Left Field
by ALC Punk!

Moonlight pouted in the window, amusing itself as it made little patterns on the slightly worn carpet. Someone's clothing had been haphazardly strewn upon it, as if the owner had had other things on her mind. As the moon continued its journey across the sky, other things became illuminated by its light. A chair, a desk, the bed, its covers rumpled and pulled over the heads of it occupants. A stray pale hand that had crept out, in search of a slightly cooler temperature. And one set of toes.

The clock had never been set, its owner preferring to just guess at the time--or to just more accurately *know* it instrinsically. Telepathy had to be good for something, after all.

It currently stated that it was 3:33 am. Repeatedly, until 60 seconds had passed, and it had changed to 3:34.

A muffled thudding noise came from somewhere outside, and one of the sleepers awoke. She sat up and yawned, glared absently at the clock, and ran her hand through hair that would have been red but merely looked a sort of orangey silver in the dark.

The moonlight flickered, and she frowned, studying the shadow that lay across the bed.

She gently nudged her companion into wakefulness, then slid out of bed and approached the window. Behind her she heard the sound of a safety being taken off, legs and body sliding to the carpet on that side of the bed.

A scratch came from the window as it gently raised, the man working at it not paying attention to the room's contents.

Probably not smart, really.

She waited until he was completely in the room, then telekinetically caught him up, and switched on the light.

"Hello."

He whimpered.

She lifted him slightly, amused at the fear that now radiated from what had been bravado and malicious amusement. "Come to burgle my house? Take some of the silly redhead's money, hrm?"

"I--"

"Don't lie to me, little man."

There was an amused chuckle from behind her. "Rachel, dear, be gentle."

She half-turned to pout at the dark-haired woman, now lounging against the headboard, glock laying negligently at her side. "Aw, do I have to, Dom?"

"Well, no, but if he's alive and coherent, he can make sure no one else ever bothers us."

Rachel considered this, head tilted to one side as she studied the brown-haired man. "Would you do that? Tell everyone you know never to come here?"

"Y-yes."

"Good boy." She leaned over to look down at the street, "Hrm. Can I drop him, do you think?"

"Probably wise."

"Okay." With a grin of happiness, Rachel moved the man back out the window until he was hovering gently in the breeze several feet above the street. And then she let him go.

There was a strangled shriek, the sound of flesh hitting pavement, and then silence.

"Oops."

"What?"

"I dropped him on his head."

"He'll live."

"True." She closed the window and turned back to face the bed. "So... now that we're awake..."

Domino clicked the safety back on the glock and slid it back under her pillow. "Yes?"

"Was it a fluke?" A question unasked hours before, but now it seemed important. For just a moment, worry flashed across Rachel's face.

"You know it wasn't."

"And this is not the time to talk." She finished.

Silence fell for a moment, then Domino patted the bed next to herself. "Come back to bed, silly."

"It is a little cold." Rachel studied the bumps running up and down her arms.

"I can tell." Leering was the only term for the look in Domino's eyes.

Rachel grinned, "Well, then, best not to let an erection go to waste."

A choking sound made her giggle, and then she jumped onto the bed and caught Domino in her arms. "After all..." their lips met gently. "It's so much fun...."

--

If anyone had told Nathan Christopher Charles Dayspring Askani'Son Summers that his sister would come back from the future, he would have told them they were nuts. Since she had done so, he really couldn't do that anymore. Rachel had been so much more, at times. Friend, confidant, mental kick-in-the-pants when he needed it, that he sometimes wasn't sure how he felt about a little sister who'd technically never existed.

But she did. And she was here, in this time.

He had other duties, things that called for his attention, timelines to fix and maintain. And a life to attempt to salvage. It wasn't easy, but he visited her when he could.

On this bright and sunny Thursday, he approached her front door cheerfully, surprised anew that she'd set down roots and such in this rather swanky neighborhood. Of course, she shared the house with at least three other people, but Kitty Pryde and the others were off on a weekend trip for school.

Probably an excuse for an orgy.

He rang the doorbell, and waited.

A voice called something unintelligible, and footsteps approached the door. It opened a moment later, the woman behind it studying him briefly before slamming it in his face.

He blinked. "Dom?"

It opened again, slower. She was much thinner than she'd been when he left. And there was a sort of sad glow to her. But also a happy glow. He shook his head, fighting the urge to touch the psilink they shared. It had been blocked from her end long before, but he still could catch occasional glimpses from her. She was wearing a faded purple t-shirt with black lettering on it, and not much else.

