Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men and am not making any money off of these stories.
Copyright: I own Jarek and if you wish to use him please ask me first.
A New Beginning Part 8
Jean was looking at DNA samples of Jarek and was quite disturbed by what she was seeing. It was late Christmas Eve and Jean had been up reading and studying the readouts of Jarek's body. His body was stabolized and they didn't know if his body was healing or not. The wounds he had sustained were tremendous. Jean didn't know how it was that he was alive at all since his ribs were totally shattered thanks to Sabretooth.
The door opened and she looked up to see that Scott had entered the room. He was looking tired and he sat down next to her and looked at the papers that she held in her hands. "What are you looking at Jean," he asked.
"These are some of the readouts on Jarek and what I am seeing is quite disturbing," she answered.
"What is that Jean. What do you see that makes You nervous about Jarek," Scott asked.
"It is his mutation. I am looking at the readouts of his mutation and they are different from any other mutant I have ever seen. I am going to need to continue to read this," Jean said as she turned back to the readouts and started to study them some more.
Scott stood up and said, "You need some sleep since tomorrow is Christmas and we will have to show up and give the gifts to the students and such." With that Scott left the room and went to find himself a place to take his own advice and sleep.
* * * * *
Kitty was down in the infirmary looking over Jarek. She hadn't left his side since they had brought him in. The only times she had left his side were to get something to eat and other such necessities. She wanted to be by Jarek's side if he died so that he wasn't alone.
She looked down at him and shivered. He looked so fragile and weak just laying there with machines hooked up to him. She shook her head sadly. He didn't look any different than anyone else laying there. His wounds were bandaged and cleaned, Jean had done that. The bandages were stained red from all the bleeding but at least his bleeding had finally stopped and he wasn't in any danger of bleeding to death.
Jarek just lay there with a tube in his mouth to help him breath. Kitty almost smiled at that. If he knew that he was letting a machine do the work for him she was sure that he would tear the tube out of himself and breath on his own. She knew that he was one of those people who would rather do things on his own.
Kitty knew it was late and she also knew that she needed to get some sleep since tomorrow was going to be a long day. She didn't want to leave Jarek's side but she knew that she needed to get some sleep. She wished that Jarek could come up for Christmas and enjoy the day with them but she knew that it would be a miracle if he was even awake.
Kitty stood up and leaned over Jarek and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Get well Jarek. We all want you to live through this." Kitty then turned and left the room with tears streaming down her face.
* * * * *
Professor Xavier was in his room wondering why Magneto had changed so much. He had never been a man who would torture another simply for what he knew or believed in. Yet Magneto had done just that. Magneto had tortured Jarek to the point of near death and had not thought twice about it, it seemed to Xavier.
Xavier was sitting at his desk wondering why Jarek who was a man that was cold and self proclaimed cold had done what he had done to save the girls. He had given his life up it seemed in order for the girls to be safe. Not many men would have done that but Jarek had without even a hesitation.
Xavier was wondering many other things as the door to his room burst open and Jean came running in. She was breathing a bit heavily like she had run all the way to Xavier's room. She was holding in her hands some papers that Xavier had no doubt were readouts of Jarek.
"Come in Jean and tell me what is so important that you had to run here," Xavier said calmly.
Jean stepped into the room and said, "Professor I have been studying the readouts of Jarek's mutation and his powers."
"Yes go on please and tell me what you have found that has made you so nervous," Xavier said.
"Well I had been wondering about Jarek and his powers especially after tonight since I needed to know if he will pull through. While I was studying his readouts I noticed that his mutation is different from any other mutation I have ever seen. The more I studied it the more convinced I was that he was a very unique case," Jean said.
"What do you mean Jean. Please tell me what you are getting at," the professor said.
"Well professor it is just that Jarek is a real mutant," Jean said flatly.
"I don't get what you are saying Jean we are all mutants so what makes him different," Xavier asked.
"Professor we are evolved into what we are. We are called mutants when we really are nothing more than evolved humans. Yes we are mutants in a certain definition but Jarek is a mutant also. His power is simple and yet can make him become amazingly powerful. His power, his mutation, is that it forces him to mutate further whenever he needs to in order to get out of a situation that would kill him," Jean explained.
"What you are saying Jean is that while he is laying there in bed his mutation is forcing him to mutate further in order to live, if that is true it is amazing," the professor wondered.
"It is true professor. It is how each of his abilities came about. In his life whenever it was threatened his body mutated again due to his original mutation and gave him another ability in order to deal with the problem. It is truly amazing and fasinating," Jean finished.
"Well then Jean let's hope that his power will give him a better healing ability shall we," Xavier said.
* * * * *
It was very late, early Christmas morning, about 4:30 a.m. It was at that time that the whole mansion was asleep except for one man who woke up at that time. Jarek awoke and started to choke on the tube that was shoved down his throat. He reached up and pulled the tube from his mouth and dropped it. He wouldn't have no damn machine breathing for him.
