Variable X: Dark Illusions - Part 13
by Jim Gould
magnus@netusa1.net

Disclaimer: We've been through this, haven't we?  But, just for the sake of
the ravenous Marvel lawyers... what's mine -- specifically: Case, Wolf,
Threads, and Slumber -- is mine, what's Marvel's is Marvel's.  Caesar's is
Caesar's, because I've rendered unto him what is his, but since he neither
appears in this story nor continues to draw breath in this day and age, it
doesn't matter.  This is the last segment of this story.  I am now happy,
because the people who don't want to read it until it's done can now read
it.  Let me know what you thought; comments are always welcome.

---
"That could have gone better," I commented, placing my can of Dr. Pepper on
the floor beside me. Wolf, opposite me again, on the other side of the
chessboard, watched its descent.

"Well, I'd say that's the understatement of the year, John. Or did you mean
just the episode at Xavier's?" He alternated between studying the board and me.

"Just the part at Charles'. You know, I never seem to handle crises very
well when I'm there." I took a drink, and Wolf took another pawn with his
knight. "I wonder why the hell I play this game. I'm lousy at it."

He looked up at me from his conquest, grinning. "Oh, come on, John. It's
only a pawn."

I took a second from my turn to look around the rec room. Ryan was facing
the challenge of trying to understand what made Douglock tick. Saul and
Peter were continuing their game from two days previous. Kitty and Pete
looked about on the verge of retreating to their room, similar to Meggan and
Brian. I was glad to see the latter set had reconciled since their arrival,
but not so glad that I'd had to prepare a larger room to suit them both upon
our return.

I took another drink. "Yeah, but even the pawn can still be a major player."
I moved. Wolf's jaw dropped. "Speaking of which... checkmate."

"How..." He struggled for the words. "I didn't even... you f--"

"Hello, John! Hi, Wolf!" Rahne pulled up a seat to the table, smiling
brightly, much more alert after her short nap.

"--friendly sort of fellow. Hi, Rahne." Wolf smiled at her, then glared at
me. "I was just leaving, actually. Feel free to take my place, but don't
take your eyes off him for a second." He got up, grinned - and winked - at
me again, then left the rec room.

"Ah, well, that was fun. Hi, there, Rahne. How're you feeling?" For the
first time in what seemed like ages, I was able to just look into her eyes
and consider losing myself in them.

She returned the smile I'd given her. "Oh, I'm fine, John. I thought you
might like to come for a walk with me outside. It's a beautiful evening."

"I'd love to."

I stood up and we left the rec room, going down the hall to the foyer and
out the front door. She was right; the temperature was that delicate balance
between just right and a little too cold.

I put my arm around her shoulders; she leaned in closer. "I loved nights
like this when I was a kid. Ohio's chock full of 'em this time of year."

"So, Ohio's where you were born?"

"Yeah. Me and Wolf both grew up there." We started walking towards the creek
that ran through the grassy field across the road from the house. "Different
towns, of course. I came here because it reminded me the most of home
without actually being home."

"Aye, it reminds me of my own home, a little," she commented, making her way
through the hip-tall grass with little effort or resistance. She slowed us
down to a full stop, then turned to face me, putting her hands on my forearms.

I smiled at her. "I take it you have something to say."

She nodded. "Aye. 'Tis kind of difficult for me." It must have been a doozy;
she didn't look too happy with what she was going to say. She took a deep
breath, and began. "I'm going to lay all the cards on the table, John. I'm
havin' feelings for you, and unless you react to every woman this way, I
think you have them for me. Right?"

There was a pause, during which I nodded vigorously, grinning my
encouragement. She smiled and gave a small laugh at the exaggeration.

"Well, then. Let me say now, then, that I don't care how old you are. If
Kitty and Mr. Wisdom can be happy, that says plenty for us. But what I do
care about is that I don't know what you look for in a relationship. I know
I'm not very much grown up --" as I opened my mouth to object, she covered
it with her hand "-- at least, not so much as other women you might have
known, and I want to say that the way I am is the way I am."

