THE HEAVENS OPEN
By Stormkeeper (stormkpr@usa.net)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
******************
Dani Moonstar paced around the area outside of the bridge. She walked back and forth between there and the hallway outside the main transporter room. She then walked over to sick bay and peered through the glass window at her friend Storm, who was stretched out on a bed inside the infirmary.
Storm had been rendered unconscious via a psychic blast from Psylocke. "It's okay," Psylocke had called to Moonstar as she quickly walked down the hallway. Dani had been barely able to keep up with her as she and the others prepared to transport over to the Conqueror. "She'll be fine."
"But, but….she's unconscious!" Dani protested.
"I do that stuff all the time! She's fine," Psylocke called again as she, Marrow, Roula, and Thyme stepped onto the transporter pad. Watching from outside of the transporter room, Dani observed the bloodlust in their eyes and, before she could get another sentence out, they transported away.
Dani stood in place, stunned. She then walked back to Storm and took stock of the situation.
She had wanted to bring Storm to the sick bay, so she could at least enlist the help of its machines to examine her condition. Without access to any transporter rooms, Dani would have to carry the Wind Rider. She had struggled to pick up the tall, muscular woman and nearly collapsed from the weight before she realized that the supply room had some cots with wheels. The infirmary contained a few machines that anyone could use, but these machines gave only a cursory examination. Without any medical personnel on board the Vengeance, they had to rely on these should someone fall ill. Dani wheeled Storm to sick bay where the user-friendly machines seemed to indicate Storm would be well. At least that was what Dani had guessed. She really had no idea about medical matters.
Leaving Storm inside sick bay, Dani contemplated what to do next. Marrow, Psylocke, Thyme, and Roula had beamed over to the Conqueror. Psylocke had disabled the FOH crew. (She had used a tried-and-true tactic: take control of the captain's mind, order the crew into one room, accept the stun gas that the Pirates beamed over, seal the crew inside the room and use the gas to knock them out.)
Marrow didn't say when they would return. (Or, more accurately, Dani had asked and Marrow had replied, "I don't know." Thyme then added, "You really lose track of time during these things.")
Dani paced around some more. Playing a computer game or watching a video at this time seemed wrong, but she didn't know what else to do. She periodically walked over to the infirmary and looked at Storm. No change in her condition. Would her mentor and friend truly be alright? She had only the word of the battle-hungry Psylocke upon which to rely.
Dani finally plopped down in front of the computer screen. After a few half-hearted attempts to play a game, she stopped and rested her forehead on an arm. `I'm stuck in space with a ship of maniacs. Storm's unconscious and I have to sleep with this woman who's currently on a killing and torturing spree. I have no idea where the X-men are, and as for Jubilee….'
Jubilee. Thoughts of her erstwhile friend no longer pained Dani as much as they once had. She still felt a twinge of embarrassment and shame over misreading Jubilee's feelings towards her, and it still hurt her that their friendship was over. It probably always would hurt, at least a little. This separation was beneficial, though. She had needed to get away from Jubilee, away from the feelings. The whole experience was less poignant for Dani now.
`Besides, now I have a homicidal maniac to comfort me,' she thought wryly. She wondered again how she'd ever be able to willingly sleep with someone who could gleefully torture and kill other human beings.
The rest of the day ambled by. Marrow had told Moonstar not to contact them. (The crew had communicators with them but, as Marrow had said, "We'll be too busy to answer." Thyme had breezily added, "We'll be fine---you won't need to call us.") Denied access to the bridge, Dani could not even scan the other vessel. She could only look out a window and see the ship hovering nearby, and assume that everything was going okay.
`Well, as "okay" as things can be when rampant killing and torturing is taking place.'
After more time elapsed, and no apparent change in Storm's condition occurred, Dani whipped out her journal. She was incensed at what the FOH soldiers had done to her. She had fantasized more than once about beating and killing them. And despite the words of those such as Nightcrawler who preached that the members of FOH must be forgiven, Dani had no intention of ever forgiving her attackers. ('Not that they'd ever ask,' she added to herself.) But she still could not fathom ever re-enacting the violence on them. She couldn't brutalize another human being the way Marrow and the others did, apparently without regret.
Although Moonstar loved food, her stomach was too jumpy for much of a dinner. She replicated a light salad dish and could barely finish it. She checked in on Storm once more before heading for her quarters. She remained in bed a long, long time before sleep overtook her.
*****************
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The question was hesitantly posed to Rogue one day. Jean Grey stood several feel away from her friend, surrounded by silence after her question. Tired of cooping herself up inside her room, Rogue was now regularly venturing out to the gym. She knew that would require human interaction, but she felt as though no other choice existed. The first time she had worked out since the miscarriage, she gave those who came into contact with her a look that unmistakably read 'Stay away.'
"No. Thanks Jean, but naw," Rogue finally answered.
"Sometimes talking about something really does help," Jean counseled, sounding a bit too much like a mother. She was grateful for the vastness of the gym; their conversation was not being overheard by the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Gambit and Wolverine lifting weights nearby. Sam, Jubilee, Aurora, and Hector were milling about the pool.
Rogue surprised Jean by responding. "Seems all I do all day is talk 'bout it with Remy."
"It might help to talk about it with someone else."
"Repeatin' the same shit over an' over again ain't helpin' though." Rogue turned away, her back now facing her friend.
Jean tentatively stepped closer to Rogue and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You need time. Time helps all hurt and pain to pass. I mean, I've never been through what you have, But I know--"
"That's just it, Jean --- you **ain't** been through it!" Rogue's voice sliced the air. "You got those two beautiful kids and you don't got any idea what I'm goin' through! Why don't you keep your trap shut when you're givin' out advice!"
Several heads turned; several workouts were interrupted. Once people saw the cause of the commotion, they discreetly returned to their exercises.
Except for Gambit. Upon hearing his wife's distress, he rushed up to console her. "Come on now, chere. It ain't her fault," he gently spoke. He reached an arm around Rogue. Her face was flushed and a few tears threatened to escape, but they held back.
Jean watched the couple. Her link-up with Gambit remained and she knew that he had shared sentiments similar to those of his wife. 'They're only human,' she said to herself, attempting to squelch her anger towards the couple. `I might have felt the same way if our positions were reversed.'
Rogue and Gambit made their way towards the exit. Rogue was winning the battle of fighting back another crying spell, but she didn't want half of her teammates to see her in that struggle. Gambit gently ushered her out of the gym.
In the privacy of the hallway, he put his arms around her and held her close. The hardness of his muscle-packed torso provided a comfort to Rogue. She slumped against him, letting his strength support her.
*****************
Moonstar woke early the following morning. Still wearing her comfortable flannel pajamas, she staggered in the direction of sick bay. She blinked when, looking through the clear window, she found that Storm was gone!
"Storm!" she called, reaching for the nearest intercom.
No answer. "Storm, come in please! Where are you?"
"I—I'm here," a weak voice on the other end responded.
"Storm?" Dani asked. Whoever spoke the words 'I'm here' had sounded drained and feeble. "Is that you?"
Silence for several seconds. "It's me," she finally managed.
"Where are you??"
"My room."
Dani bolted back in the direction of the personnel quarters. After running at breakneck speed, she stepped through the doorway to Storm's room, the doors obligingly sliding aside.
"Wow…..you look terrible."
