Chapter Sixteen: A Little Healing
The characters in this fic, by and large, do not belong to me. The X-Men, and related characters, are the property of Marvel Comics. GI Joe, and related characters, belong to Hasbro. The Delgado children (Althea, Brittany, Daria, Quinn, and Claudius), Xi, Sgt Snuffles, and the Eloi belong to Red Witch. Reader, however, does belong to me.
L1701E: I'm glad you like them!
RogueFanKC: Yup, he's alive! When I wrote the 'Lance-sacrificing-himself' bit, and I wrote the recovery, the Misfits just started hitting him- and you're right, it's how they show they care!
Fugama: I'm glad you like the story!
Red Witch: How did I know? Well, I thought about it- in terms of the show and of your characterizations, and I figured that they're really the only choice. The kids look to all the Joes as aunts and uncles, and Shipwreck wouldn't bust up the Misfits if he could help it. Bree and Lifeline are both patient, loving people, and while all the Joes love the kids, how many are patient enough to deal with them on a daily basis? As for Lifeline having issues with his father- I re-read 'True Confessions' on the fanlisting, and I was reminded that Lifeline's dad tried to run his life. Yeah, I'd have issues, too. And some Sam and Tabby stuff? Yay! I love the way you do romances- Althea and Todd, Jean and Scott, Kurt and Amanda, Remy and Rogue, and Sam and Tabby. As for the Sam plot… yup. I chose Sam for that reason.
JCKIDSMART: Here you go!
Aaron: There will be some fallout to Sam's condition, but I won't be putting too much here. About Lance- he knew that it could possibly kill him, but he didn't care. That's Lance. As for Jessica- I knew I couldn't heal Kitty and Peter the way the comics did, and I remembered Jessica, and how her venom-blasts first manifested, and so she showed up.
A/N: Okay, who saw Ascension pt. 2? It blew me away, especially the ending. My only problem is that it is the perfect place to end the show, and there is so much more that can yet be done! But then, as a certain space-show told us, "All good things must come to an end." But not yet, dammit!
"How are you feeling, Sam?" Bobby asked a few hours later. After everyone woke up, the Professor psychically alerted most of the other awake adults, and they took Sam away. For the moment, Sam was confined to the room used to store Kitty, which was redone for him. When the New Mutants were allowed to come visit him, they found him hooked up to several different machines.
"Ah'm pretty fly for a dead guy," Sam quipped. When the others winced, Sam realized that was not the right thing to say.
"So were you really… dead?" Amara asked, almost whispering the last word.
"That's what Wolverine said, and Lifeline too."
"Madre de Dios!" Roberto swore. "What was it like?"
"Roberto!" Most of the New Mutants gave him a shot.
"It's okay," Sam shrugged. "It was kinda like being knocked out, Ah guess. I don't remember much- just waking up. And getting' shot, too. Y'know, the people that invented guns obviously never got shot themselves."
"Especially since they didn't have guns before guns were invented," Bobby smiled. He couldn't help it.
"You know what Ah mean!"
"Did it hurt?" Jamie asked, eyes wide.
"No, not really," Sam said. "Ah don't remember feelin' a thing. Well, there was a pain in mah chest, kinda like a pinch, but that's it."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Ah guess it might have hurt more if Ah got shot in the butt. One a' mah uncles got shot there, and oh, but did he holler something fierce!"
"So what did they do to you," Ray asked, gesturing to all the machines. Sam shuddered.
"It was terrible. After Storm stopped hyperventilating, Logan stopped sniffing me, and Beast and Lifeline stopped freaking out, the Professor read mah mind, and they got Xi in there to make sure that it was me and not Mystique or some other shapeshifter. Then they started the tests. Ah had a full physical, from head to foot. They did every single test they knew- CAT scans, MRI's, X-rays… they even gave me a proctology exam! Ah had to give blood samples, cell samples- they even wanted me to give them… y'know… so Ah had to drink over a litre of water and eat a huge meal! Ah'm surprised they didn't ask me for a sample of mah-" he looked at Tabby and Amara, and blushed. "Ah sample of mah… y'know…"
"A semen
sample," Amara said matter of factly.
"Yeah, that's it."
"So do they know what's wrong with you?" Ray asked. "No- not what's wrong! I mean, what's right!"
"No, they don't know yet- or if they do, they haven't told me."
"It's good to have you back, dude," Bobby smiled.
