The Longest Night: Part Two

by Kerri

Charlotte joined Derek and Rachel in the hall between the two rooms. "I apologize for my rudeness," she said to them.

Rachel hugged her. "Don't worry about it."

Derek took her hand. "I'm sorry this is what it took to get you to visit."

"Why didn't either one of you call me about this?" Her voice was quiet and angry, she was going to owe them another apology before this was all over. "Where's Matthew?"

"Still at the police station," Rachel told her. "He's the only one who got a good look at the driver of the car. We should have called you, I know, but it just slipped my mind in the confusion."

"Matthew is okay?" Charlotte's face told her that wasn't good enough.

"Yes."

That, at least, was something to be thankful for.

Footsteps down the hall. Hank's altered face smiled at her. "Here you are." His image inducer was on, startling her for a moment. She'd been waiting for his familiar blue fur, not realizing she'd been depending on it. Feeling needy. 'Stomp that down, don't let them see your weakness, you can do this.'

"Thank you for coming," Charlotte told him, the relief warring with her need for control.

"Of course, my dear, I would not deprive you of my presence."

Jean followed behind him with Nathan.

"Hank, solstice starts at dusk," she spared a glance at the clock," tonight and he has to be there."

"We will do everything humanly possible to ensure his attendance." He went inside the small room to see his friend.

"If I can just get him there..." Nate tried eased her into his arms, feeling Charlotte's control start to snap, but she stepped out of his reach. Help had arrived, she could be afraid now, but she'd be damned if she gave into it. Never give into it.

***

Not too far away, in the deserted offices of the Mutant Advocate Coalition, a fax machine whirled to life. A slim hand picked up the papers the machine spit out, glancing at them before setting them on the desk. A few words jumped off the page. The young woman's mouth opened and she sank into her chair to finish reading.

She folded up the pages and jammed them into her coat pocket. Time to visit the hospital.

***

Two hours later, Emma Frost swept into Jubilee's room in full haughty force, hiding her fear and concern beneath a thick layer of disdain that didn't stop her from going immediately to girl's bedside, ignoring Hank on the other side.

It didn't hide her anxiety from him. He didn't mind her attitude. It was enough she cared.

Everett stood up. "Charlotte and Mrs. Summers said she'd be okay," he said in a quiet voice. They had been in and out to check on Jubilee, and him, frequently. At one point Charlotte gave him money to get something to eat, but he hadn't left his friend. He'd convinced himself Jubilee would be fine if he didn't leave her alone here. It was silly, he knew, but it was something to believe in right now.

Emma didn't answer him right away, looking into Jubilee's slumbering mind herself. A sigh escaped her, her relief momentarily visible to the two other people. Then it was gone.

"They're right," she told Everett briskly. "Jubilee will be fine."

The last of his anxiety faded away. He smiled for the first time that night.

She turned to Hank. "Her son?"

He shook his head. "It's too early to tell. Jean's with him now. Charlotte wants to move him as soon as possible."

Emma nodded. "I'll make arrangements. Jubilation can be moved?"

"Yes."

"Good. The sooner I get her home the better." She looked at him closely. <Did Logan come with them?> She originally called him first because of what he meant to the girl; she expected to see him sitting in here growling at everyone and generally making life difficult.

<Wolverine is indisposed,> Hank tried to be diplomatic.

Emma's brows rose, but she didn't comment. Later, when she had Logan's undivided attention, she'd comment plenty.

Charlotte sat in the bedside chair, watching the clock on the wall, her fingertips resting on Thomas's wrist. She counted the slow heartbeats, focusing her mind on the rhythm to distract her urge to scream, counting the hours and minutes remaining until solstice began. He would be okay if she could just get him there. She pinned her hopes on that thought.

She managed to tear herself away long enough to call Bear, his telephone number the only one she carried in her head. He didn't ask pointless questions; he simply told her they would be waiting.

The nurses had been in and out, giving the young woman with the Indian curious looks, but not asking any questions. Her attitude didn't encourage small talk.

Neither did the white-haired man sitting across the room in a corner. He sat quietly, his head back and eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep.

Jean sat next to Nate, reaching out to touch Thomas's mind occasionally. It was a jumble of random images and flashes, some almost too painful to witness. The control he must have had before the accident impressed her. If he'd managed to keep all this contained he'd already had more mental strength than most psis. He wasn't a mutant, though. Odd.

She felt a kinship with Charlotte right now. She'd not given birth to Nathan, but she couldn't love him more. She sat here with her *son* alive and well, while Char...

<Take her out and make her get some fresh air, coffee, something,> she told Nate.

His head lifted, an eye opened. <You think she'll just go with me?>

<You don't need to discuss me behind my back,> Charlotte sent to them.

<Take a break,> Jean said. <I'll keep an eye on him.>

Charlotte started to shake her head.

<Like he is my own. You'll do him no good if you fall apart when he needs you.>

<That was low.>

Jean shrugged. <Low, but true. There's nothing you can do right now. Take a break while you can, you might not get another chance.>

Nate got to his feet and reached for her arm, knowing she wouldn't move unless prompted.

