Her parents check her over one last time before stepping back. A quick calibration, and she’s ready. Logan gives her a reassuring smile, and Wade waves sadly.

“I’ll be back. I promi-“

Her cuff beeps and she forgets to breathe.

“Do-“

“Dorothy… Hey, c’mon… don’t make me start panicking, Dot. Please wake up.”

Jason? She must have landed in his room again. She catches her breath slowly, her eyes flickering open.

“Worried about having your girlfriend die in your room?” she mutters.

Jason smiles nervously at her, nodding. “Yeah, actually. That’s not exactly something I know how to explain to my parents.”

She laughs, wincing in pain at the act. He sits down beside her, helping prop her up against his pillows.

“What year is it?” she asks, rubbing her hands over her face.

“Wellllll, the stardate is-” Jason cuts off with a grin when she rolls her eyes at him. “It’s New Years’ Eve, 2011. You’ve been missing for a few days.”

It takes a while for her to work things out. She’s been gone for a year, but only a few days, and she broke up with Jason, but she’s still with Jason….

“Wow, my head hurts.” she sighs.

“Paradoxical thoughts?”

She smiles. “Something like that. I’ll tell you about it later?”

Jason shrugs, shifting into the spot beside her. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll listen.”

She reaches into the bag at her hip, pulling out a small moleskine notebook. After contemplating it, she offers it to him. “The other you let me have it. Most of it’s in shorthand, but you might be able to read it better than I can…”

Jason takes it, flipping through it in curiosity. “This is… Dot, these are notes on-“

“How to practice and develop control of your mutation, and that was just about the only thing I could understand about it.”

“I’ve always taken notes like this. So people can’t read them… Dot, this is…”

He sets the book down and turns to her, pressing a brief kiss to her lips. “I really can’t thank you enough for this, you know.”

“Well, don’t thank me yet, because I might maybe give you my tuition so you can go to Xavier’s?”

He’s dumbfounded, as if she’s said something that completely rocked his world. Even though it kind of really did.

“Have I ever told you that you’re beautiful and terrible?”

“Oh, so I’m an elf now?”

“Yes.”

Dot grins at him and he takes her hand, pulling her toward his window. “C’mon, Galadriel. I know a couple parental units who’ll be glad to see you.”

It takes them an hour, even though they’re walking slow, and their watches hit 11 when they stop in the driveway.

It looks the same as it did when she left, and she can see the television flickering, and the lights from the kitchen  from where she stands with Jason.

“Ready to go home?” he asks, squeezing her hand.

She nods. “I probably have a lot of explaining to do.”

Jason laughs. “You’re going to be grounded until you’re married, Dot.”

Dot snorts. “I’m not even supposed to be dating until after I’m married.”

He kisses her cheek, letting go of her hand. “I’ll see you when school starts up again?”

“Skype, if I’m not grounded until I die.”

Jason grins at her, laughing. “Goodnight, Dot. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” she replies, and it’s easy, not like it was with the Jason in her original universe. She watches him walk away until he’s down the road, and then she climbs the driveway, then the steps of the front porch.

The door creaks when she opens it, and she cautiously steps inside.

“Daddy? Dad? I’m home…”

Forge sends her the cuff when the final adjustments are complete.

Wade intercepts the package, and then all hell breaks loose in the Wilson-Howlett household.

“You aren’t leaving, Dorothy.”

Her defiance is inherent, almost as if it’s in her blood. “You won’t stop me. And even if you try, I’ll find a way to get back.

“I’m fifteen years old, and I fell into another dimension. I made adult decisions there. I left Xavier’s and gave my tuition to someone who needed it more than I did. I decided to become a mercenary. I… I made friends. I became a cheerleader, for Christ’s sake! I can do this. I know what I’m doing, Daddy.”

“Dorothy Marie, you are fifteen. You don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re just a kid! I- Dottie, I never wanted you to be a merc! You can’t just make a decision like that witho-“

“And when you were my age, you had already noticed your talent with a weapon. I’m going back. I’m not going to break the hearts of another set of parents. Do you remember how you were when I disappeared? You two,” she gestures between her parents. “Are the same people as them. The difference is that Daddy was a woman at one point, and you both had fourteen years with me. Them? They’ve grown to love me and cherish every moment that they’ve had with me, and leaving for good is going to break them worse than it did you two.”

The house is silent after she finishes speaking, as if the gravity of her words is settling over everything. There’s a bag beside her, packed with things that she’s planned on bringing back with her. After a moment, she reaches down, pulling the laptop out.

