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marysuevirus2025-03-28 02:14 pm
ladydeathfaerie) wrote in marysuevirus2025-03-28 02:14 pm
Among the Strong
Title: Among the Strong
Chapter Forty Two: Repercussions
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
Morgan watched Warren as he gently blew raspberries against Kayla’s belly. She was too young to laugh, but the noise she made with each raspberry suggested she was enjoying the way her father had chosen to play with her. Morgan had no doubt that she’d be laughing if she was capable. Instead, she cooed and made bright, joyful noises each and every time he did it. Morgan couldn’t help the smile that came, because it was just… perfect.
In fact, every aspect of her life felt like it was perfect. Her relationship with Warren was amazing. He was thoughtful and tender and he treated her like a queen. He loved Kayla so much that he almost spent more time taking care of her than Morgan did. And Kayla was the most well behaved new born she’d ever met. The baby barely cried. She really only fussed when she was hungry, tired, or her diaper needed changing. The rest of the time, she was a quiet child. Pleasant and happy. And it was obvious she loved her father as much as he loved her.
It should have been enough to see her smiling from ear to ear. And she gave the occasional smile. When Warren looked her way. But for the most part, she knew that her face was almost expressionless. Because her life was far too perfect. And she felt guilty about it. Because she knew that no one else was having as easy a time assimilating to their return to the real world. And she was absolutely the only one who seemed to be doing okay with the changes in her relationships.
Well, she was mostly doing okay there. Truth was, she couldn’t quite stop the guilt from eating away at her. And there was a lot to be guilty about. Far more than there should have been. She knew, while she sat in the suite and lived in her own little bubble of happiness and joy, that her friends were not quite so lucky.
There was something not right with Jehnna. Morgan had visited her several times over the past few weeks and each visit was uncomfortable. Difficult. Jehnna seemed to have developed an odd and lingering case of paranoia. It came out in the things she said about the rest of the team. She seemed to think that they’d all done the worst thing imaginable while they’d been held captive and that she was the only one of them who wasn’t guilty of some heinous crime. Anytime Morgan tried to dig deeper and find out reasons why Jehnna thought that way, the woman seemed to come back to herself and give Morgan confused looks when faced with a question about why she thought Haley or Dare or even Morgan herself was some kind of shameless hussy.
Haley was distancing herself from everyone. Oh, she was doing it subtly, but Morgan could see what she was doing. It didn’t help that the two men most prevalent in her life seemed to have stepped away from her and their responsibilities. She understood that it was a lot to come to terms with for Johnny. Haley had been gone for a mere week and had come back in love with another man and ready to deliver his child. Morgan had no doubt that trying to reconcile the fact that, for him, she’d been gone a mere seven days and had returned to him heavily pregnant with the idea that, for her, she’d been gone an entire year and had fallen in love with Summers was giving him so many problems. Because she hadn’t had anyone else. She hadn’t had any choice. And she hadn’t known if she’d ever get back home.
Summers was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It was obvious he felt as strongly about Haley as she did about him. But he was married to Jean. And he’d had to make room for her in his life when they’d returned. But the man wouldn’t turn his back on Haley or the baby they’d had together. He was too noble to be a dead-beat dad. Morgan still thought he was an asshole, but she knew that much about him. His personal code of ethics was pretty solid. Haley had had his baby and he would do everything he could to be part of her life. But it was difficult with Jean clinging to him. Like he was some prize she’d won. Morgan shook her head. Those two had always had a kind of weird relationship.
And then there was Dare. Her best friend. The woman who had been part of her life longer than she hadn’t. She knew, via the link, that Dare was okay. And doing better. But that was all she knew. She hadn’t seen Dare since the whole mess had happened. And she should have. God help her, she should have gone and seen Dare once or twice after that one night she’d spent sitting at Dare’s side in the medlab. She just… hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it. She was a coward in the worst way. Because, the truth was, she’d failed Dare in the most spectacular way imaginable.
She should have known what Dare was doing. She should have seen it coming. She had no doubt that Dare had spiraled hard both during and after Sinister’s confinement and general fuckery. She’d seen what being caged up and used like a toy had done to her once before. She’d seen Dare fall into a deep hole of self-loathing back then. She should have known it would happen this time. Maybe she’d been naïve in believing that Remy would be able to hold the other woman together. Maybe she’d convinced herself that she didn’t need to worry because Dare had Remy and she had Logan to help her. Only she’d kind of forgotten that Dare didn’t ask for help. Dare wouldn’t ask for help. She didn’t know how.
Morgan just… She should have been a better friend.
Maybe she hadn’t gone to see Dare, to check up on her and ensure she was doing okay, because, secretly, she blamed Dare for the way things had changed with Remy. He had been focused on Dare since they’d come back, his attention given over to her health and well-being. To the baby she carried. The baby he’d given her. She’d be lying if she said that the idea that Remy had fallen deeply in love with her best friend didn’t rub the wrong way. Didn’t hurt in ways that left her breathless and her chest aching. Some part of her, deep inside, had always told her that Remy would leave her one day, that he’d find himself in love with someone else. She just hadn’t expected that someone else to be her best friend.
Morgan shook her head in an attempt to drive those thoughts away. It wasn’t Dare’s fault that Remy had drifted away. And it wasn’t Remy’s fault, either. The fault belonged solely to Sinister. Still, it didn’t stop Morgan’s heart from twisting in her chest, from aching with a dull and lifeless pain that seemed as if it had been there for a long time, just waiting to pounce on her. She shook that notion off, too. She couldn’t blame either of them. Especially not when she’d gone and fallen in love with Warren.
She had to wonder, though, how all of this would affect her relationship with the three people who had been constants in her life for more than a decade. Things were going to change, weren’t they? Things had to because the people involved had all changed. Right?
“Morgan?” Warren’s voice caught her attention, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to find he was watching her closely, faint lines of worry etched into his forehead. “Is everything okay, sweetheart? You look a little sad and lost.”
“I.. Yes. No. I mean,” Morgan began, then stopped and shook her head. “I honestly don’t know the right answer to that question, Warren.”
He frowned, then rose from his seat on the couch. Kayla was tucked into his arms carefully. “Let me go put her down for a nap, then we can talk. Its obviously something important to have you lost so deeply to your thoughts.” He drew near enough that she could press a sweet kiss against Kayla’s chubby little cheek. One hand stroked over a tiny fist and she couldn’t help the smile that came when Kayla cooed out a response. Warren dropped a kiss on the top of Morgan’s head. “Say good night to Mama, sweet girl,” he instructed the baby.
Kayla cooed again, as if doing as her father had instructed. Morgan knew it was simply a verbal reaction to the attention Warren gave to her. But it was nice to imagine her baby was bidding her a good night. And then Warren was on the way to the other room, intent on putting Kayla down to rest. Morgan was left to watch him go, to stare after him and their daughter with a faint smile on her face.
There was that feeling of it all being perfect filling her again. With it came the same flood of guilt that had been there earlier. Her smile faded, replaced by a frown. She had no right thinking her life was perfect. She wasn’t sure she deserved to think it.
“Now.” Warren’s voice reached her a moment before he did, his hands reaching out to take hold of Morgan’s. He used that hold to pull her to her feet and, together, they moved over to the couch. When they were settled, Morgan sitting pressed against his side, his arm around her shoulder to keep her close, he continued speaking. “What’s wrong? You’ve been lost in thought for most of the day and its obviously upsetting you. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry. I was trying to keep my problems to myself,” she began. If this whole thing had taught her anything, it was that she needed to be more proactive about working her problems out without relying on Remy or Logan to help her do so. Looking back, she could see how she’d always gone to one man or the other and let them steer her toward the right path. The right solution. The right everything. Hell, she’d even used Faye to guide her choices more than once. She’d gotten complacent. And it showed in her inability to figure out this snarled mess she’d found herself caught in.
