Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men.
Copyright: I do own Jarek don't use him without permission.
Author's note: If you read this story I would really appreciate a review. The reviews help me with the story. That is how Logan and Gambit both got into the story. Without the suggestions I might not have put them in. So please review give an idea who knows it just might find it's way into my story.
A New Beginning Part 5
It was the day of the dance and the recreation room was cleared of all furniture and such. There was a place set aside for the DJ, a man that knew they were all mutants and didn't care. He had a great system set up and was waiting for the dance to start.
The dance was about an hour away from starting and there were students all over the school getting ready. All the men from the X-Men team were together getting ready. The men consisted of Logan and Scott. They were both wearing Black tuxedos with dress shoes. Logan felt ridiculous and Scott thought that Logan looked just as he felt.
Gambit and Bobby were getting ready in their room together. Gambit didn't want to be late to pick Jubliee up from her room so he was getting ready now. "Hey mon ami why is it dat de women make de men feel dat dey are insignificant on dese dance days?"
"Well my friend I believe it is because to them we are quite insignificant. After all we are going to the dance but it the women who have the dresses and do up their hair and such," Bobby guessed trying to sound sure of himself but Remy caught on.
"Mon ami you don know anymore dan I do," Gambit said smiling.
"You are right Gambit the ways of the female of the species are always going to be a mystery," Bobby replied as they went back to getting ready.
The women Storm and Jean were also getting ready after all they were the chaperones along with Logan, Cyclops, and the Professor. Storm was wearing a full length dress of black. The dress had a medium neckline with spaghetti straps.
Jean was wearing a deep red dress that was a full length dress as well. It had a lower neckline than Storm's but that was because she felt like a younger version of herself on that day. Jean's dress was also a off the shoulder dress and she was hoping Scott would like it.
Jean turned to Storm and said, "My friend I think that you are beautiful."
Storm smiled and said right back, "And I believe that you are beautiful as well Jean."
Jean smiled back at her friend and teammate. It was hard to believe that they fought against other mutants and such on a day like today she thought. It was a day for fun and she was going to have fun as was Storm whether she wanted to or not. Jean's smile stayed in place as she thought of what she had done. Jean had asked a few of the older male students to ask Storm to dance since she didn't have a date. It wasn't that Storm couldn't get a date it was just that she didn't want one Jean figured.
Storm looked at Jean who was still smiling and asked, "What are you still smiling about?"
"Nothing Ororo," Jean said still smiling.
Down the hall was the room where the three girls were getting ready. They had their expensive dresses on and were applying make-up to their faces. Rogue was wearing a wearing a full length dress so that none of her skin was exposed. It also had sleeves but had a plunging neckline as well. She wore white satin gloves on her hands to add to the effect of the dress and her as a princess. It's color was dark green a color that looked extremely well on Rogue her friend shad assured her. It was made of satin as well part of the reason it had been so expensive of course all of their dresses were made of satin so they were like a matching trio.
Jubliee had on a short yellow dress with off the shoulder straps. The dress came to just above her knees. She knew Remy would love it and so did she. There was not much for a back but that didn't matter since Remy's hands would be there to warm her right up.
Kitty was wearing a white dress that came to just above her knees as well. White was truly her color along with blue. Her dress had the off the shoulder straps as well but also had a blue shawl to go with the dress. It added to the dress's beauty as well as hers. It was the fashion of the royalty of Britain she had been assured. She had thought it would make her look bad but her friends as well as she herself decided that she looked fine with the shawl draped over her shoulders. And anyway she would be taking it off when she danced.
"Hey Kitty you think Jarek will have fun tonight," Jubliee spoke up suddenly.
"I hope he does since it seems to me that he has very little fun in his life, but I am sure that there is no way he will have as much as Remy will," Kitty fired back to Jubliee.
"Ya know I believe that you are right Kitty," Rogue said from where she was standing in front of a mirror.
Jubliee blushed a deep crimson and said defensively, "You don't know that Remy will have a good time."
Kitty and Rogue just looked at each other and smiled knowingly. Jubliee and Remy were always together when Jubliee was not with Kitty and Rogue. Jubliee and Remy were always kissing it seemed to Jubliee's two friends. It didn't matter where they were either. Of course Rogue knew that she would be doing the same if she could touch someone.
