Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel, Ilehana Xavier to Corrinth, Blaze
and all other OCs to me.
A/N: All reviews greatly appreciated.
11
Blaze?
She was floating, Xavier's mind voice numb like the buzzing of some far away bee.
Blaze!
Ilehana did not hum, she gave a singsong wolf-call to wherever it was the Blaze's mind found itself, drifting on a summer haze.
"Blaze? Can you hear me?" Scott hadn't realised that the Xaviers were trying the same thing he was, just telepathically. Somehow his words, with grounding in a here and now, had more of an effect.
"Huh?" The redhead snapped out of her dream of golden sunshine, elegant grasses, pollen and sand and barefooted pleasure to see a dark skyline and smell burnt charcoal. "Oh." She coughed, eyes watering a little before she could open them. Her voice was breathless and husky, dry on her chest. "I remember........."
"Are you alright?" Ilehana forcefully pushed Cyclops to one side, crouching by Blaze and staring at her friend critically.
"Actually," Blaze replied, pushing her ash-blackened curls back from her face and leaving a trail of soot from her fingertips across her cheek. "I feel much better. Almost as if all the bad things I was feeling have gone up in smoke."
"Almost?" Kurt asked incredulously, staring about the X-Men at the charred tarmac and smashed windows. Despite the destruction, Vixen was smiling.
"You're awake for five seconds and already you're making really bad jokes. Sounds like you're back to yourself to me." Ilehana's infective smile caught like dry tinder, and Blaze grinned manically. Then she laughed, eyes sparkling. For a moment the X-Men glanced uncertainly at each other, but the laughter was the pure, ridiculous sort that can only happen in the seconds beyond when you thought you might die. No one quite knew why, but when Xavier joined his daughter and Blaze in the hidden joke, the X-Men followed, and all was well.
"Somebody help me up?" Blaze finally asked when she realised her bones were aching and her muscles wouldn't obey her command. Jean obliged, the telekinetic tug setting the English girl back on her feet gracefully. "Thank you." Blaze offered, shocking Jean slightly. She didn't think Blaze had said more than three words to her before that, too much Ilehana's short- tempered sidekick. Whatever had just happened with Blaze's powers, the effect was quite dramatic.
"Well, you got rid of the gang members." Beast praised Blaze pointedly. "And Magneto. Well done."
"But it remains to be seen if Magneto got the television coverage he wanted for this demonstration. If he did, your display of powers may have helped his cause, Blaze." Charles counselled sagely, but Blaze shook her head.
"Its been taken care of, trust me." She looked straight at Rogue, who still found cause to squirm a little under Blaze's glance. "You've a good man there. Don't mess it up, or there will be a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Southern Fried Chicken'."
"Hey!" Rogue started indignantly, but Kitty elbowed her sharply, whispering, "I think that's as much of a blessing as your gonna get out of her, Rogue. Blaze means she won't interfere with you an' Gambit, okay?" Rogue nodded sullenly, still somehow convinced there had been an insult from Blaze to her in that comment.
"So, does Gambit need a ride home?" Storm offered, eyebrow raised, intrigued as to what this all meant for Magneto's plans? Had Blaze scuppered more than one of his grand ideas in one day?
"Nah, he's taken Ilehana's jeep." Blaze answered, smiling again sweetly as the whole crew set off towards the waiting X-Jet. Ilehana made a 'huh' noise at the back of her throat, a wolfish indignation, throwing her car keys up in the air once and catching them again. If he scratched the paintwork.........
"Won't he need the keys to take the car?" Kurt pointed out as Ilehana's keys found themselves back in a secret pocket of her uniform. Blaze actually laughed aloud at the German's innocence.
"You have got to be kidding!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gambit liked this car. He liked the open road, and he liked heading south, felt like he was going home. He wasn't too keen on whatever Ilehana had stuffed in her CD player, but at least the radio worked. A big black jet scooped low out of the sky and thrummed by dramatically, Gambit saluting the passing X-Men with a grin.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So." Logan was waiting for Ilehana after the debriefing. She was tired, bedraggled and was looking forward to getting back to her and Blaze's flat for a nice long shower. But the way Wolverine greeted her, arms folded across his chest and a pout on like a sulky child made her think Blaze might just beat her to the bathroom. By about an hour. Still she stopped and looked at him, meeting his eyes as though oblivious to his bad mood. "Had fun without me? Those thieves keep you better entertained than me or somethin'?"
"It was a matter of responsibility, Logan." Ilehana replied shortly, "My responsibility for Blaze, as her friend."
"An' the Cajun? You gotta flame for ole Gumbo now?"
"Logan, don't be so damn stupid!" Vixen snapped; hands balled into fists by her side at the very suggestion of it. Shaking her head she forced herself to relax, it wasn't his fault he felt neglected. Well, she could do something about that......... Smiling coyly she spoke again in a softer tone. "I promise I'll make it up to you, alright?"
"Yeah?" Logan liked the sound of that, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth as Vixen stepped closer enticingly. "How?" He growled.
"I won't get into a scrap without you next time!" Vixen laughed, kissing him quickly and making her escape.
