Domino leaned against the counter, her expression shifting from maternal softness to serious. "So. Any ideas what's up with Luv's memories? Because the way he talks, the vocabulary he uses, it doesn't match someone with a completely blank slate."
Jay mirrored her posture, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "We know Sinister imprints knowledge in his clones for total control and immediate functionality. Basic to advanced information is pre-loaded, so they can operate independently from activation. Absolute commands to follow sinister, Combat training, language skills, tactical awareness, the works."
He paused, watching Luv laugh at the TV, the boy's whole body shaking with giggles, completely oblivious to their conversation.
"But it appears," Jay continued, his voice dropping lower, "when Luv was stuck in the spiritual plane, and you saved him, the resurrection process somehow reset everything in his soul. Wiped the slate clean except for the basic functionality. Language, logic, motor skills, instinctive understanding of how the world works. But his personal memories, his sense of identity, any programmed loyalty to the Cabal..." Jay shook his head. "Gone. And he imprinted on you as his mother because you were the one who pulled him out of that darkness."
Domino's eyes fixed on Jay's face, searching. "But we can never be too sure, can we? I mean, what if something's still buried in there? What if Sinister had deeper programming we can't detect?"
"Exactly." Jay's jaw tightened. "I don't want to assume the best and then have it blow up in our faces. This is a kid's life we're talking about. Our kid's life."
Domino thought deeply, her analytical mind working through possibilities. After a long moment, she spoke. "If it's about checking Luv's mental wellbeing, it'd be best to have Jean herself examine him. She's the most powerful telepath we know personally, and she'd be thorough without being invasive. Plus, Sue should be there too. They both deserve to know what happened to their sons' genetic material."
She straightened, decision made. "So I'll arrange a meeting with Susan and Jean together. We'll explain everything, let them process, and then have Jean do a full mental scan. Make sure there's no ticking time bombs in his psyche."
Jay nodded slowly, relief evident in his expression. "That's good. That's really good."
"Meanwhile," Domino continued, her hand reaching out to rest on Jay's chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm, "why don't you take Luv to meet with Master Ancient One? You haven't seen her since that long-ass apocalyptic day that was yesterday. Get her to check up on Luv in any way she can. Mystical scans or whatever tools she has that we don't."
Jay immediately nodded, recognizing the logic. "Yeah, that's the best plan. Cover all our bases. Telepathic scan from Jean, mystical examination from Master, and our own observations. If something's wrong, we'll catch it."
But before Domino could continue to call others, Jay took Domino's hand, his other arm sliding around her waist, pulling her close. Their bodies pressed together naturally, fitting like puzzle pieces that had long since memorized their counterparts.
He looked into her eyes, black meeting scarlet, and his voice came out thick with emotion. "Before we face the world, before we deal with explanations and scans and everything else... I just want to say something."
Domino's breath hitched while her hands moved to grip his shirt, anchoring herself to him.
"I can't express how much I love you, Dom." The words came raw, carrying weight that made her chest tight. "I never thought I could be this happy. Never imagined having a family like this was even possible for someone like me. Someone who doesn't belong."
His hand came up to cup her face, thumb tracing her cheekbone. "But you made it possible. You trusted me enough to build this life together. You gave me this family and so much Joy I never thought was possible."
Domino's eyes glistened with moisture threatening to spill over. Her hands moved to grip Jay's shirt, anchoring herself to him.
"You dummy," she whispered, voice shaking.
Then she kissed him deeply, pouring everything into it. Lips moved against lips with desperate intensity, sharing breath and heat and the taste of morning coffee. Her hands slid up to tangle in his hair while his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.
They broke apart just enough to breathe, foreheads pressed together, panting.
"I love you too," Domino said fiercely.
Jay smiled, that ridiculous lopsided grin that made her heart skip, and leaned in to kiss her again.
"Ewww!"
They both froze.
Luv stood beside them, having somehow crossed the room without either of them noticing, completely bypassing their enhanced senses. He'd brought his blanket with him, trailing it behind him like a cape. His small face was scrunched up in exaggerated disgust, nose wrinkled, eyes squeezed half-shut, tongue sticking out in the universal expression of childhood revulsion.
