Among the Strong
Sep. 5th, 2024 12:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Thirty: Growing Concerns
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
She stared at the phone as if it were a snake intent on biting her. Her hand hovered over the thing, the intent to pick it up quivering in her fingertips. Her brain, on the other hand, didn't want to do it. Why, she couldn't say. It was just a phone call. Just a short conversation. It wasn't like she didn't do it every day. But something about this phone call...
Roxxy sighed. This was stupid. She knew it was stupid. It wasn't like she'd be calling someone unknown. It shouldn't be so hard to pick up a goddamn phone, dial a number, and talk to a person. But given the person she was calling and the reason she was calling, there was something that kept her from closing the distance between her hand and the phone. When the hell had she become such a coward?
An image rose in her mind. Of Scott's arm leaking small rivers. Of Logan on his knees, his hand red and wet and sticky while pain lined his face. And of her hand, fingers tipped with wicked sharp claws that dripped blood carelessly onto the floor. Anger flooded her and Roxxy snarled. The sound of her cougar jolted her from her thoughts and she cursed herself for a fool. Roughly, anger riding her, she shoved those memories away and down. Buried them deep so that they wouldn't plague her again. Then she forced herself to take up the slim rectangle of her cell phone, find Johnny's name in her contact list, and press it.
The phone rang five times. Long enough for her to second guess her actions. Long enough for her to consider hanging up. Then the call connected and she heard Johnny's voice from the other end of the call. "Roxxy?"
He sounded cautious and maybe a tiny bit curious. Roxxy took a breath and forced a calm she certainly didn't feel at the moment "Hey, Johnny. I hope I'm not disturbing you?" she questioned gently.
"No. I was just getting ready to give TJ a bath. What's up?" he asked. It sounded normal. But Roxxy was sure she heard a touch of resignation in his voice. She wondered over it a moment before shaking the thoughts off.
"I just thought you should know that Haley delivered her baby not that long ago," she replied.
There was silence a moment. She wasn't sure what Johnny was thinking, but she hoped he didn't just hang up on her. She couldn't imagine what kinds of things had been running through his mind for the past week. She'd spent enough time around him and Haley to know that the two of them were head over heels in love with one another. That was something that had never changed. And their scent had never once changed. They had always been a solid couple. So this whole thing had to have thrown him for a loop.
"I know," he finally responded. There was little in his voice to give away what he felt. She tried not to let it get to her. No doubt he was still trying to process everything. There was a soft sigh on the other end. "I felt a lot through the link. Haley... She's okay?"
"She's fine," Roxxy told him. "It was a bit of a rough go. Emilia tried to give Spencer a run for his money in the 'let's see how miserable I can make my mother during labor' contest." She remembered when Haley had gone into labor with Spencer. It had been a long, long, long process. For a while, it had looked like he wouldn't come on his own. He'd changed his mind at the last minute, though.
"Emilia," Johnny echoed quietly. As if he was tasting the name on his tongue to see if it fit. There was, perhaps, a touch of wistfulness to his voice.
"You should come see them. Haley might appreciate a visit," Roxxy suggested.
"I don't know, Rox. Maybe. I've got a lot going on with the kids and that doesn't leave me with a lot of time," he said. She heard plainly the words he didn't say. That it was likely he wouldn't come. Because he couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea that Haley had fallen in love with Scott. That made her temper want to spike, but she tamped it down. There was nothing to be gained by letting anger rule her tongue.
"I recall, once upon a time, that you didn't care who had fathered the baby in Haley's belly. I recall you telling me that you would love her just the same. That you'd raise that baby as your own. Was it all talk?" she questioned.
He huffed a breath and she swore she could see him dragging a hand through his hair. "That was different, Roxxy. You know that."
"How? How was that different, Johnny?"
"She went and fell in love with him," he retorted. She could hear the anger and the frustration in his voice.
"She was in love with Piotr the last time. And yet, you had no problems with Spencer possibly being his child. You told me you would be there for her if she wanted you to be. You told me it wouldn't matter of the baby wasn't yours. You said you just wanted to be with Haley." Roxxy reminded him. She let perhaps a touch of her own anger into her voice. "She needs you. She's confused and scared and she needs someone to be a man and step up. Scott is married to Jean. I'd say that might give him an excuse to back away if he has to. You're married to Haley. She needs you. And you can't see past your own ego."
"Damn it, Roxxy! Do you think any of this is easy for me? You have to know it isn't that simple." There was more frustration than anger this time.
"Of course I don't think this is easy for you. But right now, its all about you. Not about Haley. Not about your children. Just you. And, to be honest, I thought you'd left the self-centered ego behind in your younger days. Maybe I was wrong."
"For fuck's sake, Roxxy. This is my marriage we're talking about. You aren't part of what's going on. That means you don't get to tell me what I am and am not supposed to think and do and feel."
The cougar inside stirred in agitation. If she'd had her tail, it would be twitching. And the urge to growl at him made her teeth ache. Roxxy clamped down on those feelings. But it didn't stop her from allowing some of her agitation and anger into her voice. Nor did it stop her from throwing in some disappointment. Just to get her point across. "You're right. I'm not part of your marriage. But I am a part of Haley's family. And I care about what happens to her."
Johnny was silent again. As if he was mulling over her words. Roxxy was pretty certain he wasn't. It was obvious that he was still too stuck on the end results to be able to see past them to the truth of the matter. Maybe he never would. For his sake, and for Haley's, she hoped he would. It would break Haley's heart if Johnny couldn't accept things as they were. And the minute that happened, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to call Johnny out.
That was a fire fight that Roxxy didn't want to see because she had a feeling she knew how it would end.
"I'll think about it, Rox," Johnny finally said. It was the best she could hope for, whether he actually meant it or not. She hoped he meant it. Haley needed him. And Roxxy was pretty sure that Johnny needed Haley, too. The two of them were more to one another than just husband and wife. They were pillars upon which they'd each built their lives. They were friends and lovers and so much more. Perhaps, most importantly of all, they were Roxxy's family and she didn't want to see them pulled apart because they couldn't find a way to forgive themselves. And each other.
"Do you want me to give Haley a message from you?" she asked him softly.
"No," he said. Quickly. Almost before she'd finished speaking. Then there was a short silence, during which her heart squeezed hard in pain and failure. And then Johnny sighed, a quiet thing that she only heard because of enhanced hearing. "Wait. Yes. Tell her... Tell her I said congratulations and... And tell her I miss her."
The connection closed before Roxxy could say anything else. Not that it mattered. There was so much emotion in his last few words that her heart was squeezed tight again. And it clogged her throat, making words hard. Because she'd heard the yearning in his voice.
It took her a moment to set down the phone. And when she did, there was a faint warmth blossoming in her chest. Hope. Maybe... Maybe they'd find a way to fix things.
~*~
The fragrant scent of chamomile filled the air. Ororo had brewed a pot of tea upon the sudden arrival of her guest. Said guest was clearly agitated and needed help relaxing. Not to mention, something had told Ororo that this meeting would be fraught with emotions and unpleasantness. She'd felt that it couldn't hurt to have as much help as possible in maintaining her calm.
She carried the tea to her sitting area on a tray. Fragrant wisps of steam curled around her head and left a path floating on the air behind her. The tray was set down upon the coffee table and she spent a few moments pouring cups for her and her guest. Sugar, cream, milk, and honey rested upon the tray, as did a small plate of cookies that would add a perfect, sweet accompaniment to their hot beverage.
