Part Seven

"There's this nagging feeling that Dom's got something she's not telling me. I can't think of why that would be, though." Cable and Jean were in the Danger Room, using the Shi'ar designed technology of the room in an attempt to further establish the limits of, and strengthen Nathan's telekinesis.

"It's making you uneasy?" Jean wondered if it was perhaps in part the techno-organic virus--or rather the sheer amount of unconscious control that its presence demanded--that let her son work through the vigorous routines while still holding a semblance of a normal conversation. His fine control of the TK was nothing short of amazing, it was the power behind that control that was proving problematic. And the lack of progress was beginning to worry her. If it had been a simple matter of atrophy due to the long months when using his powers at all had been excruciating for him, it should have sprung back by now, at least to some extent. That it hadn't wasn't a good sign. She buried her concerns, for now. There was still time, after all. They'd only been doing this for a week.

"She left once before, and I missed all the signs. I don't want to miss something again."

"I thought you were happy."

"We are! I...think we are. So far, this has all been Dom's doing. She wanted to move, to fix up the house, to try and stop pushing ourselves harder than we need to... it's something she constructed, and I feel like--" he paused. "Wallpaper."

Jean arched an eyebrow at the analogy. "Wallpaper?"

"Decorative. Not a significant structural component."

"A non-participant." She nodded her head. "Well, what do you think you could do about that?"

"I don't know!" He growled. "I thought about getting into law-- I have the degree and I've never really had a chance to practice. I think I'd like that. But that doesn't really solve the problem."

"So what do you think you need? The both of you?"

"I'm not sure. The things I always wanted out of life are things Dom has never really given thought to. Oath, the fact that she's stayed in one place for more than six months, without be the benefit of working at all is... a departure for her. Settled is not a word I'd use to describe her."

"But she must like living there with you. She wouldn't otherwise, I'd think."

"It doesn't feel permanent," he admitted finally. "I guess that puts me on edge."

"Well, I think your best bet is to stop telling me all of this, and tell the person who matters. Then you can decide what you want to do. You never know--maybe she feels the same way."

"Maybe." He finished the last exercise, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That isn't getting any easier," he commented wearily.

Jean sighed. "I know. It's just the telekinesis?"

"Yes," he grated, more frustrated with himself than with the question, even if Jean had asked him it several times before. "Oath, you think I'd lie about that? The telepathy is fine. Better than it had been, actually." He sighed. "The TK just never came back."

Jean frowned slightly. "I suppose," she replied dolefully, "That we should start considering the possibility of burnout."

Nathan grimaced. "I don't think I want to."

Jean shook her head. "The power you unleashed at Akkaba was amazing, Nathan. With so much of your reserves constantly focused inward on the virus, you body just wasn't used to dealing with that much power. It's a definite possibility, especially since atrophy is quickly being ruled out as a cause. You have gotten better, it's just not as much as I was hoping for."

"Or maybe I just need to work harder," he replied insolently.

Jean winced inwardly. She should have expected that, he'd been much the same way right after Apocalypse's defeat, trying to force his body to do what he demanded of it, even when he was hardly up to the task. "That's a possibility," she responded carefully. "I just think that maybe you should start accepting this as one of the possible outcomes. I'm sorry, Nathan, and I wish I could do something more for you."

"I'll be fine," he replied dismissively, heading towards the door.

Jean let him go, recognizing the wall he'd thrown up around himself. It was a sight that was sadly all too familiar--one she'd hoped was in the past.

----

"Jean! Do you know where Nate went?" The redheaded telepath looked up from where she was straightening up the array of children's toys littering the den floor. Given how long it'd been since there'd been children in the mansion, it seemed everyone had gone to town providing Rachel with an assortment of the flashiest, most obnoxious toys possible. "I haven't seen him since this morning, and he's not exactly answering me..." Domino frowned slightly. The silence on the other end of the psilink was a pretty good signal that Nate wanted to be left alone, but then, she'd never been one to take the hint anyway.

"He was going down by the lake," Jean replied hesitantly. "He took Rachel with him. I don't think he really wants company."

Domino smiled wryly. "Well, I figured that much. But I've never hesitated to walk into the lion's den before... Thanks."

He was sitting near the shore, apparently holding an intense conversation with his sister as she toddled along the shoreline, picking objects up and handing them to him with the kind of intense interest that only children can maintain. "Am I interrupting?" She asked, walking over, smiling despite herself as Rachel latched onto her leg. "And here I thought you were supposed to all fixated on your mother," she teased, scooping the girl up and sitting down next to Nate. She adjusted Rachel's hat--pink with cat ears sewn to the top, and shook her head. "I guess no one ever bothered to tell your mother pink is a crummy color on redheads." She glanced over at Nate. "You weren't answering me."

