Among the Strong
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Twenty Seven: Rumors
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 todazzledfirestar 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
Silence ruled when Warren stepped through the door into the medlab. Henry was settled on a chair, eyes locked to Scott. Scott was settled on the edge of one of the beds, arms crossed over his chest. The way his jaw was clenched suggested the two were at some kind of impasse. Warren couldn't miss the band of white wrapped around Scott's bicep. Warren frowned at that. It was rare that Scott suffered an injury and rarer still that it happened in the Danger Room.
"Ah, Warren. Your timing is impeccable. Perhaps you can convince Scott that he should stay in the medlab overnight for observation," Henry said, his eyes filled with both worry and relief. Scott turned his frown Warren's way.
"There's no need. Its just a scratch. You said so yourself, Henry," Scott replied.
"I did. And it is just a scratch. However, Logan's healing abilities have yet to start working. Which is, I believe, in relation to Rosemary's claws. If his wounds are still open, there's no telling what could happen to your scratch," Henry replied, his tone filled with frustration and the resignation that came with having to repeat the same thing over and over again. Warren had to hide the smirk that wanted to come. Scott was behaving like a child and Henry, in the parent's role, was at his wit's end.
Of course Warren had heard about the odd mishap in the Danger Room, which was why he'd come to the medlab. So he could see for himself that Scott wasn't seriously injured. For what it was worth, Scott sure acted like he wasn't hurt. "What harm can there be in staying and letting Henry observe how you react to the scratch?" Warren asked Scott. The question earned him a glower. "Henry's right, Scott. If Logan isn't healing from Roxxy's claws, there's a chance the same could happen to you. Just keep your ass here for the time being. I'm sure that Henry's worrying for nothing, but it won't hurt anything for you to stay still and let him ensure he's worrying for nothing."
"Traitor," Scott retorted. But some of the tension slid out of his shoulders and the muscles in his jaw relaxed. Warren took a seat on the end of the bed and shook his head.
"No. Not a traitor. A concerned friend," Warren responded. Scott's shoulders sagged at that and he lifted a hand to rub it against the lower half of his face. Warren's gaze slid from Scott to Henry. "What the hell happened anyway?"
"I am not entirely certain. When I arrived, the damage had been done. What I am certain of is that Rosemary's fingers ended in claws and she had fangs." That information saw Warren frowning. He'd never known Roxxy to partially shift any part of her body. It had always been the whole thing.
"Is this something she's capable of and I just didn't know?" he asked.
"No," Henry shook his head. "Her mutation has always seen her shifting fully into her cat form. I am, to say the least, concerned about this latest development."
"She was in her cat form when I stepped into the Danger Room. She was hunting Sinister. But it was... This wasn't a normal hunt for Catseye. She was almost feral in her actions," Scott informed them. His tone suggested he was concerned about what that might mean.
The silence that fell between them was heavy with worry and implication. A grunt drew his attention to Henry. The man looked more confused now than when he'd entered the room. And more worried. No doubt he was very concerned about what was going on with Roxxy. Not that he could blame the man. He knew she'd barely survived an attack from Pestilence. And now there was this bizarre event.
Warren let his gaze slide away from Henry's face to Scott's. He could tell that Scott was deep in thought. "This doesn't feel like something Sinister would do," he said slowly. Obviously he was still collecting his thoughts on the matter. "I've heard some rumors..."
"Rumors? What rumors?" Warren questioned curiously. Had he missed something?
"Have you noticed anything... different about Morgan?" Scott chose to ask his own question instead of answering Warren's. It was kind of out of left field. And, at first, Warren wanted to laugh it off. But the truth was they'd been held captive by a madman who was fond of playing with genetics. Add to that the fact that Warren hadn't been with Morgan every day and every night of their captivity and there was a reason to really think about his answer.
"No. Not really. She and I have been focused on Kayla and trying to get the suite set up," he finally said.
Scott nodded and glanced at his hands. "So we have Roxxy suddenly sprouting claws and fangs despite being in her human form. And we have Dare, apparently, blocking the link she shares with not only Remy, but Morgan and Logan. She's also somehow managed to hide her scent. And she's also apparently boiling water in the lake. Just a patch. As far as I know, Roxxy and Dare are the only two who have shown odd abilities since we returned."
"As far as you know? You mean you haven't talked to Haley?" Warren asked.
Scott raked a hand through his hair, leaving it disheveled. His jaw worked a moment or two before he shook his head. "I tried. She didn't want to talk to me. She told me that she wouldn't keep me from the baby, then she pushed me away and she won't even look at me." It was obvious that he was frustrated by Haley's dismissal. And he was worried, too. Because he couldn't check in on her and he didn't know if there was anything odd going on with her.
"I do not believe Jehnna has been acting any differently. I feel certain Sam would have mentioned something like that when they were here," Henry supplied. Scott gave a nod of his head to let Beast know he'd heard him.
"What are you thinking, Scott? It can't be anything Sinister did because Roxxy didn't get taken," Warren said.
"And I can confidently say that this is nothing to do with hormonal changes because Rosemary is not pregnant." There was certainty in Henry's voice when he said that. And perhaps a tiny note of relief. Of course, given that Roxxy had given birth to triplets not once, but twice, Warren was certain that Henry was absolutely relieved about that.
"So we don't know what's going on with either one of them," Scott said, his voice flat. No doubt he was displeased with the idea.
"Alasdare has never been... the same since she returned to us from beyond the grave," Henry reminded them softly. It was obvious that such a thing continued to bother him, even though it had been a year since that had happened. "There is really no telling if this is a new event for her or if she's been capable since she came back."
Scott's head snapped up and, even with the glasses on, Warren could tell he had that look in his eyes. The one that said he'd just had a thought. "Since she came back," he repeated. Warren frowned and Henry only stared. "Dare died and Roxxy almost died. Maybe that's it?"
"A commendable idea, but highly unlikely. Alasdare went to Mephisto's version of Hell because she actually died. Rosemary did not so she would not have seen another plane of existence." Henry gave a shake of his head. Beast sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I think a more likely answer is that they are both experiencing a growth in their initial mutations. Nothing more."
"That's possible? At this stage, I mean?" Warren asked the question because Scott looked like he was a little cranky at being told he was wrong. And it also looked like he was chewing on something. While Warren didn't feel like he should encourage outrageous conspiracy theories, he wasn't about to tell Scott to let it go. The whole thing obviously bothered him and he looked determined to figure it out.
"There is no point in a person's life where they stop growing. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. It only follows that those of us born with mutations do the same. And, as with the rest of humanity, some people's mutations hit a ceiling and stop. Others have what we might call a growth spurt, where new aspects to their mutations make an appearance," Henry explained
Warren let his gaze slide to Scott once again. The man was still chewing on his thoughts. It wasn't even certain that he'd heard anything Henry said. He shifted back to Henry to find that Beast was watching Scott intently. Their friend must have been deep in his thoughts to not feel the weight of that considering gaze. It was kind of disconcerting. And it was very much like the old days, back when the three of them had been young and untried. Scott always had been a thinker. And, as it had back then, it left Warren feeling like he had to break the silence.
"How bad is his scratch?" he asked. Those words brought Henry's attention his way. It was easy to see the thoughts that raced through Henry's eyes before he let go a sigh and, with a gentle grace belied by his size and appearance, gave a faint shrug.
"On the surface, it looks minor. Rosemary's claws did not penetrate too deeply into the skin. It bled profusely because of the broad network of blood vessels that reside close to the outer most layers of the epidermis. As yet, there seem to be no ill affects. Scott's coloring is good and there hasn't been any swelling. Only the normal amount of redness around the scratches themselves." Henry paused here to remove his glasses and clean the lenses on the edge of his lab coat. Warren recognized it as a stalling tactic. Henry had used it back in their school days a stall tactic. It suggested that he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say.
"But?" Warren prodded.
"But given Logan's reaction to Rosemary's claws, I cannot help but be concerned. His wounds should have started healing immediately. That they did not..." Henry's voice trailed off as his eyes slid to the right. Warren followed Henry's gaze and frowned. Haley stood framed in the door, face pale and stare locked into the spot where Scott sat. He'd never even heard the door open. Worse yet, he had no idea how much Haley had heard.
He glanced toward Scott to find that he was staring back at Haley. There was a new kind of tension pulling his shoulders taut and seeing him clench his jaw. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but he was holding it back. Likely because Haley had told him to go back to Jean.
