Eastern Butterfly 5: Sister's Legacy
author: Lucinda
Series: Eastern Butterfly Story #5
rating: pg 13
main characters: Psylocke, Kwannon
pairing Betsy/Logan, Kwannon/Bobby
Disclaimer: I do not own Psylocke or any other characters from Marvel Comics. People with more money & lawyers do.
Distribution: please ask first. Psyknife & Luba may have it if they want it.
note :words inside colons: are telepathic conversation.
Nothing had been the same at the mansion after Kwannon had left. Scott and Rogue had felt somehow vindicated, as if she wouldn't have left unless she'd been hiding something, while Jean had worried about what changes or potential harm the ninja woman could have already done. Betsy and Logan had been drifting a bit farther from everyone else on the teams since Kwannon's departure. It seemed to be upsetting Betsy a lot, which had Rogue puzzled. Hadn't they been enemies? Hadn't they tried to kill each other in the danger room?
Logan and Betsy would make frequent trips into town, to go out to dinner, or to see a movie, or sometimes just to be somewhere away from the team. Bobby was still in his ice coma, but the damage was slowly healing, with new ice forming that slowly filled in the gaping wounds in his torso.
They'd promised Kwannon to keep her updated on Bobby's health, to let her know if anything changed. Betsy had made copies of the latest notes, and planned to give them to her sister when they visited today.
Kwannon had decided to stay in the apartment. She'd made a few minor changes in the decor, nothing major, but enough that it felt like home to her now. She'd even gotten herself a job, and taught martial arts and self-defense to some of the local people. She seemed almost happy with her life, except for how much she missed Bobby.
Betsy and Logan made their way to the apartment, Betsy holding the Files and Logan carrying a box with a few odds and ends they'd found that Kwannon might want. They let their selves in, Logan still had a key and Betsy had assured him that Kwannon had given them an okay to come in. Seemed she had her hands full and couldn't get the door.
From the sound of it, Kwannon was busily throwing up in the bathroom.
Betsy looked very worried, and rushed towards the bathroom, hoping that nothing was wrong with her sister. Despite the awkward beginnings, the two of them had grown close.
Logan sighed, putting the basket of items down beside the couch, and gathering up the papers that Betsy had dropped. He inhaled, certain that he hadn't smelled any illness in the apartment. No, nothing that smelled of illness or poison, but Kwannon's scent had changed a little bit. He couldn't quite identify what had caused it, but it was definitely there.
After a while, the two women emerged from the bathroom. Kwannon looked a bit pale, but otherwise seemed alright.
Logan nodded towards her, tactfully pretending that he hadn't heard her retching behind the door. "Kwannon. Good to see you again. We brought a few things, and the latest update on Bobby. Short of it is that he hasn't woke up, more ice that looks about the same is slowly growing over the holes, and Jeannie said there was faint mental activity. So, he's getting better, just slowly."
"That's... that's good to know. I wouldn't want anything bad... permanent to happen to him." Her eyes glimmered with tears that she was fighting not to shed.
Betsy put on hand on her sister's shoulder, an effort to comfort her. "You care for him, don't you? And it's tearing you up not knowing how he is. If you want, I can... I can link with you and check on him occasionally. It wouldn't be the same, but... if you'd like?"
Kwannon gave a somewhat shaky smile. "That would help. I just... This way, I won't have to see him look at me the same way Scott and Rogue do. Although... ah, never mind."
"Are you sure that you're okay now? You sounded... throwing up isn't a good thing. Is there a fever? Do you need to see a doctor?" Betsy was trying to fuss over her sister.
Kwannon sighed, sitting in her chair. "I don't like doctors. I never did, and after this whole little complication, " she made a gesture indicating herself and Betsy, a clear reference to their body swap. "It's gotten quite a bit worse. Besides, it will clear up in a few hours, as long as I don't eat anything with celery or red pepper."
"Celery or red pepper? What..." Betsy was clearly puzzled.
Logan frowned, thinking that Kwannon wasn't sick, even if she had been throwing up. She wasn't sick, her scent had changed... And she missed Bobby a lot. Missed her lover... "Kwannon, are you late?"
Both women looked at him, purple eyes blinking. Betsy spoke to him, a hint of puzzlement in her voice. "Logan, you know she wouldn't plan anything on a day she knew that we were visiting..."
Kwannon made a small 'oh' as she understood his question. "He doesn't mean that sort of late. He means... do you think? Could I..."
Logan gave a small shrug. "You don't smell sick, but your scent is a bit different. And I know that before the accident, you and Bobby had a great deal of sex. Sex can lead to pregnancy, so... Were you two using all the precautions? Maybe that celery thing is the result of a little Drake growing inside of you."
Kwannon thought about the question, blushing as she did, and then slowly shook her head. "We did most of the time, but... Most isn't the same as all the time. And I am... late."
Logan sighed to himself, thinking that this wasn't a complication that Kwannon needed. It was enough that she had been forced to leave what had become a home because of the intolerant attitudes of people, but to discover that she was going to be a single parent? Complicated by the fact that the daddy in question was currently in a coma and couldn't do anything to help her... "Let us know if you need anything. Even if it's only to have someone pick you up some bizarre food or for Betsy to come listen to you talk about women things."
Both of them looked at him, faint smiles on their faces. Kwannon chuckled a bit before asking "Logan, what do you know about 'women things' that you think Betsy and I might need to discuss?"
"I know that I figure I'm at least a century old, and I don't understand how women think. I know that women are more likely, especially with you two, to understand what going on in another woman's head. And I know that pregnancy can cause all sorts of mood swings and questions about 'Does my butt look fat?' You might need to talk."
"Logan, how do you know what sort of questions pregnant women ask?"
Logan gave a small, pained smile. "I may not know what goes on inside a pregnant lady's head, but I have enhanced hearing. I've had neighbors, and I heard some of the things coming out of their mouths. Sometimes there were food cravings, or things that didn't agree with them. There was a lot of worry about the way being pregnant changed their figure. Talk about it making their boobs get bigger. And I know that I'm not the best person to make a woman feel better."
Kwannon and Betsy both smiled, amused at the idea of Logan the helpless accidental eavesdropper hearing the details and worries and arguments of a pair of expectant parents. "Logan, sometimes you are such... such a male."
"Yup. Pretty happy about that most of the time."
end part 1.
Eventually, the conversation turned from Kwannon's pregnancy to her recent activities. In addition to teaching self defense, she had also been volunteering with a local medical clinic that treated mutants. She wasn't a medical expert, but she could help in non technical ways, and spend time with some of the patients, let them know that they weren't all alone, that not everybody hated mutants. She felt that it was a partial atonement for her past as an assassin, to help with the healing of the ill or injured.
Logan and Betsy had been a bit surprised, having thought that maybe her experiences with Spiral would have made Kwannon avoid medical facilities. She'd smiled a bit, explaining that she would have to get over the fear eventually, and sitting with Bobby had helped. She refused to let fear rule her life, even a well deserved fear of medical procedures.
Kwannon's reasoning made sense though. Especially since she would be having a baby, and didn't want to go the 'natural method'. No, she definitely wanted the assistance of trained professionals, and a nice dose of painkillers. Her explanation had caused a few smiles, followed by more serious expressions. She was going to be a mother. She was going to be a mother, and the father of her baby didn't know, couldn't be told because he was currently comatose. Sometimes, their lives were just much too complicated.
No matter how much they enjoyed the visit, they could only stay for so long. Reluctantly, Betsy and Logan gathered their coats up and returned to the mansion, hoping for Kwannon's sake that Bobby would get better quickly. Hoping that Bobby's feelings for her were strong enough that he wouldn't hate Kwannon after Scott and Jean had their say. Maybe even strong enough to go after her.
Things at Xavier's were continuing at an awkward lurch. There was a consistent string of crisis, villains attempting assorted diabolical plans, rallies of the Friends of Humanity spewing their anti mutant rhetoric into the crowds, seeking to poison minds with hate and fear. A new danger arose, a powerful group of mutants who seemed intent on ruling the world, their leader yet unidentified, but masking his or her presence with a powerful magnetic aura. There was a split of opinion on whether it would be better if it were Magneto with a new group of followers or if it was an entirely new mutant supremacist.
