Heart to Heart
The nightmare came without warning, sending Kristi spiralling down into a terrifying world of shadows and spectres. She tossed and turned, moaning softly in her sleep, as something dark and deadly moved about in the shadows of her mind, its identity always just out of reach. Kristi tried to run but, in the way of all dreams, she moved as though struggling through treacle, her limbs heavy and uncoordinated. Her heart pounded as she heard the thing hunting for her, closing in for the kill, the sound of it snarling in the darkness sending her mad with fear.
At the mercy of her nightmare, she screamed as the thing reached for her, eyes red with madness and drool dripping from its sharp yellow teeth. The creature's talons tore at her clothes, digging into her flesh and raising blood. Kristi twisted frantically, desperate to free herself from its relentless grip, whimpering her fear as she felt the creature's breath hot and heavy on her neck as it moved in for the kill….. And then suddenly Wolverine was there, pushing her behind him, protecting her with his claws. The dark creature screamed its fury as the mutant's lethal blades slashed and tore at its body …..
Kristi rose late into the morning, feeling groggy and heavy headed. Her legs were tangled in the sheet and she had to fight her way free, groaning as her feet touched the floor with a bump and pain shot through her delicate head. She sat for a moment on the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands and then she staggered to the bathroom, hoping a refreshing shower would ease the tension in her muscles. It didn't.
Still half asleep, she dried her hair and grabbed the first things that came to hand from her wardrobe – a pair of khaki combats and a blue T-shirt, hardly caring whether they went together or not. She then made her way slowly down to the kitchen, where she brewed a pot of strong coffee and tried to put her head in order. She had just started her second mug when Jean trotted in, looking fresh and bright eyed. Kristi hated her on sight!
"You look a bit the worse for wear," observed Jean, pouring herself a mug of coffee and joining Kristi at the table. "Bad night?"
"The worst," confirmed Kristi, with a faint nod. "I was tossing and turning for hours, and I can't even begin to tell you about the dreams." She shuddered at the memory of those fatal talons reaching for her, rending her flesh. "Remind me never to have Remy's leftover gumbo for supper again!"
"It probably wasn't the wisest idea," agreed Jean, sagely.
"Tell me about it! Two mugs of coffee and I'm only just starting to feel like a human being again!"
"What you need is some fresh air and a change of pace. Being cooped up in the mansion is getting everybody down." Jean considered a moment. "Some of the guys have started a basketball game out on the courts. Why don't you join them? It's a lot more fun than a danger room session and the exercise just might clear your head."
"I don't know, Jean ….. "
"Go on! It'll be fun! I'd join in myself but I promised Ororo I'd help her in the greenhouse this morning." Jean pulled a face. "Secretly, between you and me, I'd rather be playing basketball!"
Kristi chuckled, picturing the elegant redhead running around after a basketball. "I might drop by for a few minutes, Jean, but I doubt if I'll play. I'm not very sporty at the best of times and after the night I've just had I'll only slow everybody down. Besides, I haven't played for years and I'm a bit rusty on the rules."
"Rules? What on Earth makes you think our guys play by the rules?" Jean smiled, waving a hand vaguely in the direction of the courts. "Go! You'll see what I mean!"
"I might," Kristi repeated. She drained the last of her coffee, rose and placed the mug on the drainer. "I'll see you later, Jean."
"Okay."
Jean smiled as Kristi left the kitchen and then telekinetically lifted her own empty coffee mug to the drainer. She gave herself a mental pat on the back. The moment she had entered the kitchen she had picked up on Kristi's state of mind and, thanks to a light telepathic touch, had known exactly what to say to lift the girl's spirits. Ordinarily, Jean drew the line at invading a person's mind without permission, but Kristi had been broadcasting her thoughts so strongly anyway that Jean didn't feel too badly about this. Besides, if her plan worked, it would help Kristi and also a very dear friend and, for Jean, that made all the difference. After all, what were friends for?
oooOOOooo
Upon leaving the kitchen, Kristi was surprised to find herself heading for one of the downstairs closets, where she kept a couple of coats close at hand. Grabbing a fur lined windcheater, she shrugged herself into it and was heading across the patio at the rear of the house whilst still wondering at which point she had decided to take Jean up on her suggestion. After all, she would hardly describe herself as a sporty type of person. More the sit at home, curled up in front of the fire with a good book type of person, she admitted to herself, with a wry grin. But she had to agree with Jean that the last couple of weeks had been rather tedious. With almost constant training and patrols, and nothing to break the routine, boredom had begun to set in, especially among the younger residents. Maybe Jean was right and a change of pace was exactly what she needed.
