Emma Frost is tired of trying to be good (ice_queen) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-03-09 08:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, emma frost (white queen), nathan summers (cable), neena thurman (domino), scott summers (cyclops) |
Who: Scott, Neena, Nate Rachel, Emma, and Cable.
Where:Boston, the Frost Mansion
What: A Summers family reunion
When: 2224 (10 years after Rachel’s birth)
Warnings/Rating: PG
Status Complete
Neena was driving the mako again, on the way to their next adventure. She was sad to leave their home behind. There were so many happy memories there. Plus stability, and a readily available food supply. Their mission was simple, and she couldn’t blame Scott for uprooting them. They were headed to Massachusetts, to see if there was anything to Scott’s dreams.
Rachel was reading in the back, while Chris played with carved wooden horses, making pretty realistic horse noises. They were being pretty good, she’d kind of been dreading traveling with two kids.
Rachel was excited, because she knew what was going on. Nate had made her promise not to tell, and she’d agreed, but the adults probably knew something was going on. She hoped they’d like the surprise.
Emma couldn't possibly be alive, but his dreams were clear, and obvious. It had gotten too much to bear - he had to go.
The Mako had served them well, and not for the first time Scott sent a silent thanks to wherever Shepard lay at rest. Their lives would have been harder.
"How much farther?" Scott asked, for the tenth time. He glanced back at Rachel.
Rachel giggled. "Not much. We're almost at the coordinates Nate gave me when I asked about it." She grinned widely.
Neena nodded, keeping her eyes on the road. "Ten more minutes at this speed." This part of the country was really lush and green. "We'll get there when we get there, Scott."
After about five more minutes something new popped into view. Flowering trees behind an iron fence. It was nearly impossible to see inside the fence, but it was obviously being cared for.
Scott examined the fence as they passed it, looking for any sort of defense or hidden traps it might disguise. It seemed almost elegant, which was fitting. "Tell me I'm not the only nervous one."
“You are. Those are orange trees.” Neena said with a laugh. “Maybe we’ll luck out and there will be more food in there.” She missed oranges.
Rachel just giggled. “We should get out and ask if they have any strawberries. I’d really like some.” Plus that was the exact location they were looking for.
Chris perked up. “Berries? Granpa I want berries!”
“Orange trees in Boston,” Scott said, shaking his head in wonder. They’d passed a desert in Indiana, years ago now. Sometimes he lost track of the time. His daughter was ten and Chris was talking. “I barely remember what this part of the country used to look like.”
He slipped back to pick Chris up. “If we’re lucky, you’ll get some berries.”
“No shit.” Neena noted as she parked the mako. “Are we going to treat this as potentially hostile, or should we all just bail out?”
“I think Dad should take a look around before we get out.” Rachel piped up. “There might be monsters in the garden.”
"Monsters?" Scott chuckled, though they had encountered their share of monsters. "Neena will keep you guys safe and I'll do a monster check."
Rachel nodded eagerly. Neena frowned and looked back at the girl. Rachel was up to something. She wondered what, exactly.
On the other side of the fence, hidden by the vines and bushes, Emma waited and watched. Her hands were clenching the skirt of her dress out of nervousness. She was human, and so excited she thought she would die if they didn’t get out of the car soon.
Scott opened the hatch. It was difficult and had been since Logan, but it worked and creaked and strained. He stepped out, closing the hatch behind him. He walked warily towards the fence.
Emma waited until he was close to open the gate. She looked different now, she wasn’t sure he’d recognize her. She looked like she was about fifty, with grey hair and the appropriate wrinkles and blemishes. She was wearing a conservative white dress and no shoes.
She met his eyes, feeling nervous and joyful at the same time. He was older, too, but still so handsome. She propped the gate open and rushed over to him, putting her arms around him.
Scott stared. He put his arms around her in shock and then squeezed. "How..?" He couldn't believe that she had survived all this time. Or how she could have. He hadn't thought that immortality was among her powers. Everything came flooding back to him, fresh and new.
