To Err is Human
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn't it?"
--------
Chapter 2 - Shortcomings
-----
On the island of Tortola, Forge was heading back into his hotel, carrying a small wicker basket full of muffins. Walking through the streets of Tortola, trying to find a store that sold muffins at three AM wasn't exactly how he'd envisioned the last night of his honeymoon would go....but it was better than the consequences of NOT finding the muffins, he was thankfull the hurricanes had stopped. Considering Storm's emotions controled her powers...and pregnancy was currently controling her emotions, that meant that pregnancy was in control of the weather around Storm...and it wasn't a pretty thing. He gave a tired yawn as he got to the elevator, pressing the call button...and then he heard a voice.
"Hey, buddy, little help?"
Forge blinked, looking around for the owner of the voice, seeing no one looking at him....okay, he really needed some sleep, hearing voices was never considered a 'good thing'. When the voice spoke for a second time, he realised that the voice was in his head.
Look down
Forge blinked again, but not one to ignore the voices in his head, he did as he was asked. On the floor, was what could be mistaken for a tiny action figure..a tiny LIVING action figure...or maybe a 20 year old borrower.
"Hi", said the tiny man, "I've been waiting for ages for someone to help me. Boy, am I glad there's another mutant around".
"Another mutant?", said Forge, confused, "how did you?..."
I'm a telepath, replied the man in his head, before chuckling, "and no, I'm not a figment of your imagination, the name's Shortpack"
"Forge", replied Forge then blinked, "you're..."
"Dashing? Telepathic? Optimistic? Inteligent?", tried Shortpack.
"....Tiny", said Forge, pinching his free hands' thumb and forefinger together.
"Oh yeah", said Shortpack, "I always forget that one.I started to shrink when my mutation manifested. A friend of mine helped me through it, or I could be microscopic by now. Speaking of help, could you lend a hand? I need to get to my room, but I can't....errr reach the button"
"Oh....sure", said Forge, still slightly bewildered by this tiny figure.
When the elevator pinged open, Forge stooped down to let Shortpack climb onto his open palm, before walking into the elevator.
"Fourth floor, thanks", he said as Forge put down the 'Basket 'O Muffins' on the floor and pressed the button, "so, what brings you to sunny Tortola?"
"I'm here on my honeymoon", replied Forge, and off Shortpack's experision, "I'm alot older than I look. Add 20 years to my looks and you're around in the right place"
"Oh", said Shortpack, "congradulations. Who's the lucky lady?".
"Ororo Munroe", said Forge, a happy smile crossing his face.
"Storm?", said Shortpack, blinking.
"You know her?", replied Forge, cocking his head to the side.
"Sure I do!", said Shortpack, "she was a student at the Xavier Institute when I went there for help with my...err shrinking problem".
"She's an instuctor there", said Forge, "small world, huh?....Sorry"
Shortpack chuckled at the unintentional joke.
"Yeah", he said, "man, I haven't seen her for years".
"You should come and see her", said Forge, "she's at the mercy of her hormones, she'd probably appricate seeing a long, lost friend".
"Mercy of her hormones?", said Shortpack, before blinking, "never mind, got it".
------
Back over in Bayville, Ray blinked at Bobby's gleefull experssion.
"What do you think?"
Ray blinked once more.
"You bought a fake dog"
Bobby smiled at the Max-sized mongrel he had managed to buy.
"Yup", he said proudly, "I had to look all over Bayville for this guy, but I found him!".
Ray looked at it for a long time.
"Bobby....that dog doesn't look over twenty years old".
Bobby rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"NO....you have a point", said Bobby, "that's why I'm going to dirty it up a bit, muss up it's fur!".
"....You are a twisted little individual", said Ray pointedly.
"Yeah, but it's better than telling Forge I straved his dog to death", said Bobby, starting to ruffle 'Max: Mark-2's fur up, "now, get me some dirt....or maybe some paint"
"I repeat", said Ray, "twisted little indivual, your name is Robert Drake"
------
Todd sighed as he leaned against the back of the bench he was sitting on, closing his eyes. The rest of the Brotherhood had tossed him out of the house after his moping had driven them crazy. He'd been waiting for a week now for word from Sidney, and he'd had no reply. Now he found himself in Bayville park, alone, upset and confused...a feeling he was getting used to. He sat upright as a small cat trotted out of some bushes.
"Sidney?", he asked.
The cat blinked at him, before scuttling away into the park. Todd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.
