Start at the Beginning Pt 11

"Ugh... seriously? Again? You know I don't like loitering around outside schools like this!"

Walt sighed. "One those wasn't "loitering", it is called a "stake out" and two I don't like it either Gwen. It's creepy. But there's no loitering this time. I actually know these X-Men so we can get in... maybe..."

Gwen shook her head but she was glad that he didn't like their earlier behavior either and this time was going to be different. "As long as we don't get hunted by the stabby guy and the blue fuzzy this time... so what's the plan of yours?"

Walt chuckled and hefted the beer. "The stabby guy is Logan and he's a drinking buddy on this world if he's here, that's how we'll get in... unless Scotty's here..."

Gwen shook her head. "Let me guess... that'd not go over as well?"

Walt simply nodded and she sighed. "And if he answers the door instead?"

Walt paused then shrugged. "I punch the humorless dick in the balls and we go in anyway."

Gwen threw her hands up in the air. "Great! Just great! Solid plan! **** and battery and home invasion as well as trespassing on a school! Anything else?"

Walt shrugged. "I'm sure I'll think of something... maybe steal his wheels."

Gwen couldn't believe what she was hearing! "We've been at this for days! You know most of the person's we've checked up on have either been nice or at least polite... or dead... but some of them... you've got a real way with people! You should write a book."

Walt looked at her. "You think?"

She raised an eyebrow. "And what did you do to piss "Scotty" off?"

Walt didn't say anything... but he did start humming.

Gwen who was musically inclined listened to a few bars then her eyes got real wide. "No?!"

Walt just grins. "Scotty doesn't know that Jeannie and me/Do it in my van every Sunday."

Gwen giggled and joins in, "She tells him she's in church but she doesn't go/Still she's on her knees and Scotty doesn't know

Oh, Scotty doesn't know

So don't tell Scotty

Scotty doesn't know

Scotty doesn't know"

They sing the song laughing the whole longway. "Ok, so who's this Jeannie? And did you really...?"

Walt looks at her shocked. "Who do you think I am?... Logan did. He and Jean had "a thing" in several 'verses. Scotts... well mostly he's a bland, stick-up-his-you-know-what, guy in almost every 'verse. Someone like Jean was way out of his league and I think that was the problem. His insecurities about that affected their relationship in a lot of 'verses. Some got better but others were just down right unhealty with his obsession and insecurities. "Stabby guy" Logan is the opposite of that generally speaking. He's usually very secure about himself, a Wildman and, if he's not going berserk, pretty fun and laid back, actually... and Jean was... Jean was a delight! Special. Not just for her gifts and beauty but her brains and heart too."

Walt stopped. "Actually... It's best not to bring up Jean unless someone else does first. Its fun to joke around and god knows she wouldn't want people to be mopey about it... She doesn't get a lot of happy endings either in most worlds. Not quite as bad as "Gwen Stacy" but you get the idea... for some of the X-Men it's a hard past. I've always though "Jean" and "Gwen" were very different but similarly special characters who had heartbreaking stories..."

Gwen put her hand on his arm. "I understand... Soooo... you think I'm like her and "special" and "Gwen" breaks your heart?"

Walt flushed embaressedly and started walking again. "Drop it."

Gwen laughed. "Is "Gwen" more special than "Jean"?"

"She's more of a pain in my ass!" He growled.

Gwen grinned. "That wasn't an answer..."

Walt saw their destination ahead and sighed. "You want to know the truth?"

Gwen nodded. "Are you going to tell me?"

Walt sighed. "Fine... best we got this out of the way. Follow me. I know a good spot." He started to look for a little path and found it. A short cut he and several X-persons over the years had taken that wasn't on the school. Once upon a time one of those back trails used to come out near a local watering hole several of them favored. He took a different path that came to an old clearing. He smiled remembering times from the past.

Shaking his head he pulled out one of the beers and opened it. He took a drink while pulling out a second. "You want one?"

Gwen blinked. "Uhm... do I need one?"

Walt shrugged and opened it anyway. "Maybe not but I sure do." He passed it to her. "If you don't drink it I will." He took off his coat and laid it on a fallen log for her patting it like he'd done several times before.

Gwen smiled and took the seat watching him. She watched as he took the hat off too and set it brim down. He combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. Gwen blinked. He looked... old. He hadn't changed but he- "Walt you look... tired."

Walt chuckled. "You know Gwen several someone else's were just saying that... know how many days we've been at this?"

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's a lot of ground to cover and I appreciate you letting me go home, and to class and helping me with patrols in-between searching everyday. I'm sorry we haven't gotten further in the last 3 we-"

"One day. Eight hours about," Walt said. "Actually a little less. Closer to seven and a half"

Gwen blinked. "No... each day we've covered a bunch of 'verses and I go home and we start over and-"

"And I go back to my reality and have them turn the machine forward to the next page or two of your life," he said. "And then I jump back in and we pick up where we left off."

Gwen stares at him... then takes a drink. Then she makes a surprised face and looks at the beer.

Walt chuckles. "No good?"

"No... that's not bad. I don't usually like beer but I've been to a few keggers and parties. I always assumed beer tasted like crap!" She said. "I'm not sure I like it but it's not bad..."

Walt chuckled. "You're so young. Kids always get the cheap crap so a lot of them get their first taste of beer and assume they don't like it. Welcome to the wide world of beer." He looked at his. "I can't get drunk anymore without working hard at it but I used to really enjoy drinking. Too much, if I'm honest about it which I try to be. But I enjoy the taste. You're a skinny mini but I've watched you eat. You got a high metabolism and one or two probably ain't going to knock you on your ass."

She tried another sip. "You're avoiding the subject."

Walt chuckled and nodded. "Maybe so... which subject are we on?"