She squeezed him back, then stepped back again, giving him a smile. Her eyes were sad, though. She would have so little time with him. But there could never be enough time for her to spend with him. “How and why are closely linked, and I want to discuss that with everyone involved. It’s so good to see you again, Scott. I’ve missed you terribly.”
She sent out a telepathic summons, and Rachel perked up in the car. “We should go in, Neena.”
Neena nodded and grabbed Chris. “Is that Emma?” She assumed so, from the hugging.
Rachel nodded as she climbed out of the mako, the loud screech announcing their exit to everyone.
“I see your face, every night,” Scott said. It was the truth, even if there’d been a time when her name had kept slipping his mind.
Scott glanced back at the mako, guilt clenching at his stomach as Rachel came out. Obviously she’d known something, but he still felt guilty. It hadn’t been fair to Emma, but then this whole thing was grossly unfair to everyone involved.
Nate smiled as he stepped out of the fence behind Emma. “About time you laggards got here.” He met his father with a hug, and a shoulder pat, taller yet, at 21 year old and then grinned as he looked at Neena. “Hello, love. Rachel, Chris. Told ya I’d managed to catch up with you.”
He smirked as he knelt to catch hug Rachel, hard, then stood and reached for Neena with love in his eyes.
Emma didn’t seem surprised or distressed when she saw Rachel. She’d been preparing for this day for almost 200 years. “It’s so good to see our family all together.” She said, still wearing that sad smile.
Rachel glomped her big brother. “You’re enormous! You’re like two people stuck together!” She giggled and bounced over to Emma, smiling up at the older woman.
Emma turned her attention to Rachel. “It’s good to meet you in person after so long. Welcome home, Rachel.”
Rachel smiled and hugged Emma, which surprised the older woman. She returned the hug quickly, her smile less troubled, now.
Neena picked up Chris and ran to meet Nate, hugging him tight when he was close enough. “You’re such an asshole, Nate. Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
Chris was stuck between his parents, and squirmed to try to get away.
Scott worked his throat. He felt some amount of relief, and pride in his daughter, and his son(s). He gave younger Nate a hug, as well, then let him and Neena greet each other, and turned back to Cable, and Emma.
"We got distracted."
Emma chuckled. “I see that. Another grandson for the books.” She smiled and took Scott’s hand. “Let’s get inside, I haven’t been human in the sun for a while, and I’d rather not relive the joys of sunburn.”
Rachel grabbed Scott’s other hand. “She has strawberries in her garden, I bet Chris would love some strawberries.”
Chris piped up from Neena’s arms. “Berries!”
Neena chuckled. “Alright, Nate. Let’s get some food in the kid. We’ll meet you guys inside later.” After the reunion sex, which was definitely going to happen.
Nate waved a hand at the others and then led Neena inside, past the strawberries and blueberries, gathering some on the way to his rooms.
Cable was chuckling as he came to the door and nodded. “Rachel, how would to like to see your very own room. We can get you some berries too, on the way.”
He held out a hand to the young girl.
Rachel nodded, and took Cable’s hand. “Thank you.”
Emma smiled as the group dispersed, and lead Scott into the house. “How have you been?” It was almost amusing how inadequate that question was in the situation.
w
It did seem slightly ridiculous, but Scott laughed. “Ten years older and a hundred years more tired, to tell you the truth. We’ve had some rough goes of it. Could have used more stability here and there. Not any closer to figuring out what happened then when we found the Mako.”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to collect you sooner, but it works out better this way.” She led him to the living room, which was full of different furniture, and hodge podge of whatever had survived or been created since things went south. “You can rest here for a few months.”
“Only a few months...?” Scott looked at her. It didn’t matter if physically she was ten years older than him now. She was still Emma, and his feelings had reawakened upon seeing her again.
“Yes.” Emma said, her expression entirely sad, now. “I’m dying, Scott. I don’t want you to be here when it happens.” That was a lie, but what she truly didn’t want was to hurt him, and seeing her die would certainly accomplish that.
