Life's Unfair
X-Men: The Movie
Angel of Neptune
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DC: I do not own X-Men.
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Dr. Grey never remembered being so busy in her whole entire life. Planning her wedding and preparing for a baby didn't even compare to all of this. Already, she lost count how many all-nighters Beat and she had pulled over the last few weeks alone. Chaos ruled the medical bay ever since the infamous and deadly Legacy virus appeared at the mansion; a couple of students had contracted the virus from a source. Said students were kept in the medical lab. All they had were horrible rashes and boils. Henry created a balm to ease the pain from the boils, but now the infected students had developed high fevers.
Both doctors were watching over the infected students for any more signs while the other staff members kept a close eye on the rest of the student body. They're heard the news reports of dying mutants. There was no cure. Mutants would just loose control of their powers; it would be just too much for them to control… they would die from the extreme pressure. It was horrible. Both Jean and Hank vowed to fine a cure for this disease, they had to protect the others.
Jean sighed heavily, rolling her office chair she sat on away from her desk and microscope. Everything they've attempted has yet to work, they're failed. She ran her slender hands through her messy, knotted red hair before placing her glasses aside. There was a thin layer of grease on her face. She knew it was down right nasty that she hadn't been able to properly wash herself for nearly two days. The telepath needed an overdue shower and she did not plan to pull a second all-nighter in a row. She headed out of the office, "I'm out of here, Hank." Jean called, passing the Beast's office. "I'll be back in the morning."
"Rest up, Jean." Beast's voice echoed off the walls. "Tomorrow is another day."
The redhead nodded to herself as she headed towards the elevators, knowing very well Hank wouldn't be sleeping at all tonight. They were both equally overworked, yet Hank kept pushing himself onward. There were moments where Hank had to force her away from the lab. He wanted her to spent time with her family. Hell, if either Scott or Rachel got the virus, she would just break down. It influenced her to try to find this cure before it could claim the people she loved and if that meant less time with them or late nights now, then so be it. She knew it would be well worth it.
Jean stepped into the elevator and pressed the necessary buttons. As the doors closed, she leaned against the wall, covering her face with her bare hands which she quickly pulled away. She had been handling that virus all day, she should have washed up before leaving the lab. Jean shook her head, knowing she better had take a pretty long shower when she got to her own personal bathroom she shared with her family members. Damnit, she hated this virus. Everything was going well until it showed its ugly head weeks ago.
Soon enough, Jean was in her bedroom suite, which was strangely empty. Had Scott taken Rachel out? If so, then where? It was already so late. Wherever they were, she was sure they were enjoying themselves without her. It didn't matter. She striped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. After this, she would soak in the tub for a while. Jean grabbed the bar of soap and began scrubbing away before moving on to shampoo her oily hair. Soaking in the tub sounded heavenly at the moment. She began to wash the suds out. Every muscle in her body was aching from the lack of sleep lately.
The telepath stepped out of the shower. Dripping, the woman drew up a bath. Man, she was feeling so much better already. Jean smiled slightly as she lay back in the tub. The strawberry scent eased her right up. Strawberry was Rachel's favorite smell and Jean didn't mind using the oils every now and again. Rachel didn't care either, just as long as her mother did use up the last ones. Jean made sure there was always a fair supply amount. She loved these baths.
If only she had a good book to read, like her copy of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' that was collecting dust on her shelf, at her side – she would be able to soak here for hours, but without that book, Jean would easily just fall into a deep sleep. After twenty minutes, she began debating about getting out of the tub. She didn't want to, this was very relaxing. However, Jean was beginning to doze off; that was it, she had to get out. The bed was calling her name.
The redhead quickly dried herself off before changing into a pair of old sweatpants and Scott's plain white t-shirt; her pajamas for the night. She didn't bother blow drying her hair either, she tossed it up into a ponytail. Truth be told, she looked like she was heading to the gym, not to bed. She didn't care; she wasn't in the mood to be wearing a fancy nightgown. Jean just wanted to be comfortable; she had an early morning tomorrow… working with that damn virus.
XXXXXX
Nearly an hour later, Scott and Rachel finally came back home from a late night movie. Scott went straight to his classroom to take care of a few nagging errands while Rachel went straight to her parents' suite for a quick shower.
Ray emerged from the bathroom in gym shorts and a tank top. Her long red hair was dry and poofy, hanging at odd ends. A small smile twitched on her lips as she climbed into her parents' bed, curling up against her mother who she hadn't seen all day. Jean rolled over, half away, to face her daughter grinning. She wrapped her arms around her; Rachel cuddled up even closer.
"You smell like strawberries." Rachel mumbled, glaring up at Jean.
Jean yawned, "I didn't finish off your oils." She mumbled in return. "I bought some more, in fact."
The doctor inhaled deeply before sitting up as Rachel hugged the pillow close. Jean ran her hand over her damp ponytail. "Where's your father?" She asked. "Where were you guys anyways? It's late." She pointed out.
Sleep was taking over the young sixteen year old; her eyelids were so heavy… It was a wonder Rachel could keep them open at all. "Dad and I went to a Mexican restaurant and shared a quesadilla. Then we watched 'Tristan and Isolde' and now we're home." Her words were slurring together; she was tired. "Dad's in his classroom… He'll be up in a minute."
"'Tristan and Isolde?'" Jean questioned raising an eyebrow. "Weren't we supposed to see that together with Ororo?"
"Yeah, but Dad beat you to it." She murmured against the pillow. "I'll see it again, it's very sad-"
"Don't spoil it." Jean remarked, rubbing her eyes, lying back down. "We'll go next week or something together." She pulled the pillow away from her daughter, who grunted before taking Scott's pillow. "Now go to bed."
