1Chapter Fourteen
"Hey Honey. Thanks for letting me borrow the jeep." I leaned over the back of the couch to kiss Logan on the cheek, and drop the keys to the jeep into his hand, "I even put gas in it for you."
"Thanks Jo." He moved slightly and patted the space next to him, "Come sit by me for a second."
"What are you watching?" I asked, coming around the couch and sitting beside him, linking my arm through his and leaning against him.
"The news. The government is shutting down the Sentential system..." Logan was watching the news intently, "Finally."
I personally had never come into contact with the Sentential's but from what Logan and the other older members of the X-Men could tell me about them, they weren't good for anyone. Jubilee had actually been targeted by a group once while Storm and Jean were shopping at the mall, which is where they had found her and then brought her to the institute.
"I can't believe school starts in a week." I sighed, wincing.
"Where the hell did summer go, huh?"
"I think I know exactly where summer went..." I raised an eyebrow at him, and kissed him, "I think you do too."
"Hey, we didn't spend that much time in bed." He defended.
I smirked, "I gotta go, I have to finish a book yet. I'll see you later."
"Bye." He went back to watching the news and I kissed his cheek before getting up off of the couch.
The first day of school finally arrived... A little earlier then I had originally hoped. Logan's alarm went off before mine, and I reached back to stop him, after he had shut it off, from getting out of bed.
"Ten more minutes." I snuggled up against him, my eyes closed.
He sighed, running his fingers through my hair, "I wish I could, but I can't."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I've got a danger room mission this morning before school starts, remember?"
I groaned.
"That's what I thought." He kissed my cheek, and then started to move again.
"Five minutes?" I asked, opening an eye.
"Sorry, but no." He shrugged.
I groaned, and let him get out of bed, rolling over until my own alarm clock went off.
"Do you want to borrow the jeep today?" Logan offered, coming out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a white towel, another around his waist as I was getting out of bed to take my own shower.
"I was thinking I would just get a ride with Warren."
Logan made a slightly distasteful face as he turned towards his dresser.
"Look," I said, getting up out of the bed, my long t-shirt falling down over my knees and moved over to put my arm around his waist as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, "I know you don't like Warren, but it's a lot more efficient for me to ride with him and Rogue, and Jubilee, and everyone else now that Scott graduated, then it would be for me to take the jeep."
"Why don't you split the ride like when Scott was still driving?" He asked, "I just don't trust Warren's driving."
"You didn't have a problem with it last year..." I pointed out.
"I just didn't voice it last year." He pointed out, pulling off the towel, to pull on a pair of boxer shorts and his jeans.
"If it will make you feel better, I'll drive the jeep." I kissed his cheek, "Now I have to go get ready."
"The keys are on the night table." He kissed me before letting me go.
"So Logan is lending you the jeep?" Rogue asked, tossing her brand new backpack into the back of the jeep before getting in, along with Remy, Jubilee (who sat in the front seat next to me), and Bobby.
"Yes." I sighed, "He's being...Logan." I slid in behind the drivers seat, and pulled on my seatbelt, "I don't have the heart to tell him yet that my parents are coming down next weekend to go car shopping."
"You haven't told him that yet?"
"No...I figure the less time he has to know that my Mom is coming for another visit the better... I'll tell him next Monday."
The others clipped their seatbelts.
"So this high school...what is it like?" Remy asked, putting an arm over the back of the seat, his fingers resting slightly against Rogue's covered shoulder, causing her to inch away. He was so obviously flirting with her, and she tried to ignore it. It was heart wrenching.
"It's a high school." I looked at him in the rear view mirror, stopping to let Warren leave the garage ahead of me with Kurt, Kitty, and a few others that had previously hitched rides with Scott, "You've got us, you've got them, and you've got the faculty."
"Fabulous...truly." Remy put his arm down again, picking up on Rogue's vibe that she wasn't interested.
"Don't worry Remy, I'll show you around. You'll be fine."
