Chapter 18 - Practices

- One week later

Xavier's School for the Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, New York.

Jean was in a good mood. Rachel had been out of the infirmary for two days, having recovered well and gained a decent amount of weight during the past week. Both mother and daughter were currently sleeping in a comfortable bedroom in the X-mansion's first floor, where most of the X-Men also had their rooms. Ororo, Bobby and Warren had been kind enough to go to Logan's apartment in Salem Center to retrieve most of Jean's belongings and all the supplies that Rachel would require. Right now, the Grey women had everything they needed.

The redhead had just finished bathing her baby and put her to sleep when someone knocked at her bedroom door. Her hands were busy with folding clean clothes on the bed and she opted to use telekinesis to open it. To her surprise, she found Professor X waiting at the doorway.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Grey," he greeted her. "How are the two of you today?"

"Oh, hello, professor," she let go of the clothes and walked to the door to properly address her host. "We're very well, thank you."

"I'm happy to hear it," he smiled, and asked. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a cup of tea in my studio. If you are available, of course."

Jean glanced back at the crib, where Rachel was heavily asleep. "Sure. Let me just turn on the baby monitor," she told him, adjusting the device and grabbing its receiver. She then followed Xavier into the elevator to the ground level, where he showed her the way to his private office.

Once inside the austere room, Charles motioned the younger telepath to sit on the couch while he moved towards a side table and served two cups of mint tea. He wheeled back and stopped right in front of Jean, offering her one cup.

"Thank you," she said, impressed by the man's agility in the wheelchair.

"You're welcome," he replied, and smiled. "I hope it's still warm."

The woman sipped her drink. "It's perfect."

"So, Ms. Grey, how are you adjusting to this new environment?"

"Please, professor, call me Jean," she said, and he nodded. "I'm good. Everybody's been very kind to me and Rachel, and I'm very grateful. Especially to you, sir."

"It's the least I could do. Regardless of your relationship to a member of the team, you were a mutant in need of help."

"Previous relationship," she corrected him in a soft tone, carefully placing her teacup on the coffee table. "Logan's made it clear that he's not interested in starting a family."

Charles didn't need his telepathic skills to realize how much hurt Wolverine's departure had caused the redhead. "You know, Jean… I've known Logan for a long time, and I can assure you that the happiest he's ever been was during the time the two of you were together." The woman's face became flushed, and Xavier could feel the anger rising inside of her. But before she could respond to his comment, the man continued to speak. "Anyway, Wolverine is not the topic of this conversation."

Jean lifted an eyebrow. "I'm guessing my powers are, then."

"Precisely," the familiar, kind grin returned to the professor's face. "Do you mind telling me how and when your gifts first manifested?"

The younger telepath looked down at her hands, obviously uncomfortable with his question. Xavier noticed it and decided not to push it. "You don't have to if you don't want, dear."

"No, it's just… it's fine. I should tell you. It's about time I get over it, anyway," she drew in a breath. "I was ten when my father left home. My mother had just discovered he was having an affair with one of his college students… The girl got pregnant and he moved away to Detroit with her. At that time, my mom and sister didn't tell me the whole story, only that he was leaving us. I… I missed him so much… I kept talking to him, in my head… like with an imaginary friend, you know? Until one day I thought so… intensely about dad… that I heard him, in my head."

"You were in New York and you sensed your father's thoughts… from Detroit?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yes. And then I heard my mom admonishing him for not helping with the bills, and Sarah cursing him and his lover for abandoning us… And suddenly I could feel the entire neighborhood inside of my head."

Professor X was listening attentively to her story. "Oh, Jean, dear. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been for a ten-year-old."

The woman chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, you could say that. The worst part were the headaches though," she told him. "I couldn't sleep because my mind was never quiet, and every morning I had excruciating headaches. I couldn't go to school. I told my mom I was listening to people's thoughts but she didn't believe me. She made me see a bunch of different psychiatrists, but they would only give me sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medicines. They said I was depressed due to my father's departure," she smiled wryly at the memory.

"Inexperienced psychics are often mistaken for psychiatric patients," Charles commented.

Jean nodded in agreement. "Yes, they are. Of course, the medication only helped for a while, and eventually my… symptoms… got worse. When I was twelve, I was admitted to a mental institution."

"Oh God," the redhead heard Xavier mumbling. She didn't want his pity, so she kept on speaking.

"After a couple of months, my condition didn't change. One day my sister Sarah came to visit me, and I asked her about her date with this boy the evening before. She hadn't told anyone about it, so I couldn't have known. That day she started believing that I could read people's minds," this time, Jean's grin was genuine. "Sarah did some research and found a book about the topic in a local bookstore. 'Demystifying Telepathy'."

