Invasion: MSV Chapter 25
Jan. 22nd, 2009 01:57 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusWell ladies... *evil grin* Ready to play with the big boys?
Title: Invasion:MSV
Fandom: Marvel Universe
Rating: 18+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters here. They and the world this is set in are the property of Marvel Entertainment. The Purple Team is the property of ginevrasm (Morgan/Faye), ladydeathfaerie (Dare), sessys_fangirl (Jehnna), nanaeanaven (Roxxy) and dazzledfirestar (Haley). They are not to be used without permission. I make no money from this, and it is simply a form of entertainment.
Warnings: graphic M/F sex, preg, language and as always... ANGST
Roxxy had kindly agreed to keep the dress safe until Haley returned to the school Sunday night, but the grin the dress had inspired was still on her face as she rode the elevator up. She waved to Roberta, and moved into Johnny’s room. “Wow… you look like shit.”
“Thanks.” He was sprawled out on the bed, one arm over his face. “Any luck today?”
She shrugged, her smile widening again. “A little. What happened to you?”
“I took part in an aggressive therapy session.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed. “I went and talked to Dare… kind of.”
“Johnny, you didn’t have to…”
“It was Logan’s idea actually. Thought it might help if she actually… you know, saw me as a person.” He shrugged and sat up.
“And did it?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He felt the mattress dip behind him a moment before Haley wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He leaned back against her. “Do you have to go back tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” She let her lips wander along the back of his neck. She frowned a little. “You’re exhausted.” He nodded slowly. “What the hell did she do to you?”
“Same thing she did last time.” He shrugged again. He wasn’t telling her everything and she knew it. “I just didn’t fight back.”
“You just stood there and took it?” She ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t have to turn to look at her to know how she felt about it. She was worried, and rightly so. It would have been easier on him to fight back. Absorbing that much heat without letting it off somewhere else was far more draining that just blasting it back at her, but that would have defeated the whole point. “Johnny,” she turned him to look at her. He expected her to say something, anything… he was so used to the lectures from Sue, he’d started expecting them from everyone. But she didn’t lecture. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For… trying.” Haley kissed him again, trying to drive back the idea that Dare had come a hell of a lot closer to winning this time than she probably realized.
He shrugged as she pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Morgan said something when you were…” his cheeks flushed a little and he squeezed her hand, “after the whole alien thing.” He couldn’t hide the fear he’d had over loosing her in that moment. “She said your team is your family.”
“They are.” She kissed his cheek, trying to drive back the memory of that for him. “But…”
“No, there’s no ‘but’ about it. She’s your family. I can’t make her like me, but I can try to smooth things out a little.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I don’t want you to give up everything you worked for just because…” He swallowed thickly.
A wave of guilt washed over her, and it wasn’t her own. “I’m not giving anything up.” She leaned on his shoulder. “I’m gaining you. And,” She took his hand, setting it on her stomach, just below her belly button. “I’m gaining more family.” She kissed him again. “We’ll figure out some way to keep the team going.” She smiled a little and pulled him a little closer. “I love you. And you haven’t done anything to warrant feeling that guilty.”
“Except get you pregnant while you were dating someone else and throwing your entire life out of whack…”
“Do you honestly think I’d be marrying you just because of that?”
“No, but…”
“My life would have been out of whack anyway with everything that’s happened.” Her smile got a little wider. “I love you. I always did. I was just too stupid to see it.”
“Hey,” He ran his fingers through her hair. “That’s my future wife you’re talking about.” He smiled. “I just never thought it’d be like this.”
She sat up. “Like what?”
He pulled her back down onto the mattress and pulled her into his arms. “So… rushed.”
“Getting cold feet on me already?” She kissed his cheek and he smiled.
“No.” He kissed her lips softly. “Six months ago I thought I’d never have this with you again. Now…”
She smiled before he lips pressed to hers again. “Now…?”
A low chuckle left his lips as he fell back against the pillow. “Now, I wish I wasn’t so damn tired so I could show you exactly what I wanted to do to you six months ago.” He smirked at her as she snuggled closer.
“I’m going to make you do just that after you’ve had a nap.”
“Promise?”
“Hell, yes.”
~*~*~*~
Morgan found Dare sitting out in the gazebo when she got home. The smaller woman had gotten a glimpse or two of Logan’s ‘intervention’ that afternoon, but hadn’t said anything to the others. She didn’t want to get Haley upset. Their fearless leader had enough going on as it was. Dare looked like she was in one of her ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ moods. “We found a dress for Haley.”
“Ah.”