"Now, Jean," she said as she offered a cup to the other woman. There was a soft smile on her face and concern in her eyes. "Tell me what brings you to my door. You rarely visit me these days. I can see that something has you worked up. I shall help in whatever way I can."
Jean looked at her, eyes bright with worry and confusion. "I... I think I'm losing Scott," she said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. Ororo frowned at that and sat back in her seat. Well. That certainly wasn't anything she'd been expecting. Then again, Ororo couldn't recall a time when she'd seen Jean and Scott ever really emotionally and physically distant. They had been together and in love with one another for a very long time.
Of course, there had been little during their time together that had challenged their feelings for one another. Until now. Until Sinister had found a way to make a mess of her friends' lives. The story as she knew it, as she'd heard it from Henry and from Warren and from Scott himself, had seen Sinister taking entire teams in an effort to create a team of unbeatable horsemen for Apocalypse. Of the nearly two dozen people he'd taken captive, he'd chosen eight. Eight mutants whom Ororo knew to be either incredibly powerful or from a family that had produced many mutants. And then he'd paired them, one man and one woman, in an effort to engineer the horsemen from genes he'd deemed the best of the best.
A year in captivity, with only one person as company, locked in a room where pheromones had filled the air.
Ororo couldn't imagine what such a thing had done to her friends on an emotional level. But she knew one thing. All of that time together had seen the couples growing closer. Perhaps it had been inevitable that they'd fallen in love with one another. Perhaps such a thing could have been avoided. She had her doubts, though. They'd been held there for a year, made to have sex with one another until the women had gotten pregnant. And then they'd watched their child grow together, filled with unending joy and crippling fear.
But such an event was hard for those who had been left behind to comprehend. Perhaps even to believe. Because it had been little more than a week for them. To them, barely any time to form such deep emotional bonds. So it was understandable that they would have problems with the way things were now. It was understandable that Jean might feel that her relationship with Scott was threatened by the child he'd created with Haley. "I'm sure that you are mistaken. Why do you think that you are losing Scott?"
"He went to her last night," Jean said, eyes wide and swimming with tears. Ororo stared at her a moment before realizing that Scott most definitely had a type. She'd never thought before about how many physical traits the two women shared. They both had red hair and green eyes. They were tall and beautiful. Both were strong, be it physically or mentally. Capable and caring. Yes. Scott very definitely had a type.
Ororo tucked that thought away, along with the smile it brought with it, and gave Jean her full attention. "You can hardly blame him for going, Jean. Haley gave birth to their daughter and I cannot believe you would keep him from such a memorable and important event. Much as I cannot see Haley denying him the right to witness the birth of his child."
"She shouldn't be having his child! It shouldn't be an experience he should have with her at all!" Jean proclaimed. There was bitterness in her voice and it felt old. Ororo sipped her tea before setting the cup down on the table before her.
"It isn't as if Haley had any choice in that. Nor did Scott," Ororo pointed out. Her attempt seemed to only make Jean angrier so she pinned the other woman with a look. "Why does it bother you so much that Haley is having his child? Why does this bother you, Jean?"
"Because he's married to me. He should be having children with me." The answer did and didn't make sense. No woman wanted to see the man she lowed having children with another woman. But Scott and Jean been a couple for a decade or more and, to Ororo's knowledge, they'd never attempted to have children.
"But you have not had children yet," Ororo pointed out evenly. The statement didn't seem to upset Jean very much. Ororo decided to test something. "Would you be this upset if it had been another woman who bore Scott's child? If it had been Dare or Morgan instead of Haley?"
Jean looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Neither of them care for Scott very much," she replied. Her voice was calm and there was almost a note of laughter in it.
Interesting. That made it sound like Haley was a threat to Jean. Which didn't make sense. Haley had been happily married to Johnny for years. And Scott had never once looked at Haley as anything more than a colleague. Unless Jean knew something Ororo didn't.
"They would have had no say about it, had Sinister paired either one of them with Scott. Just as Haley had no say in it."
She watched as Jean crossed her arms over her chest, a classic attempt at closing herself off. Every time Ororo mentioned the other redhead, Jean's anger inched higher and higher. It was telling. And Ororo was fairly certain that there was a story there that she hadn't heard yet. Perhaps it was one she needed to hear from a different teller. Still, there was something eating at the other woman and Ororo was certain it had to do with Haley. So she tried to press her point once more. "There is no telling how a year of confinement would have affected a relationship between Scott and either Dare or Morgan."
"Scott would never have formed a bond with either Morgan or Dare," Jean replied. It was an odd way to respond to Ororo's previous statement and it left her wondering... "He thinks Morgan isn't disciplined enough. And Dare is his worst nightmare. Nothing but disrespect and anger. Scott would never form an emotional bond with either one of them."
"But he would with Haley?" Ororo asked, curious to see how Jean would answer her.
"He fell in love with her!" Jean snapped. Her power laced her words and vibrated on the air.
And there it was. Ororo sighed and shook her head. "They were together a year, Jean. Surely you don't believe that either one of them would come away from a year confined together without feelings for one another?"
"Scott is mine!" There was more power with this statement. Enough to make the tea pot rattle on the tray.
"I would ask you to control yourself," Ororo replied quietly. But there was no way Jean could miss the fact that her eyes had shifted to white and that there was an electrical charge on the air around them.
"I'm sorry," Jean replied. The tea pot settled. Tears filled the other woman's eyes. And she looked so lost. "He told her he loved her last night, Ororo. I went down to see what was taking so long. And he was sitting in the bed with her. He was holding her. And he told her that he loved her. He hasn't said he loves me since he got back. And he hasn't held me. I don't know what I did... I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose him."
"Have you spoken to him?" Ororo asked softly. The expression her friend gave her suggested that she'd done no such thing. "Perhaps you need to discuss your feelings with him. But I would caution you that Haley will always be a part of his life whether you like it or not. She and Scott share a child. A child that he will want to be father to. Again, whether you like it or not, So perhaps you need to speak with Scott about what this means for your relationship going forward."
Jean nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right. I do need to speak with him. We need to figure out what the new normal is."
"Exactly." Ororo paused to study Jean. She'd known the woman as long as she'd known Scott. There was something there, in her eyes, that gave Ororo pause. She didn't like to think that Jean would do anything untoward to destroy Scott's relationship with Haley, but she also knew that Jean's views might not be as open and expansive as Ororo's own. And, given the way she reacted every time Haley was mentioned, she had reason to believe that Jean was planning something that would cause problems. "A new normal that includes Haley. If Scott truly does love her, that needs to factor into your discussion. As does his daughter. Take care with how you go forward."
It was a piece of advice as much as it was a warning. Jean gave her a look that suggested it needed to be more warning than advice. "Of course."
Ororo sighed and offered up a prayer to whatever god might be listening. If Haley and Jean went head to head... Well, that would be messy.
~*~
It was past dinner time when Warren let himself into the medlab. He'd heard from Roxxy a short time ago that Haley had delivered her baby and he'd decided to go down and see how Scott was doing with his newly minted status as a father. So Warren wasn't surprised to find Scott sitting in a chair next to the bed where Haley rested. From his vantage point, it looked as if Haley was sleeping. There was a bassinet parked next to the bed and that seemed to be where Scott's attention was focused.