"My first publication," Xavier acknowledged. "Jean, that book was not intended for children."

"I know, sir. And yet, it took me only one day to read it. It was… incredible," her green eyes sparkled at the memory. "I could finally understand what I was. Then I started doing the exercises you described in the book," her smile widened. "Sarah was my guinea pig."

"I bet she was," Professor X chuckled.

"Anyway, in about two weeks I managed to gain some control over my telepathy. I learned how to block people's thoughts. My 'behavior' improved, and the doctors discharged me. I was so afraid of going back to that place that I spent a lot of time avoiding using my powers after that."

'And you still do,' Charles thought to himself. "What about your telekinesis?"

"Oh," she exclaimed, blushing slightly. "That happened later, in high school. I was fourteen, and a boy tried to kiss me in this party. He smelled like alcohol and l didn't want to… I guess my mind reacted quicker than my body," she laughed at the memory. "He ended up inside the pool without me even realizing it."

"I'm sure he deserved it," Xavier winked at her, and asked. "How did you manage to control it?"

"Exercising. Every night before going to bed, I moved everything around in my bedroom… books, pillows, drawers. Sometimes I played with other stuff too. God knows how many times I had to hide from my mother after dropping her porcelain plates to the floor."

"Consider it collateral damage," he joked, and then added. "Have you ever tried to lift bigger objects? For instance, something that weighted more than yourself?"

"I've always intended to become a doctor, so I never saw the reason for using too much telekinesis," Jean explained. "Except for the time when the F.O.H. exploded Harry's bar and I used my powers to lift the bricks and debris that fell over Ororo. I think that was the heaviest weight I've ever carried."

"Yes, I believe Logan has mentioned that episode to me. May I ask… where are your mother and sister now?"

"They're in Florida. My mom had a stroke four years ago and developed vascular dementia. She can't leave the bed. Sarah and her husband take care of her. They have two kids, Gailyn and Joey. God, I miss them so much… I haven't seen them in more than two years."

"How did your sister take your pregnancy?"

Jean sighed. "She doesn't know about Rachel. I never told her I was pregnant in the first place."

That didn't make sense to Xavier. "Why? For what you've told me, you two were quite close during your childhood."

"We were. Sarah's always taken care of me. It's just that, soon after I found out I was pregnant, I got kicked out of Med School - you know, for refusing to take the vaccine. To make things worse, Logan wasn't very supportive; he accused me of having cheated on him," she told Charles. "I was so hurt, and confused… I guess I didn't have the courage to tell Sarah I was going to be a single mom without a diploma. Having a psychic sister was hard enough; I didn't want to disappoint her further."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jean. Still, you could tell her now…"

"I can't, sir. I'm a mutant fugitive living with a group of mutant rebels. Any contact with me now would put my family in risk. Staying away is my way of protecting them."

"I see," Charles said, analyzing everything the redhead had told him. Suddenly, he felt like he could understand the woman in front of him - her desire to become a doctor and help children in need; her willingness to assist Nathan with his premature mutant skills despite her usual reluctance to use her powers; the pain of being left behind once again by someone she loved. "What about Rachel, Jean? How do you intend to protect her?"

"W-What? What do you mean, professor?"

"Well… We are facing difficult times for mutants. The X-Men have misled the Hellfire Club and delayed the spreading of the 'cure' into the U.S. waters, but it will be a matter of time until Shaw's group or the government strikes again. If they do… if they somehow discover our headquarters' location… how do you intend to protect your daughter?"

The redhead stared at the old man's face dumbfounded. "I… I never thought about it. But I'd protect her with my life if needed. I'd do anything for Rachel."

"I'm sure you would, Jean. But what if it wasn't enough? Or, hypothetically speaking… What if you didn't have to sacrifice yourself in order to save your only child? What if you could use your mutant abilities to, let's say, convince the enemy to look the other way and leave Rachel alone?"

"You mean, using my telepathy for more than just communicating with someone else? Like, to change someone's willpower?" She asked him, suspiciously. "Wouldn't that be unethical?"

"Not if applied for self-protection," Xavier elucidated. "The possibilities are infinite, Jean. Imagine, in case of an attack, if you could use your telekinesis to create an energy cocoon around Rachel, for example."

Jean locked eyes with him. "Could I… could I do something like that?"

"With proper training, yes, I believe you could. Actually, I think you could do a lot more than that. I think you could raise this house from its grounds or imprint your thoughts into every mind in the country if you wish to," Charles told her, dead-serious.

The redhead looked uneasy. "Professor… What are you trying to tell me?"

He smiled. "I know that, unlike your friend Ororo, you don't desire to become an X-Man. Still, there's a lot of latent psychic power in you, Jean. We could explore that, me and you. Even if it's only to ensure your daughter's safety."