“Roxxy’s got it upstairs if you want to see it.”
“When have I ever wanted to see a dress?”
“Dare,” Morgan frowned. “This isn’t like we went shopping for any old dress. It’s…”
“I know. It’s her fucking wedding. I get it.”
Morgan’s brow furrowed a little. There was far less anger in Dare’s voice than she’d expected. When the pyrokinetic didn’t say anything else, Morgan tried another tactic. “So, what’d you do today?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t pick any of that shit up?”
Morgan sighed. Logan had given her a heads up on his little plan, obviously thinking that if Dare really lost it, Morgan would find out anyway. “Yeah, well… did it work?”
Dare glared down at the floor of the gazebo for a long moment. Long enough for Morgan to wonder if she was totally wasting her time even trying to engage Dare, or if the spot she was staring at was going to start smoking soon. Dare’s voice brought her back. “I’m being a royal bitch, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, you are.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You asked.” Morgan shrugged. “He’s not that bad, you know.”
“Fuck, are you joining the fan club too now?” Dare ran both hands through her hair.
“No.” Morgan rested a hand on the taller girl’s shoulder. “But…” she sighed heavily. She hated to think on this. She’d been so sure that Piotr and Haley were meant for each other, but that had obviously been a common misconception for all of them. She’d spent a lot time while trying to psych herself up for the wedding considering the things she’d seen all those years ago on their trips into the city. “I’ve seen them together, Dare.”
“Four years ago.” Dare nearly rolled her eyes.
“Even then… there was something… I don’t know. Maybe this is one of those fate things.” Morgan shrugged again as if she couldn’t really put her finger on anything solid. “And she’s happy with him.”
“So I keep hearing.”
“Maybe you should try seeing it.” Morgan got nothing but a ‘humph’ in response. “At least you’re not ripping my head off this time.” Morgan gave a half hearted smile. “At least I can bring this up without you flying off the handle.”
“Too tired.” Dare shrugged. Morgan got up after a few minutes of silence, intent on going back into the mansion and leaving Dare alone with her thoughts. “He didn’t fight back, Morgan.”
“I didn’t think he would. Not once he figured out…”
“What? That I’m nuts?”
“No. That this really has nothing to do with him.”
“I’m being a bitch.”
“We’ve been over this already.”
“I still think she’s making a mistake.” Dare finally lifted her head and looked at her best friend.
“Fine.” Morgan sat back down. “Then you can be there for her while she makes this mistake, and if you’re right, we’ll all be there for her when it falls apart. Besides,” the smaller woman patted Dare’s thigh, “no one is asking you to love the guy. Haley’s the one that’s got to do that.”
Dare sighed. “I don’t think I can do it. Just sit there and smile like I’m totally alright with this.”
“Well, you’ve got a week to get used to the idea, Dare.” Morgan shrugged again and got to her feet. “So are you going to sit out here pouting all night, or are you going to come inside and see the dress.”
Dare looked out into the dark for a long moment before heaving a sigh and getting up. “If it’s all fluffy and lacy, I’ll never stop laughing at her.”
~*~*~*~
Jehnna was sprawled out on her bed, letting her imagination run away with her when she heard a knock on the door. “Want some company?” Warren poked his head into the room and she smiled, nodding and sitting up. “I take it the shopping trip went well.” He settled on the edge of her bed.
“Yeah, I think she’s all set now.” There was a dreamy quality to Jehnna’s voice, left over from her little trip through her mind.
“So are the rest of you going to get strapped into hideous bridesmaid dresses?” He chuckled.
“No,” Jehnna shook her head. “It’s just a tiny little wedding, so Roxxy’s the only one standing up with her. But…” her smile got a little wider. “Haley said that if we all happen to wear blue, she won’t argue.”
A warm laugh left his lips. “I can’t imagine trying to put something like a wedding together so quickly.” He shook his head a little.
Jehnna shrugged. “If it were a 500 person affair, I’d agree with you.”
He made a small noise, as if lost in thought. She raised an eyebrow at him for a moment before he looked at her again. “What?”
“That looked like a deep thought.” She smiled before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“I’ll let you know.” He smiled and pulled her closer. It was a deep thought, and he’d have to give it a little more time to marinate before putting any words to it. It had been in his head for awhile now, and he was surprised that he hadn’t said anything before all the mess with the alien, but now… “I love you.” He pressed his lips to her, pressing her back against the mattress.
She moaned softly into the kiss. “I love you too.” She smiled.
“Do you ever feel like you missed something?” Her brow furrowed a little as he spoke.
“Missed something?”