Bobby continued to make slow improvements, the gaping hole in his chest now closed into a pair of craters instead of empty space. There was detectable brain activity once more, although it was not the normal sort of pattern, being far to heavy on the delta waves. Neither Betsy or Jean or even Xavier could establish any sort of mental contact, though Xavier did report that there was 'evidence that his mind should recover, and was engaged in significant activity', whatever that meant.
Kwannon continued helping at the clinic, soothing the worries and fears of patients, both mutant and human. She had started working closely with the clinic counselor, confiding that she had 'a small measure of empathic ability' and implying that she could offer a bit of assistance with the emotional needs of some of the patients. So, she was learning how to help people heal their minds from terrible traumas, from injuries that would leave them forever changed, from abuse, from the loss of their loved ones. Helping them deal with the fear and guilt and shame that sometimes came with injury. To her surprise, she found the work interesting, if occasionally unpleasant.
It was actually through the clinic that Kwannon first heard the rumors. Whispers of a nasty illness that seemed to strike without warning, causing mutants to get painful purple boils, intense pain, and fevers, usually accompanied by 'destructive rampages', although a few more precise and reputable sources had suggested that it had seemed more like they had either lost control of their abilities, or lost their sense of reality as a result of fever and pain. These rumors were spreading fear, and worry through the medical community. What was this syndrome, and what caused it? Did it only strike mutants, or did it also affect normal humans? How was it passed, and how contagious was it?
There had been a few dozen documented cases in America, scattered through the population centers. It seemed unlikely that there was a climate or zoological base, considering the variety in the places where the incidents had occurred. There were also rumors of a few similar cases in Spain, France and Germany, although there was no official confirmation yet. Kwannon had been very worried, and had shared her fears with Logan and Betsy, as well as taking the illegal step of copying the files and emailing them to Dr. McCoy from the clinic. He was a biochemist and had some training in genetics, perhaps this would make sense to him. If it didn't, he would know people to contact. She had a bad feeling about this illness.
Kwannon was too busy with everything in her life to spend a lot of time worrying about a mysterious illness. She was further along in her pregnancy, and while the morning vomiting ritual had ceased, she had to be very careful about eating certain things at the right times, otherwise she would develop intense headaches and painful cramping, accompanied by dizziness and a feeling of being very cold. The obstetrician that she'd been seeing had called it gestational diabetes, hastening to assure her that after she'd had her baby, which they thought was a girl, although the angle of the ultrasounds had been a bit awkward, everything should go back to normal.
As if anything would ever be 'normal' in her life. She hadn't been normal before, and now that she was a mutant, which she was almost certain her original body hadn't been, things were even less normal. Although her occupations could finally be considered normal, a teacher and an assistant counselor for a medical clinic... much more 'normal' than an assassin or a super hero.
end part 2.
Betsy was sitting in the infirmary when Bobby woke up. He was still ice, but he opened his eyes, prompting the random irrelevant thought of 'do ice eyelids actually make a difference with the light'? She brushed a hand over his arm, a gesture intended to let him know that he wasn't alone. She could feel Kwannon in her mind, excited and nervous that he was awake, wanting to tell him, wanting to see him in person, and terrified that he would hate her.
"Hey... good to see that you're awake." She kept her voice low, trying not to shiver as her breath created clouds of fog between them.
He moved slightly, wincing a bit as he pulled on his newly reformed chest. His voice was low, and had an almost crystalline tone to it, brittle and not quite human. "Betsy... where's Kwan? I wanted to see her..."
Betsy and Kwannon both felt a pang go through them. The task of explaining this one... Betsy took a careful breath, the cold stabbing into her lungs. "There was a bit of... well, Scott and Rogue insisted on going off to poke into Kwannon's past. They didn't like some of what they found, and things were pretty hostile when they got back. I don't know how much you might have talked about her past, but... She's... Kwannon isn't here anymore."
Bobby closed his eyes for a moment, an action that did nothing to conceal the pain in his eyes. "They made her leave, didn't they? I know about her past... all of it. Her jobs, Matsuu'o, the whole thing where the two of you became sisters... We talked about all of it. We were planning on getting married..."
She felt a knot of tension forming inside as he spoke, his voice still weak, the bitterness and sorrow in his voice. He looked and felt so hurt. :Tell him... I won't leave him thinking that I abandoned him!:
Leaning a bit closer, she made just the thinnest metal contact to Bobby's mind. :She didn't run away from you. She only left the mansion. Logan and I have stayed in contact... she wants to see you if you're willing. She was afraid that Scott would be able to turn you away from her:
:She didn't leave me?: Bobby's thoughts were a mix of joy and relief, as if he wasn't sure that Kwannon would really want to be with him.
Betsy felt tears well in her eyes at the depths of his feelings. :She didn't leave you, she still loves you very much. I'll take you to see her as soon as you're strong enough to make the trip.:
:I know you aren't telling me everything...: Bobby's mind was still alert, even if he was still weak, still not able to stay awake more than a few moments. Exhaustion dragged him back into the murky depths of slumber.
Kwannon's thoughts were delighted, and practically glowed with pride for her beloved. :He's observant. How many people would wake up from a coma and be able to tell that you aren't sharing the whole story? I picked a good one...:
Betsy smiled, knowing that Kwannon was right. Bobby had picked up on that, and most people wouldn't have. And the fact that he'd already known about Kwannon's past, and still loved her? That only made things better as far as she was concerned. Bobby still cared for Kwannon, still loved her and wanted a future. She'd also got the impression that he didn't intend to let something as simple, or complicated, as Scott's disapproval prevent him from trying to build a future with Kwannon. Betsy found that absolutely delightful. She had the same memories as Kwannon, and knew just how much her 'sister' needed someone to care for her, someone who wouldn't give up because she mattered, not because she was useful.
"Doctor McCoy? You're frozen patient is doing better. He woke up very briefly, and spoke. He seemed to be thinking fairly clearly, but he was very weak and didn't stay awake for long." She tried to tone down her glee. She didn't think that she needed to explain how happy his concern for Kwannon was, and most likely, her joy would be assumed as a reaction to Bobby's recovery.
Hank McCoy stood up, his blue fur sticking in bizarre patterns. He'd been looking at something on his computer, something that looked complicated and medical. "He seemed coherent? Did he appear to have an awareness of where he was and what had happened?"
"Well... some of what I've gathered came from the surface thoughts of his mind. But he knew he was in the infirmary, knew he'd been injured. He asked me where Kwannon was." Betsy wasn't sure how much to mention. Hank hadn't been one of the people whose hostility had forced Kwannon away, but he hadn't made any particular defenses, instead trying to decipher what had been done to them on a genetic level.
He nodded, running one hand through disheveled hair. "Not surprising, considering how... close they were at the time of his injury. What did you tell him?"
"The truth. Scott and Rogue poked into her past, didn't like what they found, and made her leave." Her anger was easily apparent, simmering just below the surface. "Hank? What are you looking at on your computer?"
Frowning at the screen, Hank sighed. "It is a batch of medical files and related newspaper articles. They were sent to my computer, and I have the suspicion that it was an indirect request for help. There seems to be some sort of syndrome affecting mutants, causing fevers, boils, and loss of control over their powers, with a final result of death. It feels... suspicious, I suppose would be the best word."
:I sent it to him. I found out through the clinic... nobody seems to know what it is. There's been concern on how easily it could be spread, and how bad it's going to get.: Kwannon's voice whispered in Betsy's mind. :I have a bad feeling about it. I'm not sure if it's comforting or not that Hank shares that feeling.:
"Is there any idea what caused those things? Is it some sort of new weapon against mutants? Maybe another mutant who can kill by contact?" Betsy was frowning, her own instincts uneasy about this strange condition. "Was there any sort of common factor to the mutants who died? Were they obvious mutants, or following a particular agenda?"
Shaking his head, Hank replied with concern. "There doesn't seem to be any common factors beyond all of the victims being mutants. No common geographic location or exposure point, no family connection, no shared mutant abilities... And most of them have not made an active presence in the various mutant power struggles."
"I don't like it." Betsy's voice was almost flat.
Looking at her, Hank gave a small nod. "Neither do I. But I must go check on Bobby."
end part 3.
Bobby's recovery was the news of the mansion, a cause for rejoicing and delight. Many of them had feared that he would die, that the damage from his injuries had been too severe for him to recover. But he began to be awake for longer at a time, and could hold brief but coherent conversations. For some reason, he seemed to be very upset with Scott, although there was some confusion over what could have prompted that.