He glanced over at her, Rachel seated securely in her lap, and something inside him inexplicably ached. He looked away again. "I--just wanted some space," he said finally. "She's quiet."

"Well, if your vocabulary consisted of 'Ma,' 'Da,' and 'Boom,' you'd be quiet too," Dom replied with a smirk, then winced. "Rach, let go of my hair..." The child merely laughed as Domino tried to pull the lock of hair out of her grip. "Oh, you're a troublemaker, are you? Just like your brother. You know what that means, don't you? Tickle monster!" Rachel shrieked in delight and Dom laughed.

Nate cracked a smile despite himself. "For someone who claims to hate kids..."

"Well, the ones who scream and throw tantrums in public, sure. She's... not so bad." She bounced the toddler in her lap a little. "Are you, you little marshmallow?" She glanced up. "Was Jean afraid she was going to get hypothermia when she bought this coat or what?"

"A little over protective, maybe." Nate replied, his eyes locking on hers with an intensity that was a little unnerving. "Can you blame her?"

"No, I suppose I can't." She glanced down at Rachel, then looked up again. "How 'bout we pass you off to your brother, huh?" She asked quickly. She handed Rachel off and stood. "Well, I think I'll leave you to your bonding, I guess..."

"Dom..."

Dom glanced back at the house, then at Nathan. "I'll catch you later," she said finally, before hurrying off. Nathan sighed and ran a hand back through his hair as Rachel resumed her shoreline scavenger hunt.

----

"I'm sorry about this afternoon," Domino said without ceremony, sinking down on the bed in their room. Nate had kept his distance that evening at dinner, and she'd decided to diffuse the situation by just staying out of the way.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"And that's just a veiled version of 'sorry has no meaning,' isn't it?"

He gave her a sideways glance. "You didn't do anything wrong," he pointed out.

"I bailed on you when you wanted to talk. At least I assume that's what you wanted."

"You assume wrong," he said flatly. "There isn't anything to talk about, is there?"

"Well, certainly not if I don't know what we'd be talking about," she muttered under her breath. "Forget it. I don't want to argue with you over what is, apparently, nothing."

He sighed, shrugging off his shirt. "You're right. This is pointless. And I'm tired."

"Well, you're not exactly used to chasing rugrats all day," she smirked. "Rachel wear you out?"

"Maybe a little," he cracked a smile. "I don't mind."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," she replied wryly.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just that--you wouldn't mind," she replied, turning her head away quickly. "I don't want to have this conversation," she said finally.

His hand rested on her shoulder. "We don't have to."

Nothing but compassion in his voice. He was giving her the out she wanted. She looked up at him. "No, we should. But not now."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly. "Okay."

----

Discomfort woke her, and she frowned, realizing most of it was leaking down the link from Nathan. She sat up, stretching lightly before leaning over to look at Nate.
He wasn't awake yet, but the expression on his face was pained. She sighed and brushed a hand along his cheek lightly. He stirred, eyes opening a crack. "Hey, babe," she said quietly, brushing hair from his eyes. His skin felt hot--she wouldn't be surprised if he was running a low-grade fever. "Not feeling so great this morning, are we?"

"Been better," he admitted, hating the apprehension he saw in her eyes. "I'll be okay."

"I know. You're just pushing yourself too hard," she replied, a scolding edge to her voice. She helped him sit up, propping a few pillows behind him. "You get some more rest. I'll tell Jean you're in no shape to play today."

He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Thanks. Dom..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry too much."

"Well," she sighed, "I'll try not to."

He watched her go, wanting to call her back so that he could hold her, an anchor in the chaos that was currently swirling about him. Dreaming of the family he'd lost was not uncommon--the memories and nightmares would likely haunt him until the end of his days. But they'd left him feeling more agitated than normal, and he didn't feel comfortable in opening up to Dom about it. Not yet, not when she might find reason to blame herself. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed, looking upward. He was really starting to hate the sight of ceilings.

----

Domino headed down to the kitchen, trying to shove away the concern that sat heavy in the pit of her stomach. It was really far too early to be awake and thinking about this, she thought tiredly, but couldn't quite banish the memory of the fragility she'd seen in his eyes. Jean was the single other occupant when she wandered into the kitchen a few moments later. "Morning," she mumbled, making a bee-line for the coffee pot. She was really going to have to talk with Nathan about his timing.

"Good morning," the redheaded telepath replied, and after a few moments, when Cable did not follow her appearance in the room, asked, "Where's Nathan?"

