Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the X Men. Evie and the rose-colored world she lives in, is mine.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far. This story is still being written but I needed to get at least the beginning of it out to you. Stay with me; it's not all history. We will get to the present and Christmas. I think I'm going to include New Year's. Liby and Courtney, thank you and I hope you like what's coming. Elouise17, it's nice to meet another Adam fan. Bohemianbabe, Jesse's here but this one's more Adam this time. Don't leave me. I'll give you some good Jesse here and there. LoveConquers, I couldn't believe it when I got your review. I posted the first chapter and exited the site hoping it would refresh and my story would show. I love to see it in the number 1 spot. It wasn't there yet, so I thought I would have to wait for the next morning.(It was quite late.) I noticed they put search drop lists so I keyed in Romance and rating T and found it immediately. When I brought it up your review was already there. I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe you had it read and reviewed in the time it took me to find it. Needless to say, you made my night. Thank you.
We're All Family
Chapter 2
Now, with Christmas on the way, Adam and his family were getting into the holiday spirit. Well,…the family was. Ever since Evie moved into Sanctuary, she decorated for Christmas. It was her favorite time of year. From the very first one, she no longer was alone but had a whole family to celebrate with. The first one was small. After getting to know everyone she had found out that they really didn't decorate but they did enjoy gift giving and a nice dinner when they could make it. The year before she came had been hectic and as a result Adam just made reservations and took everyone out to eat. She remembered asking Adam if she could put up a small tree near the water. She was so overjoyed when he agreed that she jumped into his arms. That year she cooked a wonderful dinner and Christmas has been special ever since.
Last Christmas everyone had the extra joy of seeing Bobby and Jubilee tie the knot. The ceremony was held in the Library. The couple made their vows standing between a 9 foot, beautifully decorated tree and a blazing fireplace. After the couple kissed, everyone laughed to see them bolt for the door. Bobby couldn't stand the heat, either from his nerves or the fire. He ran outside, dragging Jubilee with him. When everyone got out to the porch to see what was going on, Bobby had spun a wall of ice around them as he held Jubilee tight in his arms. It was ok until Jubilee began to shiver. Bobby had made the wall too thick in his haste to cool off. Now he couldn't break through it. He had to form a shield over them as Remy weakened it with a charge then Jesse hammered it with massed fists and Logan sliced with adamantium claws. The couple had to spend the next hour apart as Jubilee defrosted in front of the fire.
With the increase of both households, their joy has amplified. The teams blended together as both families grew closer. With pregnant women sprouting up in both houses, the teams had to share members on occasion to appropriately deal with missions that had arisen.
This past January, as Ro was 5 months pregnant with the twins everyone was anxiously awaiting, Shalimar posed as Logan's wife as they went undercover in a biker community to find the man behind the violence erupting against government facilities. Someone had kidnapped a few mutants with specific abilities and was forcing them to do his bidding in his crusade to defame all mutants. After three weeks of proving themselves and gaining confidences, they were in a place to finally close down the operations and free the captured mutants. A week later the available X Men along with Brennan, who hadn't had any communication with his wife in all that time, moved into position and waited for the signal to move in and clean up.
Outside a government archive facility the bikers were planning to destroy, that signal came in the form of…a fight. 'What else?' thought Brennan as he emerged from his hiding place and ran with the others.
By the time he and the rest reached the vicinity where the fight was going on, they saw Logan and Shalimar standing back to back and holding their own as they each fought three opponents.
Rogue and Gambit walked up to Brennan's side as he watched his wife move to defend and attack. "Are ya just gonna stand here and watch her, Suga'?" She smiled as he chuckled and shook his head. "If ya'd liaghke, Ah can give ya a lift and we can go say 'Hai'." Rogue had one arm around Gambit's waist and she held the other out to Brennan.
"I'd like that very much. Thank you." Brennan stepped closer to her and draped his arm over her shoulder as she secured hers around his waist. He hadn't flown with her very often; only once in an emergency, but he trusted that she wouldn't let him fall.
As the three descended like angels from the sky, all fighting seemed to stop as Shalimar and Wolverine's attackers and their friends standing around them were stunned into stillness.
Brennan landed at Shalimar's side. The smile she gave him filled his heart with joy.
"Riding around with strange women?" Shalimar winked at Rogue. "I can't trust you, can I?"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault you decided to play his wife for the last month." Brennan inclined his chin to indicate Logan then turned an exaggerated pout and sad eyes to his wife. "I've been lonely."
A deep growl behind them got their attention as they turned quickly to see the battle raging around them. Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit were fending off attacks from the bikers. A ruby blast sailed neatly over her shoulder as Shalimar turned to see a would-be attacker thrown back by the blast. She spun back around to see Scott running toward her. "Remind me not to separate you two for such a long time. Can we get back to work, please? This isn't your honeymoon, ya know."
