By Karen DISCLAIMER: Rahne Sinclaire(Wolfsbane), Julio Richter(Rictor) Moria Mactaggert, Pete Wisdom, Kitty (Shadowcat) X-Factor,Excalibur and X-Force and all related/characters belong to Marvel Comics. I am only borrowing them The title inspiration comes from Gloria Estefan’s remake album by the same name. NOTE: Written in response to a challenge story pairing up Rictor and Rahne, whose relationship has pretty much been ignored since way back in the X-Cutioner’s Song. NOTE: This doesn’t necessarily fit into any sort of continuity, it’s just a light romantic piece I came up with.
Rahne Sinclaire's decision to leave X-Factor and return to Muir Island to be with her foster-mother, Moria Mactagger, stemmed more from loyalty and love, than obligation. Still, after everything she'd been through in her young life, helping Moria cope with the Legacy Virus, had taken its toll on her. She'd earned a little rest and relaxation. She leaned back in the leather reclining chair. She closed her green eyes, and listened to her CD-Player. Rahne softly hummed the words, for a blissfully moment, oblivious to the real world.
Outside, Julio Ricther, X-Force's Rictor, leaned up against the cool metal walls in the hallway corridor, mentally rehearsing what he'd been meaning to tell to her for some time now. "Be honest with yourself, Ric. That's it, isn't it? You're just trying to make up for lost time. Should have told her I loved her when I had the chance. Now, maybe it's too late." He thought back to the last time they'd seen each other. "Yeah, and the circumstances of that last ‘reunion' had been more by accident than design," Rictor thought to himself. And no one could help the fact that being on separate teams created something of a wall between them. With all that running through his head, Rictor walked towards the door. He raised a clenched fist and knocked, as the automated signal chimed, indicating his presence. "Come in," Rahne called out, hearing the signal, and then pressed the stop button on her CD player. Julio walked into the room, the metal doors sliding shut behind with a soft whoosh. "Rahne?" "Madre de Dios. I hope she got my letter. I hope I didn't come all this way just to hear her say no." "Ric?" Rahne stammered, as she gasped in pleased shock. "What's he doing here? How am I supposed to react?" Rahne thought in confused panic. That was about all he managed to get out. Anything else he might have added was lost as Rahne was up and out of her chair, and Julio found himself on the receiving end of a full-blown kiss. The earphones slipped off her head and clattered to the floor unheeded. Rahne disentangled herself from his arms, and rocked back on her heels, staring up at him, her green eyes boring into his brown ones. He was used to girls thinking he was something pretty special. Even Tabitha, when he'd first met her, had flirted with him. But this was Rahne, this was different. He had to admit that for a brief moment of their embrace, she'd felt good in his arms. It had felt, right, somehow. "Och, Ric, Well, aren't ye a sight for sore eyes." Rahne said, deciding for all her shyness, for once she'd be the one to break the ice, after all this was Rictor. "You missed me? You didn't write, You didn't call ..." Julio teased, folding his arms across his chest in mock severity. "Ye have to ask?" Rahne teased back, flipping her rust-brown ponytail over one shoulder. "I guess not." Julio shrugged nonchalantly. "Ye're a long way from Arizona, Rictor," Rahne observed coyly, giving him a quick inspection that took in everything from the white sweatshirt and blue jeans. "Cable let ye off for good behavior?" "Well, I did drop you a line at X-Factor's place in D.C. Lorna told me that you'd taken a personal holiday to come visit Moria. I guess, you didn't get my letter." "Who put ye up to this? It was Kurt, wasn't it?" "Nobody put me up to this. I had this big speech prepared, but it's gone right out of my head. So, I'll just keep it simple," Julio replied. "Okay, what did ye have in mind?" Rahne replied, toying with a loose curl of hair, coiling it around one finger. "Rahne, would you like to go out with me?" Julio said, all in one breath. "A date?" Rahne asked rhetorically, in response to Julio's silent nod. "With you?" What am I doing? Moria would have me hide for this. Look at me. I'm blushing like a school-girl. If it's wrong, why does it feel so right?" Rahne thought. "Well, of course with me. Silly mujer," Julio laughed good-naturedly, tugging at his own ponytail. "Well, I'd have to think about it," Rahne answered, hesitating. "Oh, Aye, I thought ye'd never ask." Rahne found herself saying a few moments later. "Well, that's a relief," Julio cheerfully replied. "Otherwise, Moria would give me the third degree if you'd said no. Then again if you'd said yes, she'd still lecture me, and I'd never hear the end of it." "She still might. Who knows, you might even deserve it," Rahne said, now more relaxed as she pictured Moria giving Rictor a stern lecturing. "Very funny," Julio replied, picturing the same thing himself. Rahne laughed. "Where