"Remy no nervous, Jo."
"You're doing it again." I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Sorry." He looked bashful.
We talked lightly on the drive to the high school, before I pulled into a back parking lot, and locked up the jeep, pocketing the keys. Jubilee went off to find some of her friends while Rogue and I entered the cafeteria to wait for the opening bell to call First-Day Assembly. Remy followed us, and we sat down with the others who had rode with Warren as well as Lance and Saundra, who was wearing a painfully short dress with Chuck Taylor high top shoes, her hair up in a messy-but-good-looking pony-tail. I loathed it.
"Hey, I haven't heard from you in awhile." I bumped my knee into Lance and sat down beside him, "What's up? You still pissed at me?"
"I wasn't pissed at you." He said, "And I had to go down to my Grandparents in Jersey again... Pappy was having heart problems."
"I'm sorry, is he okay?" I asked.
"He'll be fine." Lance pulled my feet up into his lap, "Are these new shoes?"
"Yea, you like 'em? I bought 'em on a trip to New York to see my parents over the summer." I displayed them proudly.
"They're cute." He held my ankles, and Remy raised his eyebrow at us.
"Oh, Remy! I'm sorry, this is Lance Hang. He was my Chem-Lab partner last year. Lance, this is Remy. He's new at the Institute. I don't think you met him."
"Hi." Lance nodded at him.
"Does Logan know he flirts with you?" Remy asked.
"As long as it's not me doing the flirting, Logan is fine." Warren sounded bitter.
I sighed, "C'mon boys...stop fighting."
"I wasn't fighting." Lance said.
"You're to cute." I smiled, pulling my feet out of his lap.
"Remy told me that, that Lance kid was flirting with you this morning." Logan sat on the edge of my desk while I pulled book covers around some of my textbooks.
"Everyone flirts in a high school, sweetie. It's what teenagers do." I reassuringly patted him on the knee, "And besides, Lance doesn't compare to you at all... in any department." I pulled him down by them hem of his t-shirt to kiss him, "Oh, the keys for the jeep are still in the ignition."
"Alright. You takin' it tomorrow too?"
"If you want me to, I will." I told him, "It was kind of nice."
"I'll get you a duplicate key sometime this week."
I bit my lip, "Um...Logan... my parents are coming down next weekend."
He made another disgusted face, "Your mother?"
"Yea..."
"Why?" He asked.
"They're buying me a car."
"Okay." He nodded, "Then you don't want a key to the jeep?"
"That's not what I'm saying, I just...I thought you should know."
"I'll hide." He growled, "I better go...I got a late-night lesson with Boom-Boom and Faerie."
I wanted to reprimand him, but I didn't and instead let him go.
Rogue entered soon after Logan had left, dumping her own load of text books on her bed, "Hey. How did your day go?"
"It was fine." I shrugged, "Remy told Logan that Lance was flirting with me."
"Did you see who was there? He was sittin' off to the side with some British chickadee-foreign exchange, I think, during the assembly."
"Who?" I asked.
"Lance Alvers... Avalanche."
"What?" I turned around quickly, "I never saw him there!"
"I swear it. He was in my English class."
"Oh my god... what is he doing in Bayville? We dumped them in the middle of no where!"
"I don't know! He must have found his way back. I thought you knew!" Rogue looked flustered that I had actually yelled.
"The Professor should know." I told her, "What if he came back for a reason?"
"Like what? To abduct you?" Rogue asked, "Calm down and let this ride out."
"Dad! Mom..." I hugged each of my parents in turn, "You're early! I didn't expect you until later this afternoon."
"Well, car shopping done best in the morning, sweetie... What do you say we get going? Where's that handsome son-in-law of mine?" Mom asked, looking over my shoulder.
"We're not married Mom." I sighed, "And Logan had some business to take care of up north, so he's away for the weekend." I shrugged, and went to join my father, "Hey Dad..."
"What's the matter Joey?"
