
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6607063.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      X-Men_(Comicverse)
  Relationship:
      Logan_(X-Men)/Original_Female_Character, Jubilation_Lee/Logan_(X-Men),
      Remy_Lebeau/Original_Female_Character(s), Scott_Summers/Jean_Grey/
      Original_Female_Character, Scott_Summers/Logan_(X-Men)/Original_Female
      Character, Scott_Summers/Rictor/Shatterstar, Cable/Original_Female
      Character/Alex_Summers, Elizabeth_Braddock/Scott_Summers, Warren
      Worthington_III/Original_Female_Character, Remy_LeBeau/Jubilation_Lee,
      Jean_Grey/Logan_(X-Men), Jubilation_Lee/Original_Character, Elizabeth
      Braddock/Jean_Grey, Erik_Lehnsherr/Rogue, Remy_LeBeau/Scott_Summers, Remy
      LeBeau/Original_Male_Character(s), Victor_Creed/Original_Female_Character
  Character:
      Bobby_Drake, Logan_(X-Men), Scott_Summers, Jean_Grey, Remy_LeBeau,
      Charles_Xavier, Hank_McCoy, Original_Female_Character(s), Warren
      Worthington_III, Elizabeth_Braddock, Jubilation_Lee, Rogue_(X-Men),
      Shatterstar, Julio_Richter, Nathan_Summers, Alex_Summers, Ororo_Munroe,
      Erik_Lehnsherr, Victor_Creed
  Additional Tags:
      Mary_Sue, Loss_of_Virginity, Anal_Sex, Oral_Sex, Threesome_-_F/F/M,
      Nymphs_&_Dryads, Elemental_Magic, Threesome_-_M/M/M, Scotland, Voyeurism,
      BDSM
  Series:
      Part 1 of The_Mhairie_Stories
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-04-20 Chapters: 11/11 Words: 40664
****** Mhairie ******
by marysiak
Summary
     Bobby's cousin, a halfling with a mysterious past and a flirtatious
     manner, comes to stay at Xavier's School. This is basically just porn
     with a bit of plot thrown in for good measure. 1990s comic book
     continuity (written in 1995). It is unfinished and will not be
     finished but there should be plenty of sex in there to keep people
     happy. This series was once infamous enough that it has it's own
     fanlore page at http://fanlore.org/wiki/Mhairie
Notes
     This was written in 1995 back when the internet was newsgroups and
     mailing lists as far as the eye could see, and it was one of the
     first things I ever wrote from a fanfic pov. This means two things,
     one it's a bit cheesy and far from my best writing, and two it
     references X-Men and Uncanny X-Men comic book canon as of that time
     period.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Mhairie Chapter 1


   Some kid was going to be moving into the mansion. Wolverine didn't approve,
especially as she wasn't even a mutant but some sort of half fairy or
something. She was Bobby Drake's cousin and her name was Mhairie. She had been
living in Scotland with her father but he had been killed in a climbing
accident. So she had come to America where her remaining relatives were, Bobby
and his parents. But for some reason he hadn't been made privy to she couldn't
stay with Bobby's parents so she was to live here. At least it'd be someone for
Jubilee to relate to. She was arriving this afternoon and they'd all been
instructed by Bobby to be there so he could introduce everyone. He heard the
door and went to look into the hall. It was them, he could just see Bobby's
head. He moved forward to see her and a gap appeared between Scott and Beast.
Through it he could see a stunning young girl with long pale blonde hair. He
heard Bobby say his name and
point over at him and the girl gave him a smile before turning to the next
person being introduced.

   Wolverine awoke early after a restless night. He pulled on shorts and a
light shirt which he left un-buttoned and went outside. He decided to take a
walk through the woods and make sure everything was all right. Not that he
expected anything to be wrong but he always felt he needed some sort of reason
for everything he did. So he wouldn't take a walk for fun but to check for
intruders and if the sun was shining and the birds singing, well that was just
a coincidence. He heard her before he saw her, she was singing some sort of
folk song.

   "We're a' a dry wi' the drinkin' o't,
    We're a' a dry wi' the drinkin' o't.
   The minister kissed the fiddlers wife,
   And couldnae preach for thinkin' o't."

   It was Bobby's cousin Mhairie. He moved through the woods towards the song
until he came to a clearing in amongst the oak trees. She was skipping in
circles in the sunlight, naked. Lying at the foot of a tree was a light green
dress, he picked it up and lent against the tree to watch her. After all if she
wanted to run around with no clothes on it wasn't his fault if he saw her. She
was very light on her feet, he didn't realise quite how light until she rose up
off the ground laughing and spinning around. Her pale gold hair was stunning in
the sunlight as it flashed around her white shoulders. She came floated back to
the ground facing him.

   "Hello Logan," she said brightly not seeming in the least embarrassed.
"Isn't it a beautiful day?" He grunted non-committally and held out her dress.
She took it but but rather than put it on she draped it over an arm and took
his hand. "Come and see what I found." She tugged him along behind her to the
other side of the clearing and pulled him down to kneel on the grass. Dotted
under the tree were clusters of wild primroses. She placed her hand on a tree
root as she bent over to smell the flowers and as he watched her palm sank
slowly into the wood.

   "Just what are you?" he asked.

   Mhairie sat up again. "A halfling. I absorb the radiated energy from living
things. Trees, plants, the Sun..."

   "The Sun's not alive. It's just a ball of gas," he corrected her.

   "Well as far as I'm concerned it's alive," she told him. "And Mhairie always
knows best."

   "What about the flying and the thing you did with the tree?"

   "I can't really fly, but when I have a lot of energy I can... float a bit.
As to this," she stood up and stepped half into the oak tree's trunk. "My
father was human but my mother was a dryad, that's a kind of being that lives
in a tree. If she is away from her tree for long she'll die." She paused for a
moment as if about to say something but changed her mind. "The trees look out
for me." She stepped away from the tree again. "It's nice here with all the
trees, I'm glad Charles let me come stay here. I can't stand Bobby's father, I
could never have stayed with him." She looked pensive a moment but then
brightened. "Everyone here is so full of energy,
it makes me strong. You have the most, it tastes nice." She wrapped her arms
around him pressing herself to his bare chest. "Mmmm."

   "It... must be the healing factor," he said trying to ignore the way her
hair tickled his skin, the warmth of her breath, the fact that she was still
naked. "I ought to get back to the mansion for... breakfast."  In his head he
repeated three words over and over 'She's only sixteen. She's only sixteen.
She's only sixteen.' But then he wouldn't be so interested if she wasn't so
young would he? Just like with Jubilee. Some thing so fascinating with the
innocence contrasted against his experience.

   "Okay, I'm hungry too." She let go of him, though she kept hold of his hand
and they started walking back.

   "Don't you think you should put your dress on?"

   "I suppose so." She unfolded it and slipped it over her head. "But it blocks
the energy, clothes are such a silly idea. Especially on days like this."

----

   Later that evening Wolverine was watching the news with Warren, Betsy,
Gambit and Hank. Mhairie had worn the same short green dress all day and he had
been unable to get the fact that she wasn't wearing underwear out of his head.
Her tendency to skip everywhere hadn't helped at all. She seemed to flirt
incorrigibly but in such a way that you couldn't actually accuse her of
anything. Even her cousin and the Professor (whom she called Charles) didn't
escape her. She seemed to get on better with the men than the women, he had a
feeling that the women thought her innocence was all an act. Jean seemed to
like her though so presumably she could see, thanks to her powers, that Mhairie
was exactly what she appeared. Jubilee couldn't stand her. He guessed it
annoyed her that here was a girl three years older than her who behaved like a
five year old and laughed at Jubilee's grown up act. Well not really a five
year old, she just couldn't be bothered with this world weary crap most
teenagers seemed to enjoy. Plus she seemed to be usurping Jubilee's place as
Wolverine's shadow. Mhairie came into the room and sat down between him and
Gambit. In one smooth motion she leant back against Wolverine pulling his hand
about her waist and slid her legs into Gambits lap. With only a faint start
Gambit tucked his hands comfortably about her bare legs. Psylocke raised an
eyebrow at their silent acceptance of the girl's presumption. She wondered for
a moment if maybe women had been going about things the wrong way altogether
with men. Wolverine too wondered at how she managed to do things in such a way
that to refuse her would be to cause a scene and look a fool, not that he
wanted to refuse her anyway. Not yet, but what if she wanted to take things
further? God he wanted to, what man wouldn't? Her innocence and freedom mixed
with sensuality was intoxicating. But she was only sixteen and Bobby's little
cousin as well as a guest. But who was he kidding, she wouldn't be interested
in an old man like him. She just liked the way his energy "tasted". It was more
likely she would go for Gambit. The thought galled him. The news finished and
he moved her aside so he could go to bed. When he passed the room again she was
curled up with Gambit watching Babylon 5.

----

   Wolverine paced his room. He had heard Mhairie come upstairs with Gambit but
had been unable to tell if they had gone to separate rooms or not. He had to
know. Surely she wouldn't sleep with Gambit, she'd only just met him. More to
the point surely Gambit would know better than to sleep with someone so young,
but she wasn't that young, not as young as Jubilee. At least Mhairie was legal,
well in her own country anyway, and she and Gambit had looked very...
comfortable earlier. He sat down on the bed, he wouldn't check. What kind of
fool would he look like barging into her room in the middle of the night to see
if she was there. He sighed, legal or not she was only a step from Jubilee and
if he let himself take her it wouldn't be long before Jubilee started seeming a
little less out of bounds. So he'd do what he always did, play the father
figure and keep his hands in his pockets. But in the meantime a little fantasy
wouldn't do anyone any harm. He could still remember the feel of her bare chest
pressed against him and it wasn't difficult to imagine what could have
happened.

----

   Meanwhile someone else was about to enter Mhairie's room, Jubilee. She'd had
enough of Mhairie coming on to Wolverine and she was going to tell her to keep
her hands off what didn't belong to her.

   "Wake up!" she shook Mhairie awake.

   "What? Jubilation?"

   "Don't call me that! I've got somethin' to tell you."

   Mhairie sat up looking slightly amused, "And what's that?"

   "I've seen you coming on to Wolvie, just leave him alone."

   "Or what?"

   "Or you'll be sorry that's what. Understand?"

   "Completely, but there's something you don't understand. You've got no
chance with Logan, he'll never let himself give you a chance. But I'm just old
enough that he might give in and if he gives in to me then he's more likely to
give in to you, especially if you just happen to find out about him and me."

   "I don't believe you. He'll give in eventually, it's just gonna take time,
that's all."

   "Look come to Logan's room tomorrow morning." Mhairie got out of bed and led
Jubilee into the hall to Wolverine's door. "Make sure you're there before we
get up," she said and went into the room closing the door behind her. Jubilee
stared at the door wondering what the hell she'd got herself into and why the
hell she didn't just go in there and drag Mhairie back out.

   Inside Mhairie spoke quietly, "Logan."

   Wolverine froze, what the hell was she doing here? He heard her come towards
the bed. He should tell her to go. She was sitting on the bed. He could see the
curve of her shoulder and hip in the pale moonlight. She was already naked, she
slid over him and brought her lips down on his mouth. Ran her tongue over his
lips, nipped at them with her teeth until he opened his mouth and let her in.
She straddled his chest and lifted his arms above his head, he willingly took
hold of the bars there stretching his chest out. This was the way to do it, if
he wasn't making her do anything, if she was in control, then it wasn't his
fault. She climbed off him and pulled the sheet from his lower body leaving him
naked. Lying on her side beside him she ran her hand across his chest, tangling
in the hair there and circling his nipples. She leant over and circled one with
her tongue, her hair spilt across his chest and neck. As she sucked at his
nipple she allowed her hand to stray lower across his abdomen, her leg stroking
his gradually sliding further over until she was half over him, her knee
between his legs, her pubic hair tickling his hip. She released his nipple and
raised herself over him till she was looking into his eyes as she took hold of
his penis and began to run her hand up and down its length. She kissed him
deeply before sliding down his body to take him into her mouth. She moved one
hand to massage his balls and the other underneath him to slide a wet finger
inside his anus. He gasped in surprise and she began to push it in and out at
the same time as she sucked on his penis. He was now moaning in time with her
rhythm and Mhairie wondered momentarily if Jubilee was still outside the door.
She could taste his pre-cum in her mouth and knew he couldn't hold on much
longer, with a hoarse cry he released into her mouth and she drank down the
live sperm, like liquid energy, while she absorbed the rest of the energy from
his orgasm through her skin. She felt him soften in her mouth and let go
sitting back on her heels between his legs, not touching him at all. He opened
his eyes and let go of the head-rest as he caught his breath.

   "I'm impressed," he said. She didn't answer, just watched him with a half
smile and one of those come hither looks women seemed so good at. "I don't have
any protection. I didn't exactly plan this. My healin' factor means I don't
have no diseases but I can get you pregnant as easy as the next man."

   "Don't worry, my reproductive system isn't _quite_ like humans."

   He sat up and took her wrists in his hands, she was so slim there was almost
nothing to her. He pinned her arms behind her back and kissed her roughly. "Any
last requests?" he asked.

   "No mercy?"

   He laughed and pushed her back straddling her waist. "Just remember this was
your idea." His weight kept her arms trapped behind her back as he ran his
rough hands over her breasts, flicking at the nipples with his thumbs. "Just
tell me when you get tired cause it takes a lot to run me down," he told her as
he knelt on all fours so he could slip his hand underneath him and between her
legs. He ran his fingers lightly through the hair and brushed against her skin,
she moaned encouragingly and he began to slowly slip his middle finger between
the moist folds until it lay between them and he could feel the muscular
entrance to her vagina beneath the tip of his finger its juices dripping around
him. He slid his finger up until the tip caught her clitoris, he stroked and
pulled at it feeling it swell beneath his touch. He watched her face as he
increased the speed of his touch, her pale skin was flushed and her jaw
trembled. She looked so young, her slender form and small breasts increasing
the effect. You could believe her the same age as Jubilee easily. With an
exclamation of pleasure she came and as the fluids ran down onto the bed he
pushed his once more erect penis inside her and she cried out as he stretched
her to fit him. He began to slowly stroke in and out not allowing her time to
recover. She was very tight and grasped his penis wonderfully, she was also
quite small and when he was fully inside her he could feel his head push
against her cervix. It was an unusual feeling as he himself was quite short
although very thick, like the rest of him. Her gasps were half pain half
pleasure as she moved her hips in time to his thrusts but she didn't ask him to
stop. She had expected it to hurt a little this first time and as he sped up it
was hard to tell the pain from the pleasure that filled her and numbed her
limbs. As he shot his sperm deep inside her she felt her body absorb it and the
energy it held, in order to get pregnant she would have had to consciously tell
her body to. The extra energy pushed her over into another orgasm.

----

   Jubilee woke with a start. She was still outside Wolvie's door. She had
waited when Mhairie went in, waited for Wolverine to throw her out. She had
believed he would, she really had. But he hadn't. It should have been her in
there! Why hadn't she gone in? Who was to say he would have turned her away? He
hadn't turned Mhairie away. She got to her feet. Why should she wait till
morning? She should go in now. She _would_ go in now. With a deep breath she
barged through the door.

   Wolverine was lying on his back on the bed with Mhairie sitting over him
slowly moving, raising herself right off of him and then back down again.
Without breaking her rhythm she spoke, "Hello Jubilation."

   "What!" Wolverine shot up tumbling Mhairie to the bed and turning to face
the door. "Jubilee! What the hell are you doing in here?"

   Jubilee stared at him accusingly. "It should have been me."

   "What?"

   "Is she so much prettier than me? Does three years really make that much of
a difference? Do I mean so little to you that you'll screw her without even
thinking twice?" She began to pull off her clothes. "Am I so ugly to you?" She
stood naked in the middle of the room.

   Wolverine turned his face away, "For God's sake Jubilee, put your clothes
back on."

   "Look at me damn you!"

   "Yes Logan," said Mhairie. "Look at her. Isn't she what you see when you
look at me? It's her that you want." He opened his mouth to speak but she
stopped him. "Don't lie to me Logan. Remember, Mhairie knows best." She stood
up and took Jubilee's hand, leading her over to kneel on the bed. "You know you
want her."

   "I can't! It couldn't work."

   "Geez Louise Wolvie! We're not talking about marriage and kids here,"
exclaimed Jubilee. "Let's just have sex okay?" She ran her fingers over his
chest and up to stroke his cheek and lips, moving closer to kiss him and press
her body against his. Of their own volition his hands raised to hold her. He
was still erect and she could feel him nudging against her mound. She wrapped
her arms about his neck and raised herself up to allow him to enter her but he
stopped her.

   "Wait a minute. You aren't on the pill are you?"

   "Of course not." Understanding dawned on her face. "Oh! Don't you have any
condoms?"

   "Hold that thought," said Mhairie and left the room. She entered Gambit's
room and climbed onto the bed to shake him awake. "Remy! Wake up."

   Gambit opened his eyes to see her naked body leaning over him. "Now dat's
sometin' you don' see ev'ry day."

   "Do you have any condoms?"

   "Uh sure," he gestured to the bedside cabinet. "Top drawer." She fished out
a box and went to leave but he grabbed her arm. "Where you goin' Chere? Gambit
was hopin you'd be stayin' a little longer."

   "In that case I'll be right back." She ran through to Wolverine's room and
dropped the box on the bed next to Jubilee who was lying on her back with
Wolverine's face buried in between her legs. "Have fun. I'll see you in the
morning." Wolverine waved a hand at her and she went back through to Gambit's
room with a smile on her face. He was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting
for her.

   "I don't suppose your gon' to tell me what dat was all 'bout?"

   "Let's just say I was helping two friends come to an... understanding."

   "What say we come to our own understandin' Chere." He held out his hand to
her. She nearly laughed. When I decide to lose my virginity, she thought, I
don't do it by halves. She went over to him and straddled his legs. He smelt
wonderful, like musky gold.

   "What is your power Remy?" she asked, curious.

   "I charge t'ings, like dis." He picked up a card from the deck on his
bedside cabinet and it began to glow red in his hand.

   "Wonderful! Can you charge through _any_ part of your body?"

   "I guess so." She took the card from his hand before he could stop her but
rather than explode the charge vanished. "What'ch you do? I t'ought you weren't
a mutant."

   "I'm not. But as a halfling I can absorb energy from living things instead
of food. You must have noticed that I don't really eat anything but fruit."

   "So if I was to do this..." he lowered his head to kiss her and as he
slipped his tongue into her mouth he sent a weak charge through it and she
moaned in pleasure. The feeling was incredible, a bit like the buzz she got
when lying in bright sunshine but concentrated to a single part of her body. He
rolled her onto the bed and began to kiss down her neck leaving little glowing
red footsteps behind him. When he reached her nipples he paused at each giving
them an extra charge, then he drew a line with his tongue from her breastbone
to her navel and sat back to look at her.  "You like dat Cherie?"

   "It's incredible!"

   He smiled and reached down to run a finger up the inside of her leg.
"Perhaps we see what happens when we go lower non?"

   "Please."

   Bending down he parted the lips of her pussy with his tongue and found her
clit. With no charge he began to lick and pull at it and then when he felt she
was getting close to orgasm he sent the charge through his tongue and she cried
out so loudly as she came that he felt the whole mansion must have heard her.
When she was done she clamped her hand over her mouth with laughter in her
eyes. "Oops."

   He laughed too, "Nice to know I be appreciated. What say you do Gambit a
little favour in return?"

   "You have something particular in mind?"

   He nodded, "But if you don' want to it's okay jus' say so."

   "Well you'll have to tell me what it is first." He looked kind of nervous
which made sense with her age but she was quite widely read and there were a
number of things that she wouldn't mind giving a try. "In fact let me guess, I
bet I know what your thinking of." She rolled over onto her knees and elbows.
"I must admit I always wondered what it would feel like." He reached out and
caressed her buttocks cautiously. "It's okay," she said and he began to stroke
around her anus. Reaching into his drawer again he fished out another box of
condoms and a tube of lubricant. Opening it he took some on his fingers and
began to rub it around her anus and then to slide a finger inside. With his
other hand he opened a condom and slid it onto his erect penis, he couldn't
wait to get it inside her but first he added a second finger to stretch her
wider.

   "That feel okay Chere?"

   "Mmmmm." He pulled them out a little and then pushed in a little further
until he felt resistance. He increased the pressure, "Oh!"

   "You okay?"

   "Yes, it didn't really hurt, I don't think. Feels kind of strange."

   "Why don't we try the real thing now?"

   "Okay."

   He pulled his fingers out, wiping them on a tissue, and took some more
lubricant. He rubbed it onto the condom and more into her anus before he put
the tip of his penis against her. "Jus' tell me if I hurt you." Then he began
to push slowly inside her. He wasn't especially thick and was soon lying on top
of her buried to the hilt. He kissed her back and reached one hand underneath
her to stroke her pussy as he began to move in and out. Mhairie moaned each
time he pulled out, for some reason that stroke seemed to cause the most
pleasure. It did hurt a little despite the lubricant but it felt good despite
that. As he sped up he began to apply
a little charge through his penis as it reached right inside and the fingers
that had begun to dip in and out of her pussy. Throwing his head back and
closing his eyes he came inside her bringing her along too with an extra burst
of energy into her. Spent they slumped to the bed with his penis still buried
inside her. He caught his breath a minute before sliding slowly out of her and
dumping the condom in the bin. With a tissue he wiped the rest of the lubricant
away and she rolled over to
face him.

   "I hope that was what you were thinking."
   
   He laughed, "Yes Cherie, that was what I had in mind. You liked it?"

   "Yes I liked it," She kissed him deeply. "Now lets go to sleep, it's been
quite a night." They crawled under the duvet and curled up together.

----

   In Wolverine's room he and Jubilee were asleep too. Everything was peaceful.
They would worry about the repercussions in the morning.

***** Great Minds Think Alike *****
Chapter Notes
     Mhairie is copyright to me, all other characters belong to Marvel
     Comics. I apologise to Marvel for nicking their characters and then
     doing lewd and lascivious things to them. This story is entirely a
     product of my sick imagination.

Mhairie Chapter 2
Great Minds Think Alike
June 1995


   Mhairie woke early and crept quietly from the room. She knew Gambit had
something going with Rogue and she didn't want to get him in trouble. But he
had needed to release some of the steam that built up when you're in a
relationship with a woman you can't touch. In the hall she bumped into Jubilee
who was leaving Wolverine's room.

   "Leaving so soon?"

   "I'd rather the rest of the team didn't find out what happened. I know they
wouldn't approve and I don't want to get Wolvie in trouble. What are you doing
sneaking around?"

   "Pretty much the same as you."

   "Who was it? Come on you can tell me."

   "What with your big mouth."

   "I do not have a big mouth!"

   "Shhh! Come into my room." They went inside and closed the door. "Now tell
me, did you have a good time?"

   "Yes."

   "And you're not angry at me for getting there first?"

   "Course not. You were right, he'd never have given in to me if you hadn't
broken his defences down first and then practically demanded he sleep with me.
Thanks. Now tell me who it was or I'll tell Bobby what you've been up to."

   "Jubilation! You wouldn't."

   "I would too and calling me Jubilation doesn't help."

   "Okay, okay. It was Remy."

   "Gambit! I'm not surprised you snuck out. If Rogue had caught you two she'd
fry you both in oil, guest or not." She paused. "Was he... good?" she asked
blushing slightly.

   "Very good. So what are you and Logan going to do now?"

   "I dunno. I'd like things to stay like they were but be able to, you know,
fool around every now and then when we get the chance. We'll see. You know I
had you pegged completely wrong. I thought you were like some total bore, you
didn't seem interested in anything I was."

   "I think you'll find most people are interested in sex. We probably don't
have much else in common. I didn't really associate with people much in
Scotland. Everyone stayed away from me cause I wasn't completely human, most of
them just assumed I was a mutant. But you don't have to have lots in common
with someone to be friends."

   "I guess not. Friends then?"

   "Friends."

   Jubilee tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn which set Mhairie off. "Let's
get some sleep, I'm still beat." The two girls crawled under the covers and
went back to sleep.

----

   It was a gorgeous day and the Professor had cancelled all training sessions
so most of the team were outside in the gardens. Jean was reading a book under
a parasol, she liked to be outside but her complexion didn't react well to sun
at all and lobster red wasn't her idea of an attractive skin colour. Storm was
swimming in the pool. Scott, Betsy, Warren and Beast were playing Rogue,
Gambit, Bobby and Logan at basketball and losing rather badly. Jubilee and
Mhairie had just come out to lie in the sun and watch.