Then one of the students asked if anyone had told him about Kwannon leaving. Reminding everyone that Bobby and Kwannon had been very involved, and while the whole separation had been a few months ago for them, it had been only a short time ago to Bobby that he'd been with the purple haired woman. Scott had winced, figuring that someone must have told Bobby about his trip to learn the past of the mysterious Kwannon. He'd decided that the only thing to do would be to talk to Bobby, to try to make him understand.
Scott had suited up into the warm clothing, and gone to speak to Bobby, the younger man still transformed to ice. "Hey... There are a few things... You're upset that Kwannon left, aren't you?"
Bobby had looked at him, his ice features still conveying mild surprise and annoyance. "Actually, yes. You got rid of my girlfriend, and I'd like to know what makes you think you had the right."
"Bobby, we found out a few things about her past. Things that she didn't tell us, dark and ugly things." Scott tried to start slowly, as if trying to drift into the idea that they'd judged Kwannon unfit to stay.
Bobby snorted, clearly annoyed. "What, like the fact that she'd been orphaned at a young age? Working as an assassin? Her sexual involvement with Matsuu'o? I already knew about that. She told me. What about Xavier's being the place for second chances? We took in a thief and a terrorist, hey, we even had Magneto for crying out loud. How is she worse? How could you expect a telepath to stay somewhere that almost everybody hates her? Remind me to thank you for trying to ruin my life, Summers." Bobby's voice was harsh with anger and bitterness.
"But... why... how... she told you?" Scott sounded flabbergasted.
"Yeah, people talk about their past if they're thinking about getting married. I knew all the various things you think so terrible. Nothing that she's done was worse than Rogue, or Magneto. Second chances, right? Or is it only a second chance if Scott Summers gives his approval?" Bobby turned slightly, his back now to Scott. "Go away Scott."
Scott had left the room, his expression downcast. Maybe he'd been a bit... judgmental? Had he been so busy looking for faults in Kwannon that he'd never given her a chance? Had they drove away the first person that had made Bobby Drake happy? It was with great dismay that Scott was forced to conclude that he hadn't given Kwannon a chance, and they had drove her away. He couldn't even justify it by protesting that she'd been dangerous. Rogue had been dangerous. Magneto... well, that had been the Professor's idea, but still. And Storm... no matter how respectable she seemed now, she'd been a thief once upon a time. He'd... been overly harsh against Kwannon, and it had taken Bobby's anger to make him see that.
Quietly, he began to find the various members of the team, to confess his over judgmental attitude had apparently ruined Bobby's happiness. That Bobby had apparently been talking to Kwannon about marriage. That they'd ruined things.
When all of that was finished, he slipped outside, sinking into a chair, hands clutching the sides of his head in futile effort to ward of a headache.
"Scott. You look like you've been chewed up and spat out." The dry observation came from Logan, the last person that Scott had expected the least semblance of courtesy from.
"I've managed to ruin Bobby's future. I drove away the one woman that he's been happy with, and nobody has the faintest idea where she went to be able to try to fix anything." Scott sounded exhausted.
Logan grunted as he dropped to the ground, sitting near Scott. "She didn't vanish off the face of the earth. Betsy already promised him that we'd take him to go visit her as soon as Hank gives him the medical go ahead to make a day trip. They need to have a few long talks."
"She's not gone? You can contact her?" Scott looked at Logan, his voice almost trembling with the hope of some way to fix the mess he'd helped to create.
Logan plucked a blade of grass, his blunt fingers shredding the blade easily. "She won't come back here. But we know where she is. She's been having Betsy keep her updated on Bobby's condition."
"Can you give me any idea just how bad the damage is?" Scott sounded exhausted.
"Depends on what you mean. I know that Kwan doesn't intend to come back to the mansion, but she's still got her feelings for Bobby. Sounds like Bobby still has his feelings, so the odds are good that he's going to be moving out to be with her as soon as he's up for it. Betsy was pretty disappointed in you over the whole mess, and I don't think she's the only one. You say Xavier's is a place to leave your past behind and start over... then you hunt down all the secrets of her past, fling them in her face, and damn near throw the poor woman out. Not good for the confidence of the students. Can't say how well or bad that will last though." Logan's calm assessment was brutally honest.
Scott shifted his position a bit. "How serious do you think she is about her leaving? Left the team? Left the mansion? Do you think that she'd come back?"
Logan smiled, as if amused by some secret. "Right now, there's about a snowball's chance in hell that she'd be on the team, and it doesn't look promising for the future. She won't come back now, but if Bobby tries to change her mind, she might be persuaded to come back later, not sure on that one. But she's a pretty stubborn woman."
end part 4.
Betsy sighed, shaking her head as she sat in her chair. Logan had found Scott, and apparently Bobby had been less than happy with Scott. A few choice words over their treatment of Kwannon... Yes, Bobby was definitely a sweetheart. All she had to do now was wait for him to be strong enough to go visit Kwan, and... oh, best explain that Scott knew about the relationship. It had certainly taken him long enough to figure it out.
:Logan? What has you smug and irritated at the same time?: She reached out for Logan, wondering what he was doing.
His thoughts were filled with emotion, and carried bits of the images and scents of where he was. :Scott's figured out how much of a mess he's in with Bobby. Apparently, Bobby had a few things to say about Xavier's being there for second chances, and them not giving Kwan one. He's been apologizing. And Scott knows that we know how to get in touch with Kwannon, but he doesn't know where she is or why she won't be back on the team.:
:Because...?: She was a bit curious. If he'd mentioned her refusal to come back, why not explain? Other than the benefit of tormenting Scott just a little bit.
Logan's mental voice was serious now. :Biggest reason is the baby. The way I see it, we shouldn't be telling anyone about that before Bobby knows or Kwan tells them herself. It's not our place, it's the place of the little one's mom and dad. You might want to let her know that Scott - and soon everyone else - knows she didn't vanish.:
:Ohhh, you're right.: Her mental voice conveyed her slightly chastened feelings. :I'd almost forgotten about that. I keep expecting her to tell him, they've been having telepathic conversations for the past couple days.:
Logan's amusement was almost thick enough to taste. :Darlin', if you found yourself pregnant, how would you want to tell me? Thinking it from half the city away, or to my face?:
Well, that was a silly question. :I'd want to tell you face to face, of course... Oh. So does she. And she's probably nervous about it all... as well with this virus.:
:Virus? What's this about a virus?: Logan sounded worried, no longer seeming at all amused. She could feel bits of dark memories stirring, not quite remembered, but shifting, like currents under murky water.
Betsy tried to make sense out of the whole thing, to summarize. :Remember she's working at the clinic? There's something happening to mutants, something making them die. There's this virus that seems linked, and it's giving her a really bad feeling. I picked up the same feeling the moment I saw the files on Hank's computer, and he said something seems off about it as well.:
:Put my name on the list of everyone who thinks something's wrong with that. Any humans come down with it yet? (They'll blame us... blame mutants.) Any mutants have it and didn't die?: Logan's thoughts were serious, and those buried memories were stirring more, shifting, causing waves... emotions... flickering almost images of people coughing, near skeletal men with no hair and haunted eyes... the stench of death.
:I don't have those answers, but they sound like good (terrifying) questions. (Could this be targeted? But who...):
Logan's mental voice was grim, laden with the full force of his own bad feeling. :We'd best try to find those answers. Before we need them.:
A sudden, horrible thought occurred to Betsy. :What if... I hope there aren't any cases of that at the clinic where Kwan works. She could... I want her safe. And the baby.:
Betsy made her way towards the kitchen, having the feeling that she'd best get something to eat now, especially since the more she thought about their fears, the more reasons there might be that she wouldn't get to bed until late.
She sent a small plea heavenwards - Please God let us be simply paranoid... please let this just be a lethal flu variant, nothing the doctors can't handle.
But she somehow thought that God wasn't planning on giving her any special reassurances about the future. They would have to muddle through this hoping for the best, just like the rest of the world.
end part 5.
Kwannon paced the room, adjusting the pillows, brushing tiny specks of lint or dust motes from the furniture. Today, they were bringing Bobby over. Today, she would see the man that she loved. Today, he would find out that he was going to be a father. Which was the whole reason why she was nervous.
