Rating: PG-13 for language and violence
Disclaimer: All Marvel characters belong to Marvel. All non-Marvel characters belong to the authors of this story. No money is being made off of this story.
Hope watches as Athena and Bobby walk down the aisle towards the priest; she is very happy that her friend is getting married to the one she truly loves. Athena looks so radiant... Bobby, waiting for his lady love, is stunned by her beauty. Hope listens as the priest performs the sacred vows, and as the two people she is fond of promise to love, cherish and be supportive of one another. A tear trickles down her face, she is so happy for them. Her gaze wanders over towards Hank. He smiles at her when their eyes meet. Could marriage between Hank and herself be in the future? One could only hope.
Hope's attention goes back to the ceremony, as the priest asks "If anyone has objections to this union speak now or forever hold their peace." There is a moment of silence, but no one says a thing since all were agreed that Bobby and Athena were meant to be together. Bobby and Athena exchange rings after saying their vows. The priest then resumes.
"By the Holy Power of God I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Bobby smiles at Athena, Athena's eyes are sparkling and full of happiness. Then they kiss for the very first time as man and wife. And as they kiss, rose petals gently fall from the sky, scenting the air with their sweet perfume. Athena, once the kiss is done, gives her two boys a hug, then glances over at Hope and smiles. She knew Hope was the one who made the petals fall.
Then Athena and Bobby run out of the area holding hands, smiling and ducking as their team mates and friends throw sparkling confetti and rice, wishing them well.
Dreamweaver
Victor smiled as the new couple ran off. He thought about what it would be like to do that with Ryan. He wanted to just take her away from everything, and erase all the pain that he had caused her. Victor wanted to be a new man for Ryan and Kat.
"Poppa… When are you and Mommy getting married?" Kat asked as she grabbed her father's hand.
Victor didn't know what to do. Once more he thought back to how much he loved Ryan, and how happy he was with her. He just didn't know if he wanted to subject her to all the pain he knew he would cause her.
"I don't know, pup. I don't know." Victor said, looking down to the angelic face of his daughter. He really did love them both.
Tina watched as the new couple ran off into seeming bliss. She had only known them a short while, but was very happy for them. She wondered if happiness like that was in her future. She glanced around at the various X-people. She felt fairly out of place among them. Tina really didn't know any of them all that well. Her eyes settled on Logan. I can't believe that's Sammi's father, she thought, I'll have to remember to tell Sammi what a jerk her father is.
Tina and Logan had been fighting non-stop since they first met. It really did get on everyone's nerves, and they had been threatened by Ryan to be turned into bugs if they didn't stop. He does have a cute butt though, Tina thought.
Le Fae
Ymela leaves her livingroom after sending Grendler and Fyker outside to check on things. She pauses and looks at Jonas as he holds the ember she gave him. She smiles at him gently, then heads back down into the inner sanctum.
/I wonder what is happening with the X Men and Vision X, time to check on them/ Ymela moves over to a small closet and opens it, then rummages through it. Finally after a bit of searching, she find what she was looking for. She brings out a brass brazier and some charcoal. She lights it, and as the fire burns, she looks in on the ones she seeks.
She watches the events from Hope and Hank resolving their differences on up to the wedding. She notices that Amanda is talking to Jamar, and she sighs hearing that Amanda didn't feel that there was any future between her and Charles because of her new powers. Ymela thinks about what Amanda had said, and decides that she needed to do something.
Ymela goes to her beloved's desk, opens it up then sits down to write a letter. The letter is addressed to Amanda.
Once she is finished with the letter, Ymela seals it with sealing wax and puts her seal on it. Then she takes up a silver whistle and blows on it lightly. A little blue furry creature called a bamf poofs up next to her.
"Now I want you to take this to Amanda and give it to her, then come back. All right?"
The little bamf nods, takes the letter, and then with a giggle she bamfs (disappears)and does as Ymela asks of her.
As Amanda is watching the happily married couple run hand in hand to their bungalow, she smells the strong scent of sulphur and hears a *BAMF!!* right next to her. Amanda looks down to see a blue furred creature reminiscent of Nightcrawler, but in a smaller version . She recognizes it as a bamf. She stares at the little creature in disbelief, never having thought that she would meet one. The Bamf hands the surprised Amanda the letter.
