Title: A Different Day
Author: Lady Bethia
Series:
E-Mail: lady-bethia@yahoo.com
Home Page:
Pairings: None
Ratings: PG
Warnings: None
Disclaimers: The X-Men are not mine. I am making no profit from this
story.
Sara Anne Miller and John Creed are my original characters.
Summary: Scott leaves the X-Men after the death of Dark Phoenix and goes
down south.
A Different Day
'I thought that Florida was humid. Boy was I mistaken. New Orleans is the worst,' thought Scott as he walked down the hall of the Holiday Inn to find his room. He was dripping with sweat and feeling miserable and all he wanted was a cold shower and a drink. He looked down at his soaked t- shirt and pulled at it in disgust. He was so preoccupied with his own discomfort that he was not paying any attention to the sounds going on around him. Then suddenly, the door right next to him opened and a young woman with a little toddler boy in her arms ran right into him.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," said the woman as she stumbled back and rearranged the child on her hip.
"Do you need any help?" He asked with polite concern.
The harried young woman with auburn hair and her arms full of blonde baby boy and a diaper bag said, "No, thanks. John and I are OK. Are you sure you're alright?" She smiled warmly at him.
"I'm fine." Scott stated noticing no ring on the woman's hand.
"Are you new in town? Oh, I am so sorry, where are my manners? My name is Sara and this is my son John." She tried to hold out her hand for him to take.
"I'm Scott." He said in way of an answer. He started to leave. "Well it has been nice meeting you." He turned to leave.
"Wait," she called. "I'm sorry that I was staring. I was just trying to figure out what kind of mutation would need red colored glasses." She removed her own sunglasses and showed him her blue on black eyes. "I have unusual eyes too."
He took a deep breath after he realized that he had been holding it. "I need them to keep the power in my eyes in check. If I took them off, I would blow a hole in what ever I was looking at."
"Wow, that's a dangerous mutation. Can't you control them any other way other than your glasses?" She asked while tapping her forehead with her finger.
"No, I had an accident when I was a child. It put me in a coma for a while and it damaged the portion of my brain that we think controls my powers." Then he thought, 'Why am I telling her this? Why do I feel comfortable with her?' "I always have to be very careful of my eyes so that I don't hurt anyone by accident." She smiled at him again. And it felt good to have some one not judge him a monster after finding out he was a mutant. He was beginning to think that coming down here was a good idea after all.
"With my eyes, I can see really well in the dark which also makes me very light sensitive. Do you have any other mutations?" Sara asked. She was now curious about this handsome Yankee.
"No, the eyes are enough." He replied shaking his head.
"I'm also empathic. I don't know if I can do anything else." She shrugged her shoulders. "I try to stay away from people who want to test me. My ex told me some of the horrible experiments that the government and scientists did to him and other mutants. It really frightened me."
Scott made no rely to that having seen what the government did to Logan, he understood perfectly.
"Well Scott, John and I were headed over to the Krystal's down the street for some lunch. Would you like to come with us, that is if you don't have any other plans?" She asked in her friendly southern drawl.
Scott half smiled and said, "Yes, why not I don't have any plans right now." His stomach growled in response. He looked sheepishly at his stomach. He hadn't even realized that he was hungry. And he couldn't remember what he ate last or when.
"Great." Sara said.
"Gate! Gate! Quare sam'ich" Cried John happily while clapping his hands. John then reached out for Scott to take him.
Scott looked at Sara in confusion and she smiled.
"He's a good judge of character Scott. Go ahead and take him if you want."
Scott took John into his arms knew his worse nightmare had come true. He would never have a family with Jean.
John sensed the change in Scott and patted him on the cheek while making shushing noises. "Cott be fine now." John said quietly.
Scott looked at John with a startled expression and Sara said, "I think he inherited my empathy."
After walking to Krystal's with only John making any attempts at conversation, Sara looked at the tall, sober man standing next to her. "Scott are you all right?" She asked quietly.
