than the outcome.
I stopped myself. “I’m sorry I don’t know more about what exactly they did to win that one. It’s hard since I wasn’t in the battle myself”.
“It is alright that you don’t remember. I just enjoy hearing about strategies and battles -- I try to think of things I can use myself. And we’ve done so little fighting the past few months that I miss it. But I see that you don’t care for combat”. He paused and then added, “You do have great powers though. And you said you’d train with me tomorrow,” he reminded.
“I did?” I joked. I then gulped. He looked serious. “I guess I did”.
“You can do this, Bobby. It is not so hard. Remember, you rescued the rest of your team”.
“That doesn’t mean that I’d make a great solider though. I was never good at it in the past. I think Cyclops hates when I try to go into combat”.
“So? Why do you care what he “ or anyone else “ thinks?”
“I care about that a lot,” I said. It was true. “I mean, the X-men are family to me and I do worry about what they think”.
“That 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 yourself”.
I paused and listened to his words. I suppose he had a point. So I took a different route. “Fighting just isn’t in my nature. I’m more of the sweet and nice type”.
“Most people do not like to fight. But we don’t have a choice with the immonde FOH in power back on earth. We have to use the powers God gave us”. He took a breath. “And 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 I’m gay”.
I looked down at my hands and was very quiet. He didn’t continue speaking. So I finally said, “Jean Paul, that is the way I am. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve felt I had to be that way because I’m gay or if it’s really the way I am. I mean, I’m a smart ass at times and I like to play jokes on the others, but basically I’m just….nice. So if you dislike guys who are sweet and nice and are not good fighters….” I let my voice trail off.
He grasped my shoulders. “Bobby,” he began, his voice very serious now, “I like *you*. I would not try to change you. There is a lot to be said for being…sweet. 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 are”. He paused. “But come with me to the Danger Room tomorrow. Please. Just try it once”.
“Okay,” 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.
“This one is too predictable,” Hank said. “The X-men have gotten used to it, even when it’s on the higher levels. I shall endeavor to make it more challenging”.
The trio looked up when they saw Puck enter the room. Storm smiled in his direction. Her estimation was that Puck was “ perhaps after Heather “ the most approachable member of Alpha Flight.
“Am I early?” Puck asked.
“A little,” Cyclops answered. “But that’s okay. You can always warm up in the gym down the hall “ it opens up before the Danger Room”.
“Although actually, Puck, if you don’t mind,” Storm began, “there is something I would love to ask you about”.
“Ask away, Storm!” he encouraged, as she walked over towards him.
“I 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 power”.
“The chances are lower than remote, Storm. We toasted them. They’re not coming back”. He took a breath and added, “I 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 hell”.
“Understandably. But I have no interest in remonstrating anyone for actions in the past. I simply wanted to learn more about those who attacked you”.
“There’s not much to say. They weren’t mutants. They weren’t FOH. Just a rag-tag group of about seven men with big guns and even bigger phasers on their ship. They never would’ve gotten as far as they did if we hadn’t 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. We’re lucky that the baby is doing fine”.
“Do you think there are any more where those pirates came from?” Cyclops asked.
“I doubt it. They weren’t part of any sort of organized group, not as far as we could tell”.
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 wasn’t among those. They had shared a bed last night but she hadn’t 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.
“Oh my stars and garters!” he said quietly. “It looks as if he intends to fight with us”.
“We better use a low setting today,” Cyclops added.
Storm looked around the room. “But not too low,” she suggested. “I bet that he can handle more than you think”.
“I do agree,” Hank began, “but as a mere precaution, I will keep an eye on him during the fight”. 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.
“He’s good at making the ice slides,” Storm noted quietly. “I think he needs to slow down a bit though “ in this scenario, speed is less important than accuracy but I don’t think he realizes that”.
“He needs to be more deliberate with his movements. And his aim isn’t the best “ half his bursts of ice aren’t hitting the target” Cyclops responded, equally quietly though no one could hear them over the din of battle. “It’s not terrible either, though. For someone who hasn’t been practicing, he is doing better than I would think”.
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.
“Well done, my friend,” Hank said.
“Thanks!” Bobby replied. “Hey, it was okay that I was here today, wasn’t it?”
“It was more than ‘okay’,” Storm answered. “I am delighted to see you training here! You did well”.
Cyclops decided to try to add some levity. He said, with a smile, “All this time we’ve been trying to get you to train and you haven’t, 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 do”.
“Well,” Bobby shrugged, matching Cyclops for levity, “the fact is that Northstar has sex with me and you guys don’t”.
Hank and Storm laughed along with Bobby. Cyclops decided to try to give the humor right back to Bobby. “The Professor did always tell me that different people are motivated by different things, I suppose”.