Rachel shook her head, not wanting to move at all, "I'm comfortable here, thanks." She responded. "Don't want to get up." She curled up into a tight ball. Jean leaned over and tickled her side. Ray jerked up and tried to pull away, but ran out of bed to scoot away. The teenager fell to the floor with a loud 'thud.' "Ow…"
"Momma needs sleep." Jean yawned heavily. "Hank needs help with the Legacy virus."
"How's that going?" Rachel asked, still not budging from her position on the ground.
Jean sighed, rolling over to the other side to peek over the edge of the bed. Rachel had made herself comfortable on the shaggy carpet. "The students who are infected aren't showing any horrible signs… Just high fevers and rashes. Not one has lost control of their powers and hopefully, we'll have a cure before the virus can reach that stage." She explained, shaking her head. "But be careful nonetheless… This virus may spread around before things get better. The last thing I want is for you or Scott to get sick."
The young teen forced herself to sit up. She leaned against the edge of the bed. Jean smiled slightly, brushing a few strands of hair away from Rachel's face, "You're lucky to have parents who care about you, Ray. Kids here would die for what you have."
"Kids don't have parents who can relate to them." Rachel remarked. "They just have parents who fear what they are, because they're different; we're different."
Jean leaned over and placed a kiss on her daughter's check, "That will all change someday. People fear what they don't know, they need to be educated."
"With this virus going around… that's not going to happen any time soon." She replied. "They'll get sick and blame it on mutants like they always do."
"This virus only spreads through mutants." Jean corrected. "But it will scare others anyways." She shrugged. "They want a scapegoat, so they pick mutants… Obvious choice. Now go to bed, honey."
Huffing, Rachel stood up and dragged herself out of the room. "Good night." She murmured.
"See you in the morning." Jean replied. "Hopefully." She added. Chances were she would be busy working when Rachel woke up in the morning. That's all she's been doing… Working. The sooner they find this cure, the better.
XXXXXX
Truth be told, Jean didn't realize when Scott came into the bedroom; she didn't know how long she had dozed off for. Tops, it had to be at least a few minutes. Scott wouldn't spend that much time in his classroom - not on Friday night anyway. Even he hated working on Friday.
He quickly striped himself down to his boxers before climbing into bed next to her. She leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her comfortably. Scott gently kissed her cheek, "Ray woke you up?"
"Mmmhmm." Jean rolled over to face him, causing Scott to pull his arms back. "She told me about your night. 'Tristan and Isolde?' Doesn't seem like you."
He shrugged his shoulders, "I've heard Ray talk about it, so I figured I'd take her to see it. Really wasn't in the mood to see another comedy." He answered. "It was a decent movie, dragged in some parts, but good-"
"Don't ruin it for me, Slim." Jean replied sternly. "I'm going to see it with Ororo next week – Ray too if she wants to tag along. How was work?"
"Same old, same old." He mumbled, sighing. "Gave a test, students complained; the usual. How's the virus coming along?"
That damn virus. "The infected are stable, they aren't getting worse and none of the others have had outbreaks. We're having a hard time finding a cure, but we're trying hard nonetheless." She explained. "Hank is still down there."
"Another all-nighter."
"I don't like the fact that Rachel is being exposed to the virus." Jean admitted. "We don't know for certain who else is carrying it; they may not be showing any signs. As her mother, I don't like it at all."
"I'm not too thrilled with the idea either." Scott agreed. "But what can we do? Fly her over to Annandale?"
She perked up slightly, considering the idea. "Sara wouldn't mind watching her for a while. Joey and Gailyn would be happy to see Ray."
"I don't know…" He sighed, a bit unsure. "We'll talk tomorrow at lunch."
"I'll call Sara anyway."
XXXXXX
Yawning deeply, Rachel picked up her lunch tray before heading towards the tables. She was still tired, even after sleeping in until late morning. Not to mention she was also a bit sore. Maybe she slept the wrong way? Whatever reason, Ray had slept right through breakfast. Lunch was sounding very good at the moment. The young teen sat at a table with Ororo, she didn't want to deal with other teenagers; her head was pounding.
"Missed you at breakfast." Ororo stated, taking a bite from her salad.
"I overslept." She mumbled. "Got home late last night." Rachel poked at the grilled sandwich she had taken.
"I've heard. 'Tristan and Isolde.' Is it any good?" The wind rider questioned.
Nodding, Ray took a sip of water, "It was sad. I was sobbing from beginning to end. Tristan has a rather nice body, which is a reason entirely to see it again." She nibbled at the crust of the bread.
"Nice, so I take it you'll still be joining us next weekend?" Ororo asked as Rachel nodded. Of course she would.
For the next few moments, the two females concentrated on their lunches; Rachel was still trying to keep herself awake. Sitting down only made her feel more exhausted. Laying her head down on the table was extremely tempting. She might have done it too if her parents hadn't joined them at the table.
Jean instantly looked worried, "You feeling alright, Ray?" She sat down next to her daughter as Scott took the seat to her left.
"Huh?" Rachel looked up. "What? Yeah, I'm fine, just tired; I was up late last night."
"Are you sure?"
"Mom, honestly, I'm fine."
"It's a mother's right to worry." Ororo pointed out. "Not that I would know anyway."
Jean smirked lightly, but quickly frowned, "If anything seems out of order, you tell me right away, young lady." Ray nodded once more.
Scott was biting his lip as he stood up and headed off to get them something to eat. 'We're not telling her yet, right?' He mentally asked his wife.
