~*~
Lance frowned as he covered the deeply slumbering Nikki with a blanket. The boy hadn't said ANYTHING since the funeral, nothing at all, and had sat in a shivering ball on a dining room chair for an hour or so. Eventually, someone suggested giving Nikki a sedative, and he'd fallen asleep, although he'd looked panicked when he'd been injected. Lance smoothed a hand through Nikki's hair, then stood up and into a hug from Scott. "I'm worried." he said, tiredly. Scott rubbed Lance's back. "He'll be okay love. Come on. It's been a hard day for us too. Lets go relax, hmmm?" Lance gave Scott a weak smile and left the room, leaving the door open in case Nikki called out in the night.
Kitty mumbled softly in her sleep as Logan carried her up to her room. About an hour earlier she had wandered into his room in tears looking for comfort, after several dozen Kleenex's and inaudible words she had somehow managed to fall asleep propped up against his chest. He sighed warily pushing open her door, 'Can't take this 'nymore,' He thought frowning slightly as he laid Kitty down on her bed and covered her up, 'I don't think she'll be able ta take 'nother funeral...' Without much thought, he leaned over a kissed her on the forehead and made his way to the door. He paused at the door briefly then slipped out.
Todd yawned as he flicked lazily through the TV channels. He wasn't as broken up about Luke's death as Kitty or Nikki were, but he hid his upset well. He'd seen so many people die, people he knew like family, that death had stopped being a big deal for him and was now part of life. Sometimes he even envied the dead. At least their troubles were over...
Logan stepped into the room; his eyes darted to the T.V. then to Todd.
"Yer up late." He grunted not realizing the time was only 6 PM, it had been such a long day.
Todd pressed a button on the TV to show the time. "No I'm not." He pointed out. "How's Kit?" He asked.
Running a hand over his tired eyes, Logan flopped down on the couch next to the mangy boy and sighed.
"Heartbroken."
Todd handed Logan the remote, frowning. "Will she be okay?"
Logan took the remote and nodded as he turned on a hockey game and put it on 'Mute', "Yea, it'll take time though. Been there, done that, an' it's no fun."
Todd gave Logan a sympathetic look. "Do you think Nikki's gonna be okay?" He asked hesitantly.
Logan gave him a side-glance then turned back to his hockey game, "I dunno. The kid had some problems ta begin' with. I'm surprised we haven' heard anythin' from 'im since Luke's death. He might be holdin' it all in..."
Todd drummed his fingers on the chair arm. "I'm scared." He finally said
Logan cocked an eyebrow then turned to Todd, "'fraid o' what?"
"Nikki." Todd said shortly, blushing. "I know he doesn't look like much, but... that thing inside him? I mean, he wasn't stable before, and now that Luke's gone...." He trailed off, leaving it to Logan's imagination
A brief memory of Nikki's mind flashed through Logan's, "Yea, I see what ch'ya mean," He grunted letting his eyes run up to the ceiling and his head tilt back slightly, "The Squirrel's nuts." He said softly, the corners of his lips twitching slightly.
Todd laughed. "That was bad, yo." He said, still amused. The smile faded. "But seriously, what if something happens? I don't think he likes me very much, you know?"
Logan nodded ruefully, "Yea, I do," He said softly then smirked, "Well, yer on yer own." He said standing up starting for the door.
Todd snorted. "Well thank you oh mighty protector." He said sarcastically, then went back to channel hopping.
Logan chuckled to himself as he entered the kitchen to grab himself a beer.
Sitting by the window in his office, Xavier sighed softly falling deep into thought.
"Charles?" A honey sweat voice called out to him as the door creaked open.
Snapping back to reality, Xavier turned his chair to face Ororo as she walked in. He smiled warily at her, "Good evening Ororo."
Ororo smiled softly as she approached the window and glanced outside, "You know as much as me that something's wrong. Nikki hasn't said a word since the funeral, not to mention the blank look that has taken residence on his face." She turned to him now frowning.
Xavier nodded, "I was just thinking about that. I'm not sure what to do actually."
"Well we better think of something and quick, because I have the feeling something is going to happen, and soon."
Xavier watched Ororo retreat out of the room warily.
"I agree." He whispered to himself before turning back to the window, a storm was rolling in.
Something in Nikki had died during Luke's burial, and it wasn't coming back. He was alone, lost in a world where terrifying mother figures abused him, and large orderlies treated him like a sex toy, and now, nowhere in sight was his savior. Nikki was passed terrified, passed sobbing, passed any emotion whatsoever, and couldn't bring himself to do more than act like an automaton.
He fled inside at the needle they injected him with, but this hardly showed on the outside. The sedative knocked him out, and he was happy in oblivion for a little while until the nightmares started.
He was back at home with his mother. He was four or five; she picked him up by the ankle and swung him into the wall. Now he was older, she gripped him hard round the neck, holding his head under water while his nails scrabbled against the porcelain of the tub. Another time, she kicked him under the chin as he sat coloring, so hard that his gums bled round his shattered front teeth. Luckily it was his baby set. Now he was in the asylum and someone had taken Luke away and Alex was back, holding him round the waist, now pining both his wrists together in one large hand and whispering dirty words into his ear, something like his mother had said, but totally different at the same time...
Luke was gone, and he was alone, and then he realized that at the back of every nightmare scene, the dark crackling mass that was his power had been waiting and laughing.
He woke up screaming.
~*~