“That’s all fine and good. But you should know you can come to me with anything that’s troubling you. I will always do what I can to help you figure your problems out,” he told her, his tone soft and gentle. Why was he so kind to her? Why had he always been so kind? Things would be so much simpler if he had just treated her like every other man she’d ever known.
“You’re too kind, Warren. Too perfect,” she said, then frowned. There was that word yet again, that idea.
“Thank you. But you lived with me for a year. You should know I’m far from perfect. I snore. And I steal the covers. And I’m pretty sure I smacked you with a wing a time or two,” he said, his voice letting her know he was teasing her. Trying to draw a smile from her.
She shoved him with a hand, the move playful and yet not. “I’m serious, Warren. You are too nice to me. Too loving. Too sweet. Too everything. You dote on me and you dote on Kayla and it all just feels perfect. And that can’t be right because nothing is perfect. No one is perfect. But this life we’ve got together… Its goddamn perfect. And I don’t think I deserve it.”
He stared at her a moment, the teasing look fading from his eyes so that seriousness could take its place. He offered her a faint frown. “Perfect is a pretty intense description. I’m not sure why you think this is perfect.” One hand gestured toward the room around them as he spoke. “What’s really going on here?”
Morgan sighed. She was again taking her troubles to someone else and hoping they could fix things for her. How was she ever supposed to figure it out on her own if she always relied on someone else? But her head was so full of stuff and she didn’t know which way to turn. Was it so bad to let someone help her do the heavy lifting? It kind of felt like it lately. “You and I are kind of living a fairy tale here. We don’t fight. We get along so well that its like we’ve always been together. You dote on me and you dote on Kayla. We want for nothing. And it doesn’t feel right. Because my friends… No, my family. My family is falling apart and I can’t help them. And it makes me feel guilty for having all this.”
“Morgan,” Warren began, one hand reaching up to slide a length of hair behind her ear. His fingers stroked gently over the curve of her cheek when it slowly returned to his side. “Honey, that’s human nature. Everyone does it. Every day. It doesn’t make you a bad person. And the fact that you can see that things are not the best with your family is a sign that you aren’t as isolated and spoiled as you think.”
“Wow. Thanks, Warren. I feel so much better,” she said, not quite able to stop the snide tone that filled her voice.
Warren chuckled and shook his head. “I’m so glad we can have these adult conversations without them getting too heated or out of control.” He was back to teasing and the laughter in his voice, in his eyes, went a long way to soothing her ruffled spirit. “All I mean, Morgan, is you are capable of realizing that saying ‘I’m so glad this isn’t me’ when something like this happens isn’t the best reaction. That’s a good thing.”
“Okay. But why is it so hard for me to find a way to fix all of this crap?” she asked, doing her best not to sound whiny and childish.
“Fix what crap?” he asked, as if he didn’t know what they were talking about.
“The stuff with the team. Like I said, you and I are doing so great. And they’re all falling apart. And I can’t figure out how to fix it so that everyone is happy again,” she responded. Her gaze moved to the door that opened into Kayla’s nursery and she frowned. “No one is happy but you and I. And that isn’t fair. Not to the others. Everything changed for them and its messing them all up. I can’t figure out how to fix it.”
“But everything changes, Morgan,” Warren pointed out, his voice soft and kind.
“They’re all falling apart. Jehnna is so paranoid that I barely see the real her anymore when I visit. She’s accused every one of us of being whores. And she can’t see how hypocritical she’s being,” Morgan began. She’d actually stopped checking in on Jehnna because the paranoia seemed to be eating her brain, destroying the sweet and gentle person Jehnna had once been.
“I’ve noticed that,” Warren told her. When she looked up at him, it was to find some sadness in his eyes.
“And have you noticed that Haley is pushing everyone away? I doubt many people would see it. But I’ve seen hints. The night that Dare almost died. It was there then. And then, when we had that thing where the older kids all met their new sisters. It was obvious to me then, too.” The frown Warren sent her told her that he hadn’t caught on to that fact. “It doesn’t help that Johnny and Summers are both keeping her at arm’s length while they deal with whatever shit they’ve got to deal with.”
“Have you said anything to anyone?”
“And what good would it have done? They’d ask Haley and she’d tell them that it was a crock of shit. She’d say she’s fine and everyone would believe her. That would be the end of it. Until she crashed and burned in a spectacular way,” Morgan told him.
“You mean the way Dare did?” The question was put forth as gently as possible. But it still twisted something inside of Morgan’s chest, still made her stomach clench in absolute fear.
“Yes,” she responded, that single word a whisper in the silence of the room.
“What happened with Dare is not your fault, Morgan,” Warren said, obviously trying to ease the guilt she felt. Nothing was ever going to be able to do that.
“Dare is my best friend. She’s been in my life longer than anyone else. She’s… a soul mate. I should have known what she was doing. I should have seen what was happening. I’ve had memories of what happened between her and Matt in my head for more than a decade. And what happened with Creed. We both know what Sinister did. To all of us. I don’t have those memories from her. But I know without having them that Dare crawled inside of herself in order to not have to deal with it. I should have been there for her. I could have kept her from trying to kill herself I could have…”
Her words choked off on a sob, tears rolling down her cheeks. Warren hugged her tightly, his arms urging her closer until her face was pressed against his chest. “Its not your fault, Morgan.”
“It is. Because I was too blinded by perfection to realize that my friend was crying out for help. She could have died and it would have been my fault. I should have helped her. I should have done something. I knew that this was going to fuck with her head. I knew this was going to change everything. I should have been there for her. I should have been there.”
Warren sighed and tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes. There was a look in his that she wasn’t sure she liked. She could see sadness, but she could also see what looked like resignation. And when he opened his mouth, some instinct told her she wasn’t going to like what he said. “Morgan, sweetheart. If Remy and Logan couldn’t get Dare to talk to them, why do you think she’d have talked to you? I know you love her. I know she’s your best friend. I know you want to help her. But she didn’t want help. That’s why she shut herself away.”
“No. She shut herself away because Sinister fucked with her head!” she snapped. And then the tears came again, fat drops rolling down her cheeks as grief overwhelmed her. Warren once again turned her face into his chest and held her close. Her words were muffled and wet when she spoke again. “I could have helped her! I should have done something! I should have done… Everything is fucked up. Everyone is fucked up. Everything changed and I don’t know how to fix it!”
“Of course everything’s changed,” Warren told her. His voice was soft, filled with concern and understanding. One hand stroked down her back, the motion soothing. “Change is inevitable, Morgan. Everything. Everyone. It all changes. They all change. Relationships. They all change constantly. If a relationship is stagnant, its not a good one. People are meant to grow and change. Its how they become better. Why would their relationships be any different?”
When Morgan said nothing, when she simply stared at him like she didn’t understand a word he was saying, Warren pushed on. “Didn’t your relationship with Logan change when Dare invited you into their bed with them? Didn’t your relationship with Remy change when you agreed to being his girlfriend? Didn’t your relationship with all three of them change after the events with Creed? Tam’s birth? Brenna’s? All of the children after that? Didn’t those events all alter your relationships with the people you love? What about your relationships with the members of Purple Team? Didn’t those change as the team was put together? As you trained and accomplished your official status? As you went on one mission after another? Haven’t all of your relationships changed over time?”
His questions caught her off guard. Morgan had never quite thought of it that way. But each and every single one of her relationships had changed with each major event in their lives. All of them. From the bonds she had formed with the girls to the love she shared with her romantic relationships. When she lifted her gaze to his face, her understanding shining in her eyes, Warren’s smile came back. It was bright and warm and tender. The sun shining down on her from the endless blue of the sky.
