Legend: Thoughts = <>

Stray thoughts = ()

Flashback **

Com links []

Ok, guys, all the disclaimers apply, that means all thanks goes to Marvel

For the X-Men, I'm just making the story. And I do read all the other

Stories and they're great, keep up the good work. They inspire me!

=

"I need your help." Richard said, "I barely escaped with Perry and..."

"Perry?" I asked sadly, "You have my...Perry?"

"Yes."

"How are you alive?" Melissa asked.

"Cloning." Richard said.

"How do...how do we know this is Perry and that you're you?" I asked.

"Read my mind. That's one of the things you can do, right?" Richard asked.

"He's telling the truth." Jace frowned, "I scanned his mind."

"I said he could scan my mind, not you." Richard frowned.

"How'd you find him?" I asked.

"He was being kept in the same installation I was. I destroyed all of our other DNA. Sinister has nothing else to use." Richard said.

"And exactly how did you manage to escape?" Connor asked skeptically.

"He underestimated me, much like you're doing now." Richard said quickly, "We don't have time to go through it step by step..."

"I think we do." I frowned, "You walk in here with my son..."

"Our son."

"...and expect me to what? Help you escape with him?" I asked.

"I want you to join us." Richard said, "It's not a good life, being on the run, but it's what we need to do for him."

"You said you don't have enough time..." Melissa asked.

"Sinister." Raiden said, "And with the big hole in the office..."

"We're sitting ducks." Connor said, "It's all up to you, Pane. What do we do?"

I stood over my bed, watching Perry sleep. There was little use in denying him, even if I wanted to. He looked like me. Emotions I never felt before, even being a telepath, raced through me. I made this little life. No, that wasn't true. Sinister made this little life out of me. He took pieces of me and Richard and put them into this little guy.

"He's beautiful." Richard smiled, "He's like...the sun."

"The sun?" I asked.

"Everything else in life revolves around him now." Richard said, "I'd do anything to protect him."

"Good, you'll probably have to." I frowned, "I thank you for rescuing him but what now? I'm not equipped...I have no idea what to do and how to do it."

"Follow your heart." Richard frowned, "I woke up after dying. The world moved around me and I was stuck and everything changed..."

"I know the feeling." I smirked, "In fact, I still remember the feeling."

"There's a story to that. There's always a story." Richard smiled.

"A story for another day." I nodded.

"I can remember things...the way we ended..."

"Don't." I said, "It's not important now."

"It is." Richard said, "He was...I was a dick."

"Yeah, you were, but so was I." I frowned, "I should have said yes."

"So, the steroid case from the office..."

"My new boyfriend." I said, "I guess I can call him that."

"Another person in love with you...not a stretch." Richard chuckled.

"I'm glad you came to me." I said, "I know...it must have been..."

There was a knock on the door before Jace pushed his head in, "Umm, you'll want to see this." He asked.

Richard picked up the baby and we walked back to the office. Besides the big, gaping hole, there was Nick Fury. The gang was huddled around him, listening to his stories.

"Been a while." Nick smiled.

"What're you doing here...sir?" I asked.

"I'm going to uh," he paused and looked back at the gaping hole, "Skip to the meaty part." He said, turning back to us, "We want to add your team to the Avengers."

"What does that mean?" Melissa asked.

"You want us to be your dark horse?" Connor asked.

"No, you would be a recognized team." Nick said.

"As in public?" I asked.

"Yes." Nick Fury smiled.

There was chatter behind me.

"Of course you'll have time to think about this." Nick said, looking past me, "Who's child?"

"Mine." I smiled.

"And mine." Richard smiled.

Nick looked between us.

"Long story." I said, "You're serious? We'd be...registered, though."

"You're not registered?" Nick asked.

I ignored him, "You think the world's gonna like mutants any more than yesterday?" I asked.

"Offer's on the table." Nick said, turning and leaving, "Make a choice." He said, disappearing out of the hole.

I turned to the team.

"What are we going to do?" Raiden asked.

I looked to Connor, "Boss?" I asked.

"There are certain advantages, but also major disadvantages." Connor mused, "Perhaps..."

"Honey, we don't have time for a big, long speech." Raiden said.

"We deal with it later." Connor frowned, "We need to get Pane and his family out of here and pronto."

"Whoa, so now they're a family?" Jace asked, "And Pane didn't say he was going with them."

"I didn't say I wasn't." I frowned.

"You're going?" Jace asked.

"We don't have time." Connor frowned, "Sinister has to know you're here by now."

"How are we going to hide them?" Melissa asked.

"How about time?" Raiden asked.

"Been done...to death. Remember Hope." I said, "He's never going to stop looking for them."

"They need to be protected." Connor said.

"They need me." I said.

