Tolerance: Part Three

by Denise Keppel

In a fairy tale, Rahne would have taken Sam's words to heart and remembered the strength of the friendship that she shared with Dani and everything would return to status quo. Real life is vastly more complex. Rahne started to talk to her friend again true, but the strength of the bond they shared was gone, replaced by a more complacent mutual co-existence.

That wasn't to say that the younger girl didn't miss the relationship she once shared with her best friend, or that she didn't want to tell her about Doug or the new story she wrote or any of a million things. She just didn't know how to relate to Dani now that she knew that Dani was bisexual. And Dani started to keep her secrets too, things about how she felt Amara losing interest and the strain that had started to exist between her and her parents as the weight of being in the closet began to wear on her. Those were things she didn't feel comfortable sharing with someone who couldn't accept her totally for who she was.

And things might have continued that way for months, had they not been invited to attend a dance at the Massachusetts's Academy, where Amara found somebody more to her liking, someone who had the power, prestige and presumably money that she so desperately desired. And once the Nova Roman met Manuel de la Rocha, she started an all out play for the man, forgetting both Berto and Dani.

***

"So that's it?" Dani asked as Amara closed the last of her trunks. "You're just leaving?"

Looking around the soon to be empty room, she nodded. "Yes... Miss Frost's offer was most generous. A free quality education that will allow me to meet some of the world's most wealthy men." What Amara wanted most was the ability to insure that she would never be returned to her father's control, and Manuel was a start on that path. All she had to do was find the right old geezer and marry him, wait for him to die (or help the process along), and she would be independently wealthy for the rest of her live.

"And for that you'd leave us?" Dani spat out, stunned. "You know what the Hellions are. You know who we are. And you choose them?"

Amara simply smiled as she moved a strand of hair out of her way. "I know what I am... and I am more at home with the Hellions- and the Hellfire Club- than I will ever be here." She had been nursed on absolute power, and she missed it now. "I think you have a problem with me leaving."

Dani rolled her eyes, refusing to admit it. "We agreed it was casual, Amara. Nothing more, nothing less."

The way she threw that off stunned the Nova Roman. If the other woman thought so little of her that she wouldn't admit that it bothered her that she was leaving, than she had done something wrong. With a wicked smile, she angled herself so that she was standing in front of the Cheyenne, and kissed her wildly. "Tell me that you won't miss me," she taunted as she circled her arms around the other woman. "Tell me that you won't think of me the next time you slip off to lie with Berto."

Dani smiled, enjoying the contact, even as she weighed her next words. "I will be thinking of you..." she promised, before adding sharply, "He cares about the person he's with." She wasn't about to let the other woman know that she was going to miss her.

Stunned, Amara stepped back. "And I don't?"

"I say you are so wrapped up in being in control, you could care less who you are with," Dani said as she slammed the top to a suitcase. "And it's supremely ironic that you're leaving here to be with the one person in the world that can think more about himself than you think about yourself." The earth started to shake as she realized she'd made her point.

It had always been casual between the two. Nothing more or less than two people trying to remind each other that they matter, that if they were to die tomorrow that someone would miss them. And, while, yes it hurt Dani to be losing her lover, it wasn't as if she loved the other woman.

"And when you are with the little furry one, will you be thinking of me still?" Amara snapped as she started to juggle her suitcases. The silence that came from Dani confirmed she had hit a nerve. Comforted that she got the last word in, she made her way downstairs.

**

Rahne looked up from her homework, and across their bedroom. "A'm.. A'm sorry," she whispered.

Dani smiled as she looked up from her calculus, knowing that Rahne was trying to make an effort. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Rahne looked back at her book, and then up again. "Does it... does it feel the same?" she asked timidly, not really sure what she was trying to ask. Did Dani feel the same way about Amara that Rahne did about Doug? Did it hurt her friend the same way it hurt her when someone she cared about rejected her?

Dani shrugged, not sure how to answer Rahne's unspoken questions. "I don't feel things as deeply as you do," she pointed out neutrally.

"How..." the younger woman started and stopped. Swallowing, knowing it was now or never, she pushed the words past her hesitation and fear. "How do ye like men and women?" It would have been almost easier for Rahne to accept that Dani only liked women. To Rahne, being bisexual was almost not being about to make up a person's mind, or that they got the best of both worlds. If being gay seemed wrong to her, then being bisexual was doubly so.

That question stunned the older woman, and she struggled for the words to try to make her friend understand her sexuality. "It's hard to explain... it's natural to me, the same way liking men is natural to you."

Shaking her head, Rahne whispered, "It doesn't seem that way.... not tae me at least." Try as she might, she couldn't see how Dani was like she was.