As they walked past the basketball court Gambit missed his first basket and
Logan let Betsy grab the ball practically from his hands and run off down the
court with it. Rogue made off after her. She wasn't surprised they were
distracted as she had to admit that Mhairie's tendency to wear as few clothes
as physically possible was rather... off-putting. At the moment she was wearing
a short green skirt and a small aqua top. Her pale skin shone like ivory in the
sun and her hair was almost too bright to look at as the light washed it to
white gold. Jubilee stretched out on a blanket but Mhairie lay on the grass.

Jean was just about to go back to her book when a mental picture flashed into
her mind. It was Mhairie, the others knew how to mask their thoughts when a
telepath was near by but she probably didn't even know Jean was a telepath.
Jean was about to close her mind off to the image automatically when she
realised who it was of, Logan. She sat up, her mouth half open, as Mhairie's
mind played over some of the events of last night while she watched the men she
was thinking over play, unaware that someone else was receiving every image.

Jean had dropped her book on the grass as she witnessed and felt the nights
encounters remembered through Mhairie's eyes, heat flooded through her thighs
and she could feel herself becoming moist. Then Mhairie's mind began to wander
to the other men on the court, to Scott. This wasn't a memory though, just a
fantasy and by this point Jean was too aroused to be at all angry. The picture
Mhairie created in her mind of Scott finger-fucking her while she leant back
against the kitchen table turned her on even more, watching his hand slipping
under her short green skirt. Then the picture changed and Jean was there too,
watching, slipping her hand between her own legs. Jean gasped and closed her
mind to the erotic images, but even though she was no longer receiving them she
could not banish the image of Scott standing before her with his hand between
Mhairie's legs. She looked up, the two teams were taking a break for drinks and
she could see Scott was looking at Mhairie. Quietly she slipped into his mind
to see what he was thinking, his surface thoughts were fairly innocent but a
little deeper she could feel his attraction to the girl. That was all she
needed to know. She settled back to try and read her book until the basketball
match was over.

   They lost and Scott came over at her call, cheerfully annoyed at being
beaten. "What is it love?"

   "How do you feel about this?" Somewhat nervously Jean projected the image of
him Mhairie had created into his mind. His jaw dropped. "I got it from
Mhairie's mind, she doesn't know to shield her thoughts when I'm around."

   "We never... I never..." he stuttered.

   She laughed, "I know that, it was just a fantasy. But... it really turned me
on Scott." She was speaking under her breath now, "I know you find her
attractive."

   "I'm sorry Jean, I..."
   
   "I'm not angry with you Scott. What she thought... it made me think. I
want... I want to see it happen."

   "What?"

   She took Scott's hand, "If you like I'll call her over and we can ask her
back to the house."

   "Are you serious?"

   "Yes. Should I call her?"

   Scott looked over to Mhairie and back at Jean. "I... yes. Call her."

   Jean smiled and reached out her mind to Mhairie, 'Mhairie could you please
come over here a minute?' The girl jumped in surprise at Jean's mental summons
but got up and walked over to them.

   "You're a telepath?"

   "Yes. Scott and I were wondering if you would like to join us at our house
for... lunch?"

   Mhairie looked from one to the other wondering if the invitation had
anything to do with what she had been thinking earlier, she certainly hoped so.
With a smile she accepted the offer and they walked through the woods to Jean
and Scott's house. "How long have you two been married?"

   "Six weeks," answered Jean. "What about you? Were you seeing anyone back in
Scotland?"

   "No. I was classed as a mutant by humans, doesn't make for a good social
life. Especially not in as conservative a town as I lived in."

   When they reached the house Jean went into the kitchen to make lunch,
insisting that Scott and Mhairie waited in the living room. She closed the door
and left them alone together.
Scott looked in desperation at the closed door and then sat down on the settee
and Mhairie sat down next to him, her bare leg pressed against his. What if
Jean was wrong? What was he talking about, his wife was a top class telepath.
If she said Mhairie was interested then she was. He turned to face her and put
one hand on her thigh.
"We were hoping you might be interested in something more than lunch," he said
as he moved his hand higher.

   Mhairie smiled, "Your house, your call."

   He bent over and kissed her, slipping his tongue between her open lips.
He heard the kitchen door open, 'Come into the kitchen', Jean told them.
As they came through Jean projected Mhairie's image back to her, 'I want to see
you do that for me.'
She flashed to Mhairie the results of the Aids tests they'd had before their
wedding and to Scott the knowledge she'd taken from Mhairie that she wouldn't
get pregnant and that she couldn't have AIDS. A good thing too as they had no
condoms in the house now Jean was on the pill.
Mhairie leant back against the kitchen table supporting her weight on her hands
and looked at Scott.
'Go on Scott,' urged Jean and he moved forward.
He kissed her again, running his hands over her breasts and down to her hips.
He drew back but kept eye contact with her as he slid his hand under her skirt
and between her thighs, she wasn't wearing any underwear. He ran his hand over
the lips of her pussy, cupping it before he parted the lips with his middle
finger, her juices ran around it and he slid it inside her. She sighed as he
opened her up and pushed inside, he brought his thumb up to rub the back of it
against her clit as he moved his finger in and out of her.
Jean leant against the counter with one foot on a chair to the side of them
where she could see Scott's hand moving in and out and he could see her as she
lifted up her skirt and pulled her panties to the side so she could slide a
finger inside herself, she began to match Scott's rhythm.
Mhairie turned her head so she too could see Jean and then gasped as Scott put
a second finger inside her. 'Take off your top,' Jean told her as she began to
undo the knot that held her top together revealing her breasts. Mhairie leant
forward and pulled her top over her head, Scott immediately bent over to take
one of her nipples in his mouth.
Then Jean spoke to them again, 'Take off your shorts Scott, I want to see you
having sex withher.'
He undid his shorts with his free hand and pushed them to the floor. He removed
his fingers and lifted her onto the table, "Lie down."
Mhairie lay back on the wooden table as Scott wrapped her legs about his waist.
Jean came over to the table and sat on the corner to watch Scott enter her, he
started slowly as Mhairie was a lot tighter than his wife and he was quite big
but she stopped him.

   "No, push it in hard, all at once."
 
   He complied and with one quick thrust he was inside her. She cried out as he
did but Jean reassured him it was all right and he began to stroke in and out.
Jean continued to finger herself with her left hand but licked the middle
finger of her right hand and reached out with it to play with Mhairie's clit.
Scott began to pound harder with his eyes closed and before long the two of
them came and Jean let their orgasms sweep over her carrying her with them.
When they'd recovered they went through to the living room and Jean and Mhairie
removed the rest of their clothes before they fell onto the couch, Scott sat on
the floor next to them.

   Jean spoke to Mhairie privately, 'Scott should be ready again soon. I saw
you thinking earlier about... what you did with Gambit, would you let Scott if
I can persuade him to?'

   'Sure, I really enjoyed it last night. Do you have lubricant though? We'll
definitely need it, Scott's a bit wider than Remy.'

   'It's upstairs, I'll send Scott.' She widened the link to include Scott,
'Scott, how do you feel about this?' She sent an image of Scott taking Mhairie
from behind, his jaw dropped again.

   'Actually I was thinking of this,' Mhairie amended the picture so that she
was giving Jean oral while Scott took her. 'What do you think?'

   'Looks wonderful to me,' answered Jean. 'Scott?'

   'Really?' He turned to Mhairie, 'You really want me to?'

   'Yes.'

   'Okay, I mean it's fine by me, absolutely.'

   Jean tried not to laugh at him, 'Then go fetch the lubricant from upstairs.
In fact no, we'll all go upstairs to the bed. Come on.' She ran upstairs,
Mhairie and Scott close behind her.
Jean was already sitting against the head-board of the bed with her legs spread
when they caught up with her. Scott went straight to the chest of drawers for
the lubricant as Mhairie climbed onto the bed and knelt between her legs, Jean
leant forward and kissed her.
As the two girls twined closer Scott could feel himself hardening again, he
remembered the fantasies he'd had of Jean and Betsy together.

   Jean spoke privately to Mhairie, 'Scott's thinking about Betsy.'

   'Elizabeth? The one with purple hair?'

   'Yes, they had a bit of a... flirtation before we were married.'

   'What's he thinking?' Mhairie broke the kiss and moved lower to suckle on
Jean's nipples.

   'He's thinking about her and me.'

   'You know I might be able to help you with that.'

   'What? You haven't.'

   'No, not yet. But I seem to be doing quite well so far, if I do I could
mention your interest to her.'

   'I never said I was interested, Scott's the one doing all the "thinking"
around here.'

   'Rubbish, you wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't like the idea.'

   'Well I suppose...'
Mhairie drew back onto her elbows and knees and began to probe her tongue in
between the lips of Jean's pussy.
'Oh! If you... get the... chance.' Jean moaned aloud.
Scott had already coated his erect penis in the lubricant and now went forward
to kneel behind Mhairie, nervously he reached out to caress her buttocks. Jean
had already linked her mind to Mhairie's and now she brought Scott into the
link too, he gasped as the pleasure Mhairie was giving Jean flooded into his
mind. Once he had recovered his equilibrium Mhairie spoke to him.

   'I'm ready Scott, please go ahead.'

   'Okay,' he replied.
She could feel his apprehension through the link as he moved his hand to stroke
her anus, his fingers were slippery and cool with lubricant. They moved aside
and then she could feel the head of his penis against her. This time they took
it slowly as he penetrated her centimetre by centimeter, she slacked off her
attention to Jean so they could all enjoy the feeling of him slowly filling her
up and also so that Jean would not come too quickly. Eventually she could feel
Scott's body press against hers and he was right inside her, his balls resting
against her pussy.
They all paused a minute, just the fact of their situation exciting them,
before Scott began to slowly stroke in and out. Mhairie again began licking at
Jean, occasionally sliding down to plunge her tongue inside her. She could feel
every move she made reflected back to her own dripping pussy through the link
and knew that Jean was feeling Scott's thrusts in the same way.
Scott was only receiving general feelings of pleasure from Jean as the precise
sensations didn't really translate but from Mhairie they did. He had nearly
broken away in surprise when he felt fingers touch his anus at the same time as
he touched hers but he had managed to catch himself. It was the strangest
feeling he had ever experienced, it was like having sex with yourself. But it
also meant he knew what Mhairie was feeling. If she hurt, he hurt and he slowed
down, if it felt good he knew he was doing the right thing. But although he
tried to ignore it something in the back of his mind kept saying, 'this is what
it feels like to have sex with another man and you're enjoying it. You're
enjoying it so much you're going to want to do it again.'
But then the pleasure became so strong that it washed the voice away. All three
of them gasped as he began to move faster. Before long Scott couldn't take any
more and he came feeling Mhairie's buzz inside him as she absorbed the energy
of his seed and came to orgasm herself with Jean not far behind her. The
resulting feedback held them immobile for several minutes before it faded away
allowing them to slump down on the bed, Mhairie's head resting on Jean's
stomach with Scott, still inside her, lying across her back. Jean released the
full link leaving only a residue that allowed them to speak telepathically.

   'I may never walk again,' thought Mhairie.

   'Walk! I doubt I could stand,' replied Scott.

   'Well you're going to have to,' said Jean. 'You told the rest of the team
you'd set up a barbecue for dinner tonight and we definitely need to take a
shower first.'

   'Oh God! I had completely forgotten about that.'

   Jean slid out from underneath the two of them and went through to the
bathroom, they heard the shower being switched on. 'Come on you two.'

   'Well I can't go anywhere till Scott gets off me so nag him,' said Mhairie.

   'All right, all right I'm coming.' He stood up and pulled Mhairie up after
him, they went through and joined Jean in the bathroom. It was already getting
late so they cleaned up quickly and dressed, heading out over the grass to the
mansion with their hair still dripping down their backs.

   Most everyone was still outside, Wolverine and Gambit had brought the
barbecue stuff out but had waited for Scott before going any further.

   "Hey mon ami," Gambit called out. "We were about to come look for you."

   Scott went to start the barbecue and Jean headed inside to help Storm and
Bishop prepare the food. Jubilee pulled Mhairie aside.

   "And where did you disappear to?"

   "The boat house."

   "So you three thought you'd go back to the boat house to what? Chat? Play
monopoly? I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here but please tell me I
shouldn't. Come on, spill it."

   "Jubilee! I'm ashamed of you."

   "What? I never said anything. Did you hear me say the word... sex, for
instance? I don't think so. So did you?"

   "Did I what? Play monopoly?"

   "Mhairie! Just tell me!"

   "Okay, okay. So maybe we did."

   "I cannot believe you, you... you... words escape me."

   "Hey! I'll have you know that I was propositioned."

   "Scott propositioned you!"

   "Nope, Jean did."

   "Your kidding. Oh my God! I cannot believe that."

   "Well shush then. This is supposed to be a secret."

   "Right, sure, my lips are sealed. So that's four down and seven to go, who's
next."

   "Jubilee! Besides Rogue doesn't count so it's only six."

   "Well who then?"

   "Why don't you choose."

   "Seriously?" At her nod Jubilee went over the options. "Well let's see,
we've still got Bobby, Bishop, Beast, Psylocke and Archangel, and of course
Storm. I'm torn, you might get Psylocke and Archangel so I'm not picking them
but I can't imagine you getting any of the others."

   "I think you underestimate me."

   "Okay then ... Beast. There's absolutely no way. If you manage it I promise
I won't tease Bishop for a whole week. You up for it?"

   "Absolutely."

***** The Tale of the Rock and the Silver Birch Tree *****
Chapter Notes
     All characters above (except Mhairie) are copyright to Marvel Comics
     and I apologise profusely to them for writing them into lewd and
     lascivious stories. But hey, that's life.
     Okay, a little less sex and a little more story this time around. But
     it's still explicit especially at the beginning.

                         Mhairie Chapter 3
            The Tale of the Rock and the Silver Birch Tree               
                July 1995


   Mhairie might have given Jubilee the idea that she was completely confident
about seducing Dr Henry McCoy but the truth was far from that. She was
terrified. She had absolutely no idea how to go about it. It was daunting to
say the least. But she had told Jubilee she could do it and she was damn well
going to try. After spending all night thinking about it she had decided to
talk to Jean in the morning. Maybe she would have some ideas, after all she'd
known Beast for quite a while. When she woke up she headed straight over to the
boat house to see her. Scott was up and outside already, working bare-chested
in their small garden. She
called out to him as she approached and he raised his hand smiling. She climbed
over the low fence and embraced him, kissing him deeply. He scooped her up so
her feet left the ground as their tongues' tangled together. By the time he
released her Beast was the last thing on her mind.

   "I came over to see Jean," she said. "Is she about?"

   "I'm hurt," he said with a smile. "She's still lazing around in bed, go on
up."

   Mhairie went into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom calling out in
her mind, 'Jean are you awake?'

   'Yes I'm awake, come on in.' Mhairie went into the bedroom where Jean still
lay in bed, the curtains open. 'I'm just being lazy. Won't you join me for a
while?'

   'Sure.' She pulled her short dress over her head and slid under the sheets
beside Jean. 'I wanted to ask your advice about something.'

   'Anything.' Jean rolled off her back and pressed herself to Mhairies' side.
'What's on your mind?'

   'Henry,' she answered projecting a picture of the formidable blue furred
doctor in his white coat and glasses.

   'Hank? What do you want with... oh! You mean...' she paused. 'You've already
seduced Logan, Gambit, Scott and I. Are you going for the whole team?'

   'I did not seduce you, you seduced me. Anyway it wasn't my initial plan but
when Jubilee suggested it I... rather liked the idea. It does have a kind of
pleasing completeness to it don't you think?'

   'What does Jubilee have to do with this?'

   'Well it was kind of her fault this started, but what do you think?'
   'I really ought to be shocked or something I'm sure but I really can'tbring
myself to be. I fear you may be corrupting me.'

   'But isn't it fun?'

   Jean laughed and then kissed her, 'Yes it is.'

   'So any tips on seducing the inimitable Dr McCoy?'

   'Well I don't think it will be as hard as you expect. Hank hasn't hadmany
girlfriends because of his single mindedness when it comes to workand his
refusal to believe women will find him attractive. I suggest confidence and
directness. Just walk up and tell him what you want. Don'ttake no for an answer
and don't be afraid of him.' She sat up. 'I really have to get up now, the
Professor has a Danger Room session scheduled atten for the gold team.' She
went into the bathroom. 'You can stay around the house a while if you like.
Scott has a session with the blue team attwo so I'll probably see you both at
lunch.' She came back through and got dressed glancing at the clock, it was
nearly half nine. 'I better getgoing, see you later.'

   'Bye.' Jean vanished out the door and Mhairie lay back on the bed.
She thought about Jeans' suggestions for a while and decided she'd give them a
try tonight some time. Then she got out the bed and looked out the window,
Scott was still alone in the garden. She smiled and went downstairs leaving her
dress inside. She walked through the garden and stopped in front of Scott who
was weeding an empty bed before planting it up. From where he knelt all he
could see was her feet. He sat up slowly running his eyes up her body to her
face.

   "Hi. Busy?" she asked.

   "Nothing that can't wait. Jean said you might stick around."

   She sat down straddling his lap and kissed him. He threw his trowel aside
and wrapped his arms around her, before long he was lowering her back onto the
freshly dug earth and getting rid of his shorts. They made love slowly, it was
too hot to do anything fast, enjoying the feel of the odd cool breeze on their
skin and the loose earth under them like a mattress. It was rather dream-like,
but then the dream became a little surreal as Logans' face appeared above her
looking rather shocked. She raised a finger to her lips and waved him aside so
Scott wouldn't see him if he looked up. The thought of him standing there
watching them turned
her on immensely, Scott raised his head from her shoulder and slid his tongue
into her mouth as she came. Her muscles spasmed and the added sensation brought
him along too. They lay still a moment, still kissing, until Logans' voice
broke the silence.

   "Someone mind tellin' me what the hell's goin' on here?"

   Scott immediately rolled off her and promptly sat on the trowel. He yelled
and leapt to his feet. From her position on the ground she could see four
indentations in his butt, he was going to have an interesting bruise by
tomorrow. She sat up, "It's all right Logan. Jean knows." She threw Scott his
shorts and stood up shaking soil out of her hair. In the flower bed was a
perfect imprint of her body.

   "Jean knows you're having an affair with her husband?" he asked.

   "We're not having an affair, we were just having sex. There is a difference
you know." She went over to him and slid her arms around his neck. "You're not
angry with me are you?" she asked pressing her lips to his and running her
tongue across them till he relented and let her kiss him. She could feel his
erection pressing against her, he hadn't been so shocked that he couldn't get
turned on by what he'd seen. She broke the kiss rather unwillingly so he could
answer her question.

   "If Jean doesn't mind then I don't see how I can argue with that," he
answered, though she was sure he'd be checking with Jean anyway, She couldn't
really blame him for that. "I just came over for the walk, I'll go now."
 
   "Oh no you don't." Mhairie took hold of him again. "We still have about an
hour before lunch. You're not going anywhere."

   "Umm, I'll just go inside then," Scott said from behind her.

   "I don't think so!" She grabbed his hand. "Neither of you are going anywhere
until I say so. Understand?"

   They glanced at each other somewhat aggressively and then nodded at her. She
pulled Scott round behind her, putting his arms about her waist and pulled
Logan back to her lips so she was sandwiched between the two of them. As she
kissed him she undid his shorts and pulled his t-shirt over his head leaving
him naked. After a long while exploring Logans' mouth she turned around in
their arms to taste Scott while Logan nipped at her neck and shoulders, sliding
a hand between her legs. She removed Scotts' shorts too.

   Eventually she spoke, "Lie down Scott."

   Obediently he lay down on the grass and she knelt between his legs with
Logan still behind her stroking her wet pussy. She bent over Scott to kiss him,
thrusting her ass in the air. She kissed down Scotts' chest crawling back
slowly as Logan remained where he was and his erection slid inside her, she
loved how well he fit her. She closed her mouth on Scotts' penis.

----

   The three of them made it to the mansion in time for lunch, once more
suspiciously wet from a _very_ quick shower to get rid of the sweat, soil and
grass stains. Jean quickly stole the images of what had happened from Scott and
Mhairies' minds lingering over the events after Logan had appeared. Psylocke
gave them some odd looks, probably catching a few leaked images from Mhairie.
Jean had worked on her shielding with her but she still wasn't very good at it.
Mhairie sat herself beside Hank but was rather quiet, still feeling very
nervous about seducing him. Perhaps she should forget the whole thing. Surely
Jubilee wouldn't hold her to her promise. The table was quite crowded with the
whole of the blue and gold teams present; Beast, Wolverine, Gambit, Jean,
Scott, Rogue, Psylocke,
Archangel, Bishop, Jubilee, Iceman, Storm and herself; the Professor was eating
in his study. As Beast moved his leg and arm brushed against hers, the
sensation was rather pleasant. His fur was quite soft and it calmed her a
little. So he has blue fur, so what? And it _would_ be interesting to find out
what other differences he had. Well she'd wait and see what happened tonight.
In the meantime a hand on someone's thigh never did any harm. Apparently Henry
didn't agree as he removed it. She replaced it. He removed it. She replaced it.
He raised an eyebrow at her and she gave him her best wide eyed and innocent
look. He rolled his eyes and gave up.

----
   
   Mhairie spent the afternoon sleeping naked in the sunshine in a quiet part
of the mansion grounds. She awoke as the sun dropped behind the trees and
headed back to the mansion feeling positively buoyant. It was past dinner time
but she wasn't hungry, she had work to do.

----

   Henry was tired, not physically but mentally. His work on the Legacy Virus
seemed unending and it was too important to take lightly. But Jean had
persuaded him to take a break tonight and come vegetate in front of the
television with her, Scott, Rogue, Gambit and Jubilee for a change. He had to
admit he could really use the break, even when he was in the Danger Room he was
thinking about his research. Trying to see something he might have missed. Even
now, slouched on the sofa in front of the latest episode of Roseanne he
couldn't stop his mind from wandering. He was about to give up and go back to
his lab when Mhairie came in and sat beside him. Putting a hand on his shoulder
she knelt up and whispered in his ear.

   "You don't seem to be paying much attention to the television Henry. Why
don't we go up to your room and have sex instead?"

   The hand that wasn't on his shoulder stroked the fur on his inside thigh and
his mind temporarily lost track of reality. What was going on? The girl had
clearly lost her senses, he should get out of there. He stood up quickly
knocking her back against Jubilee and left the room.

   "I said you had no chance," whispered Jubilee.

   "We'll see." Mhairie hurried after Beast.

----

   Henry headed back to his lab, leaving it had clearly been a bad idea. He had
only finally allowed her to keep her hand on his leg at lunch to prevent a
scene, it had not been anything to do with how good it felt to be touched by
her. He was not interested in children, he was not interested in anything but
his work. He heard a sound behind him and turned around. She stood against the
closed door with her dress on the floor at her feet. She smiled confidently at
him.

   "You can run, but you can't hide," she said.

   He should reason with her. "Mhairie, what do you think you're doing? You
can't honestly think I would sleep with a child such as yourself."

   "Why not?" she decided to pull her ace. "My age didn't stop Logan. Or Gambit
for that matter. Jean and Scott managed to overlook it too. What makes you so
different?"

   "What?" For once he was completely lost for words. She must be lying,
mustn't she? But his mind brought up her curled up on the sofa with Logan and
Gambit the night before last, her disappearing with Scott and Jean yesterday
and all three returning together soaking wet and other more subtle things.
Meaningful looks exchanged, slight behavioural clues. By the time he'd decided
she was telling the truth she was inches away from him. He went to step back
but her arms were already about his waist, her small body pressed against him.
Her leg lifted up to massage his crotch with her thigh as her hands ran up his
spine ruffling his fur. "I really shouldn't, it wouldn't be right," he said.

   "Aardvark," she answered in the same way as one might say 'bollocks'.

   Aardvark? he thought as her hands ran up to pull his head down so she might
kiss him. It felt surprisingly normal though she wasn't sure exactly what it
was she had expected. His mouth was only slightly larger than normal and he had
lips just like anyone else however blue they may be. The only real differences
were the fur against her cheek and the pointed canines against her tongue. She
was just getting into it when he pulled away from her.

   "I... I have to go." He almost ran out the room.

   "Damn!" She kicked the door. "Damn, damn, damn." She stomped into the hall
and looked both ways but he had gone. She kicked the wall, "Bloody hellfire!"
This was not over, this was war. But it was going to have to be a war of
attrition, she'd wear him down bit by bit until he gave in to her. Starting
tomorrow, tonight she was feeling rather disillusioned. She left her dress
lying on the lab floor and went out into the grounds passing a rather surprised
Archangel on the way. She searched out a birch tree, her mothers tree, with her
innate sense of nature and entered it. When she entered a tree it was as if she
became part of the tree, she
could travel right up to the shoots or through the roots to other nearby trees.
She let go of her mind and fell asleep, sinking down below ground into the
roots of the slender birch.