Logically, he shouldn't have too many problems with the situation, well, not with her part of it at least. And she'd been talking with him telepathically now for a couple weeks, and he'd been delighted that she'd wanted to talk to him, had missed him, wanted to be with him. He'd wanted to be with her again, even if it meant leaving the team. But then her fears started whispering again...
:Kwannon? We're at the apartment building... you can calm down. Really. He wants to see you again.: Betsy's mental voice sounded somewhat amused and a bit worried. :Besides, getting nervous like this can't be good for the baby.:
She felt herself smiling. It seemed so easy for Betsy to suggest being calm, it wasn't her future that might be shattered in the next five minutes... :I think I have everything ready. Come on up.:
And then they were there, Betsy and Logan islands of calm, and Bobby... She was there, hugging him before he could even shut the door, so very glad to see him, really see him again. Looking up at him, she gave a small smile, and whispered "I missed you."
She was barely aware of Logan and Betsy going into the kitchen, an effort to give them the illusion of privacy. She was far more interested in talking to Bobby, finding out the things that had happened, if he still loved her, if the reaction of everyone had changed his mind at all... She had so many questions.
Reaching out to hold her hand in his, he smiled. "It has made me reconsider a few things. I don't want to try to slow stay on the team and try to fit in romance while being X-Men anymore. I just... I'd like us to try to have a normal life. I can get a regular job, we can be together... ummm... there was something..."
He fumbled awkwardly in his pocket, coming up with a small dark blue box. He flipped the lid up, revealing a sparkling gleam, flickering light dancing over the diamond set in gold. "Marry me? We can stay here until we could afford a house, maybe have a family..."
His words were muffled as she flung her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
After several long minutes, their lips parted, leaving them both slightly breathless, Kwannon curled on his lap with a look of contented delight. "That sounds wonderful. But it wouldn't be a maybe. There's... we're already going to be parents. I'm pregnant, Bobby."
"Wow... you're pregnant... you didn't... maybe face to face is better for some things." He had this stunned look, as if he'd never expected those words, and slowly, the look became a big, goofy smile. "We're going to have a baby?"
She reached out, cupping her hand against his cheek to mask the trembling. "I wasn't sure how else to tell you. There's... I have an appointment tomorrow for an ultrasound, if you want to go and see our baby?"
He leaned over, kissing her lightly. "That would make me very happy. We can be a family... hopefully a happy one. If we get married soon... ahhh... would you like to get married soon?" He was turning all sorts of interesting pinks.
Giggling, she decided to relieve him of his worries. "I would love to get married to you soon. Before I have to waddle down the aisle."
The big smile was back, and his mind was filled with flickering images, half solid daydreams of a house, of laughing blond children playing in a yard, of themselves growing older, still delightfully in love... "We're going to have a family."
Logan and Betsy came out from the kitchen, smiling. Betsy was carrying a platter with some little finger foods, and Logan had some various drinks, which he passed to everyone. "Good for you both."
And so the decision was made, leaving only the minor matters of getting Bobby's things, arranging a small wedding, finding Bobby a job, and setting up a family. Small problems compared to things they'd faced before. They were so happy, so certain that they would be able to make their dreams come true. To have live happily ever after.
end part 6.
Things seemed to snowball, and the wedding was organized and set within two weeks. Kwannon had a gown, one that fell in loose folds from below her breasts, looking elegant without revealing their growing child. She didn't want anyone thinking that Bobby was only marrying her for the sake of their child, a child that she was almost certain was a girl.
The wedding was small, held in a meadow on the grounds of Xavier's mansion. Partly so that everyone there would know what was going on, and partly because it was a lovely place, perfect for the small ceremony. Kwannon wore a loose fitting gown that concealed the small bulge of her stomach, so that most of the attending people, the X-Men and Bobby's family, couldn't tell. Despite this, Jean was frowning about something, certain there was something going on.
Logan stood as Best Man, with Betsy as the Maid of Honor, and Betsy looked wonderful in her purple gown, while Logan seemed to feel a bit awkward in the suit. The weather was wonderful, thanks to Storm. Storm hoped that the marriage worked well for Bobby, and had arranged the good weather as a peace offering. Her good wishes had been accepted with thanks.
It wasn't until the reception that Jean found a moment to ask Betsy, utilizing her telepathy to ask without causing a scene. Apparently, whatever response Betsy had made wasn't the sort that Jean was looking for, judging from her annoyed glance.
"What's she annoyed over, darlin'?" Logan's voice was a low whisper in Betsy's ear, his arm a comforting warmth around her waist.
Betsy turned, kissing Logan's lips lightly. :She thinks Kwannon's hiding something, and wants to know what it is.: She smiled, the curve of her lips brushing against Logan. :I told her if she was so curious, why not try asking Kwannon herself?:
Logan's smile was broad, and he barely managed to keep the laughter inside. "Bet that annoyed her. Think she'll bite?"
"Probably not for a while. Shall we go mingle?" Her soft smile did wicked things to Logan's insides, and she used that.
The reception went off with only minor problems, a shortage of mixed nuts, the punch bowl spilled once, splashing Rogue with the red beverage, and there was a bit of awkwardness as the X-Men tried to mingle and failed to mix with Kwannon's friends from the clinic and some of her students from the self defense classes. But things went well enough.
Bobby had even managed to shift back to human form for the wedding, so as not to alarm his parents of the guests. They didn't do a lot of dancing, as a sign of his lingering weakness, explained discretely in a manner that hinted at severity without giving any idea how bad the injuries had actually been.
Gradually, Bobby's things had moved to the apartment, so everything was ready for the delighted newlyweds to start their new life together. A life filled with happiness, and hope for the future. They were already working on converting the spare room to a nursery, decorated in white with pale blue and lavender accents. Things looked promising for them both.
They tossed the bouquet, the flowers being fiercely fought over by Jean, Betsy, and two of Kwannon's co-workers, eventually falling into the hands of Rogue, who looked at it with a mix of hope and despair. The garter was much simpler, and was caught by Scott, something that made Jean smile with anticipation and glee.
Laughing, Kwannon and Bobby left the reception, both delighted with the day's events. They had plans for the next few days that didn't involve company, travel, or much in the lines of clothing.
"How did the pair of them meet? You're her sister, could you fill me on in a bit about the woman my son has married?" The almost plaintive question from Mr. Drake distracted Logan and Betsy from their contemplation.
Betsy smiled, an expression intended to put the older Drake at ease. "I've known Bobby for a number of years, so there was that connection. But it was a bit more recently that my sister decided to take a closer look at what I did. That enabled her to meet Bobby. Kwannon hasn't met a lot of nice guys in her past, so... Bobby was just what she's always been looking for."
"But.. what does she do?" William Drake looked like he was trying to sort out what this strange woman that his son had married was like, and how would his neighbors react?
Logan gave a small smile. "Now, she's a self-defense instructor and she works part time at a hospital offering counseling to the patients. She used to be a bodyguard until an accident made her change professions. She's a good woman, and she makes him happy."
:Smudging the details a bit, aren't you dear?: Betsy's thought to Logan was filled with amusement. "Part of the reason why Bobby's recovered as well as he has from his injury was because of Kwannon."
With a small defeated sounding sigh, Mr. Drake asked one last question. "Is she going to be in the same line of work as you and Bobby? That's just... not safe."
"Kwannon doesn't plan to be joining the team any time soon, Mr. Drake. She could, if that's what you're wondering about, but that's not what she wants right now. They were thinking about getting a household, starting a family." Betsy smiled, feeling the relief of Mr. Drake.
Sighing, he shook his head. "I just hope the children are a bit more settled than their father."
As they watched Bobby's father go back to the knots of guests, Logan offered a small smile to Betsy. "Think we've been sociable long enough?"
"Quite. I think it's time for us to retire for the evening. You can help me out of this dress."
What Kwannon had no way of knowing was that during the week of vacation she'd taken for her honeymoon, one of her patients, seventeen year old Teresa Alverez, had broke out in dark blisters, with a high fever that would not go away. She'd known that Teresa was a mutant, that that fact had caused her to be attacked and beaten so badly that she'd been hospitalized. But nobody had though to worry about Teresa contracting the mysterious syndrome that had been affecting mutants.