"I don't care." He didn't, not really. IF he could be there for Lisa's death, he could certainly be there for Emma's. He wanted to get every moment he possibly could, with her. Knowing she might be dying and not being there, would hurt as badly.
“It’s not just my death I don’t want you to see.” She stroked his hand as she spoke. “I’m having trouble remembering things, and my powers are acting up. I’m afraid that I’ll stop being able to remember what I’m doing, why I’m here, or I’ll lose even more of my telepathic shielding. There’s a dangerous storm coming, and I won’t survive when it hits here.” Alma was getting stronger, now that Lorna’s. . . whatever had finally dissipated or been defeated. “I want you to remember me well.”
He brought his hand to Emma's face, lightly trailing his fingers along the lines of her face. There weren't many, really. She barely looked forty-five, let alone two hundred plus. "I'll always remember you well, Emma. I wish I'd known..."
“I would have prevented you from doing what needed to be done.” Emma said, leaning into his hand. “There are some things I couldn’t do, even for the sake of the world, and standing back while you have a child with another woman is on that list. Everything happened the way it needed to, down to your encounter with the wild ones in Jersey. The only thing that didn’t go to plan was Neena and Nate having a child, but the world can still hold some nice surprises, even for me.” She smiled, and moved to hug him. “We had a daughter. When the attack happened. . . we’d just found out about it a couple weeks beforehand. I have a picture for you, if you’d like to look at it later.”
Shock, happiness, and grief all washed across Scott's face. The girl wasn't here, obviously, the past tense in Emma's words clear. "Still..after that, I wish we'd come sooner. So we could have had more time." So he could have time to hear about this daughter that he'd never known.
Such was life, he got to watch one daughter grow up, but at the loss of another's childhood.
He felt very bitterly conflicted.
“We wouldn’t have had more time.” Emma noted. “I’ve been prolonging my life by staying in my diamond form for extended periods of time. I was told I had one more year left before Rachel was born. I used as little as I could, but my task is to train her, and I needed to be sure I was at my best.” She stroked Scott’s hair. “I wouldn’t be able to do that around you. I notice sensations but I don’t feel very much, and I dearly want to feel you.”
Scott's fingers slid into Emma's hair, and he pulled her into a kiss. She wanted to feel him, and it was entirely mutual. He wanted to feel her and taste her, too. He wondered if she'd been alone this whole time. The thought was heartbreaking.
She returned his kiss, her heart pounding in her chest. She’d dreamed about this for so long, wishing she could have him by her side. Even her diamond form had only eased her desire for him, it couldn’t snuff it out entirely. She threaded her fingers in his hair, pressing herself against him. She knew she’d feel better now. Even if her brain was still betraying her.
Scott groaned. It felt like Emma was kissing him like he was water after a trip through the desert. He couldn't blame her. Scott slid one hand down her back and pressed her close. I'm sorry.
We’re playing our parts, love. There’s nothing to be sorry for. She pulled away, meeting his eyes with a soft but genuine smile. “This time I can enjoy being able to look into your eyes. I’m very grateful for that.”
The control part, was very nice, though he’d worried on occasion that he’d lose it as he got older. He was still certain he would, but he’d enjoy it while he could. “It’s wonderful to see you without the red tinge.” His voice was thick. Scott didn’t want to play any parts, he never had. It felt like their lives had been taken out of their control.
Emma kissed him again, holding him tight. She wished she could make this meeting happy instead of bittersweet. But their lives weren’t meant to be happy. Not in the long run. “I don’t think you ever got to see the master bedroom when you came here before. Would you care to see it now? I’m sure you’re tired after your traveling, and I want to touch every inch of you before we have to deal with children and training.”
“You’ll take good care of Rachel?” He asked. “Make sure she has her full potential?” He took her hand, interlocking their fingers and nodding towards the house, as if suggesting he was ready to be taken...and taken.
