Leigh's Fanfiction Archive Stormkeeper's Fanfiction Freedom Chapter 8
Freedom
By Stormkeeper
Chapter 8
Back on An'zhina, Moira was bent over a microscope inside the infirmary's lab. She was wishing that she'd spent more years learning about viruses. Working to discover a cure to AIDS, Moira was taking shots in the dark. She knew in her heart that she hadn't a prayer of finding a cure before Lu died of the disease.
Moira shook her head, remembering what Cyclops and Jean had told her the day after they'd met to discuss Lu's condition. Cyclops had said that they asked Queen Marina for help with this and that the Queen had refused. Moira had asked the couple if Marina had given any explanation for her refusal to help. "She didn't say a thing," Jean had said. "She just flatly refused to help at all and told us not to ask her again."
Having been the parent of a teenager, and a troubled teen at that, Moira had a good sense of when she was being lied to. She was incredulous at the thought that Scott and Jean were not being completely honest though. `Perhaps they have their reasons,' she told herself. 'Or maybe my instincts here are wrong.'
"How's it going?"
Moira started to hear Jean's voice behind her. She turned and smiled when she saw that Jean carried a cup of tea. "For me?" Moira asked.
"Of course."
Moira gratefully took the beverage. "You look like you could use a rest," Jean said. "And it is late." Jean understood that she wasn't going to receive an answer to her question about the progress of Moira's research. She knew that Lu's situation was as close to hopeless as could be.
"I thank you for your concern, Jean," Moira said. "I was planning on going to bed soon anyway." She looked around. "Is your little girl in bed already?"
Jean nodded. "Scott's putting her to sleep now."
"How is this one doing?" Moira asked, taking a look at Jean's prominent abdomen.
Jean smiled. "He's active as usual. And---I don't know if it's him or me, but I feel like this baby wants to be born soon. I feel like I've been pregnant forever. And I think he wants to get out into the sunlight. I swear I don't remember Charlotte doing this much kicking."
"You've still got almost six weeks to go, right?"
"Yes. Though sometimes I feel my back isn't going to make it that long! But I'm alright."
Jean replicated herself a glass of water, and the two women sat down to talk for a bit. There was so much to do on An'zhina----overseeing the monument's construction, counseling and teaching mutants----that Jean and Moira rarely had a quiet moment together. Wishing to avoid the depressing topic of AIDS, they instead spoke about childbirth. Moira could now discuss her deceased son without feeling the wrenching pain that she used to. Everyone had lost so much, somehow dealing with other people's pain lessened her own.
"I hope the other X-men are doing well," Jean said after a while. "I dislike it when they're so far out that I can't reach them telepathically."
"I'm sure they've found a way to compensate for their lack of a cloaking device," Moira said. Those living on An'zhina knew of the battle that had taken place outside of Endaria due to Jean's telepathic abilities. They knew that FOH had behaved as though Freedom had no cloak, and that Charles had used his powers to keep them at bay.
"The Professor's powers will ensure that everything goes smoothly," Jean said, more as a hope than as something she truly believed.
"Yes," Moira said. Her eyes looked out towards the window, into the dim evening sky. "He is such an amazing man."
"Sometimes I wish he would give himself a rest," Jean said. "He has been working so hard for so long."
"He loves to work, Jean. I canna see him ever enjoying sitting around and taking a break. It is not in his blood to be idle."
"I know. But even he has his limits. And he's not getting any younger," Jean added. She'd known him for roughly two decades. He was in better shape than most people his age.
Moira was silent for a bit. She then opened her mouth. "Jean, do you think it's possible to be in love with two men at once?"
Jean was not surprised that Moira asked the question. Ever since their conversation had made its way to the topic of Charles Xavier, she had sensed Moira's strong feelings for her former fiance. And Jean knew Moira had to be hinting at Jean's own feelings for Wolverine. "I think so. Our emotions sometimes go in directions that our brains wouldn't approve of. We can't help our feelings." She noticed Moira looking intently at her, nodding. Jean didn't mind opening up to this kind woman who had been---and was----something of an Aunt to her and the X-men. She continued, "I once was very confused because I did have feelings for Wolverine. But I knew that I would never betray the love that Scott and I had. I made the right decision. My feelings for Wolverine have waned in the last few years, too. I still love him and there is still a bit of an attraction there. But it is nothing compared to what Scott and I have."
"Were you always this certain?"
"No….not quite. But I never seriously considered leaving Scott for Logan."
"And I have never seriously considered leaving Sean," Moira said, her eyes downcast. "But how can I be having feelings for them both?"
"Life never is a fairytale, is it? But you know what's right and what you must do."
Moira smiled. "And I know what I must **not** do too."
Rogue and Gambit were at work on wedding preparations. They had shared with the others, during a meal, that their intention was to have the wedding ceremony upon their return to An'zhina. Everyone knew that they were engaged but the actual date of the ceremony had not been solidified until they made this announcement, and many were cheered that the wedding would be soon. The mood on board Freedom was considerably brightened, coming off the X-men's disappointing mission to earth.
"Dere is so much to do chere," Gambit remarked. He sat next to Rogue in one of the ship's conference rooms.
"I know. I almost wish Jean and Scott were here. They been through this weddin' stuff before. I wonder if anyone here has ever planned a---" Rogue's voice broke off. She had been about to speculate who---if anyone---on board the starship had ever been married. But then she recalled that Gambit had once been married.
Gambit had a guess as to where her thoughts had gone. He knew that she didn't like to hear or think about the many women in his past. Sometimes it seemed no matter how many times he reassured her that he was here for her now, she still got jealous when she thought of the other women from years ago. Regardless, Remy had been very young when he'd been married and he had not been allowed to take part in any of the preparations. "Shaman and Silver Moon are married," Gambit offered.
"Yeah, I remember them tellin' us 'bout their weddin' at dinner once," Rogue said. The ceremony had followed their Native traditions closely.
Rogue and Gambit then settled down to planning their ceremony, deciding to create it in the way they wanted. The fact that they resided on a moon so far from earth made their options seemed limitless. They could keep whichever traditions they wanted, and jettison those they did not. One major area was taken care of for them: replicators on An'zhina could produce basically whatever supplies or decorations were needed. Queen Marina had never given the X-men guidelines on the use of replicators before; they were pretty much allowed to order as much as they needed within reason. Planning the decorations would be much easier because of that.