"Yes, why?" He asked as he frowned at Sara with his 'The Leader is annoyed' look.
"It's just that you have a look on your face like I use to wear a while back. Did you loose someone too?" Sara said as she put her hand on his arm.
He stiffened and she drew away. Looking at the floor with great interest he replied, "Yes, my fiancée and best friend died in an accident."
"I'm sorry. Mine just disappeared on us. He left the house to go to work and never showed up there or came home." She said and shrugged her shoulders.
"We had been together for four years. My parents wouldn't help me out because they never liked him especially since he didn't marry me after I got pregnant. Then the police wouldn't help either of course; being a mutant looking for another mutant wasn't a priority in their book. Anyway sometimes, he did work that was not on the right side of the law. But he promised us that he would stay away from those people and their damned missions that could get him killed or worse. But I guess the worst got him instead."
"What was his name? Maybe, I have heard of him and know where he might be." Scott said as his mind began to race. The only person he knew of right off hand that fit the bill was Logan. He had only joined the team a year or so back and they still didn't know his real history.
"Scott for some reason, you look familiar to me. Are you one of the spandex brigade?" She asked timidly almost looking afraid as she changed the subject.
"The spandex.?" He sputtered startled by her question.
"Pan'x, Pan'x." said John laughing. "Cott he'o?" He asked trying to bounce up and down in Scott's arms.
Scott was completely baffled by the boy in his arms. "What did he just say?"
Laughing and holding her sides she replied. "He said 'Spandex, spandex'. And then asked you if 'Scott was a hero'." Getting a hold of herself, she continued. "And what I was asking you was, are you with one of the Super hero or villain groups?" She replied trying to stop laughing and catch her breath.
"We were trying to be heroes, but after Jean was killed I quit." He stated. The look on his face was one of stoic resolve mixed with pain.
"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath before going on. "John's dad was one of the bad guys, I think. Then of course, the media makes it out that all of the super powered mutants are villains. He was trying to turn his life around with us. We were happy. And I know he loved us very much." She appeared to be about to cry when John insisted on his lunch.
"Mama hungie. Cott hungie growl. Johnny hungie." John began to pout.
"All right dear. Let's order." She said as she turned to go to the counter.
"You never answered my question on his name." Scott insisted as he put John down.
"I am afraid that you will either hurt us or tell me that he's dead." She stared at her blue tennis shoes. "I need to get my order in. Excuse me please." She walked to the counter rubbing her eyes and placed her order.
He followed her. "I won't hurt you. You were never part of any of the groups were you?"
"No, I wasn't. I was just out of high school when I met him at a club in Memphis. I was there celebrating the fact that I didn't have to be 21 to drink in Tennessee. Those of us born before August of that year could drink at 18 still; we were part of the grandfather clause. While anyone born after August 1 had to wait till they were 21." Scott ordered his food. After taking her seat, she took a deep breath and looked at Scott and said. "His name is Victor Creed." She hoped the chance was worth it and that Scott knew something.
The name hit Scott like a ton of brick. "Creed, Sabretooth?" He asked in obvious shock. Then he began to stiffen slowly, he stared at her intently preparing for anything including an attack.
"Yes, that was what some people called him. I never called him that. He was always Victor or Vic, or Dada for John."
Scott stared at Sara with what she considered a very disapproving look. Sara sat up straighter in her chair. "I have done nothing wrong. He was always good to us. Victor never hurt John or me until he didn't come home that day. I will not have you or anyone look at me like I'm trash beneath your feet!" She started to get up and leave.
"I am sorry Sara. It is just; I have fought with him and seen the people he has murdered." Scott gestured with his hands. "Sabretooth is a vicious psychopath. I just find it hard to believe him as a loving partner or father." Scott stated bluntly.
