Among the Strong
Oct. 24th, 2025 08:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Fifty Three: A Place to Start
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
“Holy shit!” Dare whispered, gaze locked on the painting that dominated the wall above the fireplace mantel. It was of a family. There was a man and a woman in it, seated on a lounge or sofa or whatever. A young boy sat between the two of them, his hair long and a glossy shade of brown that she recognized so easily. A pair of sweet blue eyes stared out of the painting at her. Though they were unfamiliar to her, the expression in them was one she knew well. There was a hint of the devil lingering in them. It was a look he’d inherited from his father.
Her gaze shifted to the adult male beside him. A man who sported the same glossy brown tresses as the boy. Who wore his hair long and carefree. A man who looked out of the painting at her with eyes so familiar that her heart twisted in her chest. There was a mixture of affection and loss in those eyes. Eyes that were red on black, the rested in an angular, tanned face with just the faintest hint of stubble darkening both cheeks and chin. He sat straight and tall, shoulders level underneath the black coat he wore. She could tell it was crafted of rich velvet by the way the artist had captured it and it was black as sin.
Sitting beside the man was a woman who wore a soft expression. Grey eyes were filled with tender warmth and a hint of a smile touched her lips. Dark hair was piled upon her head in a style that didn’t look to be typical of the era her gown suggested. Said gown had the sheen of satin or silk, the color a rich and striking red that looked bold against the darker tones of the painting’s background. There was confidence in her posture, surety in the way she stared out of the painting. And it was as alien to Dare as it could be because that expression was painted on to her own face.
“I would like for ye to meet my ancestor,” Vicki said softly, obviously aware that Dare had recognized herself in the painting. “Her name was Alasdare Scott. And she was what people of her time referred to as Witchbreed. She was born to a titled family in Scotland in the late fifteen hundreds and ran away from home when her father accepted a proposal of marriage for her when she was fourteen. She took to the sea and became one of the most feared pirates of her time. The exploits of her and the other members of her crew became legendary. She sailed on a ship called The Valkyrie beside four other women. And when a life at sea became too dangerous for her, she left it behind and married Robert Lord, a man who was titled in both England and France. When he passed away suddenly, she mourned for a time, then married Lord Anthony Stark.”
“She looks like me,” Dare whispered, her gaze locked on the painting. On her face staring back at her. And on the man at her side. A man named Robert Lord. A man who looked so very much like Remy LeBeau.
“Aye,” Vicki nodded. She’d long ago set Dare’s luggage down and moved over to gently take Petra’s car seat from her. The baby was settled, car seat and all, in one of the chairs. Then Vicki took hold of Dare’s hand and pulled her, unresisting, toward the sitting area. She let Vicki urge her down onto the settee before taking a seat beside her. “You look so much like my ancestor, you could be her twin,” Vicki said, her gaze turning toward the painting on the wall.
“I don’t understand this at all,” Dare shook her head. She let her gaze take in the painting once more before it shifted toward Petra, sleeping peacefully in her car seat. What would Vicki think when she saw Petra’s eyes? Would she realize that the man in the painting was the same man who had fathered her baby? Because that was Remy in the painting. There was no doubt in Dare’s mind. She knew he’d been lost in time for a while. An event he’d never discussed with anyone. What were the odds that there were two men who shared the same build, the same looks, the same eyes? Hell, what were the odds she looked like a long dead relative?
Vicki offered Dare a gentle smile before turning her gaze toward the painting once again. “I think I share your confusion. Imagine my surprise when I got out of my car and laid eyes on you. It felt like I’d seen a ghost. A living, breathing ghost. And then I learned your name. It was like my ancestor had come to life. And I knew I had to help you if I didn’t want to shame my kin.”
“I… don’t understand any of this,” Dare admitted. Slowly. With great difficulty. Not understanding a problem made for a dangerous thing. If there was any one lesson Misty had pounded into her thick skull back in the day, it was that knowing what was happening to her and around her at all times was the best way to keep from being used or taken advantage of. And here she was, in a situation that she simply could not understand.
“Is it so hard to understand that a distant relative would offer to help without wanting anything in return? Simply because they were in a position to do so?” Vicki asked her softly. Dare reluctantly pulled her gaze from the painting so that she could look at her cousin.
“Yes. In my world, in my life, it is very difficult.”
Vicki was silent as she studied Dare’s face. After a long while, she nodded. Her expression was grave. “You’ve obviously had a rough go of it,” she said quietly. Dare almost laughed at that. Calling her life a rough go was a kindness that bordered on painful. So she just nodded and tried to find a way to turn the conversation. Sadly, she was so exhausted that nothing was coming to her. Vicki reached a hand out and patted Dare’s hand. “The more I learn, the more I feel you and she lived the same kind of life.” A nod of her head toward the painting accompanied Vicki’s words.
Dare took that one to heart. She could imagine how hard the life of the woman in the painting had been. Being a woman. Being a pirate. Being what Dare suspected was a mutant. Those were three strikes against her. But, from what Vicki had told her, it sounded like the other Dare, the one in the past, had had more control over her life.
“When Alasdare retired from pirating, she worried that becoming a wife and mother would make her life dull and boring. It proved to be anything but. She had a sense of security she’d never known before. And she took to motherhood so easily. She was truly happy with her lot in life. And then she suffered the loss of her beloved husband. Robert Lord’s death left her adrift. She didn’t know which way to turn. Until Lord Stark made his offer,” Vicki told her. Dare thought there was a note of wistfulness in Vicki’s voice, as if she thought of the story as something like a fairy tale. “She waited the required length of time to mourn before she married him. They had children together. And he indulged her every whim. This house is one of those whims.”
“He bought her an entire manor house on a whim?” Dare asked. For a moment, she was baffled by such a move. But her brain ticked over and pulled a name out of the muck. Lord Anthony Stark. If there was a past version of her and Remy, because she was sure that Robert Lord had existed before Remy had ended up in that time period, then there was no reason a past version of Tony Stark couldn’t exist. And if he was anything like his modern counterpart, buying a house for his bride was something she could easily imagine happening.
“Aye. Because she saw how the world around her treated people who were like her. People who had been born with gifts beyond other people’s kenning. People who were hunted down and persecuted for being different,” Vicki told her. Something in the woman’s look, in the woman’s voice, told Dare that she knew such things had happened to Dare. “So she asked her loving husband to build her this house. When it was completed, she founded the village not far from here. She made it a safe haven for others who had Witchbreed powers. Because she wanted to be sure they had someplace to go where no one would judge them or harm them for something well beyond their control. And I know she’d disown me if I didn’t show that same kindness to one of my own kinsmen. To someone so like her.”
Dare studied Vicki for a few moments, her gaze intense and considering. Sitting before her, she saw a young woman who was absolutely certain about what she was doing. In fact, she was passionate about it. She wanted to help Dare. She honestly thought it the right thing, the only thing, to do. Her obvious desire to show kindness to someone she claimed as kin was enough to bring tears to Dare’s eyes. So very few people had ever cared about her like that in her life. Her parents. The rest of her team. The men they’d each surrounded themselves with. It looked like a lot of people. But it really wasn’t. Not when put against all of the people Dare had met and known over her life. She wanted to accept Vicki’s offer without a second thought.
“You don’t know what kind of person I am,” Dare told the other woman carefully. “For all you know, I could be a serial killer or some other psychopath.”
“If you are, then you’re the finest actress I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The fear and exhaustion. The panic when you thought I’d turn you out. The way you clung to the bairn. None of that looked contrived,” Vicki countered, her tone filled with certainty and conviction. “I have no clue what you’re running from, Dare. But I do ken you’re running. You and the wee bairn sleeping over there. You need a place to hide, a place that will give you peace and respite. I can offer you that. I can give you and the bairn something few people seem to have been able to do. Peace of mind. “
Dare wanted to turn Vicki down. She knew she should turn her down. The other woman didn’t understand what kind of trouble she was inviting simply by having Dare in her home. And she was fairly certain that Vicki didn’t have a mutation with which to protect herself. Hell, the woman hadn’t even asked her about her own mutation. Vicki was playing with so many variables. Hell, she was quite literally playing with fire. Dare should just collect Petra and thank Vicki before slipping out the door and finding some place else to go.
But the truth of the matter was that she was so tired. Tired of running. Tired of never fully trusting anyone. That was why she was in this mess, wasn’t it? Because she didn’t know how to trust people? Hadn’t Logan said that very thing? Hadn’t Summers tried to convince her that she was on a collision course with some kind of break down? Maybe she was already there. Maybe she was starting to crack and break under all of the shit. Maybe Vicki’s offer was her last chance. Maybe, if she accepted and stayed her, it would be a way to learn how to trust people. Then again, maybe it was too late.
Why did she have to be so fucked up? Why did she have to sabotage all of the good things in her life? Why couldn’t she just fucking let go?
Her gaze sought out her daughter. She was so tiny. So innocent. A pawn in a game played by a twisted, sick fuck for his own enjoyment. She deserved the very best of life. She deserved better than Dare had shown her so far. If Dare ran, if she turned Vicki down and ran again, she’d be gifting her daughter with the same issues Dare had dealt with for such a long time. Issues that were finally coming home to roost. There was no way she could pass such fucked up problems on to her daughter. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. If she wanted to do right by Petra, she had to stop making the worst choices and face up to her shit. And she was going to have to start doing that here. Now.
She brought her focus back to Vicki, who had been blessedly silent during Dare’s bout of introspection. There was a soft, peaceful expression on Vicki’s face. No judgement. No pressure. Just a soft smile and a gentle stare that was meant to set Dare at ease. Dare offered her a brief flash of a smile, then leveled a serious gaze on the other woman. “If you’re going to do this, then you need to understand what you’d be getting yourself into. I cannot, in good conscience, accept your offer if you aren’t made fully aware of the things going on in my life. You deserve that truth so that you can decide if you still want to offer me refuge here.”
