Beginning of the End
(The continuing saga of the X-Chronicles; companion story to "What A Wonderful X World")
by garggirl
Disclaimer:
Again, please disregard all timelines while reading this fic.
The X-Men and all other X-factions are the property of Marvel Comics/Stan Lee.
The characters of Lorrie Howlett, Stacii, Chloe & Brennan Xavier, & Lucky LeBeau are the property of Passion.
The characters Sasha Xavier, Greg O'Connell, Taryn Ivanov, Gwen Edwards, & Chase Walker belong to me. Any request to use my characters must be asked for in writing.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This series has a bit of a different format than anything else I've previously posted. The X Chronicles is a joint venture between myself and my sister. The first part is written from the point of view of one character and the second is from the point of view of another character. It is important that you read both parts because each fic describes different events as well as many events in which both characters are present for.
SPECIAL NOTE: When reading these fics, please keep in mind that those written by Passion might be a little difficult to read due to the fact that she is bipolar and she had written her parts in such as way that she would be able to understand what she has written. Bearing this in mind, I ask that no flames are sent in regards to the spelling/grammar/etc...
AMENDMENT: These fics are completely un-beta'd, so all mistakes are the faults of us, the authors.
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The X-gang looked towards the house when they heard the patio window slam hard against its track. Several dozen eyebrows raised questioningly as they watched Chloe flee towards the dark forest, tears streaming down her make-uped face. In a moment, Hank came out through the very same patio door and made his way towards the crowd.
"What's going on, Hank?" Logan called out to the fuzzy blue mutant, chewing his cigar as he watched his sister-in-law run away.
Hank lumbered his way over to the table and stood next to Remy. "I really don't understand it myself, Logan" Hank replied, bewildered.
"Where mon chere runnin' off to?" Remy asked in curiosity then turned back to look into the darkness his girl had disappeared into.
"She seems to be in quite the distress, but I can't possibly understand why though. Not with such blissful news," Hank said in soft dismay as he took a seat next to Lorrie.
"What news, Hank darlin?" Lorrie asked, a lil curious, and turned to grab the beer Emma had handed her.
"Yeah, mon amis, wad goin on?" Remy asked walking up to Hank.
"Well, I had gotten back her test results just a few moments ago. I had told her what I believed to be very wonderful news, but she doesn't seem to be taking it well. I, for one, can't understand why?"
"Wad did chere's results say, homme?" Remy asked yet again then took a drink straight from his whiskey bottle before lighting a smoke.
Others, who had seen the sudden emotional outburst, began to gather around. Whispers had started to circulate throughout the crowd as they listened to Hank's explanation.
"Well, all I did was tell her to start a new gym regime and that she would be taken off the active member list -- seeing as she was about to start going on missions with you Remy." Hank paused for a moment as he organized his thoughts. "Of course, she'll need to start coming in for weekly check ups too...yes, that would be a must with her illness and mutation…." He trailed off.
"'Ank, you bes' get t' tellin' Remy et Gambit wad's goin' on or 'e gonna lose it," Remy said, his voice filling with a complicated combination of fright and worry.
Hank continued with his train of thought as if Remy hadn't said a word. "Then she'll want to shop, but of course every lady in her condition would certainly want to in preparation… This is so wonderful, I just can figure it… hmmm…"
"Vut iz vrong viz ze zveet Coco!" Kurt interjected, growing more and more impatient by the second.
"Nothing… I just don't understand how, on such a grand night as this and with such lovely news of becoming a Mother would upset her like this!" Hank said, still lost, and shook his head.
A sudden hush fell over the crowd before slow, wide, proud smiles began to spread like wildfire. All at once a huge roar of cheers and congratulations rang throughout the crowd.
Remy stood as rigid as a stone statue as the news hit him like a ton of bricks. The nearly full bottle of Jack Daniels that Remy held in his hand, slipped from the Cajun's fingers, shattering into tiny pieces on the cement patio.
Logan, Jon, Sean, and Kurt all jumped up immediately and pounded Remy hard on the back, congratulating him on him becoming a father. Remy still had yet to move, the shock having paralysed him.
Sasha and Lorrie rose from the table quietly and moved to stand in front of Remy, pushing the men to the side. With soft smiles, both girls pulled Remy in a warm hug in congratulations, all three began to weep silently.
After Lorrie and Sasha released Remy from the hug, Charles rolled up to the edge of the picnic table next to Remy. Reaching over, he grabbed onto the hard wood and slowly pulled himself into a standing position until he had drawn himself up to his full height of 6'4 and looked directly in Remy's eyes. Charles then wordlessly extended his right hand towards Remy.
Remy took a firm hold on Charles' hand and shook it vigorously as Charles reached out his other hand and pulled Remy into a hug, whispering a private congrats into the Cajun's ear.
"Wait! Hold on! … Is this thing on? OoOo… ok thanks Val" Sasha said, grabbing the microphone from the stage. All eyes turned to the youngest sister. "Ok, now that I got y'all payin' attention … as great as this news is -- and it is awesomely great -- there's something y'all don't know. Chloe well… she never expected to have someone in her life this long -- let alone letting them completely into her special world -- and as many of you know she doesn't ever expect to get married and have the happily ever after either, but this… this is her worst daunting fear ever!"
"I don't understand?" Bobby yelled over to Sasha.
Sasha could easily see many people in the audience as their faces dropped from gleeful expressions to that of deep-seeded concern.
"Because Bobby," Sasha continued, "Chloe is afraid to have a child that could potentially have her illness and mutation. She knows pain unlike any other, and doesn't want anyone to suffer the same pain! She loves you Remy. Chloe does, hell, I've never seen her so damn happy in, like ever, then when she's with you! She never ever wanted to have lil ones, nor hurt you by ever telling you. As good news as this is for all of us, for her it feels like the beginning of the end…" Sasha suddenly found her voice losing cohesion from the strength of her tears. Kurt climbed up onto the stage next to her and took his girl in his arm, comforting her the only way he knew how.
"Sasha's right!" Charles continued for his sobbing daughter. "This is wonderful, but Chloe is constantly battling to stay in control of her life... desperately trying to keep others from hurting." Charles, who had long since returned himself to his wheelchair, turned the miniature vehicle towards the darkness and moved away. "I will return everyone...please, relax and enjoy. I will be back soon. It's been a great while, but I do believe it is time for me to go into the grand, sweet, colour-filled world of my sweet lil Coco-bean and have one of our very special Father/Coco talks. If you all would excuse me."
Everyone's eyes followed Charles until their mentor was entirely engulfed by the growing darkness. Whispers continued to flitter throughout the crowd as the main gang sat down at the picnic tables and tried their best to get their minds onto other, less emotionally draining, topics.
"Sash," Jubes started slowly, "Can I asked ya sumthin'?"
"Shoot toots!" Sasha giggled through her rapidly disappearing tears.
The girl shifted her weight nervously before she continued. "I was wondering...well, rather, a bunch of us were wondering," she looked around at Kitty, Paige, and Val, "ummmm, who were those ghost thingies that touched us?"
Sasha smiled slightly. "The very first one that was present was Spirit itself. The one directing the ceremony is generally the person that gets to be the host vessel for Spirit. When it's called to this plane of existence it's nothing more than an intangible, hazy mist. To do what's needed, it has to physically lay hands on things."
"Have you ever been ze vezzel, luv?" Kurt asked as he slipped an arm around his girl's waist.
Sasha leaned against Kurt and smiled slightly. "We generally take turns.
Chloe directs the Samhain and Coamhain festivals; Lorrie directs the Imbolgc and Mabon festivals; I take care of Yule and Beltane; and before this whole sorted mess with Stacii started, she was responsible for directing Ostara and Lammas." Sasha's voice dropped an octave. "It's gonna be difficult divvying up her responsibilities now that she's no longer a sister witch."
Kurt gently stroked Sasha's cheek in an attempt to comfort her and bring back the happiness in her voice. Everyone had pretty much noted that Sasha, in particular, was happiest when she was either talking about Psychology or Wicca.
"What does it feel like to be the vessel?" Kitty piped up. Everyone recognized instantly that Kitty was trying to keep Sasha's mind occupied and they silently congratulated her for it.
"Y'know the feeling you get when the short hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up on end? Or when goose bumps bubble up along your arms? Or when you get that pins and needles feeling in your feet? It feels like that for the brief instant when Spirit both enters and leaves you. Between that time there's an immense feeling of euphoria as if you're on some kind of wonderful drug...but it's a natural high because your body begins producing an excessive amount of endorphins so it can compensate for the extra work of having a second entity present."
"What about the second ghost? Who was that?" Jeannie asked, sipping at her coffee.
"My mom," Sasha whispered, almost inaudibly, as she snuggled down into Kurt's chest, trying desperately to find solace in the arms of her lover.
"So, soeur de lil, you tellin' Remy et Gambit dat was you Maman out dere?"
"Yep, but the third spirit that showed up...that great big guy like you Rem… well… your going to have to ask Chloe about that one. She knows more about him then anyone here… my niece slash nephews daddy" Sasha told him, forcing herself to giggle as if nothing was wrong.
"Remy et Gambit dunno if 'e could ever get use t' dat" He sighed hard, misty eyed, then beamed when Logan and Lorrie returned with a fresh bottle of whiskey.
Kurt tilted his head down and whispered something into her ear that only she could hear. She nodded slightly and released her hold on him, allowing him to disappear in a puff of his usual blue smoke.
Everyone looked up as another, more round body, approached the table. It was Stacii. After their mother had shown up, Stacii had quietly returned to the house for a while...most likely to lick her proverbial wounds before returning.
"Hey Sash where's dad?"
"He's gone to check on Chloe?" Sasha said as Kurt bamphed back with two dinner plates consisting of roasted bbq pork, corn on the cob and salad. "Thank you sweetie."
"Your very velcome, be right back Princezz...juzt gonna get uz zomezing to drink viz our zupper," and he disappeared again.
"Again, thank you dear."
"Why?" Stacii said in irked confusion.
"Because Stacii, contrary to what you believe, the world doesn't revolve around you!" Logan said matter-of-factly then took his plate from Lorrie happily and handed his wife a beer. "No matter how much of a small planet you may resemble!"
"Stacii, could ya move a lil please? I'm on a beer run," Bobby said as he stepped around a very large and expecting Stacii. She, uncharacteristically, stepped to the side out and out of his way.
"Oh, who asked you Logan?" Stacii said, giving him a dirty look.
"'Tacii, in case you unfamiliar wit' t'ings 'round 'ere, not everyt'ing is 'bout an' f'r you. You 'ave t'ree o'der si'ters too dat deserve an' require you fa'der's attention t'. So get off you damn pede'tal b'fore Remy et Gambit knock you of'en it."
"Sorry, I don't speak frogginese...nor understand it!"
"O geezus Stacii, shut the fuck up would ya! Dad had to go to Chloe, she really needs dad right now not you, so get over it!" Lorrie said, miffed with Stacii's mouth.
"Why is it always about her? She's a crack pot and needs to be locked away or put on the porch for entertainment...pick one!"
"'Tacii… Remy et Gambit 'bout done 'earin' you talk 'bout 'is Chloe da way you do," Remy warned, taking on the same tone he did the day when it he and Chloe had that argument.
"Stacii, dad needed to go talk to Chloe about her baby, yo…" Sasha didn't get to finish her thought before Stacii immediately burst forward with red-hot anger.
"What!" she spat.
"Dat's right" Remy said, somewhat stingingly and gave her a smirk to say it was true and he was damn proud.
Stacii looked to everyone. "I soooo can't wait to see the show she puts on when you two take her powers and baby away!" she said with a sickening laugh.
"We're not," Sasha said, stingingly sweet. Her voice rose several octaves and she began to sing. "This is the song that doesn't end, it goes on and on my friend…" she paused for a moment and cast a smile to Kurt, having now returned from the drink run.
"Zome people ztarted zinging it, not knoving vut it vaz, but ve'll continue zinging it, forever juzt becauze…. We are not… We are not…" Bobby and Kurt sang together.
"Second verse, same as the first" Logan shouted loudly.
"A lil bit louder an' lil bit worse!" Remy added, he too chuckling.
Before long, the song rippled out until the entire backyard sang mockingly at Stacii in a grand chorus.
Lorrie stopped singing long enough to happily shout over to Sasha. "Hey Sash! We get to be real Aunties this time!"
"Guess that makes you… Uncle Wolvie!" Sean chuckled, ribbing his friend, Logan.
"And I get a lil cousin" Jubes squealed out happily between breaths of the song.
"I want my powers back then!" Stacii fumed, stamping her foot on the damp ground.
"I don't ever see it happening" Lorrie said seriously.
"Chloe's child was conceived out of real love magick, not the magick one conjures," Sasha spat. "Furthermore… she's done nothing wrong to have her powers taken away." The song had continued to resound throughout the conversation. Sasha took a moment to dab the corner of her mouth with her napkin before she went back to her singing and her dinner.
Stacii turned hotly on her heels and marched back into the house, presumably to lick the fresh proverbial wounds she had just received. As soon as the door slammed shut, the backyard burst into a chorus of giggles, chuckles, and deep belly laughs.
"Give it up already would ya, half of ya sing out of tune and the other half couldn't carry a tune in a tin bucket!" came Chloe's breathy voice as she stepped from the shadows, rubbing her temples slightly. Charles trailed along behind, casting a look around to everyone, silently saying to just give her a little space.
The crowd parted as Chloe made her way back into the house, reappearing a moment later with an electric and acoustic guitar slung over her shoulders. She made her way to the stage were the band stood, her jaw set as if she were determined to carry on with the celebration as planned.
Everyone watched in silence as Chloe tuned her acoustic guitar and approach the microphone. Looking up from her guitar, she beamed brightly as though nothing was wrong.
"Damn!" Sasha whispered. "She always has to put on her stage look as though nothing is wrong...y'don't haveta be an empath to know she's hurtin' bad!"
The band struck up and the concert began. Many of the younger students pulled their special someones out onto the dance floor and be-bopped to the music while the older ones and faculty just sat and listened as Chloe poured her heart and soul into her music.
"Chloe is always the show stoppa! 100 pro Dr. Musical rock over the top girly to the very last strand of her being… even in her own pain she slaps on a fake smile just to hide it and to give others a good time!" Sasha sighed, trying to hold in her tears.
After about half an hour, Chloe spoke softly into the microphone. "Alrighty now kiddies, Coco needs a rest...her back is killin' her and is starvin'...go bug Bobert or somethin'!" then jumped off the stage with both her guitars over her shoulder again. Once again Chloe went back into the house as the band packed up to leave, allowing the DJ to retake control.
"I hope the darlin' is alright. She goes through so much all the time, a girl like that doesn't deserve to ever be in pain!" Logan said, chewing his cigar.
A little while later, Chloe appeared dressed in different attire, fresh faced from a shower, and lightly made over and perfumed. She walked over to the table where the main gang sat and sat down, lighting a smoke.
"Chere?" Remy started, panic edging his voice.
"Remy," Hank interjected, "I have spoken with her on the subject and she has assured me that what she has left is her last... besides, it's not good for anyone to stop abruptly...reeks havoc on the system and are likely to start up again."
"'Lright 'ank, you chere doc, dat makes you da boss when Remy et Gambit not 'round," Remy said softly.
Meanwhile as of yet Chloe hadn't said a word to anyone, she stayed to her thoughts.
"Hey Chloe, you didn't have any dinner yet... let Kurt and I fix you something. What do you want?" Sasha said as Kurt happily jumped right up, ready to go.
"Nah, it's cool...sides what I want I don't think we have anyway," she answered in a sigh.
"What would you like?" Scott asked her sweetly, coming around from behind her.
"Don't worry 'bout it."
"Now Chloe, my dear, if you want something you just tell dear old Popsy here and you got it...just name it!" He told her emphatically.
Chloe sighed again, her bottom lip beginning to tremble as she softly whimpered and moved into tears. "Ice cream an' pickled onions!" then folded her arms onto the picnic table and burst out into sobbing hard tears. Every guy within earshot suddenly made a mad dash for the house as the women were left to rally around her; Lorrie offering her Kleenex and Sasha offering her a root beer.
A few moments later, Kurt and Bobby came tearing from the house. Kurt held the ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other while the front of Bobby's shirt had an odd shaped bulge. Both guys skidded to a halt at the table, huffing and puffing.
"Here (puff) you (puff) go (puff)," Kurt wheezed, setting his cargo on the table in front of Chloe.
"Enjoy (huff)," Bobby added, pulling the onion jar from beneath his shirt. The women looked at the two guys for a moment before bursting out into fits of giggles with the exception of Chloe who was still balling her eyes out.
The rest of the men soon poured back into the back yard when they realized what they were after was no longer there.
"Thanks… sorry t' be a pain" she said quietly as she opened the ice cream and pickled onions and had begun eating. Everyone watched in quiet fascination, some grossed out others riveted by the sight before them, though no one let on.
Sasha watched as Remy pushed his way through the crowd of people and took the vacant seat next to Chloe. "Chere, if you need anyt'ing at all, you just tell Remy et Gambit an' 'e on it, you 'ear 'im?" He told her seriously.
"Same here Coco baby," Jon said
"We got yours and your baby's back girly!" everyone else shouted in unison.
"Thanks, chicka here appreciates that. Lor, you gonna eat that pork or you just gonna stare it and hope it turns into a silk purse?" Chloe said around a mouthful of ice cream, pointing at her sister's plate, and smiling. Lorrie looked at her sister and returned the smile. Chloe then reached over and stabbed it with her fork, dipped it in her ice cream, and ate it.
"Again, thanks!"
Sasha grimiced slightly as she watched Chloe eat her concoction, her stomach churning slightly from not just the sight but the scent of the mixture. Sasha politely excused herself from the table for a few moments, the sight of Chloe's concotion making her stomach do back flips.
Moving over to the barbeque pit, she watched as the red hot flames licked at the roasting boar over top of it. Her eyes began to lose focus as she concentrated every ounce of her being on the fire. She wasn't sure how long she had been staring at the fire before she was jossled out of her reverie.
"Luv?" came Kurt's soft, loving voice "Vut iz vrong? Are you vorried about your zizter and her baby?"
Sasha jumped slightly at the invading sound before she shook her head.
"No," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving the fire. Sasha felt Kurt's strong arms encircle her from behind and pulling her into a backwards embrace.
"Zen vut iz it?" Kurt's voice was suddenly filled with deep concern for his girl.
Sasha was quiet for several long seconds, seeimgly deciding how to form the words that she wanted to say.
"It's just...so much had happened over the last 6 months. Stacii's disappearance...that fact that she came back pregnant with a married man's baby...that long, drawn out fight between all the girls and guys...the sudden stress on Chloe...and to top it all off," Sasha sniffed slightly. "I lost my best friend!" Sasha cradled her head in her hands and began to weep silently.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what "friend" Sasha was talking about. Greg had played everyone for fools...Sasha in particular. He couldn't even begin to understand the pain Sasha was going through at having found out one of the most trusted men in her life had hurt her so much. Kurt squeezed Sasha a little closer to him in an attempt to calm her tears.
"Hey," he cooed soothingly into her ear "Everyzing vill be okay. You have your fazer, your zizterz, and mozt of all...you have me." Kurt guided Sasha around so that she was facing him. "I vill never...you hear me? Never let anyzing happen to you."
Sasha forced herself to smile as she felt her pain pouring out of her and being replaced by Kurt's love.
"How do you do that?" she asked, blinking the tears away from her eyes.
"Do vut?" he looked at her curiously.
"Make the world melt away until all that's left is you and me?"
Kurt smiled slightly and gave the tip of her nose a featherlight kiss. "I learned from ze bezt. It'z hov you make me feel every day."
Sasha pulled Kurt close for a hug. "Why Kurt, you ol' honey dripper!"
Sasha and Kurt held each other for sometime before they returned to the table. Sasha was glad to see that Chloe had finished her ice cream and pickled onions. She retook her seat and Kurt sat next to her, his arms still around her waist. She knew if he removed his arms she would surely collapse.
She watched as Chloe, Jon and Penny exchanged a three-way hug and when they pulled apart, Sasha -- feeling more stronger than a few minutes ago -- put on a brave face and did the same, as did Lorrie, whispering their congratulations into Chloe's ears.
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Over the next month, the hottest conversation topic had been Chloe and her impending pregnancy. Over the last few weeks she had started to show, making her feel more than a little self-conscious so Sasha helped her compensate by getting her a bunch of baggy, yet very fashionable, clothes. Chloe had seem to brighten up a little after that.
The guys were only too happy to offer to fix up one of Chloe's larger, walk-in closets as a nursey and the girls had called dibs on decorating the room. Sasha knew Chloe was feeling a little useless so she offered to take Chloe out for the day...just the two of them...a lil one-on-one sister time.
The first place they hit was an upscale art gallery. Both girls shared a deep, ingrown passion for art -- Chloe in the musical aspect and Sasha in the visual. The gallery was done in trendy glass and polished chrome. Of course, their reason for stopping wasn't so much for the art but more for the opportunity to release a little tension. To do this, the sisters drifted along through the crowd, critiquing people.
"Now that color would look good on you," Sasha smiled. "It's not doing a thing for her."
"Nah," Chloe giggled. "I don't care for the cut of the dress, on the other hand that one," she pointed to a different outfit "That one I like!"
