Among the Strong
Oct. 10th, 2025 08:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Fifty One:Searching
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
Dare climbed from the small taxi and offered her thanks to the driver. The older gentleman, who'd told her to call him Robbie, gave her his smile as he helped pull her luggage, limited as it was, from the trunk of his vehicle. She supposed she should refer to it as a boot, since that was what it was called on this side of the Atlantic. Her mother had never stopped using such words despite having lived in the US for a long time. But Dare had grown up in the States and old habits were hard to break. "You're sure ye'll be fine out here all on your own?" the man asked, giving her and the bundle in her arms a dubious look. The faint drizzle might have had something to do with it.
"We should be fine. Miss Fergus said she'd meet me here at two on the dot. And that's only a minute or so away," she replied. She didn't know if she should be touched by his concern or worried by it. Taxi drivers in New York were as likely to tell you to fuck off as they were to be concerned about you.
"Beggin' your pardon, miss, but `tisn't right to leave a young woman out in the middle of nowhere by herself. `Specially not when she's got a wee bairn to care for," he responded. It was a grandfatherly kind of tone and it made her want to cry. She turned up the wattage on her smile to keep the tears at bay.
"That's very kind of you," she responded. It wasn't the first act of kindness she'd received since starting this whole journey. The first act had come on the plane when one of her fellow passengers had stopped to see Petra, obviously intent on cooing over a sweet baby, then had recoiled in horror at the girl's eyes. One of the flight attendants, a woman who couldn't have been much older than Dare, had stepped into the fray and had told the woman that she was welcome to disembark if she was uncomfortable around a harmless baby. That kindness had followed her through her flight to London and the ensuing trip all the way to the Highlands. She sincerely hoped Robbie's act of kindness wouldn't be the last.
She watched as Robbie reached into his trunk once more and brought out an umbrella. After popping it open, he held it up so that it covered her and Petra both. Again, his thoughtfulness brought a prick of tears and she made a show of checking on Petra to keep him from seeing how moved his actions left her and how desperately she needed them.
She wanted to blame her tendency to break into tears over anything recently on being exhausted. That bone-weary exhaustion that was beyond the simple need for sleep. She was sure there was more behind it than being tired. But she wasn't putting name to any of that shit. She was blaming her desire to cry on the long trip. The mad rush to get enough clothes and things packed for her and Petra before sneaking out of the mansion. The encounter with Storm, that arrogant prick, and her subsequent minor loss of control. The worry that someone would realize she was gone and subsequently hunt her down before she could catch her flight. The notes of fear during the flight because Dare might be able to pass as normal but Petra absolutely couldn't. All the waiting. The hours cramped in the plane and on a bus and cabs and...
She was tired and barely functional and she wanted to put her head down and sleep in the worst way. Probably after a good cry.
Robbie was a quiet, calm presence at her side. She felt terrible that he was standing in the rain, but she couldn't find her voice long enough to tell him that he should be under the umbrella, too. And then it was a moot point when the sound of tires rolling over the road surface caught in her ears. Her head came up to see a sleek, very new Jaguar coming to a stop next to Robbie's Mini.
The door opened and a well-dressed young woman stepped out of the vehicle. She had chestnut colored hair and honey colored eyes that held interest when they landed on Dare. Her clothing was obviously expensive and tailored just for her, the dark blue blazer molded to her figure while a pair of fitted black leather boots rose up to her calves and swallowed up the bottom hem of her form fitting leggings. The blouse under her blazer was cream colored and came with a slight ruffle around the neckline. She was perfectly coiffed and perfectly put together and Dare felt like a beggar in her torn jeans and faded t-shirt and beat up leather jacket.
"Good afternoon, Miss Victoria," Robbie greeted the woman with a broad smile.
"And to you, Robbie," she intoned. She turned to Dare and gave her a good once over. "And you must be the young lady interested in letting my wee cottage for a time."
Dare stepped forward, juggling Petra so that she could put a hand out to the other woman. Victoria Fergus had a firm grip when she shook Dare's hand. She let go after a short period of time, then glanced at the bundle Dare held. "You didn't mention the bairn."
"I'm sorry," Dare replied, panicked that failing to do so would lose her the cottage. She needed it badly. She needed some place to hide out. To try and get her life back in some kind of order. To figure out what the next step was. "I have no excuse for not mentioning Petra. I just... I have no where else to go and..."
There were those damn tears again. She did her best to hold them back, but one or two spilled over. Miss Fergus shared a look with Robbie. Dare didn't know what kind of exchange it was. She was staring at the expensive Jaguar while trying to get herself together. That made her wonder, briefly, if anyone had located Scott's car yet. "Right, then. I've got a fare to pick up and need to be on my way. Best of luck to you, Miss Alasdare," Robbie said in a gentle tone. Dare looked up and gave him a watery smile, then watched as he folded up the umbrella and tucked it away in the trunk of his Mini. A minute later, the little car was on its way down the road. And Dare was forced to turn her attention to Miss Fergus.
"Your name is Alasdare?" she asked. It surprised Dare because she so rarely used her full name anymore. But she'd thought, in an effort to keep anyone from finding her, that she could use it this once. The look Miss Fergus was giving her was one of extreme interest and, for a moment, Dare was worried. "Alasdare Scott, aye?"
"Yes," Dare confirmed. Worry saw the first strands of hair lifting to float around her face. It was something that hadn’t happened since they’d been sent home and she could only blame it on the exhaustion at this point. She didn't miss how Miss Fergus' gaze zeroed in on the action.
"Your mum's name. What is it?" The sudden game of twenty questions made Dare nervous.
"Amelia," she replied. Despite her worry, she didn't feel like there was any harm in giving that bit of information. Her mother was thousands of miles away in the United States.
"And she married a Yank, aye? Moved to the States with him?" Those questions hit Dare like a lead pipe and she actually thought she was going to drop from the surprise of it all. But that surprise was nothing compared to what came next. "If that Amelia Scott is your mam, that makes you a relative."
Dare blinked. "I'm... sorry?"
"Come. Let's get out of the rain. We wouldn't want the wee babe to catch her death," Miss Fergus said. She motioned toward the cottage standing silently behind them. Dare considered it a moment before agreeing. Unless Miss Fergus was capable of besting her before Dare could set shit on fire, there wasn't a whole lot she had to worry about. A nod saw the two of them picking up Dare's limited luggage before making their way up the narrow stone path toward the picture-perfect cottage.
The small building was built of stone, a pair of windows positioned on either side of the door. Said door was painted a bright, deep green. Shutters set on either side of each window were the same color. The roof looked thatched, but Dare couldn't be sure. Miss Fergus produced a key and unlocked the door, then held it open for Dare to enter before her.
The lights came on to reveal a large room that was kitchen, dining room, and living area all rolled into one. The interior was painted a soft lavender and the furniture was all soft, plushy country cottage looking. Once the door was closed and the luggage set on the floor, the two of them took their seats. Miss Fergus chose a plump, floral print arm chair while Dare settled on the dark grey sofa. She settled Petra, still in her car seat, on the floor at her feet so that the could give her arms a rest. When she lifted her gaze from her baby's sleeping face, it was to find Miss Fergus watching her. "Is something the matter?" Dare asked.
"You look just like her," Miss Fergus said softly. Dare blinked at that. That was not the response she was expecting.
"I'm sorry. I look just like who?"
It was Miss Fergus' turn to blink and she offered a smile. "I ken this will sound strange to you, but I have an ancestor who lived over four hundred years ago. There's a painting of her at home and... you look just like her. You could be her twin."
Okay. Shit was getting weird. "Miss Fergus, I -- "
The woman lifted a hand and waved it at her. "Please. Call me Vicki."