Everyone had heard about it, of course. Some young kid, fairly new to the school, had witnessed their interaction and had, without thought, spread it across the school like wildfire. So of course Warren had gotten some version of their story. Whatever the truth was, it was stuck between them here and now in the medlab. And it was painful to watch.
"Haley, my dear. What brings you by the medlab?" Henry asked.
Silence hung heavy and thick over the room when she didn't answer. Either she hadn't heard Henry or she couldn't make the words come out. Her gaze still lingered on Scott and, in it, Warren saw the longing. And the pain. And the love. He didn't think anything would be able to hide that. A look toward his friend showed him there was much the same in his eyes. Warren frowned.
Shit was fucked up and he hated it. He hated seeing his friends so uncertain. Between the situation between Scott and Haley, the way Dare was suddenly avoiding the two men who had been a constant in her life for more than a decade, and the way his relationship with Jehnna had been totally screwed up, it was a wonder any of them managed to function at all.
They needed to talk. All of them. They needed to sit down and figure their shit out. But if Haley and Dare weren't talking to the men in their lives, it was going to be hard to accomplish such a monumental task. And, to be perfectly honest, he needed to have a talk with Jehnna before he could start meddling in his friends' lives. He just didn't know how he was going to accomplish something like that.
"Haley?" Henry asked again, this time louder. It seemed to startle her because she shifted her gaze toward Henry.
"I'm sorry. Did you say something, Hank?" Her voice was small, barely there. Fucking hell, if Warren could find Sinister, he'd kill the sick fuck for the things he'd done to Warren's friends. To his family.
"I wanted to know what brought you to the medlab," Beast told her.
"Oh. I was looking for Roxxy," Haley replied.
"She is with Logan, watching over him," Henry informed her. "And no doubt trying to apologize for injuring him. They're using one of the unclaimed suites, as its in proximity to the medlab."
"Oh. Okay." The words had barely passed her lips before Haley was staring at Scott again. Was it Warren's imagination or did she look paler than just a moment ago? Scott was staring in return, his focus entirely on her. And, as before, there were no words spoken between the two of them.
The staring contest went on for several long moments until a pale hand came out of the shadows behind Haley and took hold of her arm. "Come on, Haley. Let's go."
The voice was soft and hoarse, as if it hadn't been used much, and it took Warren a moment or two to realize that it was Dare. Henry must have, too, because he was up out of his seat and moving for the door. But Haley disappeared and the door shut before he got close to it.
"Goddamn it." Warren and Henry turned at Scott's muttered curse. He was staring at the closed door and he looked... lost.
"Oh," Henry said. "Oh, Scott."
~*~
"Not a word," Haley hissed as the elevator doors closed on her and her companion. She glanced over to find Dare staring straight ahead, that same blank expression on her face that had been there since Kurt had brought her to the medlab the night of their return.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Dare replied, her voice as empty as her expression. "You're the one that dragged me out of your room." The last was a reminder that Haley had more or less forced her into being human.
"I thought you might want to check on Roxxy," Haley responded. It was the truth. But not all of it. She frowned a moment, then heaved a sigh as she drew her courage around her. "And Logan."
"Right." That was all she got from Dare. A single word lacking any kind of warmth or emotion at all.
"Please, Dare. Don't. This is the most I've heard you say at one time in days." Haley turned to stare at her friend. The other woman's expression hadn't changed. "This is the most I've seen you in days. I'm worried about you."
Dare looked at her, the grey of her eyes cold and empty. "Thank you for worrying. But I'm fine."
Haley frowned at that. "Sure, Dare. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it."
Dare's gaze moved toward the doors as they opened on the hallway that would lead them to the suites where everyone was meant to be staying. She gave an inelegant snort as she stepped out of the car. Haley was on her heels when she heard the other woman's reply. "Worry about yourself. You've got your own shit to deal with."
"The only personal shit I've got to worry about is finding someplace big enough to house all my kids," she intoned, attempting to inject some humor into her voice. It must not have worked because she saw Dare roll her eyes.
"Sure, Haley. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it." The fact that Dare threw her own words back into Haley's face might have upset her. Just a little. Because the truth was, Dare was right. Haley was doing her best to avoid her shit by trying to solve everyone else's shit. Dare was top of her list because she hadn't been this bad after Creed and Haley couldn't figure out what was going on in her friend's head. But she pushed any annoyance she felt aside to tackle Dare's shit head on.
"There's no emotion in your voice," Haley told her. She did her best to keep the fear out of her own voice because she knew how Dare would react to that. "You know that, right? Your tone is so flat, you sound dead."
Dare snorted again. "I do not. You forget. I've been dead. The dead don't have a voice."
That statement brought a sense of frustration. How could she forget that Dare had died? She'd grieved the loss keenly, guilt telling her it was her fault. That Dare would have survived if Haley had simply gone with her. So her voice came out sharper than she intended it to, her words meant to make Dare feel some of that grief and loss. "You're not dead anymore, Dare. I could punch you and prove it."
"You could try," Dare countered. And she left it at that, because they'd come to a stop before one of the closed doors along the corridor. Dare motioned toward the door. "They're in here."
Haley wanted to ask Dare how she knew, but she wasn't given the chance. Dare opened the door and stepped inside, then disappeared from view. Haley muttered under her breath about stubborn assholes, then followed the other woman inside.
One look told Haley that the suite had been meant for Dare and Remy. The furniture in the living room was enough to tell her that. Tables in dark wood and lamps of wrought iron were clustered around a couch and chairs that were plush and covered in black leather. Before Haley got to look more, Dare was heading toward the open door on the far side of the suite. Haley hurried to catch up. This had been her idea, after all.
"Henry told you not to move, Logan," Roxxy's voice floated out of the opened door. It was a mix of authority, worry, and contrition. Haley was reminded of what she'd heard in the medlab earlier when Warren had been asking Henry about Scott's injuries. Each word of Henry's response had seen her fear and her temper spiking in equal proportions. And the sight of the white bandage on Scott's arm had driven home that Roxxy had hurt him. And then she'd hurt Logan.
Suddenly, her temper was through the roof. What had Roxxy been thinking? And even though Dare was closer to the door than she was, Haley still beat her into what was obviously meant to be the master bedroom. She stopped just inside the door and stared.
There was little by way of furniture and decoration in the room. A king-sized bed dominated the center of the back wall. It came with a headboard and footboard of both metal and wood. The bedding was plain white and boring. A pair of heavy wooden night stands stood on either side of the bed, each with another of the wrought iron lamps residing upon its surface. There was a woven rug on the floor, in swirling shades of deep reds, purples, blues, and black. A few boxes rested against one wall and there was a solitary chair in the room, which was pulled up to sit beside the bed.
Logan was halfway to sitting up, his torso bared except for where a thick layer of bandages were wrapped around it. There was no missing the pain that put lines in his face, or the paleness of flesh that was normally tan. Somehow, he looked diminished. Haley shot a quick glance to where Dare stood against the wall behind her. There was no emotion on her face. Nothing to suggest how she felt about seeing her lover and the father of her children laid so low.
"Ya ain't gotta babysit me, Roxxy. I can take care of myself."
"Of course I do. I told Henry I would ensure you didn't rip your sutures out. And I owe it to you. I... This wasn't supposed to happen. This shouldn't have happened. I don't know what came over me and I'm so sorry!"
Roxxy looked like she was about to burst into tears. Any other time, Haley would have offered her a shoulder, told her that things were okay and it wasn't her fault. But the image of Scott's arm and the white bandage circling it came back to remind her that things were no okay. Roxxy had attacked Scott. And, the way she understood it, she'd done so intentionally. The fear Haley had felt when she'd heard Scott had been injured rose to choke her. The anger she'd felt came with it, too. Because no matter what the circumstances, Roxxy had attacked the father of her baby. A man she loved.
"Roxxy, what the--and I can't stress this last part enough--ABSOLUTE FUCK?" Haley's voice, much louder than she'd intended for it to be, echoed around the room and brought the occupants' attention her way. Logan eyed Haley for a moment before his gaze slid past her to where Dare stood. Roxxy, on the other hand, looked so contrite and guilty that it was almost laughable. But Haley wasn't in the mood to laugh.
