I opened the door carefully; no one was in the room so I took a seat in the
chair by the fireplace. I looked around the altered dorm room; it was more
like a hotel room. A king sized bed, a fire place, a few chairs not to
mention the regular bedroom necessities. I heard voices coming down the
hallway and curled up a little tighter in the massive chair.
I found comfort in the blaze and heat of the fire; I watched it, trying to forget the days events. Unfortunately my concentration was broken when Ororo and Bishop entered the room.
"I can't believe that she would just take off!" Bishop said in an angry tone, it was obvious that they hadn't seen me. "She knows better than that!"
"And what would you do if it were you in that situation?" Ororo asked coolly. I had never seen Ororo when she wasn't calm, but I have been told that it's not something you want to see. "Granted, it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she's only a child."
"She has no idea what she's doing to her father does she?" Bishop asked. Then it clicked in my head. I was hurting Papa! I never meant to hurt him! I was only trying to hurt her!
"I do not believe that she does." Ororo replied with a sigh. "Jean can't find her, she has put up a mind block. Bishop I'm worried about her."
"Don' be worried 'bout me." I said in a tiny voice. Both Ororo and Bishop whipped around to look at me. I saw the relief flood into Bishop's eyes. " I didn' know where else t' go." I wrapped my arms around myself protectively.
Bishop came over and wrapped me in a hug and once again I fell apart. "Shh child, it will be okay."
"Please don' make me go back der!" I said suddenly, I knew that Ororo was thinking about it. So I turned to her and pleaded with all my might. " I can't face Papa no more."
Bishop and Ororo shared one of those parental looks. "You can stay here tonight child, but you will go home in the morning." Ororo said. I bit my bottom lip and nodded.
I had never run away before and I wasn't sure what to do, or how to act. " I didn' mean t' hurt Papa." I said, breaking the awkward silence. I honestly never mean to hurt him, it was the last thing I wanted to do. Bishop wrapped me in another protective hug.
"We know child, we know." Ororo said coming over and taking Bishop's place. I leant my head on my godmother's shoulder and sighed. "But I hope you realize that this was not the way to handle the situation."
I nodded slowly; once again Ororo was right, she was always right. I think maybe that she was the second smartest person I know, other than the professor.
"On another note I think we need to talk about this little thing between you and Luke." Bishop said as he began to pace in front of the chair where the two of us sat.
"Lucas Bishop! This is neither the time or the place to discuss this!" Ororo hissed but Bishop held up his hand.
"Ororo someone has to have a chat with this young lady about boys and who better to do so than myself?" he said as he continued to pace. Ororo's hands began to clench as she reiterated her first statement.
"This is not your responsibility, if anyone is suited to tell Kale how to deal with boys it is the man who raised her. Now I realize that you have the mentality of a father figure and you consider yourself a second father to this child but I will only say this once more. This is not the place or the time to discuss this." She said quite clearly. Bishop stopped pacing and looked at her, finally giving in to the speech. My heart broke at the mention of my father and I downcast my eyes to look at my thumbs.
"Are you alright child? You look a little pale!" Bishop said putting the back of his hand to my forehead, as if he could tell if I had a temperature. Ororo delicately removed his hand and placed hers there instead.
"I be fine. I jus' need a drink." I said standing up. Truthfully what I needed was to be left alone, I didn't really need anyone fussing over me right now. I walked out of the room knowing that Ororo had to hold Bishop back from going with me.
Sometimes it was nice having everyone look at me as their own child. I had been raised by all of them, not just Papa, although Papa did do most of the work. But still there were times when Papa couldn't be there and I turned to someone else, mainly my godparents.
Ororo and Bishop were there for me no matter what the situation. I don't know what I'd do without them there, whenever I was mad at Papa I went to them, and they let me rant and rave. Then of course they would send me home to apologize. And then there were the rest of the X-men who I treated like family. Jubilee was my confident and older sister figure, while Jean and Scott were the ones I could get to side with me. No matter what if I gave Scott the right look he would do whatever I said. The professor was pretty much my grandfather, in every aspect of the word. And Hank, well Hank was my teddy bear. They were all my guardian angels and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them.
I wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge hearing a familiar *snikt * behind me I spun around on my heel.
"Jus' me." I said raising my hands above my head and giving Wolverine a weak smile. I gave a sigh of relied as he retracted his claws.
"Grab me a beer kid." He said and sat at the kitchen table. I grabbed myself a bottle of water and him a beer and handed it to him. "So I hear you ran off."
I sat in the chair across from him and tried to suppress the guilty look that crossed my face. He chuckled, apparently I'm not too good at hiding my emotions.
"You're more like her than ya think." He said cracking open his Canadian beer and taking a swig. I glared at him, I was nothing like that horrible woman. "You're both as stubborn as ever, but it's good to know ya got somethin' that's not from the Cajun."
I darkened my glare. "I'm not like her." I stated firmly. "I would never hurt Papa like she did."
"An' what d'ya think yer doin' now? By runnin' off like that huh?" he said, his features turning slightly darker. "Personally I think ya need t'grow up."
I stood up so quickly that the chair I was sitting on crashed to the ground. Leaning on the table so my face was closer to him I snarled.
"You don' know what you're talkin' 'bout." I said. He leaned forward so our faces were inches apart.
"I know that yer hurtin', but think of how much yer hurtin' the people who love ya most.I though ya'd grown out of the tantrum stage." He said, his eyes flickering with danger, almost like he was daring me to oppose him.
I took a step back, he was right. Why was I acting like a four-year-old? I turned and started out of the kitchen, stopping to whisper a thanks over my shoulder and walked slowly out the doors of the mansion.
It was dark by now, but I knew the grounds like the back of my hand, so I had no problem finding our house. I stood before the front door and rubbed my upper arms, since it was getting a bit colder out. I bit my lip and turned the doorknob slowly, bracing myself for whatever was behind the doors.
I walked in, remembering to kick off my shoes, I saw Papa with his head in his hands, sitting at the kitchen table. I leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and smiled slightly as he looked up and saw me there. We met in the middle to hug for what felt like an eternity. Finally he led me to the kitchen table and we sat down with his hands cupped around mine.
"I'm sorry fo' leavin'." I said not daring to look him in the eyes.
"S'ok cherie." Papa said qiving my hands a little squeeze. "Papa understand why y'did."
"Dat really mama?" I asked, I knew deep down inside that she was, but it wouldn't hurt to check. Papa's eye's filled with sadness and he nodded slowly.
"Papa knows dat you're angry wit her cherie." Papa started.
"Aren't you?" I interrupted. I didn't understand how he couldn't be angry with her, I mean she left us. She left him all alone with a child to take care of. Then it clicked... I wasn't mad at her for leaving him. I was mad at her for leaving me.
"Was cherie, Papa was. But den he listened t'her an' kinda understood." Papa said a small smile crossed his face as he looked into my eyes. "You should listen t'her too cherie..."
"I know, an' I will." I promised, but then felt the familiar feeling of fear in the pit of my stomach. "But I don't'ink I'm ready to. Not yet at leas'."
Papa nodded in understanding. "You should get som' sleep cherie. Kaley's had a long day."
I nodded went upstairs to my room and feel asleep as soon as I hit the bed. I woke up late the next morning and trundled downstairs to grab a glass of juice. I walked into the kitchen and saw the woman sitting there, she looked up and her smile fell.
"Don' worry 'bout me I'm over de temper tantrum." I said walking past the table to the fridge.
"Well Kale, Ah'm sorry 'bout jus' walkin' in lak this." She said gripping the handle on her coffee cup quite tight. But I held my hand up to silence her before she went on.
"Don' be sorry. I was actin' like a chil." I said drinking straight from the carton. "But I can't deal wit' dis right now. I don' mean t'be rude or nothin' but I'm not ready fo' a mama...y'know?"
She nodded and turned to look back at the coffee cup, pushing a strand of reddish brown hair behind her ear I finally remembered her. I remembered her hair being curlier and her smile being wider...but then again she wasn't really smiling right now. I put the carton back in the fridge as Papa trundled into the kitchen in his pajama pants.
"What no bloodshed?" He said as he looked to the two of us. I smiled. "Bon matin petite." He said kissing my forehead as I passed him.