Dare took a breath. This whole thing was throwing her for a loop. Of course, she'd been out of sorts and completely out of her element for a while now, so maybe she should have expected this. What was one more weird thing in a life of weird things. But it was just a touch too weird and she was having a hard time getting her brain to function. One hand reached down to absently stroke her daughter's head. When she finally lifted her gaze to the other woman's face, it was to find understanding and concern there. "Miss Fergus. Vicki."
"I can see you're in a spot. You look as if you've no' slept in some time. And the way you keep checking on the wee one. You're here to hide," Vicki said quietly. Dare shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. She supposed it was kind of obvious if one paid attention for any length of time. "I cannae, in good conscience, allow you to stay here in the cottage by yourself. Not with a wee baby to care for and fear laid over your shoulders like a cloak."
"Please," Dare said, trying hard to keep the desperation from her voice. The fear was choking her. Fear that someone from home would find her. Fear that Sinister would find her and steal Petra away from her. Worse, that he'd steal her away and force her back into that hell. She wouldn't survive being a captive baby machine. Not another time. "I really need this cottage. I have no place to go and I..."
She hated sounding desperate. She hated begging. She hated crying. And here she was, doing all three. In front of a complete stranger who was very possibly related to her. She was such a fucking mess.
"I'm sorry. I think you misunderstand me. I don't mean to turn you out," Vicki said gently. Dare glanced at her and wondered how someone she'd never met before, had never even known existed, was willing to be so kind to her. This whole trip had been a lesson in how kind some people could be. How there was still kindness in the world. "My parents are away on a cruise and the house is empty without them there. I have plenty of space. You can stay there. And rest. There's a staff who can take care of your wee bairn and give you a breather."
"Why would you do that for me? We're perfect strangers," Dare replied. She let her confusion show. This was nothing she'd expected. And she had to wonder if the offer would have been extended if Vicki knew Dare and her wee bairn were mutants.
"Aye. That we are. But you're family. And I feel in my heart that its what she would have done, were she in my place," Vicki answered. Dare's confusion must have shown on her face because the other woman just smiled. "Come with me to my home and I'll show you what I mean. Please. Allow me to do this for you. As I said. You're family. And I cannae leave you here alone."
Dare was torn. She'd picked the cottage because it was away from people. Out in the sticks, as it were. Which meant she could protect herself and Petra from anyone and anything so long as it didn't sneak up on her. And being out in the middle of nowhere would make her harder to find. Especially when she was in another country entirely. But that didn't mean no one would be able to find her. And, should Sinister make a reappearance, no one would know what happened to her or Petra.
She probably should have stayed at the school. There was safety to be found there, what with all of the X-Men there and the powers they all possessed. But she couldn't risk Sinister showing up at the school and harming the children. Or, even worse, taking them for his monstrous experiments. Couple that with the fact that it felt like she'd been suffocating there, that everyone had been staring at her and judging her for things beyond her control, that there'd been fighting and confusion and so many other issues, she'd felt there was no choice but to go.
She'd been useless there. Unable to help her friends figure out their lives. Unable to figure out even her own life. Her own personal shit was in the way of everything and she wasn't sure she could figure out how to work her way around it. It had been six weeks since they'd come home and nothing had changed, but she kept waiting for that to happen. She kept waiting for Remy to give her a look and tell her it had all been a mistake, a lie, and he was going back to Morgan because he loved her more. He loved her better. She kept waiting for Logan to decide that this had been more than he could shoulder. That her stupid emotions were more than he could accept. That he didn't love her anymore. That he would leave her and move on to someone else. Someone better. Someone who wouldn't let herself just fall into bed with another man the way she had.
It was all going to come down on her head. All of it. She could feel it as if it was some giant boulder suspended from some kind of wooden framework at the edge of a cliff. The rope holding the boulder up was fraying and, when it broke, it was going to crush her under its weight. It was simply a matter of time at this point. She didn't want to put Vicki in the path of her problems. But she was starting to realize that she wasn't sure she could do this on her own. There had always been someone in her life to help her face her problems. And she'd been the biggest kind of idiot and fucked off on all the people who might be willing to do that this time.
"Alasdare," Vicki said. "Please let me help you."
"Just Dare," she said absently, mind still ticking over whether this was a good idea or the worst idea. When Vicki didn't go on, Dare looked at her to see there was a touch of shock and something else on her face. "What?"
"I'll explain it to you. Please allow me to show you my home. You can stay as long as you need. Just... You're family. I cannae leave you here."
"Alright," Dare agreed. She shouldn't put this woman in the way of her troubles. But she was so tired and maybe, just maybe, having someone looking out for her would help.
Vicki offered her a broad, warm smile and rose to her feet. "Well, then That's settled. Let's get you home and I can explain things to you."
~*~*~*~*~
Johnny opened the door to find that Scott stood in the hallway, one hand fisted and raised to knock on said door. The other hand was curled around the handles of about half a dozen paper bags. The side of the outside bag was inscribed with the name of a shop that Johnny knew sold baby things. He suspected the rest of the bags were the same. And while he couldn’t see the man’s eyes, he suspected there was the slightest touch of disappointment in his look. No doubt he’d been hoping that Haley would answer the knock. That made Johnny wonder just how long Scott had been away from the school.
“She isn’t here,” Johnny told him.
“What do you mean?” Scott questioned. Maybe Johnny was imagining it, but he thought he detected a hint of concern or worry in Summers’ voice.
“I mean she isn’t here. I just got here and the suite is empty. Haley’s clothes are gone. Emilia and TJ’s things are gone,” he reported. Summers stared at him a moment, then slipped past him and into the suite. Johnny followed after him and watched as the other man headed for Haley’s room. Scott had dropped the bags on the couch before heading toward the larger of the two bedrooms. Johnny let him go, let him see with his own eyes that Haley had packed up and left. After several minutes, Scott came out of the room and crossed the floor to the other door. While the door to Haley’s room had been left wide open, the door to the other room was pulled shut. Summers knocked a fist against the door and waited for an answer. Knocked again. And a third time.
The door opened on silent hinges and Summers stepped inside without a word. He was out minutes later, a frown on his face. “Dare’s room is a disaster area. And she isn’t there. Neither is Petra. It looks like she cleaned the drawers out in a hurry.”
“I didn’t have a chance to check, but that ties in to what Haley told me on the phone earlier,” Johnny told him.
“You talked to Haley?” Scott asked. Johnny wasn’t sure what the man was feeling, but he decided it wasn’t important. There were other things that were more important right now. Like figuring out where Haley had gone. Which likely meant figuring out where Dare had gone.
“Yeah. Maybe an hour ago. I should have come right away. I don’t know why I didn’t.”
Scott stared at him a moment or two, then raked a hand through his hair and let go a long, deep sigh. “Okay. Start from the beginning because I have a feeling I’m going to need the whole story before I can figure out what’s going on.”
Johnny wanted to be annoyed that Summers didn’t think Johnny knew what was going on. But he didn’t let it bother him. He knew it was the leader of the X-Men taking control because Scott Summers was a normal human who was probably on the verge of panic. Johnny knew he had been when he’d gotten off the phone with Haley.
“I called Haley earlier because its time she and I talked. It was made blatantly clear to me that I’ve been so engrossed in my own selfish thoughts that I couldn’t see that Haley was slowly suffocating under the weight of all her problems.” That was a polite way of saying Dare had called him a selfish asshole and then told him he didn’t deserve Haley. Johnny was pretty sure, after this whole mess, that she’d been right to say so. He just wished he’d realized that before now. Maybe they wouldn’t be here.
“But Haley didn’t want to talk?” Scott asked, obviously trying to piece together the events that had led up to where they were now.
“She said she didn’t have time to talk,” Johnny corrected.
“She didn’t have time? Why? What’s more important than talking your problems out?” Scott sounded absolutely confused about that.