But at least Storm was conscious. She lay on the bed, her eyes closed. As Dani gradually learned, the other members of the Pirates had returned. After Psylocke did **something** to revive Storm, the Wind Rider had been escorted to her quarters by Thyme and Roula.
"Feel terrible too," Storm replied, opening her eyes. She had a smile on her face, Dani noted. A very encouraging sign. Whatever Psylocke had done, Storm appeared to still be herself.
Dani made a trip to the nearest replicator and coaxed Storm into eating several bites of a breakfast. Given that talking and – particularly -- **thinking** seemed to tire Storm, Dani was quiet during the meal. Though her thoughts were rampant, scurrying around with ideas of the Pirates' actions, Dani remained silent.
After eating, Storm again closed her eyes and rested her head back against the pillow. Dani watched her, soon realizing her friend was asleep. She carefully stepped back into the hallway.
"Psylocke, this is Moonstar. Can you come in please?" she asked, speaking into her communicator. She had to struggle to keep her voice pleasant.
No reply. An impatient Dani then strode into Marrow's quarters. Although Marrow had been asleep, she was willing to wake up and talk to the object of her affections.
"What's going on with that FOH ship?" Dani demanded as Marrow rubbed her eyes. "And what's up with whatever Psylocke did to Storm?"
Marrow yawned and explained that she and the other Pirates were merely "taking a break" from the Conqueror. They sometimes liked to stretch out "the retribution" over the span of several days and they now needed a rest, to recoup their energies for a new round of torturing. "It's exciting, but it really takes it outta you," Marrow explained.
Dani didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that statement. "Fine, but what about Storm? She looks like she's been hit by a train."
"I dunno. Can't you ask Psylocke about it, honey?"
Dani winced at the term of endearment so casually used by Marrow. "She didn't respond to my page."
Marrow groped around for her communicator. Not able to find hers, she held out her hand to use Dani's. "Psylocke, come in damn it. If you don't answer, we're gonna come bang on your door."
Psylocke answered, and yelled at Marrow for waking her. Moonstar listened to the two women converse. Psylocke sounded sleepy yet very charged up. "Storm's going to be just fine," Psylocke was saying. "It was a simple psychic blast I used to knock her out."
Dani grabbed Marrow's arm. "Ask her how she can be sure Storm's alright! Tell her to check in on Storm. And ask her why the hell she knocked her out in the first place!"
"I can hear you just fine, Dani," Psylocke said dryly. "I'll check on Storm after I get some more damn sleep. If I can. I know how to use my own powers, thank you."
That was the end of the conversation from Psylocke's point of view. Marrow looked at Dani. "I'm sure what Psylocke said is right. Don't worry about Storm. She'll be fine. Just stop worrying."
Dani took a breath. "I guess I have no choice," she muttered.
And then she saw that Marrow got that look in her eyes. Gesturing to the bed, she raised her eye brows and began, "How about…."
"No thanks," Dani said flatly, as she turned for the exit. It was the first time she had ever refused one of Marrow's advances.
*****************
The day after Rogue's outburst in the gym, Gambit found Jean in the rec room.
"Can we talk for a bit?" Gambit asked quietly. He indicated with his eyes that he wished to speak to her outside of the rec room, as they were not alone.
"Of course." Jean rose and followed Gambit to an empty conference room.
"Jus' wanna apologize for my wife's outburs'," he said, as soon as they were seated. "She didn't mean dose t'ings she said."
Jean shook her head. "Gambit, please, no apology is necessary. I understand that she didn't mean what she said."
Their remaining psychic link exposed the subtle untruth of Jean's words. She knew full well that there **had** been grains of truth in Rogue's sentiments. Jean then added, "I wouldn't fault her for anything she said while in this state." Those words were completely truthful. "I am sure that I would feel the same way if our positions were reversed."
Jean then reached across the table to touch one of Gambit's hands. "How are **you** holding up?" she asked softly. "This must be just as hard on you."
"Gambit gonna be alright," he replied. His eyes, which didn't meet hers, blatantly told another tale. Gambit got up to leave and Jean watched him exit, wondering how long he could continue like this.
****************
The next few days passed as uncomfortably for Dani as those first few had. She knew Storm had been right when she had insisted that encountering an FOH ship would be bad, but only now did Dani realize the veracity of her words. The absence of a cogent Storm did not help things either. This was the most **alone** Dani had felt in a long time.
Slowly Storm recovered her strength. Dani tended to her several times a day, feeding her and sometimes just talking to her, though Storm frequently felt too tired to respond much. Moonstar occasionally pulled out her flute and played it for her friend.
Whenever Dani tried to confront Psylocke to find out exactly what she did to Storm, Psylocke brushed her aside as if she couldn't be bothered. Moonstar rarely saw Psylocke, though. When she wasn't on board the Conqueror, she was generally asleep on board the Vengeance.
The Pirates eventually finished their mission. Over a period of about five days, they dismembered and killed the crew of the Conqueror. When finished, they scavenged various supplies from the ship (including dilithium), and blew it up with a few photon torpedoes from the Vengeance.
The Pirates had spared one person who had been on board the Conqueror. As Psylocke had told the others beforehand, FOH had a mutant male with them on board the ship. His name was Alexander. The Pirates decided to allow him to live.
Because the Conqueror possessed only one shuttlecraft and the Pirates wanted it, they were not about to waste the shuttle on Alexander by allowing him to use it to return to earth or venture towards An'zhina. That left Alexander on board the Vengeance with the Pirates.
"So what's the deal with him?" Dani asked Marrow. Shortly after the Conqueror had been destroyed, Marrow was jogging around the track inside the gym. She needed to work off some excess energy. Dani was sitting on the floor of the gym, observing her. She had nothing better to do; Storm was napping and Psylocke had gone off to watch some movies and "chill."
"We decided to keep him," Marrow stated. "It was Psylocke's idea."
"But why?" Moonstar persisted.
"I told you," Marrow responded. She barely huffed as she spoke, her fitness level high. "We didn't want to waste the shuttle or the dilithium on him. And we didn't want to kill him – Psylocke read his mind and he didn't rape any mutant women. Or any women at all."
Dani listened to Marrow's words. Well, at least that was a good sign. She imagined that when one was in a killing frenzy, one might not stop to decide who was innocent and who guilty. Of course, the Pirates had known beforehand that FOH had a male mutant on board the ship. But it was still encouraging that they had decided to spare his life. "What was he doing on that ship?" she asked.
"His powers. They wanted him there for his powers. Also, he's a doctor."
Marrow wasn't, Dani observed, particularly talkative today. Still, Dani felt she had a better chance of prying out information from Marrow than anyone else. "Well, what are his powers?" Dani asked, not without a measure of impatience.
"He can make food," Marrow stated.
"So….he's a chef?" Dani asked. Marrow had jogged towards the far end of the track and Dani had to strain to hear her.
"No, silly," Marrow called. "It's his mutation – he can like take certain objects. He said stuff like stones or dirt—shit like that. He can take it and turn it into food."
"How interesting. I've never seen anyone with a mutation like that!"
"Me neither. His food's kinda bland though. He can only make stuff like rice and….um, grains." From the way Marrow said the word, Dani could tell she didn't have a good grasp of what exactly 'grains' were. "And….what the crap else did he say?….'root vegetables', whatever those are. And herbs and spices too."
"Okay, cool. But I still don't get it. FOH has food replicators, don't they? So what do they need him for?" Dani asked, truly confused.
