To Love is to Heal: A Hellion & X-23 story.

A/N: I don't own anything you will read here.

Before we begin I have to ask any fellow writer of X-men fanfics, has anyone who has ever written a story involving Summers and/or Frost in either a good or bad light receive a massive info dump expelling the virtues of each and why they did what they did before, during and after AvX?

Because I have seen this happen on other stories of that nature and no sooner did I post the last chapter of this story when in less than 5 minutes I get several massive Guest reviews of just that. Needless to say, I found it a bit disturbing for me at least, I mean there is no way someone could read the chapter and have such reviews done in that length of time.

Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Let's get this show on the road!

"Speaking."

*Thoughts*

*SOUND EFFECTS*

Locations.

-Communications. —

Chapter 4: Cutting ties part 3.

Laura's quarters…

While Hellion was venting his demons at the other senior X-men, Laura was being subjected to the mother of all hugs by Cessily having her arms wrapped around her in a way that would make a squid proud.

After the altercation with Surge, the young feral had taken the two girls to her room in order to speak with them about her impending departure from Utopia. Needless to say, both had been dumbstruck at the news and more so when Laura explained that Hellion would be leaving with her.

Mercury being the more emotional of the two had promptly broken down and all but launched herself at the other girl, Laura being genuinely caught off guard by the teen as she wept into her shoulder while asking forgiveness. Laura looks at her other companion for guidance but like Cess she found Sooraya also, but not on the same level, shamed given her bowed head and gathering moisture around her eyes.

"We have failed you, both you and Julian." The Sunni girl comments sadly to her friend.

"I cannot speak for Julian but I was at just as much fault for keeping my reasons hidden and offering no explanation when asked."

*SNIFF!*

"But we pushed you away! We pushed both of you away!" Cessily cries miserably while she holds her soon to depart friend.

"We were teammates once Laura, yet more than that we became friends and dare I say even family. Yet when you both needed us, we abandoned you because we did not try to understand either of you or because we simply gave up on you." Dust eyes teared up in full now when the full realization of their mistakes finally struck.

When news of Laura and Josh being among the ranks of the deadly team called X-force as well as the rumored actions the aforementioned team took it was quite evident the former members of the New X-men were deeply disturbed.

Despite the fighting they all went through during the attacks by the Purifiers and later Bastion the teens still clung to their ideals and morality, yet to know two of their own did so felt like a slap in the face.

Noriko being the one who took the most exception to this and the one who predominantly demanded answers though with Josh soon leaving for parts unknown and Laura remaining silent and making no attempt to defend herself mostly because she felt she should be punished.

And then there was Julian, who they had tried to help out of his own misery when he lost his hands during Bastion's attack but when nothing seems to work they all finally gave up on him and even chided him when news came in regards to his actions against Ms. Shapandar.

*We were such fools! * The middle eastern girl thought in reproach of her actions while wondering how they could have let this happen to them.

It was at that point that someone knocks on her door.

"Laura? It's Betsy and Miss Monroe, can we come in?"

Surprise colored Laura's features which she found mirrored in both Cessily's and Sooraya's faces. Despite not wanting to let go of her Mercury did so in order for Laura to let the elder X-women inside all while wondering why they were here.

Both women stood in the doorway and politely waited for permission to enter from the girl they had come to visit, Laura soon grants them entry as she stands to the side and greets them each in turn as they enter where both take note of the other two girls in the room.

"Are we interrupting something? We can come back later if so." Ororo comments out of propriety since she doesn't want to just barge in on something private.

"No Ms. Munroe, you are not, though unexpected I have been hoping to speak with Ms. Braddock though in all honesty and with no offense intended to you Ms. Monroe I am at a loss as to why you are here, have I done something to warrant your attention?" Laura calmly asks the woman while trying to think if she had taking any actions lately to warrant a visit from a senior member of the team.

"Not at all Laura, I've just been meaning to speak to you after the debacle with Logan's demonic possession yet unfortunately I have not had the time to do so until Hellion came to us when we recently returned from a mission saying you needed to speak with Elizabeth."

