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xmen15Title: Out with the Old
Fandom: X-Men(/Excalibur)
Author: Apache Firecat
Dedicated To: My J, for Reasons <3
Characters: Brian/Meggan, Maggie, Ensemble
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Life has come full circle and is brighter than ever for Meggan, and Brian and Maggie, Braddock.
Word Count: 1,685
Written For: X-Men 15 14. Moon and 100Ships 79. Liberty
Warnings: Suggested domestic abuse, Addiction issues
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She flew. She had always loved the feeling of flying, especially on full moon nights such as tonight, but there was something even more special about tonight's journey over the moon. She couldn't help reflecting back, her pointy ears flicerking, at the good and bad throughout her life. She had once never thought she would feel this much freedom. Brian had given her that early on, or at least he had tried to, but he had his own Demons nipping at his proverbial heels and all too soon the freedoms they had both thought he would give her had been quickly vanishing.
He had never meant to hurt her, Meggan knew that now. He had tried so hard, but he himself had been hurt deeply long before they'd ever met. It was almost like the soap operas she loved so much on the telly. They both carried their own pains which had marked them and made them both stronger and harder individuals. As much as people liked to compare her husband to the Captain America hero across the pond, Meggan knew Brian lacked many of the liberties Steve Rogers proclaimed. He had never truly felt free himself, so how he could possibly make his wife free?
But over time, she'd come to realize that she had to find her own happiness, her own liberties as it were. She had thought that at a lost battle for the longest time for, even after she'd fought and sacrificed a good friend to make bloody certain he'd come back to her, Brian had left her again. He was here to stay now, but that was only one of the many miracles she was celebrating tonight.
The infant in her arms cooed contentedly, her chubby hands playing with her mother's long, blonde hair. She was a mother! Even more astounding was the fact that Brian and their world trusted her with her child. Yes, she was the mother, but Meggan had seen far too often the kind of horrors mothers could force upon their young. Her own mother had abandoned her early on after all. That was why she had not known any better early on, when she had first met the heroic Captain Britain, than to take the lupine form everyone around her seemed to expect of her.
Brian's parents had not been much better. Although he often spoke well of his mother, he did not have a good word to say of his father, and his brother was even worse. They had battled Jamie Braddock many times. Brian felt a cold shiver slide down her spin as she began to descend, Jamie's cruel laughter and horrifically twisted facing looming in her memory. That man was frightening and one of the sickest individuals she had ever had the displeasure of knowing. Thankfully, he seemed to be staying dead this time, and although she knew it was wicked of her to think such thoughts, she was glad he was dead for, as proud as she was of her daughter, she could not stand the idea that her child would grow up in a world where her uncle was such a twisted, heartless being. She'd surely have to take her into another realm and raise her there rather than ever allow her uncle to come anywhere near her.
But she didn't have to worry. At one time, she had been terrified of becoming a mother. She was hardly intelligent enough to be a good mum, but Kitty had had several good points earlier on in the evening. Intelligence was not what mattered most here, and for actual intellects, her child had plenty from whom to learn. Kitty and Elizabeth could well teach her how to fight hand-to-hand combat (if, indeed, Meggan ever allowed for such, but it was important that she learn to defend herself, and not only because of the X-Men's seemingly endless list of foes). They as well as Kurt were superbly skilled in swordplay, and of course, her dear Fuzzy Elf could teach her daughter so many more skills. As far as actual intellect went, her precious bundle of joy would be surrounded by the very best minds not only from their world but from others as she grew older.
Still, Meggan hated to think of the day when her Maggie would grow older. She knew it would come. It would come all too soon; that was what all the parenting books she had read and all the other parents with whom she had spoken over the last several months had said. It happened to them all, growing up, growing older --
After all, look at how far she and Brian had come! Meggan found herself blinking back tears as she gazed down at her beloved husband, surrounded by their friends. He had grown so much, truly coming into his own and deciding to put the drink down to be a better husband, father, and hero. She had, of course, grown as well, finally feeling free in her powerrs and womanhood and fully at home in Nature. There was nothing from which she still felt the need to flee, except, perhaps, the idea of her daughter becoming a woman.