Vicki studied her a moment, her expression taking on a more serious look. After several moments of silence, she nodded her head in understanding. There would be no give on this. It was that important. Dare wouldn’t start a relationship with a relative she’d never known about with half-truths and full lies. “Very well. Tell me your story, Dare,” Vicki said quietly.
“You’re right. I am running,” Dare began, then paused. How did she tell this story? What did she say? Did she leave things out? “To be honest, I’ve been running my entire life. I started running, mentally, when my mutation kicked in. And then I started running, physically, when a boy I liked in school took me on a date and forced himself on me. He and his friends had made a bet and he did whatever he could to win. When I found out, I lost control of my temper and my powers.” Dare lifted a hand and let it fill with flames, let them flicker and crackle there for a few moments, before drawing them back inside. Vicki’s eyes were wide and Dare didn’t know if it was fear or amazement or something else. “The motel we were at burned down. I didn’t know it at the time, but he never made it out of the room before the fire got to him.”
Dare paused, waiting for Vicki to say something. To judge her actions. To use the admission as a reason to throw her out. All the woman did was reach out and lay a hand on hers in a silent offer of support. And sympathy.
“I ran, afraid of what my parents might think. Of what the police might think. I was just afraid. So I packed up and ran and found my way to New York City. I fell in with a gang there, and they became my family for a time. It was good. And it wasn’t. I had a home and people who cared for me. But there were others that hated us because there was a constant battle between the various street gangs. And the one I lived with won more than they lost. Until another gang got tired of it. They came in at night, when everyone was sleeping. Most of them were drunk. Most of them died in their sleep. And this other gang saved the leader, Misty, for last. Which meant me, too. Because I was Misty’s girl.”
Dare halted for a moment. Took a deep breath and centered herself. Her life with Misty’s gang wasn’t something she liked to speak about often. There were more bad memories than good and, if she wasn’t careful, they would overwhelm her.
To her credit, Vicki remained silent. Her attention was focused completely on Dare and she had her thoughts and feelings hidden behind a politely curious expression. Dare wasn’t sure if she really did what to know what was happening or if she’d been taught to show polite interest even in the face of boredom.
“Misty woke up in time to push me off the bed and onto the floor. She met the other gang members on her feet, naked and intent on protecting me. But there were so many of them and they all had guns,” Dare whispered the last part, some of the remembered pain from that night coloring her words. Vicki offered her a sorrowful look, one hand reaching out to cover Dare’s.
“I’m so sorry. I cannae imagine how difficult that was,” Vicki said softly.
Dare offered her a watery smile, then pressed on. “When Misty was dead, bleeding out on the bed we’d shared, the other gang pulled me to my feet and made ready to end my life. The sight of Misty lying there, lifeless and bloody, brought my rage to a boil. And the flames came without conscious thought. They ate everything and everybody in that warehouse. Except for me. They let me walk out of the building without a scratch or a smudge of soot.”
“Poor love. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I ended up going to a school for mutant children. A childhood friend had begged Professor Xavier to find me. And he did. He found me and took me to his school and enrolled me there. I caught up on my education and graduated with my peers. I got drafted onto a team and became an official X-Man. Started doing superhero things. Started a relationship. Which brought me to the attention of a man who was pretty much my partner’s nemesis. He kidnapped me and another person. Used us both. Nearly killed the other person. Left me pregnant and very much fucked up. But I had friends who cared enough to help pull me back from that ledge. And when Dee was born, I had a reason to go on and be better. Several years later, that man came back into my life and he gutted me. I died. And got sent back without my memories to try and destroy my partner. I ended up killing more people. I almost killed my friends. But I was given access to my memories before I could. Kind of died again. Came back again. Did some more superhero shit.”
Vicki’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Yeah. That tended to happen when Dare mentioned her past. She wondered if she’d perhaps told Vicki too much. But Dare put that idea aside. Vicki truly needed to understand what she’d invited into her house. “And then, a couple of months ago, several of the X teams were sent out to investigate some anomaly in the desert. None of them came back. At last, my team was sent out. And we ended up battling Apocalypse’s horsemen. We got our ass handed to us. And most of us got taken. When I woke up, I was in a room with one other person and there were pheromones being pumped into the room.”
“Good God,” Vicki breathed.
“Well, our kidnapper thinks he’s a god. But he’s just an annoying asshole with a gift for genetics and a passion for fucking people’s lives up. He’d grabbed me and several other X-Men, people who were friends and part of the family I’d built for myself, and he forced us to have sex until the four women he’d grabbed got pregnant. So he could create super mutant babies that he planned on handing over to Apocalypse. So that fuck nut could create his horsemen.”
Dare watched as Vicki’s gaze slid toward the chair where Petra’s car eat rested. When she turned her attention back to Dare, it was plain to see that Vicki had figured out why Dare was running. Or, at least, a part of why. “The man who did this could show up at any time and attempt to take Petra. He could try to take both of us. And I don’t know if I’ve got enough power to stop him. I want you to understand that my staying here might put you in harm’s way. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. I’m not worth that kind of loyalty, kin or not.”
Vicki stared at her for a long, silent stretch of time. Dare held her stare, didn’t shift or squirm under the other woman’s intense gaze. Finally, after what felt to be an eternity, a smile came to Vicki’s face. It was soft and faintly sad. She reached out a hand and laid it on Dare’s knee. It was a gentle, reassuring touch. Dare fought off tears, because she knew what Vicki was going to say just from that touch alone. “You are worth that kind of loyalty and more, Dare. You are a human being with strengths and flaws like the rest of us. You obviously love your little one very much. And you are obviously very confused about things in your life right now. I would be heartless and cruel if I put my comfort over your needs. It sounds to me as if its long past time someone showed the kindness you’re due. I want to be the one who does.”
The honest sincerity in her words and on her face, the gentle look in her eyes, the comforting weight of her hand resting on Dare’s knee… All of it saw the tears she hated so much and had desperately tried to hold back leaking out anyway. They trailed down her cheeks and dripped onto the faded black material of her t-shirt. A moment later, she found herself tugged firmly into Vicki’s embrace, her cousin’s arms holding her close and offering solace while the fear and confusion of the past two months poured out with her tears. And Vicki continued to hold her until the tears had long dried up and all that remained was the occasional hiccup or sob. Only then did Vicki pull back and look Dare over, heat to toe, before offering a rueful smile.
“You look as if a strong wind will knock you over. When did you last get a good night’s sleep? Or eat a good meal?” Vicki asked, her brogue soft and bright against the seriousness of her words. “Never mind. Its obviously been a wee while since you did either. So here’s what we shall do. We will find a crib for the wee one ---”
“Petra. Her name is Petra,” Dare interrupted, wiping at the moisture still clinging to her lashes.
“Such a strong name for a wee bairn,” Vicki exclaimed. “We shall find a crib for Petra and put her to bed in it so that she has room to move and stretch. Then we shall find you a bite to eat. Something rich and filling. Once you’ve eaten your fill, you will climb into that soft bed over there and have yourself a wee sleep because you look absolutely dragged out.”
Dare’s eyes shot to the large wooden bed against the wall and stared, then turned back to Vicki. “I couldn’t. This room is too fine and nice for me. Petra and I don’t need much. I can even sleep on the floor…”
The protests died off quickly enough with the hard stare Vicki sent her way. “There’ll be none of that now. This was our ancestor’s private room and she would be most upset if I were to put you in a wee, small room with no comfort to it at all. “
Dare let her gaze slide over the opulence of the chamber in which she sat. There was no doubt in her mind that it was too fine for her. But she felt certain that Vicki wouldn’t take no for an answer. The woman was determined and hard to turn down. She turned a trembling smile Vicki’s way. “Thank you. I think I’d like that very much.”
“Aye, and of course you would. Now, let’s get everything settled and get you and Petra taken care of.” Vicki stood from the settee and started for the door. “Once you’ve had a wee nap, we’ll have to wander into the village for a spell. I have some people I want you to meet.”
Dare blinked. That sounded… slightly intimidating. She stood, too, and went to scoop up Petra’s seat. Vicki made it to the door, then pressed a button on a panel near the door. Dare had to wonder what it was for. Only moments later, the door opened to reveal a man in a white button up shirt and black dress slacks. He wore a vest with a tartan pattern on it and a plain black tie. Hair that was equal amounts of black and silvery-grey topped his head. Shrewd eyes in deep brown looked first to Vicki and then moved to take in Dare where she stood. “You rang, Miss Victoria?” the man asked. There was a definite brogue in his voice and he sounded like he was as interested in what was going on as he would be interested in having a colonoscopy.
“Yes, Jameson,” Vicki said, offering the man a warm smile. She turned and motioned toward Dare with one hand. “I should like for you to meet my cousin, Alasdare Scott. She’s visiting from America. We still have a crib after Alyssa’s baby here, do we not?”
“Aye, Miss Victoria. We do.”
“Have a couple of the lads bring it down and set it up in here for wee Petra, please,” Vicki requested of the man. His gaze slid to the car seat Dare held and she thought she saw his expression soften for a moment. Then his gaze returned to Vicki and he gave a quick nod.
“Of course, Miss Victoria. Is there anything else?” Jameson asked. There was only mild curiosity in his tone, making Dare wonder if Vicki did things like bring home strays all the time.
“No. I think that will be all for the time being. I’m going to take Dare down to the kitchens and find her something to eat. Then I’m going to put her to bed. She looks positively knackered. I would ask that you look out for her and treat her with the same care and courtesy you’ve shown myself and my parents,” Vicki said.
“As you say, Miss Victoria,” Jameson nodded. “I will ensure that the en suite is stocked and ready for Miss Alasdare’s use. I believe Miss Alyssa left behind a baby bath. I’ll have it brought down, as well. I will also make sure to inform Bess when she returns from the shops that there will be another place to set for dinner.”