That was another surprise for her and the other teens being that they had not expected for Hellion to take such a course of action.

"He is not in trouble, is he?" Mercury asks the two adults.

"Well, I don't think so though I fear things were rather tense between him and the others before we left." The psychic ninja speaks in all honesty to the girls.

"What others?" Dust asks with mild dread for her former teammate.

"Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Emma and Cyclops." Ororo answers though given the looks of nervousness on both of the girl's faces she can tell they are not happy to hear that.

"Oh, damn it all, why did it have to be those last three?" Cessily mutters while rubbing her eyes.

"Is Julian going to be all right?" Laura asks openly to the group, while she truly was thankful to him for getting Psylocke to come she doesn't want to see him get into trouble on her account.

Betsy sensed this and decided to first alleviate her young friend's concerns.

*Emma, is Julian still with you? * She sends it to her fellow telepath.

*…* No response.

*Emma is everything all right with you? *

*…* still nothing, she was about to try a third time when…

*…he's not here, he headed back to the compound. * Was the woman's neutral reply, though Elizabeth could almost feel something in the background.

*Are you all right? You sound off Emma. *

*I am fine Braddock, now if you will excuse me I have some urgent business to attend to. * Frost tone was terser this time before breaking the connection. For a moment Betsy debated whether to scan the minds of the others for answers but quickly discarded that idea.

"He's fine Laura though I feel something must have happened after we left." She replies to the group, being truthful to them and not just because Laura could tell when someone was dishonest but because she saw no point in sugarcoating the truth.

"I want to say it would be shocking but knowing Julian when he is on the warpath it really isn't." Cessily comments knowing how the boy can be when something riles him up, Dust nodding in agreement to her assessment.

"Be that as it may he still went out of his way to have me see you Laura so his intentions were noble, to say the least, though I will say his actions with the others were not entirely unfounded." Elizabeth says while sharing a look with Storm who silently agrees with her words.

"Why? What happened?" Sooraya asks while the other two girls wonder the same.

"Wolverine and Gambit thought it humorous when he said he was trying to do Laura a favor in thanks for setting him straight. Julian did not take kindly to that and responded in a less than respectful manner." Ororo tactfully comments to the trio rather than just tell them Julian flipped them the bird.

"Yeah, that sounds like Julian all right." Cess mutters as she rubs her face at the news.

"We've gotten off topic dears, now what is so urgent you needed to speak with me luv?" Psylocke asks as she looks at Laura expectantly but also kindly. Laura looked briefly nervous but took a moment to calm herself and motions for the woman to sit on her bed which she does while Laura sits opposite her.

"As you may or not be aware of, recent events took place that have left me feeling confused on who I am and what is my purpose. And because of these quandaries I have found myself struggling to find the answers I seek in Utopia as well as feeling out of place with the others due to my involvement with X-force and the nature of the missions we undertook."

Both women are silent when hearing this but no less worried for the girl, for while Betsy understood why Scott and Logan secretly undertook this decision of bringing back one of the more infamous of the X-teams back albeit in secret from the others, she was not at all pleased to hear of Laura's involvement with the group given her past with a similar yet much darker organization that had caused her so much pain and hardship.

Ororo for her part was both disappointed and somewhat angry when the truth was revealed about what Cyclops and Wolverine had done in secret as well as having teenagers be involved in something so sordid as a kill squad.

The logical part of her mind understood their justifications, after all it seemed that everyone wanted them dead and actions needed to be taken though she questioned the methods they had chosen in order to ensure their survival.

But her heart also was a factor when it came to the decisions and actions taken because it also felt like a betrayal for all they stood and fought for as X-men.

Needless to say, her relationship with both men had taken a heavy blow that had yet to fully heal and so hearing Laura speak of how her time in X-Force had done more damage left her feeling angrier at the two.

"Laura, if I may ask, why did you join X-Force?" Ororo asks the girl in an effort to better understand her thought process and perhaps even help her.

