Chapter 4: euphoria

A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews! I, too, would feel panic at the thought of no-more Kyle & Yost Laura. And I definitley agree with you guys--not enough fics on this pairing! Julian and Laura are so awesome together. I'm thinking about creating a fansite about them (I draw too), as I have been nursing this interest in the pairing for about a year or more now and it's just not losing its glow. I've decided I will write this story like a comic book...each few chapters will deal with a new arc, a new mini-plot, the main plot being Julian & Laura as a couple. I'm getting to know the characters better--in writing them, I have to provide more dialogue and descriptions than a comic does, so I am developing some traits a little more. Subtly, I hope! For instance, a little birdy told me Julian has a good sense of humor in addition to having a superiority complex; he finds it comes out alot around Laura. While Laura is telling me she likes to think scientifically; she likes to analyze; but spending so much time with Julian is going to touch tiny little areas that make her smile a bit. I find that a few traits from my current boyfriend are entering this story; a bit of his sense of humor, some of his trademark actions (watch for the fist pump!). Hope you enjoy, sorry for rambling! XD

Also note: This is going a little more serious, this chapter includes a bed scene (no explicitness); but I hope no one is offended. For my story, the characters are about 19 and 17.

"Tell me…is that a genuine emotion? Or just something your masters programmed into you?"

Laura's head tilted, and she eyed the headmistress as she swept in, her white robes flowing about her. Alpha. Alpha bitch.
This X-23 did not mean in an insulting manner; she was using the word in its proper meaning.

Emma Frost was the Headmistress at Xavier's. Maybe she was out of the Hellfire Club, but the rank of White Queen hadn't died in her.
She acted like a queen—like she owned the place. In reality, this was still Xavier's property; but it had become her territory. Laura could
sense it almost more clearly than if Emma had peed on all the wall corners.

"Get out of my mind," Laura said stiffly. This was quite an occurrence; she did not often find herself so threatened by a person as to noticeably react.

"I'm not in it. I don't have to be. You've been following Julian around like a puppy ever since you returned from Dallas."

"Please stop." Laura shifted uncomfortably. She did not want Emma to know; she did not trust her as far as she could throw her. She did not
believe that Emma was evil, or harmful; but for some reason, she bore a grudge towards Laura; the girl had no doubt that Frost would sell her
out at a moment's notice.

" You think I hate you, but I don't." Emma looked out into the danger room through the viewing glass, at Julian and Dr. McCoy as they stared at a
giant crater the boy had just created by accident. " In many ways, we are the same. I, too, have done horrible things in my life. I've hurt good
people, destroyed minds."

Laura clenched her fist, but Emma wasn't done.

"Killed those I once loved…my own sister. I understand evil and death, just as you do. But the difference between us is that my actions were
by my own choice. You don't have a choice. With a single drop of that chemical…that ' trigger' …you lose control to your masters and kill whomever
they choose." Emma paused. "If you care for Julian, then you will leave him. Leave this school now, before it's too late." Laura looked down, tears
forming in her eyes. As much as she hated Emma—the woman was right. She was risking many lives by remaining in the school. Needlessly risking them.

A thought entered her mind—she had to talk to him, tell him it was over, she was leaving. Laura's eyes widened and she stared at Emma. The thought
wasn't her own; Laura wouldn't bother telling anyone, she'd just go.

" You…" she said.

" How can you say that?!" Cecily's voice broke the silence. " She saved us! All of us!" The girl stomped into the room, looking upset.

" Cessily…" Emma said. She had clearly been unaware of the girl's approach.

" No! You abandon Kevin, you humiliate Julian, and now you want Laura to leave?! What is the matter with you?! She nearly died saving our lives…she would
have, if not for Julian! This is how you treat her?"

" There are things you don't know, Cessily…" Emma said weakly. " I'm doing this to protect you."

Laura turned away, her stomach twisting. Blindly she found the door and clambered into the hallway. She wanted to rip, tear, kill, and pretend the victim of her
attacks was Emma. She dared not do anything.

" I don't care!" Cessily shouted, behind her at Emma. " I've found out more than enough about how you ' protect' your students, Miss Frost."

Their voices faded into the distance and she hurried to her room, her fists smarting. She needed to pop her claws, badly, and shred something to pieces.
She wished for the danger room but it was damaged, and it was also the place she was fleeing from. She finally reached her darkened chambers and slammed
the door behind her, then leaned her head back against it and let out a sob.

She realized she wasn't alone. Julian was sitting on her bed. She'd been too upset and distracted to do her almost instinctual room check; she was too close to
losing control. She did not want to see him now.

"Leave," she said, her voice strained. Tears were sliding down her cheeks and she couldn't stop them.

" No," he said, getting up. "What's wrong?"

" I do not wish to discuss this," Laura growled between gritted teeth. "Leave, now, while I am still in control." She gave him a warning glare with eyes that were
slightly bloodshot, something that happened when she was blacking out.

"You're a fortress, Laura," he said, sounding irritated. "I just saw you cry. I'm not leaving until I know what's going on, and who to beat up."

Laura stared at him hard.

" We cannot continue this affiliation. It is…dangerous for everyone at the school. Leave now…please. Do not make me force you."

" No," he said. "You won't force me to do anything, Laura, and that includes breaking up, when it's not something you really want to do. Do you?" He touched her
cheek, and all the power and adrenaline Laura had felt rushing through her a moment before was suddenly focused on that one spot. "…" she opened her mouth,
wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say.

"What do you want?" he asked quietly.

