Title: A Friend in Need 08/18
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 8
The haziness and confusion in her mind had finally subsided. She was glad. All
of those mixed-up memories, intertwined like pieces of string, were finally
unknotted and separated. Now, as the fog lifted, Jubilation Lee found herself
recalling a true memory, not one of the false ones implanted by that horrible
woman. She found herself remembering a morning months ago, back when she still
lived in New York with the X-Men, back before Generation X, back when Wolverine
had left the team to lick his wounds after Magneto had removed the adamantium
from his body. It had been a confusing time for her. She had felt lonely,
abandoned, unloved. And she refused to talk about it. Needless to say, at least
one person cared enough to made sure that those feelings did not stay buried
inside, festering and eating at her. And in the process, a new understanding was
come to, a new bond formed. . . .
*****
". . . l . . . lo . . . love . . . you . . . wolv . . . ster. . . ." The words
came out of her lips as the faintest whisper.
To Wolverine, however, whose senses were superhumanly sensitive, they were loud
and clear and music to his ears. He turned from the window, out of which he had
been looking, and walked over to her bedside. "Jubilee? Kiddo, can you hear me?"
" . . . nnn. . . ." Her eyes slowly fluttered and she opened them partway. She
stared at him, trying to get her vision to focus. ". . . didn' . . . know . . .
you had . . . a twin . . . ." she quipped. With some effort, she was able to
make the two Logans she saw merge into one, and she managed to recognize the
huge grin on his face as he looked down at her. ". . . musta tak'n . . . big'r .
. . spill . . . 'n I . . . thought. . . ."
"Wasn't no bladin' accident, darlin'. But don't you worry. Everythin's gonna be
fine."
"What . . . 'r . . . you . . . doin' back. . .?" she asked, her words slurring.
"Back? What do you mean, darlin'?"
"You . . . booked . . . af'r Mags . . . 'rt you. . . . Didn' think . . . I'd be
. . . seein' you . . . f'r while."
He looked at her, confused. "Jubilee, I've been back for months. You know that--
"
At that moment, Emma burst into the room. "I sensed that she had awakened. I
sent Sean to wake Jean. Jubilee, how are you feeling?" she asked, walking over
to the bed.
Jubilee stared at her, eyes wide in surprise and fear. "Wolvie! It's . . . the
Whi' Queen! . . . Watch out!"
"Emma, she's confused. She thinks I'm still supposed to be gone from the team,
that she's still with the X-Men."
Emma walked over to Logan's side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I believe amnesia is not uncommon following head injuries. . . ." She gently
patted Jubilee's hand. "Don't worry, dear. Everything will be fine."
Jubilee managed to pull her hand away. "Get 'way . . . fr'm me . . . you min'-
witch! . . . Wolvie, don' let'er . . . 'rt me!" When she saw that Wolverine was
doing nothing to restrain the White Queen, Jubilee was filled with apprehension.
". . . She mus' . . . have you . . . unner min'-control. . . . Where're . . .
other . . . tel'paths? . . . Where's the prof? . . . Where's Jean?"
"I'm right here, sweetie," Jean said, entering the room with Sean. She hurried
to the bed and put a reassuring hand on Jubilee's arm. "You're safe, Jubilee. I
won't let anyone hurt you."
"But the Whi' Queen--!" Jubilee was becoming highly agitated and feeling
extremely helpless. She was beginning to have difficulty catching her breath.
"Emma, I think it would be best if you left the room," Jean told her.
"But I don't see why--"
"Emma, the lass is upset," Sean said. "C'mon," he said, taking her by the
shoulders and leading her away from the bed. "We'll be outside."
"Jus' get'er . . . 'way . . . fr'm m--" Jubilee had been trying to sit up and
pull away from Emma, but was having a great deal of difficulty, no doubt from
her injuries and general weakness. Now, though, Jean sensed outright panic from
her mind.
"Jubilee?"
Jubilee looked up at her, face ashen. She opened her mouth to speak, but found
that she could not. Tears welled in her eyes. "I-I can' . . . I can'. . . ." She
fought to make the words come out. "M' legs. . . . I can' . . . move m' legs. .
. ."
