Disclaimer: Everything you recognize here belongs to The Man. Damn The Man.
A/N: My sister just burst out laughing while watching me chew a mouthful of cashews. I think it had something to do with the fact that I was giving her this really smug look, like "I just ate the last cashews, haha", but then she started gasping, "You're ch-chewing f-food! Bwahaha!"
Weirdo.
Anyway, here's chapter four.
Jean-Paul left Bobby's room and Eliza looked at him pointedly, "He hasn't spoken all week, you know." she said.
Unfortunately, the Quebecois wasn't surprised. Bobby hadn't been speaking for the last three visits. Jean-Paul feared that Bobby was depressed.
"I'll let you in on something, Jean-Paul," Eliza whispered, gesturing for him to come closer.
He stepped forward.
"Just don't let on that I told you this, and, I'm only doing it because I know you care about him more than anyone else."
Jean-Paul nodded.
"He's not going to be able to get out; Drake is doing horrible in therapy. If he keeps it up, Dr. Stringer is going to be adding more time until his release."
"If he keeps what up, exactly?" Jean-Paul frowned
"Yelling, in therapy. Violent outbursts. Either that, or he stays silent the entire time."
"Well, has this doctor tried sending him to anger management?" Jean-Paul asked.
"It's not like that." Eliza said, "It's an… insanity thing."
Jean-Paul's expression hardened, "Oh." He said.
Eliza nodded and patted his arm sympathetically. "He's still set for being released in one month for now. Maybe you should talk to him the next time you visit." She suggested, "It might help."
"I believe I will." Jean-Paul said, stepping back, toward the door, "Thank you, Eliza. I'll see you next time."
"Okay," She replied, leaning back in her chair, "Come by again soon."
"Hey Jean-Paul,"
Jean-Paul looked up to see Bobby standing in the doorway of the classroom. He set down his marking pen and leaned back, "Robert. How can I help you?"
"Well, actually, I wanted to know…" Bobby shuffled nervously and walked across the room until he was standing in front of the desk, "I, um, wanted to know… do you want to maybe go out sometime?"
Jean-Paul blinked, "Excuse me?"
"I was just thinking maybe you'd like to go to dinner with me or something… it was a stupid idea. Never mind." He turned around and walked back out the door.
Jean-Paul stared in surprise at where Bobby had been standing.
In a flash he was on his feet and racing out the room after Bobby. The ice mutant had his head down, and was in ice form; that way he wouldn't be able to blush. Jean-Paul grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, "You aren't joking, are you?" He said.
"I didn't think it was funny." Bobby replied.
"Dinner?"
"I figured you wouldn't be able to sit through a movie."
Jean-Paul smiled, "Okay."
"You'll go out with me?" Bobby said, somewhat incredulous.
"Yes, of course I will," Jean-Paul said.
A smile broke out across Bobby's face, "Great,"
They stood there, grinning at each other in the middle of the hall, and then Bobby leaned over and kissed Jean-Paul.
Jean-Paul opened the freezer, intent on finding an ice-pack to treat the bump on his head –the result of a Danger Room session.
He turned around after a moment, agitated, "There's no ice,"
Jubilee hopped off the counter, "That's what I was trying to tell you, JP. A bunch of the X-Babies are using them."
"Every single ice-pack?" Jean-Paul scowled.
"And the frozen vegetable packs." Jubilee said, moving around him to take a look in the freezer herself.
"Merde," Jean-Paul muttered.
"This is your own fault anyway, dude. I mean, you have super-speed. The only reason you were hit during the training was because you were half asleep." Jubilee pulled out of the freezer, "Here," She tossed him a can of ice cream, "Use this."
Jean-Paul looked at down at it with an odd expression.
"I mean, you said that you were sleeping alright. I know you have a high-metabolism, so these hours really can't be good," Jubilee lectured, "Seriously, you have these dark circles under her eyes and you look all pasty. Hey, JP? Are you listening? I'm trying to scold you."
He looked up and held the ice cream up to Jubilee's face, "This is Bobby's,"
"Huh?" Jubilee said, "What? No, I just found it in the back behind this gross old meat-thing."
"It's Bobby's." He turned the container and Jubilee went cross-eyed to read a yellow sticky-note that was stuck and frozen to the side of it. "Property of Iceman. No eating." Her eyes uncrossed, "Oh. Wow. That's old. I'm surprised one of the kids didn't find it."
"Well they wouldn't want to touch it even if they did." Jean-Paul said.
Jubilee looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't.
"Hello, Bobby," Jean-Paul said, sitting down next to him, instead of across from him like usual.
Bobby glanced sideways at him and didn't reply.
"Your behavior isn't helping you, you know." Jean-Paul said conversationally.
Bobby didn't reply.
"You're still scheduled for release in three weeks." Jean-Paul said, "And then you'll never have to come back here."
Bobby actually turned to stare at him this time. There was a look in his eye –such a fragile glimmer of hope –and he said, "Yeah?"
Jean-Paul nodded, "You'll never see this facility again. Just three weeks, oui? Do well in therapy, and you'll be out in no time, I promise."
Bobby turned away again, "It's not up to you… you can't promise anything."
"Maybe not," Jean-Paul admitted, "But I am confident that you will make it."
"That makes one of us." Bobby said so quietly, Jean-Paul was sure he was not meant to hear it. In a louder voice, he said, "I'm not going to go back to the X-Men."
Jean-Paul thought that was only the natural decision, "What will you do, then?" he asked.
Bobby didn't reply. He shrugged; 'I don't know'.
"You could start over." Jean-Paul suggested quietly.
Still, no reply came. Instead, Bobby stared out into the space in front of him. After a moment, Jean-Paul figured he wasn't going to answer.
But then he did; "That sounds wonderful."
"Oui. You can go wherever you want and begin again." Jean-Paul said carefully, making sure he didn't overdo it.
Bobby stared thoughtfully out into space and then slowly, a smile spread across his features.
A/N: Well that was lame. Sorry. Anyway, please review. Also, check out my profile and PLEASE take the poll.
