Chapter 5
The wind rider walked a few steps ahead of her and seemed uncomfortable for some reason. Julia was just about to ask when Ororo paused, turned to her, said, "Ms. O'Shaughnessey--"
"Julia, please."
She nodded, "I am Ororo. I wanted to bid you a proper welcome to the mansion, but I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
"Me, too, Ororo. Gambit's said quite a bit about you, he respects you a great deal."
Storm's eyes took on the same pained look as before, "As I respect him," she said, then grinned a bit, "though he can be the most irritating man."
"Yes, I'm afraid he gets some of it from me, if you had not guessed."
Storm smiled briefly, but Julia saw the unhappiness still weighing on her, "Look, what's happened is not your fault, and you didn't fail him in any way."
"I wish that were true. He hinted to me that he was uncomfortable with Jean, and yesterday, when we discussed the training session, he was very clearly uneasy. Yet I did not see why, I was as quick to dismiss truth as Bishop, as Scott--"
"I haven't met him, but I doubt you could be as blind as that one," Julia said wryly. "And I'm equally sure that Nicky did no more than hint, if even that much. You had no true reason to suspect a woman that I know must be your friend. We do no look to our own when looking for wrong-doers."
"You are very kind."
"Not really, I've just made too many of my own mistakes."
Ororo smiled, paused by a much-mangled door. "This is the training room Charles referred to. We call it the Danger Room," Storm said, pushing the door open. "Julia, I want to introduce you to the X-Men." She indicated each in turn: Psylocke, Revanche, Wolverine, Cyclops, Archangel, Iceman, Rogue and Jubilee.
"Are you really Gambit's mother?" Jubilee asked, jumping down from a half-raised plate, her scanner in hand.
"Believe it or not, even he has a mother, no matter what he'd like people to think," she said with a slight smile.
"Jubilee, you ought to mind your manners," Rogue said, coming forward, a slight blush to her cheeks. "Ms. O'Shaughnessey--"
"My son's told me about you," she said, trying to put the girl at ease. "I'm happy to meet you, despite the circumstances. I suspect it wouldn't have been long in coming."
If anything Rogue's blush turned redder, she murmured, "Yes, ma'am."
Inwardly Julia sighed, sweet child, "I understand you were in the room when it happened." Rogue nodded. "Would you mind showing me exactly where?"
"Of course, though Ah wasn't all there when they actually disappeared."
Julia glanced at the hole in the wall, "He was showing off." Wolverine hid a grin, but Julia caught it. "I see you're not entirely unfamiliar with that aspect of his character."
"No, ma'am," he said, still smiling.
"Since it's an entirely hereditary trait, I tend to be forgiving, but I don't expect the rest of you to let him get away with it. And please, all of you, my name is Julia, not ma'am or Ms. O'Shaughnessey."
Logan nodded along with the others, a slight gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. That Cajun would never hear the end of this. The smile faded. If they got him back.
"If you wouldn't mind ridin' with me, m-Julia," Rogue was saying, "It happened up there."
Storm saw Cyclops make a signal to her and instead of accompanying them as she had planned, said, "I'll join you in a few moments to narrow the area." Both nodded and Julia allowed Rogue to pick her up and bring her where her son had disappeared.
"How much did the professor tell her?" Cyclops asked.
"Everything, or I would not have brought her here. They linked minds."
"They shared memories?"
She nodded. "He suggested that she be brought here, I believe he thinks there may be a chance that because of the mother-son bond they share, Julia may be able to pick up something we have not."
"Does she know everything that transpired this morning?" Scott asked, a slight pink on the tips of his ears.
"I believe so." Ororo eyed him with mixed amusement and anger, "I do not think the professor spared anyone."
"No reason for him to," Scott said, the pink turning a bright red. "I've made so many errors in judgement lately, Gambit and his mother will have to join a long list of people who are due apologies."
"Let's hope they're both here to receive them."
Scott nodded grimly, "Let's hope."
Rogue still wasn't quite comfortable with Gambit's mother right at her side, and she desperately wished that he were here with her. This was not the way to meet his mother. "It was right about here, though Storm would be able to tell you best."
