AN:This chapter's pretty brief and not as in depth as the others, but it is
important and I wanted to give you SOMETHING to read. More action is
coming soon, its just gonna take a day to get it together, lol.
Theres a buzzing in my ears- thats what woke me up. I'm not sure whats causin it, but its loud. Knowing my luck its comin from inside my head and its gonna take time to get rid of it. Its that feeling from after you've been to a loud concert, ya know the one. Where everything's kinda stuffy and theres this weird ringing and buzzing sound going on. You can hear a little through it but not enough to talk normally. Well, at least most people can. I still can't hear anything but the buzzing.
I'm still on the couch I dozed off on last night, and theres light comin in through the windows now. I guess I musta really passed out. It doesn't look like anyone else is up, but I can't be sure because...well, noone else is in the room. Stretching I wince a little from the aches and pains in my muscles. Sure, my healing factor takes care of everything but even I get a little sore sometimes. Think of it as the "All or Nothing" principle. When people move a muscle they have to overcome a threshold before it moves. Once that happens the muscle is going to flex all the way, or at least as far as a person wants it to, or it won't at all. Its not gonna get stuck in the middle, it won't go part way and no further, its gonna go all the way. Thats the way the Healing Factor works. Once it starts on a task, like mending a cut or bruise or something its gonna fix it all the way or not at all. Now, that seems like a fairly simple principle but considering the amount of knocks I take on a day to day basis its been up to my body to decide what to mend and what to leave to time. Open wound on the side of my face? Close it. Couple o' sore muscles from overexerting myself? I'm just like the next Joe, gotta walk it off. Course, I don't piss an moan so not everyone knows that, but theres been days when I can be caught limpin around.
And I bet you all thought I was stupid or somethin. I listen to Beast and Jean. I don't understand all of it, but when you've been around as long as I have you figure out that you lean a lot more by shutting your trap than by spouting off with stupid questions. An believe me, there are such things as stupid questions.
Carol's up, she just came in to see me. Her...I mean ROGUE'S hair is a wild mess. Its tousseled all over the place and that white streak is lookin a bit gray. We need t' get to a hotel and get some nice hot showers. She comes over and takes a seat next to me, sitting a bit stiffly I think. I know she wants to talk, probably abotu why she's here, but she's gonna take a bit of prodding. We sit silently for a moment and then she reaches over and pats my leg and says, "You're doing the best you can"
Well hell, where did that come from? She swallows and then asks, "Why did you call me out?" I got to answer her, but before I can someone else enters the room. Lookin up, I'm shocked to see Jeannie standin in there and starin at me. Well, not so much shocked to see her, but t' see what she looks like. Her hairs been chopped off, its only about 2 inches long, though for good reason. The burns I saw on the right side of her face yesterday were much more extensive than I originally thought. Char marks start at just below her right eye and continue up above her temple and over her ear. Her right eye is sort of milky white in the far corner and the line extends into her beautiful blue iris in a disturbing brand. Thats never goin away. She looks more composed than she did, but I can see the sadness underneath all her bravado. Opening my arms up to her, she rushes in and I hold her close to me, kissing her cheek and rubbing her back , trying to sooth her. Looking over at Carol, I mouth, "We gotta get out of here"
~~~~~~~
After conveying our thanks to the couple that took us in and accepting a ride into town, we find out we ARE in Arizona afterall. I don't remember the town exactly, but we're a few miles from Phoenix (ironic, ain't it?) and after a short bus ride we find ourselves in the hotest, most miserable city in the southwest. But, its comforting to be surrounded by lots o' people again. Reminds us we're not dead yet.
We get some weird looks as we check in to a hotel, using some extra money I stored in my boot. Hey, ya never know. Word of the crashed Blackbird is all over the news, even the TV in the lobby is showin it. They found Gambit and the remains of Jubes. Its only a matter of time before they find Cyke too. Wrapping my arm around Jeannie I guide her gently down the hall to our room. Only enough money for one room, so we'll all have to share, but I don't think anyone minds. We're not ready to be far from sight yet. Once I get Jean settled into a bed, I pull Carol aside and give her a little of the left over money to go buy some supplies from a store nearby. We need some food and some fresh clothes. And somethin to disguise ourselves. Or at least the girls do, I'm pretty much stuck the way I am.
I watch Jean in the bed. She's sleepin pretty quietly right now, but I can see her frowning in her sleep. All I can figure is she's so exhausted from the crash she can't do anything else. Her right arm is held gingerly away from her body- when she wakes up I'll make sure to take her to a doctor. Her chest is falling up and down in a deep, rythmic pattern as she chases her demons through dreamland. I sit on th' bed next to her, just watchin her sleep. Its comforting in a way. This moment in the middle of so much chaos. Just my Jeannie an me. If we make it through this alive, I think I'm gonna do more of this. Taking a break I mean.
Lyin down next to her I prop my head up on my elbow and trace the burns down the side of her face gently with my fingers. It doesn't matter that there's gonna be scars, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Course, she's not mine an she never will be, but I can't help those little strings that tug at my heart everytime I see her. Theres always gonna be a part o' me that holds onta her. She starts to stir a bit and then those beautiful baby blues stare up into my eyes, blinking sleepily as she tries to reorient herself. As the realworld comes back to her that moment of awakening peace shatters and she snuggles forward and into me, burying her face into my chest. Rumbling soft words of reasurrance I pull her against me and tell her it'll be alright.