'No, not yet.' Jean replied, taking a small bite from Ray's sandwich. She hadn't eaten for the longest time and waiting for him to come back would feel like forever. 'We're still not sure, Scott. I need to talk to Sara first, make sure it is alright for her, you know. I don't want to dump this on her.'
"That's my sandwich, thank you very much." Rachel remarked, snatching it out of Jean's hands, who stuck out her tongue.
Ororo grinned slightly, "Have anything planned today, Ray?" She asked. The weather witch simply loved being with the girl. She didn't have any kids herself, so Rachel was the next best thing, her little 'niece.' "I'm in the mood for the mall."
The mall. The only place on earth where Ray could never get bored, the one place that made her feel as if she were a normal human being. Rather suddenly, the young telepath jerked wide awake. There was no way she could refuse an offer like that, "Oh man, there's a skirt that I've been dying to try out since forever." She gushed. "Of course I'll go."
The wind rider gazed towards her best friend who nodded slightly. "Just be careful." Jean added. "Everyone's been so tense with the Legacy virus hanging around – not exactly the time to be discovered."
"We're always careful." Ororo pointed out. "Besides, we never use our powers in such a way."
"Yeah…" Rachel spoke up. "Plus, you can't exactly lie to a telepath."
Jean glared, "I hope that isn't the only reason, missy."
"Ohh… She said missy…" Ororo snickered.
"And you have responsibility as an adult, Ro." Jean remarked. "You should be enforcing rules, morals."
"The white haired wonder stood up with her empty salad dish, scoffing, "I do enforce the rules and morals… Just not as much."
"You spoil her, you know."
"And I enjoy it." Ray spoke up, standing herself, ready to leave. "Let's go."
"Go?" Jean questioned. "You barely touched your lunch at all, Redd."
Rachel looked down at her plate, staring at the nibbled sandwich. All of a sudden, food strangely wasn't appealing. She shook her head, "I'm not really that hungry." She answered. "I'll grab something to eat later… I'm going to go change."
Silently, they watched the young girl leave. Ororo turned to Jean just as Scott returned with a salad for her and a slice of pizza for him. Jean sighed; she wasn't going to pick on his choice of food – not today. "Keep a close eye on her, alright?" She asked of her friend. "She's not being herself."
Ororo nodded, she was concerned as well. "I'll give you a call if anything happens." She promised before leaving the lunch room.
Scott sat down and unfolded his napkin to place in his lap, "I have a feeling I missed something."
Picking up her fork, Jean poked at a bright red tomato within the salad. "Ororo's taking Ray out for a bit, but I can't help but think something's wrong with that girl. She's tired, she won't eat… Maybe I'm over reacting because of work and what not."
"You think Rachel has Legacy?"
She felt her stomach turn over; she shook her head, "There's no way. No one is allowed in the medical lab and Hank and I always wash up before meeting anyone else."
"Perhaps she ate something that disagreed with her last night?" Scott brought up. "Or maybe she's still full from the restaurant?"
"Maybe." Jean mumbled. "I'm still worried, you know."
"Of course, you're her mother. You have to worry." He re-enforced what Ororo had earlier stated.
XXXXXX
After hours of random shopping, Ororo and Rachel had finished their adventure in the mall. Both women had a couple of bags each, some filled with clothes, others with books and DVDs. They had been looking for new box sets to watch, so they decided to load up. Ororo was the one who grabbed ever single romance novel she could possibly get her hands on; Rachel had settled on 'Narnia.' With all the type going on about the movie, now seemed like a good time to check out the book.
Walking back to the car, Ray started to feel dizzy again. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the feeling – it was no use. She just needed to sit down. Little did she know that Ororo witnessed her titter to the side. Upon reaching the car, the weather witch took the bags from the redhead.
"I'll take care of them." She explained. "Go in the car and turn up the stereo, hon."
Rachel quickly took the car keys and the opportunity. She climbed into the passenger seat and placed the key in the ignition. The stereo came to life, along with the air conditioning. She stuck her face in front of the vent, allowing the cool air to feebly refresh her, she was hot, sweaty even. Ray started humming along to the current track. What was it called? 'Dance With My Father?' By Luther something… It was a good song nonetheless.
Hearing the driver's door open, Rachel sat up, leaning back against her seat as she buckled. Once Ororo was strapped in herself, she turned to face the younger woman, "Rachel, your parents and I are really worried about you, dear."
"Aunt Ro, I'm fine." Rachel tried to reassure with a small smile. "I just need a nap, that's all. I'll feel better afterwards, I promise."
Ororo started up the car, "I hope you do… But if anything is wrong, you'll go straight to your mother, right? She's a doctor, she'll know what's going on."
"I will…" She mumbled as Ororo pulled out of the parking lot. "But I'm pretty sure a nap will clear this right up. It's just a bug I picked up at that Mexican restaurant, it'll pass over."
"Honey, if I were you, I'd still get it checked out. Legacy is up and about-"
"I don't have Legacy." Rachel quickly remarked. "I haven't been anywhere near the medical lab in a long while."
"I'm not saying you have it, dear." Ororo pointed out. "I'm just saying you should be careful. We don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing's going to happen to me. You guys are being paranoid."
"Because we love you."
XXXXXX
Later that evening, Ororo was in her office, going over many history tests which needed to be graded. She'd get around to them soon. AT the moment, the wind rider was on the phone with Jean, who was in the medical lab.
"-she slept right through dinner." Jean's voiced was mumbled into her ear. "She's been asleep since you two came back. I knew Ray was tired, but… this is out of hand. I'm worried about her."
"As am I." Ororo replied. "She looked completely exhausted today, but kept insisting she was fine or had a cold." The weather witch shook her head.
