Okay, I think I'm safe. Jackie seems to have given up for now, although I wonder how long that will last once this one is up.

This will be the last one shot between the first and second arc though, so that means 'Howling Shadows' starts tomorrow! Hope to see you there!

And for reference, since I know this one shot starts a little ambiguously, this is from Nigel's point of view.

The older man watched as the other members of the group sparred each other. None of them were using weapons, this was completely hand to hand, no weapons and no powers.

It takes many years to perfect something like this, but Billy and Nigel had both agreed that at least some idea in this was important.

It is more tiring than using powers, for those who had them such as Jackie and Sally, but for Tina and Billy it was slightly easier.

Nigel's gaze focused on the youngest member of group and frowned. Something was wrong.

Physically Jackie was fine, and working hard, but she almost working too hard. She was sparring against Billy, and was managing to push the hyperactive fighter harder than ever.

That wasn't easy to. Billy came from one of the few lines where all of them were aware of their heritage, and as a result all of them are trained to fight once they could walk. Jackie being able to put Billy through his paces wasn't impossible, but very impressive.

Nigel wasn't one to pry; if someone wanted to talk to him about a problem, he let them come to him, but this time he felt that he couldn't let this one slide. If she kept this up then she'll either hurt herself or someone else.

"Okay, that's enough for today!" Nigel called and everyone came to stop, doubled over and panting heavily.

"Get some water and stretch off, then we'll call it a day."

Nigel watched Jackie as she went to get some water, frowning the plastic began to freeze.

She was seventeen now, and her powers were under control better than ever, something must be bothering her.

The fact that it was summer probably had little to do with it, they'd had Jackie's birthday celebration the week before, and she'd seemed happy enough then.

Nigel was a sharp individual, not much made it past him, and he knew full well the issues that had plagued Jackie in the past. Her brother, lack of control, Penelope, bullying. He also recognised that Jackie sometimes acted older than she was, she'd been opening up, acting more her age, and in many cases younger, but there times where her pain showed.

She was afraid, afraid of truly letting them in, and Nigel didn't blame her. They'd blown into her life during a low point of her life, and hadn't really helped, almost succeeding in driving her away for good. Yes they'd been through thick and thin for each other, but there was another point. Jackie had no experience with having friends, so even now she had no idea how to act.

Nigel doubted the large age gap helped either. The closest to Jackie in age was Billy, and that was a good eleven years age difference.

Jackie was a loner, and Nigel respected that, but sometimes the girl needed a bit of prompting.

As the others were just leaving Nigel approached the teen.

"Jackie?"

"Hmmm?" Jackie pushed the cap of her sports bottle down.

"Is something the matter?"

"Nope, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

"You were working Billy pretty hard today, I get the feeling he hasn't been worked like that for a while."

Jackie gave a quick grin.

"So, were you just feeling on fire today, pun not intended." He added quickly, "Or has something been bothering you?"

"No, everything's fine." Jackie said calmly.

"Okay, but if you find that it isn't, you can always pop over to mine for a chat."

"I'll bear that in mind, thanks."

Jackie pulled her hoodie over her head and put the water bottle in the pocket, before turning to the door. She let out a sigh and walked towards it, and Nigel understood why. It was a warm 20 degrees Celsius, which was scorching temperatures for Jackie, she wore the hoodie to hide the cooling layer of frost she put up.

"Want a lift?"

Jackie's face visibly lit up at the prospect of sitting in a cool car instead walking home in the heat.

"Are sure that's okay?"

"Of course! I wouldn't offer if it wasn't."

"Makes sense."

The pair went out of the maze of corridors and into the sun, where Jackie practically flinched at the heat.

"I hate to see what you're like in a heatwave."

"You wouldn't see me, at all." Replied Jackie grumpily. "I'd be hiding in my room with the curtains closed, sitting in a bunch of ice cubes."

Nigel chuckled, "I can picture it now."

"I've done it before."

"Really?"

One look at Jackie's face told him he'd just had a very mild prank played.

"I wish! Parents won't let me, and on a hot day the last thing I want to do is form a massive thing of ice."