“Please,” Vicki smiled, a wide thing that gave her a youthful and carefree look. “Whatever would we do without you, Jameson?”
“I shudder to think, Miss Victoria. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Jameson replied in a voice lacking inflection. He shifted his attention Dare’s way and offered an incline of his head. “Miss Alasdare.” He was gone a moment later. Vicki shot her a look, then laughed and shook her head.
“Jameson is harmless and I can tell he’s already taken with Petra. Give it a day or so and he’ll be as protective of the two of you as a mother hen is of her chicks,” Vicki replied. Then she stepped out into the hallway. “Now. Let’s go find you something to nibble on. Food and a nap will set everything to rights.”
Dare wasn’t so sure about that. She thought it would take far more than food and a nap to see her set to rights again. But she smiled at Vicki anyway and followed her out into the hallway. She didn’t know what to make of the situation she was in. And she didn’t know how long things would last. The peace felt fragile and tentative. She wasn’t sure what to do about everything.
She guessed she was just going to have to take it one step at a time. It was the only thing she could do.
~*~*~*~*~
The slow, steady tick tick tick of the clock was the only noise in the room at present. And it was mocking her. She’d been so sure that her instincts were correct, that there was something in her friends’ genetics that would explain the sudden and bizarre changes she’d seen in their recent behavior. Because it had to be something Sinister had done to them. There was no other rational explanation. And she didn’t want to entertain what it might mean if it hadn’t been Sinister mucking about with their genetics. But she still hadn’t been able to find anything. And she and Henry had gone over all of their information several times over.
What was she going to do if there was no genetic explanation for the oddities of their actions? What if it was simply the first stages of a madness that couldn’t be curbed or cured?
Roxxy muttered a curse and threw her pen across the work table. It clattered against the surface before bouncing noisily off the wall. There was the faint clinking of the pen as it hit the glass of several test tubes. Then the clock advancing every forward was the only sound left. She slumped against the table, head buried against her arms, and tried to fight the growing despondency that wanted to fill her. She wasn’t surprised when a large, warm hand settled against her back, right between her shoulder blades. Henry knew her moods almost better than she did sometimes. “There is no need for such negativity, Rosemary,” he told her gently.
“No need? We’ve been at this for hours, Henry, and we’ve found nothing. We’ve looked a dozen times and there’s nothing there to suggest that Sinister did anything to them on a genetic level. And if he isn’t responsible for their behaviors, that means that there is something very wrong with my friends. Something I don’t think I’ll be able to fix,” Roxxy replied, lifting her head so she could look Henry in the face.
He offered her a faint smile, one that looked slightly pained, and squatted until his face was level with hers. “It is possible, my love, that this is the way things were meant to be. We cannot know for certain what liberties Sinister took while he held our friends and loved ones captive. Perhaps his treachery lies more on the mental level than the genetic one,” he told her. His tone was soft and patient, his words not entirely unkind. And they were nothing she wanted to hear.
“It has to be something genetic, Henry. Mental doesn’t explain Dare’s surge in power or her ability to simply disappear. It doesn’t explain Haley’s over the top reactions and the glimmer I know I saw more than once. Those are not reactions to some kind of mental treachery,” she replied, her tone adamant. “It has to be something done on the genetic level.”
“I know how fervently you want to believe that, Rosemary. But you said yourself that we’ve found nothing in their genetic markers to explain things. We’ve found nothing at all. I think, perhaps, you need to step away and clear your mind,” he told her gently. “Perhaps the wisest course of action would be to simply give up and set it aside.”
Roxxy shot from her stool so that she could take a dozen steps away from him. She didn’t want him to comfort her and, in the process, convince her that there was nothing to be found. There was something there. There had to be. There was a voice at the back of her head whispering to her that she was missing something important. “No!” she shot back, her voice loud. Vehemence lived in that single word, enough that it saw Henry giving her a faintly concerned stare.
“Rosemary—”
“No, Henry! It isn’t something mental! It isn’t something that I can’t fix! There’s something there. We just haven’t found it yet.” Roxxy turned her gaze to the files stacked up on the table’s surface. She looked at the slides and the tubes and all of the data that sat there. “Have we looked at everything? Have we gone through every file?”
“Rosemary, why is this so important to you? Why must you torture yourself with things that might not be?” he asked gently.
“I have to find a way to solve this because they’d do no less for me,” she replied, her voice softening. “Haley is my best friend. She was the one who made me feel like I belonged here when I was so sure that I would never fit in. Never make friends. She made sure I knew that I was wanted here. That I was loved and appreciated and cared for. And let’s not forget that Dare died to protect us and the kids. She fucking died, Henry. How can you expect me to ignore the gifts my friends and family have given me over the years? I won’t stop looking until I either find the problem or I breathe my last breath.”
The look Henry gave her suggested she perhaps sounded a little melodramatic. Roxxy felt a touch of embarrassment. But it was how she felt and nothing was going to change that. Silence held between them for several long moments until, finally, Henry heaved a soft sigh. “Your love and dedication to your friends is an admirable trait, Rosemary, and one of many reasons why I love you. If you are so dedicated to this endeavor, then I can do no less but offer up my everything in your pursuit of the truth. But you must understand that it is entirely possible, even highly probable, that we will not find the answers you seek. You must be willing to accept it as the truth if that is what comes of this search.”
They stared across the room at one another. His gaze held concern and resignation. He honestly thought they wouldn’t find anything. But he was willing to humor her in the hopes that she could exorcise her demons. And she made sure her gaze let him know she wasn’t ready to give up on this line of research just yet. But she let go a soft sigh and offered him a timid smile. “I’ll try, Henry. But I can’t make any promises just yet. And thank you for your support. I know you think this is illogical and won’t turn up anything significant. But your efforts to help me are very much appreciated.”
“I would do anything for you, Rosemary. You should be well aware of that by now,” Henry replied, his voice laced with his love and affection for her. And then his forehead wrinkled, a sure sign that he’d thought of something. She watched him turn to look at the table where their research materials were spread out haphazardly. When he turned back to her a moment later, there was a new light in them. And there was a hint of a smile on his face. “I do believe there might be a few more files that we have not delved into. Allow me a moment to retrieve them,”
Roxxy watched him head into his office, where he dug into one of the several filing cabinets that crowded up against the wall. After several moments, he came out of one drawer with a handful of files. A moment later, Henry rejoined her at the table. He laid the files down on the table even as he pulled his stool up next to hers once more. A moment’s work saw the files sifted into four separate piles. There was also one extra. She stared at it a moment, then frowned when she found her own name written on it. She turned a questioning look his way. “Henry?”
“Humor me, my dear,” he said as he began opening files up. She watched as he flipped open each file belonging to her friends, then layered them one atop another so that the top of each file was visible above the one laying over it. That left the bottom file fully exposed. Roxxy let her gaze slide from one file to the other.
And, suddenly, Roxxy found a commonality between all the files. “Henry!” she exclaimed.
“I see it, my dear,” he rumbled beside her. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was caught up in their discovery. “Unfortunately, I do not believe this is the smoking gun you’ve been looking for.”
Roxxy frowned and studied the files again. She let her gaze take in everything on each of the exposed pages. The room around them seemed to hold its breath while she took in everything the files had to offer. When she finally realized what she was looking at, she offered up a frown. “This doesn’t make any sense. All this shows is high levels of hormones in the four of them when they returned to the mansion. What does this prove, Henry?”
“I am not certain yet, Rosemary. While I do not believe this tells us anything about the odd behaviors we’ve witnessed in our friends, it does tell us something.”
Roxxy turned to look at him. Her curious and confused gaze met his far more serious one. “What does it tell us, Henry?”
Henry looked at the files once again before heaving a soft, world-weary sigh. “It tells us that Sinister was definitely up to something.”
~*~*~*~*~
It was much later than she liked when there was a knock at the door. Haley frowned and wondered if someone had tracked her down. She was of half a mind to go out the window, but both Emilia and TJ were sleeping in the other room. It would be dangerous to try and use the fire escape with a sleeping baby in her arms and a sleepy toddler at her side. “Its me. Open up,” Clint’s voice came through the door, slightly muffled by the wooden panel. She heaved a sigh and moved to the door, taking a moment to check through the peephole before she undid the locks and let the man into the apartment’s main room.
Said apartment was located in a building in Bed-Stuy. Clint had surprised her by not only bringing her there, but by informing her that he owned the building. It had been a generous offer and it had taken a lot to not cry when he’d pressed the key in her hand before leaving her to see if his contacts could dig up any information on Dare. She had spent a few minutes simply studying the place, beyond thankful that she hadn’t needed to risk being seen at a hotel or motel.
The main room was split into three areas. There was a kitchen against one wall, with the dining area off to the left of it. The rest of the room was taken up by the living room. It wasn’t a huge area by any stretch of the imagination. But there was running water and heat and a refrigerator. There were two bedrooms on the other side of the wall where the kitchen sat. A short hall ran between them. The bathroom was on the side where the kitchen was, the smaller of the two bedrooms next to it. The hall ended at the door to a small closet. The other side of the hall was where the master bedroom was located. It wasn’t a grand thing, but it had a comfortable bed with clean bedding and a small television sitting atop a dresser. It was homey. Which was, to be honest, kind of surprising.
“Did you even sleep?” he asked as he settled some take out bags on the small, square table pushed up against the wall in the dining area. The smell of food it her nostrils and saw her stomach rumbling with the need to ave it filled.
“There wasn’t a chance. I had to keep an eye on TJ. She was too excited by getting to visit with Clin today,” Haley responded. There was a faint smile to go with that statement. She loved the way TJ was fearless and latched on to people without care or worry.
