Among the Strong

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: Among the Strong
Chapter Nineteen: The Return
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs to dazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar .

Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.

Among the Strong - the index

Kitchen duty was such a bitch. Not that he didn't enjoy it. Most days, he didn't mind helping out in the kitchen. He liked making sure that the kids got good food to eat. But the past week had been some kind of hell for everyone. Classes had been canceled and most of the students had been encouraged to engage in individual study. The adults had been strung tight with worry and fear. And rightly so.

It wasn't often they were forced to deal with Sinister or Apocalypse. He'd been there for the fight and even he'd known that they were out-classed. Of course, most of them had been surprised to take on Apocalypse's horsemen and he didn't think any of them had missed the frightening resemblance to friends and fellow X-Men. He'd been hard pressed to deal with any of them, especially Death's powers. He should have been the best suited to her particular skills, but he'd had a hard time keeping up.

He wondered when he'd see his friends again. All of the teams were essentially grounded until their people were returned. Three team leaders were gone. Several of their heaviest hitters. It was a bad sign if the horsemen could topple their strongest people.

"Mr. Drake?" The voice brought him out of his musing to find one of the younger students staring up at him in blatant concern. "Are you okay, sir? You look sad."

"I'm fine, Sarah," he assured the girl. "Just lost in thought. Are you done prepping the salad for tonight's meal?"

"Yes, sir. Fin is taking it out to the table now," the girl informed him.

"Good enough. I'm almost done here. Go find your seat. We'll be eating in about ten minutes," he told her, offering up a smile to prove to her that he was fine. The girl, one of the newer students, nodded at him and offered him a shy smile before turning to head for the dining room.

The door had just swished shut behind her when he heard a soft grunt of pain from the other side of the kitchen. Turning, Bobby spied one of the people who had come back to the school with Logan. One of Dare's team. The one she'd put together to rescue Haley from Doom. Bobby stared a minute while he searched for the right name. When it came to him, he started across the room. "Null? Is there something wrong?"

The young man lifted his head from his hands to look up at Bobby. His eyes had gone white and there was a touch of strain in the lines of his face. "I feel something. Magic. Nearby. I think its a portal," he explained, voice slightly breathless. Apparently sensing magic took something out of him.

"A portal? What do you mean?" There was concern in Bobby's voice.

"When the horsemen showed up. I felt it just before the portal opened. I could feel the magic disrupt the air or whatever. And then the horsemen were there and... " Null's face fell in what Bobby suspected was guilt. He reached out and laid a hand on the young man's arm.

"What happened there wasn't your fault. Purple Team is well seasoned and they know that there's no such thing as an uncomplicated mission. I have no doubt their gold was to protect you and your friends," Bobby explained. "I'm more concerned about what you just felt. Are you certain its a portal?"

"Yeah. It felt the same as the one in the desert," Null nodded. The strain was leaving his face, telling Bobby that the pain brought on by the portal opening was fading. That suggested the portal had closed.

"Do you know where the feeling came from?"

Null waved a hand toward the windows behind him. "In that direction, I think. I'm sorry I can't give you more specifics. I... My powers don't work that way."

"No. Its okay. A general direction is better than no direction," Bobby told him, already on his way to the door. "I need you to do me a favor and think very hard toward the Professor. Let him know what you sensed. If you think at him, he'll catch it."

"Of course," Null nodded. Bobby was outside a moment later and he broke into a run as he headed in the direction Null had indicated. There wasn't much back that way other than trees. But there was the gazebo. It would be a good place for someone to appear on the school grounds. It was generally pretty empty during daylight hours. Most of its use came once the sun went down. The gazebo would be an excellent place from which to launch a surprise assault.

That thought saw him covering himself in ice. And then he was in the air, riding the ice path he created for himself. It didn't take long to reach the gazebo and he was careful to slow his pace so he could get a good look around. He didn't see anyone and nothing looked like it had been disturbed. But that didn't mean there wasn't an ambush waiting for him. After several moments of absolutely nothing, of nothing but the trees moving in the breeze, Bobby descended to the ground.

The interior of the gazebo was cast in shadow so there was little for him to see there. He approached slowly, ready to throw a sheet of ice at anyone or anything that might try to jump out at him. Nothing moved, though, allowing him to step under the roof unmolested. Doing so showed him a shadowed lump on one of the benches. Bobby moved closer, then stopped in his tracks when he realized what he was looking at.

