A/N: sorry for the delay, this silly little thing called life took precedence. Just some little notes, here. One, while the part of the current arc in Uncanny involving the Dominant Species doesn't happen, the personal, daily life stuff does, such as Alex coming out of his coma and Kurt's interaction with Father Whitney. (Which I thought was terrible. Having Kurt leave the priesthood is one thing, but if they have him leave the church I'm gonna be majorly pissed.) Two, remember how I mentioned before that Leslie's mutation and power aren't the same thing? Her eyes are her mutation, but her power…well, that hasn't showed up yet, has it? Or has it? Only I know!! ::grins evilly:: BIG hint in this chapter as to what her power is, if you can find it!
Disclaimer:
Cable: "Let's move, people!… I mean, Play ball!" --X-Men '96
"Don't ever do that again," Julia snapped at Leslie.
Blinking behind her glasses, Leslie looked at her like she was nuts. "What'd I do?"
"Telling off Emma? Leaving class? Being chased by Rogue all over the whole school? Choose one!"
"Look, I'm sorry if you worried," Leslie started, greatly annoyed, but was cut off.
"Worried? Next time, tell me so I can join you!"
Leslie blinked again, still feeling like she'd missed something. "Huh?"
Julia scowled at her. "Do you have any idea how boring English was? Emma just sat at her desk, glaring at us if we moved! Being chased by an X-Man would have been much more fun."
Leslie shook her head. "You're crazy." She then grinned. "That must be why we get along so well!"
Julia laughed at her, then frowned. "What's up with the glasses?"
Leslie grimaced. "Mutation. Night vision. My eyes are pretty sensitive to light."
"Oh," Julia replied sympathetically, then perked up. "Hey, do they look any different?"
"Yeah," Leslie said absentmindedly, poking her cereal.
Julia quickly pulled the glasses off, startling Leslie. "What the hell did you do that for?" Leslie snapped, quickly closing her eyes and blindly grabbing for the glasses.
Julia shrugged. "I wanted to see. Man, they're pretty cool!"
"Really?" Leslie asked, surprised. She hadn't thought about them much, what with the nightmares and all. "…You could have asked."
"But you might have said no," Julia replied, taking a sip of her drink and then frowning. "Gross, I thought this was apple juice." Frowning with concentration, she held her hand over the cup, which briefly glowed violet. She took a sip, smiling. "Much better."
Leslie watched her in awe. "Now that was cool."
Julia blushed. "Thanks, but that's about all I can do. Like I said, limited energy-matter conversion."
"So? Still cool."
"I guess. I'm afraid to ask, but did you finish the book yet?"
Leslie winced. "No. I…had some issues last night that needed to be dealt with."
Julia looked at her pityingly. "You know Emma's gonna kill you."
Glancing at the clock, Leslie stood up, stretching. "She'll have to kill me later, I've gotta be somewhere now."
Julia's mouth dropped. "You're skipping again?"
Leslie grinned at her. "Hey, if Emma asks where I am, tell her I had a breakdown caused by laughing to hard at the drawings of her used in a cartoon."
"…You've got to tell me more about your home!"
"Later, Julia," Leslie laughed, then paused. "Though I must say…the guy who played Cyclops in the movie? Positively yummy!"
Julia shrieked in horror, drawing stares from around the room, and Leslie sauntered out, still laughing.
I'm starting to feel like I'm losing myself…this person I am here isn't who I was before…skipping class is not something Leslie Corring did. Mocking teachers is not something Leslie Corring did. I'm trying to blow it off, cover it with jokes…
Something's different, though…and it's not just the shock of being here. Something about me is different…
And it scares me more than Kurt ever could…
Leslie sat under the tree again, this time without the alcohol. She's come to think of it, already, as her spot. She closed her eyes behind the glasses, enjoying the relief it brought.
"Hey, it's mini-Cyke!"
Opening her eyes, Leslie glared up at Bobby. "Shut up."
"Grouchy, ain't ya? What's up with the glasses? It's not that bright out! Or are you blinded by my handsome appearance?"
Leslie snorted. "Oh, yeah, baby, you turn me on. Let's make a new X-team, shall we?"
Bobby had the good grace to blush as he grinned. "Hey, my calendar's always open for you!"
Leslie smiled. "To answer your question, my mutation kicked in. Night vision, but my eyes aren't handling light that well. At least, for now."
Bobby's grin dropped. "Bummer."
"Like, totally, man. Now, let's head down to the beach, and, like, groove!"
He glared at her. "You're way to sarcastic, you know that, right?"
Leslie smiled sweetly. "Sarcasm? I know not what it is you speak of."
He groaned. "That's what I thought. Look, Emma's going nuts cause you aren't there. Are you planning on showing up, or did I never see you?"
"You never saw me."
"Right. Gotcha. But you might not want to piss her off. She's not nice when you piss her off."
