* WARNING * Explicit/crude language Innuendo and sexual references Homosexual themes No explicit sex If you have a problem with any of the above, please do not read this story. * DISCLAIMER * This is a non-profit work of fan-fiction involving characters created and owned by Marvel Comics Group and/or DC Comics. * WRITTEN BY * Samy Merchi * ARCHIVED AT * http://mash.yok.utu.fi/corona.html * STARRING * Katherine "SHADOWCAT" Pryde Rachel "EXODUS" Summers in ****************** * ONE GOOD LEMON * ****************** * CO-STARRING * Jean "PHOENIX" Grey Summers Ororo "STORM" Munroe * SOUNDTRACK * /Cradle of Love/ by Billy Idol * CONTINUITY * + Shadows of the Future timeline ( http://mash.yok.utu.fi/corona/sotf.html ) + A few weeks after /Play With Fire/ ( http://mash.yok.utu.fi/corona/nonxforce/index.html ) + Roughly 4 years in the future * HAT-TIPS TO * Kerithwyn "LEGION LASS" Jade Dannell "SOUTHERN GAL" Lites *** WARRIORS BAR, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK *** Rachel Summers was about as noticeable a woman as the sun was fiery. When she entered the Warriors bar, she turned the heads of just about every patron that had been enjoying the somewhat rowdy atmosphere in the air tonight. A momentary silence fell as she stood in the front doorway. She savored the moment, clad in a tight little spiked red leather outfit that showed quite a bit of exposed leg, midriff and cleavage. She really was the kind of woman that had utterly no shame. Finally flashing a grin, she moved from the doorway, sashaying over towards the bar, her hips swaying just enough to keep everyone's attention on them even if they tried to look away and ignore her. Katherine Pryde was not, nor had she ever been, quite as stunning as her redheaded companion. Following Rachel inside, she glanced around a bit apprehensively. Warriors wasn't exactly her kind of place, but she had been to many like it before, thanks going not the least to Rachel. Kate hadn't learned to enjoy places like Warriors yet, but, one might say, she had learned to accept them. Another thing she had had to learn to accept was Rachel dressing to kill and drawing attention to her body wherever the two women went. Not that Kate didn't enjoy it when her attention got drawn to Rachel's body, but, well, the redhead's dress code -- or lack of same -- had gotten them into annoying situations with guys before. Not to mention that most of the time, Kate wished she could draw as much attention. "We can still back out, y'know", Kate murmured quietly as she walked over to a barstool and sat down beside Rachel. "Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred", Rachel grinned impishly at the bartender before turning her attention back to Kate. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" she asked. "I said", Kate sighed and looked around the bar. Nope. The person they were here to meet wasn't here. Not anywhere Kate could see, anyways. Half-sighing in relief, she said, "We don't have to go through with this, Rachel." "We're going to have to face this sooner or later anyway, Kate", Rachel said with a bit of softness, watching her brunette companion sympathetically. "We made a choice, we have to fess up to the consequences. We thought it over and talked it over back before we did it. We decided to go thru with it. It's our life." She paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Do you regret it?" Kate watched Rachel in the eyes for a few thump-thumping heartbeats, and then shrugged with a little grimace. "I don't know. Now? Maybe, yeah. Then? No. If things had turned out different? No." "They didn't", Rachel smiled a bit sadly and put a hand onto Kate's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "Buck up. If anyone knows that dwelling in what-ifs isn't healthy, it's me. Let's concentrate on the here and now. You with me, Kate? I'll need you." Placing her hand gently on top of Rachel's, she gave it a firm squeeze, her eyes closing for a moment as she swallowed. Then, she nodded and opened her eyes, looking into Rachel's. "I'll always be with you." *** "We can still back out, Jean", Ororo Munroe stated matter-of-factly as she stood beside her best friend on the street just outside the entrance of the Warriors bar. It wasn't so much a serious offer, they both knew there was no backing out, but a token offer made just for the sake of something that neither of them could give a name to. "I can't, Ororo", Jean Grey Summers smiled sadly, pursing her lips a little in an attempt to muster determination. "*We* can't. I wish we could, I've got so many butterflies in my stomach I'm afraid I'll throw up as soon as I see them." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath of the cool night air in an attempt to clear her head, brushing some of her dyed obsidian-black hair behind her ear. "If they're even there", she noted. "I think they will be", Ororo smiled a little. "Kitty has always been plagued by doubts and hesitations, but she has never let them stop her. She has always come through for us. And as for Rachel --" The dark-skinned woman gave a little chuckle. "I think she would show up just to prove that she is not afraid of us." "Afraid of us", Jean let out a little chuckle of irony. "I wonder who's more afraid of whom." She reached for Ororo's hand, taking it in hers and squeezing it tightly. "If I faint", she asked, "will you catch me?" "Always", Ororo smiled. *** "Front exit", Kate said under her breath, not that anyone, Rachel included, had noticed her looking in that direction. What Rachel noticed, though, was that Kate had gone completely and utterly rigid, the tension in the brunette's body had skyrocketed straight thru the roof. And she could see why. ((I'm sorry, Kate)), Rachel's voice echoed telepathically in Kate's mind, growing more apologetic with every sentence. ((I had no idea Ororo would come too. I thought only mom was going to come. I'm so sorry.)) *** "Is she wearing that outfit to intentionally piss me off?" Jean turned her eyes away from Rachel sitting at the bar. Looking up into the ceiling, Jean started patiently counting to ten. "She looks like a complete slut." "If you had any objections to exposed skin", Ororo pointed out calmly, sending a polite nod of greeting across the bar over to Rachel who was looking her way, "we would never have become friends." "This is different, she's my daughter. I can't ogle my daughter. Everyone else is ogling my daughter. You