"The Fuckers on Heroin are cheap as hell. They are with their pee-ons, anyway. They're looking for ways to save supplies, like using this Alexander guy's powers. The worker bees don't get the kind of star treatment their officers get. A lot of the pee-ons on that ship were mostly living on Alexander's rice and herbs, at least while they were on their mission. Anyway, that's what Psylocke told me from reading the captain's mind."
"Did FOH torture this guy?"
"Nope. Seems like they pretty much left him alone, except when they needed food. Or needed a doctor."
"Interesting," Dani repeated. "So what do we do with him?"
"Psylocke said he's harmless. So we figure we'll let him roam around the ship as he wants. We got him barred from the bridge and engineering like you and Storm. We gave him a code to use on the replicators so we can tell if he's using too much." Marrow paused and added, "If he ever tries anything, we'll deal with it. Betsy's gonna monitor his mind. We figure next time we're near An'zhina, we can drop him off there. Or earth, if he wants it."
Marrow had jogged right up to where Dani sat. She took a deep breath. Sweat trickled down her face. Dani looked at her and observed that only a few bones protruded from her body today. She must have ripped off and used most of them in battle on board the Conqueror. "I'm ready for a shower now. Wanna come with?"
There was that look again; Dani knew exactly what Marrow wanted after (or during) the shower. This time, it soured Dani's stomach.
"No thanks," Dani replied.
"Oh, c'mon," Marrow insisted. She cajoled Dani, and Dani continued to resist. Finally, an exasperated and angry Marrow stomped off to the locker room.
Dani sighed with relief, though she then felt the relief dissipate. This was now the second time she had turned Marrow down, and she wondered how long she could continue to block her advances. With dread growing in her gut, Dani wondered whether she knew what Marrow was truly capable of.
***************
After her conversation with Marrow in the gym, Dani headed over to check on Storm. She had to blink a few times when she saw Storm ambling down the corridor.
"Storm!" she exclaimed.
Storm returned her smile, though weakly. Dani rushed to her side and offered a hand. Storm refused it. "How're you doin'?" Dani asked.
She observed Storm. She moved slowly and with apparent difficulty. Her reflexes seemed off-kilter still. "Well, I have been better."
"I'm surprised to see you up."
"I've grown weary of sitting in that bed all day."
Dani nodded, "Yeah, but you still look kinda unsteady."
"My head feels better than it has in days. Truly, Dani, I feel much more myself today."
"When you're feeling totally back to normal, we gotta talk to Psylocke. What in the hell was she thinking??"
Storm closed her eyes and shook her head. "I am so disgusted with her right now, I cannot even dwell on this." And she spoke the truth. Nothing could justify Psylocke's completely unprovoked attack.
As Storm and Dani rounded the corner, they spotted Alexander walking towards them.
Well, it had to be Alexander, Dani knew, though she'd never seen the man before and the person before her was not at all what she expected. For some reason, Dani had thought he would be a young man, around her own age. She'd forgotten that Marrow said he was a doctor. As they got closer, though, she observed a man with graying hair and hard-earned lines around his eyes and mouth. Dani also, for some reason, had not expected him to be so rugged in appearance. Alexander was quite a large man --- tall and stocky, though Dani guessed a lot of the bulk was strength and muscle. His shoulders were broad. His hair was also longer than the length at which most men wore theirs; it reached an inch or two beneath his chin. His face was square, but despite his tough appearance, he had a kind look in his eyes.
He also had an attractive face, Dani observed. She obviously didn't fawn over men, but even she could see that he was handsome. She began to wonder whether Psylocke might have had another motive for wanting Alexander on board the Vengeance.
"You must be Alexander," Dani said. A few days ago, she had told Storm that FOH had a male mutant on board and that the Pirates might be having him stay with them. So she knew Storm would not react with surprise upon seeing Alexander. "I'm Dani Moonstar," she reached to shake his hand.
Slightly taken aback at Dani's friendliness and confidence, Alexander recovered quickly. "Alexander," he said, returning the handshake. "Nice to meet you." His grip on her hand was firm.
"I am called Storm," the Weather Goddess said, as she reached for Alexander's hand. She gave it a weak shake.
"Nice to meet you as well." Alexander's eyes narrowed. "Are you ill, Storm? I am a doctor."
"It is quite a long story," Storm said wearily.
"You do look ill. There must be a sick bay on board this ship. May I examine you?"
"I believe the problem is mostly the result of psychic tampering. I do not know if there is much that a doctor can do."
"Yeah, but still," Dani encouraged. "We've never had a doctor on this ship till now. I don't think it could hurt for him to take a look at you."
Storm was unusually compliant. She agreed to Dani's suggestion, though she declined Alexander's offer to help steady her. The three slowly walked to sick bay.
****************
"How long will your link with Gambit last?"
"I don't know, Scott." Jean smiled, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know how these things work. Or – I should say – you know that no one **knows** exactly how these things work. The link might go away on its own."
"Or you two might stay linked forever," Scott finished for her.
The couple sat on the floor of engineering together. Hank and Scott were taking a break from their engine repair, and Hank had left the room. Jean was keeping her husband company.
"Yes. It's possible." Jean reached for one of Scott's hands and held it. "Scott, you –"
"I know," he said, interrupting her. He rarely ever did so. "I know that there's no reason to be jealous."
"I've never been attracted to Gambit, and I'm not now. There's never been any….spark between us. The…the link he and I have came about because we needed to save Rogue and it's nothing compared to **our** link. They're worlds apart."
"I know that. I can tell that from our connection."
"Then why are you being so insecure?" Jean stated the question simply and without reproach. "You know that no one else comes close to you, my soulmate."
Scott reached for her lips and kissed them. As he did so, Jean received a flash of thoughts stemming from his mind. `Maybe another visit with Nightcrawler couldn't hurt,' Scott had been thinking.
//I agree// Jean spoke to him through their mindlink. //It's always good to get some perspective from an objective third party.//
//I wonder if Nightcrawler ever gets tired of hearing people's woes.// Scott wondered wryly.
//He can handle it.//
On impulse, Jean reached forward and kissed her husband once more. This time, she held onto his lips longer before relinquishing them. Her hands roamed around his body, unexpectedly and suggestively. She reached to kiss him again, and he responded as her tongue entered his mouth.
Jean picked up on a plethora of thoughts going through Scott's mind. 'This isn't usually the time that we…..Hank could walk in any minute now….who's looking after the kids….' Scott didn't consciously direct those ruminations through their mindlink, but Jean was able to seize them. She pulled back.
"I'm sorry," Scott stammered. "I didn't mean that I wanted you to stop. It's just that…." his voice trailed off.
"It's okay," Jean said. "I know. This probably **isn't** the best time or place." She quickly added, "Wolverine and Jubilee are watching the kids – the girls were on the playset, when I left them."
Suddenly, Scott reached for Jean and kissed her with fervor. He moved so fast that she almost jumped back. One of his hands touched the side of her face as the other began to caress one of her thighs.
"Oh my!" Jean breathed, before Scott reached for her once more. As they kissed this time, Jean involuntarily picked up more snippets from Scott's mind. `To hell with being Mr. Boring and Predictable…..Gambit isn't the only one who can show some spontaneity.'
Jean began to open her mouth to reassure her husband once more, to let him know that he didn't need to compare himself against others, but she couldn't because his tongue was lapping against her lower lip and then nibbling on her mouth. She sent some loving and reassuring thoughts towards Scott via their mindlink, though he wasn't listening too intently. He was too preoccupied with tugging at her shirt and fondling her breasts.