Jarek looked around and recognized the room that he was in. It was the same room that he awoke in the very first day that he was in the mansion. I the room sitting in a chair asleep was a large furry man. His fur was blue and he had on his head a pair of glasses. Jarek had never seen the man before and he wondered what he was doing down here.
Jarek was thirsty and so he tried to sit up in the bed. He couldn't though because he was strapped down to keep him from moving and causing even more damage to himself. He moved his arm again and felt a tearing in his chest. He looked down and watched as his clean bandages were stained red with fresh blood. Jarek knew that he had tore open at least one of his wounds but he didn't care it would scab over shortly.
What he really wanted was a drink and he couldn't get up from the bed. He didn't have the strength to break the bonds that were holding him. He decided that the best thing to do would be to get the blue-furred man's attention and make him get Jarek a drink. "Hey," Jarek croaked.
His voice cracked due to disuse. He was sore all over and he was really not in the mood for someone who wouldn't listen to him. "Damnit wake up you damn throw-rug," Jarek said a bit louder as his voice came back to him. The man in the chair woke up and blinked his eyes. He looked around and noticed that Jarek was awake and hopped over to the bedside.
"You're awake that is astonishing. With the wounds that you sustained you should not have been able to awake for at least a couple of days," the mutant said.
"What is your name," Jarek asked.
"I am Dr. Hank McCoy or Beast is you prefer. I am a new member here at the school and I am helping Jean out with you," Beast replied.
"Great now can you please get me something to drink. That tube down my throat really made me thirsty," Jarek asked.
"I will get you something to drink and then we can talk," Beast said as he bounded away to get Jarek a glass of water.
Beast came back with the glass of water and handed it to Jarek who drank the whole thing. Jarek then handed the glass back and put his head back on the pillow. "If I may ask what is your name," Beast inquired.
"I am Jarek, but I would have thought that Jean would have told you since you are helping her and I am your patient," Jarek replied.
"Well she did tell me your name was Jarek but I was hoping that you would tell me the rest of your name. I mean everyone has a last name," Beast said.
"I did away with my last name the day I left home. Only people who have family need have a last name and my family didn't miss me after I left. So I am by myself and I am known by only my first name," Jarek said. As he finished he was wracked by coughs and blood trickled out of the side of his mouth which he wiped away with his arm.
Beast saw that and said, "Oh my." Beast went over to the counter and grabbed the needle that was filled with a solution that Beast was supposed to use if Jarek awoke. The solution would knock him out for a full day at least and would keep him from moving and harming himself.
Beast bounded back over to Jarek's side and injected the solution into him. Jarek's eyes got heavy and he fell back asleep. Beast breathed a sigh of relief and felt Jarek's ribs to see if he had moved any of them. Beast was afraid that when he had moved his arm he had moved his broken ribs and perhaps punctured a lung or some other such thing.
Beast felt along his ribs and was satisfied after close examination that Jarek hand't hurt himself. Beast was almost sure that Jarek's ribs were starting to mend. When he had felt them they hadn't felt broke, or at least not nearly as bad as they had when he had first been brought in.
Beast thought about waking Jean and telling her that Jarek had awoke but he decided against it. He felt that she needed the rest after doing so much for Jarek and for the others who had been wounded in the battle. Out of all of them Jarek was the only one that they were worried about, he was the only one who was near death. When Jarek awoke it gave Beast hope that he would pull through.
* * * * *
Kitty was sitting alone in her room. She wished that one of her friends were there with her but they were off with their boyfriends. Jubilee was with Gambit in his room accepting the comfort that he was so willing to give. Kitty didn't care what they were doing in there as long as Gambit was comforting her in the traditional way of just being close to her. Jubilee had seemed to need comforting since the she had seen Jarek and what had been done to him.
Another couple that were comforting each other through the night in hopes that the day would bring with it the health of Jarek was Rogue and Logan. Rogue had been visibly shaken by what she had seen. She had never seen anyone so brutally treated in her life and it had shaken her. Logan was the perfect and logical choice to comfort her since he had seen things just as bad. He would comfort her and bring her back to them by the light of the new day Kitty was sure.
Cyclops and Jean were another example of two people comforting each other through the night. Kitty was sure everyone was asleep, but they had comforted each other all the way back to the mansion and then for a time while they were at the mansion, before they all fell asleep.
Kitty wished that there was someone who would comfort her and tell her that Jarek was going to be just fine. She was unsure of what to feel. She didn't know if she should be sad or happy. Sad because he was near death, but happy that he was alive and there was the chance he could still live. She just didn't know how to react to the whole deal. She had never had anyone close to her die before and she didn't know what would happen to her if Jarek died. She knew she had to admit to herself. She knew she had to tell herself that Jarek did mean something to her.
She sat in her room curled up in her bed with the covers pulled up to her neck. She hoped that Jarek would pull through. She just wished that he would live because she didn't know what she would do if he left her. Tears that she thought she didn't have began to fall from the corners of her eyes and she didn't try to stop them. She knew deep down that there was little chance of Jarek pulling through and being alright. She needed to deal with that fact. She knew that not many people could live through what had been done to Jarek and so she let the tears fall. They were her only comfort and eventually they comforted her enough that she fell asleep.