"I needed to protect my friends, if by joining X-force and completing the missions assigned to us I could accomplish this then the consequences were irrelevant so long as the primary goal was achieved."

Both women could see how this had distressed the two young girls, having surmised it was most likely due to guilt. They didn't blame them for it, it was their jobs as both senior X-men and mentors to look after their charges and ever since M-day (or Decimation as some had called it) they had been failing repeatedly and often with fatal consequences to the younger generation.

*And now here was Laura who had set out to do what they had not with no regards for her own physical and mental wellbeing. * Storm thinks to herself though apparently not quietly enough as Betsy picks up on this thought.

*And there lies the heart of the problem Ororo, she shouldn't had been in this position in the first place, we should have done more to protect them but instead we failed and they paid the price for our failures.* Psylocke mentally sends to her teammate with a mote of guilt and sadness coloring her thoughts.

If Betsy was being honest with herself, every once in a while, her dreams were plagued by memories of the night the Purifiers first struck at them by killing the former students on the bus that was to lead them to safety only to become a burning coffin of metal, glass and plastic.

Like the other remaining telepaths, she had felted the children's horrid death as the explosion consumed their bodies. Betsy would later admit to herself, while she emptied the contents of her stomach, that those who died instantly had been better off than those who had died more slowly due to either the intense fires that ravaged their bodies or the loss of blood due to shrapnel perforating them.

The day when Bastion launched his assault on Utopia with the Purifiers as part of his ranks, she had made no effort to quell her thirst for revenge as she laid waste to their ranks either by ripping their minds asunder or cleaving them into pieces with her TK enhanced sword.

Every single one she killed was another child she avenged for needless murder, if Scott had approached her with the offer to join X-Force she would have said yes in an instant however that did not happen and poor Laura was chosen because why not?

*After all she has the proper training, the vast and horrid experience and finally the right mindset to be a part of wet works team.* Psylocke thinks in utter bitterness and anger while resisting the urge to find Logan and Scott and make them relieve their most horrible memories until they groveled for forgiveness.

"Betsy your glowing." Ororo comments in order to break her out of her thoughts. The woman in question realized her anger was affecting her powers and immediately calmed herself before doing something rash.

"Apologies, I let my temper get the best of me." She says to the group before looking at her young friend and taking her hands into her own while looking at the young woman who had suffered so much with gentle look.

"There are no words to express how much I wish I could have spared you from all that pain and bloodshed. You are still young Laura and yet have been forced to witness so much ugliness and experience so much pain in your life yet despite all that you have risen from all that tragedy to become such a brave and kind woman." The psychic ninja cradled Laura's face while saying this with all the honesty and pride she could muster for her.

"I simply did not want anyone else to suffer as I did." The young feral replies making Storm approach her and place a hand on her shoulder in support.

"And that is what makes you a good person Laura despite your doubts of such, you show deep care for others however I will confess I wish you did not risk yourself so much or think it is your burden to carry. You are important to us too Laura, we want you to know that if you are in pain that you can come to us and we will do our best to help you because you are part of our family." The weather witch was earnest in her words to the young woman. Laura may not have shown it but she was deeply touched by them but still she had to stay the course.

"Thank you both for your words, truthfully they mean much to me, however there is something I must tell you that relates to seeking Elizabeth's presence." The raven-haired teen comments with some trepidation coming through her voice that made the two women wonder what could cause the normally fearless teen to waver.

"As I explained earlier I have been feeling doubts about myself due to my past actions and being considered somewhat an outcast among the group…as such I have come to the conclusion that in order to find the answers I seek I must do so outside the confines of the island."

The earned her a pair of wide-eyed looks from the two women who then looked towards one another in silent conversation, or at least that is how it looked like given that one was a telepath so for all the girls knew they were having an actual conversation.

Elizabeth was the first to break contact and look at Laura with a thoughtful expression before she placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Is this truly what you want Laura?"

"Yes, I am certain that this is the path I must take."