There were tears beginning to slide down her happy face when she landed back in front of her husband and lovingly pecked his cheek. "Sweets, what's with the waterworks?" Brian asked, but there was no harshness in his voice as there had been on many nights past when he'd thought she was being too emotional. There was only genuine concern in his voice and on his handsome face.
Meggan smiled. She could hear the twinkling, twilight music of the Faes in her own voice as she responded, "Just a mother caring too much."
"Nonsense, liebchen," Kurt said from where he stood beside Brian. The cold, night air had ruffled his thick, blue fur. "Nein mutter can worry too much for her baby." His pointed tail frisked briskly about him.
He was still as handsome as he had ever been, but Meggan no longer felt the need to impress him. He was a dear, dear friend, but that was all. Had Brian not come back to her, things may have changed, but she had finally been pushed to take Fate into her hands and force him back. When he'd realized the depths of her love for him, he had done the rest. Although she'd feared he might never return a second time when he'd left her, the moment he'd returned to her again, he had requested they proceed with their wedding. Fighting for the man whom she now gazed lovingly at, as she grew a third arm just so she could grasp his face in two hands while continuing to hold their baby, had been the best decision she had ever made in her life.
Beside the men, Rachel and Kitty were exchanging knowing looks. "Easy, Elf," Rachel chided. "I wouldn't say that."
"Yeah." Kitty laughed, and Meggan could almost swear she could hear the gentle, agreeing cooing of the familiar dragon missing from their midst. "Maggie's sitll in diapers, and I'm pretty sure I saw some college enrollment forms back at the lighthouse!"
"You can never be too prepared," Brian spoke, as serious as ever.
Meggan could not care how gravely serious he became this night. After all, for one, it was over care for their daughter, and two, oh, my, how she loved this man! Her blue eyes sparkled light the stars as she pulled him closer, her hands still on either side of his handsome head. "I love you, Brian Braddock!" She kissed him, this time longer and deeper, a promise of things to come not just later that night after their visiting friends but for years, even decades, to come. This was the man the Fates had sent her, the man with whom she was very pleased to grow old, the only one whose love could have possibly filled her and helped her fill her destiny as he had!
Meggan's ears again twitched as she heard singing. It took her a moment to realize that it was an ancient, Celtic song coming from her heart and onto her lips, and that she had left the ground again. She was just too happy this night to stay tied to the earth alone! "Come on, girls!" She waved enticingly to her dearest and longest friends of the female gender and then sailed through a loop in the air.
Rachel and Kitty were both laughing with her, but only Ray flew up to join her. Kitty shook her head. "I'm good down here -- " she started to say, but then Rachel twitched her nose and exchanged a wink with Meggan. It took very little from their conjoined powers for Kitty to find herself levitating upwards, rather she wanted to be flying or not.
As they flew higher into the night air, Meggan's superior hearing caught Kurt's voice. "Care to join me for another drink, mein fruend?" His tail whisked, and she wished she could say that her heart did not sink a little as she heard his invitation.
But then she heard her man's voice, strong, proud, and as clear as the beautiful night surrounding them. "Cocoa for me this time, Kurt, or tea even."
Her heart returned to soaring high as she heard their friend's answer. "Of course, mein fruend. I had nozin' else in mind. Ve've come too far to slide back now."
"Yes. Yes, we have, and I've too many reasons not to return to the old me."
But the old Brian, and the old Meggan, were both gone now, Meggan thought, spinning and leaping through the air as the Wee Folk joined them. She held her baby bairn in her arms, close to her heart, and with Maggie, she understood, all things were new again. Their old lives were lessons from which to be learned, and the new lives were wonderfully, sparkly, and full of promise. She sang, and the air all around her hummed with joy, anticipation, power, and most of all, love.
