Sam Guthrie had had an exhausting day. The workout in the Danger Room had pushed him to his limits, and the hot water heater was on the fritz, so he'd had to take a cold shower. To top things off, Paige had called him. She'd had a bad day, too, and had poured her heart out to her big brother. So now he was worried about her as well. He fell bonelessly back onto his bed, ran his hands through his hair, and sighed.He reached over and opened the drawer of his nightstand, pulling out the small box within. It was a black, velvety ring box. He opened it, and stared at the ring inside. A thin gold band with a small diamond mounted on the top. A simple, basic engagement ring. He shook his head and closed the box. He wished he could afford something more impressive. He wanted to get a huge diamond worthy of her upper-class upbringing. He wanted a unique setting-as unique as she was, but a simple boy from Kentucky, even one who was a superhero, couldn't afford that and continue to send money back home.
He opened the box again and stared at the diamond. He wondered how he could present it to her. With such a simple ring, he'd have to make the presentation pretty spectacular, but he was just out of ideas. He would have asked Roberto or Warren for some, but with a girlfriend who was an empath, the fewer people who knew, the better. It was supposed to be a surprise, after all.
There was a timid knock on his door. He started, and quickly put the box back into its hiding place in the drawer. "Ya can come in if ya want, Dana," he called out.
Dana Hawkes opened the door slowly and peeked in. She gave him a pitying look. "Are you all right?"
He motioned her over with his hand. She obliged and sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "You look exhausted. I should go and let you take a nap."
"Ah'm fine."
"Bull." She sighed and scooted back on the bed. "Come here."
He did as she asked, leaning back against her. She pulled his T-shirt off and started to rub his shoulders. He sighed contentedly. Her backrubs were something else. She was fairly good at giving massages, but when she used her healing powers in conjunction, it was heaven on earth. He let his head fall back, and flashed her a lazy grin.
"Take a nap," she told him as she worked. "You could use it. I'll wake you up for dinner."
"Alright, ah give in. Ah'm too tired to put up much of an argument, anyway."
She smiled and pulled her hands away from him. He managed to muffle the moan of displeasure as the backrub ended. But she must have felt his disappointment empathically, because she brought her hands back to his shoulders and continued massaging until he'd finally fallen asleep.
***
"Where's Sam? I thought you were going to go see a movie with him," Bobby Drake asked as Dana came back down the stairs.
"He's tired. We can go tommorow." Dana shrugged, and headed towards the recreation room.
"Wait a minute-Sam told you he didn't want to go to a movie with you, 'cause he was too tired?" Bobby asked, dancing around in front of her.
"No. I saw that Sam was tired and I didn't bother asking him. If I'd asked him, he would have said yes, and I don't want him to be a wreck."
"Huh." He shrugged. "Well, I guess that leaves you free to hang out with me, then."
Dana grinned and checked her watch. "Jeopardy's on. Want me to annihilate you at trivia?"
"Oh, I know you can beat me at Jeopardy, but can you beat me while playing pool?"
"I accept your challenge."
***
"I won!" Dana said indignantly.
"I'm sorry-'Who is, your turn, John Adams?' is not the correct Final Jeopardy answer. You lose." Bobby grinned at her.
"You know what I meant!"
"Yes, maybe, but would Alex have accepted it? I don't think so."
"Alex wasn't playing pool!"
"Hey, you accepted the terms and conditions of the contest."
"I didn't know you were going to be a dork and make me yell things in the middle of my answer. Besides, if I recall correctly, it was 'Who is-Bobby! Stop messing with the chalk and take you turn!-John Adams?'"
"Well, that's not the right answer either."
Dana chuckled in spite of herself, and punched him good-naturedly in the arm. "Now quiet. I want to wake Sam up nicely, not have him wake up to us screaming at each other."
"I can wake him up for you." Bobby chuckled menacingly, and iced up his arm.
"No, really, that's all right. I think I prefer my way. I think Sam will, too."
"I prefer my way." Bobby shrugged and headed back downstairs to the kitchen.