Part of Gambit, though, wished they were back on earth. He could have used his considerable fortune to make the event a lavish production, with the finest of posh decorations. The replicators would provide whatever they needed but somehow it wasn't quite the same thing. He briefly mused that Angel had once expressed a similar sort of disappointment to him. Both men had been very wealthy. They now spent their lives in a place where money was obsolete and unused. They had everything they needed and knew to be very grateful for it, but there was a bit of a sense of loss too.
"So let's talk about the fun stuff," Rogue was saying. "Bridesmaids. I want Storm, of course. In fact, I think she should be my maid of honor. And I'd like Jean and Jubilee to be the other bridesmaids."
"Chere," Gambit began, "I was t'inking of asking Storm to be my best man."
"Really?"
"She's one of Gambit's best friends. Aside from you, she **is** my best
friend. I actually been t'inking 'bout dis for a while."
"Can she do both? Be my maid of honor and your best man."
"The woman's a marvel. She can do anyt'ing."
"Then let's ask her to!"
Rogue briefly considered asking others to join Storm, Jean and Jubilee as bridesmaids---but decided against it. Those three were the women she was closest to and it made the most sense that only those she had known for years and bonded with serve as her bridesmaids. She did want flower girls, and thought she would ask Shaman's daughter Lily Pearl if she'd like to play that role. Rogue could not say that she knew Silver Moon well but she always got a good feeling from the young woman. Rory and Charlotte might be too young to be flower girls but Rogue decided to ask the girls' parents whether they thought their daughters would be old enough to participate.
Next, the couple tackled the question of who would perform the ceremony. "Kurt," Rogue said. "Who else could do it? He's a minister, and he and I are close."
"I agree, chere," Gambit said. He paused. "Now who is gonna give you away? The Professor?"
"I think it would have to be him. He's been the best father I ever had."
Gambit nodded and looked thoughtful. "Chere. How is your work with the Professor goin'?"
Rogue shrugged. "It's goin' alright." She didn't elaborate from there.
"You always so secretive 'bout dis stuff."
"What do you mean, sugar?"
"Sometimes it seems to Gambit dat you don't want to talk about stuff like dis. Like the last healing ceremony you an' the others had. I heard 'bout how you destroyed the room from someone else before I hear it from you. And now everytime I ask you about your work with the Professor, you never tell me anyt'ing. Why is dat?" He said his words without reproach or anger; his tone was one of genuine curiosity.
"Oh, Remy." She reached for his hand and held it. "I think I just don't wanna bring you down. I mean, when we talk about the healing ceremony it just reminds us of what we're trying to heal from. That was such a horrible time for both of us. Part of me just wishes we could forget it. You already been so supportive.
Rogue continued, "Same thing with my talks with the Professor." She sighed. "We're goin' through some painful memories. He's not using his powers; we're just talkin.' I --- we---know enough now that we're sure I got a lotta bad stuff buried in my mind." She made a face. "Big surprise, I know," she said, shaking her head. "Lotta bad memories. Lotta scary, scary stuff. We keep scratching the surface of it but it's hard for me to go on. Sometimes we end our sessions an' we ain't talked about nothin' in particular because I just can't dig deeper."
Gambit murmured her given name and kissed her hand. "Anyt'ing you wanna talk about? You don't need to worry 'bout bringing Gambit down. I'm here for you."
"You're so wonderful, Remy. You're the best. I do appreciate it." She looked down. "Part of it is that I don't wanna rehash this stuff. Some of the talks with the Professor have been…..grueling. Not physically, but mentally. Lotta times I just don't wanna go back over it. And Charles says I gotta go at my own pace and not rush things. But like I said….I really don't wanna depress you. So that's why I don't talk `bout it so much with you. You got enough goin' on."
"Is your choice, chere…..I jus' hope you understand dat I love you and I wanna do whatever I can to help. If you ever do feel like talking….." his voice trailed off.
"I know. Maybe someday I'll take you up on your offer. But when we're together, I just feel happy and I don't wanna change that." Rogue got up and put her arms around Gambit's seated form. As always, she had to be careful since her collars were back in their room.
"Hey Swamp Rat," she began, in a totally different tone of voice, "remember what we talked 'bout tryin'? That fantasy. How 'bout tonight?"
Gambit's ears perked up. "Oh chere. I'd love dat." Thoughts of further wedding preparations were placed aside for the time being.
Later, Rogue and Gambit retired to their quarters to act out a fantasy. The couple had needed to replicate a few contraband accessories for their fantasy, but soon were ready to go. Rogue had donned a collar.
Gambit was role-playing a thief. Obviously it was not a stretch for him as he used to be one. However in this fantasy, Gambit had been caught-----**that** was out of character since, in real life, a master thief such as Gambit just did not get caught.
Rogue was role playing the cop who caught him. Gambit was lying naked on his back, with silky chords restraining his wrists and ankles against the bedboards. Someone as skilled as he could easily have broken free had he wanted to. However, given the "punishment" that awaited him, he had absolutely no desire to move.
Rogue strode up to him, fully clothed in her regular uniform, which she'd embellished with a gold sheriff star. "You've been a very bad boy," she teased, her eyes twinkling. "It's up to me to punish thieves `round these parts."
"Maybe Remy here can give you some reason to go easy on me," Gambit said. "You the mos' beautiful police officer dat I've ever seen."
"I bet you say that to every lady cop you meet," Rogue purred, meeting the seductive look in her lover's eyes.
With that, Rogue slowly stripped off her gloves and leaned over him until her face hovered inches from his. Her eyes had never left his. He could feel warmth of his breath against his lips. Instinctively, he moved his face closer to hers, his lips searching. Rogue pulled back, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
She slowly shook her head, "Ah ah, I didn't say you could kiss me did I, thief?"
Remy groaned, but didn't answer. Rogue reached down and gave Remy's left nipple a gentle but punishing squeeze. Remy groaned, and a barely discernable "No" slipped from his lips.
"What was that?" Rogue's hand moved over to his right nipple giving it the same treatment as its partner.
"No" Remy gasped out, louder this time.
"Good," Rogue replied, the sensual accent thickened by lust. She lent down and traced the outline of the first offended nipple then softly blew on it, causing a hiss to escape from between Gambit's lips.
