It's been a long time waiting. This chapter may seem pointless, but it has a point.
Oh, and I don't know Rogue's birthday, I just made it up. And drinking age is 19 up in Canada. Go us! And the TransCanada is damn fun. :hic:
I've also made the Braddock family psychotically rich! Bill Gates can't hold a candle up to them! :P Dr. Adler is from the cartoon, but he's not evil-ish in my story. He's just there. J
Thanks Chele for beta reading this… twice. :P
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(Two weeks later, at noon.)
"She's still sleeping?"
Hank looked behind him after closing Marie's door. Jean had her luggage training behind her and an envelope clasp in one hand.
"Marie woke up to go to the bathroom just now, but she is back in bed. I just dropped off some food for her. She's all right though. She has a high tolerance."
Jean laughed. The day before was Marie's nineteenth birthday; Hank, plus a handful of the summer semester students, had traveled up to Ontario to celebrate. The telepath had been to yet another conference and was on the flight back. Still, Jean had the pleasure of feeling everything her drunken girlfriend did.
"I'll keep an eye on her now."
Hank nodded and opened the door again. He crinkled his nose and looked apologetically at Jean.
"She threw up last night."
Jean pressed a hand to her stomach.
"I know."
"It's been cleaned though."
Jean walked in and saw Marie curled up and completely beneath the blanket. The telepath smiled.
Marie's so cute when she sleeps curled up in a fetal position.
Hank moved Jean's luggage in and bade her a silent goodbye before closing the door after him. Jean kicked off her shoes and took off her jacket. The flight back from Muir Island had been too long. Jean crawled onto the bed and wrapped her left arm around the curled form. She was rewarded with a muffled grunt before a disheveled Marie poked her head out to squint at Jean.
Jean smiled and kissed Marie's nose.
"Happy birthday. I wish I was there in person with you. It felt like you had fun."
Marie smiled and lifted the blanket so Jean could get under.
"Felt everything huh?" She asked as Jean snuggled closer.
"Yes. I was sober and drunk at the same time. I went through a couple of the airline's barf bags and completely missed out on the meals that were served, but it was by far the most interesting thing I have experienced." The conference that Jean attended had ended the day before, and Jean had left directly from the conference to the airport in order to catch the earliest flight back to New York. "How much did you drink?"
"I don't know. Some Canadians found out it was my nineteenth birthday and made me do TransCanada with them."
Jean ran her fingertips down Marie's spine.
"What? TransCanada? That's the highway."
Marie shook her head before burying it into Jean's neck.
It's a line of ten shots. One for every province. After you do one shot, you have to yell 'eh' before going on, or else you have to start from the beginning. Thank goodness I made it through the first time.
Jean made a shocked sound.
"Ten?" She didn't think she had ever done ten shots in a row.
And then Piotr and Alison kept buying me more shots.
"Oh my God."
Well, the Canadian dollar makes it more economical. Then, I got into a drinking game with Piotr near the end.
"Marie!" Jean pulled back and looked at Marie. "He's 6'8 and probably four times your weight! Plus, he's Russian!" Jean could help but snicker at the image of Marie trying to out drink the colossal Russian mutant.
Marie whimpered.
I know! I know!
Jean nuzzled the top of Marie's head and patted her back.
I think you need to absorb Logan's healing factor again. I'm sure your kidneys are about to give into alcohol poisoning. Jean looked at the bedside table and saw the untouched plate of fruit that Hank had brought in. "Marie, look at me." Marie lifted her head, and Jean made a clucking noise. "You're dehydrated. Come on, eat some fruit. It'll make you feel better and get rid of that hideous breath you have." Jean said teasingly as she eased Marie up to sit with Marie leaning on her front. With her TK, Jean put the plate of fruit on Marie's lap and then turned on the TV.
Marie regarded the food a bit uneasily at first, but then popped a chunk of pineapple into her mouth. The juice and the sugars in the fruit hit her system, and she groaned as it began replenishing her body.
How did the conference go? Marie was too busy cramming food into her mouth to speak.
"Hey, slow down there. You don't want to choke." Jean pushed Marie's hands down before picking up the fruit and feeding it to Marie. "Very informative. It wasn't very big though since mutant researchers are rather rare throughout the world. We were given a nice tour of the facilities on Muir Island, and it was beautiful to see all the equipment. It was also refreshing to go to a conference where others understood what mutation was and wanted to discuss it I'm usually lecturing on what mutation is at conferences, but not this one. There was one research scientist, Dr. Adler that I talked with for a while. He's studying the triggering affect of mutation and is applying for funding to determine why there is such a wide selection of mutation."
He wants to know why some of us can read minds while others can turn into organic steel? Marie ate the last piece of pineapple from Jean's fingers and then moved the plate away.
"Yes. The environment influences evolution. Animals from the same family develop differently to adapt to the surroundings. It's probably the same with mutants, but to a much more detailed manner. Anyhow, the research is being done on Muir Island." Jean licked the juice off her fingers before securely wrapping her arms around Marie's waist. "The Braddock family funds everything on the island, and even built a university there. It's small and it's only been around for about twelve years or so, but it's a place similar to the Mansion. You can train your powers and gain a post-secondary education at the same time. Maybe you should look into going there."
Marie shook her head. "Muir Island is far away. I think I'll stay close to here," she ran her fingers along Jean's arm, "and you."
The two women turned their attention to the TV for a moment before Jean remembered her envelope. She sat up with Rogue still leaning on her and gave Marie the coloured envelope.
"For you." She planted a kiss on Marie's left ear. Marie opened it, and a plane ticket fell out. Jean spoke again. "I thought you wouldn't go to Vancouver for school, but you should definitely visit. The ticket is good for any week long trip from now till January, so you can go after your exams."
Marie held the ticket in her hand for a second more before quickly twisting in Jean's arms and kissing the telepath long and passionately. Through the rapport, Jean felt the rush of love for her from Marie.
Thank you. Marie said with her mind while she continued the kiss.
You're welcome.
Marie broke off the kiss. Jean was a bit breathless.
"Where's your ticket? I can't go alone."
Jean smiled. She knew Marie would want her to go with her, but it felt so good to hear it come from Marie's mouth.
"When you want to go, tell me, and I'll go get a ticket."
Short and sweet eh? Like all the others, please review. Till next week!