Waytoevil: I updated that for you. Sorry it took so long.
Mark C: Thanks man. I love your long reviews. You deserve a reward of some kind.
Tribegirl: Jessica's not dead. She did jump dimensions with the Travelers, but they're not coming into this story again, they've gone to their own story. The people here think that they're dead.
MJ: I'm not bringing Gambit in until the episodes would have brought him in. So you might have to wait a while. Sorry. But as for competition…
Kero: Storm's here, but she doesn't have a major role in any of the Warrior's lives yet, so she's riding in the back seat. Don't worry; you'll be seeing more of her. As for Gambit, again, he won't be coming into the story for a while, but he will eventually.
Author's Note: The words in Italics Are words spoken telepathically. Just so there's no confusion.
Chapter 19: Unnamed Chapter"Jean? You in here?" Mike asked as he came into the library.
"Over here Mike." Jean met him with a smile; she was sitting with some open books by the fireplace. "Ready for some training?" She asked cheerfully.
"Ready as I'll ever be I suppose." Mike said with a shrug.
"Okay." Jean said with a nod. "Start clearing your mind."
Mike sat down next to her, and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can hear you." Jean answered. "I want you to try and dig into my mind, my memories. See if you can find the memory of when we first met."
Mike concentrated as hard as he could, and images began to flick through his head. Flashes. Him, Scott, James, Jessica, Professor X, Kitty, Rogue, and suddenly Mike found himself in a completely different place. He was outside, in what looked like the gardens. Scott was in front of him, but it wasn't Mike's body, it was Jean's. He was talking, but it was Jean's voice, they were having a discussion.
Mike stumbled back a bit and snapped to with his hand to his forehead and in the same library again with Jean leaning over him. She had caught him when he fell. "Sorry." Mike said telepathically.
"It's okay." Jean said. "What did you see? Anything?"
"You and Scott, in battle uniforms, you were talking outside. I'm not sure when. Then Kurt and Rogue came in, and I snapped out of it." Mike said closing his eyes.
"That was probably this morning." Jean said with a nod. "Good. At least this time you managed to access my memory. You just need to work on it a bit more."
"My head hurts." Mike said rubbing his forehead with his left hand.
"No more today." Jean said with a smile. "But you're doing fine."
"Thanks." Mike said as he opened his eyes.
"Um…" Rogue's voice startled both of them. Jean who was still leaning partially over him, a rather intimate scene if you hadn't seen the whole thing, was still holding Mike. "Sorry to interrupt, but Hank was looking for ya Mike."
Jean nearly dropped him and Mike stood up. "Thanks." He said brushing himself off a bit. "Either of you going to join us for our movie-thon?"
"What movies are you watching?" Jean asked curiously.
"Shakespeare. Mac Beth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, that sort of thing." Mike said with a nod as he turned around to face Rogue. "And no Rogue, the scene you just walked in on wasn't what you think. I fainted from practicing with my powers. She caught me."
"Ah didn't say anything." Rogue said with a shrug.
"Sorry." Mike said shaking his head. "I think I need some aspirin."
"I'll get you some, and then I'll join you and Hank for that movie marathon." Jean said with a smile as she patted his head and left.
"She doesn't think of me that way." Mike said looking to Rogue.
"Ah didn't say anything." Rogue said again.
"I know you didn't." Mike said with a saddened nod. "I just felt like… saying something."
VVVVScott, Kurt, Kitty, Will, Elise, and Megan, were all at the movie theater now. John had changed his mind; he decided he wanted to get some training done with James, or something like that. And Megan had literally jumped at the chance to go to the movies when Kurt asked her.
It was funny. If one hadn't known better you'd say there were on a triple date. Kurt and Kitty stuck pretty close, Will had his arm around Elise, and it was almost as if Megan was refusing to leave Scott's side.
"You want anything to eat or drink?" Scott asked as they came up to the concession stand.
"A coke?" Megan asked with a shrug.
"Ow! Hey!" Elise yelled as some guy bumped into her from behind. It was none other than everyone's favorite person, Toad, with the rest of the Brotherhood not far behind him.
"Sorry toots." Todd said with a mock salute.
"Oh no, you idiots again." Will said with a sigh.
"What was that blue hair?" Lance asked turning to face Will.
"Hey!" Kurt shouted in protest.
"Everybody calm down." Scott said stepping in. "We don't want any trouble."
"Well we do." Pietro said with a grin.
"Not here." Elise said shaking her head.
"Why not?" Fred asked loudly.
"You want a challenge?" Will asked.
"Yeah." Lance said with a strong nod.
"Lance!" Kitty yelled.
"You got it, me and my friends versus you and yours. You say where, I say when." Will said with a smirk.
"The Park." Lance said with a smirk.
"Ten o'clock tonight work?" Will asked.
"You got it." Lance said with a nod.
Will offered his hand for a shake, but Lance just walked away. "Ten it is then."
"You can't fight them." Scott cut in.
"We can, and we will, and you will butt out. This isn't your fight." Will said looking over to Scott.
"Let's just go and enjoy the movie." Megan said with a smile. "Scott? Where do you want to sit?"