A/N: All reviews greatly appreciated.
11
Blaze?
She was floating, Xavier's mind voice numb like the buzzing of some far away bee.
Blaze!
Ilehana did not hum, she gave a singsong wolf-call to wherever it was the Blaze's mind found itself, drifting on a summer haze.
"Blaze? Can you hear me?" Scott hadn't realised that the Xaviers were trying the same thing he was, just telepathically. Somehow his words, with grounding in a here and now, had more of an effect.
"Huh?" The redhead snapped out of her dream of golden sunshine, elegant grasses, pollen and sand and barefooted pleasure to see a dark skyline and smell burnt charcoal. "Oh." She coughed, eyes watering a little before she could open them. Her voice was breathless and husky, dry on her chest. "I remember........."
"Are you alright?" Ilehana forcefully pushed Cyclops to one side, crouching by Blaze and staring at her friend critically.
"Actually," Blaze replied, pushing her ash-blackened curls back from her face and leaving a trail of soot from her fingertips across her cheek. "I feel much better. Almost as if all the bad things I was feeling have gone up in smoke."
"Almost?" Kurt asked incredulously, staring about the X-Men at the charred tarmac and smashed windows. Despite the destruction, Vixen was smiling.
"You're awake for five seconds and already you're making really bad jokes. Sounds like you're back to yourself to me." Ilehana's infective smile caught like dry tinder, and Blaze grinned manically. Then she laughed, eyes sparkling. For a moment the X-Men glanced uncertainly at each other, but the laughter was the pure, ridiculous sort that can only happen in the seconds beyond when you thought you might die. No one quite knew why, but when Xavier joined his daughter and Blaze in the hidden joke, the X-Men followed, and all was well.
"Somebody help me up?" Blaze finally asked when she realised her bones were aching and her muscles wouldn't obey her command. Jean obliged, the telekinetic tug setting the English girl back on her feet gracefully. "Thank you." Blaze offered, shocking Jean slightly. She didn't think Blaze had said more than three words to her before that, too much Ilehana's short- tempered sidekick. Whatever had just happened with Blaze's powers, the effect was quite dramatic.
"Well, you got rid of the gang members." Beast praised Blaze pointedly. "And Magneto. Well done."
"But it remains to be seen if Magneto got the television coverage he wanted for this demonstration. If he did, your display of powers may have helped his cause, Blaze." Charles counselled sagely, but Blaze shook her head.
"Its been taken care of, trust me." She looked straight at Rogue, who still found cause to squirm a little under Blaze's glance. "You've a good man there. Don't mess it up, or there will be a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Southern Fried Chicken'."
"Hey!" Rogue started indignantly, but Kitty elbowed her sharply, whispering, "I think that's as much of a blessing as your gonna get out of her, Rogue. Blaze means she won't interfere with you an' Gambit, okay?" Rogue nodded sullenly, still somehow convinced there had been an insult from Blaze to her in that comment.
"So, does Gambit need a ride home?" Storm offered, eyebrow raised, intrigued as to what this all meant for Magneto's plans? Had Blaze scuppered more than one of his grand ideas in one day?
"Nah, he's taken Ilehana's jeep." Blaze answered, smiling again sweetly as the whole crew set off towards the waiting X-Jet. Ilehana made a 'huh' noise at the back of her throat, a wolfish indignation, throwing her car keys up in the air once and catching them again. If he scratched the paintwork.........
"Won't he need the keys to take the car?" Kurt pointed out as Ilehana's keys found themselves back in a secret pocket of her uniform. Blaze actually laughed aloud at the German's innocence.
"You have got to be kidding!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gambit liked this car. He liked the open road, and he liked heading south, felt like he was going home. He wasn't too keen on whatever Ilehana had stuffed in her CD player, but at least the radio worked. A big black jet scooped low out of the sky and thrummed by dramatically, Gambit saluting the passing X-Men with a grin.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So." Logan was waiting for Ilehana after the debriefing. She was tired, bedraggled and was looking forward to getting back to her and Blaze's flat for a nice long shower. But the way Wolverine greeted her, arms folded across his chest and a pout on like a sulky child made her think Blaze might just beat her to the bathroom. By about an hour. Still she stopped and looked at him, meeting his eyes as though oblivious to his bad mood. "Had fun without me? Those thieves keep you better entertained than me or somethin'?"
"It was a matter of responsibility, Logan." Ilehana replied shortly, "My responsibility for Blaze, as her friend."
"An' the Cajun? You gotta flame for ole Gumbo now?"
"Logan, don't be so damn stupid!" Vixen snapped; hands balled into fists by her side at the very suggestion of it. Shaking her head she forced herself to relax, it wasn't his fault he felt neglected. Well, she could do something about that......... Smiling coyly she spoke again in a softer tone. "I promise I'll make it up to you, alright?"
"Yeah?" Logan liked the sound of that, a smile twitching the corner of his mouth as Vixen stepped closer enticingly. "How?" He growled.
"I won't get into a scrap without you next time!" Vixen laughed, kissing him quickly and making her escape.