Lyrissa's Sparkles II

As time passed, everyone slowly forgave Logan for leaving. The fact that he was going to be a father became real after seeing the first ultrasound pictures; though they both decided they didn’t want to know the gender. He and Lyrissa were overjoyed that day, but she was the only one who cried. Even the whole Carson family hadn’t fussed over her as much as he did. It got to the point that one day Scott volunteered to get him out of the house, with Gambit’s help, to give her a break. Their outing only lasted a few hours though, before they were back at the mansion, and he was back at Lyrissa’s side.

“Just think, Logan, in a few days you should be a father.” She smiled brightly as they walked together just outside the mansion’s grounds. He just smirked and put his arms around her as they came to an overlook, resting his hands on her belly as he stood behind her. “I need to sit down,” she sighed, hating how sore her feet, ankles, and back were. “Over here,” he nodded while leading her to a tree stump, kneeling down beside her and kissing her lightly.

“Thanks.”

“Yer welcome.”

She was about to say something when a black jet came from nowhere, and she fell unconscious in his arms. “Lyrissa!” he shouted, noticing the dart sticking out of her neck, quickly pulling it out and throwing it aside.

He gave a vicious growl as several uniformed men surrounded them with guns drawn. “Take another step, and I’ll cut ya to bits,” he warned, releasing his claws on the hand that wasn’t holding Lyrissa.

Jean and Rogue were leading a Danger Room session with the kids and Carsons when Allie stopped suddenly and grabbed Rogue’s wrist. “Lyrissa’s in trouble.” She announced urgently. “How do ya know that, Sweet Pea?” she asked. “I can’t feel her anymore.” She answered firmly.

“We have to go, now.” Jean announced from the other side of the room after feeling that something was wrong as well, and checking in with Logan. The other X-Men were already in uniform and heading out to help, while the Carsons were making it very clear that they wouldn’t be left behind.

By the time Stephen, Cyclops, Gambit, Anette, and Beast got to where Lyrissa and Logan were attacked, both were long gone and it was obvious there was a struggle. “Where the hell are they?!” Stephen yelled after punching a tree. “They took her back to the labs. Logan ran after them.” Cyclops answered bitterly after receiving the message from Xavier, while the Black Bird landed behind them. “Everyone in, it’s gonna be a hell of an uncomfortable ride.” Eliza announced. The only two people who stayed behind on the rescue, were Xavier, and Granny Rose. All of the jets were taken, since anyone who didn’t fit in the Black Bird were in the two-man jets, following behind in formation.

“I know this isn’t the time for a joke, but does anyone else hear ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ in the back of their minds?” Marvin asked over the radio while riding with Jean in one of the small jets, since he had learned to finally control his powers he was allowed to go as well. “Yeah,” Stephen laughed as someone else started humming it.

Logan was thrashing, screaming, and snarling inside a cage that was resistant to his claws. Lyrissa was knocked out and tied down to a table, after being hit in the head with the butt of one of their guns, and he couldn’t help her. A few of the men taunted him, feeling her up, commenting on how beautiful she was, even for a pregnant freak. They infuriated him, and he wanted nothing more than to kill them all slowly and painfully for even looking at her, let alone touching and hurting her. What made it worse, was he had promised her this wouldn’t happen. He promised her she would never be put back in these labs.

His rage doubled when they started injecting something into her stomach, aiming for the baby. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” he growled as a second injection was made. “Shut him up,” the ‘scientist’ overseeing the injections sighed. One of the guards nodded and flipped a switch, making the bars of the cage electrified before dropping the curtain over him, blocking his vision of her.

His heart stopped when the heart monitor they had hooked her up to went off before flat lining. However his fears were easily dismissed when the guards and scientists started screaming for their lives. “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY GRANDDAUGHTER!” Anette’s voice echoed as the veil was thrown from his cage. “Don’t fucking move, or I will incinerate you from the inside out.” A woman he recognized as Carolyn, an adopted member of the Carson family who controlled fire, spat coldly.

The electricity in Logan’s cage was deactivated suddenly as Marvin walked into the room, giving him a quick nod before standing nervously beside Anette. “More freaks,” one of the guards huffed, getting ready to fire but not getting the chance as Anette disarmed him and Carolyn lit his arms on fire. “Unlock the cage.” She ordered, lifting every one of them off the ground and dropping them two feet when they ignored her, “Now,” she spat. Almost instantly Logan was freed.

