Bleeding Hearts
The Sequel to Weeping Willow
An X3 Fanfiction by Carrie
Chapter Eight
British Airways flight 961 from Munich touched down on the runway of the JFK Airport in New York at around noon. Once the airplane rolled to a complete stop, the passengers stood up in the isles, retrieved their carry-on belongings and shuffled out of the cramped plane. The ride had been long, a whopping 13 hours, transfers included. Kurt was just glad to be back on the ground.
He led Margali out of the airport and walked casually into an alleyway, hoping that this was a good enough place to make their exit.
"What are we doing?" she inquired.
"Going home," he said as he put his arms around her and teleported with a bamf! In less than ten minutes, they were out of Queens, headed for the Westchester suburbs. Kurt had to stop and let Margali rest. She had only teleported with him once or twice before, so she never had a chance to overcome the initial nausea that came with being a passenger.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
"Fine," she breathed. "I'm just tired from the plane ride."
"Don't vorry," he said with a smile. "Ve're almost zere." When Margali was ready, they continued on their journey.
At last, Kurt stopped and let his adopted mother free of his embrace. She opened her eyes and was speechless at the sight of an enormous, beautiful house.
"Schatz, you live here?" she asked, awestruck.
"I do," he said, beaming from ear to ear. During the last year, he finally discovered what it was like to have a real, stationary home, and there was nothing like returning to it.
Margali followed her son as he approached the vast oak doors. Instead of knocking, he grabbed her hand and they teleported inside. She was speechless at the flawless beauty of the interior of the mansion.
"I'm back, everybody!" he called into the house. At first, Margali didn't think that anyone had heard him but, seconds later, the sounds of footsteps hammering down the stairs could be heard from above.
"Kurt!" Storm exclaimed, flashing a bright smile. She gathered him up in a hug. "How was the trip?"
"Successful," he said, gesturing to Margali.
"I hate to barge into your lives…," the gypsy stammered, feeling like a fish out of water.
"Nonsense!" Ororo said with a wave of her hand. "Stay as long as you like. We're happy to have you."
"Storm, this is my mother, Magali," Kurt said. "Mother, this is Storm."
"A pleasure," Ororo said with a kind smile. Then she turned to Kurt. "Willow's in the garden," she said. "She's been anxious to see you ever since you left." His heart flew up into his throat.
"Thank you," he said.
"Would you like anything to drink?" Storm asked the new guest. "Or a bed to sleep in?"
"I could use some rest, yes," she said.
"Alright, let's go up and find you a room," Ororo said.
"She can stay in my room," Kurt volunteered. "Can you show her up there?"
"Of course," Storm said.
"I'll be right back," Kurt promised Margali as he excused himself from the conversation.
Willow sat with her legs folded neatly under her in front of Xavier's monument. They had added a new headstone to their grim collection: Jean's. Staring at the three of them and knowing that they would never come back filled her with a kind of sadness that would always tear at her heart. However, despite her despair, Willow felt a kind of relief. She had fought the good fight and had come out on top. She had done her part in continuing Xavier's dream. Willow recalled his last words that he said to her before he left to find Jean: "I'm counting on you." No matter what happened, she vowed to never forget those words as long as she lived.
"I won't let you down," she promised him aloud.
"Willow," a voice called, jarring her from her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat as she wheeled around. Looming over her, a smile plastered all over his face, was Kurt Wagner, back from Germany in one piece.
"Kurt!" she cried as she sprung out of her kneeling position, practically tackling him. She threw her arms around him as his balance wavered.
"Woah!" he laughed as he returned the embrace. "You trying to kill me?"
"I'm so glad you're back," she said.
"I am too," he replied, leaning down and kissing her on the lips. After a moment, she recoiled with a painful hiss.
"Careful, careful, careful…," she warned him with a wince. He examined her lower lip more closely and discovered a pair of neat, black stitches. A purple bruise blossomed on the left half of her chin as well.
"Mein Gott, Leibchen, vat has happened?" he cried. Before she could answer him, he caught sight of the gravestones behind her. He read the names and felt his blood run cold. "Was ist dieses? Headstones?"
"Yeah," Willow muttered solemnly.
"I am gone for three veeks and…Leibchen, you must tell me vat happened!" he cried, clutching her shoulders. He was afraid to hear her explanation. How could the three of them possibly be gone forever, especially the Professor? From the moment Kurt had met Charles Xavier, he had put the man on a pedestal. Nothing could harm him and he would always triumph over his oppressors. But it seemed that he was mistaken.
"A war happened," she said. "Us verses Magneto."