“You mean she didn’t tire herself out at the play place?” he questioned, making quick work of the food in the bags. She recognized the distinctive paper containers that screamed Chinese and felt certain that he knew all the best places in the city. A second bag provided soup containers and what she suspected were appetizer type things. The last bag contained paper plates, napkins, and utensils. He placed things just so, setting the table, then brought out serving spoons. Finally, he pulled a few cans of beer from a paper bag and set one before each plate. Then he motioned toward a chair and silently invited her to sit and share a meal with him.
Haley took a seat and opened the cartons nearest her. It looked like he’d gotten one of everything off the menu. There was too much to choose from. So she took a few spoonfuls from each carton. There was one with steamed rice while a second container had fried rice. She had spoonfuls of both. She snagged fried wontons and egg rolls. And whatever else he’d picked up. It wasn’t until Haley took the first bite that she realized her burger and fries from earlier had long since been depleted. There might have been a loud, embarrassing moan of pleasure as one amazing flavor after another burst across her taste buds. Goddamn, that was good.
“So?” she asked around a mouthful of cashew chicken.
Clint gave her a look, then sighed. “I would have liked to enjoy dinner before we got down to business,” he remarked. Haley didn’t miss the double entendre in his statement and rolled her eyes at him. The action brought a wide, knowing smile to life on his face. “There. That’s better.”
“I don’t have time for games, Clint. I need to find Dare,” she told him.
He paused the act of shoveling food into his mouth and stared at her a moment. Then he set his chopsticks down and sat back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest. “You’re afraid Sinister will make a play for her.”
She looked up at him and stifled the urge to choke him. She didn’t like that he’d figured that much of it out already. She could only hope he didn’t figure out the rest of it. She didn’t want to have a talk with him about why her running away from things was a big no-no. Damn him for being smarter than he let people see. “Yes. I’m also afraid that she’ll do something rash and hurt herself. She hasn’t really been thinking rationally lately,” Haley told him.
She watched as he mulled that tidbit over, reaching out to take up his beer and have a drink off it before shaking his head. “Anything like she was when she came back?” he questioned. She knew exactly which when he was referring to. She hadn’t needed the speculative look in his eyes and the hard edge to his words to tell her that.
“Yes. But before you get on your Avenger’s high horse, its turned inward this time. She nearly died, Clint,” Haley confided. She paused a moment as she recalled the fear and worry she’d been living with while watching Dare waste away before her eyes. He gave her a questioning look and knew she had his attention. “Its hard to explain. But she found a way to keep Logan from sniffing her out. And I mean that literally. He couldn’t find her scent at all. And she blocked the link she has with Remy. Neither of them could find her. Whatever she was doing, however she was doing it, it nearly killed her.”
“You’re worried she’ll do it again,” Clint observed. Haley nodded and frowned down at her plate. There was silence for a short time. Then Clint’s voice came. It was soft and gentle and filled with concern. “And what did this thing with Sinister do to you, Haley? What aren’t you telling me?”
Damn it. The man was too observant and perceptive for his own good. “This isn’t about me,” she replied. There was no way she was talking to Barton about her shit. Hell, at the moment, she didn’t even want to think about her shit. “This is about Dare.”
There must have been something in her voice because he put his hands up in surrender. Haley took it to mean that he wasn’t going to bring that stuff up again. She went back to her Chinese and tucked a bite into her mouth. Then she turned her attention back toward him and made sure the look on her face told him she wouldn’t be sidetracked or swayed from her purpose another time. “What have you found out?”
He let go a long sigh, head rocking forward on his shoulders as he did so. Then he lifted it and stared at her, his blue eyes crystal clear and probing. “There’s more going on here than you needing to find Dare. I can see that. And I can also see that you don’t want to talk about anything else. Which only makes me want to ask the questions sitting on the tip of my tongue that much more. I won’t, though. Because I know you won’t answer me. So I guess its down to business.”
She watched as he lifted one of the bags he’d set on the floor when he’d been putting their meal on the table. It was the one from which he’d brought out the plates and utensils. This time, he pulled forth a file folders and, after a moment’s hesitation, handed it across the table to her. Haley set her chopsticks aside and opened the file. Inside of it, she found a dozen or so pieces of paper and about as many glossy photos. Haley checked the sheets of paper. Most of them were flight itineraries and receipts for ticket purchases. The photos were taken from security cameras and from cell phone cameras. All of them were in color and kind of grainy. But she caught a glimpse of strands of dark hair here, of the tip of a nose and curve of a cheek and the shape of lips there. There were no clear images of a full face. Most of the pictures had managed to capture the car seat clutched in one hand. And a pair of bags hung off one shoulder. There was a leather jacket that Haley thought looked like Dare’s. The wide brimmed hat the figure wore didn’t look like something she would wear, though. Haley sighed and set all of the information down. She turned an expectant gaze Clint’s way.
“Dare Scott purchased several tickets at JFK International airport two mornings ago. The destinations were to places all over the country. Los Angeles. Miami. Honolulu. Chicago. Houston. And they were to several foreign cities, as well. Toronto. Paris. Moscow. Tokyo. Hong Kong. Sydney. She paid for all of them with a credit card issued in her name.”
“The one Logan got her,” Haley nodded, once more looking through the papers Clint had provided. “She’s laying a false trail because she knows someone will look for her. And its easy to track the credit card purchases. Most of the destinations she picked are places she’s mentioned wanting to see at one time or another over the years. So there’s no easy way to rule any of them out.” Haley paused and considered the destinations again. “With possible exception of Moscow. I’ve never heard Dare mention wanting to go there.”
“Honolulu struck me as odd because I don’t get the beach bunny vibe from Dare,” Clint added, his finger reaching out to tap one of the sheets of paper. Haley regarded it, then shook her head.
“Not really. Dare would love to see the islands. She once told me she loved the lush greenery and the stunning images of the ocean. She and Logan had talked about going once back in the day. It never happened, though,” Haley told him, her eyes going over the destinations again. She frowned and put the stack of papers down. “But she didn’t go to any of these places. This is a wild goose chase for Logan.”
“You really think she went elsewhere? It would be easy for her to get lost in any one of these cities,” Clint pointed out.
“If she was on her own, yes. But she’s got to take Petra into consideration. And anyone who gets a good look at that baby will know she’s a mutant,” Haley muttered, her brain busy trying to pinpoint the actual destination based on what she didn’t see in the papers and the photos.
“Because the baby has her father’s eyes,” he commented. Haley nodded. She wasn’t surprised that he’d figured that one out, too. “I don’t know if there’s anywhere she can go where people won’t react poorly to eyes like that.”
Clint said something else, but Haley had stopped listening. She was caught up with a minor detail in one of the photos. After several moments of squinting, she dragged out her cell phone. It was easy to open up the camera and then zoom in on a corner of the image. Doing so distorted the bit she was looking at, but she was pretty sure she could just make out what it was. She needed a second opinion, though. So she handed the image over to Clint and motioned toward the spot in the corner. “What does that look like to you?”
He leaned in and stared at the image, then lowered the image so he could focus on her face. “It looks like the Eiffel Tower.”
“It looks like the Eiffel Tower. Which means Dare was, if only for a moment, in Paris.”
“You don’t think she stayed there?” Clint questioned, once more eyeing the photo in question.
“No. She wouldn’t stay in Paris,” Haley shook her head. There were some really not great memories associated with Paris for Dare. “But that doesn’t mean she didn’t use it as a stop over for where she was really heading.”
Clint regarded her for a few moments, then sat back in his chair. There was a hint of a smile on his face that she chose not to consider. “And you think you know where she was really heading.”
Haley nodded. “She went to London. Her mother is English. I presume she still has family there. Maybe she went to see them.”
“And if not?” he asked, reaching for one of his wontons.
“I’ll figure it out as I go along,” she told him. Haley took a drink of her beer and looked at the photos again. Dare was in England. She felt certain of that. It made perfect sense. Haley just had to figure out where in England the other woman had gone. Then she had to get there and track her down. She brought her gaze back up to Clint’s face and gave him a smile. “Now. About that transport…”
Chapter Fifty Three: A Place to Start
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
“Holy shit!” Dare whispered, gaze locked on the painting that dominated the wall above the fireplace mantel. It was of a family. There was a man and a woman in it, seated on a lounge or sofa or whatever. A young boy sat between the two of them, his hair long and a glossy shade of brown that she recognized so easily. A pair of sweet blue eyes stared out of the painting at her. Though they were unfamiliar to her, the expression in them was one she knew well. There was a hint of the devil lingering in them. It was a look he’d inherited from his father.
Her gaze shifted to the adult male beside him. A man who sported the same glossy brown tresses as the boy. Who wore his hair long and carefree. A man who looked out of the painting at her with eyes so familiar that her heart twisted in her chest. There was a mixture of affection and loss in those eyes. Eyes that were red on black, the rested in an angular, tanned face with just the faintest hint of stubble darkening both cheeks and chin. He sat straight and tall, shoulders level underneath the black coat he wore. She could tell it was crafted of rich velvet by the way the artist had captured it and it was black as sin.
Sitting beside the man was a woman who wore a soft expression. Grey eyes were filled with tender warmth and a hint of a smile touched her lips. Dark hair was piled upon her head in a style that didn’t look to be typical of the era her gown suggested. Said gown had the sheen of satin or silk, the color a rich and striking red that looked bold against the darker tones of the painting’s background. There was confidence in her posture, surety in the way she stared out of the painting. And it was as alien to Dare as it could be because that expression was painted on to her own face.