“She told me Dare was missing and she had to go find her,” Johnny informed him. One hand motioned to the room the man had come out of not that long ago. “Your observation that she seems to have cleaned everything out in a hurry seems to support Haley’s words.”
Scott frowned at that. “Why would Dare leave? It seemed like things were getting better for her.”
“I’m not sure, but Haley mentioned something about a team meeting and Jehnna calling Dare a whore.” Johnny sighed and shook his head. He was still having a hard time believing that. It wasn’t like Jehnna at all to call someone a whore. Especially not someone she was supposed to be friends with. “I should have seen that was her intent when she came to see me yesterday morning, though. She looked to be on the edge the whole time and there was something not right about her.”
“And you mentioned this to Haley when she said Dare was missing.” It wasn’t a question, but Johnny nodded all the same. Summers frowned. It was obvious he wasn’t at all happy about the news. For a long while, Summers seemed to stare off into the distance. Johnny watched a muscle in his jaw flex until it appeared he was grinding his teeth together. “I know both Haley and Dare are accomplished X-Men. They’re good at their jobs. But they’re both dealing with a truckload of trauma. It wasn’t that long ago that Jean attacked Haley and left her incapacitated. And there are times when it seems like Dare hasn’t fully recovered from almost dying. The idea that they’re both running leaves me with a bad feeling.”
“You think something could happen to them?”
“I think its a possibility,” Scott confirmed. Johnny frowned. He hadn’t given much thought to the fact that Haley had recently recovered from a psychic attack. And he certainly hadn’t considered that Dare might not be fully recovered from her near-death experience. Then again, given how Dare had looked yesterday, maybe Scott’s feelings weren’t to be dismissed so casually.
“So. Where do we start looking for her?” Johnny questioned. It earned him a slightly startled look from Summers, but the look only lasted a moment. Apparently Scott was of the opinion that Johnny still hated him. At first, Johnny did hate him. Hated that he’d made Haley fall in love with him so easily. Especially since she’d seemed to fight Johnny tooth and nail before giving in to her feelings. He hadn’t really had problems with Haley being pregnant. He’d been willing to take on another man’s baby before, if it had come to that. He’d been willing to do it this time. But the emotional aspect had left him confused and angry. He’d done the worst thing and he’d taken that out on Haley.
It had taken him a long time to realize that he really had been thinking only of his own feelings and he hadn’t really considered what the whole thing had meant for Haley. Not until he’d watched Dare rip him to shreds while trying so hard not to come apart in front of him. She’d made him understand just what his anger and distance had been doing to Haley. He owed Dare an apology for ever making her doubt his love for her friend. He also owed her a beer for kicking his ass. And maybe he owed her an ass kicking for knocking him on his ass more than once.
But that was for later. The most important thing was to figure out where Haley had gone. She’d said she had to find Dare. But doing so meant she had to figure out where Dare had gone. And after Doom had grabbed Haley from the conference, Johnny had learned first hand just how resourceful Dare could be. Haley was going to need help finding her missing friend and teammate.
Of course, there was the distinct possibility that Haley had lied to Johnny and had told him she was going to look for Dare to throw him off. He didn’t think she’d done it, but it was possible.
“Do we call her parents and ask them if they’ve seen her?” Scott asked, dragging Johnny away from his thoughts. There was a touch of apprehension in Scott’s voice, suggesting he wasn’t sure about his question.
“No. Haley wouldn’t go to her parents. Not for help and not to hide. She doesn’t have much to do with them anymore,” Johnny told him, his gaze locked onto the portal against the back wall. When Johnny had asked Reed for it, his hope had been that Haley would use it to come home. She’d told him more than once that he was her safe space, that she felt safest in his arms. It hurt to think that he wasn’t her safe space at the moment. He would have liked it if she’d come to him for help. But she would be the woman he loved if she didn’t charge off on her own in an effort to solve her problems and save her friends.
“She mentioned her Aunt Edie when we were being held by Sinister,” Scott’s voice sounded thoughtful. “She said something about wanting to take Emilia to meet her. Maybe she did that.” There wasn’t much hope on the end of Scott’s sentence, but it gave Johnny something to think about.
“You know, that isn’t a bad idea. She’s always been closer to Edie than to her own folks. She might go see Edie in an effort to sound out what Dare might be doing or thinking. Maybe to get a different perspective on this whole mess. Edie is very no-nonsense and that might be what Haley is looking for and needs right now.”
“Okay. Do we call her?” Scott asked.
“No. Absolutely no. If we called Edie asking about Haley, the woman would probably tell us half a dozen lies to protect her niece.” Johnny shook his head. He’d spent time with Edie and he knew better than to just call the woman. He swore she would have made a good villain.
“Right. So we fly. See if she will give us a handle on what Haley might be thinking or doing. Where she might be going.”
That comment saw Johnny snorting. Which earned him a curious look from Johnny. “We can try and talk to her. But I wouldn’t hold my breath that she’ll give us anything other than a hard time. Trust me. Edie lives to make my life difficult. The minute she finds out you and Haley have a baby and a really fucked up relationship, she’ll live to make your life hell, too.”
“I’ll take that chance,” Scott assured him. There was determination on the man’s face and in his voice. “Anything to find Haley and bring her home.”
Johnny nodded. Amen to that.
~*~*~*~*~
Logan was kind of surprised to find Remy at his door. He was also surprised to find that the boy looked fit to be tied. His lips were pressed flat and his jaw was tight. Logan recognized the signs of anger and wondered what bug the boy had ups his butt now. “You seen Dare?” the kid asked, his word sharp and curt. It made Logan frown. “You talk to her?”
“Not fer a couple of days,” Logan admitted. If anything, the look on Remy’s face got darker. His lips got thinner and Logan swore there was murder in his eyes. “What’s got ya so wound up?”
Remy answered Logan’s questions with one of his own. “You know de team have a meeting?”
“No,” Logan replied. Something was not right because Remy usually got right to the point. Especially when he was upset. This round about shit was putting Logan’s nerves on alert.
“A couple days ago. Dey get together and meet. Try to talk t’ings out.”
“What happened?” It was obvious Remy wanted him to ask questions. And it was also obvious that something was eating at him. “Did the talk work?”
“You know it don’ work. Jehnna done lose her mind. She call all de girls a whore. She call Dare a whore.” The last of his words were spit out, as if they were poison on his tongue. And Logan understood where the anger was coming from.
“What ain’t ya tellin’ me, Rem?” he demanded.
“Dare gone,” he spit out. Logan blinked at him.
“What do ya mean, she’s gone?” he asked quietly.
Agitation got the better of the boy, because he flowed into Logan’s room and started pacing. Logan took it as a sign to shut the door so they had some privacy. He stayed by the door and watched as the Cajun paced back and forth in anger. His steps were quick and impatient. “I mean she gone. I go to de suite earlier to check on her. To check on Petra. Haley tell me she take de baby on a walk. So I go look for her. When I don’ find her, I check in wit’ Beast in case she have a check up or dere somet’ing wrong wit’ Petra. Roxxy tell me about de meeting. And about Jehnna. How Jehnna call her a whore to her face. How Jehnna say Dare don’ have any trauma over what Sinister do to her.”
Logan frowned at that. Both at the notion that Jehnna would say such a thing and that Dare would use it as an excuse to run. He’d thought, had hoped, that they’d gotten past all of the shit that had been plaguing Dare. She’d reacted so well to the surprise baby shower the kids had thrown for her. She’d been making an effort to spend time with all of their children. She’d put an effort into her relationship with Remy. He thought she’d been doing better. What had he missed? What had set her off this time?
“Yer sure she’s gone?” Logan asked the boy. His question brought Remy up short, the expression on his face suggesting that he wasn’t sure at all. Did ya check her room?”
“No. Haley tell me she go for a walk,” Remy repeated.