“I didn’t keep dragging myself around for two hundred years to chit chat with you and unfortunately listen to Nate and Neena’s reunion.” Curse her deteriorating mental shields. “Though both those things are quite wonderful, for far different reasons. I look forward to the challenges I’ll face. She’ll be my last and most important student. But that can wait a bit.” She stood, offering Scott her hand.
“You’ve had other students?” He took Emma’s hand and squeezed it, then stood. He brought her fingers to his lips, and kissed them, lightly. “I love you.” That never changed.
“I was a teacher, once upon a time.” She smiled at him, her voice soft when she replied. “I love you too, Scott. More than I could possibly say.” She stroked his face, and really looked at him, trying to preserve the memory of what he looked like forever. She hoped they could make this right, that Rachel could save the world. She wanted a lifetime with him, not these too brief moments around the chaos of a world dying in flames.
“Well, yes...” Scott had forgotten that. He was wondering if there’d been other psychics. You don’t need to say it, Emma. You can show it.. Scott kissed her again, and opened his mind to her. All of his mind and his heart, all the secrets good and bad.
There had been other psychics, but she’d discuss them later, when she showed him the big book of Summerses. She was surprised to be granted so much access to his mind, and gently looked through it, seeing his years of struggle and hurt. She held him as she looked, her hands stroking his back lovingly.
Then she shared her own experiences. What she remembered of the event, running away to Oregon and abandoning the camp when they were ambushed. Colorado, where Lorna woke up and they came up with the plan to go to Kansas. Kansas contained Alma’s inevitable psychic break, and the party split. Emma took half the people to Florida, including all the children, and Kitty led another group somewhere else, while Lorna stayed behind.
Florida was also a debacle, and what was left was quickly overrun by mutant alligators. Alex was lost, along with some others, leaving Emma and Nathan in charge of two growing children. So they went north. That’s when the headaches started, but it wasn’t until they got to Maryland that Emma agreed to let Nathan look at them. The news was as dire as she’d feared. Perhaps she would have been fine if the world hadn’t ended and taken things like brain surgeons with it, but there were only temporary measures to be taken, now.
They settled in New Jersey, on the shore. They drew others to them. At first there were raiders, subdued or conquered. Then there were people with children, elderly, anyone who needed to rest and could contribute something. They set up a democratic government, and Susan Summers was the first mayor of New Jersey.
Time passed, and Emma became more withdrawn from the world as she felt her mind deteriorating. Then Rachel came to her in a dream with one request. It was one Emma couldn’t refuse. So she did what she had to in order to live that long. She left New Jersey, afraid her detachment would hurt her daughter. Cable kept her current over the years, visiting frequently at first, but less and less often as the decades rolled by. There was nothing but monotony, tending the house and garden, refurnishing, defeating the occasional raider.
Then Cable came back, and hope returned to her life. Which was more or less the end of the story.
Scott was crying by the end of it, cradling Emma against his chest. It all really did break his heart, but the sharing at least let him see Susan through Emma’s eyes. It was better than a picture. Better than anything he could have asked for, save to have been there to be with them. Or to stop it.
Emma held him as tightly as he held her. She was sad about all those things, but so happy to have him, so relieved to be with someone again, and so utterly devoted to him. There had been no other men in the world in her eyes since meeting him. She loved him fiercely, and without end.
Her devotion only made him feel guilty about Lisa. He didn’t regret Rachel, just wished it could have been with Emma. Duty and the needs of the timeline and all that other time fuckery aside. Scott was sick of it. “Let me remind you what you’ve missed.”
She withdrew her mind, so she could focus more on the physical. “I’ve been looking forward to that for some time.” She smiled at him, and kissed him again, before leading him deeper into the house, past the large kitchen and the dining room, past the bathrooms and the library, to a set of ornate double doors. Those were original to the house, and had been in place since America was an infant country. She smiled as she opened them, and led the way into her bedroom. There were so many memories for her here. She looked forward to making new ones, in the short time she’d have to do so.