"Morgan?" he asked, already on his knees by the bench. There was no response. She lay on her side on the wooden surface, obviously placed there with care so that she didn't fall off. Which was a good thing because her belly was swollen in pregnancy. If he had to make a guess, he'd say she was in her ninth month. A pair of fingers at her throat told him her heart was beating slow and steady. He reached for her, slipping his arms under her shoulders and knees, and took care in lifting her up.

He didn't like that she just kind of wobbled in his hold.

He did his best to take her into the mansion in a way the kept too many people from seeing them, but the school wasn't so big that he could manage that feat. There were curious onlookers when he stepped inside, and the crowd grew while he made his way as quickly as he could to the elevator. The relief he felt when the doors to the elevator slid closed on all those curious faces was immense.

And short-lived.

Just as the elevator lurched into motion, Morgan stirred in his arms. And then she hissed, the sound one of obvious pain. Her hands came up to press against her belly even as her eyes flew open in alarm. It was at that moment the something cold and wet drenched the front of Bobby's pants. "Shit. Just my luck," he muttered.

"Bobby?" Morgan's voice was soft, full of sleep and pain and confusion. When he looked down, bright green eyes were staring up at her.

"Its okay, Morgan. You're home. I'm taking you down to Henry."

"Where's Warren?" she asked, her head turning as she attempted to look around his them. Bobby thought it was an odd request and he considered asking if she meant Remy. But her hand curled into his shirt. "Bobby, where's Warren? Why isn't he here?"

Fate was kind to him, because he pushed into the infirmary before he had to come up with an answer. His arrival startled the room's occupants and brought two heads his way. Vivid blue eyes landed on him, making the furry blue face around them shift into lines of concern when they spied his reason for being there. Only a second later, those blue eyes were joined by a pair of golden eyes that widened in disbelief and concern. "Morgan!"

Roxxy was pushing out of bed even as Beast left his chair to come over.

"Rosemary. Go back to bed. You have not fully recovered yet," Beast commanded even as he closed in on the spot where Bobby stood holding Morgan.

Roxxy, of course, ignored Henry's orders and beat the other man to Bobby's position. There was a look of incredulous disbelief in her eyes, along with a hint of tears. One hand came up to take hold of one of Morgan's. "You're back. Oh, god, you're finally back. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them," Roxxy whispered.

"I..." Morgan began, but trailed off on a long groan. "Ow! Fuck! That hurts!"

"What hurts, Morgan?" Henry asked, no doubt already considering a whole plethora of problems that Morgan might possibly have.

"My water broke!" she snapped. Bobby was pretty sure he felt the tension that rippled across her belly as a contraction hit. "I'm in labor!"

"Oh, my!" Henry exclaimed. And then he was just suddenly in motion.

~*~

The institute was larger than he'd thought it would be. And there were so many kids there. Mutant kids who were safe and could get an education without being afraid of people finding out who they were. What they were. Duke kind of wished he'd had that kind of opportunity. He and the rest of the team were in the dining room, having a meal. They'd met with Professor Xavier when they'd first arrived, who had welcomed them and thanked them for trying to help. He'd then told them they were welcome to stay if they liked.

After some conversation between the four of them, they'd decided to take the professor up on his generous offer.

"No one is going to believe we were here," Fog said quietly, a touch of awe in his voice. He didn't seem to notice the students wandering in and out of the dining room. Ghost did. Duke had caught her flickering once or twice, almost fading from sight. He knew she was nervous, that she didn't do well with strangers. Or large crowds. He reached out and put a hand on her arm to let her know he got it. She offered him a thin smile, then went back to her meal.

He glanced around the dining room, taking note of all the different faces. Some of them appeared normal. Some of them were obviously mutants. No one seemed to feel out of place. People were chatting with one another as if they hadn't a care in the world. He might have been able to believe that everything was normal, if not for the fact his team leader was missing. If not for the fact that they'd spent a few days in the desert and hadn't seen a thing that let them believe that portal would open and his missing team leader and the other X-Men would come spilling out of it.

