Chapter Six: Enter Dani (or A Decision Is Made)

He was gone for the next eight days. Cheating spouses, missing dogs, runaway teens, a stolen sex tape of a prominent politician… He saw it all. Situations. Not the sex tape. The frantic pace left no time for rest. Usually, he passed out on the bus or at Ray's place, which doubled as their office. Twice 'On brought them dinner, but he was so exhausted that he literally fell asleep on his plate.

Trembling, he crept near the water's edge. A serene night stretched across a placid lake, which he could not resist despite his cold dread of what lay beneath. The glassy surface rippled. Something rushed towards him and his legs wouldn't move!

"Babe?"

With a deep gasp, he jerked awake. 'On looked alarmed. He hadn't told her about the nightmares. Didn't tell Rachel, either. 'On would have questions that would inevitably lead her to the truth about her origins; and Ray didn't have time to mentor him.

"Sorry," he released a breath and rubbed his face. "Sorry, I'm… Glad you're not a man-eating monster."

"I should've let you sleep."

He'd been exhausted enough to pass out fully clothed, but found the strength to pull her close. Her kisses were so tender, her breath so warm, her flesh so inviting. If it cost his life, he would make love to her. She came with no resistance. This time, she let him deepen the kiss and when he cupped her head, she retaliated by sucking the air from his lungs. How did she do that? Breathless, he wilted below her and she blanketed him with heavy breasts and hungry thighs. All of him wanted to revel in all of her and no manipulation of their bodies satisfied this yearning.

She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, bringing his face near her cleavage. He didn't wait for an invitation. In one smooth motion, he pushed up her camisole and bra and latched onto a nipple.

She sweetly groaned, "You're very good at that."

Smiling, he moved between her breasts and felt tension building beneath her mildly pleased façade. Why play it cool? His pride didn't stop him from indulging his desires and when his efforts dissolved her indulgent smile into incoherent mewls, pride became immortal in its death.

"Take me," she sighed.

He had to pull away to grab a condom and they both wiggled out of their pants. She waited patiently, knees bent and parted while her long fingers softly scratched the nub above her sex. What a sight! There was no attractive way to suit up and never would be, but hopefully the feelings he evoked were worth the eye sore he presented.

"How do you want me?" she asked.

He settled between her legs. "Just like this."

They groaned as he sank into her depths. Magic, how well they fit together. He pulled her mechanical leg over his waist and kept the other flushed against their bed. Then he rolled the rubber slightly back so his skin rubbed against her burning, erect clitoris. It was impossibly erotic.

This time when he asked "Are you close?" she nodded frantically.

"That's my girl."

"Yes! All yours." She tensed and trembled and sounded surprised when she gasped his name. He memorized every detail. When he got to Heaven – if it existed – nothing there could be more glorious than her face in ecstasy.

"Did you finish?" she asked as he pulled away and removed his condom.

"I hate these things. So much intimacy without giving you all of me. I want you to feel it. May I come on you?"

He would've been content to watch his seed spill across her belly, but she had a better idea. Her lips wrapped around his erection and swallowed his essence. That's when he knew he'd love her forever and hopelessly.

Afterwards, he remained nestled between her thighs and breasts.

She stroked his hair. "What's on your mind, my love? Money?... You can ask."

"Were you successful?"

"I was. And you?"

"Yes." He buried his nose in her neck. "Did you screw anyone for it?"

"No. Considered it, but no."

A flood of emotion overwhelmed him. Relief, blinding rage, self-loathing, and surprisingly, a large share of respect. Attempting to portray indifference, he asked, "Why not?"

"How much would it get me? A hundred bucks? Fifty? I don't know what price I'd put on my dignity, but it's more than that. Besides… I wouldn't do that to you."

He softly pressed his lips to hers and held the kiss. Love sparked between them and simmered down to their cores.

"…Another attack on the Mutant Capital, Utopia, last night… You can see behind me, the cleanup is well under way but there's still a lot to do before travel can resume… Mayor Sinclair has requested a state of emergency, no word yet from the Governor's Office…"

Nate heard the news from a great distance. Clawing his way from sleep took every ounce of will and strength, but at length, his eye lids fluttered open. He'd fallen asleep at his sister's again.

Ray was glued to the television.

"Your cereal's gone soggy," he noticed.

