THE HEAVENS OPEN
By Stormkeeper (stormkpr@usa.net)
I wish to thank my beta tester Leigh for assisting with every aspect of my writing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
*************
Scott Summers never had one single date in high school.
Of course he didn't; his mutant powers made him into a bona-fide freak and the most picked-on kid in his class. Asking a girl out was unfathomable and, obviously, he was never asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance either.
Because of all this, Jean Grey was the only woman he ever went out with. The only woman he'd ever made love with.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Scott said to Jean, after a restless night. It was now Monday morning. The dreaded day had arrived.
Jean's eyes were vacant as she breast fed Christopher. She murmured many of the words she'd been saying to Scott for several days. "It will be alright. You know it's the right thing to do."
"I know. I just can't believe that I'm going to do it. I can't….." he let his voice trail off. Scott then really looked at Jean and opened his mind to allow their link in. He slowly made his way to where she sat and then seated himself beside her. "This isn't exactly easy on you either, huh?" he gently asked.
Jean smiled. She felt relief that Scott had finally noticed her own dismay and acknowledged it. The sense of relief quickly turned to guilt. `Scott's the one who's got the hardest part to play here,' she told herself. She attempted to swallow her inner turmoil. "It's not easy on either of us," she admitted. "I think we just have to accept that we might be in for some turbulence for a while."
Scott nodded. "I know we can get through it, though. We can get through anything together."
"We have, indeed, survived much worse," Jean stoically commented.
"What do I talk about with her?" Scott asked. The question had been nipping at him for days. After all, the evening that Marina had described involved more than sex. They were to also have dinner together and attend "an event such as a play or a dance."
"Maybe you can ask her about Endarian history," Jean said. "She **is** the ruler of this place. Ask her about day to day life for an average Endarian. She gave us some CDs and books on the topic, but you can tell her you want to hear it from her perspective." Jean paused and added, "And if you have the dinner after the play or whatever you go see, you can talk about that---about the play. Ask her what she thinks about it, and the background and context to it."
"That's a good idea," Scott said, nodding. He then tried to repress a laugh, and failed.
//I know.// Jean responded, using their mindlink. This form of communication felt easier today. It was more pure. //I can't believe we're having this conversation. I'm actually giving you advice for a "date" you're going to have with another woman.//
//I can't believe it either. It's surreal.// A few silent moments drifted by as the two sat side by side. Christopher had finished nursing, and Jean then turned him over her shoulder for a burp. She then placed the sleepy baby back down inside his crib, and then resumed her place sitting next to her husband.
//It will be alright.// Jean repeated.
Scott's mind was quiet for a few seconds. //Jean? What if I can't do it?//
Jean knew specifically to what Scott referred to. The two had tried to make love only once since their return to An'zhina, and an erection had eluded Scott that night. That shockingly had been the first time that ever happened to the couple.
//Try to not get all worried about that, Scott. I'm sure it will happen.// Jean responded.
//But what if it doesn't? What if she won't give us the cure then, and all this agony will be for nothing?//
Jean sensed that a logical answer would console Scott the most; she knew that telling someone not to worry generally didn't work. //I am sure that the Endarians have something you can take that will make sure this problem doesn't happen. They have the most advance science we've ever seen.//
//I bet you're right!// Scott replied. Jean sensed that she'd successfully assuaged that fear. //If FOH have something that can take care of that, I'm sure Marina does.//
And then another fear entered Scott's mind. //What if Marina has some plan to keep me imprisoned with her forever?//
//Then we'll get you back. We have a moon full of X-men, and we'll rescue you. But, Scott….I really would not worry about that. I've never sensed any desire to do something like that from her.//
//Yeah, and her people are xenophobes so they probably wouldn't want me there.//
//I sense that Marina has her greedy and demanding side, but she's not crazy. She wouldn't try to do something like that.//
The day passed with all the speed of tectonic plates. The afternoon wore on until Queen Marina contacted Cyclops via his communicator. "Please be ready for beam up in approximately 30 minutes," stated the text message.
Scott received the message and looked at Jean. Another terrifying question surfaced.
"Jean….what do I wear?"
**************
Queen Marina smiled at the sight of her date. The handsome, clean-cut Scott Summers was beamed to her palace. Scott was clad in a conservative combination of black pants and dark sweater, looking nervous and uncomfortable.
Knowing that Scott liked a clear agenda, Marina gave him one. First, they would attend a performance of "The Children of Past Spirits", a play which she told Scott was on a par with the masterpieces of Shakespeare. Following the three-hour classic, they would dine one-on-one in the palace gardens where Marina's waitstaff would serve their every need, and talented instrumentalists would play stirring music in the background. After dinner, "we will retire to my bed chamber and make love," as she so nonchalantly stated.
Scott had nodded and muttered something agreeable about the plan. Marina knew the dilemma he faced. Their agreement, which Scott asked her to restate at the start of the evening, specified two items: 1) that Northstar would be cured of HIV and 2) that if---and only **if**---Marina was "exceptionally pleased" with tonight, she would give the X-men dilithium. (The term "exceptionally pleased" was not defined, and Scott was unsure as to whether that meant something specific about the result of their sexual encounter or whether it more generally meant that Marina enjoyed herself the entire evening.) Irregardless of the specific meaning of that phrase, Scott knew that he had to put some effort into their date---he was forced to put effort into conversation and into mimicking having a good time, as painful as it might be.