“That’s right, Morgan. Everything changes all the time. And, yes. Sometimes the changes are bad. But they aren’t always. More often than not, they’re good. And they make our lives richer. Fuller. Better,” he told her, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. “These new changes aren’t things you need to try to solve. To fix and make better. They’re things you need to navigate with your friends and family so that you can all have the most perfect version of your lives as possible.”
“So, you’re saying that I should sit down and talk about everything. With everyone,” she murmured, her mind turning over the implications of everything he’d told her.
“Having a conversation with everyone might actually be a good way to start working on that version of perfect,” he replied. “Maybe you should try to get the team together in one place and chat. Start by working things out with the rest of the girls. Then you can expand to include all of the men.”
Morgan mulled that over. It was probably a good idea to talk to her friends first, deal with their situation before involving the men. Because getting that figured out would be easier said than done. Hell, she felt that getting all of the men into the same room would take a miracle. When she glanced up at Warren, it was to see he looked kind of smug. As if he knew what she was thinking. One hand came up to push at his chest in a mild attempt to shove him away. “Goddamn it, Worthington. Stop being so fucking perfect. If you don’t, I’ll have to—”
Whatever threat Morgan might have made died when a loud, frantic voice cut across her words. “Somebody fucking help me!”
~*~*~*~*~
The sight that greeted Warren when he opened the door to the suite had his head spinning, For just a moment. Then his eyes started making sense of everything. Scott was slumped against the wall next to the door in which he stood, his head tilted at an angle that suggested the man was unconscious. Which was a good thing, because his glasses had fallen off his face to lay in silent accusation on the floor. What the accusation was, he couldn’t be sure. And maybe Warren was imagining it, but the man’s skin looked a little paler than usual.
On the other side of the suite’s door, he found Jean laid out on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack in her unconsciousness. She was definitely pale. And her body twitched intermittently, as if she’d suffered a lightning strike. One hand was curled into a tight fist while the other was open with the palm resting against the flooring. He swore he saw slight hints of pain lingering on her face.
The last thing he took note of was the open door of the suite across from the one he shared with Morgan. And the faint, muffled sobs from the man sitting in it. He was on the floor with Haley cradled in his arms. She was limp, just as unconscious as the other two. She was pale, just like the other two. But the biggest difference between her and them was that Emilia lay cradled against her chest. Just as she was cradled against Johnny’s chest. The baby whimpered softly, an answering chorus to Johnny’s sorrow. “Haley? Come on, babe. Please wake up. Please.”
The plea was soft. Almost too soft to hear. But the silence of the hallway still carried it so that anyone who happened to be in the corridor would hear it. Just as they would hear Johnny’s sobs. And the faint, dismayed noises coming from the baby on Haley’s chest.
“What the hell happened here?” Logan’s voice broke the tableau. It drew Warren and Johnny’s gaze to the man who’d asked the question. It was a good question, the answer to which Warren wanted to know, as well.
“I don’t know, “Johnny replied, not taking his eyes off Haley’s face for a second. “I was coming through the portal to talk to Haley. The three of them were standing at the door. Haley and Scott were talking. Jean was standing a few steps away. There was a look on her face. I don’t know what it was. But some instinct had me moving toward Haley. I saw shock on Scott’s face. Then he asked Jean what the hell she was doing. The next moment, all three of them staggered and fell over.”
Silence fell again as Johnny stroked a hand over Haley’s cheek. “If I hadn’t been here… Emilia… Haley was holding Emilia when she started to go down. If I hadn’t caught her…”
Warren’s attention slid from Johnny and Haley toward where Jean lay on the floor. Then he turned that gaze Logan’s way. The other man had tensed his jaw and Warren knew he’d be chewing the end off one of his cheap cigars if he’d had one tucked between his teeth at that exact moment. Logan’s head moved a moment before a door up the hall opened. Another moment after that, Sam was stepping out into the hallway. There was confusion on his face as his gaze slid from person to person. “I thought I heard shouting. Is everything okay? Holy shit balls! What happened?”
“We don’t know, Sam,” Warren confessed.
“We need to take Haley to see Beast,” Johnny said, some of the sadness clearing away. It gave his worry the ability to stand front and center.
“We need to take all of ‘em,” Logan added. His intense gaze turned to Warren, giving the taller man a glimpse at the thoughts and questions that crowded his eyes. Warren had a feeling that Logan might know what had happened here in the hallway. Warren had a few hunches of his own, but they would have to wait until someone woke up. For now, getting them medical attention was more important.
“I’ll get Scott,” Warren said, already reaching over his friend to retrieve the fallen glasses.
“Warren? What happened? I thought you were coming back right away,” Morgan’s voice came from behind him. It ended on a soft gasp as she took note of the scattered bodies. “Oh my God! Haley!” The exclamation held fear, reminding Warren of the conversation they’d been having not more than ten minutes ago.
“Why don’t you help Johnny by taking Emilia?” Warren suggested, hoping that giving her something to focus on would help quell the rising panic. The note of authority he interjected into the words saw Morgan falling back into a team mentality and she moved to do as was requested of her.
“I sent Faye on ahead,” Morgan said as she scooped Emilia up into her arms. The words were meant for Johnny, but Warren felt a faint sense of relief that Henry would be ready for them when they got to the medlab. Emilia’s whimpers faded into an occasional note of distress when Morgan had her settled in her arms and she turned her attention toward soothing the upset baby.
“Let me help you get Scott up.” Sam was at Warren’s side. The offer was one for which Warren was grateful. He could toss Scott over his shoulder, but the wings would make it both difficult to accomplish and uncomfortable to execute. And he wasn’t about to carry the other man bridal style. Having Sam’s help meant they could keep Scott upright between the two of them. And it would be less strain for either one of them.
“Thanks, Sam. On three,” Warren said, slipping an arm around his friend. Sam did the same on the other side. Warren looked at Sam and, for a moment, saw the uncertainty that must have lived within him every day they’d been held by Sinister. It shimmered in his eyes for a few heartbeats, then it folded away and left determination in its place. “One. Two. Three.” Even as the last word passed between his lips, they were hefting Scott up between the two of them.
“Need a hand, kid?” Logan’s gruff voice asked, drawing Warren’s attention his way. The man was standing over Johnny, one hand held out to him silently. Warren didn’t know if he was offering it to Johnny to help the man stand or if he was offering it with the intent to take Haley so Johnny could gain his feet. There was no hesitation on Johnny’s part. He put his hand in Logan’s, his other hand clutching Haley to him tightly. Somehow, with Logan’s help, Johnny made it to his feet without having to put Haley down. When he was standing, he adjusted his hold on his wife, then looked at Morgan.
“Thank you for soothing Emilia. Could you lay her on Haley’s chest again? Haley forced herself to stay conscious until she was sure Emilia was safe. I think she might freak out if she wakes up and Emilia is nowhere to be seen.” His words were spoken with certainty. And his hold on Haley was almost crushingly tight. Warren couldn’t begin to imagine just what thoughts were going through the other man’s mind, but it was obvious that whatever he’d seen happen had scared the living hell out of him and he had no intention of letting Haley go anytime soon.
“Are you sure?” Morgan asked, her concern ringing softly in her words. “I don’t mind taking care of her if I need to.”
“I’m sure, Morgan. Haley’s going to want Emilia’s presence when she wakes up,” he replied with a smile.
Morgan stared at him a moment, then nodded her head and moved forward to carefully settle Emilia on Haley’s chest again. The baby whimpered once or twice, then settled back down into silence. It didn’t slip past Warren that Emilia rested against both Haley and Johnny’s chests. Then Morgan turned to look at Warren. “Faye says Henry is ready for you. She would have popped in but decided not to because she didn’t want to startle Emilia.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Warren said, smiling at Morgan. He watched her expression melt a little, then she nodded and headed for the door to their suite. “I’ll be back in a little while and I’ll let you know what’s going on. Promise.” Morgan responded with another nod, then glanced around at everyone one more time before she slipped into their suite, closing the door behind her when was fully inside.