"Pull yaself together, Tolensky", he muttered to himself, "you're startin' ta lose it"
"You lost it a long time ago"
Todd jumped at the sound of the voice behind him, spinning around to see Sidney standing there, clutching the letter he'd given her.
"Sid", he said, blinking, "I...I didn't hear ya comming"
"I'm part cat", said Sidney pointedly, "I can move silent"
"Oh", said Todd with a nervous laugh, "..I forgot"
He let out a breath, atching her.
"So?", he asked softly, "did..did ya read it?"
Sidney looked at the letter in her hand, and sighed.
"Yeah...yeah I did"
Todd waited for her to add, before feeling he had to promt her after a few minutes of silence.
"And?"
Sidney looked at the letter before handing it to him.
"You said in this you told the whole truth....what about Dagger?", she asked simply.
Todd blinked.
"I've already told you about her", he said softly, "I swear to ya, Sid, you know everything about me that I know about myself....probably more"
Sidney frowned, turning her head away.
"I don't know, Todd"
Todd quickly stood up, hopping over the bench to take her hands gently in his.
"Sidney, PLEASE", he begged, tears forming in his eyes "don't walk away from me. I...I couldn't bear it"
"You did well enough the first time I left", Sidney said quietly, "you got Wanda, someone you were pining over even when you were STILL with me"
Todd shook his head, squeasing her hands gently.
"Sid...Wanda's not the one I love", he said, "I admit, I thought I did...but I was wrong, it's you...it's always been you"
Sidney watched him silently.
"Sidney", Todd said, his voice wavering, "I told ya things in that letter I have never told another living soul. Please...don't walk away from me again, I'll die without you. Please...please just give me one last chance"
He hung his head, letting out a chocked sob.
"Please", he repeated in an almost whisper.
Sidney sighed, looking at him, before putting her hand under his chin, lifting his head. She brushed a thumb over his cheek, before leaning in, giving him a deep kiss. Todd blinked in suprise, before sighing into it, wrapping his arms around her, returning it with all his heart.
"Sid..I love you so much", he whispered as they broke for air, "I.."
Sidney put a finger over his lips.
"Shhh", she said softly, bringing him to sit on the bench as she nuzzled close to him, "just..hold me..please"
Todd smiled softly, wrapping an arm aorund her, more than happy to oblige.
-----
"'Packy!"
Shortpack made small, gasping noises as Storm gave him a hug...Forge was right, Storm hadn't been this unballanced since...errr..ever.
"Ororo", he gasped, "little lungs, little lungs!!!"
"Oh..sorry", she said, putting him down on the table, before squealing when she noticed the Basket 'O Muffins Forge was carrying, "an old friend AND muffins. This is the best day!"
"Geee....thanks, love of my life", said Forge dryly as she took the basket away from him, "two weeks of honeymooning, and the best day is the last"
Storm blew a rasberry at him before smiling at Shortpack.
"Don't mind me being rude", said Storm, "but if I don't eat now, I'll throw up, and I don't want to do that".
With that, Storm took a muffin out of her 'Basket 'O Muffins'....and then opened a can of fish paste.
"Ugh", said Forge, covering his eyes "I can't watch, I really can't".
Storm, however hummed happily to herself, breaking off a bit of muffin, dipping it into the fish paste and devouring it like it was a delacy only the Gods could turn down.
"Mmmmm that's good!", she said, "thank you, Honey"
"Don't mention it", said Forge, "just....please don't offer any of it to me"
"Mmmmm fish-paste-soaked-muffins", Storm teased, making a point of opening her mouth and dropping the said food item in her mouth, "are you SURE you don't want any?"
She waved a piece of fish-paste-soaked-muffin in Forge's face.
"Nooo", he said, backing away and frailing his arms.
".....And you married this woman?", said Shortpack blinking.
"Hey!", said Storm, "I can be loveable..when I'm not eating disgusting foodstuffs or throwing up".
"Awww, Sweetheart, your loveable even when you're doing that", said Forge.
Storm looked at him pointedly.
"I married you, Forge, you got me, you don't have to ham it up".
"Sorry", said Forge with a cough.
"Wow", said Shortpack, blinking at him, "you're under her thumb already, aren't you?"
"This woman can hurl lightening bolts, bring up winds of a hurricane level and cause major monsoons", said Forge, "all I got is 'making stuff'...of COURSE she's the boss"
-----
And there we go, yup, I finally brought Todd and Sid back together, call off the lynch mobs ;). In case you have trouble doing the math, Storm is three months pregnant. Do review. Until next time...