“Come on,” Logan ordered and turned for the door. He felt Remy behind him as he tugged the door open and stepped out into the hall. Once the Cajun was in the hall with him, Logan pulled the door shut and started for the stairs. The kid kept pace with him, but said nothing. He seemed to have calmed some but it would be easy for that calm to shatter. Logan was almost certain Remy was correct and Dare had run. But until they checked out her room, he wasn’t going to let his imagination run away with him.
The journey to the sub-basement and the suite Dare shared with Haley was long, the silence stretching taut and painful between the two of them. They happened across a few students once or twice. The two of them were apparently intimidating enough to see the students move as far away from them as they could. It as something of a relief to step into the elevator and have the doors close on them. The quiet was like a balm to Logan’s anxiousness.
It wasn’t long before the elevator stopped and the doors opened on the floor the suites were on. The hallway was empty. That didn’t stop Logan from hearing voices coming from up ahead. He frowned and stepped out of the car before heading toward the sound of those voices. Remy was right on his heel.
The door to the suite that Dare and Haley shared stood wide open. And it framed the figures of Johnny Storm and Scott Summers. A look at their faces told Logan everything he needed to know. But he marched past them, ignoring the looks they sent his way, and went into the room Dare had been sleeping in. His heart panged painfully in his chest when he found everything in disarray.
The bed was a mess, the bedding left askew. Drawers had been pulled open and emptied, left to hang there as if in silent accusation. Despite the fact that he knew he didn’t need to do it, he checked the bathroom and found her toiletries gone. The changing table had been emptied of its supplies. The baby bag Dee had gotten for her was gone. As was the car seat the twins had insisted he get for their new baby sister. Logan stood there, staring at the empty room and the chaos that lingered, and felt his heart crack. He hadn’t wanted to believe she’d run away. But there was no denying the evidence laid out before him.
“Where Haley?” Remy demanded, his temper showing in his voice. Logan turned to find he was staring at both Scott and Johnny, his gaze intent and kind of unhinged. He stepped out of the empty room and moved to put himself between the three men. Remy looked like he wanted to murder people.
“She’s gone,” Scott replied.
“She told me she had to go find Dare when I talked to her on the phone a while ago,” Johnny added.
Remy muttered a curse under his breath. Logan had a good idea what he’d said. And he agreed one hundred percent. “So dey both gone? Why we still standin’ here? We should be out lookin’ for dem.”
“And where do we start, Gambit?” Scott asked. The question wasn’t asked in malice. It was meant more as a way to make Remy think. The boy was as angry as Logan had ever seen him. But the anger was a front, a way to hide the fear he felt. Because he thought that Dare had changed her mind about the two of them. And if there was one thing Remy hated, it was to be alone. “We don’t know where either of them went. We need some place to start.”
Logan had a place to start. He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and searched through the saved numbers until he found the one he wanted. A tap saw the number dialing out. Then it rang. And it went right to voicemail. Frowning, Logan hung up and tried another number. This one got answered in short order. “Hello?”
“Amelia. Its Logan.”
“Oh, Logan! Hello!” He could hear the smile across the line. Dare’s mother was happy to hear from him. If she knew how he’d failed her girl, she wouldn’t be so happy. “Its good to hear your voice. What can I do for you?”
“Just callin’ ta check in. See how you and Daniel are doing.”
“We’re just fine. How are you and Alasdare? Things are good between you two?” The question was an honest one, telling Logan that Amelia hadn’t heard from her daughter and had no idea where she was.
“We’re good. Dare sends her love. She’d be on the phone with me, but she’s busy with the kids.”
“You make sure she takes care of herself. And when are you two going to come visit again? Its been far too long and we miss all of you.”
“I’ll talk ta Dare and see when we can get away,” Logan promised. “Look, Amelia. I gotta go. Got a session with some students in a little while. I’ll give Dare yer love.”
There was a painful ball of regret in his belly by the time he ended the call. It was obvious that Amelia hadn’t seen Dare or heard from her recently. If she had, she’d have given him a ration over the phone. She was as protective of Dare as Dare was of her own kids. There was no way Amelia knew what was going on. Which meant he was at square one.
“I take it Dare’s mother hasn’t seen her.” Scott’s voice was steady and even. The voice he used when he was in the field, leading a team. He’d already shifted into work mode. Which meant he was already making plans.
Logan shook his head. “Nope. If she’d seen Dare, she’d have chewed my ass off. She was all too happy to hear from me. So Dare hasn’t gone home. Which leaves every other place in the world to look.” Every other place in the world to look and not a single idea where to start.
“We don’t have time to check every other place in the world,” Scott replied. “We need to figure out the best way to find them. We need to figure out where they’d go.”
“Maybe we could figure that out if we could figure out just why it was they left,” Johnny added.
Logan was pretty sure Jehnna calling Dare a whore was the reason Dare had run. He’d known her long enough to understand just how she thought. He couldn’t say about Haley. She wasn’t usually one to fall prone to such things. But this wasn’t a normal situation in any sense of the word. So it was entirely possible she left because of Jehnna.
“It don’ matter why dey leave. All dat matter is where dey go. And findin’ dem,” Remy insisted. His tone was not the best and Johnny obviously took it to mean Remy was calling him an idiot. Which started an argument between the two hot heads. Their voices rose higher as they tried to talk over one another. Johnny kept insisting that they needed to know why Dare and Haley left while Remy insisted it wasn’t important to finding the two missing women.
And then...
“All four of you are so stupid!”
Chapter Fifty One:Searching
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
Dare climbed from the small taxi and offered her thanks to the driver. The older gentleman, who'd told her to call him Robbie, gave her his smile as he helped pull her luggage, limited as it was, from the trunk of his vehicle. She supposed she should refer to it as a boot, since that was what it was called on this side of the Atlantic. Her mother had never stopped using such words despite having lived in the US for a long time. But Dare had grown up in the States and old habits were hard to break. "You're sure ye'll be fine out here all on your own?" the man asked, giving her and the bundle in her arms a dubious look. The faint drizzle might have had something to do with it.
"We should be fine. Miss Fergus said she'd meet me here at two on the dot. And that's only a minute or so away," she replied. She didn't know if she should be touched by his concern or worried by it. Taxi drivers in New York were as likely to tell you to fuck off as they were to be concerned about you.
"Beggin' your pardon, miss, but `tisn't right to leave a young woman out in the middle of nowhere by herself. `Specially not when she's got a wee bairn to care for," he responded. It was a grandfatherly kind of tone and it made her want to cry. She turned up the wattage on her smile to keep the tears at bay.
"That's very kind of you," she responded. It wasn't the first act of kindness she'd received since starting this whole journey. The first act had come on the plane when one of her fellow passengers had stopped to see Petra, obviously intent on cooing over a sweet baby, then had recoiled in horror at the girl's eyes. One of the flight attendants, a woman who couldn't have been much older than Dare, had stepped into the fray and had told the woman that she was welcome to disembark if she was uncomfortable around a harmless baby. That kindness had followed her through her flight to London and the ensuing trip all the way to the Highlands. She sincerely hoped Robbie's act of kindness wouldn't be the last.
She watched as Robbie reached into his trunk once more and brought out an umbrella. After popping it open, he held it up so that it covered her and Petra both. Again, his thoughtfulness brought a prick of tears and she made a show of checking on Petra to keep him from seeing how moved his actions left her and how desperately she needed them.
She wanted to blame her tendency to break into tears over anything recently on being exhausted. That bone-weary exhaustion that was beyond the simple need for sleep. She was sure there was more behind it than being tired. But she wasn't putting name to any of that shit. She was blaming her desire to cry on the long trip. The mad rush to get enough clothes and things packed for her and Petra before sneaking out of the mansion. The encounter with Storm, that arrogant prick, and her subsequent minor loss of control. The worry that someone would realize she was gone and subsequently hunt her down before she could catch her flight. The notes of fear during the flight because Dare might be able to pass as normal but Petra absolutely couldn't. All the waiting. The hours cramped in the plane and on a bus and cabs and...