That was when Rogue's joy faded and the smile vanished from her face. She didn't know if she would ever be able to touch someone and that was a very painful thought. She wanted to be able to touch Logan and kiss him. She wanted to be able to feel other people but she knew that to do so would be to damn them in a way. It would be a violation of them since she absorbed their memories. That was something that she couldn't do to herself or anyone else unless there was a need.
Kitty saw the look on Rogue's face change from happiness to sadness. She looked at Jubliee then who had also seen the change in their friend. Jubliee nodded to Kitty and had a mischivious smile on her face. She walked over behind Rogue and whispered. "I am your conscious and Logan will have a veeeery good time tonight if you catch my drift."
Rogue spun around and smiled at her friend. She knew what they were doing and she was grateful for it. Left to herself she feared that her dark thoughts might overcome her. She said, "I do believe that you are right. Logan will have a good time if I have to make him."
They all laughed at that remark and the way Rogue said it. She said it as if she were some queen and Logan nothing but her servant. Indeed the three of them felt like royalty even though none of them were. It was to be a great night they thought as they went back to talking of small things and applying their make-up.
* * * * *
Jarek was sitting in his room all by himself looking at himself in the mirror. He had nothing on but a pair of shorts. He knew that he should be getting ready for the dance started in just over 15 minutes and Kitty would want to get there early but as he looked at the image in the mirror he wondered why Kitty had asked him. It was a question that he still had no satisfactory answer to for he didn't think of himself as a handsome person.
Yet she had asked him and he had said yes. That bothered him that the girls could manipulate him with such ease and yet he knew that he would do most anything for them. They were like three younger sisters all except for Kitty who was a bit different. He liked her hated to admit. That was something that could lead to disaster. To like a person was to open yourself up to them and he didn't want to do that. He liked being cold and distant for it was who he was. He also knew that to like someone was to love them and that was an emotion that he didn't have that much experience with. He had loved his parents until he had found out they were scientists.
Jarek shook his head bringing himself away from such thoughts. It was no use now to wonder about his parents for they would never love him again of that he was sure. Jarek had also loved Mystique like a sister and he thought about what she had done. She had become an enemy and was killing people for the sheer reason that another man asked her to. He figured that she loved Magneto but he couldn't be sure. If she did then that was a powerful bond and one that Jarek knew he couldn't break so she would be one of the Brotherhood.
Jarek considered the emotion called love and he didn't think that it was such a good emotion. It caused people to do things that they would not normally do. It gave a person weakness in regards to a particular person. If that person was held at gunpoint he had seen people willingly give up anything for the loved one's safety. It was bizarre and Jarek didn't know if he could ever learn to really love. It was not in him that much he knew. He knew that for him there were few emotions.
There was anger which had two sides. There was the hot red boiling anger that most every person felt. It caused a person to lose all sense of thought and Jarek didn't like to lose his sense of thought. Then there was the reverse side of that anger the one Jarek had most of the time and a anger that few people ever reached. It was the cold calculating anger. An anger that builds for years and people learn to control, they learn to use it to help them.
Jarek felt little else the way of emotions. He had felt love but that was long gone now. He thought that he could feel happy but that was just an illusion he believed since happiness was not real in a sense like many seemed to think. He thought though and decided he didn't feel joy since he had so little to be joyful about. What Jarek was he knew was cold. He had suppresed most of his emotions. Some times they let themselves out of their prison within his heart of ice but it was rare. He felt them coming out now while he was around these people at the mansion even though he had felt betrayed earlier. He knew that he wouldn't leave unless he felt that it was the only recourse to keeping everyone safe and that could one day be a possibility.
Jarek pulled his mind away from these thoughts as well. He looked at his image in the mirror and grimaced. He was tall and muscular not at all the type of man that women liked he thought. He shrugged his shoulders and his muscles rippled. He looked over to the bed where the tux was sitting and he wished he didn't have to put the damn thing on.
As he started over to the bed to get it he heard a knock at the door. He sniffed the air then to see who was outside his door and he almost gagged. He couldn't help it since he wasn't all that fond of perfume and such anyway. He closed his eyes and concentrated and the smell became tolerable as he used his mind to shut down his nausea.