"I don't care." Scott said with a shrug.
"Back row it is then." Megan said with a nod.
VVVV"What do you think?"
"Handsome."
"I feel like I'm in a straight jacket."
"If they could find a straight jacket to fit you it would be amazing."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're muscles are bigger than most people make shirts."
James laughed as he stepped back into the changing stall. Rebecca had taken him shopping for a tux. "Maybe I should just get one tailored."
"You'll probably have to." Rebecca said with a nod.
"Then why are we wasting our time here?" James asked slightly annoyed.
"Because shopping is fun." Rebecca said with a smile.
"For you anyway. Personally I think you get more enjoyment out of it when you can watch me wriggle from the pain it causes me." James said as he threw a pair of slacks on top of the stall's door.
"See? You do know how my mind works." Rebecca said with a laugh.
"You're a cruel, cruel person." James said with a laugh.
"So have you thought any more about inviting your parents?" Rebecca asked cheerfully.
"We discussed this." James said, obviously annoyed. "I told you that it's not happening."
"No, we didn't discuss it, you just refuse to entertain the idea." Rebecca said with a shake of her head.
"Becca." James said sternly stepping out in his normal clothes, a pair of jeans and a black muscle t-shirt.
"Jimmy." Rebecca said with a smile.
"Don't call me that." He said shaking his head.
Rebecca laughed.
VVVVDanielle, Evan, Mike, Jean, Hank, and Ororo were all in the living room. Danielle, Evan, Mike, and Jean were on the couch, while Hank and Ororo sat on the two-seat couch angled to see the T.V. The lights in the living room were out, and Shakespeare played on the screen.
In the other room Nathan stood playing pool with Logan. The most social he'd been in a long while. The gloves didn't get in the way too much. "You're good." Nathan said with a smirk as Logan sunk a ball into the side pocket.
"I've had a lot of practice." Logan said gruffly.
"I guessed." Nathan said with a nod.
"You mind if I smoke?" Logan asked pulling out a cigar.
"Be my guest." Nathan said as Logan took another shot but missed.
Logan lit up his cigar and took a puff as Nathan lined up his shot.
"So how long do you think the professor will leave her there?" Nathan asked looking over to Logan.
"Until he thinks she's ready to come here." Logan said with a nod. "Better not to question his decisions."
"Why? What's the difference between her and me? Or even you?" Nathan asked as he sunk his shot.
"I don't know. The professor does. Take it up with him." Logan said with a nod.
"He won't answer me. But he thinks that I'm helping her improve. Whatever that means." Nathan said with a shrug.
"And maybe she's helping you." Logan added.
"I thought you were supposed to do that." Nathan said as he missed his shot.
"Only so much I can say and do. But you get a girl like her, or Rogue, and they can help you a lot more than any teacher." Logan said as he blew out a puff of smoke. "Real life, she's the best teacher."
"Or Rogue?" Nathan asked sarcastically.
"Even I've seen it." Logan said with a smirk. "Look around you kid."
"Don't call me that." Nathan quipped. "And I have looked, I'm not interested."
"Mind if I ask why?" Logan asked as he took a shot and sunk it.
"I don't see the point in getting involved with someone that I can't be with." Nathan said almost sadly.
"Why don't you get outside, enjoy the spring day?" Logan asked.
"Because I'd rather shoot pool. And sunlight turns the toxins on my skin into a powder if I stay out in it too long. Especially when it's warm like this." Nathan answered.
"Damn kid, you even make me depressed." Logan said. "I need a beer."
VVVV"What are you working on?" Rogue asked coming into the library, where John was sitting and working at a laptop computer.
"I'm writing an email to my dad." John said with a nod as he returned his attention to the computer.
"To your dad? I thought you and Will ran away from home?" Rogue asked curiously.
"Ran away? No. Left? Yes." John said as he typed. "Will and our father didn't get along to well. Neither did I and mom." John explained. "We left about two years ago."
"And you've been writing to them all this time?" Rogue asked cautiously.
"No. I've only been writing to them for about six months. Will doesn't know." John said turning his attention to Rogue. "And I prefer to keep it that way."
"Why?" Rogue asked, slightly confused.
"He doesn't want to go back home." John said as he returned his attention to the computer.
"And you do?" She asked.
"Eventually, yes." John said with a nod. "I didn't mind our old life. I enjoyed it. But if Will were have to run off by himself he wouldn't have lasted ten minutes."
"Ah see." Rogue said with a nod.
"I might not always agree with my brother, or even always like my brother, but we are still brothers. He would give me his life if I asked it, and I would give mine for him." John explained.
"Loyal." Rogue commented.
"It's the way we were raised I suppose." John said as he shut the computer down. "Will's due back in a few minutes. And a few of us were planning on going out for dinner. You want to join us?" John asked, almost hopefully. "Joe's coming."
Rogue paused for a second. "Sure." She said finally with a strong nod. "Why not."
ENDAuthor's Note: Reviews are always nice. I know a whole lot didn't happen in this chapter, it was more for development than movement, if you know what I mean. But the next chapter has a lot of moving plot. Including the big fight!
Coming Soon… Chapter 20: Fight! Fight! Fight!