I am really sorry I haven't updated in a long time! Something was wrong
with my internet connection so I couldn't go on and post this, so here it
is! This chapter has a lot of romantic stuff in it, so PLEASE REVIEW!!!!
* * *
"Jean? Is that you?" Scott's voice wavered a little and then cracked with emotion.
All was silent, and Professor Xavier smiled knowingly.
Scott ran to Jean, and they embraced each other tightly, and then kissed passionately. Someone made a whistling noise, and everyone innocently looked at other things around the room with big grins on their faces.
Except Ling. She felt her lips curl into a smile automatically, but she watched them and recognized the gesture. That's what she did to John, and that's what he did in return, even thought it wasn't necessary. This puzzled her, and he had also held her hand on the Blackbird. She just couldn't understand this new . . . mystery.
When Scott and Jean a few minutes later didn't come up for air, everyone decided that they'd give them time, and later will give Jean their astonished "YOU'RE ALIVE?!" welcomes.
"Hey, where's your bathrooms Ling? I want to get there before anyone else does, or there'll be a line . . ." Rogue muttered in Ling's ear.
Ling snapped out of her thoughts and gestured to Rogue to follow her. The two boys followed her, having nothing else to do. Bobby kept a close watch on Pyro's back, making sure he didn't try anything.
Ling lead them through this huge safe house, knowing each twist and turn that came their way.
"No wonder this is a "safe" house," Pyro muttered, "all these twists and turns would confuse anybody who didn't know the place!"
Ling lead them with ease with absolutely no doubt about where she was going. She was worried that she left the other X-Men by themselves with no guide, but since Scott and Jean took up that room, no doubt they'd like to go exploring on their own. Ling was also confused about how she knew where this was and how she memorized the way with a mental map in her brain when she has no recollection of ever being here besides her recent recalled memory of saving Jean.
Finally, they came to a bathroom. Two of them, in fact. They both had an engraving that said, "Ladies" or "Men" like in those public bathrooms.
"Can I say something about this-?" John began.
"No." Rogue and Bobby cut him off at the same time.
"Well, I guess you know which bathroom to go to, Rogue." Ling smiled. "And you guys can go too, I guess."
"Glad to know we have your permission!" John said sarcastically. Ling glared at him and flicked a couple sprays of water at his head.
"Ahhh! No! Water!" John rubbed his head with his sleeve. Bobby took this chance and ran into the bathroom.
"HEY!" John protested loudly.
"Sorry, gotta be faster than that!" Bobby's muffled voice said from inside the locked door.
John groaned and muttered how it wasn't fair.
"LIFE isn't fair." Ling said, clearly enjoying toying with him.
"God, now you sound like my father, and he turned out to be a jerk." John said darkly.
Ling's face altered from a typical teenager look to the solemn blank face she used to wear a lot before she met the X-Men. John could feel her inching away from him and closing herself off to the world.
"What'd I say now?" John asked.
"My dad. I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know if anyone in my family is even alive." Ling said quietly. "I looked for them after I was freed. They had left, and no one knew where they were."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Yeah, well . . . that's life, I guess. Nothing but misery."
"C'mon, life isn't all that bad! You just haven't seen the perks of life." John said.
"And is betraying your friends a perk? For them? Or for you?" Ling demanded.
"For Magneto, I guess. Listen, I . . . I didn't mean to hurt them like that, okay? They just happened to stumble on me in a helicopter and I'm walking around in this cold snow, all right? If I didn't go with them, I probably would have drowned in the lake water. It was cold, and the helicopter looked warm." John said lamely.
"I don't believe that's the whole truth."
"That's because it isn't. Look, I think I've told you this before: Magneto offered something the Professor never did. I was sick and tired of having to hide these powers from people, and done with taking their abuse and insults about us when they don't even know us! Sick of them judging us like we're animals on display, pointing out our main fault-being different. Xavier and Magneto fought for the same thing, except with totally different methods. The Professor's theory would take years; maybe decades for it to work and have them trust us. I couldn't . . . I CAN'T wait that long, Ling. Magneto's plan was faster, and I was drawn to that, okay? But I came back, didn't I? I guess in the end, I missed my friends and stuff, and Xavier let you in on things. Magneto doesn't tell you anything." John caught his breath. That felt good to get that out.