The evening progressed much as Marina had expected. Anticipating that Scott would dread having to socialize with anyone other than Marina, the two watched "The Children of Past Spirits" from a private box --- it afforded them complete seclusion while still keeping them close enough to the stage to enjoy the rousing production. A waiter entered a few times to supply with them hors d' oeuvres and drinks, which Scott declined.
Though he would have been loathe to admit it, Scott found himself enjoying the play. Not attuned to the nuances of Endarian culture, there was much he did not understand about the tragic play, but he appreciated the chance to get his mind off of his own bizarre predicament. He also fondly remembered the times he and Jean would spend a night on the town and enjoy a musical or a play. Those times had been few and far between due to the nature of the lives they'd led back on earth, and they'd always talked about going out more often. The chance to do so had passed them by.
Of course the minute Scott started reminiscing for dates with Jean back on earth, he had to shake his head at the events of the evening. He was sitting next to a woman he did not love---did not even like---instead of being with his soulmate.
Marina had not expected their dinner to be without awkwardness, and she was correct in her expectations. Still, the two managed to keep a conversation going. Marina inquired about An'zhina, asking him whether its inhabitants had all that they needed and how Scott enjoyed the moon. Scott told her a bit about the "renaissance" that was occurring on the moon, with burgeoning athletic and social clubs, and various group activities taking place. Scott asked her about Endarian history and culture. Marina was quite knowledgeable on the subject of history, and she spoke at great length about her people's past. Throughout the dinner, Scott did an admirable job of hiding his disgust and anger over his current circumstances. He had to, if he had any hope of Marina donating dilithium to the X-men.
When the server first brought them drinks, Scott asked point-blank whether there were any mood-altering drugs or "anything along those lines" in his food. Marina smiled and said that she would tell him only the truth—and that his drink did contain a "stimulant which will ensure that you are able to perform tonight." She stated that there were no other drugs or anything like that hidden in his food or drink. She sensed that Scott was actually somewhat relieved over not having to worry about erection problems. He drank his enhanced beverage without protest.
After they had finished the meal (which had consisted of several small courses --- apparently, Scott learned, Endarian dining style resembled a tappas restaurant), Marina stood up, extended her hand, and led Scott to her bed chamber.
Scott experienced a sensation he was no stranger to. He blinked a few times, his brain not registering his surroundings, his mind in some state of disbelief over the circumstances he found himself in. `I can't believe I'm actually going through with this.'
Later, after Scott was beamed back to An'zhina, Marina smiled and gradually fell into a peaceful sleep. Given the enhanced fertility pills she had taken combined with the fact that she had scheduled this evening for a peak day during her cycle, her chances of conceiving were high. Would she be the first Endarian ruler in history to give birth to a mutant baby? And what sort of powers might this child have? A mutant child would cement Marina's---and the child's---place in Endarian history.
**************
That same evening, Storm and Wolverine found themselves in Agata's salsa dancing class. Wolverine's dancing skills were on a par with his lovemaking skills, Storm had discovered. Though some in the class had secretly doubted whether the gruff man could move on the dance floor for more than two steps without tripping over his own feet, they found that he was not merely capable but quite adept indeed. Storm smiled to herself….deep down, she had suspected as much.
'Does he ever feel bad about his height?' Storm wondered, for she towered over him. Their eight inch height difference was extremely noticeable during dancing. `I suppose I could ask him one day,' Storm said to herself. But she hesitated at ever bringing that up. There were still some things that she did not feel comfortable discussing with him, and she could not imagine him actually wanting to talk about this, even if he did experience some awkwardness about their height difference. `Relationships are never perfect,' she reminded herself. If they didn't have the level of intimacy where they could discuss each and every thing, then they didn't have it.
`Perhaps someday, we shall.'
After the dance, the two flew up to the tallest hill on An'zhina. The evening was pleasantly cool, and they sat together contentedly, not saying much but holding each other closely.
************
Jean Grey decided to forget about sleep for the time being. Although the hour was late, she simply could not reach the necessary state of tranquility. Her mindlink with Scott told her that her spouse was alright. Beyond that, she had no wish to probe for details.
She was startled by the soft whir of a transporter. She turned around and saw that Scott had been beamed into their quarters.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," Scott replied. The two stood looking at each other. For once in a very, very long time, they felt palpable awkwardness between them.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jean finally asked.
Scott shook his head. "Not right now. Maybe later." Jean actually felt a surge of relief. She didn't want to discuss it right now either. Later. There was always later, and it would be easier then.
Scott turned his head and looked at the bed.
Jean then read his mind. Although it was far past both of their bedtimes, sleep would not be coming to him soon, either. "Do you wanna take a walk?" she asked him.
"Yes!" he answered, visibly brightening at the idea. Leaving the two children in the room (Jean's mindlink would alert the parents to any problems), Scott and Jean walked outside for nearly an hour, holding hands and not saying a word to each other.
**************
The following morning, Marina sent a text message to Scott on his communicator. It read: "Have Northstar ready for beam up just after the lunch hour. The procedure to rid his body of the virus should take less than an hour and will be painless. I have decided not to give you dilthium at this time; however feel free to contact me again for another engagement and I will consider it then."