"Not coming down. He's... not feeling very well this morning." She saw concern flash across Jean's face and cut her off before she could question her. "The virus is perfectly stable. I'd have dragged his ass downstairs if it weren't. He's just in a little more pain than usual this morning. He's been overworking himself these past few days, I'm sure. Staying quiet for a few hours usually helps."

Jean nodded, giving her a guarded smile. "Thank you."

Dom tossed the redhead a quizzical look over her shoulder as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "For what?"

"Looking out for him," she replied. "I know it's silly, but sometimes I can't help but still think of him as a little boy."

Domino shook her head and returned to the table. "Some days, it can be a hard distinction to make," she smirked.

Jean laughed. "Too much like his father. I don't think Scott's ever grown up. He's just good at hiding it."

"Nate doesn't even bother," Domino replied with a snort. "Bastard knows I'll give in if he pouts," she grumbled, shoving hair out of her face. "It's impossible to stay pissed at him when he's looking at me like a kicked puppy."

Domino's good-natured muttering caused Jean to laugh again. "I seem to recall that he was rather good at weaseling his way out of trouble."

"It's disturbingly endearing. Almost as much so as the look he gets when he's utterly baffled." She rested her head on her hand. "Good lord, it really is too early for me to be awake."

"You know," Jean said, giving her a solicitous smile. "It's not exactly a secret that you love him."

"No, I suppose not," Domino mumbled. "It's just--uh, different, I guess. Force of habit." She sat up, sipping her coffee as she let her eyes drift to the window. "We spent a lot of years trying to define our relationship, deciding what lines we could and couldn't cross... suddenly that's all changed. I don't think I've totally adjusted."

"Funny, I think he feels the same way."

"He told you that."

"He tells me a lot of things. Because it's safe, I think. He knows I won't judge him."

"Anything I should worry about?"

"No," Jean replied. "I think... he's just a little confused right now. Not sure of what he should be doing."

"Yeah, well... considering the way his whole life was planned for him, that's hardly unexpected," she replied, surprised at the bitterness that'd seeped into the words. 'And maybe I'm harboring a bit of pent up resentment,' she thought wryly.

"I get the feeling you don't have a very high opinion of the Askani," Jean replied mildly.

'Giving me a chance to talk about it,' she realized. The woman was just full of surprises. She sighed. "I can't really make a fair judgment, honestly. I never experienced it first hand." She carefully omitted mention of the trip she and Nathan had taken to his era years ago, unsure if he'd ever told anyone else about it. "But I see what all of that doctrine did to him, Jean. I see someone who deserved a hell of a lot more out of life than he ever got, and that makes me angry."

"Understandable, I suppose. I've always wished Scott and I had had more time with him. Maybe then..." She shook her head. "There was something else he mentioned... I'm not sure why he brought it up, actually. And feel free to tell me to butt out if it's none of my business."

"Shoot," she replied. "Nate knows the things I don't talk about. I can't believe he'd violate that."

"He mentioned you'd been married."

"Oh. That." 'He would bring that up,' she thought tiredly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

Domino waved a hand. "It's alright. It just... didn't last very long. It was a bad decision, and the ending was worse."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," she replied dismissively. "I'm not." It wasn't the total truth, but she wasn't about to start in on a discussion of her emotional hang-ups with Nathan's mother over coffee. She turned her mug over in her hands, feeling fidgety. "I think it gives Nate and I a sort of equal footing, in the end. We understand each other."

----

"Nathan?"

A light breeze ruffled his hair, and in the distance, he could hear the sounds of the camp--members of Clan Chosen going about the necessities of life, despite ever-present war. Even with his eyes closed, he could see Aliya clearly, her hand resting lightly on Tyler's shoulder as they walked down the embankment towards him.

"Nathan?"

He opened his eyes.

Domino was standing s few feet off, hugging herself against the chill November wind that sent leaves cart wheeling across the lawn. "Nate, you okay?"

"Fine," he replied, shaking off the vision. He made a motion to stand, but Dom waved him back down, walking over to take a place across from him on the dead grass.

"I didn't interrupt, did I? I didn't notice you'd gotten up."

"I'm sick of ceilings, I told you."

"So you did. Feeling better?" He wasn't, if the way he was shielding their link was any indication. She prodded it gently, just enough to let him know she'd noticed. He flinched almost imperceptibly.

"No."

She sighed and quietly reminded herself that the admission, at least, was somewhat reassuring. So unlike the days before she'd known the truth about the virus. She reached for his hand. "I wish I could do something," she replied.

"It's okay."