Ling nodded. "Felt good to get that out, huh?"
"Oh yeah."
"So, what ARE the perks of life?"
"Let's see . . . fast food, MacDonald's is the place to go; now they have dip in dots, which are great . . . TV, computers, girls, sports, girls, music, girls, school-just kidding, girls, cars-if Logan ever lets me drive, and oh yeah-"
"-girls." Ling finished for him. "That it?"
"No, but that's all I can think of right now."
"No offense or anything, but the music I hear is horrible." Ling said with a smile.
John looked surprised. "No way is music horrible! I cannot believe that you don't like music!"
Ling scrunched her nose. "Well, Stryker used to play this really awful music all the time and I had to stand there and listen to it all day long. What was it called? Um . . . I think its called country music." (A/N: No offense to anyone who likes country)
John laughed. "Ha! Yeah, I hate country too. Well, wait till you hear the other types of music, like rock, pop and rap."
"Glad to hear there's more to it than country."
An uncomfortable silence followed that. Suddenly John complained out loud, "How long does it take for those two to go to the bathroom? Did they crack a hole between their bathrooms and start making out or something?"
Ling shrugged.
"C'mon, Ling there has to be another bathroom around here, light the way." John said, and tugged at her arm.
Ling learned enough to get the hint. "Ok, this way."
After the two turned the corner, Bobby stepped out of the bathroom.
"All right, John, you can have it . . . now. Where'd they go?" Bobby looked around with a confused expression.
Seconds later, Rogue came out.
"Hey Bobby. Where'd those two go?"
"That's what I've been wondering."
"They probably want to be alone or something." Rogue suggested.
"Alone? Like when WE want to be alone? Why would they want to do that?" Bobby asked, incredulous.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "You mean you didn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
"Guys can be so blind sometimes. On the Blackbird, John held her hand, and he also came back to us when he was with her. Something must have happened between them, I cannot believe you didn't see it!" Rogue pushed.
Bobby thought about it for a moment. "Hmm . . . no, don't think I noticed that."
Rogue sighed. "Let's go find them for the sake of finding them."
* * *
After much wandering, John and Ling found a type of family room, TV, computer and all. There was even a glass window showing the lake and all the fish swimming. John looked uncomfortably at the water.
"Is that safe? I mean, the glass could break and water come splashing through . . ." John asked.
"Don't be a chicken, it's just water." Ling replied.
"Well I'm not the one with the power to breathe underwater or control it." John retorted gruffly.
Ling shrugged and then sat down on the couch. "Hmm. This is comfortable. Whoever made this place made it for teenagers."
John collapsed next to her.
They were silent for a minute, looking at their surroundings.
"So . . . any idea what they're going to do to you when we get back to the mansion?" Ling asked.
"I don't know. It's like the Professor to let me back in that easily, but the other teachers are going to be on my back twenty four seven."
"Hmm. Think Bobby will let you move in with him again?"
"Only on the condition that he gets to freeze me whenever he wants."
Ling giggled, surprising herself. She put her hand to her mouth at this unfamiliar sound.
John moved her hand away from her mouth. "Why'd you do that?"
"I-I don't know . . . I think-" Ling stuttered.
But John silenced her with a kiss. She returned it, and her train of thought trailed off . . .
* * *
"C'mon Marie! We've looked in a gazillion hallways and still no sign of them! Ling has a mental map, so let's just forget it before we get lost!" Bobby urged his stubborn girlfriend.
"No, Bobby, we're going to find them and we're going to-AH!" Rogue's sentence was cut short and she stopped in her tracks.
"What is it?" Bobby asked as he looked over his girlfriend's shoulder. "Oh."
They were looking at Ling and John . . . kissing.
"Am I the only one feeling the weirdness of this?" Bobby whispered.
"C'mon, let's go in." Rogue said.
"Wait." Bobby grabbed the covered part of Rogue's arm. "Don't you think they want to be alone?"
"Well Ling did that water thing when WE were kissing." She retorted.
"Yeah, but embarrass her some other time, ok? Ok." Bobby dragged Rogue to another location.