"I didn't..."

"I know. They'll constantly be on the run." I frowned, "Dammit!" I shouted, causing a desk to fly through the air!

"Telekinesis...your powers..." Connor started.

"Good. I can use them now." I said quickly, "If watching Buffy reruns has taught me anything, it's that we need to get them out of town and in style."

"Oh no...you're not serious." Raiden said, "Holy crap."

-           

"And you got this idea from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Connor asked.

"Wick-ed." Melissa said in awe.

"How did you afford this?" Raiden asked.

We stood in front of an orange and yellow RV.

"We're X-Men, remember." I smirked.

"We're supposed to put ourselves, as well as a baby?" Connor asked.

"We are." I smiled.

"Not. I'm not letting my baby in that." Richard frowned, turning and walking back into the office.

I followed, "He's only half...or less, yours." I frowned.

"He's half and half." He said turning to me. As he did, his eyes grew in size.

I turned to see men wearing all black with red triangles on their chests. Outside, a fight was going on between the rest of the group and more armed men.

"Hand over the baby and no one gets hurt." One of the three men said.

"When I say go..."

"Got it." Richard said quickly.

"Go!" I said, causing a min-explosion to rock the soldier off their feet! Richard scrambled past them and through the warzone outside that was spilling inside. Two soldiers were thrown in by Connor, who ran to fight them once more! Melissa was hovering at the opening. She was held up by electricity and was taking on three soldiers easily, pelting them with everything should could. Jace helped Richard to the RV, while Raiden appeared beside me and lifted her hand, sending out a pulse that stopped bullets coming at me. I waved my hand at the two remaining guards.

"Impressive." Sinister said, appearing from the back.

"Just wait." I said, turning and throwing my arms out, causing energy to slide through the support beams!

"Come on, Pane!" Raiden said, running through the hole with Melissa.

"Pane!" Connor said, shaking me.

The place was falling down around me. The office was dying. This office meant so much to me.

Connor shook me, "We have to go now!" he said, pulling me out of the building just as it collapsed in.

I stood at the door of the RV, looking at the wreckage. It was gone.

"Pane."

Suddenly, sirens blared through the silence.

I turned to see Jace, "Let's go." I said, climbing on the bus.

-           

I stood over Perry. He was beautiful. I'd always wanted to have a child. Not so soon. I'd never thought it would be this beautiful. Gods knows I had enough sex to get one. Not lately. So beside the point. It was strange that I became a dad in such a short time. I'd spent weeks without much sleep because I was looking for him and now here he was. If I didn't absolutely know that this was Perry, I wouldn't have believed it. I look at Perry and I see me in him. I just know. I was supposed to just drop everything and became a dad. With me, his life wouldn't be anything but moving from place to place. I wasn't good for the baby...but was it for the good? Was I any good at this point for this child?

"He looks like you." Connor said, standing beside me, "He's like mini-you."

"Be honest..."

"Crap, here goes..."

"Am I father material right now?" I asked.

"Hard to say. You protect billions of people every day." Connor said.

I looked to him.

"But you are somewhat emotionally immature and rather irresponsible with your own life." Connor added.

I stared at him.

"Is there a right answer here?" Connor asked.

"What'll happen if I leave with the baby and Richard?" I asked.

"Well, seeing as how we no longer have a base of operations...you'll leave a broken team and a guy who you've really neglected." Connor said.

"Hey, I always remember to feed you." I smiled.

"You know who I mean."

"I do." I frowned, "I really haven't treated him well."

"And he's still there."

"It's always something." I said.

"It's your choice." Connor said.

"Yeah, I'm so not tired of everyone saying that." I said sarcastically.

"I've got to go and relieve your boyfriend of his driving...thank God." Connor said, leaving.

I turned back to the baby, "Well, little guy...just you and me. Heading toward Utopia." I smiled.

"You know, I understand."

I turned to see Jace.

"He's your son. You need to protect him and Richard..."

"Isn't my boyfriend." I smiled, "You are."

Jace smiled, "You just called me your boyfriend." He chuckled.

"Yes, I did." I said, kissing him, "We've got to protect Perry right now."

"Til my last breath." Jace smiled.

Suddenly, there was a thump above us.

"Three humans, one mutant." Jace said.

"Guys," Richard said, bursting in. He stopped at the two of us hugging but continued, "They found us."

-           

I walked out into the living area. Melissa and Raiden were in the corner while Jace joined Connor at the front of the RV. Richard brought the baby in and stood at the door. There was another thump and I told everyone to be quiet. I walked over to the hatch in the middle.

"What're you doing?" Jace asked.

"I'm going to fight." I said quickly.

"I'm going." Jace said.

"Me too." Melissa said.

"No." I said.

"You need back up."

