Chapter Four: Field Work

[X]

Ever since the return from the mission and with how badly the outcome was, the students had been very different, as did the teachers. They seemed less than enthused about anything and some even seemed to take it worse than others. Crying still over the mournful bodies of their friends. X-23 was a different case. She didn't know the students as well as the others, afterall she never even talked to some of them before their death. But under normal circumstances, even a stranger would be sad, X however never had normal circumstances. She didn't really have a reaction at all. She was so used to death that it seemed like only a second thing in life, she was sure of one thing in life that was for sure, and that was that eventually everyone died.

She never shed a tear, never changed her outter core or disposition. She was just normal X. She wasn't around much however, when it came to the real world. When Logan finally brought her to the Danger Room and introduced her to the place she was in heaven. It was like a magical world, she loved it. Like she was back again, in her natural prime, natural wild, natural feral state. Sometimes she would dual with Wolverine and was it ever a sight to see. Their fighting techniques were similar yet so different, she was a bit more agile when it came to arobatics, in fact she was alot more agile, but where her speed and agility gave her leverage so did his strength and experience give him the power to even the odds out. Unfortunatly when Logan was unavailable or she just wanted a run by herself, there was always someone there to help her with the room, she didn't like computers much, most of the time it was a Kitty Pryde helping her out. She was a nice girl and fair enough, like a kid at heart in a also mature woman. X liked her, and liked the fact she let her use the magical room any time she wanted to.

Since the incident in the med bay, X hadn't said a word to Kevin. They passed eachother with a bit of proximity but that was as close as they had come to interaction. She was avoiding him, never speaking, never raising her head to him. Like some stubborn adolecent, she would not approach first. She wasn't like that. So she kept to herself, most of the students keeping to their own or their little groups.

That day there was a refeshing scent in the air as X lifted her head just a bit, taking in the smell. It was sweet, like something with sugar, and it was coming from the kitchen window, someone must just have baked. Everyone was pretty festive right now, with this whole Christmas spirit. To X, it was pretty foreign, in fact never actually experienced and it was pointless in her mind. But the others seemed jovial, masking their current feelings with false smiles and cheers. In the distance there was some kind of war going on involving snow. She was invited but quickly walked away in a form of declining. Pulling her leather jacket a b it tighter around her, she enjoyed the open cold air, the crisp snow, it reminded her of the north and how long it had been. Silently she leaned against the tree, her hands poking into her pocket as she stood there just taking in the sights. There was alot going on and before she saw anything that would spark an interest, her head turned and she was up the tree. Taking haven in the branches above. Solitary was her best friend, and she didn't mind at all.

[Wither]

He had gotten his answers soon enough as the Blackbird came back with two dead familiar bodies and one new one that would’ve been better off dead… Eyes went hollow as he saw what the monster had done to the woman and his two friends. He let his jaw tighten but he looked unfazed as he saw what he saw. She looked almost as bad as people he touches… and for a moment he wanted her to make it happen to him-to let him feel what his father felt…. But he just kept quiet and helped in the medlab like he was asked… his gloved fingers working on each different kind of tubing that went into her in some way.

He had gotten a lot of criticism from the other kids when they all found out what he did-again. Their eyes rolled and he was ripped on, but like always, deaths caused this stupid shit to stop… however there were a few moments of him getting blamed-but he knew better… Cess helped him with this, it wasn’t their fault.

Taking a deep breath, he sat in the metal scraps room-the one room no one really was let into but Xavier had felt he should be allowed to see the scraps of the old buildings and he needed something. “Make me anything… but not me rather, but the School something.” Xavier had said to him-but as for now he was just drawing a blank before his green orbs looked up and he suddenly had a new idea. This would be for David and Brian he finally figured, and for everyone else who has fallen in the past. Days he spent in this room, ditching the Christmas fun and games as he welded and scrapped and tore up and anything else he had to do. Days of working without sleep-he was used to it, really used to it. Actually it was something that called him ridiculously, he was so calm that one couldn’t tell a heart torn individual was there.

Now he was almost done… all his feelings he couldn’t handle-including the fact that X hadn’t even glanced his way… well they were all put into this artwork. He was finishing the last bit of checks that he had to do since the finishing got done. No sharp edges. No loose pieces. Finally it was done… and his green orbs looked up towards the metal piece in front of him.