He went to the door and opened it. Standing there all dressed up was Jubliee with Gambit at her side. Behind them was Rogue and Logan also dressed up with no sign of Kitty which made him a bit relieved since he didn't want her to know that he was not yet ready.
He looked at the people who he considered friends and noticed that all seemed very happy. Jubliee was smiling at him with her yellow dress on and Gambit seemed to have eyes only for Jubliee. The same could be said for Rogue and Logan. Jarek also noticed that the ladies were very beautiful with their dresses on and their hair done up with a touch of make-up to add to their natural features. As he was thinking this Kitty made her way up from behind the two couples. When she made it to the front she smiled at Jarek.
"Why are you all smiling at me instead of scowling like I was fully expecting," Jarek asked wonderingly.
"Because we have never seen you without you being covered in cloths. Then if you happened to have your shirt off your chest was covered in blood it is a pleasant sight," Jubliee said smiling widely.
"Gambit tink dat you should be putting on your suit. De dance be starting soon mon ami," Gambit said.
"I will if you people will leave my room," Jarek said as he looked at them and then added, "unless you want to help me get dressed."
The girl's eyes grew wide at that statement and they tried to push themselves intot he room. Gambit and Logan caught their dates and held them fast. Kitty had made no move to enter.
"Hey dere Jubes I tink dat he can dress himself cherie," Gambit said sternly.
"I agree with the Cajun here Marie. He is grown and doesn't need any help with putting his cloths on," Logan said sternly but kindly. Logan and Gambit smiled at each other over the heads of their dates then as they turned them away from the door and headed down the hall.
"Please hurry Jarek I don't want to be late for the dance. Yet I don't wish to rush you," Kitty said as the others left. She really didn't want to hurry Jarek for she did want him to have a good time at the dance.
Jarek looked at her then and gave his half-smile. "I shall not be too long Kitty believe me. When I give my word I keep it so if you will excuse me," Jarek said bowing to her as he backed into his room and closed the door.
Back in his room he went over and proceeded to put on the tux. Putting on the pants and shirt were no problem. Neither was anything else until he got to the tie. There he had a problem and after about three of four minutes was starting to get a bit mad at a piece of cloth that was outsmarting him. He wondered if Kitty knew how to tie the thing. He went to the door and opened it.
Outside the door was the gang again standing around talking in low tones. The girls were sitting in a group looking extremely beautiful. They were ladies and he thought back to the books he liked to read. With the three of them there he thought that they just might pass for princesses. Of the three he thought that Kitty was the most beautiful of them. He thought that curious since he didn't really ever want a girlfriend and had never thought about women that way yet here he was thinking just that.
Kitty was not the tallest girl he had ever seen she stood only 5 foot 4 inches tall. She was slim and athletic. She had beautiful eyes that seemed to understand everything and she was a forgiving person. Perhaps that was one of the reasons he liked her. She could forgive and he couldn't. He wondered if he could learn from her.
She was beautiful without her dress on but with it she was truly stunning. She had pale skin since she was not out in the sun that often but the dress enhanced her beauty. Her hair was done up in a way that he couldn't even describe but was pleasing to the eye. He stepped out of the room and said, "Does anyone here know how to tie a damn tie."
"I do mon ami. It was a skill dat me dad made me learn," Gambit said as he stepped forward.
Gambit tied the tie swiftly and stood back from his handiwork and said, "Dere you go Jarek. You look like a gentleman."
Jarek moved his shoulder's inside of the tux. It was almost too tight and the whole damn thing was uncomfortable. He said then, "I may look the part but I tell you I certainly don't feel the part."
Jarek noticed that Logan was not looking as if he was enjoying being dressed up either. He seemed to like his street cloths as much as Jarek did his. "You know kid I agree with you these things are not that comfortable."
"Stop whining you two," Rogue said playfully with her hands on her hips jutting her hips to one side to draw Logan's eye, which it did.
"Who said we were whining we were just stating a fact Marie," Logan said as he moved up and offered his arm to her, which she took. She slipped her arm in his and Jubliee did the same with Gambit. Kitty looked at Jarek expectantly. He shrugged and whispered to her, "I was never trained to be a gentleman. I was trained to be something else."