A glance toward the wall where the office was told him Henry was there. Warren wondered for a moment how he managed to stay married to Roxxy when he was always at the office. Wasn't that a mystery for the ages? Shaking his head, he shut the door behind him and started across the room.
Scott looked up the moment Warren got close. It was easy to see the exhaustion on his face. But there was also joy and happiness there. Staring at his baby no doubt outweighed the need for sleep. "I brought you a sandwich. Roxxy said you haven't left Haley's side since you got here."
"She's right," Scott confirmed. He took the plate that held the sandwich and stared at it a moment, then picked the sandwich up to take a bite. "Thanks," Scott said, giving a salute with the sandwich. The thing disappeared in less than a minute. Warren smirked.
"Maybe you should chew that before you choke on it," he said. Scott blinked at him a moment, then shook his head.
"Sorry. I was apparently much hungrier than I thought I was," he replied.
"Yeah. Its like that. You get so focused on making sure both mother and child are okay that things slip your mind. And then the rush that comes when you finally see your baby? There's nothing in the world that tops that. Not even a sandwich handmade by me," Warren told him.
Scott looked up at him a moment, then laughed and shook his head. "Thank you. I appreciate your effort. And thanks for coming to check in."
Warren brought a chair over from one of the other beds and settled it near the foot of Haley's bed before taking a seat. He made a show of looking Scott over. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately."
"You do. You're a good friend. And I have been amiss in my role as your friend. I haven't checked in on you or anything like that," Scott admitted. He sounded like he felt bad about that. Warren waved his apology off with one hand.
"You've got a lot going on. Its all good. Besides, I have no doubt you'd have cried long and loud at how pretty Kayla is if you'd come to visit Morgan and I. And we can't have Scott Summers, famed leader of the X-Men, crying over a baby. Wouldn't do."
"You're a jackass. You know that, right?" Scott asked. But his lips curled up in a smile as he did so. Warren inclined his head in response. After a moment, the two of them turned their attention toward the bassinet and the baby contained within.
"So how do you feel? Dad?" Warren asked, a soft smile coming to his face as he stared at the baby. There was silence for a bit, prompting Warren to look back toward Scott. His focus was solely on his daughter and Warren had no doubt that his gaze was filled with love and hope and worry and fear and all those normal emotions one felt when they became responsible for a new life.
"I... Shocked and overjoyed. Scared. She's amazing and precious and beautiful and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt her. She's everything I never knew I wanted," Scott said. One hand reached out so that he could gently stroke one a finger along the curve of her little cheek. "I am amazed that she's mine."
"Yeah. That sounds about right. Wait until you change her first stinky diaper. Those feelings will fade pretty fast then," he chuckled. That brought Scott's attention his way and it was easy to read the disbelief in his gaze despite not being able to see his eyes.
"Pay Warren no mind, Scott," Henry's voice filled the silence. A moment later, the man was joining them. He brought his own chair over and settled it off to the side, so that it didn't look like they were crowding around Haley's bed. "Those feelings will never fade. Not even after changing a hundred stinky diapers. Warren is trying to pull your leg."
"No fun, Henry. I wanted to see him with his feathers ruffled. Imagine it. Scott Summers, leader of the X-Men, panicked over a dirty diaper," Warren said.
"Ass," Scott retorted. But he was laughing softly to himself. The sound stopped Warren in his tracks and he simply stared. It had been a long time since he'd heard the other man laugh. Scott had always taken his role as leader of the X-Men seriously. So he'd always approached the role with a serious attitude. And, some years, the seriousness had been thick, leaving little to no room for levity. Warren's gaze stole to the bed, lingering on Haley for a moment. He had to wonder if the baby was solely responsible for the sudden and welcome change in attitude. Or if it was Haley's doing.
Maybe he'd ask her. Some day.
"She's so tiny." There was awe in Scott's voice, his attention once more given over to his daughter. The comment saw both Warren and Henry dutifully looking. As if they hadn't had the same reaction to their own children a time or two.
"It sure didn't feel like it from where I'm sitting." The statement saw all three of them looking up at Haley. She was still half asleep, struggling sluggishly to take a sitting position. Scott was there to help her in the blink of an eye, the smile on his face soft and tender. Warren couldn't remember the last time he'd seen that look on Scott's face.
"I'm sorry. I hope we didn't wake you," Scott said. The tenderness of his smile echoed in his voice. Warren glanced at Henry to see that he was observing with much the same reaction as Warren was having. Interesting.
"Of course you did," Haley accused. Warren noted the teasing that laced her words and filed it away with Scott's smile and laughter. This was a side of Haley he'd known existed. He'd seen her use it with her husband. But it had a different feel when being directed at Scott. Warren had to wonder at the reasons for that. And he found himself thinking, not for the first time, that Sinister had created a one giant mess by kidnapping the eight of them. The notion that the eight captives and their significant others needed to sit down and have a serious conversation about where this was all going to go was getting stronger by the day. "But I'll forgive you. Just this once."
"How generous," Scott replied. His voice was warm with a whole slew of emotions that Warren was absolutely not going to dig into at the moment. But he did have to wonder what this meant for Scott's marriage. He was fairly certain Jean wasn't one for sharing and he worried, for a few moments, if she might find a way to make their lives more hellish than they already were. "Seriously, Haley. You should be resting. You're exhausted."
"It isn't like I haven't spent the better part of a day in labor before. I'll be okay," she told him. "Maybe I wanted to see Warren moon helplessly over Emilia's natural beauty. Its about time that someone showed up at the school who was prettier than him."
"Those are fighting words, Haley," Warren told her, making a show of flicking his hair back. She chuckled at his antics. Scott, still at her side, couldn't hide his smile. Warren was struck by the idea then that they looked good together. Perfect, like they'd been meant for one another. Of course, he'd thought that way back in the day, when they'd all been younger and a little more care free. If not for Harper...
For a moment, Warren wondered how things might have turned out if Harper hadn't died? Would Scott have manned up and asked Haley out? Or would he have kept going about his business and let her slip through his fingers without even trying? Just watching the two of them, it was obvious that they would have fit together so well. But the Fates, and Juggernaut, had conspired against them.
Was it possible to rewind the past? Warren considered it.
~*~
The door had barely closed behind her before she was in motion, her legs carrying her across the grass with a speed to which she was unaccustomed in her present form. What was going on with her? She sure as hell didn't know. Henry didn't, either. After that thing in the Danger Room the other night, Henry had done a battery of tests to see if he could discover what was going on. But he'd found nothing. The best theory he'd had to offer was something in Pestilence's DNA had attached itself to hers and was altering things. It was the only theory he'd had because it was the only anomaly in what was an otherwise normal life.
Well, as normal as it got when one was a mutant.
Roxxy felt like that theory wasn't correct. She was kind enough not to tell Henry because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. The theory just didn't feel right. Not that it wasn't a sound theory. But there was no conclusive evidence that it was the right theory. And that wasn't for lack of trying. Both she and Henry had studied samples of her DNA in an effort to figure out what had caused her to spontaneously sprout claws and fangs. There had been nothing conclusive there. Not that Henry had stopped looking. But Roxxy'd been forced to put her own research aside. Because she wasn't capable of calm, rational thought and consideration.
There was too much guilt. It was eating at her. Because this was unlike anything she'd ever done before and, until she'd found herself staring at a bloodied, be-clawed hand, it wasn't something she'd ever expected of herself.
