[Mutant X] "Love Hurts"
- From: Rhi <bansheec@xxxxxxx>
- To: thedailyplanet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, mutantx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:34:20 -0400
"Love Hurts"
Clark and Jaimie Kent, Lex Luthor, Ororo Munroe, Jean Grey, Hank McCoy,
Mary Jane and Madeline Parker
It was her world away from the world. The place Ororo went to clear her
head, to temper her emotions, to simply escape for a little while. She
didn’t forbid the others from her rooftop greenhouse but they’d all been
together long enough to know when to leave her alone up there. As she
took in the quiet she took in deep breaths full of the scent of soil and
blooms. Briar would have loved the orchids this year, she thought as she
moved one of the more rare ones back onto it’s shelf. She was just about
to reach for one of her violets when she felt something strange. A
moment later a man came crashing through the glass ceiling of her
greenhouse.
“Dear Goddess.” Ororo breathed as she went into a defensive posture.
When she realized the man wasn’t moving she slowly moved towards him.
When she realized he was unconscious she called for Hank. As she waited
for her furry blue friend Ororo very carefully checked the man over. He
bore a striking resemblance to their other recent visitors.
Hank bounded up the stairs to Ororo’s greenhouse on all fours with his
medkit strapped to his back. When he reached her he was glad to see she
was alright. “What is it Ororo?”
Ororo pointed to the man laying on her lilies. “It would appear we’ve
found another one.”
“Oh my.” Hank replied as he went right to scanning the man. Unlike the
others this one seemed to be injured. “I need to get him to the medlab.”
“I’ll have Jean transport him down.” Ororo replied as she projected what
she needed to Jean. Several seconds later Hank and the dark haired man
were gone. With a heavy sigh Ororo followed.
Clark felt like he'd gone seven bells with Darkseid again. Everything
hurt! It had been years since he'd felt pain like this. He tried to move
but the surge of feeling left him dizzy and nauseous. "Wh... where am
I?" he asked through swollen lips.
“Xavier’s.” Hank said carefully as he watched Jean telekinetically place
him on a bed. Looking up at his friend he said softly, “Perhaps you
should send for one of the others?”
Jean nodded and then headed up to the guest wing.
“Even I know who this one is.” Ororo said from the doorway.
"Xaviers... Wh... where's Jaimie?" Clark's mind was slipping a little,
he was so dizzy and suddenly he lurched forward, throwing up on the
floor violently. Coughing and spluttering, he dropped back weakly. It
felt like there was Kryptonite in the walls and the air. It felt like he
was dying.
This one was even worse off then the girl. “Ororo, I need to get him to
the hospital where I have Martha.”
“How do you play on explaining Superman?” Ororo asked as she went to the
computer to arrange a transport.
“Same way I explained Martha Kent and the daughter of Spider-Man.” Hank
replied. “I creatively lie.”
Jean knocked on the door of the oldest son since she wasn’t sure if Lois
was here or at the hospital again. “Jason, it’s Jean Grey. I need to
speak with you.”
"Not here," Jaimie called through the door then bopped up and poked his
head out. The smile on his lips froze at the serious expression on her
face. "He's at the hospital with my Mom. It's just me and Lex in here.
What's wrong?"
“We have another guest.” Jean said carefully. “Your father I believe,
just crashed through the greenhouse roof.” She paused a moment as she
listened to what Ororo was projecting. “They’re taken him to the hospital.”
"My... wh... Wh... ha..." Jaimie stammered, all of his colour had
drained from his cheeks. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up
to see Lex by his side.
"Can we go to him?" Lex asked softly.
Jean held her hand up to tell them to wait a moment as she talked to
Hank and Ororo. “He’s in the madlab, but hurry. They’re beaming him
right to the hospital. Hank thinks the same distortion that was
effecting Martha is effecting him as well.”
Without another word, Jaimie grabbed Lex's hand and set off at his full
speed, the poor man flying out behind him like a flapping cape. Two
seconds later they were skidding to a halt in the medlab and Lex dropped
to his knees, shaking violent. "Don't... ever... do... that... again..."
he wheezed.
"Where's my Dad!" Jaimie yelled, his eyes wide and full of fear.
Ororo went to Lex, helping him to his feet as she nodded towards the
room were Hank was preparing Superman of all people to be beamed to the
hospital.
“So,” Hank said as he scanned and prepared a hypo. “Should we call you
Clark or Kal-El?”
He was too sick to care that this man knew who he was so he murmured,
"Clark..."