Jean heard Logan utter a curse under his breath. She took Jubilee firmly by the
shoulders. "Are you sure, sweetie? They're not just stiff?"
Jubilee looked down at her legs, concentrating. "No . . . I can' . . . e'en feel
'em." She looked up at Jean, tears spilling from her eyes and streaming down her
cheeks. "Why can' . . . I move . . . m' legs? . . . 'M I . . . gonna be . . .
crippl'?"
"Shh," Jean said, sitting down on the bed beside her and gently lifting
Jubilee's upper body in order to take her into her arms. "Relax, sweetie," Jean
said softly, using her powers to help calm Jubilee's mind. "Everything's going
to be all right. You just need to calm down, okay? Relax," she whispered, gently
rocking Jubilee in her arms and rubbing her back. She looked up at Logan and
they exchanged a worried look.
He nodded. "I'll be back soon, darlin'. Jeanie here'll stay with you." He walked
out of the room.
Jean helped Jubilee to lay back. "Shh," Jean whispered, wiping the tears away.
"I know you're frightened, sweetie. But I want you to stay calm. I'm here with
you. Logan went to get the doctor. We're going to do everything we can to help
you. I promise." She continued issuing soothing words and gently stroking
Jubilee's forehead as she projected calming thoughts into her mind. Several
minutes later, Jubilee, utterly exhausted, had drifted off to sleep. Jean
quietly left the room and walked into the hallway.
On her way to the nurse's station, she found Emma and Sean. He looked at her
pale face and knew immediately that there was something terribly wrong. "Jean,
lass. . . ?"
"I felt the panic emanating from her mind," Emma said. "What's happened?"
Jean looked at them, tears in her eyes. "Jubilee, she . . . she can't feel her
legs. She's paralyzed."
"No!" Sean cried. "Ye're sure?"
Jean nodded. "I managed to calm her enough to get to sleep, but she's really
frightened."
"Did you scan her mind completely?" Emma asked. "To see if this isn't some
residual effect of Tessa's tampering? No, I doubt it. I'll go do it myself. . .
." Emma began to walk back toward the room.
Jean grabbed her arm. "No, Emma. She's obviously a little confused right now.
Your presence only seemed to upset her. I think it best if you don't see her for
a while, at least until her memory unfogs."
"She is *my* student, Jean. Not yours." Emma raised an accusing finger and
pointed it at Jean. "I gave in to your selfish desires once already, but that
was it. From now on, this is *my* game and we play by *my* rules."
"Emma, stop it," Sean said, touching her arm.
Emma immediately shrugged him off. "This is not the X-Men, Jean. Xavier and
Scott aren't here to make sure you get your way. If there are to be any more
visits to Jubilee's mindscape or any other sort of therapy implemented to
restore her memory, it will be conducted by *me*. She is *my* student and this
is *my* school."
It was not often that Jean lost her temper, but she was exhausted and
emotionally drained and she had a great deal on her mind. Needless to say, she
was not in the mood for Emma's jealous outburst. When Jean's fuse was lit, most
people knew enough to get the hell out of her way before she blew. Emma Frost,
however, found herself standing directly in the line of fire.
"In case you've forgotten, Emma," she began in a perfectly calm tone--one that
Sean realized must be taking a great deal of restraint to maintain--"it was
because of you that Everett and Jubilee were kidnapped and tortured in the first
place. I'm not saying that you had a direct role in their attack, but the fact
remains that Shaw chose them precisely because they were *your* students. And
while we did not necessarily expect you to be here to protect them, you weren't
here when they needed you--when Jubilee was lying in a coma, teetering on
death's door. When Everett was blaming himself. When all of the other students
were scared and confused because reality gave them a cold slap in the face. You
were not the one who sat with Jubilee, holding her hand, talking to her, telling
her that everything was going to be all right, guiding her home. If I hadn't
gone into her mind, she never would have woken up. It was because she trusted me
that she was able to beat Tessa.
"Deep down, she still harbors some fear and mistrust toward you. We couldn't
risk your presence doing any more damage to her already shattered psyche. I'm
sorry if this doesn't follow with your obsessive need to be in perfect control
of everything and everyone, but I think we can all agree that we have Jubilee's
best interest at heart.
