"There's a room upstairs where you can have some privacy if you
wish." Charles said softly, his eyes filled with sorrow. Kurt slowly pulled
back and he nodded faintly, unable to speak due to the sobs trying to come
up and strangle him. Bending down slowly, he picked up the ponytail and
headscarf, looking at Jimaine and Stefan sadly as he led them up the stairs
into an empty room.
He shut and locked the door, indicating to them the bed and chair for them to sit on. They were all quiet as he sat down beside Jimaine, gently putting her headscarf and ponytail onto her as they had been before.
"I'm sorry." He whispered again, looking away. Stefan and Jimaine looked at each other in confusion.
"Sorry for what?" Stefan asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Maybe if I had tried to stay in Prussia, or ask the Professor to find and bring you here..." Shaking her head, Jimaine cupped his chin in her hand, and she made him look at her.
"You didn't do any thing wrong, Kurt." She said, smiling weakly. "I might have forgotten it too if I was in such a big place like this!" she said with a laugh.
"But I didn't forget." Kurt said. "I still thought about you everyday."
"Stop kicking yourself." Stefan said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like you were in league with the Gadje who did this to us." He said with a laugh. "Now come on, this visit was supposed to be a happy one, and here we are sobbing in a room like old women at a funeral!"
Kurt laughed weakly, shaking his head faintly.
"I'm sorry." He said, wiping his eyes slowly with his tail. When he saw the look Stefan and Jimaine gave him, he laughed and held up his hands in defense. "I meant about the sobbing!" he said.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. "It's about time for lunch and I can show you around afterwards!" he offered.
"Thinking with your stomach; brilliant Kurt!" Stefan said, putting an arm around his shoulders. Kurt poked him in the side with the tip of his tail.
"If I remember correctly, someone in this room ate in vast quantities for EVERY meal." He said. Stefan calmly looked over at Jimaine, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"I think our brother is trying to tell you something, Jimaine." He said. They all laughed at that, and Kurt couldn't help but shake his head a bit at his brother.
"You are impossible!" he said. "Come on, I think I smell food coming out of the oven!"
When they reached the kitchen, Jean was taking out a stack of her hotcakes. The kitchen became quiet, and everyone looked over at the three warily. There was a moment of odd silence until Stefan snorted softly, shaking his head.
"We came here to cheer our brother up and here is everyone with such long faces!" he said, turning to Jimaine. "I think we should leave, don't you agree?" he asked. Jimaine put on a serious face, acting as if she was thinking for a moment.
"I would have to agree." She said finally. "We should go before they start crying on us!" They turned to go and Kurt held them back, laughing.
"Give them a chance." He said. "Especially Bobby! He must be bursting with hole-in-the-head jokes!" This caused Bobby to burst into laughter.
"It's true!" he said. "Oh my God it's true." This broke the ice and everyone opened up more, acting as they would usually during lunchtime.
Ororo rested an arm around Kurt's shoulders, smiling at Jimaine.
"You are his sister?" she asked.
"Yes."
"He talked a lot about you and your brother." Ororo said with a smile. Jimaine looked from Ororo to Kurt, slowly starting to understand.
"You had better keep my brother happy." She said. "Or I'll put a curse on you!" Kurt started to blush and Ororo laughed, nodding a bit.
"Don't worry, I will." She promised. She looked over at Kurt and she played with a lock of his hair. "As long as he keeps me happy too!"
"Oh you don't have to worry about that." Stefan said. "Didn't Kurt tell you about all of the girls he had in the past?"
"Stefan..."
"I'm surprised that he doesn't have five kids by now!" Kurt frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly. Ororo laughed, shaking her head slightly.
"You know what happens now?" he asked.
"No, what?" Stefan asked. In answer, Kurt pounced on him and startled to tickle him mercilessly.
"Kurt's never been this animate before!" Jean said. "It's like your coming here brought something out in him. I hope you both will stay with us."
