Among the Strong
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Forty Four: Wrong
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
“Sam? What was all that? What happened?”
The questions hit him almost as soon as he stepped through the door into the suite. Jehnna was on her feet, Talia in her arms. The baby was fussy, making soft noises that could easily become wailing cries. Jehnna looked as if she’d been mid-step when the door had opened. She’d stopped moving, of course, but she still bounced their daughter in her arms in an effort to stave off any crying.
“I’m not entirely certain, Jehnna,” Sam said after a moment’s thought. His face no doubt was filled with his confusion. And he shook his head to emphasize that confusion. His lack of knowledge. To be honest, what he’d seen was still kind of a jumble in his head. “When I stepped out into the hallway, everything was in chaos.”
Jehnna’s expression clouded at that. “What do you mean? What kind of chaos?” she asked softly.
“Warren and Logan were out in the hallway, obviously drawn by the same shouts for help that I was. That was Johnny, by the way. He was the one who called for help,” Sam told her, his feet pulling him into motion to counteract the anxiety and anxiousness that had plagued him ever since he’d laid eyes on the scene in the corridor earlier.
Jehnna frowned at that. The confusion that had settled on her face with his earlier statement only deepened as she tried to come up with a reason for either Johnny’s presence or his call for help. Possibly both. Everyone knew just how much Johnny hadn’t been present since they’d returned from Sinister’s pocket dimension. Sam could understand his reasons for not wanting to be here. But he also thought that maybe Johnny and Haley needed to talk about things. Not let them sit and fester. “Why was Johnny yelling for help?” Jehnna asked, her voice making it sound like she was talking more to herself than to him. Sam answered her anyway.
“Because something happened,” he said, then shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. He still didn’t understand everything he’d seen. Everything he’d heard. But he had a few ideas. Things Johnny had said kept needling at his brain. The same with things Sam had heard from others. There were some really terrible conclusions trying to take life based on those things. But he didn’t want to let them take root. He didn’t want to give them credence. Because to do so meant that the events in the hallway were not random in any way, shape, or form. Not at all.
If what he was thinking was true, the events in the hallway had been deliberate.
“It feels like you’re stalling, Sam. Just tell me what happened,” Jehnna chided. She’d moved closer without his noticing. Talia had stopped her fussing for the moment, but the look on her face when he let his gaze settle on her suggested she was not done letting them know she wasn’t happy just yet. After rubbing a fingertip against the curve of her cheek, he lifted his eyes so he could look Jehnna in the face.
“I promise you, Jehnna. I’m not stallin’,” he said, some of his Kentucky roots making an appearance. He shook his head and slid an arm around her shoulder, then steered her toward the couch so he could sit by her side. Seeing Haley laid out like that had ruffled his feathers. Because she ran her own team. A team that was terribly successful. She had taken on and alien invader all on her own and won. She’d taken on Doom and walked away from it without a scratch. She’d become the face of public relations and diplomacy for the X-Men. She was damn good at it, too. She was a leader in every sense of the word. So it was very disconcerting to have seen her unconscious from… apparently nothing.
“Then why won’t you tell me what happened out in the hallway?” Jehnna asked. She snuggled closer to him, prompted by the arm he’d kept around her shoulders when they’d taken their seats on the couch. He could hear in her voice that she felt he was intentionally keeping things from her.
“Because I don’t know what happened out in the hallway. Scott was unconscious. Jean was unconscious. Haley was unconscious. And there wasn’t any sign of an attack at all.” Sam frowned. Because that was just all shades of suspicious. And it left him going back to what he’d heard in the medlab when Johnny had told Beast what he’d seen and heard.
Jehnna’s eyes got wide at that. “All three of them were unconscious?” she asked. It was obvious she didn’t believe him. Because how could three of the X-Men, all of them powerful and accomplished, have ended up unconscious in a corridor in the sub-basement when there were no signs of an attack?
“Yes. All three of them,” Sam nodded.
Jehnna frowned as she mulled that over. Then she shook her head. “What could possibly have happened that all three of them ending up unconscious was the result?” she asked. It sounded like it was an absent question, as if she was trying to figure it out and didn’t expect an answer. “I mean, Jean is one of the strongest telepaths on the planet. Surely she could have defended and protected herself.”
Sam blinked at that. It was odd that Jehnna had left Scott and Haley out of her statement. Because she had to know that Jean would have defended her fellow X-Men. At least, he thought she should have if it was some kind of outside attack.
“I guess it all depends on what kind of attack it was. And who might be responsible for it,” Sam responded slowly.
Jehnna made a noise in the back of her throat. It sounded like a considering noise. But it also sounded like a noise of disbelief. Then she shook her head and a look that might have been sorrow settled on her face. “It isn’t bad enough that she’s been dealing with Haley trying to steal Scott away from her. Now she’s got to deal with this, too.”
Sam could only stare at that. Did Jehnna seriously think that Haley was trying to steal Scott? Hadn’t she been paying any attention to what had been happening to her friends? To herself? Didn’t she realize that they were victims as much as she was a victim? This… Whatever it was Jehnna believed, that was not the Jehnna he’d fallen in love with.
“Jehnna?” Sam asked softly. Her focus shifted to his face and she smiled. It was a sweet, gentle smile. The kind she’d always given. To everyone. And now it looked like some kind of alien expression on her face. Sam realized, staring at her, that he hadn’t seen that sweet, gentle smile in some time. “Honey, you know that Haley isn’t really trying to steal Scott from Jean. Right?”
“Well, of course she is. Its blatantly obvious that she’s trying to take Scott away from Jean. Just like Morgan took Warren away from me. Just like Dare is taking Remy from Morgan. None of them have any kindness or common decency. Its terrible that they can’t be happy with what they have and have to just go take someone else’s happiness for themselves.”
Sam could only stare at Jehnna. Nothing that had just come out of her mouth made any sense at all. And yet, she fully believed it. He could see that in the almost maniacal look that had settled on her face. Worse, now that Sam had a moment to consider her reaction, this wasn’t the first time he’d been witness to something like this when talking to Jehnna.
For a while now, there had been hints and whispers of things not being quite right with Jehnna. Things she’d said that had seemed not really terrible. Reactions to events that had come across as not quite right. Not terrible, but definitely not quite right. And it had been this way for a few weeks.
There had been an occasion, a week or so back, when Warren had asked Sam to his and Morgan’s suite in order to ask him some questions. Sam had wondered about it at the time, because Warren had asked if he’d seen any odd behavior from Jehnna. If she’d said anything strange or worrying. And Sam had been confused at the time. Because he hadn’t consciously registered any odd behavior from Jehnna. But now he was starting to see what Warren had been talking about. He’d started hearing those strange comments Warren had mentioned. And he’d started to realize that there was definitely something not right with Jehnna.
“Jehnna. Honey. You don’t honestly believe that Haley would try to steal Scott. Do you?” he asked her, certain that he’d heard her wrong. Certain that he’d mistaken her meaning. Because that wasn’t his Jehnna. That wasn’t how she felt about her friends. She’d spent hours upon hours telling him stories about the rest of her team. Funny stories. Sad stories. Stories that had made him feel closer to Purple Team than he’d already been
Jehnna gave him a look that suggested she thought he was funny. And maybe a little slow. “Of course she is, Sam. I mean, she ruined her own marriage so now she’s out to ruin Jean’s.”
Sam could only stare at her. Because she was spouting utter bullshit. And she believed every single word of it. And he couldn’t figure out how to make her see that she was wrong. He was fairly certain anything he said would be met with disbelief. Despite the fact that Jehnna should know, better than him, just what Haley would and wouldn’t do.
