▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 that a girl matching Jazmine's description appeared at a station in Alexandria, Aphrodite couldn't be more happy. Clarice and Lauren went to tell Cristina who was sitting on the steps not too far from the apartment door. Aphrodite was the only one in the apartment. John had went to talk to Marcos and although she was sure he would've been back by now, she chose not to question it. Laying in her bed, Zingo had her head on her lap, looking at her with sleepy blue eyes. She glanced up when she heard the door open.

     "Which one is it?" Aphrodite called.

     Cristina popped her head inside the door of Aphrodite's room. "Just me. Where's John?"

     "Well, as far as I know, he's just talking to Marcos." Aphrodite shrugged. She offered her a small smile. "Get some rest."

     "Goodnight."

     "Goodnight." She watched as Cristina closed the bedroom door before walking down to Artemis's room. Aphrodite continued to sit there, letting her fingers run through Zingo's fur. The dog had fallen asleep, soft snores falling from her mouth. Aphrodite smiled. "John's going to be mad that I let you sleep in the bed. I should go to sleep before he yells at me, huh." She pressed a kiss to the top of Zingo's head before making herself comfortable and laying down. Just as she was about to sleep, the door to the apartment opened and closed before the door to the bedroom opened.

     "Seriously, Aph." John mumbled, noticing Zingo lying next to her. He sighed, taking off his shoes before climbing in next to her and wrapping and arm around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her head before closing his eyes and allowing himself to fall asleep.

The next morning, he was the first to wake up. He noticed Zingo had made herself comfortable in her dog bed that was placed in the corner of the room. He placed an arm behind his head, staring up at the ceiling with his mind running on high. He glanced towards Aphrodite when she started moving, telling him she was beginning to wake up. She turned to face him, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. She reached for him and he grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb across it.

     "How long have you been awake?" Aphrodite whispered, sleep filling her voice.

     "I'm just thinking." John assured her, shaking his head. He pressed a kiss to her hand. "Go back to sleep."

     Aphrodite looked at him. "What did you and Marcos talk about?"

      John softly sighed. "I'm going to go see Evangeline."

     This woke Aphrodite up. "What?"

     "It's the only way I knew how to give him hope. He thinks the Inner Circle is up to something."

     "I'd be concerned if they weren't up to something." Aphrodite said. "You think she'll help track them down? Figure out what's going on?" John nodded. "What aren't you telling me, John?"

     John propped his head up with hand, keeping hold of Aphrodite's hand with his free one. "She and I have a complicated relationship, I guess." Aphrodite furrowed her brows and John immediately shook his head. "No, it's not like that."

     "Then tell me."

     "When I was discharged from the Marines, I was really lost, and I was taking a lot of pills to deal with the pain, so. . ." He laid his head down and Aphrodite could fill in the rest. Evangeline had helped sober him up, and it hadn't been east. "That was the worst time in my life. But she got me through it."

     "Well, if she can get you through it once, she can get you through it again, right?"

     "If she even talks to me after Atlanta."

     Aphrodite looked at him, pushing the hair away that had fallen in his face. "John, that wasn't your fault."

     "She probably won't see it that way." John softly said.

     "Let me go with you."

     "Aph, you don't have to."

     "I know, but I want to. Plus, I know Evangeline. You forget she recruited me too." She sat up, pulling the covers off of her. She got dressed, packed herself a to-go bag, fixed them a quick breakfast before explaining to Cristina where they were going and that she should go stay with Clarice. She made it to the car and saw Marcos and Caitlin waiting. Aphrodite climbed in the back with Caitlin while John got up front in the driver's seat.

     "Dove, you're coming?" Marcos asked, surprised.

     "Don't sound so surprised, sunbeam." She scoffed and she couldn't help the small smile that pulled on her lips when she noticed Marcos trying to hide his amusement at the nickname. If she could keep him distracted from everything, then she would. It wasn't a terribly long drive to Philadelphia, but it did take forever to get to the floor Evangeline resided on in the very large building.

