1Chapter Three.
Warren and I actually waited quite some time for our first kiss. That Sunday morning, we walked around Bayville, and discussed where we had come from. I told him about my Mom and step-dad, and he told me that his parents had died, and he'd been 'saved' from a Prep School somewhere. He was 17, almost 18, and wasn't really looking forward to going to a college. He was well off, and could afford to go anywhere he wanted, but he had decided that his mutation was cumbersome enough to render him a recluse.
"You shouldn't shut yourself out of the world just because you have wings, Warren." I told him, slipping my arm around his. "I mean, I could never shut myself out."
"Yea, but you don't have feathers." He raised an eyebrow.
"That's true...but look at my powers." I raised my hands at him. "Look at what I can do to people."
"That's true." He nodded. "You can only take physiological powers...you can't take physical ones."
"Exactly." I sighed. "Except for that morphing power...I haven't really figured that one out yet." I shook my head. "I only used it once."
Monday morning, I rode with Warren in his car to school with Rogue and Kurt. He wasn't as anal about his '88 Corvette as Scott was about his car.
"A car is a car." He shrugged. "It gets me from point A to point B. I don't care what it looks like."
"Isn't it uncomfortable? Being cooped behind the wheel like that?" I asked, looking at him from the passenger seat.
"They're very flexible." He assured me, pulling the car out of the garage and taking off out of the gate.
The week passed by slowly, with homework clogging up our time. On Wednesday night, a group of us got together to study for exams before Christmas break, only a week away. Some of us would be going home for the holidays, but many of us would be celebrating at the Manor, trying to ignore the fact that our families had died, or abandoned us (as the case may be).
I thought about writing my parents. The thought had crossed my mind many times. To let my Mom know that I was still alive, and to let my Dad know what my Mom had tried to do to me. He would have stuck up for me, if he and my Mom were still together. At least, I hope that he would have. In the end, I decided not to. No contact was better then sending a letter and having it returned, or receiving no correspondence back at all. My Stepfather would probably bar my Mother from answering, even if she wanted to. That's just he kind of guy he is.
All of my friends were staying behind. No one had parents to go home to but Kitty, whose parents were going on a cruise. She seemed perfectly content to stay behind though. I envy her.
On Saturday before vacation, Warren and I were up late watching a movie on television. Storm had been by twice, and Logan once that we had noticed. We were just sitting on the couch, watching the movie, doing mini-commentary, and sharing a bag of chips. The only light came from the television, and the dim lights of the hall. I rested my head against his shoulder and after a few moments of hesitation, he rested his cheek against the top of my head. We stayed like that for awhile, watching the movie until the end credits rolled.
Warren moved first, moving to stand and reach for the remote. I took my time, stretching out my fingers in front of me. Once the TV was off, he reached out his hand for mine and we walked upstairs together to our rooms. He stopped with me outside of my and Rogue's room.
"Well, that was fun. I'll see you in the morning." He kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand.
"G'night Warren." I caught his lips in our first real kiss. After we pulled apart, he gave me another, a shorter one.
"Good night, Jo."
I could tell he was red and blushing as he walked down the hall towards his room.
Meanwhile, Christmas was fast approaching. Sunday, I made a special trip to the mall with Rogue (who wasn't at all pleased with the crowd, but bore with it for me), and several others from the school. Warren stayed behind, claiming that he had done all of his shopping already and most of it was mail-order. Rogue and I stayed close together, going from store to store.
"I want something personal for Warren..." I said, when we had entered an Egyptian theme store. I was perusing their collection of daggers and swords when Rogue caught my arm.
"I don't think you're going to find anything for him here, Jo. Yourself maybe, but not for Warren." Rogue shook her head.
"I don't know what to get him!" I sighed. "And don't tell anyone, but...I really want to get something for Logan too." I bit my lip. "Isn't that horrible?"
"No, it's not horrible. It's nice. I'm sure Logan would appreciate it."
"Well he's probably a hell of a lot easier to shop for." I sighed. "I don't even know what Warren likes."
"You could get him a watch." Rogue shrugged. "Or a sweater."
I scrunched my nose up at her.
"Or maybe not." She shrugged.