"I see," the younger telepath replied, considering Xavier's offer. If he was right and they were attacked, Jean knew the X-Men would probably be busy, and she would have to protect Rachel by herself - Logan wouldn't be around to help. To accomplish that, she would need to get better at her control and creativity regarding the use of her powers. "Would you help me improve my mutant abilities, sir?"

"Of course, dear. However, I imagine that Dr. McCoy wouldn't be happy if I had you going through a Danger Room session within the next month, seeing as you've just recovered from surgery. But we could start working on your telepathic skills… It wouldn't demand any physical effort from you," Xavier explained. "What do you say? Care to join me for a telepathic training session tomorrow morning?"

At that exact moment, a sound echoed through the baby monitor sound system. The redhead looked at the receiver's screen - Rachel was crying. Jean quickly stood up; she needed to ensure that her daughter was all right.

"Count me on, professor," she replied, excusing herself to take care of the most precious treasure she possessed.

xxxxx

In the meantime, on the opposite side of the mansion, a Danger Room session was coming to an end. Since Wolverine's departure, Xavier had asked Nightcrawler to assume the role of team leader. Kurt had been reticent about it at first, but ended up accepting the job. The blue mutant was currently overseeing the training from the observation booth, wondering what Logan would think of his choice of team division.

He had split the X-Men in two teams, and each one was supposed to defeat the other in combat. Team A consisted of Rogue, Havok, Polaris and Iceman. Team B was formed by Gambit, Jubilee, Angel, Storm and Cyclops. Beast and Forge were too occupied in the lab, still trying to figure a way to spread the antidote through the air.

The training had started smoothly, both teams studying each other. Gambit was still avoiding doing acrobatics due to his injured ribs, so he sticked to the floor and threw some kinetic charged cards towards Bobby's ice barriers. Storm and Polaris were fighting in the air, respectively using the Earth's elements and the magnetic field in the fight. Jubilee and Angel were struggling to tackle Rogue, who was much stronger and faster than both of them. All the while, the Summers brothers were battling with their fists since their energy powers were useless against each other.

Kurt shook his head and sighed. It was obvious that the fight was heading nowhere at the current pace. "Where's zhe creativity, X-Men?" He yelled through the Danger Room's sound system.

Cyclops heard Nightcrawler's shout while ducking one of Alex's punches. Kurt was right - the fight was too leveled. He needed to do something about it. So he stood up and ran to Jubilee. "Jubes, change adversaries," he said, firing an optic blast at Rogue. It hit her on the back, forcing her to let go of her grip on Angel's arms. Meanwhile, Jubilee moved towards Bobby and created enough fireworks to melt Iceman's barriers and blind the man for a couple of minutes, making him unable to keep fighting. That left Gambit free to throw his cards at Havok, who wasn't fast enough to dodge and fell to the floor due to the impact. Warren understood what Cyclops wanted from the team and flew towards Polaris. He silently invaded her magnetic bubble and grabbed her arms from behind, surprising the woman. That made her lose concentration, allowing Storm to create a powerful wind blow that swept Lorna away. Before the green-haired mutant dropped to the ground, Angel prevented her fall. By that time, Scott had shot more optic blasts at Rogue, tiring her and obligating the woman to descend to the floor. Team B had won.

"Vell played, meine freunde," Nightcrawler congratulated them from the observation booth. "Zhat was quick thinking, Cyclops."

"Thanks, Kurt," Scott said.

"Hit zhe shower, guys. We'll review zhis session later."

Gambit, Havok, Cyclops, Iceman and Angel had just entered the locker rooms when a phone started ringing. The five men looked at each other, waiting for someone to make a move towards the annoying ringtone. Suddenly, Warren spoke.

"Shit. I think it's mine."

Bobby mocked him. "Dude, don't tell me you have so many cell phones that you can't tell when one of them is ringing."

"I've only got two," Angel responded, quickly moving to his locker to search for the irritating device. By the time he found it among his belongings, it had stopped ringing. Four missed calls. "Fuck."

"Something important?" Remy asked.

"Maybe," the blond mutant said. Suddenly, the phone started vibrating again. "It's work. Excuse me," he told his teammates and exited the locker room, returning to the now empty Danger Room. He pressed the green button. "Yeah?"

"What did I say 'bout pickin' up the damn phone when I call?"

"Screw you," Warren replied. "I'm not your fucking servant."

"Don't ya piss me off, flyboy…"

"Or what? You'll come here and stab me in the chest? I'd love to see you trying," he provoked, irritated. "Better yet, I'd love to see Jean kicking your ass if you ever showed up here again."