"And look at the person wearing it," Sasha giggled, "Can you say "woof!" Both girls fell down into fits of giggles drawing the attention from several people near them.
Chloe continued to look around the room, pointing at random people. "Gay...gay...gay...not gay...gay...not gay but on the waiting list!"
"Shh!" Sasha said, giggling harder. "Oooo, Coco...you are soooo evil!"
Chloe smiled wickedly and placed her index fingers next to her head mimicking lil devil horns, scrunching up her nose.
The girls spent another half hour quietly mocking the people around them before they decided to head off in search of a bite to eat. Eventually, they wound up at the same little bistro they had discovered several months ago when they had taken Kitty and Jubes shopping.
This time, the girls found themselves having to eat inside, the cool air of November being a little too crisp to be eating el'frisco.
Soon, after their customary ice teas and salads, Sasha and Chloe made their way to the nearby mall where they hit every store. They shopped wholesale, they went through the outlet stores, and they crawled the mall from stem to stern. Now that she would soon be getting bigger, Chloe was determined to make over her whole wardrobe. Sasha, very indulgently, went along for the ride. Shopping by yourself, of course, was no fun. The girls even treated themselves to a new make-over.
Chloe had just finished having highlights put into her dark blonde hair when they decided to stop for a rest in the food court. Chocolate milkshakes were justified as being perfectly sensible nutrition and they sat overlooking the galleria.
Chloe was obviously in much better spirits than she had been earlier that day, and she was now taking the lead in the course of the days events. As soon as she had emptied her cup she threw it in the trash, she grabbed Sasha's hand and giggled, pulling her up into a standing position.
"There's three more levels here in this mall we haven't even graced with our presence. C'mon, we're burnin' daylight."
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During the following week the men-folk started to get a hold of everything they would need to build the nursery. Sasha would pass through the room many times during the day to bring a drink or a quick meal to the guys as they worked.
About mid afternoon on Friday, Sasha reappeared with her usual tray of goodies, this time dressed in a french maid outfit that was so short that everytime she bent over her chest threaten to pop out of the front and her rear to nearly expose itself. Most of the guys paid her no heed, believing that she was just in a playful kind of mood...except Kurt.
Sasha watched the guys as they watched Kurt. His eyes glazed over and he began to visibily salivate. Logan and Remy, both very bare-chested, stood in the corner with their hands over their mouths as they tried desperately to hid their smirking expressions.
Sasha walked over to where Kurt and Bobby stood and purposely leaned over Kurt to offer Bobby something from the tray.
"Bobby," she heard Kurt whisper to his friend "take ze tray!" This caused Sasha to smile inwardly.
"Huh?" Bobby looked at the blue mutant with a puzzled expression.
"Take ze tray," he whispered again, more firmly, and Bobby dutifully complied.
As soon as the tray was pulled from her hands, Sasha felt a strong arm slide around her waist as Kurt hefted her lithe form over his shoulder and made a mad dash out of the room. Sasha began to giggle wildly.
The last thing Kurt said before dashing from the room was "I call 15 minute break!" and the guys all broke into a roaring laughter.
Bobby looked around at all the other guys and arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Is that all it takes? 15 minutes?"
This only caused Logan and Remy to laugh harder.
"No' if y' d' it right, mon amis," the Cajun replied as he retrieved yet another beer.
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The next day Paige, Val, Jubes, and Sasha made their way into Chloe's room to wash down the walls in preparation for Remy to give it a good paint job the next day.
The task didn't take as long as one might've guessed, of course it didn't help matters with Kurt coming in every fifteen minutes. It was obvious that he was trying to retaliate against Sasha for her antics the previous day. Everytime he came in he was wearing one less piece of clothing.
Kurt had been dressed very formally at first in a blue blazer, jeans and a black tie. First to go was the jacket...then the shirt...following by the slacks...until Kurt was left wearing nothing but his tie and a matching, skimpy pair of blazing red speedos.
Sasha groaned inwardly in spite of herself. Quickly, she finished up the wall she was washing, grabbed Kurt's hand, and fled the room. The rest of the girls stared after the couple for several long seconds, smiling widely at their friends youthful exurberence before they too finished up and went on in search of their own guys.
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Sasha and Kurt spent most of the evening up in Sasha room...worshipping each other. They didn't even make it back downstairs until well after 9pm, and it was the same the next night too. Charles didn't pry...he had learned his lesson last year when he had walked in on Kurt and Sasha in bed...instead he decided to live in blissful ignorance.
Most everyone was gathered down in the kitchen by the time Sasha and Kurt arrived to replenish their hunger. Chloe and Remy followed them in a few minutes later, having just returned from their evening of dancing at Club 54.
"How was your date dear?" Charles asked as he, once again, haunted the coffee pot.
"Wonderful as always, Remy and Gambit spoil me" Chloe giggled and grabbed a glass of milk.
No more than five minutes later, a familiar voice crackled over the P.A. system...
"Hello? excuse me, is anyone in there?" Hank said.
Chloe leaned over and pushed the button, saying sweetly "Comin' in loud and clear Blue bear, what's the skinny on the medicinal side, give Coco-licious the props daddy-o" then clicked it off again as everyone busted out in laughter.
"Yo yo yo Cocolicious chicka girly! Blue bear here got the skinny for you, girly in a heated way and the weather's bitchin babe...wanna hang with the big cat?" Hank chuckled.
Everyone was still laughing when Chloe reached behind Remy now and leaned over his shoulder to press the intercom button. "Sounds good t' go Blue baby. Cocolicious gots the sweet goods, she's bringin the home posse with her, read ya sweet and fine luv."
"Vut vaz all of zat?" Kurt asked her chuckling
"In short, lil bro, it means Stacii is in labour and we gots kin on the way, in other words… Sean, yours and Emma's baby is on the way."
Quickly, everyone high-tailed it towards the infirmary. On the way, Chloe turn to Cece. "Sorry, Cece, I taught Hank Coco-inese," she giggled.
"Don't be sista-girlfriend, maybe now he can carry a conversation with someone other then the dictionary, thanks...I'm eternally grateful."
"No prob" she giggled back.
Charles, Sean, and Emma were the only ones allowed to go into the delivery room, leaving everyone else to stew in their thoughts well into the night. Three hours later still no one had heard anything on how the labour was going.
"C'mon chere you need t' go t' bed an' rest f'r our bebe," Remy whispered to Chloe as she fought to say awake.
"I'll just cuddle up here with you sweetie, side's I think I'm gonna take t'morra off. I just feel the need t' catch up on some sleep been feelin' a lil more tired lately."
"If Remy et Gambit's amour say she needs dat den dat's wad she do" He told her as he sat in the window sill and let her crawl up and rest sitting between his legs, and huddled into his chest. Sasha walked over and laid a blanket over her sister.
The room quickly grew very quiet and stayed that way for some time. Occaisionally the odd whisper flittered around the room but for the most part silence reigned surpreme.
Sasha titled her head up to one of Kurt's pointed ears and excused herself briefly.
For several long minutes, Sasha stood in front of one of the large mirrors in the washroom, taking several deep breaths. She turned on both the hot and cold water taps, waiting until the temperature ran luke warm. Dipping her hands into the water, she cupped them, catching some of the water and bringing it up to splash on her face.
Sasha looked back into the mirror at her reflection, water beading on her skin. "Goddess," she whispered almost inaudibly "Goddess, please let this child be alright...and the mother too. Stacii may deserve a lot of things, but not that...and Sean is too good a man to have that happen to him."
Sasha sighed heavily, taking a final look in the mirror, dried her face and hands, then returned to the others in the waiting room.
When she arrived, Sasha found that Hank, Sean, Emma, and her father were now present. Sasha looked around the room, sensing that someone was now missing.
"Where's Chloe?" she asked softly.
Silently, everyone pointed to the infirmary doors. Arching an eyebrow questioningly, Sasha pushed open the doors and slowly walked into the sterile, chrome-plaited room, and immediately spotted Chloe and Lorrie standing at the far end, their backs to her.
Taking very nimble steps, Sasha approached quietly until she sidled up next to her sisters. Chloe held a small bundle in her arms and she cooed softly to it. Chloe smiled at Sasha warmly before passing to bundle to Lorrie and, as one, the three sisters turned and walked back out the room and into the waiting room.
Sasha and Chloe both headed towards their special guys while Lorrie approached Sean with the delicate bundle.
"Meet your son, Sean," then handed the baby over. Sean began to silently weep as he took the baby from Lorrie and and began the process of bonding with his baby.
Sasha placed a hand lightly on the baby boy's forehead and smiled.
"His spirit is strong...he will do a lot of good for the world...a Champion," Sasha whispered to Sean and Emma, and they smiled in return.
After about fifteen minutes, while Sean continued to bond with the baby, Sasha kept an eye on Emma. The woman was obviously feeling extremely out of place, and it was equally obvious, even to the casual obvserver, that Emma wished she could've been the one to give such a precious gift to her loving husband.
Lorrie, Chloe and Sasha smiled and nodding to each other as if a silent conversation had just taken place. Lorrie walked up to Sean, smiling sweetly, and took the baby from him. She turned to Emma and spoke.
"Emma, meet your godson."
Emma's eyes glazed over and she looked to the girls. Sasha and Chloe gave her a waam smile and nodded, telling her that it was true. She took the child from Lorrie's arms and cradled him to her body.
After his wife had taken her moments with her step-son, Sean urged the woman forward.
"It's time he meet's his Guardian Auntgel's" Emma smiled, using Chloe's terminology. This made everyone smile broadly.
"He not only needs to meet his Guardian Auntgel but also the one that not only made him a home and family but all of us under this roof a family" Sean said, bringing the baby over to where Chloe was sitting. "Chloe it was your thinking that brought us all together and under this roof making us all friends, family and home, thank you!"
Sean passed the infant off into Chloe's arms.
"Really Sean I just got lucky t' hold onta a thought or two b'fore it flew passed me is all, 'sides it's not fair t' half pint here not t' have some kind o' family" Chloe replied as she cuddled the baby into her arms and pulled the blankets back to have a good look at him.
"Hey lil dude! OoOo… yare a cutie-patootie… yea ya are… I can see where me an' m' other 2 sissy's are gonna need t' buy baseball bats t' keep the lil girly chicka's off the porch… Now ok… you and Auntie Coco need t' have a lil pow-wow right now, I don't like holdin' back so here goes alrighty… yare only allowed get attached t' me at an arms distance kay baby doll? …This is the only one auntie chicka that… well… she can't never make solid promises though she'd love too… all she can do is try… but I can promise t' teach ya t' play guitar so ya can serenade those girlys but shhh we won't tell, Auntie chicka here's got yare back… n hey ya look like yare daddy… yes ya do luv… and with any luck… a better ability t' play charades" Chloe ended in a giggle as the lil one coo'd in her arms. She looked up at Sean, forcing him to bust up in pride, trying to hide his blushing face.
"Sean what ya gonna name mine an' m' two sissy's nephew?" Chloe asked him, smiling sweetly.
"Well… Emma and I talked about this, and seeing as you three girls have taken on so much and have given Emma and I so much back…well, we would like you three to name him."
Lorrie was the first to speak. "Unlike my other two sisters who didn't get to be there when he was born, I'd like to leave the naming up to Chloe and Sasha, if that's alright with you two?"
Everyone looked to Chloe and Sasha expectantly.
"I like the name Brennan" Sasha started, then looked to Chloe for her input.
"I know his name we all here had decided upon would be Xavier," Chloe added, "but… there's no denying his looks, he's a Cassidy all over, so I here by dub thee Brennan Cassidy Xavier!" Sean and Emma started to tear up before Chloe added "But… I'mma call him Gomer!" The waiting room filled with a chorus of laughter.
It wasn't long before everyone started to toddle off to bed now that the evenings excitement was over. Hank, Cece, and Lorrie headed back into the delivery room with the baby, promising they would be allowed to see him again in the morning.
------
Over the next few weeks, Emma and Sean learned all the ins and outs of parenthood...everything from changing diapers to feeding techniques. They were even able to arrange for a special nursery to be built that connected the sisters and Sean and Emma's rooms so they'd be able to reach him no matter which of the four rooms they were in.
Sasha thought it was a grand idea, and seeing as how it wouldn't be long before she would be leaving for college she was dubbed as Bren's unofficial nanny so she could spend as much time with him as possible before she had to leave.
Lorrie and Chloe were more than happy to give Sasha that responsibility, knowing that even though Chloe had an emotional connection to Bren, Sasha had a more spiritual connection with the baby...knowing instictively what he was crying for -- if he was hungry or needing to be changed -- or that she always seemed to know that he was crying no matter where she was in the house and without the use of a baby monitor. At one pointed Charles had even wondered if Sasha was a latent telepath even though she had never shown any such signs before.
Sasha had been in the top of all her classes so Charles had written her off from having to attend final exams. She was even able to arrange for her full-time care of Bren to be counted towards her co-op marks.
One Saturday afternoon, Sasha sat with Bren in his new nursery. She was in the rocking chair by the window and Bren was pressed up against her. He was sleeping lightly against her chest.
Kurt walked in through the door leading to her room bringing with him a small tray of goodies. She had hardly left the nursery all day. Bren had been restless in the night, Hank reporting that the child had a touch of colic and Sasha watched to make sure everything was already before leaving him alone.
Kurt smiled as he watched Sasha rocking gently back and forth in the chair.
"What are you smiling about?" Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
Kurt sat the tray on the table next to Sasha so she could pick at the food. "It'z juzt zat you look zo natural viz ze baby. I bet you'll be a great mozer zomeday."
"It's really not that difficult. You just gotta remember that no matter how bad your day has been, the minute you sit in the rocker with a baby on your lap, your cheek against the top of his head, nothing matters anymore. Everything is right in the world again."
Kurt smiled again. "Hov did you get to be zo good viz children?"
Sasha mirrored Kurt's smile. "Y'see, the trick is to treat them like they're adults...tiny, stupid adults!"
Sasha and Kurt's pleasant conversation was suddenly cut off by Remy's familiar voice crackling over the P.A. system.
"Can da active X-members, Charles, an' soeur de lil Sasha come t' dey War Room se vous plait"
Sasha and Kurt exchanged a wary glance, both confused as to what this unscheduled meeting was about. Kurt helped Sasha to rise from the rocker, both being careful not to accidently wake baby Bren, and make their way from the room.
------
As soon as the trio arrived in the War Room, Sasha passed Bren off to Lorrie to hold for a while so she could take a little break. Of course, she sat right next to her sister just in case Bren should need her.
All eyes turned to the head of the table where Remy was pacing back and forth in frustration. Logan was the first to speak.
"Alright Cajun ya got us all here what's up?" Logan said as he turned a chair around and sat down.
"Chis'mas is comin' non?"
The room echoed with a slow unified "Yeah?"
"'Kay den…. Remy … dat is Gambit…'e t'inks… ummm…" Remy struggled with the words, growing more frustrated with each passing moment.
"What's wrong Rem?" Bobby coaxed.
"Well…'lright dis da t'ing, Remy et Gambit an' mon chere amour we been t'geder f'r long time now non? … Oui!… an' now 'er givin' us a bebe… Remy et Gambit wanna… We been tryin' too ax… MES DIEUX… 'Ere 'e goes 'gain!" Remy finally dropped into a chair with his head into his hands so fed up and frustrated with him self.
The girls all looked to each other in a surprised shock, each realizing exactly what Remy was driving at.
"Rem dude, you sayin you finally at long last wanna pop thee question to baby girl?" Jon said out loud in shock, a slow sly smile spreading across his face.
Remy jumped up. "Dat's it bra! T'anks homme! Remy et Gambit quickly learnin' t' fuckin' 'ate words!"
Lorrie and Sasha looked to each other in ecstatic shock. Sasha slowly got up, came to Remy's side, and chucked him in the shoulder as she always did with Chloe. With a hand on her hip she giggle out.
"Well… it took ya long enough!" The room busted up in laughter, which put a smile on Remy and he started laughing too.
"All right Remy you wanna know an almost sure fire-way to get her to not say no… and as you all know, nothing with Chloe is fool proof or sure fire, but it may be your only chance to pull this off…" Sasha replied.
"Ok folks listen up. Sasha and I have been thinking this through for ages and if Remy hopes to have any prayer to make this stick with Care Bear, I suggest you take our suggestion here Remy" Lorrie added, holding Bren close to her.
"Dat's why Remy called you all 'ere, 'e needs suggestions on dis."
"My sister made the right choice; you're a smart man Remy" Sasha praised him. With that said, Sasha and Lorrie laid the whole plan out for Remy, and indeed everyone else in the room. Preparations were well underway.
------
Two hours later, everyone emerged from the War Room, all dawning large smiles and quite happy with the plan they had come up with. Making their way into the kitchen, they found Chloe already present and Stacii digging through the fridge. The smiles quickly faded as they tried not to accidently reveal what they had just spoke about.
Chloe got up from her seat and snuggled herself into Remy's waiting arms. "How's the room lookin'?" she chimed.
"It's…" Logan was quickly cut off.
"What room?" Stacii asked as she shut the fridge door and turned around, looking to Chloe.
"The baby's nursery?"
"No one told me Bren was getting his own room?"
"Yeah, well you're not included in all our conversations...and that wouldn't really concern you neither, but that's not what we were talking about." Sean said matter-of-factly before he and Emma went back to their pleasant conversation with Jon, Penny, Remy & Chloe.
"I don't get it?" said Stacii.
"Why is that not surprising!" Lorrie retorted.
"The new baby's room" Jubes said as she poured herself and her boyfriend Bobby each a cup of coffee.
"Yeah Bren's… Which by the way I hate the names you two chose for my son!" Stacii sneered.
"Too damn bad! I think his name is perfect, and it stays! For MY son, speaking of which, here ya go Momma Em" Sean spat out before turning to Emma and handing her the baby to hold so he could take the beer Warren passed him.
"Non not Bren's t'ough 'e will get da perks o' usin' it f'om time t' time, mais dis is f'r mon amour an' Remy et Gambit's bebe" Remy told her then opened his beer while still holding onto Chloe who was cuddling him.
"NO WAY!" Stacii yelled, scaring Bren and making him cry as Emma, Chloe and Penny tried shushing the lil one.
Charles rolled into the room upon hearing the commotion.
"What is your major malfunction now Stacii? Tell me is it physically impossible for you to be in the same room with someone and not start an argument?"
"Why does Chloe's lil freak get it's own room?" Stacii seethed.
Gambit suddenly rearing out with a fistful of kinetically-charged cards caused Stacii to quickly back up against the wall in fear. Sean & Warren did their best to hold him back as many of the other men started jumping in to help.
"Stacii I will not have you speak of Chloe and Remy's child in such a manner -- not to mention your niece or nephew, and more so yet my grandchild -- do you hear me, child?"
"Fine sorry" Stacii shot out. Chloe, clearly on the verge of tears, shook like a wet leave in the wind. Kurt had the presence of mind to step forward and do what he could to sooth her nervous.
"Zere zere Chloe, your baby is not vut zhe zayz!" Kurt gave Stacii a sneering look of his own
That ended the conversation. Stacii ate her dinner in silence while others visited around her.
------
The arrival of Christmas saw the house decked out as it had been previous year...a beautifully decorated tree, brightly wrapped gift boxes piled high --nearly to the ceiling -- and Logan and Scott once again the first ones under the tree, but this year they were joined by Remy and Jon and all four were vigorously shaking the boxes.
Earlier, when the younger kids had first ventured down, Logan had somehow convinced Kurt to dress up in an elf costume and had been trying to convince many of them that Kurt was one of Santa's elves. Sasha had sat back and watched the display from across the room, an amused expression on her face as she sat and talked with Kitty and Jubes.
Charles soon appeared in the livingroom. This year he wore a set of reindeer antlers and ringing a set of jingle bells, but this time Pooky trailed along behind him wearing the same Santa hat Charles had wore last year.
"Good morning everyone!" Charles bellowed like Santa. Everyone laughed out lod at Charles' exuberance.
Lorrie passed Bren to Chloe.
"Merry Cocomas sis, how's the lil one?" Sasha giggled as Chloe joined her sister on the couch, directing her attention to Bren in Chloe's arms.
"Not bad, getting' bigger and a lil tender in spots, but doing alright. Thanks fer asking."
"Hey Coco let me take him, your carrying enough now" Jean said on coming over happily and taking the baby from Chloe's arms.
Cable and Bishop had found a pair of toy dart guns and began shooting all the girls in the butt with them, making everyone laugh.
"I'm not getting up!" Chloe giggled "Furthermore, hittin' m' backside is like hittin' the broadside o' a barn...ya can't miss it! Logan, got a yield sign out in the garage I can use?"
"Nope darlin' you look just great!" Logan replied, giving her a firm nod.
"Okay," Charles said, rubbing his hands together, "This year I'd like to differ the duty of passing out the presents to our soon to be college-bound girl...the apple of my eye...my dearest Sasha."
Sasha squealed happily as she kneeled next to the tree.
"I feel just like Santa Claus...except thinner...and younger...and female...and well, Wiccan," she giggled as she began to pass everything out.
It took longer than the previous year to undo the tree due to the simple fact that there was many more people in the house -- at least a good three hours. When everything had been passed out, many of the men were teasing the kids by taking their toys just so they could play with them.