“Well, we’ve been together for a long time now and…” He pushed her hair back from her face. “Don’t you feel like you should be out sowing wild oats or something?”
She actually laughed before pulling him down into another kiss. “Warren, I don’t think I have any wild oats.” Her cheeks flushed a little. “I can’t imagine… being with anyone else.” She sighed, running fingers through his hair. “I look at all my friends have been through and…”
“What?” Warren sat up, bringing her with him. “You think they wasted their time?”
“No, not at all.” Jehnna shook her head. “I think how lucky I was to find you right off the bat, and that I didn’t screw it up.” She smiled.
“Hmm… I never thought of it that way.”
“I can’t think of another way to look at it.”
He smiled. “I bet your friends could come up with one or two other ways.” He kissed her again, his hands moving slowly up from her waist to rest just below her breasts. A few moments later, all thoughts, deep or not left both of them. Clothes slowly found their way to the floor as they explored the familiar curves and plains of each other’s bodies. Warren let his lips wander down from hers, along her neck, down to her collarbone and finally to her hardening nipples. She let out a gasp as he wrapped his lips around one of them, letting his fingers play with the other.
“Warren…” Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him against her. The way she moaned his name sent a shiver through him. It came out in a small twitch in his wings. “Please…” She gasped as his fingers slipped between her thighs. It took no time at all for him to bring her to the heights of ecstasy. So many nights spent in her arms had taught him every spot, every place to kiss and touch to make her moan and gasp. When he was sure she was satisfied, he pulled back. She blinked at him sleepily. “Where do you think you’re going?” She smiled.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed her as he settled between her thighs. She moaned low in her throat as he pushed into her, her hips rising to meet his. His moans mingled with hers as he began to move, long slow thrusts stoking the fires between them until she moaned his name again, her body tensing around him. That was the moment when he thought she was possibly the most beautiful woman on the planet… or any planet for that matter. Her head thrown back, her skin flushed, lips kiss swollen and completely unaware of how just watching her affected him. He bent low, burying his head in the crux of her neck and her shoulder, muffling a moan. “God, Jehnna…” His wings came down on either side of them, a curtain of white. “I love you.”
Her eyes flickered open, taking him in as his climax washed over him. He collapsed forward, barely keeping his weight off her. Her hands found their way to his face and she kissed him softly. “I love you too.”
~*~*~*~
There was something a little odd about hearing ‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun’ from a purple scaly face. Haley sighed. She’d thought that maybe getting her 9th grade English class to act out some of Romeo and Juliet might just get them a little more enthusiastic about it all. It wasn’t working. The pair of students at the front of the class were about as enthusiastic as a pair of sea cucumbers. “Okay, great.” She pushed herself off the desk she had been leaning on at the back of the room. The bell interrupted her a moment later. “We’ll get to everyone else tomorrow.” She nearly had to shout over the din of her students collecting their things and practically stampeding for the door.
She plopped herself down in her desk chair and started shuffling papers. It was lunch time, she should go get something to eat, but for whatever reason, she wasn’t feeling hungry. At least she wasn’t nauseous. That had made her first two classes that morning fun. The message on her answering machine that morning hadn’t helped either.
“Something came up, babe. It’s not a big deal, I’m sure. But I’ll probably be gone for a few days. I love you.”
‘Something came up’ was practically superhero code for ‘someone is trying to destroy/take over/eat something important’. But if Johnny didn’t think it was a big deal, it probably wasn’t. Of course, his idea of a big deal was somewhat different than a normal person, but still. He’d be fine, he’d be back before the wedding, and everything was good. She’d known that and wasn’t worried. At least until that sudden stab of fear nearly overwhelmed her at the beginning of her last class. It was gone as quickly as it came up, but still…. What was that about? Now, she couldn’t stop thinking about it, and was almost sure she should ask the professor to check in on… She sighed. No, she was just being paranoid. He was fine. There was still that lingering presence in the back of her mind that told her that he was okay. They’d been through enough after all… right? Fate had to take it easy on them eventually, right?
“Earth to Haley!”
“Huh?” Her head snapped up to look at Roxxy. “Sorry, what’s up?”
“Where were you?”
“Nowhere good.” She sighed and dropped the stack of paper in her hand on the desk. “I’m just… I don’t know. I’m not feeling like myself today.”
“Any particular reason?” Roxxy’s brow furrowed and she perched on the edge of the desk.
“I got a message from Johnny this morning… he’s off saving the world, and…”
“And you’re worried about him.”