The only reason they'd returned to the institute was because of that phone call Logan had gotten from Dee. While Duke had heard everything the girl had said to the angry little beaver, he hadn't quite understood what was going on. Not until Logan had called the professor and asked him to look into things. Then the conversation between him and his daughter had made sense. Duke had checked in on her after they'd gotten settled because he remembered just how freaked out he'd been when he'd gotten his powers.

"Nnng." That sound brought Duke out of his thoughts. His attention turned to Null, who sat next to Fog on the other side of the table. His head was in his hands and the look on his face said he was in pain.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"I think..." Null trailed off a moment before he drew a breath and nodded his head. "Portal!" Duke stared at him expectantly.

"Where? Can you figure out where?"

Null lifted his head, eyes gone white with his powers riding him. After a moment, Null closed his eyes and concentrated. Soon he had one hand pointed toward the far wall. "That way. I think."

"Show me," Duke said, rising from his seat. "Fog, help him. Ghost. See if you can find anyone who looks like a teacher or a person of authority and tell them that there might be a portal opening up somewhere around here."

Ghost nodded and rose, then hurried away from the table. The students who were in the dining hall had fallen silent and were watching them. Duke rounded the table and stepped up beside Null. In case his support was needed. Together, the three of them headed for the exit.

It took a couple minutes for Null to get his bearings. When he did, he almost ran up one hall and down another. In moments, they were in a large hallway with lots of gleaming wood. Straight ahead of them was a door. Null headed toward it, his hands trembling when he took hold of the door knob. By then, there were several people filling the hallway behind them. Duke didn't pay attention to who was there, simply followed his friend outside into the soft light of late afternoon.

Everything looked calm and peaceful, the lawn green and lush as it spread out before the mansion. Trees full of leaves swayed slightly in a gentle breeze. But there were no birds singing. No call and answer from insects. It was far too still and far too quiet. And there was no sign of a portal but...

"What the fuck?" The words were out of Duke's mouth before he'd even processed what he was seeing. He came to a stop only a few feet from the door and stared down at the figure on the steps. They appeared to be unconscious, head resting on their arms, which were bare and laid out across the top step. Bare legs and feet cascaded down the steps toward the ground, positioned in such a way to make it look as if they'd walked up to the steps and then collapsed onto them. A fall of blonde hair spilled across the concrete of the steps. "Holy shit! Jehnna?"

Duke was the first one to reach the slumped figure. He could feel others trying to press forward, to see what was going on. Something akin to a growl rumbled up his throat. And his words, when he spoke, were filled with the deepness of his troll. "Get back! Everyone go back inside!" he ordered.

Several things hit him at once. The press of people fell away until only Null and Fog remained. Jehnna's chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm that suggested sleep. She was clad in a tank top and a pair of shorts. And she was pregnant. Heavily pregnant. He was just swinging her up into his arms when the sound of footsteps coming to a halt caught his attention. When he looked up, he found himself staring at Logan. There was little expression on the man's face.

"Take her ta Hank," he said gruffly. "I've already talked to the perfessor. I'm heading fer the Blackbird."

Duke nodded and crossed to the door. Fog held it open, Null hovering at his side. Duke stopped to look at his friends. "Go sit down and rest. I know this takes a lot out of you. But stay vigilant," he told Null. He didn't have to say why. Null nodded in agreement and hurried through the door into the mansion. Duke turned his attention to Fog. "I want you to stay up here. Just in case."

He didn't need to elaborate on what he meant. He and the rest of his team had had plenty of time to talk about what would happen if the horsemen showed up again. Fog might not be able to stop them physically, but he could very possibly slow them down. Just enough for the heavy hitters to engage them.

It was quiet as he reached the basement level. Quieter still when he reached the sub-basement level where Beast had his labs and the infirmary. Jehnna had yet to stir, despite the fact that Duke was hurrying as best he could without jostling her too much. He didn't know what had happened to her beyond the obvious and he didn't want to risk waking her and making things any worse. He was a stranger to her, after all. She'd already been through a lot. He had no desire to add to it.

Beast was in the infirmary when Duke arrived, something for which he was grateful. "We have a situation, Dr. McCoy," Duke said as he pushed into the room.

"We have another situation," Beast said as he looked up from the bed by which he was standing. Duke could see Morgan in the bed, back resting against a pile of pillows while pain clouded her face. She was hooked up to an IV and some kind of machine and she did not look happy.

