Disclaimer: I only own Marianne/Fantasy, Michael/Gun, Sarah/Gaia, Ben/Nova, Tank, Devon, Bridget, Jonathan, Ezra, Samantha, Connor, C and Luka (damn, lotta OC's). I do not own X-Men: Evolution, hell, right now I don't even own money! Anything else is mine unless otherwise stated, and what is new, but not mine, will be put at the beginning of the chapter in which it is, above replies to reviewers.
Agent-G (last chapter FD): yeah well, him not asking was me putting it of because I didn't think I'd do any good on that. And they are gonna get 'hitched' later, as in not-this-story-later. ;) I'm trying out the romance-bit in this story, ain't too good at that, though.
A/N: this is the third part of Mutant Underground Universe, this will be a short story, about 10 chapters, read Just a Girl and Fighting Destiny first to get to know my OC's, reference in this chapter to Agen-G's story Reality Trip, chapter 13.
Vacation - Packing
Michael was watching her pack, a grin on his face. Marianne had been out of the hospital bed three days after he had asked her to marry him. Hank had been, well, astounded that she had managed to get away. Everyone was currently joking at how eager she had been to get out of the hospital wing while it was where she worked.
When they had told everyone about their engagement the common and only response was: finally! Well, that and Rogue, Luka and Sarah had threatened them that if they even dared to elope that they would be hunted down and forced to have the grandest reception anyone had ever seen. That was enough threat not to go through with that plan.
Now they were finally able to go on vacation: Marianne had been given the green light by Luka, indicating she was now once again strong enough to travel. It was time, Michael thought, after all they had been through they deserved a long time off. The safehouse would be led by Sarah and Tank, Luka had been fully installed as the doctor and a teacher for the children would be brought in the coming week.
Marianne was still pale, but during the month since the dimensional problem, she had gotten a lot of colour back. Her bandages were gone and indeed there was some scarring on her arms, most of them pretty small, a couple on the inside were easily noticable. Still she refused to wear longsleaves, not that it bothered Michael, not at all, she didn't want to cover them up and Michael didn't know why.
"Do you have to pack that much? It's not like we'll be gone for years," Michael finally objected when she was stuffing her third suitcase.
"Because you just went and said that, mister, I am going to pack for a decade. What was it you said after Vincent and his friends left? I believe it was, and I quote 'like that could ever happen to us'. And what did we do? We went to another dimension, AGAINST our will and even WITHOUT Forge's 'help'. From now on, Michael, you are FORBIDDEN to make any predictions like that," Marianne turned around and glared at him.
"Yeah... well... no comment," he began to back away from Marianne, slowly.
"No comment... no comment indeed. If I hear another comment like that I'll give 'm one of mine," Marianne muttered while forcefully closing the last of her suitcases. Michael couldn't help but chuckle.
"O, you think this is funny?" she turned around again, "let's see how funny it is when you say 'come on Anne, it's not like all the air can be gone just like that'. Let's see how much fun it is to suffocate, because I am about to strangle you!"
"You don't mean that, Anne," Michael grinned at her.
"No... I don't. How much I'd love to mean it, I don't. Do you have everything?" Marianne let go of trying to scold him: it was no use.
"I was ready before you even started," Michael raised his left eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"Yeah yeah, but just don't come to me when you run outta clean clothes," Marianne mock glared at him, then grabbed her suitcases and followed Michael out, slapping him with on of her suitcases when he tried to help her carry them.
When they made it to the garden belonging to the safehouse, they found Tank, Sarah, Ben, Luka, Jonathan, Samantha, Ezra and Connor waiting for them.
"I'm gonna miss you all so much," Marianne dropped her suitcases when Samantha latched herself onto Marianne.
"Ezra wants you to know she's already missing you," Connor smiled at the illusion-summoner.
"Aw, sweetie, We'll come back. We just need a break after everything that's happened and I really wanna see my brother again. Now, you all help out Tank, Sarah, Ben and Luka and keep 'm in line, okay?" Marianne smiled at her 'kids'.
"The scary part is," Jonathan snorted, "you're not joking."
"That's what has me worried to. Now, Tank and Sarah are no longer allowed in the kitchen together, we can't ask for another kitchen, Ben has been banned from any and all vehicles without supervision, Underground practically goes broke replacing all our cars. Jonathan, if I find out you've been blinding people again, I'll let Marianne think up a punishment. Luka, are you sure that you're okay being the only sane adult in the bunch?" Michael looked around.
"I wouldn't be too sure about me being the only sane one of the adults, I've been known to get a little weird once in a while," Luka grinned broadly.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tank asked, mock offended.
"Just what Michael said, moron, we're all wacky here. Especially you!" Sarah hit him over the head.
"Yeow! Wouldcha stop that?!" Tank pretended to be hurt, he always did that. Even though he was practically invulnerable.
"I'm already having doubts," Michael groaned as he saw that the two were near ready to get into a fight.
"NO!" Luka quickly pulled the two apart and held them seperated by their ears, "you two go and have fun. If I need to, I'll send for some back-up. We'll be fine. You two deserve a vacation."
"Okay," Marianne got her suitcases again, "I'll send you an e-mail every week and if you need us, you know how to reach us."
"Yes mom, and we won't have any parties, won't have women come over and won't get drunk, okay?" Ben joked.
"This is beginning to become a very bad idea," Marianne clasped one hand over her eyes, "PROMISE me you'll at least try to behave."
"Ofcourse they'll behave, come Anne, let's get going," Michael directed one glare at his friends before moving Marianne to the van they would be using. They threw their bags and suitcases in the back, Michael got behind the wheel and Marianne said her last goodbyes to the kids and the, sorta, adults.
"Ready to go?" Michael asked her as she got into the van.
"I guess," Marianne sighed wistfully, "it just... I don't feel comfortable leaving them on their own. I just know Ben will have blown up the entire safehouse, Tank and Sarah will have wrecked what was left of it and a couple of other catastrophies will happen. I'm being an over-concerned mom, ain't I?"
"I'd be lying if I said no, but they're no little kids, Anne, and they've had a year to get their act together. I say: let's let them prove themselves. And otherwise: we have Connor, Ezra, Jonathan and Samantha to keep 'm in line," Michael tried to reassure her and started the car.
"Yeah, you're right. But I like taking care of them. Even though they can be a major pain in the neck. But I still can't wait to see Devon again," she looked out of the window, the van began to speed up a little and the landscape seemed to blur. Marianne smiled sadly, she would have to tell Michael one of these days what had happened in the vortex. Just not now. One of these days, while on the road. She would tell him. He wouldn't judge her for it, he'd say something like 'sometimes we have no choices in what we do, we still feel the pain, and that proves us we still care. As long as you care, you'll be fine'. He had told her that when she had explained everything about who she had killed.
Michael glanced at Marianne from the corner of his eyes and saw the sad expression on her face. She was thinking about the vortex again. He placed one hand on her shoulder and squeezed, her head whipped around to face him.
"We'll be fine, Anne, nothing you did can change what I feel and I know you feel that too, in you heart," he looked at her, almost willing the sadness out of her eyes. He hated to see that in her eyes, the should be shining with joy, sparkling with mischief or burning with anger. They should not be sad.
"I know, Michael, I know. I just feel bad about what happened. And I kinda miss Emily. She was rude, but she kept me busy," the sadness faded a little, but that was good enough. For now, at least.