Subject: [OTL]: (alt. Madelyne Pryor/Greys/Doc Samson) Cow Tales: Barn (PG-13) Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 20:42:57 -0800 (PST) From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Cow Tales: Barn by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're Marvel's. It's fiction. No money is being made off of this. Etc. NOTE: First in a series of sequels to "Cattle Call," set in an AU where Madelyne Pryor survived Inferno, took out Apocalypse and Mister Sinister, and ended up in a mental institution. Chronogically, set about 2 weeks after the end of Inferno (dates given are just for reference ...). ------------------------------------------------------- 11/15/1995: Annandale-on-Hudson, NY: 04:00 hrs EST: ------------------------------------------------------- Elaine was snoring. Normally, John Grey might have elbowed his wife to get her to stop. He was hoping to get back to his English Lit 203 class the next day; his student aide had lamented to him that Throckmorton was butchering the syllabus with conspiracy theories about Shakespeare having been killed before he could finish his one great play. Instead, John just smiled. Snoring was better than having Elaine wake up screaming again, screaming that she'd killed Jean, but Jean was standing over her smiling and wearing something out of Playboy - #Stop it, old man,# John thought, scowling at his own morbid thoughts. He should be happy that he and Elaine were human again, after all. Halloween had not been kind to them. They'd been confronted by their daughter Jean's evil clone, Madelyne Pryor, and turned into demons to be used against the real Jean. But at the climax of the "Inferno," as Jean had told them after a tearful reunion, Madelyne had realized the horror of what she had done. She'd turned on the demons that had tempted her, destroyed them, and restored the world to the way it was supposed to have been, including the humanity of the Greys. Afterwards, John and Elaine had heard the entire story of the night's events from Jean and her boyfriend, Scott Summers - and a young woman whose identity had turned out to be a wonderful surprise. #That was Rachel Summers, Scott and Jean's daughter from another time. We insisted that she stay for a while, and she even enrolled at Bard,# John reflected, getting up to get started on grading papers - he wouldn't get any more sleep tonight. After pulling on his robe, he peeked into Jean's old room to check on their houseguest. Rachel mumbled something, then clutched the teddy bear she'd been given upon moving in and went back to sleep. The Greys' other guest dozed on in the crib across from Rachel's bed, and John quietly chuckled as he looked down at 1-year-old Nathan Christopher Charles Summers. The little boy was staying with the Greys for a few days while X-Factor went to search for their students, who'd gone missing after the Inferno event. Once the Inferno had ended, and their initial shock had worn off, the Greys had claimed Rachel and Nathan as their grandchildren. Elaine was having a ball showing Nate off to the other faculty wives, and the boy was delighting in all the attention he was getting. (John had actually gone out and bought a ball and glove, but he wanted to save those for a few years later.) #Clones, time-traveling granddaughters, and a grandson. And being a demon for a night. It'd make a wonderful story to trump that idiot Throckmorton at the faculty Christmas party, if they didn't think I'd gone mad,# John thought, patting Nate's head once before slipping out of the guest room to head downstairs. #Mad ...# John sat at the kitchen table, then steepled his fingers. Madness was what had driven Madelyne to her rampage, wasn't it ? #Or was it a sane reaction to a world that had gone mad ? Scott was inexcusable towards Madelyne, leaving her for Jean - I love my daughter, but 'Cyclops' had a family he left for Jean. That kind of emotional shock could drive anyone over the edge, much less learning you're a clone - I can't even imagine what it did to Madelyne,# John pondered. #And now she's locked away, without any hope of real redemption ...# He looked at the crucifix on the wall - Elaine sometimes attended Mass, even though they had raised their daughters without a specific denomination, and John's own faith was sporadic at best. #Maybe that's part of the problem,# John thought, sighing. #'Honor thy mother and father' ...# #But what about honoring your children ?# ------------------------------------------------------- 09:00 hrs: Napier Clinic, Atterbury, NY: ------------------------------------------------------- She definitely wasn't insane any more. #She must've been in shock, but she's definitely out of it now. And this deposition from her husband confirms that her story isn't a delusion.