Marvel owns the X-men, no Profit is to be made by this work.
Heading to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee, Jubilee looked out the window as she neared the foyer catching the glow of headlights coming up the drive. The hour was still early in the morning, only a glow on the horizon to show the coming of the sunrise. Rubbing her face with a yawn and a glance to her self, she figured whoever it was would just have to deal with seeing her in her boxers and Pete's pilfered T-shirt. Standing at the door with her head pressed against it, she waited for the knock and greeted whoever was there.
"Good Morning, Doctor MacTaggert." The petite red head said holding out a hand.
"Uh, no...Jubilee. She's in the uh, err basement." Jubilee said fighting a yawn, taking the woman's hand in her own.
"A pleasure, but actually I meant that in greeting. I'm Doctor MacTaggert." The young Doctor said with an infectious smile.
"Then...who's in the basement?" Jubilee posed the question, her brain just not up to dealing with an early morning identity crisis without her first cup.
"That would also be Doctor MacTaggert." The younger Doctor MacTaggert apparent said keeping the smile its full beaming wattage.
Looking the woman up and down once again, tilting her head to the side to look past her to see the luggage sitting on the steps with an airport limo pulling out past the gates, Jubilee blinked blandly with her confusion evident. Looking to heave a sigh, she drew a deep breath and held it for a moment.
"...Ro!?" Jubilee yelled, making an about face to walk off to her original destination leaving someone else to deal with it.
Looking down from the second floor, the Headmistress held a moment of surprise upon her delicate features before wandering down the stairs with a smile that matched the young woman standing at the door. Drawing her into a hug, she held the lady at arms length then to take her in. Hardly more than five feet, pale skin that accentuated her russet hair and dazzling green eyes, she was dressed in business casual with a couple of pieces of luggage at her back.
"Your mother said you were coming but I never expected you to be here so soon Rahne." Ororo said pleased, reaching past to take up one of the bags.
"I might have confused the poor lass that greeted me." Rahne laughed light and lilting.
"Am I to believe that was not your intention?" Ororo teased, leading the way to the lift.
"I could nae ever resist, it always makes for a fun first impression when my mother is about." Rahne confessed, admiring the school in passing and looking at the photos that hung on the walls.
"How was your flight?" Ororo asked in a bit of small talk.
"Long and tedious, as sorry as I felt for the mother and her wee babe crying behind me I was relieved when we landed." Rahne sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"I'm sure we could always find something for a headache if you need." Ororo assured, taking a breath as she stepped into the elevator and holding it all the way down.
"Still suffering your claustrophobia?" Rahne inquired gently.
"Nowhere near as severe as when I was younger, Charles helped me face that fear." Ororo replied once she had found her way into the hall.
Heading down to the Med Bay, Ororo let herself in first to find the elder Doctor MacTaggert sitting with Marie enjoying a cup of tea both with Logan slumbering nearby. Holding the door, she stood there enjoying the reunion as Rahne stepped in behind her. Hastily setting her cup and saucer down, Moira was on her feet to tackle her daughter in a hug filled with a flurry of questions. Ignoring the surprise and questioning eyes of Marie, Ororo helped herself to a cup and stood with her.
"When did ye arrive?" Moira asked, holding her daughter at arms length to look over her.
"Just now, when I was told you were in the basement I admit I did nae expect this." Rahne revealed, looking around the medical wing of the sub-basement.
"Who told ye that?" Moira asked, toying with Rahne's short yet stylish hair.
"A future patient it seems, Jubilee." Rahne replied, playfully swatting at her mother's hand.
"Poor lass, I bet ye were up to yuir tricks too. Had I know the mischief ye'd be causing I'd have left ye a Sinclair." Moira laughed, poking and prodding her daughter and looking to the colour of her eyes.
"Mother, really. I'm eating well and exercising daily, ye can leave me be or at least offer me a cup of tea first and something for the ache of my poor head." Rahne growled, swatting away the questing fingers of her mother.
"I'll be tha judge of that my dear, ye may be a doctor of the mind but I be this families one of the body. Heavens where are my manners. Marie, this is my daughter Rahne. I'm sure you two will get along swimmingly." Moira said in introduction, hauling her daughter off to the mystified woman sitting at the bedside.
"You're that friend then?" Marie said, standing up to offer her hand.