Laura struggled inwardly, then took a breath. "This," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting herself become distracted.

…

"Wow," Julian said, much later. "Just…wow. Where the hell did you learn that?"

Laura held the covers over herself, quiet, stiff, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, as she had done often in the past. Memories flooded her mind;
she'd heard those words so many times before. She'd seen a man kill himself over the terrible things he'd done and had her do; somehow,
it had struck deeper than many of the other deaths she held herself responsible for. A guilt lingered around it; a failure; maybe if she'd been better…

"Laura?"

He dragged himself up to his elbows and ran the back of his hand down her jaw. "Earth to X, come in," he said softly. "I don't mean to scare you…but
I kind of like you, beautiful." Leaning down, he kissed the hollow of her throat.

She didn't reply, but continued to watch him from the corner of her eye.

"What'll it take to make you smile?" he asked.

"Everyone alive," Laura whispered. Her words were like ice; two simple little words. A plea to make everything better.

"I'm not a god…yet," he said after a moment. "You make me feel like one, sometimes." Laura lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening in the sheets.
She wanted to be alone, to…release the pain, but she couldn't, not with someone else there. He'd try to stop her. He wouldn't understand.

Julian frowned and took one of her hands, stretching it up above their heads. He moved his palm, and green light ran up and down Laura's arm, making
her jump slightly, uncertain. "Shh, it's okay," he said, and after a moment, she realized it was. It felt pleasant, like acupuncture. He watched her, his eyes
glowing, and the energy moved down to her back and over her front. She closed her eyes and before she knew, she was entirely relaxed.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Thank…thank you," she said, feeling euphoric. His eyes returned to their normal color; he was still watching her. She didn't know what to do next, but she
felt something was required of her, so she leaned into him and pressed her lips against his, an action she'd never initiated before.

"My pleasure," he said a little hoarsely, grinning back at her. "Again?"

…

"OHMIGOD! You like JULIAN!" Cessily gasped.

Laura shifted uncomfortably. She did not feel dislike towards Cessily; the other girl was pleasant, and well-meaning; but it was not something she felt should
ever be heard by other ears. Not when it could so easily be destroyed, should the wrong ears hear it.

"I do not wish to talk about this," she said flatly.

"You do! Oh, Laura, we should…we should, I don't know, we need to talk." Cessily touched her chest, an expression of shock and awe overtaking her face.
She was astonished and pleased and happy that Laura was acting human. The said Laura took a breath. "Please move."

"Let's go get a coffee! In town! Seriously, this will be so good." Cessily was just about bouncing up and down.

"Whoa, can we do that no? I thought we couldn't leave! Is that new? I want to go too!" Santo piped up, overhearing their conversation.

"No!" Cessily said. "Come on, Laura!"

Laura leaned backwards, pondering her next actions. She really did not want to leave the mansion at the moment; she wanted to take a shower, and think
about last night. Oddly the thought of her usual window-side activity did not occur to her; if it did, it was overshadowed by the desire to relive a few moments.

Then again…she could not reject Cessily's offer, without hurting the older girl's feelings. She shrugged her indifference, and Cess grabbed her by the wrist,
practically dragging her towards the foyer. "What—" Julian asked, coming down a staircase behind Josh. They looked like they had just finished a training session;
both boys were wearing slightly tattered uniforms. "This doesn't concern you!" Cessily snapped. Help me, Laura pleaded silently to Julian with her eyes. Unfortunately
he wasn't a mind reader. Instead, he held up his hands. "Whoa, okay, forget it. Christ, Cess, PMS much?"

"Ignore them," Cessily said, rolling her eyes. It was hard to tell, because she had no pupils; Laura could, however, detect the movement by the twitching of the other girl's eyelids.

The two girls disappeared into the hallway.

…

"We don't know anything about you," Cessily said sadly.

Laura stared at her silently, tilting her head. In truth, she didn't know what to say to such a vague question. It had been easier, when Julian had asked;
the purpose had been to scare him away. She didn't want to scare Cessily.

"Right. Well, I guess we know that you could kill us all if you wanted to. That's what Logan said." Cessily looked down at the table for a moment.
"But you saved my life. Sure, you had to cut off my hands to do it. But I was trying to lose a few pounds, anyway. I just wanted to thank you."

Laura crouched over, her shoulder twitching. "You're welcome."

"Do you like Julian?" Cessily asked, leaning forwards as well.

"Yes. He saved my life." Laura thought of something else, but refrained from mentioning it. Cessily must not know; she would tell, either willingly or under
torture. She couldn't be trusted with a secret, like Logan could.

"No, I mean, do you like him, like him."

"Like him, like him?"

"Do you have a crush on him?" Cessily asked, point blank, seeing that Laura was dancing around the subject by answering with questions. Laura made
another motion. "I do not want to talk about this."

"Laura, it's okay if you do. I understand, believe me. I know how it is to like someone who doesn't necessarily like you back."

"No, I—" Laura opened her mouth to deny it, but a sound caught her ear. She turned her head in horror. NO.

"Laura?" Cessily asked.

"Get out." Laura turned on her heel, looking in the other direction.

"What? Laura, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just—" Cessily said, approaching her to touch her shoulder. "Get out of here, now!" Laura yelled,
shoving her friend away, then turning to the other patrons of the coffee shop. "All of you! Run!"

The coffee shop around them paused in its activities.

"You have to go!" Laura said, turning to the girl once more. "They're not here for you. They're here for me. They're here to take me back!"

"What?" Cessily asked, just as everything around them exploded in napalm-assisted flames.