“I’ve been working on it since I returned. Forge and Weasel helped. It sends audio, video, documents, images, all in between universes. You can keep contact with me through it, but I have to get back.” The tears are welling up, and it’s really frustrating to her, but she can’t stop them.

Her dad looks like he’s going to spit adamantium bullets, but instead, he runs a hand over his face and turns away.

“We should let her go, Wade.”

“Wha- Jamie, wh-“

“Kid’s right. She’s got a way to get back, givin’ us a way to communicate with her… She’s never gonna get anywhere if she doesn’ try anything on her own.”

Dot glances between her parents as they each other that look that means that they’re secretly and silently discussing things.

“Fine.” Wade hisses, handing Dorothy the box with her cuff inside.

She hands him her laptop after taking the extra chip to put into her laptop in 616.

“Go. Go get ready.”

It’s day 182 when she goes to find Forge.

Blink takes her, because Nik can’t teleport more than ten miles without getting exhausted. (Luckily, that radius was changing more with each passing day.)

It takes Dot a moment of explaining, but Forge agrees. He takes her notes and her blueprints, and the teleportation cuff that Weasel made for her when she turned ten, and tells her to come back.

The gears area already turning unbidden in his head, and Dot is extremely grateful.

They return three months later. He’s altered her cuff, but he’s yet to test it. He wants to leave that up to her.

The first jump leaves her in the same dimension, and she lands somewhere south of Machu Picchu. Not so bad for a first try. As soon as she goes back, Forge is tampering. Two weeks later, they try again.

For a moment, they have success. Dot flickers between realities, in what looks to be her boyfriend’s room. A second later, she’s back in the workshop and they have her on an oxygen mask until she can actually breathe again on her own.

They’re close. So close, and yet still so far.

It’s been a month.

Dorothy hasn’t spoken much to anyone outside of her family, and almost always has a pen in her left hand, and a notebook in the other. Countless hours of interviews, research, blueprints. And missions on top of that.

Yes, Dorothy was an X-Man now, with the team that she had been with before. Shocking. Secretly, she felt like screaming. The majority of the time, on the inside, she was. The uniform was too tight and constricting, and the majority of the time, she had nowhere to stash a weapon if she needed it.

Suffering in silence was jokingly her mutation.

Blink has been her companion, trying to send transmissions to the other universe. They never make it through any of the prototypes, but she wants to try it on her own before she goes to Forge.

Weasel had tried to help her, but t had only ended with Dot getting hit by something. She had been in the hospital for a week, and after recovery it was noted that her heart could withstand rates that could cause it to burst, she could take a harder hit, move a little faster, hit a little harder.

Nothing that would help her get back, but things that might help her out in the field.

Jason was… Jason was happy that she was back, but a little odd about how she reacted to him. He was feeling snubbed, and she felt horrible because she really didn’t have the heart to care a lot about it. She did care, she just didn’t want to hurt him more.

No one would understand what was going through her head besides Nikolai. Even then, he and Kyle were building their relationship, so she had decided not to bring it up to him.

She needed to get back. Needed to see Danica, Sarah, Jason… her parents. Sure, they were here, but she couldn’t hurt a second group of people she cared about.

Two more months pass. She has no time for questioning, nor for blueprints, or anything for that matter. So much work being a hero.

She wants to leave Xavier’s. Her parents wouldn’t understand. Well, they might. Wade wouldn’t appreciate the idea of her wanting to become a mercenary.

Two months more, and she’s celebrating her fifteenth birthday. The party is nice. Ish. She wants to be in 616, though. She ends up leaving the party.

And breaking up with this universe’s Jason.

And crying herself to sleep in her dorm.

It’s stressful.

But she’s going to do it.

It’s weird being home when she just left home.

To say that she ever expected to be back here would be an outright lie.

She lets her daddy smother her with love until she absolutely needs to breathe, let’s her dad patch up the cuts on her face from her hair. They baby her almost. It’s not shocking to her. She’s been gone for months. She could have been dead, or worse.

After a shower and a change into some of her old clothes, she crawls into her parents’ bed like she used to when she was little. Dot had always been the baby spoon, but for tonight she was content to curl up in between her parents.

Did she sleep? Not the entire night, but she was very good at faking. Her mind was racing lightyears faster than it usually did. She needed to get back. She needed to get back. She had broken one set of her parents. She could NOT do this again.

