Chapter Thirty-Six
Jean tore down the stairs, Scott following close behind.
"Jean, what are you doing?" Scott tried to ask, but she ignored him. She burst into the living room. Tabitha and Rogue had rejoined Remy and Kurt, and all four of them turned to look at them.
"Kurt! Teleport me to the Brotherhood house!" Jean cried spastically.
"What? Why?" Kurt asked.
"JUST DO IT!" Jean shouted.
"Alright, alright!" Kurt had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't like Jean to yell like that. If she was yelling, there had to be an important reason. He grabbed her shoulder and teleported.
"What in the hell was that all about?" Rogue asked to no one in particular.
"Only one way to find out!" Tabitha was already half way out the door. They could hear Scott's car start. "Let's go! I've gotta pick up my car, anyway." Rogue and Remy looked at each other, then reluctantly followed Tabitha. They jumped into Scott's car, and Scott took off.
The ground was shaking. It was time.
Lance leaned forward and flung himself off the roof. He was in such a daze that he didn't even notice that Jean and Kurt had appeared.
In the middle of his freefall, he suddenly stopped. It was as though he was just floating. He looked down and saw Jean, her fingers on her temples, and Blue Boy. Slowly, Jean lowered him to the ground.
"Are you crazy?" Kurt asked. "You could've killed yourself!"
"That was the idea," Lance said angrily. Scott, Rogue, Remy and Tabitha pulled up then. They all hopped out of the car. "So what, you got the entire X-Men team together for this? What do you care if I die, anyway?"
"What?" Tabitha cried. She rushed over to Lance. "What're you talking about?"
"We just stopped him from committing suicide," Jean said. "He tried to jump off the roof, but I caught him in time."
"Alvers, what were you thinking?" Rogue asked, irritated.
"I was thinking that you all need to get the hell out of here, and stay away from me," Lance snapped.
"No, way," Scott said. "You're not staying here alone. Not when you're suicidal."
"What possible difference could that make to you, Summers?" Lance shot back. "Doesn't that make your life easier? Me not being around?"
"Are you kidding? We live with Kitty," Rogue said.
"Kitty doesn't need me," Lance replied.
"Doesn't matter, you're coming with us back to the mansion," Scott said. "Now, you can go willingly, or we can take you by force."
"Meaning, what exactly?" Lance challenged.
"Meaning I'll knock your ass out, and we'll drag your unconscious body back to the mansion," Rogue answered.
"Well ,I was thinking more along the lines of Kurt teleporting him, but that works, too," Scott said.
"Who said I would, anyway," Kurt mumbled under his breath. Only Tabitha heard him. She looked over at him.
"Don't be like that, Blue," she said softly. "Not right now." Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll go with you," lance said. "But only for a day, and then I'm out of there."
"Come on, Lance, you lived with us longer than that before," Jean said.
"Yeah, suck it up," Tabitha agreed. "Better alive and with all of us than alone and dead, right?"
"Speak for yourself." Lance got into his jeep. "I'll meet you back there." He drove off.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets there," Tabitha said. She climbed into her car. "You coming, Blue?"
"Sure, why not," Kurt said with a sigh. He 'ported into Tabitha's car, and they took off after Lance.
"Come, I think we've had enough excitement for today," Jean said and the remaining four climbed back into Scott's car. "Let's go back home."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Rogue asked.
"What?" Scott turned to look at her.
"Someone has to tell Kitty about this."
"I don't know if Petite has to know about this, chere," Remy said carefully. "Not after the past several days she's had. She's still recovering from a gunshot wound, after all."
"Don't ya'll think she'll get a little suspicious when Lance just happens to be staying at the mansion?" Rogue retorted.
"We'll just tell her that Lance changed his mind," Scott said.
"Well, someone better tell Kurt and Tabby, then," Rogue replied with a shrug.
"On it," Jean said. She telepathically contacted Kurt, and told him not to tell Kitty about Lance's suicide attempt. He responded by saying he'd pass the message on to Tabitha.
"Okay, that's taken care of," Jean said. "So we're all in agreement. Kitty isn't to find out about what happened today." Remy, Rogue and Scott mumbled confirmation.
Rogue stared out the window. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kitty. Sure, they'd had their differences in the years they've known each other, even more so this past summer, but this was something important. This was something that effected everyone in the mansion. She already knew Kurt was uncomfortable. Obviously Lance wasn't crazy about the idea of sleeping some place where his ex-girlfriend, whom he was still in love with, was sleeping down the hall with her current boyfriend. And that she was recovering from being shot, which, in a way, was his fault.
"Don't worry about her, chere," Remy whispered. "Petite can handle anything that's thrown at her."