She was tired and barely functional and she wanted to put her head down and sleep in the worst way. Probably after a good cry.
Robbie was a quiet, calm presence at her side. She felt terrible that he was standing in the rain, but she couldn't find her voice long enough to tell him that he should be under the umbrella, too. And then it was a moot point when the sound of tires rolling over the road surface caught in her ears. Her head came up to see a sleek, very new Jaguar coming to a stop next to Robbie's Mini.
The door opened and a well-dressed young woman stepped out of the vehicle. She had chestnut colored hair and honey colored eyes that held interest when they landed on Dare. Her clothing was obviously expensive and tailored just for her, the dark blue blazer molded to her figure while a pair of fitted black leather boots rose up to her calves and swallowed up the bottom hem of her form fitting leggings. The blouse under her blazer was cream colored and came with a slight ruffle around the neckline. She was perfectly coiffed and perfectly put together and Dare felt like a beggar in her torn jeans and faded t-shirt and beat up leather jacket.
"Good afternoon, Miss Victoria," Robbie greeted the woman with a broad smile.
"And to you, Robbie," she intoned. She turned to Dare and gave her a good once over. "And you must be the young lady interested in letting my wee cottage for a time."
Dare stepped forward, juggling Petra so that she could put a hand out to the other woman. Victoria Fergus had a firm grip when she shook Dare's hand. She let go after a short period of time, then glanced at the bundle Dare held. "You didn't mention the bairn."
"I'm sorry," Dare replied, panicked that failing to do so would lose her the cottage. She needed it badly. She needed some place to hide out. To try and get her life back in some kind of order. To figure out what the next step was. "I have no excuse for not mentioning Petra. I just... I have no where else to go and..."
There were those damn tears again. She did her best to hold them back, but one or two spilled over. Miss Fergus shared a look with Robbie. Dare didn't know what kind of exchange it was. She was staring at the expensive Jaguar while trying to get herself together. That made her wonder, briefly, if anyone had located Scott's car yet. "Right, then. I've got a fare to pick up and need to be on my way. Best of luck to you, Miss Alasdare," Robbie said in a gentle tone. Dare looked up and gave him a watery smile, then watched as he folded up the umbrella and tucked it away in the trunk of his Mini. A minute later, the little car was on its way down the road. And Dare was forced to turn her attention to Miss Fergus.
"Your name is Alasdare?" she asked. It surprised Dare because she so rarely used her full name anymore. But she'd thought, in an effort to keep anyone from finding her, that she could use it this once. The look Miss Fergus was giving her was one of extreme interest and, for a moment, Dare was worried. "Alasdare Scott, aye?"
"Yes," Dare confirmed. Worry saw the first strands of hair lifting to float around her face. It was something that hadn’t happened since they’d been sent home and she could only blame it on the exhaustion at this point. She didn't miss how Miss Fergus' gaze zeroed in on the action.
"Your mum's name. What is it?" The sudden game of twenty questions made Dare nervous.
"Amelia," she replied. Despite her worry, she didn't feel like there was any harm in giving that bit of information. Her mother was thousands of miles away in the United States.
"And she married a Yank, aye? Moved to the States with him?" Those questions hit Dare like a lead pipe and she actually thought she was going to drop from the surprise of it all. But that surprise was nothing compared to what came next. "If that Amelia Scott is your mam, that makes you a relative."
Dare blinked. "I'm... sorry?"
"Come. Let's get out of the rain. We wouldn't want the wee babe to catch her death," Miss Fergus said. She motioned toward the cottage standing silently behind them. Dare considered it a moment before agreeing. Unless Miss Fergus was capable of besting her before Dare could set shit on fire, there wasn't a whole lot she had to worry about. A nod saw the two of them picking up Dare's limited luggage before making their way up the narrow stone path toward the picture-perfect cottage.
The small building was built of stone, a pair of windows positioned on either side of the door. Said door was painted a bright, deep green. Shutters set on either side of each window were the same color. The roof looked thatched, but Dare couldn't be sure. Miss Fergus produced a key and unlocked the door, then held it open for Dare to enter before her.
The lights came on to reveal a large room that was kitchen, dining room, and living area all rolled into one. The interior was painted a soft lavender and the furniture was all soft, plushy country cottage looking. Once the door was closed and the luggage set on the floor, the two of them took their seats. Miss Fergus chose a plump, floral print arm chair while Dare settled on the dark grey sofa. She settled Petra, still in her car seat, on the floor at her feet so that the could give her arms a rest. When she lifted her gaze from her baby's sleeping face, it was to find Miss Fergus watching her. "Is something the matter?" Dare asked.
"You look just like her," Miss Fergus said softly. Dare blinked at that. That was not the response she was expecting.
"I'm sorry. I look just like who?"
It was Miss Fergus' turn to blink and she offered a smile. "I ken this will sound strange to you, but I have an ancestor who lived over four hundred years ago. There's a painting of her at home and... you look just like her. You could be her twin."
Okay. Shit was getting weird. "Miss Fergus, I -- "
The woman lifted a hand and waved it at her. "Please. Call me Vicki."
Dare took a breath. This whole thing was throwing her for a loop. Of course, she'd been out of sorts and completely out of her element for a while now, so maybe she should have expected this. What was one more weird thing in a life of weird things. But it was just a touch too weird and she was having a hard time getting her brain to function. One hand reached down to absently stroke her daughter's head. When she finally lifted her gaze to the other woman's face, it was to find understanding and concern there. "Miss Fergus. Vicki."
"I can see you're in a spot. You look as if you've no' slept in some time. And the way you keep checking on the wee one. You're here to hide," Vicki said quietly. Dare shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. She supposed it was kind of obvious if one paid attention for any length of time. "I cannae, in good conscience, allow you to stay here in the cottage by yourself. Not with a wee baby to care for and fear laid over your shoulders like a cloak."
"Please," Dare said, trying hard to keep the desperation from her voice. The fear was choking her. Fear that someone from home would find her. Fear that Sinister would find her and steal Petra away from her. Worse, that he'd steal her away and force her back into that hell. She wouldn't survive being a captive baby machine. Not another time. "I really need this cottage. I have no place to go and I..."
She hated sounding desperate. She hated begging. She hated crying. And here she was, doing all three. In front of a complete stranger who was very possibly related to her. She was such a fucking mess.
"I'm sorry. I think you misunderstand me. I don't mean to turn you out," Vicki said gently. Dare glanced at her and wondered how someone she'd never met before, had never even known existed, was willing to be so kind to her. This whole trip had been a lesson in how kind some people could be. How there was still kindness in the world. "My parents are away on a cruise and the house is empty without them there. I have plenty of space. You can stay there. And rest. There's a staff who can take care of your wee bairn and give you a breather."
"Why would you do that for me? We're perfect strangers," Dare replied. She let her confusion show. This was nothing she'd expected. And she had to wonder if the offer would have been extended if Vicki knew Dare and her wee bairn were mutants.
"Aye. That we are. But you're family. And I feel in my heart that its what she would have done, were she in my place," Vicki answered. Dare's confusion must have shown on her face because the other woman just smiled. "Come with me to my home and I'll show you what I mean. Please. Allow me to do this for you. As I said. You're family. And I cannae leave you here alone."
Dare was torn. She'd picked the cottage because it was away from people. Out in the sticks, as it were. Which meant she could protect herself and Petra from anyone and anything so long as it didn't sneak up on her. And being out in the middle of nowhere would make her harder to find. Especially when she was in another country entirely. But that didn't mean no one would be able to find her. And, should Sinister make a reappearance, no one would know what happened to her or Petra.