* * * * *
It was Christmas morning and all the students were already awake and gathered in the living room of the mansion since it was the only room big enough for all of the students. When the X-Men arrived most of the gifts had already been handed out and the students were waiting for Xavier and the X-Men.
Logan came in with Rogue on his arm. She looked a lot better than she had the night before and she seemed to be in better spirits as well. Following them came Remy and Jubilee. She also seemed to be in a better mood. She didn't seem to be so dark and brooding. Next came Cyclops, Storm, Jean, and Xavier. They went and sat down in any place that they could find.
They were all in better spirits than the night before because Jean had spoken to Beast about Jarek and he had told her that he had awoken and seemed to be doing better. Jean in turn had told everyone else and that had lifted all of their spirits considerably. They were all glad that he was doing better. As they all looked around they noticed that Kitty was not yet there. Just as rogue was about to go looking for her Kitty came walking into the room. She looked like she had not had a very good night's sleep but she was in better spirits as well.
She went and sat down and some of the younger children handed Kitty her presents, which she took and thanked them. The younger students smiled and laughed as they went back to their places. They started to open their gifts and soon the room was filled with laughter and smiles. The mood was catching and soon the X-Men and the students who had been part of the rescue mission were joining in the laughter. Everyone was opening their gifts and saying thanks to whomever had given the present.
* * * * *
Jarek was unconscious but that didn't stop his mind and spirit from wondering. No one knew what death was like but Jarek was sure that he was about to find out. He was in a forest that was covered in snow. It was the type of place that he had always wanted to die in.
He started to walk through the forest and take in all the smells. He loved it and hoped that if he was dreaming or if this was death it would stay just like it was. Jarek had no wish to return to the land of the living if death was so sweet and pure. As he was walking through the forest he was approached by a woman, who was extremely beautiful. She had white skin and hair the color of night. Her eyes were liquid blue and she moved with grace. She was wearing a gown of white silk so that it looked as if she was a part of her surroundings.
As she neared Jarek he felt his skin go cold and his breathing became harder. It was when she was within just a few feet of him that he knew exactly who she was and he wasn't afraid of her in the least. He knew that he was looking into the face of death and she had came for him.
* * * * *
Everyone was done opening their gifts and some of the children had went outside to have a snowball fight. The X-Men were glad that they were having fun and didn't have a care since they were still so young. Xavier was especially happy for them since they knew that they had a home and people who cared about them. That was all any one ever really needed.
He was just getting ready to go with the X-Men to see Jarek when Beasts thoughts battered at his mind. Beasts thoughts were barely coherent there was so much emotion involved in them. After a few seconds though Xavier was able to come to a conclusion of what Beast was saying. It sent a chill down his spine to hear it but he knew he had to tell the others and especially Jean since she was the only one who would be able to help Jarek.
"Jean you need to get down to the infirmary now! Beast is losing Jarek. He doesn't know what happened but all of the sudden Jarek's vital signs have become very weak," Xavier said.
Jean sprinted from the room with the rest of the team hot on her heels. She ran down to the infirmary and found Beast leaning over Jarek. She ran to the table and asked quickly, "What is the problem. What is happening here Beast."
"I do not know Jean. He was doing just fine and then his vital signs just dropped. His heart beat is weak as well as his breathing being shallow. I don't know what could have caused this it is most puzzling," Beast said amiably.
"I don't care if it is puzzling Beast we need to do something!" Jean yelled.
Xavier wheeled on over to the head of the table and placed his hands on either side of Jarek's head. He closed his eyes then and sent his mind into Jarek's to see if he could help Jean out from the inside of Jarek's mind.
* * * * *
Jarek was looking at the woman and waiting for her to speak first which she did. "Jarek why are you here right now" she asked in a voice that was like music.
"I am here because you called me I take it," Jarek answered.
"No I did not call you. You brought yourself here to the border between life and death and I want to know why," she asked again.
"Well I guess I am here to die then. That is why I am here," Jarek answered.
"You can't die for it is not for you," she said.
"I can die just like everyone else can. What I don't understand is why I am dying now after I was doing so well. I was recovering." Jarek said.
"You should look to yourself to find that answer. You have always wanted to die and so your body is finally giving you the chance but the problem is Jarek I don't want you right now. You have a life to live at the moment," she answered.
That was when both Jarek and Death felt Xavier watching. They both looked up at him and Jarek snarled as Death gestured at Xavier. "Be gone Xavier if you wish to live," she hissed.
Xavier was thrown forcibly from Jarek's mind and he was thrown back in his chair. Cyclops ran over to him and asked, "Are you alright professor."
"I will be fine Scott but what I saw is disturbing. It was as if he is arguing with death itself on whether he should live or die," Xavier said.
Kitty was baffled by what she was hearing. How could someone be arguing with death when death was just an end. And how could Jarek be doing so bad when he had been doing fine not all that long ago. She just didn't know what to do so she walked up and put her hand over Jarek's.