"Frankly, I don't give a damn about your selfish concerns right now," Jean said.
"The fact that she cannot remember that she is a member of Generation X and that
she subsequently has no recollection that you and Sean are her teachers is
beyond my control. I can understand that this fact bothers you, but I would
think you would be a big enough person to respect Jubilee's feelings of
animosity toward you, and keep your distance until the rest of us can work with
her to restore her memories. After all, you do want *your* student to recover
completely, don't you?"
Emma's eyes were wide and her mouth opened in surprise. "How--dare--you!" She
drew out each word venomously. "Just because you're Xavier's little pet, you
think you can come here and dictate terms to me about how and when to see my
students? I can have hospital security prevent you from even seeing her--"
"But ye won't do that, will ye, Emma?" Sean's words were more of a statement
than a question.
Emma looked at him as though she were about to attack him next and gouge out his
eyes with her fingernails.
"Jean is here because she truly cares for Jubilee. An' the girl feels comforted
by her presence. We cannae deny Jubilee that."
"Sean, she comes waltzing in here, looking down her nose at us, expecting us to
yield to her demands and grant her every wish."
"She has done no such thing, Emma, and ye know it. Jean rushed here the moment
she heard Jubilee was ill. She has stayed at her bedside practically every
moment, not even leavin' the hospital. She's not doin' this to show ye one up,
Emma. She couldnae give a damn what ye think. She's doin' it because she loves
Jubilee. Plain an' simple as that. Ye're the one actin' like a spoiled brat used
t' always gettin' her way. If ye ask me, Jean has already proven her true
intentions through her actions: she honestly cares about Jubilee. Fer ye, it is
a matter of maintainin' control. Don't make me choose between the two of ye on
this Emma, because I tell ye right now, ye'll lose."
She looked at him now, obviously taken off-guard by his words. Looking into her
eyes, Sean saw at first what looked like pain quickly replaced by seething
anger. But then Emma bit her lip and closed her eyes a moment, evidently
collecting herself. When she opened them again, she was once more in control of
her emotions, at least outwardly. Ignoring Sean, she turned to Jean. "All right.
You win. For now. I'll go. After all, someone has to attend to the needs of the
other children. Not all of us play favorites to Xavier's former students." Her
jeering glance at Sean made it perfectly obvious that this comment was directed
toward him. Then she looked back at Jean. "But, believe me, this is far from
over." That said, she raised her chin high and strode confidently down the
corridor toward the elevator.
Once she had left, Jean let out an audible sigh.
"I know how ye feel, Jean," Sean said. "Emma tends t' have that effect on a lot
of people at times, meself included. Nails on chalkboard kind of feelin'."
"The last thing I need to deal with right now is Emma's petty jealousy. I--we--
have got more important things to worry about." Jean raked her fingers through
her hair, pushing it out of her face. "Where on earth is Logan?"
"I'll go check on him."
"Thanks, Sean." She looked at him gratefully.
He smiled before heading toward the nurse's station.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Jean stood for a moment and closed her eyes,
trying to collect her thoughts. There was so much happening all at once, and her
head was reeling. These past few days were more than she cared to deal with
alone. She had been handling it reasonably well up until a short while ago, she
knew, but now, with Jubilee's condition, and her confrontation with Emma, she
could see that the situation was about to skyrocket out of control. What she
really needed was someone to talk to, someone who could offer advice, and maybe
even take control and let her relax her defenses, at least for a little while.
"Jean?" She felt the presence in her mind a moment before she heard her name
spoken aloud. She turned around and found herself staring into her husband's
face. A smile immediately brightened her countenance and she stepped into his
arms.
"Oh, Scott," she sighed, burying her face in his shoulder. "Lord, I've missed
you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. We got delayed in San Francisco, and we only
just got back a little bit ago."
"As long as you're here now, that's all that matters," she whispered, still
holding him.
Scott realized that Jean must be spent--both emotionally and physically--to be
clinging to him like this. "How is Jubilee?"