“I would like for ye to meet my ancestor,” Vicki said softly, obviously aware that Dare had recognized herself in the painting. “Her name was Alasdare Scott. And she was what people of her time referred to as Witchbreed. She was born to a titled family in Scotland in the late fifteen hundreds and ran away from home when her father accepted a proposal of marriage for her when she was fourteen. She took to the sea and became one of the most feared pirates of her time. The exploits of her and the other members of her crew became legendary. She sailed on a ship called The Valkyrie beside four other women. And when a life at sea became too dangerous for her, she left it behind and married Robert Lord, a man who was titled in both England and France. When he passed away suddenly, she mourned for a time, then married Lord Anthony Stark.”
“She looks like me,” Dare whispered, her gaze locked on the painting. On her face staring back at her. And on the man at her side. A man named Robert Lord. A man who looked so very much like Remy LeBeau.
“Aye,” Vicki nodded. She’d long ago set Dare’s luggage down and moved over to gently take Petra’s car seat from her. The baby was settled, car seat and all, in one of the chairs. Then Vicki took hold of Dare’s hand and pulled her, unresisting, toward the sitting area. She let Vicki urge her down onto the settee before taking a seat beside her. “You look so much like my ancestor, you could be her twin,” Vicki said, her gaze turning toward the painting on the wall.
“I don’t understand this at all,” Dare shook her head. She let her gaze take in the painting once more before it shifted toward Petra, sleeping peacefully in her car seat. What would Vicki think when she saw Petra’s eyes? Would she realize that the man in the painting was the same man who had fathered her baby? Because that was Remy in the painting. There was no doubt in Dare’s mind. She knew he’d been lost in time for a while. An event he’d never discussed with anyone. What were the odds that there were two men who shared the same build, the same looks, the same eyes? Hell, what were the odds she looked like a long dead relative?
Vicki offered Dare a gentle smile before turning her gaze toward the painting once again. “I think I share your confusion. Imagine my surprise when I got out of my car and laid eyes on you. It felt like I’d seen a ghost. A living, breathing ghost. And then I learned your name. It was like my ancestor had come to life. And I knew I had to help you if I didn’t want to shame my kin.”
“I… don’t understand any of this,” Dare admitted. Slowly. With great difficulty. Not understanding a problem made for a dangerous thing. If there was any one lesson Misty had pounded into her thick skull back in the day, it was that knowing what was happening to her and around her at all times was the best way to keep from being used or taken advantage of. And here she was, in a situation that she simply could not understand.
“Is it so hard to understand that a distant relative would offer to help without wanting anything in return? Simply because they were in a position to do so?” Vicki asked her softly. Dare reluctantly pulled her gaze from the painting so that she could look at her cousin.
“Yes. In my world, in my life, it is very difficult.”
Vicki was silent as she studied Dare’s face. After a long while, she nodded. Her expression was grave. “You’ve obviously had a rough go of it,” she said quietly. Dare almost laughed at that. Calling her life a rough go was a kindness that bordered on painful. So she just nodded and tried to find a way to turn the conversation. Sadly, she was so exhausted that nothing was coming to her. Vicki reached a hand out and patted Dare’s hand. “The more I learn, the more I feel you and she lived the same kind of life.” A nod of her head toward the painting accompanied Vicki’s words.
Dare took that one to heart. She could imagine how hard the life of the woman in the painting had been. Being a woman. Being a pirate. Being what Dare suspected was a mutant. Those were three strikes against her. But, from what Vicki had told her, it sounded like the other Dare, the one in the past, had had more control over her life.
“When Alasdare retired from pirating, she worried that becoming a wife and mother would make her life dull and boring. It proved to be anything but. She had a sense of security she’d never known before. And she took to motherhood so easily. She was truly happy with her lot in life. And then she suffered the loss of her beloved husband. Robert Lord’s death left her adrift. She didn’t know which way to turn. Until Lord Stark made his offer,” Vicki told her. Dare thought there was a note of wistfulness in Vicki’s voice, as if she thought of the story as something like a fairy tale. “She waited the required length of time to mourn before she married him. They had children together. And he indulged her every whim. This house is one of those whims.”
“He bought her an entire manor house on a whim?” Dare asked. For a moment, she was baffled by such a move. But her brain ticked over and pulled a name out of the muck. Lord Anthony Stark. If there was a past version of her and Remy, because she was sure that Robert Lord had existed before Remy had ended up in that time period, then there was no reason a past version of Tony Stark couldn’t exist. And if he was anything like his modern counterpart, buying a house for his bride was something she could easily imagine happening.
“Aye. Because she saw how the world around her treated people who were like her. People who had been born with gifts beyond other people’s kenning. People who were hunted down and persecuted for being different,” Vicki told her. Something in the woman’s look, in the woman’s voice, told Dare that she knew such things had happened to Dare. “So she asked her loving husband to build her this house. When it was completed, she founded the village not far from here. She made it a safe haven for others who had Witchbreed powers. Because she wanted to be sure they had someplace to go where no one would judge them or harm them for something well beyond their control. And I know she’d disown me if I didn’t show that same kindness to one of my own kinsmen. To someone so like her.”
Dare studied Vicki for a few moments, her gaze intense and considering. Sitting before her, she saw a young woman who was absolutely certain about what she was doing. In fact, she was passionate about it. She wanted to help Dare. She honestly thought it the right thing, the only thing, to do. Her obvious desire to show kindness to someone she claimed as kin was enough to bring tears to Dare’s eyes. So very few people had ever cared about her like that in her life. Her parents. The rest of her team. The men they’d each surrounded themselves with. It looked like a lot of people. But it really wasn’t. Not when put against all of the people Dare had met and known over her life. She wanted to accept Vicki’s offer without a second thought.
“You don’t know what kind of person I am,” Dare told the other woman carefully. “For all you know, I could be a serial killer or some other psychopath.”
“If you are, then you’re the finest actress I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The fear and exhaustion. The panic when you thought I’d turn you out. The way you clung to the bairn. None of that looked contrived,” Vicki countered, her tone filled with certainty and conviction. “I have no clue what you’re running from, Dare. But I do ken you’re running. You and the wee bairn sleeping over there. You need a place to hide, a place that will give you peace and respite. I can offer you that. I can give you and the bairn something few people seem to have been able to do. Peace of mind. “
Dare wanted to turn Vicki down. She knew she should turn her down. The other woman didn’t understand what kind of trouble she was inviting simply by having Dare in her home. And she was fairly certain that Vicki didn’t have a mutation with which to protect herself. Hell, the woman hadn’t even asked her about her own mutation. Vicki was playing with so many variables. Hell, she was quite literally playing with fire. Dare should just collect Petra and thank Vicki before slipping out the door and finding some place else to go.
But the truth of the matter was that she was so tired. Tired of running. Tired of never fully trusting anyone. That was why she was in this mess, wasn’t it? Because she didn’t know how to trust people? Hadn’t Logan said that very thing? Hadn’t Summers tried to convince her that she was on a collision course with some kind of break down? Maybe she was already there. Maybe she was starting to crack and break under all of the shit. Maybe Vicki’s offer was her last chance. Maybe, if she accepted and stayed her, it would be a way to learn how to trust people. Then again, maybe it was too late.
Why did she have to be so fucked up? Why did she have to sabotage all of the good things in her life? Why couldn’t she just fucking let go?
Her gaze sought out her daughter. She was so tiny. So innocent. A pawn in a game played by a twisted, sick fuck for his own enjoyment. She deserved the very best of life. She deserved better than Dare had shown her so far. If Dare ran, if she turned Vicki down and ran again, she’d be gifting her daughter with the same issues Dare had dealt with for such a long time. Issues that were finally coming home to roost. There was no way she could pass such fucked up problems on to her daughter. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. If she wanted to do right by Petra, she had to stop making the worst choices and face up to her shit. And she was going to have to start doing that here. Now.
She brought her focus back to Vicki, who had been blessedly silent during Dare’s bout of introspection. There was a soft, peaceful expression on Vicki’s face. No judgement. No pressure. Just a soft smile and a gentle stare that was meant to set Dare at ease. Dare offered her a brief flash of a smile, then leveled a serious gaze on the other woman. “If you’re going to do this, then you need to understand what you’d be getting yourself into. I cannot, in good conscience, accept your offer if you aren’t made fully aware of the things going on in my life. You deserve that truth so that you can decide if you still want to offer me refuge here.”
Vicki studied her a moment, her expression taking on a more serious look. After several moments of silence, she nodded her head in understanding. There would be no give on this. It was that important. Dare wouldn’t start a relationship with a relative she’d never known about with half-truths and full lies. “Very well. Tell me your story, Dare,” Vicki said quietly.
“You’re right. I am running,” Dare began, then paused. How did she tell this story? What did she say? Did she leave things out? “To be honest, I’ve been running my entire life. I started running, mentally, when my mutation kicked in. And then I started running, physically, when a boy I liked in school took me on a date and forced himself on me. He and his friends had made a bet and he did whatever he could to win. When I found out, I lost control of my temper and my powers.” Dare lifted a hand and let it fill with flames, let them flicker and crackle there for a few moments, before drawing them back inside. Vicki’s eyes were wide and Dare didn’t know if it was fear or amazement or something else. “The motel we were at burned down. I didn’t know it at the time, but he never made it out of the room before the fire got to him.”
Dare paused, waiting for Vicki to say something. To judge her actions. To use the admission as a reason to throw her out. All the woman did was reach out and lay a hand on hers in a silent offer of support. And sympathy.
“I ran, afraid of what my parents might think. Of what the police might think. I was just afraid. So I packed up and ran and found my way to New York City. I fell in with a gang there, and they became my family for a time. It was good. And it wasn’t. I had a home and people who cared for me. But there were others that hated us because there was a constant battle between the various street gangs. And the one I lived with won more than they lost. Until another gang got tired of it. They came in at night, when everyone was sleeping. Most of them were drunk. Most of them died in their sleep. And this other gang saved the leader, Misty, for last. Which meant me, too. Because I was Misty’s girl.”