better not ogle my daughter", Jean pronounced sharply and clearly, the muscles of her throat tight and tense, straining against her skin. "Calm, Jean", Ororo squeezed Jean's arm. "Think soothing thoughts. I won't ogle her." Pause. "Much." "I'm calm. I'm perfectly calm", Jean chirped with a wide smile, then her face turned dark and she growled in a deep, echoing voice, "I am *fire*...and life incarnate..." "Not now, Jean", Ororo patted Jean on the arm. "Talk now, Dark Phoenix later." *** "They're coming this way", Rachel started to fidget on her stool. Suddenly, the skimpy red leather didn't necessarily feel like such a brilliant idea after all. Maybe she should've listened to Kate for once. Too late now. She grabbed her vodka martini and downed it all in a quick gulp, wondering if she could get numb before Jean and Ororo reached her and Kate. *** "And she's a lush, too", Jean's face was so tight her lips didn't even move while she spoke. "*Logan* doesn't down a drink that quickly." *** Kate was stiffer than a steel girder, her throat and lips felt dry as sand paper. She couldn't look in Jean and Ororo's direction. She had to, but she couldn't. Ororo would see her. If she didn't look their way, maybe they wouldn't notice her and Rachel and they'd leave. If she didn't make eye contact, they wouldn't see her -- "Hello, Kitten." To her credit, Kate didn't jump or flinch at the voice just behind her. She took a few deep, slow breaths into her lungs, inhaling and exhaling, trying to get rid of the dizziness in her head. "Hello, Ororo..." Just a little tremble to her voice. Ororo let her eyes rest on Kate for a few moments, before letting them drift over to Rachel. "You look good", she smiled to the redhead. ((I'm gonna *kill* you)), Jean spat out telepathically at Ororo. Ororo restrained a smile. "Thanks", Rachel answered a bit more quietly than her usual voice, remaining silent for several heartbeats before, taking a deep breath, she said, "Hi, mom." Jean avoided Rachel's eyes, drumming her fingers uneasily against the inside of her elbow. Enough silence passed to make things uncomfortable, before she finally answered with a, "Hi, Rachel." Everyone lapsed into silence then, avoiding each others' eyes with more than obvious discomfort. Ororo was the one to speak up. "So", she started. "We need a table. Rachel", she nodded towards an occupied corner table. "Would you mind clearing that one for us?" Of course, she could have just asked Jean to do the same thing. "Sure thing", Rachel gave a little smile, turning her attention to the table, narrowing her eyes and focusing a little. Only a very minor telepathic push was necessary to get the group at the table to grow bored with their poker game and start finishing up. "All ours", she smiled. "All right, let's go, then", Jean grabbed Rachel's arm, starting towards the table. The younger woman instantly tensed up in the grip, not moving after Jean. "Don't touch her!" Kate snapped with a little hiss, teeth bared, hands clenched into fists, glaring at Jean. "Goddess! Kitten --" Ororo's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the extreme reaction. "It's all right --" she reached to put a hand onto Kate's shoulder to reassure her, but the brunette reflexively flinched away. Ororo looked confused. Kate couldn't offer an answer or even look Ororo in the eyes. Jean didn't look any less taken aback. For a moment, she just stared, puzzled, before paying attention to the tension evident in Rachel. "Sorry", she said quietly, letting go and taking a step back warily. "Rachel -- I'm not going to hit you or anything..." she offered a cautious smile. "I'll come... Just... I can walk on my own", Rachel mumbled without looking at Jean. Ororo gave a nod. "Very well. This way", she said and placed a hand onto Jean's shoulder, starting off and taking Jean along with her as she headed towards the table where the party was just getting up from their chairs. ((Did you see how she snapped at me?)) Jean asked Ororo incredulously. ((She looked like she seriously thought I was going to kill Rachel or something --)) Glancing over her shoulder, Jean looked over to the two younger women following behind her and Ororo. Something caught her eye and she faced quickly front again with a frown. ((They're holding hands. Why are they holding hands, Ororo?)) Ororo glanced over her shoulder briefly before answering, ((Why did I hold your hand outside the bar? Reassurance, Jean. You are getting paranoid. Calm down.)) ((They're talking about something)), Kate sent her thoughts to Rachel in a suspicious tone. ((Did you see how Jean looked over, and then a moment later Ororo did the same thing? They're saying something about us --)) ((It's okay, Kate)), Rachel replied soothingly. ((They can't do anything to us. Not in public. That's why we picked this place, after all. It'll be all right.)) The four women arrived at the table, passing the departing poker gang by and grabbing seats for themselves. Ororo waited until everyone was sitting until getting seated herself as well. Then, she waited for anyone to say anything. Her eyes drifted back and forth, from Jean to Rachel to Kate and back again. No luck. They were all quiet and avoiding each others' eyes. "Getting straight to the point is generally a good thing", Ororo finally said, taking a deep breath before going on. "Kitten..." She paused, and a faintly anguished expression crossed her face briefly. Her hand drifted forward across the table, to go hold Kate's hand, but stopped midway thru as she realized it might not be a bright idea at this point. "I'm not angry at you", she said with just a touch of desperation to her slightly widened eyes, staring at Kate's averted ones. Rachel turned her head slightly, looking over to Kate with concern, and a little bit of surprise, too. She had expected to be the main topic tonight. Which hadn't been an unreasonable assumption to make, considering she hadn't known Ororo would be coming too. "I wish I could believe that, Ororo", Kate said quietly, swallowing visibly. Then, she gritted her teeth and raised her eyes, forcing herself to look up into Ororo's eyes. They were so soft, so gentle, so accepting and loving as they had always been. Kate couldn't bear to look into them, she averted her eyes again with a pained expression. "I would do it again, Ororo!" she gasped in a choked voice. "I would! That's the kind of person I am! You can't forgive me