"If it's not too much trouble." Jimaine said, holding onto her glass so that it wouldn't fall over as Stefan and Kurt banged into the table, still tickle fighting each other.
"Of course not!" Jean said. "We've got plenty of room." She suddenly flinched, narrowing her glowing eyes slightly.
"What's the matter?" Jimaine asked. Jean got to her feet swiftly.
"Men are coming." She said. "Three soldiers who think they saw you come here."
"Code yellow!" Scott said, leaving the kitchen swiftly. "Kurt, Hank, Warren, Ororo, and Kurt's brother and sister! Head on up to the attic and don't leave until we give the signal. Remy you're blind so tie on a piece of cloth to cover those eyes of yours and John; you're just a servant for us again. Come on!"
Kurt and the others went up to the final floor, and Hank pulled on a cord that opened up a flight of steps to the attic. The attic was cool but dark with a few old statues and furniture all around it. Bending down, Warren removed four small boards that revealed a good view of the main room as Ororo brought up the steps.
They waited there for a while, Kurt telling in a whisper how Jean knew who was coming and what they were thinking.
"Shhh." Warren whispered, his feathers ruffling in agitation as he watched Charles walk up to the front door. Everyone fell silent and they crowded around the hole to watch and listen.
When Charles opened the door, he found himself looking at three soldiers. Their leader looked like a strong man with long golden hair and blue eyes that would make the sky envious.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" he asked.
"My name is Brian Braddock; general of His Majesties clean up squadron." The leader said. "We spotted two Gypsies heading this way and we order you to let us search your house for them." Charles cocked an eyebrow, stepping aside calmly.
"How can I refuse such a polite request?" he asked as the soldiers started their search. They were quite rude, brushing by people as they entered their rooms and dug around. Brian nearly received a charged card in his boot, but Rogue stopped Remy from doing that right away.
Charles did not enter their minds, but Jean didn't want to take any chances and she dove into Brian's mind right away.
What she saw was a young woman, hiding in a room she shared with her brother. A purple and pink light surrounded her eyes, taking the form of a butterfly.
Her name was Betsy Braddock, sister to Brian Braddock.
He shut and locked the door, indicating to them the bed and chair for them to sit on. They were all quiet as he sat down beside Jimaine, gently putting her headscarf and ponytail onto her as they had been before.
"I'm sorry." He whispered again, looking away. Stefan and Jimaine looked at each other in confusion.
"Sorry for what?" Stefan asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Maybe if I had tried to stay in Prussia, or ask the Professor to find and bring you here..." Shaking her head, Jimaine cupped his chin in her hand, and she made him look at her.
"You didn't do any thing wrong, Kurt." She said, smiling weakly. "I might have forgotten it too if I was in such a big place like this!" she said with a laugh.
"But I didn't forget." Kurt said. "I still thought about you everyday."
"Stop kicking yourself." Stefan said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like you were in league with the Gadje who did this to us." He said with a laugh. "Now come on, this visit was supposed to be a happy one, and here we are sobbing in a room like old women at a funeral!"
Kurt laughed weakly, shaking his head faintly.
"I'm sorry." He said, wiping his eyes slowly with his tail. When he saw the look Stefan and Jimaine gave him, he laughed and held up his hands in defense. "I meant about the sobbing!" he said.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. "It's about time for lunch and I can show you around afterwards!" he offered.
"Thinking with your stomach; brilliant Kurt!" Stefan said, putting an arm around his shoulders. Kurt poked him in the side with the tip of his tail.
"If I remember correctly, someone in this room ate in vast quantities for EVERY meal." He said. Stefan calmly looked over at Jimaine, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"I think our brother is trying to tell you something, Jimaine." He said. They all laughed at that, and Kurt couldn't help but shake his head a bit at his brother.
"You are impossible!" he said. "Come on, I think I smell food coming out of the oven!"