----

   It was perhaps two or three in the morning when Rogue woke up. She could
hear something, outside. She went to the window and peered out, something was
coming up the driveway with great, shuddering steps. It was then that the
intruder alerts went off. She threw on her dressing-gown and left through the
window.

   "Where is she?" hollered the figure.

   It was indistinct but solid at the same time, unearthly. Like a storm cloud
made of granite.

   Storm was ahead of her and called out to it, "Who? Who do you seek?"

   "She!" it bellowed. "The daughter of the beloved, the daughter of the
betrayer, the daughter of the one who is forever gone. She has run from me and
I shall bring her back."

   "What is her name?"

   "Beauty. Love. Desire. Innocence," it answered. "Child of forbidden love,
child of secret passions. She belongs to me and I will have her back. Bring her
to me! I can smell her in the air, she is here." He grabbed Storm out of the
air. "Bring her to me or this one dies." Storm struck at him with lightening
but it had no effect. "Runs to earth," he said. "You cannot hurt me." Rogue
dove at him and his body shattered and melted into the ground but his voice
continued, "I am spirit not body
little mortals, spirit of earth. You cannot stop me from finding that which I
seek, that which should have been mine. She should have been my daughter but
instead she will be my companion in her mothers stead. I will rip apart every
tree in sight to find her if I must."

   Wolverine cried out, "Mhairie, he must mean Mhairie!"

   "Yes," it agreed. "The little flower, the innocent child, the last price to
be paid for my pain. Bring her to me and I will take her home."

   "We cannot find her for you until we know what has happened," said Psylocke.
"Tell us your story and we will talk."

   "No! It is my story. My pain. You have no business here, give her to me or
you will perish." Beneath them the ground rumbled knocking them off their feet.
Of those on foot only Jean remained standing, her brow furrowed in
concentration. Rogue flew to her side as she sank to her knees in exhaustion.

   "I can't do it. It is like he is everywhere, his mind is so diffuse I can't
get a grasp on it."

   "Where is she?"

   "She left," said Archangel suddenly. "I saw her yesterday evening, leaving
the mansion. I don't know where she went."

   "Then I will wait for her, she will return. Her blood is here." He looked at
Bobby. "Perhaps then I shall tell my story, while we wait." Rock streamed up
from the ground and surrounded them, holding them in place as he began.
 
   "Once upon a time there was a silver birch tree on a bare Scottish hillside.
It stood alone, surrounded by the purple heather and the bilberry bushes.
Protected from the wind by the rock faces around it. It was tall and graceful
with bright white bark and delicate green leaves and in it lived a dryad with
no name. You see her tree had seeded so far from the rest of the forest that
she had never met another of her kind. In fact the only being she knew was an
ancient earth elemental who lived in the rocks surrounding her tree. He taught
her how to talk and told her tales of the rest of the world. For over thirty-
five years they were the best of friends until one day she decided she wished
to see the world for herself. Afraid to let her go he finally expressed his
love for her but she was determined to go. She would not be long, she could not
stay away from her tree for very long anyway, and when she returned they would
live together forever. Eventually he agreed and she left to spend four days in
the mortal world. He trusted her and waited for her safe return.
   "During those four days the dryad stayed in a nearby town where she met a
mortal man and fell in love with him. Much as she longed to stay with him she
knew she had to return to her tree or she would sicken and die. But waiting for
her there would be the earth elemental she had promised herself too. She no
longer wanted him, when she agreed to his proposal he had been the only friend
she had ever known but now she could see him as he truly was, old and ugly and
bitter. But she had no choice, her tree was her life. She spent one last night
with her mortal lover and vanished without telling him what she was, but on
that last night she
allowed herself to conceive a child to remember him by. When she returned to
the hillside she told the elemental nothing, but soon her pregnancy became all
too apparent.

   "'How has this happened? Why have you betrayed me?'" he asked her.

   "But the dryad refused to tell him, afraid for the safety of the man she
loved. As her pregnancy grew more obvious so his anger and jealousy grew also.
Eventually the baby was born and the dryad, afraid the elemental would destroy
her new daughter in its anger, ran away and left her with her mortal father. In
a rage at her further betrayal the elemental buried her tree in a landslide and
the dryad died instantly. For several years he mourned his loss and grew yet
more bitter at her betrayal of his love. But his anger turned outward, away
from his lost love to the mortal man who had seduced her. The man who had
caused her death and stolen her daughter, the man who had raped her. He
searched out the man and found him in a nearby town with his daughter. Slim and
beautiful with her mothers face, her mothers eyes. She would be his, she would
come and live with him on the hillside and he would love her as he had loved
her mother. He waited until they went walking in the hills and then appeared
before them. The man recognised him at once as before she had died the dryad
had told him the truth and he put himself between the elemental and his
daughter. Glad of the chance to get his revenge the elemental struck the man
down but the girl had run away. Sure now of a way to appease his loneliness the
elemental went hunting for her, travelling through the rocks of the Earth until
he felt her presence so he could bring her home."

----

   Mhairie was awakened by a trembling of the earth and a voice.

   "Wake up! Wake up halfling, you are in danger."

   "What? Who?"

   "A monster! A monster of rock is here and he has your friends."

   "Who are you?"

   "I am Daryn, the oak by the rowan trees. You must help your friends stop the
monster or he will destroy our trees looking for you."

   "The monster? The elemental! He has found me. But I have no way of stopping
him. There is only one thing I can do."

   Mhairie left the birch tree and ran back towards the mansion.

----

   The elemental finished his tale and reformed himself a body. "Now you know
why she belongs to me, so find her, or I shall find her myself."

   "No need for that! I am here."

   They turned around to see Mhairie approaching across the grass.

   "She is going to surrender to him," gasped Jean.

   The X-Men broke free from the restraining rocks easily and put themselves
between the elemental and Mhairie. Rogue gave Mhairie her dressing gown to
cover herself. "Ya don' have t'do that sugah, we can stop this overgrown
pebble."

   But Mhairie continued through them, "No you can't, not here."

   As she approached him she projected her thoughts to Jean. 'There is only one
way to stop him. Strike at his home, his birthplace, as he did to kill my
mother. Go to Scotland, here.' She displayed a map in her mind with a red cross
marking the west face of a hillside. 'Let him take me for now, he will not hurt
me.'

   Jean quickly informed the rest of the team and they stood by as the
elemental left with Mhairie. But knowing it was the right thing to do didn't
make it any easier.


***** The Undiscovered Country *****
Chapter Notes
     This story is explicit so don't read it of you don't want corrupted.
     You know the problem with writing all male scenes is it ends up with
     so many him's and he's you can't remember who's doing what to who any
     more.

                            Mhairie Chapter 4
                        The Undiscovered Country
                      July 1995


   The Professor held an emergency meeting in the war room as soon as the
elemental had left with Mhairie. Tensions were running high.

  "I can't believe we just let that son of a bitch take her!" growled
Wolverine. "What if she was just sayin' it'd be okay t'save our skins, anyone
think o' that?"

  "She wasn't lying Logan," said Jean patiently. "I would have known."

  "Well whether she was lyin' or not we shouldn't be standin' around here
talkin'. We should be followin' them," put in Rogue. "Who knows what that thing
might do to her while we're sittin' on our thumbs."

  "Rogue's right," said Gambit. "We should go now."

  "No," said the Professor as he came into the room. "We will not go running
off without thinking." He stopped at the head of the table. "I have decided to
send a small team to Scotland after Mhairie. Only those who have the powers
needed to destroy this elemental will go. That means you Scott, you will lead
the team. Your optic blasts are powerful enough to level a small mountain. I
have contacted X-Factor and X-Force. Havok will accompany you as will Rictor
and Cable. Havok and Rictor both have the power to destroy the mountain if you
are... incapacitated. Cable is there to keep an eye on Rictor, he can be a
little hot-headed." He turned to the rest of the team. "No-one else will be
going."

  There was bedlam for a moment.

  "Silence!" The noise stopped as abruptly as it began. "We have already seen
that the elemental is impervious to psychic attacks and that it has no true
body. There is _nothing_ that the rest of you can do to help but wait and
hope."

  The team didn't look happy about it but accepted his words as true. Wolverine
growled under his breath and left the room. The others followed him, all but
Cyclops and Bobby.

  "Professor I really feel I should go," he began.

  "No Bobby."

  "She's my cousin! My responsibility!"

  "I understand Bobby, but there really is nothing you can do to help her and I
will not have anyone else put at risk. I am sure Cyclops and his team will do
everything possible to help her."

  "Don't worry Bobby," Scott put in. "We won't leave without her."

  Bobby nodded seeing that the Professor was not going to back down. "I know
Scott, thanks." He left the room.
 
  "When do we leave?" Scott asked.

  "You will meet the others at New York airport to get the midday flight to
Glasgow. You better hurry and pack. I have arranged rooms for you all in a
small hotel in the nearest town to the elemental's home. Good luck Scott."
 
  "Don't worry Professor, we'll have her back before you know it."

----

  Jean drove Scott out to the airport. As they drove she asked him a question
that had been bothering her.

  "Scott, can I ask you something?"

  "Of course, what's on your mind?"

  "It's about Mhairie, I mean, well how do you feel about her?"

   Scott's brow furrowed, "Why ask Jean, why don't you just look into my mind
and see?"

  "Well I didn't like to, it didn't seem right. Do you... love her?"

   Scott turned to her surprised, "You're really worried about this aren't
you?"

  "Well, yes," she seemed embarrassed. "I feel a bit silly, after all it was me
that started all this. But it hasn't worked out quite the way I expected.
I've... grown rather fond of her myself, it's strange. I wanted to know how you
felt about her, I could feel how upset you were when she was taken."

  "You don't have to worry Jean, no-one is going to come between us."

  "Not even Psylocke?"

  Then it was Scott's turn to look embarrassed. "Jean."

  She laughed, "I'm sorry Scott, I couldn't help it. I still catch you thinking
about her sometimes."

   "I know, I don't mean anything by it Jean. She is... very beautiful. What
man could ignore her? But it's you that I love, it'll always be you that I love
Jean. It's kind of the same with Mhairie I guess. She's very attractive. You
know I think if it wasn't for the sex I'd almost think of her as a daughter.
It's that sort of feeling, protective. She is special to me, but not like you
are. If you want us to stop seeing her then I'll agree."

  "No. No I don't want that. I guess it was just that it all happened so
quickly and I wasn't quite ready for it. I know what you mean about Mhairie.
I... well you know there's always been... something between Logan and I. I
guess it's sort of like Mhairie, I love him like I would love my brother
only... sexually too. But you are my husband. There's nothing more important to
me than that."

  Scott looked at her, he was glad that she had brought Wolverine up. It was
something they had never really discussed before. Something that needed
discussed. He and Wolverine had never really got on well and Jean was only one
of the reasons. He thought back to the events of yesterday morning when
Wolverine had come across him and Mhairie by accident. Would what had happened
help things between him and Logan or just make them worse? They hadn't really
spoken at all, just done what Mhairie told them to do. "I know I can trust you
Jean, but what about Wolverine. Does he... love you?"

  "As a friend Scott. Friends that have spent enough time together to be able
to handle any physical attraction that there is. He doesn't love me the way
that you love me, thankfully. It is a situation that I really wouldn't want to
have to cope with."

  Jean pulled up in front of the airport, "You better hurry or you won't get
through customs in time."

  Scott pulled his bag out the back seat and kissed his wife. "I love you." He
headed into the airport.

  "Be careful," Jean called after him.

----
   Scott hurried through the airport and met the others in time to board the
plane. He was surprised to see an extra person. He recognized him as
Shatterstar, another of Cable's lot.

   "What's he doing here?" he asked Cable. "I thought we were travelling
light."

  "Rictor insisted. Said he wasn't going to Scotland with a bunch of stiffs
unless Star could go too. What could I do? He's stubborn and we were in a
hurry," Cable answered sounding none too pleased about it.

  They boarded the plane and settled into their seats. They would go over the
plan of action after they had arrived and had some privacy. In the mean time
Scott caught up on some sleep as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. He dreamt
that he was making love to Jean only it wasn't Jean it was Betsy but then it
was neither of them, it was Wolverine. He woke up with a cry, thankful that the
coat in his lap hid the erection he could feel bulging in his jeans. He ignored
it and the questioning looks of his companions at his cry and soon fell asleep
again to more soothing dreams.

----

  They arrived early in the morning of the next day. By the time they had taken
the train up to Aberdeen and then hired a land rover to drive along the River
Dee until they reached the village they were staying in it was late afternoon.
However they decided to go now, to hopefully surprise the creature before it
realised they were even in Scotland. It would be light for a good while yet
with the long days of summer in the north. They took the land rover as far as
they could into the hills
but had to walk a good way still to get within viewing distance of their goal.
Finally they could see the rocky hollow, a few metres from it was a young
hawthorn tree. Beside the tree sat a figure carved of stone, they could just
hear it speaking.

  "I know you are upset but you will get over it my precious. Stay in the tree
for a while and when you are ready to come out I will be here for you. You will
learn to be happy with me. Nothing will ever keep us apart. I will make no more
mistakes as I made with your poor dead mother, you will never leave here.
Never."

  "Can you contact her?" Scott asked Cable.

  Cable frowned as he concentrated. "Yes, she's in the tree."

  Scott turned to Alex and Rictor, "You two ready?" They nodded their assent.
"Okay. As soon as she's clear we go in. Call her Cable."

   Telepathically Cable told her of their presence and instructed her to run to
him as fast as she could on his mark. 'Three, two, GO!'

   She appeared a lot closer to them than they expected, seemingly growing out
of a root that projected from the ground, and ran like the wind. As soon as she
had passed them and reached Cable; Cyclops, Havok and Rictor let loose in
unison. The elemental had only had time to stand up as their force struck him.
Cyclops and Havok vaporised the top of the mountain as Rictor fractured it's
foundations. An eerie cry of pain echoed across the countryside audible even
above the rumble of falling rock. When they stopped the cry was gone, Cyclops
looked at Cable questioningly.

   "It's gone," he answered with a pained look on his face. Mhairie stood in
front of him, dwarfed by his bulk. He held her with his normal arm as she
stared at the destruction before her. Dust hung in the air, it looked as if a
bomb had hit the mountain. Tears hung un-shed in her eyes as she studied the
grave of her mother and her father and their killer. Cable removed his trench
coat and put it about her shoulders before he lifted her up and carried her
down the hillside to the land
rover. She didn't complain, the hillside was rough with heather and gorse and
her feet were bare. By the time they got to the car she seemed to be getting
over the shock of the destruction. They all squeezed into the car. Alex driving
and Cable in the passenger seat. Mhairie sat on Scott's lap in the back seat
with her legs stretched across Rictor and Shatterstar. When they reached the
hotel Cable fuzzed her appearance to make her look somewhat less like a naked
girl wearing a huge trench-coat. The Professor had only booked them three
rooms, not anticipating Shatterstar's appearance, two twins and a single. The
only other spare
room was a double so they took that, Cable saying that single beds were too
damn small for him anyway. Alex and Scott took one twin room and Rictor and
Shatterstar the other.

----

  Mhairie went through to her single room and sat on the bed, the room was like
ice. It was north facing and although it was summer the pot-luck Scottish
weather had rolled snake eyes and the sky was grey and the wind biting. She
switched on the heater and found it was broken so tried climbing into bed and
going to sleep but she couldn't stop shivering and Cable's trenchcoat was less
than comfortable to sleep naked in. She decided to return it to him and see if
she could find out something more about him at the same time. She'd been told
he was Scott's son but that seemed unlikely seeing as he must be nearly twice
Scott's age. She went to his door and knocked.

  "Come in," Cable called, expecting it to be anyone but her.

  He was sitting on the bed in dark blue boxer shorts and a white vest that was
stretched tight by his bulging muscles, reading a book. She recognized it
immediately as Beauty's Punishment by Anne Rice as she had read it herself.
When he realized who had come in he tucked it quickly under his pillow.

  "What is it?" he asked somewhat gruffly, embarrassed at being caught reading
something like that by a young girl.

  "I came to return your coat," she told him taking it off and throwing it onto
a chair. "Oh. It is so warm in here. It's absolutely freezing in my room,
whoever was in here before you must've had the heating on." She sat down on the
edge of his bed and smiled at him.

   He closed his mouth and threw her a t-shirt out the bag by his bed, she put
it on. It went down to almost mid-thigh. He got the feeling that getting her to
go back to her own room was going to be near impossible and probably not really
worth the effort it would take. He decided to see what her intentions were
first.

  "I heard you mentioned at the mansion," she said. "They said you were Scott's
son. Feel like explaining to me how the son got to be twice the age of the
father?"

  He thought about it a moment and decided what the hell, telling her about his
origins seemed safe enough. "Sure," he said. "Make yourself comfortable." She
did. Nabbing a pillow and lying back against the the board at the foot of the
bed. With one leg bent at the knee so her foot rested flat on the covers the t-
shirt rode just high enough that he could see a curl of soft brown hair between
her legs. He felt his penis stir in his shorts but ignored it and began the
story.

----

  In his room Scott had finished catching up with Alex and had decided to go
through and... check on Mhairie. Well that was what he told Alex. Putting on a
robe he went through to her room only to find it empty. Knowing what she was
like he thought it more likely she was in one of the other rooms than in any
danger. But he really ought to check and see, it wasn't that he wanted to know
which of his companions she was with, honestly. He went first to Rictor and
Shatterstars' room thinking that most likely. Putting an ear to the door he
could hear heavy breathing, she must be in here. He wondered if both men were
in there with her, if she had anything to say about it they probably were. Then
he heard Rictor's voice, ragged as he panted.

  "Oh yes... Star... harder Star."

   Scott leapt back from the door as if it had burst into flames. His face
burned red with surprise and embarrassment. But at the same time his cock
twitched inside his briefs. Before things could get any worse he moved along to
Cable's door, he could hear voices inside. It didn't sound like anything was
going on so he knocked on the door.

  Cable answered, "Who is it?"

  "It's Cyclops. Can I come in?" he replied through the door.

  "Sure."

  He entered the room. Nathan and Mhairie were both on the bed but they weren't
touching. Mhairie was wearing a black t-shirt with a small red X over one
breast. She sat up.

  "Scott. Come sit here." She patted the bed behind her. He sat down and she
immediately lay back again settling her head in his lap and running one arm
behind her to curl about his waist under his robe. "Nathan was just
explaining... well his life. And I thought calculus was complicated. It's a
hell of a story." She glanced at Cable's serious expression. "Are all you
Summers as serious all the time?" she asked.

  Scott laughed, "Pretty much."

  "You know you really have to loosen up a bit," she told Cable. She raised her
leg and ran her foot up his arm. "Scott has, how about you?" Her foot reached
his face and turned it towards her.

   Cable looked to Scott for help but he just laughed, a rather nervous laugh
though. "Give up while you still have the choice, she's thoroughly
incorrigible. If she can twist Wolverine around her little finger then you've
got no chance."

  Cable looked scandalized but the hand that had moved to push her foot away
was still resting on her thigh and to tell the truth if she had tried this
before Scott had arrived he wouldn't have thought twice. But the thought of his
father (however estranged they may be), the man who had (in a way) brought him
up for the first thirteen years of his life, sitting there watching him with
this girl. It just didn't seem right. But then since when had he worried about
what was right? Her ankles had
crossed behind his neck pulling him forward. The t-shirt had now fallen
completely away leaving her pussy exposed. He could see the glisten of moisture
between slightly parted lips. Throwing his objections out of the window he bent
lower and blew gently across it, then he scooped her butt up in his arms and
pulled her closer to his face. He ran his tongue over the outside of her vulva
gradually working it inside her. She moaned softly and wrapped her other arm
tightly around Scott's waist as Cable ran his tongue up and began circling her
clit. Pressing harder he sucked at it pulling it against his teeth. She began
to moan louder,
Scott had pulled her t-shirt up to her neck and was teasing and kissing her
nipples. Her legs twitched as she lost control of her body in the rush of
pleasure that overtook her. His tongue thrust inside her as he sucked her whole
pussy into his mouth. As she came her cries were muffled as her head was
trapped between Scott's thighs and chest. At last Cable released her. She
pulled the t-shirt the rest of the way off her and they let her lie still,
sweat-soaked, as she got her breath back. When she finally spoke it was with a
worrying gleam in her eye.

  "Scott... why don't you go through and get Alex?" she asked.

  He tried his best to think of a good reason why not, "I... um... don't think
that....." But couldn't think of one, "I'll go get him." He left the room
trying to work out what he was going to say to Alex. Should he tell him why he
was to go through or just let him figure it out when he got there? He decided
on the latter mainly cause he didn't think he could bring himself to explain
it. He went into their room. Alex was still awake.

  "Hey Scott, I was beginning to think you weren't coming back. Is she okay?"

  "Uh, yeah she's fine. Could you, ah, come through to Cable's room with me?"
he asked thinking, 'Oh God, he's gonna ask why, I know he is'.

  "Sure." Alex got out of bed and pulled on a robe.

  Scott led him to Cable's door and hesitated a moment before he opened it.
Alex's jaw dropped and he turned bright red at the picture before him. Mhairie
lay on her back with her legs wrapped tightly around Cable's waist as they
kissed. Scott pushed Alex into the room before he could stop him and closed the
door loud enough for the entwined couple on the bed to hear. Cable looked up.

  "Hi Alex."

  "I..." he turned around but Scott was leaning against the door looking rather
guilty.

  "Sorry Alex."

   By this time Mhairie was off the bed and pulling Alex further into the room.
"You only just got here, don't tell me you want to leave already," she was
saying.

   "I really don't think I should be here," he replied, rather unconvincingly
Scott thought. He certainly didn't seem to be trying very hard to leave.
Mhairie undid his robe. He grabbed at it as it slipped down but Cable whisked
it aside with his telekinesis. He gave Alex a wide grin.

  "It's for your own good," he told him.

   Mhairie pulled his face down to hers and into a passionate kiss. Seeing Alex
was hooked Scott sat back down on the bed.

----

   Meanwhile in Shatterstar and Rictors' room things were a little calmer. Ric'
was sitting up in his bed with Star lying back against him. He twirled a piece
of Star's long hair in his fingers as they talked, his other hand about Star's
chest.

  "I wish we could stay here forever," he said. "We never get any privacy when
the rest of the team's around. And I'm sure Domino knows what's going on, she
keeps looking at me funny."

   "I would like to stay longer too. You are always so tense when the others
are around and I still don't understand why we can't just tell everyone we are
together. They are our friends, surely they will understand?"

  "I just don't feel I can tell them yet Star. I've known some of them for
years and I don't know what they'll say. But maybe we could stay here a little
longer. I mean we're already here, why shouldn't we stay a few more days after
the rest have gone? We could ask Cable."

  "Really? You mean it?"

  "Sure, why not."

  "That would be great!" Star sat up and turned around to kiss him lingeringly.
"Let's ask him now."

  "Now?" Rictor looked a little less enthusiastic.

  "Yes, come on." Shatterstar pulled him out of bed and threw his jeans at him.
"Put these on and hurry up."


----

   Scott was feeling a little left out. He could understand, he supposed. After
all she'd already had him, several times, Alex and Cable were new. She had
stripped the two of them and was straddling Alex's lap with Cable behind her.
Watching their hands roam across her body was really turning him on. She rose
up and leant back to allow Cable to kiss her while Alex sucked at her nipples.
It was then that the door opened.

  "Cable I..." Rictor stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride causing Shatterstar
to walk into his back as the door swung shut behind them.

  Mhairie turned around and smiled at the sight of the two handsome young men.
"Please come in and join us."

  Rictor turned to Cable in surprise. "Well come on then," he said gruffly.

   Rictor stayed where he was but Shatterstar, not quite so up on the do's and
don't's of human society, went to sit on the bed next to Scott. The threesome
went back to their foreplay and Scott looked nervously at Shatterstar. What
were they supposed to do, chat while they waited? Shatterstar smiled at him and
Scott couldn't help but notice how attractive he was, for a guy of course, he
smiled back. His smile froze when Star put a hand on his bare leg. He looked
down at it and it began to move, gently stroking up and down his inside thigh.
Another hand lifted his chin up and ran through his hair as it pulled him
closer and lips met his in a warm kiss. For a long moment he was too surprised
to do anything but as the young man began to probe his tongue into Scott's
mouth he broke away. He pushed Star away almost knocking him off the bed, but
Rictor caught him in time.