As she skirted the pool, still wearing its winter cover, she could hear voices coming from the courts, announcing that the game was already under way. Slowing her pace a moment, she wondered if she would be interrupting, then reasoned that she had come this far so it really couldn't hurt to drop by and watch for half an hour or so.
Several minutes later, as she stepped onto the courts, she almost began to regret that decision, noting that Wolverine was one of the players. She hovered uncertainly for a moment, torn between her desire to stay and a sudden need to avoid Wolverine like the plague. The embarrassment she'd felt the day before in the Danger Room, when he'd calmly announced what his senses were telling him, welled up inside her once more and almost sent her running for the safety of the mansion. Grim determination and a fierce desire not to lose face now that she had made an appearance forced her to stay. Gritting her teeth and trying to look nonchalant, she settled onto a bench at the side of the court, tucking her hands into her pockets and hoping she was doing the right thing. She'd already made a serious fool of herself once this week – she had no desire to do it again.
Watching the game in progress, it took her a while to figure out who was on who's side, but eventually she decided that Wolverine, Jubilee and Bobby were playing Rogue and Gambit. The sides seemed a bit unfair to Kristi, until she realised that Rogue and Gambit were already several points up despite their handicap.
She waved as Remy noted her presence and blew her a kiss, then laughed as the ball, thrown by Rogue, bounced off the distracted Cajun's head. Rogue berated her partner for not keeping his mind on the game and then cursed in a most unladylike fashion as Jubilee scored a basket.
Kristi was perfectly happy to watch the game from the sidelines as it gave her a rare chance to see her future (she hoped!) team-mates in action in a non-combat situation. And she quickly came to understand what Jean had meant about the rules. The X-Men's interpretation of the rules meant 'anything goes' and that included the use of powers. This livened up the game no end, particularly when Gambit charged the ball, as no one else would dare to touch it until he drew the charge back again. It was a foregone conclusion that Rogue would score once she had the ball due to being able to fly, while Bobby's tactic of creating small patches of ice under an unwary foot occasionally caught the opposing team members off guard.
Gambit was grace personified. Dressed in blue sweats and a black hooded top with a large red X emblazoned on the back, he moved like a true athlete, each action blending seamlessly into the next. He was spellbinding to watch.
But try as she might, Kristi could not keep her eyes from straying back to Wolverine every time she tried to look elsewhere. If Gambit was the athlete, then Wolverine was the predator, single-minded in his hunt to possess the ball. Muscles rippled beneath his tight black tee and Kristi found herself holding a breath each time he braced to throw the ball. With his eyes flashing like liquid ice with the thrill of the hunt and his hair flying wildly, he was the epitome of masculine prowess. Despite Gambit's athleticism and grace, for Kristi there was simply no comparison. It was Wolverine who stole her breath away.
And it was with this realisation that Kristi finally gave in to one simple truth – one she had known for days but had been too scared to admit it, even to herself. She was attracted to the one man whom common sense warned her she should steer well clear of – Wolverine.
So. What did she intend to do about it? Nothing, she told herself decidedly, unconsciously echoing Wolverine's own thoughts from the training session the day before. She had already made a complete idiot of herself several times in front of Wolverine. While she seriously doubted she could do much worse, she wasn't about to put that theory to the test. Besides, it was highly unlikely that her feelings were reciprocated. Wolverine was a senior X-Man and a member of the teaching staff. She was a twenty one year old trainee. It was hardly what Kristi would call a perfect match.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Jubilee calling a time out, tapping her hands together to form a T. She trotted across the court to join Kristi at her bench, leaving her team-mates arguing tactics.
