I woke up to see Jawn and Lucas arguing about my father's absence in Lucas/David's life.
"No, he doesn't get it because he doesn't want to… his mother has him convinced that dad was the bad guy because she doesn't want to admit she was in the wrong for not telling dad she was pregnant."
I noticed Jawn point to his lip.
"You, okay?" he asked.
"I will be… but a couple of my teeth gouged the inside of my lower lip." I spit out a mouthful of blood and saliva and muttered a "that's gross"
"Let me see…" he came to kneel in front of me and took my chin in his hand gently manipulating it to see the extent of the injury before revealing the latest in his laundry list of powers, healing.
"I didn't know you could heal people." I said completely stunned by the new reveal.
"Yeah, I've been practicing that." He replied, "and if you hadn't gotten kidnapped, I wouldn't have had the chance to use it."
"I'm so glad my being a 'damsel-in-distress' helped you." I deadpanned.
"This is the part where you say, 'you're welcome'."
I glare at him sharply. "Not on your life, bub" I replied through clinched teeth.
"You haven't even been here a day and you're already talking like Logan." Jawn pointed out.
"What do you expect, I've only known the man since I was 2."
Eventually, I convince him to deal with Lucas, but the next events happen so fast it takes me a minute to put them in the proper order.
Lucas created a fire, all light, no heat then Jawn took control, and the heat was so immense I can feel it through the protective barrier Jawn surrounded me with. Then I notice a flash from off to the side but before I can scream Jawn is down and Lucas disappeared.
"JAWN…" I cry unable to do anything else.
Within seconds Cyclops and Nightcrawler arrive with Jean and the others not far behind them.
From there it is pretty much all a blur of people arguing with me that the events of the past few hours are in no way my fault until we get to the mansion where I go through the motions of a shower at Auntie Ororo's insistence to remove Jawn's blood before going to my bed.
I lie down and it's as if the entire day's events crash in on me and before I can comprehend it, I'm bawling like a baby into my pillow. Why? Why would someone try to kill Jawn? Yes, he's powerful but he never leaves the institute, he is as unknown as any mutant could possibly be. What made it worse was that I had to witness it. It was like reliving that horrific moment when that strange man shot mom. The sound of that gun still haunts my nightmares even almost a decade after her death. There is a lot of events of that day I don't remember but then I was only five when it happened, so it is understandable that my brain never formed the memories of it.
I don't notice the sound of my father entering my room until I feel his hand on my shoulder, and he calls me by name.
"You know no one blames you." He assures me gently as he squeezes my shoulder.
"I know, dad" I say sitting up on the edge of my bed "but I blame me"
"Why…" he asks.
It's strange watching dad transition from his chair to my bed. I so rarely ever see him transition from his chair to any other surface. I realize he must but I'm not usually around to witness him doing it.
"There was nothing you could have done." He sighed. I can see in his eyes he doesn't understand why I feel like this is all my fault. Nobody understands why I feel the way I do, and I cannot begin to explain it. I just gained my powers, and I haven't the foggiest idea how to control them.
"But why did they have to shoot him dad? It was like mom all over again and there was nothing I could do to stop it I couldn't protect him!"
I began crying again and dad embraced me gently. It was hard for me to believe there was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent Jawn from getting hurt. I sobbed myself out in his arms and I felt him retreat and an unnamed emotion took hold of me. I couldn't describe it but all I knew is that I didn't want to be alone with it.
"Don't go, dad, please" I begged clinging to him tightly "I just need you to hold me." My voice sounded so tiny, so needy. I buried by face in his shoulder. I knew I sounded like a child, but it was the only way to get him to stay.
"I don't want to be alone." My voice cracks under the weight of the plea and the innumerable emotions behind it I still don't fully understand.
My father's embrace tightened around me, and I felt him rest his cheek on the top of my head as he assured me, he would remain.
I take a deep breath trying to calm myself down. I'm exhausted and overwhelmed by the events of the past day but here, in my father's arms, I feel like I am finally really at home. My eyes grow heavier but I don't want to fall asleep even though I know eventually I have to sleep.
"Rest my sweet child" he whispers into my hair "Things will look better in the morning."
I nod mutely not understanding how one night could change anything.
I must have gone to sleep because I wake an unknown amount of time later to the feeling of a tsunami of negative emotions hitting me from my father's office. I come downstairs to see my father, Eli and Logan following Beast into the elevator.