Dare halted for a moment. Took a deep breath and centered herself. Her life with Misty’s gang wasn’t something she liked to speak about often. There were more bad memories than good and, if she wasn’t careful, they would overwhelm her.
To her credit, Vicki remained silent. Her attention was focused completely on Dare and she had her thoughts and feelings hidden behind a politely curious expression. Dare wasn’t sure if she really did what to know what was happening or if she’d been taught to show polite interest even in the face of boredom.
“Misty woke up in time to push me off the bed and onto the floor. She met the other gang members on her feet, naked and intent on protecting me. But there were so many of them and they all had guns,” Dare whispered the last part, some of the remembered pain from that night coloring her words. Vicki offered her a sorrowful look, one hand reaching out to cover Dare’s.
“I’m so sorry. I cannae imagine how difficult that was,” Vicki said softly.
Dare offered her a watery smile, then pressed on. “When Misty was dead, bleeding out on the bed we’d shared, the other gang pulled me to my feet and made ready to end my life. The sight of Misty lying there, lifeless and bloody, brought my rage to a boil. And the flames came without conscious thought. They ate everything and everybody in that warehouse. Except for me. They let me walk out of the building without a scratch or a smudge of soot.”
“Poor love. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I ended up going to a school for mutant children. A childhood friend had begged Professor Xavier to find me. And he did. He found me and took me to his school and enrolled me there. I caught up on my education and graduated with my peers. I got drafted onto a team and became an official X-Man. Started doing superhero things. Started a relationship. Which brought me to the attention of a man who was pretty much my partner’s nemesis. He kidnapped me and another person. Used us both. Nearly killed the other person. Left me pregnant and very much fucked up. But I had friends who cared enough to help pull me back from that ledge. And when Dee was born, I had a reason to go on and be better. Several years later, that man came back into my life and he gutted me. I died. And got sent back without my memories to try and destroy my partner. I ended up killing more people. I almost killed my friends. But I was given access to my memories before I could. Kind of died again. Came back again. Did some more superhero shit.”
Vicki’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Yeah. That tended to happen when Dare mentioned her past. She wondered if she’d perhaps told Vicki too much. But Dare put that idea aside. Vicki truly needed to understand what she’d invited into her house. “And then, a couple of months ago, several of the X teams were sent out to investigate some anomaly in the desert. None of them came back. At last, my team was sent out. And we ended up battling Apocalypse’s horsemen. We got our ass handed to us. And most of us got taken. When I woke up, I was in a room with one other person and there were pheromones being pumped into the room.”
“Good God,” Vicki breathed.
“Well, our kidnapper thinks he’s a god. But he’s just an annoying asshole with a gift for genetics and a passion for fucking people’s lives up. He’d grabbed me and several other X-Men, people who were friends and part of the family I’d built for myself, and he forced us to have sex until the four women he’d grabbed got pregnant. So he could create super mutant babies that he planned on handing over to Apocalypse. So that fuck nut could create his horsemen.”
Dare watched as Vicki’s gaze slid toward the chair where Petra’s car eat rested. When she turned her attention back to Dare, it was plain to see that Vicki had figured out why Dare was running. Or, at least, a part of why. “The man who did this could show up at any time and attempt to take Petra. He could try to take both of us. And I don’t know if I’ve got enough power to stop him. I want you to understand that my staying here might put you in harm’s way. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. I’m not worth that kind of loyalty, kin or not.”
Vicki stared at her for a long, silent stretch of time. Dare held her stare, didn’t shift or squirm under the other woman’s intense gaze. Finally, after what felt to be an eternity, a smile came to Vicki’s face. It was soft and faintly sad. She reached out a hand and laid it on Dare’s knee. It was a gentle, reassuring touch. Dare fought off tears, because she knew what Vicki was going to say just from that touch alone. “You are worth that kind of loyalty and more, Dare. You are a human being with strengths and flaws like the rest of us. You obviously love your little one very much. And you are obviously very confused about things in your life right now. I would be heartless and cruel if I put my comfort over your needs. It sounds to me as if its long past time someone showed the kindness you’re due. I want to be the one who does.”
The honest sincerity in her words and on her face, the gentle look in her eyes, the comforting weight of her hand resting on Dare’s knee… All of it saw the tears she hated so much and had desperately tried to hold back leaking out anyway. They trailed down her cheeks and dripped onto the faded black material of her t-shirt. A moment later, she found herself tugged firmly into Vicki’s embrace, her cousin’s arms holding her close and offering solace while the fear and confusion of the past two months poured out with her tears. And Vicki continued to hold her until the tears had long dried up and all that remained was the occasional hiccup or sob. Only then did Vicki pull back and look Dare over, heat to toe, before offering a rueful smile.
“You look as if a strong wind will knock you over. When did you last get a good night’s sleep? Or eat a good meal?” Vicki asked, her brogue soft and bright against the seriousness of her words. “Never mind. Its obviously been a wee while since you did either. So here’s what we shall do. We will find a crib for the wee one ---”
“Petra. Her name is Petra,” Dare interrupted, wiping at the moisture still clinging to her lashes.
“Such a strong name for a wee bairn,” Vicki exclaimed. “We shall find a crib for Petra and put her to bed in it so that she has room to move and stretch. Then we shall find you a bite to eat. Something rich and filling. Once you’ve eaten your fill, you will climb into that soft bed over there and have yourself a wee sleep because you look absolutely dragged out.”
Dare’s eyes shot to the large wooden bed against the wall and stared, then turned back to Vicki. “I couldn’t. This room is too fine and nice for me. Petra and I don’t need much. I can even sleep on the floor…”
The protests died off quickly enough with the hard stare Vicki sent her way. “There’ll be none of that now. This was our ancestor’s private room and she would be most upset if I were to put you in a wee, small room with no comfort to it at all. “
Dare let her gaze slide over the opulence of the chamber in which she sat. There was no doubt in her mind that it was too fine for her. But she felt certain that Vicki wouldn’t take no for an answer. The woman was determined and hard to turn down. She turned a trembling smile Vicki’s way. “Thank you. I think I’d like that very much.”
“Aye, and of course you would. Now, let’s get everything settled and get you and Petra taken care of.” Vicki stood from the settee and started for the door. “Once you’ve had a wee nap, we’ll have to wander into the village for a spell. I have some people I want you to meet.”
Dare blinked. That sounded… slightly intimidating. She stood, too, and went to scoop up Petra’s seat. Vicki made it to the door, then pressed a button on a panel near the door. Dare had to wonder what it was for. Only moments later, the door opened to reveal a man in a white button up shirt and black dress slacks. He wore a vest with a tartan pattern on it and a plain black tie. Hair that was equal amounts of black and silvery-grey topped his head. Shrewd eyes in deep brown looked first to Vicki and then moved to take in Dare where she stood. “You rang, Miss Victoria?” the man asked. There was a definite brogue in his voice and he sounded like he was as interested in what was going on as he would be interested in having a colonoscopy.
“Yes, Jameson,” Vicki said, offering the man a warm smile. She turned and motioned toward Dare with one hand. “I should like for you to meet my cousin, Alasdare Scott. She’s visiting from America. We still have a crib after Alyssa’s baby here, do we not?”
“Aye, Miss Victoria. We do.”
“Have a couple of the lads bring it down and set it up in here for wee Petra, please,” Vicki requested of the man. His gaze slid to the car seat Dare held and she thought she saw his expression soften for a moment. Then his gaze returned to Vicki and he gave a quick nod.
“Of course, Miss Victoria. Is there anything else?” Jameson asked. There was only mild curiosity in his tone, making Dare wonder if Vicki did things like bring home strays all the time.
“No. I think that will be all for the time being. I’m going to take Dare down to the kitchens and find her something to eat. Then I’m going to put her to bed. She looks positively knackered. I would ask that you look out for her and treat her with the same care and courtesy you’ve shown myself and my parents,” Vicki said.
“As you say, Miss Victoria,” Jameson nodded. “I will ensure that the en suite is stocked and ready for Miss Alasdare’s use. I believe Miss Alyssa left behind a baby bath. I’ll have it brought down, as well. I will also make sure to inform Bess when she returns from the shops that there will be another place to set for dinner.”
“Please,” Vicki smiled, a wide thing that gave her a youthful and carefree look. “Whatever would we do without you, Jameson?”
“I shudder to think, Miss Victoria. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Jameson replied in a voice lacking inflection. He shifted his attention Dare’s way and offered an incline of his head. “Miss Alasdare.” He was gone a moment later. Vicki shot her a look, then laughed and shook her head.
“Jameson is harmless and I can tell he’s already taken with Petra. Give it a day or so and he’ll be as protective of the two of you as a mother hen is of her chicks,” Vicki replied. Then she stepped out into the hallway. “Now. Let’s go find you something to nibble on. Food and a nap will set everything to rights.”
Dare wasn’t so sure about that. She thought it would take far more than food and a nap to see her set to rights again. But she smiled at Vicki anyway and followed her out into the hallway. She didn’t know what to make of the situation she was in. And she didn’t know how long things would last. The peace felt fragile and tentative. She wasn’t sure what to do about everything.
She guessed she was just going to have to take it one step at a time. It was the only thing she could do.
~*~*~*~*~
The slow, steady tick tick tick of the clock was the only noise in the room at present. And it was mocking her. She’d been so sure that her instincts were correct, that there was something in her friends’ genetics that would explain the sudden and bizarre changes she’d seen in their recent behavior. Because it had to be something Sinister had done to them. There was no other rational explanation. And she didn’t want to entertain what it might mean if it hadn’t been Sinister mucking about with their genetics. But she still hadn’t been able to find anything. And she and Henry had gone over all of their information several times over.
What was she going to do if there was no genetic explanation for the oddities of their actions? What if it was simply the first stages of a madness that couldn’t be curbed or cured?