"It's who I am." Again, Dani paused, trying to read her friend's intentions. Was Rahne trying to extend an olive branch, or was she trying to find a new way to reject her? "I wish I could make this easier on you, you know... erase that day from your mind, or find the right words to explain it. Being bisexual is who I am. It's as simple as that."

"Not tae me," Rahne said as she bit her lip. "It's against what A believe..." She shook her head, trying to drown out her foster father's preaching.

"I'm not a Christian," Dani pointed out. "I don't want to be... why are you applying your beliefs to my life?"

"Because A think A'm right, and that if ye never accept Christ, ye'll burn in hell." Rahne said with a knot in her throat. "But A'm also supposed to love ye... and that Christ loves ye..." she shook her head again. "A.. A jist donnea know what tae believe anymore, about ye's... lifestyle choices." She buried herself in the book again.

Dani waited a moment, waiting for her friend to say something else. When she didn't, she went back to her math.

**

Rahne smiled as Sam escorted her onto the dance floor. "It's a shame that Dougie had to sprain his ankle today." Illyana had convinced the high school's principal to allow the New Mutants to attend the senior high prom, much to her classmates' shock. The girls had deemed the last minute invitation a code-red emergency, worthy of no less than five shopping trips into New York City, searching for the right gowns, shoes and accessories. The guys had made a last minute stop to the local tux store, where Doug had tripped over the pant's leg he was supposed to have altered.

Sam nodded, "And high school dances aren't exactly Lila' thing... so I wasn't too heartbroken when she couldn't make it." He smiled at the younger woman, beautifully dressed in a cream and gold princess styled gown. "I'm just glad you agreed to be my date tonight..."

Rahne smiled back at him, "Aye, but A have tae share ye with Kitty now." Unable to resist, she touched the white rose corsage that the two women had chipped in together to buy.

"Kitty doesn't seem to be having any trouble gettin' dances," Sam pointed out as he carefully watched his younger teammate talking to a basketball player. Between her artfully chosen royal blue gown that showed off her dancer's legs, and her ability to dance, she had her choice of men, for a change. "And Illyana and Berto seem to be having fun."

"Is Dani dancin'?" Rahne asked, concerned for her friend. She didn't know if it was concern that the woman would be dancing with another women, or if she really didn't want her friend to be standing alone in the shadows, like she would have been if Sam wasn't being a gentlemen.

Sam looked over to see the woman talking to another woman in the corner. "She's making friends."

"Guid." Rahne smiled up at him, while hoping that Dani wasn't making any moves on another woman. "A do wish Dougie could have made it though."

Sam felt something somewhat akin to jealousy flicker through his stomach when Rahne said that, not a feeling that a man should have towards someone he cared for like a sister. "Ah never saw you two gettin' together," he admitted.

Rahne shrugged. "And tae be fair," she pointed out, surprised at the way she was feeling, "A never pictured you with a rock star."

Sam shrugged. "Lila's fine.... And it's nice to hear her music playing in the background," he said as he tried to change the subject from their love lives, "Back home, all we ever heard was country music."

"Ye like country," Rahne pointed out.

"True... but it's nice to have a little variety in life." Which was as much a statement about his relationship with Lila as it was about the music playing at the prom. Waiting a second, he asked, "Have ya and Dani ever found a way to agree about whatever was bothering the two of ya?"

She shrugged, "A think we've found as much to compromise on as we can...." She fought back a sigh as she said that.

"Life is like that sometimes," he agreed. Spying Kitty looking like she wanted to get away from the guy she was talking to, he asked, "Do ya mind if Ah go and dance with Kitty?"

"Sure..." Rahne said. After she watched him walk off, she debated going over to Dani. Instead, she stopped to get a glass of punch out of the massive punch bowl. Her sensitive hearing picked up a conversation between two townies, talking about her and her friends.

Guy number one had said something to the effect of how do you like those Xavierites coming here.

Guy number two, had started to describe each of the women, giving quite a rundown on Illyana's assets, moving on to Kitty's smooth look. Rahne was waiting to hear what they said about her when he said, "Did you notice the bead that Marcy got on her gaydar the second that Indian walked in? She went straight over to her." Rahne looked over again, and was surprised to see that Dani was actually flirting with the woman she was talking to. "It's disgusting."

"Tell me about it," the other man laughed. "I can't believe we still have to go to school with one of those.... and she gets to shower with the women too."

"If she can, why can't we?" The two laughed. "I can't believe she still wants to go to school here, personally."

"Especially after the stuff we've pulled on her." The two boys exchanged a look and started to move over towards Dani and Marcy.