"Yes, it is," Amara agreed, and went to hug him, but Tabby beat him to it. Sam hugged back. Tabby started crying.
"They said you were cryin' over me. You, you shouldn't have…" Sam bit his lower lip, and tears formed in his eyes. "Ah remember what Ah thought, before… Ah was upset that Ah didn't have a chance ta say goodbye to everybody." He started crying too, and the two held on to each other even tighter. The rest of the group started to tear up, too. Tabby lifted a hand off of Sam's back, and beckoned for the others. It was difficult to do a group hug- the lighter New Mutants had to climb up on the bed- but one was eventually formed.
***
Charles Xavier smiled as he saw the scene. He was going to schedule a counselling session for his younger charges, but he knew he could put that off for a little while. He was glad that his students trusted each other enough to let their guards down and show their emotions freely. He was beginning to get worried about Sam- the boy took the news too easily. Now that the reality had sunk in, he could begin to recover.
"How is Cannonball, Professor?" a voice asked from behind him. Xavier gasped. He didn't hear or sense anyone approach.
"Physically, he's fine. However, we still don't know why-"
"There is something in his genetic code," Xi said softly.
"I beg your pardon?" Xavier asked. Something in Sam's genetic code?
"What do you mean, Xi?" Xi looked pained.
"If I am interpreting it correctly, he is now immortal."
"What?" Xavier gasped.
"He will age to full adulthood at a normal rate, but not long after that his aging will slow to practically nothing. He has a healing factor which rivals Wolverine's in power, but not in speed. If he were to break his back, he would walk again, but it would take weeks to be able to do so, and months to regain full mobility. Although, it seems able to do quick restorative work when his life in immediate danger. He is not invulnerable- except when he is in his blast field, of course- so he may be killed, but if he is not, he could conceivably live forever. I believe these effects were not going to fully manifest until he became an adult, but his death jumpstarted the process."
Xavier sat back, letting it all sink in. One of his students, an immortal?
"He could outlive us all," Xavier said in awe.
"And every single one of our descendents, but do not envy him, Professor. I know what is to lose everyone you love. It is not a fate I would wish on anyone, not even Magneto or Cobra Commander." Xi turned to leave.
"I have to ask you to not say anything, Xi," Xavier said before he could go.
"I told Lifeline, and he told me to tell you," Xi nodded, looking back. "Do not worry. We all have secrets to keep."
***
"It was good seeing you again, Professor," Jessica smiled when it was time for her to leave. "Even under the circumstances."
"It was good to see you again as well, Jessica," Xavier smiled as they shook hands. "I hope that you will reconsider your decision."
"I don't think that I will," she told him. "I have a life in Madripoor, now. But, if you ever need somebody to watch the kids, or to sub in here, give me a call, and if I can help, I will. Goodbye, Professor Xavier."
"Goodbye, Jessica." She and Logan teleported away, and Logan came back a minute later.
"I told you, Charles," Logan said.
"I know," Xavier nodded. "And you were right, of course. Has she found out any more information about the Hand?"
"No, not yet. She has to take it slow, or else…"
"I understand."
***
"Hey," Wanda said to Peter. He was in his room, sketching.
"Hello," Peter replied, absently.
"Latest piece?" Wanda asked him.
"Perhaps," Peter shrugged.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead." Peter handed him the sketchbook. Wanda looked at the page, and her eyes widened in surprise. It was of Lance and Kitty and Peter. Lance was standing, back arched, and screaming. Kitty, transparent, was imposed over Lance. She was in a similar pose, and was also screaming. Peter was standing rigidly in the background, clearly wanting to do something, but not able to. There was some liquid coming off of his hands. Wanda knew what it was.
"Why would you want to draw this?" She demanded. She couldn't believe it! Lance could have died, Kitty too. Why would Peter draw something like this?
"I didn't intend to. Sometimes, when I've had a bad day, I grab my sketchpad and my pencil, and start drawing. You have seen 'The Sixth Sense,' yes?"
"Yeah," Wanda frowned. What did that have to do with this?
"Well, you know the scene where Bruce Willis talks to the mother about that stream-of-consciousness writing- you know, where you just start writing nothing in particular, and soon you end up writing what's really on your mind?"
"Yeah, I do. Let me guess- you do it with drawing instead of writing, right?"
"Yes. Exactly."