"I can't reach them," she said. "Dad, Storm, Rogue… Hell, I even tried Emma. Nothing."

He sat up and patted her back reassuringly. If he hadn't told her about Maddie, she might've been comfortable with a hug. Looked like she needed one. But ever since he'd shared his sexual history, she'd been extremely uneasy with any physical contact. How long was she going to punish him? He wasn't a horndog, for Christ's sake, and Maddie had been more than the proverbial forbidden fruit.

"…We're getting word now that the attack was not executed by humans. This is coming directly from the Mayor's Office. She wants to reassure mutants that the peace established between the two – uh – the two fractions has not been violated. Now, we don't know if the attack came from other mutants or an alien species-"

"This is getting me nowhere!" She grabbed her hat and scarf. The garments were meant to conceal her identity, not protect her from the balmy California weather. "I'm going. Are you coming with me?"

"No."

If an attack was coming, he wanted to be near 'On and she'd never go to Utopia. Ray looked exasperated, but it was her fault for his girlfriend's fears. He couldn't leave her alone. Besides, rent was due today and he was looking forwarding to punching the landlady with it.

Vampires. They turned Jubilee and the X-Men went to war. It got so intense that the East coast X-Men joined. While Cyclops was dealing with that, Nate sold blood and sperm to eat between paychecks. 'On started coaching amateur boxers between weekends, when she made most of her money bartending. Whenever she had to work both gigs on the same day, he'd make a point to meet her on the bus so they could ride together. Meanwhile, his father vanquished the undead and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The nightmares grew darker, more frequent, and he felt like they lasted longer and longer even though he slept less and less. His only hope of reprieve was to fall asleep listening to 'On's heartbeat. It was like an organic dreamcatcher, although it tended to inspire the most vivid wet dreams, and thus, they didn't get much sleep.

She struggled weakly as he exposed her breasts and lovingly attended them. Her thighs wrapped around him like a python, presenting her forbidden little orifice for his clumsy fingers. Nearby, he could feel the warm dew of her sex. The smell of it seemed to tease him – no, it triggered him. Without thought or cognizance, he forced his naked erection inside her, and the slick heat welcomed him home. This was what the stars in the heavens yearned for – complete intimacy.

Semi-awake, he realized he wasn't dreaming but didn't care. He laced his fingers with hers before crossing the point of no return.

After that, the Sandman beat a hasty retreat. They laid side-by-side without looking or speaking to each other. Nothing he could say would make him not sound like an asshole. He managed an apology, which she warmly accepted, and he relaxed into requesting a pregnancy test. Like now. Or tomorrow morning at the latest. She chuckled at his ignorance and said she wouldn't be pregnant yet. The process wasn't instantaneous. And since the ship hadn't sailed, they still had time to lock the harbor and prevent a new passenger from coming aboard. It was a simple pill, she said, easily acquired from a pharmacy. She'd used them before.

He kissed her and they fell back to sleep.

"We still don't have coffee filters," she said the next morning. "I wonder how you can sleep."

"Grab some from the pharmacy."

Her shoulders squared – a sure sign of her anger.

"Sorry. Please get them when you go to the pharmacy."

"Yeah… About that… I've been thinking and I've decided not to."

Again, trying not to sound like an asshole, he said, "I don't get a say in this?"

"Nate, I'm thirty-eight years old. I'll never be rich or successful or – even stable. I can't keep waiting for my life to come together because it never will! Maybe being a mother's the best thing I'll ever do. And you – you're amazing. I don't just want a baby. I want your baby."

She bit her bottom lip. "But I realize this is unfair to you. If you want me to fuck off, I will. I won't sue for child support. And if you change your mind, that's fine, too. I'll never keep you away from your family."

Insufferably frustrated with her and with himself, he walked out to let his temper cool.

Taking a stroll in San Francisco without money for a coffee or street taco could be tiresome, but the scenery was prettier than any postcard. He decided to head into the center, about three miles away. That would provide him with plenty of time to think about… things he'd rather not be thinking about.

Well, shit.

"Hey! X-Man, is that you?"

He turned as Dani Moonstar approached, smiling widely.

She lightly punched his shoulder and said, "What're you doing here?"

"I live here. And you?"

"Same! Actually, the team – we're all here. Just a couple blocks up. Would you like to see everyone?"