It wasn't until she was deep in the thick copse of trees that surrounded the mansion that she stopped. She'd been running for a while and she'd expected to be winded. She was breathing a little hard, but not as hard as she felt she should have been. Roxxy frowned at that. That was another change that she didn't know if she had an answer for. She pushed it aside as something to deal with later. Her partial shift and her attempt at murdering Scott and nearly taking Logan's heart from his chest were more immediate problems.
Her chest got tight and her vision swam. The guilt was like a boulder sitting on her chest. Roxxy leaned up against a tree and stared down at her hands. Hands that were perfectly normal and human-looking. Hands that had glossy oval nails topping fingers that looked tanned. Hands that trembled in the pressing shadows.
It had been those same hands that had attempted to murder her best friend's lover and the father of her child. It had been those hands that had, when denied the opportunity to do so, taken their rage out on the person who had gotten in their way. If Scott hadn't dodged when he had, Roxxy would have ripped his chest open and shredded his heart. It was so very unlike her. She'd been so filled with rage that not even Logan had been able to stop her. Not even Logan had been able to escape her attacks.
The tableau in the Danger Room came back to her once again. She could see it all so clearly, as if it had happened only moments ago. She'd already been worked up about Sinister and how his actions had sewn chaos. How they'd followed everyone back into the real world in order to tear her family to pieces. To rip it apart. She'd sat by, unable to do anything to help, as she'd watched Jehnna struggle to adapt to the new normal. As she'd questioned everything she'd ever known in her life. As Morgan had tried to find an even playing field with all the changes that had happened to her lovers. As Dare had pulled deep inside of herself and nearly vanished. And as Haley had struggled to shoulder a life that she thought would be lived without Johnny or Scott. It had been all those things that had driven her to hunt a simulation of Sinister in the first place.
Having Summers interrupt her session and shut it down had seen her temper finding a new target. All she'd been able to think when she'd looked at him was that he was the one who had hurt Haley by leaving her for his wife. Her rage with Sinister for fucking with her family, and with herself for not being able to help and keep them from being taken, had turned its attention to Summers. And then toward Logan when he'd interfere with that.
She could still see herself standing there, sharp claws extended and bloodied, while Summers had one hand pressed to the opposite arm and Logan sank to his knees while one hand attempted to stanch the flow of blood. And she could still recall the rage that coursed through her veins, the way it felt consuming and combustible all at the same time.
She remembered now why her behavior had seemed familiar. She'd seen it before. But from the outside. It had been the conversation between Haley and Dare the other day that had triggered the memory for her. She'd seen it in Dare after the other woman had returned from the dead. The unending rage, the desire to hurt someone, the lack of concern. She'd seen all those things in Dare when she'd come to the school, chasing after a boy who had long been dead.
What was it Dare had said? She retraced the thread of that conversation. "Roxxy almost died. Shit like that fucks with your head." Roxxy couldn't argue with that. She'd seen how withdrawn Dare had been after she'd come back to them the second time. It would explain why she'd refused for so long to use her powers. It was an incredible amount of trauma to have to deal with. And, as far as Roxxy knew, Dare hadn't tried to find someone to help her with that trauma.
Roxxy took a breath and forced herself to push the guilt away so she could think. Was Dare correct and the two events were related? It seemed an odd notion that having a near-death experience would send Roxxy over the edge like that. She'd never been one to rage or let her temper get the better of her. She was usually very calm and level-headed. Maybe Henry was correct and there was something else at work.
She didn't know if she believed it was something Pestilence's feather may have brought about. But there was as much evidence proving it had been responsible as proving it hadn't. Which was exactly nothing at the moment. And Henry's research had been brought to a halt by Haley going into labor. And it would no doubt stay on hold until after Dare delivered. The girls had been going into labor almost like clockwork. If Dare followed suit, it would be in the next day or so.
Roxxy frowned at that. It seemed too convenient that the four of them were all delivering in the same week. What were the odds? Was this something Sinister had managed to do? Or was it simply a twist of fate? She'd have to ask Henry if he had thoughts on it.
With a start, Roxxy realized she was calm again. Oh, the guilt was still there. She suspected it would be a long while before it stopped trying to consume her. But she was, for the moment, calmer. And it felt good to have a clear head again. Taking a breath, Roxxy turned to head back toward the school. She felt certain, were she to remain outside too long, Henry would come looking for her. And, honestly, she wanted to check in on Haley. It had been such a struggle for her to bring Emilia into the world.
There was a figure on the lawn when she cleared the trees. It only took a glance to tell her that it was Duke. A moment later, he spotted her and headed toward her in a ground-eating gait that suggested he was anxious about something. Roxxy hurried her pace to meet him half-way. "Duke. What are you doing out here?"
"I was looking for Dare. I wanted to check in on her but she's somehow managed to stay hidden from me," he told her. The look on his face suggested he was worried. Frankly, Roxxy was worried, too.
"I'm sorry. I haven't seen her," Roxxy said gently.
Duke frowned. "Damn it." There was such intense feeling in those two words that Roxxy felt unease fill her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked the question in a quiet voice in the hopes that he'd answer her.
"Yes. No. I don't know," he responded. He sounded disgusted. Then he heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I'm probably letting my imagination run away with me. Its probably nothing."
"I doubt that. You have good instincts," she assured him. "If they're telling you something is wrong, chances are good something is wrong. I'm willing to listen, if you want to talk."
Roxxy waited to see if he would take the offer. She could see that he was considering it. And she could see that he was considering turning it down. In the end, though, he sighed again and shook his head. "There's some hokey shit going on here."
"That... isn't what I expected. But okay." She offered him a smile that said he could continue.
"So. I just got done visiting with Morgan. She said she's been fighting an infection ever since Kayla was born. Nothing huge, she said. But she looks a little worn down. And then I visited Jehnna and it looked like she'd ordered the entire menu from some fast food place. She said she was starving and no amount of food kept her full. She also said she's dropped more weight in the short time she's been nursing Talia than she did with any of her other children during the entire time she nursed them. It looks to me like she's lost some weight."
Duke paused there, exhaling a breath that said he didn't know what he was supposed to think. Roxxy frowned. This was all news to her and she considered it a bit. "That does sound odd. I can see why you're worried. How does that translate to being worried about Dare?"
He leveled a gaze on her. "You have to promise me that this stays between you and me before I tell you anything more." Roxxy didn't quite understand why he was making such a statement. It wasn't like anyone with eyes wouldn't be worried about Dare. But she could see he was serious so she nodded.
"I promise."
Duke stared a moment. Sniffed the air. Then he grunted and glanced around. "Dee told me the other day that something is draining Dare and she doesn't have much time. She didn't indicate what that meant, but we went and visited Dare. And... There's definitely something wrong. She was sluggish. I'm worried that Dee is right and some thing is draining Dare. I just... I don't know what to do."
Roxxy frowned. She'd come to realize that Duke had good intuition. And it did seem odd that everyone was having some kind of issue...
The thought trailed off as another hit her. Oh. Oh, no. Morgan was fighting an infection. Pestilence. Jehnna was having a hard time staying sated and full. Famine. Haley's delivery had been particularly long. Almost a battle between her body and the baby she carried. War. And Dare was, if Duke was correct, being drained because...
Shit!
"We need to find Dare now. Immediately!" Roxxy told him, then broke into a sprint. They had to find her. Before it was too late.