Rogue placed a knee on each side of Remy's prone body and lent forward until again her face was hovering just inches from his. This time Remy stayed still. Triumph lit her eyes, but he didn't see it. She'd lowered her head slightly and her hair had tumbled down, obscuring her face.
Slowly she moved down his body. The warmth of breath was an erotic contrast to the cool silky tresses as they slid over his chest, past his well-defined abdomen and stopped just short of his hips. She sat upright. Remy moaned in disappointment. Rogue's tongue slipped out and traced the fullness of her top lip.
She shifted further down the bed till she rested between his calves. Placing a hand on either leg she slowly trailed her fingers up the outside of legs, stopping just above the knees and changing direction to sweep down the inside till his ankles. She started the caress again, inching higher than before but returning once more to his ankles. Again and again she repeated this action, moving closer to his shaft everytime, but never making the final move.
Remy was trembling. His every nerve was on end and his blood was pounding in his ears. He caught his breath with each caress up and let it out in tortured shuddering pants as she stroked down. A silent plea formed on his lips. `Please.' He looked down at his beautiful lover kneeling between his legs, her lips parted her eyes glazed with lust and power, and felt his pride slip. Again the word formed on his lips, this time unchecked, "Pl..."
Rogue lent forward and grasped his length. "Ooooh," Gambit breathed.
"Seems I got you in the palm of my hand," she said. She worked her hands up and down his steadily hardening cock. She knew the exact touches he liked and she stroked him accordingly. A few drops of pre-cum spilt from Gambit as her touches felt so delicious. Her fingers teased the swollen head for a bit before returning to his rod and vigorously pumping it.
"You like this, thief?" Rogue asked.
"You know dat I do," Gambit replied, taking a glance at his very swollen cock. She was so good at what she was doing. "You treat all your prisoners dis way?"
"Just ones like you." Rogue then ceased the movements of her hand. Gambit cried out with the pleasure-agony he felt at her withdrawal. Rogue then stepped away from the bed and slowly stripped off her uniform. Underneath, she was wearing a white, lacy bra and panties, complete with garter belt and hose. She removed only the panties, leaving herself quite a sight for Gambit. She knew this look drove him absolutely insane with lust.
"You look so delectable, Lady Cop," Gambit breathed.
"And so do you," she said, returning to his cock, but this time putting her mouth where her hand had been.
"Dis….the best torment…I ever experienced," Gambit managed. Rogue was licking the head of his length, paying it special attention. She then opened her mouth and took as much of him inside as she could. She slowly moved her mouth up and down.
"Don't stop, chere," Gambit murmured after several long moments. The pleasure was shooting through his veins, his senses were all aflame. "Please don't stop," he shamelessly begged.
"I call the shots around here, Mister," Rogue said. "It's up to me to make sure criminals like your kind get proper punishing."
Rogue then climbed atop her helpless prisoner and straddled his face. "Time for you to give me some head," she directed.
She lowered herself onto her lover's mouth. Gambit eagerly tilted his face upwards and tasted her. Clutching the bed frame, Rogue let the wondrous sensations wash over her as Gambit's tongue worked its magic on her. He licked circles around and on her clit, and she shuddered with a small but powerful climax.
"Very nice," she panted, as she dismounted him. "Perhaps I can let you off with a lighter sentence."
"Dis is one thief who will be glad to serve his time if he's gonna wit' a beautiful warden like you."
"Such flattery will get you no where," she replied, attempting to step back into character. Rogue then undid one of his ties. The couple then pretended that he would not be able to escape, and Rogue turned Gambit onto his stomach. She redid his restraints.
"What are you gonna do wit' me next, chere?" Gambit asked. He could scarcely wait to see.
After giving his buttocks a firm squeeze, Rogue fished around inside one drawer and pulled out a few objects. From his vantage point, Gambit couldn't see what she had in her hands. Rogue then got on the bed and straddled her fiance.
"Oh!" Gambit exclaimed, startled. Rogue was spreading some sort of moderately thick substance all over his form---his back and shoulders mainly. "What is dat?" He may have been a bit startled but he wasn't worried. He and Rogue trusted each other completely, which allowed them to occasionally act out these sort of fantasies.
"Chocolate," Rogue replied, smiling. She had replicated herself a bottle of creamy chocolate dressing, and was using a spatula to smooth it over her lover. "Mmmmm," Rogue sighed, as she began to lick it off his back. The sweetness of the chocolate mingled with the salty taste of his sweat. "Delicious….the best dessert I've had in a while."
"Delicious for me too, chere," Gambit moaned. He loved what her tongue was doing to him. Inwardly, he chuckled. So many years ago, he knew there was this amazingly sensual woman encased inside Rogue. Gambit impressed himself with how he had slowly and patiently brought out that quality of hers.
Although pleased with how the fantasy was playing out, it was now time to turn the tables. Within the blink of an eye, Gambit easily freed himself of his restraints and flipped Rogue over onto her back. Rogue let out a gasp of surprise. Gambit knew he had to play this part of the game carefully. He couldn't do anything to break her trust or bring back bad memories.
"Dis okay wit' you?" Gambit whispered in her ear as his hands gently covered hers, pinning her to the bed.
She gently nipped his chin. "You know I'll tell you if you do somethin' I don't like."
"I thought so." The tone of his voice then changed back to that of the character he'd been playing, "I see you no longer hold all the cards. Time for dis thief to have a little payback."
Gambit then lowered his body while keeping his weight on her. Rogue still wore her lacy bra, but he reached inside and cupped her smooth, pale globes. He squeezed them and pulled them out of the confines of her lingerie. "Beautiful," Gambit murmured, looking at her full breasts and the erect nipples. "What magnificent breasts you have, chere." He brought his face downwards and then licked, sucked and nibbled on her white flesh as Rogue groaned and sighed with pleasure.
When Gambit was done with her breasts, Rogue then found herself flipped onto her stomach. Without waiting to be asked or ordered, she raised herself on her hands and knees, and shifted her bottom into prominent view. She looked all the more fetching with the garter belt and stockings she wore. Gambit clutched her pale rear in his hands and enjoyed the feel of the soft skin. She looked so tantalizing. A few of his fingers ensured that she was wet and ready. "Fuck me, Remy," Rogue whispered.