There was something very wrong with Jehnna. Very, very wrong. He needed to figure out what it was. And find a way to fix it. Before she said the wrong thing to the wrong person and brought a heaping helping of trouble down upon her head. He didn’t want to see anything happen to her.
And he wanted his sweet, gentle, loving Jehnna back again.
~*~*~*~*~
The suite was fairly quiet when Logan let himself into it. It was obvious the party had broken up. Someone, probably Liam, had taken his younger sisters with him in order to leave their mother in peace. Dare was curled up in a corner of the couch, a light weight blanket tucked around her shoulders and torso with love and care. Dee sat in one of the chairs, Petra cradled in her arms. She was staring at her sister with something like childish wonder and it reminded him that she was still very much a child herself. Despite the fact that she acted older than her years.
“Everything okay, Da?” Dee asked, her gaze never shifting away from her baby sister.
“Yeah. Just a minor emergency,” he told her, voice kept low so he didn’t disturb Dare. Being social had seemingly sapped her stamina and he wanted her to sleep as much as she could.
“Okay,” Dee responded. He watched a soft smile spread across her face, her gaze still locked on the baby she held. “She’s so amazing. Mum has been sleeping for nearly a half hour and Petra hasn’t made any noise at all. Not even once.”
“You were like that when you were a baby,” Logan told her. That brought Dee’s gaze up to his face so she could find the truth, or the lie, in his words. “Made things so much easier for yer ma.” And damn, if she hadn’t needed easier back then. He let his gaze slide over her, took in the peaceful look on her face that only came with sleep. It was so soft and gentle that it showed him the child she might once have been, had fate not intervened. And it reminded him, not for the first time, that she was still, in some ways, a child.
For what had to be the billionth time, he was hit with the idea that he never should have let her big grey eyes and the smell of her innocence sway him. He should have left her to find someone her own age.
“Mum tells me I was trouble on two legs.” Dee’s words drew him from his thoughts. She was staring at him, a smile on her face.
Logan couldn’t hold back the grin at that. “Yer ma was right about that. But that didn’t happen until you hit the terrible twos. Before that, you were an easy baby. And yer ma was smitten the very moment Beast laid you in her arms.”
“What about you, Da?” she asked, mischief there in the way her smile stretched. And in how her eyes twinkled. As if she didn’t already know the answer to that question.
“I was smitten before you were born, girl,” he responded, his tone gruff. It prompted a laugh. Dee rose from the chair and closed the distance between the two of them. She oh, so carefully transferred Petra to his arms, then leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.
“I’m going to go check on Jess. She was giving Liam a little bit of trouble when he took her and the twins out so Mum could rest.” The mischief had gotten a little stronger. No doubt she’d enjoyed seeing her sisters give her brother a ration. Dee loved her brother, but the two of them had an odd relationship on the best of days.
He smiled at her, then leaned in to drop a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t you give him any trouble, girl. Or you’ll answer to me.” There wasn’t much threat in his words. Dee laughed again, her joy so goddamn infectious. It made Logan wonder, and not for the first time, where her upbeat spirit had come from. Was this what Dare would have been like, had life been kinder to her? He didn’t know for certain. But he did know he could, and would, do whatever it took to make her laugh as freely as their children did.
“Okay, Da,” she responded. He watched her gaze slide to where her mother dozed. For a moment, just a second or two, he saw the worry and concern that she’d no doubt been battling ever since this whole mess started. Then it was gone and she turned for the door. Logan watched her go, waiting until the door closed behind her before he gave his attention back to Dare.
Big grey eyes stared up at him, only a vague blur of sleep in them. He offered her a smile before moving to settle on the couch beside her. “How long you been eavesdropping?” he asked her.
“The whole time,” she responded, not an ounce of remorse in her voice. She sat up slowly, a sign that she was still battling with bouts of weakness now and then. For a moment, they were silent while she carefully folded up the blanket and settled it on the arm of the couch. When her gaze returned to his face, there was a serious look in them that told him she was about to say something he probably wouldn’t like. “So. What was this minor emergency you had to deal with in the hallway that had you gone for the better part of an hour?”
Logan frowned. He should have known she’d question him about his absence. Dare was smarter than people gave her credit for. Hadn’t she managed to survive on the streets as a scared teenager? Hadn’t she made up years of missed schooling in a relatively short time when she’d first come to the school? Contrary to what people liked to believe, herself included, she was sharp and didn’t miss much. “Don’t know if its my place to tell,” he admitted softly.
And that was the truth. What had happened out in the hallway was between Haley and Scott and Jean. He didn’t think Dare had heard Johnny’s call for help. The door was pretty solid. So were the walls. But she knew he’d heard something. And she knew that her friends were just up the hall. It wouldn’t take her much effort to figure out that the minor emergency had involved one of her friends. She was damn sharp, his girl. “Uh-huh,” she responded slowly. One hand reached out so that she could run a finger along Petra’s cheek. The baby’s eyes slid shut as if Dare had flipped a switch. A moment later, the baby was sleeping peacefully in Logan’s arms. “This minor emergency. Which of the girls did it involve?”
“I don’t think…” he began, only to trail off soon enough. Because Dare had gotten that look on her face, the one he knew to mean she was going to be very, very stubborn about this. So he had two choices. Stonewall her until she got pissed and then needled it out of him or just tell her what she wanted to know and avoid the trouble. Logan heaved a sigh. Goddamn rock and a hard place. “Fine. But this is between the two of us. Understand me?”
“Of course,” she responded. There might have been a hint of sharpness in her tone, as if to say she wasn’t stupid. But he couldn’t be sure and, ultimately, it didn’t matter.
“There was an attack,” he told her quietly.
“How bad?” she asked immediately, not a single thing on her face to let him know what she was thinking. Once upon a time, he’d been able to figure out what kind of shit was going through her head. Somewhere along the way, she’d figured out how to keep her thoughts from showing in her expression. Logan didn’t like it a damn bit.
“It was bad enough to lay out Haley, Scott, and Jean,” he replied. She lifted a brow at that, but said nothing more. “They’re in the medlab with Hank. He doesn’t think its anything too serious, but you know how he likes to be cautious.”
“Of course,” she nodded. There was a tone in her voice that told a story. One he didn’t know yet. Silence fell between them for a time. Logan wasn’t sure what it meant. He hoped it meant that Dare’s need to know was satisfied. He didn’t plan on giving her anymore information. That was up to Haley and Scott and he was going to respect their privacy. He was pretty sure neither one of them wanted anyone to know what Jean had done. Because it would look bad for her, no matter what her explanations or excuses might be. “What kind of attack?”
The question pulled him away from his thoughts. He found Dare staring at him, a gleam in her eye that said she was well on her way to figuring out what was going on. That knowledge saw him muttering a curse under his breath. “Dare. Just let it be.”
“What kind of attack, Logan?” she asked, a little more determination in her words.
“Dare.”
“No, Logan. It involves a member of my family. I’m not about to just let it be. So tell me what kind of attack it was or I’ll go ask someone else.”
The last of her words were meant as a threat, and he knew without a doubt who the someone else she’d ask was. “Damn it, Dare. It ain’t any of our business unless someone makes it our business,” he said, his temper starting to rise to the surface.
“And yet, you were in the middle of it,” she pointed out. Calmly. There was nothing more in her tone and he puzzled over it. Any other time, she’d be stewing in her own anger just by being told no. He had to admit to being surprised that she wasn’t. But he knew, if he told her what had happened out in the hallway, she’d get pissed. The minute she had the whole story, her temper would explode and he knew exactly what she’d do. She’d launch an attack of her own. And it wouldn’t be pretty. “What kind of attack was it?”
