psinex@yahoo.com Fires of Tomorrow 5/60 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're all Marvel's, except for Aidan, Melanie, David, Deanna and Danny, who're mine. Please don't sue. WARNING: Mature themes again ... -------------------------------------------------------- X-Mansion: 1/29/2004: War Room: 11:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "C'mon, guys ! It's only once a year !" "Joseph, the main monitor screen is for crises, not watching the Super Bowl," Xavier insisted as Joe pouted. "Even if it is 100 inches across ... and would make a rather impressive television set ..." Xavier tuned in the pre-game show and looked around with a challenging expression at the gathered New Mutants, X-Men and X-Force. "Oh, all right. But I get the best seat," Xavier sniffed. "And the remote." "YES !" the males amongst the crowd yelled. "Someone get snacks !" Joe called. "Get them yourself," Alexa retorted. "We're going to go do something more civilized, like study." "Or just about anything else," Deanna grinned. "THBBPPTHTH," Nate replied, sitting beside Joe. "Hey, Frank, you think Aid'd like to watch the game ?" "I'll bring him down later," Frank replied. "No sense in making a fussy 6-week-old sit around for hours - he should get as much rest as he can." "My lover the considerate father," Ray smirked, leaving with Aidan in a carrier backpack. The baby giggled, waving at the men, and sent, ~bye Da.~ "He is so smart," Scott grinned. "Must be that Summers DNA - or maybe the Grey mix." "Well, I HOPE I contributed a little," Frank blushed. The other boys elbowed him or chuckled, but Frank looked even more embarassed. #I still feel like a creep about how Aid was conceived,# he thought, accepting a bowl of popcorn from Nate. #I mean ... oh, forget it. Ray doesn't seem to have a problem ...# ~Of course I don't,~ Ray replied telepathically. ~Frank, it can't be undone. I don't blame you - will you please stop blaming yourself ?~ ~I'll try,~ Frank sent. ~Ray ... thanks. I love you ...~ ~I love you too, Scrap. Now, QUIT ANGSTING,~ Ray teased. ~It's not helping Aid or I. And dream of the day we can hold each other again ...~ Frank blushed again as the images coming across the rapport died down, drawing grins from Erik, Joe, Artie and Leech. "She's at it again ?" Erik winked. "Erm ... I'd rather not say," Frank blushed. -------------------------------------------------------- "You," Jean smirked at her daughter as they sat on Jean's bed, "are getting positively sex-crazed." "Oh GOD," Ray blushed, setting Aidan on the bed, "you picked up on that ... ?" "Don't worry. It's your and Frank's rapport. I wouldn't pick at it," Jean promised. Ray lay down beside Aidan and tickled his tummy, listening as Jean added, "You and I are so close genetically, though, that it's hard to keep from picking up on your psendings." "Sorry," Ray said. "But Mom - we're already parents. If we used protection -" "Are you comfortable having sex again at your age ?" Jean asked point-blank. Ray sighed deeply, meeting Aidan's gaze and then her mother's. Finally she replied, " ... not really. Not unless Frank is, and he's not. I don't want to say things he wants to keep private, but ... I think he's scared of hurting me again, Mom." "You never did say what exactly happened," Jean said softly. "We grieved for your lost innocence after Aidan was born - we got through that initial shock - but you've been so quiet about it otherwise ..." "I've been busy," Ray smiled, letting Aidan suckle on her fingers. Her face took on a hard cast, and she said, "It ... hurt a little when my hymen broke. But the look on Frank's face when that happened ..." She teared up and said, "Mom, he was so sad ... he still feels horrible about it ... and I didn't want it that way either, but it was him and he tried to be gentle and - and - " She sat up, letting Jean hold her as she cried, and wiped her eyes. "Pretty silly, huh ? It's been over a month, and I've got the perfect baby, and ... I wouldn't trade a minute," Ray smiled weakly. "Maybe I'd've had a real pregnancy, but otherwise ..." ~Mama !