are we going. The mainland probably, there isn't a lot to do here on Muir ... Rahne trailed off, tapping her fingers on her desk, wondering where he planned to take her on their date. "I've got a better idea," Julio grinned. "Oh?" Rahne said, arching an eyebrow. "You're just full of surprises today aren't you?" "It's kinda of a surprise, but I'll tell you anyway," Julio said, bending down to whisper into her ear, "Lisbon." Rahne's eyes opened wide. "Lisbon? As in Portugal?" "Not unless you know of one somewhere else," Julio laughed. "When should I be ready?" Rahne asked. "In about two hours," Julio replied. "I'll see you then," giving her a hug before he left. "Okay," Rahne replied, hugging him back, watching him exit her quarters. Interlude "Did he ask her?" Kurt Wagner inquired of the room in general as the tell-tale smell of sulfur lingered in the air. It was the unavoidable result of his teleporting field. He emerged and landed on vanity table piled high with perfume bottles and a yard of lace that wound up wrapped around his feet. "Nightcrawler, I'd wish ye'd stop doing that. You're driving me crazy, Kurt! And to prevent ye from popping in here every five minutes, yes, he asked her," Moria replied, presently occupied in hemming Rahne's red beaded dress. Rahne ignored Kurt's question, concentrating on remaining motionless perched atop a stool. "Rahne, stop fidgeting or ye'll get pinched," Moria said, grabbing a fistful of satin fabric. "I'm not fidgeting, Moria, I'm breathing." Outside in the hallway, two other members of Excalbiur were having a heated argument, much of it, one-sided. "You're not me mum, so stop nagging me already! At this rate, we might as weel be the old ball and chain couple. If I wanted a keeper, I'd never have left London!" Pete Wisdom growled. "Pete, I'm not nagging you to stop smoking because I'm a health-nut, or because I'm trying to run your life," Kitty trailed off, running a little to keep up with Pete's long-legged stride. "So, why are you doing it?" Pete whined. "Because I care about you ... you asinine British-bum!" Kitty shrieked, exasperated. "And I thought you liked me," Pete gushed. "Oh, don't give me that. It's you I like. It's your smoking and drinking that I don't like. So there. May I remind you that your latest drunken fiasco involved a shower cap from Moria's room, and a wheelchair impersonation of Professor X?" Kitty continued. "Ah, my poor head. Don't remind me," Pete groaned. Kitty entered Moria's room with Pete all but treading on her heels. They stopped arguing about Pete's vices when they heard the tail-end of the conversation. Kitty pivoted on her heels and glared up at the tall, lean British man. "You'd breathe easier too, if you gave up that disgusting habit," she said, stabbing out the cigarette in his mouth. "Would you stop it!" Pete hissed at her. "You've been griping about this ever since day one when I joined this outfit. Give it a rest, already!" he yelled. "So, where are they going?" Pete asked, glaring at Kitty, then lit another cigarette to replace the one she'd taken away. He'd been pointedly ignoring her not too subtle hints she'd dropped in the last few months, to quit. "Fine. Whatever," Kitty agreed, shrugging. "Lisbon. And I don't see how it's any of yuir business, scamp." Rahne said, then yelped as the pins Moria was using accidentaly pinked her right shin. "Told you so, now hold still," Moria said. "I've arranged to allow Julio clearance to check out the Center's minijets," Moria added with a handful of cloth in her hands. "Pay up, Mr. Wagner. You owe me one Ben Franklin," Pete said, sticking his hand out, palm upwards. "Don't tell me you were betting on this," Moria exclaimed, as Kurt handed Pete a crisp ten dollar bill. "You're letting, Mister Bad-Hair Day, fly your minijet?" Kitty exclaimed. "After all Brian's been doing to upgrade it?" "Why not? Moria shrugged. "Cable lets him fly X-Force's PACRAT." "I just hope you're insured, Mein Fruend," Kurt laughed, teleporting out of the room. "Why is everyone in here? You're wasting time, find something else to do. Shoo! Shoo!" Moria griped, making dismissing motions with her hands. Lisbon, Portugal Evening's a magical time. Like walking with my eyes wide open in the middle of a fairy tale," Rahne thought wistfully. Lisbon was a beautiful city. Whoever the city planners had been, they'd given a lot of consideration into detail and ornamentation. Maybe she'd been sucked into the typical tourist mentality, getting all mushy over old-fashioned European charm. Her arm locked with Ric's as he played tour guide, sometimes referring to the glossy pamphlet they'd picked up at the airport. In the back of her mind, Rahne felt a little concern right after Julio asked her out, that they'd be going to as cosmopolitan a city as Lisbon. "What if I stick out like a sore thumb? Or pick up eye-tracks, ‘cause I'd have to to a partial phase-shift from my wolfen form?" Rahne had nervously thought the entire flight to the content, despite Ric's protests to the contrary that she looked absolutely stunning in her red dress.
