A/N: Hello, my loves. This has been a much needed update. I haven't been able to work on updates for any of my stories like I should because of random life events and evil plot bunnies. Yet, I bring you this little update while I have the time and ability to do so. Enjoy.
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Scarlet curled up on her bed, hugging a pillow to her stomach as her insides cramped with pain like she'd only felt a couple times before. She bit her bottom lip to avoid making any noise and squeezed her eyes shut, glad that her bed faced the wall so that no one could see her in pain. She could hear her roommates moving behind her, but pretended to be asleep.
"Scar?" Jubilee's voice floated from somewhere near the door. "Are you going to get out of bed any time soon?"
Scarlet opened her eyes and stared at the dark expanse of wall, silent. Just go away. Let me suffer in peace for a little longer, she thought, but kept her thoughts in her own head.
"Just leave her alone," Kitty ordered. "You know that she hasn't been sleeping well, Jube. Let her have some more sleep. It's the weekend. No teacher is going to call her truant if she stays in bed."
Yeah, Jube. Just get out of here and do whatever it is you want to do with your life today.
Jubilee sighed. "Alright. See you whenever you wake up and join the world of the living, Scar."
The copy mutant moved slightly when she heard her roommates leave the room and the door close behind them. She rolled onto her back, still hugging a pillow to her stomach. Her red eyes stared up at the ceiling and she carefully released her bottom lip from between her teeth, tasting the coppery taste of blood for a moment before her healing factor kicked in.
"Why?" she demanded of the heavens. "Why do I have to have this problem now? I know that I can have children. I've always known that I'm fertile to the extreme, but why do I have to be reminded of that now? I didn't ask for a crimson dragon to visit me. I didn't ask to be reminded that I am a young woman. I didn't ask to be reminded that there is someone in this damn mansion that could be completely compatible with me. Why the hell did you have to do this to me?"
A particularly painful spasm spread across her stomach as if in answer to her questioning. Scarlet gasped and turned her face back towards the wall. She hugged the pillow tighter to her stomach and curled up again.
Someone knocked on the door to her room and Scarlet could tell that it was her sister by scenting the air. She quickly rolled onto her side again, turning her back to the door and closed her eyes tightly against the world.
Just be silent and breathe slowly and maybe she'll go away. Scarlet told herself as the doorknob turned. She wouldn't wake me up if she knew what was good for her. She may be dumb, but she's not that dumb.
"Maria?" Addison asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "Are you awake?"
Scarlet took a slow breath, pretending to be asleep.
Addison sighed and moved across the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Scarlet felt her sister's hand settle on her side, but forced herself not to react to the touch.
"I heard that you've hit your cycle for the first time in years," Addison whispered, not looking at Scarlet. "Storm told me. And I know that it scares you that you've hit it again after all this time. I know that your body shut that part of you down after all those years you spent in Dad's care. It didn't want you to give him more children to torture like he did to you.
"I know that's what he did to you, Maria. Dad put you through Hell because he knew that you were able to take on the powers of everyone that you came across. He wanted you to be the ultimate weapon against the normal humans. That's why you've always been uncontrollable with your powers and had an aversion to children. You've never wanted to be around them because you were afraid to hurt them and were always afraid to bear them, to put them through a childhood mothered by you."
Scarlet remained silent, though she opened her eyes very slightly.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you and I'm sorry that I haven't been there to show you that you aren't the monster that people think you are. You could be a great mentor to the children that the Professor wants you to take care of. And you could be a great mother to any babies that you may have in the future. If you ever find out who the guy is that woke up that cycle in you, you could probably have a nice little family with him. One whose story begins and ends a lot happier than the one that you had when you were living with Dad."
Addison sighed again and squeezed Scarlet's arm. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell this to you when you were awake, but maybe you heard me in your unconsciousness. But Maria, I just want you to know that I'm here for you, that I love you, and that I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. I'll try to do better, if you'd let me into your life more than you do now."
Scarlet heard her mattress squeak when her sister rose to her feet. She held her breath as her sister crossed the room and opened the door. Words rose up in her throat; words that she always wanted to say to her big sister, but Scarlet held her tongue.
The door shut with a soft click behind her sister and Scarlet heard the clicking of her sister's heels retreating down the hall. She rolled back onto her back and looked towards the door. A single pink tear slid down the curve of her cheek.
Damn you, Aqua.
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Simulated sunlight fell upon Scarlet as she moved through the Danger Room later that day. She was still in some pain, but was doing her best to ignore it in favor of practicing with Logan. Already her X-suit was torn in places that she knew Logan would have a hard time not staring at and that Forge would kill her for if she didn't fix them herself after the training session.
"Maria!" Logan called out from somewhere behind her.
"Shit!" Scarlet hissed from between her teeth as a tree after tree crashed down behind her, cut cleanly down by his claws. "Shit, shit, shit."
The copy mutant threw one hand out behind her and set the trees on fire and reached out with the other, shooting out a vine that wrapped around the branch of a taller tree. Her body flew through the air as she was pulled up into the canopy and Scarlet landed lightly on the branch, crouching on all four. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the burning world behind her, looking for the feral mutant that had been following her.
"Shit," she muttered, seeing him emerge from the smoke.