“Get movin’,” Logan said, his attention focused for a moment on the closed door of the suite he’d come out of earlier. Then he headed toward Jean. “I got Jeannie. I’ll be right behind ya.”
Warren nodded and glanced at Sam. Then they were on their way toward the medlab. Johnny came behind them, still quietly begging Haley to wake up. The initial panic was gone, but the worry remained heavy in his voice. Warren had no doubt that Logan brought up the rear with Jean in his arms. Other than Johnny’s whispered pleas for Haley to wake, no one spoke. The only sound that accompanied them was that of their footsteps and the faint noise of Scott’s feet dragging the ground.
Henry was indeed waiting for them when they arrived, the door held open with one hand while he wore a worried, almost weary expression on his face. It gave Warren pause for a moment. How many medical emergencies had happened in less than a month? How many unusual medical events had he needed to deal with? He felt it must have been a lot to put such a look on the man’s face. It almost seemed like they were barely getting past one emergency when the next one happened.
“What happened?” Henry asked as Warren and Sam maneuvered Scott toward the closest bed. It didn’t slip past Warren that Johnny moved toward the bed next to the one Scott would be in. When Logan joined them, he carried Jean across the room to a bed on the other side. It was also several spaces down from where Scott and Haley would be located.
“We don’t know, Hank,” Logan answered. He settled Jean almost carelessly on the bed before coming over to join the rest of them. His answer, and his actions, saw Henry raise a blue brow in silent question.
“Logan’s right. We don’t know. We found them in the hall outside of Haley’s suite like this,” Warren admitted. He motioned with one hand toward the bed where Haley had been settled and the man at her side. “Johnny arrived in time to see some of what happened.”
“Haley and Scott were talking,” Johnny said without being prompted. Henry moved in that direction and started his examination of Haley. “Jean stood off to the side. She didn’t look happy. Then Scott broke away to look at her and he asked her what the hell she was doing. Then all three of them went down. That’s all I can tell you about it.”
“Jean said nothing?” Henry asked, still going through his exam.
“No. But there was a moment where she looked scared. Maybe confused. That was right before she hit the floor. And Scott sounded like he might have been in pain,” Johnny looked up at Henry, his eyes big and wet. “She was holding the baby. If I hadn’t caught her, if she hadn’t held on… “
Warren saw Henry’s gaze shift to the baby Johnny had cradled in his arm. He hadn’t realized Johnny had picked the baby up, but it made sense. With Haley unconscious, there was no way she could hold on to her daughter. And she’d never forgive herself if anything happened to Emilia because of her.
Henry straightened just then, his expression shuttered. “Is something the matter, Henry?” Warren asked. All attention went to their resident medical expert, who pursed his lips as he considered his answer. Finally, several moments later, he sighed and shook his head.
“Haley’s vitals are mostly normal. Her breathing is good. Her pulse is strong if a bit fast. Her skin is pale but not clammy,” he reported. Then he shook his head again. “By all indications, she’s fine. There is no apparent reason for her lack of consciousness. Which leads me to ask, again, what happened.”
Warren exchanged a glance with Logan. The man had a look that suggested he had a few ideas what had gone down between Haley, Scott, and Jean. But he wasn’t about to open his mouth and say anything yet. Warren had his own ideas, but they weren’t important at the moment. His friends were important. Their health was his priority. Figuring out what happened could come later, when they woke up.
So there was no answer for Henry as he moved off to examine Jean. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as he did so. When he turned around several moments later, the look on his face suggested that he hadn’t discovered any answers to his questions yet. Silent and pensive, Henry closed the distance until he stood next to Scott’s bed. And, again, he bent to the task of examining his third and final patient. And, as before, he had more questions than answers when he stood away from Scott’s bed.
“Very curious,” Henry muttered, his gaze staring intently at Scott. “And very concerning.”
“How so, Hank?” Logan asked. His voice brought Henry’s head fully up and his blue gaze the shorter man’s way. Henry frowned, then motioned to the three of his patients in turn.
“Some event has rendered three individuals unconscious. Already a strange occurrence in its own right. But that fact is made even stranger when one takes Jean into consideration. Her psychic powers should keep her safe from any kind of mental attack. And I can only conclude it was mental. Emilia remained unaffected by this attack. Which tells me that it very likely wasn’t physical. Nor was it a chemical attack. Again, Emilia is unaffected. As are the four of you. Any chemical agent would have done to you what it did to the others.”
“Who would launch a mental attack against someone like Jean? And inside the school, no less? Who would be capable?” Sam asked. They were valid questions. And Warren was starting to think he knew the answer to the first one. He glanced toward Logan. Once again, the man’s teeth were clenched together so tightly that Warren was surprised they couldn’t hear them cracking. It looked like Logan had an idea, too.
“Good questions all, my boy. To which I have no answers,” Henry said. He sounded disgruntled. And so very tired. “I am afraid we shall have to wait until our friends are awake before we can discover those answers.”
Henry had barely finished speaking when there was a soft groan from the bed next to which Warren stood. Everyone heard it. And they all glanced toward the bed. Scott was waking, obvious not only by the soft groans of what had to be pain the man was making, but by the way he shifted across the surface of the cot. Finally, slowly, one hand lifted to press against his forehead. “Fuck, my head hurts,” he hissed. A moment later, he frowned. “Jean?”
There was meaning behind the question in her name. Warren tried to figure out just what Scott was asking, but it suddenly became unimportant when Scott, known to one and all as being stoic and unshakable, bolted upright in the bed and turned his head this way and that in what could only be described as panic. His voice, when it came, was strident and filled with emotion. “Haley!”
Chapter Forty Two: Repercussions
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
Morgan watched Warren as he gently blew raspberries against Kayla’s belly. She was too young to laugh, but the noise she made with each raspberry suggested she was enjoying the way her father had chosen to play with her. Morgan had no doubt that she’d be laughing if she was capable. Instead, she cooed and made bright, joyful noises each and every time he did it. Morgan couldn’t help the smile that came, because it was just… perfect.
In fact, every aspect of her life felt like it was perfect. Her relationship with Warren was amazing. He was thoughtful and tender and he treated her like a queen. He loved Kayla so much that he almost spent more time taking care of her than Morgan did. And Kayla was the most well behaved new born she’d ever met. The baby barely cried. She really only fussed when she was hungry, tired, or her diaper needed changing. The rest of the time, she was a quiet child. Pleasant and happy. And it was obvious she loved her father as much as he loved her.
It should have been enough to see her smiling from ear to ear. And she gave the occasional smile. When Warren looked her way. But for the most part, she knew that her face was almost expressionless. Because her life was far too perfect. And she felt guilty about it. Because she knew that no one else was having as easy a time assimilating to their return to the real world. And she was absolutely the only one who seemed to be doing okay with the changes in her relationships.
Well, she was mostly doing okay there. Truth was, she couldn’t quite stop the guilt from eating away at her. And there was a lot to be guilty about. Far more than there should have been. She knew, while she sat in the suite and lived in her own little bubble of happiness and joy, that her friends were not quite so lucky.
There was something not right with Jehnna. Morgan had visited her several times over the past few weeks and each visit was uncomfortable. Difficult. Jehnna seemed to have developed an odd and lingering case of paranoia. It came out in the things she said about the rest of the team. She seemed to think that they’d all done the worst thing imaginable while they’d been held captive and that she was the only one of them who wasn’t guilty of some heinous crime. Anytime Morgan tried to dig deeper and find out reasons why Jehnna thought that way, the woman seemed to come back to herself and give Morgan confused looks when faced with a question about why she thought Haley or Dare or even Morgan herself was some kind of shameless hussy.