  "I can't... I mean I'm not..." Scott stammered backing away. "I'm sorry." He
turned and just about ran out of the room.

  Star looked confused. "I don't understand. I thought..." he gestured to
Cable, Alex and Mhairie. "I thought I was supposed to, that he wanted me to."

  Cable looked thoughtful. "Go after him," he told Star and Rictor. "He doesn't
know what he wants."

  Rictor looked rather indignant. "Don't tell us what to do Cable."

  "I'm sorry Rictor. Do what you want then," Cable said, not sounding
especially sorry.

  "Let's go after him Ric'. Please," said Shatterstar enthusiastically.

  Rictor sighed, "Alright fine, we'll go after him." He turned to go but then
turned back. "How long have you known? About Star and me," he asked.

  Cable grinned, "They don't call me a telepath for nothing."

  Rictor scowled and left the room pulling Star after him.

  Cable turned back to Mhairie and Alex. "Well, now that we've got rid of the
spectators what say we get down to business?" He reached back and pulled his
bag up onto the bed, fishing around in the bottom of it he drew out a small
bag. Tipping out the contents he produced several condoms and a small tube of
lubricant.

  "Came prepared did we?" said Mhairie.

  "Always."    

----

  When they entered his room Scott was sitting on the edge of his bed, his
shoulders slumped, staring at his feet. He wore just his briefs having left his
robe behind in Cable's room. He looked up as Star and Rictor came in. Star went
over and crouched down in front of him.

  "I wanted to apologize sir. I didn't mean to embarrass you, I thought you
wanted me to touch you."

  "It's my fault, I should have stopped you. You weren't to know." He suddenly
realised that Star's eyes had dropped to the erection that was still straining
in his briefs. He flushed red again.

  "I wanted to touch you sir," he said.

  "Don't call me sir," he said, the flush spreading down his chest.

  "Alright, Mr Summers." There was a hand on his leg again. Star bent down and
kissed the inside of his thigh, "So this time you will just tell me when you
want me to stop." He felt Rictor climb onto the bed behind him and hands slid
across his chest, fingers circling his nipples as lips sucked at his pulse. He
was pulled further onto the bed, Star climbing up after him and once more
bringing their lips together. This time he didn't stop him as the kiss
deepened. There was something intensly satisfying about the lack of control he
had. He spent his whole life being in charge, being responsible. Being pressed
between these two young men, who could probably subdue him if necessary, was
incredibly erotic.
He rested his head back on Rictor's shoulder as Star began a slow journey down
his neck and chest stopping to bite at his nipples and suck his belly-button
inside-out. Scott raised his hips allowing Star to remove his briefs and warm
lips closed on his erection. He groaned with pleasure as they stroked up and
down his cock, strong hands cupping his balls. It wasn't long before he came,
shooting his seed into Star's mouth where it was swallowed. Every last drop was
licked from his softening penis before Star climbed back up him to kiss his
lips, Scott could taste himself on Star's probing tongue. He sat up and pressed
Star closer to him savouring the kiss before he pushed him back onto the bed
and tugged off his jeans. Star's bottom half was as enticing as the rest of
him. Scott started with his foot and worked his way upwards. By the time he had
reached past Star's knee he was on all fours and with that view Rictor was past
waiting any longer. He ran quickly through to his room and got what he needed.
Back in the room he knelt behind Scott and lightly bit his ass to let him know
he was there, when he didn't
complain Rictor shucked his jeans and kneeling back down he slid a pre-lubed
condom onto his hard cock. He bent down and wrapped strong arms around Scott's
thighs as he put his mouth to the tight hole between his buttocks. He probed at
it with his tongue, wetting with saliva before he gently pushed a finger
inside. Scott groaned as he did so, but it didn't sound like pain so he added a
second finger. He began to push them in and out and it was all Scott could do
to concentrate on Star as he reached his crotch and began to lick his balls.
Deciding Scott was as ready as he was going to get Ric' removed his fingers and
placed the head of his cock against the waiting hole. Taking a hold of Scott's
hips he began to push inside. Scott did stop attending to Star then and
concentrated on what was happening behind him.

   "Just relax," Ric' told him. He was about four inches inside with another
three still to go. Pushing a little harder he slid right up to the hilt. Scott
sighed as he felt him come to rest against his back. "How does that feel?" Ric'
asked him as he ran his hands up and down his chest, curling them under his
arms and around his shoulders.

  "Good."
Ric' began to stroke in and out, slowly. "Ooh..." Scott bent his head back to
suck on Star's erection, seeing how deep he could take it into his mouth. He
could manage about six inches of it. He matched Ric's rhythm, he could feel
himself growing hard again already. 'Star came first, spraying the back of
Scott's throat. He tried to swallow it all but he wasn't in the best position
and it ran down his chin. Then Ric came, burying himself deep inside as he
groaned, finally coming to rest with his forehead against Scott's back and his
hair tickling his sides. Scott waited for him to withdraw before he sat up and
turned around to face him. Rictor laughed at the sight of him and leant forward
to lick up the come that dripped down his chin and neck. He slid a hand down to
Scott's erection.

  "_Still_ ready?"

  Scott nodded with a small smile. Shatterstar prodded him with a four toed
foot and turned over onto his stomach sticking his ass in the air
enthusiastically.

  "Go ahead," said Rictor opening a condom. "I don't mind." He slipped his
tongue into Scott's mouth as he slid the condom onto Scott's erect cock. They
kissed for several minutes before Ric' broke away and moved aside. He took a
pillow and stuffed it under Star's hips then lay down next to him. Star turned
his head so the two could kiss as Scott knelt between his legs and pressed his
sheathed erection home. Star moaned into Ric's mouth as he was filled.

----

   Meanwhile in Cable's room Alex was sleeping while Mhairie and Cable spied on
Scott. Cable had been against the idea at first but she had persuaded him.

  'I can't believe how much you've changed Scott,' thought Cable. 'I mean we
Summers have never been known for our loose inhibitions and openess and Scott
was always the most uptight of us.'

   'It was Jean really,' she replied. 'Besides I think this'll do him good. He
needs to relax more.'

  'I suppose so, all of us do. There always seems to be some mutant orother
threatening the Universe that we have to stop. You go on holidayor just go
fishing and what happens? You get kidnapped or attacked by Sentinels or whisked
into the future or another dimension.' He laughed. 'A little of this sort of
R&R never did anyone any harm.'

  The two curled a little closer, lit only by the glow of Cable's eye. He
kissed her gently and they settled down to sleep.

***** Catch Me If You Can *****
Chapter Notes
     You know I was noticing as I was writing this that I tend to
     visualise the stories much like the comics, in frames. If I ever get
     my artwork up to spec I could put together some of those X-rated
     comics you occasionally see a fanboy wishing for over on rac.mx
     (usenet group rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks). Of course those of us
     who have more active imaginations don't need pictures, we can see it
     all just fine ;-) Please note the following meanings...
     Andante con moto--slow, then with a bit more movement
     Piu vivo--little faster
     Tempo allegro--fast
     Agitato--very fast, agitated
     Marcato--both staccato and accented
     All characters except Mhairie belong to Marvel Comics Inc.

                       Mhairie Chapter 5
                      Catch Me If You Can
                September 1995


   Rictor and Shatterstar stayed in Scotland. The rest of them flew back to
America the next day, arriving in the early evening only three days after
Mhairie had been taken. Wolverine picked them up at the airport giving Cable
and Alex a knowing look as they said their goodbye's, a quick shower wasn't
enough to rid them of her scent. But far more interesting was Scott's scent,
both Rictor and Shatterstar if he wasn't mistaken and he was never mistaken. He
gave Scott a wide, rather feral, grin leaving him somewhat confused and a
little worried. Wolverine liked to know more than everyone else, especially
when it involved Scott and
Jean. Scott climbed into the back, not feeling entirely comfortable near
Wolverine. Mhairie, on the other hand, drew him into a passionate kiss before
she let him start the car and kept her hand on his leg as he drove. Drawing
circles with her fingernails on his inside thigh. After all that time in the
plane she felt like a little exercise. She'd been tempted to try joining the
mile high club but after checking out the bathroom she'd decided against it.
She didn't think the bathroom would
survive it.

   When they got to the mansion several of the team were waiting for them;
Gambit, Jean, Jubilee, Bobby and the Professor. Jubilee ran to hug her as she
got out the car.

   "I was so worried, I would've gone too but they wouldn't let me. You are all
right aren't you?"

   "I'm fine, really," Mhairie laughed returning the hug.

   Jubilee suddenly became aware of the presence of the others. "Well sure. I
mean, like, I knew that." She scuffed her shoe in the gravel of the drive and
folded her arms self-consciously.

   Mhairie smiled, holding back her laugh so as not to annoy Jubilee. The
Professor had already taken Scott aside for a quick review of what had
happened, a proper debriefing would occur tomorrow morning. Gambit came up
behind her and whispered in her ear, "You be wantin' an early night, non? What
say Gambit come help you get to sleep?"

   She was about to accept when she noticed Logan leaning against the bannister
at the top of the stairs, the expression on his face told her he was waiting
for her. Decisions, decisions. She beckoned Logan down the stairs until they
were on either side of her.

   "A little competition never did anyone any harm," she said with a smile.
"Catch me if you can!"

   With that she turned tail and ran back out the front door. The two men stood
facing each other a moment before they raced after her. She stood in the middle
of the grass facing them.

   "What be the rules Chere, we allowed to use our powers or what?" Gambit
asked.

   "Real men don't need no powers to win this!" Wolverine threw at him.

   "Powers are in," Mhairie shouted. "Anything goes, just don't kill each
other." Then she ran again.

   Gambit got to her first but she twisted out of the way and Logan pounced.
Gambit knocked him aside with a charged card and grabbed hold of her only to be
knocked aside by an optic blast as Scott came charging into the fray.

----

   Above in the mansion Psylocke and Archangel watched through the window.

   "You want to join in don't you?" Psylocke said.

   Warren looked embarrassed, knowing he couldn't deny it to his telepathic
girlfriend.

   "Go on then," she added.

   He turned to her in amazement as she slipped a rubber into his jeans pocket.
"I'll be down in a minute." As she left the room Warren opened the window and
swooped down, grabbing Mhairie from Scott's arms.

   "Is this a private hunt or can anyone join in?" he asked her.

   She laughed, "Open day on me." And then screamed as Scott blasted Warren out
of the sky and she plummeted towards the ground. She was caught at the last
minute by Scott who was then tackled by Logan and Gambit. But just then a voice
came from behind them.

   "Oh boys! Mind if I play too?" It was Jean, leaning against a tree.

   After a moments hesitation Gambit and Logan both leapt for her. Scott
thought he'd won but only for a moment as once more Warren dive bombed him and
stole his prize. He tried to knock him out of the sky again but this time
Warren was ready and dodged aside. Scott was crippled by the fact that he had
to be careful not to hit Mhairie. Then a voice distracted him.

   "Excuse me." Low and sultry, it was Psylocke. By the time he looked back
Warren and Mhairie were gone and he saw Betsy had distracted Gambit too,
allowing Wolverine to escape with Jean. The two remaining men eyed Psylocke
hungrily.

   "You playin' too Bets?" Gambit asked.

   She nodded gracefully, one hand on her hip. As one the two men leapt for her
and she ran. She dodged between the two of them nimbly in what almost seemed a
choreographed dance and it appeared neither of them would be able to catch her
when Gambit snagged her about the waist. But Scott wasn't giving in that easy,
a light optic blast to the head knocked Gambit for six just long enough for
Scott to vanish into the darkness with Betsy over his shoulder.

   Gambit sat up shaking his head and looked around. "Merde!" he swore.
"Whatever happen to first come first served?" He fished around in his pockets
and withdrew a battered packet of cigarettes. Lighting one he lay back on the
grass and watched Warren circling slowly high overhead, a black silhouette
against the starry sky. He heard a noise behind him and tilted his head back to
see an upside down Jubilee approaching him.

   "Did Wolvie win then?" she asked.

   "'Bout everyone but Gambit win p'tite. If you mean Mhairie, she be up there
wit' Archangel."

   Jubilee looked up to where he pointed in time to see a shirt come fluttering
out of the sky and land in the topmost branches of a nearby tree. "Wonder what
Psylocke'll say to that?" she mused.

   "Not much seein' as Cyclops vanish into da woods wit' her a while back,"
Gambit told her. With the number of people getting involved it didn't really
seem to be much of a secret. If he thought about it he would have to admit that
it was all getting a bit unlikely, but then life had always been rather
unlikely for the X-Men and he sure preferred this kind of unlikely to how
unlikely it was that they would be attacked by Sentinels or cloned or killed
and then reborn. He could get used to this sort of unlikely, it was just a pity
Rogue couldn't join in the fun. But she was away at the moment, taking a much
needed break from the X-Men, from him too he supposed. He realised Jubilee had
asked him something. "What was dat?"

   "I said, 'If Scott is with Betsy and Warren and Mhairie are up there then
where's Wolvie?'" she repeated impatiently.

   "T'ink 'bout it Chere, where do you t'ink he be?"

   "Oh." Jubilee put two and two together and came up with Jean. "Damn!" She
sat down and leant against his side looking up at the sky for a moment, then
she turned to him. "I don't suppose you..."

   "No!"
   "Well ya don't have to be quite so emphatic ya know, I was only askin'. I
mean there's only two years between me an' Mhairie ya know."

   "Dere be a lot more than two years between you p'tite. You have t'accept
you're a kid b'fore you can get round t'bein' an adult."

   "This is like so unfair!" she complained and lay back on the grass, her head
resting on Gambit's stomach. Gambit pulled on his cigarette and they both
watched the high flying couple above them.

---

   Warren and Mhairie kissed deeply, getting a feel for one another as they
hovered vertically. Then he slowly leaned back leaving her sitting on his
abdomen, feet tucked about his waist, and began to circle slowly. A holding
pattern he and Betsy had become quite practised at over the past few weeks. She
looked about her at the view, it was stunning.

   "How long can you stay up here?" she asked.

   "I can circle like this for hours," he told her with a smile.

   She leaned back down over him for another long kiss, so intimate, these deep
kisses. Like becoming part of a person. Eyes closed, melting inside them,
tasting them. They continued it as she unbuttoned his shirt, his hands going
over his shoulders to undo the special clasps that allowed it to fit on over
his wings. It fluttered away to the Earth below them. Now he could feel the
wetness and heat of her pussy against his stomach, she obviously hadn't felt
the need to wear underwear
despite the shortness of her dress. They finally broke the kiss and she sat up
straight. His hands went to caress her breasts through her clothes and pull the
straps of her loose off-white pinafore dress down so it hung low on her hips
like a skirt. He removed the dark blue vest she wore exposing her breasts and
let it float away in the breeze. He ran his hands over her nipples and she
copied his movements. They continued to tease one another this way until
Mhairie slid far enough back to be aware of the bulge of Warren's erection
pressing against her buttocks. She brought his hands down to her waist to
support her as she uncrossed her legs from about his waist and carefully turned
around so that she faced his legs. Sliding back to perch on his chest she began
to undo his jeans. He grabbed one of her arms to get her attention, she turned
her head.

   "In the left hand front pocket," he told her.

   She slid a hand into that pocket and found the condom Betsy had given him.
She tucked it into her palm while she continued to rid him of his jeans and y-
fronts, allowing them to fall away in the wind. Bending down she took his
erection into her mouth. She had to scoot her hips further back to do this
comfortably and Warren took her knees onto his shoulders bringing her pussy up
to his mouth. He immediately began to lick at it, pushing his tongue between
the folds as she moaned through a mouthful of pale-blue penis. They sixty-nined
until Warren felt he couldn't take any more and pulled her back. She slid on
the condom before she turned herself around again and then positioned herself
over him, hands on his chest and feet tucked over his thighs as she lowered
herself onto his
engorged member with a sigh...

----

   Logan and Jean scarpered the minute Psylocke had distracted the other two
men and didn't stop until they thought they were far enough away to be safe.
They fell into a passionate embrace on the soft grass, deep in the woods. When
they broke the kiss Logan looked worried.

   "What're we doin' here Red? This ain't the same thing as Scott messin' about
with Mhairie an' we both know it."

   She took his hands. "You and I have always been close Logan. The best of
friends. And I think that there have been times when we have mistaken that
friendship and the physical attraction between us for something more. But
surely by now we can both see our relationship for what it is? Surely we can
tell the difference between the love of friends and the type of love that I
have for Scott?"

   "But what is the difference Jean?"

   "I think you can answer that Logan."
   
   He nodded. "I guess so. I've been around the block too many times to deny
it." He pulled her closer, "But I do want you Jean, whatever kind a love we
got. I always wanted you." He kissed her again, pushing her back onto the
grass. "An' this time I'm gonna get what I want." He began to pull off his
clothes, still pinning her to the ground by half sitting on her, half kneeling
over her. As he threw aside his shirt his shorts and underwear fell apart at
the seams thanks to a little telekinetic jiggery pokery. 'Two can play at that
game,' he thought as he took hold of her dress and ripped it straight down the
front. He bit her erect nipples
through her bra before slicing the straps with his claws and pulling it aside.
As he assaulted her breasts with his mouth his hands went to her crotch. Soon
her panties were gone and his fingers were slick with her juices as they probed
into her. One of her hands was wrapped around his cock while the other massaged
his balls...

----

   Scott carried Betsy into the woods as well but when they tumbled to the
ground together there were no meaningful words, no tender expressions of
friendship or love. Although each would count the other as a friend the main
pull of the bond between them was physical. Desire, perhaps a better word would
be lust. No confusion there as Scott pressed her naked body into the moist
earth with his weight. No second thoughts as Betsy wrapped her long legs about
his waist and urged him to plunge into her. No words at all needed for animal
passion...

----

   As Mhairie began to speed up the movement of her hips Warren grasped her
about the waist and ass and swung over so that he could control the stroke. She
hooked her arms about his shoulders and crossed her legs around his hips to
take some of the strain of holding her off him. He held her just close enough
for her erect nipples to brush against his chest as they moved in an ever
increasing rhythm. Andante con moto, piu vivo, tempro allegro, agitato,
marcato. Moans blown away by the wind as they spiralled lower, Warren's
concentration slipping. Low enough now for Gambit and Jubilee to make out more
than just a black silhouette. As they orgasmed his wings locked and they began
to drift to the ground. By the time he settled them gently onto the grass only
a few metres from where
Jubilee and Gambit lay. Exhausted they stayed where they landed, moulding
themselves into another lingering kiss.

   Gambit's cigarette was smoking itself out on the damp grass as he watched
their naked bodies press together with an intent expression. Lying on his side
with one hand digging into the earth in frustration. Jubilee sat against him
watching too, heat flooding through her thighs. She could feel Gambits muscles
tense against her back and looking at his face she could see how turned on he
was as he chewed on his lip, his breathing faster than normal. She turned her
head the other way and she could plainly see the growing bulge in his jeans,
she reached out her hand and brushed across it. Gambit gasped and looked up at
her but she
was simply staring over at Warren and Mhairie as if nothing was happening. But
he could still feel her hand there, rubbing a little harder now and moving to
unzip his jeans.

   He grabbed the arm he could reach, "Jubilee don't."

   "Don't do what?" she said snapping her gum. "I ain't doin' nuthin'."

   His erection was now free of his clothing and her hand was grasping it,
stroking up and down. "Jubilee... unh." He closed his eyes as the sensations
washed over him.

   She gave a small smile but continued to watch the gently moving couple
across from them as they came down from their previous excitement. She could
feel pre-cum oozing from Gambit's cock and she gathered it in her hand,
spreading it down his shaft as she pumped faster. His breathing was becoming
very heavy now, the hand that had held her arm was now tight around her waist
pressing her against him. She felt his penis twitch and turned her head to
watch his face as he let loose streamers of sperm onto the grass. When he was
done he rolled onto his back gasping for breath, the sweat on his forehead
glittering in the moonlight. Jubilee licked a few dribbles of sperm from her
hand and from the tip of his limpening cock and then tucked it back into his
pants, doing up his jeans again.
Then she got up and headed back into the house, passing Mhairie and Warren on
the way.

   "Geez you two, quit makin' an exhibition of yourselves," she told them.
"There are minors present ya know."

   The couple broke their kiss to smile after her and then got up and flew to
the open window Warren had left through. Gambit remained on the grass watching
the sky. After a while he fished out another cigarette and lit it. He watched
his smoke curl around the stars and figured the unlikelihood of being brought
off by a very willing fourteen year old girl was definitely better than the
unlikelihood of being possessed by the Brood or attacked by a cosmic avatar.
Even if it was on rather unstable moral grounds. I mean how many times did a
guy have to say no? Maybe if the Professor found out he could claim she had
raped him. He began to
laugh.

----

   During all this Dr Henry McCoy and Charles Xavier were talking in the
Professor's study over coffee.

   "I am worried about something I have noticed in the past few days Hank,
since Mhairie has arrived. The atmosphere of a house always has a certain
flavour to a telepath depending on the pervading feelings of the residents. I
can tell how tense or relaxed the team is in general, whether they are
frustrated, angry, tired, happy... you get the idea. Recently I have felt an
enormous increase in the amount of... sexual tension in the air. The whole team
seems to be affected. I was unsure of the cause until Mhairie was taken to
Scotland and it vanished. The minute she returned so did the emotions. Have you
noticed anything?"

   Beast smiled at this, remembering his encounter with Mhairie the evening
before her kidnapping. "I think I know what you mean. But I'm not so sure it's
anything to worry about. She is a very attractive young girl who tends not to
wear much in the way of clothing. She's very open and very tactile, that's
bound to raise the sexual tension around here for a while. I'm sure once we get
used to her being around it'll fade."

   The Professor nodded over steepled fingers. "Perhaps you are right. But all
the same I would like you to run some tests to be sure, on her and on the rest
of the team. Hormone levels, pheromones, brain wave patterns, that sort of
thing. Just in case."

   "All right," agreed Hank. "Just in case."

   As he walked back to his lab to work out a schedule for the tests before he
went to bed he thought over what the Professor had said. He had been feeling
more aroused than normal when Mhairie had been around but he didn't think there
was anything unusual in that. In fact just thinking back on the one kiss he had
allowed made heat rush through him. The Professor was getting paranoid. Or
perhaps the Professor was uncomfortable with his own reaction to Mhairie's
presence. It wasn't every day that an attractive young girl sat in his lap and
kissed him rather lingeringly on the lips as thanks for letting her move in. He
had never seen the Professor blush before, or if he had he didn't remember it.
As he figured out what tests he would run he realised the Professor would want
a full physical done on Mhairie. If his last meeting with was anything to go by
that would be an... interesting experience.

***** Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves *****
Chapter Notes
     I should like to point out to all and sundry that this story (and all
     the other Mhairie stories) is not meant to be deep and meaningful. If
     it seems at times to have little plot and be full of unlikely twists
     that appear only to exist to get people in bed together then that's
     because they are only there to get people in bed together. I make no
     pretence
     that this is supposed to be literature, it's not. It's fun. It
     doesn't have to make sense and it's not supposed to be realistic...
     so there.

                        Mhairie Chapter 6
                Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves
             October 1995

   
   Mhairie woke up in Warren's bedroom. She lay on her back gazing up at the
ceiling. Warren was still asleep on his stomach, it must be kind of awkward
getting comfortable with those folded metal wings sticking out his back, one
arm draped across her. She looked around his room. It was a large four poster
bed of oak they slept in. The rest of the furnishings were as expensive though
more understated. The walls were cream, the floor bare and polished. The blinds
were still up and bright sunshine sparkled on the floor invitingly. She slid
out from under his arm, careful not to wake him, and lay down in the sunshine.
The glass of the
window filtered out some of the energy but enough got through to make it worth
while and before long she was ready for anything, well for a shower anyway. She
quietly left the room and headed for the nearest bathroom. She passed Storm on
her way, coming down from her attic, and smiled a greeting.

   Ororo watched her go with a regretful smile. She remembered her days as a
goddess in Africa when she had never needed to think twice about clothing, she
had been so free then. She missed that freedom, but not the solitude that had
gone with it. She was happy here even if she could no longer walk naked as the
day she was born, at one with the world.

   After Mhairie had showered she went to Jubilee's room, she got no response
to her knock so opened the door to peek in. The room was still in darkness
though in the light from the hall a jumble of clothes and magazines could be
made out, presumably there was a bed there somewhere. She went inside and
opened the curtains. A vague moan came from the biggest pile of stuff,
theorising the bed was under there somewhere Mhairie swept the clothes aside.