"I'm sorry, Haley," Roxxy said quietly. There were no tears with her apology, but it looked to be a close thing. "It shouldn't have happened. That's not something I would ever do. You know that, right?"
"But you did do it, Roxxy. You could have killed him," Haley responded, her voice tight with anger.
"I know, Haley. I know. And I will never be able to apologize to you enough. I didn't mean.. I couldn't... I don't know what happened. I was just suddenly angry and I couldn't stop myself. I've never done anything like that before. I don't understand it. I don't know where it came from. I just... I don't know."
"Do you think an apology is going to fix this, Roxxy?" Haley asked. The harsh tone of her voice saw Roxxy cringing and she slowly shook her head.
"No. I know it won't fix it," she said so quietly that Haley had to strain to hear her. Haley watched as she seemed to shrink in on herself. It was something she should have felt bad about. Roxxy was her best friend and she shouldn't have been treating her so terribly. She knew that. But the fear and the anger overrode her better senses and saw her verbally attacking the other woman. "I don't know if I can forgive this."
"Can the shit, Haley." Dare's voice filled the room, still hoarse with disuse. She turned to look at the other woman, surprise and no small amount of anger on her face. She was met with the same blank stare Dare had been wearing for days now. "Sometimes, people do shit they don't mean to do. Tearing her down because you can't own up to your crap isn't doing anyone any good. If I'd known you were going to rip into Roxxy for something she clearly feels bad for doing, I wouldn't have let you drag me with."
"I'm not the only one here who can't own up to her crap," Haley shot back. Dare lifted a brow in order to suggest she was interested in hearing what Haley had to say. Haley did not disappoint. "You won't talk to either Remy or Logan. You've been avoiding them. Even standing here in this room, with Logan just feet away, you haven't said a fucking word to him. You haven't even asked to see how he's doing."
Dare shot Haley a look she couldn't figure out, then turned to look at the bed. Haley shifted her position so that both of them were in her line of vision. She saw nothing on Dare's face to suggest she felt anything at all. She swore there was a tiny kernel of hope in Logan's."You gonna live?" Dare asked. Her tone sounded supremely disinterested.
Logan's expression shuttered ever so slightly. "Hank seems ta think so."
Dare nodded. Her expression didn't change one bit. "Okay."
"Wow. Could you try any harder to look like you don't give a shit?" Haley asked, finding a new target for her anger.
"Says the woman who stared at Summers like she was dying of thirst and he was a tall, cold glass of water." Dare's response made Haley want to make good on that threat to punch her.
"Haley. Dare. Please. Don't do this," Roxxy pleaded softly.
"You want to criminalize what Roxxy did to Scott. Then you need to criminalize what I did to you. And Morgan. And Remy. And Logan. And Johnny. And the Avengers," Dare said, voice devoid of everything. "Because I hurt every last one of you. Just like Roxxy hurt Scott. But where she said she couldn't figure out what drove her or where it came from... I don't have that luxury. Because I know where it all came from. I know what drove me. And, I might add, I enjoyed it."
"That's different," Haley protested. She watched Dare's eyes narrow.
"Roxxy almost died," Dare pointed out. "Shit like that fucks with your head."
"Ladies," Logan growled. "This ain't the time, nor is it the place. Let's just drop it."
His words brought an uncomfortable silence to the room. Haley knew Dare was right. She remembered how frightening it had been, facing down Dare when she'd had no memories and no morals. How easily it had seemed the other woman had brought their friends down, one after another. And she'd adamantly told the Avengers that Dare didn't know what she'd done. She'd defended her again and again. And while it wasn't the same thing, Roxxy had made a mistake about which she felt terrible. And Haley had tried to rip her apart for it.
She should apologize. But she just couldn't. She'd been paralyzed with fear when she'd heard Scott had been hurt. And seeing him, seeing the bandage on his arm, seeing how he'd looked at her, had frozen her on the spot. It had frozen her brain cells and left her incapable of any thought, save one. I could have lost him. He could have died and I could have lost him.. It wasn't surprising she'd taken her anger and her fear out on the person responsible. She just couldn't figure out why she'd done it with Roxxy when she hadn't done it with Dare.
An apology rose to her lips and trembled right on the edge of being spoken into existence. She was so close. But the moment came and went with the sound of the door to the suite being opened. And then a voice called out. "Logan? You in here, mon ami?"
Haley had a moment to watch as Dare shrank back against the wall. Then Remy was stepping into the room, concern etched into the way his mouth pulled down at the corners. He came to a halt when he spied Haley and he offered her a faint smile. "Haley! How you feelin', cher?"
"I'm fine," she told him. "We just came to make sure Roxxy and Logan were okay."
"We?" Remy asked.
"Yeah. Me and Dare," she said. Her gaze shifted to the spot by the door where Dare had taken up position. She swore she felt everyone else do the same. That spot was now empty, as if Dare had never been there. Haley frowned.
Son of a bitch! She'd disappeared again.
~*~
"Holy shit, man! She's so small!" Berto stared down at Talia with wide eyes. His expression might have been comical if Sam wasn't sure he'd worn a similar one once Jehnna had finally delivered their daughter.
"She is," he agreed. Talia was currently cradled in Berto's arms, giving Sam's best friend big, gooey eyes as she stared at him. She was a quiet baby, more interested in watching the world go by than fussing about such things. The only time she made any noise was when she was hungry or needed a change. She didn't even really cry when she needed to sleep. She just kind of... drifted off.
"She looks..." Berto said, his stare intensifying as he studied Talia closely. So closely that he screwed up one eye. Eventually, his face returned to normal and he shook his head. "She looks kind of like you? And kind of like Jehnna?"
Sam couldn't help the laugh that came at that. It wasn't like Berto was wrong. But the way he'd said it, as if he didn't know how he was supposed to handle that topic, was funny. His laughter earned him a dark look from the other man. Then his attention returned to Talia and a look of wonder softened his features.
"She's still young. She'll grow into her looks as she gets older," Sam assured him. He reached out one hand and gently trailed a finger over Talia's cheek. "Personally, I feel like she looks more like Jehnna than me. But Jehnna says that she thinks Talia looks more like me than her. So I guess it depends on the person."
"Speaking of... Where is Jehnna? I half expected to arrive and find the two of you all moon-eyed over each other."
"She's sleeping," Sam said. His glance moved to the closed door to their bedroom. She hadn't wanted to nap. But she was exhausted, no matter what she told Sam. And she needed to sleep because the hard part was just beginning. "Needed some quality alone time with my little girl here, so I sent Jehnna off to bed."
Berto rolled his eyes at that.
"Its exhausting work giving birth, Berto. No matter how many times a woman does it," Sam explained. "Plus, Jehnna was up with her every time she woke up last night. She needs some sleep."
"And, what? You slept while she took care of the baby?" Berto questioned. Sam heard the beginnings of disbelief and disappointment in his friend's voice.
"No. I got up with her. Jehnna wouldn't listen to me when I told her I could handle it."
That made Berto laugh. "She doesn't trust you? She's right not to trust you. I remember the time you asked that girl you met at a club out. You were so nervous, you dropped your drink. Now here you are, a daddy with a tiny baby. I wouldn't trust you with her, either."
Sam shot him a frown. Of course Berto would bring up one of Sam's more embarrassing moments. And it wasn't like there were any embarrassing moments that Sam could toss back in Berto's face. But then Talia fussed, her little arms and legs moving while she made her protests known. Berto was quick to hand her back to Sam and, in only a few moments, she was once more silent and content. He stared down at his daughter for a moment, watching as a yawn stretched her tiny mouth wide. Then she closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep.
"That is so sweet and cute, its kind of sickening." Berto's statement brought Sam's gaze to his face. His friend looked faintly disgusted. Sam laughed again.
"Just wait until it happens to you, Roberto da Costa. You'll feel the same way," Sam told him. Then he rose to his feet and turned for the nursery. "I'll be right back. I'm going to go put her down to sleep."
It didn't take long for Sam to put Talia down and return to the living area. Berto was busy staring around Sam and Jehnna's temporary (he hoped) home. The furniture gave off a homey kind of vibe, with a plush couch and matched arm chairs that were upholstered in soft blue. The rug on the floor was a darker shade of blue with some kind of flowers in pink and white. There were paintings on the walls of nature scenes. A field of flowers basking under the brilliance of the sun. A forest of tall trees crowding up against a flowing river. Even one depicting a trio of deer standing at the edge of a copse of pine trees.