Chapter Thirty: Growing Concerns
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
She stared at the phone as if it were a snake intent on biting her. Her hand hovered over the thing, the intent to pick it up quivering in her fingertips. Her brain, on the other hand, didn't want to do it. Why, she couldn't say. It was just a phone call. Just a short conversation. It wasn't like she didn't do it every day. But something about this phone call...
Roxxy sighed. This was stupid. She knew it was stupid. It wasn't like she'd be calling someone unknown. It shouldn't be so hard to pick up a goddamn phone, dial a number, and talk to a person. But given the person she was calling and the reason she was calling, there was something that kept her from closing the distance between her hand and the phone. When the hell had she become such a coward?
An image rose in her mind. Of Scott's arm leaking small rivers. Of Logan on his knees, his hand red and wet and sticky while pain lined his face. And of her hand, fingers tipped with wicked sharp claws that dripped blood carelessly onto the floor. Anger flooded her and Roxxy snarled. The sound of her cougar jolted her from her thoughts and she cursed herself for a fool. Roughly, anger riding her, she shoved those memories away and down. Buried them deep so that they wouldn't plague her again. Then she forced herself to take up the slim rectangle of her cell phone, find Johnny's name in her contact list, and press it.
The phone rang five times. Long enough for her to second guess her actions. Long enough for her to consider hanging up. Then the call connected and she heard Johnny's voice from the other end of the call. "Roxxy?"
He sounded cautious and maybe a tiny bit curious. Roxxy took a breath and forced a calm she certainly didn't feel at the moment "Hey, Johnny. I hope I'm not disturbing you?" she questioned gently.
"No. I was just getting ready to give TJ a bath. What's up?" he asked. It sounded normal. But Roxxy was sure she heard a touch of resignation in his voice. She wondered over it a moment before shaking the thoughts off.
"I just thought you should know that Haley delivered her baby not that long ago," she replied.
There was silence a moment. She wasn't sure what Johnny was thinking, but she hoped he didn't just hang up on her. She couldn't imagine what kinds of things had been running through his mind for the past week. She'd spent enough time around him and Haley to know that the two of them were head over heels in love with one another. That was something that had never changed. And their scent had never once changed. They had always been a solid couple. So this whole thing had to have thrown him for a loop.
"I know," he finally responded. There was little in his voice to give away what he felt. She tried not to let it get to her. No doubt he was still trying to process everything. There was a soft sigh on the other end. "I felt a lot through the link. Haley... She's okay?"
"She's fine," Roxxy told him. "It was a bit of a rough go. Emilia tried to give Spencer a run for his money in the 'let's see how miserable I can make my mother during labor' contest." She remembered when Haley had gone into labor with Spencer. It had been a long, long, long process. For a while, it had looked like he wouldn't come on his own. He'd changed his mind at the last minute, though.
"Emilia," Johnny echoed quietly. As if he was tasting the name on his tongue to see if it fit. There was, perhaps, a touch of wistfulness to his voice.
"You should come see them. Haley might appreciate a visit," Roxxy suggested.
"I don't know, Rox. Maybe. I've got a lot going on with the kids and that doesn't leave me with a lot of time," he said. She heard plainly the words he didn't say. That it was likely he wouldn't come. Because he couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea that Haley had fallen in love with Scott. That made her temper want to spike, but she tamped it down. There was nothing to be gained by letting anger rule her tongue.
"I recall, once upon a time, that you didn't care who had fathered the baby in Haley's belly. I recall you telling me that you would love her just the same. That you'd raise that baby as your own. Was it all talk?" she questioned.
He huffed a breath and she swore she could see him dragging a hand through his hair. "That was different, Roxxy. You know that."
"How? How was that different, Johnny?"
"She went and fell in love with him," he retorted. She could hear the anger and the frustration in his voice.
"She was in love with Piotr the last time. And yet, you had no problems with Spencer possibly being his child. You told me you would be there for her if she wanted you to be. You told me it wouldn't matter of the baby wasn't yours. You said you just wanted to be with Haley." Roxxy reminded him. She let perhaps a touch of her own anger into her voice. "She needs you. She's confused and scared and she needs someone to be a man and step up. Scott is married to Jean. I'd say that might give him an excuse to back away if he has to. You're married to Haley. She needs you. And you can't see past your own ego."
"Damn it, Roxxy! Do you think any of this is easy for me? You have to know it isn't that simple." There was more frustration than anger this time.
"Of course I don't think this is easy for you. But right now, its all about you. Not about Haley. Not about your children. Just you. And, to be honest, I thought you'd left the self-centered ego behind in your younger days. Maybe I was wrong."
"For fuck's sake, Roxxy. This is my marriage we're talking about. You aren't part of what's going on. That means you don't get to tell me what I am and am not supposed to think and do and feel."
The cougar inside stirred in agitation. If she'd had her tail, it would be twitching. And the urge to growl at him made her teeth ache. Roxxy clamped down on those feelings. But it didn't stop her from allowing some of her agitation and anger into her voice. Nor did it stop her from throwing in some disappointment. Just to get her point across. "You're right. I'm not part of your marriage. But I am a part of Haley's family. And I care about what happens to her."
Johnny was silent again. As if he was mulling over her words. Roxxy was pretty certain he wasn't. It was obvious that he was still too stuck on the end results to be able to see past them to the truth of the matter. Maybe he never would. For his sake, and for Haley's, she hoped he would. It would break Haley's heart if Johnny couldn't accept things as they were. And the minute that happened, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to call Johnny out.
That was a fire fight that Roxxy didn't want to see because she had a feeling she knew how it would end.
"I'll think about it, Rox," Johnny finally said. It was the best she could hope for, whether he actually meant it or not. She hoped he meant it. Haley needed him. And Roxxy was pretty sure that Johnny needed Haley, too. The two of them were more to one another than just husband and wife. They were pillars upon which they'd each built their lives. They were friends and lovers and so much more. Perhaps, most importantly of all, they were Roxxy's family and she didn't want to see them pulled apart because they couldn't find a way to forgive themselves. And each other.
"Do you want me to give Haley a message from you?" she asked him softly.
"No," he said. Quickly. Almost before she'd finished speaking. Then there was a short silence, during which her heart squeezed hard in pain and failure. And then Johnny sighed, a quiet thing that she only heard because of enhanced hearing. "Wait. Yes. Tell her... Tell her I said congratulations and... And tell her I miss her."
The connection closed before Roxxy could say anything else. Not that it mattered. There was so much emotion in his last few words that her heart was squeezed tight again. And it clogged her throat, making words hard. Because she'd heard the yearning in his voice.
It took her a moment to set down the phone. And when she did, there was a faint warmth blossoming in her chest. Hope. Maybe... Maybe they'd find a way to fix things.
~*~
The fragrant scent of chamomile filled the air. Ororo had brewed a pot of tea upon the sudden arrival of her guest. Said guest was clearly agitated and needed help relaxing. Not to mention, something had told Ororo that this meeting would be fraught with emotions and unpleasantness. She'd felt that it couldn't hurt to have as much help as possible in maintaining her calm.
She carried the tea to her sitting area on a tray. Fragrant wisps of steam curled around her head and left a path floating on the air behind her. The tray was set down upon the coffee table and she spent a few moments pouring cups for her and her guest. Sugar, cream, milk, and honey rested upon the tray, as did a small plate of cookies that would add a perfect, sweet accompaniment to their hot beverage.