because I'd do it again and again and again!" "There's nothing to forgive", Ororo said. "You did what you thought was right. Just because you have different opinions than me, Kitten", she said earnestly, leaning forward a little, "I won't stop loving you." Kate sighed, still not able to look Ororo in the eyes. Why did everything she said just make her feel more miserable? She felt so guilty -- how could she have backstabbed Ororo, of all people? The most loving, accepting person she had ever known...and she had betrayed her. "Now, I won't say I agree with your decision", Ororo continued as Kate remained silent. "But I can certainly understand the motivations behind it, the reasons why you did it, and why, it seems, you still stand by that decision. Magneto is a very charismatic and intelligent person. I would venture to say there are not many X-Men who have not felt at one time or another that what he said and did made sense. What's more, both of you knew him as a trusted ally in easier times when he ran the school for Charles." ((You're not helping, Ororo)), Jean spoke over the psi-link. ((Would you rather I yell at them?)) Ororo replied. ((I would.)) ((You would rather inflict more pain upon them than try to ease the pain under which they already suffer?)) ((They deserve it.)) ((They made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.)) ((And they'll *keep* making mistakes unless we give them incentive *not* to)), Jean snapped. ((I'll handle this.)) Leaning forward a little, she looked dead serious as she eyed Rachel and Kate on the other side of the table. "You", she started, eyes on Kate, "sabotaged the X-Men's computer systems. Put a virus in them and vanished. None of us had any idea why you did it or where you went. Until me and the rest of X-Factor showed up in Genosha and find you in Magneto's camp, of all people! And *you*", she turned her eyes onto Rachel, "were there with her and never even bothered to send Scott and me a postcard to let us know that you were around again. We thought you had gone back to the future and we'd never see you again! You *backstab* us, you *hide* from us, you turn coat to run with our worst enemy, and what? You want us to forgive you?" "No", Rachel spat out, looking up at Jean with a growl. "This was a mistake. We should never have come", she shoved her chair back, standing up. "I don't know what I wanted or expected, but you can *take* your forgiveness and shove it up your --!" "Rachel", Ororo spoke in a steel-hard tone. She glared at the redhead sharply for a few heartbeats, then said, more softly, "We're not here to fight." "Tell that to Little Miss Can't-Be-Wrong", Kate spat out, narrowing her eyes at Jean. "She's the one raising her voice to Rachel!" "I'll raise my voice where I want, when I want, to whoever I want!" Jean growled, standing up. "You do it to Rachel again, and I'll punch your nose into your brain!" Kate leapt up from her chair. "Children", Ororo sighed, putting one hand to Jean's chest and another to Kate's, pushing them apart. She took a deep breath, and then pronounced clearly, "Sit. Down." Locking her eyes with Jean, she repeated, ((Sit.)) Everyone grumbled, Jean not the least, but they all complied. Ororo waited a moment for the grumbling to stop, and then nodded approvingly. "Now", she started, "before we get carried away by our disagreements, I think it should be noted that we want to make peace. Jean, you *do* want to be on good terms with Rachel again, yes?" Jean sulked for a few moments, and then said, "I want her to respect me." "I'm not going to respect anyone who tells me how I should run my life", Rachel grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not trying to run your life, but you shouldn't be with Magneto", Jean glared. "That's ex*actly* what I'm talking about!" Rachel snapped. "I do what I want to do, mom! Joining Magneto was *my* choice, *not* yours! What are you so pissed off about, that it makes *you* look *bad*?" "No, I'm pissed because it makes *you* look bad", Jean gritted her teeth. "And I don't want you to look bad." "Because of how it'll reflect on you." "No!" Jean hissed. "Because I fucking *care* about you and I want you to have a good life, damn it!" Rachel sighed and looked away. Everything went quiet again. "What about you, Kitten?" Ororo asked, opening her hand and holding it out towards Kate. "You made your choice to join Magneto. I can accept that even if I don't agree with it. I don't want to be your enemy because of one disagreement. I still want to be a part of your life, even if you are on Magneto's side." Kate felt her heart be wrenched with every one of Ororo's sentences. Fidgeting nervously, she looked over to Rachel for support. ((I miss her so much... And I'm so sorry for what I did to them, even if I'd do it all over again... I just feel...so dirty.)) ((I like you when you're dirty)), Rachel gave a little wistful smile. ((Go for it, kiddo. At least she isn't being a hardcore bitch like *somebody's* mom...)) "We're not with Magneto anymore", Kate said quietly, casting a brief, nervous glance at the hand Ororo was still holding out towards her. "He threw us out of Genosha after X-Factor left. He wasn't too happy with what went down.*" * [PLAY WITH FIRE -- http://mash.yok.utu.fi/corona/nonxforce/ ] Ororo took a few moments to digest that, and then nodded slowly. "I don't suppose that would mean you'd come..." She hesitated a moment or two before using the word, "home?" "I can't, Ororo", Kate swallowed, flinching back a little in her chair. "Not after what I did... Everyone would look at me and think of me as a traitor... Logan treated Piotr like shit for the longest time after he came back to the X-Men from Magneto..." A little sniffle and she wiped her eyes, cursing her weakness. "Even if everyone forgave me the way you would, I --" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I really do believe in Magneto's way, Ororo. I do." Finally, she was able to meet Ororo's eyes, looking at the older woman with an anguished expression. "I *do*! He's right! Things are only getting worse for mutants every year. Despite everything the X-Men have ever done or could ever do --" She grimaced and looked away. "That's when you fight harder", Jean said coldly. "You don't give up and go for the easy way out." "That's all fine and dandy for a perfect world, mom", Rachel rolled her eyes. "But unless you've noticed, this isn't a perfect world. It's