Wanda looked at Peter. He hadn't looked at her once since she came up to him, which was unlike him. He was slumped against the wall, as if he was tired- okay, given what happened that night and the day before, it was possible. She was fine, and so were all the others. She knew that the Misfits would be given a little break to recover from today, and also as a reward for how well they did. How well they did. Ha! They didn't do well. Not at all!
No. He wasn't tired- he looked like he just got beat. And in a flash, she knew how.
"Lance tried to save Kitty's life today. He risked his life to do it. He failed, and it was a dumb idea to begin with, but he knew the risks, and he did it anyway. You couldn't, because you were paralysed. You would have done the same thing if you'd overheard Baldy and Lifeline, but you weren't there, because you got hurt. And on top of that, you killed Riptide. You don't think you're worthy of the Kit-Kat anymore, do you?"
Peter nodded slowly.
"You big dope," Wanda told him gently, "you don't really think she'd care, do you?"
"No, she wouldn't, and I know it. But I do." Peter looked up. He looked terrible. "I'm not the man I was twenty-four hours ago. I've killed someone. He deserved to die, and if I hadn't done it then more people would have died, but I killed him."
Wanda sat down beside him.
"Have you talked to anybody about it?"
"Logan and Low Light talked to Blob and I. It was short, and more of a 'if you have problems, then talk to us' speech. We men usually aren't good with discussing emotions."
"Well, men are idiots. Women don't have that problem." They sat in silence for a while. "Would you like to talk to me about it?"
"I… I do not know what to say. You've never killed before, so you don't know what it's like."
"Try me."
"Very well. First of all, I feel revulsion that I did it at all. Even though I only 'met' Riptide for a few seconds, I hated him like I've hated few others, so I'm glad that he's dead. A small part of me was glad that I was the one to kill him. And a larger part of me hates myself for the part that enjoyed it. And then, there's the fact that I keep hearing the crack of his neck when I grabbed it, and I keep seeing the expression on his face as I did it. He has earned whatever hell he is burning in, but I… I don't want to be the one to have sent him there. And then there is another part of me, and that part is afraid that I will kill again, and eventually I'll come to like it. I feel dirty, Wanda. That man's blood is on my hands, and I can't get it off ever." Peter put his head in his hands. "I think I would like to be alone now."
Wanda got up to go, but then changed her mind. She hugged Peter instead. He stiffened in surprise, and did not hug back.
"Stop that," she hissed fiercely. "You are not the bad guy here, Peter Rasputin. You hear me? You are not the bad guy! You did what you had to do. If you didn't kill him, he would have killed Althea, Todd, and Sunspot. And then he would have started on the people in the tunnel, and God knows how many of them would be dead before he was stopped! You are a hero."
Peter broke out of the embrace.
"I am not a hero."
"Yes, you are! You wanna know what a hero is to me? A hero is somebody that does what has to be done to save people, no matter what the personal cost. A hero does what other people can't, or shouldn't have to. You are a gentle guy. Yeah, Low Light or Wolverine should have done the killing, but you did it. You did the only thing you could, you got hurt doing it, and you saved lives. You did the right thing." Peter looked up and began to speak. Wanda put her hand over his mouth.
"Don't give me any of that 'I did the only thing, but was it the right thing?' crap. You did the right thing, and if you ask any of the Morlocks, they'll all say the same. You killed him, Peter. You didn't murder him. He wasn't defenceless, and you weren't invulnerable. That's how it is."
"Then why do I feel so bad?" he asked, plaintively.
"Because, like I said, you're a gentle person in your heart. You feel things even when you shouldn't." After a second, Peter hugged her, and she hugged back.
"I'll think about what you said," he whispered.
"You do that." They stopped hugging.
"Thank you," he said, and meant it. They both knew he'd have to work through this on his own, but Wanda had given him some comfort, and that meant a lot. "It doesn't change my decision, though."
"Your decision?" She looked at him, and he looked at the picture of Lance and Kitty. She looked back at him in surprise. "You mean-"
"Kitty deserves to hear it first. Avalanche too, I guess."
***
Dinner was
uneventful. There was some conversation, but not much. After dinner, as Wanda
went to her shift in the Danger Room, a woman came up behind her and touched
her on the shoulder. Wanda turned around to see who it was. She didn't know the
woman's name- just that she was a guest of the X-Geeks, and… wait a minute. The
woman looked awfully familiar. Wanda looked the woman over. She had black hair
in a loose bun, and brown eyes. There was a golden medallion of a Star of David
around her neck. Wanda looked back up at the face. It was her! She was older,
but it was her!