Lyrissa woke up, as he was about to mutilate the man who injected her, stopping him when she started screaming his name desperately, thrashing wildly against her binds. After dropping him on his face, he ran to his terrified love, cutting her free and pulling her into his arms. “It’s okay, we’re getting’ outta here. C’mon.” he soothed, lifting her up. “The baby, Logan is the baby okay? Did they hurt the baby?” she begged through her sobbing. Usually when he picked her up she could feel their baby moving around, but this time she felt nothing. “Yeah, yeah the baby’s fine. They didn’t touch it.” He answered quietly, praying he was only half lying to her, and that their child really was all right. “Go on, we’ll deal with these guys. The others are fighting as a distraction. The jet’s in the woods off the property.” Carolyn informed. He just nodded and carried her out.

Once they were outside the fence, which was a surprisingly easy task since the Carson family, X-Men, and the Kids were all fighting anything that moved not caring if they caused injury and death this time, Lyrissa demanded to walk. She didn’t want him to have to carry her. “I can carry ya, it ain’t a big deal Lyrissa.” He argued while supporting some of her weight, but she ignored him and kept walking until she suddenly went into labor.

No one was there to help; they were alone in the woods. He had no choice but to deliver the baby, but was terrified that something would go wrong and result in the death of either Lyrissa, or the baby… or worse, both.

After twenty more minutes of distraction, Beast, Cyclops, Andrew, Max, Kiera, Dante, and Allie started their way back to the jet. Gambit, Rogue, Stephen, Jazz, and Storm met up with them at the gates and ran for the jets.

They went twice the speed when they heard Lyrissa screaming in pain. “Okay, uhm, w-what do we do?” Kiera asked in a panic after they reached her and Logan. “We don’t do anything. Come on.” Jazz nodded before leading the other kids to wait by the front of the jet while the X-Men, and Stephen helped get Lyrissa inside.

Rogue, Cyclops, and Storm all joined them when it came time to deliver the baby. By that time everyone else had returned as well, and was also standing around the jet. “This isn’t good.” Jubilee frowned as Cyclops paced around nervously. All of them were trying to block out Lyrissa’s cries, since they didn’t have the medications to make the birthing process less painful. “She’ll be all right. Having a child hurts.” Anette assured, though she was still chewing on the inside of her cheek nervously.

Finally, after what felt like months to everyone involved, Lyrissa’s cries stopped, leaving everyone in silence. “I don’t hear a baby crying. Why isn’t the baby crying?” Jazz demanded. “Come on… cry, please cry,” Eliza muttered breathlessly, staring at the jet. Cyclops couldn’t pace anymore as he felt his insides churn, and Jean had to sit down as a few tears slid down her face.

“What do you know?” Andrew demanded, but she just shook her head, signaling that she needed a moment to compose herself. “Wolverine is… crying,” Allie announced blankly, able to feel his emotions all too clearly. “Jean, what’s going on? I know you know what’s happening in there, what the hell is going on?!” Cyclops almost yelled. “The baby isn’t breathing, a-and neither is Lyrissa.” She answered quietly. The only defense Allie had was to sit down and cry as every heart in the group broke. Anette fell to her knees, forcing herself to hold back her tears as her throat began to ache with the need to sob her heart out. Andrew was sobbing his heart out, as well as the other kids. However, Marvin didn’t seem too affected.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Jazz demanded, pinning him to a tree by his shoulder. “She cares so much for you, and loves that baby and Wolverine, so much, that she wouldn’t just die. She’s going to fight until she has no choice anymore. If she were dead, he would have told us. Hank is still trying to save them.” He answered confidently. They both started arguing, soon joined by Max and Dante on Jazz’s side, and kept on for quite a while.

She was just about to hit him when suddenly the unmistakable sound of a newborn’s cry sounded from inside the jet, followed by cheering from the men inside it. “See, I told you.” He smiled as Eliza passed out. Scott wasn’t far from it either.

“What about Lyrissa? Is she okay?” Jubilee asked quickly.