Hank was busy playing with his new kitten that Chloe had gotten for him, and Jubes was trying to teach her new pet/familiar...a parrot... to talk.
Once again, everyone made out like bandits, Bren most of all as this was his first Christmas. Of course, just like all other children his age, Bren was more content to play with the wrapping paper that currently littered the livingroom floor.
Charles shook his head and looked sidewardly at Sasha, "Look at that. My grandson, the richest mutant in the world, and he's happy as a clam playing in wrapping."
Sasha smiled broadly. "I suppose you never built stuff out of empty boxes either or played with bubble wrap when you were his age? It's very therapeudic."
"Well, yeah, but I was rather hoping Bren would buy the box companies first." Charles then turned his sole attention to his daughter. "So, have you heard any responses from the colleges you applied to?"
Sasha shook her head. "Not yet, but they should be rolling in anytime now."
At one point, Chloe made a move to stand.
"Alrighty everyone, I'm going to make some tea and start to get things on for brunch, might take a bit though as I don't move quite as fast as I use too" Chloe giggled.
"Sound good sis, or is it Quack-quack girly now?" Sasha mirrored her sisters' giggle.
"Ya do realize that yare day will come and guess who will be standin' behind ya when it happens chicka sista" Chloe laughed hard as Sasha's expression changed immediately and stared blankly at her for a moment before bursting out laughing.
Chloe began her careful walk and got into the kitchen when Lorrie ran in behind her.
"We can do this in a bit…"
Lorrie was cut off as people outside the kitchen in the sitting room began making noise. Both Chloe and Lorrie came out and looked into the sitting room. Everyone was clustered around the windows and muttering so low that it was difficult to differentient any of the words.
Chloe made an attempt to look over Piotr's shoulder but he was too tall to see over so she wandered out of the room and to the front foyer and opened the door. On opening the door Chloe stepped out onto the porch and standing before her was a large, white Clydesdale horse and next to it stood Remy. He was clad head-to-toes in a polished, silver, suit of armour with a colurful tunic flowing down his front and back and a very sharp-looking sword hanging from his hip. His back was to her, having just dismounted the horse.
Everyone watching from the livingroom and those that had clustered behind Chloe watched the display in a complicated combination of fascination and silent shock. Even though they couldn't hear what was being said outside, Chloe and Remy's expressions and actions gave them a good indication.
Sasha watched as Chloe stood on the front porch, shaking for several longs seconds. Sasha's eyes began to sparkle as she watched Remy slip a delicate golden ring onto her sister's finger, kissed her hand, and pulled her close to him in grand embrace.
A silent cheer made its way around the house as the happy couple made their way in from the cold. Everyone wanted to be the first to congratulate Remy and Chloe but knew they needed some time for the realization to set in.
Chloe looked into the sitting room just as everyone attempted to look like they hadn't been eavesdropping.
"Lor, Sash, Dad your really not gonna believe this… but…" Chloe said a lil in a disbelieving giggle as the pair walked into the room. Chloe gave a half smile and turned her hand to then display the ring to the room. Sasha and Lorrie jumped up first and exploded in a sheer exhilaration of bliss.
"Oh my Gods SIS!" they said in unison and flew to Chloe and Remy, crying hard and hugging them both for dear life as the room exploded with cheers and tears.
Chloe pulled away from Remy and her sisters and approached Charles. He was visibly trying desperately to hold in his tears. Chloe knelt down by her father and they, too, held each other and wept happily.
When Chloe had finally broke away, Charles rolled forward and took a firm grasp on Remy's hand, looking him straight in the eye, and spoke in a deadly serious tone.
"Remy, you have worked for me for years, but this is by far different, if you ever so much as do anything to cause her any harm, or if you not there to stop the harm from ever coming onto her, just so you know there is nothing in this world or any other for that matter that will save you from not just her sisters but my wrath!"
"Chuck, Remy et Gambit is never leavin' 'er side… ever!"
"That's damn good to know Gumbo! So now I won't have to turn you into shish kebob" Logan sneered a lil as his claws came out.
"Claws, let Remy et Gambit make somet'ing perfectly clear t' you, dere won' be not'ing t' turn int' shiska anyt'ing if Remy et Gambit be wrong, under'tand homme?"
Remy and Logan gave each other and understanding nod.
Chloe got up and sat on Remy's lap as then everyone came to the newly engaged couple with their congratulations
Jubes and Kitty got up with Val and Paige.
"You stay with Rem, Coco" Jubes said.
"We'll do brunch" Kitty finished.
"Thanks I appreciated that chickas
Chloe cuddled into Remy's lap as Pooky-Doo came in, making himself comfortable in his mistress lap and went to sleep.
"So what kinda wedding you want sis?" Sasha gushed, holding her sisters hand and checking out her ring.
"I dunno really...I guess something small, I suppose," Chloe replied in a non-commital way.
"No, not good enough for me!" Charles interjected. "Chloe you've always went all the way and over the top my dear. That's just who you are and that's the way this is going to be. You, my child, will have a wedding befitting that of a queen with nothing held back, and no expense will be spared...do you understand me?"
"I don't have the slightest clue how t' plan one" Chloe said in a near-whisper.
"You leave that to me Chloe, that's what your old Popsy is for. You, your sisters and friends here will take you out for you to choose your dress. Now, when would you like to do this?"
"Okay, umm… I guess whenever Remy wants too, but I'd kinda like t' wait till after I have the baby, if that's alright?"
"If chere wan' t' wait till a'ter she 'ave our bebe den dat's da way it is, any time a'ter dat is tre bien f'r 'im?" Remy smiled at Chloe as Sean passed him a beer.
"Chloe sista, everything for some reason seems to happen for you on holidays," Sasha piped up, "you were born on Valentines, You first met Remy on August 2nd...Lammas, then graduated college the following year on April 30th...Beltane, You found out you were expecting on Samhain, and now you got engaged on Christmas… Chloe you have no choice… this is a sign from the gods, even the spirits from Samhain sent you messages and out right claimed Remy as the chosen one for you. Chloe ya gotta get married on a holiday too."
"Okay, how do ya feel about, say, next year on Christmas Eve then?" Chloe asked timidly, looking to Remy.
"Dat's wad chere wan's dat wad chere gets" he kissed her sweetly and tickled her, making her giggle out sweetly.
------
Over the many coming weeks, Charles had started discussing things in private with Chloe and Remy about wedding preparations. Remy, much to Chloe's chargrin, took a brief leave of absense so he could return to Lousiana and address his people, informing them as to what would be happening.
Remy came back with trinkets for Chloe, handfuls of coral and gems, from the south since she had never been there or didn't know anything about so was thrilled with the gifts.
Jokingly, when Remy first arrived home, Sasha greeted him with the question, "So, whatcha bring me?" and giggled.
"Dis," Remy smiled and threw a mock punch at her, which she easily evaded. Sasha and Remy's relationship had become much the same as Chloe and Logan's -- living to mock torture each other, ribbing and joking.
------
One early afternoon in March found Sasha livid beyond all reasoning.
The X-gang looked up as Sasha walked into the livingroom, Chloe and Lorrie trailing in her wake. Her body was rigid, hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes sizzled with anger. Without saying a word to anyone, she grabbed her dragon-shaped pillow off the couch, stalked up to the closet and shut herself in.
For the next several minutes, muffled screams and thumps were heard through the door. Occasionally, the same line could be heard being reiterated…
"Bastard son of Grimace! Die! Die, stuffed ball of fluff! Illegitimate Teletubbie! Die, you Muppet from Hell! Die, you foam motherfucker!"
It was truly a rare thing to hear Sasha use such language, it was even a rarer thing for her to be more than three feet from Bren since she had been dubbed his nanny. Everyone exchanged a multi-directional worried glance.
Kurt approached the closet warily and gently tapped on the door.
"Luv? Iz everyzing okay?"
There was a long silence before the door cracked open slightly. "No."
"Vut'z vrong?"
"My life is over!" Sasha wailed. "Chloe bought Bren a children's CD and that hideous thing was on it. It's all he wants to listen to!" The door slammed shut and there was more screaming and thumping, clearly she was repeating her former curse words.
Logan looked over at Chloe and Lorrie. Both had very amused expressions on their faces.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked, gesturing to the closet.
Chloe smiled wryly. "Do you want the answer alphabetically or in chronological order?"
Lorrie jabbed Chloe jokingly. "Bren has discovered Barney."
"Barney?" Scott asked. "You mean that obnoxious purple dinosaur from that children's television show?"
"One in the same," Chloe replied, plunking down in a seat next to Remy. "Sasha really hates him. Y'all remember that nightshirt of hers that says 'Support Children's Television...Kill Barney'? It's best you never mention his name in her presence."
Kurt looked helplessly at the closet door for a few moments before he squared his shoulders. "Okay, I'm goin in." He disappeared into the closet.
"Brave guy," Bobby commented, turning back to his book.
The screaming stopped almost immediately and was replaced by more intriguing noises. Chloe and Remy exchanged mischievous smiles and turned the couch to face the closet. Jubes and Kitty perched themselves on the arms and joined them. A few minutes later, when Kurt and Sasha emerged flushed and rumpled, they had an audience that applauded and cheered loudly.
Sasha blushed wildly and threw the pillow at them. "That's not fair, teasing a girl when she's down!"
"But it was fun!" Jubes replied, smiling. "Why, on earth, did you do all that anyway?"
"It was that or destroy a perfectly good CD player," Sasha said, flopping down in the space between Kitty and Remy. Sasha looked hopelessly at Chloe. "Why? Why did you do it?"
Chloe smiled widely. "Cuz it's fun to watch your face turn five different colors in thirty seconds. One more color and I think your head might explode...that might be kinda cool!"
"Gee thanks, sis...love you too!"
Scott leaned forward in his chair. "Why do you hate this dinosaur so much?"
"Barney is the lowest form of entertainment...he talks down to kids,he's annoyingly cheerful...and when the show is done you can literally feel the I.Q. level in the room jump 40 points. Barney is second only to Mr Rogers on my most hated children's entertainers."
Bobby's head shot up from his book. "Hey, what's wrong with Mr. Rogers?"
Sasha scoffed. "He's just as bad as Barney...maybe worse. Now Mr Dressup and Fred Penner...that was real children's entertainment!"
"Hell yeah!" Logan chorused, praising the Canadian children's entertainment industry. He started ticking off other Canadian children's shows on his fingers "and Today's Special...Polka Dot Door...Sesame Street...Sharon, Lois, and Bram..." Logan trail off when he realized everyone was staring at him.
"Hey!" he said defensively, "This is a house full of kids...someone has to show them quality Canadian entertainment!"
Everyone broke down into fits of giggles.
------
Chloe, now getting bigger by the day as she neared the end of her second trimester and began her third, shuffled her way into the kitchen to fix some tea, on this wet spring morning.
"Good morning my dear how is Miss Momma Dr. Coco this damp day?" Hank greeted her happily and helped assist her into the room, taking her arm and guiding her to Remy.
"She'd be tonnes better if her back would stop hurtin'?" Chloe giggled happily.
"You're doing so well and have such a great disposition Chloe. You just hang in there just a few short months to go before the lil one is ready alright" Hank explained, trying to keep her spirits high.
"And until then, the lil one is turning momma into the incredible expanding woman" Chloe giggled, everyone soon joining in on the laughter.
Sasha looked up from the newspaper. "Hey sis, wanna go shopping for the baby today? I had seen these cute lil blankets I wanted to get some for Bren and thought you might be interested as well, what do you think?"
"Yeah ok, I wanna pick up some things for the wedding too"
Quickly, all the other x-women got in on the shopping trip. Stacii had ventured in for a cup of coffee in the middle of the conversation, though she had been so quiet no one had seen her enter.
"I want to pick up a new dress for the wedding too, seen some nice ones at Neimen Marcus and s…" Sasha had started to say before she was so rudely cut off.
"What wedding?" Stacii asked. Up to that point, much of the wedding discussion had been done one on one or in Charles office. Not to mention that Stacii didn't pay attention to her surroundings and was always only concerned about herself.
"Chloe's wedding! Where have you been living?" Charles replied.
"So what poor-assed sap was willing to take this basket case on?" she said snidely. "Sides ain't it enough she's daring to spawn forth, not to mention if you mix raw sewage with stagnant pond water you're sure as hell ain't going to get Evian!"
"And these are the wise words from someone with no college education, no prospects, no control of her life, and ignores the child she claims as hers when it is her 3 sister's that have been raising him and I might add doing an incredible job of it too!" Charles spat back as he casually took his place at the head of the breakfast table.
"That may be true dad, but I'm still bright enough to know, that this whole charade is totally laughable...it's a joke!"
"Can't be that smart if you're stupid enough to let what's happened in your life have happened!" Chloe said quietly, more or less to herself.
"Chloe get a clue, do you honestly think this is really gonna happen for you?"
"Since when have you ever cared what's happened to or for me?"
"I don't! I just want you to see the humor in it that I do" and with that, Stacii left the kitchen to go on with her normal daily secretarial duties.
Remy had sat down next to Sasha and began to nonchalantly tickle the back of her neck on the pretence of flicking off a piece of lint.
"Ignore her Chloe, she's just jealous" Sasha said leaning next to her sister before turning sharply to Remy and laughing in spite of herself. "Stop that Remy...you pig!" Then stuck her tongue out to him and laughed with Chloe.
Remy caught the teasing. "Dat's 'nuff, Sash. Remy et Gambit know soeur de lil wan' 'im mais 'e all Chere's, 'e ain' dat kinda man!"
Sasha blush hard and the room erupted in laughter. "Good one Rem I didn't even see that one coming!" she whispered.
"Chere, Remy gonna do some work in da nursery while you out wit' soeur de lil?"
"Alright honey, I'll see you when we get back then," Chloe kissed him sweetly as she left with Sasha and Penny.
------
The girls were gone for a good five hours, having also stopped for a quick bite to eat at the little bistro that had quickly become their favorite restaurant. The girls had dutifullied "Ooo'd" and "Ahhh'd" at the wedding dresses Chloe had tried on before finally deciding on one.
Sasha, even though she would be wearing her Priestess robes during the ceremony itself, wanted to have a little something new to wear for the reception. She chose a stunningly gorgeous tan shealth dress that reached down to just above her knees, with delicate spaghetti straps.
Soon, when everyone was quite happy with their purchases for the day, they returned to the mansion.
While Chloe headed on up to her own room, Remy had redirected the others girls attention, shuffling them all into his room.
Sasha looked around at the nursey Remy had built in his own room, marvelling at all the intricately carved French-made furniture that adorned it.
"Sis is gonna love this Remy! I have never seen such beautiful pieces of furniture," Sasha said, looking around the room. The other women agreed with her.
"T'anks, soeur de lil. Dey nursery dats' in mon Chere's room...dat's basically a cover we guys 'ave been usin' so we could build dis e'tra 'pecial one."
"It's awesome Rem" Lorrie said happily.
"Yeah, it is!" came a voice from out of now where. The girls looked around the room, trying to find the speaker. The voice clearly belonged to Bobby yet now one could see him.
"Hey," came Bobby's voice again, and said in his best Friendly Giant impression, "Look up...waaaaaay up!"
The girls burst out in hard laughter when their eyes fell on Bobby...duct-taped spread-eagle to the ceiling of the nursery. Sasha was laughing so hard that she began to tear up. Once Bobby was released from his "Red Green/Possom Lodge" prision and told the guys just where to go and how to get there, everyone began to file out.
Once back in the hall, Remy locking the door behind him as usual, the girls heading down to begin fixing dinner and the guys trailing in their wake.
------
"Hey Chloe can you help Jubes and I figure out college courses? Well, more Jubes then me" Sasha asked her sister as they entered the kitchen. Jubes stuck her tongue out at Sasha who, in turn, chucked her in the arm playfully.
"Sure what's up chicka sis" Chloe said as she continued to fix dinner.
"Well I don't know what I want to do?" Jubes replied solemnly.
"Alright, but you don't have t' decided what ya wanna major in right away. Just take some courses that interest ya fer now till ya feel out what ya wanna do later."
"Alright, I'll look at few then see what peaks my interest."
"What about you Sash, ya send inta some colleges yet?" Chloe turned to her littlest sister.
"Yeah I was looking at NYU and a few others"
"Any one you're leanin' towards?"
"Haven't made anything concrete yet. I want to go to the campus' and check them out first, maybe make a meeting with the Dean."
"Good, don't jump on anythin' till ya're sure about it" Chloe replied, shoving dinner into the oven before finding herself wrapped up in Remy's arms.
"Not gonna, girly sis. I've talked to dad and he's helping me make arrangements to go to the schools for some interviews and tours in the next couple weeks."
"Coolioz, what 'bout the rest o' ya? Gettin' idea's fer colleges?" Chloe attention was suddenly redirected as Kurt sidled up next to her and whispered in her ear. He looked very solemn and Sasha thought that was odd, as her boyfriend was nearl;y always a happy, go-lucky person. She decided to ask him about it later.
------
Kurt arrived in the foyer shortly before nine. Sasha already had her coat on and was ruggaging through her purse. They had decided to head to the movie theatre tonight, and Sasha was really excited to spend as much time with her honey as she possibly could before she was would be starting college.
He looked kind of trouble tonight, so Sasha attempted to question him about it. He assured her that everything was fine and it wasn't anything to dwell so she let the matter drop.
------
One mid Friday afternoon late in April, Bobby made his way into the kitchen where everyone was congregating. The girls of the house sat at the island counter having their daily girly chat while the guys either visited at the table or milled about the room.
"Hey Sash," Bobby called, flipping through the pile of envelopes in his hand. "You got a bunch of mail."
Sasha sat up straight and beamed. "Really? Oooo, I feel so important!" She held her hands out to Bobby and waited until he passed her the stack of envelopes.
"Sis, are those what I think they are?" Chloe asked slowly, craning her neck to read the return addresses. The room fell into a hush as everyone focused their attention on Sasha. She picked up the topmost envelope.
"They're from the colleges I applied to," she said numbly. "Queen's, York, Columbia, Long Island, Manhattan, NYU, Vassar...they're all here!"
Kurt stepped around to stand behind his girl and laid his hands on her shoulders, bracing her just in case the letters bore bad news.
With a shaky hand, Sasha pried open the first envelope. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling the letter out.
"Dear Miss Xavier," Sasha began slowly, her voice quivering from nervousness, "We, the faculty and administration at Queen's College are please to inform you..." the congratulatory roar from everyone in the room suddenly drowned out her voice.
Sasha breathed a sigh of relief as her nervousness washed away, leaving nothing but happiness. Quickly, she tore open another envelope. Then another. Then another. Soon the counter was littered with torn envelopes and Sasha found herself staring at seven letters.
"All of them," she said dumbly, staring at the papers. "I got into all of them!"
Chloe patted her sister on the back. "Congrats lil'chicka, I knew ya had it in ya!"
"We all did," added Logan, favoring his sister-in-law with an uncharacteristic, celebratory hug.
At that moment Charles, followed closely by Stacii, entered the kitchen.
"What's all the commotion about?" Charles asked, making his way past everyone to get to the coffeepot. "I could hear yelling from my office."
"Sasha got replies from the colleges she applied to," Lorrie replied.
Stacii smirked and put a hand on her hip. "Oh yeah? Which one, barber or clown?"
Charles shot Stacii a nasty glare before returning his attention to his youngest and smiled broadly. "And how did you do?"
"I got into all of them!" Sasha squealed and wrapped her father up into a huge hug.
"Why, that's marvelous, my dear!"
"But now I'm faced with one of the toughest decisions of my life...which one to go with?"
"Well, you just take all the time you need," Charles said, then he looked around to everyone. "I think this calls for a celebratory dinner. Lorrie, Chloe, no need to cook tonight...I'm going to arrange for a table at the Four Seasons and we are going to give our college-bound girl the time of her life."
Sasha's eyes grew wide. "Oh, daddy! The Four Seasons...I don't need anything so fancy."
"Don't be so modest, dear, It'll be my pleasure."
------
Sasha had wrestled with her decision all day...which school to go with. She had narrowed it down to four selections and she promised herself she would announce her decision at dinner that evening.
Charles, the Xmen, and the sisters had a grand time at the Four Seasons that night. They laughed, and talked, and all the while Sasha narrowed her decision down even further. By the time the dessert came, Sasha clinked her fork against the side of her wine glass, calling for everyone's attention.
Clearing her throat, Sasha rose from her chair.
"I know everyone's been waiting patiently to find out what college I've decided to go to...to be quite honest, I've been wondering the same thing myself all day. Finally, after much soul-searching, I've come to a decision."
Everyone at the table fell silent as they waited for Sasha to speak again.
Sasha took a deep, cleansing breath. She held her glass higher in the air and smiled. "If Chloe could survive NYU, then so can I!"
A cheer rang up from the table, drawing strange looks from surrounding patrons.
"Oooo, it's like the mothership is calling you home!" Chloe giggled out.
"That's wonderful news dear," Charles praised. "Wonderful news indeed."
"Dad's right Sash," Lorrie smiled, squeezing Sasha's hand. "I know you'll be majoring in Psychology, but what'll be your minor?"
Sasha sat back down and dug into her Tarimasu. "The only other school subject I love...visual art."
