Continued from yesterday:
She was still asleep. Still motionless and pale. Xavier had positioned himself on one side of her bed.
Todd took up her hand on the other side, made himself as comfortable as he could on the visitor’s chair, and held her hand against his cheek.
“Be strong, baby,” he whispered.
Xavier frowned. “What you’re doing could be dangerous,” he warned.
“Ain’t leavin’ her,” he said. His voice would brook no opposition.
+
Charles sighed. “Very well.” Careful, he put a wall between himself and Todd before he lay a gentle hand against Sara’s brow… and the other on her un-occupied arm.
He closed his eyes, moving into her mind.
And when he opened them again, Todd was with him.
“Whadafuh…?” said Todd’s mental projection.
Charles glared. He’d left the chair behind, since his mind didn’t need help to walk around. “I was afraid this would happen. Part of Sara sensed you, and used me to drag you in."
"What the hell is this?” Todd dodged out of the way of a passing metaphor.
“This is Sara’s mindscape at the moment. Her mental state is in significant disarray. You need to stay close, and be careful."
"Sara wouldn’t hurt me, yo,” he said, following.
“*Sara* wouldn’t. No. Keep in mind that there are other things in here that Sara has little control over at the moment."
"Gorgons and nightmares and fears,” muttered Todd. He pointed.
“Oh my…” Charles conjured a shield.
The echo of Sara’s mother had teamed up with a shifting, dark, malevolent shape and what looked to be a band of purple ferret-like creatures that were apparently part snake. They were all headed towards the interlopers.
Todd conjured a gun. “FUCK OFF YA BASTARDS!” {Blam! Blam! Blam!} A flicker of motion, and it became a bigger gun. {chk-t Boom! chk-t Boom!} Neither worked.
Charles stopped him before he could go further. “That won’t work, though it *is* a valliant effort. We have to *think* against them."
"Huh?"
"Positive thoughts against dark ones."
Todd’s projection closed his eyes… he became surrounded by light… that made the phantasms retreat.
Charles was frankly amazed. "What *did* you use?"
"A kiss."
_…a kiss is just a kiss… A sigh is just a sigh… The fundamental things apply… as time goes by…_ the fragment of song drifted out of nowhere.
"That’s Sara!” Todd leaped towards it, forcing Charles to follow.
Never before had a non-telepath been a guide to someone else’s head.
Charles, rarely one to believe in higher powers, began to pray that Todd would prove to be a good one.
+
Fred had crept away. For a big guy, he had managed to be very good at fading out of notice when it suited him. It had something to do with being bigger than most furniture. People *made* him the background.
He’d just learned to use that to his advantage.
He’d found the stairs down to the infirmary and then the observation window.
There was Sara. And Todd. And the Professor. They were all asleep.
No. They weren’t asleep.
It was something… else.
Something that gave him chills right down to his bones, which took a very long time, indeed.
Fred knelt on the floor and clasped his hands. _God, it’s me. Fred. Please help Sara get better ‘cause Todd really likes her and she’s one of my real friends… and… she just got her second chance. It’s not fair to take it away after everything she’s been through._ The rest of his thoughts weren’t as coherent and contained an awful lot of begging.
+
Amanda found Kurt on his balcony, perched on the railing and staring out at nothing very much. He had a piece of jewellery in his hands. Beads on a chain.
As she edged closer, she spotted the crucifix dangling at one side.
A rosary.
“I didn’t know you were Catholic,” she said.
“Some times, I’m more Catholic than others,” he said. “And turning to God is a good comfort when there is nothing you can do, ja?"
She moved up beside him and gave him a hug. "I’m as worried as all hell, too.” Amanda managed a slightly hysterical laugh. “I hardly even know her and I’m worried about her. Seeing someone fall apart like that… I keep getting this sick feeling that maybe I was to blame. Maybe I should’ve tried to be her friend."
Kurt leaned his head against her. "I know, liebchen. They’re very sad words, 'if only’…” His tail snaked around her waist.
“If only our school wasn’t full of fucktards,” said Amanda.
“*Amen*,” said Kurt.
~~
They found her, the shining core of her, in the middle of a set of fragments. Some shone brightly, while others were dull, and some were foetid and rotten. Sara sorted through them, adding them to herself as she went. This part would add a piece to her leg, that part to her torso.
Todd was muchly disturbed by the sight of Sara in pieces like this. “Hey,” he joked, “I never knew yo'r mind needed hazmatting."
Sara looked up and smiled. A shining peace formed in the air between them and she grabbed it before it could fall. "Thank you, darling. I can always rely on you for the good ones.” She slotted it neatly into her chest and shone just a little brighter. “I really need to pull myself together, don’t I?"