The End
Fandom: X-Men(/Excalibur)
Author: Apache Firecat
Dedicated To: My J, for Reasons <3
Characters: Brian/Meggan, Maggie, Ensemble
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Life has come full circle and is brighter than ever for Meggan, and Brian and Maggie, Braddock.
Word Count: 1,685
Written For: X-Men 15 14. Moon and 100Ships 79. Liberty
Warnings: Suggested domestic abuse, Addiction issues
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She flew. She had always loved the feeling of flying, especially on full moon nights such as tonight, but there was something even more special about tonight's journey over the moon. She couldn't help reflecting back, her pointy ears flicerking, at the good and bad throughout her life. She had once never thought she would feel this much freedom. Brian had given her that early on, or at least he had tried to, but he had his own Demons nipping at his proverbial heels and all too soon the freedoms they had both thought he would give her had been quickly vanishing.
He had never meant to hurt her, Meggan knew that now. He had tried so hard, but he himself had been hurt deeply long before they'd ever met. It was almost like the soap operas she loved so much on the telly. They both carried their own pains which had marked them and made them both stronger and harder individuals. As much as people liked to compare her husband to the Captain America hero across the pond, Meggan knew Brian lacked many of the liberties Steve Rogers proclaimed. He had never truly felt free himself, so how he could possibly make his wife free?
But over time, she'd come to realize that she had to find her own happiness, her own liberties as it were. She had thought that at a lost battle for the longest time for, even after she'd fought and sacrificed a good friend to make bloody certain he'd come back to her, Brian had left her again. He was here to stay now, but that was only one of the many miracles she was celebrating tonight.
The infant in her arms cooed contentedly, her chubby hands playing with her mother's long, blonde hair. She was a mother! Even more astounding was the fact that Brian and their world trusted her with her child. Yes, she was the mother, but Meggan had seen far too often the kind of horrors mothers could force upon their young. Her own mother had abandoned her early on after all. That was why she had not known any better early on, when she had first met the heroic Captain Britain, than to take the lupine form everyone around her seemed to expect of her.
Brian's parents had not been much better. Although he often spoke well of his mother, he did not have a good word to say of his father, and his brother was even worse. They had battled Jamie Braddock many times. Brian felt a cold shiver slide down her spin as she began to descend, Jamie's cruel laughter and horrifically twisted facing looming in her memory. That man was frightening and one of the sickest individuals she had ever had the displeasure of knowing. Thankfully, he seemed to be staying dead this time, and although she knew it was wicked of her to think such thoughts, she was glad he was dead for, as proud as she was of her daughter, she could not stand the idea that her child would grow up in a world where her uncle was such a twisted, heartless being. She'd surely have to take her into another realm and raise her there rather than ever allow her uncle to come anywhere near her.
But she didn't have to worry. At one time, she had been terrified of becoming a mother. She was hardly intelligent enough to be a good mum, but Kitty had had several good points earlier on in the evening. Intelligence was not what mattered most here, and for actual intellects, her child had plenty from whom to learn. Kitty and Elizabeth could well teach her how to fight hand-to-hand combat (if, indeed, Meggan ever allowed for such, but it was important that she learn to defend herself, and not only because of the X-Men's seemingly endless list of foes). They as well as Kurt were superbly skilled in swordplay, and of course, her dear Fuzzy Elf could teach her daughter so many more skills. As far as actual intellect went, her precious bundle of joy would be surrounded by the very best minds not only from their world but from others as she grew older.
Still, Meggan hated to think of the day when her Maggie would grow older. She knew it would come. It would come all too soon; that was what all the parenting books she had read and all the other parents with whom she had spoken over the last several months had said. It happened to them all, growing up, growing older --
After all, look at how far she and Brian had come! Meggan found herself blinking back tears as she gazed down at her beloved husband, surrounded by their friends. He had grown so much, truly coming into his own and deciding to put the drink down to be a better husband, father, and hero. She had, of course, grown as well, finally feeling free in her powerrs and womanhood and fully at home in Nature. There was nothing from which she still felt the need to flee, except, perhaps, the idea of her daughter becoming a woman.