"I hope it's just a cold." Jean murmured. "That girl is so stubborn…"
"As the saying goes, like mother like daughter." Ororo smiled slightly. "She's very bright… and she has enough common sense to go to you if anything's wrong."
"But like you said, she's stubborn-"
"Stubborn, but not stupid, Jean." Ororo pointed out. "She'll come to you if she truly does need you. That's the instinct of a child, to run to their mothers when they are troubled; Rachel is no different. She loves you and I know you would do anything in the world for your daughter."
"Scott and I have been thinking about sending her to Annandale for a while." Jean informed. "After she gets better, of course. Sara says she's more than welcome. I just want Ray as far away from Legacy as possible."
"Sara… How is she?" Ororo had only seen her best friend's older sister a grand total of twice, but she wanted to steer their little conversation away from the horrible virus. "And your niece and nephew?"
"Joey and Gailyn are your typical teenagers – they're fine." Jean replied. "Sara's concerned about us. She doesn't like the fact I'm working this close with the virus."
There was that damn virus again. It was time to bring this phone call to an end, "Alright, Redd. I'm going to let you go. We both have work to do. Good luck."
"Thanks."
XXXXXX
He had a pretty good reason to be worried; he was a very concerned father. Something wasn't correct, he could just feel it. Being a concerned father obviously gave him the right to cheek on his slumbering daughter in her room. Scott wrapped his hand around the doorknob. If he was going to do this, then he ad to be quite. Was Ray a light sleeper? He'll find out soon enough.
Scott peeked his head into the dark room, his visor let off a dim red glow. Carefully, he maneuvered around the small space. Rachel was still sleeping, tangled within her blankets. Barely, he could make out that she was drenched in sweat. The crack in the door let enough light from the hallway inside, allowing him to see a strange boil – a rash – on her bare shoulder. He felt his stomach tie into a knot, "Legacy." He whispered before quickly stepping out.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and, slightly shaking, dialed Jean's extension down in the medical lab.
"Medical lab, Dr McCoy speaking."
"Hank, it's Scott." He stated. "I need to talk to Jean – it's an emergency."
"Of course, right away." Henry replied. "One moment."
He listened as Hank placed the phone down. This was nerve wrecking. He started to pace around, waiting for the phone to be picked up once again or for Rachel to come out of her room, saying that she was fine.
"Scott?" Jean's voice came over the phone. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked.
"It's Rachel." He responded. "I went to check up on her in her room-"
"If she's sleeping, then let her sleep-"
"No, Jean." He interrupted. "I went to check on her and… I saw this rash looking boil on her shoulder."
He heard her choke back slightly. "Legacy…" She whispered. "Scott, get her down here as soon as possible." The doctor commanded before hanging up the phone.
XXXXXX
Jean had violently smashed the phone against the receiver before slamming her palm against the bare wall, causing her fellow co-worker to look up. Immediately, she was in tears, she was so stressed. Whatever information Scott just gave her must have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
Hank walked away from his lab station and over towards her, "Jean?" He asked softly. "What's wrong?" The big blue beast placed a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, trying not to wipe her eyes. After dealing with the virus, she didn't want to touch her face. "Rachel, Scott thinks she has Legacy." She stuttered. "Hank, we need to find that God damn cure. If anything happens to my daughter then I don't know what I would do."
"We are going to find this cure, Jean." Hank tried to reassure her. That's what she needed, reassurance. "And the others we have managed to keep stable. Rachel will be fine. The girl is just as stubborn as her mother." He smirked. "Nothing's going to happen to her. You'll all be a happy family again in no time."
"I'm not stubborn…" She murmured under her breath as she cleared her throat. "Get a bed ready, Hank – away from the other students if possible."
"Jean, need I remind you that you are a doctor?" Beast commented. "You must treat all your patients equally."
"I am fully aware." She replied. "But Ray is my child. If my material instincts kick in then help me God. This is a difficult position for me to be in. Yes, she's been down here before, but not with a deadly virus targeted at mutants."
Henry sighed and dismissed himself to move one of the beds as she wished. The doors to the lab slid open, allowing Scott, who was carrying Rachel, to enter. "I tried to wake her up, but she refused – saying she wanted more sleep."
Jean quickly walked up to him, placing the back of her hand against Rachel's burning cheek, "She's running a fever… We have a balm for the rash, but other than that, there's nothing we can really do." The woman was trying to stay calm; she had to stay calm, not only for herself, but for her family. "But keep her comfortable… Put her on a bed."
Scott nodded as he did what he was told. He walked right past Beat to place Rachel on the bed that was set out. Jean followed after him, "Hank, we're going to need an IV." She stated, using her TK to bring a thermometer to her grasp. Carefully, she placed it within the teen's ear before getting the temperature instantly, "Hundred-three."
Henry rolled over the IV; Jean tenderly rubbed Ray's arm before inserting the needle. She looked up at Scott, frowning, "How could she have contracted the virus?" She questioned. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Could it be possible she picked it up at the mall earlier today?" Scott suggested.
Hank nodded, "That's probably it." He agreed. "Rachel has not been down here for weeks and we have been going through a cleansing protocol before leaving the lab daily."
"I didn't…" Jean said softly, her frown growing. "I… Last night I was so tired, I wasn't thinking… I left without cleaning up and took a shower upstairs."
"Jean must have carried the virus upstairs to the shower." Hank rubbed his chin. "Rachel may have contrasted the virus there."
"She started feeling ill during lunch today – right after she woke up." Scott pointed out.
"Then it's my fault Rachel has the virus…" She mumbled, shaking her head. "I gave it to her… I…" Her eyes shifted back and forth. "Ate a bit of her sandwich at lunch, the virus could-"
"We have both been exposed to the virus." Hank remarked.