"Phew! I'm, like, totally whacked!" she puffed, dropping heavily onto Kristi's bench and fanning herself with one hand. "Great game though! We've got Rogue an' Remy right where we want 'em! They should never have bet Wolvie a case of beer on the outcome of this one!"
"But you're losing," Kristi pointed out, helpfully.
"Aha! So we've fooled you too! That's exactly what we want them to think, Kristi! We'll come from nowhere in the final seconds an' Wolvie will get his case of beer, no problem!"
"But you've got an awful lot of catching up to do, Jubes."
"Don't worry, dude! We've got it all worked out! We're just lulling them into a false sense of security, then …….. Pow!" She smacked a fist into her palm, making Kristi jump. "Victory will be ours!"
Kristi laughed and Jubilee joined in, punching her friend playfully on the arm. Across the court, Wolverine and Gambit glanced at them quizzically and then turned back to their conversation. Bobby looked up from where he was sitting on the ground retying his shoe lace and waved, but Jubilee poked her tongue out at him.
Rogue suddenly flew down, spinning the ball expertly on the tip of one finger and hovering several inches above the ground in front of them. "Jubilee, how much longer is this time out gonna last? Ah'm goin' off the boil here."
"What's the matter, Rogue? Scared you're gonna lose?"
Rogue snorted. "As if!" She turned a welcoming smile towards the young mutant's companion. "Hey, Kristi! How ya doin'?"
Kristi grinned. "Fine, thanks. Felt a bit fuzzy earlier, but I'm feeling much better since getting some fresh air."
"If it's cobwebs yer lookin' ta blow away, ya'll couldn't do much worse than a quick game o' basketball, X-Men style," offered Rogue.
"You're asking me to join you?" Kristi shook her head, quickly. "Oh no, Rogue, I couldn't! I haven't played since High School! I'm bound to be rusty!"
"Who cares?" declared Jubilee. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
Rogue held out a gloved hand. "C'mon, Kristi, ya can join Remy an' me."
"Hey, no fair, Rogue! I want her on my team!"
"Well, yer not gettin'. Ya've already got an advantage with three ta two. Share an' share alike, Jubilee. Besides, ah'm sure Kristi would rather be on the winnin' side than stuck with your buncha losers."
"Keep it up, Rogue. You'll be eating those words by full time."
"We'll see, Jubilee. We'll see."
Rogue turned, waving to attract the attention of the other players. "Hey, guys, Kristi's gonna be joinin' us!"
"Yay!" cheered Bobby, enthusiastically. "Who's side is she on?"
"Ours, o' course!" Rogue turned back to see Jubilee pulling encouragingly at Kristi's arm. "Ya will join us, sugah?"
Kristi grinned, ruefully. "Well, it doesn't really look as though I've got a choice, does it?" She allowed Jubilee to haul her to her feet. "Lead the way, Jubes! Let's get this show on the road!"
oooOOOooo
A tired but thoroughly satisfied Kristi let herself back into her room sometime later, after saying goodbye to Jubilee at the door. Her own team had been well and truly trounced by Jubilee's threesome, just as she had promised, but she harboured no ill-will. It was only a game after all. A concept which seemed to have been completely misunderstood by Wolverine, as he was still insisting on a case of beer as payment for the bet. Remy had promised to pick one up the next time he was in town.
Moving across the room, Kristi's eyes alighted on a black and yellow bundle folded neatly at the foot of the bed. Hardly daring to hope, she crossed the remaining floor space to her bed in three strides and shook out the bundle with trembling hands, to reveal her new trainee uniform.
Breathing a silent thank you to Paige and Jubilee for speaking to Professor Xavier on her behalf as they'd promised, she quickly began to strip off her tee and combats, eager to try on the new uniform now that it had finally arrived. It was a good deal tighter than expected and it took some time, not to mention a great deal of inventive shimmying to get it settled nicely into place. She hoped she wouldn't be expected to go into action at a moment's notice, because getting into her uniform quickly would certainly not be an option. The battle would be over and done with long before she had dressed herself! Still, despite being protective, it was thin enough to wear under normal street clothes – maybe that's what some of the other X-Men did? She made a mental note to ask.
