Who: Domino, Cable, Beast, and Jean What: running tests, chatting, catching up When: Guy Fawkes Day (backdated) Where: Hank's lab Warnings: Medical stuff pg13 tl;dr
Domino was fidgeting as they walked toward Hank's lab. Her nervousness was almost something she could touch and feel. In a way, she wished that it was. What she could touch and feel she could destroy. But there was no such luck with this.
Jean touched the woman's shoulder gently and offered her a reassuring smile. It would all be alright. She knew that it would. Somehow, it just seemed wrong that the universe would harm these children so soon, when so many people's hopes and plans were wrapped around them. Of course, fate liked to fuck with her family more than anyone else, but no sense in joining in on Domino's worrying.
Hank smiled as he saw them.
"Please, come in."
He held the door for them all, blinking as he saw Jean, and nodding to Nate and Domino.
Cable smiled and clapped Hank's shoulder, and followed the other two in, nervous.
He sent soothing warmth to Domino as they entered.
Hank watched them and spoke quietly.
"How are you all?"
Jean smiled at Hank. "Hey." She hugged him, and beamed. "It's nice to see you again."
Domino hopped up on the table that was obviously for her, and settled in. "Hale and hardy." Domino held Nate's hand, love flowing freely between them. "Ready to get this over with."
Cable held her hand and tried to stay out of the way,
Hank smiled and hugged Jean, surprised.
"It's good to see you too. Here to help?"
Then he nodded to Domino.
"Since you sent me your data and check up information, we can get right to it. First, I want to describe the process. Have you done any research, or should I start at the top?"
His smile was warm and he gestured everyone to seats.
"Among other things. I am hoping to stay and chat afterward."
Jean settled out of the way. This part she wouldn't be necessary for.
Domino nodded. "Yeah. You're going to do an ultrasound, and use that to guide the needle to extract amniotic fluid from around the babies, and then do test on it, right?"
"Exactly. First, I am going to give you a local, which will dull all the nerves in that area. Then the rest."
He smiled.
"Thanks to modern technology, we can skip the disrobing, but I will need you to lay down and expose your belly."
Domino snickered. "You men are all the same." She winked at Hank and slid her shirt up, exposing her rather large bump. "I'm surprised at how big I got; especially since I've only just started my second trimester."
Hank eyed her belly.
"There are many reasons that could account for that, including multiple children, and even just larger growth spurts, early on. The fetuses sometimes start developing earlier."
He got out the local and the needle, testing it, then approaching her.
"This will sting, at first, and then you will feel numb all over this area."
His hand gently patted her belly, finding the right spot as Cable watched warily, hopefully, nervously.
Hank found it and slowly pressed the needle in, delivering the injection, and then pulled it out, dabbing the spot with an analgesic and clot inducer laced gauze.
"Hold that there for a moment, and then we will begin."
He wheeled the ultrasound arm near and got the jelly ready.
"Be gentle," Domino noted with a smirk, her hand holding Nate's much tighter. "It's my first time."
It was her second ultrasound, but that ruined the joke. "Did they make it look like lube on purpose?"
Cable chuckled.
Hank smiled.
"I've got gentle hands. Just ask Jean."
Then he chuckled and nodded.
"Just for you."
He started spreading the cold gel on her belly.
Jean laughed loudly. "You're terrible Hank. I've missed you."
Domino snickered and tried to relax as he got things ready.
Here we go. Her thumb stroked over Nate's knuckles. God, please let this be alright.
Hank guided the ultrasound, and shortly showed them the children-fetuses... both of them. One was larger than the other, already.
He nodded and focused the ultrasound as he readied the needle, a much larger one.
"Very healthy babies."
"Good." Domino said, watching the needle with mild fascination. It wasn't a problem for her to watch, really. She was used to putting herself in danger, so watching someone stick a needle into her numb skin was nothing.
Hank split his attention between Domino's actual belly and the image on the screen as he slowly guided the needle to where it needed to go.
"You will feel pressure for a moment, then it should be okay."
He manuvered the needle carefully, took a breath, and then was drawing the sample. With a moment's work, it was pulling back out again.
The needle came out and he handed it off to a nurse who came in for it.