"Now, Jean," she said as she offered a cup to the other woman. There was a soft smile on her face and concern in her eyes. "Tell me what brings you to my door. You rarely visit me these days. I can see that something has you worked up. I shall help in whatever way I can."
Jean looked at her, eyes bright with worry and confusion. "I... I think I'm losing Scott," she said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. Ororo frowned at that and sat back in her seat. Well. That certainly wasn't anything she'd been expecting. Then again, Ororo couldn't recall a time when she'd seen Jean and Scott ever really emotionally and physically distant. They had been together and in love with one another for a very long time.
Of course, there had been little during their time together that had challenged their feelings for one another. Until now. Until Sinister had found a way to make a mess of her friends' lives. The story as she knew it, as she'd heard it from Henry and from Warren and from Scott himself, had seen Sinister taking entire teams in an effort to create a team of unbeatable horsemen for Apocalypse. Of the nearly two dozen people he'd taken captive, he'd chosen eight. Eight mutants whom Ororo knew to be either incredibly powerful or from a family that had produced many mutants. And then he'd paired them, one man and one woman, in an effort to engineer the horsemen from genes he'd deemed the best of the best.
A year in captivity, with only one person as company, locked in a room where pheromones had filled the air.
Ororo couldn't imagine what such a thing had done to her friends on an emotional level. But she knew one thing. All of that time together had seen the couples growing closer. Perhaps it had been inevitable that they'd fallen in love with one another. Perhaps such a thing could have been avoided. She had her doubts, though. They'd been held there for a year, made to have sex with one another until the women had gotten pregnant. And then they'd watched their child grow together, filled with unending joy and crippling fear.
But such an event was hard for those who had been left behind to comprehend. Perhaps even to believe. Because it had been little more than a week for them. To them, barely any time to form such deep emotional bonds. So it was understandable that they would have problems with the way things were now. It was understandable that Jean might feel that her relationship with Scott was threatened by the child he'd created with Haley. "I'm sure that you are mistaken. Why do you think that you are losing Scott?"
"He went to her last night," Jean said, eyes wide and swimming with tears. Ororo stared at her a moment before realizing that Scott most definitely had a type. She'd never thought before about how many physical traits the two women shared. They both had red hair and green eyes. They were tall and beautiful. Both were strong, be it physically or mentally. Capable and caring. Yes. Scott very definitely had a type.
Ororo tucked that thought away, along with the smile it brought with it, and gave Jean her full attention. "You can hardly blame him for going, Jean. Haley gave birth to their daughter and I cannot believe you would keep him from such a memorable and important event. Much as I cannot see Haley denying him the right to witness the birth of his child."
"She shouldn't be having his child! It shouldn't be an experience he should have with her at all!" Jean proclaimed. There was bitterness in her voice and it felt old. Ororo sipped her tea before setting the cup down on the table before her.
"It isn't as if Haley had any choice in that. Nor did Scott," Ororo pointed out. Her attempt seemed to only make Jean angrier so she pinned the other woman with a look. "Why does it bother you so much that Haley is having his child? Why does this bother you, Jean?"
"Because he's married to me. He should be having children with me." The answer did and didn't make sense. No woman wanted to see the man she lowed having children with another woman. But Scott and Jean been a couple for a decade or more and, to Ororo's knowledge, they'd never attempted to have children.
"But you have not had children yet," Ororo pointed out evenly. The statement didn't seem to upset Jean very much. Ororo decided to test something. "Would you be this upset if it had been another woman who bore Scott's child? If it had been Dare or Morgan instead of Haley?"
Jean looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Neither of them care for Scott very much," she replied. Her voice was calm and there was almost a note of laughter in it.
Interesting. That made it sound like Haley was a threat to Jean. Which didn't make sense. Haley had been happily married to Johnny for years. And Scott had never once looked at Haley as anything more than a colleague. Unless Jean knew something Ororo didn't.
"They would have had no say about it, had Sinister paired either one of them with Scott. Just as Haley had no say in it."
She watched as Jean crossed her arms over her chest, a classic attempt at closing herself off. Every time Ororo mentioned the other redhead, Jean's anger inched higher and higher. It was telling. And Ororo was fairly certain that there was a story there that she hadn't heard yet. Perhaps it was one she needed to hear from a different teller. Still, there was something eating at the other woman and Ororo was certain it had to do with Haley. So she tried to press her point once more. "There is no telling how a year of confinement would have affected a relationship between Scott and either Dare or Morgan."
"Scott would never have formed a bond with either Morgan or Dare," Jean replied. It was an odd way to respond to Ororo's previous statement and it left her wondering... "He thinks Morgan isn't disciplined enough. And Dare is his worst nightmare. Nothing but disrespect and anger. Scott would never form an emotional bond with either one of them."
"But he would with Haley?" Ororo asked, curious to see how Jean would answer her.
"He fell in love with her!" Jean snapped. Her power laced her words and vibrated on the air.
And there it was. Ororo sighed and shook her head. "They were together a year, Jean. Surely you don't believe that either one of them would come away from a year confined together without feelings for one another?"
"Scott is mine!" There was more power with this statement. Enough to make the tea pot rattle on the tray.
"I would ask you to control yourself," Ororo replied quietly. But there was no way Jean could miss the fact that her eyes had shifted to white and that there was an electrical charge on the air around them.
"I'm sorry," Jean replied. The tea pot settled. Tears filled the other woman's eyes. And she looked so lost. "He told her he loved her last night, Ororo. I went down to see what was taking so long. And he was sitting in the bed with her. He was holding her. And he told her that he loved her. He hasn't said he loves me since he got back. And he hasn't held me. I don't know what I did... I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose him."
"Have you spoken to him?" Ororo asked softly. The expression her friend gave her suggested that she'd done no such thing. "Perhaps you need to discuss your feelings with him. But I would caution you that Haley will always be a part of his life whether you like it or not. She and Scott share a child. A child that he will want to be father to. Again, whether you like it or not, So perhaps you need to speak with Scott about what this means for your relationship going forward."
Jean nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right. I do need to speak with him. We need to figure out what the new normal is."
"Exactly." Ororo paused to study Jean. She'd known the woman as long as she'd known Scott. There was something there, in her eyes, that gave Ororo pause. She didn't like to think that Jean would do anything untoward to destroy Scott's relationship with Haley, but she also knew that Jean's views might not be as open and expansive as Ororo's own. And, given the way she reacted every time Haley was mentioned, she had reason to believe that Jean was planning something that would cause problems. "A new normal that includes Haley. If Scott truly does love her, that needs to factor into your discussion. As does his daughter. Take care with how you go forward."
It was a piece of advice as much as it was a warning. Jean gave her a look that suggested it needed to be more warning than advice. "Of course."
Ororo sighed and offered up a prayer to whatever god might be listening. If Haley and Jean went head to head... Well, that would be messy.
~*~
It was past dinner time when Warren let himself into the medlab. He'd heard from Roxxy a short time ago that Haley had delivered her baby and he'd decided to go down and see how Scott was doing with his newly minted status as a father. So Warren wasn't surprised to find Scott sitting in a chair next to the bed where Haley rested. From his vantage point, it looked as if Haley was sleeping. There was a bassinet parked next to the bed and that seemed to be where Scott's attention was focused.