The rest of the meal was spent talking about Chloe's experiences at NYU and what kinds of things Sasha should expect when she got there.
------
About a week later, Sasha and Kurt stood among the stacks in the library. Of course they were less interested in the reading material around them and more interested studying human anatomy. Sasha's hands had just snaked themselves under Kurt's t-shirt when they were suddenly interrupted by a very pregnant Chloe. Of course, the lovebirds tried to look as nonchalant as possible, hoping against hope that Chloe didn't catch what they were doing. Sasha breathed a sigh of relief when Chloe seemed to be oblivious.
"Hey you two!"
"Hey sis what you doing?" Sasha straightened her shirt.
"Nada… came in t' see if they got the new V.C. Andrews yet"
Sasha laughed "Yeah, you need to find other authors then just that one."
"I will when one better comes along" Chloe giggled and picked up the new hardcover. "Hiya Kurt baby, Sasha mind if I kidnap yare sweetie fer a bit I need t' talk t' him 'bout some things that we had previously discussed, mentor crap ya know, like how Betsy gets with ya"
"Yep sure, I'll catch you later sis, and don't hurt Kurt too bad, he's fragile" Sasha giggled sweetly and kissed him, causing him to blush up too "Just remember, you break him, you buy him!"
------
As soon as Kurt returned to Sasha in the library, he couldn't wait to share the good news that, although he would not be matriculating with her, he was going to college too. Sasha couldn't've been more thrilled for her honey, and when she found out who had set in all up, she vowed to thank Chloe every chance she got.
A short while later, Chloe came singing blissfully into the kitchen and spotted Sasha playing with Bren. Sasha joined her sister in the song, singing sweely to their adorable baby nephew. He clapped his hands happily and gurgled his little baby sounds as the girls sang to him. Soon, he started to nod off, so Sasha placed in in the playpen and she and Chloe started getting things around for the barbeque dinner they would be having that night.
"Sounds great Sash, you wanna fix a toss salad and I'll get to pulling some meat out of the freezer" Chloe suggested bubbly as she took her few minutes in getting off of the stool slowly.
"How's about you stay here and cut vegetables and make the salad and I'll go and dig out the meat...you can't barely lift yourself" she giggled and began placing food on the counter for her sister to make the salad.
"Alrighty works for me. Geez ya know, even breathin' is tirin' anymore. And m' back never stops with shooting pains an' always aches. …OoOo can you hand me the moo juice please" She looked over to the baby in the playpen, who was now wide awake again and playing with his toys.
"Hey Bren luv, how's m' favourite nephew sweetie? Here Auntie Coco gots nana's fer ya" Chloe picked the child up and cuddled her nephew to her as she feed him the banana slices. Sasha stepped around to the garage were the freezer was, leaving Chloe alone for a few minutes.
Sasha had heard a commotion coming from the kitchen and ran back, leaving the packages of ribs sitting on the freezer lid. When she arrived she saw Chloe and Stacii standing in the middle of the room and many of the mansions other residents clustered behind them. Chloe had doubled over slightly, still clutching Bren to her body, and clapped a hand onto her abdomen and gasped.
"You little bitch!" Sasha spat, coming to Chloe's side and trying to steady both her and Bren, "What the hell do you think your doing to her?" She devested the baby from out of Chloe's grasp as Remy took over for her holding Chloe up.
"This is it everyone! Chloe's gone into labour, Remy get her into the medlab now!" Hank and Jean said unison, both slightly panicked.
Remy gathered Chloe up into his broad arms and made a mad dash out of the room and towards the infirmary, everyone following in his wake. Charles had even ordered Stacii to follow.
------
Hank and Remy rushed into the birthing room and returned a moment later sans Chloe.
"Chloe has gone into premature labour" Hank reported. Jean, Cece and Lorrie took a collective gasp.
"It's too soon! The baby isn't ready!" Cece said.
"Ready or not this baby is coming, and it's arriving today one way or another! Chloe had been so worked up down stairs it brought this on. Also, natural delivery is out! I'm sorry Remy but… there's just no way… She can't handle this premature labour pains, they are worse then the due date labour pains! As much as she is trying and so greatly too, has been the very model of what a great mother should be"
"Okay 'ank do wad you a'ter homme, 'e'll be wit' chere" Remy said in a worried panic. He moved to return to the delivery room but stopped short when Hank blocked his way.
"I'm sorry Remy … buddy… but… you can't go back in there… Cece, Jean, Lorrie if you would all please scrub up and assist me in the operating room I'll meet you three in there shortly."
"Wad you mean Remy et Gambit non can be wit' 'is mon amour?"
"Remy, I'm so very sorry we'll will have to give her anaesthesia and perform a c-section. I'm sorry, but you cannot be there for the birth of your child, it's too risky of an operation. I promise you though as soon as it's over I will come out immediately and let you know what happened. But you can not under any circumstances go back in there now! You may see her when this is over with though."
"Remy et Gambit non can be wit' 'is mon amour t'ge'der when dere bebe is born?" he reiterated in a much quieter voice.
"That's right, Remy I'm sorry! Ladies if you would come and scrub up now while I go and prep up our lovely Coco. I'll see you 3 in the operating room shortly" he turned and went back into the room where Chloe was.
Everyone then all turned to Stacii who was looking very unconcerned for her sisters well being.
"Gods forgive me but I hate you Stacii!" Sasha spat, tears streaming down her face and holding Bren close to her for some sort of comfort. "How could you do this? Chloe and Remy's baby might die because it's too soon! Hell, even Chloe may die, and you put her in there! Stay away from us girls, the kids, and everyone that we care about! Your nothing but poison!"
"Stacii, if the worst comes to your sister and her baby, my daughter and grandchild, so help me...you will be cut from the will and disowned. I'm disgusted beyond reproach with you!" Charles looked at her sickeningly.
The men kept Remy on the far side of the room who was pacing heavily and wanting very much to kill Stacii now as the women all went over and sat with their guys, leaving Stacii to sit by herself on the far side of the room.
Sasha sat with her forehead touching Kurt's and rocking Bren closer to her as Kurt's arms encircled the both of them. In a quiet, almost inaudible voice Sasha began to pray.
"Her pain belongs to Spirit. It is like air. It is like water. Her pain belongs to Spirit. It is like air. It is like water. Her pain belongs to Spirit..." Soon the other Wiccans joined in the prayer chant.
After a while, Sasha eventually cried herself to sleep, still clutching her baby nephew to her chest almost as if he was a security blanket. It was a light slumber, so she could still hear the vague sounds of people talking around her. Eventually she was roused from her sleep by the sound of a door opening. Quickly, she snapped to, more wide wake than she had ever been before.
Hank had come out, wiping his hands with a towel. He sat down next to Remy.
"Okay Remy this is how it is. Everything went well in surgery… Chloe is sleeping now, and rightfully so too. She will be required to stay here for at least tonight for obvious reasons… and I'll see how she does after that…" Hank trailed off and took a deep breath then continued…
"Now as for the baby, and yes everyone the baby is here now… though the baby is resting also right now. The lil one will be required to stay as long as the mother does, but both are doing well and there is no trauma to the infant. A lil under weight the baby is… but Momma will be able to fatten him up real good once she's awake and gets to bonding and feeding him."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the fortunate news.
Sasha had begun to tear up, but these were clearly caused by a very different emotion...one of happiness and relief. "Well… what is it? What did my sissy have?"
Hank turned around quickly and gave a half smile then looked back to Remy "Oh yes thank you Sasha, by the way Remy… she gave you a son, it's a boy!"
Remy found himself lost to his tears while all the men slapped him on the back. Kurt, himself crying, passed out the cigars.
"Hank when may we see Chloe?" Charles asked, full of pride.
"I'll have her wheeled out as soon as she has woken up and after she has bonded with the baby. So if you would like to wait around that's fine or you may go and I can page you when she does. It's up to you all, but I will be remaining here" With that, Hank returned to the delivery room.
It was only now that Charles turned his attention to Stacii.
"Stacii go to the kitchen and bring up food and drinks. Sasha, Jubilee, Kitty, Paige and Val would you girls all go with her and make sure she does? Thank you"
The five girls nodded and rose, Sasha pulling her sister out of the room by her arm. Fifteen minutes later the girls returned with Stacii and the food and drinks as everyone sat around and ate while visiting.
"Remy what's the baby's name?" Sasha asked between bites of her sandwich.
"Dunno soeur de lil 'e left dat up t' mon amour. 'E knew deeply she wan'ed t', mais dat one lucky bebe t'ough" He admitted and finished his beer and opened another.
"I'd say and...o my gods...tonight is Litha Summer Solstice Eve, that's awesome, does that mean anything Sasha?" Kitty asked happily.
"It means Chloe has given birth to a magickal baby" Sasha said and took a drink of her root beer.
"The child is very lucky Remy, had this out burst happened earlier in Chloe's expectancy we could have lost him and his mother" Hank said as everyone looked and again glared to Stacii who rolled her eyes.
"Well, the name is certainly appropriate Cajun, the boy and you certainly are lucky to have Chloe. Just as Chloe is lucky to have you both now."
"Don't matter what my sis names him, I think we should all just call him Lucky, I mean his mother is Passion and his Father is Gambit" Sasha said.
Remy jumped in with his two cents. "Sash right! Gambit never t'ought 'e'd ever find amour, let 'lone real passion, so 'e did get lucky, it 'tay's we call mon fils Lucky!"
"Vut is mon fils Brozer?"
"Mon fils mean Remy's son" Remy clarified.
"Remy can I get you to come with me please?" Hank stuck his head out the door. Remy nodded wordlessly and followed the fuzzy, blue mutant.
A moment later, Hank returned to the waiting room.
"Ok Hank, where's my nephew!" Sasha said, giddy with happiness.
"Hold on, my dear, I know your happy and very excited just as we all here are but Chloe and Remy need to bond with their baby first then they will be out. Just...no one get Chloe worked up, she is already exhausted. Oh yes, by the way, is there any chance we can get some food up here for Chloe please, I suggest something mild like soup for today, tomorrow she can feed her cravings for whatever she wants. Oh yes and lots of milk, she'll need that."
Penny and 'Ro nodded and disappeared to go get Chloe some dinner.
"Alright I'm going to go and see how the happy family is doing I shall return shortly" Hank turned back to the room and stepped inside.
Five minutes late, the delivery doors swung open again and out marched Hank pushing and Remy pushing Chloe and the baby in a wheelchair.
Charles was the first to approach Chloe in his own wheelchair.
"Alright, give me that boy! Grandfatherly rights!" Before Chloe had the chance to look up Charles had the baby in his lap and beaming with pride
"Uhh… dad do I get a vote in this?" Chloe asked, back to her very old giggly ways, making everyone laugh too and so thrilled to have the old her back.
"No not really!"
Soon the baby got passed around to everyone and all got to meet the new house member when finally, as Remy sat holding the now sleeping infant, Sasha asked again "What's his name sis? Gods he's so cute! Must take after Remy!"
"Don't make me slap you!" Chloe laughed out as Sasha dodged the mock slap and laughed with everyone else.
"His name is Cheney Remy Etienne LeBeau the second. Let's just hope he doesn't have his dad's charming ways' or I'mma need t' take a long walk down denial ave" Chloe giggled. "I feel so blessed t' have yas all… t' have Remy an' now this baby… I never expected t' be around this long t' ever be able t' have all o' this in m' life, I'm very lucky."
"Mon amour Remy et Gambit t'ink we should just call Cheney, Lucky wad Maman Passion t'ink?"
"It's awesome! What a Coco-fabulus idea, I love it! …Hank luv put his birth name on the papers and we'll make Lucky his official call name"
"I most certainly will, one Cheney Remy Etienne LeBeau a.k.a. Lucky coming right up!" He smiled to Chloe and wrote the name down.
Soon everyone said their goodbye's for night as it was now very late in the evening.
------
About 8:30 the next morning, everyone was venturing into the kitchen. Sasha hadn't been able to sleep a wink the previous night, so she had stayed up all night baking. When everyone entered the kitchen they were greeted with freshly baked crossiants and muffins in addition to the normal breakfast foods.
When Hank, Remy, Chloe, and the baby entered the kitchen everyone immediately went into baby mode.
"Sean would you mind getting that wooden rocking chair from the back porch please and put it up to the table here for Chloe? It should be more comfortable for her" Charles said.
Chloe was about to protest when Sean said, "Consider it already done Coco" He smiled to her as she said her sweet thank you's.
"OoOo there's my lil cuz…" Jubes happily went off as she, Val, Paige, Kitty and Sasha came rushing over.
"He might be your cuz but he's my nephew...can I hold him Remy...please?" Sasha giggled exuberantly.
"Oui for a bit, Remy et Gambit want da baby back in 'is chere's arms b'fore t' long 'kay?"
"Understood, daddy" Sasha took the baby from Hank's arms and sat at the table. Kurt came in and kissed Sasha morning, playing with the baby for a moment before asking if she'd like a coffee. Of course she said yes and he went off to fix two cups.
Kurt returned a moment later with not only a coffee for Sasha but having had fixed her a plate of breakfast as well. She looked from her plate to the baby in her arms.
"Hmm, dilemhas dilemhas...yummy breakfast or adorable baby?...yummy breakfast or adorable baby?" she giggled.
Ro soon helped her come to a decision as she took the baby so Sasha could eat.
When the baby was finally passed back to Chloe so she could feed him, Sasha passed over one of Bren's receiving blankets. Remy held it in front of Chloe like a barrier to give her some privacy as she situated herself and set to feeding the baby.
"Must you do that here?" Stacii said, disgusted.
Chloe's head snapped around to her sister "Yes I must! And if ya don't like it, there's the damn door! Don't let it hit ya in the ass on the way out!"
"Figures!"
Chloe spoke up to say aloud to the all the girls.
"Does it offend any o' yas girlys that I feed Lucky here?"
"Nope!" came the women's unified answer.
Chloe then looked to all the males in the room.
"Does it bother any o' yas guys that I feed my baby Lucky here?"
"Not a problem for us" sounded the baritone chorus of masculine voices.
Chloe looked back to Stacii "Majority rules! The boy gets fed whenever and wherever he wants! … Oh and another thing Stacii, anyone here have objections t' me feedin' Bren banana's?"
"Not a problem" everyone answered.
"Just a minute Chloe, what is this? A problem with feeding Bren fruit?" Charles asked Chloe sweetly.
"That's what originally started the fight yesterday. Stacii wouldn't let me feed Bren sliced bananas an' was fightin' me on it an' then took it away from him"
Charles looked to Stacii "You have no authority over what this boy does or otherwise Stacii! You had absolutely no right to interfere whatsoever! You don't want anything to do with him anyway, as you have told us. Then, with almost causing the untimely demise of your own sister and her infant… I am so very ashamed of you Stacii! Go do your filing. I'll be in my office shortly"
Stacii rose, wordlessly, and retreated to the office.
Soon, Lucky was finished eating as she passed the baby on over to Kurt who happily took the child and cooed at him.
"Mon amour would you like t' tell dem?"
"'Kay" Chloe beamed and kissed Remy sweetly and giggled.
"Remy and I have had lots o' time t' talk things over and we would like Sasha and Kurt t' be Lucky's Godparent's. We wanted t' choose someone younger then us both o' us this way should something happen t' both o' us. That's if Sash and Blue baby here want the job."
Sasha broke into tears and hugged Remy and Chloe thanking them profusely. Kurt beamed brightly, hugging Chloe and giving Remy a firmy handshake. Afterwards, the blue mutant looked down at the child in his arms.
"VHOOOOO'Z YOUR GODDADDY!" Kurt squealed. That put everyone in a roar of laughter.
------
That afternoon, the girls held an impromptu baby shower for Chloe and Lucky in the sitting room. She received clothes, and all other baby enmities for Lucky, and things for her too of soft clothes to keep the pressure off her tummy for a while.
While the ladies were having their party, they had sent all the men-folk out for awhile. Presumably they went to Harry's, and when they returned Sasha and Kurt took a quick run into the city to grab a couple movies so everyone could have a little winddown time.
------
The following months were met with getting ready for Lucky's wiccaning and moving Chloe and Lucky into Remy's room, as well as the constant buzz of the winter holiday wedding.
"Chloe, think you own enough stuff?" Logan chuckled and carried out four boxes.
"Not nearly enough, I need to get more clothes"
"Baby girl, you insane sweetheart, you got enough to clothe a small European country or at least all the subjects in Jon Jon's care back in England!" He laughed and hugged her.
"Sis the wiccaning is this weekend before I leave for college on Monday, you ready for it?" Sasha asked, smiling.
"Yep you seem just a lil happy about it" Chloe said, picking up Lucky and then Bren.
"Zazha and I are zo happy and proud to have Lucky az our Godzon, zank you zo much Chloe...brozer ziz meanz zo much to uz"
"You welcome lil bra, it all good" Remy said and heaved out a trunk of Chloe's gear.
"I think that about does it, now hopefully there will be room in Remy's room for Lucky, Rem honey and myself" Chloe giggled sweetly that everyone laughed out too and agreed as Chloe took one last look around her old room then left with the others.
------
The following Saturday evening was a warm clear one as everyone in the house filtered out side for wiccaning. The family gathered together in a predetermined area while all the students sat on the grass off to the side.
Opting for this ceremony to be clothed, Lorrie, 'Ro and Emma stood to the side; Remy, Chloe and the baby in her lap; and Sasha and Kurt stood up and in front of the newly-made family. Sasha handed Chloe a daisy and gestured to the table that Lorrie, Emma and 'Ro stood by. It was filled with witching and practice tools of the trade as offerings for the baby.
Lorrie went and cast the circle open and called the quarters around the witches, Kurt, Remy, and the baby marking everyone else out with that gold hued dome again.
Sasha then produced a bottle of anointing oil.
"Lucky" she said loudly. Then both Kurt and Sasha touched Lucky's forehead to where his third eye would be with anointing oil and spoke together.
"I name you Lucky, and dedicate you to a life of peace and love!"
Kurt removed his hand, Sasha hand stayed in place and she spoke again.
"Bless this child who is the God himself, bless him, protect him, and give him a joyful life."
Sasha then stood back as Kitty, Jubes, Lorrie, Emma, and 'Ro each picked up an object from the table, walked over, and presented the items to Lucky then set the item on the ground in front of him. Each one, in turn, place a hand lightly on the child's forehead and spoke.
"May you be wise" said Jubes.
"May you be gentle" said Lorrie.
"May you have strength" said Emma.
"May you have courage" said Ro.
"May you never faulter" said Kitty.
And then they returned to their places by the table.
Remy then took Lucky from Chloe's arms and looked to the heavens as he lifted his son up towards the sky.
"Dis is Lucky, watch over 'im. May 'e 'lways 'ave you amour!" Remy then pulled the baby back into his chest for Lucky to cuddle him.
Sasha then went to each of the tools that were presented to Lucky, blessed them, as presented with each tool.
The Lord and Lady was then thanked for coming, and Lorrie soon closed the circle and the ceremony came to an end. Remy held the baby and took him over to where the guys were now standing by the barbeque pit. Chloe picked up all of Lucky's new wiccan tools and left briefly to put them away until he was old enough to begin his path.
------
The following day, Sasha left for college, opting to live at the dorms during the week and come home on weekends so she could be with Kurt. Commuting everyday would've been a bit too far from NYU so this arrangement they knew would work out just fine.
Sasha said goodbye to everyone and promised they would see her again soon. Kurt's goodbye took longer than all the others.
"My zveet, zveet Zazha," he started, following it up with a passionate kiss. "I'm going to mizz you zo much. And it'z not juzt ze zex...it'z alzo ze food preparation."
Sasha giggled and chucked her guy on his arm. "I'm expectin' you to come visit me honey, okay?"
"You can count on it," Kurt smiled, giving her another hug. Soon, she was in her Shaguar, her trunk packed full of her stuff, and she was on her way.
------
It was the day before Sasha was due to start classes, but she wanted to have enough time to unpack and relax before she had to think about getting textbooks and whatnot.
Her roommates seemed nice enough. Taryn was a bit flightly and she seemed to have a kind heart but Gwen appeared to be a bit more hard nosed and mostly kept to herself.
When Sasha first walked into the room, Taryn greeted her with open arms...literally. Sasha found herself being swept up into a huge welcoming hug by the tiny, fair-haired girl.
"Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'm Taryn Ivanov, aka the Russian Tease."
Sasha blinked for a moment. "I'm Sasha Xavier...the Canadian Princess, I suppose," she said warily.
"Kewlies," Taryn squeaked and indicated the dark-haired girl on the far side of the room talking into the phone. "That's Gwen Edwards, aka the New York Bitch. All the residents in Walker hall play their little parts, that's why our dorm house is dubbed the International House O'Chickas. Only Gwen really is a bitch, and I really am a tease."
Gwen called from across the room. "Taryn, you can only be a tease if you stop sleepin' with people," and she went back to her phone conversation.
Taryn smiled "Yeah, I keep forgetting that part...but since I got myself a boyfriend the part is strictly for show."
Sasha giggled.
"Knock knock!" came a voice from the open door. "Ya ready for the movie Taryn?" A dark-hair guy stood in the arch.
"Coming, sweetie," Taryn chimed.
Sasha moved over to her steamer trunk. She struggled opening it for a few minutes before a hand reached around her.