He held his arm like Gambit was holding his in front of Jarek. Kitty slid her arm into his and they headed down to the rec room where the dance was to be hosted. First into the room was Logan and Rogue who drew many eyes as they entered since many had thought that Logan would not actually show up and even if he did they hadn't expected him to wear a tux.
Next into the room was Gambit and Jubiee. They drew as many looks as did Logan and Rogue. That was because everyone wanted to see what the newest couple of the mansion looked like all dressed up. They had been promised that they wouldn't be disappointed by what they would see and they weren't since both couples were extremely great looking with the women and their dresses, as well as the men with their tuxes.
Lastly was Jarek and Kitty. He paused before he went in since he didn't like to draw attention to himself. He knew that they would since the two couples before him had drawn many an eye their way. He noticed that the lights were turned off and other lights had been added to make the room look like a ballroom.
Kitty looked up at him and asked, "Are you ready Jarek."
He nodded his head and they stepped forward into the room. All eyes turned their way as conversations died and couples pointed out to others Kitty and Jarek as they stood in the doorway. He heard snickering off to both sides of the door and so he looked to see who it was. On his right stood Logan and Rogue trying to hide their laughter at their friends obvious discomfort. The same was to the left of the door the only difference was it was Jubliee and Remy.
Everyone was looking at them since not a one of them had known that Kitty had a date. They especially were surprised to find out that it was Jarek the guy who was so cold and distant. He was the last guy they had expected to see here. One girl who had liked Jarek, but who also liked Kitty yelled out, "Way to go Kitty. He and you look great together." At that many of the kids nodded their heads in agreement.
Kitty was smiling brightly as the professor wheeled his way over to them with Jean, Scott, and Storm walking behind. The professor smiled as did the others and said, "Glad to see that the three last couples could make it to the dance."
Jarek was having a hard time standing still and not fidgeting something that he really didn't want to do, not here in front of people and certainly not to ruin Kitty's night. Rogue said, "We had to wait for Jarek since he wasn't even dressed yet."
"Yeah he answered his door in nothing but a pair of shorts. Then he couldn't get his tie tied," Jubliee said from the other side of him. He wanted to shut them up but didn't make a move. He would have to deal with it. It was something that he knew he had to learn and that was tolerance.
"Is that so. Wearing nothing but shorts now that doesn't sound like you Jarek," Jean spoke up.
"Well I was lost in thought and then they broke me out of those thoughts. That is why I was wearing nothing but shorts. I didn't have time to get dressed," Jarek answered.
"Well let's not worry about Jarek and his various states of undress and answering his door nearly naked. This is a dance so let's get it started," Kitty spoke up from Jarek's side. He silently thanked her for her help there since him being nearly naked as they like to put it was not something that they needed to be talking about. It didn't bother him but it might bother Logan and Remy since they were there and they had seen how the girl's had reacted.
Music started to play then as the chaperone's went back over to where their seats were. The song that was playing was a fast song and many of the couple's went out onto the floor and started to dance. The three girls went out onto the floor and started to dance around. Remy, Logan and Jarek went and found themselves some chairs to sit down and watch.
"Why do they have to play this fast music," Logan said.
"De reason mon ami is dat us young people like to listen to dat type music. We are young and like to dance to it," Remy answered.
"Well I am old and am not that great of a dancer especially when it comes to this fast dancing stuff," Logan grumbled.
"Hey Jarek why don't you know how to dance like most people," Remy asked Jarek who was sitting next to Remy.
"Because I was trained since I can remember to do other things. I was never told about dancing at all. I was never told how to be a gentleman or any such thing. I was like I said trained to be something altogether different," Jarek answered quietly.
After the first fast song there were also three more fast songs played. Remy and Logan danced with their dates as Jarek sat there and watched. He watched as Kitty danced with Remy and Jubliee on the floor. He thought that many of them looked like idiots dancing out there. He would never say anything to them though, for he never said anything bad about his friends.
After those songs played a slow song came up and all the couples went out onto the dance floor. Jarek was still sitting there since he had no idea what to do. He watched as the couples came close together and the guys put their arms around the girls. Jarek liked to watch that kind of dancing since there was a peacefulness to it. That was when Kitty came over to him and hauled him to his feet not altogether unwillingly.
"Well let's dance Jarek. Just follow my lead and you will learn," Kitty said encouragingly.