She probably should have stayed at the school. There was safety to be found there, what with all of the X-Men there and the powers they all possessed. But she couldn't risk Sinister showing up at the school and harming the children. Or, even worse, taking them for his monstrous experiments. Couple that with the fact that it felt like she'd been suffocating there, that everyone had been staring at her and judging her for things beyond her control, that there'd been fighting and confusion and so many other issues, she'd felt there was no choice but to go.
She'd been useless there. Unable to help her friends figure out their lives. Unable to figure out even her own life. Her own personal shit was in the way of everything and she wasn't sure she could figure out how to work her way around it. It had been six weeks since they'd come home and nothing had changed, but she kept waiting for that to happen. She kept waiting for Remy to give her a look and tell her it had all been a mistake, a lie, and he was going back to Morgan because he loved her more. He loved her better. She kept waiting for Logan to decide that this had been more than he could shoulder. That her stupid emotions were more than he could accept. That he didn't love her anymore. That he would leave her and move on to someone else. Someone better. Someone who wouldn't let herself just fall into bed with another man the way she had.
It was all going to come down on her head. All of it. She could feel it as if it was some giant boulder suspended from some kind of wooden framework at the edge of a cliff. The rope holding the boulder up was fraying and, when it broke, it was going to crush her under its weight. It was simply a matter of time at this point. She didn't want to put Vicki in the path of her problems. But she was starting to realize that she wasn't sure she could do this on her own. There had always been someone in her life to help her face her problems. And she'd been the biggest kind of idiot and fucked off on all the people who might be willing to do that this time.
"Alasdare," Vicki said. "Please let me help you."
"Just Dare," she said absently, mind still ticking over whether this was a good idea or the worst idea. When Vicki didn't go on, Dare looked at her to see there was a touch of shock and something else on her face. "What?"
"I'll explain it to you. Please allow me to show you my home. You can stay as long as you need. Just... You're family. I cannae leave you here."
"Alright," Dare agreed. She shouldn't put this woman in the way of her troubles. But she was so tired and maybe, just maybe, having someone looking out for her would help.
Vicki offered her a broad, warm smile and rose to her feet. "Well, then That's settled. Let's get you home and I can explain things to you."
~*~*~*~*~
Johnny opened the door to find that Scott stood in the hallway, one hand fisted and raised to knock on said door. The other hand was curled around the handles of about half a dozen paper bags. The side of the outside bag was inscribed with the name of a shop that Johnny knew sold baby things. He suspected the rest of the bags were the same. And while he couldn’t see the man’s eyes, he suspected there was the slightest touch of disappointment in his look. No doubt he’d been hoping that Haley would answer the knock. That made Johnny wonder just how long Scott had been away from the school.
“She isn’t here,” Johnny told him.
“What do you mean?” Scott questioned. Maybe Johnny was imagining it, but he thought he detected a hint of concern or worry in Summers’ voice.
“I mean she isn’t here. I just got here and the suite is empty. Haley’s clothes are gone. Emilia and TJ’s things are gone,” he reported. Summers stared at him a moment, then slipped past him and into the suite. Johnny followed after him and watched as the other man headed for Haley’s room. Scott had dropped the bags on the couch before heading toward the larger of the two bedrooms. Johnny let him go, let him see with his own eyes that Haley had packed up and left. After several minutes, Scott came out of the room and crossed the floor to the other door. While the door to Haley’s room had been left wide open, the door to the other room was pulled shut. Summers knocked a fist against the door and waited for an answer. Knocked again. And a third time.
The door opened on silent hinges and Summers stepped inside without a word. He was out minutes later, a frown on his face. “Dare’s room is a disaster area. And she isn’t there. Neither is Petra. It looks like she cleaned the drawers out in a hurry.”
“I didn’t have a chance to check, but that ties in to what Haley told me on the phone earlier,” Johnny told him.
“You talked to Haley?” Scott asked. Johnny wasn’t sure what the man was feeling, but he decided it wasn’t important. There were other things that were more important right now. Like figuring out where Haley had gone. Which likely meant figuring out where Dare had gone.
“Yeah. Maybe an hour ago. I should have come right away. I don’t know why I didn’t.”
Scott stared at him a moment or two, then raked a hand through his hair and let go a long, deep sigh. “Okay. Start from the beginning because I have a feeling I’m going to need the whole story before I can figure out what’s going on.”
Johnny wanted to be annoyed that Summers didn’t think Johnny knew what was going on. But he didn’t let it bother him. He knew it was the leader of the X-Men taking control because Scott Summers was a normal human who was probably on the verge of panic. Johnny knew he had been when he’d gotten off the phone with Haley.
“I called Haley earlier because its time she and I talked. It was made blatantly clear to me that I’ve been so engrossed in my own selfish thoughts that I couldn’t see that Haley was slowly suffocating under the weight of all her problems.” That was a polite way of saying Dare had called him a selfish asshole and then told him he didn’t deserve Haley. Johnny was pretty sure, after this whole mess, that she’d been right to say so. He just wished he’d realized that before now. Maybe they wouldn’t be here.
“But Haley didn’t want to talk?” Scott asked, obviously trying to piece together the events that had led up to where they were now.
“She said she didn’t have time to talk,” Johnny corrected.
“She didn’t have time? Why? What’s more important than talking your problems out?” Scott sounded absolutely confused about that.
“She told me Dare was missing and she had to go find her,” Johnny informed him. One hand motioned to the room the man had come out of not that long ago. “Your observation that she seems to have cleaned everything out in a hurry seems to support Haley’s words.”
Scott frowned at that. “Why would Dare leave? It seemed like things were getting better for her.”
“I’m not sure, but Haley mentioned something about a team meeting and Jehnna calling Dare a whore.” Johnny sighed and shook his head. He was still having a hard time believing that. It wasn’t like Jehnna at all to call someone a whore. Especially not someone she was supposed to be friends with. “I should have seen that was her intent when she came to see me yesterday morning, though. She looked to be on the edge the whole time and there was something not right about her.”
“And you mentioned this to Haley when she said Dare was missing.” It wasn’t a question, but Johnny nodded all the same. Summers frowned. It was obvious he wasn’t at all happy about the news. For a long while, Summers seemed to stare off into the distance. Johnny watched a muscle in his jaw flex until it appeared he was grinding his teeth together. “I know both Haley and Dare are accomplished X-Men. They’re good at their jobs. But they’re both dealing with a truckload of trauma. It wasn’t that long ago that Jean attacked Haley and left her incapacitated. And there are times when it seems like Dare hasn’t fully recovered from almost dying. The idea that they’re both running leaves me with a bad feeling.”
“You think something could happen to them?”
“I think its a possibility,” Scott confirmed. Johnny frowned. He hadn’t given much thought to the fact that Haley had recently recovered from a psychic attack. And he certainly hadn’t considered that Dare might not be fully recovered from her near-death experience. Then again, given how Dare had looked yesterday, maybe Scott’s feelings weren’t to be dismissed so casually.
“So. Where do we start looking for her?” Johnny questioned. It earned him a slightly startled look from Summers, but the look only lasted a moment. Apparently Scott was of the opinion that Johnny still hated him. At first, Johnny did hate him. Hated that he’d made Haley fall in love with him so easily. Especially since she’d seemed to fight Johnny tooth and nail before giving in to her feelings. He hadn’t really had problems with Haley being pregnant. He’d been willing to take on another man’s baby before, if it had come to that. He’d been willing to do it this time. But the emotional aspect had left him confused and angry. He’d done the worst thing and he’d taken that out on Haley.