"Here, lemme help," the guy said. He gave the lid a few sharp smacks and hit the lock pad. Instantly the lid popped open a crack.
"Thanks...Fonzie" Sasha giggled as she began to get her things all put away.
"No prob...Joanie" he smiled and disappeared through the door with Taryn on his arm.
------
Sasha's first day of college wasn't exactly shaping up to be what she thought it would be. The halls of NYU were so much more massive than those of her fathers school. In fact, they were so big that sounds were magnified as they bounced off the walls -- a whisper, for example, could be heard as clearly as a normal-toned voice. And the task of finding all her classes was a daunting challenge in enough of itself.
When Sasha stepped into her last class of the day she found herself faced with a massive auditorium-like lecture hall. Many students were aimlessly milling around the room. Obviously they were as unsure of what to do with themselves as she was.
Taking a seat near the front, Sasha started to get herself situated for the beginning of class. She had been looking forward to this particular class all day and was anxious to get started. She took out her classroom materials and started to arrange them on her desk. A slip of paper in her binder caught her attention. She unfolded it and silently read it, a smile growing on her face.
Lil'chicka,
You've experienced the horror that is Stacii, psychotic ex-friends, an' evil mutants of all sorts. Wussies, all of them. Now ya face a REAL challenge... surviving college!
I hope ya can handle it better than I did. I'll be online real late tonight so drop into MSN...I'm anxious t' know how your first day went.
Coco-puff.
Sasha giggled slightly as she tucked the note into the binder pocket and looked around. The room was starting to fill up rather quickly as everyone started to take their seats. A dark-haired young man sat down next to her and smiled warmly at her.
"Hey, Sasha! How's it goin?' he said, pulling his own books from out of his backpack.
Sasha eyed the guy curiously. "I'm doin' okay," she waited a beat before continuing "Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" He smacked himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand. "Y'know your one roommate, Taryn? I'm her boyfriend, Chase Walker...she's talked about you so much over the last 24 hours I feel like I've known you for years."
"Walker?" Sasha raised an eyebrow questioningly "As in Walker Hall?"
Chase gave her an impish sort of grin. "My family donates a lot of money to NYU. What can I say...I'm a legacy. Sucks big time!"
Realization began to dawn in Sasha's mind. "You came to the dormroom for Taryn when I moved in yesterday, didn't you?" Sasha giggled slightly, "You popped my trunk before you left."
Chase smiled slightly "Yep, that's me...Chase Walker, trunk popper extra-ordinaire...never fear when Chase is near!"
Sasha giggled again.
"Have you had a chance to see the whole campus yet?" Chase asked.
Sasha shook her head. "I had planned to take a lil looksee after I'm done for the day."
Chase smiled again. "Well, A bunch of us...me, Taryn, your other roomie Gwen, and her boyfriend...we were gonna do the same. Care to join?"
"Sure," she smiled. "Sounds like fun."
Soon a lithe, 40-something woman stepped up to the blackboard, a briefcase in one hand and a clipboard in the other. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She was a strikingly beautiful woman. Sasha watched as the woman scrawled the class name across the board then turned to the students and cleared her throat, waiting until they all took a seat.
"Good afternoon class, welcome to Human Psych 101. I'm Professor Frost. Those of you who fall into my good graces will come to know me as Falyn, and those who don't will probably use the name my T.A.'s call me and think I don't know about...the evil bitch monster of death."
Sasha, and indeed the rest of the students, giggled slightly. She could already tell she was going to like this woman.
"We will be spending the first few weeks examining exactly what Psychology is as well as the three schools of thought, Freud's basic thoeries, and a number phobias followed by a 1000 word essay on the material covered...complete with footnotes and references."
Several of the students around Sasha began to whisper amongst themselves, making Sasha smile inwardly. Obviously they hadn't a clue as to exactly how much work would really be required. Next to her, Chase leaned in and whispered to her.
"Hail Hitler!"
Sasha had to forced her giggles back, trying not to laugh out loud. Up at the front of the classroom, Professor Frost looked down at her clipboard and began to take role call.
------
Soon Human Psyche was done for the day. Sasha and Chase walked out of class together, laughing and talking like they were old friends. Even though they had technically only known each other for two hours, Sasha found herself quickly liking Chase.
"I can see what Taryn sees in you," Sasha giggled "You're strange!"
"That's just how my mother describes me too," Chase laughed, forcing Sasha into another round of giggles.
The pair walked out into the waiting sunshine of the NYU campus. At the bottom of the steps of the Mental Health building sat three figures. Sasha recognized two of them immediately as Taryn and Gwen but the third, a brownish-blonde male, had his back to her. It wasn't until they started to approach that the guy turned around.
Sasha stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes flared up, tinting green as she recognized him.
"YOU!" she screeched. The guy only smirked in response.
Chase's flicked his eyes between Sasha and Gwen's boyfriend. "You two know each other?" he asked slowly.
The guy looked past Gwen and spoke to Sasha as if Chase hadn't said a word. "What?" he asked in mock innocence "No hug and kiss for your dear old friend Scorch?"
Chase, Taryn, and Gwen watched in silence, seemingly trying to make sense of the encounter.
"You're neither dear nor a friend...not anymore! I told you I never wanted to see you again Greg!" Sasha could feel her body become immensely hot from the anger now surging throughout her tiny body.
"Miss me?"
"Only in the sense of no. Well, now that we've had this lovely reintroduction, I suggest you piss off." And with that, Sasha started to walk away. Taryn started after her.
"Sasha...wait!" the girl said, coming around in front of her roommate. "What was that all about?"
Sasha sighed heavily. From out of the corner of her eye she could see Greg's cheshire cat grin. "It's a long story, Taryn, but trust me...Greg is no good. He'll use Gwen for his own selfish, perverted purposes then toss her aside as if she were a piece of trash." Sasha twisted around to look at Gwen. "Don't turn your back on him...not even for a second!"
With that said, Sasha continued on her way, her evening plans now ruined. All she wanted to do now was go back to her dorm, crawl into bed, and listen to country music...the music of pain.
She fell asleep long before she remembered that Chloe had wanted to hook up on MSN that evening.
------
Halloween soon approached, but Sasha was finding it difficult to get away. She had too much work to do and Taryn and Gwen were being absolutely no help at all.
"C'mon Sasha!" Taryn pleaded. "The guys at Tigma Sau are having a bitchin' party tonight! Y'know ya wanna go!"
"Ah...Tigma Sau...the frat boys that brought us the "Somebody Sneezed Party" and the "Day That Ends In Y Party!" Sasha briefly flicked her eyes over to Gwen. "Will he be there?"
Gwen nodded slowly.
"Then my answer is no."
"Oh come on!" Gwen exhaled heavily. "Whatever happened between you and Greg can't have possibly been all that earth-shattering!"
Sasha could feel her anger rise up in her but did her best to keep it in check. "How long have you know him? Hmm, maybe a year? I've known Greg all my life. He was my best friend for the bulk of it...I trusted him more than I trusted anyone else on the planet and when he took advantage of that trust that sealed the end of our friendship!"
"Oh, now that's just unfair!" Gwen shot back. "Sure, Greg's not perfect...and sure, he tends to be a bit nosy, but that's human nature! Where's your proof?"
"I don't need proof," Sasha replied without looking up. "Give him time...I'm sure he'll do to you what he had done to me."
Gwen was clearly seeing red. Wordlessly, she stormed up to the door and threw it open, surprising the figure on the other side, his hand hanging in mid-air.
"What do you what?" Gwen huffed impatiently.
"Gutentaug!" the figure said. "Iz zere a Zazha Xavier here?"
Sasha eyes lit up as she instantly recognized the voice. Her head snapped up from her textbook and ran to the door, wrapping her arms around the figure.
"KURT!" she elated. "What are you doing here?" she pulled him into the room.
"You zaid you couldn't come home for Halloween, zo Halloween came to you!" he smiled.
Sasha turned to her roommates. "Taryn, Gwen...this is my boyfriend Kurt. Kurt, these are my roommates."
Taryn circled around Kurt, taking in his odd appearance. "That's one bitchin' costume buddy! Lemme guess...you're a demon!"
Kurt's upper lip had started to curl into a snarl when Sasha suddenly stepped in. "Right...you're absolutely right Taryn...now didn't you have a party you wanted to go to?" Sasha began ushering her roommates towards the door.
Taryn smiled as if nothing was wrong, "Yeah...c'mon Gwen, let's party!"
Gwen shot Sasha a nasty glare before she followed Taryn out, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Sasha shot forward and locked the door before turning back around to Kurt and giving him a deep and passionate kiss hello.
"Not that I not happy to see you," Sasha started upon breaking the kiss "but why didn't you call?"
"Duh...cuz I vanted it to be a zurprize!"
Sasha rolled her eyes slightly. "Well, I do have a lot of studying to do," she grinned evilly, "but it's nothing that can't wait for a lil while." The pair leaned into each other and began to get reaquainted with each other's bodies.
Sasha never got back to her studying that night...wisely, she neglected to tell Kurt of Greg's presence on campus.
------
It was weeks before Sasha saw Greg again. Taryn, Gwen, and Chase still couldn't figure out what had happened between Sasha and Greg. All they knew was that Sasha and Greg had known each other for years and had had some kind of falling out.
The evening before Sasha was due return to the mansion for Thanksgiving holidays she was on her way back from the Student Union. It was late at night...the sun having long since set...and very few people were out and about. She had just rounded the corner of the History building when she stopped short. Leaning against the red brick wall of the building stood Greg, puffing nonchalantly on a cigarette.
"What, the hell, are you doing here? Five words or less!" Sasha spat.
Greg extinguished the spent cigarette on the bricks then raised a hand and started counting the words on his fingers. "Out...for...a...walk...bitch!"
Sasha looked at him hotly. "Y'know, every time you show up like this you risk all your body parts...y'do know that, don't you?"
"Mind if I join you?"
"On many levels and with great intensity." Sasha tried to walk past him but he blocked her way.
"Move!"
"I don't see that happening any time soon," he replied. Greg's voice was so annoyingly calm that it sickened Sasha.
Sasha looked up at her former friend in defiance. "Now, we can do this the hard way or... well, actually, there's just the hard way."
"That's fine with me."
"Are you sure? Now this is not gonna be pretty. We're talking violence, strong language, adult content."
Greg looked down at her, his features taking on a look of mock apology "Look, uh, you're probably a little bit upset, huh?"
"No, I've moved past upset and went straight to pissed off. I invited you into my home...and you stalked my family?"
"Why not? I've done it to others. For years I've stalked people and I did it with a song in my heart. You were no different than any of them...but there was that added bonus of fucking up that joke of a relationship you had with that freak you call a boyfriend!"
"Keep talkin, I'm feelin my patented Sudden Burst of Violence coming on. You get lucky, you might last ten minutes. Really lucky, and you're unconscious for the last five."
Greg drew a hand lightly down Sasha's bare arm and spoke soothingly. "Now, c'mon Sash, that's no way to be."
Sasha pulled away, shooting Greg a look of utter contempt. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Greg smirked slightly. "You can't tell me you've never thought about the two of us, can you?"
Sasha shot a hand out and smacked Greg across his face then looked at him incredulously. "Gods! What is your childhood trauma?"
"That hurt, baby...kinda liked it. How about you? There's my girl. Knew she was in there somewhere dying to come out and play again. I know how it feels. Forced to be someone you're not. Hurts to the bone. You try to bury the pain, but you can't get the hole deep enough, can you? No matter how much you dig, it's still there. Broken shards stabbing every time you breathe, cutting you up inside. You know, there's only one way to make the pain stop. Hurt someone else."
Greg's face suddenly turned from wounded puppy to sneering wolf as one of his hands shot out and grabbed one of her wrists. He twisted her body around until he was positioned behind her, his free hand clamping her mouth closed.
"Shut up!" he hissed quietly into her ear. "Do you remember those journal entries your freaky boyfriend showed you. The ones that said all those things that I wanted to do to that svelt body of yours?" He gently ground himself into her rear. "What do say we put all the "could be's" and "what if's" aside and see how you like it?"
Sasha could feel her heart pick up pace within her chest. She wanted to scream out...shout into the night...call out for campus security...but with Greg's hand covering her mouth she knew that was going to be impossible. Sasha suddenly felt cold metal against her wrists...she had dated Kurt long enough to know what handcuffs felt like...and a band of cloth gagging her mouth.
She could feel Greg's warm breath against her cheek again. "I would've had you a long time ago -- y'know, the morning you were, hehe, attacked during your mornin run -- if it hadn't been for that passing car." Greg tugged roughly on Sasha's earlobe with the edge of his teeth. "A person tends to learn a lot when they're around witches. I have to say, that multiplication spell I aquired came in very handy that day."
Sasha's eyes grew wide as she remembered back to the day he was talking about. Sasha tried desperately to keep her wits about her, but despite the control she was trying to exert over herself she could feel her fear and tears crest over her...there was no doubt in her mind about what was going to happen. She knew Greg wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted. He could take her body, but there was no way she would let him take her dignity, and self-respect...her heart already belonged to someone. All she could do was brace herself and think of the love she had for Kurt, her father, her sisters, and her nephews.
Greg roughly pushed Sasha into a darkened alcove between the History and Ancient Studies buildings. She landed hard on the gravelly ground, her knees getting dirty and scraped. She felt her attacker...it felt much less personal if she thought of him as a faceless man rather that one she had grew up with...lift the hem of her skirt as her salty tears began to stream down her face. He roughly jerked her up and bent her body over the garbage can that sat there. In a moment, she felt him violently push into her backside and she gulped hard. Her tears came harder as Sasha gasped at the sudden intrusion.
The invasion went on for what seemed like forever. Sasha's body had laxed a long while ago leaving her feeling like nothing more than a ragdoll. Although she couldn't see the bruises she knew to be on her hips and thighs she could feel them and the pain that came with them.
She never even felt him pull out of her, the pain had resonated throughout her body and occupied all of her attention. Sasha felt the handcuffs release her wrists and the gag cloth being removed. She fell hard against the ground and sobbed, her voice hoarse and dry.
The last thing she heard as her violator walked away was his sneering voice, filled with disgusting triumph. "I knew you'd be a good little lay," he said laughingly as he disappeared into the night.
It was at least a good fifteen minutes before Sasha had felt strong enough to move on her own. She didn't know exactly how but she eventually managed to make it back to her dorm. Taryn and Gwen were already fast asleep. If she were in her right mind she would've known to go to the police, but Sasha's mind was no where near rational thought. Instead, she quietly headed into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and got in.
Sasha tried desperately to wash away the memory of her attack. No matter how hard she scrubbed she felt increasingly more and more dirty. She couldn't even touch her nether regions -- they were WAY too tender and sore.
Soon, Sasha turned off the shower, dried off, and slid into bed.
That night, Sasha cried herself to sleep.
------
Thanksgiving saw the arrival of Sasha, glad to have a four week break from her classes. She also was overjoyed to have the premire distinction of being the officiant of Chloe and Remy's wedding.
Even though the Xavier Estate was still her home, she no longer felt right just walking in...so she rang the bell instead. When the door finally open, she was greeted with the very familiar form of Chloe, lil baby Lucky clutched to her side.
"Hey Sasha! Bet yare thrilled t' have the break, I know I was" Chloe giggled as she held Lucky. He babbled over his Momma's shoulder. Lucky was now 6 and a half months old and growing in leaps and bounds, never mind Bren who was already so much bigger than Sasha last remembered.
"I am! It's always so busy and OoOo my goodness! Has Lucky ever gotten big!"
"Yeah he's gettin' t' be a goin' concern, I got Bren in here with me an' Rem honey, c'mon"
Chloe shut the door for her sister who dropped her things in the hall and followed her sister into the sitting room. Remy was laying on the floor being crawled over by a just turned 1 year old Bren. The child giggled away happily at his soon to be Uncle Remy.
"Hey Rem, family life killin' ya yet?" Sasha laughed and threw a pillow at Remy as she slunk onto the couch. He laughed and threw it back to her, following it with a Tickle Attack.
"'Ey you blonde bimbo! …Learn anyt'in' et you femmes 'igh an' mighty 'chool?"
"Nothin' that we two sisters can't try t' reform you with… bottom feeder!" Sasha joked with him as he flung his beer cap at her. She ducked.
"Next time Remy et Gambit won' miss soeur de lil, an' now 'e knows why you si'ters call you Ducky!" He chuckled and lit a smoke while he tried to wrestle the bottle from Bren who had climbed up into his lap to sit with his quiet cousin.
"Ha HA!… page out of Coco's book … memo to self: have Remy erased!"
Chloe giggled.
"You ain' got da balls f'r dat kinda dirty work petite, jus' 'tick t' da books an' let you bro'der 'ere take care o' dat na'ty 'tuff f'r you, Lor an' Coco, 'long wit' Elf an' Claws" Remy leaned back into the chair and shut his eyes to sleep as the babies cuddled to him. All three slowly drifted off into Slumberland.
"Let's go t' the kitchen Sash, Rem just got back from a week long mission a couple o' hours ago an' needs some z's"
Chloe and Sasha left a sleeping Remy and two sleeping babies on him, making their way to the full x-kitchen.
"'Bout time ya found your way back home" Logan chuckled and threw a fake punch at her, causing her to duck again.
"Zazha my zveet Canadian Princezz, I have mizzed you zo much" Kurt exclaimed as he ran in and hugged and kissed Sasha.
"Hey my Bavarian Cream Puff, we on for tonight and every night till I go back?"
"You didn't need to azk me zat Zazha, of courze"
------
Sasha sat out in the garden on one of the many stone benches that surrounded the mini fountain. Her head was in her hands and her body shook as she silently wept.
The horrible memories of the previous night haunted her mind. The shame of what Greg did to her, the pity she had for Gwen -- who knows what he'd do to her. She knew she had to tell someone...but who to tell? Gwen would only think she was lying, Chloe would go straight to the guys...the last thing she wanted was for everyone to know what had happened to her...it was embarrassing.
"Sasha?" came a soft voice from behind her.
Her body stiffened and she quickly tried to hide her tears.
"Sasha?" the voice reiterate. "Are you alright?" The figure walked around into her line of vision. It was Bobby.
Sasha's voice was sticky with sadness as she replied. "It's nothing."
Bobby sat on the bench next to her. "C'mon now," he said soothingly. "It's gotta be something to make you this upset." He cracked a slightly smile, "Y'know, you look like hell. Not the fun one where they burn you with hot pokers for all eternity, but the hardcore one...y'know, with Nixon and Brittany Spears?"
Sasha smiled a little. "Shut up!" she giggled through her tears.
Bobby put an arm around Sasha in an attempt to comfort her. "Whatever's on your mind, I'm sure it can't anything all that bad that you can't conquer."
Sasha fell quiet and a fresh wave of tears began to pour out. Slowly, she felt Bobby rocking her back and forth, brushing back her hair and trying to sooth her.
"Bobby," she said quietly, almost inaudible. "Can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
"It's a real big secret and you have to promise not to tell anyone...no matter how much you want to...promise?"
Bobby gave her a wary look. "Okay," he replied slowly.
Sasha tipped her head up and whispered in a soft voice. "Last night...I was attacked...physically," she paused for a moment, trying to decided whether she's be able to say the words "...I was raped."
Bobby's eyes grew wide and he looked down at her. "Oh my gawd!" Sasha you have to tell someone!"
"No," she said sharply. "I just wanna forget it ever happened...wipe it from my mind...erase it like it never happened...and you won't tell anyone either...you promised."
Bobby was silent for several long seconds. "I promise," he said in quiet defeat. He pulled Sasha to him, rocking her back and forth, and lightly kissed her forehead, trying to comfort her as best he could.
They sat like that for some time.
------
Kurt stalked onto the rooftop patio, his eyes blazing with the heat of a thousand suns, as he caught sight of Bobby laughing and talking with Jubilee and Warren. His mind raced back to the events of that afternoon -- raced back to what he saw between his best friend and his girlfriend...the hug...the kiss. After everything he had went through, still feeling insecure because of all the happenings that went on when Greg was there, he couldn't believe Bobby would do such a thing.
"You!" he screeched "Hov could you!"
Bobby looked up at his angry friend, a puzzled expression shrouding his normally pleasant-looking features. "How could I what?"
"I sov you...I sov you kizz Zazha!" Kurt roared and jumped right over the coffee table, lunging for Bobby's throat.
------
Sasha tiptoed down the adjoining hall that connected the large nursery to each of the sister's, as well as Sean & Emma's, rooms with her boots and coat in her hand. Brennan had a touch of colic and was restless. She had just unbuttoned her babydoll pink blouse and stretched her arms when she heard the commotion outside.
"Oh great," she muttered. "If they wake that baby, I'm gonna skin me some mutants."
She opened her door and shivered, a cool breeze going straight through the thin silk shirt she was wearing.
"DRAKE!" she heard Kurt bellow at the top of his lungs. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
The color drain from Sasha's face and she sprinted down the hall towards the rooftop patio.
------
"Kurt, now calm down," Bobby said as evenly as he could with his enraged teammate coming towards him. "I swear...nothing happened...it's not what you think!"
"Nightcrawler!" Charles commanded. "Stop this now!"
Bobby kept backing up. Kurt roared, his eyes blazing with a white hot fire, and launched a punch at Bobby. A tan blur passed between them and he felt his fist hit something soft, followed by a sickening wet thump. Kurt stared at Bobby, seeing that he was still standing. They both looked down.