Footwear had been left to her discretion, so she was glad she had brought her favourite calf high black boots with her to the mansion. They had a sensible heel – high enough to be stylish, but not so high that she'd break her ankle if she had to scramble over rubble or run. The overall effect, when she looked in the mirror, seemed quite pleasing although, despite being completely covered, she couldn't help feeling that a little more of her body was on show than she would have liked. The uniform was very form hugging and therefore rather revealing …..
She knew some of the senior team customised their uniforms slightly – Rogue wore a leather jacket and both Remy and Jubilee favoured dusters. Maybe the students were allowed to customise their uniforms also? Thinking of Rogue's jacket gave her an idea ….
Opening her wardrobe and rifling through her belongings, she emerged with a short black leather jacket which, when she slipped it on, went a long way towards making her feel less exposed.
A sudden urge to show off sent her scampering out of her room and down the hall to the room next door. Jubilee answered the tap on her door with a call to come in and then squealed in delight as Kristi stepped into her room.
"Your uniform has arrived! That is so cool!"
Kristi executed a twirl. "You like?"
"I like! Especially the jacket!"
"Good, because I thought the uniform looked a bit revealing without it."
"Revealing? Don't be a dweeb!" Jubilee plonked down on her bed and leaned back on one hand. "If you've got it, flaunt it, I always say!"
Kristi snorted. "Jubilee, please…."
"Hey, I just call it the way I see it! The minute you start training in that uniform you're gonna set a few o' the boy's hearts a flutterin'!"
Kristi couldn't hide the sudden blush that coloured her cheeks and Jubilee was quick to notice.
"Oho! Does that blush mean that you've already caught someone's eye? Way to go, girl! Hmm ….." She paused, putting a finger to her chin and making a show of considering the contenders for Kristi's affections. "Who could it be?"
Kristi shuffled her feet, anxiously. "Jubilee, for goodness sake! You're jumping to conclusions"
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" retorted Jubilee, enjoying her game. "Let's see …… It can't be Angel or Hank 'cause you haven't met them yet. Pity, 'cause Angel's kinda sexy, in a feathery sort of way." She ignored Kristi's exasperated sigh and continued. "I'm gonna rule out Scott an' Remy 'cause they're both attached. Unless ya have a thing for attached guys?"
"Jubilee ….."
"No, probably not. I'm also ruling out the Professor because …. well …. eww! So, the trainees ….. Bobby or Sam? They're both kinda young, but cute, if that's your thing!" She glanced up to see Kristi's frown and shook her head. "So, not trainees, then. Good, 'cause Bobby an' me ……. well, let's not go there, okay? So, who's left?" She began silently ticking off names with her fingers, slowing and looking up at Kristi in amazement as a possibility occurred to her. "Oh. My. God."
Kristi held up her hands as if to ward the nosy youngster off. "Now let's not get carried away here ….."
"It's Wolverine. Isn't it?" Jubilee's voice was soft, her blue eyes wide with barely repressed hope.
Kristi lowered her head in resignation. "Yes. No! I mean ….." She couldn't continue and she found herself sinking down onto a chair by the door. "Oh, Lord ….."
"Hey, it can't be as bad as all that. Can it?" asked Jubilee, leaning forward and fixing her friend with a steady gaze. "What happened?"
"Nothing …… Everything." Kristi sighed and rubbed a hand across her eyes. "I made a complete fool of myself, Jubilee. I'll be surprised if Wolverine ever speaks to me again."
"Well, that's just plain silly! When you slipped on a patch of Bobby's ice during the game he helped you up, didn't he?"
"Only because he would have stepped on me if he hadn't."
Jubilee sighed. "This is getting us nowhere. Look, Kristi, do you like Wolvie or not?"
"Yes, I do, Jubilee, but he scares me."
"Hey, you don't have to be scared of Wolvie, he wouldn't hurt a fly! Leastways, not unless the fly tried to kill him first, but that's beside the point! He's really just a big pussycat! …… With nine inch claws! …… An' big pointy teeth! …… An' he can be incredibly grumpy sometimes! But I digress …… !"
"Jubilee, you're not helping."