"No it's not, damnit. But... there's nothing I can do except be angry about it, and that doesn't help anything." Her head dropped. "So much for being comforting." She sighed and looked up again. "We should go in. I doubt sitting here in the cold is helping matters."

"Probably not," he replied with a chagrined look as he got up. "Cold makes the incursion boundary ache a little."

"So you're telling me that you were just sitting out here being masochistic?" She paused. "How long have you been out here?"

"A few hours."

She sighed. "You moron."

"Hey, I'm okay." He gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"Ouch," she winced. "Careful there..."

"...what did you do to your shoulder?"

"Banged it up a bit in Danger Room fighting Gambit earlier," she grumbled, rubbing it gingerly.

"Gambit?"

"Hey... he's quick. He actually gave me a good workout." Nate gave her a wary look as they crossed the lawn towards the back door. "Oh, don't even. That charm of his is about as enticing as a bull elephant's."

"So, you're saying he beat you?"

"Oh, hell no. I still kicked his skinny Cajun ass," she grinned.

"You know, I would have joined you."

"Oh, don't go getting all offended on me. Firstly, I thought you were resting like I told you to, not out communing with nature, and secondly, I was hardly about to give you a chance to overexert yourself. Which you would have, because you're a stubborn bastard."

"You like that about me," he replied following her into the kitchen.

"Beside the point," she retorted. "Anyway, it was fun, and LeBeau didn't seem concerned that you'd take offence and kick his ass, so I actually had a challenge on my hands." She took the icepack he offered. "Thanks."

"Why would I?"

"What?"

"Kick his ass."

"Ohh. Caveman mentality. General consensus seems to be that anyone who bothers me faces your wrath. Cute, huh?"

He blinked. "My wrath? Oath, they should be more concerned about retribution from you."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Asshole."

"Shrew."

"Is this how you two sweet-talk each other?"

Dom glanced over to where Bobby was standing in the doorway, eyeing them both suspiciously. "Nah, that's more like "Awww... who's a cute l'il Summers, yes you are.'" She grinned and ruffled Nathan's hair.

Bobby blinked and looked at Nate, who was keeping a perfectly deadpan expression despite the way his hair now stuck up erratically. "Your girlfriend scares me."

"She should."

----

"Nathan, not that I mind the attempt at romanticism... but isn't it a little cold outside for dinner?"

"Nope," he gave her a lopsided grin as he lead her outside. "I called in a favor."

Domino arched an eyebrow at him. "Isn't getting Storm to alter the weather a bit...extreme?"

He shook his head as he lead her down the walkway to the dock, which he'd already set up for them. "It's just a little temperature bubble. She said it wouldn't affect anything else. I wouldn't have had her do it if I thought it would cause problems."

"O-kay. I guess I'm just... surprised." She sat down on the blanket that'd been spread across the wooden planks. "Is there a reason you decided to go to this much trouble? We could have run in to the city."

"I like the view?" He seated himself across from her.

She looked up at him and grinned. "That I can definitely second."

A gruff chuckle of amusement escaped him. "Well, that and the fact that we haven't gone out since we got here, really."

"You've been busy."

"Not that busy," he countered.

"We've never really been into the whole 'date' thing," she added.

"Maybe that was part of the problem."

She shrugged, watching as he set out dinner. "That looks good..."

"I had a little help."

Her eyebrow shot up again. "Oh? Is that what you and Jean were up to all afternoon?"

He grinned. "Maybe."

Domino laughed despite herself. "I think I really should be irritated at you, but for some reason, I'm not."

"Good. It's not so strange, is it?"

"What, trying to behave like normal human beings?" She teased. "I suppose it shouldn't be." She turned to her dinner, eating for a few moments in silence. "So," she said finally, "there's really no other motivation behind this?"

"Should there be?" He asked, feigning nonchalance. He did mean to attempt a serious conversation at some point during the evening, but he was trying to bide his time. He wasn't even quite sure what to talk to her about at the moment.

"Well, it seems a bit extravagant for just being bored."

He shrugged. "To try and make up for how irritating I've been?"

"And since when do you care if you're being irritating?" She smirked.

"I care when it's bothering you."

"Oh. Well..." She trailed off, returning to her meal, content to just sit in silence for awhile. She caught Nathan glancing in her direction several times, and tried to ignore it. Hadn't he just said there was no motivation behind the dinner? Of course, that would be assuming he was telling the truth. Which he probably wasn't. "Nate?"

"Hrm?"

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?"

He looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head. "No, why?"

"Because I feel like I'm constantly catching you with your mouth half-open, ready to say something, but all I get is a blank look--rather like the one you're giving me now, as a matter of fact."