Ignoring the two of them, Jaimie shoved straight into the room and let
out a gasp. "Dad!"
Hank was surprised and dismayed that the hypo pierced the man’s skin. It
shouldn’t have. “We’re taking him to the same place as your sister,
Jaimie. We’re beaming over so if you’re coming then you’d better get
closer.”
"Of course I'm coming! That's my Dad!" Jaimie growled. He jumped forward
and took his father's hand, horrified by how sick he looked and how
beaten up. He'd never seen his father look like that.
Pressing a button on the computer screen Hank called out. “This is
Doctor Henry McCoy. Three to beam directly to mutant quarantine, level
three.”
A voice came back a moment later, “Ready when you are Doc.”
“Now please.” Hank called out.
Ororo stood and watched as the three of them dematerialized, and then
turned to Lex. “Are you alright?”
As he watched his best friend disappear, Lex nodded weakly. "He's never
done that before," he whispered over a hoarse throat. "Guess... guess
he's scared."
“None of this has been easy on any of you.” Ororo said softly as she
lead the boy back up stairs. He looked flushed, pale, so she headed to
the kitchen. “And I’m sure everything was just made worse by seeing the
strongest of you in such a weak state.”
"It's his Dad. He loves the man, worships him, they all do," Lex
shrugged. "They've every right to. He's a good man, the best, better
than me or mine."
Ororo smiled as she went to the fridge to get some juice. “It sounds
like Jaimie isn’t the only one who cares for him.” She said as she set
the juice down. “As soon as your feeling less air sick, we’ll head to
the hospital ourselves.”
"Nah. Lois would probably spit at me," Lex chuckled, his hands going
round the glass but not drinking. "I'm a Luthor. You know the stories
about my Dad, right?"
“Yes,” The woman replied as she sat across from him. “But you are not
your father.”
Letting out a deep, bitter laugh, Lex lifted the glass and toasted
Ororo. "Tell that to the Kents. They've been wanting me away from Jaimie
since we first met."
“Jaimie strikes me as a level headed young man, but sometime parents
over look that when they think they’re in the right, or if they’re
protecting their children.” She smiled softly thinking of the many ways
she’d protected her children and how, now, they protect their own.
“You’ve been there for all of them through this, surely they’ll see that.”
"Again, I say tell that to them. Perhaps Jason is warming to me but Lois
never ever will. She remembers my father all too well."
Ororo actually smirked. “I’ve been looking through some of Robert’s
comics. Apparently Lois doesn’t warm to most people.”
Letting out a bright, almost normal laugh, Lex nodded, his eyes dancing.
"She's a very stubborn, strong woman. When she's scared, she'll move the
world to protect those she loves."
“As any mother would.” Ororo said softly.
As soon as they materialized in the hospital room Hank began sending off
rapid fire orders. “Jaimie, please you’ll have to wait outside.”
"No! You can't make me!" Jaimie yelled, holding his father's hand so
hard that Clark actually hissed in pain.
Hank grabbed the boy by the shoulders and looked him right in the eye.
“Your father was effected by the portal that brought you all to us. I
need to be able to stabilize him and I need to do it quickly. You need
to wait outside. Find your mother, see your sister, check on Maddie,
just give me the space and ten minutes.”
Reaching back, Jaimie slammed his fist into Hank's mouth then stepped
back and stormed out of the room. He was so angry, so scared, he could
hardly breathe, let alone think. He marched away, not knowing where he
was going, until he found himself staring in at Maddie, his arms wrapped
around himself and shaking violently. Oh God, he kept thinking, I just
hit him.
There was a tooth loose, Hank mused as he shook off the punch and went
too work. “Always wondered what that would feel like.”
Something tingled letting Madeline know she wasn’t alone. This made her
smile weakly. She hadn’t felt that tingle in so long. Opening tired eyes
she spotted Jaimie at the door. “Hey Tiger,” She managed weakly. “You
look worse then I feel.” She tired to sit up but wasn’t strong enough
yet. “Is Martha ok?”
He moved to her side, lifting her hand to his cheek and smiled just as
weakly back. "Yeah... She's fine. She's awake and demanding ice cream so
we know she's gonna be okay... Maddie... God, they found my Dad... He...
he's really beaten up..."
There was an actual look of awe on her face, and in a voice she knew
only Jaimie could hear she asked, “Superman is here?” Then a little
louder she added, “Wow.” Then she squeezed her fingers around his hand.