"Jehnna? What's wrong with her?" Roxxy asked, breaking away from Morgan's bed so she could cross the room to where Duke stood with Jehnna.. "Where are the others?"

"She was the only one I found," Duke told her, his gaze taking in the concern and worry on her face. Roxxy nodded, as if it was what she expected. But he could tell that it wasn't what she'd wanted to hear. "Null is keeping an eye out for more portals. And she appears to be unconscious. Logan told me to bring her here."

"Of course. Put her in that bed there, my boy," Dr. McCoy said, one large blue hand pointing toward an empty bed. Duke moved to do as he was told. Just as he was settling her on the mattress, he heard the way her breathing changed and she shifted slightly in his arms.

"Sam?" she asked in a slow, slurred voice. When her eyes opened, they were large and glassy, suggesting she'd been drugged. Jehnna stared up into Duke's face for a moment before she frowned and sent her gaze sliding around the immediate area. "Where's Sam?"

"He's not here yet, honey." Roxxy was on the other side of the bed, one hand reaching for Jehnna's. Jehnna turned a glassy-eyed stare Roxxy's way as she struggled to comprehend what she'd just been told. And then big, fat tears started sliding down her cheeks.

"I want Sam!" she told them, her tone watery and thick. "I need Sam!'

On the heels of Jehnna's proclamation, Morgan gave a cry of pain that told Duke exactly what was going on. Fucking hell, this was shaping up to be one hell of a day.

~*~

The lake was calm and placid, the surface barely rippling under the gentle breeze that blew across it. The surface was painted in orange and pink and yellow, the colors of the setting sun. It was a beautiful setting, deserving of a picture or painting to commemorate such beauty.

It was a pity he would be unable to capture said beauty. There was too much turmoil in the school. In his mind and in his heart. Word had spread throughout the school that two of the missing X-Men had returned. He had it on authority that Morgan and Jehnna had been returned to them. The news was both welcome. And maddening.

He was glad his fellow X-Men were being returned. But he was upset that, as yet, many of them were still missing. Including Haley. It was true that their relationship had ended more than ten years ago, but there was a still a place for her in his heart. They had been in love once. And he still loved her, but as one friend loved another. It had been troubling to learn that Sinister had taken Haley. It was more troubling that, as yet, he hadn't seen fit to return her.

Part of him felt terrible for such thoughts. He had friends missing, people who were more akin to family than mere friends. He felt should be concerned for them more than he was. Every thought should not revolve around Haley. Especially since he had been in a long-term relationship with Kate and she should be the woman occupying his thoughts. Not Haley.

But it hadn't been Kate he'd seen by his side. It hadn't been Kate who had given him a family. It hadn't been Kate at all. It had been Haley. It didn't matter that those thoughts, those dreams, had been created by an alien entity. They had felt real. To him, they had been real. The alien had created a bond with Haley that had never fully gone away. A link that lived in his mind as a reminder of what he'd once had. Of what he could have had, had Fate twisted in a different way.

Something, some bit of nostalgia, perhaps, saw him seeking out that link. It was still there, though hard to find. Over time, it had worn away to almost nothing, much the way the running of water over stones left them with smooth surfaces and dull edges. He expected to find it in the same state it had been in for a decade, dull and lifeless, with only the faints smudges of Haley lingering. Which was why it was a surprise to find that there was life in the link. Not much. Little more than a slight buzz against the emptiness.

It was a buzz that shouldn't have been there. It hadn't felt like this since she'd made her choice and given herself fully to Johnny Storm. The buzz had faded after their marriage, had become something thin and brittle and almost dark. Now, as he touched it, it pulsed faintly with life, as if stirring from a long sleep. It was such a shocking discovery that it took him some time to figure out just what it meant.

"Haley." Her name fell from his lips as the significance of that buzz hit him with all the force of a raging bull. She was back. They'd returned her to her friends and her family. To her home. It had to be. That had to be exactly what it meant. And, for a moment, a sense of panic flooded through him. Where was she? Was she hurt? Did she need help? How could he find her?

Piotr forced the panic back, folded it in on itself a bit at a time until he was calm once again. He poked at the link again, coaxed it to blaze against his mind like a flame. For several long moments, he stood still and silent, his eyes closed, as he let the flame grow and flicker and give him a direction to follow.

