Hitchhiker

By Princess Alexandria

Mystique found herself staring at Brooke while the woman was concentrating on opening up the gate to let her horses out. She took in the small smile the woman gave her horses and the way she patted the ones that came close. She noticed the gentle expression and she shook her head.

Brooke loved, she loved her family, and she loved her horses. It seemed sad that Brooke didn't believe in romantic love. "I am hoping that you are already planning to be especially gentle with that young woman." Henry spoke quietly and Mystique didn't bother to turn to see him. She could feel him leaning on the fence a little, because her seat on the post was shifted just a little.

Mystique scowled and let out an irritated breath. She didn't want advice from the Xmen's resident wallflower. She watched as Brooke started to caress the large stallion that was Brooke's pride and joy. She'd heard that this one was the one Brooke had taken to stud when she'd met Mystique. Brooke appeared to be talking to him, but they were far enough away to not hear it, or at least Mystique was. Henry's hearing was much better.

He sighed next to her. "I find it interesting that she believed it would work. Most normal people would assume the opposite. She even breeds animals and yet she saw no reason to doubt your ability to impregnate her. It doesn't seem logical that she wouldn't even consider the alternative."

Mystique turned just a little and looked at him. He was staring at Brooke as well, a thoughtful look on his face. He looked like Brooke was a puzzle, and it was nice that she wasn't the one getting that intense scrutiny from him for a change. "So what do you think, it's the power of positive thinking?" She grinned as he turned his head to look at her.

"Perhaps." He spoke slowly. "You mentioned what she was saying during your, ah," His blush started so show by the way he looked away and down, even though his fur covered it, "sample collection. Is she always so, um, vocal, during your liaisons?"

"No, not always." Mystique grinned at him wickedly. "Sometimes I have her coming so hard she can't string two words together." Her grin grew a little more wicked as she thought of how such a sweet cowgirl became a dirty talker in bed. It was rather intriguing, and consistent.

Mystique had told her not to stop that, once Brooke blushed and looked away one night after saying something that surprised even the cowgirl. Mystique found it extremely arousing to hear the litany of dirty thoughts in Brooke's head.

"While a genetic sample is the only way to be certain, I hold a considerable amount of certainty that your recent ability to impregnate females is the result of a very low level mutant with enough desperation to enhance her abilities and therefore your own." His voice became quieter and thoughtful. "It is quite fortuitous for her that your own mutation was one that allowed you to get so very close to what she needed. A small boost of your power was all it would take to allow you to procreate in that manner." Hank's explanation was wordy as ever, but Mystique spent more attention to Brooke, who was walking their way looking more relaxed just because her horses were free.

"I saw Grandma came back while we were gone. I could go get my little girl." Brooke spoke louder so they could hear her as she walked toward them. Mystique slid off the fencepost she'd been sitting on and stood on the ground.

"I would be most appreciative if I could start work posthaste. I do not want to impose on your hospitality more than absolutely necessary." Henry called back. Mystique watched Brooke take a silent moment to decipher what Henry and said. The woman nodded at them and then met Mystique's eyes for a moment, holding her gaze. Mystique stared back and then nodded reassuringly, as she noticed Brooke was nervous about having her little girl examined. Mystique wouldn't let anything happen to Mercy, and apparently Brooke believed that because after that Brooke got into her truck and drove off to get her little girl for them.

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Brooke smiled as Mercy squealed at the sight of the very large and blue doctor. "He's a doctor, like Doctor Lillian." Brooke told her little girl quietly as she worked to get her out of the car seat. "Only he looks at little girls and not horses."

Brooke remembered her own childhood and how she'd never been seen so excited to see a doctor. She'd hated them. Hopefully if she pulled this off right her little girl wouldn't have that fear of shots every time she saw a doctor.

Holding Mercy's hand firmly they started to walk towards an amused looking Mystique and a rather shocked looking Doctor. "He's big and blue." Mercy spoke loudly but seemed to think it was a private conversation between the two of them. "Oh and he's furry like doggy."

Brooke blushed a little. "Mercy, you know better than to talk like that in front of people." She scolded softly.