No, but he'd rather visit her team than think about a potential pregnancy, so he said: "I believe I have time for that."

Dani's team, the New Mutants, was based on Mission Street. Crammed into two apartments were Magma, Sunspot, Cypher, Warlock, and the sunny leader herself. There was enough sexual tension and harmless banter to warrant a live audience. It would be like a more vanilla version of the '90s sitcom "Friends", if it were possible to make that show anymore droll. Cyclops had charged the New Mutants with "tying up loose ends", and they were currently tracking Clarice Ferguson, better known as Blink.

"Since you're already here," Dani said, "Why don't you help us? The team's not set in stone, you could always join if you like."

And further off-set the male to female ratio of the team? How very X-Manish of her to assume everyone wanted to be an X-Man. No way Cyclops paid better than Grey & Grey! He probably deduced living expenses straight from their paychecks, too. The unelected mutant president could be quite the miser.

Nate rejected Dani's offer, but the more he considered it, the more appealing it sounded. Assuming he could live off-campus, of course. Working with a team again would be a refreshing change of pace. Ray still hadn't returned from Utopia and he couldn't manage the tasks she usually handled: bookkeeping, client follow-ups, advertisements... Plus, and this was the most important part – it would thaw 'On's icy perception of the X-Men. Nate didn't want to have to choose between them, and the longer he was with her, the more it felt like he'd done exactly that.

After he departed Mission Street, he continued his stroll and telepathically called his sister. She said the situation on Utopia was still very tense. She wanted to stay and work toward unity, but honestly, Emma made life very difficult. Ray said she monopolized their father and made his decisions without consulting the others. If there was a schism, she wasn't sure she could stay. The more she saw, the more she disagreed with how Cyclops ran things. And it broke her heart that he sided with Emma against her every time. When Nate said he was considering assisting the New Mutants, Ray encouraged him, but he suspected she only wanted him involved so they could gang up against Emma.

He wouldn't do that.

Sure, Emma was domineering and obnoxious and her outfits were the biggest reason no one respected Utopia, but she made Cyclops happy. She gave him enormous comfort that his even his own kids couldn't provide. As much as it hurt him, Nate wouldn't begrudge his father that. The man deserved some happiness in his life.

He decided to call him.

Unlike Ray and Emma, who were sharp telepaths and quickly answered Nate's calls, Cyclops had heavy mental defenses. It was like walking through a fog towards a very distant light. When he finally got through, his father was relieved to hear from him. He practically begged Nate to help Dani, which was a pleasant surprise, and then recommended he join the new X-Force.

"I can't trust Wolverine anymore, and X-23 needs a break before she has a mental breakdown. So I'm reconfiguring the team. It'll mean relocating and the work's dirty, but I need people I can trust."

Nate was stunned. "Relocating where?"

"Northern California. It's a sparsely populated area called Modoc County."

"Wine country?"

He scoffed. "You wish."

While trying to describe the place, Nate saw memories of evergreen forests, snow-capped mountains, and unfenced ranches. The sort of place he'd loved to be… with Madelyne or Jean or some soft-spoken woman who'd be happier raising his brood than commanding the Mutant Alamo in white satin hot-pants.

Nate realized his father did love him. He was proud of him. They could never undo all the injustices dealt to them, but he was offering a team, an unspoiled place to raise a family, and his approval. What more could he want? And really, what more could any father give than the chance to have a better life?

"Wow, that's… I don't know what to…" Nate coughed to cover the break in his voice. "Let me think it over."

Scott cleared his throat. "Please do. I think – sorry, I've gotta run."

"You look absurd," 'On said when he showed up at the gym with a dozen pink balloons.

"I hope I knocked you up," he said, pushing back the balloons as they drifted between them. "There's no pre-made celebratory card for that and flowers are expensive."

She laughed. "Why pink?"

"I hope it's a girl."

Her eyes misted over. "No you don't. All men want sons."

"Sons are better when they have a big sister. And if it's a girl, we can call her Jeanie."

She pulled him into the bathroom and had her way with him. The balloons escaped into the high, industrial ceiling. Now that they were having bare, baby-making sex, he wanted to always be with her. Sadly, life got in the way.