     The group of four walked in and when Evangeline saw them, a sigh fell from her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes landing on John. "Did you take too many shots to the head in that bar in Tucson? If Sentinel Services ever made a connection between my form and the Mutant Underground―︎" 

     John cut her off. "Trust me, we wouldn't have come here if it wasn't important."

     "You shouldn't have come at all. I can't have fugitives here. Especially not fugitives who are supposed to be dead."

     Marcos was quick to speak up. "Lady, we are out there fighting every day, losing people while you hide in here like the freakin' Lizard of Oz!"

     "Please, help us." Caitlin begged. "Anything you can do."

     Evangeline held out her hands. "I'm a mutant rights lawyer. Unless you want to file an injunction―︎"

     John cut her off again. "Look, some of your past cases involve tracing bank records, right? We had a bad run-in with a mutant group. It's some offshoot of the Hellfire Club. We were able to get some information on them, but we can't make heads or tails of it." He showed her the flash drive.

     "They're called the inner circle." Caitlin said, stepping forwards. "They took my son." 

     A look of recognition crossed Evangeline's face. "Wait. Did you say the inner circle?" John nodded and Evangeline reached forwards, taking the flash drive. "Where did you get this?"

     "A friend acquired it for us." Marcos answered.

     "And he's still alive?" Evangeline asked, surprised. Immediately she got to work, making phone calls and look at the information was giving. When someone called her back she quickly answered, listening to what they said before thanking them and hanging up. She looked at the group. "My associate managed to trace some of the Inner Circle's transactions. There are weapons purchases, facilities, assets diversified and hidden in every way imaginable. She's preparing for war."

     "That's great." Aphrodite nodded, turning on her heel to walk away from the desk, closing her eyes as her mind immediately went to he daughter.

     "She who?" Caitlyn asked. "One of the Frost sisters?"

     Evangeline shook her head. "Not them. Not alone, anyway." This made Aphrodite turn back around to look at her. "Any of you ever heard the name Reeva Page?"

     They all exchanged looks before Marcos answered, "No, never."

     "She's one of the most powerful mutants still standing after 7/15."

     Caitlin pointed at Aphrodite. "More powerful than her?"

      "I don't think anyone is more powerful then Kaos." Evangeline shook her head. Aphrodite was surprised to hear her code name for the first time in years. "There were rumors she'd taken over the Inner Circle. Seems they're true."

     "So help us stop her." John said, taking a step towards her.

     "Stop her?" Evangeline scoffed, looking at him like he was insane. "With their resources. Not to mention, she know has Polaris and a descendant of the Von Struckers. We don't have that kind of power."

     "You just said it yourself, Aph is more powerful." Marcos argued.

     "She won't be enough."

     "There are other powerful mutants that are with the Underground in New York, Chicago, L.A." John argued.

     "So, I should bring them here so you can lead them into battle?" Evangeline asked. "Since your failure in Atlanta, half the Underground's been taken apart. Sentinel Services has cracked down on mutants and anybody who helps them. You think I'm gonna let you destroy the rest of what we built."

     "You have about two seconds to correct your tone," Aphrodite warned. "I'll bring out the dragon and expose you to the whole world, don't test me."

     Evangeline looked at her for a moment, watching as her eyes flashed purple for a fraction of a second. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I . . . I told you what you wanted to know. Now get out of my office." Caitlin, John, and Marcos headed towards the door, but Aphrodite didn't move.

     "Dove?" Marcos asked.

     "I'll meet you at the car." Aphrodite said, not looking at the three.

     "Dove," Marcos tried again.

      "Marcos." Aphrodite warned. With that, the three walked out, closing the door behind him. Aphrodite walked up to Evangeline's desk. "What happened to you?"

     "I'm not getting into this with you." Evangeline shook her head.

     "What happened in Atlanta was not John's fault. Stop blaming him. You wanna choose someone to blame? Choose me. Leave him out of it." Aphrodite crossed her arms. "When they find you, Evangeline, and they will find you, don't come crawling to us expecting out help. Because I promise, it won't be given."

