"Ah have got to get this plane back!" She said again. "But ah was famished."
Rogue sat back comfortably full of shark.
Kurt smiled at her. "I thought about calling Wolverine… But I'd rather owe you a favor than clear the one he owes me at this point." He smiled. "Not that it's been hard, or I would want it any other way…"
"But he stuck you." She smiled. "It was a sneaky thing to do. And you haven't talked to him yet?"
"I'm calling you collect. What do you think?" He laughed. "No phone."
Forge stuck his head in the door. "Kurt!" He laughed, tossing him a tiny box.
"What's this?" Kurt caught it deftly and turned a curious eye on it.
Suddenly it rang.
"Phone." Forge waved a similar one at him. Kurt flipped it open and it answered Forge's call. "With no bill."
"We have phones?" Kurt blinked.
"Sure. I got it hooked up through our internet connection." He gestured over his shoulder.
"We've got the net?" Kurt slipped past him.
"Sure. I've been here for almost two hours." He explained.
"E-mail?" Kurt asked hopefully from the next room.
"Ah have got to go." Rogue stood up. "Be sure and tell him about the other robot." Rogue reminded him.
"Yeah. Sure." Forge laughed. "That was weird."
"Kurt! Ah'm leavin!" She called out.
Kurt slipped back in to the room and swept up on her with an enormous hug. "Thanks Sis." He said as he squeezed.
She let herself cuddle his hair where she knew it was safe for her to touch him. "I'll miss you." She said softly.
"Come back for my birthday?" He asked.
"Sure." She smiled, delighted.
X23 stuck her head around the corner in to her room and entered slowly, closing and locking the door behind her. The last of the robots were gone – their work completed.
Kurt's room should have been first… She thought. But they did mine…
She wrinkled her nose at the lack of smells. It's … clean… I guess.
She peeked around the room cautiously.
The hard wood floors shined like mirrors reflecting a deep red hue. The walls were uniform now and covered in a coat of white.
Her furniture looked like it had been stripped, stained and polished. But it too was gorgeous and clean.
Her duffel was on top of her dresser.
She looked towards the now clean closet. Several hangers hung empty and she took a long, slow breath.
She took down her bag and unzipped it.
She still had several unworn outfits that Logan had given her.
She took down one of the hangers and with a minimum of effort, she managed to hang up a soft, blue woolen sweater.
She looked hesitantly at it on the hanger. This is it…
She could feel the hesitation and the panic rising. I'm doing it.
She flashed back on her first visit to the mansion in Bayville. When she had attacked the students of Xavier. How she had envied them, even though they confused her, envied their lives, their posessions and obvious personalities…
I'm … I'm one of them now… She shivered.
And with great finality, she hung her sweater in her closet.
It was overwhelming, and she had to sit down.
I don't know if I can do this Logan! She panicked, the frustration mounting to tears. How can I do this?
Forge turned his eyes to the hallway.
Her door's closed.
Waves of anxiety overtook him and he felt the urge to flee, as though this place were a trap.
He closed his eyes and saw a spirit wolf, a guide, nipping at his heels.
He started forward to the room.
It was a soft knock, followed by a pause. And then a sniffle and the click of the lock.
The door parted just an inch.
Forge stood before her and he didn't know what to say. But in his vision he had opened his heart to her, to share his peace of mind – and that had worked.
He opened his heart and suddenly, the words came.
"I think you're doing fine." He told her. "All new things are scary."
She didn't look confused or distracted. "They're … hard. Too."
He nodded. "I know."
She looked behind herself. "I never… had a room… before." She swallowed. "They kept me in a habitat until I escaped."
Fore wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he was glad she was talking.
"I didn't have a body for years. I was trapped without one. And I love talking to other people. Now that they can see me."
She seemed to be processing this. "I don't talk much." Although more in the last few days than in months before now… She admitted.
"If you ever want to… I also like to listen."
She closed the door a little more. "T-thank you." She stammered, then closed the door all the way.
He smiled. "Anytime." He said softly, almost to himself.
She sat back on the bed and wiped at her eyes.
I did choose this. She told herself. I wanted it and now, I have it.
She took a deep breath and looked towards the ocean through her large windows. But all she could see was her reflection. She tilted her head to one side and considered herself.
Wait… She smiled and jumped up, fetching the comb from her bag.
She ran back to the bed and sat down, looking back in the window for her reflection.
She smoothed her hair out slowly and carefully until it hung strait.
And for the first time, perhaps ever in her life, she saw what other people see when they look at her: Just another young girl.
She leaned back on her bed, reveling in the warmth of the feeling.
I am just another girl… She realized. When I'm here.
And she smiled. Like Logan is in Bayville. She thought, finally understanding. One among many.
At … home…Tabitha sat smiling with her eyes closed.
Final word had just come down to her.
She was getting out tomorrow evening. Kurt was coming to pick her up and she was being released in to his custody.
She took several peaceful breaths. While her body ached to be out of the building, she felt as though her spirit had already been set free.
Kurt had even passed a message through Stuart to Jimmy telling her to 'Hold On'. And she had no intention of doing otherwise.
Back in the lighthouse, Forge made his way to Kurt's room.
"There isn't much more that I can do out here. Mind if I start in here now?" He asked.
"Kitty's room is done, X23's too?"
"Yep." Forge smiled. "The bot's will finish Kitty's up now."
"Sure. Go ahead." Kurt smiled. "Should I leave?"
"I don't mind if you don't." Forge smiled.
"And tomorrow, can you get the bots to do something with the other level? We still haven't really cleaned it out and I've got another … person … coming to stay with us."
Forge looked at him. "It's a girl, isn't it?" He smirked.
"Not by design." Kurt defended.
"Admit it! You're rounding up every hottie in the tri-island area!" Forge grinned. "It's like Charlie's Angels! Oh, can I be Bosley? Please?" He chided.
"It's not like Charlie's Angels." Kurt glared, mockingly. "And besides, Alistaire would be Bosley."
Forge looked shocked.
"You could be a Hawaiian drug lord or something." Kurt teased.
Forge dropped his jaw in mock outrage.
"During sweeps week!" Kurt defended.
"Better be!" Forge keyed his robots to work. "With directors credit."
"Don't push it." Kurt warned him laughing. "I'm serious."
Forge smirked. "Tell me that after I'm done working on your tower."
Kurt shrugged. "You're right. I'm sorry, you've already done more than I could have hoped."
Forge smiled playfully. "It's the least I can do with you out on your own and all…" He snickered. "You're a regular Teen Titan now, aren't you?"
"Ach!" Kurt replied.
"Teen Titans!" Forge sang in a high pitched voice and Kurt moaned.
Unbeknownst to them, something was watching them from the doorway.
It chuckled low as it slipped by them and down the hall. "… … … … goof… balls… … …" It snickered, skittered, and darted down the hall.
-
A blanket note to all my reviewers: I love reviews, and I've gotten some great ones off this fic. I'm really glad everyone's enjoying it. Thanks for reading along!
A personal note to Zephyr: Ahhh, so much to say and so little chance. 1) Don't ignore your German financial dealings. 2) Thanks for the chance to screw up your life and – this is important - 3) Back AWAY from the puppy!