"She woke up from the coma about a half hour ago," Jean told him. "She doesn't
remember the past couple of years. And she . . . she. . . ." Her voice became
choked with tears. "Oh, Scott, she can't move her legs!" Sobbing, she clutched
him tightly. He held her close, gently stroking her head. He slowly guided her
to a nearby chair, and they sat down. He took her hands in his own. Getting his
first good look at her face and the dark circles under her eyes, he immediately
began to worry. "Tell me."
She replayed all that had happened since she had arrived through their psychic
rapport, including her confrontation with Emma Frost. In those moments, he
shared all of the worry and sadness she had felt over Jubilee's condition, he
understood the love and joy she experienced upon the girl's awakening, the
fright and panic that filled her when Jubilee said she was paralyzed, and he
became aware of the complete and utter weariness that still filled his wife,
body and mind.
"She's going to be all right," he told her. "She's awake, and that's what
important right now. We'll see her through this."
"Well, what have we here? More visitors from the Big Apple, I see," Sean said as
he and Logan came walking down the hallway. "Good t' see ye, Scotty."
"You, too, Sean," he replied, getting up to take Sean's outstretched hand and
shaking it. "Although the circumstances could be better. Logan," he said,
nodding in his direction.
"Cyke."
"Any word from Dr. Knight?" Jean asked them.
"He wasn't on duty," Logan replied. "Nurse paged him. He should be here within
the hour. Sean told me 'bout yer tussle with Emma. Sounds like you handled her
just fine. How's the kid?"
"Sleeping. I think the shock of the whole situation took what little strength
she had. She should be out for a while."
Scott looked at his watch, which read just after nine p.m., and then up at the
three weary faces. "You guys look like you could all use a pick-me-up. It seems
we're going to have a bit of a wait anyway, so what say we all go down to the
cafeteria and get some coffee, on me. We can have the nurse page us when the
doctor arrives, or if Jubilee wakes up."
"Sounds good t' me," Sean said.
Logan nodded.
"I'm all for it," Jean replied.
Scott put an arm around her shoulders and they all walked toward the elevator.
End Note: For the full story on the scene mentioned at the beginning of the
chapter, read my first story, Blading.
End Chapter 8
*****
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 8
The haziness and confusion in her mind had finally subsided. She was glad. All
of those mixed-up memories, intertwined like pieces of string, were finally
unknotted and separated. Now, as the fog lifted, Jubilation Lee found herself
recalling a true memory, not one of the false ones implanted by that horrible
woman. She found herself remembering a morning months ago, back when she still
lived in New York with the X-Men, back before Generation X, back when Wolverine
had left the team to lick his wounds after Magneto had removed the adamantium
from his body. It had been a confusing time for her. She had felt lonely,
abandoned, unloved. And she refused to talk about it. Needless to say, at least
one person cared enough to made sure that those feelings did not stay buried
inside, festering and eating at her. And in the process, a new understanding was
come to, a new bond formed. . . .
*****
". . . l . . . lo . . . love . . . you . . . wolv . . . ster. . . ." The words
came out of her lips as the faintest whisper.
To Wolverine, however, whose senses were superhumanly sensitive, they were loud
and clear and music to his ears. He turned from the window, out of which he had
been looking, and walked over to her bedside. "Jubilee? Kiddo, can you hear me?"
" . . . nnn. . . ." Her eyes slowly fluttered and she opened them partway. She
stared at him, trying to get her vision to focus. ". . . didn' . . . know . . .
you had . . . a twin . . . ." she quipped. With some effort, she was able to
make the two Logans she saw merge into one, and she managed to recognize the
huge grin on his face as he looked down at her. ". . . musta tak'n . . . big'r .
. . spill . . . 'n I . . . thought. . . ."
"Wasn't no bladin' accident, darlin'. But don't you worry. Everythin's gonna be
fine."
"What . . . 'r . . . you . . . doin' back. . .?" she asked, her words slurring.
"Back? What do you mean, darlin'?"
"You . . . booked . . . af'r Mags . . . 'rt you. . . . Didn' think . . . I'd be
. . . seein' you . . . f'r while."
He looked at her, confused. "Jubilee, I've been back for months. You know that--
"
At that moment, Emma burst into the room. "I sensed that she had awakened. I
sent Sean to wake Jean. Jubilee, how are you feeling?" she asked, walking over
to the bed.