* * * * *
"My life is nothing and I have nothing to live for so of course I have always wanted you to claim me," Jarek told death.
"You have a life and someone who cares for you. You also have a sister that you can't abandon. Will you break your oaths and let them grieve for you and your sister take your place as my champion," Death asked.
It was then that a bright light started to shine down and the snow covered trees started to melt. Birds started to sing and animals could be seen around instead of nothing but trees and snow. Jarek wondered what was going on and so he asked, "What is going on here this isn't death. It can't be."
"You are right this is not death. It is life calling you back. It is the girl who cares for you letting you know that she cares by being at your side when you wish to die. It is her doing to bring the animals here and melt the snow. She is calling you back to her side Jarek and you would be smart to listen and follow," Death said.
"But following you would be so much easier and the pain that is life for me would be no more," Jarek said.
"That may be Jarek but nothing that is worth anything is painless. There will always be pain and loss in life and in things that mean something to you. Take the pain and deal with it. You have for years and there is no one alive that can deal with pain like you can. Now go back to her and life Jarek, I will claim you but just this once I will grant you your life because I didn't call you, you came to me," Death said and with that she pushed him back into his body.
* * * * *
Jean frowned at the machines that said Jarek's vitals were back to normal. Actually they were better than they should have been for someone who had broken ribs. Jean looked around and the only thing that she noticed was that Kitty had placed her hand on Jarek's. Jean knew that couldn't be what had brought Jarek back from the brink of death but she had no other explanation.
As she watched Jarek opened his eyes. He looked around and said, "Why is everyone standing around me like I just died."
Tears started to flow from the women present because they all knew how close they had come to losing him. "Jarek you came back to us," Xavier said.
Jarek looked over to him and then back to Kitty, "No I didn't. I didn't want to come back until Kitty made the effort of making me see what I would be leaving behind. It is she who pulled me back."
Kitty smiled at him as did everyone present. "Let's leave him alone now for awhile," Xavier said.
"Wait I want to know how you can be awake after beast injected that sleeping solution into you. You shouldn't have been able to be awake for at least another fourteen hours," Jean asked.
"My body isn't like most others. It doesn't need as much sleep as a normal person's so a sleeping solution would only make me sleep for a short time because my body can't sleep for very long," Jarek answered.
Jarek sat up in the bed and then remembered as he couldn't that he was strapped down. He created his swords of light and cut the bindings, since he was tired of laying down. He needed to stand up and move around. Jarek was uncomfortable and he was the type of person who needed to be doing something.
Jarek had waited until Jean was out of the room to stand up. He didn't need no doctor worrying over him even if it was because she cared about his well being. Jarek stood up and walked over to Kitty who was the last one to leave the room. He came up behind her and placed his arms around her and put his head on her shoulder. He whispered into her ear, "You brought me back Kitty and that is something that I can guarantee that I will never forget. I will always owe you for that Kitty and I will always keep you safe."
Kitty had wanted to melt into Jarek's arms when he had wrapped them around her but she had held herself in check. Then he had whispered into her ear and that had made her want to be his even more. She turned around in his arms and said, "You don't owe me anything Jarek. All I want is for you to be OK."
"I will be just fine Kitty. I want you to stop worrying about me. I am mostly healed now. My body healed faster than what I expected and I am feeling quite well," Jarek said.
Kitty reluctantly pulled away from Jarek and left the room. She didn't know what to think of the way Jarek was acting. He had never acted that way before and it almost worried her, almost. She was glad he was okay and she thought that her and the others should give him his presents now that he was able to walk, so she went in search of them.
* * * * *
Jarek watched her go and felt that he hadn't told her everything that he should have. He felt his ribs and knew that they were healed completely. He then felt the cuts and could tell that they were healed slightly. He was surprised to find that he was doing so well, but of course he did have the ability to heal rather rapidly. It had been more than a full day, but what was weird was that he knew his ribs weren't healed when Death had been in his head. Then she left and he awoke to find that his ribs were completely healed. It was something that he thought she had done for him.
Jarek thought about Kitty as he left the room. He wanted to go outside and see if he there was anyone out there having a snowball fight. He then wondered about himself and why he couldn't tell Kitty that he liked her. He was new to the emotion game and it was unsettling. The more he thought about why he couldn't tell her the more the answer pounded at him. The answer was because he was afraid. He didn't have the courage to tell her that he liked her.
Jarek wondered about that. He could fight anyone and anything but when it came to girls and feelings he was nothing more than a coward. He knew it deep down and he hated it. He wished that he was like Logan or Remy or hell, even Cyclops. They were all so sure around women and he could only be distant and cold. He wished that he wasn't like that but he knew that he couldn't change that part of himself.
Jarek snuck outside because he still didn't want Jean to know that he was up and about since he was quite sure she would not approve of what he was doing. Jarek wanted to have a snowball fight since he hadn't had one since he was seven or eight years old. As he made it outside he noticed that there were two teams of kids. One side was guarding a fort and the other side was on the attack.