"And does this mean that Julian will join you in this journey of self-discovery?" This time Ororo asks her.

"That is correct, when I mentioned to him my intentions, he requested to join me stating that he too felt ostracized given the events that took place with Ms. Shapandar while also pointing out the lack of safety Utopia can provide given the attacks we have suffered in the past."

Both women winced at that tidbit of news both Cessily and Sooraya note, not they blamed them as they too reacted in a similar manner.

*He's not wrong in that. * Both women think with regret.

"And you agreed to his request then?" Now it was Betsy's turn to ask her to which she nods.

"He was not wrong in his assessment as Utopia has been attacked from multiple foes ranging from Sentinels to Vampires. Each attack resulting in either multiple wounded or casualties that were personal in nature such as when the former Black Queen Selene raised fallen X-men to attack us or when Jubilee was turned into a vampire by the forces under the command of Xarus."

Well it didn't get more personal than that all four women concluded. Seeing what became of Kevin was a devastating blow to both Dust and Mercury, especially the latter who had once harbored a crush on him during better times.

While for Storm and Psylocke who had history with Jubilee were quite hurt at what was done to her and now what she must do to survive being now required to subsist on Logan's blood to live and diminish the thirst lest she harm an innocent because of it.

"I cannot say he is wrong in feeling that way, despite our best efforts we have not had the best of luck in completely securing our safety." Storm glibly comments as she would be bringing this up when she met with Cyclops later…after giving him the riot act of course.

"We also can't ignore the fact that you both needed help either in dealing with the trauma as in the case of Hellion or just be there to talk to like in your case Laura." Psylocke adds as she speaks to her young friend.

*Survival won't mean a damn thing if we can't even save each other in the long run. * was he line of thinking as she feels guilty for not being a better friend.

"Does this mean you are not opposed to our departure?" Laura can't help but ask.

"I can't speak for Ms. Braddock or Ms. Munroe but if you think this is what is best for you both then it would be wrong of us to stop you even though a part of me wants you to stay so I can make up for it." Mercury confesses while Dust nods in agreement to her friend's words.

"I agree with her, believe it or not I too have been in your place back when I first joined the team and I know just how hard it can be to have doubts about who you are and your place in the world." The psychic ninja comments while she briefly thinks back when she had her mind transferred into the body of Kwanon, the experience was quite jarring and for a time left her wondering if she was even her anymore.

"Just remember one thing Laura, no matter what you will always have a place among us and you will always have people who care about you." Storm says with both conviction and care that the young woman although found surprising given the lack of interaction between them still was deeply appreciated.

"Thank you, all of you, for understanding why I must do this."

"Just try to stay safe and keep an eye on each other." Sooraya comments to her friend.

"Definitely keep an eye on Julian, lord knows the trouble he can get into when unsupervised." Cessily says in jest to mask her sadness at their leaving.

"I do not believe he intentionally gets into trouble; he has also been very supportive of my decision as evidenced by him speaking to Psylocke on my behalf." Laura replies to her friend feeling a need to speak on Hellion's behalf though not entirely sure why, Betsy raised an eyebrow at that before she decided to have a bit of fun to lighten.

"Oh? Is there something going on between the two of you?" Betsy doesn't bother hide the mischief in her voice as she looks at the girl now sporting a confused look that just made her look adorable in her eyes.

"Trust me Ms. Braddock, the level of UST between these two is so thick you would need a chainsaw built with adamantium to even make a dent." Cessily comments while Laura looks at Sooraya and mouths UST to her, the Sunni born girl despite not indulging in American slang knew what that meant and blushed while wondering how to explain it to her.

"It means you have unresolved sexual tension for Hellion and he feels the same." Betsy spoke up as she felt the girl's embarrassment and reluctance to reply to her friend.

"Elizabeth!" Storm shouts at the blunt reply the woman gives, Betsy in turn shrugs in return.