Jubilee stared at her, eyes wide in surprise and fear. "Wolvie! It's . . . the
Whi' Queen! . . . Watch out!"
"Emma, she's confused. She thinks I'm still supposed to be gone from the team,
that she's still with the X-Men."
Emma walked over to Logan's side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I believe amnesia is not uncommon following head injuries. . . ." She gently
patted Jubilee's hand. "Don't worry, dear. Everything will be fine."
Jubilee managed to pull her hand away. "Get 'way . . . fr'm me . . . you min'-
witch! . . . Wolvie, don' let'er . . . 'rt me!" When she saw that Wolverine was
doing nothing to restrain the White Queen, Jubilee was filled with apprehension.
". . . She mus' . . . have you . . . unner min'-control. . . . Where're . . .
other . . . tel'paths? . . . Where's the prof? . . . Where's Jean?"
"I'm right here, sweetie," Jean said, entering the room with Sean. She hurried
to the bed and put a reassuring hand on Jubilee's arm. "You're safe, Jubilee. I
won't let anyone hurt you."
"But the Whi' Queen--!" Jubilee was becoming highly agitated and feeling
extremely helpless. She was beginning to have difficulty catching her breath.
"Emma, I think it would be best if you left the room," Jean told her.
"But I don't see why--"
"Emma, the lass is upset," Sean said. "C'mon," he said, taking her by the
shoulders and leading her away from the bed. "We'll be outside."
"Jus' get'er . . . 'way . . . fr'm m--" Jubilee had been trying to sit up and
pull away from Emma, but was having a great deal of difficulty, no doubt from
her injuries and general weakness. Now, though, Jean sensed outright panic from
her mind.
"Jubilee?"
Jubilee looked up at her, face ashen. She opened her mouth to speak, but found
that she could not. Tears welled in her eyes. "I-I can' . . . I can'. . . ." She
fought to make the words come out. "M' legs. . . . I can' . . . move m' legs. .
. ."
Jean heard Logan utter a curse under his breath. She took Jubilee firmly by the
shoulders. "Are you sure, sweetie? They're not just stiff?"
Jubilee looked down at her legs, concentrating. "No . . . I can' . . . e'en feel
'em." She looked up at Jean, tears spilling from her eyes and streaming down her
cheeks. "Why can' . . . I move . . . m' legs? . . . 'M I . . . gonna be . . .
crippl'?"
"Shh," Jean said, sitting down on the bed beside her and gently lifting
Jubilee's upper body in order to take her into her arms. "Relax, sweetie," Jean
said softly, using her powers to help calm Jubilee's mind. "Everything's going
to be all right. You just need to calm down, okay? Relax," she whispered, gently
rocking Jubilee in her arms and rubbing her back. She looked up at Logan and
they exchanged a worried look.
He nodded. "I'll be back soon, darlin'. Jeanie here'll stay with you." He walked
out of the room.
Jean helped Jubilee to lay back. "Shh," Jean whispered, wiping the tears away.
"I know you're frightened, sweetie. But I want you to stay calm. I'm here with
you. Logan went to get the doctor. We're going to do everything we can to help
you. I promise." She continued issuing soothing words and gently stroking
Jubilee's forehead as she projected calming thoughts into her mind. Several
minutes later, Jubilee, utterly exhausted, had drifted off to sleep. Jean
quietly left the room and walked into the hallway.
On her way to the nurse's station, she found Emma and Sean. He looked at her
pale face and knew immediately that there was something terribly wrong. "Jean,
lass. . . ?"
"I felt the panic emanating from her mind," Emma said. "What's happened?"
Jean looked at them, tears in her eyes. "Jubilee, she . . . she can't feel her
legs. She's paralyzed."
"No!" Sean cried. "Ye're sure?"
Jean nodded. "I managed to calm her enough to get to sleep, but she's really
frightened."
"Did you scan her mind completely?" Emma asked. "To see if this isn't some
residual effect of Tessa's tampering? No, I doubt it. I'll go do it myself. . .
." Emma began to walk back toward the room.