We walked around the mall some more. I actually bought Logan a sweater...a very dark green solid colored cashmere that I got on a discount rack (a very lucky find). I also managed to get away from Rogue long enough to buy her a long sleeved fishnet jacket she had liked, and a pair of long black gloves. I had gifts for everyone, including gifts for my parents, which I was still hesitant to send, and I hadn't found a single thing for Warren.
"Why don't you pick out some movies or something he might like? Some CD's?" Rogue asked as we passed stores, moving towards the exit. "Hell, buy him a damn coffee mug...something."
"Nothing seems right." I sighed.
"How about a book? A magazine subscription?" She was ticking things off of her fingers. "Oh my gosh! This is going to sound totally cheesy, but why don't you buy a really nice frame, and you can give him one of those pictures we took the other night of us all on in the rec room?"
It was my last resort. And it wasn't that corny... I bought two nice silver frames, and walked out of the mall with Rogue.
The week passed slowly, getting out of school on Wednesday. By then, the manor was nearly empty. I was wrapping things in boxes in my room, including the gifts for my parents in plain brown boxes with address labels, just waiting to be taken to the post office. I'd even forced myself to write a little note, and taped it to the inside of the box...just chit-chat, how I was doing, where I was at, hoped everyone was well, that sort of thing. The two boxes were pushed underneath my bed, where they would sit for awhile. I wondered if anyone at home missed me.
By Thursday, the 23rd, the tree in the rec-room was packed underneath with gifts. Warren had gotten several boxes in the mail, all of which he wrapped in the dead of night and snuck under the tree, way in the back. He liked to hide the fact that he was well off, but we all knew he'd been a little extravagant.
On Friday, there was some caroling, and those of us who were left got outside for a snowball fight. Warren had an unfair advantage being able to pelt us all from the air, but it was fun. I even managed to hit him a few times with my telekinetic power, and dodged a few with my transporting.
We were all allowed to open one gift that night. I shrugged when Professor Xavier asked me which one I wanted to open. "Just hand me one." I told him.
"Open mine." Warren pulled a forest green bag one of the branches in the back. "Then you'll have it tomorrow morning."
I raised an eyebrow, and pulled a long black jewelers case from the bag, and opened it with a crack. Inside was a silver tennis bracelet, decorated with tiny emerald studs, and in another smaller box, I found matching post earrings.
"Thank you, Warren. They're gorgeous." I kissed his cheek.
"You're welcome." He tapped my leg with his knee shyly.
Logan opened his gift from me, that I had totally sent anonymously. I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. We'd kissed a few times, that was all...but that didn't mean I didn't still think about him once in a while. He raised an eyebrow at me when he opened it, and I looked away, leaning my forehead against Warren's shoulder.
"Well, thanks...to whoever sent it." His voice rumbled past me. My face was pink, and I knew it.
Rogue and I retired to our room early with glasses of eggnog, and sat on our beds talking. I was still holding the bag with the gift from Warren in it.
"Do you think Logan knew it was from you?" Rogue asked.
"Yea...he probably did." I sighed. "I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea about it."
"What is he supposed to think? You like him, you can't help that." She smiled.
"Ugh, don't make it worse. It's awful of me." I hid my face in hands for a moment, and then took my bracelet and earrings out again. "Warren is such a great and wonderful person... How can I like someone like Logan as much as I do? I mean, he's old, kind of dangerous, I don't know where he comes from, or have any chance of a future with him...and yet..he's got that sex appeal..."
"So does Warren" Rogue commented. "The Dude's got wings."
I laughed. "Go to sleep, Rogue. We'll talk more in the morning." I switched off my bedside lamp.
"G' night, Jo." Rogue switched off hers as well, and we both settled back into bed. I clutched the bracelet box to my chest, and stared at the earring box on my bedside table in the dark.
Warren was such a great guy...so why did I still have these feelings for Logan?
Christmas morning I was woken up by Kurt jumping on my bed, "Wake up, sleepy heads! It's Christmas!" He flipped back my covers with his tail as he jumped over to Rogue's bed, shaking her awake as well.
I mumbled and pulled the covers back up over my shoulders.