"Gabrielle?" Wanda breathed.
The woman's- Gabrielle's- face broke out in a smile. "I thought I told you to call me Gaby when we're alone. Oh, dear, it is so good to see you."
Wanda's mind whirled. It was her! Gaby- the woman who Magneto hired to look after her and Pietro after their mother died. The last time she saw her was a few weeks before her father put her away.
"Where were you?" Wanda demanded angrily. "Where were you all this time? Did you even know that-"
"I knew everything, Wanda," Gaby said sadly.
"What?" Wanda screeched. "You knew? All that time? Why the hell didn't you ever come see me? Why didn't you-" Wanda stopped abruptly, and turned her back on the woman. "I have to go. I have a shift in the Danger Room."
"And so do I," Gaby said, speeding after her. "You're angry with me, and you have every right to be. If you want to hate me, then go ahead. But you aren't going to do it before I explain."
"Really?" Wanda muttered, and sped up. Gaby grabbed her arm, and turned her around. Wanda's eyes flashed, and the corridor began to shake.
"Let me go," Wanda hissed.
"Not until you promise to listen to me. You keep your promises, Wanda. You always have."
"Fine. Talk as we walk."
"Okay." They made for the Danger Room. "When your father sent me away, I was going through a rough patch. When… I didn't have to worry about my problems and I tried to contact him, I discovered what he did to you and to your brother. I tried to go see you both, but he left instructions that I was not allowed to see you."
"Because he was a cruel man? Tell me something I don't know."
"He never admitted it, but Charles told me that it was because he was afraid that I would have made off with you. And he was right- I would have."
"Really?"
"Really. Charles told me you were being well cared for, so I eventually let it drop. I only found out the full truth after Mystique broke you out. Oh, Wanda," Gaby sighed. "I would have done anything to spare you from that."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No, and I don't expect it to. I told you because my son and I will be living here for a while, and you Misfits spend a lot of time here. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other, so it's best that you know why I wasn't there for you when you needed me. That's it."
"You're damn right you weren't there when you needed me," Wanda told her.
"Say whatever you want to me," Gaby sighed again. "You can't possibly say anything worse than I've already said to myself."
"Really?
I'm living on an army base now. I've heard a lot."
"I don't doubt it."
The shift was quiet and uneventful. The worst thing Wanda had to do was change a few bedpans. She kept thinking about Gaby. Somehow, in her focus on her father and her brother, she had nearly forgotten Gaby. For a long time, she dreamed that Gaby would come and take her away- somewhere safe, where they could live with Pietro and where Wanda would never even have to look at her father again. She remembered the way things used to be, with Gaby taking care of her and her brother, and her father too. She remembered how sad she was about a year before she was locked away, when Gaby moved out of the house to live in a place of her own. It was then that she started spending less time with her family- much less time. That lessened the hurt of Gaby's complete departure a bit, but not by very much. The last time Wanda saw her was on the last night. Her father had taken all four of them out to dinner at a very nice restaurant, and when the evening was over and they were going to leave in separate cars, the twins hung on to Gabrielle with all their strength. Her father practically had to drag them off of her.
Since she was let out, she had changed a lot, and it wasn't just the mental re-arranging that Magneto had Mastermind do. She eventually let go of her hatred towards Pietro, because he couldn't have done anything and because he loved her, and because she knew she loved him, too. Her time with the Joes changed her a lot, too. Lifeline had endured a lot of her worst memories with her. Shipwreck thought of her as a daughter. Wanda sighed. She knew what she had to do, not necessarily for Gaby's sake, but for her own.
"What did you have to do?" she asked Gabrielle as soon as the two of them were alone after the shift.
"I'm sorry?"
"What did you have to do that took you away from us?"
"Very well," Gaby smiled. "I'll tell you, but only if you promise to not tell anyone- not even your brother. It's not just my secret, and Pietro had a very big mouth as a child, and from what I've been told, he still does."
Gaby took Wanda to an unoccupied room, and told her everything- about Xavier, what happened to David, and how Malice fit into it.
"Oh, my God," Wanda breathed when Gaby was finished. "And that's the same thing that has its hooks into this girl?"
"Yes. Almost certainly."
"I can see why you were busy," Wanda said.
"Thank you. Does that mean-" She was cut off by Wanda's fierce hug. Gaby hugged her back just as fiercely.
"I missed you, Little Swan," Gaby said. Wanda couldn't see Gaby's face, but she could hear the tears in her voice. "Oh, how I missed you."