“It was a psychic attack,” he nearly snarled. Petra whimpered in response to his loss of temper, forcing him to calm both the baby he held and himself. When he looked up at Dare, there was a speculative gleam in her eye. But nothing else.
“But it did no damage?” she asked softly.
“Doesn’t look like it. Hank said everything looked normal. I know Slim woke up with a headache.”
She nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “That’s good.”
Logan frowned. That had been too easy. He was sure it meant something but damned if he could figure out what that something was. He leveled a look on her that usually had people trying hard not to piss their pants. Dare merely stared at him, entirely unperturbed by his attempt at a threat. Damn the woman for knowing he’d never intentionally hurt her. One finger extended and pointed at her face as menacingly as he was able to make it. Dare blinked. “Promise me ya ain’t gonna start anything, girl,” he growled at her.
“Why would I start anything, Logan? And who would I start it with?” she asked. She sounded so damn innocent. And he knew, without a doubt, that she was going to cause trouble.
“Promise me, Dare. Promise me yer gonna leave this alone.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she responded. There was that innocence again. Where the hell was that coming from? “How can I start anything when I don’t know what actually happened?”
Logan frowned at her. She was intentionally being obtuse and he wasn’t enjoying it much. “Promise me you ain’t gonna start anything.” There might have been a tiny note of pleading in his voice. And maybe there shouldn’t have been, but he knew Dare’s temper well. And he knew exactly how she’d react if she knew the full details of what had happened. No one attacked a member of her family and got away with it.
“I’m not going to start anything,” she replied calmly. He had to admit that he was confused by that. Dare didn’t do calm. He felt like he was missing something. That feeling had him squinting at her. Dare offered him a faint smile, then lifted a hand up until it was level with her face. “I promise.”
“All right,” he nodded. Then he watched as she rose to her feet and stretched, her actions slow and loose. She offered him a smile before reaching down to scoop Petra up out of his arms.
“My wee girl needs her bed. And I think I need to eat something that isn’t more sugar than substance.” She offered a faint smile and let her gaze slide around the room. There were still plenty of snack and drinks piled up on the tables. “I appreciate that the kids went out of their way to make Petra welcome. And to remind me that I am not the colossal fuck up that I think I am. But maybe some sandwiches or some fruits and vegetables might not have been out of line here.”
Logan snorted a laugh at that and rose to his feet. “The kids were just excited to get to do something for ya,” he told her. Then he jerked a thumb toward the table of left over snacks. Toward the crepe paper and balloons everywhere. “This was Liam’s idea. Didn’t take much effort on his part to get the others on board. They all love ya, darlin’. And they wanna see ya happy.”
He slipped his arm around her, taking note of the faint smile on her face, then nudged her toward the door. She let her gaze slide around the room one last time, let it land on the piles of wrapping paper. On the boxes that held the gifts for Petra. On the food and the drinks and the decorations. When her gaze swung around to his face, he could see that her smile had grown. And there was a hint of moisture in her eyes. “I am,” she promised.
That was all he could ask for.
~*~*~*~*~
“Emilia?” Haley’s voice was heavy with sleep. And maybe just a hint of paranoia. And some fear. Dare considered that a moment, then met her friend’s dark gaze. When Haley registered Dare’s presence, she seemed to relax.
“She woke up fussing a little bit ago. Auntie Dare saved the day and changed her diaper for her,” Dare told the other woman. Then she glanced down at the baby in her arms once again. “You’re just a sweetheart, little one. Yes, you are.”
“You should have let me take care of that, Dare,” Haley chided. She slowly worked herself up into a sitting position, her back against her bed’s headboard. She looked a little pale and, if Dare wasn’t mistaken, her head was still killing her. It was a good thing Dare had turned a lamp on all the way across the room. The more comfortable it was for Haley, the better.
“You were resting, which you obviously need,” Dare replied, her tone brooking no argument. She let her gaze slide over Haley for a moment, looking to see if there was some sign of this attack Logan had spoken of. Other than the suspected headache, she saw nothing. “Incidentally, how are you feeling?”
“It feels like my head is trying to explode,” Haley told her. Dare wasn’t surprised. Psychic attacks tended to leave one feeling like their head was about to burst. It was a lot like overusing one’s powers. And Dare had been there a time or two over the years.
That thought slipped away when the memory of her conversation with Logan returned. It saw her mouth pressing into a flat line. He’d asked her to leave it alone. He’d made her promise not to start anything. Which she’d done. She wasn’t going to start anything. But he had to know she’d figure out what happened. And he had to know that she’d find a way to end this shit if it seemed like it needed to be ended. Tucking those thoughts aside so that she could push away the anger that wanted to boil to the surface, she took a breath and put forth the question that had been lingering on the tip of her tongue ever since Logan had begrudgingly told her what he knew. “What did Jean do?”
The question came out nicely enough, her voice soft and even and lacking the anger that should have been there. It still seemed to surprise Haley, because her eyes popped open suddenly and she turned a slightly panicked expression Dare’s way. “Logan told me there was a psychic attack. Given that you, Scott, and Jean were all found unconscious in the hallway, I figure she’s the one at fault. I’ve never known you to launch psychic attacks. Just repel them. So what did Jean do?”
“It isn’t important, Dare. Just let it go,” Haley replied, a hint of panic touching her words. Dare had a moment to see the lost look in her eyes before Haley turned away. She reached out and laid a hand on Haley’s, a gentle touch to remind the other woman that she was here and she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Its important to me, Haley. You’re my family. You’ve stuck by me during so much. Even when I was being shitty to you. You stood by my side and made sure other people knew you thought I was worthy of… “ Her words trailed off when she realized she’d been about to say something about not being worthy at all. Dare had no delusions about who and what she was. She’d made no secret of how she felt about herself. And she knew, if she did it again, Haley would reach out and slap the shit out of her. She didn’t know what she’d done to earn that kind of… whatever it was. But she was going to do her best to make sure Haley knew she appreciated that loyalty. “Its important to me. What did Jean do?”
Maybe her speech had an effect. Maybe it was the soft, pleading way she asked the last time. Maybe Haley just needed to let it out. It didn’t matter what the reasons were. All that mattered is Haley sighed and turned a slightly watery look Dare’s way. “She tried to sever the link,” Haley said. Her voice was so soft that Dare almost didn’t hear her. Almost.
“She tried to…“ Dare’s voice trailed off as the implications of that really hit her. It shattered the tenuous hold she had on her anger. Indignant rage boiled up inside of her. Who the fuck did Jean think she was, attempting something like that? What if she’d done irreparable harm to Haley? What if she’d hurt others in her act of stupidity? The look Haley was giving her, the one that practically begged her to let it go, pulled Dare back from the edge. She took a breath and tightened her fingers around Haley’s. “Are you okay? She didn’t hurt you, did she?”
“No,” Haley responded. It was the truth, but not entirely. Dare frowned at that. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure of it. There was more to it than just the attack. She wanted to ask, but she wasn’t sure how. And she wasn’t sure if it would be welcomed. And then she didn’t need to ask, because Haley’s gaze drifted toward Emilia and her look turned haunted.
“Haley?” Dare asked quietly. Haley didn’t lift her gaze. Dare squeezed her hand again, a silent offering of strength and a silent request to tell her everything.