***
"Sam? Honey? It's time for dinner." Dana gently shook Sam's shoulder. Sam mumbled in his sleep, and then blinked his eyes open and yawned. "Feeling any better?"
"Yeah, ah am, actually. Thanks."
She smiled at him. "I'm glad. It's time for dinner."
He pulled her down next to him on the bed and kissed her. "That's for the backrub."
"Mmm. I should give you backrubs more often." She smiled at him. He reached up and stroked her hair, and she closed her eyes in pleasure and snuggled closer to him. "They're going to miss us downstairs."
Sam chuckled. "Ah wasn't hungry anyways." He kissed her again.
#Dana? Are you two coming down for dinner?# Jean's 'voice' was tinged with humor. #We just need to know how many plates to set out.#
"Jean wants to know if we're coming down," Dana said, her forehead pressed to Sam's.
Sam smiled and nodded. "Tell her yes. If ya made me take a nap, ah'm gonna make sure ya eat dinner."
Dana closed her eyes to concentrate and did as he said. When she reopened them, she found him studying her face. "What is it?" she asked, confused.
"Ah was tryin' ta decide somethin'."
"Did you make your decision?"
"Ah think so, yeah." He pulled away from her and got off the bed while he shrugged into his T-shirt. "No. Sit right there a moment. Ah want to give ya something."
She saw on the edge of hte bed, raising an eyebrow at him. He came around in front of her, knelt on one knee, and reached into the drawer of the nightstand. He kept the box hidden in his hands, and stared off into the distance for a moment as he thought about how best to proceed. Finally, he refocused on her face.
"Dana, ya know how bad ah am with words-'specially the romantic ones."
She smiled and touched his face lovingly. "That's all right. Actions speak louder."
He took her hand and kissed the fingertips. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Anyway," he began, louder. "Ah know that ah should have some speech prepared that someone gets across t'ya how much ah love ya-how much ya mean to me-but ah don't. All ah can do is give ya this and hope ya understand."
He gave her the ring box. Her eyes widened and she searched his face.
"Open it," he instructed.
She did.
"Dana, will ya marry me?"
***
Scott was about to take a bit of his chicken when he heard the scream. His training kicked in, and he was up and out of his chair, rushing up the stairs before he even realized he was doing so. He realized the scream had come from the men's dorms. Reaching the hallway, he paused, wondering which room the scream had come from. The rest of the team was right behind him.
"It came from Sam's room. It was Dana," Wolverine grunted.
Scott immediately came to the conclusion that Sam and Dana were under attack in Sam's room. For a superhero who had had his home destroyed as many times as Scott had, it was a logical conclusion. He rushed to Sam's room and threw open the door.
Sam, at least, WAS under attack-from Dana. She had him pinned to the floor and was kissing him repeatedly. There was a black, velvet box clenched tightly in her hand.
Scott reddened and started to back up, but ran into the rest of the team, who had crowded around the door in order to see what was going on in the room. Jean yelped as someone stepped on her foot.
Dana kept kissing him, but Sam looked up at Scott. "Uh, hello, sir," he said awkwardly. Dana planted a kiss on Sam's jaw, and then pulled his head back to her again, and kissed him passionately on the mouth.
Bobby peered around Scott's shoulder. "Go, Dana!" he chuckled.
Dana looked up and smiled. Sam set about trying to crawl out from under her. Scott had a pretty good idea what had happened, but he decided to ask anyway. "So-what's going on here?"
Beaming, Dana stood up and hugged Scott. "Sam asked me to marry him!" she exclaimed.
"And what did you say?" Scott asked, carefully controlling his face.
"She never actually got t'that part," Sam said, smiling.
"YES!" she screamed, and threw herself at Sam. He cuaght her in a tight embrace and spun with her, laughing. They finally parted. He took the ring box from her hand and went down on one knee, taking out the ring and slipping it slowly onto her finger. Dana started sobbing and fell on her knees in front of him. He held her, and looked up at his teammates. Scott heard Jean sniffle behind him, and smiled down at Sam. He nodded.