I pulled him aside, out of hearing range of my mother, "Dad, why don't we drop Mom off on the Strip and we go look for cars together? I mean, it's not really Mom's thing, and I know she's looking for a reason to shop..."
Dad looked over at her, "Is something the matter, Joey?"
I sighed, "She embarrasses me, Dad. Logan isn't here today because I told him she was coming. She's always...everywhere."
"I know honey, but that's just who your mother is..." We walked slowly back to where my mother was appreciatively watching Scott Summer's and Jean Grey do target practice in the yard with clay plates.
I got into the back of my Dad's SUV along with my mother.
"Hey, Honey..." Dad said, patting my mother on the knee, "Why don't I drop you off on the Strip, and Joey and I will go look at cars?"
"Why, Stephan...are you trying to get rid of me?" She asked.
"Of course not, Christy! I just thought you might enjoy strolling isles in a store rather then in a car lot."
"Hrm... If that's what you want, Stephan, that's perfectly fine with me." She shrugged, "Why would I want to sit around a stuffy car lot anyway." She fluttered her eyelashes.
Now she was making my Dad feel bad, I had to step in.
"Look, Mom, it was my idea." I leaned forward, "Don't take it out on Dad."
"If you don't want me to go with you, Joey, all you had to do was say so. I would love to do a little shopping. I love this little town of yours. It's gorgeous."
"Thanks Mom." I nodded, and sat back in the seat while my Dad turned to drop my Mother off in the mall parking lot.
"We'll be back in awhile, Darling." Then my Father did something I hadn't seen him do to my mother since I was six years old. He kissed her... on the cheek, but he kissed her.
After my mother was seen safely out of the car, I moved into the front seat.
"Is there something going on, Dad?" I raised my eyebrow at him.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
"You just kissed Mom... You haven't done that in what? Twelve years?"
"Your mother and I are...reconciling, I suppose. We're together more often, and you're graduating this year. You aren't living at home anymore... We've only had dinner a few times, and of course she's staying at the house... I've missed her."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, as we parked in an empty space in the car lot.
"I don't know, Joanna... It's just not something you normally discuss with your daughter..."
"Are you two going to get married?" I asked.
"Jeez, Joey! I don't know! Can't we just let this go on it's own course? You don't badger me about your Mom, and I won't badger you about your boyfriend, okay?"
"Deal." I nodded, linking arms with him, and moving into the car lot.
I found the car I wanted, test drove it, and within a very short matter of time, I was driving my new blue Mazda off of the lot and parking it in my new parking space the Professor had reserved for me next to Logan's orange jeep. My parents were taking over the payments and insurance, which was a relief off of my shoulders, but I still thought that my new car should merit some responsibility.
That is the reason I soon found myself working at Bayville's teen hot-spot the Burger Barn. I was put on Drive-Thru service, which wasn't hard, but it got boring easy, and I was constantly moving...all in all, it sucked. The only thing that brightened the job was when my friends would come through, or Logan (who I would sneak quick kisses with through the window), and order, then chat with me if were weren't busy.
"Mm...you smell like fries." Logan nuzzled my neck before pressing a kiss to my throat when I joined him in the living room one evening after work.
"I know, it's disgusting."
"I kind of like it." He grinned, "But it makes me hungry." He shrugged, "So, what's going on? I haven't gotten to talk to you since you started this job."
I shrugged, "The homecoming game is on Friday night, you want to go with me?"
"You don't have to work?" He raised an eyebrow, "You'd think that would be a busy night."
"The contrary...it's the slowest night. Everyone's at the game, and by the time the game is over, we're closed." She shrugged, "So, do you want to go?"
"Sure." He shrugged.
"There's a dance on Saturday, but I don't think you'd want to go to that, huh?"
"I don't even remember high school, but I'm pretty sure it's something I don't want to be repeating, hon."
"That's what I thought." She kissed him, and then moved to make her way upstairs.
"You're still gonna go though, aren't you?" He asked, following her with his eyes.