There, on the cement, arms and legs flung sprawled like a ragdoll, was Sasha. Her baby blue eyes were slowly closing and a small trickle of blood began to seep out her ears. Her chest lifted once and was still.
Logan was the first in action. "Remy! Go tell Lorrie! We need an gurney!" The tall Cajun was gone in a flash. Logan was down on his knees by Sasha's body.
"Zazha..." Kurt looked down at his hands in shock. "Vut have I done?" He started towards her, only to find himself staring at the business end of Logan's adamantium claws.
"Get back," Logan's eyes had taken on a no-nonsense glare. "You keep away from her."
"Jon, Sean...take Kurt inside and keep him there," Charles was barely controlling his anger. "I will deal with you later." The others took him away.
Kitty had joined Logan at Sasha's side. "She's not breathing," her voice wavered.
Logan started in with his CPR. Remy returned a moment later with Lorrie and Hank close behind. Lorrie had a first-aid kit slung over her shoulder.
"What happened?" the tall blonde demanded.
"Kurt and Bobby were fighting and she got between them," Charles said. "Kurt accidently hit her."
Lorrie fitted a cervical collar on her as Hank and Logan carefully lifted Sasha's tiny body onto the gurney. Lorrie checked for life signs.
"I've got a pulse, but it's very weak." She probed around the head wound and hissed. "I think she's got a skull fracture, broken jaw too. He hit her really hard."
"I can't believe this," Bobby said weakly. "He would have killed me. She saved me."
------
Sean sat in a chair, staring at the blank TV screen. Silently, he would glare over at Kurt, crouched in the corner. Jon sat on the nearby couch, nervously flipping through a magazine.
Kurt turned his hands over, looking at them. "I can't believe vut I did."
Remy came in. "Any news?" Sean asked.
"Petite's 'urt bad." He wouldn't look at Kurt. "Lorrie an' Hank are up dere. She gotta skull fracture, broken jaw, concussion, an' she's so far int' a coma, 'er vitals are barely registerin'." He turned back around to the door. "Remy et Gambit gonna fin' Chloe. Chere would wanna know."
Kurt whimpered and curled up into a ball.
------
Remy didn't find it all that difficult to look for Chloe. Earlier in the evening she had mentioned something about doing a bit of mediation in the forest behind the mansion. So naturally, he looked there first.
Just as he knew he would, Remy found his girl next to the lake, sitting atop a massive rock. The Cajun started forward quietly so as not to startle her, but his foot crushed a brittle twig and her head spun around to him.
"Hey," she said quietly. She had started to say something further but her words caught in her throat when she caught the look in her fiancee's eyes. "What?" she asked, beginning to panic "what's wrong?"
Remy moved forward again, shifting nervously on his feet. "Chere. Remy et Gambit 'as bad news...dere's been an' accident."
Chloe's eyes grew wide "Daddy? Is there sumthin' wrong with my father?"
"Non, chere's pere fine," Remy paused a moment, trying to decide how to word his next thought before speaking again. "Chere, Remy et Gambit so sorry...soeur de lil...she bad...she 'eal bad."
------
Charles and Lorrie walked into the livingroom an hour later. Lorrie went straight into Logan's arms and buried her face in his chest, weeping. Charles wheeled himself in front of the inactive television and waited until he had everyone's attention. His expression was a thunderstorm waiting to happen.
Logan cleared his throat. "Well, Chuck, how is she?"
The wheelchair-bound leader glanced at Kurt, still crouched by the wall. "It is very, very bad." He took a deep breath. "I'm sure Remy has told you all of the injuries that was discovered. The skull fracture is much more serious than previously thought. Hank performed an M.R.I. and a CAT scan on her. Sasha may have irreparable brain damage."
Kurt closed his eyes and felt like crying but couldn't find the tears. The others were having similar reactions.
Charles continued "I'd like to ask that someone be at her bedside at all times just in case she should wake." He looked back over at the blue teleporter. "Kurt."
He rose slowly to his feet.
"You have done a terrible thing tonight," Charles began grimly, "and although I realize it was an accident, your actions cannot go unpunished. My daughters mean the world to me and to endanger one of them is to do harm my heart. I had considered terminating your team membership, but believed that would be too harsh. Therefore, you are confined to the house. In addition, I'm removing you from the active member list until you prove worthy."
Kurt cleared his throat to respond but Charles raised his hand.
"I am not finished. You have deprived Lorrie, Chloe, and Stacii of a valuable member of their family. I have conferred with them and we have agreed that, as penance for your actions, you will assume all of Sasha's child care duties until such time as she has made a complete recovery." He raised an eyebrow. "You are Brennan's new nanny."
Kurt winced. "I vill do my bezt."
------
Lorrie was waiting for him when Kurt woke up the next morning. "Come with me," she said flatly, her voice devoid of happiness...not at all like her normal, effervecient self.
Kurt solemly followed her to the nursery where Chloe was playing with Bren. She gave him a hard look. The blue mutant listened attentively as Lorrie and Chloe explained the baby's schedule, how to take care of the necessary tasks, and what Bren's mood was at present. Kurt didn't see what that had to do with anything.
Once the girls left, the first thing Kurt did was to turn on the children's music CD that Chloe had left. As soon as the music started, Kurt cringed...it was a Barney album and Chloe had apparently programed the CD player to repeat the 'I Love You, You Love Me' song. He had tried to turn it off but somehow the stop button was stuck and wouldn't go down.
"Chloe, you are von sadistic S.O.B," Kurt muttered under his breath as he desperately searched for some ear plugs.
Six back-to-back playings later, Kurt was ready to hurl the CD player out the window. He was beginning to see why Sasha loathed the purple dinosaur so much. Unable to take it anymore, Kurt pulled the plug out of the wall socket, causing Brennan to wail like a banshee -- ironically, not much unlike his father.
"Alright, zveetling. Let'z try ziz," Kurt said as he picked up the baby. He settled down in the rocking chair, draped his tail across his lap, and held Bren awkwardly against his chest. He remembered something Sasha once told him:
"No matter how bad your day has been, the minute you sit in the rocker with a baby on your lap, your cheek against the top of his head, nothing matters anymore. Everything is right in the world again."
He thought about that while he rocked back and forth, staring out the window at the rising sun. He wondered if he could ever make things right between him and Sasha. He had had an ample amount of time to think about it since yesterday. He should have been more attentive to her, if he had, she wouldn't have turned to Bobby for comfort. He snifled.
Brennan stirred and stuck a pudgy little fist into his mouth.
------
Chloe sat at Sasha's bedside and wept silently. Sasha's motionless body was as stiff as a board, her face a pasty shade of white, and her breathing was so shallow it was nearly undetectable. Occasionally, the sound of the heart monitor beeped, signalling that all was normal.
The punked-out girl looked up, her face streaked with her salty tears and her mascara beginning to run.
"C'mon, lil'chicka," Chloe whispered "I know yas in there sumwhere." The girl reached down into the bag sitting at her feet and pulled out a handful of photographs. Flipping past a couple of them, she chose a few and held them up in front of Sasha's closed eyelids.
"Look," Chloe pleaded "see, I finally got the pictures back from the last family picnic. See here, you were holding Bren. You were smilin' at him and he was smilin' at you, then you both looked over and smiled at me. He wants you to open your eyes Sasha! C'mon, open...open...open your eyes!" Chloe could feel a second wave of tears beginning to wash over her. She waited a few beats before flipping to the next picture, pleading with her sister, again, to wake up.
And that's the way it went on for sometime. Chloe would pull out something she had hoped would cause some sort of reaction in Sasha, but with each passing moment Chloe became more and more discouraged.
After a while, Hank walked into the room to take the hourly test readings for analysis. He watched and listened to Chloe for a few moments as she read out loud from one of, what he knew to be, Sasha's favorite books before proceeding further into the room.
"Why don't you go get some fresh air or a cup of tea, my dear," Hank started, coming to stand behind the girl, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Chloe choked back a sob.
"No," she said flatly, pushing Hank away a lil. "No...what if she wakes up for a few minutes and I'm not here?" She cleared her throat of its sadness before continuing on with her reading.
Hank stared blankly at Chloe for a moment, wholly unbelieving that this was the same happy, upbeat girl he had seen only a few short days ago. Quietly, he moved away from Chloe and proceeded on with his work and moving on, his heart clearly breaking with every added distance he put between them.
------
It was late at night...nearly 3am...or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. Remy had eventually cohersed Chloe to sleep in a real bed. After quite some time of resisting, she had finally agreed but only after she announced that she would back the next morning.
The only sound in the room was the whirring of the machines that Sasha was hooked up to so Hank could monitor her vitals.
Slowly, the infirmary door edged open and a figure slipped into the dimly lit room. The figure looked around to make sure there was no one else there before venturing further in.
Taking a seat next to the bed, Stacii picked up Sasha's limp, clammy hand and cradled it softly within hers.
"Sash, how could you be in here? What were you thinking when you got between Bobby and Kurt? I've never seen you screw up on anything. I'm the screw-up, remember? C'mon you remember... I've done a lot of bad things in my life and I know I'm not exactly your favorite person in the world, but I still love you, and I know you still love me...I can feel it. Don't do this to me, Sash. I don't do alone real good... I know you're here but it's like you're not really here. You're not talking but I know you're here. So I'm just gonna talk, you can listen."
Stacii paused, taking a deep breath.
"Even after I first left all those months ago, it was all the things I was taught that made me wonder if it was doing the right thing or not. But I wasn't taught nearly enough. You and dad, Lorrie and Chloe, you're the only handful of people who really care about me, so don't blow me off, Sash."
Stacii looked up to the ceiling and spoke again.
"Don't blow me off, Goddess. I've never really asked anything of you before and I never wanted to come to you like this, but don't take Sasha away from me; she's not done yelling at me yet. Goddess, you're not talking but I know you're here, so I'm gonna talk, and you can listen...Goddess, I don't wanna be empty inside anymore."
There was a sound from out in the hall...someone was on their way in. Quickly, Stacii slipped behind the potted plant next to the door. Just as she shielded herself with the foliage, the very familiar figure of Hank lumbered past and headed towards the monitors. As he moved he looked intently at the clipboard in his hands.
While he was distracted Stacii slipped out the rapidly closing double doors without Hank being any-the-wiser.
------
Kurt's second day in the nursery went smoother than the first. He managed to get Bren interested in toys before the child remembered the CD. It did, however, take Bren a long time to fall asleep. He had, for some unknown reason, taken an obscene fascination with Kurt's tail, reaching out with one chubby fist, Brennan grabbed ahold of it and tugged hard. Kurt grit his teeth and bared it until the baby nodded off.
Once he was sure that Bren was sufficiently in slumberland, Kurt then wandered into Sasha's room. He looked to her bedside table. Atop it, leaning up against a family picture of Sasha, her sisters, and her father, was a polaroid of Kurt perching on the roof of the mansion. He didn't know she had even taken it.
Her ritual altar, next to the entertainment center, had begun to collect a thin layer of dust. He reached out and tenderly touched the silver, jewel-encrusted chalice. It was the very same chalice Sasha and he had drank from the same night he had proposed to her. Kurt felt himself smile, remembering the first time Sasha had shared her faith with him.
He was looking through her books when he noticed some things out on the table. There was a photo album, a small writing book and some scattered papers underneath. He sat down and opened the album. Sasha was never going to be a run-off-the-mill mutant, Kurt knew, she had as close to a normal upbringing as her parents could provide. Most mutants were shunned almost from the same moment they discovered that they were different. Sasha had her family and her memories to fall back on. There was her first baby pictures, a dark golden curl of baby hair, a birth announcement. She had school pictures showing her changing faces through the years. A souvenir from her junior high prom, and a photo of Sasha, Kitty, and Jubilee in a formal dresses -- obviously a picture taken at the 'Welcome Back' dance back when she and her sisters first arrived.
Kurt turned the page and stared. It was a color photo of Sasha standing barefoot on the large rock out at the lake where they had their first real talk the day she had arrived, surrounded by the wild, twisted foliage and tumble of rocks. She was wearing khaki shorts and a man's shirt tied at the midriff. It was early morning in the picture and her honey-colored hair was blowing in the breeze. Her blue eyes were looking out over the lake and Kurt found himself wondering what she had been thinking.
A single, solitary tear splashed on the page. He wiped it off and pushed the album aside. The small, delicate book next to the album fell on the floor and he automatically picked it up and, not really meaning to, read it:
Dear Diary,
I saw Greg today on campus again. I keep trying to warn Gwen that he's bad news but she just won't listen to me. I don't wanna see her hurt the way I was...and then the events of last night didn't help matters.
When I got back home to the Estate, I sat out in the garden and broke down into tears. Bobby's a really great guy to talk to...and he promised he would tell that secret I told him. If it ever got out, I don't think I could live with everyone looking at me like I'm some sort of pity-case.
Kurt sniffed and chewed his lip. So now he knew the real intentions behind the hug and kiss...Bobby was trying to comfort her...but the fact that Sasha confided a secret in Bobby gave Kurt mixed feelings. Why would she feel she couldn't come to him with her problems or concerns?
Solemnly, Kurt put everything back the way he found it and went back to the nursery.
------
Lorrie and Hank looked worried when they came up from the infirmary Saturday night. "Has there been any change in Sasha's condition?" Kitty asked as she met them halfway across the foyer.
"No change, I'm afraid, Kit-Kat," Lorrie reached out and took the girl's hand. "Her EKG is steady and her injuries are healing at an amazing rate but she just isn't waking up. Her body is using up all her reserves and she's just wasting away."
Jubilee looked between the two medical professionals hopelessly. "Isn't there anything else we could try?"
Lorrie tapped her crossed arms thoughtfully.
------
Sasha was drifting with the currents. It felt like floating on inner tubes at Long Point when she was a child. Daddy had built an aquatic play pen out of a bit of driftwood, an old tractor tire and some rope and Momma would pull it into the middle of the lake with their house-boat. Or when they all would splash in the warm bath temperature water and Daddy would do his dolphin imitations to make her laugh.
There was a bright light in the dark sky overhead. It was growing brighter and closer. Sasha shaded her eyes. There were three figures in the light. One she recognized immediately. Sandy-headed Brennan Xavier stretched out his arms to her and giggled. She tried to reach out to him but she was so tired.
Brennan was cradled within the arms of a feminine looking figure which, in turn was standing next to a clearly masucline figure. Both had blurry facial features yet, somehow, they smiled at her and, just for a second, she was reminded of someone.
"Hello, Lady Jade," the female said in a light, heathery voice. "Our young friend and us are worried about you."
Sasha tried to speak but couldn't.
"We want to help to you find your way," the male continued, just as airy as the female. "You've been drifting a long time. We are here to bring you back into the light." A glowing ball appeared in Bren's chubby hand. It began to unwind like a ball of yarn and a tendril wound itself around her wrist.
"Come with us, Jade. We need you and," the female paused and looked down to baby Brennan.
"We love you," came a disembodied voice. It seemed to come from nowhere yet everywhere all at once. Sasha stared blankly at Bren and he smiled.
The ball of light grew until it swallowed them up and began to float into the sky. The cord on her wrist began to tug at her and she spread her arms. She struggled against the air currents whipping all around her, fighting to gain height. The cool night breezes brushed against her skin, making it prickle slightly and causing the short hair to stand up straight. Soon, rising became easier. She lifted higher, past the hills, and looked ahead far into the distance.
She could see the familar lights of home.
------
She could feel a cool breeze against her cheek.
"Mmm." Her eyelids fluttered. The dim light hurt her eyes. Sasha looked up through her eyelashes and saw Chloe and Lorrie standing over her, their hands connected and mumbling something.
Both girls were startled when they heard a rustling beneath them.
"Sasha!" Chloe whispered, breaking the hold she had on Lorrie's hands and crouching down to Sasha's eye level. Her hands flew to rest on Sasha's forehead. "Dad just stepped out for some fresh air."
"Where am I? This isn't my room." Her vision was blurry but gradually clearing. There was too much white for it to be her room and there was a strong scent of cleanser. Sasha slid herself up the bed slightly and looked at her sister.
"How long was I out for?"
Chloe looked at Sasha with a completely deadpan expression. "A long time, Sash. The year is 2137. I'm the great-great-granddaughter of Chloe LeBeau, the first human Empress. Unfortunately, you are my slave."
Sasha smiled slightly, "Cute sis...how long was I really out for?"
"Silence, slave!" she said forcefully before breaking down into a fit of giggles.
"You were in an accident. This is the infirmary," Lorrie, replied, taking a deep breath as she crounched down on the other side of Sasha. "It's Sunday evening. You've been asleep almost three days."
"Mmm." Sasha closed her eyes and laid back against her pillow.
------
Remy pounced on the phone when it rang. "'Ello?" His face lit up. He looked back at the others. "Petite is awake? Is she okay?" The other mutants were hanging on every word. "Da doctors are dere now. Okay, well, t'anks f'r callin'. We'll be down soon. Au revevior, chere." He hung up the phone.
Jubilee bit her lip. "Well?"
"Chere says petite woke up a lil while ag'. She talked t' chere a bit an' den da doctors shooed Chloe outta da room." Remy stood up. "Wad say we go see soeur de lil?"
"Small groups would probably be best" Logan said. "We shouldn't overdo it. Maybe just Kurt, Kitty, and Jubilee right now. The rest of us can wait."
Kurt cowered at the mention of his name. "No...I don't zink I can face her right nov. Not after vut happened."
Kitty gave the blue mutant an understanding hug. "Do you want me to pass on any messages?"
Kurt looked up, his eyes were haunted. "Juzt zat I mizz her."
It took only moments for Kitty and Jubilee to maneuver through the house. Upon arriving in the infirmary waiting room, Chloe beckoned them forward.
"Dad's in with Lorrie an' Hank. They wanna keep her for testing." She smiled. "Dad keeps pointing out that he can do anything he wants. He pays their salaries."
"How is she? Jubilee asked.
"Come here and look through the window," Chloe said. "They let her sit up and she's eaten a lil."
Kitty and Jubilee both peeked in the window. Charles, Lorrie, and Hank were talking quietly on the far side of the room. Sasha's face was thin and tired but she was awake and sipping out of a glass. Lorrie moved over to the door and opened it.
"Looks like you have a few visitors," Lorrie announced cheerfully.
Sasha squinted but ultimately gave up. "You're going to have to come closer, guys. I can't see beyond the middle of the room."
"Hey, Sas," Kitty said smiling. "Jubes and I won't stay long. We're just glad you're awake."
"Hi, Sasha," Jubes piped up. "How do ya feel?"
She smiled. "Like I've been hit by a mack truck."
"We all miss you," Kitty said. "Kurt sends his love.
"That's sweet. Tell him I love him too."
Jubilee asked, "Do you remember anything?"
"I remember it was Thursday." She frowned. "I was in the nursery putting Bren down for a nap and then I heard a commotion on the rooftop patio. I ran to see what it was, and then I woke up here."
"You don't remember anything else?" Kitty asked slowly.
"I don't know. It's so hard to think...and my jaw hurts." She rubbed her face. "Are you sure some crazy dentist didn't come in here and mess with my teeth?"
------
Logan, Remy, Kurt and Bobby were waiting in the foyer when the others returned. Jubes and Kitty were all smiles and Jubes threw her arms around Bobby's neck.
"Hey!" Bobby said as he hugged her back, "You must have good news this time, I hope?"
"Very good," Charles agreed. "Sasha is still weak but Hank thinks she may be released in a few days. She has some lingering symptoms from the coma but they should clear with time."
"Zymptomz?" Kurt asked. "Vut zymptomz?"
"Blurry vision, weight loss, aching joints," Chloe answered, "and she doesn't seem to have any memory of what put her in the infirmary in the first place."
Charles looked at his team. "Hank thinks she may have some loss of motor coordination due to the head injury. Right now, it's too early to tell. They suggest that we try not to bring up the accident until Sasha is more fully recovered. As far as she knows, she had a serious accident...that's it."
Kurt shook his head. "It'll never vork. Zhe'll knov."
"C'mon, elf," Logan said, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, "you heard Chuck. Have a little faith."
"Zhe'z gonna take von look at me and zhe'll knov zumthin's vrong," Kurt said remorsefully. "I knov. Zat'z hov zhe iz." He turned and went back to the nursery.
Logan made a move for the hall. "C'mon Gumbo, Icecube...let's go see how Pip-squeak's doin'."
"Remy et Gambit wit' you on dat, Claws...soeur de lil need a lil cheerin' up o' da Cajun kind."
Bobby nodded his agreeance and wordlessly followed his comrades down the hall.
------
Sasha vision had cleared considerably over the last few minutes and she was now able to see a lil farther. Although her vision didn't quite extend to the far side of the room, she clearly heard the infirmary door swing open accompanied by the strong scent of cigars and cheap cologne. Sasha smiled broadly.
"Hey Puppy, how ya doin?" she giggled.
Logan sidled up to the bed and took a seat. "How'd ya know it was me?" he smiled slightly.
"Real simple," Sasha mirrored his mile "Only you would wear "Obsession for Dorks!"
Bobby chuckled "Good one Sash!"
Logan made to throw Bobby a mock punch which he easily evade.