Haley was distancing herself from everyone. Oh, she was doing it subtly, but Morgan could see what she was doing. It didn’t help that the two men most prevalent in her life seemed to have stepped away from her and their responsibilities. She understood that it was a lot to come to terms with for Johnny. Haley had been gone for a mere week and had come back in love with another man and ready to deliver his child. Morgan had no doubt that trying to reconcile the fact that, for him, she’d been gone a mere seven days and had returned to him heavily pregnant with the idea that, for her, she’d been gone an entire year and had fallen in love with Summers was giving him so many problems. Because she hadn’t had anyone else. She hadn’t had any choice. And she hadn’t known if she’d ever get back home.
Summers was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It was obvious he felt as strongly about Haley as she did about him. But he was married to Jean. And he’d had to make room for her in his life when they’d returned. But the man wouldn’t turn his back on Haley or the baby they’d had together. He was too noble to be a dead-beat dad. Morgan still thought he was an asshole, but she knew that much about him. His personal code of ethics was pretty solid. Haley had had his baby and he would do everything he could to be part of her life. But it was difficult with Jean clinging to him. Like he was some prize she’d won. Morgan shook her head. Those two had always had a kind of weird relationship.
And then there was Dare. Her best friend. The woman who had been part of her life longer than she hadn’t. She knew, via the link, that Dare was okay. And doing better. But that was all she knew. She hadn’t seen Dare since the whole mess had happened. And she should have. God help her, she should have gone and seen Dare once or twice after that one night she’d spent sitting at Dare’s side in the medlab. She just… hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it. She was a coward in the worst way. Because, the truth was, she’d failed Dare in the most spectacular way imaginable.
She should have known what Dare was doing. She should have seen it coming. She had no doubt that Dare had spiraled hard both during and after Sinister’s confinement and general fuckery. She’d seen what being caged up and used like a toy had done to her once before. She’d seen Dare fall into a deep hole of self-loathing back then. She should have known it would happen this time. Maybe she’d been naïve in believing that Remy would be able to hold the other woman together. Maybe she’d convinced herself that she didn’t need to worry because Dare had Remy and she had Logan to help her. Only she’d kind of forgotten that Dare didn’t ask for help. Dare wouldn’t ask for help. She didn’t know how.
Morgan just… She should have been a better friend.
Maybe she hadn’t gone to see Dare, to check up on her and ensure she was doing okay, because, secretly, she blamed Dare for the way things had changed with Remy. He had been focused on Dare since they’d come back, his attention given over to her health and well-being. To the baby she carried. The baby he’d given her. She’d be lying if she said that the idea that Remy had fallen deeply in love with her best friend didn’t rub the wrong way. Didn’t hurt in ways that left her breathless and her chest aching. Some part of her, deep inside, had always told her that Remy would leave her one day, that he’d find himself in love with someone else. She just hadn’t expected that someone else to be her best friend.
Morgan shook her head in an attempt to drive those thoughts away. It wasn’t Dare’s fault that Remy had drifted away. And it wasn’t Remy’s fault, either. The fault belonged solely to Sinister. Still, it didn’t stop Morgan’s heart from twisting in her chest, from aching with a dull and lifeless pain that seemed as if it had been there for a long time, just waiting to pounce on her. She shook that notion off, too. She couldn’t blame either of them. Especially not when she’d gone and fallen in love with Warren.
She had to wonder, though, how all of this would affect her relationship with the three people who had been constants in her life for more than a decade. Things were going to change, weren’t they? Things had to because the people involved had all changed. Right?
“Morgan?” Warren’s voice caught her attention, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to find he was watching her closely, faint lines of worry etched into his forehead. “Is everything okay, sweetheart? You look a little sad and lost.”
“I.. Yes. No. I mean,” Morgan began, then stopped and shook her head. “I honestly don’t know the right answer to that question, Warren.”
He frowned, then rose from his seat on the couch. Kayla was tucked into his arms carefully. “Let me go put her down for a nap, then we can talk. Its obviously something important to have you lost so deeply to your thoughts.” He drew near enough that she could press a sweet kiss against Kayla’s chubby little cheek. One hand stroked over a tiny fist and she couldn’t help the smile that came when Kayla cooed out a response. Warren dropped a kiss on the top of Morgan’s head. “Say good night to Mama, sweet girl,” he instructed the baby.
Kayla cooed again, as if doing as her father had instructed. Morgan knew it was simply a verbal reaction to the attention Warren gave to her. But it was nice to imagine her baby was bidding her a good night. And then Warren was on the way to the other room, intent on putting Kayla down to rest. Morgan was left to watch him go, to stare after him and their daughter with a faint smile on her face.
There was that feeling of it all being perfect filling her again. With it came the same flood of guilt that had been there earlier. Her smile faded, replaced by a frown. She had no right thinking her life was perfect. She wasn’t sure she deserved to think it.
“Now.” Warren’s voice reached her a moment before he did, his hands reaching out to take hold of Morgan’s. He used that hold to pull her to her feet and, together, they moved over to the couch. When they were settled, Morgan sitting pressed against his side, his arm around her shoulder to keep her close, he continued speaking. “What’s wrong? You’ve been lost in thought for most of the day and its obviously upsetting you. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry. I was trying to keep my problems to myself,” she began. If this whole thing had taught her anything, it was that she needed to be more proactive about working her problems out without relying on Remy or Logan to help her do so. Looking back, she could see how she’d always gone to one man or the other and let them steer her toward the right path. The right solution. The right everything. Hell, she’d even used Faye to guide her choices more than once. She’d gotten complacent. And it showed in her inability to figure out this snarled mess she’d found herself caught in.
“That’s all fine and good. But you should know you can come to me with anything that’s troubling you. I will always do what I can to help you figure your problems out,” he told her, his tone soft and gentle. Why was he so kind to her? Why had he always been so kind? Things would be so much simpler if he had just treated her like every other man she’d ever known.
“You’re too kind, Warren. Too perfect,” she said, then frowned. There was that word yet again, that idea.
“Thank you. But you lived with me for a year. You should know I’m far from perfect. I snore. And I steal the covers. And I’m pretty sure I smacked you with a wing a time or two,” he said, his voice letting her know he was teasing her. Trying to draw a smile from her.
She shoved him with a hand, the move playful and yet not. “I’m serious, Warren. You are too nice to me. Too loving. Too sweet. Too everything. You dote on me and you dote on Kayla and it all just feels perfect. And that can’t be right because nothing is perfect. No one is perfect. But this life we’ve got together… Its goddamn perfect. And I don’t think I deserve it.”
He stared at her a moment, the teasing look fading from his eyes so that seriousness could take its place. He offered her a faint frown. “Perfect is a pretty intense description. I’m not sure why you think this is perfect.” One hand gestured toward the room around them as he spoke. “What’s really going on here?”
Morgan sighed. She was again taking her troubles to someone else and hoping they could fix things for her. How was she ever supposed to figure it out on her own if she always relied on someone else? But her head was so full of stuff and she didn’t know which way to turn. Was it so bad to let someone help her do the heavy lifting? It kind of felt like it lately. “You and I are kind of living a fairy tale here. We don’t fight. We get along so well that its like we’ve always been together. You dote on me and you dote on Kayla. We want for nothing. And it doesn’t feel right. Because my friends… No, my family. My family is falling apart and I can’t help them. And it makes me feel guilty for having all this.”
“Morgan,” Warren began, one hand reaching up to slide a length of hair behind her ear. His fingers stroked gently over the curve of her cheek when it slowly returned to his side. “Honey, that’s human nature. Everyone does it. Every day. It doesn’t make you a bad person. And the fact that you can see that things are not the best with your family is a sign that you aren’t as isolated and spoiled as you think.”
“Wow. Thanks, Warren. I feel so much better,” she said, not quite able to stop the snide tone that filled her voice.