************
The Endarians didn't allow anyone to go with Jean-Paul for his cure, though Jeanne-Marie and I both, obviously, wanted to be there with him. And I didn't understand why they wanted him alone. Last time he underwent medical care at the hands of the Endarians (when his arm was replaced), they allowed me along. Not sure what changed, but they beamed away Jean-Paul alone shortly after we ate lunch. (I didn't actually eat much; I was so nervous.)
"Do you think he will be alright?" Jeanne-Marie whispered to me.
"I'm sure he will," I replied, though I must have sounded as unconvinced as I felt.
"But why must they take him alone? Why can't we go with him?" she repeated.
"It's gonna be alright," I murmured. I turned to face Jeanne-Marie, once again looking into those eyes that so mirrored my beloved's own eyes. "Jeanne-Marie," I began gently, "you know that all we can do now is sit and wait. Obsessing about it isn't going to help."
She sighed. "I suppose you are right. Well, when they replaced his arm, everything turned out well."
"See? It's gonna be just fine now too."
"But then why can we not go with him?" she repeated, asking me a question to which I had no answer.
We talked in circles until we agreed to do something to get our minds off of Jean-Paul. We didn't really want to go interact with anyone else right now. We had to keep what was going on a secret from basically everyone….the only people we theoretically could have discussed this with were Scott and Jean. And for obvious reasons, we didn't want to. Because we wanted no contact with anyone else, Jeanne-Marie scooped me up into her strong arms and flew me to the other side of the moon. This portion of the moon (where Rogue and Gambit had their honeymoon) was basically uninhabited and people tended to go there when they wanted to be alone. Jeanne-Marie and I amused ourselves with card games and with some very silly games too. (She flew back to get her make-up and we took turns painting each other's faces. Afterwards we drew a hopscotch in the sand and played hopscotch. I'm not kidding.)
An hour later, Jean-Paul contacted both of us on our communicators. "I'm back. And I'm fine. I'm in my room now. Where are you two?"
"We went to the other side of the island," Jeanne-Marie replied. "I mean, moon," she corrected herself. "We'll be right there."
She scooped me up again and then used her hyperspeed to get us to her brother. Flying with one of the Beaubiers when they traveled so fast was almost dizzying and very exciting. We reached our destination in a few seconds. When we went up to Jean-Paul, he embraced both of us.
"So, how did it go?" I asked.
"How do you feel?" Jeanne-Marie asked eagerly.
"I feel fine," he shrugged. "Of course I felt fine this morning too. I cannot say that I feel any different. They….Bobby, amour, have you decided to start doing drag?"
"Have I what? Oh. I—uh---we were bored," I explained.
"The make-up looks cute on you." He smiled and caressed the side of my face.
"So tell us what they did to you! How do we know if the cure actually worked?" Jeanne-Marie demanded. She wasn't in the mood for banter about my make-up (though it had seemed hilarious 20 minutes ago when she was painting me.)
"Relax, ma soeur. We can go to Hank and he can test me again to find out if it worked. The Endarian doctor told me, when it was all over, that I am cured."
"What was it like? What did they do?" I asked.
Jean-Paul again shrugged, apparently taking it all in stride. "They poked and prodded me for a bit with something that looked like a tricorder. After that, they had me hooked up to something that looked like an IV for a while. I did not feel anything during the treatment, no pain. "
"And you feel fine now?"
"Yes."
Jeanne-Marie really wanted us to pay a visit to Hank or Moira and ensure that her brother was indeed cured. I quickly washed the make-up off my face and we flew to the infirmary. One of the medical assistants, Ramon, was there and he told us that neither Moira nor Hank were. We called Hank and, after a few minutes, he walked through the infirmary's doors.
"Thank you for coming here so quickly," I said.
"I was downstairs, working on the children's playset with Wolverine and Cannonball," Hank said. "Is everything alright here?"
"The Endarians agreed to cure me of the HIV," Jean-Paul said. "We wanted you to test me, to confirm that what they did worked."
"Of course. I am extremely pleased to hear that the Endarians were amenable to providing you with a cure."
Jean-Paul smiled. "No one is more pleased about that than we are, Hank."
"Of course, let's see if it really worked before we celebrate," Jeanne-Marie said, still sounding unconvinced.
I feared that Hank would start asking more questions, but fortunately he just asked Jean-Paul for a blood sample, and then administered the test. Last I heard from Cyclops (who, by the way, I hadn't seen since before he and Marina must've done the nasty), we were still under orders to not discuss the specifics of this with anyone. And last I heard, all Hank was told was that the Endarians were "looking into" the possibility of granting Jean-Paul a cure. So I didn't know how much more I could say.
Hank performed two tests on Jean-Paul. I'd been through these tests before myself. The first one provides results in ten minutes, and the second---more comprehensive, more accurate---test provides results in 48 hours. The second test was basically there for confirmation purposes since the quick test had a lower accuracy rate.
During the wait for the results from the ten-minute test, the four of us chatted amicably. Jeanne-Marie asked how Panda was doing, and Hank told us that all was well. A baby shower was being planned (even though, due to the replicators, Panda and Hank basically had everything one needed.) Hank also told us about the progression of the playset he and the others were working on.
"I'm glad you're making time to do other things," I said sincerely.
"As am I, and as is Panda," Hank said. "I have been continuing my research of this virus and usually have been in the laboratory between 8 and 9 hours per day. This schedule affords me time with Panda, while I still am able to continue searching for a cure."
"Hank….thank you for all you have done to find a cure," Jean-Paul said, with humility in his voice.