"Now, now...that's no way to act on Christmas." Warren crawled onto my bed, against the wall, facing me. He knocked his knee against mine a few times. "C' mon...Professor Xavier won't let the rest of us open gifts until everyone is downstairs."
I grumbled again, and rolled over.
He caught my shoulder mid roll, and kissed me.
"Nice try." I told him, "But you're gonna have to do better then that to get me out of this bed.
"Oh, I see." He kissed me again on my lips, then up my jaw where he nibbled on the top of my ear. Then he made little piggy noises in my ear, and snorted his way down my throat, pressing little kisses down my neck. I laughed, and pushed him away.
"Okay, okay...I'll get up." I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was only wearing a pair of pajama pants. His chest was sort of a golden color, like the rest of him. His hair was wet from a shower, and he smelled of soap, and heat.
"You're warm." I told him.
"Really, 'cause I feel kinda cold." He pulled the covers up over his own shoulders, and put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "You know how you get really cold after a shower, even though you're actually pretty warm."
"Mm." I took a deep breath, filing away the scent in my brain. "You smell fabulous."
"I used that stuff from that gift basket Rogue got me."
"Thank you Rogue..." I commented.
"Huh?" Rogue had finally decided to join the real world, Kurt still prodding her.
"Get up, sleepy." Kurt poked her for a final time, before jumping off of the bed onto the floor. "Everyone else is already awake, and downstairs."
"Well, we better go then, huh?" I asked.
"We'll meet you downstairs." Warren gave me a kiss, before crawling out of the bed.
The two boys left, and Rogue and I savored our last few seconds in bed before pulling on robes and slippers and making the trek downstairs.
Once we were all situated around the tree in the Rec room, those of us left-behind students, and our Professors (I was inwardly pleased to see Logan in the sweater I bought him, he looked even better then I thought he would). I sat on the floor with Warren, against the wall away from the crowd, watching everyone open their gifts. Storm, who was passing out what was under the tree, had Kurt bring us a large pile to divide between the two of us.
While everyone else ripped their gifts open, I slid my fingernail under each flap, carefully unwrapping each box, and opening each bag. I acquired quite a pile in a short space of time receiving books, gloves, sweaters, school supplies (I got some cute notebooks, and a pack of pens from Storm, who had heard me complaining), bath kits (the ultimate "I don't know what the hell to buy you, so here you go!" gift), and I got one more piece of jewelry from Warren. The pennant necklace that matched the gift from the night before.
"You went all out, didn't you?" I asked, kissed his cheek. "Thank you, they're all beautiful."
"Then you'll wear them?" He asked.
"Of course." I smiled.
"Will you wear them to dinner tonight?"
"...Is there something special for dinner?" I asked.
"I want to take you out."He smiled. "Just the two of us."
"Okay." I nodded. "Is this formal, or casual?"
"Semi-formal... Look...nice." He told me.
"Don't I always look nice?" I batted my eyelashes at him.
"Hrm...you look even better when you're all...frumpy."
"I look frumpy?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly what a girl wants to hear, Warren."
"You know what I mean." He kissed me, before leaning back against the wall.
Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty made their way back towards us.
"So, what did you get?" Rogue asked, sitting down on the floor in front of us. "Anything extravagant?"
"Only from Mr. Worthington the third here." I handed her the jeweler's box.
"This is gorgeous, Warren. Where did you find this stuff?" Rogue had received a silver chain necklace "X", along with everyone else on the team -except for me of course.
"Some catalog." He shrugged, embarrassed.
"Well, they're wonderful." Rogue gave me back my jeweler's box. "Thanks, Warren."
Later I was sitting on my bed, looking at the boxes for my parents. Warren and I were leaving for New York in a few minutes to go to a restaurant I was very familiar with -only a block away from my father's house. My mother lived in the city as well, four blocks over.
"Are you ready to go?" Warren asked, leaning in the doorway. I was dressed in a short black skirt, black lace up boots, a white lace-up shirt, and a red jacket over it, as well as necklace, earrings, and the bracelet.
"Yea, just let me grab my coat." I moved to push the boxes under my bed.
"Do you want to drop those off?" Warren asked.