Warren chuckled and shook his head. “I’m so glad we can have these adult conversations without them getting too heated or out of control.” He was back to teasing and the laughter in his voice, in his eyes, went a long way to soothing her ruffled spirit. “All I mean, Morgan, is you are capable of realizing that saying ‘I’m so glad this isn’t me’ when something like this happens isn’t the best reaction. That’s a good thing.”
“Okay. But why is it so hard for me to find a way to fix all of this crap?” she asked, doing her best not to sound whiny and childish.
“Fix what crap?” he asked, as if he didn’t know what they were talking about.
“The stuff with the team. Like I said, you and I are doing so great. And they’re all falling apart. And I can’t figure out how to fix it so that everyone is happy again,” she responded. Her gaze moved to the door that opened into Kayla’s nursery and she frowned. “No one is happy but you and I. And that isn’t fair. Not to the others. Everything changed for them and its messing them all up. I can’t figure out how to fix it.”
“But everything changes, Morgan,” Warren pointed out, his voice soft and kind.
“They’re all falling apart. Jehnna is so paranoid that I barely see the real her anymore when I visit. She’s accused every one of us of being whores. And she can’t see how hypocritical she’s being,” Morgan began. She’d actually stopped checking in on Jehnna because the paranoia seemed to be eating her brain, destroying the sweet and gentle person Jehnna had once been.
“I’ve noticed that,” Warren told her. When she looked up at him, it was to find some sadness in his eyes.
“And have you noticed that Haley is pushing everyone away? I doubt many people would see it. But I’ve seen hints. The night that Dare almost died. It was there then. And then, when we had that thing where the older kids all met their new sisters. It was obvious to me then, too.” The frown Warren sent her told her that he hadn’t caught on to that fact. “It doesn’t help that Johnny and Summers are both keeping her at arm’s length while they deal with whatever shit they’ve got to deal with.”
“Have you said anything to anyone?”
“And what good would it have done? They’d ask Haley and she’d tell them that it was a crock of shit. She’d say she’s fine and everyone would believe her. That would be the end of it. Until she crashed and burned in a spectacular way,” Morgan told him.
“You mean the way Dare did?” The question was put forth as gently as possible. But it still twisted something inside of Morgan’s chest, still made her stomach clench in absolute fear.
“Yes,” she responded, that single word a whisper in the silence of the room.
“What happened with Dare is not your fault, Morgan,” Warren said, obviously trying to ease the guilt she felt. Nothing was ever going to be able to do that.
“Dare is my best friend. She’s been in my life longer than anyone else. She’s… a soul mate. I should have known what she was doing. I should have seen what was happening. I’ve had memories of what happened between her and Matt in my head for more than a decade. And what happened with Creed. We both know what Sinister did. To all of us. I don’t have those memories from her. But I know without having them that Dare crawled inside of herself in order to not have to deal with it. I should have been there for her. I could have kept her from trying to kill herself I could have…”
Her words choked off on a sob, tears rolling down her cheeks. Warren hugged her tightly, his arms urging her closer until her face was pressed against his chest. “Its not your fault, Morgan.”
“It is. Because I was too blinded by perfection to realize that my friend was crying out for help. She could have died and it would have been my fault. I should have helped her. I should have done something. I knew that this was going to fuck with her head. I knew this was going to change everything. I should have been there for her. I should have been there.”
Warren sighed and tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes. There was a look in his that she wasn’t sure she liked. She could see sadness, but she could also see what looked like resignation. And when he opened his mouth, some instinct told her she wasn’t going to like what he said. “Morgan, sweetheart. If Remy and Logan couldn’t get Dare to talk to them, why do you think she’d have talked to you? I know you love her. I know she’s your best friend. I know you want to help her. But she didn’t want help. That’s why she shut herself away.”
“No. She shut herself away because Sinister fucked with her head!” she snapped. And then the tears came again, fat drops rolling down her cheeks as grief overwhelmed her. Warren once again turned her face into his chest and held her close. Her words were muffled and wet when she spoke again. “I could have helped her! I should have done something! I should have done… Everything is fucked up. Everyone is fucked up. Everything changed and I don’t know how to fix it!”
“Of course everything’s changed,” Warren told her. His voice was soft, filled with concern and understanding. One hand stroked down her back, the motion soothing. “Change is inevitable, Morgan. Everything. Everyone. It all changes. They all change. Relationships. They all change constantly. If a relationship is stagnant, its not a good one. People are meant to grow and change. Its how they become better. Why would their relationships be any different?”
When Morgan said nothing, when she simply stared at him like she didn’t understand a word he was saying, Warren pushed on. “Didn’t your relationship with Logan change when Dare invited you into their bed with them? Didn’t your relationship with Remy change when you agreed to being his girlfriend? Didn’t your relationship with all three of them change after the events with Creed? Tam’s birth? Brenna’s? All of the children after that? Didn’t those events all alter your relationships with the people you love? What about your relationships with the members of Purple Team? Didn’t those change as the team was put together? As you trained and accomplished your official status? As you went on one mission after another? Haven’t all of your relationships changed over time?”
His questions caught her off guard. Morgan had never quite thought of it that way. But each and every single one of her relationships had changed with each major event in their lives. All of them. From the bonds she had formed with the girls to the love she shared with her romantic relationships. When she lifted her gaze to his face, her understanding shining in her eyes, Warren’s smile came back. It was bright and warm and tender. The sun shining down on her from the endless blue of the sky.
“That’s right, Morgan. Everything changes all the time. And, yes. Sometimes the changes are bad. But they aren’t always. More often than not, they’re good. And they make our lives richer. Fuller. Better,” he told her, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. “These new changes aren’t things you need to try to solve. To fix and make better. They’re things you need to navigate with your friends and family so that you can all have the most perfect version of your lives as possible.”
“So, you’re saying that I should sit down and talk about everything. With everyone,” she murmured, her mind turning over the implications of everything he’d told her.
“Having a conversation with everyone might actually be a good way to start working on that version of perfect,” he replied. “Maybe you should try to get the team together in one place and chat. Start by working things out with the rest of the girls. Then you can expand to include all of the men.”
Morgan mulled that over. It was probably a good idea to talk to her friends first, deal with their situation before involving the men. Because getting that figured out would be easier said than done. Hell, she felt that getting all of the men into the same room would take a miracle. When she glanced up at Warren, it was to see he looked kind of smug. As if he knew what she was thinking. One hand came up to push at his chest in a mild attempt to shove him away. “Goddamn it, Worthington. Stop being so fucking perfect. If you don’t, I’ll have to—”
Whatever threat Morgan might have made died when a loud, frantic voice cut across her words. “Somebody fucking help me!”
~*~*~*~*~
The sight that greeted Warren when he opened the door to the suite had his head spinning, For just a moment. Then his eyes started making sense of everything. Scott was slumped against the wall next to the door in which he stood, his head tilted at an angle that suggested the man was unconscious. Which was a good thing, because his glasses had fallen off his face to lay in silent accusation on the floor. What the accusation was, he couldn’t be sure. And maybe Warren was imagining it, but the man’s skin looked a little paler than usual.
On the other side of the suite’s door, he found Jean laid out on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack in her unconsciousness. She was definitely pale. And her body twitched intermittently, as if she’d suffered a lightning strike. One hand was curled into a tight fist while the other was open with the palm resting against the flooring. He swore he saw slight hints of pain lingering on her face.
The last thing he took note of was the open door of the suite across from the one he shared with Morgan. And the faint, muffled sobs from the man sitting in it. He was on the floor with Haley cradled in his arms. She was limp, just as unconscious as the other two. She was pale, just like the other two. But the biggest difference between her and them was that Emilia lay cradled against her chest. Just as she was cradled against Johnny’s chest. The baby whimpered softly, an answering chorus to Johnny’s sorrow. “Haley? Come on, babe. Please wake up. Please.”