~ Aidan sent, crying. Ray hugged him and rocked her son, whispering, "It's not your fault ... I love you so much ..." "Ray !?" Frank cried, appearing from midair. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to intrude - but -" Jean stood, hugging him, and said, "Thank you. You're a wonderful technical son-in-law, you know. Now sit, talk, and like Ray said, STOP ANGSTING." She left the kids alone, and Frank sat beside Ray with a weak smile. "I'm sorry," Ray said softly. "I didn't mean to talk about you behind -" "You didn't hurt me," Frank said, smiling. "You needed to talk about it - and all I've done is whine and moan about me and my pain." "Bull ! You listened to me, and you've gotten up for bottles and diaper changes," Ray replied. "You were hurt too ..." "I couldn't ... it was ... God, Ray, I - we - it was just ... if Aidan hadn't happened, it would've been totally awful," Frank sighed. He gulped and added, "Well ... maybe not totally awful. You were ..." "Thanks," Ray blushed, smiling softly. "You were gentle and ... well, you know." "Uhm ... really ?" Frank said, smiling as well. "Yes, really," Ray insisted, bouncing Aidan on her knee. "Now ... Frank, if we used protection - is it a bad idea to -" "I want to too," Frank admitted. "But ... we're still young, Ray. I want to love you like you deserve - all the ways you deserve - but ..." "I know. It wasn't all that big a deal," Ray shrugged. "Wham bam thank you Frank, and -" "Was I too fast ?" Frank winced. "No ! I mean, not bad fast, just - it was empty," Ray agreed, looking at the floor. "You're right. We need to wait until we're both ready." "I promise, I'm not going anywhere," Frank said, taking her hand in his and hugging her and Aidan. "Trust me, you're no Colossus," Ray grinned. "You're a real man - well, a 14-year-old man, but -" "Thanks, Red," Frank smiled, taking Aidan onto his lap and playing patty-cake. Ray scooted closer to them and watched as Aidan burbled along to "patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man ..." -------------------------------------------------------- "What ARE they talking about up there ?" Deanna asked Alexa as they and the other female Mutants lounged around the living room. "Prob'ly laughin' their heads off at our 'studyin'," Naomi smirked, watching the pre-game show along with the other girls. "Tight ends indeed ..." "Thought the tightest end you liked, Guthrie, was pre-husked cornsilk," Sarah teased, balancing a bone knife on her fingers. "Not that Bubba Jones isn't cute ..." "Ah'm as horny as any o'y'all," Naomi shot back. "Ah jes' realize there's more life on this planet than humans." "EEK ! A vegisexual !" Nga mock-shrieked. The girls erupted in laughter, and Naomi rolled her eyes. "Well, they call it head cabbage," she winked. The other girls either blushed or went pale, and Luna whispered, "Ican'tbelieveYOUsaidthat ..." "Y'r used t' mah prude twin," Naomi winked. "We farm girls're a little more used t' th' facts o'life. Lew's a l'il repressed f'r mah fam'ly." "Excuse me ?" Deanna grinned. "Your oldest sib is Sam Guthrie, the poster boy for middle-aged Southern virgins." "OK, OK, let's not get bitchy with each other," Alexa called. "We're teammates, remember ?" "Besides," Deanna added, rising, "I'm the offspring of a pre-marital sex act, and I turned out OK. Who wants -" She dropped her bowl, looking out the front window, and went dead pale. "Dee ... ?" Alexa said, putting a hand on Deanna's shoulder. "Stay here," Deanna said in an icy tone. She walked out of the room, tension rippling throughout her sweatsuit-clad body, and went to the door with a pained expression. #He's not here. He's screwing Laynia Petrovna and that barbarian tramp Nereel,# Deanna told herself. #He's a bigger slut than Uncle Remy ... he wouldn't dare come here after what he did to Mom -# She checked the sensor grid, muttered, "oh shit," and opened the door. "Hello, Deanna," Piotr Rasputin smiled. "Did you miss your father ?" -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Family, ah family ... PLUS: Someone wakes up, someone comes home, and someone gets a lot of unwelcome visitors ! -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com