"Then…Magneto did this?" he asked, pointing at the graves.
"No," Willow said, shaking her head. "Sit down, handsome. I got lots to tell you." Kurt plopped awkwardly onto the grass, feeling dizzy. He couldn't take his eyes off the brass relief of the Professor's face. He touched it just to make sure that he wasn't having some kind of horrible nightmare. Slowly, Willow began to tell him what happened. When she was finished, he was heartbroken.
"Unglaublich…," he muttered in a hollow voice. "I can't believe it…You've been through so much and I….I haven't even been here for you. And the Professor…Doctor Grey…Mr. Summers…I…I don't even know vat to say. I should have been here."
"You have nothing to do with any of this, Kurt," Willow said comfortingly. "Had you have been here, the results would be no different. The Professor and Scott and Jean would still be dead and I'd still have stitches."
"I vould have protected you from being attacked, at least," he sighed.
"Well, for your information, Mr. Hero, I can take care of myself," she said with a smile. "Looks like you're out of a job."
"I vas alvays kidding, Leibchen. You don't need rescuing," he said cupping her face in his hands. "Ich habe Sie vermißt." She leaned into him and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"I've missed you, too," she said. "Speaking of which, did you find anything? In Germany?"
"Yes, I found the circus," he said, grateful for the change of subject. "And I brought back a souvenir."
Margali lay quietly on Kurt's bed. She didn't bother getting under the covers as she was still in her clothes. She looked around the room at all the possessions he had gained over the last year. Although their circus was popular, it didn't pay very well once everyone's wages were distributed, not to mention the cost of maintenance. She could never provide him with drawers and drawers of new clothes, a Television set, oak furniture and posters of his favorite movie stars. There was no doubt in her mind that he was better off in this place.
Just as she began drifting off to sleep, she heard a light tap on the door. She rose from the bed and opened the door a crack. Kurt's familiar face was peering at her from outside. She greeted him with a smile and opened the door wider.
"I have someone for you to meet," Kurt said as he led in a girl that could only be Willow. Margali recognized her striking features from the photo Kurt had shown her.
"Hello," Willow said bashfully, jerking her head a little so that her bangs flopped in front of an ugly, stitched up gash on her lip.
"I have been anxious to meet you, my dear," Margali said with a warm smile. "You have made my son a happy young man, and I am nothing but grateful to you."
"Well, he's easy to get along with," Willow said with a shrug.
"Kurt said you met in a church?" Margali asked Willow.
"Yeah, actually," Willow said. "It was sort of a crazy night for me. I'd missed my bus stop in New York and ended up in Boston. I wound up in this really creepy neighborhood and I couldn't get a hotel room, so I decided to stay the night in a church."
"I scared her on accident," Kurt muttered sheepishly.
"Yeah, well, I got over it and he helped me get here," Willow said with a fond smile. "I couldn't have done it without him."
"So that is why we couldn't find you for days!" Margali cried. "When we were doing the show in Canada, Kurt slipped off for a whole week and came back exhausted."
"That would be my fault," Willow said with a sigh. "He wore himself out teleporting so much."
"I've gotten much better at it," Kurt reported.
"Right before we packed up to leave, Kurt went missing completely. We waited for him, but we were already late to our next stop on the tour," she said. "I never forgave myself for leaving him behind."
"Well, he's safe and sound now," Willow said. "This is probably the best place for him."
"Yes," Margali sighed, "I'm afraid that even in the circus mein Schatz was not free from persecution. The night he was taken from us, I had a feeling that even if he were to find his way back, the circus would never be home for him again."
"It's not zat I don't want to be around everyone zere," Kurt said. "I just feel zat I can be myself around here more."
"I understand," she said empathetically. "The show will never be the same without the Incredible Nightcrawler, but your life here, I see, is far more rewarding. Besides, I would not take you from the one that loves you." Willow smiled a little. "You both have my blessing for whatever lies in your future."
"Thank you," Willow said graciously.
"It was lovely meeting you, my dear, but I'm afraid that the jet lag has caught up with me," Margali said through a yawn.
"We'll leave you alone, then," Willow said, heading for the door. "It was nice meeting you."
"We will have to talk more later," Margali said in place of a good-bye. Kurt and Willow slipped out of his room, closing the door behind them.
"Vat do you think?" Kurt asked as they made their way to Willow's room.
"She's really nice, I like her," Willow said. Then a playful smile spread across her injured lips. "She calls you Schatz?"
"Ja, vat's wrong vis zat?" he asked indignantly.
"Treasure?" Willow teased, translating the pet name into English.
