We Belong - Cable/Nathan Summers

18.

The Present

Chapter Theme Song: Only Time - Enya

"What the hell was that?" Hope demanded to her father as soon as Nina was all settled. "I mean, sure, you two had some tension sometimes, just like any couple, not that I remember it very well cause I was just a kid, but that was some next-level shit."

"Hope Summers, your language problem is almost as bad as mine."

"I won't tell Mom if you don't."

"Deal." They chuckled.

"So," she prompted after a pause. "What's up?"

He sighed and withdrew her bear. Her eyes lit up. "Mr. Cuddles! Aw, I've missed him! I've been looking for him for ten years!"

"I borrowed him for good luck when I left."

"Borrowing without telling is stealing," she said jokingly, making him chuckle again. He wasn't about to get into the dark, terrible future he had stopped, why he had the bear in the first place.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, quickly noting how the toy was pulsing in and out of focus, lingering on invisible before coming back into focus.

Nathan couldn't watch it. "It's my fault, I screwed up. And now your mom hates me before we've even met or get married or she's even your mom."

"I don't think she hates you."

"Well... She's pretty pissed."

"That's not the same as hating you though."

"True, but I've really messed this one up. She's uncertain about our future together."

"Well, I guess it can't be easy for her, knowing so much about her future."

"Yeah, I know."

"I think it'll all work out, Dad."

"Thanks, Kiddo."

A bunch of students began walking through the halls during class-change, including Jean and Scott.

"Whoa, it's Grandma and Grandpa! They're so young!" Hope looked amused.

"Oh yeah, about them. P.S., they don't know I'm their future son, so maybe don't go up to them and call them Grandma and Grandpa. Plus, they're only like thirty, so they might take offense."

She chuckled. "I've really missed you, Dad. You've been gone for ten years, but now, suddenly, it's like you were never gone at all."

"Aw, so mushy." He put an arm around her and held her close. "But I've missed you too, Kiddo. So much that it hurts."

----------------------------------

That evening, Nathan went to go check on Nina.

He was just about to knock when he heard a pained cry from inside the room - a familiar pained cry. This was followed by a gasp and another cry.

The sound tore through his gut painfully - he had heard this before. When she was badly wounded in battle, even when she was in labour with Hope. He knew just by hearing it that she was in grave pain.

"Nina!" he called. "Nina!" He tried to open the door, but oddly found it locked. She was going to hate him, but he had to help her, so next he shoved himself shoulder-first into the door, aiming to break it down. A couple more shoves and he heard the wood and hinges tear, and he was inside.