"Oh Scott!" Jean gasped again. This was really unlike him. Scott liked to take things slowly, like a gentleman. A usual lovemaking session for them lasted a long, long time. His kisses, almost frantic now, were trailing their way down her neck.
"Scott, you really don't have to…." Jean began, as he lifted her shirt up and unhooked her bra. His tongue nibbled at her navel as one hand reached upwards to squeeze a plump breast. Jean let her neck hang back as she decided to cease any protesting. She fleetingly considered flipping him onto his back, taking control of this erotic encounter – Scott frequently enjoyed when she did so. But she wanted to see where this would go. She had to admit it was wickedly fun.
Scott sucked on one nipple as a hand reached to unzip Jean's pants. His fingers stroked her rhythmically and insistently. Jean involuntarily let out a few deep moans of appreciation. She wondered if he might turn her over and enter her from behind; they hadn't done that since Jean was pregnant, and she secretly longed for it once more. Scott's hands were bedewed with her wetness now.
His mouth was covering hers once more. Jean allowed herself to lose track of any more thoughts within that ardent kiss. She just mused that she and her husband were still in love after so many years, still desiring of each other's bodies. She groped for his belt buckle, surrendering any more conscious deliberation.
Hank walked in, just as Scott and Jean were nearing a crashing mutual orgasm. Had he stayed to watch, he would have seen the whole picture and all of the details: Scott on top of Jean, both with trousers around their ankles. The rest of their clothing had remained on, though Jean's bra had been pushed to the side to expose her generous breasts. The couple cried out together with the force and the gratification of their climax, though Hank left long before it was finished.
Sad memories of his life with Panda filled Hank's mind as he shuffled back down the corridor. He tried to shake them from his mind. With the rate the repairs were progressing, it would be quite some time before he was ever reunited with his wife and son.
Later, Scott summoned Hank to engineering to continue their work. Scott couldn't quite refrain from blushing when he saw Hank, while Hank kept his face as neutral as possible.
****************
Just as it was cold and barren outdoors, it was chilly and gloomy inside Freedom too. Rogue lost her baby. All of us were hurting for her and we were pretty helpless to comfort her. It brought all of us down, wounding each of us any time we looked at Rogue or Gambit or saw them in the hallways. It was like Rogue and Gambit's grief enshrouded us all. And Rogue never took those gloves off now. I wondered if perhaps, somehow, she no longer had the ability to control her power of absorption. I'd not seen her touch anyone since before the miscarriage.
Somehow –and I know this sounds terrible to say—it seemed all worse now than when Colossus was killed. Colossus's death was horrible too, but somehow the team pretty much seemed to rebound from that loss. At the time, I was too busy dealing with Jean-Paul's recovery from torture to even grieve for Colossus too much. Things had been moving too fast then, but here we were stranded on this planet and the days crawled by. But once I realized that I was taking the loss of Rogue and Gambit's pregnancy worse than I had the loss of Colossus, I was stung with guilt and sadness.
Other than Rogue and Gambit's loss, we X-men had more depressing facts to live with. The Cetians could return at any time to hunt down more slaves for their mining operation. FOH could swing by at any time as well. Often, when you looked at Jean Grey, you'd see a weariness around her eyes. She had to constantly monitor space. In the event of an attack from FOH or the Cetians, who knew how we would fare? Especially with two of our strongest fighters in misery.
And I suppose I don't need to say again that Wolverine wasn't doing so well at being separated from Storm, nor Hank from his family. Sam would speak longingly of his relatives back on earth.
Hank and Cyke had no luck with the engines. Three more weeks passed since the miscarriage. Cyclops and Hank called us together one day to give an update, but the update consisted mainly of them telling us that they had made no progress. "We are considering attempting to repair one of the shuttles instead," Hank said.
"And we also want you to be aware of the risks. We're afraid that we might do more harm than good," Cyclops added.
I sat around the meeting table, actually glad to be in a meeting and see the rest of the team. Days had been ambling by at the speed of tectonic plates, and a meeting with the rest of the X-men was actually a nice way to break up the day. I glanced at Rogue and Gambit, and then quickly glanced away.
"How likely do you think it is? That you would actually do more harm than good to the engines?" Nightcrawler asked.
"It is quite possible," Hank replied.
He then launched into a detailed and technical explanation. The bottom line was – they didn't know the answer to Nightcrawler's question. We talked and talked around it in circles, debating what to do next. Finally, the rest of the team decided to defer to the judgement of the two engineering experts. So Cyclops and Hank said they would temporarily cease engine repair work and instead try to fix one of the shuttles. They sure didn't sound that optimistic.
*****************
One morning, Rogue rose from bed. Stripping in preparation for the shower, she removed her gloves. It was the only time, now, that she removed them. Once inside the tub, she turned the water on and reached for the cake of soap. `Another day,' she thought. `Gotta get up and keep goin'.' She had tried, before, lying in bed all day but never found it to do much good. If anything, it made the day longer and the pain more intense. There had been a few days when she simply hadn't been able to muster the will to get out of bed. Gambit would then fawn over her and bring her food, trying to coax her out of bed. The attention he paid to her only increased her guilt. No, she knew she did not want another one of those days.
Stepping out of the shower, Rogue dried her hands and then replaced her gloves. She opened a drawer to search for her hairbrush. She noticed the bottle of birth control pills sitting there. They weren't needed now. Rogue and Gambit hadn't made love since before the miscarriage.
Once she had dried off and dressed, she entered the main part of the room and glanced at her husband. He remained asleep, which was reassuring to see. Rogue knew that Gambit generally tossed and turned all night now. Some nights she thought he never actually fell asleep. It was hard to know for sure, though. The few times she had inquired about it, he'd reassured her that he was fine and she hadn't had the ability to probe.
Rogue took another look at him. Could he have been losing weight? He did look a bit thinner. She herself only picked at her food nowadays, rarely eating with the gusto she used to have. She peered closer at Gambit. It did seem that he had lost some weight.
Eventually, Gambit woke up. The two made their way to the mess hall where they both ate sparingly from their lunch and made minimal conversation with the other X-men. Most of the rest of the X-men seemed to prefer sitting away from them. `Figures,' Rogue thought. `They don't wanna be around us. 'Sides, they got no clue what we're goin' through. None of 'em do.'
She tried to keep it together during the rest of the day. She fought best as she could to keep from unraveling. But at some point, as the hours stretched on, Rogue felt the heaves starting, the wrenching pain of trying to avoid self-pity making it all the more worse. The guilt and shame at her weakness took over, as did the fear that she somehow was responsible for the loss. She began to sob again, even though it seemed that her supply of tears had dried up.
Gambit held her as she bawled. At first she cried against his shoulders. Then she dropped her head into her hands and felt the tears roll off the gloves.
"Here you go, chere," Gambit said, handing her a tissue.
Rogue dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. He handed her more tissues. Her trembling subsided and she looked at him. A dull ache throbbed in her head; another strong headache was just gearing up.
"Look at you, Swamp Rat," she said, her voice raw. "You ain't goin' through any of this. Everythin's peachy with you." She coughed uncontrollably and added, once the coughing subsided, "You don't care 'bout us losin' the baby at all, do you?"