"Gambit could tell me best, child," she said absently, feeling tingles of her son's presence all through the air. It puzzled her that it would be so palpable, despite the number of people who had passed over this very spot today. 'There's something quite queer goin' on here...' She closed her eyes, taking a step here, a step there, reaching out with her senses. 'Nicky, my not so wee babe, where... are... you?'
"Arrgh!" she cried, dropping to her knees, hands clutching her womb.
"Julia?" Rogue said, alarmed, "What is it?" She was doubled over, Rogue touched her and she sat up, eyes blank. "Psylocke, Revanche... somebody get the professor... Storm!"
A moment later Storm appeared with Psylocke while Archangel swooped down and grabbed Scott. "What happened to her?" Storm asked, kneeling.
"She was fine one second, then I turn around and hear her give a little cry and fall to her knees... Is she gonna be all right?"
Psylocke touched her mind and gasped. "Here! How could we--"
"You missed it because it's so faint, I could barely pick it up myself," Julia said, intelligence returning to her eyes. The others were staring at her. "That Jean didn't take him anywhere, he's here, they're both still here, but not precisely in this space."
"What?! " they said at once.
Amid the welter of questions, Scott forced his way to the top, "You mean you can sense them here? Both of them?"
Julia nodded, "And I think now that the lassie got it from me, she can do the same, is that not so?"
Psylocke nodded, "It's not as strong as when I was touching you, but I can sense them." She shook her head, "They've been here all the time, but in some slightly other plane."
"But Jean can't do that," Scott said, "I don't understand how she could have done it--"
"How's not important right now. I think we'll find that out, will or no. What we need is a way to get them back. Any of you able to pop in and out o' this plane?"
"Perhaps Gateway..."
"Lila Chaney's a teleporter..."
"She's with the Starjammers half way across the galaxy--"
"Kurt," Wolverine said, having made it to the platform in time to hear Julia's request. "He's only about five hours away, with Excalibur."
Since Julia did not know any of the people they were talking about, she looked to Storm for guidance. Storm was nodding slightly, "I am not certain he can do this, but the Nightcrawler is able to pop in and out of another dimension. He's a short-range teleporter, if we can give him enough to guide him, perhaps."
"I'll anchor him to me, or ride piggy back in his mind if need be. How soon can he get here?" Julia asked, standing.
"We'll have to contact him," Charles said, appearing over the edge of the plate, now in his hoverchair once more. "What have you sensed, Julia?"
"Exactly what you wanted me to," she replied, "My son. And the girl. Let me show you." She closed her eyes and opened her mind to him. She heard him gasp as Psylocke had done, as she had done. "We don't have much time."
Charles shook his head. "Time is exactly what we do have, if what I sense is correct."
"But the pain--"
"An echo, they're suspended," he said. She thought a moment, reaching, slowly nodded, then frowned.
"There's an emptiness... What do you make of it, Charles?"
"You sensed it, too? It's very strange, we'll need more time to be sure, perhaps the two of us..."
"Aye. I have a feelin' 'tis important."
"Do you get feelings in the same way Gambit does?" Rogue asked.
"Not so often anymore, lass, but once, aye. He told you?"
"Reluctantly, shortly before this happened," Charles replied. "Is there anything else we should know about? Other hidden talents?"
"If there are, he's kept them hidden from me, too," she grinned a bit. "Would not be the first time, but if you find anythin' out before I do, you've my permission to give him a severe talkin' to."
"Let me do it," Wolverine grinned.
Julia smiled, but Charles could see the worry behind the smile. "For now, Logan, would you mind joining Bishop in the communications room to try and reach Kurt?" he said. He nodded and did a back flip off the platform.
"You are an impressive lot aren't you?" Julia said.
"You should see us on school picture day," Bobby said.
She smiled, "Does the bulb not melt your ice, lad?"
"Takes more than a little flash to get me," he replied with a grin.
"Yeah," Jubilee put in, "it usually takes a whole battalion of photographers to put a damper on this prima donna."
She smiled indulgently at them both, then turned to Charles, "You have some fine students here."
"Thank you."
She sighed, "Could I possibly make a phone call? Though we don't know the whole story, I must contact a friend of mine, he's as worried about Nicky as I am."
