Memories

Double Dating With Your Parents

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If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.

Erin was just walking down the corridor to her lecture when the red-haired woman sprinted out, grabbed her wrist, yelled "RUN!" and pulled her in the opposite direction. Erin had spluttered something about having a lecture on classical sonatas but the woman shook her head again.

"N'Garai! Run! Really, really run!"

And Erin did, for the sheer terror in the woman's voice. And then she was pushed into a corner.

"I will try and distract it. Run. I'll lead it away and you run like hell because those things don't just eat your body. They eat your soul as well."

And then the monster rounded the corner and the woman screamed a wordless battle-cry before charging. She was leaping around the monster but Erin didn't want to move, too scared. And then the woman screamed and water burst from her, a dragon attacking the demon-thing. Dragon! The New Avenger and X-Man! And then the claws dug into flesh and black ash fell to the ground and the two beings shrieked in agony. And then the woman shouted a word, the waves exploded and the monster crumpled to dust as the woman fell to her knees. Erin walked forward carefully and could only stare at the gash right across Dragon's stomach that was weeping black ash.

"Are… Are you alright?"

"I'm…fine…"

And then water slid across her stomach and the rips healed. Dragon looked pale, ill. Weak. Erin pulled her up and was shocked to see the scars that had ripped over one eye. Everyone thought that they were just fakes but why wear them if you didn't expect trouble? And then the eyes rolled back and Dragon crashed down to the floor. Erin screamed.

By the time the New Avengers arrived, Dragon was sitting up, moaning something about "Accursed soul-thieves." Dr Strange spent five minutes examining her eyes then gave her a bill of full health. And Dragon smiled at Erin before holding her hand out.

"Thanks."

And all Erin could think was I'm shaking hands with an Avenger. Oh wow. This is so cool. Lil' Brother Peter will never believe me…

"Tora!"

"Don't worry, Phoenix. She's absolutely fine. Or…well… Almost fine…"

Curt was hovering, looking at Rachel. Rachel grinned and walked over.

"What's wrong?"

"Er… You know how you got all those chronokinesis powers from your mom because she was Phoenix?"

"Yes?"

"And you know how when you use your powers you can make it look like the Phoenix, even if it isn't?"

"Yes…?"

"Can we go somewhere private?"

Rachel grabbed his arm and led him into the Danger Room. Curt stared at her for a long moment then lowered his head.

"Please. Watch."

And then his eyes flashed and a orange dragon burst into existence around him and he reached out, grabbed a weight and crumpling it to dust before reforming it then he was just Curt again, looking scared and afraid.

"Rachel, I think I'm like you. I think I've got that from Maman. And I'm scared about what that means. I know it's not made of water and I know it's not the real Dragon because I'd know. But it's something. An echo or a shadow or anything. And now I'm afraid that I'll end up with chronokinetic powers."

"But why now? I thought you were depowered."

"Yeah. So did I. But it's started nagging me, ever since Iron Lad took us back in time with the Young Avengers. It's this feeling that… I don't know… Everything's interconnected. But… You aren't… You're different… And it scares me. What if I end up able do what you can with time and I accidentally mess something up because I don't understand it. I…I suppose I'm officially asking you to teach me to control it."

Rachel stared at the nervous boy and then smiled.

"Of course. After the main lessons have finished, report to the Danger Room every night. Starting tonight."

Curt smiled weakly.

"Thanks."

And then he ran out, shouting something about being late for History and Dad was going to kill him. Rachel stared at the door for a long moment then sighed.

"Heaven help that boy."

Phoenix leant forward, intrigued.

"Now that's interesting."

They stopped outside the restaurant then suddenly all four spoke at once.

"Curt?!"

"Wolvie?!"

"Jubilee?!"

"Maman!?"

And then Curt blinked.

"Why are you here?"

Logan coughed slightly.

"I…er… We thought we should get away from the school and everything for the night and…er… Why are you here anyway?"

Jubilee shrugged.

"We're teenagers. We're on a date. Duh."

Curt suddenly froze.

"Jubes, have you ever actually been here?"

"No."

"So how do you know it's 'really, really good'?"

"Because Wolvie…told me… Oh…"

There was an awkward silence. Then Logan coughed.

"I…I suppose we could go somewhere else…"

Curt shook his head.

"No, we should. I mean, you really deserve a night out. And also this place looks pretty expensive and we could always get a burger or something…"

Tora sighed.

"Look, we'll just get a table from which we can't see you. Problem solved."

Jubilee shook her head.

"You'll be able to hear us. And we'll be able to hear you. That'll just be even more awkward 'cause you'll just wanted tonight off everything. And we're part of everything… Look, we'll just go…"

"A table for four?"

They weren't able to make any difference as they were hustled to a single table with a view out across the street. Curt buried his face in his hands as they sat down, all avoiding each other's eyes.

"Double-dating with your parents is just wrong."

Phoenix made an odd noise, stuffed her hand into her mouth then failed miserably and started laughing hysterically. Death soon succumbed to the giggles and the masked woman sighed.

"I'm surrounded by idiots."

Logan wondered what had caused this sudden change. She seemed more open. Warmer. No longer an empty husk. Tonight had been her suggestion. And it had actually worked out pretty well. Once they'd got over their embarrassment, they'd actually had a normal evening together, one that for once gave them the appearance of a normal family. And okay, Jubilee was a vampire and Curt was still bonded with an alien symbiote. And Tora had a cosmic entity in her head that quite probably had decided to be a permanent lodger and Logan was over a century old but they were still a normal family. Who went up against aliens and Dr Doom but oh well. Nobody's perfect. And Logan now gave the Curt-Jubilee thing his full approval. Okay, he was still slightly confused about it and why he hadn't spotted it before but when he actually thought about it, there was a slightly smug feeling that at least he knew who Jubilee/Curt was dating and he knew that they weren't exactly the wrong sort and also that Tora probably wouldn't have to repeat the Hellion Incident. She still hadn't quite forgiven him for that one. Hellion still had a small scar on his cheekbone from where one of the thrown objects had shattered on his face.

And then they'd returned home and Tora had insisted that they went for a walk in the grounds and they'd spotted Cia and Krakoa talking in the moonlight and Logan had let himself smile a little bit.

Maybe the Healer was healing herself.

"I love that feeling of hope. And faith. He so did want it to be true."

"That was one of her better periods. It lasted all of three months. And then you came back."

Phoenix nodded.

"To be fair, she was calling for me."

Death blinked.

"Who was?"

"Tora. Hope. Take your pick."