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn't it?"
--------
Chapter 2 - Shortcomings
-----
On the island of Tortola, Forge was heading back into his hotel, carrying a small wicker basket full of muffins. Walking through the streets of Tortola, trying to find a store that sold muffins at three AM wasn't exactly how he'd envisioned the last night of his honeymoon would go....but it was better than the consequences of NOT finding the muffins, he was thankfull the hurricanes had stopped. Considering Storm's emotions controled her powers...and pregnancy was currently controling her emotions, that meant that pregnancy was in control of the weather around Storm...and it wasn't a pretty thing. He gave a tired yawn as he got to the elevator, pressing the call button...and then he heard a voice.
"Hey, buddy, little help?"
Forge blinked, looking around for the owner of the voice, seeing no one looking at him....okay, he really needed some sleep, hearing voices was never considered a 'good thing'. When the voice spoke for a second time, he realised that the voice was in his head.
Look down
Forge blinked again, but not one to ignore the voices in his head, he did as he was asked. On the floor, was what could be mistaken for a tiny action figure..a tiny LIVING action figure...or maybe a 20 year old borrower.
"Hi", said the tiny man, "I've been waiting for ages for someone to help me. Boy, am I glad there's another mutant around".
"Another mutant?", said Forge, confused, "how did you?..."
I'm a telepath, replied the man in his head, before chuckling, "and no, I'm not a figment of your imagination, the name's Shortpack"
"Forge", replied Forge then blinked, "you're..."
"Dashing? Telepathic? Optimistic? Inteligent?", tried Shortpack.
"....Tiny", said Forge, pinching his free hands' thumb and forefinger together.
"Oh yeah", said Shortpack, "I always forget that one.I started to shrink when my mutation manifested. A friend of mine helped me through it, or I could be microscopic by now. Speaking of help, could you lend a hand? I need to get to my room, but I can't....errr reach the button"
"Oh....sure", said Forge, still slightly bewildered by this tiny figure.
When the elevator pinged open, Forge stooped down to let Shortpack climb onto his open palm, before walking into the elevator.
"Fourth floor, thanks", he said as Forge put down the 'Basket 'O Muffins' on the floor and pressed the button, "so, what brings you to sunny Tortola?"
"I'm here on my honeymoon", replied Forge, and off Shortpack's experision, "I'm alot older than I look. Add 20 years to my looks and you're around in the right place"
"Oh", said Shortpack, "congradulations. Who's the lucky lady?".
"Ororo Munroe", said Forge, a happy smile crossing his face.
"Storm?", said Shortpack, blinking.
"You know her?", replied Forge, cocking his head to the side.
"Sure I do!", said Shortpack, "she was a student at the Xavier Institute when I went there for help with my...err shrinking problem".
"She's an instuctor there", said Forge, "small world, huh?....Sorry"
Shortpack chuckled at the unintentional joke.
"Yeah", he said, "man, I haven't seen her for years".
"You should come and see her", said Forge, "she's at the mercy of her hormones, she'd probably appricate seeing a long, lost friend".
"Mercy of her hormones?", said Shortpack, before blinking, "never mind, got it".
------
Back over in Bayville, Ray blinked at Bobby's gleefull experssion.
"What do you think?"
Ray blinked once more.
"You bought a fake dog"
Bobby smiled at the Max-sized mongrel he had managed to buy.
"Yup", he said proudly, "I had to look all over Bayville for this guy, but I found him!".
Ray looked at it for a long time.
"Bobby....that dog doesn't look over twenty years old".
Bobby rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"NO....you have a point", said Bobby, "that's why I'm going to dirty it up a bit, muss up it's fur!".
"....You are a twisted little individual", said Ray pointedly.
"Yeah, but it's better than telling Forge I straved his dog to death", said Bobby, starting to ruffle 'Max: Mark-2's fur up, "now, get me some dirt....or maybe some paint"
"I repeat", said Ray, "twisted little indivual, your name is Robert Drake"
------
Todd sighed as he leaned against the back of the bench he was sitting on, closing his eyes. The rest of the Brotherhood had tossed him out of the house after his moping had driven them crazy. He'd been waiting for a week now for word from Sidney, and he'd had no reply. Now he found himself in Bayville park, alone, upset and confused...a feeling he was getting used to. He sat upright as a small cat trotted out of some bushes.
"Sidney?", he asked.
The cat blinked at him, before scuttling away into the park. Todd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.