Perhaps they should have worried.
end part 7. End Sister's Legacy.
author: Lucinda
Series: Eastern Butterfly Story #5
rating: pg 13
main characters: Psylocke, Kwannon
pairing Betsy/Logan, Kwannon/Bobby
Disclaimer: I do not own Psylocke or any other characters from Marvel Comics. People with more money & lawyers do.
Distribution: please ask first. Psyknife & Luba may have it if they want it.
note :words inside colons: are telepathic conversation.
Nothing had been the same at the mansion after Kwannon had left. Scott and Rogue had felt somehow vindicated, as if she wouldn't have left unless she'd been hiding something, while Jean had worried about what changes or potential harm the ninja woman could have already done. Betsy and Logan had been drifting a bit farther from everyone else on the teams since Kwannon's departure. It seemed to be upsetting Betsy a lot, which had Rogue puzzled. Hadn't they been enemies? Hadn't they tried to kill each other in the danger room?
Logan and Betsy would make frequent trips into town, to go out to dinner, or to see a movie, or sometimes just to be somewhere away from the team. Bobby was still in his ice coma, but the damage was slowly healing, with new ice forming that slowly filled in the gaping wounds in his torso.
They'd promised Kwannon to keep her updated on Bobby's health, to let her know if anything changed. Betsy had made copies of the latest notes, and planned to give them to her sister when they visited today.
Kwannon had decided to stay in the apartment. She'd made a few minor changes in the decor, nothing major, but enough that it felt like home to her now. She'd even gotten herself a job, and taught martial arts and self-defense to some of the local people. She seemed almost happy with her life, except for how much she missed Bobby.
Betsy and Logan made their way to the apartment, Betsy holding the Files and Logan carrying a box with a few odds and ends they'd found that Kwannon might want. They let their selves in, Logan still had a key and Betsy had assured him that Kwannon had given them an okay to come in. Seemed she had her hands full and couldn't get the door.
From the sound of it, Kwannon was busily throwing up in the bathroom.
Betsy looked very worried, and rushed towards the bathroom, hoping that nothing was wrong with her sister. Despite the awkward beginnings, the two of them had grown close.
Logan sighed, putting the basket of items down beside the couch, and gathering up the papers that Betsy had dropped. He inhaled, certain that he hadn't smelled any illness in the apartment. No, nothing that smelled of illness or poison, but Kwannon's scent had changed a little bit. He couldn't quite identify what had caused it, but it was definitely there.
After a while, the two women emerged from the bathroom. Kwannon looked a bit pale, but otherwise seemed alright.
Logan nodded towards her, tactfully pretending that he hadn't heard her retching behind the door. "Kwannon. Good to see you again. We brought a few things, and the latest update on Bobby. Short of it is that he hasn't woke up, more ice that looks about the same is slowly growing over the holes, and Jeannie said there was faint mental activity. So, he's getting better, just slowly."
"That's... that's good to know. I wouldn't want anything bad... permanent to happen to him." Her eyes glimmered with tears that she was fighting not to shed.
Betsy put on hand on her sister's shoulder, an effort to comfort her. "You care for him, don't you? And it's tearing you up not knowing how he is. If you want, I can... I can link with you and check on him occasionally. It wouldn't be the same, but... if you'd like?"
Kwannon gave a somewhat shaky smile. "That would help. I just... This way, I won't have to see him look at me the same way Scott and Rogue do. Although... ah, never mind."
"Are you sure that you're okay now? You sounded... throwing up isn't a good thing. Is there a fever? Do you need to see a doctor?" Betsy was trying to fuss over her sister.
Kwannon sighed, sitting in her chair. "I don't like doctors. I never did, and after this whole little complication, " she made a gesture indicating herself and Betsy, a clear reference to their body swap. "It's gotten quite a bit worse. Besides, it will clear up in a few hours, as long as I don't eat anything with celery or red pepper."
"Celery or red pepper? What..." Betsy was clearly puzzled.
Logan frowned, thinking that Kwannon wasn't sick, even if she had been throwing up. She wasn't sick, her scent had changed... And she missed Bobby a lot. Missed her lover... "Kwannon, are you late?"
Both women looked at him, purple eyes blinking. Betsy spoke to him, a hint of puzzlement in her voice. "Logan, you know she wouldn't plan anything on a day she knew that we were visiting..."
Kwannon made a small 'oh' as she understood his question. "He doesn't mean that sort of late. He means... do you think? Could I..."
Logan gave a small shrug. "You don't smell sick, but your scent is a bit different. And I know that before the accident, you and Bobby had a great deal of sex. Sex can lead to pregnancy, so... Were you two using all the precautions? Maybe that celery thing is the result of a little Drake growing inside of you."
Kwannon thought about the question, blushing as she did, and then slowly shook her head. "We did most of the time, but... Most isn't the same as all the time. And I am... late."
Logan sighed to himself, thinking that this wasn't a complication that Kwannon needed. It was enough that she had been forced to leave what had become a home because of the intolerant attitudes of people, but to discover that she was going to be a single parent? Complicated by the fact that the daddy in question was currently in a coma and couldn't do anything to help her... "Let us know if you need anything. Even if it's only to have someone pick you up some bizarre food or for Betsy to come listen to you talk about women things."
Both of them looked at him, faint smiles on their faces. Kwannon chuckled a bit before asking "Logan, what do you know about 'women things' that you think Betsy and I might need to discuss?"
"I know that I figure I'm at least a century old, and I don't understand how women think. I know that women are more likely, especially with you two, to understand what going on in another woman's head. And I know that pregnancy can cause all sorts of mood swings and questions about 'Does my butt look fat?' You might need to talk."
"Logan, how do you know what sort of questions pregnant women ask?"
Logan gave a small, pained smile. "I may not know what goes on inside a pregnant lady's head, but I have enhanced hearing. I've had neighbors, and I heard some of the things coming out of their mouths. Sometimes there were food cravings, or things that didn't agree with them. There was a lot of worry about the way being pregnant changed their figure. Talk about it making their boobs get bigger. And I know that I'm not the best person to make a woman feel better."
Kwannon and Betsy both smiled, amused at the idea of Logan the helpless accidental eavesdropper hearing the details and worries and arguments of a pair of expectant parents. "Logan, sometimes you are such... such a male."
"Yup. Pretty happy about that most of the time."
end part 1.
Eventually, the conversation turned from Kwannon's pregnancy to her recent activities. In addition to teaching self defense, she had also been volunteering with a local medical clinic that treated mutants. She wasn't a medical expert, but she could help in non technical ways, and spend time with some of the patients, let them know that they weren't all alone, that not everybody hated mutants. She felt that it was a partial atonement for her past as an assassin, to help with the healing of the ill or injured.
Logan and Betsy had been a bit surprised, having thought that maybe her experiences with Spiral would have made Kwannon avoid medical facilities. She'd smiled a bit, explaining that she would have to get over the fear eventually, and sitting with Bobby had helped. She refused to let fear rule her life, even a well deserved fear of medical procedures.
Kwannon's reasoning made sense though. Especially since she would be having a baby, and didn't want to go the 'natural method'. No, she definitely wanted the assistance of trained professionals, and a nice dose of painkillers. Her explanation had caused a few smiles, followed by more serious expressions. She was going to be a mother. She was going to be a mother, and the father of her baby didn't know, couldn't be told because he was currently comatose. Sometimes, their lives were just much too complicated.
No matter how much they enjoyed the visit, they could only stay for so long. Reluctantly, Betsy and Logan gathered their coats up and returned to the mansion, hoping for Kwannon's sake that Bobby would get better quickly. Hoping that Bobby's feelings for her were strong enough that he wouldn't hate Kwannon after Scott and Jean had their say. Maybe even strong enough to go after her.
Things at Xavier's were continuing at an awkward lurch. There was a consistent string of crisis, villains attempting assorted diabolical plans, rallies of the Friends of Humanity spewing their anti mutant rhetoric into the crowds, seeking to poison minds with hate and fear. A new danger arose, a powerful group of mutants who seemed intent on ruling the world, their leader yet unidentified, but masking his or her presence with a powerful magnetic aura. There was a split of opinion on whether it would be better if it were Magneto with a new group of followers or if it was an entirely new mutant supremacist.