# Leonard Samson looked through the glass of the cell door and crossed his arms. "She's traumatized, but she's not insane. At least, certainly not insane enough to justify continuing her committal here," he told the clinic director. "Dr. Samson, forgive me, but even with your background in these ... exotic ... matters, the patient signed herself in. We can't justify letting her go, at least not unless she wants to leave," Avery Miller said. Samson loomed over the short, balding Caucasian man and looked down at him, frowning at the beads of sweat running down Miller's face and into his shirt collar. "Fine. Then I'll talk to her," Samson said. Miller nodded at one of the orderlies, who opened the cell door. Samson walked into the room, which he was relieved to note had been upgraded from the padded room the patient had been in for the first week or so. She sat, free of the straightjacket and dressed in a green coverall, at the desk provided for her. Across the room, a plain bed sat, while the white walls lacked decoration. There was a window, however, and a small private bathroom. The patient's red hair dangled in front of her face, which she'd covered with her hands while she cried. The creak of Samson sitting on her bed made her look up and reach for the box of tissues sitting beside her on the table. "You're - HNOORK - that superhero psychologist," Madelyne Pryor-Summers said between subsiding sobs. "Psychologist, maybe. Superhero is a little presumptuous of me. Actually, I've come to talk to you, Madelyne," Samson said, smiling a little. "You think I'm sane again ? I tried to sacrifice my son to demons, Dr. Samson. I deserve this - I should be back in the padded room. Or prison," Madelyne hissed, hugging herself. "You stopped, though. You were manipulated, Madelyne. We have the written deposition from your husband right here. You were pushed to the brink and went a little over. But your boy's alive and well, and you even helped bring two very evil men to justice," Samson insisted - he couldn't see why she was fighting this. "Hah. 'Justice.' I was power-mad, like a junkie on Phoenix juice and hate. I only stopped myself from hurting Nate because I realized he's an innocent. Scott probably only wrote that deposition to ease his conscience. I wanted to hurt him and I wound up going overboard," Madelyne sighed. She looked intently at Samson - he had to catch his breath and remind himself of doctor-patient ethics at the green of her eyes - and asked, "Why are you here, Doctor ? Are you my state-appointed psychologist ?" "Actually, I was hired to evaluate your mental health by one of your victims," Samson said, turning towards the opening door. Madelyne's jaw dropped. John Grey walked in, holding a semi-dozing Nathan in his arms. Elaine followed him after taking a deep breath, and Rachel lingered at the doorway. "Madelyne ... despite the matter of our - transformation - the other night, we want to try to be your parents," John said in a tight voice. "It won't be easy. I won't pretend that I'm entirely comfortable with what John is suggesting, but you are our daughter, in all the ways that matter. You deserve better than this place, Madelyne," Elaine said, relaxing a bit while she sat down across from Madelyne. Madelyne looked at Rachel, who managed a smile and sent, ~You saved me from marrying a demon. Besides, you did force me to deal with my messed-up life, and you saved Nate.~ Finally, Madelyne looked at Nate, who stirred and turned to look at her with big blue eyes. "Ma ?" the boy asked, reaching for her. "I can't do this ..." Madelyne whispered, reaching out. John started when some force pulled Nate from his arms, and the boy laughed when he flew into Madelyne's waiting embrace. "That was Nate's telekinesis, Grandpa. Maddy's powers are still knocked out," Rachel said in a helpful tone when the Greys looked at her. "You'd trust me ? In your home ? With him ?" Madelyne asked John while Nate nuzzled into her shoulder. "Trust is something you earn, Madelyne. Let's just call you a guest, for now," Elaine said, her tone getting a little cold. John couldn't blame her, but the gratitude in Madelyne's eyes made him feel a little better about the whole matter. Now all he had to do was deal with Scott and Jean. #Throckmorton might be easier ...# John reflected, while Madelyne reached for the consent form. ------------------------------------------------------- tbc ... -------------------------------------------------------