"Yo, I never seen nobody go to pieces like this,” he joined in.
“They’re memories,” said Xavier. “Sara’s memories."
Todd carefully found a place to kneel by her and picked up one. It was an unpleasant memory. Chalking rules of ettiquite onto a board whilst a stern schoolmarm critiqued her hand.
"You can throw that one away, dear,” said Sara. “It’s gone off."
"But it’s still a part of you,” he said.
“I don’t need the bad parts."
"Yes. You *need* the bad parts. Everyone’s got bad parts, yo. I got a *ton* of 'em. If I could just throw 'em out… I wouldn’t be *me* any more. Ya gotta accept the bad wit’ the good, hon. It’s part of you… but ya don’t gotta let it rule yo’."
There was a thunderclap, and another bright shape formed.
When Sara took it, it was a key. One of those old, victorian ones. Solid gold and glowing from within. Sara thrust it into the nearest heap and turned…
+
He was drooling on her hand. He daubed it up with a tissue. Pale green drool. Fun. At least it wasn’t any of his 'special’ slime mixes.
Xavier groaned as he returned to himself. He, Todd noted, had not drooled.
"What happened, yo?"
"Sara pushed us out. She’s put herself together, without the boxes, and now she’s sorting things out."
Someone outside gave the rebel yell. Todd looked. "Aw, *geez*, Freddy…"
"That was an interesting experience,” murmured Sara, her eyes still closed. She blinked her way alive. “Odd that I feel so exhausted after this much rest… I don’t suppose I’d be allowed to roll over and snooze for a while?"
Todd knelt on the bed and hugged the stuffing out of her. ”*God*, you scared th’ crap outta me, darlin’… Never do that again.“ Was he crying? Ah, fuckit. He was *entitled*!
Her return embrace had lost all of its nervous awkwardness. "There, now. Shhh… It’s all right. You rescued me from my Dragon, darling. Rescuing me from *me* is small beans."
"Scary beans,” he said into her neck.
Fred picked them both up and hugged them. “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay…. You were under for so long and I was real scared and you’re *okay*!"
"Gak…” said Todd.
“*Ribs*, Frederic…” Sara croaked.
“Oh. Oops. Sorry.” He put them down, blushed, and covered his eyes. “I’ll -um- uh… I’ll -ah- I’ll just wait until you’re dressed, okay?"
Sara looked down, 'eep'ed, covered her knees and sort of sidled behind the nearest curtain. "Could somebody be a darling and pass me some clothing?” she squeaked.
Todd, on leaving for Sara’s sake, had to wonder what she had against her knees. He’d have to ask Lance or Pie about it. Probably not Pie. At least Lance *might* have some wise words about female peculiarities. *Pie*, on the other hand, would probably harangue him for half an hour about 'not getting his end in[1] yet’, the ass.
He felt almost naked without his bracers. Even if they weren’t a charm against broken bones, they were -well- *comforting*. He’d have to find out where they were.
+
“Hello, there. As you can plainly see, I’m not dead, yet."
Lance blinked. Sara. "Oh. But… they took you away."
"I got better,” she smiled.
“You’re all green, now…"
"Oh *dear*,” Sara sighed. “Yes, dear. I’m all green. Well… I rather consider myself somewhat blue-ish."
"Really? What’s a nice blue-ish girl like you doing in this neighbourhood?” said Todd.
Sara cracked up. “I sense a great need for comfort food in the air,” she said.
“Ooo! Ooo! Can I help?” Freddy *bounced*. “Please please please can I help?"
"Why of *course*, Freddy. I’ve had the sneaking suspicion that you’ve wanted to display your epicurial prowess for quite an age."
"Yay,” said Freddy. He did a victory dance.
_Baldy is *really* lucky he has re-inforced floors,_ thought Lance. He followed the rest into the kitchen, still in his daze.
“Um,” said Freddy. “What’s 'epicurial’?"
[1] Getting one’s 'end in’ is an Aussie euphamism for having sex. I have no idea if it exists in the US, but Pietro’s the sort to pick it up.
~
Kurt sniffed, then his stomach rumbled. "Someone’s in the kitchen, cooking,” he said.
“You and your snack senses,” Amanda joked. “When was the last time you ate?"
"Uh… Lunch?"
"Then you’re overdue. Come on. We can see if we can snaffle something."
"I knew you cared!” He glomped onto her and squeezed. Co-incidentally, his head managed to wind up at about boob level. “Mmmmm… snuggy!"