Jarek followed her out onto the dance floor. She placed her arms around his chest since she couldn't put them around his neck. He was too tall for her to reach that high of course she wasn't done growing either and she hoped that one day she could reach around his neck.
She could tell that Jarek had no idea what to do and that was when she knew that he hadn't been lying to her. He really had no clue how to dance at all. She felt for him then. It wasn't pity but something else and she had no name for it. He had been deprived she thought. She spoke up then and said, "Now place your hands on my hips or around my back whichever is more comfortable."
He placed his large hands on her hips and that almost disappointed Kitty. She had been hoping that he would place them around her and hold her close. She shouldn't have expected it though since he had no idea how to dance. "Now," she said, "follow my lead."
Jarek tried to follow her she could tell but he just kept stepping on her feet. "Sorry," he apologized to her yet again as he took his feet off hers. He was learning though and by the end of the song he wasn't stepping on her feet quite so much. She guessed that one or two more dances and he would have it figured out.
During the song Remy and Jubliee had been watching along with Logan and Rogue. They watched Jarek try to dance and Kitty try to teach him. She was teaching him and he was learning slowly but they figured that Kitty's feet would be sore tomorrow.
"Dat one has no skill when it comes to dancing. Fighting he does well it seems dat is what he is good at, not dancing," Remy observed to Jubliee, Logan, and Rogue. Logan and Rogue were dancing close to Remy and Jubliee so that they could talk about how Jarek danced. They knew Remy was right. He couldn't dance. Not in the least.
"Well at least he is trying to learn," Jubliee piped up.
"He is that. The kid has fire in him as well as steel. The two make a powerful combination. That is why he won't quit until he learns to dance I'll wager," Logan said matter of factly.
"You know I think you are right Logan. He seems to want to learn," Rogue said.
"Well dat be a good ting. Him and Kitty look good together," Gambit observed yet again.
They all nodded their heads at this and went back to dancing. They didn't wonder about Jarek and his lack of dancing skills. They were too caught up to even think about other people except for themselves and their date.
* * * * *
Jarek went and sat down after the song ended. The next song was fast so he didn't participate. He thought about dancing and the skill it took. He had skill at killing since it is what he knew and what he had been trained for. He was a killer and that was it. He was not a nice person. He was just a cold-hearted man who was enjoying himself at the expense of the people at the mansion.
As he thought of that he knew that it wasn't true. He enjoyed the people and having a place that he thought might be home. He didn't know for sure though since he didn't know if one day he would have to leave. He had found that out by how he thought they treated him. He didn't fit with the rest of the team and he knew it.
He watched as everyone was dancing and having fun. He smiled at himself. People were fun to watch even if he couldn't join in. At that time another slow song came up and he went and tried to learn to dance again. By the end of the second dance he was doing pretty good and was he hated to admit enjoying himself.
The night wore on and Jarek noticed that Storm had not danced with anyone all night. He wondered why that was and turned to Kitty, "Do you mind if I ask Storm to dance since she has been left out."
Kitty was getting tired and needed a rest so she answered, "No go right ahead. I will just sit down and rest."
Jarek nodded his head then and went over to where Storm was standing. "Storm," he spoke up and she turned at the sound of his voice. "Why haven't you danced with anyone tonight?"
"That is because I didn't have a date. Also I am a chaperone so I shouldn't be dancing. Third well no one has asked me," Storm answered him.
"Well then let me be the first to ask you. Would you like to dance," Jarek asked.
"I would be delighted Jarek, thank you," Storm said.
They went out onto the floor and they danced. Storm was an extremely good dancer and that was made evident by the way that Jarek danced since he was a beginner. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Many of the students stopped to watch her dance. The song ended abruptly then.
"Thank you for the dance," Storm said.
"No thank you. It was a pleasure to dance with you Storm," Jarek replied to her.
* * * * *
That same night Magneto welcomed a new member into his Brotherhood. The new member was a man who was a specialist at giving pain and that is why he was allowed to join. Magneto would have need of a man like that when Jarek was finally in his clutches.
That and the man might prove useful to help make the president see the light. Help the president see that the mutant registration act was wrong. They would convince the president, of that there was no doubt. He would fold to their demands or he would die and the new president would agree to their demands.