"Excuse me, this is for you, Now I go!!" and it bamfs away.
Amanda looks at the letter, stunned. Then she opens and reads,
// Dear Amanda,
I am certain that you are not expecting a letter from me; but as I surveyed all that has been happening, what you said to Jamar disturbed me. You feel that there is a very good chance that you and Charles may never marry, especially because of your new powers. Well, dear Amanda, if you truly love him, no matter what changes you are going through, a way will be opened for you and Charles to be together.
Sometime in the past I met my dear husband Malcolm. I didn't think that there would be any future where he and I were concerned. He had seen me in a dream, and he searched and searched until he found a way here to my realm. I have been around for centuries, and I thought that my powers would cause him to have jealousy, feel useless and drive him away. So I didn't tell him very much about me and what I was capable of doing. Thank goodness he was persistent. Finally I did tell him about my powers, and it didn't bother him at all. I do regret the time that I had lost because of my fears of rejection.
Amanda... be brave, be strong, and tell Charles about what has happened to you. And if he rejects you, then he wasn't the one for you. It is very important that you get this sorted out with Charles before you face my sister, Anon. She will use the fact of you not telling Charles about your new powers against you. She will use whatever weakness you have to defeat you.
So I plead with you to talk things over with Charles before the battle continues.
Sincerely,
Ymela //
Dreamweaver
As Athena and Bobby got to their bungalow, Bobby stopped and opened the door. He then turned to Athena, picked her up and carried her over the threshold. He kissed her, and put her down. He turned to turn on the lights, but Athena stopped him.
"What?" He asked as he turned to find her staring at the room.
He followed her gaze to see that the entrance room had flowers and lit candles set up. Bobby turned to the light switch to find a note. He opened it and it read,
// Dear Bobby and Athena,
I figured the best prank I could play on you would be this... No prank. Just a totally romantic setting for your first night as Husband and Wife. Congrats, Icicle. It's about time you found the right girl.
Your bud, always,
Jubilee :)
P.S. Maggie helped me. Did you know that she's Sammi's sister? //
Bobby smiled and handed the note to Athena.
jubilee_79
Athena read the note, and smiled. She put her arms around Bobby and kissed him. He kicked the door closed with a loud bang. They didn't bother to lock it, they knew no one would disturb them.
"I really have to thank everyone for this in the morning, but please remind me to do something really special for Jubes and Maggie. This is really great!" Athena murmured into Bobby's ear, while waving a hand around indicating the candles.
"Who said you were leaving this bungalow in the morning?" Bobby asked devilishly. Those were the last coherent words uttered in the bungalow that night.
Jamar, Cara and L.J. walked Robbie and Mac to the island's tiny air strip. Mac hugged them all three good-bye.
The pilot walked up, smiled and said "Hi, I'm Carson Sommers, I'll be your pilot. When ever your ready, we'll leave."
Robbie hugged them all as well, and said to Jamar "Thanks for what you did for my mom and dad. I felt really bad about everything, but you fixed it. It really means a lot to me that my mom is happy. Dad makes her happy... and tonight, you helped. So thanks again. Hey, is it ok if I call you Uncle Jar Jar, too?"
Snowbaby
Amanda had to escape. She couldn't take it anymore. Ymela didn't understand. She wasn't the same person any more. She didn't want to give up hope, but she didn't want to push the fact. She didn't want to put their love to the test and have it fail. She didn't want Charles to turn away from her in fear or disgust.
Charles saw Amanda walk away, and could feel her fear. What ever has been happening to them, the bond that was forming, allowed him to feel everything she felt. He had never had such a bond with anyone before. They were connected in away he never thought he could be with a woman.
Because of that bond, he knew she was fearing his reaction to what she had become. At first he had feared that she was becoming Phoenix, but then he felt her strength and love, and knew she would be capable of handling whatever power had be granted to her.
He loved her, and now he knew was the time to prove it. He excused himself from the conversation he was engaged in, and headed towards Amanda. It was time he asked her the question he had been dying to ask her ever since he found her again. He only hoped that she would be willing to give up her life here, and be willing to live in his world.
A.C.