And with that comment, Rogue saw an insane look in Gambit's eyes. They flashed wildly, chilling to look at. He picked up the nearest object—the tissue box---and threw it against the wall. "Fuck dat," he said.
Rogue recoiled at the anger in his voice. She instantly sobered up, the urge to continue crying now vanished. She sat, looking at him, fighting her fear at his wrath.
"I miss dat baby more den you ever can imagin'!" he raged. "I been goin' t'rough everyt'in' you have. Sayin' I don't care bout the baby -- a bunch of bullshit!"
Still shocked and a bit fearful at his outburst, Rogue emotions started to cool off. "Remy, I…" she began, but then stopped herself when she looked at her husband.
He had turned away from her. His shoulders seemed to be shaking, and Rogue started to wonder whether he might be crying. She blinked a few times, hard. Her fear evaporated.
"Remy," she breathed, her voice a whisper this time. She crept up behind him and gingerly touched one of his shoulders. "Remy, are you okay?" she whispered. She was fairly sure that he was crying now. She could not ever recall seeing him cry.
"Remy?" she whispered again. This time she put her arms around his waist. She felt him tremble.
Gambit sank down at her touch. Rogue lowered herself to the floor along with him. His face buried against her shoulder, he allowed himself to cry unabashedly.
"There, there, sugar," Rogue murmured. She stroked his hair. "We're gonna get through this."
Remy remained quiet for several long moments as Rogue continued to utter such words at him. She suspected that he didn't want to talk until he got a hold of his crying. Rogue continued to hold him in her arms and he continued to muffle his tears, usually with success. She quietly urged him to let it all out.
After a long while, Gambit lifted his head up. His eyes were eerily red and bloodshot, a strange site compared to the normal look of his eyes.
"Chere, I wanted dat baby. I started to love dat baby. My heart got torn out." His voice was deeper and more raspy than usual.
"I know, Remy. I know. I -I'm sorry. My tongue gets ahead of my brain. How could I ever say that?" she asked. "Shame on me."
"Some days I can't take the guilt."
"Guilt over what, Remy?" she asked gently.
"I keep wonderin'….did I do somet'in' wrong? Is dat why we lose the baby? Is it me gettin' paid back for all the t'ings I did wrong…before? Before I came to the X-men."
"Remy, you know that ain't true. We didn't do nothin' wrong. We…you----" Rogue stumbled around for words, still trying to digest his admission of feeling guilt over his past. There was still so much of his past that he wouldn't talk about, of which she understood that she would never know. "You wouldda made a great dad," she said, at a loss for other words. "You really wouldda."
He struggle to get a hold of emotions and not lapse into tears once more. "Don't know 'bout dat, chere," he finally replied. "It's dose times when I start wonderin' if it was meant to be. Den I feel guilty all over again."
"I seen the way you take care of the other kids here. I know you'd be a great dad. You---you got no reason to feel an ounce of guilt!"
"I still wonder did I do somet'in' wrong? Did I not want the baby enough?"
Rogue continued to hold her husband in her arms, continued to console him. Doing so gradually filled her with strength. Her insides had felt like jelly for so long; they now started to solidify. He opened up to her, as he had not done since before the miscarriage. She listened to him and offered her support.
"What don't kill us is gonna make us stronger," Rogue said, once their talk began to die down. "You want to try again, Remy? I mean," she let out a laugh, "not right now. But someday maybe we can try again."
"Of course, chere. I want to." As he said the words, he had a stronger sense that he meant them, that he truly did want to become a parent.
Gambit then got to his feet, and offered Rogue a hand to stand beside him. Once on her feet, she led him towards the bed. "C'mon, Remy," she whispered. "We ain't made love since before we lost the baby." She looked at the bed and slowly, deliberately removed her gloves.
Remy listened to her words and noted how calmly she was able to say that phrase 'We lost the baby.' She said the words not without deep sorrow, but with a measure of acceptance. The sadness was still there but it was tempered by resignation.
"You want to, don't you?" she prompted.
"Do **you** want to?"
She smiled, "If I didn't, you think I'd even ask, sugar?"
He returned her smile and stepped towards her, cupping her head in his hands. "I love you, Rogue," he said, looking into her eyes.
They gently rubbed the tips of their noses together, before his lips fell against hers. Their languorous kiss lasted for several moments. They kissed dryly before Remy, softly and even gingerly, inserted his tongue within her mouth.
She held onto him now, lowering him onto the bed. He felt fear this time; it had been so long and he didn't want to hurt her, physically or emotionally. But she led him, encouraging him onward. Rogue and Remy made love, slowly and tenderly. This bout of lovemaking had very little to do with physical gratification, other than their need for tenderness and closeness. Their orgasms were incidental to the experience. This time it was all about their unbreakable bond, their adoration for each other, the knowledge that they were going to weather this crisis together and survive it.
They remained entwined together for a long time afterwards. Eventually, Gambit gently rolled off of her, their sweaty bodies making a sound as they slowly cleaved apart.
"God, I'm starvin'," Rogue said, finally emerging from the lagoon.
"You should be, chere. You ain't hardly ever' eatin' much dese days." As he said the words, Remy felt his own stomach rumble with hunger. He contemplated a spicy catfish dish or perhaps his standby okra and sausage stew. He and Rogue would share their favorite buttery cornbread.
"C'mon. Let's get to that mess hall and replicate the best damn dinner ever!"
****************
"Psylocke's been coming on to me."
The revelation seemed strange to Storm. Not that she doubted Psylocke would, sooner or later, make moves on Alexander. Storm had surmised that as soon as she got a good look at the doctor. Rather, her surprise was due to Alexander's openness. He rarely spoke about himself or personal events.
"Is that so?" Storm asked. She **was** curious on this subject and hoped that Alexander might elaborate. Now less than one week after the Pirates had blown up the Conqueror, life on board the Vengeance had seemingly resumed its normal pace. Storm slowly recovered her strength, under the watchful eyes of Alexander and Dani.
Today Storm sat with Alexander in sick bay. He had completed another tricorder scan of Storm.
"Subtlety is not her strength," Alexander wryly commented.
"Hmmmm," Storm mused. "It used to be."
Alexander had a look on his face that indicated he'd like Storm to continue her train of thought, but she held back. 'No sense in bringing up the past,' Storm thought. Yes, Psylocke had changed quite a bit over the years. So had everyone else, basically. Such were the times they lived in; such were the cosmic events in which they'd found themselves wrapped up.
"Is she bothering you?" Storm asked.
"No. Not really. She gets angry when I rebuff her. But she seems like she can deal with it."
Storm raised her eyebrows. Not too many men would reject Psylocke's advances. She felt a pang of brief sadness when reflecting upon the last man Psylocke had slept with. She no longer felt grief or anger over what Wolverine had done; she and Wolverine had not been a couple at that time and he'd been free to do as he pleased. Storm's sorrow had to do with her current separation from Wolverine.
She then wondered at Alexander's comment. So he wasn't interested in Psylocke. That was interesting; he didn't seem gay, Storm speculated. She then chided herself for harboring preconceptions about what a homosexual might look or act like. But she usually could sense if a man was gay (she'd picked up on Bobby right when she met him), and Alexander had come across as clearly heterosexual.
Storm silently admonished herself again. 'Just because a man's not interested in Psylocke doesn't mean he's gay either. Though she does seem to have an effect on most men…..'
"I'm not gay," Alexander clarified, perhaps guessing at the direction of Storm's thoughts. "I'm taking a break from relationships."