"Well done, Sam," he said proudly. "Well done."
***
"You know, I love Paris," Domino said contentedly, leaning against the railing as the tour boat drifted down the Seine River. "I really do."
Her companion grunted. "No kidding. You've been grinning like a fool all afternoon-ouch!" Cable drew back, glowering at her. "What was that for?"
She gave him a sweet smile. "Stop grumbling, or I'll do worse than elbow you in the ribs. Just because Olivares is a sour bastard doesn't mean you have to follow suit." Her smile grew into a grin as she felt a flash of amusement along their psi-link. "Now," she said painstakingly, as if talking to a particularly slow child. "It's a beautiful day, and we're in the most romantic city in the world. So smile, you old grouch!"
He bared his teeth at her. "Better?" he asked. Domino snorted.
"Much," she said ironically. "You're in a foul mood today, you know that?"
With a sigh, Cable slid an arm around her and drew her close. Apologetic chagrin emanated from his end of the link. "Sorry. I'm still frustrated, but I shouldn't be taking it out on you."
They'd arrived in Paris yesterday, to meet with Raul Olivares, chief of the Paris station of Nathan's network. His version of Xavier's Mutant Underground, but 'half the size and twice the trouble', as Pete Wisdom had once put it. The network was devoted to the Askani mission in this era, but not, as a rule, to the central figure of that mission-Nathan himself. And Olivares was no exception to the rule. Since Dunworthy's death, he had become the most influential of the European station chiefs, but he and Nathan had never gotten along. Olivares was as 'old school' as they came, meddling on countless levels to guide the timeline into a more predictable pattern. Consequently, he and Nathan had spent most of the morning bellowing at each other.
"You're right, you shouldn't," she said archly, but without any real heat. This close to him, she could feel the tension in his body, a physical reflection of the lingering anger seething across their psi-link. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she concentrated briefly, projecting wry understanding and support. Their link had grown stronger and deeper over the last few years, until they communicated without words as often as aloud. But talking still served some purposes, Domino thought dryly. "I was surprised you didn't give him the old heave-ho, actually," she said more quietly. "I can count the number of people you'd have taken that kind of crap from on one hand."
His sigh seemed to rattle his bones. #Maybe.# His voice in her mind sounded tired. #But I need him, whether I want to admit it or not. I can't expel him from the network, Dom. He was one of Blaquesmith's original recruits, and most of the older agents still look to him-#
Domino fought bac a sudden surge of irritation. I do so love to hear you justify making concession to a man who thinks you need to be put on a leash, Nathan, she sent back sharply.
He stiffened, pulling away from her almost automatically. She winced, wishing she could kick herself for the comment. "I know I'm turning into a flonqing politican, Dom," he growled aloud, staring restlessly out at the river. "Don't you think it leaves a bad taste in my mouth?" He fought visibly for composure, and continued telepathically. #If I had my way, I'd throttle that brainless fundamentalist moron, but I can't. I have to get the network under control! I can't focus on Apocalypse if I have to worry about one of my own agents stabbing me in the back. Fighting a war on two fronts is the easiest way to lose both!#
Domino bit her lip. They'd spent the last three years working towards the day when every man and woman wearing a Phoenix medallion would acknowledge Nathan's authority-when the network would stop being Blaquesmith and Dunworthy's 'secret society', devoted to shepherding the timeline, and become a weapon that could be used against Apocalypse-without turning on Nathan while he used it. It had been a frustrating process, with many setbacks, and Olivares' intransigence had threatened everything. "I know," she said, soothingly. "But you must know he's going to go behind your back, no matter what scraps of authority you toss him. He honestly thinks he's right, and you're misguided." The anger vanished from the link, and he leaned heavily on the railing, his shoulders slumping.