Jackie got in the front seat of Nigel's little car while Nigel got into the driver's seat.

"Ever thought about learning to drive?" Asked Nigel as they pulled out into the road.

"No, I prefer using ice, not restricted by roads and kills fewer people."

"And is better for the environment." Commented Nigel, seeing Jackie's point.

"And is free, no purchase or insurance necessary."

Nigel let out a laugh as the air con blasted out cold. Nigel was very quickly shivering from the sudden lowering temperature, but Jackie practically lay back on the seat and basked in it.

Almost as if she could sense him shivering Jackie suddenly looked concerned.

"You don't have to have it that low if it you don't want to."

"I'm just fine Jackie, it's easier for me to put up with this than for you to put up with the heat."

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nigel recognised the slight resistance to say it, Jackie still had her pride.

The sat in silence as the car powered along, going up the hill to Jackie's home.

"How's training going with Jack?"

"Going well, working on psychic ice a lot, although he doesn't use it himself, prefers his staff."

"Interesting. Are he and Jamie still friends?"

Jackie's face frowned for a moment at the mention of Jamie, but it quickly passed.

"Every now and again. I think Jack still knocks on Jamie's window rather than Jamie going to the lake."

Nigel hadn't missed the look that Jackie had for a moment, but decided not to press.

"...What would your definition of normal be?"

"Normal?" Nigel thought for a moment.

"Personally, I don't believe that normality exists."

"Huh?"

"Sure there's the biological normal, but if you're talking personalities, then there's no such thing as normal, because everyone is different."

"Hmmm." Jackie leaned back in the car seat. "I've never thought of it like that."

Nigel chuckled. "See, I may have my nose buried in gadgets, but I know a few things about people."

"I never saw you as the unsociable type."

"Oh, you should have seen me in school, stereotypical geek, big glasses, braces and all."

Jackie looked over and looked the large framed man up and down.

"I can't see it."

"I suppose I should be glad of that." Said Nigel with a smile in his voice. "Although, what brought such a question on?"

Jackie looked at her lap, fiddling with her fingers.

"Jamie asked me for advice about girls earlier today."

"Okay." That didn't surprise Nigel, it was the logical decision, Jackie was older than Jamie, so in theory had more experience with that kind of thing.

"And I couldn't give him any, I have no idea what other girls my age are like, which got me thinking, that I'm not normal..."

"Well, who would to be 'normal'?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Think about it, do you really want to be the same as normal girls? Gossiping in the toilets and not paying attention in lessons?"

"Well, no, they're idiots."

"Exactly, and you're not, but as I said, there is no such thing as normal."

"Yeah, but you're not the one who freezes water the instant they touch it." Jackie was sounding a bit bitter now.

"True, but what you have is special. How many kids have read or watched the X-Men and wished they had those kinds of powers?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Jackie's face.

"And if you're desperate to be normal, haven't you already found it? With HOG your powers are normal."

"I suppose."

"But in the end, as someone I used to know said, 'normal people are boring, why would you want to be normal?'"

"Hmmm."

Nigel glanced at Jackie, seeing her mixed wistful and annoyed expression.

"Ah, you're jealous, aren't you?"

"Jealous?" Jackie seemed honestly confused, and for a moment so was Nigel, he could have sworn that was the issue. Nevertheless he pressed on.

"You like Jamie."

Jackie frowned for a second, then her face went bright red when she got what he was implying.

"OH! No no no no no no, just, no! He's my friend!"

"Many romances start off as friendships."

Jackie's face went an even deeper red and sank into the seat, pulling her hood down over her face.

"I hate you."

"Sure you do." Said Nigel, grinning despite himself. It wasn't fair to Jackie, but it was a little too easy to wind her up.

Nigel pulled up outside the gate to Jackie's house.

"Thanks for the lift." Said Jackie, unbuckling the seatbelt as quickly as possible, her face still as red as a tomato.

"You're welcome. See you next week."

"See you then."

She slammed the door shut and stalked back up the path her shoulders hunched in embarrassment as Nigel drove back to his house.