Black eyes looked up at her from below and the metal claws gleamed from his knuckles. Scarlet made a face at him and took off through the canopy of trees, her nails turning into claws to better grip the bark. She could hear Logan crashing through the woods below her.
"You know you're not getting much training by running away, Princess," Logan's voice called out from somewhere behind her as Scarlet rounded a large tree.
He's got a point, Scarlet thought, landing on a thick branch and straightening. He can't get up here and I'm not getting any hand-to-hand combat experience by running away up here.
"Danger Room," Scarlet called out, speaking to the room itself. "Create a clearing."
The room's scenery rippled and changed slightly. In the middle of the forest, a small clearing appeared. Scarlet jumped into the middle of it and waited for Logan to join her. Her chest grew tight as she watched him enter the clearing, his skin gleaming with sweat under the black ash of the trees.
"I'm waiting," she said, holding her hands at the ready at her sides.
Logan charged at her and Scarlet twisted out of the way. The two exchanged blows and evaded others for several minutes until Scarlet made a small error and ended up being forced back against a tree. Logan's hand was on her throat and the other had been pulled back, claws ready to be plunged into her body. Scarlet's chest rose and fell as she looked into the dark black gaze of the feral mutant.
What are you thinking? Scarlet wondered, searching his gaze as he held hers.
Logan's nose twitched and he breathed in, taking in her scent. Scarlet felt his hand flex on her throat and felt his body move closer to hers slightly. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she fought to catch her breath, accidentally breathing in his scent. She could smell the pheromones coming off him and felt the heat of his body against hers.
"Logan?" she whispered, looking up at him.
The feral mutant blinked and retracted his claws. Shaking his head, Logan lowered his hand and slowly released Scarlet's throat. He stepped back away from her, letting her breath as he averted his gaze. Scarlet leaned back against the tree and watched him, feeling her heart race as she looked at the man.
"We're going to end the training for today," Logan said, not looking at her directly. "We can pick it up in a couple days, darling." He gestured vaguely at her X-suit. "You should get that fixed up before Forge sees it and throws a temper tantrum."
"Logan," Scarlet said once more, wrapping an arm around her stomach as her muscles cramped up again.
"I'll see you later, darling," Logan said, turning away from her. "Simulation end."
The Danger Room's scenery rippled and faded, revealing an empty room. Logan passed through the doors without looking back. Scarlet stood in the middle of the room for a few moments, just staring after the feral mutant. Shaking her head, Scarlet exited the room and heard the lights click off behind her.
The copy mutant entered the girl's locker room and stood before a mirror, looking at her damaged X-suit. She poked at the ripped parts and watched them mend. Then she stripped out of it, hung it up in her designated locker and headed into the showers. As the cold water hit her hot body, Scarlet stared up into the icy spray.
It's his fault, Scarlet thought to herself, running her hands over her body. If I wasn't around him so much, maybe this wouldn't have happened at all. I don't have any control of what happens now and it's his fault, the funny haired bastard. If something bad happens, it's just as much his fault as it is mine. I hope he understands that. Even if he doesn't want to admit that.
Scarlet touched a finger to her lips. Was he going to touch my face or kiss me before he ran out of here? God, I hope not. I would have melted if he did...
"Oh, get a damn grip on yourself Scarlet," she told herself, lowering her hand and looking back into the spray. "You're better than this. You're smarter than this too. You know that there's nothing that's going to change or happen between you and that Canadian ninja. So get a grip and move on...before you get hurt."
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The mansion was asleep as Scarlet walked the halls barefoot. One arm was wrapped around a bucket full of chocolate bars and the other hand held an opened chocolate bar to her lips. She munched quietly as she walked, trying to acclimate herself to the new powers of children that had come into the mansion that day. It was safer for her to do this while they slept, she knew, because she didn't have to face them face-to-face and risk hurting someone unintentionally.
Scarlet paused in front of the same door that she always seemed to pause in front of these days.
Logan...
The copy mutant took a slow, deep breath as she stood just outside that door. Even from the hall, she could smell his musky scent and felt her body grew warm. Before she could stop herself, she had placed her hand on the thin wood and phased through it.
Logan was half-naked and sprawled out on the bed, his legs twisted in the sheets. Scarlet stood next to the bed, staring at him as he snored on the pillows. She saw that his brow was furrowed and he looked less than peaceful. Scarlet reached a hand out, barely keeping herself from touching him as she used one of her borrowed powers to chase away the nightmares that he might be having.
The man let out a small sound, causing Scarlet to jerk her hand back. She dropped a chocolate bar onto the bedside table and backed towards the door, still staring at the half-naked man on the bed. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest and she prayed that he couldn't hear it.
Why the hell are you doing this to me? Scarlet thought, staring at him as she backed through the door. I've never asked for this...so why are you doing this to me?
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Logan's nose twitched as he woke up the following morning, unsure how his nightmares had suddenly turned into semi-pleasant dreams. He ran a hand over his face and turned his face towards the bedside table where a chocolate bar sat.
"How the hell did that get there?" he wondered, grabbing the small candy bar.
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A/N: So, what did you think? Leave a comment or two in the little box. Thanks and much love!- Scarlet