"…Julian wishes to have sexual intercourse with me?" Laura can't help but blurt out with a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"Well I wouldn't go that far yet Laura, I mean he more than likely does find you attractive." Sooraya comments as she tries to direct the conversation into safer waters.

"Of course, he does I mean if I was a guy or lesbian, I would go for her." Cessily blabs though later flushes, although how that works given her composition is anyone's guess, when the others look at her with a questioning look.

"Is this really the time for this conversation?" Ororo questions, not that she is against it mind you but rather finds herself wondering how this conversation is taking place at all.

"Well of course it is Ororo, this will be the last chance we have to engage in some girl talk with Laura before she departs. Now Laura how do you feel about Julian?" Elizabeth asks her friend to keep the conversation going because frankly she wanted to leave from this with something positive.

The girl in question gave it some thought because frankly when it came to her feelings about him there was just so much random thoughts involved that she quite honestly couldn't make heads or tails about where she stood with him.

"I am left confused."

"How so?" Storm asks seeing as there was no way out of it so she might as well offer the girl council.

"When we first encountered one another at the school our relationship was none existent. He was hostile towards me and I was for the most part indifferent but…"

"Take your time Laura." Dust speaks as she wants her friend to get her thoughts together.

"After our battle against Nimrod something changed, while I was in deep pain my mind was still aware of my surroundings and I could see how desperately he wanted to save me. He said he didn't want to bury more friends, which was confusing to say the least as I was not aware of it at the time at least, that he considered me such."

"Then as more time passed, I found myself desiring his attention without truly understanding why." Laura remembered how confused she felt during those times, back when she worked as a prostitute, she had to force herself to accept her clients attention despite what they would do to her.

But with Julian she felt a pull towards him she could not explain, logically her mind told her she found him physically pleasing but when it came to her emotions, they were all over the place. She still remembers how displeased she felt when Noriko kissed him and what it made her do to herself in the bathroom before Cessily caught her in the act.

"And in the aftermath of Bastion's attack on the island, when I heard that Julian had been one of the wounded, I rushed to his side to make sure he lived, as I did so I felt a heavy weight upon me."

"Like someone was squeezing your heart?" Mercury calmly asks her and getting a nod in turn from her friend.

*She has it bad all right. * the redhead couldn't help but think.

"What about after the incident with Karima? Did you feel anything different for him then?" Dust questions as that event had been a point of contention for many of the former New X-men.

"I did not have an opinion on the matter as the facts presented in the briefing showed that immediate action needed to be taken in order to protect Hope from an imminent threat when all other defenders save Hellion were taken down by Karima."

"However, when I spoke with Hellion it was clear he was traumatized by the event in question yet was not provided any emotional support from senior members or psychological help. This worried me as he clearly showed remorse for it and so when the opportunity to help him deal with this issue presented itself, I was pleased." She smiled a bit at this, after helping he had been in a better mood and spent more time with her in private which made her happy.

While the women where not happy to hear the young man had issues with what happened they were happy that Laura stepped up to the task of helping him.

"Well it seems clear to me that you do have feelings for the young man, and given how far he went out of his way to help there is a good chance he reciprocates them." Laura can tell Psylocke is honest in her words which cause her to blush much to the other woman's amusement.

"Course he does, I mean the way he is treating Laura is way better than when he went out with Sofia, so Laura you need to take advantage of this." Cessily firmly states to her friend with a look of utmost seriousness.

"Advantage?" Laura can't help but asks with a look of confusion.

"Yep, you need to strike while the iron is hot and tell him how you feel about him." That got a blush out of the normally stoic girl.

Elizabeth while silently agreeing decided on a different approach as she gained the girls attention by placing a comforting hand on Laura's shoulder.

"Laura I can understand that all that you are feeling right now is sudden and confusing, especially given your lack of knowledge when it comes to feelings of this nature, but take it from someone who has had her fair share of romantic triumphs and follies." The psychic ninja spoke calmly while her young friend made sure to pay utmost attention to her words.