Gambit swiftly put a condom on, and then entered his lover. Grasping her hips, he pumped in and out of her. The bedsprings creaked as the couple worked each other into a frenzy. Gambit looked down and delighted in the sight of his cock plunging in and out of her body. He reached around with one hand to cup and fondle a round breast.
Rogue thrust back at him in ecstasy. She felt a hot and deep climax welling up. "Oh Remy….Oh Oh Oh," she moaned. "Yes, Remy, YEEEEEEEES!" Gambit frantically thrust away and gasped as he poured his tribute inside her body.
The lovers later curled up together. Rogue was too keyed up to sleep though. Part of her was still adrift in sensual ecstasy----and the other part felt sheer happiness at the thought of her upcoming wedding.
I got up at the crack of dawn (metaphorically speaking) the next morning. First thing, I stopped by sick bay to visit Hank. Panda was in the infirmary, working away on a computer. The two of them were the only people in the room.
"How's it going?" I asked them after they got over the shock at seeing me out of bed so early. I meant to ask about things in general, but Hank took the question as being about the state of his research on cloaking devices. He went on to tell me how daunting the task was and used a lot of jargon to tell me what I already knew----we weren't going to have a non-detectable cloak anytime soon.
"You're brilliant," I said. "You'll think of something."
Hank smiled wearily. "I hope so." He tilted his head and looked in the direction of Panda. She caught that his gaze was on her and smiled back at him. "I must say that Jessica is equally brilliant as I."
"Oh, I wish!" Panda laughed, shaking her head.
"She is far too modest," Hank said, gazing at her with adoration. "Every time we work together, I see more and more evidence of her brilliance. If we had a university on An'zhina, Panda would be both a PhD and an MD by now." Panda rolled her eyes. I wondered if the mutation of being big and furry carried a genius-gene along with it, but decided not to ask. Hank then looked back and me and sighed. "I only wish that this project afforded us more leisure time. I honestly would prefer to have more time writing love sonnets to Panda rather than spend such a large quantity of time on research."
I raised my eyebrows. This was quite a change in Hank. But then again, before Panda he'd never really been in love before. The three of us arranged three chairs together and sat down to talk. We chatted about various things for a little while, and then Panda asked me how Jean-Paul was.
I started grinning at the question. "Um, well….things are great. We're doing fine. We—uh—got **intimate** last night," I said, in a tone that made it clear what I meant.
"So that's why you're up so early!" Panda said. She and Hank both congratulated me and looked happy for me. Panda then narrowed her eyes and looked intently at me. "Is something wrong though? I'm thinking you should look happier than you look," she remarked.
I nodded and then told of them how Jean-Paul had left the room to sleep in his own bed. "I just don't get it," I said. "We love each other. At least I was pretty sure we did. But then why didn't he stay?"
Panda suggested, "Maybe he needed time to….process the experience. Maybe he's still grieving over Phillippe in a way."
"But if he is, why go off alone? I could've comforted him."
"Different people exhibit various reactions to the same stimuli," Hank said. "My thought, based on the months I have spent around Northstar, is that he is an introvert. Introverts enjoy solitude."
Panda nodded. "And I still think part of him is hurting. Look at all he's lost---including Phillippe. Getting together with you was a big step towards intimacy and that can get scary."
Their words made sense. I'd been surprised and sad when he'd left my room but now I was trying to see things from Jean-Paul's perspective. "I think you're both right," I said. "I guess relationships are never easy."
"Have you seen him yet today?" Panda asked.
"No. It's still early, even for him." I was feeling better about things now. I turned over many thoughts in my head. "But thanks for your ideas. When I do see him if he needs some space, I'll give it to him."
Jubilee held her tray as she replicated breakfast for both herself and Aurora. She then sat at the table, next to the high chair she'd placed Rory in. She began spoon feeding the baby when Angel entered the mess hall.
Angel looked around the large hall. It was rather early and not many people were there----and thankfully Wolverine was no where in sight. Yesterday, when Angel and Jubilee had gone swimming together, Wolverine sat by the pool the entire time. Whenever Angel had glanced at the Canadian, he saw Wolverine steadily watching him. His time with Jubilee had been awkward because he knew Wolverine --- though sitting a respectful distance from them –-- could hear everything due to his super-sensitive hearing.
"You look beautiful this morning," Angel said, placing a hand on Jubilee's shoulder.
Jubilee turned her head to look up at Angel. She grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you." She tried to think of something to say in reply. Never before in her life had a man told her she was beautiful and she was, for once, tongue-tied.
Angel sat next to her and the two began talking amicably. Angel kept the conversation light in tone. After not long, the door to the mess hall slid aside and Wolverine entered. Logan walked right up to Angel and Jubilee, and took the seat in between them.
Right after my conversation with Hank and Panda, I went to the gym. As I walked down the hall, I felt the tired ache in my bones. I hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before and had gotten out of bed too early that morning. Physically I was paying for it with some stiff joints. I didn't look forward to my Danger Room sessions.
When the gym doors slid aside, my heart leapt a bit. Jean-Paul was there! He was lifting weights, breathing deeply. On the other end of the gym, Colossus and Elena were exercising. I approached Jean-Paul.
When he spotted me, he looked up and smiled. "Bon jour," he said, smiling. He set the barbell down.
"Hi," I said. My heart fluttered again. Jean-Paul extended his arms and pulled me into a hug. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me.
"Mmmmm," he said. "We had better stop this or we'll be useless for working out."
"That's okay," I said, reaching for another kiss. His lips were so sweet. Part of me could hardly believe any of this----that this handsome, wonderful guy was mine.
Jean-Paul then looked at me and looked around the gym, towards the door. He got a twinkle in his eyes. "You look cold, Iceman. Can I warm you up?" he asked, his eyebrows raised fetchingly.
So off we went. We went to his room and made love. It was heavenly. I felt confident that he did love me and it was just that he needed his space. But I never did ask him why he'd left my room the night before.
Back on Endaria, Queen Marina met with two members of her Executive Council. They were not pleased.
"We now have three earth starships patrolling the outskirts of our space." one of the executives exclaimed.
"It is an outrage," the other executive said, meeting Marina's placid gaze.