"Um..." He cursed mentally for being so obvious, wishing he'd taken more time to prepare before arranging all of this.

"That's very enlightened."

"Give me a minute here," he grumbled, stalling for time. He honestly didn't know what to say to her--he still hadn't come to grips with the uneasiness that was plaguing him, attempting an explanation at this point would be nothing short of a disaster. Still he needed to say something. Something sufficiently convincing. He frowned. There was always the conversation from the previous night, but that meant dealing with messy emotions on his part, and a balancing act to keep Dom from spooking like she had twice the previous day. That hadn't been right either--he tucked the thought away, vowing to deal with it later. Dom was still watching him expectantly. "Well..." he hedged. "Jean and I have been talking..."

Dom set aside her fork, hearing the hesitation in his voice. "Should I be concerned?"

"Not...concerned." He sighed. "There's no pretty way of putting this. At this point, given how long we've been working and how little I've actually accomplished, there's a very really possibility that I'm just not going to get anything more back."

The statement's impact, though imperceptible on her face, shown through in her eyes. "But you said..."

He grimaced. "That was Jean's early assessment, when everything was still touch-and-go. But now that my telepathy is back to full strength..."

"And the TK still isn't..." she finished. "But wasn't most of the force you used in Akkaba telekinesis? Doesn't it make sense that it would take more time to recover?"

He reached out and laid his hand on hers. "Dom... It's been two years."

She pulled her hand away. "I know that, damnit! I just..." She took a deep breath. "Okay. I can... I just need time to think it over."

"It's not so bad," he replied wryly. "Really, this is about the same as what I had at my disposal the whole time we were with the 'Pack."

"This isn't the same and you know it," she replied, surprised at how bitter she sounded. "I didn't know you were fighting a goddamned life-stealing virus at the time."

"Dom..." He sighed inwardly, knowing her frustration wasn't directed at him--that would have been easier. He knew how to handle her when she was pissed at him. It was when she was angry at the world in general that things got tricky. "C'mere." He coaxed her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, her head tucked against his collarbone. "It's okay. I'm not upset over it--anymore anyway. It's...frustrating. But it's not as bad as it seems. And it's not definite. You could be right, the telekinesis could be taking a long time to heal, but right now it's better to deal with the current situation than to sit around in hopes that it'll change." For a diversionary topic, the conversation had certainly gotten messy in a hurry, he noted wryly, running a hand soothingly along Dom's back. "Okay?" He could feel her sigh, like a balloon deflating, and she straightened up a little bit.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. That's... not exactly the kind of news I was expecting."

"It'll work out okay."

"Well, I certainly hope so." She pulled away. "C'mon... dinner's getting cold on us."

----

Dinner had been cleared away, and the unnatural warmth had slowly dissipated, but the lure of the dark, clear, star-filled sky reflected on the surface of the calm lake had kept them on the dock long after the cold would have otherwise driven them inside. Across the lake, lights appeared in the boathouse windows. "Ever wonder how they manage?"

Nathan glanced over at his partner, moonlight reflecting off her dark hair, and slid his arm around her waist. "Scott and Jean?" He asked, following her gaze. "Sometimes. But then I remember the conditions Aliya and I raised Tyler in, and it doesn't seem so impossible."

"I can't even fathom it," she replied. "Milo and I never even discussed it. I think--" She paused for a moment, gaze drifting from the boathouse to the full harvest moon overhead. "We both knew he'd never make it out of government custody alive, so there was really nothing to discuss."

"Tyler wasn't exactly planned." There was a hint of pain in his voice that he couldn't quite hide.

"He wasn't your son."

"Not--technically."

Her eyes locked on his for a long moment, and she shook her head. "I don't know how you--the both of you--could ever deal with that."

"It was easier than you'd think. He was my son in every single way that ever mattered, Dom. I was his father. Compared to that love, it was only a little hurt."

Domino drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "He was very lucky to have someone who loved him so much," she said quietly.

Nathan let go and leaned back on his arms, eyes locking on the star-filled sky. "I was lucky. Oath, I had more than I'd ever dreamt was possible. After I lost Redd and Slym, I didn't think I'd ever know what family was again. Aliya and Tyler gave that back to me."

Something had shifted in Domino's posture, a tightness to her shoulders that betrayed her unease, and a growing sense of distance on the link. "I'm... happy you had that," she said finally, the words faint and strained sounding. She pushed herself to her feet. "I think I'm gonna go in... it's cold out here." She continued, voice stronger though she didn't look at him.

"Dom..."

She paused. "Yeah?"

He shook his head. "Never mind." He climbed to his feet. "I'll come with you."