"Pull yaself together, Tolensky", he muttered to himself, "you're startin' ta lose it"
"You lost it a long time ago"
Todd jumped at the sound of the voice behind him, spinning around to see Sidney standing there, clutching the letter he'd given her.
"Sid", he said, blinking, "I...I didn't hear ya comming"
"I'm part cat", said Sidney pointedly, "I can move silent"
"Oh", said Todd with a nervous laugh, "..I forgot"
He let out a breath, atching her.
"So?", he asked softly, "did..did ya read it?"
Sidney looked at the letter in her hand, and sighed.
"Yeah...yeah I did"
Todd waited for her to add, before feeling he had to promt her after a few minutes of silence.
"And?"
Sidney looked at the letter before handing it to him.
"You said in this you told the whole truth....what about Dagger?", she asked simply.
Todd blinked.
"I've already told you about her", he said softly, "I swear to ya, Sid, you know everything about me that I know about myself....probably more"
Sidney frowned, turning her head away.
"I don't know, Todd"
Todd quickly stood up, hopping over the bench to take her hands gently in his.
"Sidney, PLEASE", he begged, tears forming in his eyes "don't walk away from me. I...I couldn't bear it"
"You did well enough the first time I left", Sidney said quietly, "you got Wanda, someone you were pining over even when you were STILL with me"
Todd shook his head, squeasing her hands gently.
"Sid...Wanda's not the one I love", he said, "I admit, I thought I did...but I was wrong, it's you...it's always been you"
Sidney watched him silently.
"Sidney", Todd said, his voice wavering, "I told ya things in that letter I have never told another living soul. Please...don't walk away from me again, I'll die without you. Please...please just give me one last chance"
He hung his head, letting out a chocked sob.
"Please", he repeated in an almost whisper.
Sidney sighed, looking at him, before putting her hand under his chin, lifting his head. She brushed a thumb over his cheek, before leaning in, giving him a deep kiss. Todd blinked in suprise, before sighing into it, wrapping his arms around her, returning it with all his heart.
"Sid..I love you so much", he whispered as they broke for air, "I.."
Sidney put a finger over his lips.
"Shhh", she said softly, bringing him to sit on the bench as she nuzzled close to him, "just..hold me..please"
Todd smiled softly, wrapping an arm aorund her, more than happy to oblige.
-----
"'Packy!"
Shortpack made small, gasping noises as Storm gave him a hug...Forge was right, Storm hadn't been this unballanced since...errr..ever.
"Ororo", he gasped, "little lungs, little lungs!!!"
"Oh..sorry", she said, putting him down on the table, before squealing when she noticed the Basket 'O Muffins Forge was carrying, "an old friend AND muffins. This is the best day!"
"Geee....thanks, love of my life", said Forge dryly as she took the basket away from him, "two weeks of honeymooning, and the best day is the last"
Storm blew a rasberry at him before smiling at Shortpack.
"Don't mind me being rude", said Storm, "but if I don't eat now, I'll throw up, and I don't want to do that".
With that, Storm took a muffin out of her 'Basket 'O Muffins'....and then opened a can of fish paste.
"Ugh", said Forge, covering his eyes "I can't watch, I really can't".
Storm, however hummed happily to herself, breaking off a bit of muffin, dipping it into the fish paste and devouring it like it was a delacy only the Gods could turn down.
"Mmmmm that's good!", she said, "thank you, Honey"
"Don't mention it", said Forge, "just....please don't offer any of it to me"
"Mmmmm fish-paste-soaked-muffins", Storm teased, making a point of opening her mouth and dropping the said food item in her mouth, "are you SURE you don't want any?"
She waved a piece of fish-paste-soaked-muffin in Forge's face.
"Nooo", he said, backing away and frailing his arms.
".....And you married this woman?", said Shortpack blinking.
"Hey!", said Storm, "I can be loveable..when I'm not eating disgusting foodstuffs or throwing up".
"Awww, Sweetheart, your loveable even when you're doing that", said Forge.
Storm looked at him pointedly.
"I married you, Forge, you got me, you don't have to ham it up".
"Sorry", said Forge with a cough.
"Wow", said Shortpack, blinking at him, "you're under her thumb already, aren't you?"
"This woman can hurl lightening bolts, bring up winds of a hurricane level and cause major monsoons", said Forge, "all I got is 'making stuff'...of COURSE she's the boss"
-----
And there we go, yup, I finally brought Todd and Sid back together, call off the lynch mobs ;). In case you have trouble doing the math, Storm is three months pregnant. Do review. Until next time...