“G-Girl!” Stephen shouted as he jumped out of the jet before anyone could answer, falling on his face but jumping back up again. “What?” Rogue questioned. “A girl, she’s a girl!” he laughed excitedly, “A beautiful, beautiful, baby girl!” he added while wiping away a few tears. “Can we see her?” Kiera asked quickly. “Not yet, Petit, dey cleanin’ up in dere first.” Gambit answered, also wiping a few tears from his eyes.

“Logan, look at her,” Lyrissa breathed as she held their daughter. He was speechless as he sat beside her with his arms wrapped around the two loves of his life. He half wished he had a pair of sunglasses though since Lyrissa’s hair was sparkling brighter than ever before. “You should hold her,” she decided, since he hadn’t even touched her yet. “I, maybe that ain’t the best idea.” He argued as she held the baby up for him to take. “Logan, she’s your daughter too.” She laughed, helping him to hold her since he was so worried about doing something wrong and hurting her. “There,” she smiled, taking her hands away and watching him hold her more carefully than he had ever seen him treat anything before.

“Incoming,” Anette laughed as she, and everyone else who had yet to meet the baby, tried to fit inside the jet. The end result was visiting in groups, since there just wasn’t room. “She’s so tiny!” Eliza beamed. “Oh, she has your eyes, Logan.” Anette beamed. “Looks like her mom.” He smiled.

“Guys, time to go! They’re sending out search parties!” Cyclops announced, having everyone take their seats so they could leave. “It’s not safe to fly with her yet she’s not even an hour old, and with her not breathing when she was born, I’m really scared about this.” Lyrissa explained nervously. “Do you want me to take her to the mansion?” Anette volunteered, but it was clear with the expression on Lyrissa’s face that she didn’t want to be separated from her newborn child.

“How about this, I’ll teleport you, Logan, and the baby.” She nodded, letting her wisps surround them. “Make it quick, we have to move!” Cyclops ordered, but they were already gone.

“There they are! How is she?” Granny Rose beamed as they appeared in the main room of the mansion. She and Xavier were waiting for them, while arguing over which room they were going to teleport to, and if they were going to teleport at all. “They’re just fine. There were a few complications, but all and all I think everything’s all right.” Anette nodded as Logan and Lyrissa sat together on the couch. “Have you decided on a name?” Xavier asked as he watched them. “Ophelia Lorraine.” They answered without taking their eyes off of their daughter. “Well hello, Ophelia. Welcome to the world.” Granny Rose smiled and left to continue with what she and Xavier were doing before Lyrissa was taken.

“Okay, we’re back!” Jazz announced as she, and everyone else, went straight to Lyrissa and Logan, to meet the baby half an hour later. “What’s her name?” Kiera asked. “Ophelia.” Lyrissa nodded. “Hi Ophelia, you’re so little!” Allie cooed, lifting one of her tiny hands with her finger. “Babies are so… tiny, it’s like a little person wrapped up in that blanket.” Andrew marveled. “It is a little person wrapped up in that blanket, Sugar.” Rogue laughed.

One by one, everyone took turns holding the newest addition to the household. Lyrissa was exhausted, and fell asleep on Logan’s shoulder as her baby was being passed from person to person. However she was jolted awake when Logan jumped up, and Ophelia’s crying echoed around them. “I’m sorry! I-I’m so sorry!” Dante stuttered as Logan tried to comfort his daughter, “I didn’t mean t-to drop her!”

Logan didn’t say anything to him as he went about making sure the baby was all right, but she had a broken arm, and her head was bleeding. Lyrissa had teleported to his side as soon as her daughter’s cries reached her ears, and she was just as worried and upset as he was until she noticed something that made time stand still.

“S-she’s healing.” She gasped, watching in awe as Ophelia’s arm and bleeding head healed before her eyes, though the infant continued to cry. “She has her powers already?” Storm questioned. “Must be from the injections.” Logan answered while Lyrissa took her daughter and tried to calm her down.

“Injections?” Gambit demanded. “When I was in the labs, they started giving injections. Logan said they were aiming for Ophelia.” She answered sadly; “Out of anything they could have done to her, I’m glad it was this. She could have died without the healing factor.”