"But we've been careful, Henry." Jean snapped. "We have cleaned everything that we believe could have contrasted Legacy, but if Rachel, already infected, ate that sandwich, then her salvia on the sandwich has been corrupted. Not only have I been exposed, but so has everyone who has been with Ray since this morning. Hank, get the damn balm."
As the woman spoke, the utensils around began to shake; some even flew across the room. There was no need to point out she was upset, frustrated. Legacy had no known cure and their work was getting them nowhere. Hank nodded, walking towards his office. Scott silently watched his friend before coming up behind Jean. He placed his firm hands on her tense shoulders. Within moments, she relaxed against his body, trembling. Tears were coming to her eyes anew. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She wasn't going to cry.
"Everything is going to be fine." He whispered into her ear delicately.
She ignored his statement. What did he know? Everything, surely, wasn't going to be at all fine. He couldn't possibly know just how horrible this virus could be. Ray would need nothing short of a miracle, "Shower down here, wash your clothes… Tell Ororo… Tell her about Ray and to come down if she feels even the least bit out of it. I'm not taking anymore chances."
"Jean-"
"That is a doctor's order, Scott." She nearly hissed, stepping away from him. "I can't have anyone else become infected. No one is allowed in the medical lab without my consent from now on. Go."
Instantly, he locked his jaw; he wasn't going to argue with her, not now at least. She was on the breaking point; she couldn't afford an argument at this moment. Scott quietly obeyed as he headed towards the showers, allowing Jean to collapse onto the chair next to Rachel's bedside. There had to be a cure out there, somewhere. She wasn't going to rest until it was found for her daughter's sake; she was a doctor, a healer – a person who saved lives. Jean wasn't going to lose her one and only daughter to this vile virus.
XXXXXX
The protocol to exit the medical lab had taken the man nearly over an hour to complete. He had lost count how many times he had scrubbed himself down; his skin had gone a bright pink color for a few moments. He felt so raw. Did Jean have to go through this everyday to come back upstairs? If he were her, he would stay down here in the subbasements as long as possible. Not to mention, his clothes had to be washed by extremely hot water.
Knocking on the door to Ororo's attic bedroom, Scott rubbed the back of his neck; his sweater was so itchy from that damn wash and his pants were pretty uncomfortable as well. Had they shrunk a size or two? Maybe he should have ironed them before coming back up here.
It took a couple of seconds, but Ororo finally did open her bedroom door. The expression on her dear friend's face told her that something was wrong. She frowned, her eyebrows narrowed. Scott gazed down towards the floor, unable to meet those bright blue eyes. He couldn't tell her, it was painful.
Ororo had been there for Rachel when Jean and he were absent. The two women were so close, best friends. Ray would rather be with her loving aunt then teens her own age, they were that close. Now, he stood here, about to tell the wind rider that his daughter, Daddy's little girl, would probably never leave the medical lab ever again. The very thought made his lips quiver. He had to get this over with.
"This isn't easy to say at all." Scott began, still unable to look up at all. "We had to bring Rachel downstairs…" He sighed heavily, biting down on his lower lip. "She has the symptoms of Legacy, Ro."
She covered her mouth with her hand, eyes instantly watering knowing exactly what was going to happen, "Scott… I'm so sorry." She spoke softly.
He shook his head, "We should have taken her down this morning. Now she won't even wake up; she says she's too tired. Jean's a mess… I don't know hat to do… What do you do when you know your own child is on their death bed?"
"You don't know that." Ororo tried to sound reassuring. She couldn't allow him to speak this way, even if it was the same thing she was currently thinking. Legacy was violent.
"I don't even know if my daughter is going to be alive next week while my wife drives herself to the point of insanity; all I can do is watch on the sidelines." Scott stated, fists shaking at his sides. "Ororo, this virus has torn my family apart."
The weather witch didn't know what to say. She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. He buried his face against her shoulder, thankful he had his visor strapped on instead of simply wearing his glasses. "Rachel is strong. She won't go down without a fight."
"Jean's upset at herself…" Scott spoke weakly. "She blames this all on herself. She's a wreck… and she wants you to be careful. You're been around Rachel, so you probably have been within contact of Legacy. That's something Jean wouldn't be able to handle on top of all this."
Ororo nodded, "I'm going down there. I need to see her and Rachel for that matter."
"Better get down there fast then." Scott sighed, taking a step back. "Jean's going to put the lab in quarantine of some sorts. She doesn't want anyone else getting sick."
XXXXXX
Silently, Jean opened the container holding the balm. The telepath sat down on the empty seat next to Rachel's bedside as she dipped her fingers into the cold cream, hardly believing she was doing this at all. She worked so hard to keep Ray away from this virus, but due to her own recklessness, Rachel was laying before her. Gently, she rubbed the balm on the girl's burning skin which shivered under her finger tips. The sixteen year old inhaled deeply and quickly opened her eyes.
"Mom…" The young redhead's voice was feeble.
"I'm right here, Rachel." Jean replied. "I'm not going anywhere, honey. Mommy's not leaving." She cooed, continuing to apply the balm.
"I feel so sick…" Ray whimpered, trying to sit up against her mother's touch. Jean tried to keep her down on the bed. Rachel persisted against her. She quickly turned over, hanging her head over the edge of the bed; her shoulders heaved as she vomited onto the clean floor. Jean jumped back as Rachel relaxed. The doctor noticed she did look a bit better.
Jean placed the jug of balm on the mattress. "You'll get better, I promise." She said, walking towards the broom closet in need of a mop and bucket of water. "Everything is going to be fine." She reassured.