Storm nodded. Alexander seemed as though he might be nursing a broken heart. It made sense; so many mutants were. Relationships were difficult to maintain under the conditions most mutants lived in.
"She might not want a full-scale relationship with you. She might only want a companion for her bedroom," Storm commented.
"I'm taking a break from sex too."
"May I ask why?" Storm quickly added, aware that her question could easily be misconstrued, "I'm just curious. I am not trying to come on to you."
"I don't mind your asking. It—it actually is good to have a conversation with a…a real person. I spent the last few months cooped up on a ship with FOH assholes."
Storm nodded; she understood. Alexander was clearly starved for someone to converse with.
"I saw too much in the camps," Alexander explained. "I saw too much of how the soldiers treated….the women. At the camp I stayed at, they sometimes made us watch. These last few days….it's been very strange with Psylocke hitting on me. I've always loved the attentions of beautiful women. But now I….I can't explain it, other than to say that I know I need a break." Alexander's tone clearly belied his awkwardness at discussing this topic. Storm surmised that his desire to have an exchange with another person was behind his desire to open up. Her instincts – and her interactions with him over the last few days -- told her that Alexander was generally more tightlipped, especially around new acquaintances.
"I understand completely. My—my team suffered at the hands of FOH. We all went through….something similar. It can take a while for things to go back to normal, whatever 'normal' means." Storm forced a smile, realizing that she didn't want to discuss her experiences as a captive of FOH. Not right now, anyway, "Time heals all wounds," she concluded, inwardly grimacing at the cliché. She was finding herself stumbling over words more than she liked, though she justified it partially to her mind still functioning groggily, thanks to Psylocke's handiwork.
"Does it? Doesn't time require a bit of help from us?" Alexander smiled. "Dani was telling me a bit about the X-men at dinner yesterday. She told me about the adventures of the team. She kept adding disclaimers that everything she said was second-hand; she said hasn't been with your team for very long. But she told me of some of the wonderful things you've done to help the X-men, and how you helped pull the team back together."
"We all help each other. That's what a family does. Within the X-men, I am in a leadership position, but we all work together."
"I'd love to hear more about the X-men. From your perspective."
Storm then told Alexander of a battle from many, many years ago. She didn't know why she picked this particular incident; it just popped into her mind. She described how the X-men had to face off against the Juggernaut. Only when they all worked together were they able to defeat him. The face-off had taken place so long ago that Storm's recollections of it were patchwork and incomplete. Still, she described the tag-team approach that had brought down the Juggernaut. Colossus shoved into him from the back, throwing him of balance. To further confuse him, Storm clouded dense fog over his head, which allowed Wolverine to spring on him from behind and use his claws to tear off the Juggernaut's helmet's fasteners. Rogue then flew in and pulled off his helmet. Rogue then bolted, unable to control the virulent memories that she absorbed when her bare hands had touched the Juggernaut. Storm flew into the air after her friend, helping her to calm down. Meanwhile, Jean Grey used her telepathy to convince the Juggernaut to cease his battle and wander off, dazed.
When Storm finished the story, she noticed a tear having formed in the corner of one eye.
"You miss them terribly, don't you?" Alexander asked. He usually moved with assuredness but now he looked hesitant, as if he wanted to place a hand on Storm's shoulder. He didn't.
"I miss them," Storm nodded. "I was also thinking of Colossus. He was killed by FOH a few years ago."
"The things those bastards are doing on earth," Alexander began, before stopping himself. Storm didn't need to hear any details on that right now, and Alexander didn't feel like going down that path either. "Do you have….someone? A husband or boyfriend?" His question sounded abrupt. He wanted to turn the conversation away from FOH camps and the situation on earth.
"Yes. Wolverine and I have been together for a few years. I look forward to the day when I can rejoin the X-men and be reunited with him. And with all the others." Storm found it curious that Dani wouldn't have mentioned the relationship with Wolverine when she'd discussed the X-men with Alexander over dinner yesterday.
She then decided to take the conversation away from that track. "Well," she began, having swallowed any tears, "let me see that tricorder." He handed it to her. "It confirms what I could have told you. I'm much better now and am ready to resume working out."
"You certainly are not. Storm, I want you to have a few more days of rest. The tricorder isn't going to even pick up on everything Psylocke's action might have done to your mind."
"I know my own limits, Alexander," she remarked, glad to be finished with the weightier talk. "I can handle a light workout. Care to join me?"
"Well, I see that I can't stop you. So I may as well join you."
"Ah, you learn quickly."
Alexander returned her smile. "I like a good workout myself," he said, and a hint of boasting could be detected in his tone. Alexander was strong; he had played football in college and lifting weights had remained a hobby for years.
Storm flew to the gym, with Alexander following. She resolved that as soon as her strength was back up to full power, she would confront Psylocke over her actions.
****************
I think we could use a break from all the gloom of recent events. So I'm going to dive in and write a section on my favorite topic right now. Penises.
It's very strange that I haven't written on this subject before. I'm a gay man and yet in all the pages and pages of writing I've been doing, I've hardly mentioned penises at all.
Um, I love penises. Love them. And I've had more of them than I can count inside my mouth, gripped between my hands, or up my ass. I've seen countless penises, gotten to revel in their different lengths and widths, the different tastes. I love the way they jerk excitedly when aroused. I love looking at the testicles, too – seeing whether they're shaped like two distinct pendulums or more of an amorphous sack.
Okay, I think I might know the reason I haven't written too much on the subject. And god I hate to admit this, but I'm just gonna come out and write it. I'm pretty average in size. Average. Like I said, I've seen enough other dicks to know it for a fact. I could never be a porn star – just am not anywhere near big enough.
My fantasy (never fulfilled): to be fucked by one guy as I give head to another. To be filled up with penises, with their cum. It would fit perfectly in a porn film (except, again, I'm not well enough endowed for that.) I know, I'm a slut.
Sometimes I wonder – why do I think bigger is better? I mean really, is it? A few men I had up my ass were just too big and it kinda hurt. So huge isn't necessarily such a great thing. But still. I would be so happy with another inch or two.
So, what else can I write on this subject so near and dear to my heart? Oh, I know! Let me write about my favorite cock – the one belonging to Jean-Paul. Jean-Paul is well-endowed. Nice, long, and thick. Not massive, but definitely well-endowed. Yum! I love it.
Every now and then, I long for my "slut" days where I got to entertain a new penis every night (or more often than that, if I wanted.) Ah, the variety! The thrill of the new. I know that I prefer being with only Jean-Paul now, though.
I don't know about the sizes of any of my other teammates since I've never really had a look at them. During the time we had to close down most of Freedom and take group showers, I waited for my shower till everyone was finished. During the time Wolverine, Gambit and I were captured by FOH and being brought to Ceti III, our washroom facilities were, shall we say, less than adequate. But I never sneaked a glance, as much as I wanted to. Hank and I once had a discussion regarding his "genitalia" (as he termed it), but I've never seen it. I talk pretty openly with Rogue (well, I used to before this mess with the miscarriage) but haven't dared to address the subject of her husband's dick. Jubilee and I talk openly too and when we got on this topic, all she said was that she didn't have much to compare Sam to, and that "he sure seems pretty big. But I dunno." She showed me with her hands Sam's estimated length. If her handspan was accurate, it would be maybe an inch and a half longer than average.