"The quest for knowledge is one of my passions. As is the pursuit of health and well-being for others." He paused. "I do not suppose that the Endarians were at all willing to share their cure for this with us?"
"No. I mean that I didn't ask. I just assumed that they would not share it."
"Hmm," Hank replied, sounding not at all surprised. "I might send a text message to the Queen, asking her if she might share this information with us. I am nearly certain that her answer shall be negative, but at the very least, I would like to inquire."
Jean-Paul's quick test was done and Hank delivered the exhilarating, though not surprising, news. "According to the results of this test, you are now HIV negative. As soon as the results from the other test are complete, I will contact you."
Jeanne-Marie then broke down and started weeping tears of happiness. I didn't cry but I started getting all gooey inside too. The four of us ended up in a group hug.
***********
Hank McCoy later made his way back to the area of the construction on the playset and rejoined Wolverine and Gambit in their work on the structure. He suspected that he and Bobby would later have a discussion regarding the events of the past few days, but that discussion time would be (and should be) at a later date.
Hank knew what was going on.
He was a smart man, able to take a set of data and make some inferences. Being a field commander, he had known of Marina's uncouth request of Scott some time ago. Jean's discomfort when she told Hank to both take a break from seeking the cure and that the Endarians were considering curing Northstar themselves was another hint. Observing Scott, Jean, and Bobby for the past several days (though only for limited periods of time), Hank deduced the truth simply by their body language. Bobby's avoidance of his best friend provided another clue, and Hank knew it had to do with more than just Bobby wanting to give Hank and Panda some time together.
Hank, however, cared not about the means which were used to cure Northstar of HIV. He felt tremendous relief for Northstar, Jeanne-Marie and particularly for Bobby. Whatever Scott might have done to influence Queen Marina was between Scott and Jean. Hank had no desire to gossip about it with anyone, nor would he think to pass judgement on Scott's (and Marina's) actions. And as much as his scientific brain craved learning about the Endarians' cure for HIV, he knew that this was not the time to pursue it.
He also knew that Bobby would soon want to talk about the events of the past few days and lay out his guilt over not telling Hank the whole truth. He knew that Bobby would seek absolution from Hank on this matter, and that Hank would need to assure his friend that he had not minded that he was not told all of the facts on this, and had not minded the long hours in the lab. He would need to reassure Bobby that he was not mad at him and that things were "okay" between them.
'A friendship with Bobby is good preparation for parenthood,' Hank thought.
***************
Rogue and Gambit were spending the afternoon at one of their favorite places---the beach. Finishing a refreshing bout of swimming, the couple now lounged on their beach blanket where they ate juicy grapes and crisp baby carrots from the garden. (The rules on An'zhina specified that only those who worked a few hours per week on the community garden were entitled to eat its produce. Neither Rogue nor Gambit gardened, however Bobby gladly shared his share of the garden's riches with his friends.)
"How the hell did I get sand in my mouth?" Rogue wondered, feeling its crunch as she chewed her grapes.
"We got sand everywhere, chere," Gambit answered, smiling. Rogue had flown them from the water directly to their blanket to avoid tenuous sand clinging to wet feet, but somehow the sand prevailed.
Suddenly, little Aurora ran up to the couple. "Hi, sugar-pie," Rogue greeted the girl. She and Gambit fussed over her, and Jubilee followed moments behind.
"Hi, guys," she said breezily.
"Well, if it ain't the young lady who went on a date last night," Rogue teased. She was glad that Jubilee had taken her daughter to the beach and their paths crossed. "I can't wait to hear how it went!"
Jubilee smiled at the attention. "It went good," she said.
"Uh-huh," Rogue said, with an encouraging nod. "Weeeelll, give us some details, girl!"
Jubilee took a place sitting on the blanket beside Gambit, who was merrily tossing Rory around and around in his arms. The toddler laughed with glee. Rogue watched her husband and felt her heart pulse knowing what a wonderful father he would make. She hoped that their time for parenthood would come soon!
"It was good," Jubilee repeated. "Sam's a really nice guy. We had dinner together in the hills and then we danced at Agata's salsa class. He's a pretty decent dancer. I stepped on his feet a few times—I about died of embarrassment. He just laughed and said not to worry."
"Did you two have a lot to talk about?" Gambit asked.
"Yeah. I mean, we never ran out of stuff to say and we didn't have any of those long pauses." Gambit listened as Jubilee recounted the events. She was sincere, he decided, in that the two had enjoyed each other's company. She did not, however, sound as if swept off her feet. She wasn't exactly gushing over Sam as she spoke. `Dat's okay,' he said to himself. 'Dat might come later---it don't always happen right away.'
"Did he kiss you?" Rogue asked, smiling.
"No. He hugged me. It was sweet. We talked about going out again, maybe watching a movie on the vidcam and eating popcorn, or doing a beach trip. Hey…speaking of that, would you mind babysitting Aurora when we go?"
"No problem," Gambit said. "Jus' tell us when." Rogue nodded her assent.
"Cool. Thanks." Jubilee looked forward to her next date. Sam seemed like such a great guy, and having something to take her mind off of the fiasco with Moonstar helped too.
"You guys oughtta maybe think 'bout having her along on a date or two sometime," Rogue suggested. "She seems to like him and he plays with her well."