In the darkness it looked fantastic, he couldn’t believe the fact that all his hard work actually proved to be something he was proud of…. He couldn’t believe it. Shaking his head he nodded as it was placed in the middle of the sanctuary, his eyes following it as well as his body.

It was his pride and joy. He sat all night until morning in the cold darkness staring at his angel, brows knitting every now and then as he thought about things here and there. As morning came his body arched back a bit-he was sore… dang it had been a while since he was sore like this. His body inhaled as the snow trickled slightly from the sky, clouds of his breath willowing from his lips.

He had locked himself away basically for the past week to finish it for Christmas, and he finally did… however he glanced at the other little figure in his hand that he made… a present for someone that he figured would like it. Leaning back on the snow covered bench, his body finally shivered and he took a deep breath, playing with the puppet he had made for X-however this puppet had one feature, his nose grew if you made him dance. He needed to talk to her-say sorry, but he didn’t know how.

[Jamie Hudson]

For Jamie everything was a bit different. Slowly he was coming to accept that seeing dead people, was just part of who he was. Dr. Grey had been friendly with him as they’d sat waiting in the Blackbird. She even started teaching him how to fly. Though he’d not been physically there, he felt the deaths of those boys. Unlike the spirits he saw, they continued on to somewhere better he liked to believe. It was the only silver lining in something he felt so darkly. But, Professor Xavier and Dr. Grey were there helping him. Though he still refused to try and go to the Astral Plane since the accident.

There wasn’t any scar, just lingering fears. Jamie was excited about being able to train, he was even given a codename. Phantom. It fit, just like everyone elses. Though he was careful, he learned that unlike the Phantom Plane, if someone passed through him or he did them, it was pain. True he still got glimpses of things, but not like in the other plane. Dr. Grey must have known something about him, because she let him help in different ways. And the boy couldn’t help getting a slight crush on the Doctor as most teen boys do. There had been a day when he was with Jean and Logan in a room he’d never seen before. But he got an echo. It’s what he called them. Because that’s what they felt like. Flashes of broken images sometimes connected others not. While he saw what happened others around him just saw the room as it was. Someone had died in that room, been killed he’d looked up to both X-Men and questioned “What’s a Sabertooth?” Jean Explained he was a powerful mutant, Logan said he was bad news. So he didn’t push.

Birthday had been uneventful. And it seemed that Kevin had returned to the Mansion. Becoming one of Jamie’s first real friends. He got to know Cess a bit more and X-23. It was something different with X. Maybe just a different connection. With Christmas tomorrow it seemed that the entire mansion was outside playing in the snow. There were ice fortresses built. One housed the girls the other the boys. First real snowballs fight for the Canadian, even though snow was nothing new to him. He and his mother never really spent time outside. Moving he lobbed a pressed pack of snow over at the girls when he saw X.
“Hey X come play with us.”

James ran out from hiding in the fortress as a snowball landed near his feet. It felt good to just run around. He stopped and looked up the tree branches to where the girl had ducked. Jamie was pretty sure this was all new to her. He ghosted as a snowball passed through and hit the trunk of the tree. Hearing a shout of cheating for using his powers, it didn’t really matter something else had caught his eye. The cab that had pulled into the drive way. As soon as she got out he knew who it was. But he’d been surprised to see here. Especially with all of the Alpha Flight work she had, it was why he didn’t go home for Christmas. Snow crunched under his sneakers as he headed towards her, wrapping his arms around his mother. She did the same in a tight hug.
“Mum. What are you doing here? I thought I wasn’t going to see you for Christmas.”
“Professor Xavier invited me for a few days.”

[X]

X was content in her tree. Her mind was on other things right now, like the fact that everyone was acting so oddly as of late. When the team had gotten back everyone was sad, depressed and out of sorts. It seemed as if a world had been shattered and that they were all floating on their own little peice, not being able to make it back. But now, now they were all running about, laughing, having fun. In the past few days faces seemed to brighten up, people went home for what they said was the holidays. Decorations were being placed with care, everything was seeming to become festive. She remembered seeing buildings putting up lights and decorations around this time of year but still she didn't understand it. It was pointless in her eyes, whatever everyone celebrated.

"Hey X come play with us!" Came Jamie's voice. It caused her mind to leave its current thought plan and lower to look down at him. But he wasn't looking at her anymore, he wasn't being as happy but more a bit stunned. Was something out there that he saw? Raising a slender brow she suddenly slipped from her seated position and landed on the ground beside him. Her feet hit the ground and the balls of her feet took most of the weight. There was an audible crunch along the snow but very soft at the same time, like a hunter had landed and was stalking their preyer trying not to make a sound.