Roxxy muttered a curse and threw her pen across the work table. It clattered against the surface before bouncing noisily off the wall. There was the faint clinking of the pen as it hit the glass of several test tubes. Then the clock advancing every forward was the only sound left. She slumped against the table, head buried against her arms, and tried to fight the growing despondency that wanted to fill her. She wasn’t surprised when a large, warm hand settled against her back, right between her shoulder blades. Henry knew her moods almost better than she did sometimes. “There is no need for such negativity, Rosemary,” he told her gently.
“No need? We’ve been at this for hours, Henry, and we’ve found nothing. We’ve looked a dozen times and there’s nothing there to suggest that Sinister did anything to them on a genetic level. And if he isn’t responsible for their behaviors, that means that there is something very wrong with my friends. Something I don’t think I’ll be able to fix,” Roxxy replied, lifting her head so she could look Henry in the face.
He offered her a faint smile, one that looked slightly pained, and squatted until his face was level with hers. “It is possible, my love, that this is the way things were meant to be. We cannot know for certain what liberties Sinister took while he held our friends and loved ones captive. Perhaps his treachery lies more on the mental level than the genetic one,” he told her. His tone was soft and patient, his words not entirely unkind. And they were nothing she wanted to hear.
“It has to be something genetic, Henry. Mental doesn’t explain Dare’s surge in power or her ability to simply disappear. It doesn’t explain Haley’s over the top reactions and the glimmer I know I saw more than once. Those are not reactions to some kind of mental treachery,” she replied, her tone adamant. “It has to be something done on the genetic level.”
“I know how fervently you want to believe that, Rosemary. But you said yourself that we’ve found nothing in their genetic markers to explain things. We’ve found nothing at all. I think, perhaps, you need to step away and clear your mind,” he told her gently. “Perhaps the wisest course of action would be to simply give up and set it aside.”
Roxxy shot from her stool so that she could take a dozen steps away from him. She didn’t want him to comfort her and, in the process, convince her that there was nothing to be found. There was something there. There had to be. There was a voice at the back of her head whispering to her that she was missing something important. “No!” she shot back, her voice loud. Vehemence lived in that single word, enough that it saw Henry giving her a faintly concerned stare.
“Rosemary—”
“No, Henry! It isn’t something mental! It isn’t something that I can’t fix! There’s something there. We just haven’t found it yet.” Roxxy turned her gaze to the files stacked up on the table’s surface. She looked at the slides and the tubes and all of the data that sat there. “Have we looked at everything? Have we gone through every file?”
“Rosemary, why is this so important to you? Why must you torture yourself with things that might not be?” he asked gently.
“I have to find a way to solve this because they’d do no less for me,” she replied, her voice softening. “Haley is my best friend. She was the one who made me feel like I belonged here when I was so sure that I would never fit in. Never make friends. She made sure I knew that I was wanted here. That I was loved and appreciated and cared for. And let’s not forget that Dare died to protect us and the kids. She fucking died, Henry. How can you expect me to ignore the gifts my friends and family have given me over the years? I won’t stop looking until I either find the problem or I breathe my last breath.”
The look Henry gave her suggested she perhaps sounded a little melodramatic. Roxxy felt a touch of embarrassment. But it was how she felt and nothing was going to change that. Silence held between them for several long moments until, finally, Henry heaved a soft sigh. “Your love and dedication to your friends is an admirable trait, Rosemary, and one of many reasons why I love you. If you are so dedicated to this endeavor, then I can do no less but offer up my everything in your pursuit of the truth. But you must understand that it is entirely possible, even highly probable, that we will not find the answers you seek. You must be willing to accept it as the truth if that is what comes of this search.”
They stared across the room at one another. His gaze held concern and resignation. He honestly thought they wouldn’t find anything. But he was willing to humor her in the hopes that she could exorcise her demons. And she made sure her gaze let him know she wasn’t ready to give up on this line of research just yet. But she let go a soft sigh and offered him a timid smile. “I’ll try, Henry. But I can’t make any promises just yet. And thank you for your support. I know you think this is illogical and won’t turn up anything significant. But your efforts to help me are very much appreciated.”
“I would do anything for you, Rosemary. You should be well aware of that by now,” Henry replied, his voice laced with his love and affection for her. And then his forehead wrinkled, a sure sign that he’d thought of something. She watched him turn to look at the table where their research materials were spread out haphazardly. When he turned back to her a moment later, there was a new light in them. And there was a hint of a smile on his face. “I do believe there might be a few more files that we have not delved into. Allow me a moment to retrieve them,”
Roxxy watched him head into his office, where he dug into one of the several filing cabinets that crowded up against the wall. After several moments, he came out of one drawer with a handful of files. A moment later, Henry rejoined her at the table. He laid the files down on the table even as he pulled his stool up next to hers once more. A moment’s work saw the files sifted into four separate piles. There was also one extra. She stared at it a moment, then frowned when she found her own name written on it. She turned a questioning look his way. “Henry?”
“Humor me, my dear,” he said as he began opening files up. She watched as he flipped open each file belonging to her friends, then layered them one atop another so that the top of each file was visible above the one laying over it. That left the bottom file fully exposed. Roxxy let her gaze slide from one file to the other.
And, suddenly, Roxxy found a commonality between all the files. “Henry!” she exclaimed.
“I see it, my dear,” he rumbled beside her. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was caught up in their discovery. “Unfortunately, I do not believe this is the smoking gun you’ve been looking for.”
Roxxy frowned and studied the files again. She let her gaze take in everything on each of the exposed pages. The room around them seemed to hold its breath while she took in everything the files had to offer. When she finally realized what she was looking at, she offered up a frown. “This doesn’t make any sense. All this shows is high levels of hormones in the four of them when they returned to the mansion. What does this prove, Henry?”
“I am not certain yet, Rosemary. While I do not believe this tells us anything about the odd behaviors we’ve witnessed in our friends, it does tell us something.”
Roxxy turned to look at him. Her curious and confused gaze met his far more serious one. “What does it tell us, Henry?”
Henry looked at the files once again before heaving a soft, world-weary sigh. “It tells us that Sinister was definitely up to something.”
~*~*~*~*~
It was much later than she liked when there was a knock at the door. Haley frowned and wondered if someone had tracked her down. She was of half a mind to go out the window, but both Emilia and TJ were sleeping in the other room. It would be dangerous to try and use the fire escape with a sleeping baby in her arms and a sleepy toddler at her side. “Its me. Open up,” Clint’s voice came through the door, slightly muffled by the wooden panel. She heaved a sigh and moved to the door, taking a moment to check through the peephole before she undid the locks and let the man into the apartment’s main room.
Said apartment was located in a building in Bed-Stuy. Clint had surprised her by not only bringing her there, but by informing her that he owned the building. It had been a generous offer and it had taken a lot to not cry when he’d pressed the key in her hand before leaving her to see if his contacts could dig up any information on Dare. She had spent a few minutes simply studying the place, beyond thankful that she hadn’t needed to risk being seen at a hotel or motel.
The main room was split into three areas. There was a kitchen against one wall, with the dining area off to the left of it. The rest of the room was taken up by the living room. It wasn’t a huge area by any stretch of the imagination. But there was running water and heat and a refrigerator. There were two bedrooms on the other side of the wall where the kitchen sat. A short hall ran between them. The bathroom was on the side where the kitchen was, the smaller of the two bedrooms next to it. The hall ended at the door to a small closet. The other side of the hall was where the master bedroom was located. It wasn’t a grand thing, but it had a comfortable bed with clean bedding and a small television sitting atop a dresser. It was homey. Which was, to be honest, kind of surprising.
“Did you even sleep?” he asked as he settled some take out bags on the small, square table pushed up against the wall in the dining area. The smell of food it her nostrils and saw her stomach rumbling with the need to ave it filled.
“There wasn’t a chance. I had to keep an eye on TJ. She was too excited by getting to visit with Clin today,” Haley responded. There was a faint smile to go with that statement. She loved the way TJ was fearless and latched on to people without care or worry.
“You mean she didn’t tire herself out at the play place?” he questioned, making quick work of the food in the bags. She recognized the distinctive paper containers that screamed Chinese and felt certain that he knew all the best places in the city. A second bag provided soup containers and what she suspected were appetizer type things. The last bag contained paper plates, napkins, and utensils. He placed things just so, setting the table, then brought out serving spoons. Finally, he pulled a few cans of beer from a paper bag and set one before each plate. Then he motioned toward a chair and silently invited her to sit and share a meal with him.
Haley took a seat and opened the cartons nearest her. It looked like he’d gotten one of everything off the menu. There was too much to choose from. So she took a few spoonfuls from each carton. There was one with steamed rice while a second container had fried rice. She had spoonfuls of both. She snagged fried wontons and egg rolls. And whatever else he’d picked up. It wasn’t until Haley took the first bite that she realized her burger and fries from earlier had long since been depleted. There might have been a loud, embarrassing moan of pleasure as one amazing flavor after another burst across her taste buds. Goddamn, that was good.
“So?” she asked around a mouthful of cashew chicken.
Clint gave her a look, then sighed. “I would have liked to enjoy dinner before we got down to business,” he remarked. Haley didn’t miss the double entendre in his statement and rolled her eyes at him. The action brought a wide, knowing smile to life on his face. “There. That’s better.”
“I don’t have time for games, Clint. I need to find Dare,” she told him.
He paused the act of shoveling food into his mouth and stared at her a moment. Then he set his chopsticks down and sat back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest. “You’re afraid Sinister will make a play for her.”
She looked up at him and stifled the urge to choke him. She didn’t like that he’d figured that much of it out already. She could only hope he didn’t figure out the rest of it. She didn’t want to have a talk with him about why her running away from things was a big no-no. Damn him for being smarter than he let people see. “Yes. I’m also afraid that she’ll do something rash and hurt herself. She hasn’t really been thinking rationally lately,” Haley told him.