Jean-Paul and I discussed the others one day. I said that Wolverine **had** to be big; he just had to. Jean-Paul said he read somewhere that excessive testosterone can actually result in a small penis. I refused to believe that. But Jean-Paul said he had no idea for sure; apparently during our days of group showers, he had managed to check out the other guy's asses, but not the other side. "I'm not interested in them when they're not hard," he'd said, shrugging.He's always been more interested in where to put penises, rather than penises themselves. (Another reason why he and I are such a good, um, fit.)
So there, I've addressed it. I've finally written a bit on my favorite subject. It was nice to take a little mental break from worrying about my shipmates and feeling stuck on this godforsaken planet.
***************
Moonstar took a deep breath before answering the page received on her communicator. She finally pressed the button to respond. "Go ahead, Marrow."
"How about a movie tonight?" Marrow asked.
"I think we've watched all the movies on board this ship. All of the good ones, anyway." The Pirates had uploaded materials from the files of the Conqueror. This included several movies, but very few were of the ilk Dani wanted to view. The rest of the crew didn't care for most of them either.
"Well, let's watch one we've already seen. Like how about 'Girls' Night Out'?"
Moonstar wasn't sure, but she thought 'Girls' Night Out' might have been the title of the porn film that she and Marrow watched together during her second day on board the Vengeance. `If not, it's the name of **some** porn film, anyway,' Dani said to herself. If it wasn't obvious from the title, the tone of Marrow's voice clearly gave it away.
"Not right now. I'm kinda tired."
"I meant later," Marrow's voice was more insistent. "Like after dinner or something. Let's have dinner together and watch it afterwards."
Dani knew she was entering a potential asteroid field now. She decided to risk it. "No thanks."
Marrow didn't reply for several seconds. Dani stood around in her quarters, unsure of what to do. It seemed as though Marrow had turned off her communicator. Dani did not want to resume the journal writing she'd been doing. The mood had been pretty much broken, so she placed her journal back on the bed. She paced around for a bit before hearing a knock at her door.
"Marrow?" she asked.
"Yeah. Can I come in?"
`Can I really say no?' Dani wondered. "Sure," she replied.
Marrow stepped through the doorway. "Hi," she said awkwardly.
"Hi," Dani replied. She suddenly felt her cheeks grow warm.
"I, um….I miss you. That's, like, why I wanted to see the movie with you. We haven't been spending much time together lately." Marrow spoke the truth. During the week since the Pirates destroyed the Conqueror, Moonstar had fastidiously avoided her paramour. For several days, it seemed as if Marrow had intelligently given Dani her space.
Dani sighed and sank down into a chair in her room. There was no way she could continue to just avoid Marrow for the remainder of her time here. "Marrow. Look. I am upset at what you did on board that ship. I feel really funny…spending time with someone who did stuff like that."
"But you already knew that I did that stuff when you agreed to join our crew!" Marrow said angrily as she flung her arms into the air.
"Well, I knew it in theory." Her voice was low and quiet. She hoped to diffuse Marrow's anger. "Suddenly now it's real. I'm wigged out at spending time with you now. It's like you're a different person, some sort of killing machine."
"Do you think Storm's a killing machine too?"
"What?!" Dani leaned forward in her chair. "Of course not. Why would you even think that?"
"Rogue and Gambit and Wolverine killed the FOH soldiers who got them, all those years ago. And I don't remember Storm trying to stop them."
"Well, neither of us was **there**, Marrow. I don't know what really happened there any more than you do." Dani tried to glean her memory for recollections of what she was told of those days in the X-men's history. They were days that no one spoke much about anymore. "Besides, it's different. Storm didn't do any killing, for one thing. And the soldiers had just finished assaulting the X-men. The X-men didn't turn around and decide to kill every other FOH member they encountered from then on."
"So it's okay if you kill the ones that raped you, but it's not okay if you kill the ones that raped other people?" Marrow's back nearly arched.
Moonstar sighed. "I don't know, Marrow. Maybe it's never okay. And like I said, we don't really know what happened back then. I highly doubt, though, that the X-men – or just Wolverine, Gambit and Rogue – drew out the killing of the soldiers for five days while they re-enacted what was done to them. And anyway, whatever they did, it happened years ago and I'm not sure it's even relevant to what we're talking about." She drew another breath. "I think I have more of a problem, mentally, with you torturing FOH soldiers than with you….executing them."
"What's done is done. This is the mission of the Pirates, and you knew that when you signed on. And we're not changing it." Marrow's anger continued to pulse. "You also signed on to spend time with me, whether we spelled that out specifically or not."
"So what are you going to do? Chain me to your side? Drag me kicking and screaming to that stupid porn flick?"
Marrow's eyes flashed. "If I have to."
Dani held her breath as she watched Marrow's anger rise. Fleetingly, Dani wished that she had trained more diligently. She knew how to control her powers but rarely used them.
"Why don't you get out?" Dani asked, rising from the chair and gesturing towards the door. She mustered all her dignity and fought to keep her voice steady and calm. "Cool off a bit and let's talk more later." She took a few steps in the direction of the door, trying to usher Marrow that way.
Dani's demeanor failed to placate Marrow. "Why don't **you** get a grip!" Marrow yelled. "You're here to do what I say!"
With that, Marrow gave Dani a shove, knocking her off her feet. She fell backwards onto the bed.
Marrow lunged towards the bed, pressing her hands against Dani's shoulders to hold her down. She then tilted her head and planted a rough kiss on Dani's mouth.
Moonstar turned her head to the side. She considered trying to reach for one of Marrow's bones and ripping it off to possibly use as a weapon, but she knew the chances of defeating Marrow in battle were slim. She had not been practicing the karate that Wolverine had taught her too often either.
Instead, she decided to try to communicate with Marrow. This time, she allowed her voice to rise. "Marrow, you listen to me. If you do what I think you're going to do, I'll never speak to you again. Do you understand??" She nearly yelled the question.
Dani observed the color drain from Marrow's face within the span of a second. She sat up now, swinging her legs around to sit on the edge of the bed. Dani promptly got off the bed, onto her feet.
"Same thing goes if you ever shove me like that again," Dani said, sensing a small victory. "Shit, you nearly knocked the wind out of me. Is this the way you treat those you say you love??" Dani silently cautioned herself to cease. She had accomplished what she wanted. Marrow was sitting with her head in her hands, and Dani wondered if she might even be sobbing.
"Shit, I'm so sorry, Dani," Marrow muttered. She kept her head in her hands.
Dani's voice was quiet and steady again. "Marrow, why don't you go now? I've had enough for one day."
"I'm sorry," Marrow shamefully repeated, this time looking at Dani. Her face was red and teary.
"If you want me to say, 'It's okay,' you can forget it. Marrow. Go. I don't want to see you anymore today."
Marrow shuffled out of the room, not making eye contact with Dani.
Dani counted twenty seconds, and then immediately went to Storm for solace. They sat side by side on the sofa in Storm's room, Storm with an arm around Moonstar.
"How can ya not love it here?" Dani mumbled sarcastically. "I almost get raped. You get hit by a psychic blast. They're just treating us like royalty here."
"Dani, as soon as I recover my strength, we shall speak with Marrow and Psylocke." Storm knew that she still had a way to go before feeling like her powerful self once more. "We agreed to join them for a year, but we never agreed to allow them to abuse us."
"I wanna be back with the X-men." As much as Moonstar wished otherwise, it came out as a whine.