“Scott was watching Emilia so I could get some rest. Logan had come to get you to take you on a walk. It was the perfect opportunity to take a nap. I’d barely gotten to sleep when there was a knock. It was Scott. Jean was with him. He brought Emilia back because she was getting fussy. He’d handed her over and we were having a thing. And then Jean was digging around in my head.” Haley’s gaze was locked on the baby Dare held and there was no missing the fear in it.
“She tried to sever the link while you were holding Emilia?” Dare asked, voice so low and so soft that it made Haley stare at her as if she’d never seen her before. Maybe she hadn’t. Because Dare was furious. She was practically seething with rage. And history proved time and again that, when her temper spiked as it did, she was just suddenly out of control. There was none of that this time. Nothing to tell anyone she was that angry. Except for the soft, low voice she’d just used.
“Just let it go, Dare. I told you. It isn’t important. She got what she wanted,” Haley practically begged. There was a deeper edge of sadness to her words that Dare wasn’t going to dig into at the moment. She couldn’t. All she could do was try and figure out if Jean was as fucking stupid as Haley had just said she was. “We’re fine and it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter? You’re fine?” Dare repeated, her voice still that low and controlled one she’d used just moments ago. “She could have hurt both of you! She could have seriously hurt Emilia! You’re not fine! None of this is fine! What did Scott have to say about this bullshit?”
Haley’s gaze shifted away at that question. A sure sign she didn’t want to answer it. And Dare knew, without having to ask any further, what had happened. Summers had walked away from Haley. Again. The sanctimonious prick. How dare he play with her emotions the way he had. Dare wanted to give him a piece of her mind, wanted to lock his ass in the Danger Room and fry him. She could do it. She could do it before he managed to fire off a single blast. Hell, while she was at it, she’d put Jean in there, too. They deserved it. Both of them.
Images of Scott and Jean roasting faded when she heard the soft sounds of Haley sobbing. She put her desire for revenge aside. It wasn’t important. Not in the grand scheme of things. Haley was important. Her shattered feelings were important. Fuck the others for not seeing what an amazing person she was. Fuck them for not recognizing her for the rare and precious gem that Haley was. Dare rose from the chair so that she could settle herself on the bed next to Haley. She very carefully transferred Emilia into her mother’s arms. When the baby was cradled safely in Haley’s embrace, Dare slid an arm around Haley’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’m sorry, Haley. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Haley said nothing, held herself stiff in Dare’s arms. For just a moment or two. And then the tension ran out of her. And the tears came. She turned her face into Dare’s shoulder and cried softly. Dare just held her. It was the best thing, the only thing, she could do for Haley. Well, maybe not the only thing. Dare took a soft breath, then started humming the tune of the lullaby Remy had sung time and time again to Petra, when she’d been a bump in Dare’s belly and now that she’d made her appearance in the world. Dare didn’t know the words, hadn’t attempted to learn them because she was afraid of mangling the French. But she could hum the melody. Maybe it would help soothe some of the tattered edges of Haley’s heart.
She didn’t know how much time passed. She just kept humming. And holding Haley. Eventually, though, Haley’s tears dried up and the soft, hiccuping sobs faded and Haley rested limp and spent against Dare’s side. A glance showed her Emilia had drifted back off, her tiny face a perfectly sweet mask of innocence. And a painful reminder of everything Haley had held so briefly, only to have it taken from her.
“I can deal with Scott going back to Jean. I’ve known it was going to happen since the very beginning. It was only a matter of time,” Haley whispered, her words heavy and wet with her sorrow. “But Johnny…” The tears started up again, not quite as heavy as before, but still pulling sobs from Haley’s throat and the occasional gasp as she tried to draw air into her lungs. “I thought Johnny would stay.”
Dare could only guess that meant that she’d seen her stupid shit of a husband recently. And he’d been unable to deal. Still. Fine. She’d throw him into the Danger Room with Scott and Jean. She could easily roast all three of them. “I’m so sorry, Haley.”
Neither of the assholes deserved her. Both of them needed to be taught what it meant to fuck with one of Dare’s family members. That was a familiar feeling, because it had lived in her brain for a long time back when Haley had made the choice to marry Johnny. She’d thought at the time that it was a mistake that would cost Haley. As the months and years had gone by, she’d secretly been happy to find herself proven wrong. Except it seemed that she hadn’t been wrong at all. But telling Haley that would only make more problems and, to be honest, it wasn’t fair. So she pushed it aside and simply held her friend. Held a woman who was more than a sister to her. And she continued to hum, continued to offer what little comfort she could.
When the tears dried up, when the sobs died away, when Haley was a heavy weight against Dare’s shoulder, Dare finished her tune and glanced at her friend. Haley’s eyes were closed and Dare was willing to bet she was nearly asleep. As carefully as she was able, she untangled herself from Haley’s hold and eased the other woman back onto the bed. It took a bit of work, between having to move Emilia to her bassinet and shifting Haley around, to get her resettled on the bed. When she was done, she stared down at the other woman’s face. And she knew that this was far from over.
“No matter what comes, Haley, you’ve always got me,” Dare said, a stark promise in the silence of the room. “And you’ve always got the team. You’re not alone.”
“Thanks, Dare,” Haley replied, her voice a whisper of sound. She was nearly all the way asleep, exhausted from the events of the day. From baring her heart and soul. Dare leaned down and brushed a barely there kiss against her friend’s forehead.
“Anytime, Haley. Rest now. I’ll be back,” she replied. Then she turned and headed for the door.
She had murder to contemplate.
Chapter Forty Four: Wrong
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
“Sam? What was all that? What happened?”
The questions hit him almost as soon as he stepped through the door into the suite. Jehnna was on her feet, Talia in her arms. The baby was fussy, making soft noises that could easily become wailing cries. Jehnna looked as if she’d been mid-step when the door had opened. She’d stopped moving, of course, but she still bounced their daughter in her arms in an effort to stave off any crying.
“I’m not entirely certain, Jehnna,” Sam said after a moment’s thought. His face no doubt was filled with his confusion. And he shook his head to emphasize that confusion. His lack of knowledge. To be honest, what he’d seen was still kind of a jumble in his head. “When I stepped out into the hallway, everything was in chaos.”
Jehnna’s expression clouded at that. “What do you mean? What kind of chaos?” she asked softly.
“Warren and Logan were out in the hallway, obviously drawn by the same shouts for help that I was. That was Johnny, by the way. He was the one who called for help,” Sam told her, his feet pulling him into motion to counteract the anxiety and anxiousness that had plagued him ever since he’d laid eyes on the scene in the corridor earlier.
Jehnna frowned at that. The confusion that had settled on her face with his earlier statement only deepened as she tried to come up with a reason for either Johnny’s presence or his call for help. Possibly both. Everyone knew just how much Johnny hadn’t been present since they’d returned from Sinister’s pocket dimension. Sam could understand his reasons for not wanting to be here. But he also thought that maybe Johnny and Haley needed to talk about things. Not let them sit and fester. “Why was Johnny yelling for help?” Jehnna asked, her voice making it sound like she was talking more to herself than to him. Sam answered her anyway.
“Because something happened,” he said, then shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. He still didn’t understand everything he’d seen. Everything he’d heard. But he had a few ideas. Things Johnny had said kept needling at his brain. The same with things Sam had heard from others. There were some really terrible conclusions trying to take life based on those things. But he didn’t want to let them take root. He didn’t want to give them credence. Because to do so meant that the events in the hallway were not random in any way, shape, or form. Not at all.
If what he was thinking was true, the events in the hallway had been deliberate.