"She also gave me the nickname 'Nightcrawler'. She said zat it vas because I didn't sleep for very long ven I vas little," he said.
"Oh, I get it," Willow said, opening her door and stepping inside.
"It's a little messy in here…," he said. The room looked like a bomb had gone off; clothes and shoes were everywhere and the bed was far from made.
"Oh, excuse me if I don't feel like cleaning. I just fought in a damn war is all," Willow said sarcastically. "You can clean it if you want."
"I think I'll pass," he said, throwing himself over the piles of clothes and onto the bed.
"Careful, there, buddy," Willow said as she sat down. "Wouldn't wanna ruin the bed you're sleeping in tonight."
"Was?" Kurt said, looking taken aback.
"Margali's got your bed, so you get to sleep in here," she said. Then she added hastily, "But if you don't want to…"
"Nein, Leibchen, I do," he said. "I guess I just thought I'd sleep on ze floor…"
"No way," Willow barked. "Tonight you sleep with me."
"Oh, really?" he said, cocking an eyebrow suggestively.
"Really," Willow said with a coy little smile.
Jackie examined the puffy bruises on her neck the in the bathroom mirror grudgingly. They were so unsightly that she didn't dare go outside in anything less than a turtleneck. Blob had certainly done a number on her. Being thrown and kicked around had also cracked a pair of ribs, but there was really nothing she could do about that except take it easy for the next few weeks.
"Goddamn sonnovabitch," she muttered, referring to her massive antagonist. The sound of her bedroom door opening distracted her. She poked her head out of the miniscule bathroom and saw Warren standing in her doorway. "Hey," she said, rolling the turtleneck collar back over her bruises.
"Hi," he replied.
"What's up?"
"I just wanted to see you," he said simply. Jackie's lips twitched with a smile.
"Can you close the door for just a second?" she asked. He obliged while Jackie sat down in her desk chair. She gestured to her bed, so he took a seat.
"Warren, I don't get you," she said bluntly. He looked confused.
"What's not to get?" he asked.
"I don't get why you're so damn nice to me. I don't get why you want to spend all your time with me, and I don't get why you risked your life coming back to Alcatraz. She could have ripped you to bits, you should have just stayed out of the way with your dad…," she said in an irritated voice.
"I thought it was obvious," he said. "And I don't see why you're mad."
"I'm not mad, I'm just…well, frustrated because you confuse me so much," she said. "Why would you do that? Fly into that hell hole just to look for me?"
"Because I care about you," he said, deciding to be just as blunt as she was being. He thought for a second about reaching out to hold her hand, but he was nervous enough already. "Why else would I act like this? I like hanging out with you, I like that you accept me for who I am. And, if you'd let me, I'd like to get to know you better."
"But why?" Jackie persisted, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "I don't see what's so great about me. I've got emotional issues, I can't always control my own strength, I'm vulgar, I disregard people's feelings sometimes, I don't trust people, the list goes on. I'm a mess, Warren."
"I don't care," he said, looking straight into her eyes with his hawk-like gaze. Jackie wasn't expecting this. She assumed that her self evaluation would discourage him, at least a little. "Whatever's bothering you, I'll be here to help you through it. I won't leave you behind just because it's convenient or because it'll benefit me. I'm not Pyro, Jackie."
"I know you're not," she sighed in a frustrated voice. She ran a hand through her white hair and looked away from him. She never meant to compare him with John. The two boys occupied completely opposite ends of the spectrum, and even suggesting that Warren was acting like John, she knew, was offensive. "I know, I just…I don't know. I guess I just have to get used to you being nice to me. Does that make any sense?"
"Yeah," he said, thinking of his own transition from a cruel, uncaring world to the safety and acceptance of the mansion. "It does. And I'm willing to wait until you trust me enough to let me in."
"I will," she said, looking him dead in the face to show that she was sincere. "Eventually, when I know for sure that you won't hurt me."
"I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose," he promised with a shake of his head.
"I really hope not, because you seem like such a good person," she said. "Just give me some time."
"However long it takes, I'll be here," he said, finally mustering up the courage and putting his hand on hers. She looked down at it and smiled ironically.
"Thank you," she said, grateful that he could understand her.
"Does this mean I have to find another flying partner?" he asked with half a smile as he retracted his hand.
"No way, you're stuck with me, there," Jackie said with a smirk. He smiled fondly at her.
"Sometime I'll take you when the moon's out," he said as he got up to leave.
"Sounds like a plan," she replied. Jackie watched him go and smiled to herself as every strand of hair on her head, charged with static electricity, stood at attention.
Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter. More soon, I promise!