Northstar was in a serious mood, “You did do very well, Bobby. Tres bien. We need to work on your aim though”.
“Yes,” Storm said. “You 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 today’s scenario, a few targeted shots would have been a more effective approach”.
“Okay,” Bobby said. “I’ll work on it”.
“So we will see you in here tomorrow then?” Hank asked. “Outstanding!”
***
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 weren’t serious or perhaps Rogue could be swayed or might simply want some variety; he didn’t always think through his actions completely.
“If you ever get bored with that Cajun fellow, I could really rock your world,” Radius began.
“What in tarnation are you suggesting, mister??” Rogue asked angrily at his stale words.
He touched a hand to her thigh. “Just that if you wanted a bit more…excitement in your li---“
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.
“That no-count loser!” Rogue exclaimed when she and Remy had some time alone together in their room. “I don’t feel the least inklin’ of guilt over his injuries! Serves him right!”
“Well, chere, Remy appreciates your loyalty”.
“Aww, Gambit, you know I’m crazy ‘bout you! I ain’t interested in anyone else”.
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.
“For dat I am grateful, chere”.
Rogue affectionately tousled Gambit’s hair. “Silly, Swamp Rat, you don’t gotta be grateful for any of that! I love you”.
“Love you too, chere”. He paused and added, “And Gambit’s gonna seek out Radius a bit later, jus’ to have a talk wit’ him and make sure he is clear on everythin’”.
“I think that’s a great idea!”
***
“I hope we do not see further strife,” Storm said to Wolverine.
“Serves the bastard right,” 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 wasn’t single, and some felt that her response may have been too harsh.
“I know,” Storm admitted. “But we may see problems like this escalate”. 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.
“He’s hit on Jubilee too. Maybe we gotta talk to Alpha Flight. Ain’t right for their people to be hittin’ on our women”.
Ororo listened to his words and replayed them a time or two. “Our women?” she asked.
Logan was surprised the slightly reprimanding tone of her words. He took a moment to respond. “Didn’t mean anythin’ by that”.
Cannonball stepped onto the porch. “Hi Storm, Wolverine,” he greeted. He was smiling and looked at ease. “Nice evenin’ we’re havin’”.
They both greeted Cannonball, and he asked, “Mind if I join you? I got somethin’ I wanted to ask you about”.
“Please, ask away,” Storm encouraged. “What is on your mind?”
Cannonball pulled over a chair so he could sit near the couple. “Well, it’s about Jubilee,” he began. “I, uh, I’ve been thinking about her a lot. I know she’s an adult now, though a lot of us still think of her as younger just ‘cause we’ve known her so long. She told me the other day that she’s almost 19. We’d gotten to talkin’ about our ages. But anyway, I was wondering….I wanted to ask her out on a date. But I wanted to make sure y’all knew about it and were okay with it”.
Ororo weighed his words. “Sam, as you said, Jubilee is an adult. It is not our “ or anyone’s “ place to give approval”.
“Hang on, ‘Ro,” Logan said. “Good of you to ask, Sam. Ain’t a whole lotta guys that I’d be okay with askin’ out Jubilee. But if you treat her real nice and with lots of respect, then you and I will get along fine”.
“But it’s not our place to say that, Logan,” Storm insisted. “We don’t own Jubilee”.
“No harm in Cannonball askin’ though. He just wants to let us know that he’ll treat her right. If she’s interested”.
“I still believe that this attitude of asking for approval harkens back to days when women were owned like pieces of property”.
“I swear, I didn’t mean that at all!” Sam broke in. “Honest. 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 I’m not like that”.
“How old are you?” Wolverine asked him.
“Twenty-two”.
He nodded. “Well, bub, if Jubilee is interested it’s fine with me. But if you don’t treat her right, you’d better watch out”. For emphasis, Wolverine slowly extended one claw.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be really sweet, I promise”.
With that, Sam left, leaving Storm to wonder how many men would still be interested in pursuing Jubilee despite Wolverine’s protection of her. More prevalent on her mind, however, had been Wolverine’s comments and actions.
She bit back the comment, ‘Nice macho posturing’ regarding his gesture of extending a claw. Instead she remarked, “I have a serious problem with Jubilee being spoken about as if she belongs to us”.
“It ain’t that. The kid’s like my daughter and I gotta protect her. She’s had a hard time before joinin’ the X-men, and the FOH run-in didn’t help her. We gotta watch over her”.
“Protect a mutant with powers as strong as hers? She’s not some delicate, dainty child”.
“It’s the emotional stuff. She ain’t never been in a relationship before and not every guy out there knows how to treat women. That’s what we gotta protect her from”.
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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