"My parents would be in total agreement with you there," she said with a cold tone and even colder eyes. "John and I thank you for having lunch with us. I wish you luck." Sara got up and started to gather her things and her son. John began yelling loudly. He liked Scott and wanted to play with him.
"No, no eat eat wit Cott." He shouted at the top of his voice.
"John I will not argue with you. We need to leave and see about that apartment."
"Please don't leave especially mad." He reached out and touched her arm gently. "Stay and finish your lunch." Scott said. He felt sorry for Sara. She was trying very hard and she really did believe that she had had a good life with Creed. Scott just could not get it out of his mind that she had lived with Creed for four years and he had not hurt or killed her or the boy. "I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you like that. I just have had some bad run ins with the man and you surprised me." Scott tried to explain. "The last I heard about Creed was that he was in prison for murder and they sent him to the Shield facility. He will never be let loose."
"So that is it. The law finally caught up with him. I guess I am glad now that he didn't marry me. I wouldn't have the heart to go through a public divorce and custody hearing much less trying to prove I've never done anything wrong in the eyes of the law." Her shoulders slumped as she stared at her untouched food. Beside her, John was happily playing with his food now that his mommy did not look like she was trying to leave.
"What apartment are you going to see?" Scott asked trying to recapture some of the previous conversation and place it on neutral ground.
"I'm trying to rent a place about a mile from here. My appointment is for 2pm." She said not really wanting to leave any more. She looked over at her son who was happily babbling to Scott about his food and toys. And Scott was really good with John once he got use to playing with him.
"Do you need a ride over there?" Scott inquired trying to make up for his behavior.
"Yes bye bye ride wit Cott!" shouted John happily.
"Yes, if you don't mind?" Sara studied Scott closely. She reached out with her empathy. He felt just as bad about his situation as she, this startled her. She had never met a man who was that passionate about anything other than football, fighting or sex.
"What is wrong?" questioned Scott. The expression on her face had him worried.
"I'm fine. I just reached out empathically and you are so passionate about everything. Your lost, your pain everything." Sara shrugged her shoulders and continued. "I have never met a man like you before." She gazed at him in wonder.
Scott blushed from the roots of his brown hair to his toes. He had never had anyone read him so completely upon first meeting him, except for Jean.
A Different Day
'I thought that Florida was humid. Boy was I mistaken. New Orleans is the worst,' thought Scott as he walked down the hall of the Holiday Inn to find his room. He was dripping with sweat and feeling miserable and all he wanted was a cold shower and a drink. He looked down at his soaked t- shirt and pulled at it in disgust. He was so preoccupied with his own discomfort that he was not paying any attention to the sounds going on around him. Then suddenly, the door right next to him opened and a young woman with a little toddler boy in her arms ran right into him.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," said the woman as she stumbled back and rearranged the child on her hip.
"Do you need any help?" He asked with polite concern.
The harried young woman with auburn hair and her arms full of blonde baby boy and a diaper bag said, "No, thanks. John and I are OK. Are you sure you're alright?" She smiled warmly at him.
"I'm fine." Scott stated noticing no ring on the woman's hand.
"Are you new in town? Oh, I am so sorry, where are my manners? My name is Sara and this is my son John." She tried to hold out her hand for him to take.
"I'm Scott." He said in way of an answer. He started to leave. "Well it has been nice meeting you." He turned to leave.
"Wait," she called. "I'm sorry that I was staring. I was just trying to figure out what kind of mutation would need red colored glasses." She removed her own sunglasses and showed him her blue on black eyes. "I have unusual eyes too."
He took a deep breath after he realized that he had been holding it. "I need them to keep the power in my eyes in check. If I took them off, I would blow a hole in what ever I was looking at."
"Wow, that's a dangerous mutation. Can't you control them any other way other than your glasses?" She asked while tapping her forehead with her finger.
