“Is it too much to hope that maybe we’re in one of the places we’re supposed to be?” Jae asks.
“You look like you in de right place, mon a mi,” Gambit greets them with his usual wicked grin.
“Looks like we got the ragin’ Cagin on the welcoming committee again,” HLM comments from her place by Raph.
“It be lookin’ dat way, petite,” Remy says, winking at HLM as Professor X comes rolling up to them.
“You all look like you’ve had a long journey,” the stately bald man comments.
“No kidding, we probably smell like it, too,” Diana grumbles, half of her face covered with blood mixed in with the grime covering them all.
“If you wish, you can stay and refresh yourselves before moving on. Thank you for returning our friends in good shape; if not a little messy.”
Diana nods.
HLM smiles, in surprisingly good spirits, but just as weary as the rest.
“Thank you for the kind offer, Professor, but we all have families wondering if we’re still alive. I know you know how dangerous this sci-fi shtuff is.”
He smiles, shaking each of their hands before backing away from them.
“So be it, then. Good luck.”
“Well, I know I’ll be seein’ your equivalents in the reality I’m from,” HLM says to Wolvie and Storm with a grin.
Storm smiles back, and to her and Wolvie’s new friends.
“Do you think you have equivalents in this reality?”
Raph shrugs. “Check the sewers of NYC. There’re more than just Morlocks down there.”
Storm nods thoughtfully and hugs her new friends farewell, as does Wolvie.
“Hope you get everyone, yerself included, home safe, darlin’,” he tells Diana.
“Don’t worry about it,” she says with a tired smile. “I will, then I’ll take a long bath, and sleep for about a month.”
Wolvie laughs and nods. “That sounds like a good plan.”
With a last smile, Diana unsheathes her sword and opens a tear in reality.
“I wonder,” Xavier speaks after there’s silence, “will we ever see them again?”
“I do not know, Charles,” Storm answers softly, “but perhaps other versions of them are in this realm now, too.”
A few thoughtful minutes later, Storm and Wolvie head off to bathe, rest and think about everything that’s happened. Xavier sits for a moment before heading for Cerebro to see if he can perhaps find any of the four in his universe.
"ACK!!! Dude! Get OFF me!” Mike shouts when Jae lands on him, coming out of the rift.
HLM ends up sprawled across the coffee table; Raph has to pull himself out of a plastic houseplant; and Diana ends up falling off the TV set which is blaring a Loony Toons cartoon.
“Geeze, sorry,” Jae apologizes as he untangles himself from Mike.
“Ah…sewer sweet sewer,” Raph comments.
“Damn, bro,” Leo says, coming in, “you smell worse than usual!”
“Oh, hush, Leo. We’ve been all over the place and ended up playing in a swamp for entirely too long,” HLM answers, wrinkling her nose.
Don and Splinter follow Leo in.
“Diana!” Don exclaims upon seeing the nasty cut on her face, the most obvious of all their injuries. “Are you ok?!”
Diana nods tiredly. “Yeah, I just need a good long bath, some healing, and a lot of sleep.”
“Ah. So you do not wish to rest here for a few days?” Splinter asks gently.
Diana and Jae both smile at the elderly rat, and Diana almost bursts into tears. She hugs him warmly, and despite her being so dirty, he hugs her back.
“Thank you, Master, but our family is probably worried about us,” she answers, her voice on the verge of trembling.
“Then you have my best wishes, my daughter.”
“Thank you, again. Maybe we’ll meet under better circumstances in the future.”
Splinter nods and lets her turn to Raph.
“Well, I guess this is it again…”
He nods and looks into her eyes. “It’s kinda funny…b’fore ya showed up, I was wonderin’ how ya were doin’…an’ then you ‘n yer hubby showed up…”
Diana can’t help grinning a little sadly. “Weird how those things happen, huh…”
He nods. “Wish we could stay in contact more…only time we ever get ta talk’s when we’re in some kinda battle against one freako or ‘nother ‘n when we’re ‘bout ta say g’bye.”
Diana nods and hugs him. “Looks like it’s that annoying karma stuff getting in the way of a good time again…”
“Yeah…”
After a sad pause, they break the hug.
“Wull,” he says, “make sure that Jae guy takes good care ‘o ya.”
Diana nods. “I’m sure he will. I know HLM will treat you well. Your HLM and ours seem to be one and the same. Ours is a good woman, so yours must be, too.”
He nods and lets her step back to say good bye to the rest. Once they’re ready, Diana opens the rift again to let herself and Jae step back to their home.
When the winds die down, HLM wraps her arms around Raph’s middle and gazes up into his eyes.
“Hey, you ok, love ‘o mine?” she asks.
He smiles lovingly down at her, feeling more lucky than ever to have this woman in his life.
“Long as yer with me, I’m doin’ jus’ fine.”
She smiles back, and reaches up to place a gentle hand on his cheek. “Then I’m fine, too.”
As he looks into the bottomless black depths of HLM’s eyes, he realizes the he has everything he wants or needs in this woman, no matter what.
Reunions Index
Chapter Ten
Chapter Twelve