Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 25

Chapter 1: Jessie

Kitty Pryde stepped behind the benches overlooking the small field at the back of the Xavier mansion, she put her hand to her brow to shade her eyes from the May sun.

A small child, the age of six, was sitting on the edge of the bench, her scrawny legs dangling, toes skimming the lush grass beneath her feet. Her long blonde hair, tousled, hanging down her back.

"Hey," Kitty said cheerfully, and held her breath in slight anticipation as the girl turned towards her almost in surprise.

Kitty examined the girls face. Jessie Crowell's wide eyes were blue, a slight hint of grey left Kitty reminded of the colour of an evening sky as a storm was brewing. Jessie's small pink mouth was heartshaped, her cheeks were flushed cerise ever so slightly that it seemed almost as if her face were glowing. Her nose was almost button like, with a very slight pinch.

"Hi…" Jessie said uncertainly, she seemed unsure as if she should speak to Kitty, as if perhaps Kitty were a stranger intent on offering her candy and then insisting she get into a car.

Kitty shook the thought off that her presence might seem ever so suspicious to the child, "I'm Kitty," Kitty said, she stepped over to the front of the bench, "I teach here," she added.

Jessie's apprehension did not leave her wide eyes, "I'm Jessie."

"The professor told me all about you," Kitty admitted, and smiled brightly.

The small child blinked, "he did?"

"Yes," Kitty smiled, "he said you were really clever," she added, "may I sit with you?" she asked politely.

Jessie moved over on the bench, she pushed her brown skirt down her legs as a soft breeze threatened to blow it up. "Clever isn't very good."

"Of course it is," Kitty took a seat, "why would you think it isn't?"

"People make fun of you when you're clever," Jessie said in a very grown up tone that made Kitty want to squeal with delight and surprise.

"I know," Kitty gained a sympathetic expression, "I was smart when I was your age – and I got picked on ALL the time," she admitted, "but…y'know, that's not going to happen here," she explained, "because here, everyone is smart."

"Really?" Jessie's eyes widened even more.

Kitty nodded eagerly, "so…you just got here today, how do you like the mansion?"

"It's…big," Jessie admitted, "I…I think I might get lost."

"You'll get used to it," Kitty promised. "Where are you from, Jessie?"

"Chicago," Jessie answered.

Kitty had known this of course, but simple questions seemed to be the best way to acquaint herself with the child, and gain her trust by not asking any big questions straight away. "Jessie is such a cool name," Kitty admitted, "is it short for Jessica?"

Jessie shook her head gravely, "it's short for Jasmine."

"Wouldn't that be Jassie?" Kitty raised an eyebrow with a comical grin.

"I don't know," Jessie shrugged, "I've just always been called Jessie."

"Jessie it is, then," Kitty said, she was about to cross one leg over the other and sit primly, but decided she didn't want to set herself far apart from the child by appearing very mature and proper, she turned around on the bench, sitting sideways, folding her legs under herself. "You're a mutant?" she asked.

"I guess," Jessie shrugged. "I mean, everyone at the orphanage said I'm not normal."

Kitty felt strangely as if the girl were several years older than six. She spoke very directly, but seemed to understand what she was saying more than she'd expect a six year old would. "Well…they're right. You're not normal," Kitty said, and before Jessie could almost seem horrified an adult would tell her this, she added, very sincerely, "You're special."

"Are you a mutant too?"

"Sure am," Kitty grinned, "we all are. There's no one in this mansion who isn't. You'll fit right in."

"But I'm…younger than everyone else," Jessie pointed out.

"By a few years," Kitty shrugged, "besides, you're smart, you'd probably pass for ten."

"If I wasn't so short," Jessie made a face.

"Hey, short is cute, short is adorable," Kitty stated with pretend indignation, "I mean, if it's not, then I'm in big trouble, right, 'cause I'm the shortest instructor here."

Jessie smiled a bit at this, and her guard seemed to drop.

"Anyway," Kitty said, "I just thought I'd come say hi – and welcome you to Xaviers. I think you're going to like it here."

It was several hours that Rogue and Remy were in a small Chinese restaurant south of Bayville, to celebrate Rogue's recovery from the experience of Carol Danvers taking over her mind.