"Hi, Nate."

"Dom. Good to see you."

"Is it?" She stepped back, letting him come in.

"Nate!" A bouncing redheaded blur came from the kitchen and tackled his chest.

He hugged his sister happily. "I was in the area, thought I'd drop by..." he glanced at Domino, "If I'd known..."

"Bah." Rachel prodded him in the stomach, "You have to be nice to her."

"It's okay, Rachel." She studied him, her violet eyes very cool. "I'll be in the kitchen."

"Coffee?" Nathan realised he sounded way too whiney, but didn't take it back as Dom's eyes flickered with amusement.

"I guess you can have some, oh brother dear." Tugging at his arm, Rachel followed Domino into the kitchen.

Silence descended as the three got coffee, something to munch on, and so forth, and settled around the kitchen table. Nathan was mildly curious as to why his sister seemed to want to snuggle up to Dom, but maybe she was just feeling protective.

He took a sip and sighed happily at the rich roasted flavour of the beans. Now, this was Good coffee. This was coffee to die for. This coffee made anything Moira had ever brewed into so much pigs swill.

"So, Rachel, how are you?"

"Good, brother dear." She took a bite of cookie and smirked at him. "And how are you getting on, now that the world doesn't need to be saved?"

He shrugged, "Doing this and that."

"Still meddling, then." She hrmphed, and shot Domino a glance. "Any new women in your life?"

"Uh..." He looked at Dom, slightly worried this might hurt her.

"It's okay, Nate. I don't care."

Rachel slid an arm around her shoulders, "I'm glad."

Studying the two, Nathan fought down the perception that Something Was Not Right. After all, it was just his sister, being her normal self and comforting a friend.

Except that friends didn't give each other Looks like that.

He coughed. "No new women, no. How about you?"

"Oh... One." She replied archly, her lips obviously fighting a huge grin. "You might know her, too."

"I meant--uh..." Nathan coughed. Again. "I hadn't known you were a lesbian."

"Bi, actually."

"Gee." The things he was learning at this age of his life astounded him. "That's, um, nice. Good for you."

"Thank you." She smiled sunnily at him, "Aren't you curious as to who she is?"

"I..." He paused, staring at her, then at Domino, and gulped. "You're, you're--"

"Yes?"

"..sleeping with Domino?!?"

The person thus named, shrugged at him, "You don't own me, Nate."

"But--"

"You also told me never to come back."

"But--"

Rachel raised a hand, "Nate. Don't worry, Dom's in good hands."

"..."

"I think you broke him, Rachel."

"Probably." She sighed theatrically. "My poor baby brother. Doomed."

"I..." A sort of whimpering sound came from Nathan.

"Yes, yes. Drink your coffee, dear."

--

It was later, the sun had climbed further in the sky, breakfast had been consumed, and all parties were now fully clothed. Nathan was very glad for that last, since it really disconcerted him to see his sister's legs.

They had adjourned to the living room, mugs of cooling coffee still accompanying them.

"So..."

"Hrm?"

He struggled with his many questions, not really sure he wanted an answer. "Um... Why Dom?"

"Why not me? Am I such a horrible catch, Nate?"

"No! It's just..."

"You thought I'd wait, like I always did."

"Well... not as... such..." He grimaced, aware that he still sounded uncertain. And slightly petulant, too. She'd gone and found someone else. And that was fine. But why did it have to be his sister?

"Nate, I can read you like a book," Domino said dryly. "There wasn't any reason to pick your sister. It just... happened."

Rachel hrmphed. "It was a *good* happening, though."

"Yes."

They exchanged a Look, then grinned at Nathan, who'd squirmed a bit. "So... when?"

"Well," Rachel began in a patently false-sounding voice, "I first noticed Dom years and years ago, when she was at Mom and Dad's wedding. And, at the time, I thought it was SO unfair that she was yours, and--"

"Stoppit."

She snickered at him, "What, you want declarations of undying love, Nate?"

"I--no." He wasn't sure what he wanted. He wanted his sister happy, and Dom, too, but...

"Nate," Dom caught his attention with a slight wave. "Look. Think of it like... Our first twenty years. We have sex, we fight, we sometimes hate each other. It's no big thing."

He gaped at her.

Rachel snickered, "I think you broke him again."

"He's just going to have to deal with it, Rachel. We're having sex, Nate!"

"Uh..."