"That's so gross! Yuck, yuck, YUCK!" He hopped from foot to foot, in agitated little jumps, hands flapping at his sides. "Why are you pressing your mouths touching? That's where food goes! Eww!"
Jay and Domino startled apart, both looking down at Luv with expressions of pure shock that would have been comical if they weren't so genuinely surprised.
Then they burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the cave walls and mixing with the distant rumble of the waterfall.
Jay recovered first, scooping Luv up into his arms despite the boy's squirming protests. "Settle down, buddy. There's nothing gross about showing affection. This is what people do when they love each other very much."
He planted a kiss on Luv's cheek with deliberate exaggeration, making loud smacking sounds.
"Ack!" Luv's hands flew to his face, wiping frantically at the spot. "It's wet! My cheek is wet! Dad, gross!"
Domino leaned in from the other side with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh yeah? Well, you're getting double attacked now!"
She kissed his other cheek with exaggerated sound effects.
"Nooo!" Luv squirmed harder, but his protests were weakening as laughter started breaking through. "Stop! I'm gonna be all sticky!"
What followed was a full-on kissing assault with both parents taking turns planting kisses on Luv's face while the boy squirmed and giggled and made token protests that fooled no one. His small hands pushed at their faces, but without any real force, his laughter filling the cave with a sound that neither Jay nor Domino had realized they'd been waiting their whole lives to hear.
"I give up!" Luv's voice came out between giggles that made his whole body shake. "You win! Just please, no more kisses!"
They relented finally, and Jay set Luv down carefully, making sure his small feet found solid ground.
The boy immediately wiped at his face with both hands, dramatic in his disgust, but he was smiling so wide it looked like his face might split.
Luv looked up at Jay with that expression of wonder children wore when seeing something fascinating. His small hands reached up, grabbing at Jay's hair and tugging gently, experimenting with the texture, testing how far it would stretch before springing back, making it stick up in weird directions that made him giggle.
Jay let him play, watching with soft eyes as Luv experimented with different hairstyles, and his hands automatically supported the boy's weight to make the exploration easier.
After a moment of comfortable silence broken only by Luv's occasional giggles, Jay spoke gently. "Hey, buddy? Daddy's going to take you somewhere special to meet someone very important. Would you like to come with me?"
Luv's hands stilled in Jay's hair, small fingers tangling in the strands while he looked over at Domino with uncertainty. "Will Mom come too?"
When Jay shook his head, Luv's lower lip jutted out. "But I don't wanna leave Mom."
Domino smiled at him lovingly, nodding in agreement. "It's okay, sweetie. You'll like her. And you'll be safe with Dad. When you come back, you can tell me all about what you saw, okay"
That was all the permission Luv needed. "Yes! Let's go, let's go!" He bounced in Jay's arms with excitement. "Where are we going? Who are we meeting? Is it fun like Tom and Jerry?"
Jay laughed, adjusting his hold to make sure Luv was secure. "Something like that."
He turned to Domino, leaning in for one more kiss. This one was softer.
Domino kissed him back, then shifted to kiss Luv's forehead with tenderness that still felt new and overwhelming. "You behave yourself, okay? And listen to what Dad tells you."
"I will!" Luv promised enthusiastically despite not knowing what 'behave' meant.
Blue light began building around Jay and Luv.
"Love you," Jay said while his eyes held Domino's.
"Love you both," Domino replied, her hand reaching out to touch Luv's cheek one more time before the light consumed them.
The blue flash consumed them both, leaving afterimages burned into Domino's vision, and then they were gone.
Domino stood alone in the cave, the silence suddenly oppressive after the chaos of the morning. She looked at the TV where Tom and Jerry still played, at the bathroom still damp from Luv's bath with wet footprints marking the floor, at the kitchen where they'd planned their next steps while pretending they had any idea what they were doing as parents.
Her family, small and imperfect and hers in a way nothing else had ever been.
With a smile that carried both joy and determination mixed with a healthy dose of terror at what came next, Domino pulled out her phone and started typing a message to Jean and Sue.
Time to face the music.
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