“Yeah.” Haley frowned.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“Haley, I’m sure that he…”
“I know… okay. I know. I just… I felt something and…”
Roxxy reached forward and took Haley’s hand. “You know what it’s like going into a fight. Your emotions are all over the place.” The shape shifter shrugged a little. “He’s fine, I’m sure.” Roxxy hopped off the desk. “Let’s get some lunch.”
The rest of the day was uneventful, and Haley had spent most of the evening grading papers and occasionally poking at her connection to Johnny, just to make sure it was still there. It was; nothing changed, but that in itself began to worry her. Her brain was mush by the time she finished with the papers and she was fully ready to sit down and watch some mindless TV.
The rec room was practically deserted when she went in. She heard a few of her students practicing the scene she’d given them, and a few other people were huddled near the TV. She stop for a moment to listen to the scene the two students were going over. “Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud - Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble - And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.” A shiver went through her and she pulled her sweater a little tighter over her shoulders, though something told her that shiver had nothing to do with temperature. She shook her head and moved into the room. The voice coming from the TV was one of a reporter.
“…crash in eastern Europe. From early reports there appears to be no survivors.”
Ugh… the news was the last thing she needed. She turned to leave and ran smack into Jehnna. “Oh god, Haley…”
“What?” the redhead’s brow furrowed a little. “Jehnna, what’s wrong?” She didn’t have to wait for an answer. The reporter’s voice filled the room.
“Again, it seems the Fantasticar went down over Eastern Europe this afternoon, killing the Fantastic Four.”
Jehnna grabbed Haley’s shoulder, perhaps afraid that the taller girl would faint. She didn’t feel faint, she didn’t feel anything. Dead? No… no, it was impossible. She poked at the part of her that was connected to Johnny. It was still there. He was still there. “No.” She shook her head.
“Haley, I’m…”
“If you say you’re sorry, I’ll smack you.” She turned to Jehnna, anger in her eyes. “He’s not dead.” She turned and left the room, leaving Jehnna scrambling to keep up. He wasn’t dead, she’d know, she’d feel it if he was. When she reached the Professor’s office, the door was already open.
“Haley, dear. You don’t need to ask, I’ve already scanned the area in question.”
“And?” She had no doubt, absolutely no doubt he’d found them.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t detect anything.”
This time she felt faint. Jehnna made it into the room just in time to help her into a chair. “No, that’s not possible.” Her voice was venomous. “You’ve missed them. Check again.”
“I checked several times…”
“Check. Again.” She bit the words off.
The Professor let out a long suffering sigh. “Miss D’abo, would you excuse us for a moment?”
“Of course, Professor.” She shot a nervous glace at Haley before leaving the office and closing the door behind her.
“Miss Stone,” His tone was one he hadn’t used with her since she was fifteen and she’d punched a hole in a wall, “I have scanned that area more times than I would under normal circumstances. I found nothing to suggest that they are still alive.” He wheeled out from behind his desk. “I understand that this will be extremely hard to accept, given that the two of you had so recently…” he frowned, as if searching for the right words. He obviously didn’t find them. “And with the baby…”
“He’s not dead. I can still feel him.” She refused to cry. Not now. There was nothing to cry about after all… she was so sure.
“The mind is a complex thing, Haley. It could be residual energy, or even some kind of wishful thinking. You mind could be protecting you from something you are not ready to face.”
“No. No, he’s alive.” She shook her head.
“I didn’t…”
“And you’re the be all and end all on this?” Her eyes rose to the man in front of her. “You can’t possibly be wrong, is that what you’re saying?”
“Haley, I know you’re upset…”
“That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?” She let a dry, humorless laugh leave her lips. “That it’s impossible for you to be wrong. Professor, you may be the best telepath on the planet, but, as you have always pointed out to your faithful students, even you are still human. You can be wrong.”
“I suppose there is a possibility, however slim that I may have missed something.” He looked like it pained him to admit it. “But the technology involved would be…”
Haley’s eyes grew large. Technology… Eastern Europe…”Professor, I… I didn’t really hear much of the report.” She did her best to keep the bitterness she felt because of his reluctance to help from her voice. “Where… where did they go down?”
His brow furrowed, he’d still been talking when she interrupted. “Hungary, I think.”
“Where in Hungary?”
“Is it really that important for you to know such details, my dear?”
Far more important than you obviously realize you self important bastard. She choked back the thought before he could get a whiff of it. “Yes, Professor, I feel I need to know.”
“Near the southern border from what I understand. But Haley…”
He kept talking, but she’d tuned him out. The southern border of Hungary… the border it shared with Latveria. The word left her lips as little more than a breath. “Fuck.”