   "Go 'way," groaned Jubilee feebly tugging the sheets over her head. "I ain't
gettin' up yet an' ya can't make me."

   "Don't be silly, you've been asleep for ages. You can't possibly still be
tired." Mhairie pushed her aside a little and sprawled on the bed.

   "I'm not tired, I'm lazy. There's a diff'rence ya know. Where's Mr Warren
Worthington, billionaire playboy?"

   "Asleep, what's up with you?"

   Jubilee turned onto her side and screwed up her face. "Wolvie vanished with
Mrs Jean "perfect" Summers and won't no one else touch me with a barge pole,
even Gumbo. Bein' a kid really sucks. Not that you'd know! Jumpin' in an' out
the sack so fast ya'd think you were Quicksilver or somethin'. Ah betcha slept
with half the rescue party in Scotland too, didn'tcha?"

   "Well..." Mhairie had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "A couple of
them."

   "See!" Jubilee turned to face the wall and scrunched herself up in a sulk.
"It's not fair!"

   Mhairie smiled at Jubilee's frustration and rolled over against her back,
sliding an arm around her. "Who said life was fair?" She lay there for a moment
before she felt Jubilee's hand slide over her own, pulling her arm tighter
around the girl.

   "You never did tell me exactly what happened between you and Jean," Jubilee
said quietly. She ran her fingers across the back of Mhairie's hand. "Don't
suppose ya feel like showin' me?"

   Mhairie smiled and began to caress Jubilee's breasts through the baggy t-
shirt she wore. After a while she moved her hand down again to slide under the
t-shirt and cup a breast in her hand. She ran her fingers around it allowing
the nipple to brush back and forth against the palm of her hand for a while
before bring her thumb in to tease the nipple fully erect and then rolling it
and squeezing it between her fingers. Jubilee was now sagging against her and
moaning slightly so Mhairie moved aside to let her roll onto her back and
pushed the t-shirt up so she could take the nipple into her mouth. The towel
that held her wet hair slid off and
cascades of it fell across Jubilee's chest and stomach causing her to cry out
in surprise.

   "Oops, sorry." Mhairie sat up pulling her hair back and reaching for the
towel but Jubilee got it first as she too sat up. She turned Mhairie around and
began to towel dry her hair and then gently combed it out and tied it back in a
damp ponytail. Mhairie turned back around.

   "Thanks." She reached out to run dancing fingertips down Jubilee's cheek to
catch her chin and pull her willingly into a kiss, the two girls tumbled back
as they twined around one another. Mhairie resumed where she had left off and
soon had Jubilee writhing under the teasing of her tongue between the swollen
lips of her pussy. As she brought Jubilee closer to her climax she felt her own
pussy throbbing urgently. She had to admit she felt much closer to Jubilee than
to the others, perhaps because they were so close in age. They certainly didn't
have much else in common. But despite this she felt drawn to her, doing this to
her gave her almost as much pleasure as having it done to her. She plunged her
tongue deep inside Jubilee feeling muscles contract about it as she finally
orgasmed. Mhairie moved back up to press her body against Jubilee's.

   "So are you going to get up now?" Mhairie asked.
 
   Jubilee looked into her eyes thoughtfully before answering, "I suppose so."
Then suddenly she rolled on top of Mhairie and kissed her deeply. When they
parted Jubilee once more looked into her eyes for a moment before she bounced
off the bed and began to dig through her clothes for something not quite as
crumpled as the rest. Mhairie sat up and pulled the band out of her
hair,combing it out again to let it dry. She watched Jubilee strip off her t-
shirt and dress in bright blue
knickers, tight denim cut-offs and a white t-shirt with a bleeding bullet wound
over her heart, on the back it said "Shoot to Kill". Jubilee opened a drawer
and after a quick rummage threw a dark blue crop top, matching knickers and
extremely short denim shorts at her. She put on the crop top but looked at the
shorts and knickers suspiciously.

   "Humour me," said Jubilee.

   What the hell, thought Mhairie and put them on. She usually wore skirts or
dresses and no underwear but it wouldn't kill her to wear these. Actually they
felt quite nice as a change from the norm. The tight shorts rubbed against her
still hot pussy and where the seams met they pressed into her as she moved. She
took Jubilee's hand and they left the room.

----
   When they got down to the kitchen several team members were already eating
breakfast. Gambit (to whom Jubilee threw a wicked grin), Storm who smiled a
good morning to the two girls, Iceman and Beast. Jubilee got herself coffee and
toast and Mhairie took a grapefruit. As they sat down to eat Warren joined
them. To Storm, Bobby and Beasts' surprise he kissed Mhairie good morning
before getting himself a bowl of muesli and orange juice. Under the table
Jubilee possessively laid a hand on Mhairie's leg. When Warren had sat down
Hank cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

   "The Professor has requested I run brief physicals on everyone today. If you
would all come by the infirmary sometime this morning it shouldn't take too
long."

   "That's unusual," Storm noted. "Is Charles worried about anything in
particular?"

   "I... ah..." Beast glanced at Mhairie. "Really couldn't say."

   Mhairie stared at him concerned, what was going on? "Does that include me
Henry?" she asked.

   "Umm... you have never had a physical so we have no records for you on file.
I'll need to do a... complete physical. If that's all right?"

   From the look of things he was hoping she'd refuse, he was kind of cute when
he was embarrassed. "Of course, when should I come?"

   "Half past three would be suitable," he told her resignedly.

   She decided not to worry about it till then and went back to trying to eat
her grapefruit without getting juice in her eye and playing footsie under the
table with Gambit.

----

   Scott and Betsy had gone back to the boathouse after their tryst and spent
the night there. Wolverine and Jean turned up as they were eating breakfast,
obviously having spent the night in the woods. She was wearing his shirt and he
had the remains of her dress tied about his waist. Scott tried not to glare at
Wolverine, it wasn't easy. There certainly wasn't any love lost there. Betsy
smiled at them nervously, very aware of the sudden tension in the room.

   Scott came round and kissed his wife gently on the cheek murmuring, "Morning
love."

   Wolverine sat down at the table with a gruff "Betts" and poured himself a
coffee.

   Jean looked around at them, all silently pretending nothing had happened.
"Oh stop it will you!" she exclaimed. They all stared at her as if she had
grown horns. "This is ridiculous," she told them. "It's not as if we haven't
known each other for years, been friends for years. Surely we can handle this
better than an embarrassed silence?"

   "I ain't embarrassed at nuthin' I did," said Logan. "But your husband an'
me," he eyed Scott, "ain't never been bosom buddies an' this ain't gonna change
that."

   Scott bristled at this. "You've never really been one of the team Logan,
always the loner, always ready to challenge orders. Don't blame me for your
problems with authority."

   "Don't give me that bull Summers. You disliked me from the moment you set
eyes on me and you know it, cause I'm everythin' your not."

   Scott opened his mouth to retort but Betsy spoke first. "Really boys. From
silence to open warfare, there's a step forward." She stood up and went to the
door. "If anyone wants me I'll be upstairs making the bed." She slinked out the
door, her ass swinging beneath her tight panties and went up the stairs.

   "I'm going to help her," said Jean. "You two try not to break anything,
especially each other, while I'm gone."

   The two men settled opposite one another at the table as she left and
proceeded to glare at one another while they drank their coffee, though the
effect was somewhat marred by Scott's ruby quartz glasses.

   Finally Wolverine spoke, though it was more bating than small talk. "I hear
Rictor and Shatterstar were in Scotland with you." He eyed Scott meaningfully,
trying to antagonise him.

   Scott hid his shock at the unexpected statement quite well, only spilling a
little of his coffee. "Yes," he answered. "Rictor told Cable he wasn't going
unless he could bring Shatterstar." 'What the hell does he know?' he thought.
'How could he know anything?'

   "You know," remarked Wolverine. "It's amazing how sensitive a sense of smell
can be. I can still smell Bets all over you even though you've had a shower
since."

   Scott frowned at the incongruous statement and then lightening struck.
Wolverine had picked them up at the airport the next day. He'd only had a very
quick shower to freshen up before they left. His face flushed bright red as he
realized what this meant.

   "I'll be goin' then." Logan headed out the kitchen door and didn't start
laughing until he was well away. He didn't give a damn what Cyclops did with
who in his spare time as long as Jeannie was happy but it sure was fun making
the man squirm every now and then.

----

   When Jean got to the bedroom Betsy had finished straightening the bed and
was pulling on her jeans.

   "I'm sorry about that," said Jean. "Those two seem to regress to name
calling at any excuse."

   Betsy smiled, "I know. But you'd think they'd be in a better mood after last
night."

   "You had a good time then?" Jean asked cautiously.

   "You want to look?"

   "You don't mind?"

   "I must admit to being rather curious about you and Wolverine myself."

   "Well I suppose..." Jean extended her mind to Betsy and she began to replay
her activities with Scott the night before. Eyes closed they sank down on to
the bed so they could concentrate.

----

   Scott sat quietly for a while, his mind racing. Things were getting
really... strange. He wished he could just forget all about Rictor and 'Star
and what had happened in Scotland, go back to being... normal. God that sounded
so hypocritical, he was a mutant. He would never be normal, whatever that meant
anyway. If he could be proud of being a mutant he could be proud of being a...
a... "Bisexual." There. He'd said it. Now all he had to do was cope with it.
That and tell Jean. He'd been keeping the events in Scotland to the back of his
mind so she wouldn't pick up on them unless she really searched, which she
wouldn't do without asking. But he should tell her now. He headed upstairs.

---

   As Jean 'watched' Betsy and Scott make love and then went over her night
with Logan for Betsy she felt herself growing wet. She rubbed her legs
together, her hands straying to caress her breasts as she thought through every
touch, every kiss, every thrust of the night before. Suddenly she felt Betsy's
hands on hers, moving them aside. She opened her eyes to see Betsy leaning over
her, eyes aflame. Her hands began to massage Jean's breasts through the cotton
shirt and her lips descended to open Jean's own, tongue thrusting inside
insistently. Jean didn't protest, her own passion flaring higher. As their
tongues slid past one
another Betsy's hands undid the shirt and began to slide over Jean's soft skin,
so delicate, finally alighting on the soft mound of red hair between her legs.
She could feel the wetness already there and worked her fingers in between the
folds to caress her.

----

   When Scott opened the bedroom door he was treated a sight he had fantasized
about more than once. Jean lay sprawled on her back on the bed, naked but for
an unbuttoned shirt, with Betsy lying half over her with one hand between her
legs as they kissed. He slipped into the room and closed the door quietly.  

   They both heard the door but ignored it. Betsy continued the movement of her
fingers, sliding down to thrust two inside her, breaking the kiss as Jean
became more aroused so she could watch her twist and arch under the sure
strokes, breathing hard and making soft noises. The sounds became sharper as
Betsy picked up the pace and finally brought Jean to orgasm, fingers buried
deep inside the clenching muscles. When Jean opened her eyes again Betsy
brought her fingers to her mouth and licked them clean of Jeans juices. Then
she knelt up and removed her t-shirt and knickers, lying back on the bed she
spread her legs wide open. She arched a delicate eyebrow at Jean, her back to
Scott. Jean looked up at her husband who leant against the closed door and gave
him a wicked smile before vanishing down between Betsy's long legs. As Betsy
began to gasp in pleasure Scott took a few steps closer. Jean's fiery hair
sprayed across Betsy's soft thighs as she lapped gently, teasingly, at her
slit. The very lightest of touches caused Betsy to moan, eyelids fluttering.
She tangled one delicate hand in Jean's hair pushing her closer. Urging her to
press harder, faster. Jean complied, bringing her hand up to slide two fingers
inside Betsy as the twisted her tongue around her swollen clit. Betsy began to
moan Jean's name as she spiralled higher, finally coming with a telepathic
burst that made Jean and Scott cry out with her. Jean slid up to kiss the
breathless woman, juices making her lips shine. Scott hesitantly moved over to
the bed. The two women turned to him, his erection stuck prominantly out under
his pyjama bottoms.

   Jean looked up at him, "After the way you behaved earlier you can get rid of
that yourself. Come on Bets."

   The two women stood up and disappeared off to the bathroom leaving Scott and
his erection to their disappointment.

***** Fallen Heroes *****
This is a bit depressing for Christmas, sorry.

(no sex!)
                        Mhairie Chapter 7
                          Fallen Heroes
              December 1995

   Hank spent the rest of the morning taking blood samples, brain wave scans
and various other tests of the X-Men and asking them to bring in urine samples
tomorrow. He was getting quite adept at fielding questions as to the reason for
the testing. The Professor felt the results might be affected if the reasons
were known. As he worked he conducted conversations in his head. Conversations
with Mhairie. Not that he was apprehensive of the confrontation, as he thought
of it. Not at all.

   '"I feel you should speak to Professor Xavier about your..." um... how to
put it? Better try something else.
    "Don't you feel it would be more pertinent to pursue someone closer to your
own age?" he asked her. God no, that sounded dreadful. He wasn't that old was
he? Yes, he reminded himself, you are. But he still refused to say that. How
about trying an outright lie?
    "I'm afraid I just don't find you attractive." Well that was as transparent
as glass.
    "Aardvark," he saw her reply. Why did she always seem to run around his
head with no clothes on?
    "Put your clothes on young lady," he told her in his best old person voice.
In reply she stuck out her tongue. "I shall have you know I have gone up
against some of the greatest minds known to mankind, I will not be swayed." She
smiled at him with one of those looks she had. The sort of look that makes you
think she knows something you don't about the basic workings of life, the
universe and everything. Something really intrinsic that somehow makes every
word you say completely pointless. Cause she knows you're going to give in
eventually.
    "I am not!" he told her. His mental voice sounded worryingly unsure to him.
How come he seemed to be losing the argument and she wasn't even there yet. He
had a sneaking suspicion it might be related to the length of time it had been
since he had slept with anyone. Which was... too long to bear thinking about.
Being a mutant, blue-furred, workaholic, legacy virus researching X-Man didn't
do much for his social life.'

   He sighed and removed the needle from the syringe full of Scott Summers
blood, opening a new syringe for his next client. Archangel. Warren sat calmly
on the edge of the bio-bed as Hank dipped the metal tip in alcohol and flamed
it off just to be sure before using it. He didn't flinch when Hank entered the
vein. Bobby had nearly knocked the needle out jumping away. As he drew the
blood he couldn't help but satisfy his curiosity, piqued that morning at
breakfast.

   "How are things between you and Betsy?" he asked cautiously.

   Warren smiled in reply, "Fine, better than fine. Wonderful."

   Beast humphed, "Indeed."

----

   Three o'clock. He could swear that he heard the digital clock on the wall
ticking. The brain scans had all appeared normal, at a glance anyway and he
expected the blood tests would be the same. A wasted day that could have been
spent on research.

   Three fifteen. It was definitely ticking. Suddenly he felt what was almost
an adrenaline rush, but purely sexual.

   "Henry?" Arms slipped around his waist. She was early.

   He removed her arms and turned around. "Mhairie." Inspiration struck. "I
have an idea."

   "How exciting."

   She ran her fingers through his fur and he removed them, holding them in his
hands as he explained. "I want to test a theory I've just devised. I'm going to
hook someone up to a brainwave recorder and then I want you to come into the
room where he can't see you. I'll bring Jean in and she can tell you when to
come through."

   Mhairie frowned, "What's the theory?"

   "I'll tell you afterwards."

----

   Beast hooked Gambit up to the scanners for the second time that day and ran
them for a few minutes to get a baseline reading. Then he nodded to Jean and
she telepathically called Mhairie through. He had blocked Gambit's ears so he
wouldn't hear her come in. As instructed she simply stood in the doorway behind
Gambit where she could see him. After a few minutes Beast nodded to her and she
came forward till she was half way between the door and the stool Gambit sat
in. As she stood there she admired his back, his shirt lay on the bio-bed
nearby as there were sensors stuck to his back and chest reading his heartbeat
and breathing. Another nod and she came forward until she stood right behind
him. Beast bent over the computer and smiled at the results it showed. Another
few
minutes, another nod and Mhairie finally came around in front of Gambit where
he could see her. He looked up at her surprised and she smiled at him. God he
had gorgeous eyes. He smiled back and she had to fight down the urge to kiss
him.

   "Well I think that about confirms my theory," announced Beast with a smile,
leaning forward to remove Gambit's earplugs. "You can both relax now." In
response Gambit took Mhairie's hands and pulled her forward into a kiss. Beast
sighed in exasperation. "If you two don't mind I think Professor Xavier would
be very interested in these results."

   Mhairie released Gambit and turned around. "What?"

   Beast drew her forward and showed her the results. When you came into the
room, even though Gambit couldn't see you, his heart rate increased, his
breathing became shallower and his brain wave pattern changed noticeably. He
showed all the usual signs of sexual arousal.

   Mhairie looked upset at this. "You mean I'm _making_ him interested in me?
Controlling his mind?"

   "Now wait a minute," said Beast. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

   Jean came forward. "You can't be directly influencing people's minds, that
would have been too obvious to both the Professor and me. If it's telepathy
then it must be working on the subconscious mind, something on that level
probably isn't strong enough to make someone do something they don't already
want to do. It could of course be pheromones of some sort but I suspect Logan
would have detected that. It does explain a few things that I'd wondered about.
But then it doesn't explain everything."

   "What does it explain?" Mhairie asked, sounding rather piqued at the whole
situation.

   "Well you are very young. Normally I would expect _most_ of us," she raised
a dubious eyebrow at Gambit and he grinned, "To be put off by that. But it
doesn't explain things like last night or when you're not around."

   "Last night?" asked Beast. "What happened last night?"
 
   "Beast mon ami, you been missin' out on all de fun round here," answered
Gambit. "But den Gambit din't do too good for himself las' night neither, an'
he was dere first."

   "Not quite, strictly speaking Logan was there first," put in Mhairie.

   "Dat's not de point."

   "What on Earth is going on here," demanded Beast.

   "Well if you weren't so stubborn Henry maybe you'd know," answered Mhairie
moving closer to him and slipping her hands under his lab coat. "You feel so
nice." She rubbed her face against his chest like a cat, pressing her body full
length against his.

   "I really don't..." Beast began, about to push her away.

   "Oh Hank, don't be such a stick in the mud," laughed Jean.

   "Why don't y' jus' shut up an' kiss de girl, Henri," suggested Gambit.
 
   "Well I... I mean..." he broke off and looked down at Mhairie who raised her
face and pulled his head down so she could reach his mouth. He relented and
kissed her.

   Jean smiled and moved around to stand behind Gambit. She ran her hands
across his shoulders and carefully removed the sensors that were still
recording. He took her arm and pulled her around, but before they could kiss
alarms sounded through the mansion. Storm's voice rang through the room.

   "Alert. The mansion is under attack. This is not a drill. Repeat the mansion
is under attack. Professor X, Jubilee, Iceman, Psylocke and Mhairie report to
the briefing room immediately. All other personnel rendevous in front of the
mansion."

   Jean, Gambit and Beast were out of the room before the echo had faded. Hanks
lab coat lay crumpled on the floor. Mhairie stared after them for a moment and
then shook herself and headed for the briefing room.

   Having been in the infirmary she got there before the others. Storm was
still there barking orders to the team members outside as she studied several
monitors that showed different areas of the mansions grounds.

   "A force of one hundred and thirty three humans approaching from the east
armed with heavy weaponry and moving in a highly organised pattern. These
aren't amateurs. Also reading fifteen armoured vehicles just behind the
infantry and four Migs further out but approaching fast."

   Psylocke, Jubilee and Iceman ran in together. Storm broke off to address
them. "Betsy take over for me here, Bobby put out a request for assistance to
X-Factor, Jubilee contact X-Force and look after Mhairie." With that she ran
out the door to join the battle. As she left the Professor entered the room.

   Jean Grey's voice came over the speakers, "The attackers appear to be highly
trained members of the Friends of Humanity, some of the technology may be
Genoshan."

   At a computer screen Bobby spoke urgently to a dark haired man with a
mustache, "...under attack from the Friends of Humanity, there are too
many of them for us to hold back. Literally a small army. Can you assist us?"

   At another screen Jubilee spoke to a face she recognized, Cable, "I know
that but can't you get here sooner?"

   Mhairie turned back to Psylocke and the screens that showed the X-Men
engaging the enemy. Or trying to. The fire being laid down was so intense that
most of them couldn't get close. Jean had a telekinetic shield up but couldn't
make it large enough to cover more than herself under that strain. They took
cover behind a small rise and she began mentally jamming firing mechanisms.

   Behind Mhairie the Professor gasped, "I can't get through to more than one
or two of them at a time, there's some sort of jamming."

   On the screens most of the firing ceased.

   "They're trying to surround you. Forty-five laying down a holding fire and
the rest coming around both sides," said Psylocke.

   "Beast an' me are going in, cover us Jean." came Wolverine's voice.

   They leapt from behind the rise under a telekinetic shield and ran into the
midst of the force, scattering them. As they did that a wind came up and hail
began to pelt the two groups trying to flank the team, driving them back. Storm
had arrived. Cyclops, Gambit and Bishop got up now the fire had mostly ceased
and began to return it while Jean remained low, disrupting things
telekinetically. Archangel rose up into the air to join Storm.

   A few of the flanking group to the south managed to hold against the wind
and began to fire at Storm, she was hit and began to fall. Archangel swooped
down and caught her, his voice came over the speakers.

   "Storm is down, she's taken hits to the abdomen, shoulder and leg. Looks
serious. I'm bringing her in."

   "Get upstairs and bring her down to the infirmary Bobby," ordered Psylocke
and he headed out. "Jubilee, get things ready for her."

   Now that the wind had gone the flanking forces regained ground and forced
the team back down. Bishop took a minor hit to the arm before Jean threw up a
shield.

   "Fall back before they surround us," shouted Cyclops.

   "What about Beast and Logan?" demanded Jean.

   "Beast is down, Wolverine has minor injuries but is still up and fighting.
Migs and armoured vehicles coming into view, firing ground to air missiles and
heat seekers in defence... they are returning fire... intercepting our
missiles."

   The Migs roared overhead and the mansion shook. On the monitors another Mig
roared over the team, Jean's screen held. Then the first armoured vehicle
pitched a shell and her screen faltered. Bullets began to get through. Cyclops
raised himself enough to knock half of the opposing force to the ground before
being knocked back. Jean managed to raise another, smaller shield. Then
suddenly the bullets stopped. Rogue flew into view, swooping down to where the
team lay. Bishop's voice came over the speakers.

   "It's Magneto! The opposing force has been disarmed. Cyclops is seriously
injured, Rogue is bringing him in."

   Rogue flew up carrying Cyclops. The weaponless army charged the team.
Archangel reappeared and began showering them with darts from above.
Gambit, Bishop and Jean stood up and soon what was left of the army was
retreating. Wolverine appeared staggering under the weight of Beast thrown over
his shoulder. Archangel swooped in and headed for the mansion with him. Mhairie
stepped forward closer to the monitors. Jeans' costume was covered in blood,
from Scott. Bishop was bleeding from a graze across his temple and a wound in
his arm. Gambit seemed unhurt. Logans' costume was in shreds and there was a
lot of blood but any wounds seemed to have healed. A man who must have been
Magneto settled to the ground nearby. A stream of metal flowed into the picture
forming a large cage. He, Logan and Gambit began to pick up unconscious men and
throw them in. Jean and Bishop headed back to the mansion. In the background
she could hear the Professor on the phone.

   "Approximately sixty people moving away from the mansion on foot. They
should all be arrested for trespass on private property, destruction of private
property, assault with a deadly weapon and... attempted murder. We believe they
may be members of the Friends of Humanity and possibly have contacts with
Genosha. Yes we wish to prosecute them on those charges. Yes we have proof.
Thank you. Of course. Goodbye." He headed out the room.

   Betsy turned to Mhairie, "Stay here and watch the monitors for anything
unusual." Then she was gone.

   Mhairie sat down in the seat she had vacated and searched the panels until
she found the button that would switch on a monitor to the infirmary. She
hesitated a moment before she pressed it, unsure if she wanted to know. It
flickered on to hectic activity.

   Storm, Beast and Cyclops lay on bio beds while Rogue and Bobby did what they
could. Jubilee was cleaning a bullet wound on Warren's leg. Betsy entered the
room and moved to work over Storm who was more stable than the others. Cyclops
had a chest wound and was on full life support as Rogue tried to keep him
alive. Mhairie realised that she was shaking and wrapped her arms around
herself to try to stop it. Jean ran into the room and Rogue moved aside to let
her help. Mhairie switched off the monitor. She couldn't bear to watch whatever
was going to happen. As she studiously watched the events outside tears began
to trickle down her face, blurring her vision. She pulled her knees up to her
chin and rocked in the seat, her nails cut into her legs.