"This is some weird stuff, Sam," Berto said as Sam retook his seat on the couch.
"What is?" Sam was fairly certain he knew what Berto meant, but he wanted to be sure because there really was no telling.
"This." One hand waved to the room around them. "You becoming a father. With Jehnna, of all people. I seem to recall you asked Morgan out once upon a time."
"And yet, you're the one who scored there," Sam reminded him. Berto smiled a moment, suggesting he was recalling that evening. Then he shook his head and gave Sam a serious look.
"Morgan was fun. I never got serious-type vibes from her, though. I was surprised when she settled down with Remy." Berto looked thoughtful as he stared at Sam. "Hell, the way that whole thing shook out was surprising. First Dare is having a thing with Gambit, then she's having a thing with Logan and... Really? Why would anyone sleep with the Wolverine?"
Berto looked so disgusted by that. Sam had to bite back a grin. But he couldn't hold back the answer that came to mind. "Stamina? With his healing factor, it'd be like having sex with the Energizer bunny. He just keeps going and going and go--"
"Stop! Please stop! I don't need that image seared into my brain!" Berto sounded genuinely terrorized by the answer. Sam struggled hard not to laugh at him. But the laughter died when Berto turned dark eyes his way. "Its bad enough that I've had to listen to all the speculation about you and the others running rampant through the school these days. I don't need anymore nightmare fuel where the Wolverine is concerned."
Sam was surprised to hear that there was what amounted to gossip floating around the school. He shouldn't have been. But he was. Some things never seemed to change. "What kind of speculation, Berto?"
"Come on, Sam. We don't need to go over this crap. Because that's what it is. Crap."
"Tell me what people are saying, Berto." There was no give in Sam's voice. It was the same voice he used when leading his team on missions. He had no doubts that Berto would respond as Sam meant him to.
"Goddamn it, Sam," Berto got out on a sigh. "Alright. Fine. But I told you. Its crap."
"Now, Berto."
"So the rumors go that Summers let loose since he wasn't on Jean's leash anymore. There are people saying that he grabbed hold of Haley because she's a redhead and he has a thing for redheads. And they said that he fucked her so long and so well that she threw her husband over for him." Berto looked away, toward the far wall. "Some of them have been whispering that Scott wants to add Haley to his harem or whatever. Like Jean would let him fuck around on her like that."
Sam could see where most of that was coming from. Scott, like the others, had fans and he had detractors. Most of his fans were girls who seemingly went in for that silent, darkly brooding type. And Scott had been known to brood. When missions went wrong and people got hurt, both his people and mundanes alike, he took it personally. His detractors, on the other hand, were jealous of his position. Despised his rigid rules and expectations. Thought, as many had over the years, that he was far too uptight and that someone should pull the stick out of his ass.
But he knew Scott on a personal level. He knew that Scott agonized over those missions where things went wrong. He blamed himself when people got hurt. He took his position and his job very seriously because people relied on him and it was so easy for someone with power to abuse that. Scott held himself, and those around him to such rigid standards, because he wasn't about to have his people abuse anyone else.
Sam looked at Berto. "And?"
"They say Remy is, as ever, a horn dog and he's tired of living with just one woman. So this was his opportunity to fuck around on Morgan. Some of them are saying he's had a side piece all along. That he hadn't ever made a real commitment to anyone in his life. He made the most of it while he could." Berto shook his head, a hint of disgust showing on his face.
Sam was with him. He'd known Remy a lot of years and the ladies' man act was mostly that. An act. He was and wasn't serious about it. It was easier to present such a thing to people because its what they expected of him. Most people would be surprised to know he was a serious family man. He doted on his kids and he'd do anything in the world he could for them.
The problem was, the school had seen too many years of Remy and Rogue doing the on and off thing with their relationship. It was easy to imagine that it was because Remy wasn't satisfied with Rogue. That he needed more than one woman to keep him sated and happy. It was a better story to tell oneself than the fact that both he and Rogue had carried their past traumas into that relationship and had used it to sabotage themselves time and time again. Paring up with Morgan had been one of the best things to happen to Remy.
"Go on," Sam insisted.
"This is doing your blood pressure no good, Sam. You know this, right?"
"All of it, Berto." Sam's tone saw Berto crossing his arms over his chest, a sure sign that he was annoyed and really didn't want to do what he was told. But he was going to do it because Sam had told him to and they were best friends.
"Fine. Don't blame me if you want to strangle someone," Berto huffed. "Dare is rumored to be a giant whore and she's moved into a 'fuck everything that moves' phase. She's tired of banging the Energizer bunny and has moved on to greener pastures. Plus, she's always been weird about Remy so why wouldn't she jump at the opportunity to get into his pants? Purple Team's leader is obviously some kind of kinky freak and definitely not all business because she went out with Jamie back in the day. Haley is definitely not all business because just imagine what she got up to with Multiple Man. And Morgan. She's a big slut, so its no surprise she went after Warren. She slept with a number of staff already, so what's the deal with adding one more? Its no real surprise that she managed to cajole Warren into her bed. And Jehnna. She just let it happen. Because she's dumb and didn't fight for her man. Which is where the rumors about you come into play, because you crushed on half Purple Team back in the day and you jumped at the chance to take Warren's sloppy seconds."
For a moment, Sam could do nothing but stare at his best friend. And then the anger kicked in. People really thought that kind of stupid shit? Someone had really called Jehnna stupid? What the hell was wrong with them?
"Oh, and let's not forget the one rumor that someone started that all this time away was for all of you was just some sort of massive orgy. That the whole time you were gone, the eight of you did the nasty in every way imaginable. In every position and combination imaginable. Just one huge, wild, uncontrolled orgy."
"Those ignorant sons of bitches," Sam muttered.
"I told you you weren't going to like it, Sam. You should have left it alone," Berto said, making sure Sam knew by his tone that he didn't believe it. Well, he didn't believe most of it.
"Sinister paired us off. Without consulting any of us. I woke up in a room with Jehnna. A room with no door. No windows. Nothing but a bed, a table, a sofa, some other furniture, and a bathroom. And he was pumping pheromones into the room. All day and all night," Sam said, his voice low. He knew Berto was listening, though, because his eyes got wider with each sentence. "Every day, for at least an hour, we were locked in a clear cube so that Sinister could watch us."
"Ew."
"And he knew things about us that he shouldn't have known. He whispered terrible things to Jehnna while forcing us to have sex. All in order to have me get her pregnant. To produce the horsemen that you fought," Sam told his friend quietly. "Imagine walking around day and night semi-erect. Imagine looking at the person with you, a person you know is promised to someone else, and wanting nothing more than to bury yourself in the softness of her body and fuck her until you explode because the need is making you crazy. Imagine that, Berto. Imagine all of that. Because that's what I lived for months. That's what Jehnna lived for months. All the others. That's what they all lived."
"Jesus, Sam," Berto whispered. The look on his face plainly said he was horrified.
"That's what all of us lived, Berto. All eight of us went through that shit. And it messed everyone up. Every last one of us."
There was nothing from the other man this time. Which was just as well, because the bedroom door swung open and Jehnna stepped into the room with them. She was fresh from bed, her eyes still sleepy and her hair a rumpled mess. Sam couldn't help the smile that came when he saw her. "Why did you let me sleep so long, Sam? I told you to wake me up an hour ago," Jehnna chastised. Then she blinked when she noticed that they weren't alone. "Oh. Hi, Roberto. Its good to see you."
"You, too, Jehnna," Berto flashed his winning smile at her. Together, the two of them watched as she moved closer and finally settled on the couch next to Sam. He slid an arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side. She giggled. Honest to God giggled. And then she settled against him with a gentle sigh and put her head on his shoulder. Berto looked between the two of them a moment before he rose to his feet. "I had better go. I have a date tonight and you know it takes me three hours to get ready."
"You give Morgan a run for her money," Jehnna replied.
"And its worth every penny, Jehnna. Its a shame I never got to show you." With that statement, Berto flashed them a bright grin and headed for the door. He was gone before Sam or Jehnna could say goodbye.
"A shame he says." Sam's voice filled the silent room. Jehnna glanced up at Sam, prompting him to turn his gaze on her. There was heat in his eyes that she no doubt recognized. "He'd better not try to show you anything. I'd have to have to punch my best friend in the nose."