only getting closer and closer every year to the world I came from, a world where mutants are hunted and hounded and put into concentration camps. That world happened because the X-Men stopped Magneto over and over again. If I can help Magneto's cause here, then maybe this world won't turn out like mine." "Magneto's seen it all before", Kate said with eyes slightly aglimmer with tears. "He's seen it before, he knows what it's like, what'll happen... History repeats itself, Ororo, it always does. Unless we stop it." "Don't do anything stupid, Kitten..." Ororo pleaded softly. "I don't want to see you in jail..." "If that's the price I have to pay for a better world, Ororo, I'm more than willing to do it", Kate answered, wiping her eyes again, choking on her words a few times. "If I shared Magneto's morals", Jean said sharply, "I'd brainwash both of you back into your senses. Lucky for you", she added, "I'm not an insane megalomaniacal mass murderer." "D'bari IV", Rachel said. "Fuck you", Jean growled. "Don't make uneducated comments of things that happened before your time, Rachel", Ororo said seriously with a little glare. "I was *there*. Dark Phoenix was *not* Jean." ((Thank you)), Jean said with obvious relief echoing in Ororo's mind. "Fine, whatever", Rachel shrugged. "So, where are you two staying now, if not in Genosha?" Ororo changed the topic, deftly or not so deftly depending on your perspective. "We, uh --" Kate glanced briefly over to Rachel as if to check if it was okay to continue, "have an apartment in Chelsea..." "That's nice", Ororo nodded. "Is it big?" "Big enough", Rachel answered. "Two bedroom?" Jean asked. Kate and Rachel looked towards each other. "Um..." ((Yes. Say yes)), Rachel urged. ((I can't *lie* to Ororo!)) Kate resisted. ((Haven't I done enough?)) ((You'd prefer telling the truth?)) ((...)) "Two bedroom", Rachel nodded. "One bedroom", Kate blurted out at the same instant. Kate and Rachel looked at each other, then back to Jean and Ororo. "One bedroom", Rachel said. "Two bedroom", Kate blurted out at the same instant. Kate and Rachel looked at each other, then back to Jean and Ororo. "One and a half bedroom?" Kate offered meekly. Ororo and Jean looked blank. "*One* bedroom", Rachel sighed with a roll of her eyes. Ororo and Jean still looked blank. "I like your hair color", Kate smiled at Jean. "The black looks really great on you." "No kidding", Rachel joined in. "I thought you'd never change your 'do. Looks great." "Anyway me and Rachel need to get going see you later bye", Kate stood up quickly and turned to leave. "One bedroom?" Jean raised an eyebrow as Rachel got up to follow Kate. She slowly turned her head to look at Ororo beside her. "Did she say one bedroom?" ((Don'tsayanythingdon'tsayanythingdon'tsayanythingdon'tsayanything--)) Kate mantraed in her head as she started walking quickly away from the table, waiting for the other shoe to drop. ((Don'tsayanything don'tsayanythingdon'tsayanythingdon'tsayanything--)) "Kitten." ((Crap)), Kate stopped in her tracks. "How many people sleep in the one bedroom?" Ororo asked. "Err..." Kate started, her back still to the table. "Do the fishes count?" "Fishes don't sleep", Rachel pointed out. "Do too", Kate argued. "Do not", Rachel insisted. "No, they don't count", Ororo clarified. "Umm..." Kate grimaced. "So...what you're asking is...how many people...sleep there...on the average at any given time of day...?" "How many fucking people sleep in that *room*?!" Jean raised her voice, standing up from her seat. "*Two* people, mom!" Rachel snapped, whirling towards Jean with an angry expression. "Two *very* fucking people sleep in that room!" Jean reflexively flinched back a step, her jaw falling slack. Ororo stared at the two younger women for quite a few moments, then said, "Oh." ((Did you hear that, Ororo?)) Jean gasped. ((She's gay. My daughter's gay. She never told me she was gay. Why didn't she tell me she was gay?)) ((She just did, Jean)), Ororo answered. ((Calm. Stay calm. Think of vanilla pudding.)) "You're *gay*?" Jean blurted out. Half the bar's clientele stopped their discussions and turned to look at the group of women. ((Very tactful, Jean)), Ororo commented dryly. "No", Rachel answered bluntly, a mixture of hurt and anger seething on her face. The response was enough to get all the bar patrons to return to what they were doing. "Oh", Jean looked confused. "We're *bi*", Rachel said. Again, discussion stopped everywhere and everyone turned to look at the four women. Ororo sighed and rubbed at her temples. Kate's face was bright fire engine red from embarrassment by now. Ororo cleared her throat a little and nodded towards the seats. "Perhaps you three should sit down", she suggested. "We will draw much less attention that way." Kate was the first to comply, not looking around and sure everyone's eyes were on her as she walked back to her seat and sat down. She was mortified. A few moments later, she was joined by Rachel sitting back down beside her. "Jean?" Ororo looked up from her seat at the woman still standing beside her. With a sigh, Ororo stood up and waved a hand in front of Jean's eyes. No reaction. "Stop playing, Jean", Ororo rolled her eyes, reaching one hand over to the other woman's neck. "OW!" Jean screamed as Ororo's nails pinched her skin deep enough to leave gouges. "Sit down", Ororo said. "I was just trying to make a point", Jean sulked, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat down. "You were attracting attention", Ororo replied as she sat back down as well. "Look", Rachel started seriously with a little glare, "you're not the first person who's given us a hard time, mom. But Kate and me love each other and we're gonna keep loving each other. If you have a problem with that, fine. Fuck off and stay the hell away from us. We don't need any bigots in our lives. Is that clear enough?" "What makes you think I'm a bigot?" Jean asked with wide eyes. "What did I say? What have I said?" she started demanding, spreading her arms. "Did I say I had anything against gays? Did I? Cite some evidence here, Rachel. What did I say?" "Fuck you, mom!" Rachel snapped. "You didn't have to say anything with that fucking attitude you're giving off. You don't like it, fine, screw you. What's your *problem*?" "My 'problem'", Jean started, "is that my supposed *daughter* doesn't tell me she's gay --" "*Bi*", Rachel hissed. "Is it so fucking hard to tell the