That flicker drew him along the lake until he found himself near the boathouse. There was something almost poetic about that. And sad. The boathouse was the last place they'd truly been a couple. Before he'd been a coward and had run from her. From his own feelings. Frowning, Piotr pushed those thoughts away. There was no changing how things had worked out. Thus there was no reason to feel guilt anymore. Haley had made her choice and she was happy. That was all he cared about.

The interior of the boathouse was shrouded in shadows, the sun's rays only chasing a little of the darkness away. The air was still and silent and, for a moment, Piotr wondered if the link was lying to him. A quick check proved that it was burning more brightly, a fire in the hearth compared to a candle's flame. That was enough to see him advance deeper into the building.

He found her in the bedroom, laid across the bed as if she had merely gone to sleep there. But even in the gloom he could tell her hair was longer than he recalled. And, when he stood over her, the swell of her belly suggested that she had been away for a long time. Piotr took a moment to brush the length of her hair from her face and let his gaze run over the contour of her cheek. The fullness of her lips. The slope of her nose.

Gently, carefully, he picked her up off the bed. His arms remembered the feel of her shoulders as he settled her against his chest. He'd carried her like this before, when she'd drifted off on him. It was a pleasant memory. A memory he put aside as he carried her from the boathouse and toward the mansion.

He had just barely stepped into the mansion when he felt Haley tense in his arms. One of her hands curled tightly into his shirt, her face turning into his chest as if she sought safety there. "Piotr?" There was a touch of confusion in her voice. But he could sense panic under the surface based on how she clutched at his shirt. And he could feel it through their link.

"Relax, Haley. You've returned home. You are safe." He made sure his voice was low and soothing. Gentle. It didn't stop that trickle of fear and panic. If anything, it made it worse.

"Why are you carrying me?" she asked. Her face stayed tucked against his chest, as if she knew they were inside the mansion and she could feel the eyes that were glued to them. "Why isn't Scott carrying me? Why isn't he here?"

"Scott?" Piotr asked, startled by the way the fear spiked when she spoke. Startled by the fact that she was asking for Scott and not Johnny.

"Oh, god," she moaned softly. Even before she continued, he felt the warm wetness of tears as they soaked into his shirt. "He killed Scott. That's why he isn't here. Sinister killed him and left me with his baby."

"No, Haley," Piotr said quietly. He fell silent until they reached the elevator, not comfortable with anyone hearing this conversation. He certainly didn't think Haley wanted to be seen in such a state. The door had slid shut and the car was moving down before he addressed her words again. "Scott is in Alaska. Sinister returned him to Alaska. The professor began searching with Cerebro the minute Morgan was discovered. He found Scott, Remy, Warren, and Sam. They will be here soon. Logan has gone to collect Remy and Scott. They are too far away to return quickly. Sam was left in Kentucky and Warren was left in New Jersey. The professor has assured us that they are on their way and will be here at any time."

Haley continued to cry, as if she hadn't heard anything he'd said. And he could hear her murmur to herself, over and over, that Sinister had killed Scott. He did not like to see her so distraught. And nothing he said quelled her tears.

How he hated to let her go when he stepped into the infirmary and was ordered to settle her in a bed while Henry bustled back and forth between Morgan and Jehnna. So Piotr took a seat next to the bed upon which he settled Haley. And he held her hand while she cried softly.

She didn't stop. Not even when Henry came over to examine her and Roxxy trailed after him, wearing both relief and worry on her face.

~*~

His tail lashed back and forth with his agitation. It had been this way for an hour or more. As soon as Morgan had been discovered in the gazebo, every member of the X-Men had been on alert. The young man who was reported to be a member of Dare's team looked tired and drawn. The professor had kept him close at hand once he'd discovered the boy was capable of detecting the portals before they even sprang to life. Thus far, he had sensed the portals that returned Morgan, Jehnna, and Haley. He'd even said something about a magical disturbance in New Jersey. The professor had told them all that it was likely Warren being returned. Cerebro and proven that to be truth. And Cererbo had allowed the professor to locate Remy, Scott, and Sam. Logan had been dispatched to fetch Remy and Scott.