"The three vessels are not within Endarian space," Marina said calmly. "As long as they stay outside of the mists, they are not within our boundaries. If they enter the mists, we'll use our weaponry and propel the ships across the galaxy. No earth technology can compete with ours. I maintain the position I have always held----there is no cause for alarm. Earth starships have never been a match for our technology and never will be."
"That may be true. But never in the last thousand years has a hostile presence patrolled our space like this. And never before have we given over one of our moons to foreigners."
"We were not using An'zhina for anything else," Marina said. "And do we not all live by the principle that we should give aid and assistance to those who need it? The earth people needed our help and we have given it. It does not cost us anything. Compared to Endaria itself and our other moons, An'zhina is ugly and small."
"I have received complaints from my constituents about it."
The other executive nodded, "As have I."
"That is hard to believe," Marina stated. "The X-men and their adventures have been extremely popular on Endaria for years now. The television show and novels we have made about their lives are among our most highly rated. The least we can do is give them that moon.
"Even if that were not the case, I am not deviating from my plan," the Queen continued. "The three earth starships want us to turn over the 200 people living on An'zhina to them. If we do that, those 200 innocent people will be tortured and killed. We cannot allow that----it would be counter to every principle that our people hold dear and make a mockery of Endarian beliefs. We must assist those who need it and we must allow no harm or violence. These are part of the creed that has been passed down from generation to generation for millennia. These beliefs have allowed our civilization to thrive for as long. Have you forgotten the teachings of our elders?"
The first executive looked down. "Marina, I tell you that every day I hear from more and more people who want those foreigners off of An'zhina. The complaints are increasing in number, and the fact that we now have these three earth starships patrolling just outside our space is not helping anything."
"And you also forget," the other executive began, "that our ancestors **also** taught us to avoid contact with outside worlds so that we preserve our heritage and our ways. For millennia we followed that directive. My constituents tell me that they shudder to think what might happen now that we've broken it."
Freedom continued its journey back to earth. Rogue and Gambit's wedding preparations were taking shape, and the prospect of the celebration served as the beacon for most of the rest of the team. Most of the X-men were still smarting from being forced away from earth and how ineffectual they were against Friends of Humanity. The suffering of their brother and sister mutants back at home was never far from anyone's minds.
One afternoon, Rogue and Storm swam in the pool together. The X-men continued to train and perform Danger Room scenarios. The group's field commanders had gotten together and decided that anytime the team was living aboard the ship, training would be a part of their everyday lives, regardless whether they were heading towards or away from earth. That particular day, Rogue and Storm had finished their exercises and were resting.
"I am still quite honored," Storm was saying. "To be both your best man and maid of honor."
"We wouldn't want anyone 'cept you, sugar," Rogue smiled. "You've been such a true friend to both of us." Visions of her walking down the aisle danced in her head. She could scarcely wait to return to An'zhina.
"As both of you have been to me."
"You were Jean's maid of honor, right?" Rogue asked. Upon seeing Storm's nod in the affirmative, Rogue tilted her head. "Always a maid of honor, never a bride? You really like it that way?" her tone was gentle and she did not come off condescending.
Storm shrugged. "It does not matter to me whether I ever marry."
"So, uh,….how are things with Wolverine?" Rogue began cautiously. Storm had never told anyone of how she felt for Logan, but Rogue was starting to wonder if her feelings perhaps ran deeper than she let on. The thing with Storm was that she always allowed others to confide in her but never really shared her problems with anyone else. And just as she was mistress of the elements, she was mistress of her emotions. She had both mastered them and she also **masked** them. Rogue had known her for a long time but started wondering that day how well she really knew Storm.
"Fine," Storm said. "I am happy."
Rogue scrunched her eyebrows together. Storm did not really seem all that happy to her, not lately at least. Though sometimes it was hard to tell. The Wind Rider didn't exactly wear her emotions on her sleeve. "Has Betsy stopped hitting on him?"
Psylocke had made numerous advances on Wolverine during the journey, many of which had been public. Unbeknownst to Storm (or really anyone other than Wolverine and Psylocke), Psylocke had shown up in Wolverine's quarters one evening stark naked. Wolverine had escorted her out of his room.
"I do not know," Storm said, shaking her head, wishing desperately that her emotions could truly be as controlled as her powers. "A few nights ago I simply asked Wolverine that if he takes up with her, to let me know. He said he was not interested in her or in getting in between her and Angel."
"If she gets near Remy, I'll rearrange her pretty face. I even told her so."
"I imagine that was an interesting conversation," Storm commented, smiling patiently.
"Well, it worked. Remy says she's stayed away."
"I just wish Betsy would get some help," Storm said. "She is only reacting to what the FOH soldiers told her every day for four months. They told her she's a slut and a whore, and she believes it on some level. She's refused all of Xavier's offers of help. But we must have compassion for her. Perhaps if we had been imprisoned for the same amount of time, we would react as she is."
"I'll feel compassion for her as long as she stays the hell away from my man!" Rogue said.
The two ceased their conversation as several others entered the pool area. Later that day, Rogue kept flashing back to the looks on Storm's face during their talk. 'Is my mind playin' tricks or does she maybe have some feelings for Logan?' Rogue wondered.
Our trip back to earth seemed to pass pretty quickly. But if it seemed shorter than usual, it might have been because we never actually reached earth; we were stopped when the ship was about a week away from the planet. So in reality, our return trip took four weeks instead of the usual five and we'd been gone for eight weeks instead of the ten we'd planned on.
Of course I spent most of those weeks in bed with Northstar, which might go a long way in explaining why the time flew by.
As usual, when we reached a certain proximity to An'zhina, the Professor could telepathically link up with Jean Grey. (Actually, he could link up with anyone on the planet but given that Jean was telepathic too, the two of them had an easier and better rapport than he would with a non-telepath. He explained that to us once.) He updated Jean on what a total failure our mission had been, as well as on the fact that Hank was nowhere near finding a way to reinforce our cloak. The news from Jean that the Professor shared back with us was equally discouraging. We were told of Lu, the young woman who had contracted HIV at the concentration camp and who now had full-blown AIDS. Moira predicted that Lu did not have long to live, and Moira's level of success in finding a cure for AIDS was about the same as Hank's level of success in his work with the cloaking device. As we sat around the dinner table, the Professor told us that Queen Marina had been asked but refused to help with Lu's condition. Several bewildered looks were exchanged and I saw Jean-Paul rub his mechanical arm with a questioning look on his face.