   After a short while police and ambulances began to arrive, then the X-Factor
craft. A sound behind her made her jump.

   "Mhairie? You okay?" It was Jubilee. She came over.

   "Are... are they going to be all right?" Mhairie's voice was only a whisper.

   "There's real doctors in there now. I... I think he's going to pull through.
They said he had a good chance."

   Mhairie broke down into tears and hugged Jubilee.

***** Old Loves Return *****
Chapter Notes
     These are the original notes from 1995, make as much sense of them as
     you can as they refer to people on the list I wrote the story for...
     The story you have all been waiting for is back. Before you read this
     I'd like to say that drh asked for this. I don't actually remember
     what it was that made Maria Szabo and I decide he deserved this while
     I was in America over New Year but I'm sure it was thorougly evil and
     despicable :-). Anyway the character Darwin belongs to drh but this
     is not the Darwin that you all know and love. To quote drh,
     "Darwin, while fully supportive of homosexuality in others, would
     give one warning and then shoot for the brain if a man ever tried
     hitting on him (head shots, if not fatal, are more disruptive for a
     survivor's life than chest wounds). If he knew the guy's friends, he
     might, on a good day, even call them up to tell them that their
     friend got mugged in a horrible accident. Of course, if the friends
     were there, he'd have to kill them as well. Most people take the
     warning (Darwin is very imaginative with his warnings) and don't
     bother him further." "If you were going to have Darwin have a
     homosexual affair with an X-Man (or, the alterna-Darwin you got
     here), it would be one of the smarter, funnier ones: Beast, easily.
     Bishop is too militaristic. Beast. Maybe Iceman if Darwin's feeling
     depressed and down as a one-night stand. Most of the rest of the X-
     Men are far too dour and scowling to interest him." "By and large,
     though, the man's an embarrasingly unkinky heterosexual
     (there are jokes to this in later Darwin stories). The guy gets
     nervous with just leather."
     But I say, this is an alternate Universe. This Darwin met Gambit
     while still young and impressionable. This Darwin is _my_ Darwin
     'evil grin'.
     Also note that the science in this, while based strongly on reality,
     is still Marvel Science. I fully accept that nurture probably is as
     important as nature in the development of sexuality and changing the
     size of brain
     structures after a person is fully developed would probably not have
     the consequences I have given it. But as I've said before, this is
     Mhairie. Life does what I tell it to do here.

                             Mhairie Chapter 8
                              Old Loves Return
                                    April 1996
                                      
   Nearly a week had passed since the battle with the Friends of Humanity. A
battle won only thanks to Magneto. Apparently it had been planned for years,
carefully thought through. The team was shaken that they could have been so
quickly defeated by humans. But as ever life must carry on.

----

   Scott lay in the infirmary still. Thankful to be alive, but annoyed that he
had Magneto to thank for it and of course blaming himself, as one of the team
leaders, for the poor showing the X-Men had made. It had been a close thing, he
was very aware of that. The bullet had grazed his heart, tearing a small hole
in the wall of his right ventricle, and passed very close to his spine on the
way out. He could move his legs, but only with great effort. Spinal trauma
wasn't something to shrug off.

   Storm had been the first up, although shots to the stomach could often be
very messy she had been lucky and it had done little damage. Likewise the
wounds to her shoulder and leg. She was still on crutches.

   Beast had been in too close-quarters to the enemy for guns. He had received
concussion, a couple of shallow stab wounds and a lot of bruising. The
concussion had been the most serious of his injuries and he was still taking it
very easy.

   Gambit entered the infirmary, time for Scott's physiotherapy. While he was
laid up it was important to keep his muscles from wasting.

   Scott had to admit to himself that he was really starting to look forward to
Gambits' visits. He liked the feel of his strong hands as they stretched and
massaged his legs, the way his hair sometimes flopped over and brushed against
him, the quick grin that flashed all the way to his eyes. 'No,' he thought.
'Absolutely not. I am absolutely not attracted to Gambit. God, anything but
that. How... _embarrassing_.'

----

   Beast squinted at the scans Professor Xavier displayed to him. His vision
was starting to blur a bit again.

   "The two scans are clearly different. In the past two months Scott's brain
structures have altered, which should not be possible. The most interesting
part though is the areas that have changed. This nucleus is one of the
interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus, called INAH3, and is thought
to be involved in the regulation of male-type sexuality. It has decreased in
size, moved to a more female type size. Though not that far, it is as if it is
half way between the two types. Also the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the SCN, has
increased in size a little. I wanted your opinion before I jumped to any
conclusions."

   "INAH3," mused Beast. "Isn't that the nucleus that differs between
homosexual and heterosexual men?"

   "Yes. According to LeVay's study anyway."

   "But how can it have changed size over such a short period of time?"

   "Then you agree that it has changed size."

   Hank grimaced, "Charles, I can barely focus on my breakfast sometimes these
days. If you want a second opinion on these you should find someone who doesn't
have concussion. However what I want to know is given that you are correct
about the size change, what do you think has caused this?"

   "I have one theory... but it has no substantiation as yet. I must do more
tests. But I have a suspicion that Mhairie is somehow involved."

   Beast groaned and lay back on the sofa, "I might have known."

----

   Rogue picked at her breakfast, watching Magnus across the table as he read
the newspaper. She had left the mansion just for a break. Had wanted the time
alone. The last thing she had expected was to bump into Magneto. She had
persuaded him to return with her to the mansion after he had expressed regrets
at the way things had turned out between him and the X-Men. He may be "the
enemy" but he was also her friend and she owed him a lot, but more importantly
she felt a closeness to him. A trust that she had never been able to find with
Gambit. She reached across the table to touch the back of his hand. It wasn't
until he looked up at her with a surprised smile that she realised she wasn't
wearing her gloves.

   She looked down in stunned silence at her bare skin resting against his.
Nothing was happening. Her powers remained quiescent.

   He took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. "Congratulations."

   "But... ah don't understand."

   "I have always suspected your power control problems were psychological in
nature," he told her. "All it needed was for you to forget to be scared to
touch someone, to trust someone. I am glad that you chose to trust me, Rogue."

----

   Mhairie had got up before Jubilee, as usual, and gone down into the woods
for a while. When she returned she paused at the door of Jubilee's room then
decided to go elsewhere. She hadn't tried anyone new since the night before the
attack. Bishop was probably up already so she decided to go for someone who was
only partially new. Her cousin, Bobby. They had not seen each other for several
years before she had moved into the mansion. Bobby and his family had visited
them in Scotland four years ago, when Mhairie was 12 and Bobby was 21. Mhairie
had terrorised him the whole time. She had just started to get really curious
about boys and had taken the opportunity to walk in on him whenever possible.
She could still remember the expression on his face when he had seen her
sitting in the tree outside his bedroom window watching him bring himself off.
It had been especially amusing as they both knew the reason for it, only ten
minutes before she
had purposefully walked into his room wearing nothing but an open shirt. As a
halfling puberty had hit her like a lightening bolt and she had gone very
quickly from child about six months before to the body she had now.

   She opened his bedroom door quietly and went inside. He was still asleep.
She removed her clothes and went to sit on the bed next to him. He was curled
up with his sheets crumpled up between his legs and arms, entirely naked and
mostly visible. His back to her. She ran a hand along his side from shoulder to
thigh and then lay down next to him, pressing her body full length against his
back. She whispered in his ear.

   "Bobby. Wake up."

   She ran her tongue around his ear and gently bit the lobe as he stirred. He
rolled over, still mostly asleep, and she cuddled closer, sliding her body half
across his.

   "Bobby."

   She kissed him lightly on the lips. He already had an erection and she moved
her hand down to grasp it. Jean had run the blood tests Henry had taken before
the attack as per the Professors instructions and had done the usual tests as
well. With a little probing Mhairie had been able to get the results out of
her, no-one at the mansion had any transmittable diseases. Mhairie straddled
Bobby's legs and pressed herself against his swollen penis. His eyelids began
to flicker open and he looked up at her.

   "About time too," she said. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to
wake up at all."

   "Mhai... aah."

   She pressed harder and his penis slid inside her, she settled against his
crotch with her eyes half closed, giving a faint sigh.

   He stared at her in shock. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

   "I..." she moved slightly, tensing a few muscles. "Oh God, that feels good."
She began to slide up and down and he closed his eyes again, his hips rocking
in time to hers. She smiled at the concentration on his face and sped up her
rhythm. He began to gasp. She too closed her eyes and concentrated on the
pressure building up inside her. Her breathing ragged and spasms running
through her body. She crested and ran along the edge of the wave until he came,
pushing her over so that she sprawled across him. She buried her head in his
shoulder until she had recovered and then lifted her face up to look at him.

   He still had a slightly stunned expression but he pulled her closer to him
and kissed her. Tongues sliding past one another.

----

   Jubilee woke up alone. She wished she could get the hang of waking up early
so they could get up together but she was too lazy at heart and it just made
her grumpy. She lay staring at the ceiling for a moment then got out of bed and
stretched in front of the mirror, studying her body. She ran her hands across
herself thoughtfully then went to get dressed.

   As she came downstairs the doorbell rang and she went to answer it. It was a
man of about thirty, standing about 6'3" and with short brown hair.

   "Yeah?" she asked.

   "My name is Richard... Richard Darwin, I'm looking for a man called Remy
LeBeau."

   Bishop loomed behind her. "Go and fetch Gambit, Jubilee. I will remain
here."

   "Sure thing Bish, oh lord and master." She headed downstairs to the
infirmary. "Hey Gumbo, there's some guy called Richard Darwin upstairs askin'
ta see you."

   "Darwin?" Gambit's face broke into a grin and he ran up the stairs. As he
reached the hall the man outside took a step inside.

   "Remy?"

   "Richard!" Gambit grabbed the man by the arms and pulled him into a
passionate embrace.

   As they kissed Jubilee reached the hallway. "Oh man! Gross city!!"

   Bishop simply stared, completely non-plussed.

   The two men broke apart and vanished upstairs.

----

   "I heard you were up this way," said Darwin. "It's been a long time."

   "Seven years. What have you been doin' all dis time?"

   "Finished the tour, cut a new album. I'm... seeing someone else now. Our new
bass player, we've been living together a few months now."

   "Dat's good. I din't like t' leave you on such bad terms, but dat life. It
jus' wasn't me."

   "You were never a good groupie, Remy. Too much style of your own. So are you
seeing anyone now?"

   Gambit smiled, "Dat's a bit complicated. Had my eye on a girl but it din't
work out. Jus' playin' de field right now. Dere's one guy I got my eye on, but
he's taken. C'est la vie."

   "Guess so. I came over cause I wanted to settle things between us. John and
I are pretty close and he thought I ought to break off things with you
properly. When you walked out on me I was pretty upset, but you were right. I
got over it. I'm glad to see you found some place you fitted in."

   Gambit smiled. "Dat's sweet, I hope you an' John be real happy." He leant
forward and kissed him. Then he grinned, "But how 'bout once more for old times
sake?" He pushed Darwin back onto the bed.

----

   Jubilee went back down to the infirmary to check on Scott.

   "What was that all about?" he asked.

   "You are just not going to believe this. But, like, apparently this guy is
Gambit's old _boyfriend_."

   "You're kidding."

   "Nope, totally kosher." She tucked the sheets back around him and left.

   Scott thought over what she had just told him. So Gambit was bisexual. So
what? That didn't mean anything. It was just Florence Nightingale syndrome, or
whatever it was called. He felt close to Gambit cause he had been looking after
him. Once he was better it would go away. He hoped.

----

   Rogue hadn't told anyone else about her breakthrough that morning. She still
had to decide what to do. There were fewer people than usual watching the tv
that night as many were not entirely comfortable with Magneto's presence yet.
Mhairie and Jubilee sat entwined together in one armchair and Warren and Betsy
were also present. Gambit had gone out with his "friend". Rogue scowled, she
still couldn't believe that after all the time Gambit had been chasing her he
had never once mentioned he was bisexual.

   She looked over at Magnus, he wasn't watching the television, he was
watching Mhairie who was watching him. Her scowl deepened. Mhairie was a nice
girl, but if she thought she was going to catch that fish she had another thing
coming. Rogue stood up and went over to Magneto, bending to whisper in his ear.

   "Can we talk 'bout somethin', in private."

   She led him out and up to his room. He stood waiting for her to speak but
instead she stepped forward and pulled him into a slightly hesitant kiss. When
he was certain she wasn't going to change her mind he wrapped his arms around
her and took over. Being as Rogue's experience with kissing men began and ended
with the first touch of skin to skin she was glad to let him take the lead.
After a few minutes he broke the kiss and stepped back.

   "Rogue, I know you don't have much experience and I know that we do not
really know each other very well. But... I want to make love to you." Her eyes
widened. "I understand if you feel you are not ready..."

   The very thought, that he wanted to and she actually could, sent heat
flashing through her and before he could finish what he was saying she was back
in his arms. "Ah want you too Magnus, an ah'm as ready as ah'll ever be." She
kissed him again and this time his hands began to roam across her body. Sliding
down the small of her back to curve around her ass, pressing her hips closer to
him. As she complied she could feel the bulge in his crotch pressing against
her. His hands went lower still pressing tight against her jeans as they ran in
between her thighs. Rubbing and squeezing.

   She had untucked his shirt and ran her hands across his back, revellingin
the ability to touch his skin. Loving the feel of it.
   Eventually he broke away again and removed her hands. Then he slowly
unbuttoned her blouse, slipping it off her shoulders, and undid her jeans. She
stepped out of them. As she stood there, only in her underwear, she looked very
young and nervous. As he would expect her to be. For a moment he was afraid to
move, convinced that if he did she would run away like a startled deer. Finally
he drew closer again and wrapped his arms around her, unhooking her bra and
bringing it down off her shoulders. He continued in his movement sliding his
hands across her skin to her breasts, he cupped them and circled them, stroking
the sensitive skin underneath them. Then he picked her up and carried her to
the bed. She half lay and half sat as he undressed slowly, letting her
curiosity about his body satiate itself. Then, fully undressed, he joined her
on the bed. She drew back momentarily then came forward again to meet his lips.
She knelt up and removed her
panties herself, throwing them aside onto the floor, and allowed him to tip her
backwards so that she lay beneath him. He held himself up on one elbow and ran
his other hand across her body; his long, white hair hung down to tickle her
shoulder. He smiled as she unconsciously spread her legs slightly as his hand
trailed past her stomach. He reached between her legs and began to gently play
with her pubic hair. Curling it about his fingers and tugging at it. She was
having to work just to keep her breathing regular. He bent his head and took
one erect nipple into his mouth. She made an "ooh" of pleasure and then a
louder gasp as he finally allowed his fingers to touch her. Stroking back and
forth lightly then deepening till the lips parted and his fingers slid between
them. He buried his middle finger inside so it lay from clit to vaginal
entrance. He lifted his head from suckling on her nipple and looked at her. She
gazed back with a slightly intoxicated look; pupils wide, cheeks flushed,
breathing ragged. The nervous look was gone, she was too turned on to worry any
longer. Her eyes begged him to continue. He could feel her clit press, swollen,
against his finger. He ran his hand up and brushed it with the tip of his
finger. Her eyes closed and her head arched back as she gasped. Satisfied that
she could not get much more receptive he slid his hand down again and slowly
pushed his finger inside her. It met only faint resistance as her muscles
tensed momentarily at the unfamiliar intrusion. He began to slide in and out of
her, feeling her open more and more to him until he could easily
insert another finger. But before she could come he stopped.

   She opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly. He smiled at her and
reached over to pull a condom from his bag lying on the floor. She smiled back
then sat up. "Can I...?" she asked, reaching her hand out for the condom.

   "Of course." He handed it to her and she opened it carefully.

   "When ah was a girl ah used ta steal them an practice puttin' them on
bananas," she said blushing slightly.

   He couldn't help but laugh a little at the confession and she pushed him
back on the bed with a faintly annoyed expression. Then she bent down over him
and took hold of his erect penis. She studied it for a moment, caressing it and
his balls, but soon her desire prompted her on and she slid the condom
carefully over it and sat up. She moved forward and he took hold of her hips as
she slid down, incredibly slowly, onto his engorged member. With a great deal
of restraint he allowed her to go as slowly as she wanted. Finally she sat
right against him, buttocks on his thighs. Her eyes were half closed and she
squirmed experimentally. Unwilling to wait any longer he took her arms and
pulled her close against him so he could roll her over onto her back.
Obediently she allowed him to and he began to pump his hips against hers. She
gasped at this new feeling. At the depth of every stroke pleasure rushed
through her and he began to push harder into
her. Now she was gasping with every breath and so was he, thankfully she was
already so aroused that she came before long and he released himself too.
Panting for breath they lay quiescent until Rogue's muscles finally finished
spasming. He rolled away to quickly dispose of the condom then came back to
wrap himself around her exhausted body.

   "Magnus?"

   "Yes Rogue?"

   "Ah... thank you."

   He laughed, "It was most definitely my pleasure."

***** Dangerous Liaisons *****
Chapter Notes
     All characters but Mhairie belong to Marvel Entertainments and they
     most certainly wouldn't approve of this at all.
     I would like to thank Dawn L Bobby for her four Sabretooth stories
     that somewhat inspired this chapter, although I had been planning to
     get round to doing something along these lines. This story may have
     some disturbing
     imagery in it.

                             Mhairie Chapter 9
                             Dangerous Liaisons
                             July 1996

   The X-Men were indulging in a group shopping expedition to celebrate Storm
being off her crutches and Scott taking his first steps after his injury. Jean,
Betsy, Ororo, Rogue, Mhairie, Jubilee, Logan, Bobby, Hank, Bishop and Warren
were all present.

   "I swear to God it is totally the most gross way to kill someone I ever
saw," Jubilee stated. "I mean all those bugs..." Words failed her.

   "I'm not sure I really like that program," Ororo put in. "It keeps trying to
make us like the sheriff despite what he does."

   "I don't think _like_ is the word you're looking for Ororo," teased Jean.

   "Ah liked him better in Midnight Caller," Rogue decided.

   "But you've gotta admit, there's some hot women in it," Bobby noted.

   There was a general groan from the female contingency. "Get your mind out of
the gutter Bobby," said Warren.

   "Hey! How come everyone else is allowed to talk about stuff like this except
me," he complained.

   "Because you always drag the discussion down to the lowest common
denominator, my verbally challenged friend," Hank told him.

   "So Rogue," said Betsy in a voice that made everyone focus on her. "I see
you and Magneto are getting along very well."

   Nobody, as yet, had really said anything to Rogue or Magneto. All the
arguments had taken place with Professor Xavier, behind closed doors. The
Professors final words on the matter had been that they had never yet succeeded
in imprisoning Magneto for any length of time and at least as long as he was
living at the Mansion, and seemed to be spending most of his time either with
Rogue or discussing the Legacy Virus with Dr McCoy, they could keep an eye on
him. A very cautious eye.

   Rogue blushed. "He's... been a good friend to me," she murmured, not looking
anyone in the eye.

   There were a few amused glances and an outright snort from Logan.

   She glared at him. "Well, taint like it's any of ya'lls business anyways,"
she said to the lot of them moving on ahead at a quick march.

   Storm and Jean exchanged looks and moved to catch her up.

   Jubilee suddenly ground to a halt, stopping Mhairie and Logan with her. "Oh,
wow!" she exclaimed, examining the shop window in amazement. "Those
are sooo cool, let's try them on."

   "Ya've got ta be kiddin' me darlin'," said Logan. "Ya'd break yer neck."

   "Would not! 'Sides, it's not like I'm actually gonna buy them. But they
won't let us try them on if it's just two kids goin' in, we need a grown up.
Pleeeease Wolvie."

   Psylocke came up behind them. "I'll take the girls in, Logan."

   "Thanks Bets. Catch up with us when you're done," he told Mhairie and
Jubilee. "We'll wait f'r ya in the mall."

--------------

   The assistant zipped them up and Jubilee stood up, only to overbalance and
start to fall. Betsy caught her with an amused look. "Logan told you that would
happen."

   Jubilee stuck her tongue out at her and, regaining her balance, tottered
over to the full length mirror to admire the black, thigh-high, patent leather
boots she wore with the 4 inch heels that had nearly put her firmly on her butt
moments before. She struck a pose. "I am the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club!"
she declared. "I shall destroy you all."

   Betsy shook her head. 'They always say, never work with children or animals,
but we never listen.'

   Mhairie too stood up, a little more carefully than Jubilee and thus without
needing to be caught. She walked slowly down the shop trying to figure out how
you were supposed to move.

   "Put your heels down first," Betsy advised. "Don't try to walk on your
toes." She turned back to the assistant who had brought out a pair of high-
heeled, dark purple ankle boots for her to try on.

---------------

   He stopped suddenly in his tracks as he rounded the corner. He could smell
them, they'd been here, recently. Too many of them. He walked cautiously,
watching out for a familiar face, only to be stopped again. They had stopped
here, three of them. The runt, the brat and the psychic. But the runt had gone
on again with the others and the other two had gone into this shop. He smiled
and peered into the corner of the window.

   He could see the brat wobbling in black heels with some other girl, a
blonde. She was wearing a short red dress with buttons down the front and a
flared skirt. She wore red boots similar to the black ones the brat had on. But
where the brat looked like a kid trying on her big sisters clothes, the blonde
looked more like an expensive hooker. The boots were too OTT to look normal in
but she looked too hot to laugh at. She moved in them easily although she
didn't look entirely comfortable. The colour appealed to him. She appealed to
him.

   The shop assistant came over and the blonde sat down and let him remove the
boots. In their place he slipped on red shoes with a similarly high heel. She
stood up again. Now that was more like it. She had incredible legs which the
boots had hidden far too much of. The brat was clearly trying to persuade her
to buy the shoes.

----------------

   Psylocke paused in her perusal of the ankle boots. There was something
wrong. A prickle down the back of her neck. She told the man she would take the
boots and went to hurry the girls. She had to agree with Jubilee about the red
shoes, they looked stunning with that dress and it was such a sunny day that
Mhairie's natural buoyancy would mean she wouldn't be putting much weight on
her feet. She paid for them too and pried Jubilee out of the black boots to
much protestation of, "everyone else got something".

   They hurried after the others, wondering why Betsy felt the need for such a
rush. But before they had taken two steps down the street a hand extended from
a side street and Betsy dropped unconscious to the sidewalk. The two girls
froze for a moment in shock then cried out as they were pulled off the street
by someone Jubilee recognized immediately.

   "Sabretooth!"

   "That's right brat, who's yer friend?"

   Jubilee moved to hurl fireworks in his face but before she could move he had
Mhairie at his side, claws pressed into her neck.

   "Try anythin' an' she's gone. Now answer my question. What's her name?"

   "Mhairie," Jubilee whispered.

   He was holding her around the waist with his left arm, pinning her arms to
her sides. She could feel his heart beating against her back and her feet
weren't touching the ground. His claws ran down her neck and she could feel his
breath against her face. He nuzzled against her, breathing in.

   "Frail stinks of you brat. You an' her must be real close. Wouldn't it be a
pity if she was to die. Such a pretty little thing." He ran the hand at her
neck down further to squeeze her breast, his sharp claws sticking holes in her
dress and leaving little indentations in the skin, but not breaking it.

   Jubilee was shaking and Mhairie could see tears in her eyes.

   He smiled at the reaction he was getting from his victim, Jubilee, and moved
his hand lower. Slowly. Watching Jubilee follow it with her eyes like a deer
caught in headlights, unable to move. He slid it between the blonde's legs,
surprised at her lack of resistance. There was nothing stopping her from
closing her legs against him but instead she actually seemed to part them a
little. He pushed the material of the dress aside and found only bare skin
underneath. He grinned ferally at Jubilee as he rubbed his hand against her,
finding her hot and moist. She rolled her head back against his shoulder with a
soft sigh, but Jubilee was too hypnotised by his hand to notice. Oh, this was
just too good. But time was passing and he wasn't up for tangling with the X-
Men.

   He laughed. "Well I'll just be leavin' before the rest of the troops show up
to save the day." He dropped Mhairie and spun her around. "Maybe I'll take you
with me, hmm," he told her as he pulled her against him again.

   "Drop her Creed."

   "Ah, the runt. Got here a little sooner than I expected." He didn't look up.
"Pity ya can't do anythin' till I drop the girl ain't it." He had one hand on
the back of her neck. "She's so little I wouldn't hardly even have to squeeze."
He was staring straight at her and she could feel his gaze right down to her
toes. One hand on her neck, holding her face mere inches from his and the other
on her ass, pressing her against him so that she could feel the familiar bulge
of an erection against her leg. It only took the slightest of movements to
bring her lips to his and it must have looked like he had moved her head but
his hand had only followed her lead.