"No, I had an accident when I was a child. It put me in a coma for a while and it damaged the portion of my brain that we think controls my powers." Then he thought, 'Why am I telling her this? Why do I feel comfortable with her?' "I always have to be very careful of my eyes so that I don't hurt anyone by accident." She smiled at him again. And it felt good to have some one not judge him a monster after finding out he was a mutant. He was beginning to think that coming down here was a good idea after all.
"With my eyes, I can see really well in the dark which also makes me very light sensitive. Do you have any other mutations?" Sara asked. She was now curious about this handsome Yankee.
"No, the eyes are enough." He replied shaking his head.
"I'm also empathic. I don't know if I can do anything else." She shrugged her shoulders. "I try to stay away from people who want to test me. My ex told me some of the horrible experiments that the government and scientists did to him and other mutants. It really frightened me."
Scott made no rely to that having seen what the government did to Logan, he understood perfectly.
"Well Scott, John and I were headed over to the Krystal's down the street for some lunch. Would you like to come with us, that is if you don't have any other plans?" She asked in her friendly southern drawl.
Scott half smiled and said, "Yes, why not I don't have any plans right now." His stomach growled in response. He looked sheepishly at his stomach. He hadn't even realized that he was hungry. And he couldn't remember what he ate last or when.
"Great." Sara said.
"Gate! Gate! Quare sam'ich" Cried John happily while clapping his hands. John then reached out for Scott to take him.
Scott looked at Sara in confusion and she smiled.
"He's a good judge of character Scott. Go ahead and take him if you want."
Scott took John into his arms knew his worse nightmare had come true. He would never have a family with Jean.
John sensed the change in Scott and patted him on the cheek while making shushing noises. "Cott be fine now." John said quietly.
Scott looked at John with a startled expression and Sara said, "I think he inherited my empathy."
After walking to Krystal's with only John making any attempts at conversation, Sara looked at the tall, sober man standing next to her. "Scott are you all right?" She asked quietly.
"Yes, why?" He asked as he frowned at Sara with his 'The Leader is annoyed' look.
"It's just that you have a look on your face like I use to wear a while back. Did you loose someone too?" Sara said as she put her hand on his arm.
He stiffened and she drew away. Looking at the floor with great interest he replied, "Yes, my fiancée and best friend died in an accident."
"I'm sorry. Mine just disappeared on us. He left the house to go to work and never showed up there or came home." She said and shrugged her shoulders.
"We had been together for four years. My parents wouldn't help me out because they never liked him especially since he didn't marry me after I got pregnant. Then the police wouldn't help either of course; being a mutant looking for another mutant wasn't a priority in their book. Anyway sometimes, he did work that was not on the right side of the law. But he promised us that he would stay away from those people and their damned missions that could get him killed or worse. But I guess the worst got him instead."
"What was his name? Maybe, I have heard of him and know where he might be." Scott said as his mind began to race. The only person he knew of right off hand that fit the bill was Logan. He had only joined the team a year or so back and they still didn't know his real history.
"Scott for some reason, you look familiar to me. Are you one of the spandex brigade?" She asked timidly almost looking afraid as she changed the subject.
"The spandex.?" He sputtered startled by her question.
"Pan'x, Pan'x." said John laughing. "Cott he'o?" He asked trying to bounce up and down in Scott's arms.
Scott was completely baffled by the boy in his arms. "What did he just say?"
Laughing and holding her sides she replied. "He said 'Spandex, spandex'. And then asked you if 'Scott was a hero'." Getting a hold of herself, she continued. "And what I was asking you was, are you with one of the Super hero or villain groups?" She replied trying to stop laughing and catch her breath.
"We were trying to be heroes, but after Jean was killed I quit." He stated. The look on his face was one of stoic resolve mixed with pain.
"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath before going on. "John's dad was one of the bad guys, I think. Then of course, the media makes it out that all of the super powered mutants are villains. He was trying to turn his life around with us. We were happy. And I know he loved us very much." She appeared to be about to cry when John insisted on his lunch.
"Mama hungie. Cott hungie growl. Johnny hungie." John began to pout.