difference?" "You've never had a boyfriend --" "Fuck you, I've had a boyfriend", Rachel grimaced at the memory of what had happened to Franklin. "And Kate's had plenty." "Fine", Jean grumped. "Fine!" "Good." "Good!" Ororo sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look", she started. "Kitten, I don't have anything against bisexual people. I am one myself." "You *are*?" Kate's eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion. "But you... you... Forge and... you never showed any... I never thought... You *are*?" "Yes", Ororo nodded seriously. "And so is Jean." "She *is*?" Rachel's jaw fell. ((Thanks a fucking lot for telling them, Ororo)), Jean growled. ((I am only making sure you can't act like a hypocrite without them knowing it, Jean)), Ororo smiled. "How do you know --?" Kate started, then blinked and stopped in mid-sentence. Her eyes went from Jean to Ororo to Jean to Ororo to Jean to Ororo. "No..." "I don't want to hear this", Rachel said. "I really really don't want to hear this." "Good, because you're not *going* to", Jean cut in with a swift glare thrown in the direction of Ororo's infernally self-pleased smile. "So what's with the fucking attitude, mom?" Rachel frowned. "What's with the fucking language?" Jean retorted harshly. "I picked it up from my fucking *mother*", Rachel snapped back. Jean went quiet and just glared at Rachel who was more than happy to return the favor. Ororo watched the pair with a little exasperation, while Kate in turn stared quietly at Ororo, still looking a bit suspicious. Finally, Jean spoke again. "You sure as hell didn't pick up the way you dress from your mother." "Oh, I was *wondering* how long it would take!" Rachel leaned forward with a growl. "First my career choice, then the person I love, now my clothes? So what the hell's wrong with my clothes?" "I can't believe you go out in those things", Jean wrinkled her nose. "You look like a cocksucking little slut." "Instead I'm a cunt-licking little slut", Rachel sneered viciously. "Doesn't that make you feel better?" Seeing Jean start to seethe, Rachel smiled even wider and went for the killing stroke. "Besides, don't *you* like sucking cock? How many times have you cheated on dad?" SLAP! "Ow!" Rachel recoiled from the vicious slap of Jean's open hand. "You b--" Kate snarled, leaping forward the very next fraction of a second, passing straight thru the table and tackling Jean. The pair of them crashed back to the floor, Kate on top. Her fist started pounding down on Jean's face like it was raw meat to tenderize, getting in two or three good solid blows with a crack sounding somewhere in-between, before Jean retaliated with a knee straight to Kate's gut. "WHOULPH!" Kate gasped as the knee smashed the wind out of her, leaving her wheezing and off-guard for a fraction of a second which was all Jean needed to grab Kate's head and smash it against the floor. The attack brought a grunt of pain from Kate but didn't slow her down, her knee coming up in turn to slam into Jean's jaw. "UNGH!" Jean moaned, stars swimming in her eyes as the knee knocked her head back, leaving her blacked-out and defenseless for a brief moment. Fortunately for her, no further attack followed up while her defenses were down. "Kitten! *Kitty*! Heavens --" Ororo grabbed Kate from behind, pulling the smaller woman away from Jean despite the resistance of furiously flailing arms and legs. "Lemme go, lemme *GO*!" Kate screamed, trying to yank herself away from Ororo and rush back towards Jean. "I'll kill her, I said I would if she did anything to Rachel! I'm gonna *kill* her!" "It's okay", Rachel rushed over, putting a hand onto Kate's cheek. "It's okay, Kate. I'm okay. Calm down. I'm okay. She's not worth it, let it go, honey." "She *hit* you, the little bitch *hit* you", Kate half-cried, half-growled but didn't try to escape Ororo's hold anymore. "Kitten, you can't say she wasn't provoking Jean", Ororo noted seriously and then handed Kate over to Rachel. "Look after her, Rachel, I'm going to go check on Jean." "She's right", Rachel smiled a little as she took Kate into her arms, stroking her cheek and hair tenderly to soothe the worked-up girl. "It was partially my own fault, I was pushing mom. Don't worry about it, really. I mean it." "Jean?" Ororo kneeled beside the woman who was still on the floor, slowly working at pushing herself up onto her knees. Ororo winced a little at all the blood on Jean's face and grabbed a pile of napkins from the table, starting to clean all of it off. "Hold still", she instructed the other woman. "Ow!" Jean flinched more than once as Ororo wiped off most of the blood and then held several napkins at Jean's nose to try to staunch the flow of more blood. "Own fault, silly goose", Ororo smiled a little, giving a faint shake of her head. "I told you to stay calm. Hold these in place", she guided Jean's hand over to hold the napkins at the bloodied nose. "Do you think you need medical attention?" "Udh-uh", Jean shook her head. "I'b fide." "Come on, up with you", Ororo put her hands under Jean's arms and helped the other woman up, then put Jean's arm around her shoulders. "Lean on me, I'll take you to the bathroom to get better cleaned up, all right?" "Aww wight", Jean grunted as she got led away. "Remind me never to piss you off", Rachel smiled, watching the bathroom door close behind Jean and Ororo. "Except if you get in the mood for whips and chains, of course", she grinned broadly. "I *don't* think so, Rachel", Kate rolled her eyes a little, taking a deep breath as she felt herself slowly calming down. "I'm sorry I caused a scene", she murmured, resting her head on Rachel's shoulder. "Don't worry about it", Rachel patted Kate on the shoulder and then smiled widely. "You know, I think I've got the perfect idea how to piss off the holier-than-thou brigade even further..." "Haven't you done enough?" Kate groaned. *** About five minutes after the bathroom door closed, it opened up again, Ororo and Jean emerging back out into the bar. That very moment, the speakers in the estabilishment fired up with a drum beat. Then, an electric guitar joined in. "Well *yeow* -- rock the cradle of love", Rachel sang into the microphone in her hand as she spun around the empty floor in the middle of the bar. "Rock the cradle of love", she walked up and down the floor, swinging her hips. "Yes the cradle of love", she slid her free hand into her long, flaming red