Brennan and Shalimar smiled at each other. "Lift, please?" Shal reached for Brennan's shoulders as he lunged toward her and reached for her waist. She stepped onto his bent leg and he launched her into the air over his head. With a graceful flip she kicked and landed atop the fourth opponent for the afternoon. The battle went on for another little while as all but one biker were knocked out cold. This last one was, of course, the leader. He hadn't even joined the fight until it looked like his crew was losing. Now he stood turning his head back and forth, trying to watch Shalimar on his left and Rogue on his right. He raised a brow as the girls stood waiting and their men all seemed to back off and stand down.
"It's only us now, Suga'. You can put down that pipe and we can all go home." Rogue took only one step then stopped to allow him to decide.
"I don't think so," he gruffed as he still looked back and forth between them.
"Ok, then you choose your dance partner,…her," she nodded toward Shalimar, "or meh."
He stood straighter and eyed Rogue carefully then turned and rushed at Shalimar.
"Wrong choice," Shalimar declared…then jumped…spun into a round house kick…landed, eyeing her opponent…and stood victoriously…then fell unconscious to the ground.
"SHALIMAR," Brennan shouted as everyone converged on their friend. He fell to his knees beside her as she began to turn her head and groan.
"What…happened?"
"Don't move," Cyclops ordered as Jean ran up beside them.
"No…I'm…fine," she said weakly as she reached for Brennan to help her up; then frowned when he refused.
He cradled her against his chest as Jean checked for obvious injuries. She pressed and poked and could only find evidence of minor bruises from the fight. "Nothing's broken and there doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding. Did he hit you with that pipe before you got him?"
"No, of course not," Shal smirked. "I'm fine…let me up." She tried to stand before Brennan but only succeeded in falling into Logan's arms as she was facing him.
"Darlin', if you keep falling for me like this, your man's gonna question what we've really been doin' all this time." He smiled down as she just managed to glare up at him with a very weak growl.
"Come on," Brennan scooped her into his arms. "I'm taking you back to the mansion.
After a full examination from both Adam and Hank neither could find anything out of the ordinary. Shalimar seemed to be in perfect health. Brennan was standing beside her. Rested and strength restored, she was begging Adam to let her leave the medlab.
Hank walked up behind Brennan and put a large hand to his shoulder as he peered down at Shalimar. He just stood there for a moment and stared.
Shalimar felt the intense stare and looked up into his blue scowled face. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Brennan, Adam and Evie, now turned questioning looks to their large blue friend.
"I was just trying to remember…I think I commented on the similarities between you at the time but…alas that was almost a year and a half ago. We will just have to wait and see."
"Similiarities…who?" she questioned again.
"Why…Shawna…of course. She will be very beautiful…just like her mother."
"Shawna…" Shalimar whispered and met Brennan's shocked eyes.
He turned to Hank, "Do you mean that…" Brennan's eyes bounced quickly from Hank to Adam then finally to Shalimar.
"Well, with the increase of young ones around here, I thought perhaps…and I was running so many tests already, I didn't think you'd mind just one more." Hank smiled and raised his other hand to Shalimar's shoulder. "Congratulations, My Friends."
Brennan and Shalimar's eyes had been locked in amazement and shock…until Brennan quickly turned to Adam, who was no longer in the same place at Evie's side. "Adam," Brennan's voice had a different tone now…one of deep concern.
"Yes, I'm on it," he called back over his shoulder as he feverishly pushed buttons at the computer station holding the results of all Shalimar's tests.
Hank walked back to Adam's side and handed him a chart with a print out of all the tests run. With a toothy grin he stated, "I ran that one, too."
Adam looked up at his friend and took the chart. Reading it as he returned to his family, he concentrated and flipped page after page. Finally, putting down the chart on the bed beside Shalimar, he looked into her frightened, waiting eyes. "It's not here," he sighed in relief as his shoulders slumped slightly, his tension released.
Everyone joined the sigh as Brennan pulled his wife into a fierce embrace. As tension waned, joy waxed.
Just then Jesse and Kitty had come in with concern to find out what was taking the exam so long. "I guess you're ok, from the sound of it." Jesse moved to her side.
Shalimar stood from the bed and hugged him joyfully. "More than, ok," she laughed.
Jesse was a little shocked at her reaction but hugged her back as he looked quizzically at Brennan. "What'd I miss?"
"How do you think Bryan'll feel about another sister in the house?" Brennan asked as Shalimar moved only slightly back to see his face.
It took a minute to register as he looked into her excited face. Jesse put his hands on her arms and pushed her back in shock as realization…then deep concern hit back to back. He turned his head sharply to Adam, "The infection…?"
"Nonexistant," Adam smiled.
Joy consumed him as he pulled Shalimar back to him in a bear hug. Kitty joined in their excitement as she tiptoed up to hug and kiss Brennan.
TBC