Sitting up, Rachel winced before picking up the balm. Man, she was so sore, not to mention her skin felt so extremely dry. As she applied the balm on herself, she sighed in deep relief. The cold feeling on her hot body was soothing; she really enjoyed the sensation. "How did I get this?" She guessed 'this' was Legacy due to the boils and rashes. "I had been careful like you said and everything, Mom."
Jean froze, her grasp on the mop tightened. Shoulders falling, she pulled the bucket of water towards the mess. "Yeah, you've been very careful, Ray… It was… me. I must have brought the virus upstairs to the shower… You probably got it when you took a shower after I did. Honey, I'm sorry."
Rachel nodded slightly, staring down at the balm. This virus was fatal. "I'm going to die, aren't I?" She whispered.
She placed the mop back in the bucket after mopping the mess down the drain. Jean sat down and placed her hands on her daughter's cheeks, "Don't say that, you understand? You are not going to die." She could feel the urge to cry rise in her throat, but she couldn't not in front of Rachel. She had to be strong. "You understand?" She repeated.
"I… I understand." The girl mumbled in return, swallowing a lump in her throat.
"I'm going to find a cure… Then you, Aunt Ro, and me will go see 'Tristan and Isolde' together… and this will all be part of the past." Jean stated. "I promise."
XXXXXX
Hours later, Jean was in her quite office alone, fiddling around with her microscope. Rachel was fast asleep and had been for others. Ororo had tried to come down, but she couldn't expose her best friend to Legacy, at least not any more of it.
She jerked up at the knocking coming from the door. Beast had already left the lab. With a wave of her hand, the door opened. "Still down here, Darling?"
Logan.
"I need to save my patients." She stated dully. "If that means pulling all-nighters, then so be it."
"Heard about Redd." Logan leaned against the frame. "Are you alright?"
Jean pushed her chair away from the desk, "How can I be alright when my only child is infected by a fatal virus that has no cure?" She snapped. "Of course, I'm not alright!"
"Sorry, just wanted to check up on you." He replied. "On Redd, she doing good?"
"Based on the situation, Rachel's… fine." Jean rubbed her forehead. "She's stable at the moment… just like the other children, but it's only a matter of time before the virus progresses in all of them."
"Do you think I can help with all this?" He asked, pulling his dark blue jacket closer. "My healing factor should be able to tackle Legacy, right?"
Jean looked up towards him as she felt her stomach jolt. That was a brilliant idea, "Even if you do get infected, I imagine your healing factor will take a while to work, but we could reproduce your anti-bodies to help the students." She rambled, standing up, smiling. "Logan, you're a genius!" The telepath looked like she was going to break into song any moment. "Report to Beast and me tomorrow morning. We'll begin the treatment then."
"Glad I could be of help." He smirked.
"Logan, you just might as well saved hundreds of mutants; you just saved Rachel." Jean beamed, feeling a massive weight lift off her shoulders. "Thank you for that idea, for everything."
"Anything for you, Jeanie." He murmured. "Especially if it makes you happy."
XXXXXX
Rachel watched as her mother closed the lights before leaving the medical lab. She hadn't seen Jean that happy in weeks – since before Legacy. Her heat beat more rapidly against her chest. Was the cure finally discovered? Why else would Jean be that pleased? She couldn't help but smile herself; she was going to get out of here alive. Oh man, now she was getting more excited. There was no way she could go back to sleep.
The redhead rolled over, hugging her pillow close. The boils had began popping and had stuck onto the sheets. Moving had been painful, but, at the moment, she didn't seem to care. It was late – maybe one or two in the morning tops. She had to at least try to fall asleep again, which would probably be impossible. Rachel must have been asleep for more than half of the day due to the virus. Drifting off to slumber wasn't going to be easy.
She did manage to doze in and our reality a few times over the course of a couple of hours, but never really slept. Thanks to the emergency lights, she was able to start reading her new copy of 'Narnia,' which Scott had brought in earlier; Jean had gotten upset that he went into the infected bedroom, but Rachel had her book so she was happy, for the time being. It was a good book. She tried to pull her knees up, but they were much too sore and now she was getting a bit warm.
Rachel crawled out of bed. Before taking any steps, she made sure that she had a sense of balance. She walked into the bathroom to splash her pale face, noticing in the mirror her neck was covered with the same rash her whole body was scattered with. After a few more cold splashes of water, Rachel stopped only to hear a soft moaning coming from the lab. Were one of the other students awake?
She peered out from the door. Sure enough, one of the beds was moving. Rachel quickly recognized the groaning. It was Spyke, one of her fellow classmates who was fairly new to the school. He lived in the sewers before the mansion, that's where they believed he got the virus.
"Evan?" She whispered only to be answered by a long moan. "Spyke, are you okay-"
A rough spike made out of bone marrow shot out of the blanket. Rachel yelped as she leapt back into the bathroom. The door was impaled. What was going on? Was the virus progressing? More spikes impaled the door and now the wall, shattering the mirror followed by a scream coming from the boy.
"Evan!" Rachel called out, summoning up a protective force field around her as she ran back into the lab.
The lab was, more or less, destroyed by many spikes of all sizes. It was a good thing she went to the bathroom when she did. Her bed was reduced to pieces – the other two students! Rachel's eyes widened at the sight. White sheets were now dripping with bright red blood, spikes sticking out at odd angles. They were her classmates, her friends. She covered her mouth, resisting the urge, but it was too much. Vomit sprayed from between her fingers and trailed down her cheek.
'Dear God. Mom, please her me.' Rachel coughed, spitting the awful taste from her mouth. 'Mom, come down here. Evan… the other… They're dead.'
XXXXXX
'They're dead.'