There were tears beginning to slide down her happy face when she landed back in front of her husband and lovingly pecked his cheek. "Sweets, what's with the waterworks?" Brian asked, but there was no harshness in his voice as there had been on many nights past when he'd thought she was being too emotional. There was only genuine concern in his voice and on his handsome face.
Meggan smiled. She could hear the twinkling, twilight music of the Faes in her own voice as she responded, "Just a mother caring too much."
"Nonsense, liebchen," Kurt said from where he stood beside Brian. The cold, night air had ruffled his thick, blue fur. "Nein mutter can worry too much for her baby." His pointed tail frisked briskly about him.
He was still as handsome as he had ever been, but Meggan no longer felt the need to impress him. He was a dear, dear friend, but that was all. Had Brian not come back to her, things may have changed, but she had finally been pushed to take Fate into her hands and force him back. When he'd realized the depths of her love for him, he had done the rest. Although she'd feared he might never return a second time when he'd left her, the moment he'd returned to her again, he had requested they proceed with their wedding. Fighting for the man whom she now gazed lovingly at, as she grew a third arm just so she could grasp his face in two hands while continuing to hold their baby, had been the best decision she had ever made in her life.
Beside the men, Rachel and Kitty were exchanging knowing looks. "Easy, Elf," Rachel chided. "I wouldn't say that."
"Yeah." Kitty laughed, and Meggan could almost swear she could hear the gentle, agreeing cooing of the familiar dragon missing from their midst. "Maggie's sitll in diapers, and I'm pretty sure I saw some college enrollment forms back at the lighthouse!"
"You can never be too prepared," Brian spoke, as serious as ever.
Meggan could not care how gravely serious he became this night. After all, for one, it was over care for their daughter, and two, oh, my, how she loved this man! Her blue eyes sparkled light the stars as she pulled him closer, her hands still on either side of his handsome head. "I love you, Brian Braddock!" She kissed him, this time longer and deeper, a promise of things to come not just later that night after their visiting friends but for years, even decades, to come. This was the man the Fates had sent her, the man with whom she was very pleased to grow old, the only one whose love could have possibly filled her and helped her fill her destiny as he had!
Meggan's ears again twitched as she heard singing. It took her a moment to realize that it was an ancient, Celtic song coming from her heart and onto her lips, and that she had left the ground again. She was just too happy this night to stay tied to the earth alone! "Come on, girls!" She waved enticingly to her dearest and longest friends of the female gender and then sailed through a loop in the air.
Rachel and Kitty were both laughing with her, but only Ray flew up to join her. Kitty shook her head. "I'm good down here -- " she started to say, but then Rachel twitched her nose and exchanged a wink with Meggan. It took very little from their conjoined powers for Kitty to find herself levitating upwards, rather she wanted to be flying or not.
As they flew higher into the night air, Meggan's superior hearing caught Kurt's voice. "Care to join me for another drink, mein fruend?" His tail whisked, and she wished she could say that her heart did not sink a little as she heard his invitation.
But then she heard her man's voice, strong, proud, and as clear as the beautiful night surrounding them. "Cocoa for me this time, Kurt, or tea even."
Her heart returned to soaring high as she heard their friend's answer. "Of course, mein fruend. I had nozin' else in mind. Ve've come too far to slide back now."
"Yes. Yes, we have, and I've too many reasons not to return to the old me."
But the old Brian, and the old Meggan, were both gone now, Meggan thought, spinning and leaping through the air as the Wee Folk joined them. She held her baby bairn in her arms, close to her heart, and with Maggie, she understood, all things were new again. Their old lives were lessons from which to be learned, and the new lives were wonderfully, sparkly, and full of promise. She sang, and the air all around her hummed with joy, anticipation, power, and most of all, love.
The End