Title: Invasion:MSV
Fandom: Marvel Universe
Rating: 18+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters here. They and the world this is set in are the property of Marvel Entertainment. The Purple Team is the property of ginevrasm (Morgan/Faye), ladydeathfaerie (Dare), sessys_fangirl (Jehnna), nanaeanaven (Roxxy) and dazzledfirestar (Haley). They are not to be used without permission. I make no money from this, and it is simply a form of entertainment.
Warnings: graphic M/F sex, preg, language and as always... ANGST
Roxxy had kindly agreed to keep the dress safe until Haley returned to the school Sunday night, but the grin the dress had inspired was still on her face as she rode the elevator up. She waved to Roberta, and moved into Johnny’s room. “Wow… you look like shit.”
“Thanks.” He was sprawled out on the bed, one arm over his face. “Any luck today?”
She shrugged, her smile widening again. “A little. What happened to you?”
“I took part in an aggressive therapy session.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed. “I went and talked to Dare… kind of.”
“Johnny, you didn’t have to…”
“It was Logan’s idea actually. Thought it might help if she actually… you know, saw me as a person.” He shrugged and sat up.
“And did it?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He felt the mattress dip behind him a moment before Haley wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He leaned back against her. “Do you have to go back tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” She let her lips wander along the back of his neck. She frowned a little. “You’re exhausted.” He nodded slowly. “What the hell did she do to you?”
“Same thing she did last time.” He shrugged again. He wasn’t telling her everything and she knew it. “I just didn’t fight back.”
“You just stood there and took it?” She ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t have to turn to look at her to know how she felt about it. She was worried, and rightly so. It would have been easier on him to fight back. Absorbing that much heat without letting it off somewhere else was far more draining that just blasting it back at her, but that would have defeated the whole point. “Johnny,” she turned him to look at her. He expected her to say something, anything… he was so used to the lectures from Sue, he’d started expecting them from everyone. But she didn’t lecture. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For… trying.” Haley kissed him again, trying to drive back the idea that Dare had come a hell of a lot closer to winning this time than she probably realized.
He shrugged as she pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Morgan said something when you were…” his cheeks flushed a little and he squeezed her hand, “after the whole alien thing.” He couldn’t hide the fear he’d had over loosing her in that moment. “She said your team is your family.”
“They are.” She kissed his cheek, trying to drive back the memory of that for him. “But…”
“No, there’s no ‘but’ about it. She’s your family. I can’t make her like me, but I can try to smooth things out a little.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I don’t want you to give up everything you worked for just because…” He swallowed thickly.
A wave of guilt washed over her, and it wasn’t her own. “I’m not giving anything up.” She leaned on his shoulder. “I’m gaining you. And,” She took his hand, setting it on her stomach, just below her belly button. “I’m gaining more family.” She kissed him again. “We’ll figure out some way to keep the team going.” She smiled a little and pulled him a little closer. “I love you. And you haven’t done anything to warrant feeling that guilty.”
“Except get you pregnant while you were dating someone else and throwing your entire life out of whack…”
“Do you honestly think I’d be marrying you just because of that?”
“No, but…”
“My life would have been out of whack anyway with everything that’s happened.” Her smile got a little wider. “I love you. I always did. I was just too stupid to see it.”
“Hey,” He ran his fingers through her hair. “That’s my future wife you’re talking about.” He smiled. “I just never thought it’d be like this.”
She sat up. “Like what?”
He pulled her back down onto the mattress and pulled her into his arms. “So… rushed.”
“Getting cold feet on me already?” She kissed his cheek and he smiled.
“No.” He kissed her lips softly. “Six months ago I thought I’d never have this with you again. Now…”
She smiled before he lips pressed to hers again. “Now…?”
A low chuckle left his lips as he fell back against the pillow. “Now, I wish I wasn’t so damn tired so I could show you exactly what I wanted to do to you six months ago.” He smirked at her as she snuggled closer.
“I’m going to make you do just that after you’ve had a nap.”
“Promise?”
“Hell, yes.”
Morgan found Dare sitting out in the gazebo when she got home. The smaller woman had gotten a glimpse or two of Logan’s ‘intervention’ that afternoon, but hadn’t said anything to the others. She didn’t want to get Haley upset. Their fearless leader had enough going on as it was. Dare looked like she was in one of her ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ moods. “We found a dress for Haley.”
“Ah.”
“Roxxy’s got it upstairs if you want to see it.”
“When have I ever wanted to see a dress?”