A glance toward the wall where the office was told him Henry was there. Warren wondered for a moment how he managed to stay married to Roxxy when he was always at the office. Wasn't that a mystery for the ages? Shaking his head, he shut the door behind him and started across the room.
Scott looked up the moment Warren got close. It was easy to see the exhaustion on his face. But there was also joy and happiness there. Staring at his baby no doubt outweighed the need for sleep. "I brought you a sandwich. Roxxy said you haven't left Haley's side since you got here."
"She's right," Scott confirmed. He took the plate that held the sandwich and stared at it a moment, then picked the sandwich up to take a bite. "Thanks," Scott said, giving a salute with the sandwich. The thing disappeared in less than a minute. Warren smirked.
"Maybe you should chew that before you choke on it," he said. Scott blinked at him a moment, then shook his head.
"Sorry. I was apparently much hungrier than I thought I was," he replied.
"Yeah. Its like that. You get so focused on making sure both mother and child are okay that things slip your mind. And then the rush that comes when you finally see your baby? There's nothing in the world that tops that. Not even a sandwich handmade by me," Warren told him.
Scott looked up at him a moment, then laughed and shook his head. "Thank you. I appreciate your effort. And thanks for coming to check in."
Warren brought a chair over from one of the other beds and settled it near the foot of Haley's bed before taking a seat. He made a show of looking Scott over. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately."
"You do. You're a good friend. And I have been amiss in my role as your friend. I haven't checked in on you or anything like that," Scott admitted. He sounded like he felt bad about that. Warren waved his apology off with one hand.
"You've got a lot going on. Its all good. Besides, I have no doubt you'd have cried long and loud at how pretty Kayla is if you'd come to visit Morgan and I. And we can't have Scott Summers, famed leader of the X-Men, crying over a baby. Wouldn't do."
"You're a jackass. You know that, right?" Scott asked. But his lips curled up in a smile as he did so. Warren inclined his head in response. After a moment, the two of them turned their attention toward the bassinet and the baby contained within.
"So how do you feel? Dad?" Warren asked, a soft smile coming to his face as he stared at the baby. There was silence for a bit, prompting Warren to look back toward Scott. His focus was solely on his daughter and Warren had no doubt that his gaze was filled with love and hope and worry and fear and all those normal emotions one felt when they became responsible for a new life.
"I... Shocked and overjoyed. Scared. She's amazing and precious and beautiful and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt her. She's everything I never knew I wanted," Scott said. One hand reached out so that he could gently stroke one a finger along the curve of her little cheek. "I am amazed that she's mine."
"Yeah. That sounds about right. Wait until you change her first stinky diaper. Those feelings will fade pretty fast then," he chuckled. That brought Scott's attention his way and it was easy to read the disbelief in his gaze despite not being able to see his eyes.
"Pay Warren no mind, Scott," Henry's voice filled the silence. A moment later, the man was joining them. He brought his own chair over and settled it off to the side, so that it didn't look like they were crowding around Haley's bed. "Those feelings will never fade. Not even after changing a hundred stinky diapers. Warren is trying to pull your leg."
"No fun, Henry. I wanted to see him with his feathers ruffled. Imagine it. Scott Summers, leader of the X-Men, panicked over a dirty diaper," Warren said.
"Ass," Scott retorted. But he was laughing softly to himself. The sound stopped Warren in his tracks and he simply stared. It had been a long time since he'd heard the other man laugh. Scott had always taken his role as leader of the X-Men seriously. So he'd always approached the role with a serious attitude. And, some years, the seriousness had been thick, leaving little to no room for levity. Warren's gaze stole to the bed, lingering on Haley for a moment. He had to wonder if the baby was solely responsible for the sudden and welcome change in attitude. Or if it was Haley's doing.
Maybe he'd ask her. Some day.
"She's so tiny." There was awe in Scott's voice, his attention once more given over to his daughter. The comment saw both Warren and Henry dutifully looking. As if they hadn't had the same reaction to their own children a time or two.
"It sure didn't feel like it from where I'm sitting." The statement saw all three of them looking up at Haley. She was still half asleep, struggling sluggishly to take a sitting position. Scott was there to help her in the blink of an eye, the smile on his face soft and tender. Warren couldn't remember the last time he'd seen that look on Scott's face.
"I'm sorry. I hope we didn't wake you," Scott said. The tenderness of his smile echoed in his voice. Warren glanced at Henry to see that he was observing with much the same reaction as Warren was having. Interesting.
"Of course you did," Haley accused. Warren noted the teasing that laced her words and filed it away with Scott's smile and laughter. This was a side of Haley he'd known existed. He'd seen her use it with her husband. But it had a different feel when being directed at Scott. Warren had to wonder at the reasons for that. And he found himself thinking, not for the first time, that Sinister had created a one giant mess by kidnapping the eight of them. The notion that the eight captives and their significant others needed to sit down and have a serious conversation about where this was all going to go was getting stronger by the day. "But I'll forgive you. Just this once."
"How generous," Scott replied. His voice was warm with a whole slew of emotions that Warren was absolutely not going to dig into at the moment. But he did have to wonder what this meant for Scott's marriage. He was fairly certain Jean wasn't one for sharing and he worried, for a few moments, if she might find a way to make their lives more hellish than they already were. "Seriously, Haley. You should be resting. You're exhausted."
"It isn't like I haven't spent the better part of a day in labor before. I'll be okay," she told him. "Maybe I wanted to see Warren moon helplessly over Emilia's natural beauty. Its about time that someone showed up at the school who was prettier than him."
"Those are fighting words, Haley," Warren told her, making a show of flicking his hair back. She chuckled at his antics. Scott, still at her side, couldn't hide his smile. Warren was struck by the idea then that they looked good together. Perfect, like they'd been meant for one another. Of course, he'd thought that way back in the day, when they'd all been younger and a little more care free. If not for Harper...
For a moment, Warren wondered how things might have turned out if Harper hadn't died? Would Scott have manned up and asked Haley out? Or would he have kept going about his business and let her slip through his fingers without even trying? Just watching the two of them, it was obvious that they would have fit together so well. But the Fates, and Juggernaut, had conspired against them.
Was it possible to rewind the past? Warren considered it.
~*~
The door had barely closed behind her before she was in motion, her legs carrying her across the grass with a speed to which she was unaccustomed in her present form. What was going on with her? She sure as hell didn't know. Henry didn't, either. After that thing in the Danger Room the other night, Henry had done a battery of tests to see if he could discover what was going on. But he'd found nothing. The best theory he'd had to offer was something in Pestilence's DNA had attached itself to hers and was altering things. It was the only theory he'd had because it was the only anomaly in what was an otherwise normal life.
Well, as normal as it got when one was a mutant.
Roxxy felt like that theory wasn't correct. She was kind enough not to tell Henry because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. The theory just didn't feel right. Not that it wasn't a sound theory. But there was no conclusive evidence that it was the right theory. And that wasn't for lack of trying. Both she and Henry had studied samples of her DNA in an effort to figure out what had caused her to spontaneously sprout claws and fangs. There had been nothing conclusive there. Not that Henry had stopped looking. But Roxxy'd been forced to put her own research aside. Because she wasn't capable of calm, rational thought and consideration.
There was too much guilt. It was eating at her. Because this was unlike anything she'd ever done before and, until she'd found herself staring at a bloodied, be-clawed hand, it wasn't something she'd ever expected of herself.