"Bon matin Papa." I said and walked back upstairs to take a shower and get ready, it was going to be a long awkward day.
I found comfort in the blaze and heat of the fire; I watched it, trying to forget the days events. Unfortunately my concentration was broken when Ororo and Bishop entered the room.
"I can't believe that she would just take off!" Bishop said in an angry tone, it was obvious that they hadn't seen me. "She knows better than that!"
"And what would you do if it were you in that situation?" Ororo asked coolly. I had never seen Ororo when she wasn't calm, but I have been told that it's not something you want to see. "Granted, it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she's only a child."
"She has no idea what she's doing to her father does she?" Bishop asked. Then it clicked in my head. I was hurting Papa! I never meant to hurt him! I was only trying to hurt her!
"I do not believe that she does." Ororo replied with a sigh. "Jean can't find her, she has put up a mind block. Bishop I'm worried about her."
"Don' be worried 'bout me." I said in a tiny voice. Both Ororo and Bishop whipped around to look at me. I saw the relief flood into Bishop's eyes. " I didn' know where else t' go." I wrapped my arms around myself protectively.
Bishop came over and wrapped me in a hug and once again I fell apart. "Shh child, it will be okay."
"Please don' make me go back der!" I said suddenly, I knew that Ororo was thinking about it. So I turned to her and pleaded with all my might. " I can't face Papa no more."
Bishop and Ororo shared one of those parental looks. "You can stay here tonight child, but you will go home in the morning." Ororo said. I bit my bottom lip and nodded.
I had never run away before and I wasn't sure what to do, or how to act. " I didn' mean t' hurt Papa." I said, breaking the awkward silence. I honestly never mean to hurt him, it was the last thing I wanted to do. Bishop wrapped me in another protective hug.
"We know child, we know." Ororo said coming over and taking Bishop's place. I leant my head on my godmother's shoulder and sighed. "But I hope you realize that this was not the way to handle the situation."
I nodded slowly; once again Ororo was right, she was always right. I think maybe that she was the second smartest person I know, other than the professor.
"On another note I think we need to talk about this little thing between you and Luke." Bishop said as he began to pace in front of the chair where the two of us sat.
"Lucas Bishop! This is neither the time or the place to discuss this!" Ororo hissed but Bishop held up his hand.
"Ororo someone has to have a chat with this young lady about boys and who better to do so than myself?" he said as he continued to pace. Ororo's hands began to clench as she reiterated her first statement.
"This is not your responsibility, if anyone is suited to tell Kale how to deal with boys it is the man who raised her. Now I realize that you have the mentality of a father figure and you consider yourself a second father to this child but I will only say this once more. This is not the place or the time to discuss this." She said quite clearly. Bishop stopped pacing and looked at her, finally giving in to the speech. My heart broke at the mention of my father and I downcast my eyes to look at my thumbs.
"Are you alright child? You look a little pale!" Bishop said putting the back of his hand to my forehead, as if he could tell if I had a temperature. Ororo delicately removed his hand and placed hers there instead.
"I be fine. I jus' need a drink." I said standing up. Truthfully what I needed was to be left alone, I didn't really need anyone fussing over me right now. I walked out of the room knowing that Ororo had to hold Bishop back from going with me.
Sometimes it was nice having everyone look at me as their own child. I had been raised by all of them, not just Papa, although Papa did do most of the work. But still there were times when Papa couldn't be there and I turned to someone else, mainly my godparents.
Ororo and Bishop were there for me no matter what the situation. I don't know what I'd do without them there, whenever I was mad at Papa I went to them, and they let me rant and rave. Then of course they would send me home to apologize. And then there were the rest of the X-men who I treated like family. Jubilee was my confident and older sister figure, while Jean and Scott were the ones I could get to side with me. No matter what if I gave Scott the right look he would do whatever I said. The professor was pretty much my grandfather, in every aspect of the word. And Hank, well Hank was my teddy bear. They were all my guardian angels and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them.
I wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge hearing a familiar *snikt * behind me I spun around on my heel.
"Jus' me." I said raising my hands above my head and giving Wolverine a weak smile. I gave a sigh of relied as he retracted his claws.