"Lance asked me to go with him...if that's okay with you."
"I'd rather if you went with Kurt or Warren." He said.
"It's okay, Logan, really. Lance is totally harmless."
He grunted, and turned back towards the television, "What time is the game?"
"It starts at six." I leaned over the back of the couch and kissed him.
No POV
"So, this is a high school football game, huh?" Logan had his hands shoved into his pockets. He and Joanna, along with the others from the institute, sat in the middle of the stands.
"Oh, stop being such a grump, Logan." She leaned her head against his shoulders.
"How can I not be a grump? It's a Friday night, it's cold, it's going to rain soon, and I know that tomorrow night I have to hand you off to some hick little boy as if I were your father."
She grinned, and kissed him, "You're nothing like my father...trust me. If you were, you wouldn't have been invited."
"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Jo." He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer.
While they watched the game, Joanna got the sudden feeling that she was being watched.
"Logan." She leaned to whisper in his ear, "Is there someone looking at us?"
"Honey, everyone's lookin' at us." He drawled.
"No, I mean...at us..."
"So do I, Jo. What's the matter?"
"I just...I feel like someone is staring at me, but I don't want to look."
Logan looked intent for a moment, sniffing the air, and he turned as though he were going to talk to Rogue, and he recognized the face whose gaze slid back towards the field as he looked at him.
"It's that kid that was with Mag- Eric."
"Shit. I was hoping Rogue had just imagined he was in Bayville... I haven't seen him around school at all..." Joanna slid a look over Logan's shoulder at him, "His name is Lance Alvers."
"Well, what the hell is he doing here, Jo?"
"How the heck am I supposed to know? I can't read minds!"
"What are you talking about, you can do anything you want to."
"But I don't know how...the Professor may have said I could do anything I wanted, but... we haven't even discussed the prospect of my...doing that."
"Just try." Logan coaxed, "Do you want me to get Jean?"
"No...I just...give me a minute." Joanna closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against Logan's shoulder. She could feel all of the people around her, their excitement, their fears. It was like she was a part of everyone, She put a determined facade over them, and focused on Lance, in the far back corner of the bleachers. His voice was suddenly crystal clear, and everyone else's was just a low hum behind it.
God, I hope she didn't see me. What the hell am I doing here? I can't expect her to actually help me. What if that Professor of hers isn't the kind of guy I thought he was? What if none of them can help me. Fuck. What am I doing? I should just go, and find Mystique... God, where the hell did-
Joanna opened her eyes, blinking a few times.
"Well?" Logan asked, "Did you do it?"
"He want's help... He wasn't giving me a whole heck of a lot to work with." I shook my head, "Maybe we should go?"
"No, we can't let him know that we're here, or that we know he's here." Logan shook his head.
"Look...maybe I can...set up a link...like the Professor...so we don't actually have to get close to him?"
"Maybe you should try that from the safety of the Institute, okay? Or let the Professor do the talking?"
There was a loud sound of disagreement and disappointment, and gasps from the crowd. Logan and Joanna looked down at the field. From the bottom of a pile of players, one body wasn't moving anymore.
"Please remain calm, as the paramedics take a look at number forty-two, from Bayville High. Hang's condition may be critical. Do not leave the stands, please. Would Judith and William Hang please report to the paramedic station on the north side of the field."
"What happened?" I turned to Rogue.
"The point of coming to a football game to watch, sugar." She crossed her arms, "Lance dove between one of the other guy's legs, and he tripped down on top of him, there was a big pile up tackle, right on top of him."
"Logan, I've got to go see if he's all right." I turned to him.
"They said to stay in the stands, Jo."
"When do I listen to people?"
"Be careful, and come right back, okay?"
The call for the Hang's was again announced over the loudspeaker, and Joanna rushed down the bleachers towards the Paramedic station, where Lance was starting to come to.
"Jo?" He blinked up at her, "What happened?"