The side that was on the attack had the kid named Bobby. His power made the fight a bit unfair since he could create snowballs and throw them faster than anyone else could. Jarek bent down and started to make himself a weapon. He gathered up the snow and started to pack it into a ball. He made a ball that was about the size of a basketball and then he started to hunt.
Jarek was after the kid named Bobby since he was making the fight a bit unfair. He dropped into a sqat and started to move forward. He snuck from tree to tree and from snow drift to snow drift. He made it behind Bobby who was laughing loudly and shouting, "Just give up John you stand no chance. I am the master of the snowball and you are totally out of your element."
"I will never give up Bobby I can control fire which is the element that you can't handle," John shouted back.
Jarek shook his head at the stupidity of Bobby. Bobby hadn't left anyone from his team as a rear guard. If John had been smart he would have sent part of his team around the mansion to come in from behind and catch Bobby in a crossfire. That's all right Jarek thought. Jarek stood up and threw his large snowball at Bobby. It hit Bobby in the back of the head and sent him face first into the snow.
Bobby sat up and was sputtering. He looked around and yelled, "Who threw that."
"I did," Jarek said from where he was standing. Bobby turned and saw Jarek and his eyes grew quite wide. He hadn't expected the person who threw that ball to be Jarek. He had been told he was hurt and wouldn't be able to have Christmas with them.
"So you threw that huh. Well of course you know that this means war!" Bobby yelled as he stood up and created a very large ball of snow and threw it at Jarek.
Jarek easily dodged it and said right back, "I am the emperor of the cold and in this element you don't have a prayer."
Bobby yelled something and hurled a bunch of snowballs at Jarek who easily dodged each of them. Jarek smiled to himself. He was going to have a fun time just showing them how to have a real snowball fight.
* * * * *
Kitty had found everyone and they were all in the living room. She had told everyone that Jarek was walking and he seemed to be in great spirits considering his near death experience. She had told them to wait in the living room while she went and found Jarek. The problem was she hadn't found Jarek anywhere in the house and it was starting to worry her. She hoped that he hadn't left the mansion and went in search of Magneto for revenge.
She ran back to the living room and said to them, "We have a problem professor. I can't find him anywhere in the house. I am afraid that he might have went in search of Magneto already."
She was starting to feel more and more sure of that with each passing moment. That was the type of person Jarek was and it was something that he would undoubtably want and that was vengeance. She was starting to worry a lot when the professor said in a voice that held a bit of surprise, "He is not in the house but he is outside. He is having a snowball fight with the rest of the students. The problem is they are all after him since he is holding his own against our resident snow man Bobby."
"He is having a snowball fight," Jubilee asked wonderingly. That didn't sound like the Jarek they knew.
Kitty voiced those very thoughts a bit skeptically. "Are you sure professor. That doesn't seem like something that Jarek would do."
"Yeah it is fun and he doesn't ever have fun," Cyclops said with a smile.
"Yes I am sure. It seems that you are right Scott. It seems to me that he is having fun," Xavier said.
"Well let's go get him so he can open his gifts," Jubilee said happily.
"What is he doing up and moving around. He should still be in bed. Those wounds of his were serious and I doubt they are healed yet. Where was Beast he should have been there," Jean complained as they all headed outside to get Jarek.
* * * * *
Jarek was doing quite well against the kids. Jarek was enjoying pelting Bobby with snowballs. Jarek hit some of the other kids but Bobby was the main one he was after since he could control the snow and such. Jarek had been hit a few times but he was more than up to the challenge of taking on the entire school.
He was better than they were for the simple fact he treated it as war. He hid himself under the snow and waited for them to come by and then he would rise up and pelt them. He would hide in the tops of trees and throw the snowballs from up there. He was a warrior and the kids didn't stand a chance, at least until they started to all cheat as Jarek put it.
They started to use their powers and that put him at a serious disadvantage. Especially when John could melt the snowball before it even got to him. Then there was the kid who could teleport. Jarek felt that power was a bit unfair. Jarek though didn't complain outloud he just dealt with what they did and adjusted.
He was on a low hanging branch in a rather large tree when his friends came up to him to talk to him. Storm walked right up to him and said, "Jarek are you alright. Jean is worried that you will reinjure yourself if you continue this."
"I am fine Storm it is just that I haven't allowed myself to have fun in so long that I forgot what it felt like. That and I wanted to have a snowball fight. I have not had one of these in more than ten years," Jarek replied as he scanned the surrounding area waiting for one of the kids to show themselves.
"Jarek we were wondering if you would like to come back inside and open your gifts," Xavier said from where he was waiting a few feet away.
Jarek heard what Xavier had said but the words really didn't register. Gifts? Why would they get him gifts. He wasn't a part of any of their families. He had gotten them gifts that was true but he had owed them and so he had got them gifts. They didn't owe him and so them getting him gifts he didn't understand and so he said, "Why did you get me gifts. I don't understand."
"We got you gifts because you are our friend Jarek. Hasn't anyone ever gotten you a gift before?" Jean asked.
