Chapter 17.

(Angela)

I watched in horror as the whole thing unfolded. I knew Logan was right, damn it, but it didn't mean I had to like it. Hank came in at some point and insisted that I go to bed, but I couldn't. I needed to be here, needed to see this. If I wasn't pregnant, I'd have been on that team and he knew it. If all I could do was man a radio and watch a hacked satellite image, then that's what I would do. He finally threw his hands up, declared me the worst patient he'd ever seen in his life and stormed out of the office. I didn't care; I had to see this.

I'd long ago swapped out Alpha team for Beta, then finally called in both Beta and Delta and told them all to stand down. If anything had been incoming, it would have been here by now. Kyro joined Buzz and I in the office, maintaining his own vigil as he waited for his love to return. Storm also found her way down there, using the excuse of coffee (and tea for me), but we all knew it was because of Sam. I was vaguely aware of their presence, but my eyes were locked on the overhead display. I considered it a blessing that we didn't have sound; the visual was quite bad enough on its own. I absently noted the gasps of shock, fear or grief from the others as I watched our comrades battling it out with the soldiers who'd managed to avoid Havok's blast. My heart clenched when Havok was cut down and a sudden pain shot through my belly when Atlas tossed Logan to the chopper that killed Alex. I didn't tell anyone about it though; I didn't want anyone calling Hank to drag me out of there.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really less than five minutes, Iceman and Inferno emerged from the Master Mold and I watched as Logan knocked Jubilee to the ground as Inferno shot a tightly controlled blast of white-hot fire at the remaining soldiers. It was over in seconds and not a single person save Logan and Jubilee was left alive. A moment later, the jet landed and they moved towards it. Once they were underneath, it blocked our view. We watched as it shot into the sky and out of the frame. Less than a minute later, the Master Mold blew. Mission accomplished.

I breathed a sigh and turned to the others. "Someone should get Scott, tell him what happened." I said. Storm nodded and went to the internal phone to call him down there. I absently rubbed my stomach, the pains hadn't subsided yet and I winced as another one shot through me.

"Angela, are you all right?" Kyro asked, clearly concerned.

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just been a very intense night." He opened his mouth to say something, but the radio beeped just then. "Base to Omega, report."

"Omega to base, urgent!" Logan shouted. "Have Elixir standin' by in the hangar! Jubilee's been hit. It's bad."

"Affirmative Omega." Kyro was already out of the room to wake Josh and get him to the hangar. "Wolverine, how's everyone else?"

"Banged up, but they'll survive. Except Havok; he didn't make it."

"Can Elixir help him?"

"Doubtful, but he's welcome to try."

"Affirmative Omega. What's your ETA?"

"Fifteen minutes, give or take five. Atlas is pushin' the bird to the limit." I heard him sigh wearily. "Darlin', I hope I never have to do anythin' like this again."

"Me too. Get here as fast as you can. Base out." I looked over to Buzz who had gone pale when he heard what Logan had said. I reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "She'll be fine, sweetie. She's got Logan to take care of her."

"I thought those uniforms of yours were supposed be pretty much bulletproof." He snapped bitterly.

"Honey, they are." Storm said, settling into the chair on his other side. "But only to a point. We don't know what caliber of bullet she was hit with, if her suit was compromised in any way, if she was hit where the suit doesn't cover her. There's a lot of things that could have happened."

"So fucking what!" He shouted as he sprang from his seat. "The Professor had no business sending her on this thing!"

"The Professor sent who he thought was best for the mission. The mission is what matters." Storm stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She knew the risks and she went anyway. She had a chance to back out, but she had to follow her heart on this one. She did what she did to save us all."

"I don't understand all of this!" He cried. "Why are these people so afraid of you? Don't they see that you're not really different at all?"

"No, they don't." I replied. He eased himself back into his chair and I took his hand again. "They see us as a threat, something to be feared or controlled. They don't understand that we didn't ask for this, that it's just something that happens. Hell, if they knew how far back we really go, they'd really freak out."

"You mean you and Logan?"

I nodded. "It's one thing to think that we started cropping up back in the forties. It's something else entirely to know that we've been around for better than a century. That would be more than they could handle, because they'd have to admit that they were wrong. They keep trying to blame it on nuclear power or living too close to electrical lines or hell, even x-rays. If they knew we've been around since before those things, they wouldn't know what to do and that would scare them more than they already are."

He gripped my hand tightly. "Better they don't know then, huh?" He asked and I nodded. "Cuz I'd have never met you and never met all my new friends here." He sighed and sat back with his eyes closed. "I really hate humans sometimes."

"So do we, sweetie." I murmured. "But until we can make them understand that most of us just want to help, we have to deal with the fear as best as we can."

"It's just so unfair. If they'd just get to know you guys, they'd know you're not bad people. Hell, you're better people than that asshole in the White House right now."