It had taken him a long time to realize that he really had been thinking only of his own feelings and he hadn’t really considered what the whole thing had meant for Haley. Not until he’d watched Dare rip him to shreds while trying so hard not to come apart in front of him. She’d made him understand just what his anger and distance had been doing to Haley. He owed Dare an apology for ever making her doubt his love for her friend. He also owed her a beer for kicking his ass. And maybe he owed her an ass kicking for knocking him on his ass more than once.
But that was for later. The most important thing was to figure out where Haley had gone. She’d said she had to find Dare. But doing so meant she had to figure out where Dare had gone. And after Doom had grabbed Haley from the conference, Johnny had learned first hand just how resourceful Dare could be. Haley was going to need help finding her missing friend and teammate.
Of course, there was the distinct possibility that Haley had lied to Johnny and had told him she was going to look for Dare to throw him off. He didn’t think she’d done it, but it was possible.
“Do we call her parents and ask them if they’ve seen her?” Scott asked, dragging Johnny away from his thoughts. There was a touch of apprehension in Scott’s voice, suggesting he wasn’t sure about his question.
“No. Haley wouldn’t go to her parents. Not for help and not to hide. She doesn’t have much to do with them anymore,” Johnny told him, his gaze locked onto the portal against the back wall. When Johnny had asked Reed for it, his hope had been that Haley would use it to come home. She’d told him more than once that he was her safe space, that she felt safest in his arms. It hurt to think that he wasn’t her safe space at the moment. He would have liked it if she’d come to him for help. But she would be the woman he loved if she didn’t charge off on her own in an effort to solve her problems and save her friends.
“She mentioned her Aunt Edie when we were being held by Sinister,” Scott’s voice sounded thoughtful. “She said something about wanting to take Emilia to meet her. Maybe she did that.” There wasn’t much hope on the end of Scott’s sentence, but it gave Johnny something to think about.
“You know, that isn’t a bad idea. She’s always been closer to Edie than to her own folks. She might go see Edie in an effort to sound out what Dare might be doing or thinking. Maybe to get a different perspective on this whole mess. Edie is very no-nonsense and that might be what Haley is looking for and needs right now.”
“Okay. Do we call her?” Scott asked.
“No. Absolutely no. If we called Edie asking about Haley, the woman would probably tell us half a dozen lies to protect her niece.” Johnny shook his head. He’d spent time with Edie and he knew better than to just call the woman. He swore she would have made a good villain.
“Right. So we fly. See if she will give us a handle on what Haley might be thinking or doing. Where she might be going.”
That comment saw Johnny snorting. Which earned him a curious look from Johnny. “We can try and talk to her. But I wouldn’t hold my breath that she’ll give us anything other than a hard time. Trust me. Edie lives to make my life difficult. The minute she finds out you and Haley have a baby and a really fucked up relationship, she’ll live to make your life hell, too.”
“I’ll take that chance,” Scott assured him. There was determination on the man’s face and in his voice. “Anything to find Haley and bring her home.”
Johnny nodded. Amen to that.
~*~*~*~*~
Logan was kind of surprised to find Remy at his door. He was also surprised to find that the boy looked fit to be tied. His lips were pressed flat and his jaw was tight. Logan recognized the signs of anger and wondered what bug the boy had ups his butt now. “You seen Dare?” the kid asked, his word sharp and curt. It made Logan frown. “You talk to her?”
“Not fer a couple of days,” Logan admitted. If anything, the look on Remy’s face got darker. His lips got thinner and Logan swore there was murder in his eyes. “What’s got ya so wound up?”
Remy answered Logan’s questions with one of his own. “You know de team have a meeting?”
“No,” Logan replied. Something was not right because Remy usually got right to the point. Especially when he was upset. This round about shit was putting Logan’s nerves on alert.
“A couple days ago. Dey get together and meet. Try to talk t’ings out.”
“What happened?” It was obvious Remy wanted him to ask questions. And it was also obvious that something was eating at him. “Did the talk work?”
“You know it don’ work. Jehnna done lose her mind. She call all de girls a whore. She call Dare a whore.” The last of his words were spit out, as if they were poison on his tongue. And Logan understood where the anger was coming from.
“What ain’t ya tellin’ me, Rem?” he demanded.
“Dare gone,” he spit out. Logan blinked at him.
“What do ya mean, she’s gone?” he asked quietly.
Agitation got the better of the boy, because he flowed into Logan’s room and started pacing. Logan took it as a sign to shut the door so they had some privacy. He stayed by the door and watched as the Cajun paced back and forth in anger. His steps were quick and impatient. “I mean she gone. I go to de suite earlier to check on her. To check on Petra. Haley tell me she take de baby on a walk. So I go look for her. When I don’ find her, I check in wit’ Beast in case she have a check up or dere somet’ing wrong wit’ Petra. Roxxy tell me about de meeting. And about Jehnna. How Jehnna call her a whore to her face. How Jehnna say Dare don’ have any trauma over what Sinister do to her.”
Logan frowned at that. Both at the notion that Jehnna would say such a thing and that Dare would use it as an excuse to run. He’d thought, had hoped, that they’d gotten past all of the shit that had been plaguing Dare. She’d reacted so well to the surprise baby shower the kids had thrown for her. She’d been making an effort to spend time with all of their children. She’d put an effort into her relationship with Remy. He thought she’d been doing better. What had he missed? What had set her off this time?
“Yer sure she’s gone?” Logan asked the boy. His question brought Remy up short, the expression on his face suggesting that he wasn’t sure at all. Did ya check her room?”
“No. Haley tell me she go for a walk,” Remy repeated.
“Come on,” Logan ordered and turned for the door. He felt Remy behind him as he tugged the door open and stepped out into the hall. Once the Cajun was in the hall with him, Logan pulled the door shut and started for the stairs. The kid kept pace with him, but said nothing. He seemed to have calmed some but it would be easy for that calm to shatter. Logan was almost certain Remy was correct and Dare had run. But until they checked out her room, he wasn’t going to let his imagination run away with him.
The journey to the sub-basement and the suite Dare shared with Haley was long, the silence stretching taut and painful between the two of them. They happened across a few students once or twice. The two of them were apparently intimidating enough to see the students move as far away from them as they could. It as something of a relief to step into the elevator and have the doors close on them. The quiet was like a balm to Logan’s anxiousness.
It wasn’t long before the elevator stopped and the doors opened on the floor the suites were on. The hallway was empty. That didn’t stop Logan from hearing voices coming from up ahead. He frowned and stepped out of the car before heading toward the sound of those voices. Remy was right on his heel.
The door to the suite that Dare and Haley shared stood wide open. And it framed the figures of Johnny Storm and Scott Summers. A look at their faces told Logan everything he needed to know. But he marched past them, ignoring the looks they sent his way, and went into the room Dare had been sleeping in. His heart panged painfully in his chest when he found everything in disarray.
The bed was a mess, the bedding left askew. Drawers had been pulled open and emptied, left to hang there as if in silent accusation. Despite the fact that he knew he didn’t need to do it, he checked the bathroom and found her toiletries gone. The changing table had been emptied of its supplies. The baby bag Dee had gotten for her was gone. As was the car seat the twins had insisted he get for their new baby sister. Logan stood there, staring at the empty room and the chaos that lingered, and felt his heart crack. He hadn’t wanted to believe she’d run away. But there was no denying the evidence laid out before him.
“Where Haley?” Remy demanded, his temper showing in his voice. Logan turned to find he was staring at both Scott and Johnny, his gaze intent and kind of unhinged. He stepped out of the empty room and moved to put himself between the three men. Remy looked like he wanted to murder people.
“She’s gone,” Scott replied.
“She told me she had to go find Dare when I talked to her on the phone a while ago,” Johnny added.
Remy muttered a curse under his breath. Logan had a good idea what he’d said. And he agreed one hundred percent. “So dey both gone? Why we still standin’ here? We should be out lookin’ for dem.”