Gwen arched her eyebrow. "Time dilation and when you last slept?"

Walt took a drink. "I haven't."

Gwen stared. "That... that can't be. You must have!"

Walt shook his head. "Not yet... I been meaning to but there's so much to do and get through. When I'm done with your multiverse maybe-"

"No!" Gwen said forcefully. "We've been at this for weeks! You should be dead!"

Walt chuckled. "The normal rules and standards don't apply to me in that way..."

"I don't give a crap!" Gwen stated. "You still need "rest". Down time. Sleepola. Hittin' the hay. Hittin' the rack. Hittin' the sack. Shut eye. Forty winks. Nite-nite! A Siesta! Take a snooze! A damn cat nap! Something!" (******)

Walt blinked. She'd started shouting at him somewhere in the middle jumping up from her seat pacing back and forth. "Whoa. Easy Gwen... everything's perfectly fine and within my tolerances for operat-"

"I don't care!" She yelled. "That's crazy! You're crazy! Crazy... stupid... jerk! Don't you know it's not nice to make people worry?! You... you... you asshole!" (*UpSeT*)

Walt stared. *She's pretty when she's mad,* he thought immediately followed by *Do NOT tell her that... moron. Tell her what she wants to hear.* "I'm sorry Gwen. I'm sorry I worried you. I promise I'll take a break. Ok? Please don't be mad."

Gwen took a drink and sat down again. "I'm sorry for yelling... and calling you... you know. But you deserved it!" (*WoRrIeD*)

Walt nodded. "Ok. You're right. I see that. I'll do whatever you say this time." He sees she's about to tear into him again. "I promise, Gwen."

She shuts her mouth. He's always kept his word to her so far. "Ok... were not through but I need a minute."

Walt nods. "Sure, Gwen. Whatever you want." He goes back to quietly drinking his beer.

She takes a drink too thinking. *Whatever I want, huh?* (*MiNe*) She shakes her head. *Not now you! I need-* "Sing something for me."

Walt looks up. "Excuse me?"

She stared at him and he nodded. "Ok. Fine. What do you want to hear?"

"I don't care... something nice. Soothing." She said.

Walt nodded and started singing "Gentle On My Mind".

Gwen listened and started humming along. She started to smile listening to the words and his voice. She felt it calming her and the Symbiote too. Soothing. Gentle on the mind just like the name of the song.

Walt watched her swaying along with the music. When he finished he waited taking a drink. "Better?"

Gwen nodded. "Better... but I may want more sometime now that I know you can." She smiles and winks.

Walt chuckled and shook his head. "Well if I got to, I got too. Try and take it easy on me Ms Stacy?"

She grinned. "I'll consider it cowboy." She watched him drink. "Soooo... the other stuff." She watched him blink and reminded him. "You're not getting out of it that easy with one song! And you still gotta do what I say! So fess up and then you're taking a nap!"

Walt rolled his eyes and she grabbed his arm and started pulling. "And what pray tell am I confessing to?" He asked finishing his beer and setting it down. He let her tug him down and was surprised when she lay his head in her lap. "Uhh..."

"Shush," she told him. "So Jean was special?"

Walt nodded. "She was, just like I said."

She started stroking his hair. "And she was unhappy and so you helped her sleep with your friend. Did they love each other?"

Walt pursed his lips. "Logan did but not Jean... she was very fond him too. Maybe she did but I don't think it was... or maybe she just had too much love to give... I think what Jean wanted was freedom. A love that could set her free. But love doesn't do that, not without truth. It usually binds you."

Gwen smiled. "You slept with her too... didn't you?"

Walt pursed his lips and paused but then nodded. "Keep that a secret. I love the whole X bunch but good gravy they're like a soap opera about that stuff." He sighed.

Gwen mimed locking her mouth and tossing the key. "Did you love her?"

Walt smiled. "I did but not like that. Like a friend." He chuckled. "And there was no way I was getting in the middle of the drama of those three! As I've begun to learn lately... they should have been open about what they wanted." Gwen's fingers felt nice.

She looked at him. "What's that mean? And what happened to Jean?"

Walt sighed. "She died. Her fate in most 'verses seems to be to bond with a cosmic alien **** entity known as "The Phoenix". Do you know what a Phoenix is in mythology?"

Gwen nodded and so did Walt. "Then you can see the patern. In most of them they end with them bonded together and dying. In some like this one, she comes back and then so does it and it happens again and again. Supposedly she got rid of it permanently after the last time but as a betting man... I wouldn't take that wager. She and Scott did eventually get married but that didn't work out so well for various reasons. After she died again he actually moved on for a while and grew a bit. I tried to bury the hatchet, I approved of his changes though some did not... but well you're starting to see the picture. Lather. Rinse. Repeat."

Gwen nodded and continued playing with his hair. "I do... and what did you mean before? Being open about what they wanted."

Walt yawned and closed his eyes. "That's how things are at home now. I have a... relationship with several ladies... They share me together openly with each other. That's what... makes it work... "

Gwen blinked. "You have a harem?"

Walt smiled. "No... they have me."

She chuckled softly. She could see that. Somehow it wasn't surprising. "Are they happy? Are you?"

Walt opened his eyes a little and smiled. "Yes..." he closed them again. "I love them..."

(*MoRe*) "Is... Gwen special to you?"

"...yes..."

(*MoRe!*) "Why?"

"... wife..."

Her hand froze. "You have a wife?"

"...no... widower...she was... like you... Gwen..."

She stayed quiet and still. She was certain that he was asleep after awhile but she didn't dare move for a longtime... and when she did she decided to finish her beer and think.

[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 Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida and Gwenom

Will Return In

Start at the beginning Pt 12

Coming Soon]