Aftermath

"Is she?"

Walt nodded as he put the collar around Jen's neck. He had to to get her to stop fighting them. Even unconscious she put up a hell of a struggle. As soon as it was around her neck though she stopped fighting him. He felt awful about it but he'd deal with the consequences later if she hated him. He nodded and stroked Jen's hair. "She's safer... we need to wait for Jeannie to do her thing now..." he looked at Jean Grey who was likely inside Jen's mind right now trying to help her. "I'm sorry."

He heard them both walk over. Felt them put their arms around him and Jen. A big group hug.

"You dummy," Gwen said. "You just saved everyone including Jen."

Jubilee nodded. "You did good! Really, really good! And we didn't have to hurt anyone!"

Walt shook his head. "Except we just collared Jen." He sighed. "She's not going to be happy or thankful for that. I broke her trust." He stroked her hair. "If I had just thought it through a bit faster... I almost missed a damn booby trap! A living landmine!" He looked at the two of them. "You were both in a lot of danger and it was my fault... but you were both great! Amazing even. Thank you for keeping each other and her safe."

Gwen and Jubilee both looked at each other and nodded. They hugged them harder. "Everyone and everything will be just fine, Walt." Gwen said.

"We ALL kept each other and her safe. Including you, Walt," Jubilee said.

Walt smiled. "Thanks you two... we were lucky. If we hadn't surprised her... if she hadn't already been weakened... this could have gone really badly. But you're both right. It didn't... she won't be happy when she wakes up but everyone is safe. I can live with that."

They stayed like that all of them holding each other.

They felt Jen suddenly relax completely. She leaned backwards against Walt and into their arms. There was a long moment and then Jean Grey opened her eyes smiling. "It's done. She's free."

Walt looked down at Jen's collar. The irony was bitter. "Is she... well?"

Jean smiled at Walt and patted his hand. "She's fine... she's beautiful inside. You did well." Jean frowned. "I'm unfamiliar with the process that controlled her but it's foreign presence has been successfully removed and the damage to her psyche was minimal. It hadn't spiraled out of control into a negative feedback loop. I think... if it had been successful it would have hurt her terribly but it didn't. We stopped her just in time from hurting you and herself."

"Thank you, Jean." Walt said rocking Jen in her sleep. "I owe you."

Jean smiled at them all surrounding her and shook her head. "You don't owe me anything, old friend." She did laugh. "Though maybe you could drop by sometime and apologize to Scott?"

Walt chuckled softly. "Be the bigger man? You got it... I'll even bring him a basket of fruit."

Jubilee laughed and Gwen elbowed him. "You broke his jaw and bring him a fruit basket?"

Walt grinned. "I said bigger man... not better."

Jean patted his knee. "It's a start. He regrets his actions too."

Walt rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright... I'll bring him a chocolate to suck on. Stip making me feel bad about it."

Gwen laughed. "A chocolate? Singular? Not a box?"

Walt nodded. "Improvement takes time... I'm a work in progress. Baby steps. Speaking of... can you guys go get the doors? I'll carry her inside."

Gwen and Jubilee nodded and ran to the mansion. Jean watched them go then turned to Walt. "She broke free and I don't think there'll be any lasting damage... but I only helped her. She's strong but tender too... and she likes you. All of you but you on particular. She used that to help galvanize herself. There maybe temporary side-effects."

Walt blinked. "Temporary side-effects? Like what?"

Jean patted his cheek. "She maybe freer with her affections. They're not false, but more honest about expressing herself. But I know you. You'll be good to her. Also her memories should be intact though our interaction inside her mind maybe a bit hazy and dreamlike. That's natural and safer for her consciousness that way."

Walt smiled. "You give me too much credit... but I'll do my best."

Jean smiled. "You always did... and you're so much stronger now." She tapped his chest. "In here. I'm almost jealous. They're lucky ladies."

Walt kissed Jean on the check. "No your not. You got what you always wanted and I couldn't be happier for you, Jeannie. You're a lucky lady yourself. Never let go."

Jean smiled. "Thank you... I won't. You don't either."

Walt nodded and picked Jen up onto his back. He looked at her sleeping face next his before looking at Jean. "That's what my grandfather taught me. I never do."

Jean watched him go. "You're a special one my friend... I can't wait for the party!"

Walt carried Jen inside and to her room. He lay her down on the bed and gently removed her shoes. He turned to ask Gwen or Jubilee to help her get changed but they'd both disappeared.

"Great," he muttered then shrugged. It was far from the worse thing he'd done tonight.

The old "I ♡ NY" sweatshirt wasn't terribly difficult to remove and he was thankful she'd worn some kind of white tank top underneath. Walt swallowed. She looked damn good in just a shirt and jeans. She had an very muscular but feminine form that filled out her clothes beautifully.

*Maybe too much,* he thought staring at the jeans. They looked extremely tight. He worried about how much of a struggle removing them was going to be. She would probably be okay sleeping in the pants he thought. He would just unbutton them so she'd be comfortable. He did just that but hesitated admiring her abdominals and navel and some kind of black underwear for just a moment thinking about taking her jeans of and seeing- touching her sexy, strong-

He gently tucked her in the covers instead. He adjusted her pillow and smoothed her hair. She was really tired. She'd been living on the run for so long. Staying at an old safe house until she'd had to run again. Sleeping on the streets, in abandoned places and wherever she could hide for a day or two.

He put carefully pulled out his old glasses and put them on... as much as he liked the newer upgrades he still liked the glasses he had used for so long. They were... familiar. "Friday?"

(("Yes, Boss?"))

Walt carefully moved a chair to sit by Jen's bed then sat in it quietly. "Restore to standard default setting level 1, please? I think the situation is past us for now. I should be here when Jen wakes up. I don't want her to freak out. Let's get some work done in the meantime."

(("Certainly, Boss. Restoring to standard default settung level 1. Where would you like to start?"))

Walt smiled and got comfortable calling up and accessing information on the HUD. "Let's start with inventory, purchasing requests and invoices by priorty. Also bring up lists of the known and unknown targets yet for Marvel that we've been going over as well as the instances we know we still have to search beyond. I'd also like the list of everyone who we've come in contact with since the night we met Penny."

(("Again, Boss? Still obsessively searching like Captain Ahab?"))

Walt simled tiredly. "Just like Ahab I know that just because I haven't seen it, doesn't mean it's not there." He started working on multiple projects simultaneously.

(("Indeed, Boss. Let's just hope your story ends up better than his did, hm?"))

Walt smirked. "Thanks. I guess that makes you "Ishmael"? I'm counting on you to make sure I can keep our Pequod afloat and don't turn into an obsessed monomanical nut. Unlike Ahab, our ship and crew are my top priority."

---

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

TBD

Coming Soon]