The plea was soft. Almost too soft to hear. But the silence of the hallway still carried it so that anyone who happened to be in the corridor would hear it. Just as they would hear Johnny’s sobs. And the faint, dismayed noises coming from the baby on Haley’s chest.
“What the hell happened here?” Logan’s voice broke the tableau. It drew Warren and Johnny’s gaze to the man who’d asked the question. It was a good question, the answer to which Warren wanted to know, as well.
“I don’t know, “Johnny replied, not taking his eyes off Haley’s face for a second. “I was coming through the portal to talk to Haley. The three of them were standing at the door. Haley and Scott were talking. Jean was standing a few steps away. There was a look on her face. I don’t know what it was. But some instinct had me moving toward Haley. I saw shock on Scott’s face. Then he asked Jean what the hell she was doing. The next moment, all three of them staggered and fell over.”
Silence fell again as Johnny stroked a hand over Haley’s cheek. “If I hadn’t been here… Emilia… Haley was holding Emilia when she started to go down. If I hadn’t caught her…”
Warren’s attention slid from Johnny and Haley toward where Jean lay on the floor. Then he turned that gaze Logan’s way. The other man had tensed his jaw and Warren knew he’d be chewing the end off one of his cheap cigars if he’d had one tucked between his teeth at that exact moment. Logan’s head moved a moment before a door up the hall opened. Another moment after that, Sam was stepping out into the hallway. There was confusion on his face as his gaze slid from person to person. “I thought I heard shouting. Is everything okay? Holy shit balls! What happened?”
“We don’t know, Sam,” Warren confessed.
“We need to take Haley to see Beast,” Johnny said, some of the sadness clearing away. It gave his worry the ability to stand front and center.
“We need to take all of ‘em,” Logan added. His intense gaze turned to Warren, giving the taller man a glimpse at the thoughts and questions that crowded his eyes. Warren had a feeling that Logan might know what had happened here in the hallway. Warren had a few hunches of his own, but they would have to wait until someone woke up. For now, getting them medical attention was more important.
“I’ll get Scott,” Warren said, already reaching over his friend to retrieve the fallen glasses.
“Warren? What happened? I thought you were coming back right away,” Morgan’s voice came from behind him. It ended on a soft gasp as she took note of the scattered bodies. “Oh my God! Haley!” The exclamation held fear, reminding Warren of the conversation they’d been having not more than ten minutes ago.
“Why don’t you help Johnny by taking Emilia?” Warren suggested, hoping that giving her something to focus on would help quell the rising panic. The note of authority he interjected into the words saw Morgan falling back into a team mentality and she moved to do as was requested of her.
“I sent Faye on ahead,” Morgan said as she scooped Emilia up into her arms. The words were meant for Johnny, but Warren felt a faint sense of relief that Henry would be ready for them when they got to the medlab. Emilia’s whimpers faded into an occasional note of distress when Morgan had her settled in her arms and she turned her attention toward soothing the upset baby.
“Let me help you get Scott up.” Sam was at Warren’s side. The offer was one for which Warren was grateful. He could toss Scott over his shoulder, but the wings would make it both difficult to accomplish and uncomfortable to execute. And he wasn’t about to carry the other man bridal style. Having Sam’s help meant they could keep Scott upright between the two of them. And it would be less strain for either one of them.
“Thanks, Sam. On three,” Warren said, slipping an arm around his friend. Sam did the same on the other side. Warren looked at Sam and, for a moment, saw the uncertainty that must have lived within him every day they’d been held by Sinister. It shimmered in his eyes for a few heartbeats, then it folded away and left determination in its place. “One. Two. Three.” Even as the last word passed between his lips, they were hefting Scott up between the two of them.
“Need a hand, kid?” Logan’s gruff voice asked, drawing Warren’s attention his way. The man was standing over Johnny, one hand held out to him silently. Warren didn’t know if he was offering it to Johnny to help the man stand or if he was offering it with the intent to take Haley so Johnny could gain his feet. There was no hesitation on Johnny’s part. He put his hand in Logan’s, his other hand clutching Haley to him tightly. Somehow, with Logan’s help, Johnny made it to his feet without having to put Haley down. When he was standing, he adjusted his hold on his wife, then looked at Morgan.
“Thank you for soothing Emilia. Could you lay her on Haley’s chest again? Haley forced herself to stay conscious until she was sure Emilia was safe. I think she might freak out if she wakes up and Emilia is nowhere to be seen.” His words were spoken with certainty. And his hold on Haley was almost crushingly tight. Warren couldn’t begin to imagine just what thoughts were going through the other man’s mind, but it was obvious that whatever he’d seen happen had scared the living hell out of him and he had no intention of letting Haley go anytime soon.
“Are you sure?” Morgan asked, her concern ringing softly in her words. “I don’t mind taking care of her if I need to.”
“I’m sure, Morgan. Haley’s going to want Emilia’s presence when she wakes up,” he replied with a smile.
Morgan stared at him a moment, then nodded her head and moved forward to carefully settle Emilia on Haley’s chest again. The baby whimpered once or twice, then settled back down into silence. It didn’t slip past Warren that Emilia rested against both Haley and Johnny’s chests. Then Morgan turned to look at Warren. “Faye says Henry is ready for you. She would have popped in but decided not to because she didn’t want to startle Emilia.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Warren said, smiling at Morgan. He watched her expression melt a little, then she nodded and headed for the door to their suite. “I’ll be back in a little while and I’ll let you know what’s going on. Promise.” Morgan responded with another nod, then glanced around at everyone one more time before she slipped into their suite, closing the door behind her when was fully inside.
“Get movin’,” Logan said, his attention focused for a moment on the closed door of the suite he’d come out of earlier. Then he headed toward Jean. “I got Jeannie. I’ll be right behind ya.”
Warren nodded and glanced at Sam. Then they were on their way toward the medlab. Johnny came behind them, still quietly begging Haley to wake up. The initial panic was gone, but the worry remained heavy in his voice. Warren had no doubt that Logan brought up the rear with Jean in his arms. Other than Johnny’s whispered pleas for Haley to wake, no one spoke. The only sound that accompanied them was that of their footsteps and the faint noise of Scott’s feet dragging the ground.
Henry was indeed waiting for them when they arrived, the door held open with one hand while he wore a worried, almost weary expression on his face. It gave Warren pause for a moment. How many medical emergencies had happened in less than a month? How many unusual medical events had he needed to deal with? He felt it must have been a lot to put such a look on the man’s face. It almost seemed like they were barely getting past one emergency when the next one happened.
“What happened?” Henry asked as Warren and Sam maneuvered Scott toward the closest bed. It didn’t slip past Warren that Johnny moved toward the bed next to the one Scott would be in. When Logan joined them, he carried Jean across the room to a bed on the other side. It was also several spaces down from where Scott and Haley would be located.
“We don’t know, Hank,” Logan answered. He settled Jean almost carelessly on the bed before coming over to join the rest of them. His answer, and his actions, saw Henry raise a blue brow in silent question.
“Logan’s right. We don’t know. We found them in the hall outside of Haley’s suite like this,” Warren admitted. He motioned with one hand toward the bed where Haley had been settled and the man at her side. “Johnny arrived in time to see some of what happened.”
“Haley and Scott were talking,” Johnny said without being prompted. Henry moved in that direction and started his examination of Haley. “Jean stood off to the side. She didn’t look happy. Then Scott broke away to look at her and he asked her what the hell she was doing. Then all three of them went down. That’s all I can tell you about it.”
“Jean said nothing?” Henry asked, still going through his exam.
“No. But there was a moment where she looked scared. Maybe confused. That was right before she hit the floor. And Scott sounded like he might have been in pain,” Johnny looked up at Henry, his eyes big and wet. “She was holding the baby. If I hadn’t caught her, if she hadn’t held on… “
Warren saw Henry’s gaze shift to the baby Johnny had cradled in his arm. He hadn’t realized Johnny had picked the baby up, but it made sense. With Haley unconscious, there was no way she could hold on to her daughter. And she’d never forgive herself if anything happened to Emilia because of her.