Once Ophelia stopped crying, she was given back to her father, who looked ready to take her regardless anyway. “Where’s Dante?” Lyrissa asked after taking her eyes away from her daughter for the first time since they got home. “He left after he dropped Ophelia.” Marvin answered sadly. Lyrissa sighed and teleported away, knowing exactly where to find him.

“Dante,” she called cautiously after appearing in the back yard. She could see him under a bench trying to hide, and knew he had been crying. “Dante, come here.” She sighed, sitting down beside the bench and gently pulling him out beside her, “It’s okay.” He smiled.

“No, it’s not! I dropped and hurt the baby, I hurt your baby!” he sniffled. “But she’s fine,” she laughed.

“She was bleeding from her head, and her arm looked really bad.”

“But she has Logan’s healing factor, and is just fine. I know it was an accident, Dante; you don’t have to worry, I’m not mad at you.”

“But Wolverine,”

“Wolverine was worried about Ophelia, that’s all. Come on, let’s get back inside.” She smiled, holding back a yawn while pulling him to his feet.

Much against his own wishes, Logan told Dante he wasn’t mad at him, and let him hold Ophelia again; however this time he was sitting down, and Logan sat beside him. At the end of the night, which was sunrise, Lyrissa and Logan went up to find that both her door, and the one next to it, had signs on them. “Surprise,” he smirked after opening the door that used to lead to Jazz’s bedroom. Now it was Ophelia’s nursery. “What about Jazz?” she gasped. “Moved her to my old room.” He shrugged, opening her door to reveal a newly decorated room, with a beautiful king sized four-poster bed, decorated in a similar style as the room was before, when it was just hers.
“Thought ya’d like it.” He smirked as her hair started sparkling as brightly as ever. Of course, instead of their new room together, Lyrissa and Logan slept in Ophelia’s room as she slept in her bassinet, since they couldn’t fathom leaving their child alone so early.

Lyrissa lay curled up in Logan’s arms on a fold out couch, trying to sleep though there wasn’t much sleeping to be had. Every time Ophelia cried, or even whimpered thanks to Logan’s heightened hearing ability, they were both awake and at her side. Neither parent minded though that they couldn’t sleep that night though, if it meant holding and comforting their daughter.

“Darlin’ I’ll take care of it. You need to get some sleep tonight, at least.” He sighed when Ophelia cried yet again. “Logan, I love you with all my heart, and don’t doubt that you’ll do everything in your power to take care of her, but you’ve said yourself that you don’t really know how to deal with kids, and I just worry that there will be something you’ll need help with. Babies are even harder than six-year-olds with telepathy and mind control.” She sighed.

“If I need help, I’ll ask Jean. She’s right down the hall.”

“Logan,”

“We’ll be fine. Get some sleep, Lyrissa. I owe it to ya after what happened.”

“Logan, that isn’t your fault. We’re lucky nothing happened to hurt her. The experiments could have been so much worse.” She sighed as Ophelia continued to cry. He just sighed and kissed her forehead before turning his attention to their demanding infant. She laid her head back down and watched them, knowing good and well that if she tried to help he’d send her there anyway.

“Sorry, it was taking so long for her to stop crying, I thought you two didn’t hear her.” Eliza explained after teleporting in a few seconds after Logan picked Ophelia up. “We heard her, we were just arguing over who was going to take care of her; her daddy wants me to sleep.” Lyrissa explained. Eliza just laughed and watched Logan lightly bounce Ophelia. Seconds later Stephen teleported in as well.

“She’s still crying,” he announced worriedly. “He’s got it,” Eliza sighed.

“Why isn’t Lyrissa rocking her?”

“Logan won’t let her off the couch.”

Stephen just laughed as Lyrissa nodded with a sigh, and Ophelia finally started to calm down after being given a bottle. “Well… I guess we’ll leave you to it… goodnight Ophelia!” Stephen smiled, going from a mature adult to cooing baby talk before teleporting out. “Goodnight Baby Girl, goodnight!” Eliza cooed before following his lead, and leaving the family alone. “They forgot we were here.” Lyrissa laughed as Logan carefully set Ophelia in her bassinet. “Kid’s gonna have a weird life.” He smirked before lying down again, hoping to finally get some sleep.