I nodded, but didn't know what else to say. Another pain shot through my stomach, but I studiously ignored it. I didn't have time to worry about it right now and it wasn't too intense. I'd had worse pains before with Emma that had been nothing more than the normal aches associated with the pelvic bones moving and getting ready for birth, so I shoved my concerns aside. A little less than five minutes later, we heard the overhead hangar doors open and we all rushed to greet the team.

Hank and Josh were waiting there with a gurney for Jubilee, as well as Scott and Sarah. I nodded to them and Hank gave me an odd look. Damn! I forgot he could smell things too, which meant he could probably smell the pain on me. I made an impatient gesture to him and he scowled at me. Before he could say anything, the ramp lowered and Buzz let out a strangled moan as Logan rushed down the steps with a limp Jubilee in his arms. "She was shot in the left shoulder." He said as he lay her down on the gurney. "Damn suit stopped it at the exit wound. I got the bleedin' slowed, but there wasn't much on the jet to stop it."

"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Josh said as he stepped up and placed his hands on Jubilee's chest. I wrapped an arm around Buzz as we watched Josh work and I could hear him muttering under his breath, repeating "please don't die" over and over again. I gave him a reassuring squeeze and we watched silently. Logan caught my eye over the gurney and I gave him a weak smile. Another pain went through me and I winced, carefully avoiding Logan's gaze. A heartbeat later, we heard Jubilee gasp. "Hey, be careful, don't sit up yet." Josh told her. "Gotta let the real doc have a look at you first."

"Let's get her to the infirmary." Hank said and Josh took hold of the gurney, pushing it after Hank. The hangar doors slid open and they hurried out, Buzz hot on their heels. I hadn't even noticed that Sam had brought down the stretcher with Havok's body on it until I heard Scott sob. I looked over and Sarah already had her arms around him, trying to comfort him as best as she could. Alex may have been an asshole, but he was the only blood family Scott had left. At least he'd gone out like a hero in the end. Small comfort, to be certain, but absolutely true. Finally, Sam finished the post-flight routine and exited the jet, which I took as my cue to throw myself into Logan's arms.

"Gods above lover, don't ever do this to me again!" I whispered harshly.

"Shh, it's all right darlin'." He replied, stroking my hair. "I'm fine, I promise." We stood there silently and I watched as Sarah ushered Scott out of the hangar even as Sam and Storm took the stretcher to the infirmary. Chasca was being led away by Kyro, limping slightly, while Iceman and Inferno supported each other. It had been a long, painful night for everyone and even though Logan heals on the outside, I knew he'd be suffering for days to come from pains that aren't so easy to heal. He'd lost someone on this mission and he'd take the blame squarely on his own shoulders. I only hoped Scott wouldn't be stupid enough to confront him about it. Logan finally pulled away a bit and looked at me. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, not quite believing it myself. "Just a few pains here and there, nothing big."

He scowled at me. "You sure? Cuz you don't smell like you're fine."

"I am, really. Come on, let's see how Jubilee's doing." I turned to leave the hangar and another pain shot through me, much worse than the others. I doubled over with a cry and Logan caught me. "On the other hand…"

He scooped me up into his arms. "Let's get you to the doc." He said and ran all the way to the infirmary.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke up a few hours later tucked into the birthing bed in the infirmary. An IV was taped to the back of my hand and a fetal monitor made a whooshing sound next to me. Logan was nowhere to be found, but Hank and Dr. Owens were both talking quietly across the room. Unfortunately, I could still hear everything they were saying.

"…pre-term labor, brought about by stress." Dr. Owens was saying. "Why on earth did you let her stay up all night?"

"Dr. Owens, I assure you that I did not 'let' her do anything." Hank replied dryly. "Her stubbornness is legendary around here and short of carrying her bodily from the security office and strapping her down, there was very little I could do."

"Well maybe you should have done that! As it stands, she'll have to be on strict bed rest for at least the next eight weeks!"

"Like hell!" I shouted from across the room and started to sit up. Hank was at my side in flash, his large furry hand planted firmly in the middle of my chest. "Blue, if you don't want to lose that, you'll move it." I growled.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but you're staying here tonight." He replied and I glared at him. "I believe Dr. Owens has a few, um, choice words for you."

"Damn straight I do!" She said and looked down at me with a glare. "I have never had a patient do anything as blatantly reckless as what you did last night. What, exactly, were you thinking?"

"Hey, I was sitting the whole time!" I shouted. "It's not like I was out there beating up soldiers and blowing up giant robots with the rest of the team! I manned a fucking radio for crying out loud!"

"Your friend Buzz tells me that you watched the whole thing via a satellite feed. Angela, I can not stress to you how important it is that you not overexert yourself!"