Chapter Twenty Seven: Rumors
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
Silence ruled when Warren stepped through the door into the medlab. Henry was settled on a chair, eyes locked to Scott. Scott was settled on the edge of one of the beds, arms crossed over his chest. The way his jaw was clenched suggested the two were at some kind of impasse. Warren couldn't miss the band of white wrapped around Scott's bicep. Warren frowned at that. It was rare that Scott suffered an injury and rarer still that it happened in the Danger Room.
"Ah, Warren. Your timing is impeccable. Perhaps you can convince Scott that he should stay in the medlab overnight for observation," Henry said, his eyes filled with both worry and relief. Scott turned his frown Warren's way.
"There's no need. Its just a scratch. You said so yourself, Henry," Scott replied.
"I did. And it is just a scratch. However, Logan's healing abilities have yet to start working. Which is, I believe, in relation to Rosemary's claws. If his wounds are still open, there's no telling what could happen to your scratch," Henry replied, his tone filled with frustration and the resignation that came with having to repeat the same thing over and over again. Warren had to hide the smirk that wanted to come. Scott was behaving like a child and Henry, in the parent's role, was at his wit's end.
Of course Warren had heard about the odd mishap in the Danger Room, which was why he'd come to the medlab. So he could see for himself that Scott wasn't seriously injured. For what it was worth, Scott sure acted like he wasn't hurt. "What harm can there be in staying and letting Henry observe how you react to the scratch?" Warren asked Scott. The question earned him a glower. "Henry's right, Scott. If Logan isn't healing from Roxxy's claws, there's a chance the same could happen to you. Just keep your ass here for the time being. I'm sure that Henry's worrying for nothing, but it won't hurt anything for you to stay still and let him ensure he's worrying for nothing."
"Traitor," Scott retorted. But some of the tension slid out of his shoulders and the muscles in his jaw relaxed. Warren took a seat on the end of the bed and shook his head.
"No. Not a traitor. A concerned friend," Warren responded. Scott's shoulders sagged at that and he lifted a hand to rub it against the lower half of his face. Warren's gaze slid from Scott to Henry. "What the hell happened anyway?"
"I am not entirely certain. When I arrived, the damage had been done. What I am certain of is that Rosemary's fingers ended in claws and she had fangs." That information saw Warren frowning. He'd never known Roxxy to partially shift any part of her body. It had always been the whole thing.
"Is this something she's capable of and I just didn't know?" he asked.
"No," Henry shook his head. "Her mutation has always seen her shifting fully into her cat form. I am, to say the least, concerned about this latest development."
"She was in her cat form when I stepped into the Danger Room. She was hunting Sinister. But it was... This wasn't a normal hunt for Catseye. She was almost feral in her actions," Scott informed them. His tone suggested he was concerned about what that might mean.
The silence that fell between them was heavy with worry and implication. A grunt drew his attention to Henry. The man looked more confused now than when he'd entered the room. And more worried. No doubt he was very concerned about what was going on with Roxxy. Not that he could blame the man. He knew she'd barely survived an attack from Pestilence. And now there was this bizarre event.
Warren let his gaze slide away from Henry's face to Scott's. He could tell that Scott was deep in thought. "This doesn't feel like something Sinister would do," he said slowly. Obviously he was still collecting his thoughts on the matter. "I've heard some rumors..."
"Rumors? What rumors?" Warren questioned curiously. Had he missed something?
"Have you noticed anything... different about Morgan?" Scott chose to ask his own question instead of answering Warren's. It was kind of out of left field. And, at first, Warren wanted to laugh it off. But the truth was they'd been held captive by a madman who was fond of playing with genetics. Add to that the fact that Warren hadn't been with Morgan every day and every night of their captivity and there was a reason to really think about his answer.
"No. Not really. She and I have been focused on Kayla and trying to get the suite set up," he finally said.
Scott nodded and glanced at his hands. "So we have Roxxy suddenly sprouting claws and fangs despite being in her human form. And we have Dare, apparently, blocking the link she shares with not only Remy, but Morgan and Logan. She's also somehow managed to hide her scent. And she's also apparently boiling water in the lake. Just a patch. As far as I know, Roxxy and Dare are the only two who have shown odd abilities since we returned."
"As far as you know? You mean you haven't talked to Haley?" Warren asked.
Scott raked a hand through his hair, leaving it disheveled. His jaw worked a moment or two before he shook his head. "I tried. She didn't want to talk to me. She told me that she wouldn't keep me from the baby, then she pushed me away and she won't even look at me." It was obvious that he was frustrated by Haley's dismissal. And he was worried, too. Because he couldn't check in on her and he didn't know if there was anything odd going on with her.
"I do not believe Jehnna has been acting any differently. I feel certain Sam would have mentioned something like that when they were here," Henry supplied. Scott gave a nod of his head to let Beast know he'd heard him.
"What are you thinking, Scott? It can't be anything Sinister did because Roxxy didn't get taken," Warren said.
"And I can confidently say that this is nothing to do with hormonal changes because Rosemary is not pregnant." There was certainty in Henry's voice when he said that. And perhaps a tiny note of relief. Of course, given that Roxxy had given birth to triplets not once, but twice, Warren was certain that Henry was absolutely relieved about that.
"So we don't know what's going on with either one of them," Scott said, his voice flat. No doubt he was displeased with the idea.
"Alasdare has never been... the same since she returned to us from beyond the grave," Henry reminded them softly. It was obvious that such a thing continued to bother him, even though it had been a year since that had happened. "There is really no telling if this is a new event for her or if she's been capable since she came back."
Scott's head snapped up and, even with the glasses on, Warren could tell he had that look in his eyes. The one that said he'd just had a thought. "Since she came back," he repeated. Warren frowned and Henry only stared. "Dare died and Roxxy almost died. Maybe that's it?"
"A commendable idea, but highly unlikely. Alasdare went to Mephisto's version of Hell because she actually died. Rosemary did not so she would not have seen another plane of existence." Henry gave a shake of his head. Beast sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I think a more likely answer is that they are both experiencing a growth in their initial mutations. Nothing more."
"That's possible? At this stage, I mean?" Warren asked the question because Scott looked like he was a little cranky at being told he was wrong. And it also looked like he was chewing on something. While Warren didn't feel like he should encourage outrageous conspiracy theories, he wasn't about to tell Scott to let it go. The whole thing obviously bothered him and he looked determined to figure it out.
"There is no point in a person's life where they stop growing. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. It only follows that those of us born with mutations do the same. And, as with the rest of humanity, some people's mutations hit a ceiling and stop. Others have what we might call a growth spurt, where new aspects to their mutations make an appearance," Henry explained
Warren let his gaze slide to Scott once again. The man was still chewing on his thoughts. It wasn't even certain that he'd heard anything Henry said. He shifted back to Henry to find that Beast was watching Scott intently. Their friend must have been deep in his thoughts to not feel the weight of that considering gaze. It was kind of disconcerting. And it was very much like the old days, back when the three of them had been young and untried. Scott always had been a thinker. And, as it had back then, it left Warren feeling like he had to break the silence.
"How bad is his scratch?" he asked. Those words brought Henry's attention his way. It was easy to see the thoughts that raced through Henry's eyes before he let go a sigh and, with a gentle grace belied by his size and appearance, gave a faint shrug.
"On the surface, it looks minor. Rosemary's claws did not penetrate too deeply into the skin. It bled profusely because of the broad network of blood vessels that reside close to the outer most layers of the epidermis. As yet, there seem to be no ill affects. Scott's coloring is good and there hasn't been any swelling. Only the normal amount of redness around the scratches themselves." Henry paused here to remove his glasses and clean the lenses on the edge of his lab coat. Warren recognized it as a stalling tactic. Henry had used it back in their school days a stall tactic. It suggested that he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say.
"But?" Warren prodded.
"But given Logan's reaction to Rosemary's claws, I cannot help but be concerned. His wounds should have started healing immediately. That they did not..." Henry's voice trailed off as his eyes slid to the right. Warren followed Henry's gaze and frowned. Haley stood framed in the door, face pale and stare locked into the spot where Scott sat. He'd never even heard the door open. Worse yet, he had no idea how much Haley had heard.
He glanced toward Scott to find that he was staring back at Haley. There was a new kind of tension pulling his shoulders taut and seeing him clench his jaw. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but he was holding it back. Likely because Haley had told him to go back to Jean.