Somewhere Rahne watched Julio rattle off something in Spanish to the propitier of street kiosk, and managed to make himself understood. Every square inch of the small kiosk was crammed with goods for sale. It carried everything from magazines, stamps, postcards, t-shirts, you know, typical tourist stuff, to more useful items, including maps. "Proof that men do ask for directions," Rahne laughed silently to herself.
Outside the Discoteque "I cannae dance." Rahne whispered. "Don't worry. It's easy." Julio nodded encouragingly. "Won't they card us, or something, for being underage?" "They're not too picky about that in Europe. Besides, all we came here for is dancing not alcohol." "As long as ye're not planning on wearing a white polyester jumpsuit," Rahne said wrinkling her nose as the various perfumes wafted to her nose. "You wouldn't catch me wearing one of those things. "Although, "Julio cocked his head to one side, as though thinking something through, "It might be fun to trick ‘Star into one, telling him it was a new style of battle-armor." "Ric!" Rahne, in mock severity, "Ye wouldn't!" Rahne laughed. "Why a disco?" Rahne slowly counted the amount of people ahead of them relative to their position, it looked like it might be a while before they got in. "They're like nightclubs back in the States are to Europeans. And for our first offical date, I thought I'd take you to one, " Julio answered, reaching into his pocket, to remove his ID from his wallet as they neared the discotheque entrance to show to the doorman. "Well, I'm honored." Rahne laughed, as they entered. Rahne's hyper keen senses became suddenly awash in sights, sounds, and smells. She felt Ric's hand on her elbow, firmly but gently preventing her from keeling over in front of all these people. A few seconds concentration allowed her to filter everything to a bearable level. "You okay?" Julio asked, concerned. "I'll be fine," Rahne smiled, as they approached the dance floor.
The lighting was purposely dim at the entrance, but it grew bright. The dance floor was laid out in black and white tiled squares, dangling from the ceiling were round globes reflecting multi-colored spotlights from floor to ceiling. Julio rose to his feet, gliding over to stand directly opposite Rahne. He adopted what he hoped was a gallant pose, and taking a deep breath. "Madam, would you care to dance?" "I'd ... I'd love to," Rahne answered. She rose to her feet, clasping her hands with his, as he smoothly but gently lifted her up, and glided out to the edge of the dance floor. "It's easy," Julio reassured her, he swept her up into his embrace until they formed a circle whose circumference of their arms was the sole focus. "Don't even worry about anyone else looking, or judging, this has always been about just the two of us." Just the let the music be the guide, Okay," Julio said. "Okay," Rahne nodded. Then the music started, amplified by the sound system, but for them it was as if it played only for them.
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life.
After "Ric," Rahne whispered. Julio bent down, lowering his head slightly so he was eye-level with Rahne. Then he lightly kissed her. In the instant their lips met, Rahne tasted salt and sweetness, it felt like catching snowflakes in winter. She wished, to whatever powers that be, that were listening, that this moment could last forever.
"Did ye ever wonder, if things might've worked out differently, Ric? That we ... Rahne trailed off. "You're still hung up on Havok?" Julio whispered bitterly. "It's not Havok. When we meet at Scott and Jean's wedding, after that ‘brief reunion" we had, I remember you saying something about that," Rahne started. "Rahne, I hope you know how much I care about you," Julio said. "Shush! Let me finish. That whole business was a lie, forced on me by those horrible people on Genosha. Ye know I was cured, but that doesn't matter now," Rahne replied. "Then what is it?" Julio asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer. "How could I smile at someone else, when ye've filled up all the empty places inside me?" Rahne smiled. "Ach, I do love ye ..." "I love you, Rahne Sinclair," Julio simply said, and kissed her again, holding her in a tight embrace, as they stood locked together for a long time.
* words and lyrics by Abba (circa 1970)
Song Lyrics
Hold Me, thrill me. Never let me go until you've told me, told me.
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