Book Two - Part One: Spectre

Chapter Six

Later, the sun has set, Laurie and Bruce lay in bed, dressed, just curled up together. He brushes his fingers through her hair, her head on his chest listening to his heart. There is something about the two of them like this. Safe. Home. Laurie feels better then she has in years, like a ton weight lifted from her chest and soul. She lifts her head to look at him.

"I wanted to tell you years ago" she admits. "About everything but...."

"Ross was too close" he finishes knowing why she kept it a secret. He knows that Ross would have looked at a mutant and seen the value in them.

"I didn't want to end up being the lab experiment" she whispers, his fingers stroke her back. "I heard stories growing up, about humans and mutants and....black listed sites where they...cut us open and do whatever else they want to us, and I know it happens..." he kisses her head. "I know mutants who have been....." she pauses. "Experimented on" she chokes out. "At school they warned us, regularly about getting involved with the Government and..." she scoffs. "Still went and did it..." she whispers.

"Mutant school" he clocks on. "Xavier's?" he asks, she nods. "Well I hate your dad just a little bit more now" she smiles softly. "Love your mother and brother a bit more too" he adds holding her close to him. "I know mutants don't have it easy" he tells her as she sets her head on his chest, he's quiet, they both are, just laying there in bed embraced together. "I must have been 10, I think, when I first saw a mutant..." He breaks the quiet. "There was this kid on my street used to see her everyday on her little bike, pig tails, ribbons....she was always laughing and smiling and everyone loved her. It was a day in summer, afternoon....she was almost hit by a car...." he strokes his hand through Laurie's hair. "Driver had been blinded by the glare of the sun and couldn't see her.....the car just went straight through her as she screamed....not a mark on her. She became intangible, it was incredible...but the people around her just....turned on her, a child, like she was..."

"A freak?" she asks lifting her head, he looks down at her and nods.

"The other kids didn't even care" he offers. "They just went about playing like they were before....but the adults"

"Yeah, they're the worst at reacting to mutants" she agrees. "Because it's so ingrained into them by their parents....and their parents going back to....the Missile Strike in Cuba" she sits up a little resting against his side. ""I was so excited when I first turned invisible" she admits. "My dad, he used to talk about Captain America all the time....and I thought; I've got superpowers, now I can be just like Captain America" he brushes her hair back and strokes her arm. "I ran straight to him and I showed him what I could do. He looked at me like...." she looks down. "Like I..." she stops not being able to bring herself to say it. "It's something I've never been able to forget, that look on his face..." Bruce brushes away her tears. "He even went as far as to accuse my mother of an affair, because the mutant freak couldn't be his daughter"

"Laurel" he whispers kissing her forehead softly.

"I was so....crushed" she admits. "I ended up hiding under my bed, crying in my brother's arms for two days before Xavier came...." she looks to him. "My dad declared me legally dead the next day and according to my brother he never spoke about me again....got angry if someone tried to" she shrugs looking away. "You sure you want to be involved with a dead girl?" she asks him dryly.

"A dead girl who happens to be full of more life then any other woman I've met" he tells her, she looks to him. "How did you stay hidden?" he asks her. "With your name...."

"Xavier helped......I became Laurel Jupiter....and eventually Juspeczyk"

"And no one else knows?" he asks. "About who you are?"

"The only people that know the truth are Xavier, my friend Scott, Lawrence, my brother, his personal assistant, his driver, his best friend and his sort of girlfriend.....and now you and probably the government, I don't know...."

"If your dad's dead why didn't you come out and say something?"

"To be honest, I don't want to be known as his daughter" she snuggles into his chest. "And I didn't want the hassle, or the risk..." he keeps his arm around her. "Just easier to disappear" he hums in agreement. She sits up and turns to sit head to toe, her leg over his chest. "Have you been here all this time?" she asks, he shakes his head.

"No, no, I kept moving...." he strokes his fingers over her ankle. "I haven't been here long, the beginning of the month" she hums a little watching him watch his fingers on her skin. "It's just easier to keep moving around.....It's not safe" he tells her. "I'm dangerous now, and the people out there that are looking for me....." he lifts his eyes to hers. "It's not safe for you" he adds.

"You want me to leave" She whispers in understanding.

"No" he assures her. "No, I want you to stay, oh Laurel I want you to stay so much" he admits. "But I'm not going to make you if you feel like this is....too much...if you feel like there is too much danger"

"I'm not afraid" she promises him. "And I can look after myself" she assures him. "And if you'll have me.....I would like to stay" he stokes her cheek. "If you want me too that is...." she adds quieter.

"We always talked about disappearing" he reminds her. "Just you and me...." he whispers.

"Yeah, then we woke up and realised that....people don't just run away from their lives" she comments. He raises an eyebrow.

"No?" he asks giving her a look, she rolls her eyes softly.

"Well they didn't back then" she nudges him slightly with her foot. "It was nice to dream" she comments.

"House and dog" he reminds her, she nods.

"Well..." she draws out and looks around. "One out of two, isn't bad?" he smiles at her and then pulls her back down onto the bed with him.

"I can get you a dog if you really want one" he assures her, she looks to him, his eyes already on her face. "I'm glad you're here" he admits brushing her hair back. "I never thought..." he stops and sighs "After everything that happened....." she gives him a sad smile and cups his cheek. "But you're here" he whispers, she nods, he leans up and kisses her.