"That's a good idea," Jubilee said. They spoke for a while longer, before Aurora got eager for the water. Jubilee held her daughter's hand as they made their way to the water, which was shimmering bright blue.
Later on, Rogue and Gambit packed up their blanket and snacks, and they headed back for the main complex. They leisurely sat together on one of the larger patios, sipping cool drinks and conversing with others who were congregating there and enjoying the weather. Neither Rogue nor Gambit was in any particular hurry. They planned on hitting the Danger Room for a session later that afternoon, but they understood that they possessed an abundance of time. There simply was no need to rush.
`Gonna miss dese days when dey be over,' Gambit thought. He knew that once he and Rogue became parents, their free time would shrink.
"Want another one?" Rogue asked, pointing to his empty beer can. She had finished her lemonade and wanted to get a refill.
"Nah---had enough of dem today. How 'bout some lemonade, 'dough?"
"Sure thing, sugar," Rogue said.
"You're too good to Gambit," he smiled at her.
She kissed his cheek and took his empty beer can before heading off to the nearest food replicator, which was inside the building.
On her way back to Gambit, Rogue observed someone else entering the patio area. Her name was Sandy and she was a rescuee from the third FOH camp the X-men had liberated. Sandy was a very attractive woman in her early twenties. She favored revealing outfits and today's ensemble was characteristic of her style. She wore skin-tight black leggings, which revealed every curve, and Rogue figured that underneath those leggings either was nothing or a thong. Whatever the case, Sandy's shapely rear end jutted out. Her top half was clad in a white halter top which revealed quite a bit of cleavage as well as a tight midsection. Sandy's long blonde hair reached her shoulder blades.
Rogue paused to observe, as she held the two drinks in her hands. Sandy slowly walked by Gambit, hips gently swaying, and Rogue couldn't help but to notice Gambit's eyes following the blonde. He was definitely checking her out.
When Sandy exited the patio, Rogue sat next to Gambit. "Here you go," Rogue said, handing Remy his glass of the sweet drink.
"Thanks, chere," he said, as he accepted the beverage.
Rogue scooted closer to her husband and rested her head on his shoulder. "You ever wish I wore more revealing clothes?" she asked. Rogue's everyday wardrobe was fairly conservative now. It contained a pair or two of short-shorts, but aside from that, her collection of revealing clothing was limited to lingerie seen only by Remy.
"I love the stuff you wear 'round the bedroom," he said. "An' your other clothes all be beautiful too. Why you askin'?" he wondered, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth, it hit him. "Oh. You saw me lookin' at Sandy."
Rogue lifted her head from Remy's shoulder and nodded.
"You mad?"
Rogue shook her head.
"You jealous?"
Rogue again shook her head. "Nope."
"So everyt'in' okay between us?" he asked.
"Yeah." She looked at him, into those amazing eyes of his, those tiny lava pool eyes he had. "I ain't jealous of you lookin' at other women," she said softy. "I guess it's only natural," she admitted, though she herself had minimal desire to really look at men aside from Remy. But she knew that she had to deal with the fact that he was different than her in some ways, such as this.
"You know dat lookin' is jus' lookin'," he said, gently. "It don't mean anyt'in', chere. I'm not interested in anyone 'cept you."
"I know," Rogue said, truthfully. "It ain't a crime to look. But I was jus' wonderin' if you wanted me to dress more that way."
Remy put an arm around her and brought his lips close to her ear. "You dress however you like, chere. I love you no matter what be on the outside." He slowly reached for an earlobe and nibbled on it. "'Sides, you know dat I t'ink you be one gorgeous lady. An' I love you no matter what, too."
"I love you too, Remy," Rogue softly answered, feeling content.
************
As soon as we left Hank's lab where we received Jean-Paul's negative HIV test result, Jean-Paul turned to his sister. "No offense, ma soeur, but I would like to spend some time alone with Bobby. That is," he quickly added, turning towards me, "if that is agreeable to you, Bobby."
"Of course!" I said with enthusiasm.
Jeanne-Marie said, "I understand," reached for her brother and gave him another kiss. She then kissed me, and flew off. I watched her go, and then felt Jean-Paul suddenly scooping me up into his strong arms.
He flew us to his room. As soon as we were inside, he backed me against a wall and reached one hand to squeeze my ass. He brought his lips to mine and gave me a breathtaking kiss. His tongue aggressively entered my mouth. The hand that had been on my ass was now tugging at my clothes.
"This okay with you?" Jean-Paul asked, breaking away from the kiss long enough to ask.
"Hell yeah!" I answered, my heart thumping. I knew what was going through Jean-Paul's mind, knew that he was going to fuck me, which he hadn't done since his diagnosis. His diagnosis might have been only mere weeks ago, but it felt like eons. Now that he was free of the virus, he felt that it was safe enough to get inside me again. My libido was soaring because I missed getting fucked, missed it **so** much. I couldn't wait to feel him moving inside of me again. I was already getting hard.
"Mmmmmm," I moaned. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," he replied. He brought his lips back to mine, this time kissing me with more finesse. But still with aggression too.
His energy was as boundless as mine---we had a marathon lovemaking session that afternoon. We ended up in just about every feasible position, and he even eventually invited me to top him, which he had not offered since before the assault by FOH. It seemed like a lifetime ago. By that time I was exhausted but my dick was somehow still willing, so Jean-Paul sat on top of me and bounced up and down. I throbbed inside him, practically giddy with happiness, as he brought his fingers down towards my mouth for me to suck.