"I'd much rather do this." Bobby swept in and gently kissed Rogue as long as he could.
* * *
"Jean? Is that you?" Scott's voice wavered a little and then cracked with emotion.
All was silent, and Professor Xavier smiled knowingly.
Scott ran to Jean, and they embraced each other tightly, and then kissed passionately. Someone made a whistling noise, and everyone innocently looked at other things around the room with big grins on their faces.
Except Ling. She felt her lips curl into a smile automatically, but she watched them and recognized the gesture. That's what she did to John, and that's what he did in return, even thought it wasn't necessary. This puzzled her, and he had also held her hand on the Blackbird. She just couldn't understand this new . . . mystery.
When Scott and Jean a few minutes later didn't come up for air, everyone decided that they'd give them time, and later will give Jean their astonished "YOU'RE ALIVE?!" welcomes.
"Hey, where's your bathrooms Ling? I want to get there before anyone else does, or there'll be a line . . ." Rogue muttered in Ling's ear.
Ling snapped out of her thoughts and gestured to Rogue to follow her. The two boys followed her, having nothing else to do. Bobby kept a close watch on Pyro's back, making sure he didn't try anything.
Ling lead them through this huge safe house, knowing each twist and turn that came their way.
"No wonder this is a "safe" house," Pyro muttered, "all these twists and turns would confuse anybody who didn't know the place!"
Ling lead them with ease with absolutely no doubt about where she was going. She was worried that she left the other X-Men by themselves with no guide, but since Scott and Jean took up that room, no doubt they'd like to go exploring on their own. Ling was also confused about how she knew where this was and how she memorized the way with a mental map in her brain when she has no recollection of ever being here besides her recent recalled memory of saving Jean.
Finally, they came to a bathroom. Two of them, in fact. They both had an engraving that said, "Ladies" or "Men" like in those public bathrooms.
"Can I say something about this-?" John began.
"No." Rogue and Bobby cut him off at the same time.
"Well, I guess you know which bathroom to go to, Rogue." Ling smiled. "And you guys can go too, I guess."
"Glad to know we have your permission!" John said sarcastically. Ling glared at him and flicked a couple sprays of water at his head.
"Ahhh! No! Water!" John rubbed his head with his sleeve. Bobby took this chance and ran into the bathroom.
"HEY!" John protested loudly.
"Sorry, gotta be faster than that!" Bobby's muffled voice said from inside the locked door.
John groaned and muttered how it wasn't fair.
"LIFE isn't fair." Ling said, clearly enjoying toying with him.
"God, now you sound like my father, and he turned out to be a jerk." John said darkly.
Ling's face altered from a typical teenager look to the solemn blank face she used to wear a lot before she met the X-Men. John could feel her inching away from him and closing herself off to the world.
"What'd I say now?" John asked.
"My dad. I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know if anyone in my family is even alive." Ling said quietly. "I looked for them after I was freed. They had left, and no one knew where they were."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Yeah, well . . . that's life, I guess. Nothing but misery."
"C'mon, life isn't all that bad! You just haven't seen the perks of life." John said.
"And is betraying your friends a perk? For them? Or for you?" Ling demanded.
"For Magneto, I guess. Listen, I . . . I didn't mean to hurt them like that, okay? They just happened to stumble on me in a helicopter and I'm walking around in this cold snow, all right? If I didn't go with them, I probably would have drowned in the lake water. It was cold, and the helicopter looked warm." John said lamely.
"I don't believe that's the whole truth."
"That's because it isn't. Look, I think I've told you this before: Magneto offered something the Professor never did. I was sick and tired of having to hide these powers from people, and done with taking their abuse and insults about us when they don't even know us! Sick of them judging us like we're animals on display, pointing out our main fault-being different. Xavier and Magneto fought for the same thing, except with totally different methods. The Professor's theory would take years; maybe decades for it to work and have them trust us. I couldn't . . . I CAN'T wait that long, Ling. Magneto's plan was faster, and I was drawn to that, okay? But I came back, didn't I? I guess in the end, I missed my friends and stuff, and Xavier let you in on things. Magneto doesn't tell you anything." John caught his breath. That felt good to get that out.