Jean bolted right out of bed and pulled her robe on as her daughter's words raged throughout her mind. She shook Scott awake. "Get beast. Something's going on downstairs."
If Scott answered, then she didn't hear him. Jean had put on her slippers and ran out of the suite. She would feel her heart racing against her throat, her mind was racing. Had the virus grown more complicating? Was Rachel alright?
'They're dead.'
It wasn't difficult running through the dark mansion. The moonlight shown brightly inside due to the opened windows, besides, how long had she lived here? She knew this place like the back of her hand. It was her home after all.
Upon reaching the elevator, Jean rapidly hit the button, knowing no matter how many times she pushed it, the elevator wasn't going to come any faster. She didn't care, it seemed to come a lot faster – that's what counted. The side down to the subbasement was extremely slow. This was nerve wrecking.
'They're dead.'
She ran through the shinning a silver hallways until she reached the locked doors of the lab. Quickly entering the proper code in the keypad to the right, the doors slid open revealing the horrible scene inside. The walls were cracked, covered with spikes. The beds were destroyed; two were drenched in blood while the others were just ruble. "Rachel…" She whispered, exhaling.
Was she alright, or did she get caught in the crossfire? Jean bit down on her tongue; the smell of blood was making her sick to her stomach. "Rachel?" She spoke up, hoping for an answer in return.
"Mom…"
Jean turned around on her heel to see the young redhead standing at the entrance to the small bathroom of the lab. Her front was damp from the vomit, otherwise, she appeared to be alright. Jean hugged her tightly, not caring that her own nightgown was going to get dirty or that she was exposing herself to Legacy. Rachel could have been cleaned.
"Evan… I don't know what happened." Rachel's voice was muffled against her mother's shoulder. "They're all dead..."
"Shh…" Jean stroked her daughter's hair, soothingly, rocking back and forth slightly. "Honey, go wait in my office, alright? Hank and I need to clean this up."
Rachel nodded and headed into the office. Jean sighed heavily, looking around the lab. The source of the problem had been Evan… due to the spikes. Who else could it have been? The virus must have advanced. His powers, he lost control. The final stage of Legacy before death.
It was a shame, they were so close to a cure… and now these students were dead; two killed. Rachel still had to cured, but new it would take a while… The lab needed to be cleaned and the equipment needed to be replaced. She shook her head, rubbing her temples. It was one problem after another with this virus.
"This is… horrible." Hank said as he entered the lab, carefully avoiding mess on the ground.
"We have a lot of work to do." Jean replied. "We need this place clean. Rachel's still sick."
XXXXXX
Ororo locked her classroom door before heading to the teacher's lounge. After two classes of nothing but rumors about what occurred in the medical lab, the weather witch wanted to find out the truth. However, a note had been sent out informing staff members not to go or allow any other students to go down to the lab until things cleared out. She couldn't call out for Jean either, a mental block was placed – same thing with Rachel. The only other person she could turn to was Scott and she wasn't even sure if he knew what was going on.
She pulled the door to the lounge open and stepped inside. Scott was already inside, pouring himself a hot cup of coffee and making copies for his classes. He gazed up, frowning lightly, "Morning…" He mumbled under his breath.
The wind rider crossed the room to get to the coffee machine, "You sound exhausted." She noted.
"Trust me, I'm not exhausted compared to Jean." He took a sip of his mug.
"I've heard rumors." Ororo stated. "I'm not sure what happened down stairs." She placed her mug on the counter. "Is Jean alright? Rachel?"
"Those rumors really got to you, huh?" Scott smirked slightly, but it disappeared. "Spyke reached the final stage of the virus last night; he lost control of his powers, shooting spikes everywhere, destroying the lab. He died… and killed two other students. Rachel was in the bathroom when it happened, so she's not hurt, just a bit shaken up."
"That's horrible…" Ororo frowned, shaking her head.
"Jean and Hank were up all night cleaning the lab." He went on. "They're in bed sleeping… dead tired. Ray's having a hard time seeing what she saw."
"I bet." Ororo picked up her coffee. "The poor kids. None of them deserved any of that."
"And hopefully none of them will have to witness it again." He added, getting his papers from the copy machine. "Jean thinks she may have discovered a cure finally."
"Then we can cure Rachel and others infected." She smiled. "I knew everything was going to be alright."
"We still aren't sure exactly. Jean needs to run tests and everything. It will be a while, so Ray's still in danger of the virus." He pointed out, shuffling through the pieces of paper. "Hopefully, she'll be alright."
XXXXXX
It took a little over a week for order to properly be restored in the subbasements. Broken equipment had been replaced, so things were now back online and working. Jean started her testing on Logan a couple of days ago, who had been kept in the lab even since. He was recovering at the moment; his anti-bodies were being studied. Things were finally starting to look up. Hell, even Rachel was feeling slightly better. She was vomiting a lot less and her fever was kept under control. The rash was even disappearing.
The young teen was even glad to have a roommate like Logan for the time being. She hated being lonely and reading had gotten a bit tiring. They spent evening's playing card games if Rachel was up to it. He taught her a bit about poker while he enjoyed playing BS until ungodly hours of the night.
"So, what's the first thing you gonna do when you get out of here, kid?" Logan asked, giving up a game of solitaire.
Rachel smiled, "I'm going to go to the movies with Mom and Aunt Ororo. We're going to see 'Tristan and Isolde,' a chick flick." She explained. "I'm really looking forward to it."
"Jeanie's been a hell of a lot happier now of days. She really loves you, Redd."
"We're a family, Logan." She replied, placing a bookmark between the pages of her novel, and set it aside. "And I don't mean just Mom, Dad and myself. Everyone in this mansion is a part of our huge family; we all look after each other. We all love each other."