Yup, I'm gonna have to do this more often after we settle this mess.
Theres a buzzing in my ears- thats what woke me up. I'm not sure whats causin it, but its loud. Knowing my luck its comin from inside my head and its gonna take time to get rid of it. Its that feeling from after you've been to a loud concert, ya know the one. Where everything's kinda stuffy and theres this weird ringing and buzzing sound going on. You can hear a little through it but not enough to talk normally. Well, at least most people can. I still can't hear anything but the buzzing.
I'm still on the couch I dozed off on last night, and theres light comin in through the windows now. I guess I musta really passed out. It doesn't look like anyone else is up, but I can't be sure because...well, noone else is in the room. Stretching I wince a little from the aches and pains in my muscles. Sure, my healing factor takes care of everything but even I get a little sore sometimes. Think of it as the "All or Nothing" principle. When people move a muscle they have to overcome a threshold before it moves. Once that happens the muscle is going to flex all the way, or at least as far as a person wants it to, or it won't at all. Its not gonna get stuck in the middle, it won't go part way and no further, its gonna go all the way. Thats the way the Healing Factor works. Once it starts on a task, like mending a cut or bruise or something its gonna fix it all the way or not at all. Now, that seems like a fairly simple principle but considering the amount of knocks I take on a day to day basis its been up to my body to decide what to mend and what to leave to time. Open wound on the side of my face? Close it. Couple o' sore muscles from overexerting myself? I'm just like the next Joe, gotta walk it off. Course, I don't piss an moan so not everyone knows that, but theres been days when I can be caught limpin around.
And I bet you all thought I was stupid or somethin. I listen to Beast and Jean. I don't understand all of it, but when you've been around as long as I have you figure out that you lean a lot more by shutting your trap than by spouting off with stupid questions. An believe me, there are such things as stupid questions.
Carol's up, she just came in to see me. Her...I mean ROGUE'S hair is a wild mess. Its tousseled all over the place and that white streak is lookin a bit gray. We need t' get to a hotel and get some nice hot showers. She comes over and takes a seat next to me, sitting a bit stiffly I think. I know she wants to talk, probably abotu why she's here, but she's gonna take a bit of prodding. We sit silently for a moment and then she reaches over and pats my leg and says, "You're doing the best you can"
Well hell, where did that come from? She swallows and then asks, "Why did you call me out?" I got to answer her, but before I can someone else enters the room. Lookin up, I'm shocked to see Jeannie standin in there and starin at me. Well, not so much shocked to see her, but t' see what she looks like. Her hairs been chopped off, its only about 2 inches long, though for good reason. The burns I saw on the right side of her face yesterday were much more extensive than I originally thought. Char marks start at just below her right eye and continue up above her temple and over her ear. Her right eye is sort of milky white in the far corner and the line extends into her beautiful blue iris in a disturbing brand. Thats never goin away. She looks more composed than she did, but I can see the sadness underneath all her bravado. Opening my arms up to her, she rushes in and I hold her close to me, kissing her cheek and rubbing her back , trying to sooth her. Looking over at Carol, I mouth, "We gotta get out of here"
~~~~~~~
After conveying our thanks to the couple that took us in and accepting a ride into town, we find out we ARE in Arizona afterall. I don't remember the town exactly, but we're a few miles from Phoenix (ironic, ain't it?) and after a short bus ride we find ourselves in the hotest, most miserable city in the southwest. But, its comforting to be surrounded by lots o' people again. Reminds us we're not dead yet.
We get some weird looks as we check in to a hotel, using some extra money I stored in my boot. Hey, ya never know. Word of the crashed Blackbird is all over the news, even the TV in the lobby is showin it. They found Gambit and the remains of Jubes. Its only a matter of time before they find Cyke too. Wrapping my arm around Jeannie I guide her gently down the hall to our room. Only enough money for one room, so we'll all have to share, but I don't think anyone minds. We're not ready to be far from sight yet. Once I get Jean settled into a bed, I pull Carol aside and give her a little of the left over money to go buy some supplies from a store nearby. We need some food and some fresh clothes. And somethin to disguise ourselves. Or at least the girls do, I'm pretty much stuck the way I am.
I watch Jean in the bed. She's sleepin pretty quietly right now, but I can see her frowning in her sleep. All I can figure is she's so exhausted from the crash she can't do anything else. Her right arm is held gingerly away from her body- when she wakes up I'll make sure to take her to a doctor. Her chest is falling up and down in a deep, rythmic pattern as she chases her demons through dreamland. I sit on th' bed next to her, just watchin her sleep. Its comforting in a way. This moment in the middle of so much chaos. Just my Jeannie an me. If we make it through this alive, I think I'm gonna do more of this. Taking a break I mean.
Lyin down next to her I prop my head up on my elbow and trace the burns down the side of her face gently with my fingers. It doesn't matter that there's gonna be scars, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Course, she's not mine an she never will be, but I can't help those little strings that tug at my heart everytime I see her. Theres always gonna be a part o' me that holds onta her. She starts to stir a bit and then those beautiful baby blues stare up into my eyes, blinking sleepily as she tries to reorient herself. As the realworld comes back to her that moment of awakening peace shatters and she snuggles forward and into me, burying her face into my chest. Rumbling soft words of reasurrance I pull her against me and tell her it'll be alright.
Yup, I'm gonna have to do this more often after we settle this mess.