"So, do you think they found the note?" Robbie asked Mac.
"No, not yet. Maybe in the morning." Mac replied drowsily.
Dear Mom and Dad,
We just want you to know that we love you both, and we are really happy that you're together. We wish we could stay with you. We miss you already, and we aren't even gone yet. We understand this is a 'for your own good' kind of thing. We also want you to know one more thing...we want a sister. We know it's probably too late to ask for one for Christmas. We overheard someone say it takes nine months to place your order... they must be really in demand! I thought one would fit nice in an Easter Basket! Mac says he doesn't think the Easter Bunny is in charge of those kinds of deliveries. He heard that some big ugly bird does it. Kat says we're both wrong. You won't believe where she says they come from!?! It's really gross! Well, anyway, you know what we want most now. We love you.
Bye,
Robbie and Mac
Snowbaby
Amanda stood staring out at the ocean. She knew that their peaceful vaction was coming to an end. Sinister and Anon were at the verge of finding them. The battle would soon be at hand. She only could pray that they were ready.
Charles saw her and thought she looked like an angel. Often during their last two adventures, he wondered how he could be so lucky to have someone like her loving him. He had given up on love because he realized that his dream demanded too much, and most women could not handle it. Amanda was different. She was like him in so many ways, he felt as if they had been made for each other.
/How long are you go to sit there and stare?/ asked Amanda.
/How long are you going to worry about me not loving you enough?/ he replied.
/You don't know what I've become... how difficult a future together will be./
/I don't think you give us a lot of credit. I don't care about your new abilities, not in the way you think. My only fear is that you'll push them to the extreme to save everyone. If you do, there is a good chance that I'll lose you, and that is what scares me the most. I love you./
Charles could feel the tears in her eyes. He still didn't understand this new bond, but he found that he wouldn't give it up for anything. He loved the oneness that it brought. He loved that he could feel the happiness that his words brought her. He moved his chair towards her, and reached into his pocket to pull out the gift he had been meaning to give her.
/You know that I know what you are going to ask./ she teased.
/You know that I know that you know, and that I know what you are going to reply./ he replied.
"I want to hear you say it out loud." she stated.
"Will you marry me, Amanda?"
"I would be honored, Charles."
He gentlly placed the beautiful diamond ring on her finger and pulled her down on his lap and kissed her passionately. She responded just as intensely, and Charles could feel her love and happiness as if it were his own.
"Should we tell the others?" Amanda asked.
"Do you think we should wait? I know you want a traditional ceremony."
"Do you think we could keep it a secret? I don't think your students are that good at keeping secrets. Besides, I don't know if Scott can handle it just yet. I think he's still in denial."
"I can wait. I now we have all the time in the world."
"One question. Do you think I should wear white?" Amanda asked.
Both of them began to laugh as the waves gentlly crashed onto the shore.
A.C.
Tina and Ryan sat in Tina's bungalow, enjoying some sisterly bonding time. They both had mud masks on and cucumbers over their eyes. Neither one of them spoke, fearing they would crack the mask. "Wouldn't it be nice" from the Beach Boys played in the background. The girls hummed along to the tune until they finally tired of the silence.
"So, you and Victor okay now?" Tina mumbled, trying not to break her mask.
"Not too bad. We are working on it. Kat has fallen in love with him." Ryan replied, also trying to keep from breaking her mask. "What's up with you and Logan?"
"Besides for the fact that I hate him, the man is a piece of work. He is rude and mean. He had the nerve to come over to yell at me for being too loud when I was working out. He said with all that grunting, the kids might think something bad was going on in my bungalow. He is one to talk.. You know the other day I was walking back from the beach and I looked into his room… on accident… and he was meditating naked. What if Kat had seen that?"
Ryan giggled at her sister's rambling.
"What?"
"Why don't you just ask him out and get it over with? Or better yet.. wait for him in his room in something sexy and really get it over with? There is so much tension between you two, it's not funny,"
Tina's mud mask cracked, "WHAT?!?!? I so don't want to go out with him… I…. I .. hate him."
"Sure you do."
Le Fae
Tina was standing open mouthed, staring at Ryan.