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Emma's not nice most of the time. It's not in her nature."
"Whatever. Your neck, not mine." With that he left, whistling innocently.
I wished he'd staid. When he was here, I felt some better…I was distracted…couldn't think about the fact that something's seriously wrong with me…
Why am I doing this? What is wrong with me? Where'd Leslie go? Who am I?
I'm scared to find out…
Leslie opened her eyes, groaning as she stretched. She'd fallen asleep after Bobby left, her body betraying her mind. At least I only had to deal with my own nightmares…
The sun was setting, making her realize she'd slept through most of the day, missing not only Emma's class, but all her others, and Jean's session. Thinking about how mad they would all be, she decided against heading in. Instead, she walked into the woods adjoining the school grounds.
Beneath the shadows of the trees, it was dark enough that she was able to discard her glasses. She shivered a bit, the cool night air making her hair stand on end, but continued in, as if drawn from an invisible force.
She didn't know how long she'd walked when she heard a noise. Curious, something she'd really have to learn to stop being, she followed it. It lead her to a small fire, dim, but bright enough she put the glasses on.
Drawing closer, she saw Kurt, his face more demonic than ever with the fire's glow on it. Her first instinct was to turn and run, hoping he hadn't noticed her, but she stopped, a sudden sense of dread and loneliness falling over her. I can't leave him here…and I can't go back through this woods alone…
She quietly walked over to him. "Kurt?"
Startled, he let out a yelp and jumped up, crouching into a fighting stance, before he realized who it was. "Leslie? Mein Gott, you scared me!"
"Sorry." She stood there for a moment, unsure what to do, before moving closer. "Kurt…what's wrong?"
He looked up, surprised. "Nothing."
She glared at him, disgusted and angry. "Not 'nothing,' Kurt! Dammit, what's wrong?! You're out in the middle of the woods at night, brooding!"
His yellow eyes narrowed. "And vhat are you doing?"
She smiled a bit at that. "Brooding. Kurt, you can tell me, really."
He glared at her. "Ve're just met. Vhy vould I tell you?"
"Hell, Kurt, I don't know. Maybe because we have just met. Maybe cause you just need to talk." Seeing his unconvinced look, she added, softly, "And maybe cause your nightmare's are as bad as mine."
His head snapped up. "Vhat do you know of nightmares?"
"More than I ever wished to. I can barely deal with my own, Kurt, but now…now I'm seeing yours, too. And dammit, but they scare me."
He laughed, bitterly. "Do you think it's the nightmares that scare you? I thought it vas my appearance."
Angry and embarrassed, she shot back at him, "It was. Dammit, what do you expect? People aren't supposed to look like you! But I'm dealing with that! These nightmares, Kurt…they terrify me in ways your appearance didn't."
He looked at her with haunted eyes. "…you really saw them?"
"Yes."
Silence. Then, "I don't know, Leslie. I vas fine, then…these nightmares started, then doubts, then…" he blushed, unable to go on.
Leslie blushed too, knowing what it was he didn't say. "I get it, Kurt. Comics, remember?"
He nodded, blush intensifying. "Vhat should I believe, Leslie? In a God who lets these terrible things happen? Who lets people hate and kill? Who makes people like me?" His voice cracked on the end.
How the hell did I end up having an intimate conversation with him, of all people?! She sat there a moment, then, sighing, pulled on a chain she wore. She looked at it, and the crucifix it held. "And how do I believe," she said quietly, "in that same God, when he lets these things happen, Kurt?" He looked at her, startled. "You think you're the only Catholic? The only Christian? Only one to ever doubt? Kurt, what do you want me to tell you? I'm 17. A week ago, I thought my greatest worry was whether or not I'd have a scar after having my gull bladder out. Now, I find out that I'll never see anyone I know again, that this place I thought was make-believe is real. Last night my eyes change," she said as she removed her glasses, startling him, "and I can't stand light. I have nightmares, worse than anything you can imagine, Kurt, every time I sleep, and I'm not who I was before all this! I'm someone else, someone different, and I don't know why or how! But what can I do, Kurt? Not believe? What good does that do? This life I have sucks, but would it be any better without God? How can I believe that, Kurt?"
He stared at her, watching her eyes fill with tears. "…vhat a pair ve are," he said quietly, making her laugh.
Wiping her eyes, she looked at him. "Kurt…" You can't tell him about the Pontiff! What will happen if you do? "…things will get better," she finished lamely, cursing herself and her fear.
"Ja. But vhat until then?"
Leslie put her glasses back on. "Until then? Work to make them better, I guess."
He looked at her. "Perhaps."
She shrugged, standing. She was full of conflicting emotions, but also strangely felt more at peace than she had for days. "So…wanna go back?"
"Nein. But might as vell."
"…And I'm not scared of you, you know. Not anymore."
"Danke."
With that, they headed back towards the school, both seeing through the night, but both still lost.