Chap 10
AN-Wow I think this is my longest chapter yet. I had to cut it off though. I have to save it for more installments. Enjoy and review!!
Liadan calmed herself enough to the point where she was satisfied with just glaring at the back of the professor's head and refusing to answer anyone politely on the way back to the school. She still couldn't figure it out. She knew that something other than her developing teenaged mind was wrong with her thought process and she had always just assumed it was her mutation and left it at that. But now, the ability to reason rationally without her emotions driving her decisions was something that she really thought would be useful.
She knew she was glowering and pouting, but at the moment, she frankly didn't give a damn. She needed to figure out what she was feeling, but she didn't really want to look at it too closely. Thinking back, she was sure she had made a fool of herself somehow. How could she have been so stupid in front of someone as alluring as that blond giant? Sure he could afford to trim his eyebrows, and sure he could try to not attack her teachers, but…everyone has something that someone else doesn't like. Right?
Logan groaned awake beside her as they pulled off of the exit that would take them to Xavier's. "How are you?" Liadan asked, turning to face him. She had one hand on his arm, and the other hovered over his face, unsure if he would welcome the touch of concern. "I feel like shit." He grunted disgruntled, but then he jerked his arm from under her hand and sprung his claws with a resounding Snikt! "Rogue!" He demanded. "Where is she?"
Thank God, they had just pulled into the drive.
Damn it, it was a long one.
………..
Gwynne knew something was wrong as soon as her daughter entered the room. And she didn't need her powers to tell her that. The look on Liadan's face was pure conflict. And stress…And adrenaline. She bustled over to put her mothering arm around her poor teen. She knew Liadan suffered from more than a teen's usual emotional trauma. "I'm so ugh! right now!" The younger burst forth. "What happened?" Gwynne asked the room over the hair she was smoothing from the hyperventilating girl's head.
………..
Liadan didn't know how she managed to get on that plane. Maybe Logan had something to do with it. They had a little bonding in the war room while the x-men were working out some kinks for the evening's mission. When Storm brought in a spare suit for Logan, she wasn't surprised to see Liadan come through the door in an all black outfit that consisted of flat boots, leggings, a skirt, and a long sleeved shirt. "Ready to rob a bank kid?" Accompanied by a raised eyebrow was Logan's only response.
"I still don't like this Professor." Scott frowned. Liadan figured there had been some brain-side conversation with all of those ready to go. She assumed it was ultimately up to the professor if she went or not. But she was determined. Rogue was her first friend at school, her first mutant friend anywhere, and she wasn't going to let some crazy megalomaniac (she learned that word from Dr. Hank) use her to start a crazy war. Liadan hadn't been in the loop with the whole senator Kelly thing, but now that she was up to speed since the briefing in the war room, her mind was made up.
Gwynne had some problems letting her go, but Liadan reminded her that she couldn't get really hurt. "I'm a wuss, but I'll always bounce back mommy." She assured her before kissing her good-bye.
"I know, but stay behind them anyway, I just want you to comfort poor Rogue on the way home. If any of them come at you, I want you to cast a glamour and get out of there. I love you pumkin."
"I love you too mommy, I wont tell you not to worry, but I'll be fine." She paused and then beamed from the jet's ramp. "Hey, I got an A on my last history test! Highest in the class!!...I Love You Mommy!!"
"I'm not gonna let her outta my sight doc." Logan comforted gruffly to the councilor. "I won't let anything happen to Liadan, she's a good kid."
……….
"I don't like this." Scott whined to Ororo.
"I know she's too young." Storm replied with her stony mask in place.
I said to leave it be. She is on this mission and you will treat her as a junior member of the team. Logan is also to be treated as a team member. The participation of both of them in this mission is extremely vital.
……….
Liadan's muscles tensed and her pupils dilated as she got off of the blackbird and onto Liberty Island. To think she was living in New York now! Storm's mist seemed to both comfort and unnerve her. She was safe from sight, but what else could be lurking in the fog? She was focusing so much on trying to hear or see anything that could lead her to her friend that she didn't notice the metal detector she walked through until the alarm went off.
Luckily, her expletive was covered by the siren, and Logan took the rap.
"That one wasn't me." He grunted almost as a question to her under his breath as he passed her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, me and electronics…Heh, you should have seen how hard it was for me to not screw up the plane." Liadan was rewarded by Logan's look of concern.
He seemed to really not like the idea of Liadan having to concentrate to not bring the plane down from the sky. "Remind me to bring you back conscious."
………
"Shit, you are so lucky you remembered how we first met Logan, otherwise…" She trailed off as the group made their way up the statue.
"I gotta give you props kid, you did pretty well back there, those guys were strong and you held your own pretty well. But I have got to teach you to throw a decent punch. You can't just rely on luck and emotion to get you through a fight."
……….
"The torch."
……….
The metal bar around Liadan's waist was not comfy. And neither was the one around her chest. Both dug uncomfortably into her through her thin cotton outfit. "That's why you guys wear leather; I thought it was just a fetish." She tried to joke. But the situation just hit the fan so to speak. They were trapped, and Rogue was stuck, and the world's leaders were about to be in a world of crap, just because this ass wouldn't listen.
Then she noticed a giant golden god. "Oh damn." She moaned softly. "Hey Vic." She did the male-head-nod-of-acknowledgment in his direction. He just kept pacing, growling lowly, not to threaten her, but he was obviously not content with the situation.
"Sooo," She asked him kind of depressed, drumming her fingers on the wall." what's this?"
………….
No way they brought my girl here! She does not need to see me on the job, and who knows what they told her about me at the briefing. And what if she gets hurt!? He knew that Chuck wouldn't say anything too bad, the two had an understanding, but now that he had one of the nutty professor's kids, maybe things had changed.
Fuck. What do I do? He mused with a scowl while pacing.
"That's why you guys wear leather; I thought it was just a fetish."
She makes jokes? Here? Now? Damn she's something! He thought with a bewildered lip twitch that would have been a smile in other circumstances.
Then he could smell her scent change. He couldn't name what she was feeling. She was definitely scared, and of course she was angry, but, there was something unusual. She was…disappointed…in him? A little excited-understandable, maybe dare-he-think-it? happy. And curious maybe. She was a puzzle.
"Hey Vic." Her voice was low again and did not say she was happy to see him. Her eyes were hooded and he could see her pupils couldn't make up their minds. He couldn't process this. Of course she was upset and confused, he was too damn it! What do I do? what do I do? whatdoIdo? Fuck.
"Sooo," Her voice broke into his circling musings. "what's this?"
…………..
AN-Well well well, we reach chapter ten. I don't think there'll be many more chapters after this one. But I do intend to have a follow up. I want this to at least go through the second movie, but I thought it best to break it up. Of course I'd be delighted if you dropped me a review, and suggestions are welcome…Oh crap. Liadan and Gwynne need a last name. Or last names, Gwynne isn't married to Liadan's dad anymore. He didn't really mind Liadan was a mutant, but he didn't want to encourage her to develop her powers. More into her back-story later ;)