"Love of this nature is without a doubt quite daunting and even a bit scary, you don't know what will happen today, tomorrow or anytime and feelings can go from fierce to tepid without you even knowing until it is too late to do anything about it." Laura was riveted by her friend's words and that is when Ororo decided to chime in as well.

"Elizabeth speaks the truth Laura; I have had my fair share of experiences over the years with some that were merely platonic and friendly while others were as fierce as a hurricane. It is not easy to open yourself up to someone, because it means to give this person your trust and your heart in the hopes that they fill a void you never knew you had." Storm recalled so many men in her life who had given her such feelings such as Forge, Kurt and most recently her husband T'Challa.

"And it is true there is a chance you can come out hurt should this person not reciprocate your feelings but despite that risk the rewards merit the attempt. So, you have to ask yourself if your feelings for Julian are strong enough for you to take that leap of faith? Or do you remain wondering what could have been? Because I speak from experience when I say there isn't a time where I do not wonder that if circumstances had been different would have I been able to tell the one I cared for what I felt for him." Sooraya comments as she recalls her unrequited feelings from Jay Guthrie and the regret of not pursuing a relationship with him when he was still with them.

"Or like me with Kevin, sometimes I visit his grave and ask why couldn't I save him or even wonder if I had been more upfront about my feelings for him things wouldn't have gone the way they did for him in the end." Cessily adds with a bit of melancholy at the mention of the fallen Hellion.

"…you have all given me much to think upon." Laura says after going over their words.

"That's good Laura, no need to rush into so sudden after all. Now let's discuss more what your plans are leaving Utopia and perhaps offer any advice that may help you both ok?" Storm kindly spoke to her as they began to talk things over.

While she remained committed to her eventual departure alongside Julian, she would always treasure this moment and the women who made it all the more special for her. She would also take their words in regards to her feelings seriously before meeting up with Julian

Later that night…

Julian found her sitting at what he considered to be her favorite spot, a hidden little cove near the beach where you could see San Francisco in all its glory day and night. It was further down from where the younger mutants gathered for bonfires at night after a long day of work to maintain the habitat in working condition.

She knew he was nearby when the wind brought his scent to her and it made her heart beat a little faster, especially after her talks with her friends.

"Hey Laura, things go well with your talks?" He asks as he sits next to her on the sand.

"Yes, they did, Cessily and Sooraya accepted my explanation for my actions on X-Force as well as my reasons for leaving the island alongside you…" She paused briefly as she briefly wonders if she should say what was on her but in the end saw no harm in trying.

"…they also showed remorse for not helping you sooner."

That was a bit of news that quieted the young man next to her, discreetly looking at him from the corner of her eye she could see the conflict in him.

"May I offer you advice Julian?" She suddenly says much to his surprise.

"Sure Laura."

"I know that you have felt hurt by their actions or lack thereof, however the path we are about to embark on may not leave little or no room at all for second chances with those who are deserving of them. If they Cessily and Sooraya are open to talk then would it not be best to obtain some semblance of closure and perhaps the chance to mend the rift between you before we leave?"

Julian went over her words while having a mental debate on talking with the former Hellion/New X-men, on the hand his anger and hurt at being cast aside by them seem to take center stage but given his recent actions to apologize to those he felt he had wronged such as Karima and Celeste.

"I will talk to them before we leave, clear the air between us before some other crazy shit happens to stop me." He finally conceded to the young feral who nodded in turn while happy she could contribute in mending their rift.

"I'm glad you tell me these sort of things Laura; it means a lot to be honest with you and tells me I was right to trust you after all the crap I've gone through and done." He tells her with a smile that did things to her stomach and made her mind wander back to her talks with the ladies.

"I am… simply repaying you for helping me speak with Elizabeth, you did not have to go out of your way to do so but you did me that kindness so it is only fair I help you as well Julian." She confesses with a hint of pink on her features.

He just shrugs and grins.

"We are in this together Laura; you watch my back and I watch yours." He says before looking out to sea, not noticing the girl is still looking at him thoughtfully before also looking in the same direction though her mind was still replaying her talks about her feelings towards the young man on her left.