Everyone had heard about it, of course. Some young kid, fairly new to the school, had witnessed their interaction and had, without thought, spread it across the school like wildfire. So of course Warren had gotten some version of their story. Whatever the truth was, it was stuck between them here and now in the medlab. And it was painful to watch.
"Haley, my dear. What brings you by the medlab?" Henry asked.
Silence hung heavy and thick over the room when she didn't answer. Either she hadn't heard Henry or she couldn't make the words come out. Her gaze still lingered on Scott and, in it, Warren saw the longing. And the pain. And the love. He didn't think anything would be able to hide that. A look toward his friend showed him there was much the same in his eyes. Warren frowned.
Shit was fucked up and he hated it. He hated seeing his friends so uncertain. Between the situation between Scott and Haley, the way Dare was suddenly avoiding the two men who had been a constant in her life for more than a decade, and the way his relationship with Jehnna had been totally screwed up, it was a wonder any of them managed to function at all.
They needed to talk. All of them. They needed to sit down and figure their shit out. But if Haley and Dare weren't talking to the men in their lives, it was going to be hard to accomplish such a monumental task. And, to be perfectly honest, he needed to have a talk with Jehnna before he could start meddling in his friends' lives. He just didn't know how he was going to accomplish something like that.
"Haley?" Henry asked again, this time louder. It seemed to startle her because she shifted her gaze toward Henry.
"I'm sorry. Did you say something, Hank?" Her voice was small, barely there. Fucking hell, if Warren could find Sinister, he'd kill the sick fuck for the things he'd done to Warren's friends. To his family.
"I wanted to know what brought you to the medlab," Beast told her.
"Oh. I was looking for Roxxy," Haley replied.
"She is with Logan, watching over him," Henry informed her. "And no doubt trying to apologize for injuring him. They're using one of the unclaimed suites, as its in proximity to the medlab."
"Oh. Okay." The words had barely passed her lips before Haley was staring at Scott again. Was it Warren's imagination or did she look paler than just a moment ago? Scott was staring in return, his focus entirely on her. And, as before, there were no words spoken between the two of them.
The staring contest went on for several long moments until a pale hand came out of the shadows behind Haley and took hold of her arm. "Come on, Haley. Let's go."
The voice was soft and hoarse, as if it hadn't been used much, and it took Warren a moment or two to realize that it was Dare. Henry must have, too, because he was up out of his seat and moving for the door. But Haley disappeared and the door shut before he got close to it.
"Goddamn it." Warren and Henry turned at Scott's muttered curse. He was staring at the closed door and he looked... lost.
"Oh," Henry said. "Oh, Scott."
~*~
"Not a word," Haley hissed as the elevator doors closed on her and her companion. She glanced over to find Dare staring straight ahead, that same blank expression on her face that had been there since Kurt had brought her to the medlab the night of their return.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Dare replied, her voice as empty as her expression. "You're the one that dragged me out of your room." The last was a reminder that Haley had more or less forced her into being human.
"I thought you might want to check on Roxxy," Haley responded. It was the truth. But not all of it. She frowned a moment, then heaved a sigh as she drew her courage around her. "And Logan."
"Right." That was all she got from Dare. A single word lacking any kind of warmth or emotion at all.
"Please, Dare. Don't. This is the most I've heard you say at one time in days." Haley turned to stare at her friend. The other woman's expression hadn't changed. "This is the most I've seen you in days. I'm worried about you."
Dare looked at her, the grey of her eyes cold and empty. "Thank you for worrying. But I'm fine."
Haley frowned at that. "Sure, Dare. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it."
Dare's gaze moved toward the doors as they opened on the hallway that would lead them to the suites where everyone was meant to be staying. She gave an inelegant snort as she stepped out of the car. Haley was on her heels when she heard the other woman's reply. "Worry about yourself. You've got your own shit to deal with."
"The only personal shit I've got to worry about is finding someplace big enough to house all my kids," she intoned, attempting to inject some humor into her voice. It must not have worked because she saw Dare roll her eyes.
"Sure, Haley. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it." The fact that Dare threw her own words back into Haley's face might have upset her. Just a little. Because the truth was, Dare was right. Haley was doing her best to avoid her shit by trying to solve everyone else's shit. Dare was top of her list because she hadn't been this bad after Creed and Haley couldn't figure out what was going on in her friend's head. But she pushed any annoyance she felt aside to tackle Dare's shit head on.
"There's no emotion in your voice," Haley told her. She did her best to keep the fear out of her own voice because she knew how Dare would react to that. "You know that, right? Your tone is so flat, you sound dead."
Dare snorted again. "I do not. You forget. I've been dead. The dead don't have a voice."
That statement brought a sense of frustration. How could she forget that Dare had died? She'd grieved the loss keenly, guilt telling her it was her fault. That Dare would have survived if Haley had simply gone with her. So her voice came out sharper than she intended it to, her words meant to make Dare feel some of that grief and loss. "You're not dead anymore, Dare. I could punch you and prove it."
"You could try," Dare countered. And she left it at that, because they'd come to a stop before one of the closed doors along the corridor. Dare motioned toward the door. "They're in here."
Haley wanted to ask Dare how she knew, but she wasn't given the chance. Dare opened the door and stepped inside, then disappeared from view. Haley muttered under her breath about stubborn assholes, then followed the other woman inside.
One look told Haley that the suite had been meant for Dare and Remy. The furniture in the living room was enough to tell her that. Tables in dark wood and lamps of wrought iron were clustered around a couch and chairs that were plush and covered in black leather. Before Haley got to look more, Dare was heading toward the open door on the far side of the suite. Haley hurried to catch up. This had been her idea, after all.
"Henry told you not to move, Logan," Roxxy's voice floated out of the opened door. It was a mix of authority, worry, and contrition. Haley was reminded of what she'd heard in the medlab earlier when Warren had been asking Henry about Scott's injuries. Each word of Henry's response had seen her fear and her temper spiking in equal proportions. And the sight of the white bandage on Scott's arm had driven home that Roxxy had hurt him. And then she'd hurt Logan.
Suddenly, her temper was through the roof. What had Roxxy been thinking? And even though Dare was closer to the door than she was, Haley still beat her into what was obviously meant to be the master bedroom. She stopped just inside the door and stared.
There was little by way of furniture and decoration in the room. A king-sized bed dominated the center of the back wall. It came with a headboard and footboard of both metal and wood. The bedding was plain white and boring. A pair of heavy wooden night stands stood on either side of the bed, each with another of the wrought iron lamps residing upon its surface. There was a woven rug on the floor, in swirling shades of deep reds, purples, blues, and black. A few boxes rested against one wall and there was a solitary chair in the room, which was pulled up to sit beside the bed.
Logan was halfway to sitting up, his torso bared except for where a thick layer of bandages were wrapped around it. There was no missing the pain that put lines in his face, or the paleness of flesh that was normally tan. Somehow, he looked diminished. Haley shot a quick glance to where Dare stood against the wall behind her. There was no emotion on her face. Nothing to suggest how she felt about seeing her lover and the father of her children laid so low.
"Ya ain't gotta babysit me, Roxxy. I can take care of myself."
"Of course I do. I told Henry I would ensure you didn't rip your sutures out. And I owe it to you. I... This wasn't supposed to happen. This shouldn't have happened. I don't know what came over me and I'm so sorry!"
Roxxy looked like she was about to burst into tears. Any other time, Haley would have offered her a shoulder, told her that things were okay and it wasn't her fault. But the image of Scott's arm and the white bandage circling it came back to remind her that things were no okay. Roxxy had attacked Scott. And, the way she understood it, she'd done so intentionally. The fear Haley had felt when she'd heard Scott had been injured rose to choke her. The anger she'd felt came with it, too. Because no matter what the circumstances, Roxxy had attacked the father of her baby. A man she loved.
"Roxxy, what the--and I can't stress this last part enough--ABSOLUTE FUCK?" Haley's voice, much louder than she'd intended for it to be, echoed around the room and brought the occupants' attention her way. Logan eyed Haley for a moment before his gaze slid past her to where Dare stood. Roxxy, on the other hand, looked so contrite and guilty that it was almost laughable. But Haley wasn't in the mood to laugh.