When we were all finished, we lay together wrapped in each other's arms. We were drenched in sweat, limbs aching, and we were completely depleted of energy --- but just about happier than ever.
************
Simultaneously, down the hall just a bit, another bout of lovemaking was taking place. In addition to the usual feelings of love and lust and arousal and connection, one other emotion was on the forefront of Scott Summers' mind: relief.
Jean's long legs were wrapped around Scott as he thrust inside his wife. Enveloped inside of her, his body covered in sweat, he listened to Jean's soft moans which were building in intensity along with his movements. He brought his mouth down upon hers and kissed her tenderly, though with passion and fervor too.
Through their mindlink, Scott felt Jean climaxing and he followed right behind her. The incredible tension which he had been mired in finally burst and he lost himself in layers of achingly good spasms. He tried to cling to them for as long as possible before they slowly, tantalizingly floated away, taking his stress and anger with them. Both the lovers continued thrusting their hips long after their orgasms had subsided, just trying to grasp at the last remnants of the delicious sensations.
"That was incredible," Jean whispered. Their loving session had started with a bubble bath, and the romance and passion had only built from there.
Scott slowly rolled off of her. Without breaking their physical contact, Jean repositioned herself to rest her head on Scott's chest. "Amazing," Scott agreed, stroking Jean's hair. He then silently added to himself, 'As amazing as ever.'
Jean had picked up on her husband's sense of relief. In fact, she shared it. This bout of lovemaking had been just like any of their others, quelling any of their mutual fears. It had to mean that all between them would be well. She finally sensed, in her mind and deep in her bones, that despite all the bumps they had encountered and likely would continue to face, everything would be just fine in the long run.
Scott had not spoken at all about his evening with Marina. However, as Jean told herself, it had occurred less than 24 hours ago and she resolved not to push him on it. Someday she would invite him to open up about what happened, share his feelings and get it out of his system. But not right now. Today was a day to celebrate their closeness and their love.
***************
The X-men leadership called a meeting for all X-men to take place late on Thursday. Cyclops had visited Northstar in his room the previous morning and asked him whether the Endarians had, in fact, cured him of HIV. Northstar told him that the results of the comprehensive HIV test would be ready Thursday, but the result of the preliminary test indicated he was now HIV negative.
"We need to tell the others that you're cured," Cyclops said, standing by the doorway, facing Northstar. "Calling a meeting is the best way to do it, so we can get it out in the open and avoid the grapevine." He then shared with Northstar specifically how he wanted the subject to be covered during the meeting.
Northstar nodded, observing that Scott seemed in a much better mood than he had for the past several days. "You are right. I agree with holding a meeting about this because when we told everyone of my diagnosis, we called a meeting --- we have to handle the follow-up the same way." Despite the fact that his logical self knew that was the truth, Northstar would never appreciate being on display like this. He would have to suck up and deal with it, he told himself, as much as he disliked it. He then added, "If the results of the second HIV test say that I'm not cured, I'll let you know before we have the meeting. But I trust that the second test will have the same result as the first one."
Scott nodded and then started to turn away. Northstar reached out as if to stop him. "Oh, Cyclops?" he began, his voice a question asking Scott to stay.
Scott turned back towards Northstar and raised his eyebrows.
"I---I just wanted to thank you," Northstar said, gulping down his pride. He hated to do this but knew he had to. He owed his clean bill of health, the fact that he was not going to die of AIDS, to Scott Summers. He owed the fact that his sister and his lover would not be going insane with grief, to Scott. Jeanne-Marie's mood since Tuesday had been better than it had since before her son had been taken by FOH----and that in and of itself was amazing. "I will never be able to re-pay my debt to you. I owe you my life."
Scott listened to Northstar's words feeling a mixture of emotions, none of which he cared to process then. He fleetingly felt glad that he would not have to live with guilt over Northstar's death. At the same time, he felt degraded over the evening with Marina and guilty over the betrayal of his wedding vows. He experienced a fair measure of anger too. So he listened to Northstar's words and stiffly nodded.
Northstar had no wish to prolong the awkward moment, but he needed to add, "If there is ever anything I can do for you or Jean…." he allowed his voice to trail off.
"I'll let you know," Cyclops said. He then nodded, turned and walked down the hall
Shortly after dinner on Thursday, all of the X-men found being summoned to a meeting. Earlier that day, Northstar's second test had indeed borne out the results of the first: his body was free of the HIV.
***********
"Maybe it ain't that important and that's why you ain't in on it," Wolverine said quietly to Storm as they walked down the hall towards the main meeting room.
Cyclops's message to assemble the group had been brief and vague. Storm was fighting back a negative reaction to the whole scenario. As co-leader of the X-men, being kept "in the loop" was her right and yet she had learned of this meeting at the same time as everyone else---no earlier. "Perhaps you are right," she said. "But I still cannot help but to be concerned that a meeting of the team is being called and I have no idea to what it pertains."
"Darlin', if it's really botherin' you, maybe you oughtta talk to Cyke when it's over."
"I think I just may do so. I do not wish to sound as if I am overreacting, but this is not the first time that this has happened."
"You got a point."