"Julian…" she finally says after coming to a decision she hopes ends on a positive note.

"Yeah Laura?"

"May I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Are you attracted to me?"

That stopped his thought process short and then kicked it into overdrive.

*Oh crap! Why would she ask me that!? Did I stare at her too long!? Did she smell something!? What do I do!?* He asked himself internally over and over.

*GULP!*

"W-why would ask that?" He nervously asks her in a way that made him feel like he was back at the school for the first time.

"From your body's natural reaction to my close presence such like an elevated heartbeat, increase perspiration at times and you emit phenomes indicating you find me desirable." She analytically conveys as she is known to do at times.

*Hell yeah I find you desirable! * His libido seems to scream at him as he did give her a once over as she spoke of his attraction to you.

"Well it is kind of hard not to given how pretty you are Laura." He blurts out suddenly making his face heat up and her blush.

"I think you are pretty too as well Julian." She replies and he clamps down on the urge to correct for calling him pretty and focus more on the fact she finds him appealing though he then remembers one smile detail.

"Even if I have these now?" He asks as he raises the artificial appendages that were now his hands. She in turn takes them into her own with no fear or disgust on her face as she looks into his blue eyes and he looks into her emerald ones.

"They do not detract me from feeling physically attracted to you Julian." Laura didn't know it but those words did wonders for Julian.

"Thanks…though now I wish I had real hands to feel your hands in mind." Laura could tell that despite his joking tone there was a hint of sadness in it.

"Julian, would you please close your eyes for a moment?"

Quirking an eyebrow at the sudden and somewhat odd request he nods before doing so. She left his hands be and raised hers towards his head, for a brief moment she hesitates before going through with her plan and gently places then on his face.

To say Julian was surprised by her actions was putting it lightly as his eyes snapped open to stare at her flushed face, yet despite this she did not remover hands.

"Will this suffice?"

Julian was still a bit to stunned and a little embarrassed to reply so instead he just took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more before he leaned into her touch. It wasn't the same as if he had hands but he would admit it felt nice nonetheless. As Laura continued her actions, he tried to memorize the feel of her skin, the gentle pressure she used and even her scent. Little by little he felt at peace and even gave a smile that showed his content.

Laura in the meantime was marveling at the feel of his face in her hands, its texture, the feelings that came as he leans further into her hands while also taking in the relaxed look he wore as she caressed his face in such a private moment. Finally, something inside her broke and before she knew it she cupped his jaw and leaned forward.

Feeling her lips on his was mind-blowing to say the least, Julian eyes took in her face as she kissed him with her eyes closed and fluttering. Briefly Laura worried she had overstepped her bounds when he did not react to her kiss but then she felt his arms pull her close and deepen the contact between the two in such a way that she practically melted on the spot as she also hugged him closer to her own body and relishing the contact that came with it.

Time held no meaning for these two children of the Atom while the stars bared witness to beginning of something that had been a long time in the making. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity the two broke contact while they tried to regain their breath and stared into one another's eyes.

"Wow." Julian could only say as he looked at the young woman who had him done so much for him.

"Indeed." Laura heart was racing so fast she thought she would suffer a heart attack. She was no stranger to kissing being a former prostitute but where in the past she was disgusted by the act yet here and now with the boy who she had developed feelings for all she wanted was to experience the feeling of his lips on hers and all that came with it.

Hellion must have the same because he just could help but lean in for another go and Laura was not going miss out on this. They didn't know what challenges or dangers were to come as they embarked on this journey but what they would each come to realize is that it would matter little so long as they had one another during those moments.

To be continued…

A/N: So now it is official and they are together, what follows next is sort of a retelling of X-23 storyline before she joined up the Avengers Academy just with Hellion in the mix. Will be a challenge no doubt but what isn't nowadays? One thing I do plan to do is get rid of Kimura sooner rather than later, bitch definitely needs to die for all the horrible things she has done to Laura.

With that said…PEACE OUT!