"I wasn't exerting anything…"

"I am not finished!" She interrupted. "Emotional stress is just as bad as physical stress. Maybe even worse in your case. I shouldn't need to remind you that you are a unique case for me. I've treated other mutants, but none with the abilities that you have and definitely none with the feral qualities you possess. From what Dr. McCoy has explained to me, this gives you a deep, instinctual need to protect your mate and that's admirable. But you also have to protect your child, which is my main concern. So I am giving you a strict set of orders that will be followed to the letter, or by God I'll have you strapped down for the next eight weeks. Am I clear?"

I glared at her even though I knew she was right. "Fine. Whatever."

She was unfazed by my glare. "One, you are on strict bed rest for the next eight weeks. You are only allowed to get up to eat, bathe use the bathroom and attend the birthing class." I narrowed my eyes further, but she remained impassive. "Two, you are not to participate in any more operations with the X-Men, even in a support capacity. As of right now, you are relieved of all active duty. Last, but not least, you are not to engage in sexual intercourse at all."

"WHAT?" I cried and Hank had to struggle to keep me down. "Dr. Owens, with all due respect, I hardly think that's necessary!"

"And which one of us has the medical degree, Miss Rex?" I grunted and looked away. "Exactly. Now, you'll be staying here until tomorrow at the earliest so we can make sure your contractions have stopped. After that, you are to be taken right to your room and put to bed. If I hear that you so much as twitch a toe out of line, you will be brought back here and Dr. McCoy will ensure that you stay put by any means necessary, understood?"

I nodded. "Fine. But YOU can tell Logan he's not allowed to have sex with me."

"Mr. Logan doesn't frighten me, Miss Rex. Now get some sleep." She turned and walked out of the infirmary.

"Are you going to behave yourself if I let go?" Hank asked.

"Yes, Blue, I'll behave." I replied, rolling my eyes. "But I'm not gonna like it."

He gently lifted his hand and smiled at me. "I know, my dear. But it's for the best, I assure you. Now, get some rest, you need it."

I settled back and closed my eyes, not expecting to get back to sleep any time soon, but I must have been more tired than I thought. When I woke up, Logan was sitting next to me, his head resting on the bed. I reached up to stroke his hair and he looked up with a sleepy smile. "Hey tiger. How you feelin'?"

"Like I've just been lectured by a very mean doctor." I replied. "Did she give you the bad news?"

"Nah, she made Blue do it." He said with a smirk. "She got called away on another emergency before I got back down here."

"Wuss." I said and he smiled. "So, can I leave yet?"

"Hank says he has to run one more test, then you can go." He took my hand and kissed it. "Darlin', I know this ain't gonna be easy for us, but we'll make it through."

"Mm-hmm. Did either of them tell you the part where we're not allowed to have sex for six weeks AFTER the delivery? Do the math, lover. That's potentially fourteen weeks of no sex for us."

"But your healin' factor, won't that take care of it quicker?"

"Yes, some of it. But there's other stuff that happens that the healing factor won't handle that much faster. Remember, I've done this before." I smirked at him playfully. "By the time this is over, you'll be humping the furniture."

"Or spendin' a lot of time in the Danger Room, takin' my frustration out in other ways."

"It's a good thing we both heal fast. Once we can again…"

"Darlin', I love you. Can we not talk about this right now?"

I giggled. "Anything you say, lover."

We sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Hank came back and released me. He unhooked the monitor and removed my IV, and before I even had a chance to try and stand up, Logan gathered me into his arms and carried me out of the infirmary. I protested weakly, but in reality I rather liked the way it felt. Some of the students gawked as we passed them by, but I ignored their stares. I just snuggled into his chest and sighed in resignation, not at all looking forward to the next eight weeks of complete and utter boredom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AN: Ok, no more cliffies, not for a little while at least...:) And although i had cracked up my beta reader Turiel by threatening to write some "Hot Wolvie on ottoman action", i promise, he won't actually be humping the furniture in future chapters...:) Speaking of Turiel, Special thanks to her and Zac for beta reading and doing a fine job of it...Extra Special thanks to DBK(tm) for still being a pain in the best possible way...:) Super Special thanks to my readers for, you know, reading...:) And Super Swanky Extra Special thanks to those who reviewed, who were sela103 and Dee (MidLifeCrisis...if you haven't checked out her story "More than Yesterday, Less than Tomorrow" yet, you really should...) Sela: I don't have a wardrobe for you to hide in and my closet doesn't have doors...besides, i have an attack poodle that'll stop you before you make it to my room! Dee: You forgot all about Josh (Elixir), didn't you? And although i don't explain it in the story here, he was simply unable to bring Havok back because he was just shot up too badly...in the comics, Elixir is considered Omega class (Class 5 for movieverse purposes), but in my story he hasn't figured that out yet...:)

Ok now it's time for at least one of my other readers to take the plunge and review! Remember, if i get even one new reviewer, you ALL get a new chapter as a reward!