Jean grabbed her arm. "No, Emma. She's obviously a little confused right now.
Your presence only seemed to upset her. I think it best if you don't see her for
a while, at least until her memory unfogs."
"She is *my* student, Jean. Not yours." Emma raised an accusing finger and
pointed it at Jean. "I gave in to your selfish desires once already, but that
was it. From now on, this is *my* game and we play by *my* rules."
"Emma, stop it," Sean said, touching her arm.
Emma immediately shrugged him off. "This is not the X-Men, Jean. Xavier and
Scott aren't here to make sure you get your way. If there are to be any more
visits to Jubilee's mindscape or any other sort of therapy implemented to
restore her memory, it will be conducted by *me*. She is *my* student and this
is *my* school."
It was not often that Jean lost her temper, but she was exhausted and
emotionally drained and she had a great deal on her mind. Needless to say, she
was not in the mood for Emma's jealous outburst. When Jean's fuse was lit, most
people knew enough to get the hell out of her way before she blew. Emma Frost,
however, found herself standing directly in the line of fire.
"In case you've forgotten, Emma," she began in a perfectly calm tone--one that
Sean realized must be taking a great deal of restraint to maintain--"it was
because of you that Everett and Jubilee were kidnapped and tortured in the first
place. I'm not saying that you had a direct role in their attack, but the fact
remains that Shaw chose them precisely because they were *your* students. And
while we did not necessarily expect you to be here to protect them, you weren't
here when they needed you--when Jubilee was lying in a coma, teetering on
death's door. When Everett was blaming himself. When all of the other students
were scared and confused because reality gave them a cold slap in the face. You
were not the one who sat with Jubilee, holding her hand, talking to her, telling
her that everything was going to be all right, guiding her home. If I hadn't
gone into her mind, she never would have woken up. It was because she trusted me
that she was able to beat Tessa.
"Deep down, she still harbors some fear and mistrust toward you. We couldn't
risk your presence doing any more damage to her already shattered psyche. I'm
sorry if this doesn't follow with your obsessive need to be in perfect control
of everything and everyone, but I think we can all agree that we have Jubilee's
best interest at heart.
"Frankly, I don't give a damn about your selfish concerns right now," Jean said.
"The fact that she cannot remember that she is a member of Generation X and that
she subsequently has no recollection that you and Sean are her teachers is
beyond my control. I can understand that this fact bothers you, but I would
think you would be a big enough person to respect Jubilee's feelings of
animosity toward you, and keep your distance until the rest of us can work with
her to restore her memories. After all, you do want *your* student to recover
completely, don't you?"
Emma's eyes were wide and her mouth opened in surprise. "How--dare--you!" She
drew out each word venomously. "Just because you're Xavier's little pet, you
think you can come here and dictate terms to me about how and when to see my
students? I can have hospital security prevent you from even seeing her--"
"But ye won't do that, will ye, Emma?" Sean's words were more of a statement
than a question.
Emma looked at him as though she were about to attack him next and gouge out his
eyes with her fingernails.
"Jean is here because she truly cares for Jubilee. An' the girl feels comforted
by her presence. We cannae deny Jubilee that."
"Sean, she comes waltzing in here, looking down her nose at us, expecting us to
yield to her demands and grant her every wish."
"She has done no such thing, Emma, and ye know it. Jean rushed here the moment
she heard Jubilee was ill. She has stayed at her bedside practically every
moment, not even leavin' the hospital. She's not doin' this to show ye one up,
Emma. She couldnae give a damn what ye think. She's doin' it because she loves
Jubilee. Plain an' simple as that. Ye're the one actin' like a spoiled brat used
t' always gettin' her way. If ye ask me, Jean has already proven her true
intentions through her actions: she honestly cares about Jubilee. Fer ye, it is
a matter of maintainin' control. Don't make me choose between the two of ye on
this Emma, because I tell ye right now, ye'll lose."
She looked at him now, obviously taken off-guard by his words. Looking into her
eyes, Sean saw at first what looked like pain quickly replaced by seething
anger. But then Emma bit her lip and closed her eyes a moment, evidently
collecting herself. When she opened them again, she was once more in control of
her emotions, at least outwardly. Ignoring Sean, she turned to Jean. "All right.