Charlotte touched her lips to Thomas's forehead, resting her mouth against his cool skin. 'You have to come back, sweetheart, you can't leave your poor old mother wandering this world without you. Please.' The closest she would come to begging for something she wanted, her son.

<Jean has commanded us, let's go.> His mouth quirked on one side. It had been nothing less than an order.

Charlotte offered a weak laugh and let him draw her away. Coffee sounded good right now.

They found Derek and Rachel in the cafeteria and joined them at their table. Nathan went get coffee while Charlotte updated them on Thomas's and Jubilee's conditions.

"Tell us what you've been doing," Derek asked her.

"Not much, really. Thomas told you I've joined the X-Men. There really hasn't been a lot of mutant activity to respond to so I'm beginning to believe all their press is a sham."

"Surely not."

"No, I'm teasing. There just hasn't been a lot lately, but I've taken the opportunity to work on my combat skills and study with Dr. McCoy. His work is really quite fascinating. I'm able to watch now instead of just reading about it."

"You could have come here to the Legacy if you wanted a change," he told her quietly. "You would have been welcomed."

"Thank you for that," she reached over and clasped his hand, "but this is Thomas's life. The last thing he needs is his mother around full time. I've found a niche, at least for awhile. It's a not-too-comfortable niche, but I'm settling into it." She looked over at Nathan coming towards them with two large steaming cups.

"Are you and he-," Derek began, "your teammate, is he your-"

"Nathan?" Charlotte had to chuckled at his unspoken thought. Nathan? "No. He's my friend. He tagged along with me out of concern." She shook her head. "What would you do if a wild-eyed, crazy woman came storming out of the elevator and knocked your father on his butt?"

He set the cup in front of her, sugar packets spilling out of his palm. "This is what passes for coffee around here."

"Is, umm," Rachel began, "I'm sorry, I forgot her name. The other woman with the red hair?"

"Jean." She grimaced at the first taste, then reached for the sugar. If it couldn't be good it could at least be sweet.

"Is she still upstairs?"

"Yes, she offered to stay and ordered Nate here to make me leave."

"Ordered?" Rachel gave the big man a considering look. He didn't appear to be someone that was ordered around all that often, and not by a woman.

"Yep. Jean can be downright persuasive, especially when she's right." She turned her head towards the cafeteria entrance, a violent shimmer in the psychic plane getting her attention. Nathan noticed it too, he looked up from the sludge he was stirring to see what the disturbance was.

Matthew entered the nearly empty room. He was disheveled, his eyes glittering with blue fire, his clothing ripped. He stopped when he spied them.

In a heartbeat Charlotte was out of her seat and about to throw herself at him when he stopped her before she could touch him and shook his head.

<Quickening?>

<Yes. I'm sorry I'm late, I would have been here sooner but I was detained on business.> The familiar phrase that coded his infrequent encounters with other Immortals almost made her smile. Almost.

<You are unhurt?> The first time she touched him after a Quickening she'd nearly had her mind blown away by the power coursing through him. Now she could expect it and adjust her mental control over the effect, but it still gave her headaches.

<I still have my head.> A rueful smile.

Nathan watched them with hooded eyes. The last piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place for him. He wondered when Matthew Brouwer would make his appearance.

Charlotte took her seat again, Matthew sat across the table next to Rachel to avoid touching her.

"The police?" Derek inquired, giving his torn clothing a second look. He'd seen Matthew like this before, but the other man had never explained the reason.

"They took the report, but they don't believe they'll find the driver."

"It's unfortunate, but true."

Matthew nodded, his eyes on Charlotte. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived. How are they?"

Her pain slipped its leash again, whiplashing over Nathan. He closed his eyes tightly and strengthened his shields, his hand tightening on the styrofoam cup. He forced himself to release it before it collapsed in his grip.

"Jubilee will be fine. The headmistress of her school arrived not long ago, and she confirmed the doctor's prognosis."

"Is the headmistress a doctor?" Rachel asked. She'd seen Emma arrive, clad in stunning white leather and mink. Emma had a way of making the women around her feel inferior and lacking in feminine grace. Rachel was no exception.

"No."

"Then how would she be qualified to give an opinion of Jubilee's condition?"

Charlotte let loose a half smile. How Emma would answer that question made for a brief, humorous moment. "She's a very gifted telepath and she loves Jubilee."

"And Thomas?" Matthew's voice was very soft. He watched her eyes, watched them flash and glaze over.

"He is still unconscious. I'm taking him out of here as soon as the administration office opens this morning. I'm taking him home."

"I called the administrator, he is a friend of mine," Derek said. "He's sending someone down here, but you don't have to worry. There are no problems with mutants receiving care here."

"That's the least of Thomas's worries right now." It would be the least if he wasn't there for the rites. She and Matthew exchanged worried looks. The very least of them.

End Part 2.

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