   But before her hand could snake around his neck and give away her
willingness Jean had used his momentary surprise to seize hold of his mind just
long enough to get him to release her. She fell to the ground as his arms let
go and was swooped away by Rogue leaving Creed standing alone, completely
surrounded by eight angry X-Men.

   "Ah shit," he said.

---------------------

   Scott was no longer confined to bed but could move around in a wheelchair.
He had specifically asked for a normal, wheeled one to help keep himself in
shape. He had daily work-outs with Gambit to get his legs back in shape. Which
would have been fine had his Florence Nightingale syndrome shown any signs of
dissipating. Which it hadn't. He usually spent more time concentrating on
keeping his... attraction... from showing than he did on getting his legs to
work.

   He wheeled himself into the changing room where Gambit was waiting for him.
He changed his shirt for a t-shirt himself but had to allow Gambit to remove
his trousers and pull on shorts while he held himself up. Then Gambit carried
him through to the gym and placed him between the parallel bars where he could
hold himself up. He bent down and positioned his legs so that he would get the
best balance when he tried to put his weight on them.

   Scott bit his lip in annoyance, he was going to notice when he looked up.
How could he miss it. Usually he managed to keep it down but it just wasn't
working today.

   Gambit began to stand up. The pause was only momentary as the bulge in
Scott's shorts caught his eye, but the amused gleam in his eye was
unmistakeable. However he said nothing. For the full hour of their session.

   But when he carried Scott back to the changing room he finally said
something out of the ordinary as he sat him down in the wheelchair. "Jean won'
be back for a while, best we both take a shower now, an' get rid of all de
sweat, than wait for her t' help you. N'est-ce pas?"

   "Uh, I guess."

   Gambit grinned in a slightly worrying manner and stripped naked. To try and
stop himself staring Scott began to do likewise, first his t-shirt then he bent
down to remove his shoes and socks. When he straightened up again he was
transfixed by the sight of Gambit leaning against the tiled wall making no
attempt to hide his own erection. He had a lazy smile on his lips as he came
forward to kneel in front of Scott.

   "Well, well, whatever can dis be?" he teased as he slid his hand into
Scott's lap to rub his erect penis through the material of his shorts.

   That was enough for Scott. He may have required a good deal of persuasion
last time but he was too sure about how much he wanted this. He pulled Gambit's
face to his and they began to explore one another's mouths. Gambit slid his
hands under Scott's rear and pulled him closer to him. They kissed like that
for a long time until Gambit broke away.

   "Best we not get too heavy less we hurt your back. Let Gambit do this an'
you try not to move too much." He removed Scott's shorts and brought his mouth
down to kiss the tip of his penis before taking it between his lips. Scott
sighed and tried not to pump his hips too much, it helped that he didn't
entirely have control over those muscles yet anyway. He tried to hold on as
long as possible, enjoying the feeling, but Gambit was very good at this and
soon he couldn't take any more.

   "I'm... coming," he warned him and Gambit tightened his lips around him,
urging him on with his tongue, as he swallowed.

---------------------

   All of the X-Men were present at the debriefing except Rogue who was keeping
an eye on Creed in the medical lab. Mhairie was also present, comforting
Jubilee and telling their side of the story since she was clearly not up to it.

   "Fer cryin' out loud kid, get a grip. Mhairie's the one that nearly got hurt
and she's copin' fine," growled Logan, still a bit off-kilter from the
encounter himself.

   Jean and Mhairie glared at him.

   "Thankfully Betsy had noticed something wrong while still in the shop and
warned me telepathically," Jean explained. "As a result we were already on our
way back to them when Creed attacked. Otherwise he would have gotten away
before we arrived, as he had planned. He overestimated his ability to shield
himself."

   "I'm not sure if it was my telepathy or my precognitive abilities," Betsy
added. "You know I've never really had any control over my precognition. So
it's possible that he really was well enough shielded."

   "As far as I can tell it was not a planned attack, he just bumped into us,"
continued Jean. "I also don't think he was actually planning on taking Mhairie
with him, he was just winding up Jubilee. If he'd taken her or killed her he'd
have had all of us hot on his heels with not too enough of a head start."

   The Professor nodded, "Mhairie, what impression did you get. Do you think he
really was going to take you with him?"

   "Well, I don't know Sabretooth like you all do, but to tell the truth I
never really felt in that much danger. It's like Jean said, he was just trying
to wind Jubilee up, just toying with us."
   "Problem with that is," added Logan. "That's all Creed is ever doin', toyin'
with people. Just so happens that his idea of fun an' games is torture an'
death. I know Creed. He might not have planned to take her then but once he got
interested he'd've been back for her. But he ain't goin' after anyone now."

   "Indeed," said the Professor. "I think the best place to keep Creed for now
is here. He is too dangerous to attempt moving him and risk his escape. We will
move him to a cell before he recovers completely from his injuries. He will
stay there until something better comes up or it becomes an inconvenience."

---------------------

   They were holding him in a cell below ground. Arms and legs bound in metal
and spread-eagled against the wall. His face half covered by a muzzle which
also attached to the wall, keeping him from moving his head. He was dressed
only in ripped, blood-stained jeans.

   He was asleep, as far as she could tell. She watched him from just inside
the door, hidden in the darkness. She had been unable to sleep.

   "I can smell ya there ya know," he said. His voice muffled by the muzzle.
"No use in hidin'." He opened his eyes and looked directly at where she leant
against the wall.

   She stood up straight and took a step forward.

   "I don't have the clearance or the powers to let you out of there," she told
him. "So it's no use trying to persuade me to."

   "Fair enough." He sniffed the air audibly. "Ya stink of the runt, that's his
shirt ain't it."

   She looked down at the checked shirt that was keeping her warm. "Yes."

   "Ya screwin' him then?"

   She frowned at the coarse term. "Yes."

   "Don't like that, huh? S'just a word darlin'. Just like fuck. So didja let
him fuck you tonight?"

   She didn't have to see his leer to know it was here. But she didn't let him
wind her up. "Yes."

   He sniffed the air again. "Come closer so I don't have ta shout."

   She stepped closer, there was no danger. She could jump up and down on his
head and he still couldn't hurt her, bound the way he was.

   "I guess the runt wasn't enough, else you wouldn't be down here stinkin'
like a bitch in heat."

   She said nothing. Not because she was angry or embarrassed, but because she
wanted him to keep talking.
   "He not do what ya want darlin'? Treats ya too much like a fragile doll
don't he? Won't do nuthin' 'less he's sure ya want him too. Bet ya had ta
seduce him right?"

   She nodded imperceptibly as she moved closer. Her arms were crossed against
her stomach pulling the cloth of the shirt tight enough that he could see her
erect nipples poking out. Not that he needed that to know how turned on she
was, she stunk of it.

   His voice lowered to a cross between a growl and a purr as she drew closer.
"When ya wanted him ta just turn up in yer room one night and take ya. Press ya
into the bed and cover yer mouth so ya couldn't scream even if ya wanted to.
Leave bruises on yer wrists an' bite marks on yer breasts."

   She was only a foot away from him now, her breathing slightly ragged.

   "Don't you worry darlin'. They ain't got the guts ta kill me so they'll try
an' keep me here an' sooner or later I'll get out. An' then I'm comin' for ya.
An' even the runt can't stop me. I can take any one o' them, sure when they
gang up they can beat me but that ain't nuthin' t'be ashamed of. Cause they're
scared of me. Cause I kill an' they can't. An' you need me, cause I can take ya
where ya need to go. Cause ya know if ya tell me ta stop I won't listen... an'
ya know ya don't need ta tell me what ya want, cause I already know."

   She took the final step up to him, standing on the metal casing that
enclosed his lower legs. She pressed her face against the muzzle that
imprisoned his mouth, staring straight into his eyes, her hands on his
shoulders. The shirt had fallen open when she pulled herself up and her bared
breasts pressed against his chest.

   "Yer mine darlin', that's a promise."

   There was a noise behind them as the door opened. "Mhairie, get away from
him right now." Logan's voice was tight with controlled anger.

   She dropped back to the ground and turned around to see Logan approaching
them, the look in his eyes frightened her but aroused her even more at the same
time.

   He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Creed so harshly that she fell
to the floor. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Creed is a killer!"

   "So are you runt," Sabretooth reminded him.

   Logan rounded on him. "I may have killed as many in my time as you have in
yours, Creed, but I ain't you. I've done what I've done to save lives. You did
it for fun."

   "You tellin' me it wouldn't feel good ta stick those shiny claws of yours
through my brain? Cause if that's what you're sayin' then you're a liar, runt.
You know it an' I know it."

   Logan growled, clearly stopping himself from attacking Creed, and instead
grabbed Mhairie and as good as dragged her out of the room. When the door
closed he threw her against the wall of the corridor.

   "You lookin' ta get yourself killed? Cause you play his games an' that's
what'll happen when he gets out. If I don't kill him first, which is what he
deserves. Now tell me why the hell you went down there."

   "Cause I want him."

   "What?"

   "I want him," she whispered. Because she did. She ached for him and she knew
it was stupid and she knew Logan was right but she couldn't help it.

   "You're nuts."

   "Let me back in there, take off his muzzle."

   He slapped her, hard enough to throw her back to the ground. "What did he do
to you, he's got you hypnotised or somethin'." He was trying to keep control
but his hatred of Creed was making him mad, he was finding it hard to think.

   She scrambled up again and pressed herself to him. "Teach me a lesson
Logan," she whispered. "Show me who's in charge and I won't go back in there."

   He didn't understand what she meant at first. Her hands were on his belt,
undoing it. But instead of continuing to remove his jeans she pulled the belt
from around his waist and pressed it into his hands.

   "Make me do what you tell me."

   Her unexpected request shook the anger right out of him. He was about to
tell her not to be so silly, contemplating calling Jean to come and talk to
her, when he had a better idea. She was just a kid who didn't know what she was
talking about. She had no idea how much it would hurt if he really hit her with
the heavy leather belt in his hand. So he'd do it. Two good strikes and she'd
never even contemplate asking for anything like this again. He grabbed her arms
and twisted them behind her, frog-marching her up to his bedroom. Closing the
door he was thankful for the good soundproofing the mansion had, it would
probably only take one stroke to change her mind but he didn't want her to wake
everyone up when she screamed bloody murder at the unexpected pain.

   He tore off the shirt she wore and pressed her over the wooden rail at the
end of the bed, her face pushed into the mattress. He stood back a little as he
doubled the belt over and wound the end around his hand, admiring the view of
her ass sticking in the air. He could see moisture glisten between her legs and
her scent was heavy in the air. He ran the belt down her spine then pulled it
back and let it fly. It came down on her ass with a loud crack and she bucked
against the bed and cried out. He loosened his grasp enough to let her struggle
away but she stayed put. Frowning he struck her again, a little harder. Again
she cried out but
didn't move away.

   He pulled her up by her wrists and spun her around to face him. She was
breathing heavily and her nipples were hard. He didn't understand.

   "Where d'you learn to like this stuff?" he demanded. "Who hit you before,
your Dad?"

   "No... No one did," she breathed. "I don't know why."

   He let go of her arms. "I won't say I've never done stuff like this before,
cause it'd be a lie. But you're just a kid, you shouldn't need this. I only did
it 'cause I thought when you realised how much it hurt you'd change yer mind."
He looked at the belt in his hand and then let it drop to the floor. "I'm not
sayin' it don't turn me on," she stepped closer and rubbed her hand over the
erection in his jeans, "but I want to talk ta Jean about this first. Go on back
ta yer room for now and sleep on it."

   She stepped away, her face disappointed, but then stepped back and kissed
him before she left.

***** Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer *****
Chapter Notes
     I'd just like to recommend X-Men #28 to everyone. Boy do I miss
     Fabian Nicieza. The art's good too. I'm taking a different angle on
     Creed and Jean here, obviously, but either one has it's validity. You
     write what you need for your story to work. You might want to take a
     look at the rather orgasmic Sabretooth Limited series as well. Oh,
     these characters are all Marvels except for Mhairie who belongs to
     me.

                             Mhairie Chapter 10
              Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer
                            July 1996
                                      
                                      
   "So I thought I'd better come to you. I mean I've known women who liked that
kinda stuff, Jeannie, but they were older -- they'd been around. She's just a
kid, she shouldn't even know about that sort of thing."

   "Shouldn't she? I think you'd better look back on what's happened since she
arrived. Sex is nearly always about power exchange, Logan. Especially at the
beginning of a relationship when there tends to be one person acting the role
of the aggressor. One person the seducer and the other the seduced. Mhairie's
been playing the aggressor a hell of a lot lately, mainly cause she's so young.
She has to push to get us to give in to her. Tell me what happened that first
night."

   "You know what happened," he said, feeling unusually embarrassed.

   "Of course I do and so do you if you'll just admit it."

   He sighed. "Okay, so she seduced me. More than that, I felt... helpless." He
paused, "Powerless. Cause I wanted her so much, it gave her the power over me,
the way she spread me out underneath her. As good as if she'd tied my hands to
the bedposts." He thought some more. "Then later, she tried to get me to take
control. I guess I knew she wanted me to or I wouldn't have trapped her hands
under her like that. But I didn't want to be in control, made me feel guilty, I
turned the tables back again as soon as I could. You're right, it is power
games. But, Jeannie, there's a real difference between submission and
masochism."

   "Oh yes, I agree. But Mhairie is no masochist, not really. It's true there
is a very fine line between pain and pleasure, especially for a woman. Mhairie
is quite small, do you really think she experiences no pain during sex?
Especially as she has only not long lost her virginity. Lord knows I still hurt
sometimes, when we made love I wasn't used to that thickness..."

   "I didn't mean ta hurt..."

   She cut him off. "I know, I know. But what I'm saying is that for the woman,
it's part of the experience. As long as the pain isn't too intense it's almost
enjoyable. But I don't mean it's the pain she's seeking, I'm just explaining
why the pain doesn't necessarily put her off. Letting you hurt her is part of
the power exchange, it helps establish your dominance over her. It also renews
her belief that you want her."

   "What?"

   "That you care enough to punish her. That she is important enough to you to
want to force her not to see Creed." She shook her head. "Now Creed is
something to worry about. She's safe for now, she has no way to let him loose.
But it is by no means certain that he won't escape by himself, and then she
could be in real danger. There's no doubt that he wants her. If he was to get a
hold of her I wouldn't be surprised if he killed her... eventually. But he's
got her hooked. His strength, his willingness to hurt people, it appeals to
her. But only because she can't see the danger. No matter what you say to her I
doubt we could persuade her that he really would hurt her, permanently. She
wants him too much to believe it. I'm not really sure what to do."

   "I know what to do," Logan growled.

   She looked at him sadly. "We can't let you kill him. You know that."

   "Then you're fools, you said it yourself. We can't be sure he won't get free
and when he does... he'll go straight to her. Especially now he knows she's
involved with me. He'll kill her just to get my goat."

   "We. Do. Not. Kill. Logan," she repeated, holding his gaze sternly with
hers. "There is nothing we can do about him for the time being, the best thing
to do is to keep her away from him. And the best way to do that is to give her
what she wants. She's looking for dominance, don't make her turn to Creed for
it. Okay?"

   "If you think it's okay."

   "Yes I think it's okay," she laughed, "and it's not like you don't want to
do it."

   "Jeannie," he protested mildly.

   She leaned into his lap with a grin. "How about I dress up in my old Marvel
Girl costume and you can tie me up," she teased. "Or maybe I'll put on that
disgraceful thing Betsy wears and tie you up... I did that for Scott once."

   "You never did!"

   "Oh didn't I?" she arched a brow at him. "Just don't say anything to Scott
or he'll die of embarrassment. You should have seen his face..."

------------------------

   She slipped quietly around the door and approached him once more. He watched
her silently till she came close enough and stopped.

   "Hey, darlin'."

   "Hey."

   "Didn't think you'd stay away long. So how mad was the runt?"

   In response she turned around and raised her dress to show him the two
bruises crossing her ass. He studied them appreciatively. "Very nice -- didn't
think he had it in him."

   She turned back around, "I asked him to, he thought if he actually did it
I'd change my mind."

   Creed laughed, "But you didn't so he threw ya out."

   "I guess." She studied him for a moment then turned away to glance around
the room. "I've been looking through some of the files and things."

   "I never claimed to be anythin' but what I am. You think they locked me up
like this fer robbin' a liquor store?"

   "No." She turned back and climbed up on the leg clamps again. She studied
his eyes as she ran fingers through his hair and along his cheek bones. "What
happened to you?"

   He froze for a second and there was fear in his eyes but then it was gone.
He barked a short laugh. "Nothin' darlin' -- I've always been a killer. Ever
since I was a kid." There was an unusual tension his body.

   "I don't believe you," she said softly. "What did they do? What did they do
to you?"

   He laughed again, but this time it was bitter. "What did they do?" There was
a slow burning in his eyes. "What did they do... Nothin' the X-Men aren't doin'
to me now." He began to fight against his bonds. "Tyin' me up like an animal
an' hidin' me in the dark." She grabbed onto his shoulders so as not to lose
balance as he writhed. He began to shout, not at her but at the room in
general, as if he expected the X-Men to be listening in. "Ya don't want ta help
me. Ya act so high an' mighty but yer just like the rest o' them. Yer scared o'
me. So ya lock me up an' try ta ignore me. Don't care enough ta help an' ya
ain't got the guts ta kill me. Hypocrites! Ya'd let me starve down here if ya
could. But yer fuckin' paths so ya can't ferget I'm here. Can you? God damn
it!"

   He began to really struggle, bashing his head against the muzzle and
breaking his nose, blood ran out and down his chest. She grabbed for his head.
"Victor! Stop it, you're hurting yourself."

   He continued to fight as she tried to soothe him and finally his motions
slowed. Finally he rested his head against the muzzle and let his body go limp,
his chest heaving with the exertion. "I gotta get out o' here, darlin'," he
whispered. "I'm goin' mad, madder than I already was. I can't live like this."

   She slipped down, tears in her eyes. "I'll do something, I promise. There
has to be something."

   "The runt knows what to do," he told her. "He knows there's only one
choice."

   "Not yet," she said. "Not yet."

   He smiled behind the metal. "Ya know why I do it?"

   "What?"

   "It's not the pain ya know. I don't need ta hurt them. I do it cause it
makes them beg. I do it ta see the fear in their eyes. I have ta hurt them ta
make them do it cause they won't give in ta me any other way. An' then I kill
them, cause otherwise they'd do this ta me. If I let them live they'll hunt me
down. They hate me," he told her. "So I got to break them completely."

   "I don't hate you."

   "I know, darlin', I know ya don't."

   She moved back, pressing herself against him once more. "I hate this damn
muzzle," she whispered.

   "I ain't so fond of it myself darlin'."

   She smiled. "I have to go soon -- they'll miss me. But there is something I
can do first."

   She slipped down onto her knees and began to unbutton his jeans.

-------------------------

   Jean turned away from the screen as Mhairie began to run her tongue over
Creed's growing erection.

   She had put the camera in this morning as she fed Creed his breakfast. With
her telekinesis she was the obvious person for such a job. She could remove the
muzzle and feed him without going anywhere near him, as well as see to his
other needs. He had been unaware of the small camera installing itself silently
in the dark corner.

   She had suspected Mhairie would return to Creed and wanted to hear their
conversation. She was glad she had done so.

   But what she had heard disturbed her.

   For a start, Creed was right. They couldn't keep him like that, it was
inhuman and she would make sure it ended now. But he had been right about a lot
more. He needed help and their hatred for him was preventing them from giving
him it. He had hurt a lot of people close to them but it was time to look past
such personal grievances. It would be easy to ship him off somewhere else but
that would be a mistake. They had to do this, for their own sakes as much as
his. He was safest here.

    And she would take charge of this case, not Charles. He was a good man but
he didn't understand people as much as he liked to believe. He was too like
Henry, too isolated. His strength was research, theory not practice.

   But the first thing to do was to get Creed out of that contraption and make
that cell liveable. He needed to be able to move, to be able to do things for
himself. She could feel the madness building in his mind, trapped as he was.
Well, not right at this very moment she couldn't.

   She glanced back at the screen. Mhairie had one hand between his legs
massaging his balls and the other wrapped around his large penis, moving up and
down with her mouth. He was clearly about to come. She switched of the screen
and left the room.

------------------------

   When he finally came she was shocked by the amount of it, spraying the back
of her throat with such pressure that she had to pull back. She managed to
swallow most of it, only a trickle escaping her and running down her neck. When
he was done she continued to stroke him softly, rubbing her face against the
head of his penis like a cat. He sighed in response, his entire body hanging
loosely from the restraints that pinned his arms.

   When the door opened he ignored it but she spun around to see Jean.

   "Just be glad I'm not Logan," she said sternly. "I don't want to know what
he'd do if he walked in now."

   Mhairie turned back and fastened Creed's jeans again for him as she tried to
figure out what to say.

   But Jean ignored her and addressed Creed. "I have some things for you,
Creed." Mhairie looked up in surprise as a rolled up carpet flew into the room,
seemingly of it's own accord. It laid itself down and began to unroll, pausing
briefly to allow Mhairie and Jean to step over it. Once it was in place it was
followed by a sofa and matching chair, a coffee table, a lamp, a bed... One by
one the items of furniture positioned themselves about the room. "These come
from the basement," she explained. "Old furniture that wasn't being used any
more. I thought it was about time we started treating you like a human being."

   "Gee, Red, how nice of you," he growled.

   "Just don't think I'm doing this for you," she added angrily. "I'm doing
this cause it's the right thing to do."

   "Don't get yer knickers in a twist, Mrs Summers. I ain't gonna ferget that
ya hate me."

   Jean turned away, embarrassed at her need to keep him at a distance. She
shouldn't have said that. But she did hate him. And she shouldn't, she
shouldn't _hate_ anyone. It twisted you up inside. 'You don't have to like
him,' she told herself. 'Just don't hate him for being what he is.' "I want to
ask your permission to do something," she told him.

   "What?"

   "This room will have a power damping screen set up around it. That will cut
out your healing factor but not your physical mutations. I want to clip your
claws, not remove them, just file them down. It's not like you need them now
and they must make things very awkward for you. Your teeth too, just to blunt
the sharp edge."

   He glared at her as he thought about it. She could hear his thought
processes. 'If I get out o' here my healin' factor'll kick back in an' they'll
grow back in seconds. If she wants to do that it means she wants ta let me out
o' this. There ain't no reason to say no, but still. It's givin' in to them. I
don't know..."

   Mhairie got up from the floor and went up to him. "Please say it's okay,
Victor."

   'Damn it but she's cute when she pleads.' "Say please again kid."

   She smiled and leant her forehead against his, "Please."

   "What the hell, do whatever ya want Red. Just get me out o' these damn
manacles. Alright?"

   "Alright, Creed. But I can't do it yet. I'm going to go and call Forge and
get him to set up the power-dampener. I'll let you out of those once I leave
the room but I've set the door so only I can open it, and you'll go straight
back into them before I let anyone in." She turned to go. "Comeon, Mhairie."

  "But--"

   "Go on, darlin'. I gotta get out o' here an' there ain't no way she's
lettin' me out with you still in here. So get."

   Obediently, Mhairie got.

-------------------------

   Jean stopped her as soon as she had released Creed. "We have to talk."

   "You've spoken to Logan," Mhairie surmised.

   Jean nodded. "But it's Creed that I want to talk about. Come on."

   She led her along the corridor to a small room with a couple of old sofas
and chairs, a coffee table and an urn in it. She motioned Mhairie to the sofa
and sat down on the table.

   "I'm not happy with your behaviour so far but I'm not going to yell at you
for it because I'm going to need your help with Creed. He's right, we do hate
him and... we are afraid of him. We've seen him do a lot of terrible things to
people close to us and I doubt we'll ever be able to shake that. You don't know
Creed, you haven't seen, first-hand, the things he's done. As such you can
accept him in a way we can't, he needs someone who can care for him and that he
isn't afraid of. Someone that he doesn't have to defend himself from.

   "His mind is a mess, but not as bad as Logan's thank God. He remembers far
more -- he remembers his childhood. I need you to get him to talk about it. I
could make him talk about it, but that would do more harm than good. That's why
I got him to agree to the blunting of his claws and teeth. If anything does
happen it'll give me time to immobilise him before he can hurt you." Jean
stopped, as if she had just heard what she was saying, or hadn't realised what
she was planning until it came out. "What am I talking about. I can't let you
in there with him. Logan would blow his top..."