Henry straightened just then, his expression shuttered. “Is something the matter, Henry?” Warren asked. All attention went to their resident medical expert, who pursed his lips as he considered his answer. Finally, several moments later, he sighed and shook his head.
“Haley’s vitals are mostly normal. Her breathing is good. Her pulse is strong if a bit fast. Her skin is pale but not clammy,” he reported. Then he shook his head again. “By all indications, she’s fine. There is no apparent reason for her lack of consciousness. Which leads me to ask, again, what happened.”
Warren exchanged a glance with Logan. The man had a look that suggested he had a few ideas what had gone down between Haley, Scott, and Jean. But he wasn’t about to open his mouth and say anything yet. Warren had his own ideas, but they weren’t important at the moment. His friends were important. Their health was his priority. Figuring out what happened could come later, when they woke up.
So there was no answer for Henry as he moved off to examine Jean. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as he did so. When he turned around several moments later, the look on his face suggested that he hadn’t discovered any answers to his questions yet. Silent and pensive, Henry closed the distance until he stood next to Scott’s bed. And, again, he bent to the task of examining his third and final patient. And, as before, he had more questions than answers when he stood away from Scott’s bed.
“Very curious,” Henry muttered, his gaze staring intently at Scott. “And very concerning.”
“How so, Hank?” Logan asked. His voice brought Henry’s head fully up and his blue gaze the shorter man’s way. Henry frowned, then motioned to the three of his patients in turn.
“Some event has rendered three individuals unconscious. Already a strange occurrence in its own right. But that fact is made even stranger when one takes Jean into consideration. Her psychic powers should keep her safe from any kind of mental attack. And I can only conclude it was mental. Emilia remained unaffected by this attack. Which tells me that it very likely wasn’t physical. Nor was it a chemical attack. Again, Emilia is unaffected. As are the four of you. Any chemical agent would have done to you what it did to the others.”
“Who would launch a mental attack against someone like Jean? And inside the school, no less? Who would be capable?” Sam asked. They were valid questions. And Warren was starting to think he knew the answer to the first one. He glanced toward Logan. Once again, the man’s teeth were clenched together so tightly that Warren was surprised they couldn’t hear them cracking. It looked like Logan had an idea, too.
“Good questions all, my boy. To which I have no answers,” Henry said. He sounded disgruntled. And so very tired. “I am afraid we shall have to wait until our friends are awake before we can discover those answers.”
Henry had barely finished speaking when there was a soft groan from the bed next to which Warren stood. Everyone heard it. And they all glanced toward the bed. Scott was waking, obvious not only by the soft groans of what had to be pain the man was making, but by the way he shifted across the surface of the cot. Finally, slowly, one hand lifted to press against his forehead. “Fuck, my head hurts,” he hissed. A moment later, he frowned. “Jean?”
There was meaning behind the question in her name. Warren tried to figure out just what Scott was asking, but it suddenly became unimportant when Scott, known to one and all as being stoic and unshakable, bolted upright in the bed and turned his head this way and that in what could only be described as panic. His voice, when it came, was strident and filled with emotion. “Haley!”
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I love seeing Warren being adorable with Kayla and clearly Morgan does too. I love how her brain kind of spirals from "I'm so happy" to "Nobody else is" to "I am a shitty friend". She's not, of course. Everyone's been dealing with their shit and she seems to have been more ready to access the help that was offered but... I can definitely see how she'd get to that thought.
I am so glad she glommed onto the point Warren was making. it's entirely possible some of the changes that are going on would have happened eventually even without Sinister's meddling but they all need each other to get through all of it. Hopefully she can talk to the girls. He's right, they need each other!
I love how everyone kicks into hero gear and while there are questions of what the hell is going on, the safety of everyone is the most important part! Go team! Totally random thorugh though... Warren saving Scott's dignity is nice but it's the first time. LMAO He's been scooped up and flown away more times than I think I can count. ;)
I think Johnny is having some realizations on how important Haley is to him. It's a horrible way to put it together for him but it's about time!
Hopefully Hank can figure out what's going on and help... or at least someone can shed some light on this once they wake up!
Great work, hun! Can't wait to see what's next!
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Warren is so adorable with Kayla. its kind of nauseatingly cute. obviously Morgan is hooked on that serotonin-inducing man and his antics. who wouldn't be? am i right?
i feel like her brain is doing some very normal shit with her here. its so easy (and very common) for someone to go "this thing isn't happening to me and i'm glad and i'm going to pretend it isn't happening to anyone else because life is great for me." so its hard for her to reconcile her thoughts and feelings with what's happening to her friends. because it means stepping outside of her comfort zone. you're right, of course. she isn't a shitty friend. there's just so much shit happening with everyone and its only been a few weeks since they returned from Sinister's pocket dimension. i'm sure they're all still working on being a group again instead of being isolated. for whatever reason, its just been easier for Morgan to find how she and Warren fit into the regular world. everyone else will have to find their way to that same conclusion. its just going to take a little more work than Morgan had to do.
when the conversation between Morgan and Warren started to come together in my head, the most prominent part of it was Warren telling Morgan that everyone and everything changes. all the time. it was such a simple statement, yet its so powerful and intense. because its a singular truth that follows a person through their life, even if they don't realize it. change is constant. literally everything in your life changes on a daily basis. some of it is minor stuff (you stop liking a certain thing) that you don't really notice while some of it is intense enough to change your entire world view (you get kidnapped by an ego maniacal scientist intent on using your genetics to create the ultimate in super powered evil soldiers for another ego maniacal madman bent on shaping the world in his image and end up falling in love with someone you are not partnered with). it was just a line that Warren had to deliver, because its so very true and most people over look it. and i think it shook Morgan to her foundations because she'd obviously never considered it. the girls absolutely need one another. they're family in the best sense of the word. and they can't get through all of this without each other. and the men that love them, no matter what happened.
there's a crisis. hero mode activated. it seems like it should be that cut and dry. but it works differently when its someone you're close to. so it was great that no one really panicked (Johnny had a moment, but that was all) and they all just did what needed to do. also. i don't know if Warren was so much preserving Scott's dignity as making sure that he didn't smack his head or feet into any walls or door jams or whatever.
i think Johnny was having those realizations before he stepped into Haley's suite. stepping into that situation, though? that solidified those realizations into solid crystal. he can now see what's important to him. no cloudy thoughts at all. it is a horrible way. but here we are.
i'm sure Henry is going to ask questions when people start waking up. lots of them. also, the man needs a vacation. seriously. so much shit has gone down in his medlab lately...
glad you enjoyed it, sweetie!
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Honestly though, Warren really is just too good to be true. lol
I hate to say it, but this incident may be just what Johnny needed to get his head back in the game so to speak.
I loved the way Logan just sorta of dumped Jean into a bed nowhere near Scott and Haley. And that Johnny put Haley and Emilia close to Scott. Poor Hank though. Hopefully he and Roxxy can get away for a bit once all this shit calms down and life settles into a new "normal" for everyone.
Kudos, bb! I enjoyed it muchly. *smooches*
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mmm. Warren very much is too good to be true.
Johnny needed a kick to the head. this was a good, hard kick. we'll see if it works.
yeah. it is kind of funny that Logan is so obviously and thoroughly done with the bullshit. don't think he hasn't got an idea what happened in that hallway. and don't think that he isn't going to make sure Jean knows he knows. Johnny might be upset about it all. but he isn't going to be a total ass. especially not now.
Roxxy and Henry need a whole month away. with no children, no emergencies. no friends nearly killing themselves. just sun, fun, and peace and quiet. fingers crossed that they get it
glad you liked it, bb! thanks for reading