/I can't believe that she thinks I like Him even a little bit. Well, except for the butt. I hate him. He's rude and arrogant, inconsiderate, and a major pain in the ass./ Tina thought as Ryan just laughed at her.
"Look, sis. There is a fine line between love and hate, and you guys crossed it about two days ago. Why don't you just talk to him? He misses Sammi just as much as you do." Ryan said, forgetting the mask on her face.
She felt she had to stop this before one of them ended up killing the other one.
Tina looked at Ryan. /It makes sense about Sammi./
"Fine. I'll talk to him for Sammi's sake. I know she would want us to be at least civil to each other."
Jubilee_79
Tina was searching for Logan when she saw Amanda and Charles approaching. She didn't truely understand their importance, but guessed that they were the leaders of this group. She eyed Amanda warily. This was the one who blew up her car.
As they approached, she noticed that Amanda was wearing a ring that hadn't been there before. It didn't take long to figure out what it meant. As they approached, they both turned towards Tina and Amanda put her hand behind her back. Tina smiled to convey the fact that she had already seen it, and wouldn't tell.
As Aamanda approached, she asked Tina, " Are you looking for something?"
"Someone. I wanted to talk to Logan about Sammi." Stated Tina.
Both Charles and Amanda smiled. Tina recognized the look. For telepaths, these two were clueless. She didn't even like the guy.
"I believe I saw him heading down the beach. Tina, don't let Logan's gruff exterior fool you. I have known Logan for a long time, and I can assure you that there is so much that most people do not see." stated Charles as he left the two.
Amanda smiled as she watched her future husband leave. Tina could see how much they loved each other, but they seemed such an unlikely couple. She remembered when she had first seen Jonas, and thought he and Sammi were a mismatch. Maybe love wasn't always about finding the perfect match.
"He's right about Logan. He may seem cold and gruff, but he is one of the most caring individuals I have ever met. Do you know when I first met him, he scared me with his claw. I knocked on their door to ask if I could use their phone, and he answered by thrusting his claws in my face. I'm honored to be his friend." stated Amanda as she head towards Charles, leaving a very confused Tina staring after her.
A.C.
Tina watched Amanda leave and shook her head.
"That was weird." She said to herself.
"What was weird?" A voice said from behind her, followed by the sound of gum being popped.
Tina turned to find a young Asian American girl smiling at her. Tina thought about telling her, but thought better of it.
"Nothing. I'm Tina, and you are?"
"Oh, I forgot. Sorry. I'm Jubilee." Jubilee said with a huge smile on her face as she stuck out her hand. /So this is the one that Wolvie has been all huffy and Puffy about./ She thought as Tina shook her hand.
"So, you're Sammi's friend?" Jubilee asked.
"Yeah, and I'm Ryan's sister." Tina answered. Then when she caught the tone of Jubilee's voice as she said Sammi, she asked, "Did you know her?"
Jubilee started laughing.
"Yeah, I know her. She's my sis. She threw me in the lake once." Jubilee said smiling.
Tina laughed.
"That sounds like Sammi. So, are you Logan's daughter, too?" /Man, this guy has more daughters than the Kennedy's./ Tina thought as she looked at Jubilee start laughing again.
"Naw, I'm his partner. We fight together. He watches out for me, and I watch out for him. But me and Sammi were friends and he's her father, so we called each other sister."
Tina smiled at that.
"Me and Sammi are like that. Do you by any chance know where I can find Logan?" Tina asked.
"Yeah, He's over that way." Jubilee said, as she pointed towards the other side of the beach.
"Thanks." Tina said as she headed towards where Jubilee pointed.
"No prob." Jubilee yelled.
Tina headed towards where Logan was sitting on a rock, looking out over the ocean.
jubilee_79
Amanda smiles as she watched Tina head out towards Logan. The truth of the matter was that she liked the girl. She wasn't intimidated by all that she had seen. She was strong and self-assured. She was perfect for Logan. Ryan probably thought the same thing, which was why she was pushing her sister towards Logan. The amusing thing was the fact that if Logan and Tina got together, and Ryan and Victor got married, Logan and Victor would be brothers.
/I wouldn't say that out loud. I am sure Logan would run from Tina on that fact alone./ smiles Charles.