Mercy looked at him. "You're furry like my doggy. Who brushes you?"

Brooke was blushing hard and she noticed that Mystique wasn't even trying not to laugh at Mercy's question. She shot the blue woman a scolding look, not wanting to encourage Mercy into a question spree.

"Oh well," Henry looked a little surprised for a moment but then he smiled, that stopped Mercy's walking at the little girl stared at his sharp teeth. "I brush myself and you are quite right it is a very large undertaking." He leaned down, making himself shorter and held out a hand. "It is very nice to meet you. I'm Henry."

Mercy stood in front on the huge man and held out her little hand. Brooke wished she could have a picture of her little girl acting like a little lady. "I'm Mercy, well unless I've been bad then I'm Mercedes Raine."

Brooke rolled her eyes and looked over at a still amused looking Mystique.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mercy." Henry said and gently shook Mercy's hand.

Once he stood up Mercy looked over at Mystique and Brooke's heart ached when her little girl's face lit up and she spoke. "You're home." She couldn't correct her, and knew that when Mystique finally left Mercy would be devastated.

Brooke sighed and glanced over at her horses as Mystique hugged Mercy tight.

Henry looked at Brooke. "Where might I conduct the examination?" He asked and Brooke studied his size again. The house would be a tight fit for him, the door wasn't that big. The barn had an area where Dr. Lillian worked and it was large enough to get a horse into it. It also had a table for Mercy to sit on. Brooke glanced at the barn and then at the Doctor.

"I have a spot." She told him and pushed herself off of the fence she was leaning on and started to lead them there. Mercy was more than happy to play swinging arms with Mystique as they made their way to the barn.

Exams in this stall were normal, so Mercy had seen them done before. Mercy showed no fear as she was lifted up onto a table and the doctor set down a bag full of medical things. Brooke found herself glancing at the bag, concerned about needles.

Mystique moved to stand beside her and leaned in to whisper. "You're tension is going to scare her." Mystique added a gentle caress to Brooke's hand and Brooke sighed and glanced at the woman. She wanted to say she missed her, that isn't what she said.

"So you look like you weren't hurt." Brooke glanced up and down the blue woman.

"I told you, it was a piece of cake mission. If they even had a student metamorph around they wouldn't have needed me." Mystique leaned back against the wall. "This is going to get boring, you want to take a walk?"

The tone of voice said it was a chance to kiss and touch. Brooke looked at how Mercy was happily talking Henry's ear off. She noticed how gentle the man was with her little girl and thought maybe just stepping a few feet away and out of sight would be okay.

They stood in the doorway, the soft breeze bringing fresher air to them. Brooke slowly reached up a hand and caressed red hair. "I missed you." She spoke and then felt a stab of pain at admitting that. It upset her that she had missed Mystique.

Mystique just smiled and leaned in to kiss her gently. Brooke leaned into Mystique and when it turned into being gently held her eyebrows drew together in confusion, but it felt nice so she didn't pull away.

Brooke found herself feeling like she was melting as soft caresses went over her back, enjoying the closeness. Part of her ached, wondering how long she'd have this and not looking forward to the loneliness she was used to.

A half hour later Henry came outside with her little girl and smiled at her. Brooke found she was getting use to that and didn't feel like he might bite every time she saw it. "You have a remarkable little girl."

"I knew that." Brooke smiled down at Mercy, who looked a little proud. Brooke didn't ask about the results or what he was looking for in front of Mercy.

Mystique took the little girl to see the young colt they had in the barn and it left her alone with the doctor. Brooke just watched as Mystique walked away and shook her head just a little. "So?"

"Well, I did exam her as best I could here. My lab at home is much better for this sort of thing but Mystique insisted that you'd never allow us to borrow Mercy for a trip like that."

Most of what he said didn't make sense, but overall Brooke got the impression that Mercy was fine. Questions about how Mercy was conceived seemed to have stopped as well, but Brooke noticed she was getting a few curious looks from him even as he was getting into the truck so that Mystique could take him back to their jet.