Magneto smiled then. He would have a land of tolerance if it meant building his own country. The president would be the first step in that direction. He would give them land or he would die. Magneto wasn't evil he just felt his people needed to be allowed a chance at life. That was all he wanted for them.
His thoughts changed as he remembered that Mystique had left earlier in the day. He had asked her where she was going and she had replied nowhere special. He really was wondering where she went. It was not like her to just leave and that bothered him. He wondered if she wasn't starting to turn on him. He shook his head at that thought. She would never turn on him or the cause. They were right and the rest of the world was wrong.
* * * * *
Outside of the rec room there stood a woman looking into the room where everyone was dancing. She was bundled up in many cloths to keep her warm. All that could be seen of her were her eyes, which were yellow. She watched as Jarek danced with Kitty and Storm. She wished that she were in there enjoying the night that way instead of with Magneto plotting killings.
Jarek had reached her in a way no one else had. He had made her see that she was doing things that were wrong. Yet she thought that the cause was just and the means to the end were justified. She wondered what he would say about that. He had always believed that the means was the end and that what you did always had a consequence.
She thought that he might be right as she felt her chest where Logan had stabbed her. Her consequence had almost been her life. She had gotten lucky and he had missed all of her vital organs but she wondered how long it would be before someone killed her for what she was doing.
She wished that Jarek knew that he was in trouble. She wished that she could tell him but she wouldn't betray Magento. He would have to deal with it like he always did. He would live, at least she hoped he would live. She turned her back on the window and the scene contained in it. She just wished many things but wishes were useless. They never came true, at least not for her.
* * * * *
The night was winding down and so the students started to let each one do their own type of dance. Many did special little dances that were required to fast songs. The ladies participated too. Jarek noted that many of them were very good at dancing. He thought that it was like Soul Train at the end where each person was allowed to dance in the Soul Train line or whatever it was called.
After the last one finished people were ready to leave until Jubliee spoke up slyly, "What about you Jarek why don't you dance."
"You know why," he said coldly not liking her at that particular moment.
"Come on dance for us Jarek," someone shouted from the students. Jarek was not happy at all now. He didn't want to dance because he didn't know how. All he knew was a sword dance. That and the dance called death. H gave his half-smile and said, "fine I will dance but no one will say a word about it."
He went to the center of the floor as the music kicked up. He blocked it out since it would interfere with him. He closed his eyes so that he couldn't see anyone. Then he started to move. It was slow at first his body swaying from side to side. Then it picked up as he leapt threw the air, landing and his arms flashed through the air. He did many leaps and spins which were all just part of his death dance. He twirled on his feet and kicked out then. He kept it up stretching his muscles, which is what it was really for.
He stopped and looked at everyone then. Many couldn't believe what they had just seen. It was a beautiful dance they thought. But they had never seen it before. They wondered who taught it so that they could learn. They were quite frankly amazed by it. Jubliee and the others of the group were taken by surprise since he claimed he didn't know how to dance.
"I thought you didn't know how to dance," Jubliee demanded.
"I don't," Jarek said as he walked past her.
"What did he mean by that," Jubliee wanted to know.
It was Logan who answered her. "He meant what he said. That was not a dance. It was a exercise. It was a dance of death. Only a few people know it. I don't but I know of it."
They all left and went back to their rooms then wondering about Jarek and how he could have learned something so rare. Remy walked Jubliee back to her room as did Logan with Rogue. Outside of each of their rooms they were given a goodnight kiss.
Jarek walked Kitty back to her room and stood there. "I had a good time tonight as much as it pains me to admit. I had no idea that dancing could have an enjoyment value."
Kitty smiled at him and said, "See you can learn things and have fun. You don't have to be so distant all the time. Lighten up and have fun. We are young that is what we should be doing."
Jarek nodded at her and said, "Goodnight Kitty. I really did have fun with you." Jarek turned and started to walk away when Kitty called out.
Kitty yelled, "Don't I get a kiss?"
Jarek turned around and walked back to her. "Showing affection is not a strong point of mine. I have never kissed and so I don't think I will tonight." He then reached down and picked her up in a hug though. He sat her down and walked away wondering if he had made a mistake by not kissing her. She seemed to really like him and he might have just hurt her which he would never want to do.