X took a step forward to become parallel with his standing form. Her head lifted and eyes looked out towards what he saw. A woman was getting out from a vehicle and coming towards the mansion. Curious as to who she was and why it seemed Jamie knew her, the words that came out made all the sense and answered any questions X had. He ran towards her, wrapped his arms around her tightly as she did the same. X looked around slowly once to see the same shock on Logan's face as had been on Jamies. And then she looked back with a tilted head. "Mum. What are you doing here? I thought I wasn’t going to see you for Christmas." So it was his mother, now it made sense.

X didn't say a word, didn't react in any way either. She just stood there silently and watched what was going on between them. The reaction to eachother, the interaction. She took in the air that carried the scent of the woman, which sparked a sudden thought in her mind. Jamie held a similar scent to her own yet he also held one with Logan. Something was defidently odd about that, but X would never question, at least not yet.

[Wind Dancer]

This was truly her first Christmas with her new family in her new home. The Christmas before she had been with her father and that…. Hadn’t gone to well and it had been anything but enjoyable. This year was a complete three-sixty from that. Sofia found herself smiling often and even cheating just a little during the snowball fight, which had ensured her team it’s victory and then some, it felt good to laugh and be so merry… and yet underneath all the smiles she could sense the burden of it all. Joy and sorrow being mixed into one and hidden beneath layers. She was even doing it herself.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sofia with a mere natural thought lifted her body from the white covered ground and began to help Ms. Grey and Mr. Wagner string Christmas lights, she liked to be helpful and it did take the mind off of unpleasant things when one has a task to do, “ At least shoving snow is easy around here.” She commented spying the neatly swept and blown driveways and pathways, which she had helped to clear earlier that day.

Once she had done her part to be helpful, the brown haired young woman slowly lowered herself to the ground again and gave a slightly devious smile towards the red haired woman, “ The cookies smell wonderful.” Her eyes shifted to the slightly cracked-opened window of the kitchen as she turned and bent down scooping up some snow and then launched it into the crowd of fellow students and teachers not really caring who it nailed.

[Rogue]

Tests had been run, so many in fact she felt like a lab rat… and then some. Her eyes drifted down to the slowly healing bruise on her still very pale skin. Truthfully she was much for needles, but still she had let Jean and Hank stick that I.V. in her without even a flinch. But things were going to be different now and she could feel it, so many things that had become easier just wouldn’t be anymore, she felt like she was back at square one with everything… everything she had worked so hard on and now her work had been destroyed. Sure she would get strong again, sure her mind would slowly heal and she’d be okay… but there would be as always scars left behind.

Lifting her gaze as she slipped her hand back into its glove, Rogue watched the merry-making and smiled just a little. She would have gone out there, but she was simply content in watching and off and on aiding Jean in the kitchen. At least one good thing had come out of all of this, the two of them, different as night and day had grown a little closer in the process of cleaning up the fractured state Rogue’s mind had been in. Thing was now, Rogue felt certain enough to actually call Jean a friend now when before she was simply a team-mate. Funny how life works, Rogue thought to herself almost cynically but with a sense of amusement also.

Tugging her worn brown leather jacket on, the Southern Belle slowly stepped outside careful of the ice especially since this was only day three without a cane to give her support when she walked. Gritting her teeth a moment, Rogue let herself adjust to the cold temperature and then stepped out and watched her adoptive brother and her new friend string the Christmas lights with the aid of one of the young students… for a moment Rogue felt sadden, usually she was doing a lot of the work like that for Christmas, but not this year, she was still too weak… again, funny how life works.

Smiling at the student’s comment to Jean, Rogue nodded her head in agreement, “ She’s got that right, Ah had ta come out here just ta git away from tha intoxicatin’ smell of’em.” Her tone was the same old Rogue, even the smile... but there would always be something different, her eyes didn't seem to sparkle as much as they used too.

[Dr. Jean Grey]

“ At least shoving snow is easy around here.The cookies smell wonderful.”
"By all means, help yourself." Jean TKed a few treats up to the Wind Dancer and Nightcrawler. and then smiled brightly to the ‘thumbs-up’ sign that Kurt shot in her direction. The monotonous chores of the holiday were a welcomed downshift; even the more tedious of tasks like hanging Christmas lights.
"She’s got that right, Ah had ta come out here just ta git away from tha intoxicatin’ smell of’em.”
Jean nodded to Rogue, "I'm glad to see my cooking hasn't scared you all away." It was on the tip of her tongue to mention that Gambit would have been the first to complain, but she held back.