Storm and her lover entered the large conference room. She observed the other X-men filtering in and finding seats. Everyone was there: in addition to herself and Wolverine were the Professor, Cyclops, Jean, Jubilee, Gambit, Rogue, Beast, Panda, Iceman, Northstar, Nightcrawler, Angel, Banshee, Moira, Shaman, Aurora, Cannonball, Moonstar, and Wraith. Storm looked at Jeanne-Marie and saw that in lieu of her usually gloomy facial expression, Jeanne-Marie was nearly beaming. It was an unusual, somewhat shocking, sight; the former member of Alpha Flight was not known for exactly radiating joy. The best mood Storm had ever seen on Jeanne-Marie's face before this day had been one step above miserable. Storm started to get a suspicion of the purpose of the meeting.
"Thank you for gathering here today on short notice," Cyclops said, once everyone was seated around the circular table. "We called this meeting because Northstar has an announcement to make." He turned and looked at Northstar, who was sitting on his left hand side.
"Thank you, Cyclops," Northstar said, sounding somewhat stiff and uncomfortable, Storm observed. Northstar then spoke well-rehearsed words. "I wanted to share some good news with you. The Endarians agreed to help me. I went for treatment and the treatment was successful--- I have been cured of the HIV. I no longer have it."
For the past couple of days, Northstar had been laying low, as had Bobby and Jeanne-Marie. The trio had spent some time on the other (uninhabited) side of the moon and even some time aboard Freedom, ostensibly running a few routine tests. Northstar's absence now made sense, Storm observed.
The X-men expressed their relief and happiness to Northstar, as well as to Jeanne-Marie and Bobby. Many cheers and exclamations of "Thank God," "Thank goodness", and "What a relief" were heard.
Storm looked at Remy and Rogue. The married couple exchanged a knowing look with each other; brief as it was, Storm caught it. Remy's face didn't give much away, as always, but Rogue was that much easier to read. Looking at them, she could tell that they both knew something that she did not. As much as Storm hated to admit it, that thought gnawed at her and she craved knowing the truth.
"I wish to thank everyone," Northstar said when the commotion died down a bit. "I….I must say that I'm truly humbled by the support I received from all of you," he said, speaking slowly and emphasizing each word. "I spent a lot of time by myself since I was diagnosed, a lot of time in my room. But I felt your support and I appreciated all of your prayers. I especially want to thank a few people. Hank…and Moira, I can never thank you enough for all the time you spent researching a cure." Northstar then looked at his sister and his lover. "Jeanne-Marie and Bobby…thank you both for putting up with me and my moods during all of this. I love you."
Northstar's declarations did not come across as rehearsed to Storm; in fact, his words were touchingly heartfelt. The room was silent for a few moments afterwards. Northstar was not exactly known for expressing gratitude in public.
"May I ask a question?" Dani Moonstar spoke up.
Northstar looked at her and nodded. Dani then asked innocently, "Since the Endarians were nice enough to cure you, can we also get from them some more dilithium so that we can continue our missions to earth? I mean, the lives of mutants on earth depend on it."
Storm admired Moonstar for speaking up during the meeting; the young woman was not intimidated in the presence of all the seasoned X-men. Storm observed, however, that Dani had not been in the best of moods lately. She had approached her and asked her if she wished to speak about it, but Dani had declined. Wolverine told Storm that Jubilee had mentioned she and Moonstar had a falling out. Neither of the young women were responsive to Storm and Wolverine's offers to help resolve the problem, unfortunately. Storm and Wolverine both hoped that the two would fix on their own whatever had marred their friendship.
After Moonstar's question was out, Northstar and Cyclops quickly looked at each other. Northstar then answered, "We did ask them about dilithium but they refused. Queen Marina said that she decided to give me the cure because my life was at stake, but she said giving dilithium is not a matter of life and death to us, and therefore we could not have any."
"I dona understand," Moira MacTaggert spoke up. There was a barely-concealed hint of distress, and even a note of pain, in her voice. "Surely you all remember the Chinese girl, Lu, who died of AIDS less than a year ago. I thought that Queen Marina was asked about a cure at that time and that she refused."
"That is true," a poker-faced Cyclops answered. "Moira, why the Queen changed her mind we can only guess at. I have no idea."
"She's always been partial to those of us who are X-men," Jean Grey spoke up. "She's always made it clear that she prefers us X-men over the other non-X-men mutants. Maybe---and very unfortunately---she didn't perceive Lu's life as being quite as valuable as an X-man's."
"That is a crying shame," Moira said softly, "for a human life to be needlessly wasted like that." She quickly added, "Of course I am thrilled that she has cured you, Northstar; please dona misinterpret what I'm saying."
During the last exchange, Storm examined the expressions of the other X-men in the room, paying close attention to Cyclops, Jean, Gambit, Rogue, Hank, Northstar and Bobby. Clearly **something** was going on and some people in the room knew things which others did not. The energy and discomfort in the room were palpable. Storm then turned to Wolverine and shot a look at him.
He shot back another look which said, `We'll talk after the meeting.'
************
"Scott slept with Marina, didn't he?"
Immediately after the conclusion of the awkward meeting, Storm and Wolverine walked in silence towards the corridor with the X-men's rooms. They entered Storm's room because Wolverine's was a few more paces down the hall.
Storm asked that question the second that the doors had slid closed. She then continued, "I mean, you know that I am not one to gossip, Logan, but it was quite obvious that some X-men in that room were 'in the know' about something. And we know about Marina's previous request of Scott."