Sasha tried to focus her eyes on Remy still standing at the foot of the bed. "C'mon Rem...ya can get closer, I won't bite."
Remy looked a little unsure. "Remy et Gambit afraid he'd pull somt'in' out, petite."
Sasha opened her mouth to answer when the infirmary door opened again. This time Bishop, Sean, Jon, Scott, Cable, and Piotr walked in and clustered around Sasha's bed.
"It's my boys," she smiled. "I haven't had this many strapping young guys at my bedside since that night with the Varsity LaCrosse team." There was a long pause as the guys exchanged a questioning glance. "That was a joke guys."
Remy took a tentative step forward. "How you doin', petite?"
Sasha strugged slightly. "I have a bit of a ringing in my ears and my vision is still a lil blurry, nevermind the fact that it feels like there's a marachi band marching through my head."
"I'm sure that'll clear with time," Scott said soothingly.
Remy made a move to sit on the edge of the bed. As soon as he sat down a loud, incessant beeping sounded. Quickly he jumped back up, raising his hands in the air.
"It wasn' Remy et Gambit...'e didn' touch a t'ing!"
Sasha giggled slightly. "It's alright Rem. That just means its time for my medication." Immediately, Cece appeared from out of the office carrying two small dixie cups, a clipboard, and two syringes -- one empty and one filled with a clear solution.
Bishop watched as Cece took the empty syringe tied a length of cord around one of Sasha arms and began drawing blood. He visibly swayed.
Sasha eyed him carefully. "Are you okay, Bish? You look a lil peaked." She didn't really seem to take notice of the needle currently imbedded in her arm.
Logan smiled slightly. "Bishop has a thing about needles and blood. To think, a big guy like that afraid of something so simple...go figure!"
Sasha giggled slightly as she watched Bishop turn several shades of green.
Bishop gulped slightly. "I think we should probably leave you alone to rest...you gotta conserve your strength if you ever wanna beat me in sparring again." He turned to leave.
"This wouldn't happened to have anything to do with the blood currently gushing from my arm, does it?"
Bishop gulped. "That too!"
Sasha giggled again as all the guys made their way out of the room.
After Cece was finished taing her blood, Sasha took her medication, laid back against her pillows, and drifted back into sleep.
------
Chloe, Bobby, and Lorrie walked into the infirmary the very next morning.
"It might be a minute before you can go in, Bobby...first thing Sasha wanted this mornin' was a bath."
Lorrie went in first then waved Chloe and Bobby in behind her. Sasha was just finishing getting dressed with Cece's help. She had lost weight, her ribs and collarbones were clearly more visible. Someone had shaved her head around the injury and Sasha was not happy.
"Can ya see what they did to me, Coco-puff?" Sasha asked indignantly. "I look like I've been attacked by one of those home hair-cutting machines!"
"That would tick me off too," Chloe giggled agreeingly, though it was clear her heart was breaking for her lil'sis. "Where ya goin'?"
"Back to my room," Sasha answered. "I'm over the hump now and I'd rather sleep in my own bed."
"Well, when you decide to heal, you do it fast." Bobby said, leaning over kissing her cheek. "Thanks,"
Sasha looked puzzled. "For what?"
"For getting between me and Kurt. He would have killed me."
"Chloe?" Sasha asked. "What exactly happened to me?"
Cece spoke up. "You see, Sasha doesn't remember anything, only that she woke up here."
Chloe and Lorrie exchanged a look. Cece caught it and moved over behind the frail-looking girl. "Sasha, dear, I have a feeling you might not want to know."
"No," Sasha said slowly, "I want...no...I need to know."
------
The Cajun could hear the big screen TV blaring from down the hallway. He scowled. "Sumbody ha' better no' be messin' 'round wit' Remy et Gambit's shows." He turned the corner and walked into the livingroom.
"Hey, peoples!" Sasha looked over the arm of the couch. "Anyone up for watching Charmed with me?"
"Petite!" Remy exclaimed, running into the livingroom and dropping to one knee by the couch. Sasha was propped up with pillows and covered by a large afghan. "Soeur de lil!" He blinked very hard, trying to clear his eyes.
"O'course," she said cheerfully, reaching out to pat his cheek. "I wouldn't miss the Charmed marathon for the world." She tugged at the long t-shirt emblazoned with a tri-quatra she had on over her flanel pajamas.
Remy leaned over and gave her a gentle hug. "Remy et Gambit t'ink ya seem right as rain, oui or non?"
"I'm a lil tired, but I'm just glad I'm alive." She looked around. "Where is everybody?"
"Da o'ders be 'ere soon. Remy et Gambit non very hungry t'nigh'." Remy sat back in his comfortable armchair. "Remy et Gambit t'oug't dey'd keep petite longer."
"Well, Lorrie, Cece, and Hank mean well but they were making a nuisance of themselves so I asked if I could go back to my own room. Even Logan missed me, I think. He actually smiled and I saw teeth!"
"Dat's interestin'. Remy et Gambit non know Logan 'ad teet'." Remy smiled and let her chatter at him, so pleased at her safe return.
Not long later, the others walked in only to be greeted with a rousing chorus of "I am the sun, I am the earth, I am human and I need to be loved..."
"Sasha!" Jubilee exclaimed as she jumped up on the back of the couch. "When did you get here?" She glared at Remy. "Why didn't you call us?"
Remy eyed the girl carefully. "Remy et Gambit can be a selfish ol' Cajun if 'e wan' t' be."
"Hey, Sas!" Warren beamed at her. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to be seen," she answered. "Where's Kurt?"
"He's at his job," Kitty said, eyes dancing. "He's been filling in for you with Bren."
Sasha sat straight up. "You mean, he's the replacement nanny?"
"Lor suggested to Chuck that it might make a suitable punishment for flying off the handle," Logan said, "and it might make him appreciate you a little more."
"Boy, what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall for that! How's he holding up?"
Warren laughed. "He wants to put Barney into orbit."
"And he's getting hooked on Captain Crunch," Bobby added.
Sasha giggled. "I can see why...Captain Crunch is the cereal equivalent to crack!"
They had a good laugh with that and everyone settled in for the evening. Gradually, Sasha began to sink lower on her pillows and began to drift in and out of sleep. She was no longer visible by the time Kurt arrived.
Kurt sat down and began examining the end of his tail intently.
Kitty wrinkled her forehead and asked, "What are you doing?"
He showed her his tail and grimaced. "Brennan likez to chev on my tail, don't azk me vy."
"Why don't you just give him his pacifier?" Sasha suggested sleepily. "It's in the top, right-hand drawer of the changing table?"
Kurt jumped up at the sound of her voice and tripped himself with his own tail. He and the chair both fell ass over tea kettle. He struggled over to the couch and looked over the arm. "Zazha?" he gasped hopefully.
She smiled up at him. "Hi there. Ya miss me?" She reached up and took his hand.
Kurt couldn't speak. A tear, however, rolled down his cheek and splashed on Sasha's forehead.
She struggled up to a sitting position. "I think I'm going to call it a night. The Charmed Ones are just gonna haveta defeat evil without me." She looked up at Kurt. "You wanna limp down the hall with me?"
"Yeah," he breathed. He took her arm to help her rise, and it was a good thing he did. As soon as she cleared the couch, her right leg buckled under her and she fell. Sasha got a stranglehold on his arm. He scooped her up and was shocked at how light she was. "Vy don't I juzt carry you inztead?"
"Okay." She put her arms around his neck. "'Night, y'all."
They were silent all the way upstairs to her room. Kurt was trying desperately trying to think of all the things he wanted to tell her. Before he knew it, they were at her room and he was setting her down on her bed. She seemed to have fallen back asleep so he covered her up and turned to go.
"Honey?" she said softly, opening an eye. "It's not your fault."
He stopped in his tracks and signed heavily. "Yeah, it iz. I hurt you."
"Come back here, will you?" Sasha was sitting up and patted the mattress beside her. "Come on. I'm in no shape to chase you down." She pulled off the t-shirt and tossed it aside.
He sighed and did as she asked, perching himself nimbly on the corner of the bed. Sasha took his hand.
"Chloe and Bobby told me what happened. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to Bobby with my problems. I just needed someone to talk to and he was the most available person at the time, and..."
"I vuzn't around." He took a deep breath.
Sasha drew the back of her hand down his face, gently caressing his skin "I don't blame you for what happened."
"But I hurt you." He looked down at his hands, flexing them slightly. "You almost died."
"Hey," she said gently, taking his hands in hers, "You made a mistake. These hands will only touch me with love from now on."
Kurt tried to look away. "You dezerve to have a normal life viz a normal boyfriend."
"I already do."
"No...no you don't. I'm a freak!"
"Alright...a normal girl and her eye-popping creature-of-the-night boyfriend." Sasha sighed and forced him to look at her again. "Kurt, honey...you're the one freaky thing in my whole freaky world that still makes sense to me...you keep me sane and whole and balanced."
Sasha leaned in a planted a featherlight kiss on Kurt's soft lips and touched her forehead to his. Kurt held her to him for a minute before settling her back onto the bed and curled up beside her. She snuggled into his chest. "I love you."
Soon they both drifted off into slumber, holding one another in a lovers embrace.
------
Sasha's recovery was miraculously fast. Over the coming weeks, she had regained much of her motor coordination but her nights ended rather earlier than they normally did. Sasha had continued to find it difficult to move around so Charles had graciously offered his spare wheelchair to her. For the next week, Hank insisted that Sasha use the wheelchair just till her body grew a lil stronger to keep her balance. Charles, every time he seen Sasha, would challenge her to a race to the coffee pot.
One afternoon, Sasha and Chloe was having one of their patented one-on-one girly talks. Chloe got bored of talking rather quickly though, so she quickly swung Sasha and her wheelchair around, gave it a few good hard pushes, and hopped up on the back of the chair thereby turning it into a kind of landbound surfboard.
Sasha screamed as Chloe giggled wildly.
"Weeeee……… Like hang 10 dudes! …Surfs up… and the tides are bitchin'!" Chloe giggled. Many of the mansions residents popped their heads out of various rooms to see what all the commotion was about and laughed hard to the sight.
As the days grew on, Sasha regained herself fairly quickly with good food and exercise just in time for Chloe and Remy's upcoming nuptials.
------
"Shhh… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
Remy was startled awake by a sudden weight on top of him. The sound of giggling filled the air around him.
"Wad you femmes doin in Remy et Gambit's room?" he said to the dozen or so x-women of the house. The only response he received was his hands being bound firmly behind his back and a blind fold slipped over his eyes. In a moment he was placed in a wheelchair and wheeled to the ballroom downstairs. Remy was cussing up a storm the entire way down.
"Wad dis all 'bout?" Remy asked when his blindfold was finally removed. Emma, Jean, Dom, Ro, Jubes, Kitty, Sasha, Betsy, Paige, Val, Penny, Cece, Sasha, and Lorrie were clustered in front of him. They all bore wide cheshire-cat grins.
"Remy et Gambit gonna kill you femmes, you 'ear 'im?" he had started to say before he was cut off by the ballroom door swinging open. In marched Remy's friends. Chloe was bound and blind-folded just as he had been a moment earlier and was slung over Jon's shoulder.
"Chere!… Wad you wan' wit' Remy et Gambit's amour?"
The girls giggled wildly and waited until the men settled Chloe in the chair across from Remy and her blindfold was removed.
Sasha and Lorrie ran over to the corner and began throwing things into a big blender: Tequila, lime, salt, Cointreau; while the rest of the girls began to dance seductively around Remy wearing nothing but shear tank tops and lacey black thongs. The men also began to dance around Chloe, though they were bare-chested and wore skimpy speedos.
Logan, as had been planned earlier, tipped Chloe's head back and gave her a swallow of the Jack Daniels bottle in his hand before pouring the remainder all over her white nightshirt. Remy found himself getting a very pleasant view of his girl's alcohol soaked chest as the cloth clung desperately to her body.
"C'mon Rem you want her so bad you can taste it!" Logan taunted. Penny mirrored Logan's words and actions to Remy.
"Chloe, y'know ya can't resist a bad boy! Ya never could...wouldn't it be just so sweet to taste that whiskey" Sasha's yelled over the whirring sounds of the blender as she drank down the first of its product.
"Shut up Sash!" Chloe yelled to her sister.
Logan grabbed Chloe by the back of her head again and forced her to drink more whiskey as Penny did the same to Remy.
"Rem Dude, look at her, she's hotter then hell!" Jon sneered, tipping Chloe's head back slightly. "If I was single I'd be sooo after her, whether she was marrying you or not!" Slowly Jon traced his hand down the front of her whiskey wet body. Remy's eyes fired up.
"Get you 'ands off 'er!" Remy tried to jump up but Ro and Jean forced him back into the seat and, forcing more whiskey down his throat. The two dozen unbound figures each produced bottles of champagne and shook them vigorously, pooped the corks, and sprayed the bubbly liquid all over Chloe and Remy.
Between Sasha, Lorrie, Jubes, and Kitty, the four girls managed to fill a small kiddie pool with the maguritas they had mixed. Sasha sat poolside with a long straw, sucking up the liquid.
"Y'know, this has gotta be the fifth largest magurita I've ever drank in my life."
"Fifth largest?" Lorrie asked.
Sasha began ticking off on her fingers. "Frat party, frat party, frat party, and the Super Mucho Grande Margarita at La Cucaracha's, which has its own undertow."
The girls giggled slightly before moving over to a large box filled with clothes and began pulling them on.
The girls clad themselves with shear scarves and feathers and brushed themselves across Remy's chest as the men would run their hands over Chloe. Chloe and Remy was intermittantly force fed more liquor. Both screamed at their friends and family that they'd get even with them until Chloe's was the only voice left screaming. Remy found himself staring lustfully at Chloe's alcohol soaked image, her tank top plastered to her and drenched locks over her nearly bare shoulders. The men and women all dawned triumphant smiles...their goal of the evening having been accomplished and Remy now fixated on wanting Chloe so bad that he could taste it.
After a while, everyone headed towards the ballroom doors.
"Good night...sleep tight...dream wet dreams tonight!" they chorus in one voice as they ran from the room, laughing hysterically and flicking the lights off, plunging the room into total darkness save for the sliver of light filtering from the open doorway where they all stood, watching. Gambit finally picked the lock on his handcuffs, walked over to where Chloe was still bound, and smiled, his eyes glowing.
"Remy et Gambit see you in two days chere at da end o' dat aisle… 'e's know you'll t'ink o' 'im mon amour" He moved over to the counter, picked up a bottle of whiskey, took a long swig of the cockle warming liquid, and turned to leave with the others, shutting the door firmly behind them.
Chloe sat there all night.
------
Sasha woke up late the next morning. Kurt had wanted to stay the night with her but since the night she had that last run in with Greg she had become rather skitterish around guys. She knew Kurt would never dream of doing anything like that to her but she feared it just the same.
Walking down into the kitchen, Sasha found the majority of the mansion's residents already there. Kurt sat with an empty seat next to him. As soon as he saw her, Kurt had tried to beckon her over to him. She made a cup of tea, gave Kurt a wide berth and took the seat between Kitty and Jubes.
It pained her to see the look of disappointment on his face, but as much as she loved Kurt she could rarely be near to him without flying into a panic. An innocent touch here and there was all she had been able to muster enough courage for but to be in close proximity for long periods of time was something she just wasn't ready for.
Bobby flicked his eyes back and forth between Sasha and Kurt...he knew her secret...and he desperately wanted to tell Kurt what he knew, but if he did he knew that Kurt would be out for blood. As much as he wanted to hurt Greg himself, Bobby just didn't want to put that kind of stress on Sasha. She had told him something immensely private and he'd be damned if he was going to betray her trust...she had had enough betrayal for one lifetime.
Kurt rose from his chair and walked around the table to where Sasha talked with her friends. It was obvious that she didn't see him approach because no sooner had he laid a soft touch on her shoulder did she screech and jump up from the table, knocking over her tea cup in the process.
The room fell into a hushed silence as they watched Kurt and Sasha. Sasha looked at Kurt's wide-eye expression for several long seconds.
"I...I" she studdered in a whispered voice. "I'm sorry...forgive me," and she dashed from the room.
Kurt watched helplessly as his girl fled from the room...from him. Kurt could feel every pair of eyes staring down at him. In a moment he dashed after her.
He finally caught up with her at the bottom of the foyer stairs.
"Zazha!" Kurt called to her "Zazha, pleaze vait!"
Sasha spun around on her heels and Kurt saw tears streaming down her face.
Kurt looked at her with a pained expression. "Oh Zazha!" she said soothingly. "Vut iz it? Did I do zomezing vrong?" He took a tentative step towards her. "If I did zen I'm zorry."
Sasha's hands flew up to her face to cradle her head and she slumped to the floor. Kurt kneeled down next to her and she allowed herself to be enveloped into his strong embrace.
"Oh, my zveet prinzezz...vy are you crying?"
"I'm. So. Sorry. I. Didn't. Mean. To. Do. That," Sasha gasped, punctuating each word as if they were their own sentence.
Kurt pulled away so he could look into her blue eyes. "Vy von't you tell me vut'z vrong?"
"I...I can't," she said, wiping at her tears, trying to will them to stop. "Not yet."
Kurt let the matter drop, knowing that when she was ready to tell him what was bothering her, she would. Instead, Kurt bamphed Sasha up to her room and laid her back in her bed, but instead of curling up next to her as he normally did, he situated himself in the arm chair nearby and watched her.
Soon, she fell back asleep.
------
Sasha woke back up around noon. The memory of her outburst in the kitchen still fresh in her mind. She felt nothing but embarrassment. Looking around her room she saw Kurt's slumbering figure curled up in the armchair. Rising, she approached him.
Kurt stirred slightly when Sasha brushed her knuckles across his forehead. His eyes flittered opened and he smiled slightly.
"Zazha," he said softly, righting himself in the chair. "Hov are you feeling?"
"Better," she crouched down next to the chair. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'm just going through some things right now and I need some time to work through them...just know that I love you, I will always love you. I just may get a lil freaked from time to time, k? Please try to be patient with me."
"I vill try," he replied "I just vizh you could truzt me enough to tell me vut'z vrong."
"Honey, I do trust you," she took one of his hands in hers "I just don't trust myself right now. Just give me some time."
Kurt nodded slowly.
------
Sasha's stomach was all aflutter. She was nervous as hell. This would be the first time she conducted a ceremony as a licenced High Priestess and she didn't want anything to go wrong. Chloe and Remy were two of the most important people in her life and she was determined to make sure their handfasting went off without a hitch.
Soon, Chloe was dressed, as was all others who were part of the wedding party so Sasha placed a call over to the grooms room, making sure everyone was ready on their end. Logan was instructed to hustle Remy into the chapel ahead of everyone so Sasha could attend to the procession line.
"Okay," Sasha exhaled, drawing in a cleansing breath immediately after, "just relax, sis," she flashed a comforting smiling to Chloe before turning to the wedding party. "If anyone gets lost just follow my lead, okay?"
Everyone wordlessly nodded their response.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath Sasha signaled to the door attendants to open them up. Chloe and Charles stood off to the side so as to not be seen prematurely while Sasha led the procession line into the chapel.
Sasha stopped before the altar, turned, and wordlessly gestured to the line of people with her hands, signaling for the men to take their places next to Remy and the women to takes their places next to the spot where Chloe would soon be standing.
Sasha could feel every pair of eyes in the chapel staring at her...boaring into her body. She just knew that each and everyone one of them was just waiting for the moment that she would fuck up and it scared her to death. In an attempt to relax herself, she kept her eyes trained on the closed chapel doors that her father and sister waited nervously on the other side of.
Turning around to the altar, she whispered a silent prayer before making her way around it to stand on it's far side. She turned back around to once again face what she undoubtedly knew to be her judge, jury, and executioners should anything go wrong.
When the Irish wedding song came to its climax, Sasha gestured to the back of the hall. Those serving as the doormen knew that that was their cue. They opened the massive doors to their fullest extent to reveal a stunningly gorgeous Chloe in her lily white wedding gown and a very nervous Charles in his black and white tuxedo.
All eyes turned to look at the pair as they made their way up the aisle hand-in-hand. Sasha could hear Logan whisper to Remy softly.
"Breathe Gumbo...you don't wanna pass out on us, do ya?"
After Charles safely delivered Chloe to the front of the room, he backed up his wheelchair slightly, allowing her to take her place next to her intended. The music faded out and Sasha wordlessly motioned for the spectators to sit.
Chloe and Remy approached each other from opposite directions, joined hands, and came forward to stand before Sasha and the altar.
Sasha looked at Chloe, smiling broadly. Then she looked over to Remy and favored him with a smile as well as if to say, well… welcome to the family… bottom dweller!
Remy's smile seemed to indicate he was thinking, t'anks …you over educated Duck!
Sasha's eyes then briefly flickered over to Kurt, looking lovingly and deep into his before returning her mind to the task at hand. Clearing her throat, Sasha spoke clearly into her pinned microphone.
"Who thou approach this sacred time, are you properly prepared?"
"We are" Chloe and Remy answered in unison.
"Then we do welcome thee."
Chloe and Remy took a step closer to the altar.
"Ever does the wheel turn and through each of our lives we seek many things. One of those is to find our mate and if we are lucky it is so. So it is with Chloe Colleen Xavier and Rembrandt Etienne LeBeau… Thus we gather today to celebrate with them as they commit one to the other and we witness the binding of their hands in the Light of their Love...