Her friend Blink might be able to help her. Might being the operative term. She’d try him first, to see what he knew. There was also the matter of it being anything like temporal displacement, and what damage that could do, as well as the fact of it being possible to go back at all.

Going to ARMOR was completely out of the question. Could Weasel help? She’d have to get into contact with him, and secretly, since she wasn’t sure how well that would fly with her parents. Weasel had helped make a good deal of her irreplaceable gear, and they had a pretty good working relationship.

If not Weasel, maybe Forge could help her out. She had learned a good deal from him in her time at Xavier’s.

“Dottie?”

Her daddy’s voice makes her jump, looking up from her oatmeal.

“Not hungry?” he asks.

She shakes her head slightly, looking back down. Too many plans going through her head to even think about taking a bite without wanting to get sick.

“You gonna head to Xavier’s with your dad today?” he asks with a sigh, taking her bowl.

She smiles slightly. “Might as well, right? I have been gone for a while.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you have.”

It feels like centuries before she’s standing before the front door. What if they aren’t there? What if… what if her disappearance broke them for good? Her parents both had some years under their belts; they’d already been through a lot.

Shaking fingers find the key in the compartment in the bottom of her boot, sliding it into the lock. It sticks at first, then opens smoothly. The door doesn’t creak like it does in the other house, but she’s fixed this one a number of times so it’s quiet when she closes it. Out of habit, she kicks her boots off by the door and slips out of the holsters that cross her chest, keeping a knife tucked into her hand. She doesn’t think that she’ll need it, but she’s learned that careful keeps your skin where you want it.

Her socks scuff a thin layer of dust that covers the floor, pushing it into the air. Her nose wrinkles, and she tries not to sneeze, continuing into the living room. It’s the same, all of it. Pictures on the walls, the furniture, bolted down chairs.

It makes her want to cry. She’s home. Not in the supplemented universe, but actually home. Snuffling catches her attention and she looks down, tears welling up when she finds Twain, followed by Simone and Shel. Sinking onto the empty couch, Dot lets it all sink in as the dogs climb into her lap.

alittleferalhellfire:

neverenoughweaponstraining:

Dot flips him the bird over her shoulder, and marches toward the direction of the sound. Before long, she breaks into a run, and in a short matter of minutes, she breaks the tree line.

“I knew I knew those trees.” she exhales, more to herself. What they had hear were the Athabasca Falls. She had come here with her Dad when she was little, once, and her Daddy had gotten terrified that she would go over, so he didn’t let her near the water.

“We’re not too far from Jasper. Which means that we’re in Alberta.” she calls to Nik over the sound of the falls. He’s about 20 feet up from where she is.

“Which means?”

“Which means we’re near the West Coast.”

Nikolai has only ever been to Canada twice in his life, so he’s not so sure what Dot means by Jasper, or Alberta. No, that’s a lie. He remembers Alberta, but Jasper has him clueless.

“We’re in Canada?” he asks.

She nods absently.

“In winter.”

“Well, it sure as hell isn’t summer.”

“Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?”

“I don’t have a mom, dick. Can you get us to town?”

“Shouldn’t be that hard.”

“Well, lets get a move on then.” Dot sighs in exasperation. Nikolai makes a face at her and she scowls.

“Look. Unless you have the juice to get us to Ontario so we can border hop, Jasper is the closest way to go. Point is, gun laws are crazy here, and I’ve got three glocks on my person. Not counting swords and knives. And we’re in Canada. In winter.”

Nik holds up a hand in thought, causing Dot to let out a huff once more. “Got any protein bars?”

“Dumb question. Always.” Dot rolls her eyes.

He holds out his hand for one, tearing into it as soon as she gives it to him.

“It’ll give me enough for three jumps. Think that’ll be enough to get you home?”

“Why me? You’ve gotta get back too.”

“Salem Center from Pennsylvania? Not as far as Seattle to Ontario.”

She opens her mouth to correct his geography when he grabs her arm again and they’re gone.

alittleferalhellfire:

neverenoughweaponstraining:

They’re free falling.

Now, normally, this would be okay. Free falling can be fun.

Except that she can’t breathe and the air is whipping her hair around her head so fast that she’s either going to have cuts or welts when she lands. If she lands safely.

And where is Nikolai? Dot can’t turn her head to look without the air pressure protesting.

No chute, no chute, no FUCKING chute! her mind reminds her frantically.

About 200 pounds of solid weight collide with her back, and then there’s smoke.

AND LAND.

When her head stops swimming, she turns her head, finding her cousin crouched next to her. Nikolai is panting as well, shaking like the last leaf on the tree.