"Grab me a beer kid." He said and sat at the kitchen table. I grabbed myself a bottle of water and him a beer and handed it to him. "So I hear you ran off."
I sat in the chair across from him and tried to suppress the guilty look that crossed my face. He chuckled, apparently I'm not too good at hiding my emotions.
"You're more like her than ya think." He said cracking open his Canadian beer and taking a swig. I glared at him, I was nothing like that horrible woman. "You're both as stubborn as ever, but it's good to know ya got somethin' that's not from the Cajun."
I darkened my glare. "I'm not like her." I stated firmly. "I would never hurt Papa like she did."
"An' what d'ya think yer doin' now? By runnin' off like that huh?" he said, his features turning slightly darker. "Personally I think ya need t'grow up."
I stood up so quickly that the chair I was sitting on crashed to the ground. Leaning on the table so my face was closer to him I snarled.
"You don' know what you're talkin' 'bout." I said. He leaned forward so our faces were inches apart.
"I know that yer hurtin', but think of how much yer hurtin' the people who love ya most.I though ya'd grown out of the tantrum stage." He said, his eyes flickering with danger, almost like he was daring me to oppose him.
I took a step back, he was right. Why was I acting like a four-year-old? I turned and started out of the kitchen, stopping to whisper a thanks over my shoulder and walked slowly out the doors of the mansion.
It was dark by now, but I knew the grounds like the back of my hand, so I had no problem finding our house. I stood before the front door and rubbed my upper arms, since it was getting a bit colder out. I bit my lip and turned the doorknob slowly, bracing myself for whatever was behind the doors.
I walked in, remembering to kick off my shoes, I saw Papa with his head in his hands, sitting at the kitchen table. I leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and smiled slightly as he looked up and saw me there. We met in the middle to hug for what felt like an eternity. Finally he led me to the kitchen table and we sat down with his hands cupped around mine.
"I'm sorry fo' leavin'." I said not daring to look him in the eyes.
"S'ok cherie." Papa said qiving my hands a little squeeze. "Papa understand why y'did."
"Dat really mama?" I asked, I knew deep down inside that she was, but it wouldn't hurt to check. Papa's eye's filled with sadness and he nodded slowly.
"Papa knows dat you're angry wit her cherie." Papa started.
"Aren't you?" I interrupted. I didn't understand how he couldn't be angry with her, I mean she left us. She left him all alone with a child to take care of. Then it clicked... I wasn't mad at her for leaving him. I was mad at her for leaving me.
"Was cherie, Papa was. But den he listened t'her an' kinda understood." Papa said a small smile crossed his face as he looked into my eyes. "You should listen t'her too cherie..."
"I know, an' I will." I promised, but then felt the familiar feeling of fear in the pit of my stomach. "But I don't'ink I'm ready to. Not yet at leas'."
Papa nodded in understanding. "You should get som' sleep cherie. Kaley's had a long day."
I nodded went upstairs to my room and feel asleep as soon as I hit the bed. I woke up late the next morning and trundled downstairs to grab a glass of juice. I walked into the kitchen and saw the woman sitting there, she looked up and her smile fell.
"Don' worry 'bout me I'm over de temper tantrum." I said walking past the table to the fridge.
"Well Kale, Ah'm sorry 'bout jus' walkin' in lak this." She said gripping the handle on her coffee cup quite tight. But I held my hand up to silence her before she went on.
"Don' be sorry. I was actin' like a chil." I said drinking straight from the carton. "But I can't deal wit' dis right now. I don' mean t'be rude or nothin' but I'm not ready fo' a mama...y'know?"
She nodded and turned to look back at the coffee cup, pushing a strand of reddish brown hair behind her ear I finally remembered her. I remembered her hair being curlier and her smile being wider...but then again she wasn't really smiling right now. I put the carton back in the fridge as Papa trundled into the kitchen in his pajama pants.
"What no bloodshed?" He said as he looked to the two of us. I smiled. "Bon matin petite." He said kissing my forehead as I passed him.
"Bon matin Papa." I said and walked back upstairs to take a shower and get ready, it was going to be a long awkward day.