Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men, Ilehana Xavier belongs to Corrinth, Blaze is mine
Open your eyes 02Eugh. Hangover. It was Vixen's first thought when she opened her eyes the next morning, curled up in Logan's bed. It was the only thing she could think of most of the morning as she slaved away over some medical reports she's been trying to find time to finish for the last month. Why was it everything was so horrendously busy all of a sudden? Yet again she was giving up her Saturday morning to do things she should have done during the week, whilst everyone else in the mansion slept in and didn't have a hangover. Well, almost everybody. She'd spotted Gambit trying unsuccessfully to sneak in earlier, looking a funny shade of green and barely making it to the ground floor bathroom.
It had to be said she didn't remember much of the night before. Whiskey and Logan could have that effect on her, especially after the amount of beer the three of them had got through as well. Three of them? Something didn't quite ring true about that. Good friend as Gambit was, he wasn't the type to play gooseberry to the mansion's resident couple if he didn't have to… Suddenly it hit Vixen like a fist in the face. Had anybody bothered to see if Blaze had gotten home okay?
"Morning Vix how's the head?" Right on cue, the scent of strong coffee and an English accent drifted in the door.
"Rough as the rest of me." Ilehana moaned, instantly relieved in the way that makes the vocal chords open up and all sorts of pointless rubbish leap out. "I have no idea how we got home last night. You ever have one of those nights when all you want to do is sit there and drink and talk and drink some more? I think Logan and I would still be there if someone hadn't thrown us out…"
Blaze's face had frozen into the kind of smile that only happens when someone is offended. Ilehana was too hung over to notice, accepted the coffee and moved on to another stack of notes. Blaze found herself wondering selfishly if Ilehana had one of those scan of Blaze's misused liver in the pile of data. Stop it, she chastised herself, Ilehana's just suffering, she doesn't mean to be rude. Just like she didn't mean to forget to ask that I got home safe, or had a good time, or why I left early…
Over the next few days and even weeks, Blaze found herself chastising herself mentally more and more often. She was half-certain that Professor Xavier had cottoned on to the source of Blaze's discomfort. For all that Blaze tried, all she got from Ilehana was the same narrow comments on the progress of her work. Or alternatively how drunk she and Logan got when he returned for missions. Charles Xavier seemed to find it quietly satisfying that Blaze, never the most patient X-Man, valued her friendship with Ilehana so much that she kept trying with his daughter.
But all was not well. Ilehana discovered Charles one day in a frantic video-link discussion with an old friend in Scotland, Moira McTaggart. He almost instantly decided to up sticks and go visit Moira's Muir Island research centre. Ilehana was not left at a loose end as her research was still ongoing. Yet it did leave another gaping hole of distraction and worry for the Professor's daughter, one that she did not bear lightly.
"Um, Ilehana…" Blaze had been down to the lab again on what was now becoming a traditional Saturday morning coffee run. "If you've got a minute later, can I ask you something?"
"What? Oh sure Blaze, and thank you for the coffee." Ilehana flashed her teeth in a smile, and then went back to work. "I'll catch up with you soon as possible."
"Okay." Blaze agreed, trying to remain upbeat. "Is there anything I can do to help down here?"
"I'm fine," Ilehana replied, dismissing the redhead with a wave of her hand. "Thanks Blaze the coffee is much appreciated."
It was relatively easy, knowing Ilehana as she did, for Blaze to forgive her for not finding time to talk to Blaze over the following weeks. It was starting to look like the Professor wouldn't be back from Muir Island for Christmas, a thing unheard of in years gone by. Ilehana and Cyclops were jointly running the school and the team. Ilehana's research had also taken sudden leaps forward. Hank McCoy was plaguing her to present her findings at a conference in Utah in the New Year. Still at the back of Blaze's mind was the tiny but insistent voice that Vixen had forgotten her. Or worse that Ilehana just plain didn't care that in Xavier's absence Blaze needed her friend's usually sound opinions.
#Alright Dad, I'll send Ororo to come pick you up in the X-Jet.#
#Very well.# Xavier replied through the solid link with his daughter and the machine called Cerebro. It was always a little disconcerting to be on the receiving end of a call using the telepathy enhancing equipment. Charles knew that if Ilehana had not been in utmost control of her skills she could easily kill him or herself. But Ilehana had taken to Cerebro at a young age like a duck to water or a hound to a scent. She was now the only other living person the Professor would allow to don the famous helmet.
#You're disappointed.# Ilehana probed, smiling a little.
#I had hoped that you'd come collect me yourself. That we might spend some quality father-daughter time together for a change Ilehana.# Xavier Senior was smiling too. #I should know better by now than to try and remove you from sight of Wolverine for longer than an hour…#
#Oh for…# Ilehana half-snarled, half-laughed in a wolf-like expression that betrayed her wild inner self. #Tell that lady friend of yours to ready the guest room, I'm coming over for a few days.#
#You'd do that?# Charles inquired mock-innocently, #For me?#
#I'm not even going to justify that with an answer. See you soon.# Ilehana signed off, removing the helmet and feeling the free-flowing cool air embrace her as the door behind slid open automatically.
Logan tracked her down in the hangar under the basketball court, as Ilehana was checking the regulation of the fuel flow into the super-jet. The pump was running a little slow and inconsistently. She'd have to service it when she returned from Scotland. Another job for the list… Looking up to see Logan approaching with his usual swagger, she was disappointed to wave goodbye to any intimate goodbye as he'd brought along a shadow. Wearing his trench coat despite the fact the hangar was heated, Gambit's handsome face was like thunder as he and Logan approached. Somehow Ilehana doubted the laid back Cajun was this annoyed just over her leaving them in Cyclops' care, though that might explain the similar expression on Logan's face.
"Well its good to know neither of you are glad I'm going." Ilehana began, putting her hands on her hips. Then her telepathy raised a question she could do little but voice out loud. "Where's Blaze?"
"That what Gambit want to know Chere." The Cajun retorted.
"I don't know where she is," Ilehana realised, scanning the mansion to find no trace of the fire elemental. "How long has she been gone? Is she on a mission?"
"You don't know?" Logan asked, "Babe, she's been gone three days. If you didn't tell her to take some time out, then no one did."
"What? I've barely seen her recently. Why did you think I'd ordered her to do something? Why didn't you come ask me sooner?" Ilehana didn't mean to sound so aggressive, but she had so much to do, she really didn't need this right now.
"Barely sin her…" Gambit echoed slowly. "Vixen she bin runnin' round after you for ages. We all t'ought you was lookin' out for her, helpin' her wit somethin'… But if you don't know nothin'…"
"Helping her with what? Was something wrong with her?" Ilehana asked, looking from X-Man to X-Man in confusion. "She wouldn't come to me surely, you're her best friend Gambit…"
"Hey mon Petite keep more secrets from me than there cards in a deck." Remy snapped back, shuffling said deck in his hands to demonstrate. Ilehana didn't need to use her telepathy to know that if something had happened to Blaze, Gambit would hold Ilehana personally responsible.
"I'll find her." Ilehana swore, abandoning the jet and heading for the door. There was only one answer; Cerebro.