"Of course. Once you're finished, if you'll return here we can try and learn more about this emptiness we sensed." She nodded, weary, and he noticed, "Unless you'd prefer to rest, first, it must have been a very trying morning for you."
"That goes for us all, I think. But no, I'd rather find out as much as I can, or rest will no' be rest at all but merely worry lyin' down."
Storm offered to fly her down and guide her to a phone. Julia put herself in her hands and soon she was back on the ground and making her phone call to Michael. She told him what she could--what she and Charles had agreed she could--but she didn't want to worry him overmuch. "They're bringing in someone who may be able to fetch them back, so if everything goes well, I could be back day after tomorrow."
"You don't really think that's all there is to it, do you?"
"No, I don't," she said softly, "I'm very much afraid that's not all there is to it."
She rejoined Charles in the Danger Room a few minutes later, saw that it had essentially cleared out except for Psylocke, Revanche and the professor. Only the telepaths. And the blue flying angel, she saw as he swooped down.
"I stayed to lift you to the platform," he said quietly, landing a few feet away from her.
She nodded, said impulsively, "You're not as scary as you think, you know."
He looked startled then almost grinned. "Thank you, but my reputation will suffer if you spread it around."
She laughed, "It'll be our secret." She stepped forward, reached out to touch his metal feathers, he recoiled, then stood very still as she eyed him speculatively. "You ought to wear a sign if you don't want people touchin'."
"It's all right," he said, "I've just never found anyone who wanted to."
She did touch, was very careful to stay away from the sharp edges. "They're not as cold as you'd think from the metal."
Startlement flickered in his eyes again, "They were constructed to be a part of me," he said almost unwillingly.
"I see." She respected his need to keep silent, "I think I'm ready to fly up now."
He nodded and picked her up very carefully, then they were up. It was quite unlike flying with either Storm or Rogue. She could feel the beat of the wings, it really was like being lifted by a great bird. She found herself grinning as he set her down, "Thank you lad, one of the best flights I've had this mornin'."
He smiled, "You're welcome." Hesitantly he added, "If you need anything..."
She touched his hand, "Thank you." Again he nodded and took off. She watched him a few moments before turning to find Charles watching her.
He said nothing, merely indicated a chair that had been brought. She went, sat. "What shall we do? I've never worked in concert."
"It's a bit prosaic, but linking hands does facilitate the process," Charles said, reaching out a hand to her. She nodded, letting him take the lead. His mind grasped hers first, in a different way than this morning and she resisted, disliking the control. 'I'm not trying to control you, but our powers must act together, they need one direction.'
'And you've had practice,' she said with a touch of nervous laughter. Then she steeled herself, 'It's for Nicky...' She surrendered control all at once.
'Thank you,' he said, though he knew it was not out of trust in him that she had done it. He'd been right, she was quite prepared to sacrifice anything and anyone to get her son back, including herself. A remarkable woman.
'You're not so bad yourself,' she said. Keeping firm check on his thoughts, he reached out to Psylocke and Revanche; using Julia's bond with her son as a starting point, the four of them followed it, allowing their awarenesses to fill with the sense of Gambit and Jean. The emptiness hit them all. They tried to get around it, go through it to the core they knew must be there, but time and time again they failed.
****
An hour later they emerged, all exhausted, and Julia with a burning headache.
"I'm sorry, I should have sensed," Charles began.
"It's all right," she shook her head, wincing as the motion brought on another wave of pain, "I'm out o' practice. Haven't had to use it so much in one day, not in years..."
Because she was tired he caught the fact that the last time also had something to do with Gambit, but he felt it unethical to probe for more. "You should rest now. There's nothing more we can do, not until Kurt arrives," he said.
"My brain tells me that's sense, my heart doubts I can do it."
"You should give your heart a rest as well."
She chuckled, "Nicky hasn't given me heart a rest since the day he came into being."
Charles wanted to ask more, but Archangel came in, prepared to take Julia off the platform. He couldn't very well curse the fact that he'd arrived since he'd been the one to summon him expressly for that purpose, still... He would definitely take the opportunity later to learn more about this woman and her son.
****