Thus it is and thus it has always been, that man and woman are created equal and in all things, are equal. However, when man interfered with this equality in times past, it was thought that if one married, the woman became the chattel of the man, bound to obey and be subservient in all things on his whim. His wife was to be protected and to be provided for but never be as an equal. Now in our enlightened times, we know and attest the equality of all except in that which one lacks, the other redeems, and that which they share, they share in abundance…
So it is that there be but three duties that we must acknowledge: To Love, to Respect, and to Honour…
These be the Mystery for without these three, there be naught but a husk, empty and devoid of Light…
Love, for without love there is no union and their children will be born into despair...
Love, for without love, the union has no base and so must surely fall…
Love, for without love, the nourishment which is each their due, shall be denied…
Respect: respect is the key of freedom within their bonds, for each must acknowledge the individuality of the other and know that though they attest to each other, yet are they each are responsible for their own decisions and their own opinions…
Honour: honour is to rejoice in the light each of you brings into this world, as well as, to each other's lives...
So these three it be and so are they challenged No more is this seen than in their Love and never more than in the case of these two beloved here. Thus do we delight in their joining." Sasha stopped her long enough to flip over the page in her B.o.S. cueing Lorrie to step up and devest Chloe of her bouquet.
Looking back up, Sasha continued.
"Chloe, is it your wish that this Rite proceed and that your hand be joined with this man?"
Chloe shook slightly and answered, "It is!"
"Remy, is it your wish that this Rite proceed and that your hand be joined with this woman?"
"Oui" he beamed .
Sasha took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure.
"Then as you have asked freely, so shall it be." She looked to Remy. "Remy, in the sight of the Gods and in the full Light of their truth, do you so vow to Love Chloe and cherish Her, to honour her heart, to respect her being and to ever regard her in the Light of your Love. To care for her and provide for her needs all that you can, as long as you both shall live?"
"Remy shall, an' 'e shall 'lso present t' 'er m' amour an' m' pledge t's chere dat… Once upon an 'ncient time, in a land by an azure sea, da kingdom 'ad a princess, mais 'er prince was yet t' be. 'Er castle was a wonder o' gold, a mountain's snowy peak it crowned, da princess searched many di'tant lands, 'las, still no prince was t' be found. Da princess sighed in sleep one night, 'ad, in a watercolour dream, she saw a 'andsome man in shining white, by an emerald 'tream. As she gazed int' 'is eyes, da dream faded int' gray, da princess 'woke in ruby's dawn, wit'in 'er 'eart, 'is image did 'tay. Dat night in da castle a ball was 'eld, da princess danced all night, da gala was grand! Music an' laug'ter reigned! Mais, when da sky met mornin's light... Da princess was ax'ed t' dance 'gain! 'Is armour was like sun's beam! She looked upon 'im in wonder -- it was the Knightly Prince da dream! Dey were married in grand ceremony, dey began a life dat was new! Da kingdom at long last 'ad a princess an' prince, da princess' dream at long last came true!"
He then placed a 25 solid carat diamond ring on her ring finger.
Sasha began to get a little misty eyed, but forced herself to choke her tears back until after the ceremony. She looked to Chloe who was not using any such restraint as she spoke to her husband-to-be.
"My Love, I accept your pledge, and your love, as I accept thy jewel. Know what is in my heart, as I know what is in thine. The magick of my will, of my love, shall ever be thine."
Sasha then turned to Chloe.
"Chloe, in the sight of the Gods and in the full Light of their truth, do you so vow? To Love Logan and cherish him, to honour his heart, to respect his being and to ever regard him in the Light of your Love. To care for him and provide for his needs all that you can, as long as you both shall live?"
Chloe swelled up in a fresh wave of tears as she responded.
"I shall and I shall also present to him my love and this pledge. Of my heart…As a lil' girl I dreamed af a white dress, and long aisle, my Romeo at the end waiting for me. As a teenage I dreamed of a white dress, long aisle, and lots of flowers, a Prince at the end of the aisle smiling as I walk down. In college I dreamed ofa white dress, long aisle, lots of flowers, and huge reception, and a dark haired knightly champion at the end of the aisle waiting, smiling, anticipating...Then came you...I dreamed again...Of a white dress, long aisle, lots of flowers, and huge reception, and in that dream it was you waiting for me at the end of the aisle, waiting, smiling, anticipating, fulfilling all the dreams I've had for years. Bringing a love I never knew existed into my life, bringing my dreams to reality... showing me dreams are reality and truly do come true!"
Then presented to him a ring as token of her love, placing it on his ring finger.
At this point, there wasn't a dry eye in the room, even Sasha was having a hard time keeping her emotions under control...just barely.
Remy blinked, clearing away the tears in his eyes, before responding.
"My Love, I accept your pledge and your love, as I accept thy jewel. Know what is in my heart, as I know what is in thine. Da magic of my will, of my love, shall ever be thine."
Sasha smiled at the couple standing before her.
"So be it! Your Vows have now been heard by all. These rings, like your vows, are without beginning or end. Now placed, they represent a seal of your love and respect for each other. By your love have you so sworn and in the Light of Truth has it been witnessed."
Sasha, with cord in hand, stepped down from her pulpit and stood in front of the couple, binding their hands together gently.
"In the Light of the Gods, are you so bound, each to the other, unto all of your days. Behold all here assembled, bear witness that Chloe Colleen, daughter of Charles Xavier, sister to Lorrie, Stacii & Sasha Xavier hereby give their blessing to this union to Rembrandt Etienne LeBeau on this day. With oaths to each other and so are their hands fasted, each to the other unto the end of their days. But know too that with the binding of these two hearts a new family is formed. A family created of love and trust. One that consists not just of Chloe and Rembrandt but to all of their blood as well."
Sasha stepped back and picked up the chalice, then returned to the couple again, offering it to both Chloe and Remy.
"This is your first drink together as man and wife. May you never thirst" and they drank of the wine.
Sasha picked up a basket of bread and offered it to the couple.
"This is your first food together as man and wife. May you never hunger" and they ate a bit of the bread.
Sasha then wordlessly motioned to Lorrie, signaling her to take the besom and place it on the ground.
"And this will be your first act of working together as Husband and Wife"
Chloe and Remy helped each other to jump over the broom and return to their places at the altar.
Sasha smiled brightly and looked out into the crowd, raising her voice in pride.
"Rejoice and be merry! A new star adorns the heavens. As it is said, so shall it be and so it is done!
We thank the elements of life for their attendance this day and ask they go forth and herald this union. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, may they always return to one another in their togetherness. May these two find in each other, the love for which all men and women long. May they grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home that they establish be such a place of sanctuary for their family. And may their two rings symbolize the spirit of undying love in the hearts of both of them.
You may kiss."
Sasha watched fondly as Remy gently pulled Chloe close to him, lifting the shear lace veil over her head, and swept her up into a passionate kiss, lifting her into the air, swinging her in a circle, and dipping her low.
Sasha giggled inwardly when Logan leaned forward towards Remy and whispered loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear.
"Umm… Dude! Save me some!"
Chloe blushed hard and beamed brightly, her giggling echoing off the chapel walls.
------
Their night of partying soon ensued and, as previously discussed, opted to wait till the following afternoon to leave on their honeymoon being it Christmas day and wanted to have Lucky's first Christmas at home.
The seductive backbeat of the music snaked through the massive ballroom to greet the wedding party. Sasha was the last of the wedding party to arrive, having stolen away upstairs so she could change out of her priestess robes. As soon as she entered the reception hall, Sasha headed straight for the stage where the contracted band was beginning their first set.
Stepping up to the microphone, Sasha called out to the audience. "Excuse me, can I please have everyone's attention?" A hush fell over the crowd as everyone listened carefully. Sasha took a deep breath before continuing. "Chloe...Remy...I can't tell you how honored I felt when you asked me to officiate over your handfasting. Now, I know Chloe is generally the musically inclined one of the family, but all the same, I'd like to offer a song to the happy couple as they dance their first dance together as husband and wife."
Sasha cleared her throat and made a slight motion with her wrist. Instantly the lights in the room dimmed low and a bright spotlight centered on Chloe and Remy. The crowd backed away, making room for the dance.
A soft, melodic music began to play, a mix of piano and bass, and Sasha began to sing.
"What care Ich for fortune or fame? They never mattered a lot. Ich don't have a right to complain, as long as Ich got what Ich got."
The tempo of the music picked up slightly, the sounds of the woodwind instruments joining in with the bass and piano already playing.
"I've got rhythm, I've got music, I've got my man! Who could ask for anything more? I've got daisies in green pastures, I've got my man! Who could ask for anything more? Old man trouble, I don't mind him. You won't find him 'round my door. I've got starlight, I've got sweet dreams, I've got my man! Who could ask for anything more? I've got rhythm, I've got music, I've got my man! Don't need no more! Daisies...in green pastures...same man as before. Trouble never finds me. Life's a beautiful thing. Cuz I've got rhythm, it makes me happy. Music that makes me wanna sing. For I've got a man...OoOo, what a man. A beautiful man I adore. Who could ask for...anything...anything mmmmmooooooorrrrrreeeeeeee!
As the song wound to a close, a cheer rang up from the crowd. Sasha brought the microphone to her mouth again.
"May Spirit shine his bright blessings on your union, now and forever."
No sooner had Sasha stepped down from the stage did Chloe envelope her sister in a warm, thankful hug. Chloe's green eyes were shining as she met her lil sister's blue ones.
"Dat was beautiful, petite," Remy smiled, giving his new sister-in-law a light peck on the cheek. "Tres magnifique."
"Well, it was the least I could do after everything ya'll have done for me," Sasha replied, embracing Remy in a warm hug.
On the far side of the room, Logan and the other guys clustered around one of the tables. Logan nudged Sean. "Y'know, seems to me what we need to round off the evening is to take Chloe for a little Waltz Around the World."
Sean grinned. "Ooh, buddy," he said, "That's cruel. I think Chloe and Remy are gonna try to sneak off as soon as they can."
"What's a 'Waltz Around the World?" Bobby asked Logan.
Logan laughed. "Old wedding tradition. All the guys keep the bride dancing and away from the groom. It's kinda like a giant game of keep away."
Bobby looked across the room. Remy and Chloe were standing less than arm's length apart with their hearts in their eyes. He looked back at Logan. "You want to do this now or wait for a bit?"
"No time like the present, I think."
"Okay." Bobby zipped across the floor, swung Chloe out of Remy's arms and began to twirl her around the dance floor. Chloe giggled wildly.
Remy's mouth dropped open. "Bobby! Where you goin' wit' mon chere?" he demanded.
Logan and Sean thundered forward, Jon right behind them. Lorrie whispered into Remy's ear. "It's called Waltz Around the World," she said lightly. "The guys keep Chloe dancing until you can get her away from them."
"Logan," Remy growled, "If you tire 'er out, you gonna to ruin my whole damed night! How'd you like me t' twist you head off?"
"Come on, Kurt," Bishop said as he headed for the dance floor. "Let's live dangerously."
Kurt handed a sleepy Bren over to Emma.
Hank chuckled to himself and followed them.
Sasha looked Remy in the eye and smiled slightly. "I expect you might want to get in there before it gets really out of hand."
Remy just stood in place, watching and shaking his head. Bobby had Chloe out in the middle of the floor, dirty dancing. Jon was out there dancing with Penny, just waiting for his moment. Sean was clearly on deck waiting for his turn. Remy looked sidewardly at his sister-in-laws.
"Why are dey doing dis to me?" he complained.
Sasha laughed. "Call it...getting your just desserts!"
Back out on the dance floor, Logan jumped in and took Chloe away from Bobby. "Having fun, babe?"
"Hell yeah!" Chloe crowed, smiling. "So...who thought of this, you or Jon-Jon?" she asked, letting him do all the work.
Logan smiled slightly, evading the question. "Speak of the devil, here he is!" and Logan spun her away into Jon's arms.
The Englishman two-stepped her around the floor. "How's married life, baby girl?"
"It's not half bad," Chloe replied. "But I'm warning ya, this is really tickin' Rem Honey off."
Jon flicked his eyes up. "Yeah, he's got a real baleful stare. Guess he had something else in mind for your entertainment this evening."
"I know," Chloe said earnestly, "and frankly, I rather like the notion of it!"
"Too bad." Jon handed her off to Hank.
"Ms Xavier," Hank said suavely, "or is it Mrs. LeBeau? I can't recall if you ever decided."
"Tonight, it's just Coco," she replied, giggling.
He passed her to Kurt who in turn passed her to Bishop. He gave Chloe a courtly bow and she returned with an elegant curtsy. They glided across the floor. "You neglected to say you were such a graceful dancer," Bishop remarked.
"Mom ran a dance school. Us girls had private lessons all our lives." Chloe leaned in and whispered, "Remy doesn't dance very well. He's forever tripping over his own feet...but for the love of Spirit, don't tell him I told you that!"
"I'm sure he makes up for it in other ways." Bishop smiled.
"Are you gonna be a sweetheart and let him have the next turn?"
"Naw," Bishop said impudently. "I think he should sweat a bit more."
Cable snatched her up next. The tall muscular man allowed himself to smile. "It's been quite a party," he said.
"Yes it has," Chloe said. She raised an eyebrow.
Cable spun her out at arm's length and a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist. It was Remy, and he drew her towards his chest. Chloe snuggled into her husband. "It's about time you got here."
Remy rested his chin on the top of her head. "Remy et Gambit had all da torture 'e can stand for one night."
The rest of the night was filled with toasts, dancing, food and champagne.
Lorrie and Logan kept Bren for the night and Sasha and Kurt kept Lucky to let Remy have the night to consummate and unite the couple's vows.
By the next morning a fresh faced Chloe appeared into the kitchen with Sasha talking away while Remy held Lucky and talked with Kurt.
"Still trying to compute all that's happened sis?" Sasha said with a warm smile.
"Yeah, it's seems all so surreal to me"
"I know it does my dear, in time it'll sort itself out for you" Charles said, grabbing some coffee and followed out behind the girls into the sitting room for Christmas morning.
Before too long Remy and Chloe said their goodbyes to everyone as they left for the airport, Lucky in tow.
------
Over the course of the week things at home went on as usual. Chloe sent a post card from the plantation and said she couldn't get over all the servants Remy had. That he even had a live in chef! And that Remy told her it's her house now and to do whatever, whenever she wanted and anywhere in it! Then Remy presented Chloe and Lucky to their entire guild and assassin members which they also ruled over though on the post card just wrote "Remy's people" and was introduced as the Grand Madame and Master Lucky which made her giggle out. Chloe was immediately accepted by everyone she met.
On their honeymoon over and taken the trip back to New York, Chloe beat the mail and laughed when Remy, Lucky and her came in from the side door and Sasha walking in right after them from getting the mail and showed them the post card had just came. Making everyone laugh.
Remy, Chloe and Lucky had made it back the day before New Years, wanting to avoid any much more of the holiday travel rushes.
While most of the mansion's residents as well as the still visiting X-factions all went into the city for the annual New Year's celebrations, the Xavier family opted to have a quiet dinner alone. The only one absent was Bren, having been taken by Sean and Emma for a special outing.
Lorrie, Chloe and Sasha put on a small feast, commenting this was the smallest meal they've had to cook in ages so welcomed the lil additional preps having time for it. The girls dressed the table special with the occasional silver and crystal, with the good china, and lit many candles throughout the room giving it a very warm cozy inviting mood for wonderful conversation.
Lorrie went out and called the men in for dinner. Remy put Lucky in the gated play area so everyone could keep an eye on him.
"This is wonderful. I'm so thrilled for you girls!" Charles gushed. "You have come such a long way. I suppose particularly Lorrie and Chloe more so...neither of you expected on coming to New York some years back that you Lorrie would have married, nor you Chloe and have a son as well... And now with Sasha in college… I'm so proud" Even to the untrained eye, it was clear that Charles was just positively beside himself with fatherly joy.
"Well honestly Popsy, us girls really didn't know what to expect on coming down here either" Lorrie admitted, passing Logan the meat platter.
"No doubt, darlin', same as none of us here even knew Chuck had kids!" Logan said in a chuckle.
"Surprise! Its girl! Well four of 'em…" Chloe giggled, "but like Lor said, Dad we chicka girlies had no idea what this place was about or otherwise. All ya told us was… an' I quote… I insist you girls come to New York and won't take no for an answer… cause m' response was t' ya over the phone and again I quote… make me, nana…na… nana… na boo boo!" She reached over and gave Lucky a piece of bread to gum on while the rest laughed to her comment.
"Chloe chicka you've always been the family ham!" Sasha giggled.
"It's dirty job an' I'm the right woman fer it! Man do I love m' work!" And again the room filled with laughter.
"Vell you girlz know zat Logan, Remy, your father, myzelf...everyone here for zat matter are zo glad you came here. You have brought viz you zo much joy an' happy times, momentz of vhich none of uz...particularly right here at ziz table...ever hoped to have ever had in our life timez" Kurt's words moved Sasha so much that she reached out and took his hand with hers.
"Well guys, you have to understand something, it took us girls some time and massive adjusting to do when we got here… it wasn't easy for us. We always had to grow up with only each other to depend on. Kinda like the three musketeers plus one, so to speak" Lorrie admitted.
"In da years you femmes 'ave been 'ere Remy 'as e'perienced more life an' amour den 'e knew could ever exist! F'r dat 'e is eternally grateful" Remy held Chloe's hand as she kissed his cheek.
"I agree Remy. I unfortunately had missed out on a great deal of my girls lives. Then when they came here, and I truly got to know them all over again as my daughters and young women, well...as a father, I couldn't be prouder"
Sasha took a moment to look into Kurt's eyes and he into hers. A silent conversation had just taken place and they both knew that now was the time.
"Dad, I'm glad you feel that way," Sasha said, turning to look at first her father then to everyone else, "because Kurt and I have something we'd like to say." There was a long pause before she continued, seemingly deciding on how she was going to say what she wanted to say.
"Kurt and I...we've been engaged for some time, ever since the night we all went to Harry's. I do apologize for not saying anything sooner, but we felt we should keep it quiet, and now that it's just the immediate family here we wanted you all to be the first to know… Now before you go into the 'you're too young to get married' speech dad. Kurt and I are aware of this, and we want to marry after college is over for both of us! A long engagement so to speak."
The room was silent for several seconds as everyone processed this information. Charles looked to his right to Lorrie and then to his left to Chloe, both girls smiling broadly, then looked to Stacii who had the look as if to say, geez not another one!
Charles drew in a deep breath and looked back to Lorrie and Chloe who now looked to their own husbands, smiling to them with the same lovestruck look that Sasha and Kurt shared.
"Congratulations my dear, you as well Kurt, welcome to the family!" Charles replied happily.
Sasha and Kurt jumped up and came to the head of the table. Sasha hugged her father and Charles shook Kurt's hand. Sasha sisters then hugged their sister and Kurt. Remy and Logan took turns in hugging Sasha and shaking Kurt's hand, welcomed him to the family.
Logan smiled. "Ah, I just love to hear those two special words...open bar!" Everyone laughed.
The family evening went on with chatter and the discussion of what Sasha and Kurt's wedding plan after college. Then Charles teased Kurt that if he didn't wait till after Sasha finished college first that Remy and Logan would make him flunk his college courses and Charles would make it possible for him to never graduate. Of course everyone knew Charles was just ribbing Kurt yet Kurt held onto a slightly nervous expression. This just caused everyone to laugh harder.
Everyone visited at the table till well after midnight, Lucky having fell asleep in his play area on his toys. Even Sasha and Kurt called it a night, wanting to spending a bit of time alone -- relieved that the biggest secret they had was now made public and approved of by her family.
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"Mornin' Lor chicka just came t' start fixin' Rem honey an' Lucky's breaky"
"Hey sis, getting coffee on here, hey mornin' Remy, hey Lucky baby, sleeps well eww baby slobber, Mornin' Sasha, Kurt … o hey everyone, how was the in town party?" Lorrie happily said as everyone in the in house x-gang all appeared somewhat fresh faced
"Yeah, you all have fun?" Chloe asked as she got Remy his coffee and gave Lucky to his Pere, sneaking in a kiss from Remy in the process.
"Chicka it was wild, you and Rem have gotta go with Jon and I next year" Penny squealed.
"Count us in then"
"Woo hoo Jon jon partyin' down in the city with baby girl, now there's a hot night" Jon hooted out like a wild man.
"Da only one dat party's wit' dat bebe femme dere is Remy et Gambit"
"You know it buddy, hey gimme The Luckster...The Studster, we gotta get you a girl lil' dude, you'll have them lil girly's blushin' just like your Pere… he does a great job on your Maman, may as well learn from the master" Jon cooed to the baby from as Scott fed the infant a banana and Bishop grimaced as Lucky took his empty gun and smashed his banana with it.
The daily breakfast ritual was in full swing by the time Lorrie returned to the kitchen, but she looked different than she had a few minutes ago. More solemn. A bit shaky.
Chloe, Sasha and Stacii looked to their eldest sister...fear gripping them as they spoke in unison.
"What is it Lor?"
THE END...to be continued in...A Gaping Void/The Great Divide