Kitty stood there wishing she would have kissed him when he had picked her up. He could have done nothing then but kissed her back. She did like him. She wished that he was like Remy in one department though and that was kissing. She really wanted Jarek to kiss her. She would have to settle for a hug though she guessed.
To be quite honest with herself she was a bit surprised to get a hug. He was cold and distant. She didn't know if he really liked her but when he hugged her that was the most affection he had shown for anyone since being at the school. She felt that she could get a kiss out of him. He just didn't know that he wanted to give her one yet. That or he did and just couldn't do it for some reason. She guessed that it was the latter. He seemed as he held her that he had wanted to do more but he had restrained himself.
She went into her room where Jubliee was waiting. Just before she closed the door Rogue came running in and they talked about their night. Mostly they talked about Jarek and his hug, and about him wanting to kiss her which after some time they were sure that he had wanted to do.
* * * * *
Jarek went back to his room and took off the tux. It felt good to have it off and he lay down on the bed. He thought about what it would be like to be considered normal, at least normal by the standards of the other students. He was distant he knew and cold. He was starting to want more than that though. He was starting to want a girlfriend and friends in general.
As far as girlfriends went he didn't know if he could pick one better than Kitty. She had taught him to dance. That was a skill that he was going to be grateful for he knew. He liked her for that since she was the first person to teach him a skill that didn't require that he kill someone or some such thing as that.
Jarek closed his eyes and just wondered for the first time in his life what it would be like to be loved. He wished that he had known the feeling but it didn't seem to ever work out for him. He wanted to love but it was too dangerous he decided and those were his thoughts as he went to bed.
* * * * *
Storm was with Cyclops and Jean talking about the night. They had done a good job of chaperoning they thought. No one had made out while the dance was going on which is what their main goal had been. Jean was looking at Storm when she said, "My plan didn't work Storm."
"What plan was that Jean if I may ask," Storm inquired.
"I had asked some of the students to ask you to dance. None of them did though and they had assured me that they would," jean explained.
"It is alright my friend. I got to dance with the guy that most of the female students wished that they could have danced with. I was on the dance floor with Jarek our resident mystery guy," Storm said smiling.
"You know Storm I think you enjoyed yourself when you danced," Scott said.
"You are right Scott I did enjoy myself. It was nice to dance again, even though Jarek was not a very good dancer," Storm reflected.
"He really wasn't was he? Of course we have to give him some slack he just learned tonight," Jean said.
"He learned fast though and was the only person who asked me to dance. I wonder why," Storm asked her friends.
"I think it was because everyone was having fun and you were just standing there. It seems like he doesn't like to leave anyone out of anything. I think that is why, he wanted to include you," Scott said.
Both Jean and Storm looked and him like he was someone else. That was a good answer Jean thought and one that was impressive to come up with when you weren't a telepath. Jean was going to say the same thing from what she had seen of his memories but Scott had beat her to it. He was a very good man she thought. She was glad that he was her man.
They continued to talk about the night for some time. They spoke about the students and their dates and about things that just had no really significance. It was a night for them to relax and so they did. The one thing that was always there in their conversation though was Jarek and his relationship with everyone. They would not talk about it for a while and then they would go back to it. He was an enigma and that was why he was so intriguing.
* * * * *
Jarek was starting to be a more likable person after the dance. He thawed a bit as Scott put it. In reality he did. His heart was not quite so cold and he felt that he could learn to have emotions again. He like his new self but he kept his old self tucked away incase one day he would need him.
The days passed, four too be exact. On that day it was said on the news that the president had been kidnapped. The X-Men wished that they could help out but there was nothing they could do. They had no idea where Magneto was and that was who had taken the president they knew.
They worried about the president and the professor tried to find out about where he was but couldn't find him anywhere. Christmas was only three days away and the students were starting to get excited about the big holiday. Many were going into town to buy gifts for their friends and the instructors. The holiday would be had since the X-Men could do nothing about the president until there was a note or something that they could go by.
Little did they know that there was a traitor in their midst, one who would cost them someone dear. The person had a job to do and do it the person would. That night the person planned how they would accomplish the task set for them. They watched form the shadows as students went by. The person smiled then and knew how the person was going to accomplish the task.