"See? Near-total catatonia. Maybe I should call mom and have her come for a visit."

"Jean?" Domino considered this, her head tilted to one side. "I guess so. We always did sort of get along."

"You should have her tell dad." Nathan muttered.

"Good idea, baby brother." She reached over to the end table and picked up the phone. "This shouldn't take long."

--

"Mom? Dad? Guess what? I stole Nate's girlfriend!"

There was a completely silent silence following this very bald announcement. Jean and Scott Summers stared at the woman who might have been their daughter, their minds attempting to catch up.

A cough came from behind them, "Rachel..."

"I know, I said I'd ease into it, but..." Rachel shrugged and then grinned at Domino. "It just seemed better to get it all over with in one go."

"You should rent billboards and send announcements," Nathan muttered from his position on the rocking chair. It occasionally creaked under his weight, but still rocked softly.

"Anyway, you didn't steal me."

Rachel pouted, "I would have if I'd thought of it."

Unsurprisingly, Jean was the first to recover. She levelled a gaze at her son, "I take it this is your own fault."

"MY fault?"

"Well, you *did* let her go, you idiot."

"Now, Jean, it's not *his* fault," Scott objected, "After all, she's--"

A vase shattered against the wall. Rachel continued smiling cheerfully. "Y'know, dad, if you were about to say, 'just a mercenary', I think I'd rephrase. Or just drop that comment completely."

He coughed, "Sorry."

Jean looked at Domino, "I don't know exactly what to say."

The mercenary shrugged, "Doesn't matter."

"So, Rachel, you're gay," Scott said, as if it was the most important discovery he'd made.

"Yes, dad. And I'm dating Domino."

"Scott, honey, let us talk." Jean patted his shoulder, and turned back, "You girls are happy?"

"Yup."

Domino nodded.

"Okay, then."

Nathan snorted, "You only broke dad, sis."

"Darn." Rachel grinned at Jean, "Guess mom's just too cool."

"Thank you," Jean replied, sarcasm thick.

"Anyway. We've got dinner, if anyone's hungry."

"I am."

"You're always hungry."

Nathan gave her a wounded look, "I'm a growing boy."

"I guess this means Nathan can pursue Ororo," Scott mumbled as they all trooped into the kitchen.

"..."

"Great, dad just broke Nate again. Mom?"

"I know, dear, your father isn't always a trial, though."

Domino snickered, "Y'know, I thought when Nate finally said it was over that I'd get away from you insane people."

"Thank me you were wrong," Rachel said with a sniff.

"You?"

"I'm a god, aren't I?"

"They did form a cult around her."

"I had real worshippers."

"And strange rituals, I'm sure."

Rachel shot Domino a Look. "I could introduce you to some later, if you'd like."

"Sounds fun."

Silence fell, then, a more natural type, since they all began eating.

--

It was rather later now. Much had been said and talked through, and then people had been put to bed. Domino and Rachel had fallen into their's last. They'd tried to be quite as Rachel demonstrated some of the rituals to Dom. Nathan could have told them they weren't, but any telepath with half a brain would have known what was going on just from the emotions seething through the air.

After a time, they quieted, wrapped carefully in blankets and each others arms.

A sigh escaped into the moonlit room.

"What?"

"Just wondering, who else can I shock?"

Domino chuckled, "Everyone."

"Well, not Kitty."

"Why not?"

"Um..." Rachel blushed.

"Hah! You and Pryde, eh?" Domino snickered, "I wonder if Wisdom knows."

"Doubt it. And I've got to remember to kick him in the head when I see him."

"I probably owe him one or two slaps m'self."

Rachel shifted, then grinned, "We should sleep."

"Oh?" Amusement laced Domino's voice as she trailed a hand down Rachel's side.

"Yes--Oo!" She writhed away from the suddenly tickling fingers. "You bitch!"

"That's not what you were saying an hour ago."

"True. I believe I was proclaiming you a goddess." Rachel began a tickling attack of her own.

"Mmm. We've got a nice little pantheon starting, here."

"Bah. You're not ticklish."

"Nope."

Rachel studied the face of her lover in the moonlight. "Bet I can find your tickle-spot."

"Good luck."

"Everyone has one, after all." She leered, "There's just going to have to be a lot of exploring done tonight."

"Sounds like fun."

"Should be." Rachel studied the moonlight, "And, just think, no one to interrupt us."

"MMm. Yes."

-finis-

Minor note: I do like Scott. I just felt that, well, this news *would* floor him.

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