"No, no... I don't think so." I moved to the closet, taking out my long black coat. "Should I wear gloves?"
"Jo...You should at least try. It's Christmas." Warren stood in front of me. "C'mon...It'll be quick and painless. You can teleport onto the front steps, drop off the gift, ring the doorbell if you want, and teleport back into the car."
I looked at him, and then the boxes. I want contact with my parents so badly, but I was so afraid of being rejected again. Finally, I nodded, "Okay."
We parked in front of my Mother's house first about an hour later. I could hear music, and tinkling laughter of my Mother's Annual Christmas Party.
"I'll be right back." I bamfed out of the car after Warren had rolled down his window to release the smoke. I landed with a thud on the porch, and set down the box on the mat. I rang the bell twice in quick succession and teleported back into the car.
There was still smoke on the steps when my Mother opened the door. She looked around confused for a moment, then saw the box. I watched from the car as she picked it up, and pressed her lips tightly together in sadness when she saw who it was from. She stepped out into the porch light, looking around, hoping I was there. I was very glad that Warren's car had tinted windows. I put a hand on Warren's leg to stop him when he reached for the ignition.
"Just hold on." I told him, watching my Mother sit on the porch swing and open the box, right there. Warren held my hand. She read the note, and picked up the bright red sweater, and then she read the note again. I could read it with her.
Dear Mom,
You always said you looked best in red, so when I saw this, I just knew it was totally you. I'm safe, in case you were worried or anything. I was saved by these people...the X-Men. I'm living with them right now, in Bayville. I'm getting to learn some really cool things, and I've even got some new powers, if that idea doesn't freak you out to badly.
I just wanted to let you know that I was alright. Send my best wishes to the family.
Joanna.
"Go." I told him, looking away from the porch.
My Mother looked up from the box when she heard the engine turn on, and Warren pulled away from the curb. I listened just long enough to hear her yell my name.
Warren turned onto a side street, towards my Dad's house, "Are you alright?"
"Yea, I'm fine." I nodded. "Just a little more emotional then I thought it would be."
Warren parked at the curb. I wasn't surprised to see that all of the lights were off. I stepped out of the car with my second box, and jogged up the walk as fast as my boots would let me. I was stopped like a deer in headlights when the porch light flicked on, and my father stepped out, the phone in his hands.
I noticed right away that he was holding that telephone. My mother had probably called him.
"You weren't supposed to see me." I told him. I watched him hang up on my whimpering mother, and cross his arms over his chest. He was just looking at me. I was very glad he wasn't trying to hug me.
My parents split up when I was three, they had never been married. My Dad dated, but confessed that my Mother was truly his one-and-only love. My Mom of course, had remarried, but never had any more kids. They were actually on very good terms with each other, never angry or bitter. They'd broken up for my sake, thinking that it was better for me to grow up in a separated family then in a family that fought a lot, which my parents had done when they were together.
"How are you?" He finally asked.
"I'm fine. I'm living in Bayville. The address and everything, is in here." I pushed the box at him. "I got you a gift."
"Your Mother left Daniel, you know. She wants you to come home."
"I'm not ready to come home. I can't. I'm happy where I am right now." I shook my head. I started to back up down the stairs, and he stopped me.
"Wait, why don't you come in, for a cup of coffee, or something?"
"I really can't, Warren got reservations, he's waiting for me in the car."
"Warren?" My father raised his eyebrow, ready to play the father-figure.
"He's a boy from...school."
My father nodded, smiling, "Alright... Just...don't be stranger, okay?" He joined me on the steps, and pulled me into a hug. "You have a home to come to, any time you want... And call your Mom, I know she wants to talk to you. Merry Christmas."
I nodded, "Merry Christmas, Dad", and jogged back to the car as fast as I could.
"Are you okay?" Warren asked, gunning the car onto the street.
"I'm fine...I just...I didn't want to have to talk to...anyone." We parked for a final time in front of the restaurant, and Warren put an arm around me, kissing my forehead, "C' mon, lets go eat."
I remained in the car for a moment until Warren came around and opened the door for me.
"You didn't have to do that." I smiled, as he helped me out of the car.
"I was born to be your slave." He told me, holding my hand as we walked into the restaurant.