"I know," he muttered, sounding dispirited. "Sometimes I really wonder why I bother trying, Dom." Depression, frustration and weariness flowed down the link, as if he'd just opened the floodgates. Domino winced, shaking her head to clear it. This was not productive-
Ignoring the curious looks of a few of the other passengers, she reached out and took his arm, forcing him to turn around and face her. "You don't quit this, I'm going to throw you overboard," she said severely. "And I KNOW how you hate swimming."
He surprised her with a sudden grin. "You would, too, wouldn't you?" he said wryly. With a sigh, he straightened, as if throwing some great weight off his shoulders. That was one thing he'd finally learned, Domino thought in satisfaction. He knew he couldn't take responsibility for everything anymore-that there were some things beyond his control. "I suppose I'd better stop brooding, then." He didn't sound too convincing.
"I don't generally go around wishing for the impossible, Nate," she said with a perfectly straight face. It worked-he laughed, and she couldn't hold back her grin any longer. "So," she continued casually. "It's what, eleven-thirty? What are we going to do for the rest of the day."
"I don't know," he sighed, putting his arm around her again. "Any suggestions?"
In the end, they did quite a bit. Nathan took it into his head that he wanted to see the ENTIRE Louvre, and dragged her through it at a breakneck speed. Domino retaliated by insisting on doing some shopping. That lasted only about an hour-there was a limit to the complaining she'd put up with. They spent most of the evening wandering, stopping to admire the occasional monument or spectacular piece of architecture, but mainly just soaking in the atmosphere of the city. Domino couldn't remember the last time she'd been quite so content. Days like this were rare gifts-an escape, if only temporary, from the madness that passed for their lives lately.
At last, they retired to a sidewalk cafˇ near the Eiffel Tower to have dinner and watch the sun set. Sipping at her wine, Domino gave Nathan a thoughtful look. He was staring, as if entranced, at the Tower.
"Amazing," she finally said.
"What?" he asked distractedly, looking over at her. She shrugged, keeping her tone casual-although it was an effort.
"I was just thinking. Here we've spent what, eight hours, doing comparatively nothing? And your head hasn't exploded yet." Nathan raised an eyebrow, and she grinned at him. She shouldn't be teasing him, but she couldn't help it. Their year in the future had certainly improved his attitude towards life in general, but he was still so damned serious all the time. And between this mess with Olivares and the renewed Dark Rider activity, he was driving himself harder than she liked.
"Very funny, Dom," he said dryly. "Too bad you couldn't manage to go eight hours without making a smart comment." But there was a smile on his lips, and he took a sip of his own wine, to hide it. Domino cast around for a snappy retort, but he suddenly set his glass down, his expression oddly determined. "You know, we could stay if you like. For a few days-oath, make it a week! Everything's settled with Olivares, and the others know how to reach us if anything new comes up."
Domino's eyes widened with surprise she couldn't manage to hide. "Excuse me-you didn't just suggest we take a VACATION, did you?" He flushed, and she gave a delighted laugh, reaching out and laying a hand against his forehead. "No, you're not feverish. Did you maybe fall and hit you head while we were sprinting through the Louvre or something?"
"It was just a suggestion," he grumbled defensively. "You don't have to be so-" Domino put his hand over his where it lay on the table.
"It's a great idea," she said happily. She'd been considering ways to nudge him towards this very idea. So much the better, that he thought of it himself. They both needed a break, to get away from the front lines of their little private war and put things in perspective. "Maybe we could even go through the Louvre again," she said teasingly. "A little more slowly, this time?"
"Oh, did I go too fast for you?" he asked, giving her his best innocent look. "I certainly got a lot out of it. Maybe you weren't paying attention, Dom."
She stuck her tongue out at him, earning herself an odd look from the waitress, who arrived at that moment with their meals. As they ate, Domino deliberately kept the subject of conversation light, well away from anything concerning the network or Apocalypse. She dared him to prove that he'd 'gotten a lot' out of their rapid-fire tour of the Louvre. Surprisingly, he had, and they spent the next hour arguing about the merits of various paintings. It felt almost surreal, to be sitting there discussing art, instead of strategy or something. Almost as if we were a normal couple, Domino thought at him, and he grinned.
