Progeny part I
Title: Progeny part I
Fandom: X-Men
Characters: Jono Starsmore, Christian, Paige Guthrie, Cordelia Frost, Emma Frost, Scott Summers, Cessily Kincade, and the dreaded OC
Prompt: 79. Rejected
Word Count: 998
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In which the stupid things Jono’s done come back to bite… everyone on their asses.
Author's Notes: Sequel to Spotting Obviously, we’re going into AU territory with this. No Utopia, just the X-Men in San Francisco.
Paige Guthrie glanced at the monitor, her eyes roving over the faces of the refugees gathered at the gate, former mutants and their families looking for a safe haven in a world that still hated and feared them, even though they weren’t any different from any other human now. Her gaze landed on a familiar, dark haired head, and for a moment the world stopped. In that instant, she remembered Mondo, the young man who she’d thought had been her friend, but had proved first to be a traitor, then to be someone she had never really met at all.
“Oh my God.”
She abandoned the monitors, jogging down to the gate. This was someone she had to see herself, just to confirm it.
“You,” Paige panted, a chill creeping into her voice as she finally reached the gate, coming to a quick stop right at the edge.
Cordelia Frost rested a hand on her heavily swollen belly and smiled like a shark. “Hi. Is Emma around?”
***
Emma watched her younger sister settle her expanded bulk into a chair. Paige took up a position by the door, her face stony and her eyes narrowed. Paige didn’t like Cordelia being here any more than Emma did, and the look on Cordelia’s face made it clear that she knew how the two women felt, and delighted in it.
“This,” Emma drawled, her eyes raking over Cordelia’s gravid form, “is going to be good. I just know it.”
Cordelia shifted her weight, scowling. “I was in London when M Day happened,” she said. “One minute, I was the queen of the expatriate scene, and the next.. poof! No powers.”
“And no way to make people like you outside of your natural charm and money,” Emma purred. “And I imagine both were soon in short supply.”
“Am I telling this, or you?” Cordelia snapped. “Anyway, yes, money’s started to run a bit low, and I’ve got people who’d love to take advantage of my… vulnerability. Then you all announced that everyone was welcome here…”
“Some are more welcome than others,” Paige noted coldly.
“Do you even know who the father is?” Emma asked. “Not that it really matters,” she added. “Just curiosity on my part.”
Cordelia folded her hands across her belly, a smirk spreading across her face. “Oh, I know. You see, I had a little run in with one of your students a few months back. Say, eight or so? You know, Jonothon’s very cute when he’s got a mouth, if you can get past the blue lips.”
***
“There is no way in hell I’m going to let her keep that baby,” Emma announced, pacing back and forth in front of Scott. “I know my sister, and I wouldn’t trust her with a cactus.”
Scott watched her, eyes hidden as always behind his visor. “Is what she says true?” he asked.
Emma’s lips tightened into a little bud of irritation. “I don’t know. She’s lost her powers, and I still can’t read her mind.”
“I don’t like that,” Scott admitted. “This is a safe haven for all mutants, even the ones without powers, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want precautions taken.”
“I’m afraid that’s going to be on you for a while, love,” Emma said, tracing Scott’s jaw with her finger. “I’m going to find Jonothon.” She sighed. “I should have done it ages ago, to be honest. When we first heard from Wisdom.”
“Maybe he’ll come to us?” Scott suggested, allowing himself to be the hopeful one for once.
Emma laughed softly, shaking her head and tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Scott, darling, you do not know Jono the way I do. He will avoid this place until he has no other choice. This child might be just the thing to bring him in. Or it’ll make him run, but either way…”
“Planning a shotgun wedding?” Scott asked.
“God no,” Emma protested. “I like him too much to dream of inflicting Cordelia on him any more than necessary. But, based on what little Mr. Wisdom was willing to share with us… I think I’d like to at the very least know where he is.”
***
“Hullo, Cessily.”
Cessily stared in mild horror at her cell phone before putting it back to her ear. “Esme. Hi. How’d you get this number?” she asked, dread creeping into her voice despite her best efforts. The woman on the other end just laughed.
“You don’t sound happy to hear from me, cousin dear.”
“It’s not that,” Cessily insisted. “It’s just… a surprise. Yeah. I haven’t heard from you since New York.”
“The family likes to give it’s members the space they need, but we need you now.”
Cessily shivered. “Um.”
“It’s just a little favor, pet, nothing bad. A young woman has come to the X-Men. She’s not one of us, but the child she’s carrying is. The family takes care of it’s own. I need you to arrange a meeting.”
“Can’t you just come here?” Cessily asked.
“Cessily my love, sometimes it’s better to not ask questions. Do it.”
***
Jono took a pull from his beer, and shuddered. He glanced around and muttered, “Feels like someone walked over my grave.”
Christian looked at the empty pitcher between them. “You want some more?” he asked. His words were slightly slurred. This was actually the third pitcher they’d split between them since meeting up to talk about what they were going to do now that the New Warriors had imploded.
“No,” Jono replied slowly. “I think I’ve had enough.”