She watched as he mulled that tidbit over, reaching out to take up his beer and have a drink off it before shaking his head. “Anything like she was when she came back?” he questioned. She knew exactly which when he was referring to. She hadn’t needed the speculative look in his eyes and the hard edge to his words to tell her that.
“Yes. But before you get on your Avenger’s high horse, its turned inward this time. She nearly died, Clint,” Haley confided. She paused a moment as she recalled the fear and worry she’d been living with while watching Dare waste away before her eyes. He gave her a questioning look and knew she had his attention. “Its hard to explain. But she found a way to keep Logan from sniffing her out. And I mean that literally. He couldn’t find her scent at all. And she blocked the link she has with Remy. Neither of them could find her. Whatever she was doing, however she was doing it, it nearly killed her.”
“You’re worried she’ll do it again,” Clint observed. Haley nodded and frowned down at her plate. There was silence for a short time. Then Clint’s voice came. It was soft and gentle and filled with concern. “And what did this thing with Sinister do to you, Haley? What aren’t you telling me?”
Damn it. The man was too observant and perceptive for his own good. “This isn’t about me,” she replied. There was no way she was talking to Barton about her shit. Hell, at the moment, she didn’t even want to think about her shit. “This is about Dare.”
There must have been something in her voice because he put his hands up in surrender. Haley took it to mean that he wasn’t going to bring that stuff up again. She went back to her Chinese and tucked a bite into her mouth. Then she turned her attention back toward him and made sure the look on her face told him she wouldn’t be sidetracked or swayed from her purpose another time. “What have you found out?”
He let go a long sigh, head rocking forward on his shoulders as he did so. Then he lifted it and stared at her, his blue eyes crystal clear and probing. “There’s more going on here than you needing to find Dare. I can see that. And I can also see that you don’t want to talk about anything else. Which only makes me want to ask the questions sitting on the tip of my tongue that much more. I won’t, though. Because I know you won’t answer me. So I guess its down to business.”
She watched as he lifted one of the bags he’d set on the floor when he’d been putting their meal on the table. It was the one from which he’d brought out the plates and utensils. This time, he pulled forth a file folders and, after a moment’s hesitation, handed it across the table to her. Haley set her chopsticks aside and opened the file. Inside of it, she found a dozen or so pieces of paper and about as many glossy photos. Haley checked the sheets of paper. Most of them were flight itineraries and receipts for ticket purchases. The photos were taken from security cameras and from cell phone cameras. All of them were in color and kind of grainy. But she caught a glimpse of strands of dark hair here, of the tip of a nose and curve of a cheek and the shape of lips there. There were no clear images of a full face. Most of the pictures had managed to capture the car seat clutched in one hand. And a pair of bags hung off one shoulder. There was a leather jacket that Haley thought looked like Dare’s. The wide brimmed hat the figure wore didn’t look like something she would wear, though. Haley sighed and set all of the information down. She turned an expectant gaze Clint’s way.
“Dare Scott purchased several tickets at JFK International airport two mornings ago. The destinations were to places all over the country. Los Angeles. Miami. Honolulu. Chicago. Houston. And they were to several foreign cities, as well. Toronto. Paris. Moscow. Tokyo. Hong Kong. Sydney. She paid for all of them with a credit card issued in her name.”
“The one Logan got her,” Haley nodded, once more looking through the papers Clint had provided. “She’s laying a false trail because she knows someone will look for her. And its easy to track the credit card purchases. Most of the destinations she picked are places she’s mentioned wanting to see at one time or another over the years. So there’s no easy way to rule any of them out.” Haley paused and considered the destinations again. “With possible exception of Moscow. I’ve never heard Dare mention wanting to go there.”
“Honolulu struck me as odd because I don’t get the beach bunny vibe from Dare,” Clint added, his finger reaching out to tap one of the sheets of paper. Haley regarded it, then shook her head.
“Not really. Dare would love to see the islands. She once told me she loved the lush greenery and the stunning images of the ocean. She and Logan had talked about going once back in the day. It never happened, though,” Haley told him, her eyes going over the destinations again. She frowned and put the stack of papers down. “But she didn’t go to any of these places. This is a wild goose chase for Logan.”
“You really think she went elsewhere? It would be easy for her to get lost in any one of these cities,” Clint pointed out.
“If she was on her own, yes. But she’s got to take Petra into consideration. And anyone who gets a good look at that baby will know she’s a mutant,” Haley muttered, her brain busy trying to pinpoint the actual destination based on what she didn’t see in the papers and the photos.
“Because the baby has her father’s eyes,” he commented. Haley nodded. She wasn’t surprised that he’d figured that one out, too. “I don’t know if there’s anywhere she can go where people won’t react poorly to eyes like that.”
Clint said something else, but Haley had stopped listening. She was caught up with a minor detail in one of the photos. After several moments of squinting, she dragged out her cell phone. It was easy to open up the camera and then zoom in on a corner of the image. Doing so distorted the bit she was looking at, but she was pretty sure she could just make out what it was. She needed a second opinion, though. So she handed the image over to Clint and motioned toward the spot in the corner. “What does that look like to you?”
He leaned in and stared at the image, then lowered the image so he could focus on her face. “It looks like the Eiffel Tower.”
“It looks like the Eiffel Tower. Which means Dare was, if only for a moment, in Paris.”
“You don’t think she stayed there?” Clint questioned, once more eyeing the photo in question.
“No. She wouldn’t stay in Paris,” Haley shook her head. There were some really not great memories associated with Paris for Dare. “But that doesn’t mean she didn’t use it as a stop over for where she was really heading.”
Clint regarded her for a few moments, then sat back in his chair. There was a hint of a smile on his face that she chose not to consider. “And you think you know where she was really heading.”
Haley nodded. “She went to London. Her mother is English. I presume she still has family there. Maybe she went to see them.”
“And if not?” he asked, reaching for one of his wontons.
“I’ll figure it out as I go along,” she told him. Haley took a drink of her beer and looked at the photos again. Dare was in England. She felt certain of that. It made perfect sense. Haley just had to figure out where in England the other woman had gone. Then she had to get there and track her down. She brought her gaze back up to Clint’s face and gave him a smile. “Now. About that transport…”
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-27 08:54 pm (UTC)What did Henry and Roxxy find?! And what does it mean? Hmmm. I'm so glad that Henry didn't give up on her, even when it looked hopeless.
This was a very welcome respite while sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Thanks, bb. I enjoyed it muchly. *smooches*
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-27 11:38 pm (UTC)you're going to hate me and i'm so sorry, but it will come up later. in this story, even. i promise. its important to the plot. and we're getting close to the end, so a little more patience, love. and i can't see Henry ever giving up on Roxxy. even when he knows its hopeless. because he loves her that much
i'm glad i could help push some of the stress back for a time. i just wish i'd had more for you to pass the time. you're most welcome, sweetie. i'm glad you liked it. thanks for the comments. cos you know, comments are <3!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-27 08:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-27 11:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-29 02:09 pm (UTC)I feel like Dare could do a deep history dive into this family history. lol And I'm glad Vicki has a good heart and a good head on her shoulders to show Dare some comfort and understanding. When you lay out her whole story, even just glossing over a lot of it, it gets clearer and clearer why she is the way she is, but accepting that she can be accepted like this is a good step and I'm proud of her!
I know I've said it before but I think once everything is settled, everybody should spring for a trip to somewhere lovely for Roxxy and Hank to just decompress for like a month. Her need to find some reason beyond just trauma responses makes sense though because if it is just that, it's harder to help and harder to find solutions. But look at that! They found something! I wonder what's going on!
Of course Haley can't get a nap in. Bless Clint for trying to get her to settle but... we all know that's not happening. I also love that Clint knows there's a ton of non-Dare related reasons she's doing this but knows she won't talk about it so why waste time, right? Also good to see that the Avengers animosity is still alive and well! :D
She hasn’t really been thinking rationally lately. Pot, meet kettle. Oh boy Haley. LOL
I love seeing Haley actually work this stuff out. She knows Dare pretty well by now and knows she'd leave a trail to send Logan all over the world. Mostly because she'd likely do--and is doing--the same. Hopefully she can pick up the trail in London!
Great work, hun!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-10-30 03:50 pm (UTC)if Dare did a deep dive, i think she'd be at it for a good long while. also. i am very glad that Vicki is exactly the kind of blood family that Dare needs right now. obviously she shouldn't have fucked off on the family she made for herself. but i feel like she needed an outside perspective from someone who has no reason to care about what does or doesn't happen to her. and i'm really glad that Vicki is that person. like, Dare spent so much of her life thinking her blood family didn't care. and we know she's reconnected with her parents. but i feel like Vicki is the next step in not only accepting that her famiyl loves her, but accepting that, yes. lots of shit has happened to her. but that doesn't diminish who she is as a person to the people who care about her. which i feel might be one of her biggest obstacles at the moment.
someone should spring for a trip for Roxxy and Henry. those two have put up with so much in the past month. hell, they both deserve fucking medals at this point. also, whatever Roxxy and Henry discovered will be brought out into the open soon. ish.
Haley is in hyper-vigilant mode at the moment, so i think a nap wasn't optional for her. i absolutely love bringing to light the fact that Clint is so much smarter than people see or give him credit for. i know he projects an image, but still. anyone who can do what he does is not as stupid as people want to make him out to be. also, that Avengers animosity is not dying any time soon. not at all.
Haley has been thinking. just not about any of her shit. so...
running would be pointless if one didn't try to hide their tracks. Dare's got her street smarts on her side in this endeavor. Haley has her leadership role and all her years of running her team and dealing with all of the political/PR bullshit to help her along. so i'm sure Haley is pulling all of that knowledge into play here. we'll see how she does in London.
glad you liked it, hon. <3