“Dare,” Morgan frowned. “This isn’t like we went shopping for any old dress. It’s…”
“I know. It’s her fucking wedding. I get it.”
Morgan’s brow furrowed a little. There was far less anger in Dare’s voice than she’d expected. When the pyrokinetic didn’t say anything else, Morgan tried another tactic. “So, what’d you do today?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t pick any of that shit up?”
Morgan sighed. Logan had given her a heads up on his little plan, obviously thinking that if Dare really lost it, Morgan would find out anyway. “Yeah, well… did it work?”
Dare glared down at the floor of the gazebo for a long moment. Long enough for Morgan to wonder if she was totally wasting her time even trying to engage Dare, or if the spot she was staring at was going to start smoking soon. Dare’s voice brought her back. “I’m being a royal bitch, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, you are.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You asked.” Morgan shrugged. “He’s not that bad, you know.”
“Fuck, are you joining the fan club too now?” Dare ran both hands through her hair.
“No.” Morgan rested a hand on the taller girl’s shoulder. “But…” she sighed heavily. She hated to think on this. She’d been so sure that Piotr and Haley were meant for each other, but that had obviously been a common misconception for all of them. She’d spent a lot time while trying to psych herself up for the wedding considering the things she’d seen all those years ago on their trips into the city. “I’ve seen them together, Dare.”
“Four years ago.” Dare nearly rolled her eyes.
“Even then… there was something… I don’t know. Maybe this is one of those fate things.” Morgan shrugged again as if she couldn’t really put her finger on anything solid. “And she’s happy with him.”
“So I keep hearing.”
“Maybe you should try seeing it.” Morgan got nothing but a ‘humph’ in response. “At least you’re not ripping my head off this time.” Morgan gave a half hearted smile. “At least I can bring this up without you flying off the handle.”
“Too tired.” Dare shrugged. Morgan got up after a few minutes of silence, intent on going back into the mansion and leaving Dare alone with her thoughts. “He didn’t fight back, Morgan.”
“I didn’t think he would. Not once he figured out…”
“What? That I’m nuts?”
“No. That this really has nothing to do with him.”
“I’m being a bitch.”
“We’ve been over this already.”
“I still think she’s making a mistake.” Dare finally lifted her head and looked at her best friend.
“Fine.” Morgan sat back down. “Then you can be there for her while she makes this mistake, and if you’re right, we’ll all be there for her when it falls apart. Besides,” the smaller woman patted Dare’s thigh, “no one is asking you to love the guy. Haley’s the one that’s got to do that.”
Dare sighed. “I don’t think I can do it. Just sit there and smile like I’m totally alright with this.”
“Well, you’ve got a week to get used to the idea, Dare.” Morgan shrugged again and got to her feet. “So are you going to sit out here pouting all night, or are you going to come inside and see the dress.”
Dare looked out into the dark for a long moment before heaving a sigh and getting up. “If it’s all fluffy and lacy, I’ll never stop laughing at her.”
Jehnna was sprawled out on her bed, letting her imagination run away with her when she heard a knock on the door. “Want some company?” Warren poked his head into the room and she smiled, nodding and sitting up. “I take it the shopping trip went well.” He settled on the edge of her bed.
“Yeah, I think she’s all set now.” There was a dreamy quality to Jehnna’s voice, left over from her little trip through her mind.
“So are the rest of you going to get strapped into hideous bridesmaid dresses?” He chuckled.
“No,” Jehnna shook her head. “It’s just a tiny little wedding, so Roxxy’s the only one standing up with her. But…” her smile got a little wider. “Haley said that if we all happen to wear blue, she won’t argue.”
A warm laugh left his lips. “I can’t imagine trying to put something like a wedding together so quickly.” He shook his head a little.
Jehnna shrugged. “If it were a 500 person affair, I’d agree with you.”
He made a small noise, as if lost in thought. She raised an eyebrow at him for a moment before he looked at her again. “What?”
“That looked like a deep thought.” She smiled before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“I’ll let you know.” He smiled and pulled her closer. It was a deep thought, and he’d have to give it a little more time to marinate before putting any words to it. It had been in his head for awhile now, and he was surprised that he hadn’t said anything before all the mess with the alien, but now… “I love you.” He pressed his lips to her, pressing her back against the mattress.
She moaned softly into the kiss. “I love you too.” She smiled.
“Do you ever feel like you missed something?” Her brow furrowed a little as he spoke.
“Missed something?”
“Well, we’ve been together for a long time now and…” He pushed her hair back from her face. “Don’t you feel like you should be out sowing wild oats or something?”