“And where do we start, Gambit?” Scott asked. The question wasn’t asked in malice. It was meant more as a way to make Remy think. The boy was as angry as Logan had ever seen him. But the anger was a front, a way to hide the fear he felt. Because he thought that Dare had changed her mind about the two of them. And if there was one thing Remy hated, it was to be alone. “We don’t know where either of them went. We need some place to start.”
Logan had a place to start. He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and searched through the saved numbers until he found the one he wanted. A tap saw the number dialing out. Then it rang. And it went right to voicemail. Frowning, Logan hung up and tried another number. This one got answered in short order. “Hello?”
“Amelia. Its Logan.”
“Oh, Logan! Hello!” He could hear the smile across the line. Dare’s mother was happy to hear from him. If she knew how he’d failed her girl, she wouldn’t be so happy. “Its good to hear your voice. What can I do for you?”
“Just callin’ ta check in. See how you and Daniel are doing.”
“We’re just fine. How are you and Alasdare? Things are good between you two?” The question was an honest one, telling Logan that Amelia hadn’t heard from her daughter and had no idea where she was.
“We’re good. Dare sends her love. She’d be on the phone with me, but she’s busy with the kids.”
“You make sure she takes care of herself. And when are you two going to come visit again? Its been far too long and we miss all of you.”
“I’ll talk ta Dare and see when we can get away,” Logan promised. “Look, Amelia. I gotta go. Got a session with some students in a little while. I’ll give Dare yer love.”
There was a painful ball of regret in his belly by the time he ended the call. It was obvious that Amelia hadn’t seen Dare or heard from her recently. If she had, she’d have given him a ration over the phone. She was as protective of Dare as Dare was of her own kids. There was no way Amelia knew what was going on. Which meant he was at square one.
“I take it Dare’s mother hasn’t seen her.” Scott’s voice was steady and even. The voice he used when he was in the field, leading a team. He’d already shifted into work mode. Which meant he was already making plans.
Logan shook his head. “Nope. If she’d seen Dare, she’d have chewed my ass off. She was all too happy to hear from me. So Dare hasn’t gone home. Which leaves every other place in the world to look.” Every other place in the world to look and not a single idea where to start.
“We don’t have time to check every other place in the world,” Scott replied. “We need to figure out the best way to find them. We need to figure out where they’d go.”
“Maybe we could figure that out if we could figure out just why it was they left,” Johnny added.
Logan was pretty sure Jehnna calling Dare a whore was the reason Dare had run. He’d known her long enough to understand just how she thought. He couldn’t say about Haley. She wasn’t usually one to fall prone to such things. But this wasn’t a normal situation in any sense of the word. So it was entirely possible she left because of Jehnna.
“It don’ matter why dey leave. All dat matter is where dey go. And findin’ dem,” Remy insisted. His tone was not the best and Johnny obviously took it to mean Remy was calling him an idiot. Which started an argument between the two hot heads. Their voices rose higher as they tried to talk over one another. Johnny kept insisting that they needed to know why Dare and Haley left while Remy insisted it wasn’t important to finding the two missing women.
And then...
“All four of you are so stupid!”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-12 09:28 pm (UTC)I love that Dare is being shown kindness in the most unexpected ways, and that alone is enough to break down some of the walls. Well that and exhaustion. I can't wait to hear the story of Vicki, her family and who the heck Dare looks so much like! :D Hopefully she'll find some peace in Scotland, even if it's freaking everyone else out.
Speaking of freaking out... oh boys. I kind of want to know what Scott when shopping for. I imagine he's trying to set up a space for Emilia in the boat house and probably wants to get Haley's opinion... but now I'm curious. LOL I do love that they're not screaming at each other... clearly the conversation after Jean's attack did some good. Also good to see that Johnny is still willing to be there for the baby and that was never the issue. Also love that Scott slips into work mode so quickly. Johnny's right though. Edie is going to eat them alive! And I can't wait! LOL
I absolutely get why Remy's angry but it's a good thing Logan is thinking fairly clearly. Good thing there's some clearer heads among all four of them! Also I don't know if I knew Dare's mom's name was Amelia when we named Emilia... oops. LMAO
And who is speaking truth at the end there? Whoever it is, I agree and I love them!
Great work, hun.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-13 10:39 pm (UTC)it is in my head that Dare has seen little of that level of kindness in her life. i feel like, when she was on the streets, she dealt with a lot of the worst that humanity has to offer. she probably heard the 'dirty mutants' rant more times than she cares to remember. and i think she places the kindness she receives from her friends in a different category. like it doesn't quite count, if that makes sense. so to be on this long journey, tired and scared and more than willing to believe the worst of people, and to have random strangers just... be kind to her? she doesn't quite know how to deal with it. and she has a hard time believing its real. that its meant for her. that it will last. but i also feel like she's soaking it up greedily, like a plant that's been left without water for far too long. hopefully she can find her peace in Scotland. i have no doubt she's as eager to hear the story about Vicki's family as you are. soon, hon. soon.
oh, those silly boys.
i have no doubt Scott will tell Haley all about his trip and what he was doing while she was busy chasing after Dare. i think Johnny and Scott are at a point where screaming wouldn't get them very far. i'm sure that conversation did them both some good. i have no doubt that Johnny is already head over heels for Emilia. and i have no doubt he would happily play daddy to her, if that was what needed to happen. i do like that the whole leader thing just pops out without any effort on Scott's part. no doubt he'll figure it out. but yeah. Edie will absolutely eat them both alive. and she'll be smiling the entire time.
i feel like it might be crass to bring Logan's age into things. but, let's face it. he has had a very long time to learn how to deal with shit that pops up out of the blue like this. so its easy for him to stay rational. until he doesn't need to be rational any more. then he'll go absolutely apeshit feral. because that's how he works. Remy, on the other hand, is young. and he's been afraid of losing Dare almost since the beginning. so... his anger is absolutely understandable. just not very helpful.
look a me bringing in an evil cliffie again. i'm really good at those things.
glad you liked it, honey. thanks for reading and complimenting!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-23 12:07 am (UTC)100% This. I had the same thought, honestly.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-23 12:03 am (UTC)Johnny and Scott getting along? Will wonders never cease? I think I'm actually starting to feel optimistic about this trend continuing. As for their chances of finding her, especially if she doesn't want to be found? I'm not gonna hold my breath.
I was wondering how long it would take for Remy and Logan to show up at Dare and Haley's room. I don't envy Scott right now, having to try and wrangle his X-Men and Johnny while they're all worried about the girls. I have no idea who that was at the end, but I totally agree with them!
Excellent chapter, hon. I enjoyed it muchly! *smooches*
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-23 02:06 pm (UTC)all that to say that she's fucking up for reasons and it will all work out in the end.
Johnny has done some thinking. he's had a lot of people telling him how it is. but all of those words finally hit home when Dare (kind of literally) knocked some sense into him. there is still some work to be done, a lot of conversations to be had, but i think things will smooth out after all this. i mean, everyone needs a wake up call, yeah? as for finding Haley... yeah, chances are slim if she's intent on staying hidden.
Remy pretty much went from talking to Roxxy and Henry to snarling angrily at Logan. i must say, he is in a fine mood in all of this. though i expect some of that is just straight up fear of what could have happened instead of Dare just simply slipping out on them. i don't expect Scott has an easy job of it. but when has he ever? i mean, look at who he's got as X-Men (both in canon and in the MSV) and its easy to see that the man suffers. a lot. but he will get it done because they're his X-Men and his responsibility. and he does want Haley and his daughter back.
and yeah. their guest is totally correct on this one.
glad you liked it, honey. thanks for the lovely words. i appreciate them muchly!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-23 04:49 pm (UTC)Storm's team gives her birthday presents. Scott's gives him an ulcer. LOL