A rustle in the distance caught her attention. A quick glance toward the woods confirmed her hypothesis that it was in fact; Wolverine. He was dragging a n evergreen across the snow-covered grounds with little effort. Her initial thought was to jog over to him and offer assistance, but she refrained. Communication between them had been strained since the rescue mission. It was strange for Jean not to have the emotional backbone of Cyclops during a time like this. Despite their breakup, she would have wanted to rekindle at the very least the friendship that had built their romantic involvement. But she reminded herself that they both had demons to get over before embracing the civility she craved.

When huge bundle of snow hit her in the back she gave a yelp of surprise, nearly spilling cookies off the plate. Without thinking, her Telekinetic powers kicked in, floating both the plate and the still warm baked goods above the sheet of white. She turned with a bright laugh, her voice bubbling with almost saccharine pleasantries.
“TRUCE! I bring you cookies! I claim this middle ground for the Swiss!!” she laughed walking straight though the middle of the battlefield. As she spoke a fresh hailstorm rain down upon her, dowsing her with wet cold. Laughing even harder it was all she could do to keep a psy-bubble around the cookies, but before long she was able to convince the troops to take up rations. Shaking wet out of her collar, the redheaded doctor carried what remained of her cookies off the battlefield, her mouth still unconsciously smirking.

Once she was safe of the volley, her glance returned to the students at play, Jean’s mind unconsciously paused over each of them; like a mother taking count of her children at the beach. Green eyes paused on Surge at first. Noriko was doing her best not to let anyone know how she was truly feeling, but Jean thought perhaps that it would be wise to schedule the girl for a counseling session. Bobby was sympathetic to the students for what they’d undertaken, but he was handling the newfound stresses of his position superbly. Again her eyes darted to the next, this time stopping briefly at X-23. She was leaned up against the bark of a neighboring maple tree, her hands stuffed deep into pockets. She didn’t have to be a psychic to sense what she was feeling. That kind of isolation spoke volumes. The girl was pulling away, keeping herself at a distance. Jean could relate.

Rogue was for the most part recovered. – Physically. But her mental state was still a labyrinth of dead-ends and unexplored, tucked away horrors that Jean was almost afraid to delve into. Both she and the Professor had been working to help rehabilitate her, and as Jean’s telepathy lightly passed over the Southern beauty’s aura she didn’t’ push. She didn’t read, just gave the mildest of pressures to give Rogue a sense that she was safe, that Jean was here if she needed anything. In vain she felt out Remington, but here she didn’t even get turmoil. Where his conscious mind should be it was just… barren. Swallowing hard Jean pushed aside the reopened scar of Gambit’s plight, continuing her rounds.

A name flashed over Laura’s thoughts, and immediately Jean’s mind shifted away from the young Weapon X to that of the former Hellion, Wither. At first she wasn’t sure if it was the same young man who had run away from the school, his thought patterns were so even and calm. But then she felt it. He was simply tapped out. He’d found the necessary venting that many of them had still yet to find; herself included. But as the old saying held true, doctors rarely made the best patients. In her experience there were two kinds of doctors; the kind that gets rid of their feelings, and the kind that keeps them. At the moment Jean wasn’t sure which type she was; but in the case of Wither, she was pretty certain that he was a pretty hefty dose of feelings with a fantastic outlet. Her eyes looked though his for a moment at the tiny figure of metal before the grind of the iron gates stirred her back to herself.

She walked back around the brownstone building toward the drive to see whose arrival had interrupted the stream of internal pondering. Jamie. He had beaten everyone to the car. There was a wash of warmth and love passing between them that was indefinable, yet perfectly clear. It was unmistakable, this was his mother. She broke off her connection at once, trying to shake off the guilt that often came with mind-reading. Before she could help it, her eyes sought out Wolverine, made contact, and then just as quickly broke away. It was irrational, but she was somewhat jealous. It didn’t help that Heather Hudson was drop dead gorgeous. Before the red on her face could be mistaken for anything aside from the cold weather, Jean re-entered the house, kicking off heavy clothes. She had a feeling this was going to be one hell of a Christmas Eve.