"Rmmmph." I tried to say her name, but her hand was clamped down with
incredible firmness.

"I've been raised with good values -- twisted somethin' awful, but I still
hold true to what they really are, what they say. What I let go of is the
corruption of them, the idea that everything that feels good is wrong. I've
been liberated by the same God I once feared, and life is wonderful because
of it. But there's still some things that I know I can not allow, and that's
the way I am."

"Rmmmph!"

"Hush. I'm almost done. So, there it is, all of it. I may not be all you've
known before. And yes, I have a strong love of God. But there's plenty of
room for you in my life, too, John, if you want to step in." She finally
took her hand away, and looked off towards the sunset, embarrassed by her
own forthrightness.

Any other time, I would have stood in dazzled silence as I looked at her,
quietly applauding the bravery she'd shown. But I knew that her words
required quick reaction, and she needed it out loud. I took both of her
hands in mine.

"You say you're not grown up, Rahne? After that, there's no way you could
tell me you aren't." She looked back to me from the setting sun, the
reflection of its rays giving her face a fiery red-golden cast. "I've met
few women in my entire life who could be so brave as to do what you did just
now. Achieving that level of intimacy, taking a chance with expressing your
feelings early on... it takes real maturity, Rahney.

"As for what I've known before... take your worry about that and toss it
right out the window. I'm coming to you free from expectations and
comparisons. It's been years since I've been in a relationship that even
approached anything like this, and I've had a lot of time to get rid of most
of the things that would color my perception of a relationship too quickly.
Aside from that, I've had that time to grow up. I just hope it's enough to
match up to you."

I gently stroked her cheek with the tips of my fingers. "I'm not out here
with you, talking with you from the heart, because I'm driven by a physical
urge. Having the emotional connection with you, Rahne, is the most important
thing to me. I mean, sure, you're a beautiful woman, but I'd no sooner do
anything to compromise your standing as far as your beliefs than I'd go to
Fall's Edge and ask Victor Creed if he wanted to shoot some hoops.

"I don't expect you to do anything except what you want to do, when you want
to do it. You are, indeed, who you are... and that's who I'm interested in.
Not what I think you should be. You already fit those qualifications." I
took her hand in mine once again, and cleared my throat. "I hope that
answers some of your questions."

She had a small smile on her face, and she turned her eyes up to me. "Aye. I
thank you for understandin'." Her hands slid around my waist, pulling me
into an embrace, one which I eagerly returned. She rested her head on my
chest, and we both watched the sun sink below the horizon, and the cool
twilight descended overhead. Time seemed to lose all meaning, as it often
had for us in the recent past.

After awhile, Rahne suddenly began giggling. In response to my look of
confusion, she quietly but enthusiastically said, "Och, I can't wait to tell
Lady Moira."

"Yeah... I wonder how she'd react?" Given the similarities I had to Pete,
and that Rahne was her foster daughter, I was pretty sure I was in for a
bumpy ride. I didn't mind, though... I knew why I'd suffer through that
trial, and it was more than worth it.

It wasn't long until it grew cold enough where I started to realize that I
should have worn at least a coat over what I'd had on to start with. I
didn't really feel the chill, however... all that I knew was that my life
had just changed for good, and for the better. I didn't know what kind of
effects it was going to have on me, but if forming the team had taught me
anything, it was to expect the unexpected and to hope for the best. As I
held Rahne close to me that night, I was well aware of and comforted by the
fact that the best was yet to come.

---
The End

Final Words:

A very special thanks to D.K. for doing all those things listed in the next
section, for putting up with my own Earlywinian tendencies for the past year
and a half, and for being the unknowing basis for my characterization of
Rahne. Here's to you and me.

Thanks also to everyone who read, reviewed, commented, encouraged, and/or
bought me food to fuel the constant brain-racking, and to Darqstar and Lori
for kindly putting Variable X alongside their own high-caliber work. MWAH!
You're wonderful, don't ever change. Let's do lunch sometime, your people
will call my people.

Jim

---
Jim Gould - magnus@netusa1.net
http://www.netusa1.net/~magnus