"Start this in my chamber, please, Nurse Danvers."
"Yes, Doctor McCoy."
He turned back to Domino and gently swabbed her belly, and nodded to Cable.
"Now."
Cable's mind and telekinesis were already there, and at hank's word, slowly, slowly, the cells of internal and external body knit together, and the traces of the procedure were erased from her body. His mind went vague as he concentrated ion stabilizing the entirety of her, and then after a small eternity, he smiled, and his eyes came back.
"It's done."
Domino, however, had other distractions. There had been pressure when he'd inserted the needle, but another thing had caught her attention.
It was like an itch in the back of her brain, and it was there for the duration of the test. Then it settled, but did not go away. Soon it was joined by a second sensation, and both were pleasant, in an indescribable way.
Her eyes were wide, and she strained to hear it, even as Nate concentrated on other things. "Oh."
Jean 'watched' Nathan's work, fretting a little. She sighed a little as it finished.
Cable glanced at Domino, and his brows quirked, then he grinned as he felt it too.
"Jean, Hank..."
He gathered their minds in, with gentle invitation, letting them sense the newly formed consciousnesses, twinned, together, and quite happy.
Jean squealed and beamed at them both. "Oh my God. That's. . . so incredible."
She felt as though her heart would burst from the joy of it.
Domino stroked her stomach lightly, and there was a response in her mind, one of pleasure. She smiled at Nate, eyes and mind full of joy and love for him and their growing children.
Hello, little ones. her mental tone was soft, and she didn't even mind that she was crying a little. This was the most incredible moment of her life.
Cable kissed her, softly.
"Our children, love. Our children."
And he grinned.
Hank beamed and nodded.
"They are as precocious as their father."
Hank’s words made Jean laugh. "I can only imagine. Wow."
Part of her felt oddly empty. Though she loved Nathan, she wished that she'd had children of her own. She was just a little bit jealous, though she knew that he'd taken all his life to get to this point.
And it didn't dampen her happiness. Very little could, she was sure.
Domino kissed Nate in return, her arms wrapping tightly around him. This beats the shit out of feeling them move.
He grinned and hugged Domino back, as Hank hugged Jean, not unaware of her old wish.
I love you, Domino. And I love them already.
Hank smiled.
"How are you, Jean?"
His words were very soft.
"Right now? Body says let's reproduce. Brain says 'with who'." She shrugged. Not as bad as I thought I'd be. A little confused, maybe. Mind if I stay here and bother you once we shuffle the happy parents out?
I love you too, Nate. God, this is so amazing. She stroked her belly again, smiling at the reaction. I'm going to be playing with them all the time, now.
"I understand. Before I met Anya, I was, myself, counting time."
he smiled at her.
"I am sure things will work out. And you know I am more than willing to have your company. Old friends are always welcome."
Cable hugged Domino more, then grinned.
Good. The more you do, then faster they develop, the smarter they will be and the more ready when they come out.
he stroked her face and kissed her again.
"So, Doc, anything else to do today?"
"No. That is it. The results should be done within a week, by my very excellent actions. Meantime, take it easy, okay?"
"Thanks, Hank. It'll be nice to catch up again." Jean smiled brightly.
"Will do. Are we kicked out, now?" Domino grinned, unable to even sound sarcastic at the moment.
Hank laughed.
"Scoot, you two. Maybe we can have dinner, once the results are in. I am sure Anya would welcome meeting you all."
He grinned.
"Now go have fun."
Cable laughed and led Domino out.
Domino nodded and hopped off the table. "Sounds like a plan. Take care."
She smiled brightly and wrapped her arm around Nate's waist, already reabsorbed in talking to him.
Cable smiled and sent love and warmth to Jean as he left.
Jean smiled and shook her head. "I didn't think there was a woman alive who could handle being around Nathan all the time."
Hank smiled and led the way to a lounge room, in his office.
"Coffee?"
Then he chuckled.
"Domino and Cable are interesting partners. But only here were they able to find peace."