On the good news front, Jean said her pregnancy was coming along well and she expected to give birth about two weeks after we'd land on An'zhina. We were all glad we'd be there for the birth. Although a doctor, Moira's only experience with childbirth was when her son was born nearly two decades ago, so it was fortunate that Hank would be there since he'd delivered both Aurora and Charlotte.
I'll admit that Jean-Paul and I had been pretty wrapped up in each other for the entire trip home. Gambit once joked with us as he trained aside us one day. "Have you two spent a week in bed? 'Cause Gambit's not seen either of you for so long. We start to wonder if you guys still on board the ship," he teased.
We weren't **that** bad and I was careful not to shut out other people. I'd never do that, since my friends mean so much to me. One day, I was having lunch with Jubilee (and Rory.) We'd decided to eat in a conference room just so we could have some privacy. She asked me a lot of questions about how things were going with Northstar. She wanted details, details, details and I didn't mind, so I gave them all to her. I also told her the one thing that still bothered me----Jean-Paul wanted his own room and he and I never spent the night together. We'd always make love in my room and then he'd go off and sleep in his.
"Maybe he snores," Jubilee said.
I shrugged. "So? You snore," I said, reminding her of the time we'd shared a tent on the Paradise Planet. "Panda snores and Hank just deals with it."
"Maybe he talks in his sleep."
"What and secretly reveals his crush on another guy?" I joked. "That's okay, I can take it."
"Well….maybe he looks awful in the morning and he doesn't want you to see it."
"Everyone looks awful in the morning! Big deal." I shook my head. "He just says he wants his own space. If that's what he wants, I have to allow him it." I then turned the topic around to Jubilee. "Okay, Jubes," I began. "Give me the scoop. What's this with you and Angel?"
She giggled. "There is no `me and Angel.' And boy, you're out of it if you haven't noticed what's been going on."
"I'm sorry! Jean-Paul and I have been….well, now you know since I told you every detail. And we still have to train and do bridge duty shifts." Since Psylocke had been suspended from the X-men, there was one less person to cover bridge duty. You wouldn't think it would make such a difference, but it did. No one wanted the night shifts, but with one less person, you got stuck with such a shift that much more often. "I'm sorry if I haven't been keeping up with things."
Jubilee shrugged. "There's not much to tell. Angel kinda was interested in me for a while. I was taken in with it for a few days till I came to my senses."
"What happened?"
"I discussed it with Wolverine and Storm," she said simply, as she spooned another bite of food into Rory's mouth. "They didn't say anything but I told them it felt weird….I'd never thought of Warren that way. And the more I thought of it, the more I knew he was after me cause he missed Psylocke and was maybe trying to make her jealous." Jubilee smiled. "Wolvie made some comment like the only males on the ship Betsy hadn't chased after were Bobby and Northstar."
I smiled. "True enough. And the Professor, I presume." I paused. "Though maybe not. She did hit on Kurt, for Christsakes."
"I know. So anyway, I just told the two of them it didn't seem right to me, though I really loved the idea of a boyfriend. Wolvie and Storm were happy. I found a nice way to let Warren know I wasn't interested and that was that."
"You're very smart, Jubilee. And I think you're totally right. Warren's upset about Betsy. They may or may not get back together but you don't want to be in the middle of that. You don't want to get caught in that crossfire. Someday I promise you, you'll get a guy who's really interested in **you.** Not someone who's rebounding from someone else."
She sighed. "I really hope so, Bobby. I gotta think that someday------"
She was cut off by the red alert siren. We were all ordered to report to our stations.
"I am sensing hundreds of minds nearby," the Professor was saying. "I would guess that there are two or three FOH ships in the vicinity."
"I wonder why Jean didn't warn us of them," speculated Angel, who had been on bridge duty and sat at his station, navigation. Rogue was sitting at the weapons station, and Storm had joined the three on the bridge.
"Perhaps they are too far from An'zhina for her to detect," Storm speculated.
"She might just not be attuned to them," Xavier said. "And she is quite preoccupied with her upcoming arrival." The impending battle took his mind away from speculating. "The ships are rapidly approaching us. We-----"
His voice was cut off by a phaser blast. Once again, the X-men were in a position of having to defend themselves from invisible foes. Angel and Rogue steered the ship and returned fire as best as they could, but just as before, fighting cloaked ships proved impossible.
Storm silently wished they were engaging in hand to hand, rather than ship to ship, combat. Not that she was a violent person. But she wanted to use her powers----and the trouble was, in space there were no elements to command.
When Freedom had sustained serious damage to its shields and engines once more, Storm took a pointed look at the Professor. He closed his eyes and began to use his powers. Just then, Psylocke entered the bridge. Xavier, absorbed in his work, did not notice her. She, too, closed her eyes and began entering FOH minds.
As a reflex, Charles rubbed his temples as he worked. Over 700 minds surrounded them, minds full of hatred and violence. Some were afraid, some confused, and some regretful. But most were full of blood lust, rage, and loathing. Charles had seen much in his fifty-plus years, but the venom took even him aback. He forced himself to concentrate even more. Whatever telepath had been blocking him on earth was not present on these ships. Xavier sensed no mutants.
By the time Charles had successfully turned away one of the FOH ships, Psylocke had occupied the mind of the captain of the second one. Charles was about to order her to cease when he realized there was indeed a third FOH ship participating in the attack. He had to fend that one off as well. Dimly he was aware of the ship rocking, of Storm ordering damage control teams to the impacted areas. "Shields down to 35% and our engines are failing!" he heard Rogue report.
Charles silently debated with himself for a second but decided to let Psylocke do what she wanted with the second vessel, as he began going through the minds on the third ship, trying to pick out the captain and take control of his mind. He felt he needed to urgently deal with the third ship before he could consider asking Psylocke to cease the use of her powers against the second FOH vessel.
Freedom rocked as it felt the aftershocks from a huge explosion. As she had before, Psylocke had convinced the FOH captain to set the ship on auto-destruct, and she had ensured no one else would question the order or hesitate in carrying it out.
"What happened?" Rogue asked, though she suspected the answer.