"As do I. Sometimes, I comfort myself with thoughts of what the X-men must be doing now. With the dilithium the Pirates gave them, and the information I got from the Pirates about the planet with dilithium, think of what the effects must be. Perhaps earth is changing just as we speak, and mutants are being freed. Maybe FOH is falling."
These lofty thoughts failed to console Moonstar. "I feel guilty that you're here because of me."
"I feel tremendous guilt that we **allowed** you to agree to this exchange. Even if it is helping mutants on earth, I understand now that we made a terrible mistake. I shall always regret this."
"What does it matter? What's done is done, and we shouldn't beat ourselves up over it."
They were both silent for a few seconds. Dani then mournfully said, "I miss Jubilee."
"I am sure that she misses you as well."
"You think so? Even after what I did to her?"
"Dani, your only crime was misreading her feelings for you. I think now that time has passed she understands this."
"I hope so. I really miss her. Hell, I miss everyone. Bobby… Hank….Jean….Wolverine."
Storm closed her eyes and nodded. "Goddess, I miss him so much," she breathed. "I thought that someday I might become used to it, but it just gets worse and worse." She silently pondered how little time she and Wolverine had had to truly function as a couple. For so long, they had been just sex partners. Then Storm had cut him loose when she saw his attraction to Sara. The amount of time they had spent reunited afterwards, as a true pair, seemed so heartbreakingly brief.
Dani's heart raced at hearing Storm's admission. She didn't open up about her feelings too often. Moonstar knew that Storm loved him, but it was another thing to hear her admit it so passionately.
"Some day," Dani said. "Someday you'll be reunited."
Storm nodded. She would scarcely admit it to Dani – or to herself even---, but she did sometimes wonder whether Wolverine might find solace in the arms of another woman. She did not doubt his love for her, but that fear did lurk in the back of her mind. `Would he be only human if he did?' Storm wondered. 'I was the one who kept insisting upon leaving.'
Storm's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Storm asked.
"It's Alexander."
Storm invited him in. After he greeted both women, he asked Storm, "Are we still doing dinner tonight?"
"Oh! Of course." The look on her face gave away the fact that she had, temporarily, forgotten about their plans.
"Dani, would you like to join us?" Alexander asked.
"I'd love to," Dani responded sincerely.
Storm and Alexander had planned that he would use his powers to create rice, as well as basil and oregano. They were a few of the ingredients in a stuffed eggplant dish that Storm had mastered.
"Mmmmm," Dani sighed as she enjoyed her meal. "This is amazing."
"I believe it is due to the fact that the food Alexander creates far surpasses replicated food," Storm said. The three were sitting in the mess hall together.
Alexander smiled. When he did so, the lines around his eyes and mouth actually enhanced his features, Dani thought. "This is a nice change of pace," he said. "The soldiers just complained about how bland my food was, how they wished they could eat replicated pizza and hamburgers more than once per week."
"Did the FOH soldiers really exist on rice and grains and vegetables during their mission?" Dani asked.
"Basically. Before I left earth, they made me create food that was to be used on four different starship missions. They also had me refill the supplies for several FOH bases." Alexander then added, "They never told me much, but I figured it out from what I saw and overheard. They saved money by skimping on things, leaving the perks –such as rich food-- for their officers."
"I just pictured those bastards livin' in the lap of luxury," Dani said.
"That isn't the case for most FOH soldiers. Every corrupt empire hoards money and luxury for those at the top, but it's a different story for your rank-and-file. Most of them don't have money to live outside of the barracks at the FOH camps, even if they'd been allowed to. Or to do things like going out to a fancy restaurant."
"That certainly does not surprise me," Storm commented.
There was silence for a few moments. "Can you make an ice cream sundae?" Dani asked, smiling.
"Unfortunately, no." Alexander returned her smile. He then added, "I must say that I am privileged to find myself dining with two X-men. I knew of your group before you left earth. I heard about you."
"Did you ever consider joining us?" Storm asked.
"I was a med student living in Illinois, with no powers other than making food. I thought you might laugh if I asked to join."
"Not at all," Storm said.
"They could've always used doctors, I'm sure," Dani guessed.
"Dani, would you tell me about your powers again? I forgot what you said they are," Alexander said.
"Um, I forget sometimes too," she joked. "Basically, I can project three-dimensional images of a person's fears. I'm not like a regular telepath though. Like, if I concentrate, I can get an image of someone's fear and project it but I can't read their mind in any other way. And I have a hard time tapping in to my powers. Some mutants seem to be able to like use their powers in their sleep, but when I used to train with the X-men, it could take me five minutes of really intensely concentrating on someone to read what their fears were. And another a few minutes to be able to project any of them. That wouldn't help too much in battle."
"Ah, but it could. It is all a matter of practicing, Dani," Storm said. "The more you practice, the more you would be able to easily use your powers." This was almost a sore subject between the two of them. Dani had never applied herself to training with the amount of dedication that other X-men had. She had progressed well in karate lessons with Wolverine, but did not translate that into skill with learning her powers.
"I know," Dani said. "But I feel weird doing it. How would you like it if I were to project your deepest, darkest fear against that wall right now?" Dani asked, gesturing. "I didn't want to do that to any of my fellow X-men."
"It's the only way to learn. You might need to use it in battle someday, and the X-men understand it would be worth some discomfort from us for you to be well-trained. We all must learn to suffer defeat during Danger Room sessions. I have been defeated by the other X-men in simulated battle, and I appreciated it. By learning my weaknesses, I become a stronger fighter." Storm was surprised at the sensation she felt, almost a hunger for battle. But her body and mind were still too weak from Psylocke's damage.
Moonstar nodded. She looked at Alexander and added, "I promised her when I return to the X-men that I'm to start training for a few hours a day again." She then added, "Though maybe I oughtta just use my powers against some of our lovely shipmates – no guilt there!"
As if on cue, the doors to the mess hall parted. The trio all turned their heads to see who was entering. Psylocke strode into the room. She was clad in a red strapless evening gown, with a slit in the skirt reaching nearly her waistline. Her shoes had heels of about three inches in height, and her hair spilled down around her shoulders.
Dani blinked. As much as she disliked the person, she had to admit that Betsy was stunningly gorgeous. 'Shit, why couldn't **she** have been the one to have a crush on me?' Dani wondered, though her sentiment wasn't serious. Psylocke was sexy, but Dani couldn't fathom having any sort of relationship with her either.
Psylocke seated herself next to Alexander, effectively ruining their dinner. She flirted outrageously with him, and ignored Storm and Dani. He skillfully and tactfully deflected her advances, and attempted to turn the conversation back around to the two other women. At one point, Alexander even lifted Psylocke's hand from his thigh and gave it back to her. After a while, Betsy grew bored and left.
"She doesn't take hints well," Alexander stated, trying to be diplomatic.
Storm shook her head. "Dani and I were talking in my quarters before you came. Once my strength is fully recovered, I am going to speak with this ship's leaders. They must stop treating us this way."
"Just let us know if you want us there when you approach them," Dani said.
******************
TO BE CONTINUED
And a note from the author…..
VOTE, BABY, VOTE! Time for an informal readers' poll with one question: which couple is your favorite? I have a good guess as to how this might turn out based on the emails I get from readers. But then I wonder, am I only hearing from certain readers? Please take a minute to email me your favorite couple in this series, and if you have a couple that's a close second, you can mention them as well. Thanks! Stormkpr@usa.net