"I need you to stay with the baby." I frowned.

"We'll stay with the baby." Raiden said.

"Stay back." I said to Richard, "If anything happens to the baby..."

"I'll do it to myself." Richard frowned.

I nodded and Jace and Melissa followed.

"So, would this be a bad time to ask you to marry me?" Connor smiled to Raiden.

We made our way to the top of the RV and stood, facing our enemy, who had a helicopter.

"Anybody else wanna retract the whole fighting thing?" Melissa asked.

"Turn back now." I said.

"No, I'm committed."

"Not you." I frowned.

Olivia stood in the middle of them, "We just want the little baby you stole. Turns out you are a kid-napper." She smirked.

"Eat my shorts." I smirked.

Melissa hovered off the surface of the RV.

"Maybe this won't be as boring as I thought." Olivia smirked.

"Duck!" Jace said, pushing me out of the way as a knife slashed down behind us.

I brought my foot forward and kicked the guy with the knife off the edge of the RV. Melissa hovered higher, shooting electricity at the helicopter! Jace was like an animal. His powers must have given him and edge over his guy. He blocked and kicked and blocked and it was magic! Olive started towards me and I telekinetically stopped her! She began to transform into a wolf, but I telepathically stopped her! She was huge. She must have been stuck because she was concentrating, trying to undo what had been done. While she was doing that, I pushed her off the RV! Jace ended his fight with a knee to the face and a toss off the RV. He was bleeding over his eye. Melissa was being overloaded. They had began to shoot rockets at her. I stopped this latest one because Melissa looked drained. She was now in freefall and I grabbed her, straining to levitate her back to the RV. I knocked on the RV and Raiden teleported out to us.

"Relinquish the child!" Sinister growled over a speaker from the helicopter.

"Meet my new friend," I said grabbing the rocket launcher from Raiden, "Big Bethesda." I said, aiming.

The helicopter tried to maneuver out of the way as the RV sped up! I shot the missile and it blew the helicopter to pieces!

-           

[Music (Turning Tables – Adele) starts]

"I trust you to take of them." I said quickly.

"Sinister won't be able to get to him here." Scott said, "We deactivated everything that could lead him to Perry and Richard."

"And his mutant signature..."

"Suppressed by some very reliable telepaths." Scott said.

"Everything's all laid out." I smiled weakly.

"You could always stay with him." Scott said.

I smiled, "I always thought when I found him...I'd quit and move on with him." I said softly.

"With you, he'll constantly be in danger." Scott said, "And with all of us looking out for them, they be safe."

"I don't want this to be like my fiancée." I said, "I don't want to lose him, either him."

Scott surveyed me.

"This should feel good...it's the right thing."

"It's normal.."

"But I don't." I said, "You take good care of both of them or, I swear, Summers, I'll flay you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Scott said, walking away.

Richard came walking in past Scott, "So, the full body who-ha...not as fun as it sounds." He smiled.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked.

"Question is, are you?" Rich asked.

I'll tell you when I know the answer." I said quickly.

"You've already helped him have a semi-normal life." Rich said, "He's gonna know about you and he's gonna love you."

I smiled as a tear ran down my face.

"Don't cry. I hate it when you cry." Richard said, "Wanna hold him one last time?"

"I wanna hold him forever." I said, cradling Perry.

-           

"I cannot be stuck like this! This is not..." Growled Olivia. She was still stuck between forms, a werewolf at first glance.

"You want revenge?" Ken asked, "There'll be revenge."

"I busted you out to help me." Olivia shrieked.

"Not yet. You're beautiful. We need to gather more." Ken smirked.

"Beautiful?" Olivia asked.

Ken walked over and kissed her snout, "Gorgeous."

-           

I stood at the wreckage of my office. There was nothing there anymore. Nothing. Melissa took time off after we sifted through the debris for some stuff. She headed home. Jace did the same, promising to come back for me. I stood there, perfectly distracted.

"Have you made your choice?" Fury asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Yes?" Fury asked, "That's the answer?"

"One condition." I smiled, "We want to retain our anonymity."

"What?"

"We're not doing this for fame or recognition. We, frankly, don't need it." I explained, "We are in need of shelter and food and a way to continue doing what we do without having to worry about things like food and shelter. We accept a new base and missions from you, but we want to stay unknown."

"Are you sure about this? Don't you want your team to be here?" Fury asked.

"No. One's coming back for me." I said, "The rest are getting married."

"Married?" Fury asked.

"We deserve happiness. Cause we rarely get it." I smiled, walking away.

[Music (Turning Tables – Adele) ends]

-           

Hey guys (and girls). Thanks for reading. So, I want feedback. How do you think I'm doing? What would you like to see? Lemme know at Femtoka2@yahoo.com