"Hey, so sue me! This is great news, Kristi! You like Wolvie! My Wolvie!" She suddenly sobered a little. "Does he know?"
Kristi nodded. "Yes, and that's the problem. Those blasted senses of his."
"So you haven't actually told him you like him?" Jubilee frowned. "Are you going to?"
"No, I am not!" declared Kristi, forcefully. "Like I said, I've already made a major fool of myself once this week. I don't intend to do it again."
"But ……"
"No 'buts', Jubilee. I mean it! He's a senior X-Man, for goodness sake! A teacher! Do you honestly think he's going to give a student a second glance?"
"He might," replied Jubilee, softly.
"No, he won't. So I'm not going to say anything, Jubilee, and neither are you. D'you hear? Not a word!"
Jubilee pouted, folding her arms petulantly. "I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but I think it's an awful shame. You're my friend, Kristi, an' I think you an' Wolvie would be great for each other."
Kristi smiled. "It's nice of you to say so, Jubes, but this has got to remain a secret between you and me. It's probably just a stupid crush anyway and I'll snap out of it in a day or two."
Jubilee nodded, sadly. She liked Kristi and it was upsetting to see her throwing away such a golden opportunity.
Kristi sighed and got to her feet. "I'd better go and take this uniform off before I wear it out. I'll see you later, Jubilee."
"'kay."
Jubilee watched her friend leave and threw herself back onto the bed, puffing up her cheeks and releasing the air quickly to relieve the tension. Her mind was a whirl of conflicting emotions. She was immensely proud of the fact that it was her Wolverine that Kristi was attracted to, but concerned she wasn't prepared to take it any further for fear of being made to look a fool. If only she knew what Wolverine thought about Kristi. Did he like her too?
She rolled over onto her stomach, swinging her feet in the air. Okay, so Kristi didn't want her to say anything to Wolvie, but Jubilee was never one to back down from a challenge. She loved Wolverine dearly and was beginning to think that Kristi had the makings of a fine team-mate and friend. But they both needed help in sorting out their relationship, even if they didn't realise it yet, and Jubilee had already decided she was the best qualified to give it.
But how?
oooOOOooo
Later that evening, after dinner, Jubilee went in search of Wolverine. She finally found him in the garage, working on his beloved Harley. The sleek black and silver machine had been partially stripped down and her partner was surrounded by engine parts, which he had placed on a sheet to protect the garage floor from oil. Engines and how they worked were an alien concept to Jubilee. She had no idea how he managed to continually strip his bike down and put it back together again without having bits left over. It gave her a headache just thinking about it.
Wolverine wiped his hands on an oily rag as he noticed his young partner trotting across the garage towards him. "Whatchya want, Jubilee?" he growled, as she drew nearer.
Jubilee pressed a hand to her heart. "I'm hurt, Wolvie! Why do you always suspect I'm after something?"
"Because the only time ya ever come near me when I'm workin' in the garage is when ya need a favour." Wolverine stood and eyed the youngster warily. "So out with it, Jubilee. Whatchya want?"
Jubilee huffed, torn between calling his bluff and asking for the favour she so desperately needed. The favour won out.
"Well, actually ……"
"I knew it."
"Okay, you were right, Mr Know It All Wolverine! Can I continue?"
Wolverine gestured graciously with one hand. "Go ahead."
"I need a lift into town, Wolvie. I ordered some books from Roddicks a couple o' weeks ago an' they've arrived. As the Professor says we can't go into town alone ……"
"Ya figured ya'd ask me ta chaperone ya," finished Wolverine. He nodded. "Okay, I'll take ya. Tomorrow?"
"Sure."
"Wanna go on the bike?"
"No, I do not. Can't carry books on the bike, can I?"
"Just askin'. I'll meet ya out front with the jeep at ten o' clock. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Don't be late. I ain't waitin' fer ya if yer late."
"I won't be late." Jubilee smiled sweetly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Wolvie."
"Right."
Wolverine watched his young partner leave the garage before turning back to his bike. Crouched there, surrounded by parts and clutching his oily rag like a lifeline, he couldn't help feeling that he'd just been duped.
NEXT: Sabretooth!! Nuff said!!