Ling nodded. "Felt good to get that out, huh?"
"Oh yeah."
"So, what ARE the perks of life?"
"Let's see . . . fast food, MacDonald's is the place to go; now they have dip in dots, which are great . . . TV, computers, girls, sports, girls, music, girls, school-just kidding, girls, cars-if Logan ever lets me drive, and oh yeah-"
"-girls." Ling finished for him. "That it?"
"No, but that's all I can think of right now."
"No offense or anything, but the music I hear is horrible." Ling said with a smile.
John looked surprised. "No way is music horrible! I cannot believe that you don't like music!"
Ling scrunched her nose. "Well, Stryker used to play this really awful music all the time and I had to stand there and listen to it all day long. What was it called? Um . . . I think its called country music." (A/N: No offense to anyone who likes country)
John laughed. "Ha! Yeah, I hate country too. Well, wait till you hear the other types of music, like rock, pop and rap."
"Glad to hear there's more to it than country."
An uncomfortable silence followed that. Suddenly John complained out loud, "How long does it take for those two to go to the bathroom? Did they crack a hole between their bathrooms and start making out or something?"
Ling shrugged.
"C'mon, Ling there has to be another bathroom around here, light the way." John said, and tugged at her arm.
Ling learned enough to get the hint. "Ok, this way."
After the two turned the corner, Bobby stepped out of the bathroom.
"All right, John, you can have it . . . now. Where'd they go?" Bobby looked around with a confused expression.
Seconds later, Rogue came out.
"Hey Bobby. Where'd those two go?"
"That's what I've been wondering."
"They probably want to be alone or something." Rogue suggested.
"Alone? Like when WE want to be alone? Why would they want to do that?" Bobby asked, incredulous.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "You mean you didn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
"Guys can be so blind sometimes. On the Blackbird, John held her hand, and he also came back to us when he was with her. Something must have happened between them, I cannot believe you didn't see it!" Rogue pushed.
Bobby thought about it for a moment. "Hmm . . . no, don't think I noticed that."
Rogue sighed. "Let's go find them for the sake of finding them."
* * *
After much wandering, John and Ling found a type of family room, TV, computer and all. There was even a glass window showing the lake and all the fish swimming. John looked uncomfortably at the water.
"Is that safe? I mean, the glass could break and water come splashing through . . ." John asked.
"Don't be a chicken, it's just water." Ling replied.
"Well I'm not the one with the power to breathe underwater or control it." John retorted gruffly.
Ling shrugged and then sat down on the couch. "Hmm. This is comfortable. Whoever made this place made it for teenagers."
John collapsed next to her.
They were silent for a minute, looking at their surroundings.
"So . . . any idea what they're going to do to you when we get back to the mansion?" Ling asked.
"I don't know. It's like the Professor to let me back in that easily, but the other teachers are going to be on my back twenty four seven."
"Hmm. Think Bobby will let you move in with him again?"
"Only on the condition that he gets to freeze me whenever he wants."
Ling giggled, surprising herself. She put her hand to her mouth at this unfamiliar sound.
John moved her hand away from her mouth. "Why'd you do that?"
"I-I don't know . . . I think-" Ling stuttered.
But John silenced her with a kiss. She returned it, and her train of thought trailed off . . .
* * *
"C'mon Marie! We've looked in a gazillion hallways and still no sign of them! Ling has a mental map, so let's just forget it before we get lost!" Bobby urged his stubborn girlfriend.
"No, Bobby, we're going to find them and we're going to-AH!" Rogue's sentence was cut short and she stopped in her tracks.
"What is it?" Bobby asked as he looked over his girlfriend's shoulder. "Oh."
They were looking at Ling and John . . . kissing.
"Am I the only one feeling the weirdness of this?" Bobby whispered.
"C'mon, let's go in." Rogue said.
"Wait." Bobby grabbed the covered part of Rogue's arm. "Don't you think they want to be alone?"
"Well Ling did that water thing when WE were kissing." She retorted.
"Yeah, but embarrass her some other time, ok? Ok." Bobby dragged Rogue to another location.
"I'd much rather do this." Bobby swept in and gently kissed Rogue as long as he could.