Bobby continued to make slow improvements, the gaping hole in his chest now closed into a pair of craters instead of empty space. There was detectable brain activity once more, although it was not the normal sort of pattern, being far to heavy on the delta waves. Neither Betsy or Jean or even Xavier could establish any sort of mental contact, though Xavier did report that there was 'evidence that his mind should recover, and was engaged in significant activity', whatever that meant.
Kwannon continued helping at the clinic, soothing the worries and fears of patients, both mutant and human. She had started working closely with the clinic counselor, confiding that she had 'a small measure of empathic ability' and implying that she could offer a bit of assistance with the emotional needs of some of the patients. So, she was learning how to help people heal their minds from terrible traumas, from injuries that would leave them forever changed, from abuse, from the loss of their loved ones. Helping them deal with the fear and guilt and shame that sometimes came with injury. To her surprise, she found the work interesting, if occasionally unpleasant.
It was actually through the clinic that Kwannon first heard the rumors. Whispers of a nasty illness that seemed to strike without warning, causing mutants to get painful purple boils, intense pain, and fevers, usually accompanied by 'destructive rampages', although a few more precise and reputable sources had suggested that it had seemed more like they had either lost control of their abilities, or lost their sense of reality as a result of fever and pain. These rumors were spreading fear, and worry through the medical community. What was this syndrome, and what caused it? Did it only strike mutants, or did it also affect normal humans? How was it passed, and how contagious was it?
There had been a few dozen documented cases in America, scattered through the population centers. It seemed unlikely that there was a climate or zoological base, considering the variety in the places where the incidents had occurred. There were also rumors of a few similar cases in Spain, France and Germany, although there was no official confirmation yet. Kwannon had been very worried, and had shared her fears with Logan and Betsy, as well as taking the illegal step of copying the files and emailing them to Dr. McCoy from the clinic. He was a biochemist and had some training in genetics, perhaps this would make sense to him. If it didn't, he would know people to contact. She had a bad feeling about this illness.
Kwannon was too busy with everything in her life to spend a lot of time worrying about a mysterious illness. She was further along in her pregnancy, and while the morning vomiting ritual had ceased, she had to be very careful about eating certain things at the right times, otherwise she would develop intense headaches and painful cramping, accompanied by dizziness and a feeling of being very cold. The obstetrician that she'd been seeing had called it gestational diabetes, hastening to assure her that after she'd had her baby, which they thought was a girl, although the angle of the ultrasounds had been a bit awkward, everything should go back to normal.
As if anything would ever be 'normal' in her life. She hadn't been normal before, and now that she was a mutant, which she was almost certain her original body hadn't been, things were even less normal. Although her occupations could finally be considered normal, a teacher and an assistant counselor for a medical clinic... much more 'normal' than an assassin or a super hero.
end part 2.
Betsy was sitting in the infirmary when Bobby woke up. He was still ice, but he opened his eyes, prompting the random irrelevant thought of 'do ice eyelids actually make a difference with the light'? She brushed a hand over his arm, a gesture intended to let him know that he wasn't alone. She could feel Kwannon in her mind, excited and nervous that he was awake, wanting to tell him, wanting to see him in person, and terrified that he would hate her.
"Hey... good to see that you're awake." She kept her voice low, trying not to shiver as her breath created clouds of fog between them.
He moved slightly, wincing a bit as he pulled on his newly reformed chest. His voice was low, and had an almost crystalline tone to it, brittle and not quite human. "Betsy... where's Kwan? I wanted to see her..."
Betsy and Kwannon both felt a pang go through them. The task of explaining this one... Betsy took a careful breath, the cold stabbing into her lungs. "There was a bit of... well, Scott and Rogue insisted on going off to poke into Kwannon's past. They didn't like some of what they found, and things were pretty hostile when they got back. I don't know how much you might have talked about her past, but... She's... Kwannon isn't here anymore."
Bobby closed his eyes for a moment, an action that did nothing to conceal the pain in his eyes. "They made her leave, didn't they? I know about her past... all of it. Her jobs, Matsuu'o, the whole thing where the two of you became sisters... We talked about all of it. We were planning on getting married..."
She felt a knot of tension forming inside as he spoke, his voice still weak, the bitterness and sorrow in his voice. He looked and felt so hurt. :Tell him... I won't leave him thinking that I abandoned him!:
Leaning a bit closer, she made just the thinnest metal contact to Bobby's mind. :She didn't run away from you. She only left the mansion. Logan and I have stayed in contact... she wants to see you if you're willing. She was afraid that Scott would be able to turn you away from her:
:She didn't leave me?: Bobby's thoughts were a mix of joy and relief, as if he wasn't sure that Kwannon would really want to be with him.
Betsy felt tears well in her eyes at the depths of his feelings. :She didn't leave you, she still loves you very much. I'll take you to see her as soon as you're strong enough to make the trip.:
:I know you aren't telling me everything...: Bobby's mind was still alert, even if he was still weak, still not able to stay awake more than a few moments. Exhaustion dragged him back into the murky depths of slumber.
Kwannon's thoughts were delighted, and practically glowed with pride for her beloved. :He's observant. How many people would wake up from a coma and be able to tell that you aren't sharing the whole story? I picked a good one...:
Betsy smiled, knowing that Kwannon was right. Bobby had picked up on that, and most people wouldn't have. And the fact that he'd already known about Kwannon's past, and still loved her? That only made things better as far as she was concerned. Bobby still cared for Kwannon, still loved her and wanted a future. She'd also got the impression that he didn't intend to let something as simple, or complicated, as Scott's disapproval prevent him from trying to build a future with Kwannon. Betsy found that absolutely delightful. She had the same memories as Kwannon, and knew just how much her 'sister' needed someone to care for her, someone who wouldn't give up because she mattered, not because she was useful.
"Doctor McCoy? You're frozen patient is doing better. He woke up very briefly, and spoke. He seemed to be thinking fairly clearly, but he was very weak and didn't stay awake for long." She tried to tone down her glee. She didn't think that she needed to explain how happy his concern for Kwannon was, and most likely, her joy would be assumed as a reaction to Bobby's recovery.
Hank McCoy stood up, his blue fur sticking in bizarre patterns. He'd been looking at something on his computer, something that looked complicated and medical. "He seemed coherent? Did he appear to have an awareness of where he was and what had happened?"
"Well... some of what I've gathered came from the surface thoughts of his mind. But he knew he was in the infirmary, knew he'd been injured. He asked me where Kwannon was." Betsy wasn't sure how much to mention. Hank hadn't been one of the people whose hostility had forced Kwannon away, but he hadn't made any particular defenses, instead trying to decipher what had been done to them on a genetic level.
He nodded, running one hand through disheveled hair. "Not surprising, considering how... close they were at the time of his injury. What did you tell him?"
"The truth. Scott and Rogue poked into her past, didn't like what they found, and made her leave." Her anger was easily apparent, simmering just below the surface. "Hank? What are you looking at on your computer?"
Frowning at the screen, Hank sighed. "It is a batch of medical files and related newspaper articles. They were sent to my computer, and I have the suspicion that it was an indirect request for help. There seems to be some sort of syndrome affecting mutants, causing fevers, boils, and loss of control over their powers, with a final result of death. It feels... suspicious, I suppose would be the best word."
:I sent it to him. I found out through the clinic... nobody seems to know what it is. There's been concern on how easily it could be spread, and how bad it's going to get.: Kwannon's voice whispered in Betsy's mind. :I have a bad feeling about it. I'm not sure if it's comforting or not that Hank shares that feeling.:
"Is there any idea what caused those things? Is it some sort of new weapon against mutants? Maybe another mutant who can kill by contact?" Betsy was frowning, her own instincts uneasy about this strange condition. "Was there any sort of common factor to the mutants who died? Were they obvious mutants, or following a particular agenda?"
Shaking his head, Hank replied with concern. "There doesn't seem to be any common factors beyond all of the victims being mutants. No common geographic location or exposure point, no family connection, no shared mutant abilities... And most of them have not made an active presence in the various mutant power struggles."
"I don't like it." Betsy's voice was almost flat.
Looking at her, Hank gave a small nod. "Neither do I. But I must go check on Bobby."
end part 3.
Bobby's recovery was the news of the mansion, a cause for rejoicing and delight. Many of them had feared that he would die, that the damage from his injuries had been too severe for him to recover. But he began to be awake for longer at a time, and could hold brief but coherent conversations. For some reason, he seemed to be very upset with Scott, although there was some confusion over what could have prompted that.