“It feels like you’re stalling, Sam. Just tell me what happened,” Jehnna chided. She’d moved closer without his noticing. Talia had stopped her fussing for the moment, but the look on her face when he let his gaze settle on her suggested she was not done letting them know she wasn’t happy just yet. After rubbing a fingertip against the curve of her cheek, he lifted his eyes so he could look Jehnna in the face.
“I promise you, Jehnna. I’m not stallin’,” he said, some of his Kentucky roots making an appearance. He shook his head and slid an arm around her shoulder, then steered her toward the couch so he could sit by her side. Seeing Haley laid out like that had ruffled his feathers. Because she ran her own team. A team that was terribly successful. She had taken on and alien invader all on her own and won. She’d taken on Doom and walked away from it without a scratch. She’d become the face of public relations and diplomacy for the X-Men. She was damn good at it, too. She was a leader in every sense of the word. So it was very disconcerting to have seen her unconscious from… apparently nothing.
“Then why won’t you tell me what happened out in the hallway?” Jehnna asked. She snuggled closer to him, prompted by the arm he’d kept around her shoulders when they’d taken their seats on the couch. He could hear in her voice that she felt he was intentionally keeping things from her.
“Because I don’t know what happened out in the hallway. Scott was unconscious. Jean was unconscious. Haley was unconscious. And there wasn’t any sign of an attack at all.” Sam frowned. Because that was just all shades of suspicious. And it left him going back to what he’d heard in the medlab when Johnny had told Beast what he’d seen and heard.
Jehnna’s eyes got wide at that. “All three of them were unconscious?” she asked. It was obvious she didn’t believe him. Because how could three of the X-Men, all of them powerful and accomplished, have ended up unconscious in a corridor in the sub-basement when there were no signs of an attack?
“Yes. All three of them,” Sam nodded.
Jehnna frowned as she mulled that over. Then she shook her head. “What could possibly have happened that all three of them ending up unconscious was the result?” she asked. It sounded like it was an absent question, as if she was trying to figure it out and didn’t expect an answer. “I mean, Jean is one of the strongest telepaths on the planet. Surely she could have defended and protected herself.”
Sam blinked at that. It was odd that Jehnna had left Scott and Haley out of her statement. Because she had to know that Jean would have defended her fellow X-Men. At least, he thought she should have if it was some kind of outside attack.
“I guess it all depends on what kind of attack it was. And who might be responsible for it,” Sam responded slowly.
Jehnna made a noise in the back of her throat. It sounded like a considering noise. But it also sounded like a noise of disbelief. Then she shook her head and a look that might have been sorrow settled on her face. “It isn’t bad enough that she’s been dealing with Haley trying to steal Scott away from her. Now she’s got to deal with this, too.”
Sam could only stare at that. Did Jehnna seriously think that Haley was trying to steal Scott? Hadn’t she been paying any attention to what had been happening to her friends? To herself? Didn’t she realize that they were victims as much as she was a victim? This… Whatever it was Jehnna believed, that was not the Jehnna he’d fallen in love with.
“Jehnna?” Sam asked softly. Her focus shifted to his face and she smiled. It was a sweet, gentle smile. The kind she’d always given. To everyone. And now it looked like some kind of alien expression on her face. Sam realized, staring at her, that he hadn’t seen that sweet, gentle smile in some time. “Honey, you know that Haley isn’t really trying to steal Scott from Jean. Right?”
“Well, of course she is. Its blatantly obvious that she’s trying to take Scott away from Jean. Just like Morgan took Warren away from me. Just like Dare is taking Remy from Morgan. None of them have any kindness or common decency. Its terrible that they can’t be happy with what they have and have to just go take someone else’s happiness for themselves.”
Sam could only stare at Jehnna. Nothing that had just come out of her mouth made any sense at all. And yet, she fully believed it. He could see that in the almost maniacal look that had settled on her face. Worse, now that Sam had a moment to consider her reaction, this wasn’t the first time he’d been witness to something like this when talking to Jehnna.
For a while now, there had been hints and whispers of things not being quite right with Jehnna. Things she’d said that had seemed not really terrible. Reactions to events that had come across as not quite right. Not terrible, but definitely not quite right. And it had been this way for a few weeks.
There had been an occasion, a week or so back, when Warren had asked Sam to his and Morgan’s suite in order to ask him some questions. Sam had wondered about it at the time, because Warren had asked if he’d seen any odd behavior from Jehnna. If she’d said anything strange or worrying. And Sam had been confused at the time. Because he hadn’t consciously registered any odd behavior from Jehnna. But now he was starting to see what Warren had been talking about. He’d started hearing those strange comments Warren had mentioned. And he’d started to realize that there was definitely something not right with Jehnna.
“Jehnna. Honey. You don’t honestly believe that Haley would try to steal Scott. Do you?” he asked her, certain that he’d heard her wrong. Certain that he’d mistaken her meaning. Because that wasn’t his Jehnna. That wasn’t how she felt about her friends. She’d spent hours upon hours telling him stories about the rest of her team. Funny stories. Sad stories. Stories that had made him feel closer to Purple Team than he’d already been
Jehnna gave him a look that suggested she thought he was funny. And maybe a little slow. “Of course she is, Sam. I mean, she ruined her own marriage so now she’s out to ruin Jean’s.”
Sam could only stare at her. Because she was spouting utter bullshit. And she believed every single word of it. And he couldn’t figure out how to make her see that she was wrong. He was fairly certain anything he said would be met with disbelief. Despite the fact that Jehnna should know, better than him, just what Haley would and wouldn’t do.
There was something very wrong with Jehnna. Very, very wrong. He needed to figure out what it was. And find a way to fix it. Before she said the wrong thing to the wrong person and brought a heaping helping of trouble down upon her head. He didn’t want to see anything happen to her.
And he wanted his sweet, gentle, loving Jehnna back again.
~*~*~*~*~
The suite was fairly quiet when Logan let himself into it. It was obvious the party had broken up. Someone, probably Liam, had taken his younger sisters with him in order to leave their mother in peace. Dare was curled up in a corner of the couch, a light weight blanket tucked around her shoulders and torso with love and care. Dee sat in one of the chairs, Petra cradled in her arms. She was staring at her sister with something like childish wonder and it reminded him that she was still very much a child herself. Despite the fact that she acted older than her years.
“Everything okay, Da?” Dee asked, her gaze never shifting away from her baby sister.
“Yeah. Just a minor emergency,” he told her, voice kept low so he didn’t disturb Dare. Being social had seemingly sapped her stamina and he wanted her to sleep as much as she could.
“Okay,” Dee responded. He watched a soft smile spread across her face, her gaze still locked on the baby she held. “She’s so amazing. Mum has been sleeping for nearly a half hour and Petra hasn’t made any noise at all. Not even once.”
“You were like that when you were a baby,” Logan told her. That brought Dee’s gaze up to his face so she could find the truth, or the lie, in his words. “Made things so much easier for yer ma.” And damn, if she hadn’t needed easier back then. He let his gaze slide over her, took in the peaceful look on her face that only came with sleep. It was so soft and gentle that it showed him the child she might once have been, had fate not intervened. And it reminded him, not for the first time, that she was still, in some ways, a child.
For what had to be the billionth time, he was hit with the idea that he never should have let her big grey eyes and the smell of her innocence sway him. He should have left her to find someone her own age.
“Mum tells me I was trouble on two legs.” Dee’s words drew him from his thoughts. She was staring at him, a smile on her face.
Logan couldn’t hold back the grin at that. “Yer ma was right about that. But that didn’t happen until you hit the terrible twos. Before that, you were an easy baby. And yer ma was smitten the very moment Beast laid you in her arms.”