Amanda extracted him with a, "Silly Elf,” and lead him downstairs. The air was full of aromas. A roast, something frying, something boiling… cinnamon combined with heat… It was amazing that Kurt didn’t flatten her to get to it all.
“That’s right, dear. Nice big ones. We have a lot of people to feed and that’s only the first batch.” The speaker was from Boston, somewhere. Or near Boston.
“Better step onna gas, yo.” *That* was Todd Tolensky.
“How are the vegetables coming along?"
”…'kay, I guess.“ Lance Lavers?
"You’re doing marvellously well. *Frederic*… oh, it’s going to be a shame to eat that… You’re an artist."
"Aw *gee*…” Fred *Dukes*?
The kitchen was a madhouse of creativity. If there wasn’t one space full of works in progress, it was full of the finished product.
Todd Tolensky was deep-frying gooey blobs of stuff with funny-coloured bits in it while Lance Alvers processed vegetables and Fred Dukes bustled from task to task with surprising grace. The tall person with the aqua scales in the middle of it all had to be none other than the infamous Sara Louise Adrien.
“Whoah,” said Amanda. _Now *I’m* getting hungry…_
“Any chance of snacks?” said Kurt, trying to restrain his drool.
“That way,” Sara pointed with a spatula. “Don’t mind me, I’m busy with the omelettes."
Fred took a spoon and sampled the soup. "Needs a little something to pep it up."
Sara dipped a finger in the spoon and sampled it. "Just a pinch of tumeric. Baby pinch. It should give it just the right zing."
"Cool,” said Fred.
Amanda blinked. Weren’t these guys - enemies of the X-men?
“If you’re going to take up space, dear, you might as well ferry some peelings and shells to the mulch bin, over there,” said Sara. “We’re going to need the space."
”*MMMF*…“ said Kurt, his eyes had rolled backwards and his mouth was full of half a muffin. ”…leiber gott… das ist gut.“
"See, Freddy? The flavour is in the fat. Ergo, a bit of butter makes it better.” Sara was whisking whites as she spoke, having added a completed omelette to a platter a few minutes earlier.
“Said Betty Botter to the butcher,” said Todd.
“Darling, *please* don’t get me started. I may never stop,” said Sara.
“Couldn’t help it, sweetums."
Okay… that explained Todd… Amanda boggled as she dumped organic waste into the mulch bin. She found a place near Lance that was reasonably clear of crossing cooks and poked him. "Just why the hell are you all here?” she asked.
“Uh. Came to visit,” said Lance. He was vague, but he peeled and chopped vegetables with a singular determination. “Kinda… Idunno… got swept along."
Amanda blinked. Fred was offering her a cookie. She took one. Soft and slightly crumbly and gorgeous, with that stick-to-the-teeth quality that made the taste linger. "And you’re here for…?” she said.
“I just wanted to cook something for Sara,” said Fred. “She an’ I were study buddies in Remedial Ed."
"You can still ask any question you like, you know,” said Sara. She never stopped working. “Just be prepared for lots of rambling."
Fred grinned so hard he almost *glowed*.
Amanda looked at the spread, and had a muffin pressed into her hands (Liebchen, you have to try one before they’re all gone!) as she did so. "Um. Just how many people are you cooking for?"
Sara paused in the act of folding an omelette. She looked around herself as if seeing everything for the first time. "Oh dear. I think we might have overdone it a touch."
"You call this a *touch*?” yawped Jean, from behind Amanda. “My God, I could gain three pounds just by *inhaling* in here!"
"And they’d look very fetching on you,” said Sara.
Jean blinked, shook her head, and threw her hands up in the air. “I’m not asking, you’re temporarily insane, and I have better things to do than gain three pounds.” Jean marched down the hallway.
Half a minute later, there was an anguished cry.
“Pro*fess*-ooooooooooooorrrrr! Make Sara stop cooking! I’m on a *diet*!"
Sara sighed and put the omelettes aside. "And the moral, dears, is 'never let two feeders[1] gang up in a kitchen’.” She took a breath, focussing her mind. “We are going to finish what we have started, and then we are going to stop."
"Aaaaaawwww…” said Fred.
“Aaaaaawwww…” said Kurt.
Sara glared at the fuzzy elf. “You’re only in it for the leftovers."
"Of course. Why would you think any different?"
"Honey,” said Amanda. “You remember me saying some times that I love you, but I could kill you?"
"Will a cookie make it better?” he offered.
Dang it. He was just so *cute* when he did that.
[1] People who gain emotional benefit from feeding people. The equation goes something like love=care=comfort=food. I see Sara *and* Fred as feeders. Scary combo, given the latter’s appetite.
~