Then one of the students asked if anyone had told him about Kwannon leaving. Reminding everyone that Bobby and Kwannon had been very involved, and while the whole separation had been a few months ago for them, it had been only a short time ago to Bobby that he'd been with the purple haired woman. Scott had winced, figuring that someone must have told Bobby about his trip to learn the past of the mysterious Kwannon. He'd decided that the only thing to do would be to talk to Bobby, to try to make him understand.
Scott had suited up into the warm clothing, and gone to speak to Bobby, the younger man still transformed to ice. "Hey... There are a few things... You're upset that Kwannon left, aren't you?"
Bobby had looked at him, his ice features still conveying mild surprise and annoyance. "Actually, yes. You got rid of my girlfriend, and I'd like to know what makes you think you had the right."
"Bobby, we found out a few things about her past. Things that she didn't tell us, dark and ugly things." Scott tried to start slowly, as if trying to drift into the idea that they'd judged Kwannon unfit to stay.
Bobby snorted, clearly annoyed. "What, like the fact that she'd been orphaned at a young age? Working as an assassin? Her sexual involvement with Matsuu'o? I already knew about that. She told me. What about Xavier's being the place for second chances? We took in a thief and a terrorist, hey, we even had Magneto for crying out loud. How is she worse? How could you expect a telepath to stay somewhere that almost everybody hates her? Remind me to thank you for trying to ruin my life, Summers." Bobby's voice was harsh with anger and bitterness.
"But... why... how... she told you?" Scott sounded flabbergasted.
"Yeah, people talk about their past if they're thinking about getting married. I knew all the various things you think so terrible. Nothing that she's done was worse than Rogue, or Magneto. Second chances, right? Or is it only a second chance if Scott Summers gives his approval?" Bobby turned slightly, his back now to Scott. "Go away Scott."
Scott had left the room, his expression downcast. Maybe he'd been a bit... judgmental? Had he been so busy looking for faults in Kwannon that he'd never given her a chance? Had they drove away the first person that had made Bobby Drake happy? It was with great dismay that Scott was forced to conclude that he hadn't given Kwannon a chance, and they had drove her away. He couldn't even justify it by protesting that she'd been dangerous. Rogue had been dangerous. Magneto... well, that had been the Professor's idea, but still. And Storm... no matter how respectable she seemed now, she'd been a thief once upon a time. He'd... been overly harsh against Kwannon, and it had taken Bobby's anger to make him see that.
Quietly, he began to find the various members of the team, to confess his over judgmental attitude had apparently ruined Bobby's happiness. That Bobby had apparently been talking to Kwannon about marriage. That they'd ruined things.
When all of that was finished, he slipped outside, sinking into a chair, hands clutching the sides of his head in futile effort to ward of a headache.
"Scott. You look like you've been chewed up and spat out." The dry observation came from Logan, the last person that Scott had expected the least semblance of courtesy from.
"I've managed to ruin Bobby's future. I drove away the one woman that he's been happy with, and nobody has the faintest idea where she went to be able to try to fix anything." Scott sounded exhausted.
Logan grunted as he dropped to the ground, sitting near Scott. "She didn't vanish off the face of the earth. Betsy already promised him that we'd take him to go visit her as soon as Hank gives him the medical go ahead to make a day trip. They need to have a few long talks."
"She's not gone? You can contact her?" Scott looked at Logan, his voice almost trembling with the hope of some way to fix the mess he'd helped to create.
Logan plucked a blade of grass, his blunt fingers shredding the blade easily. "She won't come back here. But we know where she is. She's been having Betsy keep her updated on Bobby's condition."
"Can you give me any idea just how bad the damage is?" Scott sounded exhausted.
"Depends on what you mean. I know that Kwan doesn't intend to come back to the mansion, but she's still got her feelings for Bobby. Sounds like Bobby still has his feelings, so the odds are good that he's going to be moving out to be with her as soon as he's up for it. Betsy was pretty disappointed in you over the whole mess, and I don't think she's the only one. You say Xavier's is a place to leave your past behind and start over... then you hunt down all the secrets of her past, fling them in her face, and damn near throw the poor woman out. Not good for the confidence of the students. Can't say how well or bad that will last though." Logan's calm assessment was brutally honest.
Scott shifted his position a bit. "How serious do you think she is about her leaving? Left the team? Left the mansion? Do you think that she'd come back?"
Logan smiled, as if amused by some secret. "Right now, there's about a snowball's chance in hell that she'd be on the team, and it doesn't look promising for the future. She won't come back now, but if Bobby tries to change her mind, she might be persuaded to come back later, not sure on that one. But she's a pretty stubborn woman."
end part 4.
Betsy sighed, shaking her head as she sat in her chair. Logan had found Scott, and apparently Bobby had been less than happy with Scott. A few choice words over their treatment of Kwannon... Yes, Bobby was definitely a sweetheart. All she had to do now was wait for him to be strong enough to go visit Kwan, and... oh, best explain that Scott knew about the relationship. It had certainly taken him long enough to figure it out.
:Logan? What has you smug and irritated at the same time?: She reached out for Logan, wondering what he was doing.
His thoughts were filled with emotion, and carried bits of the images and scents of where he was. :Scott's figured out how much of a mess he's in with Bobby. Apparently, Bobby had a few things to say about Xavier's being there for second chances, and them not giving Kwan one. He's been apologizing. And Scott knows that we know how to get in touch with Kwannon, but he doesn't know where she is or why she won't be back on the team.:
:Because...?: She was a bit curious. If he'd mentioned her refusal to come back, why not explain? Other than the benefit of tormenting Scott just a little bit.
Logan's mental voice was serious now. :Biggest reason is the baby. The way I see it, we shouldn't be telling anyone about that before Bobby knows or Kwan tells them herself. It's not our place, it's the place of the little one's mom and dad. You might want to let her know that Scott - and soon everyone else - knows she didn't vanish.:
:Ohhh, you're right.: Her mental voice conveyed her slightly chastened feelings. :I'd almost forgotten about that. I keep expecting her to tell him, they've been having telepathic conversations for the past couple days.:
Logan's amusement was almost thick enough to taste. :Darlin', if you found yourself pregnant, how would you want to tell me? Thinking it from half the city away, or to my face?:
Well, that was a silly question. :I'd want to tell you face to face, of course... Oh. So does she. And she's probably nervous about it all... as well with this virus.:
:Virus? What's this about a virus?: Logan sounded worried, no longer seeming at all amused. She could feel bits of dark memories stirring, not quite remembered, but shifting, like currents under murky water.
Betsy tried to make sense out of the whole thing, to summarize. :Remember she's working at the clinic? There's something happening to mutants, something making them die. There's this virus that seems linked, and it's giving her a really bad feeling. I picked up the same feeling the moment I saw the files on Hank's computer, and he said something seems off about it as well.:
:Put my name on the list of everyone who thinks something's wrong with that. Any humans come down with it yet? (They'll blame us... blame mutants.) Any mutants have it and didn't die?: Logan's thoughts were serious, and those buried memories were stirring more, shifting, causing waves... emotions... flickering almost images of people coughing, near skeletal men with no hair and haunted eyes... the stench of death.
:I don't have those answers, but they sound like good (terrifying) questions. (Could this be targeted? But who...):
Logan's mental voice was grim, laden with the full force of his own bad feeling. :We'd best try to find those answers. Before we need them.:
A sudden, horrible thought occurred to Betsy. :What if... I hope there aren't any cases of that at the clinic where Kwan works. She could... I want her safe. And the baby.:
Betsy made her way towards the kitchen, having the feeling that she'd best get something to eat now, especially since the more she thought about their fears, the more reasons there might be that she wouldn't get to bed until late.
She sent a small plea heavenwards - Please God let us be simply paranoid... please let this just be a lethal flu variant, nothing the doctors can't handle.
But she somehow thought that God wasn't planning on giving her any special reassurances about the future. They would have to muddle through this hoping for the best, just like the rest of the world.
end part 5.
Kwannon paced the room, adjusting the pillows, brushing tiny specks of lint or dust motes from the furniture. Today, they were bringing Bobby over. Today, she would see the man that she loved. Today, he would find out that he was going to be a father. Which was the whole reason why she was nervous.