"A pleasure, and yes. Mother tries to let my reputation stand for itself when sending me patients." Rahne chuckled, pulling Marie into a sympathetic hug.
Hugging her tightly, Marie found out just how much she needed one then and rested her chin on the shorter woman's shoulder feeling her body grow heavy after everything she'd been through. Surprising her, Rahne neither bent nor buckled and just held onto her until she found the strength to part, a silent thank you mouthed as she looked down to her.
"I understand you've all been through a very trying time, I've been trying to clear my schedule ever since mother called. I'm sorry it took so long to get here, but as far as working vacations go this is nae a one I could refuse." Rahne said holding onto Marie's hands, limitless compassion held in her eyes.
"Working vacation?" Marie asked.
"Offering my couch as it were, though I'm more than flexible as ta where anyone feels the need to talk. I'll likely have a talk with Miss Braddock first ta having some words with her students, telepaths are always the most sensitive. Then those closest, and from there ta just anyone who has any skeletons in their closets they'd like to air." Rahne remarked, counting off points on her fingers with a thoughtful expression.
Marie reached to pull the woman in another hug and thought in some quiet moment she'd owe one to the elder Doctor MacTaggert for her foresight. Leading her off to the pot of tea, a cup was waiting as they sat and broke bread together even if it was just some shortbread cookies that suited the earl grey that had been a favourite of another.
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"So there's two of them?" Jubilee asked, giving Veronica some TLC.
"Apparently." Kitty said, handing off the asked for tool.
"And she's my shrink?" Jubilee questioned.
"Psychiatrist." Kitty clarified.
Pursing her lips in thought, Jubilee tightened the nut just a touch more after the oil change and climbed atop the Harley. Kick starting the bike and letting it idle for a while, she killed it and checked the oil level again before topping it up just a touch. When Logan got his ass out of bed she knew he'd need a good ride, and the helmet he'd ordered for Marie had come in the mail while they'd still been away. She had it sitting on his desk waiting for that time, making sure everything would be ready for that moment.
"So Moira's pretty much our overqualified GP? Rahne is my shr...psychiatrist, they got a gynecologist in the family to round out the package?" Jubilee asked, Kitty lashing her with a wound up rag straight out of change room antics.
"Ow!" Jubilee spat, glaring at her tormentor.
"Don't forget Sean and Moira are pretty serious, Theresa might be calling them family someday too." Kitty chastised.
"So you gonna go talk to her?" Jubilee asked, poking Kitty as she walked past to fridge for a bottle of water.
"Yes." Kitty said, sitting on her little mechanic stool beside the bike.
"Serious?" Jubilee asked surprised.
"Serious. Hank's also got me an appointment to have my hands looked at, he's worried there might have been some nerve damage." Kitty revealed.
"They hurt?" Jubilee asked fully interested and concerned now.
"They've...been bugging me. But I think it's just in my head." Kitty assured, wringing her hands.
"So you're going to talk to Moira Jr about it." Jubilee said, bowing her head to glare at some stubborn stain on the shop floor.
"Rahne, and yes." Kitty said, throwing the filthy rag at her friend.
"Ew, do you know where this thing has been?" Jubilee shrieked, snatching it and throwing it back at Kitty.
"No! But now I'm worried!" Kitty yelled, kicking off and rolling back on her stool out of it's path.
"I've seen Logan use that to wipe his pits!" Jubilee spat.
"Ew! You gave me that?!" Kitty shrieked.
"Eh, I had my nitrile gloves on when I handed you it, it's different having you throw it in my face!" Jubilee laughed.
"Oh keep laughing, you're lucky I don't kick your ass and shove that in your mouth!" Kitty challenged, jumping to her feet and falling into a theatric martial arts stance.
"Uncle, I'm sorry! Anything but that!" Jubilee laughed, dancing back to put Logan's desk between them.
Glaring at her friend in mock anger, Kitty joined her in laughing and walked up to fridge for a bottle of water herself. Leaning with her back to the workbench and looking at the helmet on the desk, she admired the air brushed art on it and wondered just how much it must have cost Logan.
"Pretty ain't it? Got a friend of mine to do it for him in town, Logan had Pete sketch out his ideas before he stopped...ya know what, never mind." Jubilee said, running a finger over the glossy finish.