/Yes, you are right. You do know that she knows./
/Do you mind? [Amanda turns toward him, sits on his lap, and kisses him.] /I guess not. I guess we will have to tell everyone./
/I don't know. Let's see how long it takes your X-Men to figure it out. I bet my team will figure it out first. They notice detail better then yours./
/Really??/
/They all figured out how much we loved each other before any of the X-men. Scott is still in denial./
/What is the prize if my team figures out first?/
Amanda smiles and whispers in his ear. Charles blushes at first, and then smiles. Amanda smiles at his expression. Such a typical male, she thought.
/Very well. What do I give you? The same thing?/
/Well, it would be nice. I think we will both win this bet./
/What kind of wedding would you like?/
/I always wanted a small chapel with friends and family. I would wear a simple white dress. You know. A really cozy event filled with love./
/Do you mind living in my world?/ Charles asks, a little uncertain.
/I love your home. I love your X-men. I love you. I will miss my mom and sister, but my new powers will allow me to visit. I just want to be with you./
/I'm glad. I must warn you that I can become obsessed with my work... I can bury myself in it. When I fail, I am consumed by guilt and have been told that I sulk for days. Are you sure..../
/Just shut up and kiss me./
A.C.
The small plane touched down at a quiet air strip outside of Nashville. Two very sleepy little boys climbed out. The pilot, Carson, walked the boys over to a dark haired woman.
"I believe you're waiting for these gentlemen," Carson said to the woman.
She smiled as the boys hugged her and said, "Hello Auntie Mishka."
The woman helped the two boys into a chauffeur-driven car. As the door closed and the car drove off, the woman changed form. Robbie and Mac sat quietly and stared horrified at the blue-skinned, yellow-eyed woman before them.
"Who are you?" Mac asked angrily. "Where is our Auntie Mishka?"
"I am Mystique. There is no more Mishka." the woman let out a sinister chuckle.
"Where are you taking us? Does our mom know about this?" Robbie asked.
"I am taking you to meet someone very special. Actually, she's a relative of yours, your great-aunt. Her name is Anon. Has your mother ever told you about her?" Mystique asked innocently.
The boys shook their heads no.
"Well, I think you should be very afraid. And don't worry, your mother will know soon enough." Mystique laughed evilly.
Snowbaby
Kyle was bored. So far, Sinister had made them keep on the Down low. Only Mystique was allowed to go and grab the boys. Kyle wasn't allowed to knock Sammi around, so he'd have to go make his own fun. He grinned and teleported out of Sinny's Lair.
Leilee was in one of the large empty rooms choreographing the new NSync video. As she bent to rewind the tape, she heard a strange noise from the adjoining room.
"Ok. I'm going to do something that you should never do in a horror movie. And I'm probably gonna regret it."
Slowly, She walked to the door and stepped into the next room to investigate.. She was scanning the room when she was suddenly hit from behind. As she slid to the ground, Kyle grinned.
"Yes, you will." he said, then he picked her up and teleported her back to Sinister's lair.
Leilee
Amanda sensed the danger with Leilee, and sent Gambit to help her. She also contacted Jamar and sent him to help. She turned towards Magneto and Xavier who were eating with her.
"I think we've been found. Kyle is going after Leilee. I sent Gambit and Jamar to help." stated Amanda, getting up.
"I'll contact the others." informed Xavier as Magneto went to help.
"I have to find Athena and Bobby. Mystique has their kids." informed Amanda.
"This is not good. I think we have to leave this little paradise and return to the real world.." stated Xavier, following her.
"When we're all assembled, I have one last stop to take us. Somewhere where you all will get the answers to all the questions you have." stated Amanda.
Amanda sent a telepathic message to Hope, /I need you to tell your mother that I am taking the teams to the castle. It's time they knew everything./
A.C.
Tina walked down to the beach carefully, and stopped half way. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She didn't understand it; all she was going to do was talk with Logan about Sammi.
"So why do I feel like a little school girl?" Tina asked herself as she turned to leave and go back to her bungalow.
"What do you want, kid?" Logan asked
"I just wanted to tell you I understand what you are going through about Sammi. She was like a sister to me." Tina said, walking towards Logan. Deep breath, Tina, it's now or never, Tina thought to herself
Le Fae