They stayed like that for a while, then broke the embrace.
"So, does Pietro still love to stare at his own reflection?" Gaby asked, laughing.
"What do you think?"
"Do you think he's recognized me?"
"If I didn't, he definitely didn't. Don't worry- all you have to do is say 'Pietro Maximoff, have you been in the cookie jar again?' and he'll recognize you."
They both started laughing, and went to find Pietro.
***
"Kitty," Peter said after dinner, "I need to speak to you. It is very important."
"Okay, Peter," Kitty smiled.
"Can you go tell Avalanche to come along? It concerns him as well."
Kitty's eyes widened in surprise.
"Like, okay Peter. No fighting!"
"If there is fighting, I won't be the one that starts it."
A few minutes later, the three of them were alone in the Rec Room.
"So what do you want to say?" Lance asked, suspiciously.
"When I was paralysed, I did a lot of thinking. It was the only thing I could do. Excuse me." He went to the door, opened it suddenly, and then slammed it. Pietro, Rogue, Bobby, Evan, and Fred fell back, grumbling.
"I thought about my life, and the course that it's taken. I have cause to regret many things, but not my becoming an X-Man, and not my feelings for you, Kitty. I love you. You make me feel like a man."
"Peter," Kitty sighed. Then she frowned. "Hold on a minute." She phased through the couch. She emerged a moment later, dragging the squirming Jamie, Brittany, Daria, and Quinn. She marched them to the door, phased through, and returned alone.
"As I was saying," Peter continued, "I love you. But, I know that I am not the only one." He looked at Lance. "I also know that we cannot go on the way we have been. I realize that you love us both, Kitty, and if Avalanche and I were to suddenly develop feelings for each other as well, then the three of us could make some arrangement. However, since that will never, ever happen, something must be done, because this isn't fair to any of us."
"You got that right," Lance snorted, and went to the closed window. He opened it, and slammed it down. Todd, Althea, Xi, and Elisabeth, who were hanging on to the window sill, jolted involuntarily. They managed to land safely. Nobody was hurt, but they got the hint. Lance turned his back to the window, and looked back at Kitty and Peter. "So what are you gonna do about it? Make us fight for her?"
"No," Peter sighed. "I have a solution, but first… Kitty, I must ask you something, and please be honest. Do you care about us equally?"
"Honestly? Yeah. If I didn't, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"That is what I thought," Peter sighed. "This is what I am going to do. Kitty, I am not going to go out with you anymore. You and Lance are free to be together, and I will not interfere."
Lance's jaw dropped. Kitty's eyes widened.
"Peter-"
"Kitty, we cannot go on like this. If you cannot choose, then somebody must."
"Peter-"
"Goodbye, Kitty." Kitty looked up at him.
"I'm a little ticked that you're just going to break up with me, but you're right. I can't choose, and it isn't fair to either of you. Goodbye, Peter." She reached up, and they kissed. Lance felt his blood boil, but even he could tell that it was a kiss goodbye.
"Before you two go, I need to talk to you, Lance," Peter said after the kiss ended.
"You're not going to-"
"I'm not," Peter told her.
"And neither am I," Lance said.
"Okay," Kitty said. "I'll be in the kitchen when you're done. I want to make something nice for the Morlocks and the Eloi."
Kitty left, and the two rivals looked at each other.
"If this is a trick," Lance began.
"It isn't a trick. I meant everything I said. But I still love her, and I always will." Peter got into Lance's face. "And if you ever make her cry, I will take you apart."
Lance stared back, just as firm. "And if you ever get involved in our relationship, you're gonna need that hide of yours to protect you from me."
"Fair enough," Peter growled. He stepped back. "Just, take care of her. She's special."
"You don't have to tell me that," Lance scowled. His face softened in spite of himself. "You got a lot of class," Lance said grudgingly. "I think she'll be taking care of me, too," Lance said as he left the room, leaving Peter alone with his thoughts.
"Be happy, Katya," he whispered as he sat down, savouring the lingering taste of her on his lips. Soon that would be gone, and he would be alone.
I am unapologetically Lancitty. I admit it- and the show... No! Must… not… spoil! Well, that's one more chapter done. Not many more now! Next time, time passes, we see some more snippets of our heroes' lives, and we find out what the Marauders have been up to since we saw them last, so stay tuned for "The Mutant Massacre:"
Chapter Seventeen: Ways of Dealing