Hank McCoy, aka Beast, is a newer member of the institute faculty. We have spoken, even played a few games of chess that I swear he let me win a good majority of, but I don't feel like I know him as well as I do Logan or Ororo whom I've known since my earliest memories of childhood. There is a picture floating around the mansion somewhere of a two-year-old me cuddled up in Logan's lap on the couch sound asleep. He too looked to be asleep, but my father has clarified that Logan likely wasn't fully asleep and it would have been highly dangerous to startle him awake. He was still on the more feral side back then and would have reacted aggressively, not towards me, never towards me, but to anyone he perceived as a threat to my safety. My mother had been worried about him being around me at first, but she watched me and how even at his worst I never feared him, and that picture was the final proof that Logan would never be a danger to me.
"Is everything okay, Uncle Logan?" I ask as Logan seems to be the closest one to me. I notice Eli stiffen visibly for some reason, but I don't really understand.
"Yeah, munchkin, go back to sleep." Logan replied, but I don't believe him. I felt the emotions, the anger and guilt among other things coming from my father and Eli but I don't understand what is going on.
I go back upstairs then find one of the lesser used elevators to follow them to Beast's lab in the sub-basement. I am unsure how I managed to get into the lab and hid without alerting Logan to my presence. I think that he knew I was there, but he decided to play along because normally no one seems to get past the keen senses of the Wolverine.
They were talking about the bullet that was used to shoot Jawn. Apparently, it bore the insignia of someone known as Barrett. This Barrett, I would later learn is fully known as Black Barrett, is also Eli's father but then they mention something that chills me to my very core.
"What was that stuff I smelled on that bullet?" Logan asked.
"It was some sort of serum that is only harmful to mutants." Beast replied.
That is the point where I can't stop myself.
"Is… is Jawn going to die?" I ask, my voice weak and fearful.
I see the surprise on the faces of everyone except Logan, which goes to support my theory that he knew all along that I was there.
"How long will it take to make an antidote?" Eli asked.
"It shouldn't take me too long to make an antidote." Beast replied.
My father encouraged me to come to him and I walk over to him still afraid for Jawn. Deep inside I'm still irrationally blaming myself for what happened and trying to figure out what I could have done to prevent my capture and his getting shot.
"Ya hear that, munchkin, yer cousin's going to be okay." Logan assures me.
I lean against my father as Eli asks if he is needed any further and Beast assures him that they are pretty much finished. He then encourages us all to try to get some rest and I can't help but think there is a very low chance of that happening.
I look up as Logan mentions that Eli needed to tell me something, but Eli ends up throwing the responsibility to my father before backing out of the room with what I can only describe as an evil smile on his face.
"Let's go back to your room, Kathy and I'll explain what Logan and Eli were talking about."
"Okay, dad," I sigh tiredly and follow him into the elevator.
When we get back to my room I sit on my bed and I'm sure my father can tell that I am exhausted.
"Look Kathy, Eli has made arrangements for you, me and Logan to spend a few days on holiday at his cabin, to reconnect and just relax together." He explains holding my hand gently.
"Are we sure this is a good idea with everything that is happening?" I ask looking away unsure that now is a good time for us to leave the mansion given I have already been targeted by Lucas and Barrett also seems like a threat that cannot be understated.
"As it stands there is little that we can do but worry until Barrett or Lucas show up again so yes, I believe this is as good a time as any for this." He assures me by taking my hand into his own.
I look at his hand still unsure about the timing of this but at the same time I am too exhausted to argue about it. The idea also gives me hope that I will get to spend some uninterrupted time with my father, something I haven't had in a while.
"So when are we leaving?" I ask looking into his eyes again.
"In the morning" he replied, "Go back to sleep, sweetheart, we will discuss more in the morning."
He encourages me to lean forward a little and places a kiss on my forehead before I lie back down, and he tucks me in to the best of his ability from his chair. He doesn't leave the room until after I have fallen asleep again.
Breakfast the next morning was interesting to say the least. Kitty and one of the newer students Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner are trying to ask my father questions about something, but Jean easily shuts them down each time.
Eli finishes his plate then looked at the rest of us.
"I'll see you in the jet." He said then exited the room.
We soon finish and go our own ways to pack for the trip.
We meet up at the jet and I am curious where we are going, and I ask the adults in the jet that question.
"A cabin of mine…" Eli replied.
"Where is this cabin?" I ask.
"In the mountains." He replies flippantly.
"That is absolutely zero help." I deadpan in annoyance "there are lots of mountains."
"If you're that curious you can feel free to look out the window." He suggested.
I puff out my cheeks in annoyance at his purposely holding back the location of the cabin and I can only hope I packed the right clothes. I strap into my seat and the take-off goes smoothly. It doesn't take long for us to reach cruising altitude and we're on our way.