"All I ever got for gifts were weapons. That and I was trained in their use for my gifts. I do remember from a time when I was very young my parents buying me toys and such like every child should have but then I remember a man in a uniform showing up and telling them not to get me toys anymore," Jarek said quietly.
"That's terrible," Jubilee exclaimed.
Jarek shrugged. "It never did bother me because they were my parents. I loved them I guess and so what they got me didn't bother me."
Storm was shaken as well by what he had said so she said, "Well we have gotten you gifts so if you would like we could go in and . . ." That was when she was hit in the side of the head by a snowball throw by Bobby whose eyes got really wide and turned to run.
Over his shoulder he yelled, "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it."
Storm wiped the snow off her face and gave a small smile. It was a smile that usually meant someone was going to get it and they all knew who was going to get it. At that time the group was ambushed. Snowballs flew from everywhere. Everyone was hit even the professor who started to laugh.
"If dis is what dey want den Gambit will oblige," Remy said as he bent down and made a snowball and powered it with a bit of his energy. He smiled as he saw a couple of kids hiding behind a snowdrift. Gambit gave a huge smile to his friends and said, "Watch dis," as he threw the charged snowball at the snowdrift.
As the snowball hit the snowdrift the drift exploded outwards and coated the kids in snow. They were covered from head to toe in snow and Gambit started to laugh quite loudly until he was hit about five times by snowballs. That was when Storm used her power to control the wind and flung a bunch of oncoming snowballs back at their attackers.
That started the whole group joining in on the snowball fight. Each had a job to do in the fight. The offense was Gambit and the girls. The professor used his power to find the hidden kids and send out Logan to tag them with a snowball. Cyclops was the defense. He shot the snowballs out of the air. Lastly there was Jarek who became his old self. He became the hunter.
After about fifteen minutes the X-Men decided that they had had enough. They all went inside with Jarek and that was when they decided to open the gifts that they had gotten for Jarek. First though Jean demanded to see Jarek's wounds. He took his shirt off and then he took off the bandages.
Jean started to poke and prod him like he was a piece of meat and he was not enjoying himself anymore. He knew that the snowball fight was probably a onetime deal of him enjoying himself but at least he had fun. Jean shook her head because there were no wounds on Jarek at all. Everything was healed, which was a bit surprising.
"Well I guess that you are fine Jarek. I am sorry I prodded you so much and things but I am a doctor and it is just habit," Jean apologized.
"No problem Jean but I have a question for you. Who is Beast. Why haven't I seen him around here before," Jarek asked Jean.
"He hasn't been around but he is a new student as well. He has been around for awhile but the reason you haven't seen him is that he showed up on a day that you were gone. On that day he told me that he was a doctor as well, or at least a med student and so I sent him out again to see if he could find anymore students who needed homes. That and to see if he could find any mutants that needed medical attention since I couldn't do it," Jean explained.
Jarek looked around the room and saw that Kitty was sitting next to him. She was on the couch with Jarek just waiting not saying a word which made Jarek wonder. Sitting in his chair was Xavier who was by the fire place. Also sitting next to each other were Scott and Jean who were on the other couch across from the one Jarek and Kitty were sitting on. Sitting in one of the chairs next to the couch that Scott and Jean were on was Storm. She was sitting quietly too as if lost in thought. Lastly there was Gambit who was sitting on the floor and Jubilee who would be sitting next to him when she was done giving Jarek the gifts.
Jarek nodded his head then as Jubilee started to bring him gifts over. The first gift was from Jubilee herself. He nodded and said thanks as she kept bringing gifts over to him. He had one from Logan and Rogue together, one from Jubilee, one from Kitty, and one from the X-Men team, and finally one from Xavier. There was also a gift with no name tag on it but it was to him and he wondered who it was from.
Jarek opened the gift from Jubilee first and inside he found a shirt. The shirt was black with a picture of a medieval knight on the front. He gave Jubilee his half-smile and said, "Thanks Jubilee. I really did need a shirt."
"Don't mention it Jarek. I thought it would fit you since you seem to be the gallant type without even trying," Jubilee said smiling.
Next Jarek opened the gift from Xavier. Xavier had given him a cell phone. Jarek frowned cause he didn't even know how to use a cell phone. "Thanks professor," Jarek said.
"I gave you that so that you could keep in touch with us. If you are out and ever need help you can call us that way and we will come and help. I hope that you carry it with you," Xavier said smiling.
Next was the gift from Logan and Rogue. Inside a small box he found two knives. They were beautiful. He pulled them out of the box and slashed the air with them. They were well balanced and were quite sharp. "Thank you very much Logan, Rogue. I needed some new knives since I lost my others," Jarek said.
"Don't mention it. I thought that you might need some new knives and so Logan and me decided to get them for you," Rogue said before Logan could say anything.
"Yeah what she said," Logan gruffly said.
There were only three gifts left and Jarek decided to open the one from Cyclops, Jean, and Storm. He opened the gift and inside found a black uniform. He pulled it out and on it was embolized a large X in gold. The uniform was a bit small Jarek could see as he held it up.