He smirked lightly, "You have a point kid."
Rachel rested against her pillows, rubbing her forehead after getting a rather sudden headache. She heard whispers and quickly sat back up, "What did you say?" She gazed at Logan.
"You have a –" He began to repeat.
"No, after that."
"I didn't say anything, Redd."
She presser her open palms against her temples. "My head hurts…" She murmured as utensils began to shake. "I hear you… in my head." Rachel curled up tightly in an attempted to stop the massive ache, but failed. It felt like her powers were manifesting all over again. "Logan, I hear everything!"
Wolverine was instantly at the kid's side. Tears were running from tightly squeezed shut eyes. Biting down so hard on her lip caused her to draw blood. God damnit. Screw protocol. "I'll be back, Redd. I'm going to get Jean." If he guessed right, then Legacy was advancing to the last stage.
XXXXXX
If felt peaceful to finally be able to relax. Jean laid back in her comfy bed, reading through the pages of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' finally. Scott had taken her to see the movie weeks ago. She enjoyed it and now she had found the time to actually read it.
Sitting up, she picked up the cup of tea from her nightstand and finished it off before her door was literally broken down by Logan. Jean nearly threw the book aside.
"Logan, what are you doing here?" She demanded. "You are not allowed to leave the lab-"
"Screw the rules, Jean!" Logan barked. "Ray's powers are getting' out of hand; she's dying!"
Jean felt her heart leapt to her throat, "W-What?" She didn't need an explanation, she could feel the wild power coming from the lower levels. "Get Hank… and Charles, meet me in the lab, as soon as possible."
XXXXXX
Hank and Jean had strapped down the young girl to keep her from spazzing. Her knuckles were raw pink after gnawing senselessly at them; it was a pathetic attempt to make the pain go away. Xavier and the telepathic doctor tried their best to block some of the power, but Rachel continued to jerk violently. It was all too much.
"Get me the vaccine!" Jean demanded.
"We still need to test it." Hank replied. "We aren't aware of the side effects."
"Then get out of my lab." She hissed. "There are too many people in here, you thoughts are overwhelming her. All of you. Now."
Logan and Hank were the first to join Scott and Ororo waiting in the hallway. Xavier hesitated, but silently exited as well. He wanted nothing more than to help his former student, but she was the doctor; she knew what was best, or was suppose too. Was maternal instincts clouding her better judgment?
As soon as the doors closed, the room began to shake. Things were getting worse. Jean clasped her hands on Rachel's head. Those young green eyes had rolled to the back of her head. She was loosing her.
"God damnit, Rachel." Jean mumbled. "Don't you dare leave us."
It appeared to be the girl had listened. Everything settled down and she relaxed. Jean sighed heavily, but the relief was short lived. The straps snapped out of place and Rachel's body hovered in the air. The next thing she knew, a white, bright light sent Jean hurling into one of the counters, causing her to gasp in pain.
Her hand hurt as she opened her watery eyes, the bright light had disappeared. Rachel was hanging over the edge of the bed, motionless. Jean pulled herself up and staggered towards her daughter, "Ray…" She said softly, heaving her back onto the bed. "Honey, answer me, please." She begged, slapping her pale cheeks. This couldn't be happening, they had a cure, and Rachel was suppose to be alright.
Jean wrapped her arms around the body and drew it close. Silent tears were trailing down her cheeks; she didn't dare make a noise. The lump in her throat was growing. Damnit, they had a cure. She promised Ray she was going to be alright, that they would go to the movies and have a great time.
She didn't notice the doors open. Scott walked up behind her as the others lingered behind. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. No one was going to take her away. "Jean…" He said.
"She's dead… Rachel's dead…" She began sobbing hard, holding the body of her daughter close.
XXXXXX
It was a gloomy day nearly two weeks later at the funeral. Scott held Jean closely. They were the last ones there out in the garden. Jean bit down on her tongue, she didn't want to cry anymore. It hurt too much.
"No parent should out live their child." Scott murmured, holding his wife closer.
Jean didn't want to say anything. She buried her face against his chest. He was right, of course. "Life's unfair." Her shoulders began to shake. She didn't want to cry, but it was too hard. "Scott, I had a cure!" She sobbed. "I was going to save her… and now she's gone!"
Frowning deeply, he embraced her tightly, "We did what we could, honey. We tried."
"Not hard enough! I should have never have taken those long breaks!" She shook her head. "It's my fault. I killed her." She whimpered.
"Jean, it's not your fault." He tried to speak clearly, which was very difficult at the moment. Long and behold, he was suffering too. "Legacy's deadly, we knew this was a possibility, whether we wanted to accept it or not."
"Rachel only caught the virus because I didn't go through the proper protocol." Jean pointed out, taking a step back. "She would have never come in contact with it if it wasn't for me."
Scott held her hand, "Let's go inside. I'll make you some tea."
"I'll be there in a few minutes." She sniffed, adjusting her black coat and dress. "You go on… We'll meet in the kitchen, baby…"
He nodded before dismissing himself back to the mansion. She watched him go inside before sitting down on the freshly buried ground. The tips of her fingers ran over the engraved name of Rachel Grey-Summers, the last thing she wanted to see on a tombstone ever.
"This wasn't suppose to happen, Ray." Jean sighed heavily. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I really am… You deserved so much more…" She reached over and plucked a blade of grass from the ground. "When I first held you in my arms… You were so tiny… and I remember picturing moments I could spend with my very own daughter. I would never imagine that one day, I would be on your grave."
She bit her lower lip, "You were like my best friend. I couldn't have asked for a better kid… I love you so much, Rachel, and I always will, my darling angel. I promise."
The End