Despite his original intentions, he moved in with Dani's team on Mission Street. 'On moved in with Ray (who was rarely home anyway) and they saved the money that would've gone towards rent. He hoped to have enough for a down payment on a house by the time they relocated to Modoc County. Real estate was much cheaper there than San Fran, but that hadn't been enough to convince 'On. They were city folk. What would they do on a ranch? And why did Cyclops want them so far from the capital? Nate replied that the ranch wasn't for them, it was for their unborn children. So they could run and explore and be safe from cars and kidnappers. As for being isolated, that was exactly what they wanted if-and-when Utopia was finally destroyed.

"No one wants to admit it, but we – mutants – are on the brink of extinction. Our biggest threat could be a pathogen, manufactured monster, extraterrestrial, or war with humanity. Cities provide a clustered target and far from safety in numbers, they will find competition for resources. We must learn to rely on the land. Then, if extinction comes, it will be on our terms."

Strapped down, he couldn't escape the instruments that sliced and burned him. The captors were too hideous to face. One glance in their eyes branded him with a terror he'd never known. If he looked too long, he would go mad. They knew this. Tormenting him was their chief pleasure; they knew every way to hurt and frighten him.

Tonight they had a new tool – a needle that burrowed in his skin and crawled around, breaking open veins and chipping away bones.

Acutely hyper-focused, his telekinesis broke his binds and ripped out the needle. He flew out the dungeon, fled their dimension, and drew near his sleeping form.

"Where are you going?" asked a detached voice.

He felt 'On nearby but couldn't see her.

"Come back," said the voice. "Come back here or we'll come for her…"

Furious tears streamed down his face as he turned away from freedom. Back into the embrace of pain.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Dani asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

He quickly banished the urge to punch her perpetually-jubilant face. The less she knew, the more work they'd do, the quicker he could return to his human dream-catcher. So he forced a smile.

"Thought I'd try reaching Blink telepathically," he said. "No such luck."

Cypher, real name Doug, joined them. "You telepaths are a one-trick pony."

"What did your magical linguistic skills uncover?"

"Guys," Dani said with faux-displeasure, "We're all in this together, okay?"

Aw hell, they thought he fancied her and the tension was based on sexual frustrations. Was it so hard to believe he was frustrated with Doug's stupid face? Doug. That was something a dog did, not a man's name.

Cypher smirked proudly. "Actually, I did discover something. Look at this – every time Blink surfaces, it corresponds with a natural disaster. The earthquake in Japan, the tsunami in Taiwan, the wildfires in North Carolina…"

"She can't be the cause," Nate said. "Her powers are teleportation, not element manipulation."

"Since her resurrection, we don't know what she's capable of," Cypher arrogantly replied. He sounded like that Muppet who spoke unintelligible peeps.

"Let's give her the benefit of doubt," said Dani. "She's an X-Man, first and foremost. That's why we're tracking her. To bring her home, not lock her up."

Nate swallowed a yawn. "You ever think she doesn't want to return? She knows where Utopia is. Everyone does."

Their sunny leader turned serious. "She needs help. Ever since Selene brought her back, she hasn't been herself. Blink is more than capable, but everyone needs a home. They need friends. Otherwise, a mutant in the wrong place at the wrong time could spark a fire we don't need right now."

They sat quietly for a moment before Doug's phone pinged.

"Flood in Texas," he said.

Dani leapt to her feet and fearlessly led them to the site. They arrived in time to catch Blink, who proclaimed her innocence. The disasters were incited by a rock band with magical powers. They were only a fraction of an entity and by playing, they were attempting to break down the walls between dimensions to reunite with their missing parts. She'd been following them for nearly a year. The addition of the New Mutants helped defeat the hapless villains and afterwards, Blink refused to return to Utopia.

"We only want what's best for you," Dani argued.

She scoffed. "Best for me? You left me to an eternity of torment!"

Nate's ears perked.

"We thought you were dead," said Dani. "If we'd known you were trapped between dimensions-"

"Tortured every moment! Every day! For years! For no reason!"

"-we would've come for you! Please believe that. We would never leave you behind. I would never leave you. I can't go back, but – let me try to make things right now."

Nate slipped into her mind and saw Blink's memories. She, too, had been taken by the hideous things that lived between time and space. They were real. They were waiting for him. And if he didn't submit… they'd come for 'On.

…

To Be Continued…

…

Author's Notes: I wasn't a fan of the 'New Mutants' run with Nate… In case you couldn't tell…