"It is a uniform. I don't understand what is it for," Jarek asked anyone who felt like answering.
"Yes it is a uniform. It is an X-Men uniform. We decided with the professor that we would like you to join the team Jarek. You have helped us out and so we felt that you would fit right in with the team. We would like you to be an X-Man," Jean explained.
"The uniform is a bit small. Whose is it," Jarek asked.
"One of mine. That is why it is small on you," Scott said. "You are a bit larger than I am."
"That is fine I will make my own uniform but as for joining the team. Sure I would like to join. The problem is that each of you is a teacher and I am not," Jarek said.
"Don't worry about it we will figure something out," Storm said.
There were but two gifts left as Jarek looked down at them. He could tell that Kitty was nervous about him opening the gift from her and so he decided to open hers next hoping that it would calm her down when he did. He opened the gift and was surprised to see what was inside.
He held up a small statuette of a wolf. It was carved from pewter and had small chips of sapphire for its eyes. The statuette was painted to look exactly like a wolf and was done beautifully. Jarek knew that Kitty had done the painting herself. He was truly touched by the gift. He loved animals and she had given him a way to remember them and her. Whenever he looked upon the wolf he would think of Kitty he knew that much.
He turned to her and smiled. He gave a real smile not his half-smile. It was a smile that held warmth and Kitty couldn't believe what she was seeing. None of the X-Men could believe what they were seeing either. "He's smiling," Jubilee said in wonder.
"I do know how to smile it is just that I have had few things to ever smile about," Jarek replied to Jubilee as he looked at Kitty.
"Thank you very much Kitty. I don't think you know how much this means to me. I will cherish this always," Jarek said with meaning in his voice.
"I am glad that you like it. I didn't know what to get you so I settled for that. It wasn't painted so I thought that I should paint it," Kitty said.
"Hey Jarek open the last one will ya," Rogue said from Logans lap where she was sitting.
"Alright alright Rogue just give me a break," Jarek said as he picked up the last package.
He opened up it up to a familiar weight. Inside a small box he found his two old knives. They were his knives that he had left in the body of the man he had killed when he had went to meet Mystique. He knew that she had taken a form and brought them back to him. There was no note or anything but he knew what she would say. She would say that she felt that he needed these knives. They were no longer hers since she had given them to him and she would want him to have them.
"What is it Jarek," Storm asked.
"My knives that Mystique had given me once she has given them back to me," Jarek replied.
They were all silent since they wanted to leave him to his thoughts. As Scott and Jean were getting ready to stand up and leave Jarek spoke up. "Don't leave just yet. I have gifts to give all of you as well. Just stay here," Jarek said as he left his the room for his room.
He went into his room and grabbed everyone's gift. They were all quite small except for the one that he had gotten the professor. It was a bit larger than the others but he could still carry it with the rest of the gifts. They were all wrapped since he had told the salespeople that they were gifts.
Jarek entered the room with the gifts and he hoped that everyone liked what he had gotten them. He hadn't been around them enough to know what they liked so he had just guessed. The gifts were expensive ones but money didn't matter since he had more than enough money for the rest of his life.
He gave each person their gift and sat back to watch them open them. The first person to open their gift was Gambit. He found a deck of cards that had the numbers and such with a golden sheen. "What is dis mon ami. Dey are cards, Thanks Jarek," Gambit said.
"Those cards are worth more than a thousand dollars. In the ink used to print them there was gold and silver used. They also have a small sheet of metal to keep them from bending," Jarek explained to Remy who didn't seem to know what the cards were for sure.
"Dat is amazing mon ami. Truly thanks for dese cards," Gambit said.
Next to open their gift was the professor. He found a painting of a small village that was covered in snow. The painting was done by a artist who was not as famous as most but his work was great. Jarek liked the painting and had thought that the professor would as well.
"Thank you Jarek. This artist is very good and I have always wanted to get one of his works but most places don't want to part with them. I am sure this was not cheap at all," Xavier said as he started to look around the room for a place to hang the painting.
Then Storm opened her gift to find a bracelet. The bracelet had a jewel for every month. Each jewel represented a part of the season that it belonged to and so Jarek thought that she might like it since she could control the weather. The metal of the bracelet was weather sensitive. The bracelet changed color to match the mood of the weather.
"Thank you very much Jarek these bracelets are very rare since the metal itself is so rare. I will cherish it always," Storm said.
Logan was the next to open his gift and he found a set of keys. He didn't know what they went to so Jarek spoke up, "Those keys go to a vehicle in the garage. I am sure that you can find which one Logan. I will tell you if you want me to though," Jarek said.
"Tell me since I don't like games all that well," Logan said.
"They go to a motorcycle that is a 50th aniversery commemorative edition. I hope you like it," Jarek answered.
"Thanks kid. I do like bikes," Logan said.