"Well, obviously she can't, otherwise the bullet would've missed her," Rogue whispered back. Remy smiled.
"That's not nice, chere."
"Neither is the situation." Remy wrapped an arm over Rogue's shoulders.
"Try not to worry. For me?" Rogue sighed.
"Yeah, whatever." She leaned into Remy's arm and stared straight ahead. Then she sat up.
"What's wrong, chere?"
"Uh, did anyone tell Lance not to tell Kitty about the whole jumper thing?"
Lance stood over Kitty's bed. She looked so peaceful, sleeping quietly. He wanted to climb into her bed with her and hold her and kiss her, just like the way things used to be. He knew that both Kitty and Kurt would wring his neck if he did, though. Not to mention Summers and Logan ripping him apart.
He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, watching her. He reached over and touched her cheek, then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He winced at the stitches in her shoulder. He wanted to forget about that day. He knew he'd never forgive himself for letting that happen to her.
Kurt approached the door to his room. It was cracked slightly. He saw Lance in there. He wanted to kick him out, but from what he could see, Lance wasn't doing anything wrong. He decided to let him have a few minutes with Kitty. She was asleep, anyway. He retreated back to the others.
Lance never even noticed. He leaned over and rested his head beside Kitty. Her eye lids fluttered. She slowly opened them and noticed Lance.
"Hey," she said quietly. "What're you doing here?" Lance raised his head to look at her. He smiled.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep. Or I can leave. Whichever."
"No, I'm up." Kitty pulled herself up. Lance helped her. He didn't want her to hurt her shoulder. "Thanks." She smiled brightly. "So what're you doing here, really?"
"I'm staying here for the night."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Do you not want me to?"
"No, that came out wrong. What I meant was, what made you change your mind?"
"Just...things."
"What things?"
"You don't want to know."
"Lance, of course I do. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Lance shook his head.
"I don't think you're ready for this information, Kitty."
"I can handle it. I'm strong."
"I know you are. But this is something I don't really think you'd want to know about. You might cry."
"I cry all the time." Lance stifled a laugh, but it didn't work very well.
"You're the only person in the world who looks beautiful all the time, even when she cries."
"You're just saying that to change the subject."
"Trust me, Kitty, you don't want to know."
"Trust me, Lance, I do." Lance sighed.
"I tried to kill myself today."
Jean tore down the stairs, Scott following close behind.
"Jean, what are you doing?" Scott tried to ask, but she ignored him. She burst into the living room. Tabitha and Rogue had rejoined Remy and Kurt, and all four of them turned to look at them.
"Kurt! Teleport me to the Brotherhood house!" Jean cried spastically.
"What? Why?" Kurt asked.
"JUST DO IT!" Jean shouted.
"Alright, alright!" Kurt had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't like Jean to yell like that. If she was yelling, there had to be an important reason. He grabbed her shoulder and teleported.
"What in the hell was that all about?" Rogue asked to no one in particular.
"Only one way to find out!" Tabitha was already half way out the door. They could hear Scott's car start. "Let's go! I've gotta pick up my car, anyway." Rogue and Remy looked at each other, then reluctantly followed Tabitha. They jumped into Scott's car, and Scott took off.
The ground was shaking. It was time.
Lance leaned forward and flung himself off the roof. He was in such a daze that he didn't even notice that Jean and Kurt had appeared.
In the middle of his freefall, he suddenly stopped. It was as though he was just floating. He looked down and saw Jean, her fingers on her temples, and Blue Boy. Slowly, Jean lowered him to the ground.
"Are you crazy?" Kurt asked. "You could've killed yourself!"
"That was the idea," Lance said angrily. Scott, Rogue, Remy and Tabitha pulled up then. They all hopped out of the car. "So what, you got the entire X-Men team together for this? What do you care if I die, anyway?"
"What?" Tabitha cried. She rushed over to Lance. "What're you talking about?"
"We just stopped him from committing suicide," Jean said. "He tried to jump off the roof, but I caught him in time."
"Alvers, what were you thinking?" Rogue asked, irritated.
"I was thinking that you all need to get the hell out of here, and stay away from me," Lance snapped.
"No, way," Scott said. "You're not staying here alone. Not when you're suicidal."
"What possible difference could that make to you, Summers?" Lance shot back. "Doesn't that make your life easier? Me not being around?"
"Are you kidding? We live with Kitty," Rogue said.
"Kitty doesn't need me," Lance replied.
"Doesn't matter, you're coming with us back to the mansion," Scott said. "Now, you can go willingly, or we can take you by force."
"Meaning, what exactly?" Lance challenged.