“He’ll be ok, Jaimie. Doctor McCoy will make sure he’s ok.”
Jaimie actually groaned, a blush touching his pale cheeks. "I... I kinda
hit him..."
She laughed weakly and then couched a little, thankfully though the
couch wasn’t as hard and painful as it use to be. “That’s ok, Tiger. My
dad’s hit him too. Comes with the job and the spandex.”
"Think he'll still help my Dad?" he whispered, sounding like a scared
little boy.
She held his hand a little more tightly in her own as she reached up
with the other to brush at his cheek. “He’s a doctor, Jaimie, and he’s a
good man. Trust him, ok?” She couldn’t really remember how long it had
been since she’d met Jaimie. It felt as if she’d just always known him.
He’s just kind if showed up one day, and now he was the bright spot in
her life. They confided in each other about their families, their fears.
She’d even admitted to him something she hadn’t told her mother or her
sister, that she was afraid of dying. “He doesn’t give up even when
there isn’t much hope left.”
"He saved you," Jaimie said with hope and love in his eyes. "And he
saved Martha. It's not my Dad's fault I'm a jerk."
“Your just scared.” Madeline replied with a smile that only reacted her
eyes when he was around. “But your dad will be fine.” She lowered her
voice again. “He’s Superman.”
Laughing weakly, Jaimie nodded. "Yup. The first and best."
Madeline closed her eyes as she held tightly to Jaimie’s hand. She hated
being so tired and wished she could just get up and sit with him. “Your
luckily, Tiger. Your dad loves and respects you.”
"Your Dad loves you too," Jaimie said softly. "He's just scared. Trust
me, I'm a Marvel fan." Then he winked at her and kissed her fingers.
“You must have some way off base comics.” She laughed. His touch made
her feel warm and safe. It was a thought she tried not to have, but she
knew that if this diseases didn’t kill her, Jaimie going back to where
he belongs would. “Weird ones like the Wonder Woman & Lois Lane title.”
"Oh we have some pretty weird stuff," Jaimie giggled, his eyes so warm
now, so full of love. "There's all the Ultimates titles, they're
seriously messed up. And this whole House of M thing. Man, that ticked
me off. Can you imagine Wanda Maximoff just saying 'No more mutants' and
there being no more mutants?"
Opening her eyes again she looked into his. So blue, like the clear
ocean waters in the Caribbean where her mother use to take her and
Jennifer when they were girls. “That’s just wrong. She’d never do that.”
"Yeah, no kidding. They made her totally off her nut. I was so mad about
that stuff, I actually stopped reading their main title stuff for a
while. I hated the idea of her being so fruit-loop."
“Have you met her?” Madeline asked as she outlined every part of his
face. God help her she was falling in love with him. “I’ve always wanted
too, but Dad never let us near the school or the Avengers mansion.”
"Yeah, she lives at the school. I like her, she's funny, really dry,
y'know? Plus I like hanging out with Billy and Teddy. They're just like
I thought they'd be, really cool, fun guys." He had this sudden urge to
lean in and kiss her so he did, placing his lips very lightly on hers
before pulling back and smiling shyly.
Her face was bright, her eyes dancing as she looked up at him. “I was
wondering if you were ever going to do that.”
He offered her a lopsided grin, blushing brightly before kissing her
again, just as quickly. "Wanted to for a while but I don't want to hurt
you."
“You make the hurting go away.” She told him softly as she looked into
his eyes. “Kiss me again?”
Leaning right in, he kissed her softly yet he lingered over it. He
cupped her chin in his hands as he deepened their embrace. "So
beautiful," he murmured.
Madeline bit her lip and closed her eyes as she held him close to her.
In a voice that was barely a whisper she admitted, “Jaimie, I.. I think
I’m falling in love with you.”
He brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled so sweetly. "Well that's
good to know." Touching his nose to hers, he kissed her again. "Because
I loved you the second I saw you."
Reaching up she caressed his cheek as she tried to fight back tears. How
could she find him only to lose him? Obviously someone cosmic hated her.
Mary Jane knocked softly on her daughter’s door before clearing her
throat. “Doctor McCory’s looking for you Jaimie.”
"Oh!" Jaimie jumped a little, smiling shyly up at Mary Jane. "Um..
thanks." He kissed Maddie's forehead then jumped to his feet. "Look
after her for me?"
“Always.” Mary Jane smiled softly at the boy as she moved into the room,
clearing the doorway.
Madeline smiled at him. “See Tiger, I told you he’d make it all better.”
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