CHAPTER NINTY-NINE:
AN: I haven't gotten many reviews lately. At least I know you guys are still reading…right? Are you still there?
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THE OBSERVATION AREA OF THE DANGER ROOM:
XAVIERS SCHOOL FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
ROGUE/MARIE, CLARISSE, RODDY, JONESY, CASSIE, LOGAN/WOLVERINE
Cassie watched from the pile of blankets as Logan/Jimmy/James finished his phone call and pushed on the yellow intercom button.
"Alright, Jubilee-" the feral growled. "-stop runnin' and start walkin'. Ya need to cool down before ya stop completely."
How long had she been here? It felt like two weeks and she had yet to get back to work. `If I even HAVE a job anymore…..` And what about her apartment? When was the rent due again? `They'll probably send someone to see why I haven't paid yet…..`
And what would they do when they found she wasn't there and couldn't contact her? What about her things? Would they sell them?
Trying to be as quiet as possible, she very gently eased Roddy from her lap and tucked him in among the blankets, kissing his head.
She had to get out. She had to make sense of things, get back to her job, some normalcy before her crazy, feral, gentle, protective and possessive mate came back.
`It's not like I'm completely ditching him.` she reasoned to herself. `I'll call him. He just has to understand that I had a life BEFORE he grabbed me out of those woods…..` ….and protected her…..and held her…..and fed her…..and even tried to TALK to her…..and called her home.
The others were sleeping now, catching up on much needed rest…all except for Jubillee. (she winced at that thought. Well, at least Logan-Jimmy-James had told her she could start walking instead of out and out running.)
The sight of Roddys sleeping face tore at her heart. Thanks to her "mate" the little sweetheart now truly saw her as his Mother.
Involuntarily, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. How DARE that Victor Creed put her in this position! It wasn't like she could take care of Roddy on her own!
"You better not be doin' what I think yer doin' darlin'."
The low, growly voice made her start and she turned to see the eyes of "the Wolverine".
Why had she even thought she could sneak out on a ferals senses!? And her mates younger brother had never looked as feral as he did at that very moment.
The X-man sat in the swivel-control chair with Jonesy still nestled safely in his lap sleeping, but it still seemed as though every muscle he had was primed in readiness. She could almost swear his eyes were even flashing gold.
The thought of lying didn't even pass her mind for some reason. "I have a life. An apartment. A job. Things I have to get back to. Remember, I was brought here against my will."
"So yer gonna turn tail and run while yer mate is out there fighting so you can be safe, so you can live as long as him?" He didn't raise his voice, but it felt like an accusation all the same.
She stiffened. "I didn't ask for immortality." Good grief, but the very thought of such a thing was daunting.
"How do you think he feels?" Logan challenged her softly. "I may not have all my memories but apparently I've lived a long time. How would you feel if you lived for centuries, fight'n in so many wars till ya feel like the blood will never come off yer hands…..Then you give into the animal…..completely…with no instinct except to eat and hunt and piss and sleep…..No comfort, no companionship, just a meaningless existence. And then you find home.
Tell me you wouldn't fight tooth and nail ta keep that, darlin."
Cassie strengthened her resolve, tried to picture it like a tree growing roots deep into the earth and then turning to stone. "So I'm expected to be a good little housewife and stay barefoot and pregnant. I won't live like that."
"And what about yer job here?" the Wolverine countered. "The cubs?"
"If I had taught more than just one class I'm sure your argument would have more merit…..but it doesn't."
The Wolverine nodded to the sleeping, blue-skinned mutant. "And Roddy? Yeh just gonna leave'im high and dry like this?"
Now THAT was a low blow, one that shattered her stone trees of resolve to bits. "I-I can't take care of him on my own, you know this!" It was a struggle to keep her voice low.
"You can here with Victor."
She gritted her teeth, forcing back the tears. "I'll tell ya what. How about a compromise. Let me go to my job, my apartment. I'll come back here very day for a little bit in the evening."
"I can tell ya already Vic's not gonna let that happen." The Wolverine shot that idea out of the sky like a dead duck. "With all this hub-bub goin' on? No. He wants all of ya safe under one roof, it's easier to protect ya that way. We can't be in two places at once, not part of the feral mutation." He gave a roguish grin.
"Then what about a body-guard or something!?"
This time her hissed demand woke Rogue who started then began to look warily from her mate to Cassie with quickly comprehending eyes.
"And who could watch over you better than me or Vic? I don't know of any other Class Five (5) ferals and I doubt Vic would trust them even if we DID find someone."
The Wolverine sniffed the air. "Yer getting' too upset, darlin. Now I'll be nice and give ya a choice. You can either calm down and get back ta sleep and we'll talk about this when Vic gets back, or I can start up my purr and MAKE ya sleep. Either way, yer gonna calm down."
There was a tense silence so charged that Cassie was surprised that the whole group hadn't awakened yet despite their low voices.
"So you'll give me no choice." She summed it up.
"When Vic gets back we'll talk about this job of yers like adults." The Wolverine countered. "Yer already runnin' low on sleep, how are ya supposed to make a decision without a clear head?"
"Unless I can leave for my job tomorrow, I'm gone." She took Roddy back into her arms and the Wolverines purr showed her the path to sleep.
Then the Wolverine shook his head and wondered if his brother knew what he was in for. "Better hurry it up, Vic." He muttered quietly under his breath.
VOCABULARY:
DAUNTING: intimidating, scary
MERIT: something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.: Thebook'sonlymeritisitssincerity.
ROGUISH: playfully mischievous: aroguishsmile.
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CITATIONS:
"daunting." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 29 May. 2014. browse/daunting.
"merit." Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 May. 2014. browse/merit.
"roguish." Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 May. 2014. browse/roguish.
AN: Some of the next chapter is already typed up.