Some fifteen minutes or so after Morgan's appearance, Warren had landed on the front lawn with all the grace of the heavenly creature from which he'd taken his code name. Jean had announced it, presumably after either being told by the professor or sensing Warren's mind with her own. She'd said that Rogue had been sent out to escort him to the infirmary to ensure he was in good health. With him had come Johnny Storm, who had obviously come to reunite with his wife. No one had said whether that reunion had happened or not yet. A little more then half an hour after Warren had returned, Sam had suddenly appeared on the lawn. Again, Rogue had gone out to meet him and escort him to the infirmary. Jean had intimated not that long ago that Henry had his hands very, very full at the moment.

Now they waited on tenterhooks for Sinister to return the last of their missing comrades to them. So far, there had been no sign of anymore portals. And Dare was missing. The other three women had arrived within roughly fifteen minutes of each other. Almost double that had passed and there was nothing to suggest that Sinister would return the last of their family.

Kurt halted the movement of his tail and glanced once more around the room. The professor was using Cerebro and many of the others were busy with watching the children or looking after the three women who had been returned. So there were few people in the room with him and Null. Jean was there, as was Ororo. He knew that Henry was busy in the infirmary. He rounded out the group.

The waiting grated on his nerves. And there was little to do but sit and wait. Just like there had been little to do when he and his team had faced down the horsemen. It had taken them very little time to see Kurt and his team laid out in the sand. He didn't remember much of the fight, only impressions as he'd ported from one location to another in a vain effort to keep the horsemen distracted. He disliked the ease with which the four of them had put down a seasoned team. More than that, he disliked what he'd seen in those four women that day. They'd worn the faces of people he saw every day. He hadn't liked the implications of that at all.

"Fuck," Null hissed, pulling Kurt from the thoughts swirling in his head. He turned to find the young man with his head in his hands. There was a tightness in his shoulders and in the way his fingers clutched at his skull.

"Is it another portal, Null?" Jean's voice was soft and gentle, a soothing balm to the obvious pain the young man dealt with when magic was present.

"It is," the man got out, his voice pinched with pain.

She settled a hand on his shoulder. "Where? Can you tell where its going to open?"

"Up," he groaned. "It feels like up."

"Up?" Jean repeated, confused.

"The cupola," Ororo responded. There was calm certainty in her voice. "I will go at once."

"Nein," Kurt responded. "I can reach the cupola much faster. Inform Henry that I will be down shortly," he directed toward Jean. Even before she could answer, he pulled his power around him and sent himself up into the cupola.

It was full dark outside, so the cupola was buried in the depths of night. And it was cold, the night bringing chill air with it. He wasn't sure where he should be looking. There was quite a bit of clutter in the cupola so there were plenty of places to hide a person. The other three women had been returned unconscious and he had no reason to believe Dare would be any different.

"Over here, Kurt," a woman's voice told him. He turned to his right and searched amidst the shadows until he saw a figure standing in what he believed was a clearing in the clutter. He made his way there carefully, then came to a slow stop when he realize who he was looking at.

"Faye? We have not seen you in days. Where have you been?"

Morgan's double offered him what looked like a tired smile and shook her head. "That doesn't matter. Dare is what matters. She's here. I can't wake her up." The last of Faye's words were spoken with the faintest hint of fear.

Kurt reached out a hand and laid it on her arm. She felt freezing cold to the touch. More than that, she almost felt as if there was little to her. He could only imagine what kind of hell it was for her to have the people she loved, the people she was tethered to, missing and hidden away some place she couldn't find them. "She will be fine," he told her. It was more belief than promise, but he felt the way the tension leaked out of her.

"Take her. She needs to go see Henry," Faye said. "I'll come see her later. When I'm stronger."

Even before Kurt could say a word, she was gone and he was alone with the unconscious woman at his feet. Putting Faye from his mind for the moment, he knelt and reached for Dare. She'd been left sitting up, propped up by the wall behind her. Her head rested on a box near her shoulder and she wore nothing more than a tank top and a pair of shorts. She wasn't dressed for the cold.

As carefully as he was able, he lifted her into his arms. He felt more than saw the slow rise and fall of her chest. Assured by the soft sound of her breath as she inhaled and exhaled, Kurt pictured the infirmary and made his jump.

