Prologue to 'A Different Time, A Different Place'
Okay. This is what should have happened between X-Force 74 and 75.
No permission, no money making, no sorcery or witchcraft, no hurting of small furry animals that make 500 babies a year. . . yadda, yadda, yadda. . .
James and Theresa were alone on their small walk to stretch their legs. Both were still shook up from the events earlier.
"How are ye feelin' Jimmy?"
He sat down on the road side, not sure how to answer her question. If it hadn't been for Terry, he'd be dead right now. It was scary to think that his life was in the hands of one person.
"I don't know how I feel." He sighed and hugged his knees.
"Jimmy, if I'd lost ye back there I don't know how I could've lived."
It was true, she couldn't have gone on without Jimmy. She was in love with the Apache but had never admitted it to him. If he had died without her telling him, she'd never have forgiven herself. Right now, she was trying to find a way of telling him how she felt. She wanted it to be special, something to tell the grand kids.
"I keep thinking of all the dumb things I've done with my life and if I'd died it would have been a waste. I've done nothing. Achieved nothing. Somehow, I want to do more with my life."
"Ye've helped me. I would nae have survived the drinking problem without ye."
He looked at her. He'd only helped her because she needed it, if he hadn't been around someone else would have helped her.
"Terry, I did that because you're my friend. Any member of the team would have done the same."
She sighed. He was depressed and she knew it.
"But it was you that helped. None of the others noticed an' if they did, they didn't do anything."
"You're being too hard on them."
"No, you're being hard on yourself."
He laughed. She was so sure he was her guardian angel that she couldn't see the good in the others.
"I just wish I had done things differently."
"Like what?"
"Like not joining the Hellions. Blaming Xavier for John's death."
"If ye hadn't blamed the Professor then ye wouldn't have joined the Hellions and eventually X-Force. We'd have never met."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
She looked at him. The special moment wasn't going to come, the grand kids would have to settle for a story like 'Little Red Riding Hood'.
"Boyo, if we hadn't met then I'd be alone and missed the one chance at happiness."
Jimmy was confused. He thought that Siryn was back to drinking tap water.
"Jimmy, ye big lug, I LOVE YOU!"
"Okay."
He was bewildered, confused and really happy. Siryn actually said the words he wanted to hear. It wasn't exactly the most romantic of settings but it was good enough for him.
"Did you mean it or am I just having a weird dream?"
"Of course I meant it. I've been meaning to say it for a while but I'm too pig headed."
He reached out a hand offering it to Terry. She took it without hesitation or doubt and they sat together, her in his embrace, looking up at the stars. It felt right to be like this, something they could have done years ago but didn't.
"I love you too, Terry."
And for the first time they shared a kiss. It was something neither of them wanted to end. It was passionate and full of a love that went beyond the physical, a mark that their souls were destined to be together for better and for worse.
"Y'know, you teo can stop giving each other mouth to mouth. Jimmy's alive Terry, you can stop the CPR."
Siryn glared at the young blonde known as Meltdown.
"You want to end her life Jimmy or shall I?"
He looked at her.
"This is a joint partnership. Let's both kill her."
Both stood up and chased Tabitha back to the car. Both, happy that their true feelings were now revealed. No more secrets, no more lies. Their lives a blank canvas to paint on together.
THE END?
Oh, no. The story never ends!
'A Beginning to the End'?
Because it's the end of the angst and
we've started at the beginning if the end!