"An FOH ship blew up," Psylocke told her. Rogue blinked away the sense of déjà vu.
"We're still under fire," Angel said, trying to out-maneuver the third ship, which was fervently blasting away at Freedom. Rogue again attempted to hit the invisible target but met with no success. After not long, the Professor had seized enough control over the ranking officers' minds on board the third vessel. He persuaded them to eject their photon torpedos and disarm their phasers. He then suggested that they set a course towards earth. As he had before, he implanted some trepidation in their psyches that would arise when they thought of Endaria, to dissuade them from heading back that way.
The X-men continued on towards An'zhina, unobstructed this time.
Scott Summers was shocked at the exhaustion on the face of his surrogate father. In twenty years of working under the Professor's tutelage, Scott had never seen the man looking so thoroughly worn-out. He bent down and unabashedly hugged his teacher.
"I'm fine, Scott," Charles said, sensing his concern and returning the hug best he could from his sitting position. Every time they were separated, he truly missed Scott and Jean. "I just need some rest. Fending off FOH so many times has drained me. My powers need to recharge."
When Scott stepped away, Jean then reached for the Professor and kissed his forehead. Between the advanced stage of her pregnancy and his wheelchair bound condition, a hug was pretty much out of the question. "I hope you will indeed rest, then," Jean said. "I have never seen you looking this tired."
"I promise to rest," Charles said, touched at their concern and realizing the wisdom of their words. Charlotte promptly scampered up to Charles and extended her arms. Scott lifted his daughter onto the Professor's lap, and Charlotte eagerly kissed her namesake. "I missed you, dearest," Charles said to the baby. He then looked intently at her and nodded. "She understands everything." Just seeing the delight in Charlotte's brilliant blue eyes rejuvenated Charles's spirits.
"I know," Jean said. "She understands better than many adults. She's amazing." Jean's tone then changed from glowing parent to concerned friend. "But back to your need for rest. Please, Professor, please do make good on your promise and not work so much this time. After all, you want to be rested and healthy to see your new grandson," she smiled, patting her abdomen.
The Professor later made his way to his quarters. With no new rescued mutants to acquaint to An'zhina, there truly was no pressing work to be done. But the X-men would all have a meeting the next day. And Charles did want to meet with Cyclops, Jean, Moira and Banshee for a more formal update on the status of An'zhina. `But it can all wait,' Charles told himself. `There is nothing urgent.'
Jean and Scott looked at each other. "I've never seen him looking that exhausted," Jean said.
Scott scooped Charlotte up in his arms and nodded. "Did he always have those lines on his face?"
Jean smiled, "Yes, but they are deeper now and he looks thinner. The good news is that he understands he needs rest."
"But you know our Professor. He'll find a way to make work for himself and stay exhausted."
"Then we'll just have to make sure he makes good on his promise. He has no one to look after him so perhaps we'd better be the ones."
It was good to be home. Once I'd settled back in and said hi to many of those who'd remained on An'zhina, I went off by myself. Jean-Paul was with his sister and nephew. When I'd seen Jeanne-Marie, I'd given her an awkward hug but I was getting the sense that maybe she didn't like me too much. But then again, maybe I was just being paranoid. She was quiet and withdrawn----and no wonder, since she'd suffered and lost so much. Maybe it was nothing personal. But anyway, I didn't want to interrupt the Beaubier family reunion so I went off by myself.
It was a warm day, so I went to the beach. I really missed swimming outside. Somehow the pool on Freedom was becoming less and less adequate. The ship's pool had no warm sunshine, no fresh breeze blowing and no grainy sand. Others soon joined me at the beach but I was content to lay on my back by myself. Feeling the warm sand against my backside, I looked up at the sky. It was odd. The view looked so much like the one from earth----I saw white, fluffy clouds against the blue of the sky. We were so far from home, but this looked like any view from earth. The sky was so far away but it felt so near too. It was incredible and breathtaking. I reflected a minute on how lucky those mutants who had the gift of flight were. Imagine having the ability to fly and soar up there in the sky. To Jean-Paul and the others who could fly, it was as natural as breathing. My ice slides just weren't the same.
"That one looks like a turtle, no?"
I gasped and looked to my side. Jean-Paul was there. He startled me. I started to get up but he gestured for me to stay down, and he lay down next to me on the blanket. "Are you looking for shapes in the clouds?" he asked me. "Jeanne-Marie and I used to do that all the time when we were young. You seemed so absorbed in the clouds."
"I was just looking at how incredible the view is," I said. "You're so lucky to be able to fly."
"Indeed I am. I enjoy it too," he said.
"Why do you think some mutants are gifted with some powers, and other mutants get other powers?" I wondered.
"God determines what each of us gets," he said.
"I'd been thinking it was luck of the draw."
"I don't know, mon ami. I think God has a plan for each of us. There's a reason for it."
Jean-Paul reached for my arm and gave it a few caresses. I craned my neck and shoulders up, and looked around. No one was nearby though several others were making use of the beach. I reminded myself that I shouldn't have to worry about that either. Once my attentions were away from fear, I thought back to what Jean-Paul had just said. "Are you a Christian then?" I asked, at his mention of God. We'd never really discussed religion before and I wondered.
"Jeanne-Marie and I were raised Catholic," he said. "I don't agree with everything the church teaches but the basic principles of Christianity, I support."
I nodded. I told him that my religious beliefs were somewhat "on hold." I wasn't sure what I believed. He was tolerant of that and didn't proselytize, which I appreciated.
We continued to lay there, me staring up at the clouds still. "If you want, I take you up there. We can fly among the clouds right now," Jean-Paul was saying.
"I would like that," I said. He scooped me up in his strong arms, and off we went. He had changed into beach wear too, so it was mostly bare skin against mostly bare skin. As we ascended, I didn't feel fear. His hold on me was secure and we flew as high as possible without gasping for air.
The next day, we had our all X-men meeting. It had become tradition each time we returned to An'zhina; just as a way to get everyone at the table, as to speak, and discuss what had happened while we were separated.
Joining us were two of the mutants who'd been rescued from the two FOH camps we'd liberated. The rescued mutants had requested that they have a few representatives at our meetings, and it was certainly a reasonable request. Yunfei, from the camp in Beijing and Erica, from the camp in London, sat in the meeting. Neither participated much but it was good that they were there.