"Yeah, it was obvious when Moira asked about the Endarians not curing Lu, huh?" Wolverine commented. He then added, "When Cyke walked passed me, I smelled Marina on him."
For the previous few days, Wolverine had not been in the same room as Scott. He didn't know –or care---whether Cyclops had been intentionally avoiding him or not, but Scott had to have known that eventually they would come into contact and Wolverine's hypersenses would detect Marina's scent on his body.
Storm sank down into a chair. "I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that he went through with it," she murmured. Very few things surprised her nowadays, but this truly did.
Wolverine shrugged. "It was the only thing that wouldda saved Northstar's life. I'dve done it for a teammate. You wouldda too, I bet." He actually found himself feeling a morsel of admiration for Scott over this, though he didn't feel the need to share that with Storm.
Storm slowly nodded, not looking at her lover. "Are you jealous?" she asked. The words slipped out of her normally very-controlled mouth without her realizing it.
"Huh? Jealous of Cyke? Marina's attractive but she ain't----" he abruptly stopped himself. He then asked, with remarkable softness, "That ain't what you meant, was it? What didya mean?"
"I'm sorry, Logan. I spoke unthinkingly."
"But what didya mean? There was somethin' serious in your question."
Sensing he wasn't going to drop this and marveling at his perceptiveness, Storm responded, "I'm not really sure where my mind was going. I think part of me wondered that if Scott was sleeping with someone else, whether you were jealous of the fact that….that Jean wasn't sleeping with someone else.."
Wolverine walked over towards Storm and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm over Jean, Storm. You are the one that I love." One of his hands gently wove its way through her hair.
Storm smiled and placed a hand over Wolverine's free hand. "I know. What was I thinking?" she asked.
**************
"Can ya believe it!"
"I gotta admit. I admire good ol' Cyke. He did it." Gambit then hastily added, "Not dat anyone should sleep wit' someone other den deir spouse 'cept when a life be at stake."
Rogue playfully swatted at him. "That's right, Swamp Rat, and don't ever forgit it!" she declared, smiling. The two did just as Storm and Wolverine had---hightailed it for their room and some privacy immediately after the meeting. Rogue then added, seriously this time, "I really didn't think he'd do it. I mean, I know Bobby came to us one day during the trip home and told us that Scott agreed to do it, but I didn't really think Cyclops would go through with it! I thought maybe he'd just let Northstar get real sick and maybe then do it. Or that he'd back out. But I really didn't see him doin' it now. I gotta hand it to him."
"I t'ink he did the right t'ing."
"Yeah," she said, in agreement. "He did." Rogue looked at her hands. "Shit, I feel kinda bad for any of the nasty thoughts I had 'bout Cyke----and the doubts. He really came through when he needed to."
Gambit nodded. "Bet this be real hard on him. An' on Jean too.":
"The two of them are probably full of resentment of Northstar and Bobby."
Gambit shrugged. "I t'ink Cyke already resented dem for bein' gay. He gets so uncomfortable whenever dat comes up, dat dis sure ain't gonna help none." Gambit stopped himself and added, "I gotta stop bashin' Scott dough. He did the right thing here."
"Ya think we oughtta tell him so?"
"Tell him dat we t'ink he did the right t'ing? Nah. Even dough Scott knows dat we know, I t'ink he be more upset if we talk 'bout it openly. I t'ink he prefer dat dis not be talked 'bout."
"Yeah—what was I thinking?" Rogue smiled. "I'm glad that we now got an explanation for why Bobby's been avoiding us like the plague lately." Bobby was one of their best friends but they had spent precious little time with him since the return to An'zhina. Bobby was always either tending the garden or somewhere secluded with Northstar. "I figured he wanted to be alone with Northstar and such, but probably Cyke asked him to keep it quiet till they were sure Northstar was cured."
"Gotta hand it to Bobby," Gambit murmured. "He did a good job at keepin' dat a secret." Bobby had not brought the topic up once since their return to An'zhina.
TO BE CONTINUED
*************
Author's notes:
First, as many of you know, fanfiction.net has vowed to remove all fics rated NC-17. They plan to take them all down forever, starting October 12th. Please consider signing the petition to ask them to change their policy at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/KEEPNC17/petition.html
If the petition is not successful, then don't despair. I might try to return to fanfiction.net with a toned-down rating. And you can still read my fics at Leigh's Fiction.
Secondly, I have a note in regards to the scene with Rogue, Gambit, and Sandy and specifically the reference to Rogue dressing more conservatively (i.e.—not wearing the revealing clothing that Sandy wore.) I know that the guys who draw the comics show basically all the women dressing in abbreviated clothing, but I just don't think it's that realistic. (And besides, this fic is based off the animated series, where the women dressed in normal clothes when not shown in their uniforms.) I think that it just stretches credibility to believe that Rogue, Jean, Storm and the others truly wear what Marvel's illustrators think they do on their off-duty time. I think that most of us acknowledge that they're drawn that way to get horny people to buy the comics : -) and I reject it as not being reality for the X-women. So that's why the narrator commented about Rogue not wearing "sexy" clothing, except for some short shorts and lingerie in the bedroom. Hope this makes sense to y'all.
I still welcome any and all feedback. Please email me at stormkpr@usa.net (since I cannot upload this—or any other chapter---to fanfiction.net due to the NC17 rating of my overall fic.)
Finally, if you want to be notified when I upload a new chapter, just send me an email at stormkpr@usa.net