hair, stroking down her luscious mane with sensuous motions, moistening her lips with her tongue. "Don't rock / easily / it's true!" "Well / rock the cradle of love / I rocked the cradle of love / Yes the cradle of love / don't rock / easily / it's true", the redhead continued, sashaying towards the bar, lowering her chin and staring like a predator from under her brows at a figure sitting on one of the stools. "Well now", she tossed her head back, long hair streaming in the air to trace the movements of her head. "It burned like a ball of fire / When the rebel took a little child bride", Rachel stopped right in front of Kate who was bright red again, even more so than Rachel's hair. "To tease yeah", Rachel moaned into the microphone, leaning against Kate's body, flowing down along it, running her hand over Kate's chest as she descended all the way down to Kate's crotch, licking her lips as she locked her eyes with the brunette's. "So go / easy", Rachel panted, starting to drift back up again until her lips were less than an inch from Kate's. "Yeaaaeow!" "Cause love cuts a million ways", Rachel spun away from Kate, body swaying to Billy Idol's rock rhythms as she started walking into the crowd of tables, navigating between hordes of lusty men and women without so much as a twinge of shame. "Shakes the devil when he misbehaves / I aint nobody's fool / Come on! / Shake it up / Whatever I do! / Waiow!" "Rock the cradle of love / Rock the cradle of love", Rachel sang, sitting into a dark-haired man's lap, leaning over and nipping his neck playfully. "Yes the cradle of love / don't rock / easily it's true", she gyrated her behind in his lap, rubbing against him, teasing, taunting. "Mmmmyeah!" "Sent from Heaven above that's right", she pushed herself off the man, strolling away with a lascivious smile. "To rob the cradle of love / Yes the pages of love / don't talk / decently it's true." *** "She certainly had an effect on you", noted a man sitting at the same table with the dark-haired man who had received Rachel's boon. Then, he let his eyes linger on Rachel's back as the woman walked away, still focused on her song. "Can't say I really blame you", he grinned. "Down, Dick", the dark-haired man smirked with dry amusement. "You talking to me or it?" Dick grinned. "You and your corny puns", the dark-haired man groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "Why I hang with you, I'll never know..." "You just like Dick", Dick smiled widely. "Oh, Pallais, shoot me now..." *** "Yeaow! / Flesh for your romeo", Rachel glanced across the bar at Kate, giving the most bedroom eyes she could manage, which was a lot. "'Ah yeah baby' / I hear you moan", she panted, arching her back and pushing her chest forward. "It's easy / y' know how to", she ran a hand between her legs and then slid it up her body all the way to her lips, licking her fingertips. "Please me / yeaaaaow!" "This love starts my rollin' train", she leapt up onto a table, standing atop it with her legs spread wide, skirt riding high enough for the people at the table to have quite a view while she thrust her hips back and forth. "You can't stop it / It aint in vain / I aint nobody's fool / Come on!" she thrust her free arm high. "Shake it up / Whatever you do / Whoo!" "These are the wages of love", she sang, softer, as she slid off the table and started drifting back towards the bar counter where Kate still watched her. Rachel smiled warmly at the brunette. "Rock the cradle of love / These are the wages of love / Ooh yeah / Rock the cradllleee", she stopped beside Kate, singing that last prolonged note softly into her ear. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah --" Rachel screamed out as the music picked up again and she followed its pull, swinging her body to the rhythm of the electric guitar's interlude. "Well it burned like a ball of fire / When the rebel took a little child bride / To tease yeah", she grinned wickedly, sliding a hand between Kate's legs, licking her ear and rubbing against her body. "I know how to please you yeaaaaow!" "Well my love starts a rollin' train", Rachel whirled away from Kate, turning her attention back onto the full audience in the bar again, "You can't stop it", she spoke low. "It aint in vain / I aint nobody's fool", she near-yelled into the microphone. "Come on! / shake it up / Whatever I do / Waiow!" She locked her eyes onto her mother's and grinned widely. "Rock the cradle of love / Rock the cradle of love / Sent from Heaven above / That's right! / To rock the cradle of love..." she sang while steadily strolling towards Jean. "Rock the cradle of love", she stopped only a few feet in front in front of Jean, staring defiantly into the older woman's eyes. "Yeah / cradle of love / That's me mama / I robbed the devil of love / All right! / Cradle of love --" she whirled around once more, setting her course for Kate and walking calmly towards the red-faced brunette. "If you teaze me -- tonight / If you sleaze me -- all right / If you appeaze me -- tonight / And let me ease you -- Yeeeaaahh!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Rock the cradle of love", she then smiled, eyes settling onto Kate's and watching her affectionately as she started the finishing stretch. "Cradle of love / All right! / Rock the cradle of love / cradle of love / Waiow!" ((Tell me I just dreamt the last five minutes)), Jean spoke telepathically to Ororo once the music ended. ((You just dreamt the last five minutes)), Ororo replied. Jean paused for a moment, letting that roll around in her brain, and then said, ((Damn. Didn't buy it. Plan B?)) ((*No*, Jean)), Ororo answered. ((*No* Dark Phoenix tonight. Calm. Think calm thoughts. Think a foot massage and Due South.)) ((Calm)), Jean nodded. ((I can be calm.)) ((Good)), Ororo sighed in relief. ((No destroying the universe tonight?)) ((No. No destroying the universe tonight. There's always tomorrow night.)) ((What're we gonna do tomorrow night, Ororo?)) ((Same thing we do every night, Jean...)) ((TRY TO TAKE OVER THE MALE STRIPPER BAR!)) they chorused. *** "Are they coming this way?" Rachel asked as she handed the microphone back to the bartender with a nod of thanks. Kate glanced over Rachel's shoulder to Jean and Ororo and then nodded. "Yeah." "Does mom look angry?" "Actually, she's smiling", Kate raised an eyebrow. "It looks kind of scary." "That was quite a show", Ororo spoke as she arrived behind Rachel's