Logically, he shouldn't have too many problems with the situation, well, not with her part of it at least. And she'd been talking with him telepathically now for a couple weeks, and he'd been delighted that she'd wanted to talk to him, had missed him, wanted to be with him. He'd wanted to be with her again, even if it meant leaving the team. But then her fears started whispering again...
:Kwannon? We're at the apartment building... you can calm down. Really. He wants to see you again.: Betsy's mental voice sounded somewhat amused and a bit worried. :Besides, getting nervous like this can't be good for the baby.:
She felt herself smiling. It seemed so easy for Betsy to suggest being calm, it wasn't her future that might be shattered in the next five minutes... :I think I have everything ready. Come on up.:
And then they were there, Betsy and Logan islands of calm, and Bobby... She was there, hugging him before he could even shut the door, so very glad to see him, really see him again. Looking up at him, she gave a small smile, and whispered "I missed you."
She was barely aware of Logan and Betsy going into the kitchen, an effort to give them the illusion of privacy. She was far more interested in talking to Bobby, finding out the things that had happened, if he still loved her, if the reaction of everyone had changed his mind at all... She had so many questions.
Reaching out to hold her hand in his, he smiled. "It has made me reconsider a few things. I don't want to try to slow stay on the team and try to fit in romance while being X-Men anymore. I just... I'd like us to try to have a normal life. I can get a regular job, we can be together... ummm... there was something..."
He fumbled awkwardly in his pocket, coming up with a small dark blue box. He flipped the lid up, revealing a sparkling gleam, flickering light dancing over the diamond set in gold. "Marry me? We can stay here until we could afford a house, maybe have a family..."
His words were muffled as she flung her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
After several long minutes, their lips parted, leaving them both slightly breathless, Kwannon curled on his lap with a look of contented delight. "That sounds wonderful. But it wouldn't be a maybe. There's... we're already going to be parents. I'm pregnant, Bobby."
"Wow... you're pregnant... you didn't... maybe face to face is better for some things." He had this stunned look, as if he'd never expected those words, and slowly, the look became a big, goofy smile. "We're going to have a baby?"
She reached out, cupping her hand against his cheek to mask the trembling. "I wasn't sure how else to tell you. There's... I have an appointment tomorrow for an ultrasound, if you want to go and see our baby?"
He leaned over, kissing her lightly. "That would make me very happy. We can be a family... hopefully a happy one. If we get married soon... ahhh... would you like to get married soon?" He was turning all sorts of interesting pinks.
Giggling, she decided to relieve him of his worries. "I would love to get married to you soon. Before I have to waddle down the aisle."
The big smile was back, and his mind was filled with flickering images, half solid daydreams of a house, of laughing blond children playing in a yard, of themselves growing older, still delightfully in love... "We're going to have a family."
Logan and Betsy came out from the kitchen, smiling. Betsy was carrying a platter with some little finger foods, and Logan had some various drinks, which he passed to everyone. "Good for you both."
And so the decision was made, leaving only the minor matters of getting Bobby's things, arranging a small wedding, finding Bobby a job, and setting up a family. Small problems compared to things they'd faced before. They were so happy, so certain that they would be able to make their dreams come true. To have live happily ever after.
end part 6.
Things seemed to snowball, and the wedding was organized and set within two weeks. Kwannon had a gown, one that fell in loose folds from below her breasts, looking elegant without revealing their growing child. She didn't want anyone thinking that Bobby was only marrying her for the sake of their child, a child that she was almost certain was a girl.
The wedding was small, held in a meadow on the grounds of Xavier's mansion. Partly so that everyone there would know what was going on, and partly because it was a lovely place, perfect for the small ceremony. Kwannon wore a loose fitting gown that concealed the small bulge of her stomach, so that most of the attending people, the X-Men and Bobby's family, couldn't tell. Despite this, Jean was frowning about something, certain there was something going on.
Logan stood as Best Man, with Betsy as the Maid of Honor, and Betsy looked wonderful in her purple gown, while Logan seemed to feel a bit awkward in the suit. The weather was wonderful, thanks to Storm. Storm hoped that the marriage worked well for Bobby, and had arranged the good weather as a peace offering. Her good wishes had been accepted with thanks.
It wasn't until the reception that Jean found a moment to ask Betsy, utilizing her telepathy to ask without causing a scene. Apparently, whatever response Betsy had made wasn't the sort that Jean was looking for, judging from her annoyed glance.
"What's she annoyed over, darlin'?" Logan's voice was a low whisper in Betsy's ear, his arm a comforting warmth around her waist.
Betsy turned, kissing Logan's lips lightly. :She thinks Kwannon's hiding something, and wants to know what it is.: She smiled, the curve of her lips brushing against Logan. :I told her if she was so curious, why not try asking Kwannon herself?:
Logan's smile was broad, and he barely managed to keep the laughter inside. "Bet that annoyed her. Think she'll bite?"
"Probably not for a while. Shall we go mingle?" Her soft smile did wicked things to Logan's insides, and she used that.
The reception went off with only minor problems, a shortage of mixed nuts, the punch bowl spilled once, splashing Rogue with the red beverage, and there was a bit of awkwardness as the X-Men tried to mingle and failed to mix with Kwannon's friends from the clinic and some of her students from the self defense classes. But things went well enough.
Bobby had even managed to shift back to human form for the wedding, so as not to alarm his parents of the guests. They didn't do a lot of dancing, as a sign of his lingering weakness, explained discretely in a manner that hinted at severity without giving any idea how bad the injuries had actually been.
Gradually, Bobby's things had moved to the apartment, so everything was ready for the delighted newlyweds to start their new life together. A life filled with happiness, and hope for the future. They were already working on converting the spare room to a nursery, decorated in white with pale blue and lavender accents. Things looked promising for them both.
They tossed the bouquet, the flowers being fiercely fought over by Jean, Betsy, and two of Kwannon's co-workers, eventually falling into the hands of Rogue, who looked at it with a mix of hope and despair. The garter was much simpler, and was caught by Scott, something that made Jean smile with anticipation and glee.
Laughing, Kwannon and Bobby left the reception, both delighted with the day's events. They had plans for the next few days that didn't involve company, travel, or much in the lines of clothing.
"How did the pair of them meet? You're her sister, could you fill me on in a bit about the woman my son has married?" The almost plaintive question from Mr. Drake distracted Logan and Betsy from their contemplation.
Betsy smiled, an expression intended to put the older Drake at ease. "I've known Bobby for a number of years, so there was that connection. But it was a bit more recently that my sister decided to take a closer look at what I did. That enabled her to meet Bobby. Kwannon hasn't met a lot of nice guys in her past, so... Bobby was just what she's always been looking for."
"But.. what does she do?" William Drake looked like he was trying to sort out what this strange woman that his son had married was like, and how would his neighbors react?
Logan gave a small smile. "Now, she's a self-defense instructor and she works part time at a hospital offering counseling to the patients. She used to be a bodyguard until an accident made her change professions. She's a good woman, and she makes him happy."
:Smudging the details a bit, aren't you dear?: Betsy's thought to Logan was filled with amusement. "Part of the reason why Bobby's recovered as well as he has from his injury was because of Kwannon."
With a small defeated sounding sigh, Mr. Drake asked one last question. "Is she going to be in the same line of work as you and Bobby? That's just... not safe."
"Kwannon doesn't plan to be joining the team any time soon, Mr. Drake. She could, if that's what you're wondering about, but that's not what she wants right now. They were thinking about getting a household, starting a family." Betsy smiled, feeling the relief of Mr. Drake.
Sighing, he shook his head. "I just hope the children are a bit more settled than their father."
As they watched Bobby's father go back to the knots of guests, Logan offered a small smile to Betsy. "Think we've been sociable long enough?"
"Quite. I think it's time for us to retire for the evening. You can help me out of this dress."
What Kwannon had no way of knowing was that during the week of vacation she'd taken for her honeymoon, one of her patients, seventeen year old Teresa Alverez, had broke out in dark blisters, with a high fever that would not go away. She'd known that Teresa was a mutant, that that fact had caused her to be attacked and beaten so badly that she'd been hospitalized. But nobody had though to worry about Teresa contracting the mysterious syndrome that had been affecting mutants.
Perhaps they should have worried.
end part 7. End Sister's Legacy.