“What about you, Da?” she asked, mischief there in the way her smile stretched. And in how her eyes twinkled. As if she didn’t already know the answer to that question.
“I was smitten before you were born, girl,” he responded, his tone gruff. It prompted a laugh. Dee rose from the chair and closed the distance between the two of them. She oh, so carefully transferred Petra to his arms, then leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.
“I’m going to go check on Jess. She was giving Liam a little bit of trouble when he took her and the twins out so Mum could rest.” The mischief had gotten a little stronger. No doubt she’d enjoyed seeing her sisters give her brother a ration. Dee loved her brother, but the two of them had an odd relationship on the best of days.
He smiled at her, then leaned in to drop a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t you give him any trouble, girl. Or you’ll answer to me.” There wasn’t much threat in his words. Dee laughed again, her joy so goddamn infectious. It made Logan wonder, and not for the first time, where her upbeat spirit had come from. Was this what Dare would have been like, had life been kinder to her? He didn’t know for certain. But he did know he could, and would, do whatever it took to make her laugh as freely as their children did.
“Okay, Da,” she responded. He watched her gaze slide to where her mother dozed. For a moment, just a second or two, he saw the worry and concern that she’d no doubt been battling ever since this whole mess started. Then it was gone and she turned for the door. Logan watched her go, waiting until the door closed behind her before he gave his attention back to Dare.
Big grey eyes stared up at him, only a vague blur of sleep in them. He offered her a smile before moving to settle on the couch beside her. “How long you been eavesdropping?” he asked her.
“The whole time,” she responded, not an ounce of remorse in her voice. She sat up slowly, a sign that she was still battling with bouts of weakness now and then. For a moment, they were silent while she carefully folded up the blanket and settled it on the arm of the couch. When her gaze returned to his face, there was a serious look in them that told him she was about to say something he probably wouldn’t like. “So. What was this minor emergency you had to deal with in the hallway that had you gone for the better part of an hour?”
Logan frowned. He should have known she’d question him about his absence. Dare was smarter than people gave her credit for. Hadn’t she managed to survive on the streets as a scared teenager? Hadn’t she made up years of missed schooling in a relatively short time when she’d first come to the school? Contrary to what people liked to believe, herself included, she was sharp and didn’t miss much. “Don’t know if its my place to tell,” he admitted softly.
And that was the truth. What had happened out in the hallway was between Haley and Scott and Jean. He didn’t think Dare had heard Johnny’s call for help. The door was pretty solid. So were the walls. But she knew he’d heard something. And she knew that her friends were just up the hall. It wouldn’t take her much effort to figure out that the minor emergency had involved one of her friends. She was damn sharp, his girl. “Uh-huh,” she responded slowly. One hand reached out so that she could run a finger along Petra’s cheek. The baby’s eyes slid shut as if Dare had flipped a switch. A moment later, the baby was sleeping peacefully in Logan’s arms. “This minor emergency. Which of the girls did it involve?”
“I don’t think…” he began, only to trail off soon enough. Because Dare had gotten that look on her face, the one he knew to mean she was going to be very, very stubborn about this. So he had two choices. Stonewall her until she got pissed and then needled it out of him or just tell her what she wanted to know and avoid the trouble. Logan heaved a sigh. Goddamn rock and a hard place. “Fine. But this is between the two of us. Understand me?”
“Of course,” she responded. There might have been a hint of sharpness in her tone, as if to say she wasn’t stupid. But he couldn’t be sure and, ultimately, it didn’t matter.
“There was an attack,” he told her quietly.
“How bad?” she asked immediately, not a single thing on her face to let him know what she was thinking. Once upon a time, he’d been able to figure out what kind of shit was going through her head. Somewhere along the way, she’d figured out how to keep her thoughts from showing in her expression. Logan didn’t like it a damn bit.
“It was bad enough to lay out Haley, Scott, and Jean,” he replied. She lifted a brow at that, but said nothing more. “They’re in the medlab with Hank. He doesn’t think its anything too serious, but you know how he likes to be cautious.”
“Of course,” she nodded. There was a tone in her voice that told a story. One he didn’t know yet. Silence fell between them for a time. Logan wasn’t sure what it meant. He hoped it meant that Dare’s need to know was satisfied. He didn’t plan on giving her anymore information. That was up to Haley and Scott and he was going to respect their privacy. He was pretty sure neither one of them wanted anyone to know what Jean had done. Because it would look bad for her, no matter what her explanations or excuses might be. “What kind of attack?”
The question pulled him away from his thoughts. He found Dare staring at him, a gleam in her eye that said she was well on her way to figuring out what was going on. That knowledge saw him muttering a curse under his breath. “Dare. Just let it be.”
“What kind of attack, Logan?” she asked, a little more determination in her words.
“Dare.”
“No, Logan. It involves a member of my family. I’m not about to just let it be. So tell me what kind of attack it was or I’ll go ask someone else.”
The last of her words were meant as a threat, and he knew without a doubt who the someone else she’d ask was. “Damn it, Dare. It ain’t any of our business unless someone makes it our business,” he said, his temper starting to rise to the surface.
“And yet, you were in the middle of it,” she pointed out. Calmly. There was nothing more in her tone and he puzzled over it. Any other time, she’d be stewing in her own anger just by being told no. He had to admit to being surprised that she wasn’t. But he knew, if he told her what had happened out in the hallway, she’d get pissed. The minute she had the whole story, her temper would explode and he knew exactly what she’d do. She’d launch an attack of her own. And it wouldn’t be pretty. “What kind of attack was it?”
“It was a psychic attack,” he nearly snarled. Petra whimpered in response to his loss of temper, forcing him to calm both the baby he held and himself. When he looked up at Dare, there was a speculative gleam in her eye. But nothing else.
“But it did no damage?” she asked softly.
“Doesn’t look like it. Hank said everything looked normal. I know Slim woke up with a headache.”
She nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “That’s good.”
Logan frowned. That had been too easy. He was sure it meant something but damned if he could figure out what that something was. He leveled a look on her that usually had people trying hard not to piss their pants. Dare merely stared at him, entirely unperturbed by his attempt at a threat. Damn the woman for knowing he’d never intentionally hurt her. One finger extended and pointed at her face as menacingly as he was able to make it. Dare blinked. “Promise me ya ain’t gonna start anything, girl,” he growled at her.
“Why would I start anything, Logan? And who would I start it with?” she asked. She sounded so damn innocent. And he knew, without a doubt, that she was going to cause trouble.
“Promise me, Dare. Promise me yer gonna leave this alone.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she responded. There was that innocence again. Where the hell was that coming from? “How can I start anything when I don’t know what actually happened?”
Logan frowned at her. She was intentionally being obtuse and he wasn’t enjoying it much. “Promise me you ain’t gonna start anything.” There might have been a tiny note of pleading in his voice. And maybe there shouldn’t have been, but he knew Dare’s temper well. And he knew exactly how she’d react if she knew the full details of what had happened. No one attacked a member of her family and got away with it.
“I’m not going to start anything,” she replied calmly. He had to admit that he was confused by that. Dare didn’t do calm. He felt like he was missing something. That feeling had him squinting at her. Dare offered him a faint smile, then lifted a hand up until it was level with her face. “I promise.”
“All right,” he nodded. Then he watched as she rose to her feet and stretched, her actions slow and loose. She offered him a smile before reaching down to scoop Petra up out of his arms.
“My wee girl needs her bed. And I think I need to eat something that isn’t more sugar than substance.” She offered a faint smile and let her gaze slide around the room. There were still plenty of snack and drinks piled up on the tables. “I appreciate that the kids went out of their way to make Petra welcome. And to remind me that I am not the colossal fuck up that I think I am. But maybe some sandwiches or some fruits and vegetables might not have been out of line here.”