"I'm sorry, Haley," Roxxy said quietly. There were no tears with her apology, but it looked to be a close thing. "It shouldn't have happened. That's not something I would ever do. You know that, right?"
"But you did do it, Roxxy. You could have killed him," Haley responded, her voice tight with anger.
"I know, Haley. I know. And I will never be able to apologize to you enough. I didn't mean.. I couldn't... I don't know what happened. I was just suddenly angry and I couldn't stop myself. I've never done anything like that before. I don't understand it. I don't know where it came from. I just... I don't know."
"Do you think an apology is going to fix this, Roxxy?" Haley asked. The harsh tone of her voice saw Roxxy cringing and she slowly shook her head.
"No. I know it won't fix it," she said so quietly that Haley had to strain to hear her. Haley watched as she seemed to shrink in on herself. It was something she should have felt bad about. Roxxy was her best friend and she shouldn't have been treating her so terribly. She knew that. But the fear and the anger overrode her better senses and saw her verbally attacking the other woman. "I don't know if I can forgive this."
"Can the shit, Haley." Dare's voice filled the room, still hoarse with disuse. She turned to look at the other woman, surprise and no small amount of anger on her face. She was met with the same blank stare Dare had been wearing for days now. "Sometimes, people do shit they don't mean to do. Tearing her down because you can't own up to your crap isn't doing anyone any good. If I'd known you were going to rip into Roxxy for something she clearly feels bad for doing, I wouldn't have let you drag me with."
"I'm not the only one here who can't own up to her crap," Haley shot back. Dare lifted a brow in order to suggest she was interested in hearing what Haley had to say. Haley did not disappoint. "You won't talk to either Remy or Logan. You've been avoiding them. Even standing here in this room, with Logan just feet away, you haven't said a fucking word to him. You haven't even asked to see how he's doing."
Dare shot Haley a look she couldn't figure out, then turned to look at the bed. Haley shifted her position so that both of them were in her line of vision. She saw nothing on Dare's face to suggest she felt anything at all. She swore there was a tiny kernel of hope in Logan's."You gonna live?" Dare asked. Her tone sounded supremely disinterested.
Logan's expression shuttered ever so slightly. "Hank seems ta think so."
Dare nodded. Her expression didn't change one bit. "Okay."
"Wow. Could you try any harder to look like you don't give a shit?" Haley asked, finding a new target for her anger.
"Says the woman who stared at Summers like she was dying of thirst and he was a tall, cold glass of water." Dare's response made Haley want to make good on that threat to punch her.
"Haley. Dare. Please. Don't do this," Roxxy pleaded softly.
"You want to criminalize what Roxxy did to Scott. Then you need to criminalize what I did to you. And Morgan. And Remy. And Logan. And Johnny. And the Avengers," Dare said, voice devoid of everything. "Because I hurt every last one of you. Just like Roxxy hurt Scott. But where she said she couldn't figure out what drove her or where it came from... I don't have that luxury. Because I know where it all came from. I know what drove me. And, I might add, I enjoyed it."
"That's different," Haley protested. She watched Dare's eyes narrow.
"Roxxy almost died," Dare pointed out. "Shit like that fucks with your head."
"Ladies," Logan growled. "This ain't the time, nor is it the place. Let's just drop it."
His words brought an uncomfortable silence to the room. Haley knew Dare was right. She remembered how frightening it had been, facing down Dare when she'd had no memories and no morals. How easily it had seemed the other woman had brought their friends down, one after another. And she'd adamantly told the Avengers that Dare didn't know what she'd done. She'd defended her again and again. And while it wasn't the same thing, Roxxy had made a mistake about which she felt terrible. And Haley had tried to rip her apart for it.
She should apologize. But she just couldn't. She'd been paralyzed with fear when she'd heard Scott had been hurt. And seeing him, seeing the bandage on his arm, seeing how he'd looked at her, had frozen her on the spot. It had frozen her brain cells and left her incapable of any thought, save one. I could have lost him. He could have died and I could have lost him.. It wasn't surprising she'd taken her anger and her fear out on the person responsible. She just couldn't figure out why she'd done it with Roxxy when she hadn't done it with Dare.
An apology rose to her lips and trembled right on the edge of being spoken into existence. She was so close. But the moment came and went with the sound of the door to the suite being opened. And then a voice called out. "Logan? You in here, mon ami?"
Haley had a moment to watch as Dare shrank back against the wall. Then Remy was stepping into the room, concern etched into the way his mouth pulled down at the corners. He came to a halt when he spied Haley and he offered her a faint smile. "Haley! How you feelin', cher?"
"I'm fine," she told him. "We just came to make sure Roxxy and Logan were okay."
"We?" Remy asked.
"Yeah. Me and Dare," she said. Her gaze shifted to the spot by the door where Dare had taken up position. She swore she felt everyone else do the same. That spot was now empty, as if Dare had never been there. Haley frowned.
Son of a bitch! She'd disappeared again.
~*~
"Holy shit, man! She's so small!" Berto stared down at Talia with wide eyes. His expression might have been comical if Sam wasn't sure he'd worn a similar one once Jehnna had finally delivered their daughter.
"She is," he agreed. Talia was currently cradled in Berto's arms, giving Sam's best friend big, gooey eyes as she stared at him. She was a quiet baby, more interested in watching the world go by than fussing about such things. The only time she made any noise was when she was hungry or needed a change. She didn't even really cry when she needed to sleep. She just kind of... drifted off.
"She looks..." Berto said, his stare intensifying as he studied Talia closely. So closely that he screwed up one eye. Eventually, his face returned to normal and he shook his head. "She looks kind of like you? And kind of like Jehnna?"
Sam couldn't help the laugh that came at that. It wasn't like Berto was wrong. But the way he'd said it, as if he didn't know how he was supposed to handle that topic, was funny. His laughter earned him a dark look from the other man. Then his attention returned to Talia and a look of wonder softened his features.
"She's still young. She'll grow into her looks as she gets older," Sam assured him. He reached out one hand and gently trailed a finger over Talia's cheek. "Personally, I feel like she looks more like Jehnna than me. But Jehnna says that she thinks Talia looks more like me than her. So I guess it depends on the person."
"Speaking of... Where is Jehnna? I half expected to arrive and find the two of you all moon-eyed over each other."
"She's sleeping," Sam said. His glance moved to the closed door to their bedroom. She hadn't wanted to nap. But she was exhausted, no matter what she told Sam. And she needed to sleep because the hard part was just beginning. "Needed some quality alone time with my little girl here, so I sent Jehnna off to bed."
Berto rolled his eyes at that.
"Its exhausting work giving birth, Berto. No matter how many times a woman does it," Sam explained. "Plus, Jehnna was up with her every time she woke up last night. She needs some sleep."
"And, what? You slept while she took care of the baby?" Berto questioned. Sam heard the beginnings of disbelief and disappointment in his friend's voice.
"No. I got up with her. Jehnna wouldn't listen to me when I told her I could handle it."
That made Berto laugh. "She doesn't trust you? She's right not to trust you. I remember the time you asked that girl you met at a club out. You were so nervous, you dropped your drink. Now here you are, a daddy with a tiny baby. I wouldn't trust you with her, either."
Sam shot him a frown. Of course Berto would bring up one of Sam's more embarrassing moments. And it wasn't like there were any embarrassing moments that Sam could toss back in Berto's face. But then Talia fussed, her little arms and legs moving while she made her protests known. Berto was quick to hand her back to Sam and, in only a few moments, she was once more silent and content. He stared down at his daughter for a moment, watching as a yawn stretched her tiny mouth wide. Then she closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep.
"That is so sweet and cute, its kind of sickening." Berto's statement brought Sam's gaze to his face. His friend looked faintly disgusted. Sam laughed again.
"Just wait until it happens to you, Roberto da Costa. You'll feel the same way," Sam told him. Then he rose to his feet and turned for the nursery. "I'll be right back. I'm going to go put her down to sleep."
It didn't take long for Sam to put Talia down and return to the living area. Berto was busy staring around Sam and Jehnna's temporary (he hoped) home. The furniture gave off a homey kind of vibe, with a plush couch and matched arm chairs that were upholstered in soft blue. The rug on the floor was a darker shade of blue with some kind of flowers in pink and white. There were paintings on the walls of nature scenes. A field of flowers basking under the brilliance of the sun. A forest of tall trees crowding up against a flowing river. Even one depicting a trio of deer standing at the edge of a copse of pine trees.