The room was filled with people. Loud with noise. A source of absolute chaos. Of course Henry was waiting for his arrival, standing next to one of the empty beds. With so many people in the room, it was tempting to port her to the bed. But he quelled the urge and walked her over. Dare's eyes were fluttering open when he laid her on the bed.

Kurt had barely released her when her hand shot out to grab at his arm. She turned a confused look his way, a hint of fear trembling in the backs of her eyes. "Relax, Dare. You are safe. You are home," he told her gently.

Her gaze flicked around the room quickly, as if she expected to find he was lying. He watched as she found each of her friends in turn. There was too much in her gaze to truly decipher what she was feeling. But he couldn't miss the question that lived in her eyes when she turned them his way once more.

"Where is he?" she asked hoarsely.

"Logan is on a mission," Kurt began. He was just about to tell her where he'd gone when she shook her head.

"No! Not Logan! Remy? Where's Remy?" she demanded. There was, perhaps, a touch of hysteria in her voice that surprised him. Despite the problems she had with her temper, she was usually far more level-headed than this. "Where's Remy. Why isn't he here?"

The last of her questions were spoken softly. Almost to herself. And then she was crying, silent tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes and hung there for a brief moment before sliding down toward the pillow under her head. "Dare? What's the matter? There is no reason to cry."

"He lied to me," she whispered, her gaze turned inward. Kurt was torn over what to do. Did he leave her to cry, leave her to languish in her distress. Or did he try to offer comfort? Did he press a hand to her shoulder in silent support? Did he simply tell her that all would be well if she had faith? He didn't know what he should do. And then it didn't matter because Henry was at her bedside, one large hand stroking gently down her arm while he told her in a patient voice that he needed to examine her.

Kurt backed away, uncomfortable with her tears. Who had lied? Why did she think that? And why was she calling for Remy when it should be Logan she wanted at her side?

The infirmary was loud. Chaotic. Filled with too many people and too many emotions. He found himself uncomfortable with it all. To save his peace of mind, to keep his sanity in tact, he ignored the desire to go soothe Dare's battered emotions and pulled his power around him once more.

The woman's tear-stained face was the last thing he saw before he fled the room.

Comments

[dazzledfirestar]

Oh, here we go!

I love Bobby finding Morgan, just because it's someone safe who she is comfortable with. And honestly his confusion with all this is beautiful just because it's Bobby and he is not equipped for any of this. lol Hopefully Warren gets there fast!

Null kind of getting better at tracking the portals as the chapter goes on is a nice touch too. I hope he doesn't have to keep practicing but it seemed like every portal he got better at pinpointing it. So maybe he can do more tracking down of baddies? Maybe? Hmmm.

Poor Jehnna, just right on the front steps. That's cold. I do love how she's obviously been dosed a little extra because she's historically been a pain in the ass for Sinister so it makes sense. And those big tears and her need to have Sam there is perfect and unsurprisingly co-dependent. I don't want to compare the guys to security blankets but... at this point?

I'm so glad someone who knows her well enough to protect her found Haley and I love that you built up that there is still a connection there between her and Piotr even if it's not always obvious. The shock of her asking for Scott though? Beautiful. lol I can almost see the wheels turning on that one. lol I'm betting those tears aren't just because of the panic. She knows what's coming and she's not ready for it.

Kurt is such a neat choice here because he's got those ties to Faye and it's such a great way to show what this all has done to her too. And of course she's watching over Dare. It's what she does. Also Kurt not knowing where to start with comforting any of them is great because he is so often the one that does that job and this is just too much, even for him. Dare's fear of losing Remy too is just heartbreaking. It's so easy to slip back into that place for her. Hopefully they get back fast.

Excellent work, hun. So much chaos packed in and so many questions to answer! Can't wait to see the fallout!