“You all right?”

Dot nods, sitting up slowly. Her gear is still there, thank God.

“Any idea where we are?” Nikolai asks.

She shakes her head, standing. None of her electronics are working, which is just frustrating. And also dangerous.

“Guess we’re hoofin’ it from here.” she mutters.

He smirks at her. “Can you even walk straight?”

A kick aimed at his head is enough of an answer.

Nikolai dodges the kick, teleporting to catch up with her. For how short she is, the girl can walk pretty fast.

“Will you slow down?” he huffs, teleporting up ahead of her.

“Not until we’re somewhere close to civilization.” she answers. She’s got her short sword in hand, which isn’t that bad of an idea.

“Does that mean you know where we are?”

She shrugs. “Might. Does the air smell familiar to you? I feel like I know these trees.”

Nikolai huffs. “Dorothy, trees are trees, no matter where we go.”

She rolls her eyes, stopping. “Do you hear that?”

“Sounds like water, why?”

Dorothy gives him a look that says something similar to ‘you be apathetic one more time and I’ll gut you and leave you in this forest.’

“It sounds like a river. Rivers used to mean trade routes a long, long time ago, but I told you. I know these trees, and if that’s a river that we’re hearing, I might know where we are.”

“Why are yo-” She gives him the look again and Nik shudders. “All right, fine. Lead the way, Wilderness Explorer.”

Dot flips him the bird over her shoulder, and marches toward the direction of the sound. Before long, she breaks into a run, and in a short matter of minutes, she breaks the tree line.

“I knew I knew those trees.” she exhales, more to herself. What they had hear were the Athabasca Falls. She had come here with her Dad when she was little, once, and her Daddy had gotten terrified that she would go over, so he didn’t let her near the water.

“We’re not too far from Jasper. Which means that we’re in Alberta.” she calls to Nik over the sound of the falls. He’s about 20 feet up from where she is.

“Which means?”

“Which means we’re near the West Coast.”

alittleferalhellfire:

The air over New York City smells different, and Nikolai’s skin tingles with an uneasy anticipation. He’s walking home from the tattoo parlour that he works at when he notices the rift. There’s lighting in the sky, and he can feel it in the air too.

He has to get to Dorothy.

So he does. In a cloud of black smoke, he’s in the other teen’s room. She’s sharpening a blade, a wakizashi he thinks, and slices her finger when she notices him.

“Christ, Nikolai, don’t do that!”

“The rift. It opened again. Over New York.”

It takes his cousin a second, but she springs into action, pulling on gear as she goes.

“How long do we have?” She asks hurriedly.

“How long did we have last time?” Nikolai asks, glancing at the photobooth pictures of her and Jason. He reflexively sneers. He’d never liked the little squid in any incarnation.

“Not very, I was pulled through and then it closed.” She explains, making sure that a gun is loaded before holstering it. He’ll never be used to seeing Dorothy with so many weapons, but he supposes that with her lack of a mutation, it might be good for her.

“Ready to go?” he asks, tapping his foot nervously.

She nods and he takes her arm without warning.

When they open their eyes, they’re on a rooftop in the city. The rift hangs overhead, dark, abyssal, and terrifying.

“Three.” he counts.

“… Two.” She whispers beside him.

“Three.”

Hand in hand, they take a running leap from the edge of the building. Nikolai focuses, teleporting them within range of the rift. The suction takes them immediately, ripping them from this universe.

The sky closes, the humans below continuing as if nothing happened.

They’re free falling.

Now, normally, this would be okay. Free falling can be fun.

Except that she can’t breathe and the air is whipping her hair around her head so fast that she’s either going to have cuts or welts when she lands. If she lands safely.

And where is Nikolai? Dot can’t turn her head to look without the air pressure protesting.

No chute, no chute, no FUCKING chute! her mind reminds her frantically.

About 200 pounds of solid weight collide with her back, and then there’s smoke.

AND LAND.

When her head stops swimming, she turns her head, finding her cousin crouched next to her. Nikolai is panting as well, shaking like the last leaf on the tree.

“You all right?”

Dot nods, sitting up slowly. Her gear is still there, thank God.

“Any idea where we are?” Nikolai asks.

She shakes her head, standing. None of her electronics are working, which is just frustrating. And also dangerous.

“Guess we’re hoofin’ it from here.” she mutters.

He smirks at her. “Can you even walk straight?”

A kick aimed at his head is enough of an answer.