You win. For now. I'll go. After all, someone has to attend to the needs of the
other children. Not all of us play favorites to Xavier's former students." Her
jeering glance at Sean made it perfectly obvious that this comment was directed
toward him. Then she looked back at Jean. "But, believe me, this is far from
over." That said, she raised her chin high and strode confidently down the
corridor toward the elevator.
Once she had left, Jean let out an audible sigh.
"I know how ye feel, Jean," Sean said. "Emma tends t' have that effect on a lot
of people at times, meself included. Nails on chalkboard kind of feelin'."
"The last thing I need to deal with right now is Emma's petty jealousy. I--we--
have got more important things to worry about." Jean raked her fingers through
her hair, pushing it out of her face. "Where on earth is Logan?"
"I'll go check on him."
"Thanks, Sean." She looked at him gratefully.
He smiled before heading toward the nurse's station.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Jean stood for a moment and closed her eyes,
trying to collect her thoughts. There was so much happening all at once, and her
head was reeling. These past few days were more than she cared to deal with
alone. She had been handling it reasonably well up until a short while ago, she
knew, but now, with Jubilee's condition, and her confrontation with Emma, she
could see that the situation was about to skyrocket out of control. What she
really needed was someone to talk to, someone who could offer advice, and maybe
even take control and let her relax her defenses, at least for a little while.
"Jean?" She felt the presence in her mind a moment before she heard her name
spoken aloud. She turned around and found herself staring into her husband's
face. A smile immediately brightened her countenance and she stepped into his
arms.
"Oh, Scott," she sighed, burying her face in his shoulder. "Lord, I've missed
you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. We got delayed in San Francisco, and we only
just got back a little bit ago."
"As long as you're here now, that's all that matters," she whispered, still
holding him.
Scott realized that Jean must be spent--both emotionally and physically--to be
clinging to him like this. "How is Jubilee?"
"She woke up from the coma about a half hour ago," Jean told him. "She doesn't
remember the past couple of years. And she . . . she. . . ." Her voice became
choked with tears. "Oh, Scott, she can't move her legs!" Sobbing, she clutched
him tightly. He held her close, gently stroking her head. He slowly guided her
to a nearby chair, and they sat down. He took her hands in his own. Getting his
first good look at her face and the dark circles under her eyes, he immediately
began to worry. "Tell me."
She replayed all that had happened since she had arrived through their psychic
rapport, including her confrontation with Emma Frost. In those moments, he
shared all of the worry and sadness she had felt over Jubilee's condition, he
understood the love and joy she experienced upon the girl's awakening, the
fright and panic that filled her when Jubilee said she was paralyzed, and he
became aware of the complete and utter weariness that still filled his wife,
body and mind.
"She's going to be all right," he told her. "She's awake, and that's what
important right now. We'll see her through this."
"Well, what have we here? More visitors from the Big Apple, I see," Sean said as
he and Logan came walking down the hallway. "Good t' see ye, Scotty."
"You, too, Sean," he replied, getting up to take Sean's outstretched hand and
shaking it. "Although the circumstances could be better. Logan," he said,
nodding in his direction.
"Cyke."
"Any word from Dr. Knight?" Jean asked them.
"He wasn't on duty," Logan replied. "Nurse paged him. He should be here within
the hour. Sean told me 'bout yer tussle with Emma. Sounds like you handled her
just fine. How's the kid?"
"Sleeping. I think the shock of the whole situation took what little strength
she had. She should be out for a while."
Scott looked at his watch, which read just after nine p.m., and then up at the
three weary faces. "You guys look like you could all use a pick-me-up. It seems
we're going to have a bit of a wait anyway, so what say we all go down to the
cafeteria and get some coffee, on me. We can have the nurse page us when the
doctor arrives, or if Jubilee wakes up."
"Sounds good t' me," Sean said.
Logan nodded.
"I'm all for it," Jean replied.
Scott put an arm around her shoulders and they all walked toward the elevator.
End Note: For the full story on the scene mentioned at the beginning of the
chapter, read my first story, Blading.
End Chapter 8
*****