She actually laughed before pulling him down into another kiss. “Warren, I don’t think I have any wild oats.” Her cheeks flushed a little. “I can’t imagine… being with anyone else.” She sighed, running fingers through his hair. “I look at all my friends have been through and…”
“What?” Warren sat up, bringing her with him. “You think they wasted their time?”
“No, not at all.” Jehnna shook her head. “I think how lucky I was to find you right off the bat, and that I didn’t screw it up.” She smiled.
“Hmm… I never thought of it that way.”
“I can’t think of another way to look at it.”
He smiled. “I bet your friends could come up with one or two other ways.” He kissed her again, his hands moving slowly up from her waist to rest just below her breasts. A few moments later, all thoughts, deep or not left both of them. Clothes slowly found their way to the floor as they explored the familiar curves and plains of each other’s bodies. Warren let his lips wander down from hers, along her neck, down to her collarbone and finally to her hardening nipples. She let out a gasp as he wrapped his lips around one of them, letting his fingers play with the other.
“Warren…” Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him against her. The way she moaned his name sent a shiver through him. It came out in a small twitch in his wings. “Please…” She gasped as his fingers slipped between her thighs. It took no time at all for him to bring her to the heights of ecstasy. So many nights spent in her arms had taught him every spot, every place to kiss and touch to make her moan and gasp. When he was sure she was satisfied, he pulled back. She blinked at him sleepily. “Where do you think you’re going?” She smiled.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed her as he settled between her thighs. She moaned low in her throat as he pushed into her, her hips rising to meet his. His moans mingled with hers as he began to move, long slow thrusts stoking the fires between them until she moaned his name again, her body tensing around him. That was the moment when he thought she was possibly the most beautiful woman on the planet… or any planet for that matter. Her head thrown back, her skin flushed, lips kiss swollen and completely unaware of how just watching her affected him. He bent low, burying his head in the crux of her neck and her shoulder, muffling a moan. “God, Jehnna…” His wings came down on either side of them, a curtain of white. “I love you.”
Her eyes flickered open, taking him in as his climax washed over him. He collapsed forward, barely keeping his weight off her. Her hands found their way to his face and she kissed him softly. “I love you too.”
There was something a little odd about hearing ‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun’ from a purple scaly face. Haley sighed. She’d thought that maybe getting her 9th grade English class to act out some of Romeo and Juliet might just get them a little more enthusiastic about it all. It wasn’t working. The pair of students at the front of the class were about as enthusiastic as a pair of sea cucumbers. “Okay, great.” She pushed herself off the desk she had been leaning on at the back of the room. The bell interrupted her a moment later. “We’ll get to everyone else tomorrow.” She nearly had to shout over the din of her students collecting their things and practically stampeding for the door.
She plopped herself down in her desk chair and started shuffling papers. It was lunch time, she should go get something to eat, but for whatever reason, she wasn’t feeling hungry. At least she wasn’t nauseous. That had made her first two classes that morning fun. The message on her answering machine that morning hadn’t helped either.
“Something came up, babe. It’s not a big deal, I’m sure. But I’ll probably be gone for a few days. I love you.”
‘Something came up’ was practically superhero code for ‘someone is trying to destroy/take over/eat something important’. But if Johnny didn’t think it was a big deal, it probably wasn’t. Of course, his idea of a big deal was somewhat different than a normal person, but still. He’d be fine, he’d be back before the wedding, and everything was good. She’d known that and wasn’t worried. At least until that sudden stab of fear nearly overwhelmed her at the beginning of her last class. It was gone as quickly as it came up, but still…. What was that about? Now, she couldn’t stop thinking about it, and was almost sure she should ask the professor to check in on… She sighed. No, she was just being paranoid. He was fine. There was still that lingering presence in the back of her mind that told her that he was okay. They’d been through enough after all… right? Fate had to take it easy on them eventually, right?
“Earth to Haley!”
“Huh?” Her head snapped up to look at Roxxy. “Sorry, what’s up?”
“Where were you?”
“Nowhere good.” She sighed and dropped the stack of paper in her hand on the desk. “I’m just… I don’t know. I’m not feeling like myself today.”
“Any particular reason?” Roxxy’s brow furrowed and she perched on the edge of the desk.
“I got a message from Johnny this morning… he’s off saving the world, and…”
“And you’re worried about him.”
“Yeah.” Haley frowned.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“Haley, I’m sure that he…”
“I know… okay. I know. I just… I felt something and…”
Roxxy reached forward and took Haley’s hand. “You know what it’s like going into a fight. Your emotions are all over the place.” The shape shifter shrugged a little. “He’s fine, I’m sure.” Roxxy hopped off the desk. “Let’s get some lunch.”