Remy seemed to be acting naturally as he always did, he drank, he joked, and he laughed, but Rogue couldn't seem to get into the same spirit. Her life had been turned upside down in just three short weeks, and now she was unsure of how she would ever get it back to the way it was. She wasn't sure where to start – but being with Remy seemed a good way to try.

"You've hardly touched your food," Remy glanced up from his own plate, he had chopsticks poised masterfully between his fingers, noodles dangling from them like curls of hair.

"I know, I guess I'm just not as hungry as you are," Rogue pushed her plate forwards a bit, she watched Remy eating for a moment, his hair dangled in front of his eyes and she was tempted to brush it away, but with so much skin exposed – wearing a strapless dress that barely covered her – she felt that attempting to do so might endanger his life.

Remy sipped his Sake, he looked over the cup at her, she seemed a million miles away, "is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes," Rogue answered, "you still haven't explained what happened and how Carol took over exactly," she answered, "these things don't just happen."

"What's the last thing you remember exactly."

"I told you earlier this morning…the last thing I remember is your watch beeping, and you going off on a mission…"

"You don't remember me coming back?" Remy asked.

Rogue paused, trying to think, "I…don't know, I vaguely remember you coming back…" she remembered the fighting, but she did not want to bring it up. There were still things she didn't want to tell Remy – like Bobby's feelings for her. Remy was liable to get jealous, and she didn't ant to provoke that in him right now.

"You came to my room," he leaned forward a little to keep his voice extremely low, "I was upset, I'd blew the mission, you…consoled me…" he neglected to mention the amount of touching involved. "I…kissed you."

"You did?" Rogue blinked, "I…I seriously don't…remember."

"That's because…it sent you into some sort of seizure," Remy admitted unhappily.

"It did…were you okay?"

"I was fine, Chere…I did not feel a thing," he said, "And if I did, perhaps I was too frantic and worried about what happened to you to notice…" he added.

Rogue felt tingles brush up her spine, slight and delicate, almost like butterfly wings against her, "I…don't know what to say," she admitted, and she honestly didn't. Somewhere in the back of her mind it somewhat occurred to her that he had not been affected by her kiss, but she pushed it back, worried by the rest of what Remy hadn't told her yet. "What then…?"

"You were in a coma that whole night…the next day…there was Carol…refusin' to give up your body back to your mind," he traced absent patterns on the top of the table with one finger, he'd abandoned his chopsticks, suddenly not hungry either.

Rogue stared down, watching his hands, "and then?"

"And then she spent the next three weeks trying to make your life hers," he sighed, he decided to leave out the fact the Professor had welcomed it for a moment also, he didn't have the heart to tell her. "I've been pinin' so much since you were gone," he added, "thought I'd never be able to hear your voice again – not the way you speak," he explained, "not the way you say my name, not the way you make my heart skip beats."

Rogue smiled, touched, he smiled back at her softly, the smile reached his eyes although she could see the traces of emotion behind his eyes, he was speaking from the heart, emotion was the one thing he'd never been able to hide from her.

"Anyway," Remy took another drink of Sake, "it's over with now, best to forget about it…"

"There's still so much I need to know," Rogue responded.

"Please, Chere, this is the first time in a very long time I've had the pleasure of your company for an evening," he kept his eyes on hers, "lets not spoil it with talk of what happened…we have the rest of our lives to discuss it…"

Rogue felt a chill, this time somewhat stranger than before. The rest of their lives? She wondered somewhat – although she loved him deeply – whether he'd stay for any amount of time after saying something such as this. Every time he made such a promise, was a time he had to leave soon. "Remy…"

"Hmm?" he asked, he put down the Sake, he rested his arms on the tabletop.

"You…are sticking around, right?" she asked unsurely.

"Of course," he said, slightly anxious now, had he been obvious about his plans? Had someone told her? His heart felt as if it might explode out of his chest suddenly, and splatter on the table in her Sweet and Sour pork.

"Okay," Rogue said, "it's just every time you start making plans for the future, it's usually around the time you suddenly just take off again, y'know?"

"I…don't blame you for being suspicious," Remy admitted, "I know I've caused you so much hurt over the years I really can't blame you for not trusting me anymore."

"It's not that I don't trust you, I do," Rogue ensured, "it's just, I don't know…sometimes when you're here and it's like this and you're so sweet and we're so happy it gets so hard to believe…it's like it's too good to be true."

Remy looked at her, "but it is," he said, "it really is."