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"What's with your girl?" Jake asked her the next day and Brooke glanced over her shoulder to see Jake was looking at Mystique. Mystique was petting a horse and Brooke sighed as she thought of how beautiful that scene was. "She sticking around?" His words were a knife to her heart.

"She just came in to help me out while you were gone." Brooke turned back to the horse they were watching. "She'll probably leave soon."

"Ever thought of asking her to stay?" He asked and Brooke looked over at the older man, whose expression was too serious for this early in the morning.

"She's not going to stay Jake." Brooke sighed. "Asking wouldn't make a difference."

"Maybe she just needs to know she can stay." He spoke softly. "That my getting better doesn't mean she's out of a job." The way he said job was soft, "I ain't never seen you smile like you smile at her."

"Look." Brooke took a breath and willed herself not to tear up. "Let's just get the horses done and call it for lunch." She didn't want to talk about wishing for something she couldn't have. Mystique was going to leave, she knew it, she accepted it, she couldn't start this 'what if' game.

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"I have another mission." Mystique spoke and rolled onto her side to look down at Brooke in the bed. "It's a longer one."

Brooke's jaw clenched, reflecting her heart. This was it, the end. Jake had been up to full speed for a week and now Mystique had a mission.

"When do you have to go?" Brooke asked, slightly proud of how she was able to make it sound like a casual question, or that it didn't hurt.

"Tomorrow. They're going to pick me up on the way." Mystique caressed her face gently and Brooke rolled over onto her side, facing away.

"Better get some sleep then, if you'll be busy tomorrow." Brooke spoke softly and hugged her pillow to her. Mystique surprised her by not getting up and going to her own room.

"I'll wake up before Mercy, she won't see me here." Mystique spoke quietly and then spooned her. Brooke's eyes started to leak, but she viciously worked to keep it hidden.

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The next morning felt like they were preparing for a funeral, even though they didn't do anything different. They ate breakfast and they chatted with Mercy. Brooke didn't tell her daughter that Mystique was leaving and dreaded the scene that night when Mercy figured it out.

They dropped Mercy off and then Brooke drove back to where Mystique's truck was. "Thanks for all you help. I would have needed a doctor myself if I'd kept working alone." Brooke spoke quietly.

"I'm glad I did." Mystique spoke just as softly. "I'd like to come by for Christmas, but I don't know that we'll be done by then."

Brooke just nodded, but she expected it was just words. When they got to the other truck Brooke slowly got out of the car to do the right thing. She hugged Mystique tensely, kissed her and then stood back and watched her toss her bag into the cab of the truck.

"Tell Mercy I'll take her out to ice cream when I see her again." Mystique spoke and it hurt. Brooke had no intention of telling Mercy that, of getting her child's hopes up like that.

Mystique drove off and Brooke waved, standing tall and smiled. As soon as the truck was out of sight she went into her barn and cried harder than she had when her parent's divorced. The horses shifted nervously as Brooke's sobs grew in volume. She'd tried to do it quietly, but the pain was more than she could contain.

She'd miss Mystique.

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Mystique stared down at the fields as they took off and sighed. She could tell Brooke didn't believe her when she talked about coming back. It made her even more convinced that she needed to go back. She needed to prove to Brooke she was wrong, that real love did exist.

"So are you back now?" Kitty asked, in that snide way she had. Mystique turned to look at her.

"For now." Was all she said before she turned toward the other woman in the plane. Rogue stared at her a moment and then gave her a small smile.

Ten minutes later Rogue had moved to the seat beside her. "Momma, are you in love?"

Mystique looked away from the fields and clouds and looked at her older daughter. "I could be." Not yet, but soon. "Just a little longer and I would be." It wasn't something she really thought she'd feel again after Irene died, but Brooke would be easy to love. "I need to prove to her it exists."

It would be hard, but one thing Mystique decided was that she was going to be there for their daughter's Christmas this year. This mission was going to go fast and well, so that she could prove that she would come back to Brooke. Brooke didn't believe her.

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AN: Okay I know it isn't the ending you all expect from me, but I'm happy with it.

THE END