Disclaimer: all characters belonging to Sky High and Xmen are not mine. I am only borrowing them.---

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Chapter 14

It was now late Wednesday night. As the household lights around the town were dying and any remaining noise seemed to be crushed by silence, Steve was deep in thought as he lay in bed with his wife… thinking about what had happened with his son.

Thinking about what he said.

He shivered as he felt a pair of hands running up his back. They sent a pleasurable shiver up his spine then wrapped themselves around his waist.

Then he heard his wife's soft sweet and sincere voice and felt her soft breath down his neck.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

He rolled towards her. He couldn't lie. "… death..."

"Oh Steve," she said. Her hands were now wandering up his naked chest and stealing his breath away. "When it comes down to it… I will die with you."

Part of him wanted to stop her – he wanted to talk – to protest. But his mind was already dissolving under her touch.

"No Josie," he shook his head, removing her hands from his body and trying to clear his mind. "You must live. Must go on. I can't and wouldn't want you to leave this world with me."

"But… I can't let you die… all alone," said Josie, her cheerful face clearly pained even in the semi-darkness. She frowned. She loved him too much to be separated from him. It was clear in the way she was touching him - making him enter a place of bliss.

Under her touch, he felt his body's temperature rising. Dimly, he realised his body's desires was something even he couldn't fight.

Her last words before he gave himself over haunted him. "We are a team Steve and I will never abandon you. If we die, we die together…" she said firmly.

He didn't speak a word after that... even though the night was punctuated with an occasional moan. He only moved with an increasing urgency as though it was the last time they would ever be together, as though it was the last time he could give his body – and his soul – to her.

He wouldn't want Josie to die because of him. But he knew that if she wanted to do something, she would do it and he wouldn't be able to stop her…

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Meanwhile, Persuasion lay awake beside Electrix' sleeping form.

Be prepared to take the target forcefully. Persuasion recalled the instruction she had been given. And she intended to do just that.

But other thoughts not related to this task plagued her. Thoughts she didn't expect.

They were thoughts of – Pyro. And only Pyro.

She only saw a glimpse of him walking in the corridors. But it was enough to set alight what she thought were dying embers of passion buried long ago. She was drawn to him – his personality being collage of contrasts.

Like me? she thought.

He gave off a veneer of fierceness at times. Power. Aggression. A 'I-don't-need-anyone-to-help-me' attitude.

But he had a sensitive caring side. At least Kara believed so. Perhaps he hid it deliberately.

She shouldn't be thinking this. Should not let her heart get in the way of her work – and her ascent to power. She didn't need him. Because sometimes people have to be ruthless…

She thought of approaching him. But did not want to because of Electrix, who followed her like a dog hot at its owners heels, may become dangerously jealous.

Electrix was so much less complicated and so much less… interesting when compared to Pyro.

The problem was that she didn't know attraction can be like quick sand. It can draw you and suck you in before you realise it.

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It was still night. Jubilee yawned and put her head down on her study table.

She sighed and closed her eyes. It was getting late and she was exhausted. But she still had homework to do… her crying episode tonight meant that it still wasn't done. She was trying so hard to concentrate but the encroaching tiredness wasn't helping.

Smack!

Ouch!

The book hit her right on her face!

How stupid am I? Hitting myself with a book?

She shook her head. Picked up the book. Kept reading.

SMACK!

What is wrong with me? She thought irritably.

She kept trying. Until she gave up. The book smacking like her face was her butt and the book wanted to punish her.

Then she stared at her hands. She saw fireworks alright. But she also saw something something… something else… something turquoise in colour.

What on earth is this? Jubilee thought to herself.

Then her eyes widened. It's a force field.

It seemed to be sporadically coming from her open palms - the force field left it like she had thrown an umbrella sideways.

Testing herself, she found she could emit both fireworks and force field from her palms.

As she began to gain control of her ability, she sighed and finally closed her books. She's had enough drama for the night.