Jean was the next to open her gift and she found a watch. The watch had a band made of eel skin and the numbers were made from diamonds. The clock hands were of gold. "Thank you Jarek it is beautiful," she exclaimed as she put the watch on. Storm had put on her bracelet and Gambit was shuffling his cards.
Rogue opened her gift and inside found a pair of earrings. They were made from rubies and sapphires so that the light caught in them and dazzled. Rogue couldn't believe that Jarek had got her those. "Thank you Jarek but my ears aren't pierced," she said.
"That is alright Rogue you can do with them whatever you want and it won't bother me," Jarek said.
Jubilee had to open her gift next hoping that she had gotten something like Rogue had. She tore open the gift and she found a pair of earrings as well. Hers were made from diamond and opal though to contrast each other. She was delighted, "Thanks so much Jarek."
Scott opened his package next and wondered what could be in such a small box. He opened the box and inside found a pair of ruby contact lenses. They were made from ruby and had been softened with heat so that they would bend so that they could be put in the eyes. "Thank you Jarek," Scott said distantly.
Scott had never thought that he could get a pair of contact lenses made for himself but now that he had them he would have to try them. He loved Jarek for getting them for him. "Thank you so much Jarek for these. I don't think I can thank you enough."
"You can just by wearing them if they will work," Jarek said.
Kitty was the only one who hadn't opened her gift from Jarek and he wondered why she had waited to be last. He hoped that she liked it but he didn't know what Kitty liked or anything.
Kitty opened her gift and was astonished to find that she hadn't gotten earrings or a watch or even a bracelet. She had gotten a necklace and ring. They were a matching pair. The necklace was made from diamonds with three large rubies placed in the center. Near the neck clasp were placed on each side two sapphires. The ring was made from gold with a very rare gem placed in the ring for its setting. It was a ruby, and a diamond that had been formed together. The set together was worth an astonishing amount of money.
"Thank you Jarek," Kitty exclaimed as she threw her arms around Jarek.
"Jarek I hate to ask this of you but where did you get the money for these expensive gifts. Kitty's alone would have cost around $50,000 or more," Xavier asked.
"I got the money many different ways. I didn't steal any of it though. I gambled and got good at it. I don't want to tell you the rest," Jarek said as he stood up to leave. He was tired yet from having to stay up for so long being tortured. His mind needed a rest and it was starting to get late.
"I need to rest," Jarek said as he headed for his room. Before he left the room the group called to him, "Thanks for the gifts Jarek."
"It was no problem and I must thank all of you for the gifts that you gave me," Jarek called over his shoulder.
As he left the room Kitty and the girls got up and followed him out of the room. He went straight to his room carrying his gifts. As he made it to his door he opened the door and started to go inside when Kitty jumped forward and stood in front of him so that he couldn't get into his room.
She pointed up above him and he looked up. He saw a piece of mistletoe hanging there. Of course he didn't really know what the mistletoe meant. "What does it mean Kitty," Jarek asked.
Kitty couldn't believe what she had just heard. Jarek didn't know what it meant to stand under the mistletoe. "Jarek it means that if you are standing under the mistletoe at Christmas time then you must kiss the girl you are standing under the mistletoe with," Kitty explained.
Jarek had heard something about that but he had never really been told what they all meant. He had heard of other things but had thought they were all just inventions of guys to try to get the girls to kiss them. The one here though must be true about the mistletoe. He shrugged at Kitty then, "Tell you what let me put the gifts in my room first and then I will come back and kiss you."
"Fine but hurry up," Kitty said. Jarek put the gifts into his room in a corner and then went back to the door. There was Kitty still standing under the mistletoe waiting for him to kiss her. Jarek walked up to her and then bent down to kiss her since he was so much taller than she was.
He bent down and wrapped his arms around her and stood up with her in his arms. He pressed his lips to hers and gave her a long passionate kiss. He had never kissed anyone before so he was not very good at it but he was a fast learner.
Kitty was taken off guard by his reaction to the mistletoe. Then he had wanted to put his presents away first what was up with that she had wondered. He had come back to the door then and picked her up in his arms and kissed her then like she had never been kissed before. He kissed her with feeling like he really cared but couldn't voice his feeling.
Jarek kissed her and tried to give it feeling since it was the only way he knew how to express his feelings. He didn't know how to speak and give voice to what he was feeling about Kitty. So he tried to use his actions instead.
He placed her back on the ground then and was surprised by how he felt after the kiss. He felt a little light headed and he really needed to go to sleep or he would pass out. "Kitty I wish I could stay up and talk to you or do something with you but I must now get to sleep," Jarek said.
"That is alright Jarek. You need to catch up on your rest," Kitty said.
Jarek closed the door and went over to his bed and fell fast asleep. Outside his door Kitty stood there with her hand on the door. "Sleep tight Jarek, and have good dreams," Kitty said quietly as her hand trailed its way down the door.
She turned and went over to her friends who were giggling like little girls and the three of them went to Kitty's and Jubilee's room to talk about Jarek. She had finally kissed Jarek and that was all that mattered to her. He had shown in that kiss that he had feelings for her and she was determined to make him voice those feelings for her.