"Ya know fuckin' well why I can't go back," Logan's gruff voice sounded almost desolate. "How's she doin'?"

"Jean's fine. She's making new friends," Worthington informed him. "Never asks about you."

"It's better this way," the feral man said after a brief pause, and then asked in the most insecure tone Warren had ever heard from him. "What 'bout Rach?"

"She's much better, thank God," Angel replied, hearing how Wolverine let out a deep sigh. "According to Hank, Rachel's out of risk now. But we were scared to death that your daughter wasn't going to make it, Logan. Do you have any idea how stressful these past weeks have been for Jean?"

"Jeannie's strong," Wolverine stated, "she can handle it."

Warren remembered how the redhead had almost bled to death in his arms just a few weeks ago, all because of Logan. His face flushed with rage. "You're a fucking asshole, you know that?"

"I don't give a rat's ass 'bout whatcha think of me, playboy."

"You should, if you want me to keep acting as your goddam spy."

"I can't exactly call the mansion, Worthington. The F.O.H. would be on your tail in a matter of seconds," Logan reasoned.

"You don't know that. Maybe you're just too scared to face your responsibilities," Warren accused him.

"Watch it, birdie. I'm away, not dead."

"And I'm not afraid of you, Wolverine. By the way, where the fuck are you?"

"North," was all he said.

"Good," Angel replied. "Make sure you stay there. Jean doesn't need you."

Logan scoffed. "Why? Ya're tryin' to win her back? Sorry to disappoint ya, flyboy, but Red won't settle for mediocrity after she had a taste of what a real man's like."

"Oh, don't worry, Wolverine. I wasn't talking about me," Warren heard how the feral growled at the other side of the line and smiled.

"Whatcha mean?"

"Nothing. Have fun in Canada," the blonde said and hang up the phone.

Ontario, Alpha Flight's Headquarters.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr," Wolverine threw his cell phone onto the wall, smashing it to pieces. Then his claws came out and lashed at the two pillows laying on the bed. "Fuck!"

Two seconds later, his friend Heather Hudson stormed into the bedroom. "Logan, are you all right?"

The man turned to look at her and quickly retracted his claws. "I'm fuckin' great," he replied and sat on his bed to sulk.

"Sure you are. Those poor pillows can attest that," she teased. "What happened?"

"Don't wanna talk 'bout it."

The woman noticed the splattered phone on the floor and sat beside him. "Who did you call, Logan? Was it Jean?"

"No."

"Is something wrong with your daughter?"

"Rachel's fine."

"But you did call someone in the mansion, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. A fuckin' moron."

She smiled. "So this is about Jean…"

Wolverine growled. "Leave me the fuck alone, Heather."

The woman raised both hands in defense. "Okay, okay… I'm leaving. But you should really do something about this woman, Logan," she advised him, and exited the room.

'I am doin' somethin', Heather. I'm tryin' to forget her,' he thought to himself.

Hellfire Club, New York.

The White Queen sat on the library's couch, intently staring at the screen of her expensive cell phone. The bright white display showed one single name: Scott Summers.

'Bastard!'

Since their first and only date nearly two weeks ago, Emma couldn't stop thinking of him. Yes, she had felt a great deal of attraction to the tall, handsome man, and she did desire to have him between her sheets and legs. But now, what she wanted most was to murder him. Yes. She'd imagined at least a dozen times her diamond fingers slowing strangling the life out of Summers while he kneeled before her and screamed her name, begging for his pathetic life. She was Emma bloody Frost, dammit! She was used to deceiving people - it was an art she had mastered long ago. Yet this man -this arrogant, weak bastard- had deceived her. With Xavier's help, undoubtedly; but ultimately, it had been him. Summers had made a fool out of her, staining her reputation among the Inner Circle's members. That was unforgivable.

"Hello, Emma," Selene greeted from the entrance of the Hellfire Club's library, making the blonde startle.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there," she admitted, looking embarrassed for being caught distracted by her rival.

"You do seem a little absentminded lately, dear," the brunette replied while entering the room, poison dripping from her words. "No wonder the X-Men have played you so easily."

The White Queen felt the urge to invade Selene's mind and make her believe she was a fat alcoholic middle-aged housewife with a pitiful sex life. She could easily do that. She forced a smile. "I'd like to see you fighting Xavier someday."

"Why? You think I'm intimidated by an old cripple?" She scoffed. "I'm not, and neither should you be."

"Please, do enlighten me, Selene. Since you are so experienced in the old art of battle, how would you defeat the X-Men?"

The Black Queen gave her a lopsided grin. "I would strike them where it hurts the most, of course," she said, turning around in her heels and living the room.

Emma thought for a moment and then widened her blue eyes. "The child!"