Changes Chapter 33

A depressive silence reigned over the school on the next morning. The younger students were still sleeping, while the adults were standing or sitting in the kitchen, each of them deep lost in ones own thought. Hank sat on a chair staring at his bowl of muesli, while Scott leant against the counter with a mug of coffee in his hand. He, too, had his eyes fixed on an invisible object in front of him. They didn't even look up when Rogue and her friends entered and eyed them in surprise. They weren't aware of the things that had happened and got confused by the strange mood the adults were radiating. After they'd taken their seats, they looked at each other. Finally, Jubilee turned her head towards the grown-ups. "Did someone die or what?"

Scott's head immediately shot up, but Hank had raised a hand quickly to sooth him.

"Jean collapsed at night…", the blue mutant explained calmly and looked to and fro the shocked faces.

"Is she…?", Rogue asked frightened and rested her hand immediately on her belly.

"No,…but it's not looking good…"

"What about the babies?"

"We had to do a caesarean…they're fine…"

Jubilee felt deeply ashamed. "I'm sorry… I didn't…"

Peter and Kitty looked at each other. They've noticed the look Bobby gave Rogue after he'd heard the news. "She'll be fine…", Kitty whispered so calmly that no one else but Bobby, who sat right next to her, heard it.

Rogue bit her lip. She couldn't believe it… "Logan…what about him?", she asked after a while and looked at Hank with wet eyes, as suddenly Ororo stormed into the kitchen.

"Where's he?", she asked out of breath.

"Who?", Hank asked frowning.

She swallowed and tried to catch her breath. "Logan… Where's he?"

Scott nearly dropped his mug. "Is something wrong with Jean!", he asked scared and stepped forward.

"What?", she asked confused. "No… I don't think so…" She checked the corridor. "I can't find him anywhere… Has anyone seen him?", she asked again, while her heart was beating strongly in her chest.

"No…", Hank shook his head. "Have you checked both rooms upstairs?"

"I've checked nearly every room…", Storm said frightened. "He's also not in the basement and the kids are gone, too…"

Everyone looked at her in confusion. Scott gave Hank a look, since the blue mutant thought intensively. "Have you checked rooms on this level? Maybe he's in a room which is closer to the kitchen in case that the kids are hungry", he asked after a while. "At least he was on his way to it when I wanted to talk to him at night… And since his temporary room is too far down the corridor upstairs, he might have stayed downstairs for the rest of the night…"

Storm paused for a brief moment. "No, I haven't checked all rooms downstairs…"

"He's not gone, 'Ro…", he said calmly, since he sensed that this thought had crossed her mind.

"I know…", she sighed. "I'll go and look for him."

"We'll help ya!", Jubilee said and got off her chair, followed by Rogue. "We take the left side. Come on!" Rogue and she disappeared around the corner, while Ororo walked down the corridor into the opposite direction.

She looked into every room on that level, but couldn't find him anywhere. Disappointed and sad, but also worried, she returned to the kitchen.

"And?", Hank asked her, but she shook her head.

"It can't be…", Scott said and put down his mug. "You said it yourself… He wouldn't do it!"

"I know!", he gave back. "And he wouldn't!"

They looked up when Rogue returned. "Nothing…"

Storm bit her lip. "I don't believe that…"

Shortly after that, Jubilee came back. "He's in the TV room."

"What?", the white haired woman asked and turned around. "I've looked into it…he wasn't…"

"He's sleeping on the sofa", the girl said while she sat down again. "So you couldn't have seen him by looking into the room only. Oh, and the cuties are with him…"

Storm gave Hank a skeptical look before she got up and left again.

She walked down the corridor and entered the TV room cautiously. Slowly, she walked towards the sofa. Relieved to see him, Storm laid a hand on her heart, before she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She'd never been so happy to see anyone in her whole life before… Slowly, she walked around the sofa and sat down on the table. She picked up the two empty small bottles from the ground and dropped them on the table, before she looked at him. One baby was sleeping in his right arm, on the seat back side of the sofa, while the other laid on his chest; apparently rocked into sleep by his steady breathing. Ororo smiled sadly. She felt both, happiness and sorrow at the same time. She didn't even dare to imagine how hard it must be for him…

Suddenly, the baby on his chest began to move and made a face. Sensing, that it wouldn't take long before it would start crying, she bent forward. Cautiously, Storm took the child into her arms. "Hey…", she whispered and stroked its cheek gently with her finger. She did her best to keep it calm, but still its cry soon echoed through the room and made Logan leapt up. Sleepy, he blinked. "Sorry, I tried to calm it…", she said apologetic.