Logan snorted a laugh at that and rose to his feet. “The kids were just excited to get to do something for ya,” he told her. Then he jerked a thumb toward the table of left over snacks. Toward the crepe paper and balloons everywhere. “This was Liam’s idea. Didn’t take much effort on his part to get the others on board. They all love ya, darlin’. And they wanna see ya happy.”
He slipped his arm around her, taking note of the faint smile on her face, then nudged her toward the door. She let her gaze slide around the room one last time, let it land on the piles of wrapping paper. On the boxes that held the gifts for Petra. On the food and the drinks and the decorations. When her gaze swung around to his face, he could see that her smile had grown. And there was a hint of moisture in her eyes. “I am,” she promised.
That was all he could ask for.
~*~*~*~*~
“Emilia?” Haley’s voice was heavy with sleep. And maybe just a hint of paranoia. And some fear. Dare considered that a moment, then met her friend’s dark gaze. When Haley registered Dare’s presence, she seemed to relax.
“She woke up fussing a little bit ago. Auntie Dare saved the day and changed her diaper for her,” Dare told the other woman. Then she glanced down at the baby in her arms once again. “You’re just a sweetheart, little one. Yes, you are.”
“You should have let me take care of that, Dare,” Haley chided. She slowly worked herself up into a sitting position, her back against her bed’s headboard. She looked a little pale and, if Dare wasn’t mistaken, her head was still killing her. It was a good thing Dare had turned a lamp on all the way across the room. The more comfortable it was for Haley, the better.
“You were resting, which you obviously need,” Dare replied, her tone brooking no argument. She let her gaze slide over Haley for a moment, looking to see if there was some sign of this attack Logan had spoken of. Other than the suspected headache, she saw nothing. “Incidentally, how are you feeling?”
“It feels like my head is trying to explode,” Haley told her. Dare wasn’t surprised. Psychic attacks tended to leave one feeling like their head was about to burst. It was a lot like overusing one’s powers. And Dare had been there a time or two over the years.
That thought slipped away when the memory of her conversation with Logan returned. It saw her mouth pressing into a flat line. He’d asked her to leave it alone. He’d made her promise not to start anything. Which she’d done. She wasn’t going to start anything. But he had to know she’d figure out what happened. And he had to know that she’d find a way to end this shit if it seemed like it needed to be ended. Tucking those thoughts aside so that she could push away the anger that wanted to boil to the surface, she took a breath and put forth the question that had been lingering on the tip of her tongue ever since Logan had begrudgingly told her what he knew. “What did Jean do?”
The question came out nicely enough, her voice soft and even and lacking the anger that should have been there. It still seemed to surprise Haley, because her eyes popped open suddenly and she turned a slightly panicked expression Dare’s way. “Logan told me there was a psychic attack. Given that you, Scott, and Jean were all found unconscious in the hallway, I figure she’s the one at fault. I’ve never known you to launch psychic attacks. Just repel them. So what did Jean do?”
“It isn’t important, Dare. Just let it go,” Haley replied, a hint of panic touching her words. Dare had a moment to see the lost look in her eyes before Haley turned away. She reached out and laid a hand on Haley’s, a gentle touch to remind the other woman that she was here and she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Its important to me, Haley. You’re my family. You’ve stuck by me during so much. Even when I was being shitty to you. You stood by my side and made sure other people knew you thought I was worthy of… “ Her words trailed off when she realized she’d been about to say something about not being worthy at all. Dare had no delusions about who and what she was. She’d made no secret of how she felt about herself. And she knew, if she did it again, Haley would reach out and slap the shit out of her. She didn’t know what she’d done to earn that kind of… whatever it was. But she was going to do her best to make sure Haley knew she appreciated that loyalty. “Its important to me. What did Jean do?”
Maybe her speech had an effect. Maybe it was the soft, pleading way she asked the last time. Maybe Haley just needed to let it out. It didn’t matter what the reasons were. All that mattered is Haley sighed and turned a slightly watery look Dare’s way. “She tried to sever the link,” Haley said. Her voice was so soft that Dare almost didn’t hear her. Almost.
“She tried to…“ Dare’s voice trailed off as the implications of that really hit her. It shattered the tenuous hold she had on her anger. Indignant rage boiled up inside of her. Who the fuck did Jean think she was, attempting something like that? What if she’d done irreparable harm to Haley? What if she’d hurt others in her act of stupidity? The look Haley was giving her, the one that practically begged her to let it go, pulled Dare back from the edge. She took a breath and tightened her fingers around Haley’s. “Are you okay? She didn’t hurt you, did she?”
“No,” Haley responded. It was the truth, but not entirely. Dare frowned at that. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure of it. There was more to it than just the attack. She wanted to ask, but she wasn’t sure how. And she wasn’t sure if it would be welcomed. And then she didn’t need to ask, because Haley’s gaze drifted toward Emilia and her look turned haunted.
“Haley?” Dare asked quietly. Haley didn’t lift her gaze. Dare squeezed her hand again, a silent offering of strength and a silent request to tell her everything.
“Scott was watching Emilia so I could get some rest. Logan had come to get you to take you on a walk. It was the perfect opportunity to take a nap. I’d barely gotten to sleep when there was a knock. It was Scott. Jean was with him. He brought Emilia back because she was getting fussy. He’d handed her over and we were having a thing. And then Jean was digging around in my head.” Haley’s gaze was locked on the baby Dare held and there was no missing the fear in it.
“She tried to sever the link while you were holding Emilia?” Dare asked, voice so low and so soft that it made Haley stare at her as if she’d never seen her before. Maybe she hadn’t. Because Dare was furious. She was practically seething with rage. And history proved time and again that, when her temper spiked as it did, she was just suddenly out of control. There was none of that this time. Nothing to tell anyone she was that angry. Except for the soft, low voice she’d just used.
“Just let it go, Dare. I told you. It isn’t important. She got what she wanted,” Haley practically begged. There was a deeper edge of sadness to her words that Dare wasn’t going to dig into at the moment. She couldn’t. All she could do was try and figure out if Jean was as fucking stupid as Haley had just said she was. “We’re fine and it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter? You’re fine?” Dare repeated, her voice still that low and controlled one she’d used just moments ago. “She could have hurt both of you! She could have seriously hurt Emilia! You’re not fine! None of this is fine! What did Scott have to say about this bullshit?”
Haley’s gaze shifted away at that question. A sure sign she didn’t want to answer it. And Dare knew, without having to ask any further, what had happened. Summers had walked away from Haley. Again. The sanctimonious prick. How dare he play with her emotions the way he had. Dare wanted to give him a piece of her mind, wanted to lock his ass in the Danger Room and fry him. She could do it. She could do it before he managed to fire off a single blast. Hell, while she was at it, she’d put Jean in there, too. They deserved it. Both of them.
Images of Scott and Jean roasting faded when she heard the soft sounds of Haley sobbing. She put her desire for revenge aside. It wasn’t important. Not in the grand scheme of things. Haley was important. Her shattered feelings were important. Fuck the others for not seeing what an amazing person she was. Fuck them for not recognizing her for the rare and precious gem that Haley was. Dare rose from the chair so that she could settle herself on the bed next to Haley. She very carefully transferred Emilia into her mother’s arms. When the baby was cradled safely in Haley’s embrace, Dare slid an arm around Haley’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’m sorry, Haley. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Haley said nothing, held herself stiff in Dare’s arms. For just a moment or two. And then the tension ran out of her. And the tears came. She turned her face into Dare’s shoulder and cried softly. Dare just held her. It was the best thing, the only thing, she could do for Haley. Well, maybe not the only thing. Dare took a soft breath, then started humming the tune of the lullaby Remy had sung time and time again to Petra, when she’d been a bump in Dare’s belly and now that she’d made her appearance in the world. Dare didn’t know the words, hadn’t attempted to learn them because she was afraid of mangling the French. But she could hum the melody. Maybe it would help soothe some of the tattered edges of Haley’s heart.