shoulder. "From the reactions of the audience, I imagine I was not the only one who thought that way." "Thanks", Rachel said, and then quietly drummed her fingers against the bar counter. She counted to ten slowly doing that, and then looked over her shoulder at Jean. "Well?" "Well what?" Jean asked. "Are you going to yell at me or not?" Rachel waited. Jean took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm not going to yell at you, Rachel", she frowned a little. "Even if I wanted to run your life, which I don't want to do, I *couldn't*. I guess you got that from me, too. The more someone tries to restrain you, the harder you fight." "If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here now", Rachel said quietly, and then sighed. "I just want you to be happy, Rachel", Jean placed her hand onto Rachel's shoulder with a sad expression. "I want you to have a good life." "I *am* happy, mom", Rachel insisted, looking into Jean's eyes. "A 'good' life, or what's 'best' for me doesn't make me *happy*. Being free to make my own choices, even if they're 'bad' ones or 'not good' for me -- *that*, being *free*, makes me happy." Then, she smiled hesitantly and turned her head, looking over to the brunette beside her. "And Kate", she said softly, placing a hand onto Kate's arm and squeezing gently. Jean thought that over for a few long moments, glancing briefly over to Kate before returning her eyes back to Rachel again. Slowly, she nodded. "All right. Whatever you want to do with your life, Rachel..." Jean murmured before speaking normally again. "I'm not going to pretend that things you do don't piss me off when they do, though. But", she shrugged, "I'll always love you no matter what happens and you can always come to me even if you've done something totally brainless. Fair enough?" "Fair enough", Rachel nodded slowly. "Thanks, mom." The two women stared at each other hesitantly for loooong moments, neither party willing to initiate anything further, so Ororo just looked away, put her hand onto Jean's back and shoved her towards Rachel so the two ended up in a hug. Kate waited for a moment while Rachel and Jean hugged, and then slid off her stool, walking away. "Bathroom", she murmured to Ororo while passing the older woman by. Ororo raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at Jean and Rachel to make sure they were all right, before following after Kate quietly. Once both women were in the bathroom, Kate closed the door behind Ororo and asked, quite bluntly, "If you've screwed around with Jean, why never me?" Silence. Ororo, confused, just blinked for the longest time before finally asking, "Why never you what?" "Don't play games with me!" Kate cried out, tears starting to show up in her eyes. "You know what I mean! Why didn't you ever want to make love to me?!" "Kitty!" Ororo's eyes widened. "You were *thirteen* when we met! I'm almost a decade older than you! I can't believe you'd even think I'd consider that --" "I wasn't thirteen when Excalibur disbanded and I came back to the X-Men, was I?!" Kate demanded amidst tears. "I haven't been thirteen for almost a decade now! And you've *never* made a move on me! Why *not*?" "There's so many years between us, Kitten --" Ororo tried to speak soothingly, reaching a hand for Kate's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Don't give me that crap!" Kate yelled, knocking Ororo's hand away with a whack of her own arm. "Pete was older than you! Unless you're totally brain-dead, that should've tipped you off that I don't give a damn about age!" "And what if I do?" Ororo asked steadily. "You're full of *shit*, Ororo", Kate snapped, sniffling. "It's not about age at all, is it? You just like Jean better, don't you? Cuz she's built like Rachel and I'm just me -- I don't mean as much to you as she does!" "That's not fair, Kitty --" Ororo sighed. "But it's *true*, isn't it?" Kate cried. "You didn't say it's not true. Say it isn't true! Say it!" "You both mean as much to me --" "Bull*shit*!" Kate shouted. "You love her more! You'll fuck her but not me! *Obviously* you love her more, Ororo!" "You're wrong. I don't", Ororo narrowed her eyes sternly. "Prove it!" "How can I prove it?" Ororo asked, exasperated. "You've already decided you won't believe me --" "Would you make love to me?" Kate asked, pleadingly, wiping her eyes. "If I asked Rachel and she said it was okay...would you make love to me, Ororo? *Please*?" "Kitty --" Ororo grimaced. "I -- I --" She sighed, looking away with an anguished expression. "How can you ask that of me?" "How can I not?" Kate weeped. "Do you have *any* idea how long I've thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen? Do you have any idea how many nights I've dreamt about you? How many nights at the school I wished for the door to open and you to walk in and slip into my bed?" "I had no idea you had feelings like that --" "Well, I'm telling you *now*!" Kate sobbed. "What'll it *take*, Ororo?" she asked. "What do I have to do? What do I have to do for you to love me as much as you love Jean?" "Kitty, I *do* love you as much as I love Jean", Ororo sighed. "It's just...not the same kind of love. What I feel for Jean is...she is my age, we are...friends, comrades... I love you like a *daughter*, and that is, in many ways, a stronger bond --" "A child!" Kate cried. "You *still* think of me, after all these years as a *child*! Like I'm still *thirteen*! You look at Jean and you see an *equal*, but when you look at me, you think I'm a child, something to *protect*! I don't want to be protected by you, Ororo! I want to hold you the same way you hold Jean, like I hold Rachel! I want to be a *woman* to you, not a *girl*!" "You're barely twenty --" "How much do I have to grow, Ororo?" Kate sniffled. "Huh? How much older do I have to get for you to take me seriously? How old do I have to get? How long will I have to wait? When will you treat me like an adult?" "In a sexual sense?" Ororo asked calmly. "Yeah!" Kate wiped her eyes. Ororo hesitated a moment, then swallowed and said, "I'm sorry, Kitten. The answer is never. I'll never be able to think of you as someone to make love to." Kate's face froze and she just stared at Ororo like a deer caught in headlights. It felt like hours to both of them before Kate's lips finally moved again. "You -- *bitch*!" she balled up her fist. POW! The fist hit Ororo squarely in the face, knocking her back a good dozen feet before