Fandom: X-Men
Characters: Jono Starsmore, Christian, Paige Guthrie, Cordelia Frost, Emma Frost, Scott Summers, Cessily Kincade, and the dreaded OC
Prompt: 79. Rejected
Word Count: 998
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In which the stupid things Jono’s done come back to bite… everyone on their asses.
Author's Notes: Sequel to Spotting Obviously, we’re going into AU territory with this. No Utopia, just the X-Men in San Francisco.
Paige Guthrie glanced at the monitor, her eyes roving over the faces of the refugees gathered at the gate, former mutants and their families looking for a safe haven in a world that still hated and feared them, even though they weren’t any different from any other human now. Her gaze landed on a familiar, dark haired head, and for a moment the world stopped. In that instant, she remembered Mondo, the young man who she’d thought had been her friend, but had proved first to be a traitor, then to be someone she had never really met at all.
“Oh my God.”
She abandoned the monitors, jogging down to the gate. This was someone she had to see herself, just to confirm it.
“You,” Paige panted, a chill creeping into her voice as she finally reached the gate, coming to a quick stop right at the edge.
Cordelia Frost rested a hand on her heavily swollen belly and smiled like a shark. “Hi. Is Emma around?”
***
Emma watched her younger sister settle her expanded bulk into a chair. Paige took up a position by the door, her face stony and her eyes narrowed. Paige didn’t like Cordelia being here any more than Emma did, and the look on Cordelia’s face made it clear that she knew how the two women felt, and delighted in it.
“This,” Emma drawled, her eyes raking over Cordelia’s gravid form, “is going to be good. I just know it.”
Cordelia shifted her weight, scowling. “I was in London when M Day happened,” she said. “One minute, I was the queen of the expatriate scene, and the next.. poof! No powers.”
“And no way to make people like you outside of your natural charm and money,” Emma purred. “And I imagine both were soon in short supply.”
“Am I telling this, or you?” Cordelia snapped. “Anyway, yes, money’s started to run a bit low, and I’ve got people who’d love to take advantage of my… vulnerability. Then you all announced that everyone was welcome here…”
“Some are more welcome than others,” Paige noted coldly.
“Do you even know who the father is?” Emma asked. “Not that it really matters,” she added. “Just curiosity on my part.”
Cordelia folded her hands across her belly, a smirk spreading across her face. “Oh, I know. You see, I had a little run in with one of your students a few months back. Say, eight or so? You know, Jonothon’s very cute when he’s got a mouth, if you can get past the blue lips.”
***
“There is no way in hell I’m going to let her keep that baby,” Emma announced, pacing back and forth in front of Scott. “I know my sister, and I wouldn’t trust her with a cactus.”
Scott watched her, eyes hidden as always behind his visor. “Is what she says true?” he asked.
Emma’s lips tightened into a little bud of irritation. “I don’t know. She’s lost her powers, and I still can’t read her mind.”
“I don’t like that,” Scott admitted. “This is a safe haven for all mutants, even the ones without powers, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want precautions taken.”
“I’m afraid that’s going to be on you for a while, love,” Emma said, tracing Scott’s jaw with her finger. “I’m going to find Jonothon.” She sighed. “I should have done it ages ago, to be honest. When we first heard from Wisdom.”
“Maybe he’ll come to us?” Scott suggested, allowing himself to be the hopeful one for once.
Emma laughed softly, shaking her head and tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Scott, darling, you do not know Jono the way I do. He will avoid this place until he has no other choice. This child might be just the thing to bring him in. Or it’ll make him run, but either way…”
“Planning a shotgun wedding?” Scott asked.
“God no,” Emma protested. “I like him too much to dream of inflicting Cordelia on him any more than necessary. But, based on what little Mr. Wisdom was willing to share with us… I think I’d like to at the very least know where he is.”
***
“Hullo, Cessily.”
Cessily stared in mild horror at her cell phone before putting it back to her ear. “Esme. Hi. How’d you get this number?” she asked, dread creeping into her voice despite her best efforts. The woman on the other end just laughed.
“You don’t sound happy to hear from me, cousin dear.”
“It’s not that,” Cessily insisted. “It’s just… a surprise. Yeah. I haven’t heard from you since New York.”
“The family likes to give it’s members the space they need, but we need you now.”
Cessily shivered. “Um.”
“It’s just a little favor, pet, nothing bad. A young woman has come to the X-Men. She’s not one of us, but the child she’s carrying is. The family takes care of it’s own. I need you to arrange a meeting.”
“Can’t you just come here?” Cessily asked.
“Cessily my love, sometimes it’s better to not ask questions. Do it.”
***
Jono took a pull from his beer, and shuddered. He glanced around and muttered, “Feels like someone walked over my grave.”
Christian looked at the empty pitcher between them. “You want some more?” he asked. His words were slightly slurred. This was actually the third pitcher they’d split between them since meeting up to talk about what they were going to do now that the New Warriors had imploded.
“No,” Jono replied slowly. “I think I’ve had enough.”