The rest of the day was uneventful, and Haley had spent most of the evening grading papers and occasionally poking at her connection to Johnny, just to make sure it was still there. It was; nothing changed, but that in itself began to worry her. Her brain was mush by the time she finished with the papers and she was fully ready to sit down and watch some mindless TV.
The rec room was practically deserted when she went in. She heard a few of her students practicing the scene she’d given them, and a few other people were huddled near the TV. She stop for a moment to listen to the scene the two students were going over. “Or bid me go into a new-made grave, And hide me with a dead man in his shroud - Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble - And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstain'd wife to my sweet love.” A shiver went through her and she pulled her sweater a little tighter over her shoulders, though something told her that shiver had nothing to do with temperature. She shook her head and moved into the room. The voice coming from the TV was one of a reporter.
“…crash in eastern Europe. From early reports there appears to be no survivors.”
Ugh… the news was the last thing she needed. She turned to leave and ran smack into Jehnna. “Oh god, Haley…”
“What?” the redhead’s brow furrowed a little. “Jehnna, what’s wrong?” She didn’t have to wait for an answer. The reporter’s voice filled the room.
“Again, it seems the Fantasticar went down over Eastern Europe this afternoon, killing the Fantastic Four.”
Jehnna grabbed Haley’s shoulder, perhaps afraid that the taller girl would faint. She didn’t feel faint, she didn’t feel anything. Dead? No… no, it was impossible. She poked at the part of her that was connected to Johnny. It was still there. He was still there. “No.” She shook her head.
“Haley, I’m…”
“If you say you’re sorry, I’ll smack you.” She turned to Jehnna, anger in her eyes. “He’s not dead.” She turned and left the room, leaving Jehnna scrambling to keep up. He wasn’t dead, she’d know, she’d feel it if he was. When she reached the Professor’s office, the door was already open.
“Haley, dear. You don’t need to ask, I’ve already scanned the area in question.”
“And?” She had no doubt, absolutely no doubt he’d found them.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t detect anything.”
This time she felt faint. Jehnna made it into the room just in time to help her into a chair. “No, that’s not possible.” Her voice was venomous. “You’ve missed them. Check again.”
“I checked several times…”
“Check. Again.” She bit the words off.
The Professor let out a long suffering sigh. “Miss D’abo, would you excuse us for a moment?”
“Of course, Professor.” She shot a nervous glace at Haley before leaving the office and closing the door behind her.
“Miss Stone,” His tone was one he hadn’t used with her since she was fifteen and she’d punched a hole in a wall, “I have scanned that area more times than I would under normal circumstances. I found nothing to suggest that they are still alive.” He wheeled out from behind his desk. “I understand that this will be extremely hard to accept, given that the two of you had so recently…” he frowned, as if searching for the right words. He obviously didn’t find them. “And with the baby…”
“He’s not dead. I can still feel him.” She refused to cry. Not now. There was nothing to cry about after all… she was so sure.
“The mind is a complex thing, Haley. It could be residual energy, or even some kind of wishful thinking. You mind could be protecting you from something you are not ready to face.”
“No. No, he’s alive.” She shook her head.
“I didn’t…”
“And you’re the be all and end all on this?” Her eyes rose to the man in front of her. “You can’t possibly be wrong, is that what you’re saying?”
“Haley, I know you’re upset…”
“That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?” She let a dry, humorless laugh leave her lips. “That it’s impossible for you to be wrong. Professor, you may be the best telepath on the planet, but, as you have always pointed out to your faithful students, even you are still human. You can be wrong.”
“I suppose there is a possibility, however slim that I may have missed something.” He looked like it pained him to admit it. “But the technology involved would be…”
Haley’s eyes grew large. Technology… Eastern Europe…”Professor, I… I didn’t really hear much of the report.” She did her best to keep the bitterness she felt because of his reluctance to help from her voice. “Where… where did they go down?”
His brow furrowed, he’d still been talking when she interrupted. “Hungary, I think.”
“Where in Hungary?”
“Is it really that important for you to know such details, my dear?”
Far more important than you obviously realize you self important bastard. She choked back the thought before he could get a whiff of it. “Yes, Professor, I feel I need to know.”
“Near the southern border from what I understand. But Haley…”
He kept talking, but she’d tuned him out. The southern border of Hungary… the border it shared with Latveria. The word left her lips as little more than a breath. “Fuck.”
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