she crashed into the back wall of the bathroom. The door slammed hard before she stopped seeing stars. *** "Come on, Rachel, we're luh-- leaving", Kate strode forth from the bathroom, tears running openly down her face, voice choked with the mostly failed effort to hold back sobs. She grabbed Rachel's arm, yanking the redhead after her as she headed for the exit. "Kate, what --?" Rachel blinked in stunned worry and gave a quick wave of her hand to Jean as she was dragged away. "Bye, mom! I'll call you!" "I *never* want to see you again, *any* of you!" Kate screamed, turning around and yelling at Jean. "I never want to see *any* of you again! I *hate* you!" she shouted before collapsing into open sobs, hiding her face in her hands and running out of the bar to the streets. "Kate! Geez!" Rachel started getting genuinely scared, taking off instantly after the woman without even sparing the time to glance at her mother. A few seconds later she was out the door and Jean was staring dumbfoundedly after the two younger women. "Is Kitty still here?" Ororo groaned as she emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, holding her jaw and wincing a little from the pain shooting from it as she tried to talk. "She ran off..." Jean pointed at the door, still looking quite blank and confused. "Rachel went after her..." Ororo closed her eyes and sighed. "What the hell happened?" Jean asked. "Don't ask", Ororo said quietly. "I really mean it, Jean. Don't even ask..." "Okay..." Jean nodded slowly and waited a few moments. "Wanna go see male strippers?" she asked. "Would that cheer you up?" "No, Jean..." Ororo shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. I don't think I'll be in the mood for that for a long time..." *** "Kate! For god's sake, talk to me!" Rachel pleaded with tears in her eyes while Kate fumbled with the keys to the pair's Chelsea apartment. "What happened? Tell me! I love you, I want to make you feel better! Don't shut me out like this!" "It's nothing", Kate sobbed, twisting the key in the lock back and forth, shaking the doorknob, trying to get the door to open but her frantic efforts were only making things worse. "I never should've expected anything else", she whimpered and sniffled, not even bothering to dry her eyes and cheeks. Even if she did, they'd be wet again in a minute. "Never should've expected *anything*..." "Kate", Rachel swallowed, placing a hand over the hand Kate was using to try to open the door. "God, *look* at yourself, you're a mess! You're completely fucked up! You can't even think straight! You can *phase thru the door* if you want in that bad, honey!" At that observation, Kate just collapsed onto her knees, leaning against the door and wailing desperately. "Ororo hates me!" she managed to get out from amidst her crying. "I thought -- I thought if I'd just tell her -- tell her how I felt -- then she'd love me -- but she doesn't -- she never did --" Rachel winced a little at the words, half in sympathy for the woman she loved, half because she didn't know whether this meant Kate loved Ororo more than her. She grabbed the doorknob, pushing the key in all the way and turning it. The lock clicked and she pushed the door open, then took the key and put it in her pocket. "Come on, honey", she reached down, pulling Kate up against her and dragging her into the apartment, closing the door behind the two of them. "I thought -- I thought I was important to her", Kate sniffled and sobbed, burying her face in Rachel's soft chest. "She -- she likes your stupid mom better than me!" "I'm sure she loves you too, Kate..." Rachel said quietly, sitting down on the floor with the brunette, stroking her dark hair gently, soothingly, trying not to feel jealous. "Yeah, as a stupid kid!" Kate snapped. "And that's all I'll ever be to her! Well, fuck her! Fuck them all! I don't want anything to do with any of them ever again, Rachel!" "I don't have a problem with that", Rachel smiled a little. It wasn't that easy though, and she knew it. Even if Kate never saw Ororo again...would she still love her from afar? More than she loved Rachel? "Kate?" "Hnh?" Kate huddled closer to the warmth of Rachel's body, sniffles slowly starting to grow less frequent. "Do you love her more than me?" Kate blinked in surprise and looked up into Rachel's worried eyes. "Oh god, Rachel, I'm so sorry, I didn't think --" "Do you?" Rachel interrupted her, seriously. "..." Kate's mouth stayed open. "Oh", Rachel said quietly. "No!" Kate blinked. "No, Rachel, I didn't mean it like that! I just... she means so much to me! But not as much as you do, I swear! You've always treated me like an equal, you've always made me happy, Rachel!" "If you could have me...or her", Rachel looked away, "which would you pick?" Kate stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then, she said, "You." "You sure?" Rachel looked into Kate's eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure", Kate gave a weak smile. "I... I love Ororo a lot... but I couldn't see myself living with her... We're just..." Her smile faded and she curled up into a little ball, snuggling as close to Rachel as she could. "Too different..." Rachel felt a little twinge of guilt shoot thru her. She shouldn't have asked, shouldn't have raised the issue. Shouldn't have doubted Kate. "I'm sorry", she whispered, leaning down and placing light little kisses along the brunette's ear. "It'll be okay, Kate. Everything will be okay..." "Ahem." Both women blinked and turned their heads towards the sound coming from the living room couch. "I'm sorry for breaking in like this", said the figure sitting on the couch, "but I got tired of waiting in the hallway." "You..." Kate's eyes widened. "Me", the figure smiled. "Now, as I understand it, Magneto dumped two such great advocates for the mutant cause as yourselves. Bad move on his part. Great opportunity for someone like me. I'd like to offer you both a spot in a group defending the cause of mutants worldwide." "The Super Friends!" Kate exclaimed. "Not exactly", the figure replied. "The Masters of the Universe!" Kate tried again. "No." "The Planeteers!" "No." "Team Knight Rider?" Rachel ventured a guess. "Eww", Kate wrinkled her nose. The figure sighed. "You people suck the drama out of everything", it shook its head tiredly. "No, what I'm talking about is -- the Mutant Liberation Front." ----------------------------------------------------------------------