"She'll love it, they both will." Kitty said, thinking of that time Marie had gone racing off with Logan wearing Jubilee's 'Hubba Bubba' pink helmet.
"He already woke up, just for a bit." Kitty revealed.
"What?!" Jubilee asked, nearly falling out of her chair.
"It was last night, when Bobby was down sitting with him. Layla went down to keep him company, they got to uh, snuggling was the word Bobby used. He said Logan woke up to tell them to get a room, just up long enough to find out where Marie was." Kitty said thinking of the talk she had with Bobby during their private little breakfast in her room.
Smiling as she listened, Jubilee looked back to the bike with her thoughts towards the owner. Climbing out of the chair she was keeping warm, she wandered over to a shelf above the work bench Kitty leaned against and started picking up a bottles of assorted cleaning supplies.
"Wanna help me give Vernoica a wash and wax, just so she's sporting her Sunday Best when he gets his ass in gear?" Jubilee asked, throwing a clean rag at Kitty.
"Sure, but only because he's not around. I don't know what he'd think of us two man handling his other lady love." Kitty teased.
"If it was Marie washing her he'd probably get the hose and live out a fantasy." Jubilee laughed, leading the way.
"Wet T-shirt and a wash and wax? Probably." Kitty chuckled, letting herself be guided through the finer points of detailing the bike.
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Curled up in a chair at his bedside lightly dozing, she felt a light brush touch her cheek and knew relief again seeing him staring at her from under heavy lidded eyes with his fingers reaching for her. Taking his hand, she guided it to her lips and kissed his knuckles as he weakly grasped it. Tired as he was, his eyes held the only smile she needed from him.
"Long time no see..." Marie whispered, too many days between when she'd last seen life in his eyes.
"Sorry...t'keep ya...waiting..." Logan whispered, wetting his lips with his tongue.
"Kept a lot of people waiting Mister..." Marie whispered, trailing a finger down the lines within his palm.
"Sorry..." Logan said, lolling his head to the side to admire her.
"Nope, not taking any lip service mister. Just get better." Marie said, leaning in ever so gently to kiss him on his lips.
"S'though...ya said no..." Logan chuckled weakly.
"Making an exception." Marie said soothingly, slipping from her chair to stand near him.
Expecting it even though it still stung horribly, his hand grew weak and his eyes fell shut again though she could swear she saw a peace in him as he laid there. Placing a gentle kiss to the lids of both his eyes, resting his hand on his chest as she held it, she settled back in her chair and kept him company wishing him sweet dreams between now and his next waking. She already had news that had her spirit buoyed, the poisoning of his blood hadn't grown any worse than the day past though Moira tried to temper her that they still had a long road yet.
But Marie trusted her heart, she had seen Logan at his best and seen him shrug off what would have been death to another. She let her hopes run high, filled her the dreams they swore to another that night. The nightmare would be over and she just had to trust him to do what he was so very good at and fight, for her and them all. Lost to thought as she was, she noticed the shadows of feet that darkened the doorway heralding company. Waving meekly to Pete as he showed himself in, he joined her at the bedside to spend time with his friend.
"You just missed him..." Marie whispered, wishing he had only been a few moments quicker in his visit.
"You can send him my wishes the next time he wakes if I'm not here." Pete said softly.
"Will do." Marie smiled.
Thinking of all the people who had been to see him over the weeks, talking to him whether he was awake or not, one out of them all painted her curious again. She'd heard how Nick, once in a private moment having told her to just call him that, had left but it was the other who had come with him that she had heard still lingered about the school. Seeing a side of the woman she wondered if she'd been let to see, she thought of the words spoken between her and Logan and the one snatch she remembered after hearing it again and again filled with pain.
"Pete?" Marie asked, toying with the words and rolling them over her tongue quietly.
"Yes?" Pete asked looking to her.
"What does...forgive me if I get this wrong, but what does Malo Dyadi mean." Marie asked.
"Little Uncle." Pete answered, looking to her curiously now.
"Thank you." Marie replied, thinking again on the woman she'd heard utter them.
"May I ask?" Pete pressed gently.
"It was something Natalie said to Logan, I couldn't follow the read but...that stuck with me for some reason." Marie confessed.
"I didn't take her for knowing Russian." Pete said thoughtfully.
"I think there might be a bit about Miss Rushman we don't know." Marie mused.
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