"I don't know, Lance." She took his hand, careful to stay out of the paramedic's way as they checked him out, "Where are your parents?"
"They didn't come to night...will you call them for me? Please?"
"Of course, Lance." She nodded, "I'll use Kitty's phone."
"I probably won't be able to take you to the dance tomorrow..."
"Don't be silly, Lance. You'll be fine." I kissed his forehead, "I'll go call your parents. Do you want me to come to the hospital?"
"No, no... I'll...I'll call you."
"Excuse us miss, but we've got to load him up now." The paramedic gently pushed her away.
She stepped back from the Gurney, and watched the two paramedics load Lance into the back of the ambulance.
"Last call for the Hangs...please report to the Paramedics Station..."
"Hey." Lance was sitting up in bed, "You didn't have to come down here." He was in a single room, his leg propped up in a sling, and his arm bandaged, as well as his rib cage.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing." Joanna set the bouquet of flowers on the edge of the window sill, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine...I just have a concussion, a cracked bone in both my leg and my arm, and a couple of bruised ribs."
"So, when do you get out?"
"This afternoon."
"I suppose you won't be up to going to the dance, huh?"
"I don't think so, Jo." He shook his head, "Even if I wanted to, I don't think your boyfriend is too keen on me anyway."
Joanna sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, "Logan is just... protective...although I could kick his ass any day of the week."
"I believe it." Lance smiled.
"So...what am I supposed to do for a date now, huh?"
"You could take Kurt...or Warren...or how about that Remy kid? He seems interesting."
"He's going with Rogue." I shrugged, "Warren is going stag and Kurt is going with Kitty."
"You could always talk Logan into going..."
"I don't think they'd let him in." I shrugged, "That's what I get for dating a guy twice my age."
"Scary."
"Yea, I know...but whatever."
"So... What's going on?" Lance asked.
"Nothing really. Just...Institute stuff... avoiding my Mother...keeping up with Logan, work, and school." I shrugged.
"Sounds like fun." He nodded.
"Lance...This probably isn't the place or the time...but... have you told your parents?"
"Told my parents what?" Lance asked.
"About...the institute...and...you know..."
Lance shrugged, "What they don't know won't hurt them, right?"
"Lance...you're special. Your parents should know."
"And look where telling your parents got you? And everyone else in that place. Dumped off like last weeks garbage."
"It's not like that, Lance." I shook my head, "What happened to me, and some of the others...it wasn't our parents faults. Some of us still have parents who love us regardless of our abilities. I do. I didn't know that I did, but I do. So does Kitty, and Jean. Scott's parents are dead, but he has a brother. We all have family some where, even if it is just our family at the Institute... That's what we are."
"And what about me, huh? If I tell my parents, they'll just do the same thing to me as they did with my brother."
I was quiet, "It doesn't have to be like that. You could stay at the institute."
"And do what, Jo? Never see my parents again? Learn how to use my so-called powers? Thanks, but no. I just want to have a fun, normal senior year and forget about my stupid powers."
"Fine." Joanna stood up, shrugging, "I better get going. I have a class later. I hope you feel better."
Lance sighed, watching her stride from the room, looking determined. He felt bad, but not bad enough to call her back.
Joanna was surprised to find a visitor waiting for her on the front porch of the Institute when she returned from the hospital visit, swinging leisurely on the porch swing and reading a magazine.
"What are you doing here?" She asked coldly.
Lance Alvers looked up from the scandalous magazine, "Well, that's not a very nice way to greet a friend, Joanna."
"You're not my friend, you're just some creep I absorbed a power from."
"Look, I need some help, alright? After you guys dumped us, we all separated and I came back here. I just... I need a place to stay, alright?"
"What makes you think I can help you?" I asked.
"You just seem like the kind of girl that can help a guy out once in awhile." He shrugged.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I don't make those kinds of decisions."
"Jo... What's going on?" Warren exited the school, stopping when he saw Lance sitting on the porch swing, "What the hell is he doing here?" He asked.