"This is some weird stuff, Sam," Berto said as Sam retook his seat on the couch.
"What is?" Sam was fairly certain he knew what Berto meant, but he wanted to be sure because there really was no telling.
"This." One hand waved to the room around them. "You becoming a father. With Jehnna, of all people. I seem to recall you asked Morgan out once upon a time."
"And yet, you're the one who scored there," Sam reminded him. Berto smiled a moment, suggesting he was recalling that evening. Then he shook his head and gave Sam a serious look.
"Morgan was fun. I never got serious-type vibes from her, though. I was surprised when she settled down with Remy." Berto looked thoughtful as he stared at Sam. "Hell, the way that whole thing shook out was surprising. First Dare is having a thing with Gambit, then she's having a thing with Logan and... Really? Why would anyone sleep with the Wolverine?"
Berto looked so disgusted by that. Sam had to bite back a grin. But he couldn't hold back the answer that came to mind. "Stamina? With his healing factor, it'd be like having sex with the Energizer bunny. He just keeps going and going and go--"
"Stop! Please stop! I don't need that image seared into my brain!" Berto sounded genuinely terrorized by the answer. Sam struggled hard not to laugh at him. But the laughter died when Berto turned dark eyes his way. "Its bad enough that I've had to listen to all the speculation about you and the others running rampant through the school these days. I don't need anymore nightmare fuel where the Wolverine is concerned."
Sam was surprised to hear that there was what amounted to gossip floating around the school. He shouldn't have been. But he was. Some things never seemed to change. "What kind of speculation, Berto?"
"Come on, Sam. We don't need to go over this crap. Because that's what it is. Crap."
"Tell me what people are saying, Berto." There was no give in Sam's voice. It was the same voice he used when leading his team on missions. He had no doubts that Berto would respond as Sam meant him to.
"Goddamn it, Sam," Berto got out on a sigh. "Alright. Fine. But I told you. Its crap."
"Now, Berto."
"So the rumors go that Summers let loose since he wasn't on Jean's leash anymore. There are people saying that he grabbed hold of Haley because she's a redhead and he has a thing for redheads. And they said that he fucked her so long and so well that she threw her husband over for him." Berto looked away, toward the far wall. "Some of them have been whispering that Scott wants to add Haley to his harem or whatever. Like Jean would let him fuck around on her like that."
Sam could see where most of that was coming from. Scott, like the others, had fans and he had detractors. Most of his fans were girls who seemingly went in for that silent, darkly brooding type. And Scott had been known to brood. When missions went wrong and people got hurt, both his people and mundanes alike, he took it personally. His detractors, on the other hand, were jealous of his position. Despised his rigid rules and expectations. Thought, as many had over the years, that he was far too uptight and that someone should pull the stick out of his ass.
But he knew Scott on a personal level. He knew that Scott agonized over those missions where things went wrong. He blamed himself when people got hurt. He took his position and his job very seriously because people relied on him and it was so easy for someone with power to abuse that. Scott held himself, and those around him to such rigid standards, because he wasn't about to have his people abuse anyone else.
Sam looked at Berto. "And?"
"They say Remy is, as ever, a horn dog and he's tired of living with just one woman. So this was his opportunity to fuck around on Morgan. Some of them are saying he's had a side piece all along. That he hadn't ever made a real commitment to anyone in his life. He made the most of it while he could." Berto shook his head, a hint of disgust showing on his face.
Sam was with him. He'd known Remy a lot of years and the ladies' man act was mostly that. An act. He was and wasn't serious about it. It was easier to present such a thing to people because its what they expected of him. Most people would be surprised to know he was a serious family man. He doted on his kids and he'd do anything in the world he could for them.
The problem was, the school had seen too many years of Remy and Rogue doing the on and off thing with their relationship. It was easy to imagine that it was because Remy wasn't satisfied with Rogue. That he needed more than one woman to keep him sated and happy. It was a better story to tell oneself than the fact that both he and Rogue had carried their past traumas into that relationship and had used it to sabotage themselves time and time again. Paring up with Morgan had been one of the best things to happen to Remy.
"Go on," Sam insisted.
"This is doing your blood pressure no good, Sam. You know this, right?"
"All of it, Berto." Sam's tone saw Berto crossing his arms over his chest, a sure sign that he was annoyed and really didn't want to do what he was told. But he was going to do it because Sam had told him to and they were best friends.
"Fine. Don't blame me if you want to strangle someone," Berto huffed. "Dare is rumored to be a giant whore and she's moved into a 'fuck everything that moves' phase. She's tired of banging the Energizer bunny and has moved on to greener pastures. Plus, she's always been weird about Remy so why wouldn't she jump at the opportunity to get into his pants? Purple Team's leader is obviously some kind of kinky freak and definitely not all business because she went out with Jamie back in the day. Haley is definitely not all business because just imagine what she got up to with Multiple Man. And Morgan. She's a big slut, so its no surprise she went after Warren. She slept with a number of staff already, so what's the deal with adding one more? Its no real surprise that she managed to cajole Warren into her bed. And Jehnna. She just let it happen. Because she's dumb and didn't fight for her man. Which is where the rumors about you come into play, because you crushed on half Purple Team back in the day and you jumped at the chance to take Warren's sloppy seconds."
For a moment, Sam could do nothing but stare at his best friend. And then the anger kicked in. People really thought that kind of stupid shit? Someone had really called Jehnna stupid? What the hell was wrong with them?
"Oh, and let's not forget the one rumor that someone started that all this time away was for all of you was just some sort of massive orgy. That the whole time you were gone, the eight of you did the nasty in every way imaginable. In every position and combination imaginable. Just one huge, wild, uncontrolled orgy."
"Those ignorant sons of bitches," Sam muttered.
"I told you you weren't going to like it, Sam. You should have left it alone," Berto said, making sure Sam knew by his tone that he didn't believe it. Well, he didn't believe most of it.
"Sinister paired us off. Without consulting any of us. I woke up in a room with Jehnna. A room with no door. No windows. Nothing but a bed, a table, a sofa, some other furniture, and a bathroom. And he was pumping pheromones into the room. All day and all night," Sam said, his voice low. He knew Berto was listening, though, because his eyes got wider with each sentence. "Every day, for at least an hour, we were locked in a clear cube so that Sinister could watch us."
"Ew."
"And he knew things about us that he shouldn't have known. He whispered terrible things to Jehnna while forcing us to have sex. All in order to have me get her pregnant. To produce the horsemen that you fought," Sam told his friend quietly. "Imagine walking around day and night semi-erect. Imagine looking at the person with you, a person you know is promised to someone else, and wanting nothing more than to bury yourself in the softness of her body and fuck her until you explode because the need is making you crazy. Imagine that, Berto. Imagine all of that. Because that's what I lived for months. That's what Jehnna lived for months. All the others. That's what they all lived."
"Jesus, Sam," Berto whispered. The look on his face plainly said he was horrified.
"That's what all of us lived, Berto. All eight of us went through that shit. And it messed everyone up. Every last one of us."
There was nothing from the other man this time. Which was just as well, because the bedroom door swung open and Jehnna stepped into the room with them. She was fresh from bed, her eyes still sleepy and her hair a rumpled mess. Sam couldn't help the smile that came when he saw her. "Why did you let me sleep so long, Sam? I told you to wake me up an hour ago," Jehnna chastised. Then she blinked when she noticed that they weren't alone. "Oh. Hi, Roberto. Its good to see you."
"You, too, Jehnna," Berto flashed his winning smile at her. Together, the two of them watched as she moved closer and finally settled on the couch next to Sam. He slid an arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side. She giggled. Honest to God giggled. And then she settled against him with a gentle sigh and put her head on his shoulder. Berto looked between the two of them a moment before he rose to his feet. "I had better go. I have a date tonight and you know it takes me three hours to get ready."
"You give Morgan a run for her money," Jehnna replied.
"And its worth every penny, Jehnna. Its a shame I never got to show you." With that statement, Berto flashed them a bright grin and headed for the door. He was gone before Sam or Jehnna could say goodbye.
"A shame he says." Sam's voice filled the silent room. Jehnna glanced up at Sam, prompting him to turn his gaze on her. There was heat in his eyes that she no doubt recognized. "He'd better not try to show you anything. I'd have to have to punch my best friend in the nose."