We discussed at length the events of our eight week trip towards earth. We X-men decided to remain on An'zhina for an extended period of time this time around. Hank needed to work on a better cloak and he still was not predicting any success for "weeks or months." The Professor clearly needed to recover from over-using his powers; he admitted as much. (Another factor, too, was that when we did go back to earth, the Professor would likely be the only telepath on the trip. No one said as much but given that Psylocke had destroyed two FOH ships, it was probable that she was going to be asked to sit the next mission out. Rumor had it she was going to be suspended indefinitely. So the Professor would really need to be back to 100% when we set out again.) Plus, we would all stay for the birth of Jean and Scott's baby and, later, for Rogue and Gambit's wedding. I was glad. It could mean we'd be here for two or three months possibly, and I wasn't going to argue with that. We'd earned it.
Then Cyclops updated us on what we'd missed since we'd been gone. He and the other leaders on An'zhina had been teaching the rescued mutants how to control their powers and they said things were coming along well. The monument was now finished and we all looked forward to seeing it after the meeting. Jean said that the mutants were continuing to heal and recover from their experiences in the camps, though she reminded us that such healing could be "a lifelong process."
The conversation then turned towards Lu's condition. Lu was in the final stages of AIDS and confined to a bed in the infirmary. Moira was saying, "Scientists on earth haven't been able to come up with a cure for this horrible disease for so long….and I'm not having much success either, unfortunately."
"And Queen Marina refuses to assist?" Hank asked, sounding incredulous.
"She wilna help at all."
"Is it that they do not have a cure for the disease or that they have a cure but are unwilling to share it?"
Moira looked over at Jean and Scott. Jean then said, "She refuses to help in any way. She did not specify whether they had a cure or not."
Moira said, "Possibly they do not have a disease like AIDS on Endaria, but given that their science is so advanced, I canna believe that they couldn't come up with a cure if they wanted to." She paused. "But it seems they do not want to."
There was some more discussion. Then Rogue spoke up. "I have a question. It seems to me….that there's been a change in the way the Endarians are treatin' us all. I mean, they fixed Northstar's arm not too long ago."
Jean-Paul nodded. "I know. I don't understand either. Surely Lu's disease is more important than my arm. Why were they so accommodating then and not now?"
There were some rumblings and some side discussions occurring. Obviously Rogue and Jean-Paul weren't the only ones wondering about this. Cyclops then spoke, "When she helped with Norhtstar's arm, Marina made it clear that we were to regard that as going above and beyond what the Endarians would be willing to assist us with. I think maybe we've asked her for too many favors and she's taking a hard line now. After all, she lent us the Valiant when we asked."
"Yes," Jean said. "She was very clear that her Executive Council---the body of government which is elected by the people of Endaria and which has a great deal of clout---is angry at her because of all the favors she's granted us. So if there is a shift in her behavior towards us, that must be why. She told us again how xenophobic her people are. Look at all she's done for us."
"She's given us a moon, for goodness' sakes." Scott said. "I think from now on we should expect nothing more from her."
"After all," Jean said, "that was what our original agreement entailed. She would give us the moon and unlimited use of the replicators, and nothing more. I think we are lucky that she lent us the Valiant and repaired Northstar's arm, but we must come to expect nothing more now."
Gambit was sitting in between Rogue and I. I saw him whisper something to Rogue, and she nodded in reply. He then leaned over towards me and whispered in my ear, "You get the idea dat Jean and Cyke—and maybe the Professor too---know somethin' dat we don't?"
I nodded. I had no idea what it might be though.
"I'm really nervous about this," Jean was saying to Scott one morning.
Now that the rest of the X-men had returned, it had been time for the mediation to take place to resolve the conflict between Todd and Northstar. Jean approached Northstar and Bobby after the X-men meeting, and then the following day, the mediation was scheduled for after lunch.
"You'll do fine," Scott said reassuringly. He could feel Jean's concern. Over the years, when he'd been anxious, she had used their mindlink to flood his mind with positive feelings. He tried to do the same for her today.
Jean shook her head. "I really can't believe it. Here we are, light years away from earth. We're creating our own world and our own culture here on this moon. And now I'm presiding over the first mediation on An'zhina. I have no experience with this but I'm going to be playing mediator." She paused. "I keep feeling like what we do here is important. Maybe even historic. I want to do it right." During the absence of the rest of the X-men, there had been conflicts on the moon, but nothing that had resulted in a fist fight; nothing that had required arbitration.
Scott put a hand on Jean's shoulder. "You, more than anyone, will be fair and just. I know you'll decide what's right."
"I hope so. It's just that…..did I tell you what Todd said to me this morning?"
"No. What did he say?" Scott asked.
"He asked me if I was capable of doing the mediation, given my `condition.' I asked him what he meant by my `condition.' He talked around it for a while and then finally said he meant my pregnancy." Jean smiled and shook her head. "I forced myself to be polite. I said simply, `I have both a brain and a uterus, and the fact that one is working doesn't impair the functioning of the other.'"
Scott smiled. "Brilliant answer! You are as smart as you are beautiful, my love."
"Thank you," Jean said, glowing at the compliment. After all these years, Scott had this effect on her still----and she knew she had it on him. "I'm sure Todd meant well but I didn't appreciate his comment," she added. Jean didn't elaborate from there. She didn't care for Todd in general, and his comment made to her was not helping. Jean hoped she truly could be objective. She'd always liked Bobby, even though Scott never really had. Even during his first stint with the X-men, she had felt his pain and depression, and desperately wanted to help him. She'd missed him during the seven years he'd taken off from the group. And as for Northstar? Jean hardly knew him but she did know the happiness he'd brought Bobby. She saw his arrogance and sensed that he had a more forceful personality than he was showing, but she also perceived that his being was essentially good.
After lunch, Jean and Scott entered the appointed conference room. Charlotte was left in the care of Wendy, one of the rescuees whom Jean trusted completely. Scott would be at the mediation as a witness. In addition to Northstar, Bobby, and Todd, Erica would attend as well. Since she'd been informally elected as one of the "representatives" from the other mutants on An'zhina, she would listen in and ensure the mediation seemed fair. But everyone knew they were playing this by ear----both the mediation and the system of having representatives.
Chapter 7
Chapter 9