When they reached the kitchen, Jean was taking out a stack of her hotcakes. The kitchen became quiet, and everyone looked over at the three warily. There was a moment of odd silence until Stefan snorted softly, shaking his head.
"We came here to cheer our brother up and here is everyone with such long faces!" he said, turning to Jimaine. "I think we should leave, don't you agree?" he asked. Jimaine put on a serious face, acting as if she was thinking for a moment.
"I would have to agree." She said finally. "We should go before they start crying on us!" They turned to go and Kurt held them back, laughing.
"Give them a chance." He said. "Especially Bobby! He must be bursting with hole-in-the-head jokes!" This caused Bobby to burst into laughter.
"It's true!" he said. "Oh my God it's true." This broke the ice and everyone opened up more, acting as they would usually during lunchtime.
Ororo rested an arm around Kurt's shoulders, smiling at Jimaine.
"You are his sister?" she asked.
"Yes."
"He talked a lot about you and your brother." Ororo said with a smile. Jimaine looked from Ororo to Kurt, slowly starting to understand.
"You had better keep my brother happy." She said. "Or I'll put a curse on you!" Kurt started to blush and Ororo laughed, nodding a bit.
"Don't worry, I will." She promised. She looked over at Kurt and she played with a lock of his hair. "As long as he keeps me happy too!"
"Oh you don't have to worry about that." Stefan said. "Didn't Kurt tell you about all of the girls he had in the past?"
"Stefan..."
"I'm surprised that he doesn't have five kids by now!" Kurt frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly. Ororo laughed, shaking her head slightly.
"You know what happens now?" he asked.
"No, what?" Stefan asked. In answer, Kurt pounced on him and startled to tickle him mercilessly.
"Kurt's never been this animate before!" Jean said. "It's like your coming here brought something out in him. I hope you both will stay with us."
"If it's not too much trouble." Jimaine said, holding onto her glass so that it wouldn't fall over as Stefan and Kurt banged into the table, still tickle fighting each other.
"Of course not!" Jean said. "We've got plenty of room." She suddenly flinched, narrowing her glowing eyes slightly.
"What's the matter?" Jimaine asked. Jean got to her feet swiftly.
"Men are coming." She said. "Three soldiers who think they saw you come here."
"Code yellow!" Scott said, leaving the kitchen swiftly. "Kurt, Hank, Warren, Ororo, and Kurt's brother and sister! Head on up to the attic and don't leave until we give the signal. Remy you're blind so tie on a piece of cloth to cover those eyes of yours and John; you're just a servant for us again. Come on!"
Kurt and the others went up to the final floor, and Hank pulled on a cord that opened up a flight of steps to the attic. The attic was cool but dark with a few old statues and furniture all around it. Bending down, Warren removed four small boards that revealed a good view of the main room as Ororo brought up the steps.
They waited there for a while, Kurt telling in a whisper how Jean knew who was coming and what they were thinking.
"Shhh." Warren whispered, his feathers ruffling in agitation as he watched Charles walk up to the front door. Everyone fell silent and they crowded around the hole to watch and listen.
When Charles opened the door, he found himself looking at three soldiers. Their leader looked like a strong man with long golden hair and blue eyes that would make the sky envious.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" he asked.
"My name is Brian Braddock; general of His Majesties clean up squadron." The leader said. "We spotted two Gypsies heading this way and we order you to let us search your house for them." Charles cocked an eyebrow, stepping aside calmly.
"How can I refuse such a polite request?" he asked as the soldiers started their search. They were quite rude, brushing by people as they entered their rooms and dug around. Brian nearly received a charged card in his boot, but Rogue stopped Remy from doing that right away.
Charles did not enter their minds, but Jean didn't want to take any chances and she dove into Brian's mind right away.
What she saw was a young woman, hiding in a room she shared with her brother. A purple and pink light surrounded her eyes, taking the form of a butterfly.
Her name was Betsy Braddock, sister to Brian Braddock.