     "How's your daughter?"

     Aphrodite let out a humorless laugh. "Don't bring my daughter into this. My daughter is forced to live in a war where people hate her because of what she can do and you're doing nothing to help stop it. You don't have a right to ask about her if you're not going to help her." Aphrodite turned on her heel and walked out of the room only to stop when she saw John making his way towards her.

     John came to a stop in front of her and Aphrodite just nodded her head. "I'll be right here." She told him, placing herself against the wall outside of Evangeline's office. John nodded before entering the room, quickly closing the door behind him. She stood there, hearing their muffled voices before the door opened and John walked out.

     Grabbing Aphrodite's hand, they made their way towards the car. "She gave me something. A guy named Erg, he lives underground and has eyes and ears everywhere. He might help us."

     Aphrodite smiled. "Good."

     "What'd you say to her?" John asked, holding open the door for her as they made it outside.

     Aphrodite shrugged. "Nothing much."

     "You threaten her?"

     Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Why do you think so little of me? Besides, I threatened her once when everyone was already in the room, it would be a little over the top to do it twice within an hour. I'm not a violent person, John."

     John nodded. "No, no, of course not." They got into the car with Caitlin and Marcos.

     "What did you guys say to her?" Caitlin asked.

     "Well, she gave me some possibly helpful information, and Aph threatened her." John answered.

     Aphrodite's mouth dropped. "I did not threaten her!" Marcos and Caitlin just looked at her and Aphrodite shrugged. "Okay, I might have told her that Sentinel Services would come and find her and that we wouldn't help her when she needed it, but I didn't threaten her."

     "That sounds like a threat to me." Marcos laughed.

     "It was just a simple conversation that held a lot of harsh communication. Besides, if I hadn't given her a little tough love, she probably wouldn't have given John the information."

     "'A little tough love' she says." Marcos scoffed, shaking his head although there was an amused smile on his lips. "Dove, I've come up with a solution to all of our problems." Aphrodite hummed in response. "Why can't you just use your powers and destroy half of the world and allow us to live in peace?"   

     Aphrodite let out a laugh at that, wrapping her arms around him from her spot in the backseat. "Oh, if only I could sunbeam. If I didn't have a kid to think of, I totally would." Marcos smiled at that and just shook his head. Aphrodite had a smile on her face as she removed her arms and sat back in her seat.

     When she arrived at home, the first thing she did was fill Zingo's dog bowl. The dog lolled her tongue out in anticipation and Aphrodite laughed. "Mommy, I'm home!" Artemis called in a sing-song voice, opening the door of her bedroom to make an appearance. "Lauren's still at the clinic. Probably about to head over to Clarice's. But hey, Lauren and Clarice reunited the sisters. So, at least something good came out of today." She wrapped her arms around her mom, and Aphrodite hugged her daughter back with a smile.

     "Well, I'm glad you had a good day sweetheart." Aphrodite pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

     "Goodnight, mom. I love you."

     "Goodnight, I love you too." Aphrodite watched her leave and let out a soft sigh. She made her way to the bathroom, running some water over her face and closing her eyes and she placed both hands on the sides of the sink. She felt arms wrap around her waist and she looked up in the mirror to see John standing there, his chin placed on her shoulder. She leaned back into him, one of her hands covering his.

     "You okay?" He softly asked.

     Aphrodite closed her eyes and forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just tired."

     "Come on." He nodded towards the bedroom. "Let's get some sleep."

     Aphrodite turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you, you know."

     John smiled and nodded his head. "I know. I love you too." He pressed a kiss to her lips and Aphrodite smiled at him, giving him another kiss, and then another, before pulling away. John pressed a kiss to her head before grabbing her hand and leading her into their room. Aphrodite fell asleep right away, so when John crawled out of bed she didn't notice. She wouldn't notice him opening the door, leaving the apartment, going outside and punching a slab of metal to let his anger. She wouldn't notice because when she woke up the next morning he was right at her side, almost like he'd never left.