It wasn't until she was deep in the thick copse of trees that surrounded the mansion that she stopped. She'd been running for a while and she'd expected to be winded. She was breathing a little hard, but not as hard as she felt she should have been. Roxxy frowned at that. That was another change that she didn't know if she had an answer for. She pushed it aside as something to deal with later. Her partial shift and her attempt at murdering Scott and nearly taking Logan's heart from his chest were more immediate problems.
Her chest got tight and her vision swam. The guilt was like a boulder sitting on her chest. Roxxy leaned up against a tree and stared down at her hands. Hands that were perfectly normal and human-looking. Hands that had glossy oval nails topping fingers that looked tanned. Hands that trembled in the pressing shadows.
It had been those same hands that had attempted to murder her best friend's lover and the father of her child. It had been those hands that had, when denied the opportunity to do so, taken their rage out on the person who had gotten in their way. If Scott hadn't dodged when he had, Roxxy would have ripped his chest open and shredded his heart. It was so very unlike her. She'd been so filled with rage that not even Logan had been able to stop her. Not even Logan had been able to escape her attacks.
The tableau in the Danger Room came back to her once again. She could see it all so clearly, as if it had happened only moments ago. She'd already been worked up about Sinister and how his actions had sewn chaos. How they'd followed everyone back into the real world in order to tear her family to pieces. To rip it apart. She'd sat by, unable to do anything to help, as she'd watched Jehnna struggle to adapt to the new normal. As she'd questioned everything she'd ever known in her life. As Morgan had tried to find an even playing field with all the changes that had happened to her lovers. As Dare had pulled deep inside of herself and nearly vanished. And as Haley had struggled to shoulder a life that she thought would be lived without Johnny or Scott. It had been all those things that had driven her to hunt a simulation of Sinister in the first place.
Having Summers interrupt her session and shut it down had seen her temper finding a new target. All she'd been able to think when she'd looked at him was that he was the one who had hurt Haley by leaving her for his wife. Her rage with Sinister for fucking with her family, and with herself for not being able to help and keep them from being taken, had turned its attention to Summers. And then toward Logan when he'd interfere with that.
She could still see herself standing there, sharp claws extended and bloodied, while Summers had one hand pressed to the opposite arm and Logan sank to his knees while one hand attempted to stanch the flow of blood. And she could still recall the rage that coursed through her veins, the way it felt consuming and combustible all at the same time.
She remembered now why her behavior had seemed familiar. She'd seen it before. But from the outside. It had been the conversation between Haley and Dare the other day that had triggered the memory for her. She'd seen it in Dare after the other woman had returned from the dead. The unending rage, the desire to hurt someone, the lack of concern. She'd seen all those things in Dare when she'd come to the school, chasing after a boy who had long been dead.
What was it Dare had said? She retraced the thread of that conversation. "Roxxy almost died. Shit like that fucks with your head." Roxxy couldn't argue with that. She'd seen how withdrawn Dare had been after she'd come back to them the second time. It would explain why she'd refused for so long to use her powers. It was an incredible amount of trauma to have to deal with. And, as far as Roxxy knew, Dare hadn't tried to find someone to help her with that trauma.
Roxxy took a breath and forced herself to push the guilt away so she could think. Was Dare correct and the two events were related? It seemed an odd notion that having a near-death experience would send Roxxy over the edge like that. She'd never been one to rage or let her temper get the better of her. She was usually very calm and level-headed. Maybe Henry was correct and there was something else at work.
She didn't know if she believed it was something Pestilence's feather may have brought about. But there was as much evidence proving it had been responsible as proving it hadn't. Which was exactly nothing at the moment. And Henry's research had been brought to a halt by Haley going into labor. And it would no doubt stay on hold until after Dare delivered. The girls had been going into labor almost like clockwork. If Dare followed suit, it would be in the next day or so.
Roxxy frowned at that. It seemed too convenient that the four of them were all delivering in the same week. What were the odds? Was this something Sinister had managed to do? Or was it simply a twist of fate? She'd have to ask Henry if he had thoughts on it.
With a start, Roxxy realized she was calm again. Oh, the guilt was still there. She suspected it would be a long while before it stopped trying to consume her. But she was, for the moment, calmer. And it felt good to have a clear head again. Taking a breath, Roxxy turned to head back toward the school. She felt certain, were she to remain outside too long, Henry would come looking for her. And, honestly, she wanted to check in on Haley. It had been such a struggle for her to bring Emilia into the world.
There was a figure on the lawn when she cleared the trees. It only took a glance to tell her that it was Duke. A moment later, he spotted her and headed toward her in a ground-eating gait that suggested he was anxious about something. Roxxy hurried her pace to meet him half-way. "Duke. What are you doing out here?"
"I was looking for Dare. I wanted to check in on her but she's somehow managed to stay hidden from me," he told her. The look on his face suggested he was worried. Frankly, Roxxy was worried, too.
"I'm sorry. I haven't seen her," Roxxy said gently.
Duke frowned. "Damn it." There was such intense feeling in those two words that Roxxy felt unease fill her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked the question in a quiet voice in the hopes that he'd answer her.
"Yes. No. I don't know," he responded. He sounded disgusted. Then he heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I'm probably letting my imagination run away with me. Its probably nothing."
"I doubt that. You have good instincts," she assured him. "If they're telling you something is wrong, chances are good something is wrong. I'm willing to listen, if you want to talk."
Roxxy waited to see if he would take the offer. She could see that he was considering it. And she could see that he was considering turning it down. In the end, though, he sighed again and shook his head. "There's some hokey shit going on here."
"That... isn't what I expected. But okay." She offered him a smile that said he could continue.
"So. I just got done visiting with Morgan. She said she's been fighting an infection ever since Kayla was born. Nothing huge, she said. But she looks a little worn down. And then I visited Jehnna and it looked like she'd ordered the entire menu from some fast food place. She said she was starving and no amount of food kept her full. She also said she's dropped more weight in the short time she's been nursing Talia than she did with any of her other children during the entire time she nursed them. It looks to me like she's lost some weight."
Duke paused there, exhaling a breath that said he didn't know what he was supposed to think. Roxxy frowned. This was all news to her and she considered it a bit. "That does sound odd. I can see why you're worried. How does that translate to being worried about Dare?"
He leveled a gaze on her. "You have to promise me that this stays between you and me before I tell you anything more." Roxxy didn't quite understand why he was making such a statement. It wasn't like anyone with eyes wouldn't be worried about Dare. But she could see he was serious so she nodded.
"I promise."
Duke stared a moment. Sniffed the air. Then he grunted and glanced around. "Dee told me the other day that something is draining Dare and she doesn't have much time. She didn't indicate what that meant, but we went and visited Dare. And... There's definitely something wrong. She was sluggish. I'm worried that Dee is right and some thing is draining Dare. I just... I don't know what to do."
Roxxy frowned. She'd come to realize that Duke had good intuition. And it did seem odd that everyone was having some kind of issue...
The thought trailed off as another hit her. Oh. Oh, no. Morgan was fighting an infection. Pestilence. Jehnna was having a hard time staying sated and full. Famine. Haley's delivery had been particularly long. Almost a battle between her body and the baby she carried. War. And Dare was, if Duke was correct, being drained because...
Shit!
"We need to find Dare now. Immediately!" Roxxy told him, then broke into a sprint. They had to find her. Before it was too late.