She didn’t know how much time passed. She just kept humming. And holding Haley. Eventually, though, Haley’s tears dried up and the soft, hiccuping sobs faded and Haley rested limp and spent against Dare’s side. A glance showed her Emilia had drifted back off, her tiny face a perfectly sweet mask of innocence. And a painful reminder of everything Haley had held so briefly, only to have it taken from her.
“I can deal with Scott going back to Jean. I’ve known it was going to happen since the very beginning. It was only a matter of time,” Haley whispered, her words heavy and wet with her sorrow. “But Johnny…” The tears started up again, not quite as heavy as before, but still pulling sobs from Haley’s throat and the occasional gasp as she tried to draw air into her lungs. “I thought Johnny would stay.”
Dare could only guess that meant that she’d seen her stupid shit of a husband recently. And he’d been unable to deal. Still. Fine. She’d throw him into the Danger Room with Scott and Jean. She could easily roast all three of them. “I’m so sorry, Haley.”
Neither of the assholes deserved her. Both of them needed to be taught what it meant to fuck with one of Dare’s family members. That was a familiar feeling, because it had lived in her brain for a long time back when Haley had made the choice to marry Johnny. She’d thought at the time that it was a mistake that would cost Haley. As the months and years had gone by, she’d secretly been happy to find herself proven wrong. Except it seemed that she hadn’t been wrong at all. But telling Haley that would only make more problems and, to be honest, it wasn’t fair. So she pushed it aside and simply held her friend. Held a woman who was more than a sister to her. And she continued to hum, continued to offer what little comfort she could.
When the tears dried up, when the sobs died away, when Haley was a heavy weight against Dare’s shoulder, Dare finished her tune and glanced at her friend. Haley’s eyes were closed and Dare was willing to bet she was nearly asleep. As carefully as she was able, she untangled herself from Haley’s hold and eased the other woman back onto the bed. It took a bit of work, between having to move Emilia to her bassinet and shifting Haley around, to get her resettled on the bed. When she was done, she stared down at the other woman’s face. And she knew that this was far from over.
“No matter what comes, Haley, you’ve always got me,” Dare said, a stark promise in the silence of the room. “And you’ve always got the team. You’re not alone.”
“Thanks, Dare,” Haley replied, her voice a whisper of sound. She was nearly all the way asleep, exhausted from the events of the day. From baring her heart and soul. Dare leaned down and brushed a barely there kiss against her friend’s forehead.
“Anytime, Haley. Rest now. I’ll be back,” she replied. Then she turned and headed for the door.
She had murder to contemplate.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-08-09 08:35 pm (UTC)I love the fact that Sam's worry (and everyone else's) about Jehnna is so palpable. He's so confused about her change in attitude and he knows it's not good but he doesn't know how to fix it. I'm not sure he can but he's a sweet heart from trying and for not feeding the flames! Yikes!
I get why Logan's not giving theories on what happened--even though we all know he's right--but I'm so proud of Dare for not going off and doing something rash. Not sure if she's starting on her therapy journey or just decided she needs to think before she acts but I really like watching Logan dance around this. Because Jean deserves to face some real consequences (I know they're coiming) and Dare is really good at doling out consequences.
I hate to say it but that's probably the last emotional breakdown Haley's going to let herself have. Bless Dare for letting her let some of it out but the wall sare going to go up thicker and higher now, no doubt. She's going to be completely focused on the things she can help at this point, I think... like her kids. The paranoia around Emilia makes perfect sense too.
Excellent work, hun!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-08-11 12:37 am (UTC)i think its obvious to everyone by this point that there is really something not right happening with Jehnna. and Sam is so worried about her. and upset that he can't do anything. he doesn't know how she got here. and he doesn't know what it will take to bring her back to the sweet Jehnna he fell in love with. and i think its kind of worrisome that Jehnna can't see there's something wrong with her.
i mean, Logan's not wrong. it really isn't his story to tell. and he's trying to be respectful of everyone's privacy. because it absolutely is a private fight. but he knows he'd be stupid to think that Dare would let him get away with that shit. so he did his best to tell her the basics without giving too much away. too bad for him she's incapable of letting a puzzle go until she's figured it out. yes, though. kudos to her for not going off and doing anything rash the moment she had things worked out in her head. i think she's trying to start working on her anger issues by not running off half-cocked. we shall see if that works for her or not. yes. consequences are coming. and Dare is stupid good at doling out said consequences. i guess the question is does she actually do it or does someone else manage?
Haley is so very much on the edge of so much. she probably needed to break down further. but we both know she won't let that happen. i'm pretty sure Dare feels like she didn't help enough. but she's always going to let Haley, or any of the girls, really, let the painful shit out on her. i'm sure those walls are going to be difficult to breach. someone is going to have to take a fucking jackhammer to those walls. or, you know, something filled with concussive force. just sayin'. and i have no doubt that her main priority now is making sure her kids are happy, and healthy, and safe.
glad you liked it, hon! thanks for reading!
Two down ...
Date: 2025-08-15 12:36 am (UTC)Jehnna is really starting to concern me. I mean, obviously she's saying things about her friends that she wouldn't normally say. Mean things. Things that she doesn't even realize are so far out of character for her to say. Especially about her friends. Poor Sam. He's doing his best. Hopefully he can get the sweet Jehnna he fell in love with back.
I figured Dare was awake. lol A mother never sleeps soundly. Not really. Not unless something is very, very wrong. At least Logan realized it was futile trying to keep what happened from her. While I'm a bit surprised (and relieved) that Dare didn't go off half cocked after hearing the story I'm also proud of her. Well, except for the plotting murder part. Gotta let Roxxy in on that action. Finish the job she started on Scott.
I'm glad Dare was there to lend a shoulder for Haley to cry on. Poor thing needed to let some of those bottled up emotions out. I'm still offering Roxxy's "cat sitting" services. I'm sure there's some interesting body parts she could make cat toys out of too...ahem. > ~_^ <
Kudos, bb! I enjoyed it muchly. *smooches*
Re: Two down ...
Date: 2025-08-15 03:15 pm (UTC)i'm sure Dare did nap. for a short while. but yeah. her kids are in the room, she's awake. honestly, Logan should have known she was awake. and he also should have known from the very beginning that she wasn't going to give up until she had the truth from him. it is kind of surprising that she didn't go off half-cocked. that is her normal way of dealing with things like this. maybe she's doing some growing up? nah. obviously not. not when she's plotting murder. i'm sure Roxxy would love to be part of it. maybe she'll ask her to join in?
those boys are just so troublesome and Haley needs to maybe punch them a couple of times. or we can let Roxxy play with them. every kitty needs some fun toys to claw and gnaw. i'm sure Johnny and Scott would be just the right amount of squishy and chewy. but, yeah. Dare offering her shoulder was, i think, some of what Haley needed (she actually needs someone to just fucking man up, but...)
i'm glad you enjoyed it, bb! thanks for reading!
Re: Two down ...
Date: 2025-08-18 02:15 am (UTC)I think we can all agree to that one. Come on, boys! Get it together!