"Him…", he corrected her and got up slowly, feeling drunk from this sudden interruption, while he still held his daughter in his arm. Tired, he ran his free hand through his face. "How late is it?"

"7:50 a.m.", Ororo said worriedly. "How long did you sleep?"

He shrugged. "Tow hours or something." He looked into her despaired face since she couldn't soothe the boy. "He's hungry…", he explained calmly. "They should've gotten their bottles thirty minutes ago…" Logan looked at his daughter and smiled softly when she awoke and blinked. Still, Ororo noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes. Finally, he got up and she followed him into the kitchen.

"Hey…", Rogue greeted him sadly, but also relieved to see him.

"Hey, kid…", Logan said and began to prepare the bottles, while Storm sat down and still tried to calm the heavily crying boy.

"We looked everywhere for you…", Jubilee told him, while she curiously looked at the boy. "You scared Storm to death, you know…"

He gave her a look, but didn't say anything. He definitely didn't feel like discussing it right now. He also noticed Rogue's sad eyes which were fixed on him. Even if he appreciated her sympathy, he couldn't use it right now…

"I talked with the boys", Hank suddenly said and made Logan turn his head. "We'll finish your old room right after breakfast. In that way you're closer to the staircase and the elevator again…"

"Thanks", Logan said calmly and turned his attention to the bottles again.

"Can I help you?", he heard Rogue ask.

"Yeah, you could screw on it." He handed over one bottle.

"'Kay…", she answered and took it from him.

In the meanwhile, Logan reached out the second bottle to Storm. She immediately understood what he wanted her to do. With her free hand she turned the lid into one direction, while he turned the bottle into the opposite one. Afterwards, he leant back against the fridge and watched his daughter drinking, while Rogue handed the other bottle over to Storm, who gave it to the boy. Gladly, she heard how he stopped crying and smiled down at him when he began to suck on it.

Scott had watched them closely. "Don't you want to know how she is?", he asked him after a while.

"I know it, pal…", Logan grunted without looking up. "So I don't have to…"

The other man raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"The Professor keeps him updated mentally", Hank explained and got up. "Ready guys? We still have work to do!" He walked towards the door and Bobby and Peter followed him. Scott put down his mug and left, too, leaving Kitty and Jubilee staring at the kids, while Rogue watched Logan closely.

"You look tired…", she suddenly said worriedly and he looked up to give her a short look.

"I'm fine…", he assured her. Even if it wasn't the truth, he still hoped she would buy it.

Storm laid the empty bottle down and watched Logan doing the same, before he shouldered the girl and stroke her back gently. Since she didn't know what to do, she did the same with the boy until he burped slightly. "Do you want to go downstairs?", she asked Logan. "I can take them upstairs and watch over them, so you can take your time and sleep a bit more…"

He nodded finally.

Rogue got off her chair and joined him. "I'll carry him if you want…", she offered him.

"Her…", he corrected her and gently laid his daughter into the arms of Rogue. "Thanks…" With one last look at them he moved towards the door. He felt scared to see Jean in the basement… It sent waves of fear through his entire body, every time he heard the Professor's voice in his head. Every time again, he prayed that he wouldn't tell him that it was over…

"What's her name?", Rogue suddenly asked and looked at him when he stopped.

"Lily…", he said calmly without turning around. "Lily and Jack…" With that he was gone, leaving the women looking at each other worriedly…

Okay, this chapter is short, but you got two at once. ; ) I haven't written any further so far. I typed up everything I've written in the last two days. Thanks for the reviews again: ) Great that you still like it. : ) Hope you enjoyed this two chapters, too. ; ) Oh, and it is Lily and Jack, because nearly every favorite character of mine is named Jack. Jack Sparrow in example or Jack Bauer in 24… And I like that name, so I hope it's okay for you. And Lily, because I like the Harry Potter books. ; )