"Meaning I'll knock your ass out, and we'll drag your unconscious body back to the mansion," Rogue answered.
"Well ,I was thinking more along the lines of Kurt teleporting him, but that works, too," Scott said.
"Who said I would, anyway," Kurt mumbled under his breath. Only Tabitha heard him. She looked over at him.
"Don't be like that, Blue," she said softly. "Not right now." Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll go with you," lance said. "But only for a day, and then I'm out of there."
"Come on, Lance, you lived with us longer than that before," Jean said.
"Yeah, suck it up," Tabitha agreed. "Better alive and with all of us than alone and dead, right?"
"Speak for yourself." Lance got into his jeep. "I'll meet you back there." He drove off.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets there," Tabitha said. She climbed into her car. "You coming, Blue?"
"Sure, why not," Kurt said with a sigh. He 'ported into Tabitha's car, and they took off after Lance.
"Come, I think we've had enough excitement for today," Jean said and the remaining four climbed back into Scott's car. "Let's go back home."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Rogue asked.
"What?" Scott turned to look at her.
"Someone has to tell Kitty about this."
"I don't know if Petite has to know about this, chere," Remy said carefully. "Not after the past several days she's had. She's still recovering from a gunshot wound, after all."
"Don't ya'll think she'll get a little suspicious when Lance just happens to be staying at the mansion?" Rogue retorted.
"We'll just tell her that Lance changed his mind," Scott said.
"Well, someone better tell Kurt and Tabby, then," Rogue replied with a shrug.
"On it," Jean said. She telepathically contacted Kurt, and told him not to tell Kitty about Lance's suicide attempt. He responded by saying he'd pass the message on to Tabitha.
"Okay, that's taken care of," Jean said. "So we're all in agreement. Kitty isn't to find out about what happened today." Remy, Rogue and Scott mumbled confirmation.
Rogue stared out the window. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kitty. Sure, they'd had their differences in the years they've known each other, even more so this past summer, but this was something important. This was something that effected everyone in the mansion. She already knew Kurt was uncomfortable. Obviously Lance wasn't crazy about the idea of sleeping some place where his ex-girlfriend, whom he was still in love with, was sleeping down the hall with her current boyfriend. And that she was recovering from being shot, which, in a way, was his fault.
"Don't worry about her, chere," Remy whispered. "Petite can handle anything that's thrown at her."
"Well, obviously she can't, otherwise the bullet would've missed her," Rogue whispered back. Remy smiled.
"That's not nice, chere."
"Neither is the situation." Remy wrapped an arm over Rogue's shoulders.
"Try not to worry. For me?" Rogue sighed.
"Yeah, whatever." She leaned into Remy's arm and stared straight ahead. Then she sat up.
"What's wrong, chere?"
"Uh, did anyone tell Lance not to tell Kitty about the whole jumper thing?"
Lance stood over Kitty's bed. She looked so peaceful, sleeping quietly. He wanted to climb into her bed with her and hold her and kiss her, just like the way things used to be. He knew that both Kitty and Kurt would wring his neck if he did, though. Not to mention Summers and Logan ripping him apart.
He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, watching her. He reached over and touched her cheek, then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He winced at the stitches in her shoulder. He wanted to forget about that day. He knew he'd never forgive himself for letting that happen to her.
Kurt approached the door to his room. It was cracked slightly. He saw Lance in there. He wanted to kick him out, but from what he could see, Lance wasn't doing anything wrong. He decided to let him have a few minutes with Kitty. She was asleep, anyway. He retreated back to the others.
Lance never even noticed. He leaned over and rested his head beside Kitty. Her eye lids fluttered. She slowly opened them and noticed Lance.
"Hey," she said quietly. "What're you doing here?" Lance raised his head to look at her. He smiled.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep. Or I can leave. Whichever."
"No, I'm up." Kitty pulled herself up. Lance helped her. He didn't want her to hurt her shoulder. "Thanks." She smiled brightly. "So what're you doing here, really?"
"I'm staying here for the night."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Do you not want me to?"
"No, that came out wrong. What I meant was, what made you change your mind?"
"Just...things."
"What things?"
"You don't want to know."
"Lance, of course I do. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Lance shook his head.
"I don't think you're ready for this information, Kitty."
"I can handle it. I'm strong."
"I know you are. But this is something I don't really think you'd want to know about. You might cry."
"I cry all the time." Lance stifled a laugh, but it didn't work very well.
"You're the only person in the world who looks beautiful all the time, even when she cries."
"You're just saying that to change the subject."
"Trust me, Kitty, you don't want to know."
"Trust me, Lance, I do." Lance sighed.
"I tried to kill myself today."