[ladydeathfaerie]

i think it was a good choice to have Bobby be the one to find Morgan. he's absolutely familiar. its also a sort of nod to the main fic, though with some considerations made. to be honest, i think anyone would be confused with all that's going on. but yes. he is absolutely not equipped to deal with everything going on around him.

i feel like this might be the first time (not including the desert) that Null has had to deal with portals. so the fact that he caught on relatively quickly is kind of amazing. i'm sure, when everything is done, Duke will take him out for some beers just to help kill the headache that he's no doubt got. i'm really going to have to sit down and figure out who every member of Dare's team really is. it is possible that he might be able to help track more of the baddies with a skill like that. we'll have to see.

yeah. poor Jehnna got left on the front steps. i'd say like trash, but they were all just left like trash, so there's that. i'm sure Sinister was trying to up the chaos factor by having the girls left at different places around the mansion. i'm sure she's absolutely freaked out without Sam there and i'm kind of surprised there aren't more tears happening in that room. given what the girls have been through, there is a certain truth to comparing them to security blankets.

i couldn't picture anyone else finding Haley, honestly. it felt kind of like a full circle thing, and it (hopefully) showed the fact that they're still friends, despite everything that's happened and despite all the years between then and now. hopefully i did Piotr some justice since i write him so infrequently. also, no doubt she's not ready for what's to come. not at all.

when i started piecing together who showed up where, Kurt was absolutely my first choice for this. which is odd because i don't think i've done anything involving him anywhere. ever. but i liked the idea of it being Kurt because he's got that very real sense of humanity to him. and there is absolutely the tie to Faye coming into play here. Faye should start making more appearances now, though she wasn't wrong about needing to take time and get her strength back. i'm sure that being around four women who are, for all intents and purposes, utterly lost is much more than he's capable of handling. how does he help ease their fears? who does he comfort first? how does he even begin to comfort them? he and the others were no doubt given the very basics so he knows at least that much. Dare and her insecurities... there are so many of them.

thanks, hon. glad you enjoyed it. and i'm glad that there was a sense of chaos to the chapter. i wasn't sure i managed that.

[nanaeanaven]

Ah, they're back. Or ... Morgan is back. Alone? WTF is Sinister playing at? Is he just going to drop them back at the institute one by one as they go into labor? Because I can see him doing it that way. Fucker.

Roxxy, of course, ignored Henry's orders Naturally.

So Duke and the others decided to stay - good! I half expected them to find Dare, but of course not. Nice job fooling me like that, bb. lol

Roxxy's taking this all in stride. At least, well enough to comfort Jehnna when she asked for Sam without even batting an eyelash at the odd request.

Piotr finding Haley was so bittersweet. As was Haley being convinced that Sinister had killed Scott. I'm glad the men all made it back (sorta) though, even if they were flung all over the damn place.

I almost almost thought that Dare wasn't going to come back. Just for a brief moment. I'm glad I was wrong. And Faye being there was perfect. Of course I thought it was Dare at first and wondered why she would be awake when the others weren't. But oh, this is all so messed up. I bet the confusion in the infirmary is thick enough to cut with a knife at this point.

Looking forward to whatever comes next, bb. Kudos. *smooches*

[ladydeathfaerie]

yes. Morgan is back. and Sinister is playing his own game. as he is wont to do. he would absolutely drop them home in the middle of labor. he is very much bent that way.

have i told you that i love that Roxxy is the rational one. not that i don't think she wouldn't ever be irrational. but she's the rock the girls need when everything gets all mucked up with emotions and the like. Roxxy helps keep them sane.

Duke and the others decided to stay. probably to make sure the girls came home. all of them. Duke is, in case you haven't noticed, a groupie. but everyone on Dare's team likes her X team because i'm sure she's told them so many stories. no, Duke didn't get to find Dare. and thanks. i do like to try and keep people on their toes every now and again.

i think Roxxy will take it all in stride, then have a breakdown later when everything crashes down on her shoulders. there is too much to process happening all at once.

the scene with Haley and Piotr was absolutely bittersweet. but it made sense to have someone Haley was close with find her. i like that there's just enough spark in the link that it led him right to her with minimal trouble. and that he didn't just drop her and run after taking her to the medlab.

for a moment, in the writing of that part, i had that thought. but i put it aside. because doing that to her would break her in ways i don't think could be repaired. and, let's admit it. she's fucked up enough as it is. so... yeah. just longer than the others. because Sinister is an ass that way. you'll note that this is our first glimpse of Faye since the fic started. i can't imagine she's happy about being side-lined the way she was. yes. its all messed up and there is much chaos happening. i'm sure it will only get worse.

glad you enjoyed, honey. hopefully i wont' keep you waiting long. thanks for reading!