"All right dear. Let's order." She said as she turned to go to the counter.
"You never answered my question on his name." Scott insisted as he put John down.
"I am afraid that you will either hurt us or tell me that he's dead." She stared at her blue tennis shoes. "I need to get my order in. Excuse me please." She walked to the counter rubbing her eyes and placed her order.
He followed her. "I won't hurt you. You were never part of any of the groups were you?"
"No, I wasn't. I was just out of high school when I met him at a club in Memphis. I was there celebrating the fact that I didn't have to be 21 to drink in Tennessee. Those of us born before August of that year could drink at 18 still; we were part of the grandfather clause. While anyone born after August 1 had to wait till they were 21." Scott ordered his food. After taking her seat, she took a deep breath and looked at Scott and said. "His name is Victor Creed." She hoped the chance was worth it and that Scott knew something.
The name hit Scott like a ton of brick. "Creed, Sabretooth?" He asked in obvious shock. Then he began to stiffen slowly, he stared at her intently preparing for anything including an attack.
"Yes, that was what some people called him. I never called him that. He was always Victor or Vic, or Dada for John."
Scott stared at Sara with what she considered a very disapproving look. Sara sat up straighter in her chair. "I have done nothing wrong. He was always good to us. Victor never hurt John or me until he didn't come home that day. I will not have you or anyone look at me like I'm trash beneath your feet!" She started to get up and leave.
"I am sorry Sara. It is just; I have fought with him and seen the people he has murdered." Scott gestured with his hands. "Sabretooth is a vicious psychopath. I just find it hard to believe him as a loving partner or father." Scott stated bluntly.
"My parents would be in total agreement with you there," she said with a cold tone and even colder eyes. "John and I thank you for having lunch with us. I wish you luck." Sara got up and started to gather her things and her son. John began yelling loudly. He liked Scott and wanted to play with him.
"No, no eat eat wit Cott." He shouted at the top of his voice.
"John I will not argue with you. We need to leave and see about that apartment."
"Please don't leave especially mad." He reached out and touched her arm gently. "Stay and finish your lunch." Scott said. He felt sorry for Sara. She was trying very hard and she really did believe that she had had a good life with Creed. Scott just could not get it out of his mind that she had lived with Creed for four years and he had not hurt or killed her or the boy. "I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you like that. I just have had some bad run ins with the man and you surprised me." Scott tried to explain. "The last I heard about Creed was that he was in prison for murder and they sent him to the Shield facility. He will never be let loose."
"So that is it. The law finally caught up with him. I guess I am glad now that he didn't marry me. I wouldn't have the heart to go through a public divorce and custody hearing much less trying to prove I've never done anything wrong in the eyes of the law." Her shoulders slumped as she stared at her untouched food. Beside her, John was happily playing with his food now that his mommy did not look like she was trying to leave.
"What apartment are you going to see?" Scott asked trying to recapture some of the previous conversation and place it on neutral ground.
"I'm trying to rent a place about a mile from here. My appointment is for 2pm." She said not really wanting to leave any more. She looked over at her son who was happily babbling to Scott about his food and toys. And Scott was really good with John once he got use to playing with him.
"Do you need a ride over there?" Scott inquired trying to make up for his behavior.
"Yes bye bye ride wit Cott!" shouted John happily.
"Yes, if you don't mind?" Sara studied Scott closely. She reached out with her empathy. He felt just as bad about his situation as she, this startled her. She had never met a man who was that passionate about anything other than football, fighting or sex.
"What is wrong?" questioned Scott. The expression on her face had him worried.
"I'm fine. I just reached out empathically and you are so passionate about everything. Your lost, your pain everything." Sara shrugged her shoulders and continued. "I have never met a man like you before." She gazed at him in wonder.
Scott blushed from the roots of his brown hair to his toes. He had never had anyone read him so completely upon first meeting him, except for Jean.