   Mhairie reached over and touched Jeans' leg. "Don't start questioning
yourself. You're right, you know you are. He needs help, and I can help him."

   "I know you can... but what will he do to you..."

   "What he needs to, he needs someone he has power over, someone non-
threatening. That's me. There is no one else."

   "That's no reason..."

   "I'm volunteering Jean, I'm demanding that you let me do this." She knelt
between her legs, circling her waist with her arms. "Don't worry about me. I
know myself, I know enough to back away if I'm getting in too deep. I want him,
but I don't need him. It's a fine line, but it's enough. If it ever gets so
he's got more power over me than I do then I'll walk away, I promise."

   Jean studied her, slipping into her mind to be sure, then nodded. "You're a
strange girl, I wish I knew my own weaknesses as well as you know yours."

   Mhairie laughed. "You just have to be truthful. Don't be afraid of what your
mind can come up with." She leant forward and kissed her. They pressed against
one another, then Jean suddenly grabbed her wrists and threw her back, pinning
her to the couch.

   "Now why don't we talk about Logan. You really shocked him you know."

   "What did you tell him?"

   "Not to worry about it. He really is quite turned on by the whole thing,
it'll just take him a little while to get comfortable with it." She smiled
evilly. "So I guess I'll just have to punish you for going back to Creed when
you were expressly told not to."

   Mhairie schooled her face to smother the smile that tried to appear and
began to struggle a little. The thought struck her that a telepath would be the
ideal dom, always aware of when something was going too far, or not far enough.
She heard the door lock itself telekinetically. Then a tea towel bound itself
around her eyes and she was blinded.

   Jean let her go and moved away. "Stand up," she instructed.

   Mhairie complied.

   "Remove your dress."

   She took it off and laid it on the table in front of her. She felt something
fasten itself about her neck and she was being led to the side. She walked
carefully to avoid banging into the table only to walk straight into the back
of a chair. Before she could move around it she was pushed down over it and her
hands quickly bound to the arms. Her legs were pushed apart so that her ankles
could be tied to the legs.

   She struggled against the bonds a moment, testing their strength.

   She felt Jean's hand on her back, running down her spine. "You're quite a
sight, my dear. Perhaps I should call the rest of the X-Men. I'm sure they
wouldn't want to miss out."

   Mhairie began to struggle again but said nothing despite being ungagged.

   "Tell you what, why don't we compromise. I'm unlocking the door now."
Mhairie heard the click. "So if anyone comes by they can get in. This really
isn't a very sound proof room so if you don't want anyone to come in you better
control yourself. Now tell me why you're here."

   "Because I didn't do what I said I would," Mhairie answered.

   "Because I didn't do what I said I would, _Mistress_," Jean prompted.

   "Because I didn't do what I said I would, Mistress."

   "And what did you say you would not to do?"

   "I said I wouldn't see Creed any more, Mistress."

   "And you lied, not only did you go and see Creed but you gave him oral.
Didn't you?"

   "Yes, Mistress."

   She felt the touch of leather on the inside of her thigh, then running up
between her legs to stroke her. She buried her face in the musty cushion of the
chair in preparation as it moved away. She heard the swish of air a second
before the crack of leather on skin. Then heat flushed through her as the pain
burst into her mind. She yelped into the chair. The stroke was not as hard as
Logan's and the belt not quite as heavy but it hadn't been doubled over and the
tip of it stung. Before the first flash was gone the second stroke landed
across the backs of her thighs and she yelped again, bucking strongly against
her bonds. It came down again, catching one of the bruises from last night and
only Jean's telekinesis stopped her from knocking the chair over. She managed
to successfully muffle the next two
cries although the sound of the belt was enough to bring anyone nearby through
the door. There was a pause before the last one.

   "Those five were for lying. This one is for pleasuring Creed without getting
permission," Jean told her from her right side.

   Her aim was perfect as the belt struck a straight line curling around from
her tailbone to her moist pussy. She howled in pain as tears sprang from her
eyes and soaked into the tea towel.

   "Now what do you say?" Jean inquired.

   "Th... thank you... Mistress," Mhairie managed to squeeze out before Jean
released the bonds, which had been telekinetic in nature, and she slid to the
floor. Her hands went automatically to her stinging rear.

   Jean removed the blindfold. She smiled, "I want you to think about how much
more that would have hurt had it been Logans' strength behind it."

   Mhairie winced at the thought.

   "Perhaps the three of us should get together sometime and work out what you
can cope with."

   Mhairie nodded.

   "But in the meantime you will thank me properly for your punishment," Jean
instructed her as she sat down on the couch, lifting her skirt and spreading
her legs. "And then I'm going to call Forge and talk to the rest of the X-Men
about what we have planned for Creed."

   Mhairie knelt between Jean's legs and buried her tongue between the waiting,
swollen lips. Her own pussy still ached both from the beating and from the fact
that she had not come since early last night and it didn't look like Jean was
going to do anything about it.

***** Mind Over Matter *****

                             Mhairie Chapter 11
                             "Mind Over Matter"
                              July 1996

   Mhairie headed back up to her room when Jean went to talk to the Professor
about Creed. When she got there she stripped off her dress and examined her
rear in the full length mirror. As well as the two bruises Logan had left last
night there were five obvious and slightly swollen red streaks and a sixth mark
on her tailbone that disappeared between her buttocks. She studied them, coming
to the disappointed conclusion that while they were bloody sore just now she
didn't think they'd mark like the other two, or not as well. She'd have to wait
and see.

   Jubilee chose that moment to burst through the door. "Hey, where've you been
all morning? I was worried about you."

   "I was... with Jean."

   Jubilee suddenly noticed Mhairie's reflection in the mirror behind her. "My
God, what's that?" She came over and spun her around. "What happened?"

   Mhairie closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer that Jubilee wouldn't
freak out. "The bruises were Logan last night, the red marks were Jean this
morning," she answered calmly.

   "What? You mean they hit you? Why?"

   "For going down to see Creed."

   "You went to see Creed! What for?"

   This wasn't going very well. "I wanted to talk to him. I'm going to help
Jean with him."

   "What?" Jubilee didn't know what to ask next. A million questions were
jumbling in her head. Why did she want to help Creed? Why did Jean want to help
Creed? If she was helping Jean then why did Jean hurt her? Why did Jean hurt
her full stop? Why did Logan hit her? Why did she want to talk to Creed? Why
wasn't she upset? Why hadn't she come to her when Logan hit her? "I don't
understand."

   "It's kind of complicated." She sat down heavily on the bed then quickly
stood up again with a wince before she settled down more cautiously. "I'm not
even sure you can understand this one."

   That got the expected response. "Why? Cause I'm younger than you? I can
understand anything you can!"

   Mhairie smiled at Jubilees' knee jerk reaction. "Okay then, Miss Grown-Up-
And-Mature, I'll try and explain. Come here."

   Jubilee went and sat down beside her.

   "When you're with Wolverine who would you say was in charge?"

   "Well, him I guess."

   "You're sure."
 
   "I think so. I mean it was a bit odd at first cause you were really in
charge but once you were gone he was. I mean, I really don't know what to do
that well, well I didn't, and I was pretty nervous..."

   "Okay, so how did you know he was dominant?"

   "Well, he was on top, and he did everything. I never really did much but I
figured it was okay that time cause he'd already been with you so you probably
did stuff, or something."

   "That's another way of putting it actually, top and bottom, Dominant and
submissive. You were submissive cause you were the inexperienced one, do you
think you'd ever want to switch that around. Be the Dominant?"

   "I don't know. I guess I was the... Dominant... with Gambit. I mean he kept
telling me not to and I just went ahead and brought him off anyway cause I knew
he wanted me to really. But it doesn't really mean anything."

   "No, not in those contexts where you're just getting started and one person
has to take the lead or you'll get nowhere. But as you go on in a relationship
you can make a choice. You can try and be equal partners or one person can
become Dominant and the other submissive. I mean there's shades of grey in
between where most people fall but some people need the extremes."

   "Um... why are we talking about this?"

   Mhairie looked thoughtful then shook her head, "I have no idea cause this
really doesn't seem to be heading where I was trying to get it. I give up, I'm
no good at being subtle. Logan and Jean hit me because I wanted them to. In
Logans' case I as good as forced the belt into his hands, he talked to Jean
about it cause he was worried, she told him not to worry then whipped me this
morning for going to see Creed when I said I wouldn't."

   Jubilee searched her face. "I still don't understand," she admitted finally.

   Mhairie sighed, "I had a feeling you wouldn't. Look, you've been with the X-
Men for a while, you've been captured and tied up by "Evil-Bad-Guys" and
learned to associate it with bad stuff. I haven't. When Creed grabbed me it was
almost a welcome relief from all the jumping people I'd been doing. It felt
good to have no control. I know I should have been scared but I just wasn't, I
don't know why. And it's like it opened something up inside of me. I mean I've
thought about stuff like that before. Read books about it and had it turn me
on, but I thought it wouldn't work like that in real life. That if it really
happened I'd be scared. That if it was real
pain I wouldn't like it. When I met Creed I realised I was wrong. I went to him
last night cause I felt drawn to him. And I was right, he knew exactly what I
wanted. But he couldn't deliver. Then Logan walked in and he was so mad at me
he practically threw me across the room. When we left I pushed him until he
slapped me, I had to get him angry enough to really want to punish me, then I
took off his belt and asked him to beat me with it. I didn't know if I could
actually ask for it until I did."

   "And he did it?"

   "He wanted it as much as I did or he wouldn't have let me persuade him."

   Jubilee still looked unsure, she pushed Mhairie onto her back and rolled her
over to examine the marks. Touching them softly with cool fingers. "I couldn't
do that, I couldn't hurt you," she said finally.

   "I know, I wouldn't ask you to. You and me are different." She rolled back
over and sat up again. "Equal maybe, whatever we are you're certainly no Dom.
Or not yet anyway. I mean I suppose you're pretty young, who knows what you'll
be like in ten years time. After all you were the one in the thigh high black
heels yesterday, declaring yourself Black Queen."

   Jubilee laughed but quickly sobered. "I'm not sure if I can handle this
though, you letting other people hurt you."

   "You're getting hung up on this pain thing. It's not about the pain. It's
about control. It's not even like they're hurting me _that_ much."

   "Really?"

   "Really, I mean it hurts a bit to sit down at the moment but that's cause
it's still fresh. It's probably less than what you put up with in your Danger
Room practices and you don't see me complaining about you subjecting yourself
to that. Coming back with bruises and cuts and pulled muscles and walking
around like an invalid for the next day."

   "Hey! It's not that bad!"

   "Well you certainly make out like it is."

   Jubilee stuck out her tongue.

   "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

-----------------------

   "No! Absolutely not!"

   "Don't tell me what to do, Charles. It's not like you're planning on doing
anything. He was right, you were just going to let him rot in there. Well I
won't let you! Mhairie and I are doing this and we don't need your help or your
permission. If you won't agree then I will simply take the risk of moving him
elsewhere and we'll do it there."

   Beast spoke up from his perch on the back of the chair. "Jean may be right
in choosing Mhairie to help her, but for reasons she doesn't know. I have been
studying Scotts' brain scans and those of other members of the team and have
come to the conclusion that several of them have been unmistakeably altered
since they were last taken. Scotts' is the most obvious and dramatic change,
but using the computers to help me compare I have also found differences in
Jean, Jubilee and Elizabeth and possibly in Logan too. I agree with your
hypothesis that Mhairie is using the mutant powers Cerebro detects in her to
alter not the minds but the _brains_ of the people around her."

   "What?" Jean was taken aback by this. "What about Scotts' brain, what's
different?"

   Beast looked a little embarrassed. "Have you noticed any change in his
behaviour, perhaps a... change in his patterns of sexual arousal? In... what he
finds arousing?"

   "What are you getting at Hank?"

   "What Beast is trying to ask, is whether Scott has begun to find men
attractive," the Professor put bluntly.

   "What?"

   "Perhaps I am wrong Professor, I mean surely Jean would have noticed..."

   "No wait," said Jean. "I have noticed that he's been keeping something from
me since around the time they went to Scotland. I was waiting to see if he
would tell me what it was himself."

   Beast nodded. "It is my hypothesis that Mhairie is unconsciously altering
the brains of those around her to fit the behaviour patterns she wants from
them. She herself is bisexual, perhaps she feels everyone else should be too
and is thus making them so. But if she can do that she can do other things. She
doesn't believe Creed would _seriously_ hurt her, if she doesn't believe he
will perhaps she will, or maybe already has, alter his brain so he no longer
needs to kill. We gave him a full medical scan while he was still injured after
he was brought in, I suggest we scan him again whilst we are filing his claws
and teeth and see if there is any change."

   "Wouldn't his healing factor prevent any change?" Jean asked.

   "I don't think so, after all there does appear to be a small change in
Logans' brain. Perhaps the change is not seen as damage."

   Jean leant forward resting her head in her hands. "I'm not sure what to
think of all this," she admitted. "To think that my brain has been altered...
am I still me? But I can't say I'm unhappy with anything that's happened. It's
different... but it's not that different. If there was really such a big
difference from what I was before I would have noticed. But Scott... I have to
talk to Scott about this." She stood up. "Hank, can you call Forge for me?"

   "Of course."

   The Professor stopped her before she left, "Jean!" She turned around. "I
will not give my blessing to this project but I can see there is nothing I can
do to dissuade you. You may use whatever equipment you require but I do not
wish to be involved."

   Jean nodded and left.

-------------------------------------

   Jean found Scott half watching television, half reading some reports on the
Friends of Humanity. He had lifted himself from his wheelchair onto one of the
armchairs. He looked up as she came in.

   "Hi hon, what have you been up to?"

   "Oh, just doing a little work with Sabretooth."

   Scott frowned. "Are you sure that's wise?"

   "We'll talk about it some other time. I want to ask you about something."

   "Sure, what's up."

   "I want you to tell me what it was that happened in Scotland that you've
been trying to hide from me."

   He looked surprised yet as if he had been expecting this at the same time
and his face took on a red tinge. "Oh... that."

   "You might as well just tell me, I'm sure it can't be that bad considering
everything that's happened in the past few weeks."

   "I guess. I was a bit uncomfortable with it at first that's all," he said.
"But I'm kind of getting used to it."

   "To what, Scott?"

   "Um... I... I think I'm bisexual."

   Jean opened her mouth to reply but he hadn't finished.

   "...and I want to sleep with Gambit."

   "What?"

   "I thought you said it couldn't be that bad," he complained.

   "Well it isn't, I mean I slept with Betsy and Mhairie. It's just... Gambit?
I mean... _you_ want to sleep with _Gambit_?"

   "Well, what's so wrong with that?"

   "But you don't like Gambit. You never liked Gambit."

   "Well... I changed my mind."

   Jean laughed. "I'm afraid it wasn't you that changed your mind, hon."

   "What?"

   "Oh, nothing. Does Gambit know?"

   "Uh, yes." He had let go of the barriers he had been hiding his secret
behind and she could now clearly pick up the images that ran through his mind.

   "And just how long did you think you could hide this from me?"

   "I was going to tell you, after what happened with Gambit I'd decided to
tell you."

   She could see he was telling the truth. She sat down next to him. "Just
promise me one thing."

   "What."

   "When you're well enough to sleep with Gambit, you'll let me watch."

-------------------------------------

   Jean, Mhairie and Hank sat in what had been the small coffee room Jean had
whipped Mhairie in the previous morning. It was now a surveillance room with a
view screen connected to a camera in Creed's cell, just down the hall. The only
part of the room that was not entirely visible was the small bathroom that had
been partitioned off with frosted unbreakable glass. There was a separate
camera in there but it was left off for the moment, it was for just in case.
Various other instruments gave the status of the power dampener, the vital
signs of whoever was in the room, temperature, humidity, two smaller screens
displayed what the television and computer they had given him were showing and
an even smaller one showed the view being displayed on the holographic window
Forge had rigged up at Mhairies' insistence. The whole set up had taken
remarkably little time to arrange with Forges' help.

   "Okay," said Jean. "I'll be watching you but I won't pull you out unless I
know you want me to." She tapped her head.

   Mhairie nodded, glad of the latitude Jean was giving her. She then flicked
her eyes to Beast and back to Jean in a silent question.

   ''Don't worry about him, I'll deal with it.''

------------------------------------

   The heavy door swung open when she reached it and within she could see Creed
being held by Jeans' telekinesis. The door boomed closed as soon as she was
inside and Creed was released. They both stood there for a moment, unused to
the freedom in each others presence. Then Creed broke the eye contact and
looked her up and down.

   "Take the dress off," he ordered.

   She did so then remained standing where she was.

   "Where's the camera?"

   She paused a second then pointed out it's location.

   He nodded, pleased. "Who's watchin'?"

   "Jean and Beast," she replied.

   "We bein' recorded?"

   "Yes, I think so."

   "Good, you'll get a copy of it once we're done." It was an instruction not a
question. She nodded. "Turn around and let me see your ass."

   She turned around and bent forward to display herself.

   "The runt do those new ones too?"

   "No, Jean did, after we left yesterday morning."

   He laughed. "I always knew she was a hot one. Stand up." She did so and he
pulled the coffee table so it was directly in front of the camera. "Now it's
time ta find out what your really made of darlin'. Lie down on your back and
put your wrists and ankles next to the legs."

   She did so and he tied her firmly to the table using four black socks. He
smiled and undid the belt around his waist. "This," he annunciated carefully.
"Is _really_ gonna hurt."

----------------------------

   Beast was yelling. "What do you mean you're not going to do anything? She's
supposed to be talking to him, not letting him beat her to a pulp."

   "She's supposed to be gaining his trust, that's what she's doing."

   "You mean you told her to do this? That's inhuman!"

   "Hank!" Jean looked hurt. "How long have you known me?"

   He said nothing.

   "Yet you think that I would send her in there against her will? Now be
quiet, how am I supposed to make sure he doesn't go too far if I can't
concentrate?" She turned her back on him and returned to monitoring Mhairie's
mental state.

   Beast stood up, "I think I should leave."

   "No wait Hank, I have an idea. Let me link you in with us while I monitor
her. I think it might help."

   "Thank you, but I have no wish to be whipped by Sabretooth."

   "You won't feel the pain, it's her mental state I'm monitoring. Whether
she's upset, angry, happy..."

   "Well... I suppose, if you think it will help." He sat back down.

------------------------------------

   He looked down on her naked body, displayed against the dark wood of the
table. He sighed mentally and told himself to hold back, for the moment. She
was so tiny, her ribs would crack like twigs if he hit her with all his
strength and he knew they'd be ready to pull her out at any sign that he was
going too far. He drew the belt back and other than the quick flick of his
wrist he let its' weight do most of the work. It cracked pleasantly across her
breasts, just below her nipples.

   She squealed and began to struggle. He let it fall again, across her ribs,
then again, laying a stripe across her stomach, then back to crack across her
nipples. She cried out, pulling at her wrists to try and get them free. There
were tears in her eyes.

   But her scent was heavy in the air and there was no fear in it.

   He moved further down and began to lay a rapid succession of red welts from
her thighs up to her shoulders; 10, 15, 20 strokes. When he reached the top he
threw the belt aside and pressed his mouth to hers, plunging his tongue between
her lips. His hand wandered across her chest, tweaking her nipples, already
dark red from the belt. She moaned into his mouth, running her tongue around
his. He reached down and undid her arms then moved back and released her legs.
She remained in position however and he smiled at her obedience before he
lifted her off the table and threw her onto the couch. He pulled the couch
round, so it too was well positioned for the camera, then pushed the table back
and sat down on it.

   "Sit up."

   She sat upright, trying not to let her hands stray to any of the stinging
red stripes on her body.

   "Bring your knees up to your chin then spread your legs as wide as you can."

   She scooted forward and leant back, so she wouldn't fall forward, then
spread her legs as instructed. Opening herself to both him and the camera. She
held her legs in place with her hands.

   "Do ya want me?" he asked.

   "Yes."

   "Tell me what you want me to do."

   "I want you to put your hands between my legs, I want you to put your
fingers inside me, I want you to put your tongue inside me and lick me and bite
me and fuck me."

   "How much do you want it?"

   "More than anything, I want you to screw me, please Victor. Fuck me. Fuck me
so hard that I scream. Push yourself into me till it feels like I'm going to
burst."

   He could see a trickle of moisture run down from her pussy to soak into the
couch, her muscles tensing and releasing as if grasping for something. It was
time to teach her a lesson.

   "Come here," he told her.

   She stood up and approached him, sure she knew what was coming.

   He grabbed her arms and forced both hands behind her back until she cried
out in pain. "This ain't about you, ya little slut. What you want don't matter
no more. You're here ta do what I want. We fuck when I want." He backhanded her
back onto the couch. "When I ask ya what ya want me ta do you say, "Whatever
you want, Master."" He pulled her off the couch by one leg and dragged her
behind the frosted glass over to the shower. He tied her hands to the shower
head above her, forcing her to stand on her toes, and switched on the cold. She
danced under the spray of icy water, goose-bumps breaking out and her nipples
becoming completely solid. Her skin paled, making the markings from her beating
stand out even more. In seconds she was shivering uncontrollably. He waited a
few more seconds then switched the water off and left her there. She only just
heard him switch on the television over the sound of her teeth chattering. If
anything the
cold water dripping down between her legs only served to accentuate the heat
inside her.

-----------------

   "I am not happy with this Jean. She has very little body fat, I doubt either
of them realise how quickly her body temperature could drop," Beast pointed
out. "The cold water in the mansion, especially from the basement pipes, can be
_very_ cold. She could go into shock quite easily." He glanced at the displays.
"Look how quickly her temperature is dropping!" he gestured with alarm. "She is
losing heat far faster than I would have predicted. She must have skipped
breakfast."

   Jean looked at him then back at Creed, who looked like he wasn't planning on
moving off the couch any time soon. Then at Mhairie, whose shivering seemed to
be so pronounced that she was finding it hard to keep her balance. "I'll tell
Creed. If he won't do anything then I'll bring her out myself."

------------------

   Creed was just wondering how long he should leave her hanging there when
Jean Grey's telepathic voice broke into his head.

  ''Creed, this is Jean. I've been talking to Dr McCoy and he advises not
leaving Mhairie there any longer. He believes she may go into shock.''

   'God damn it,' he thought. 'Aren't you X-Men supposed ta be tough?'

   'Mhairie is _not_ an X-Man, Creed. She is just a child. And accordingto our
sensors her body temperature has dropped from 35.5'C to 33.7'C sinceyou put her
in the shower and it is still falling.'

   'Oh f'r cryin' out loud.' He stood up.

------------------

   His mental voice was annoyed but deeper down Jean could sense, surprisingly,
worry and even a little guilt. 'Mark the calendar,' she thought to herself.
'And I thought I couldn't be surprised any more.' She spoke aloud to Beast,
"He's agreed to let her down."

   Beast nodded, still keeping a close eye on her vital signs.

--------------------

   Creed returned to the shower stall, his annoyance overwhelming his worry
till he saw her hanging from her bonds, unable to support herself any longer.
Her skin was as white as snow apart from her lips and feet, which were going
blue, and tiny tremors ran through her muscles as her body tried in vain to
produce enough heat to keep her conscious.

   "Shit! Whyn't ya say somethin' ya dumb bitch." He tore away the bindings and
caught her as she fell.

   "S-s-s-s-sorry," she shivered as he carried her through and dropped her onto
the bed. He grabbed a towel and began to rub her vigorously with it, when he'd
dried her body he threw it aside and started on her hair with a dry one. After
several minutes of furious drying he dropped the towel and pulled off his
clothes. Then he wrapped them both in the heavy duvet so that his body heat
would warm her. She pressed herself to him willingly, still shivering a little.

   When he finally spoke he sounded tired, "This was a hell of a lot easier
when I didn't have ta worry about someone gettin' hurt. Cause it didn't
matter." He sighed. "I'm gonna tan yer hide f'r makin' it matter... tomorrow."

   He felt her smile against his chest. "Promise?" she whispered.

   He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, I promise."

--------------------

   Beast stared at the screen, dumbfounded. "I know I noticed some differences
in Creed's brainscan, but this is ridiculous," he decided. "It's like someone
replaced him. He's a pod person! There's no other explanation."

   Jean laughed. "The Professor is never going to believe me unless he looks in
Creeds' mind himself," she told Hank.

   "You mean there's more?"

   She sent Hank a brief flash of what was currently in Creeds' mind.

   Hank stared at her, then at the screen, then back at her. "He's not going to
start purring is he?"

   "Anything's possible, or so it seems." She looked back at the peaceful
couple, slipping gently into slumber.

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