The sunset was glorious, though, and, in the end, they sat in near-silence, watching it. The quiet of their contemplation was broken by the sound of Nathan's cellular phone ringing. With a curse, he took it out of the pocket of his coat and gave it a look full of loathing.
"If this is Olivares, I'm going to make him wish he'd never been born," Nathan growled as the phone continued to ring. With an exasperated sigh, Domino reached over and took the phone from him.
"Give me that-you don't want to undo everything you accomplished today, do you?" She pulled out the small antenna and thumbed the proper button. "Hello," she all but purred. I might have stayed out of the argument this morning, but let's see what wonders a little charm can work-
"Domino?"
It wasn't Olivares. "Sam?" Domino said incredulously. "Is that you?" Across the table, Nathan straightened, looking surprised, and she grinned at him.
"Sure is, ma'am." Sam sounded as cheerful as ever, and as matter-of-fact as if the last time they'd talked had been a day ago, rather than almost six months. With everything she and Nathan had on their plates lately, visits to the mansion were few and far between. Nathan had long since decided that the X-Men should be kept out of the battle with Apocalypse until non-involvement was no longer an option. Domino wasn't sure what had motivated that decision, but she'd reluctantly agreed. The X-Men, X-Force and the mansion seemed to grow farther away by the day, until the life she and Nate had had there seemed like a distant memory. "How've ya been?" Sam continued. "Ya sound like you're outside-"
"Sitting in a cafˇ not far from the Eiffel Tower, actually," she said happily. "On vacation, if you can buy that. So how are you, kid?"
"Um-pretty good, actually, ma'am." The matter-of-fact tone was gone. He sounded-excited? Domino thought curiously. Or nervous? Usually, she could read voices as easily as she could faces, but she wasn't sure, in this case-"Is Cable there with ya?"
"Yeah, Nate's right here." Domino glanced over at him, and he gave her a quizzical look. She shrugged. I don't know what he wants, she sent across their link. He's being evasive. Nathan frowned, but said nothing. "Did you want to talk to him?" Domino continued.
"Well-ah suppose ah could just tell ya. Ah mean, it doesn't really matter. Neither of ya are gonna be made if the other hears first. Ah hope not, at least."
"Samuel," Domino said calmly, breaking into the rapid flow of words. She used her best calm, authoritative voice. It had worked wonders with the X-Force kids. These days, she used it to settle down jittery network agents. She and Nate had the 'good-cop, bad-cop' routine down to an art form. "Stop rambling, and tell me what's going on."
There were a few moments of silence, and Domino started to wonder if they'd lost the connection. Then, Sam spoke.
"Dana and ah are gettin' married."
Her jaw dropped. Nathan tilted his head and looked at her intently, reaching through the link to find out what Sam had said to her. She sensed surprise and delight. Then, he gave her the widest grin she had ever seen from him, bar none.
#I wonder if anyone would notice if I got up and started singing the'Ode To Joy',# he sent. Realizing he wasn't entirely joking, Domino stared at him in disbelief.
Don't you dare! she shot back, trying to hold back helpless laughter. That's all we'd need, to get tossed out of here because you drove away their other customers-
"Dom?" Sam asked, sounding a little anxious when she didn't say anything. "Did ya hear me right, ma'am?"
"That-" She cleared her throat, then continued. "That's wonderful, Sam. Best news I've heard in months. Hell, in years!"
"Ah still can't quite believe she said yes," Sam confided with a laugh. "Ya wouldn't have believed the nightmares ah had, before ah actually popped the question."
"Nathan would've told you to have had a little faith," Domino said impishly. Impossibly, Nathan's grin grew even wider, even as Sam laughed again.
"Ah know. Anyways, ma'am-Dom, we were both hopin' you and he'd be a part of it. Ya both mean so much to us-"
"Oh, don't worry, Sam." Domino leaned back in her chair. Nathan, still grinning, raised his glass, as if in salute, and she did the same. "I think I speak for us both when I say wild horses couldn't keep us away."
to be continued...
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