"That seems to be a recurring theme." She followed along behind, and settled into one of his chairs. "Yes, please. I haven't had my coffee for the evening." Which it was, back home. "What's Anya like? It's amazing to come here and see you in a happy, stable relationship." She approved of this world, if only for that reason. "And you can play the piano again." Another thing she approved of. Though he’d been handsome as the blue furred Beast, she had always thought that Henry McCoy was quite handsome as well.
Hank smiled at her.
"She is... amazing, and quiet. She is the most... peaceful woman I know."
He shook his head as he made her coffee from memory.
"I love her, and it makes it sometimes hard to remember who her father was, which I am glad for, even if I did come to like the version of him who lives here."
He blushed.
"I can indeed."
"Magneto was here?" Her tone is serious now, and she sits up a bit straighter. There are larger threats, but it's an old habit to think of him as being nothing but trouble.
"A younger Erik Magnus Lensherr, say, rather. Not Magneto as we knew him, no."
He sipped his own coffee as he handed hers over.
"He was a kind and gentle man."
He looked down.
"Sinister killed him in a battle recently."
"I had only heard he was here."
She thought for a moment. "Damn."
That was a downer. "How is she taking it?"
He shook his head.
"She is devastated, but I think she is slowly coming back to the business of living."
He sighed, eyes sad.
"I wish I knew how to help her better."
Jean stood, and sat on his desk so she was closer to him. "I'm so sorry. It's hard to watch our loved ones hurting;" her voice had its share of sorrow as well, "especially when we can't do anything about it."
He smiled sadly.
"Thanks, Jean. It is nice to see you again."
He chuckled a little, pushing darker things away.
"How do you like this strange new world?"
She sighed. "I think it's turned me into the world's biggest harlot, honestly."
Hank stared.
"Buwha?"
That was about all he could manage.
"I lept on Bruce Banner ten minutes after meeting him. I mean, we didn't even make it to the bedroom; we just cleared the stuff off the dinner table. Broke the thing, too, before we went to his bed for the next 36 hours."
She blushed brightly. "And I nearly slept with the teenaged version of Scott that's here."
The second was, in her estimation, a much larger sin.
Hank blushed. He sighed and patted her shoulder.
"Neither is a sin, Jean. Being sexual, having fun, neither is bad. You have just returned to life. Give yourself time to adjust before you start judging yourself."
He smiled gently.
"If either of them are worth your time, then they will understand."
"Pft. Scott looked like I'd just kicked his favorite puppy through a wall."
There was a healthy share of bitterness in her voice. "I just don't know what to do. I've barely been alive a week, and I feel like I'm messing things up."
"This Scott is young, and expressive, but sounds like a good man. Give him time too."
He smiled and hugged her.
"You are not messing up. Just breathe do not let yourself be caught up in blame and worry. Things will be okay. Wander, explore, try things out, and see what you like. Along the way, I am sure you will find a way to know what you want."
She hugged Hank back, glad to have him again. "Thanks. You're right. Anya's a lucky woman."
She smiled wanly and pulled away, drinking her coffee. "So, what are your plans? Getting any more degrees?" Her tone was lightly teasing.
He laughed.
"Mostly, I have been thinking of opening up my own clinic instead of using this one when I need it. There are enough of us now that I might just stay busy."
He chuckled.
"And especially if I get coffee visits from best friends."
"Oh, well, I wouldn't want to hold you back from your potential."
She laughed. "I think I can work you into my schedule. But only because the coffee's so good."
She winked at him, feeling cheerful again, though not entirely so.
He nodded and hugged her.
"Hang in there, Jean. Things will get better. Somehow."
He smiled and poked her.
"Besides, there's always a baseball game or a crisis to help straighten things out."
"I think the various Summerses have enough members here to have their own team, including cheerleaders and managers."
She giggled a little. "When did our life get so ridiculous?"
Hank laughed.
"Well, somewhere around Xavier waking up and deciding to start a little school..."
He hugged her.
She laughed and hugged him back.
"Mind if I steal a business card and bother you every now and again?"
He smiled softly.
"Anytime, my friend, any time."
He wrote his numbers down and handed her the card.
Jean gave Hank another hug. "Take care. I'll call you in a day or so."
She slid off the desk heading for the exit. Already she was planning on calling Bruce, and seeing if he could meet her, and maybe help her figure this stuff out.