Rahne didn't know what got into her as she raced to catch up with the two. "Ye'll do nothing tae ruin the prom," she hissed as she grabbed the arm of the first man.

He started to push her off, but was stunned by the amount of force the young woman was applying. "Let go of me," he demanded. Rahne held on for a second, proving who was physically stronger before doing what he had requested. "So are you like Skittles or something?"

Rahne gave him a blank look while the other boy chipped in, "The lipstick lesbian."

"No." Rahne said firmly, "A'm jist her friend. And she deserves a good prom jist as much as A do."

"And how good a friend are you?" the first boy demanded as the second started to close in on her personal space.

Rahne felt her throat start to close as she stared the two teenagers in the eyes. "Her best friend."

"Deviants like her don't deserve friends," one of the men hissed as he grabbed her arm.

Rahne quickly snatched her arm away from him and turned it around so that she had his arm behind his back. "Be careful who you call a deviant," she warned as she felt the adrenaline start to pump through her body.

"Rahne?" Berto asked as he laid an arm on her back, "Are these men giving you any trouble?" Personally, he had been stunned to see the normally gentle and soft-spoken woman seemingly pick a fight with two men older and taller than her when Illyana had nudged him on the dance floor.

Rahne looked at the position she was in and blinked. "No, not any more..." she whispered as she trailed off. "They were going to give Dani a hard time," she added.

Berto said nothing as he looked at the younger woman. Somehow, in the confrontation, something in her had changed. "I doubt they will now," he said as he watched the two start to back off. "Are you okay?" he asked as soon as the two men were safely out of range.

"Aye..." Rahne said softly. "A... A jist need tae talk to Dani for a second."

Berto watched as she strolled firmly off in the direction that Dani was standing. "Just when I thought I couldn't be surprised any more..."

"What was that?" Illyana said as she made her way over. "Rahne finally accepting Dani?"

"How long have you known?" Berto asked as he turned around, surprised by the way she was able to read the entire situation.

"Long enough," Illyana shrugged. "Several of us had a bet going on when Rahne would realize the truth about Dani."

Berto blinked, "Several?"

"Storm, Kitty, and myself..." Illyana said as she looped her arm through his. "What, you thought you were the only one that knew?"

"Umm... yes," Berto answered honestly. "How did you know?"

Instead of answering, she pulled him back onto the dance floor.

**

"Marcy?" Rahne said as she gently tapped the other woman on the shoulder, "Do ye mind if A say something to Dani for a second? Ye can have her back when A'm done."

Marcy looked at the two women and then nodded. "Sure... I was wanting a slice of cake anyway. You want any?" she asked the other woman.

"Yes..." Dani said as she looked at the expression on Rahne's face.

Once she was sure that the other woman was out of earshot, Rahne sighed. "A'm sorry for sending her away," she offered. "A know how much A hate it when ye'd send Sam or Berto or Dougie away so we could talk."

"It's..." Dani said as she looked at her friend. "You put her in the same category as a guy you're interested in?" she asked incredulously.

Rahne nodded. "A donnea agree with it, but she's the same thing to ye that a laddie is to me..."

Dani nodded and found herself at a loss for words. Rahne wasn't giving her her support or okay. Instead, she was trying to say that it was alright with her if she was who she was. And she didn't know if she should say thank you for that or if she should try to convince her that it was okay that she liked both sexes. "I know that this is hard for you," she offered finally.

"Aye... it's against what A believe in... and what A feel deep down inside. A can't understand liking a woman like A like a man... but ye do... and ye don't need muh permission for that.... and A donnea know how much A support it, but ye are still muh friend, and A support ye." Rahne pushed out in one gigantic breath. "And A jist thought ye needed tae hear that... and A needed tae say it."

Dani smiled. "I think I did." It was a lot more than she thought she could have hoped for, and had taken a lot of effort on Rahne's part. "Thank you," she offered.

Rahne nodded. "Marcy's making her way over," she said. "I'll think I'll go..."

"You don't have to," Dani said gently.

"I know... but I jist want to check up on Dougie," Rahne explained. "Jist tae see how he is and to tell him... A miss him, ye know?" she added.

Dani nodded. She did know what the other woman was talking about. "Thank you," she said again.

And as Rahne made her way to the telephone in the corner, it occurred to Dani that there still was a distance in their relationship, but it didn't seem as wide. With time, the two of them could come to fully accept the fact that they were different. She was bi, and didn't want to change. Rahne was straight, and no matter how much she wanted that to change, it wouldn't. Immediately, she pushed that thought to the back of her mind, like she did every time she thought something like that, and instead smiled as Marcy made her way back to her.

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