psinex@yahoo.com Strange Attractors 17/20 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Danny and Deanna, who're mine. Please don't sue. -------------------------------------------------------- 11/26/2003: X-Mansion: 08:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "I'm glad you came with us for Thanksgiving," Ray smiled to Frank as they and the rest of the Mutants walked to the front entrance. "Well, with my folks off in deep space - and you being here ..." Frank grinned as they kissed. The others snickered or whooped, entering the mansion from the snow-covered front yard. "You're HERE !" Jean cheered, hugging her kids and Joe - and Frank, by stint of his proximity. "It's so good to see you - how'w everything going ?" "Pretty good," Ray smiled as the kids removed their snowgear. "How're you ?" "Can't argue," Jean smiled. They headed for the kitchen, while the Mutants scattered and broke into groups. Ray cast a concerned look back at Frank, who stood alone in the front hall and waved, smiling sheepishly. ~I'll ... be OK,~ he sent, looking around. #Even if this place scares the heck outta me ...# "Franklin ?" Frank forced himself not to jump when he heard Xavier's voice call from the professor's office. "Sir ... you surprised me," the boy said, half-smiling as Xavier motioned him into his office. "If I'm surprising a precognitive, there must be a great deal on your mind," Xavier smiled faintly. Frank took a seat on the couch, and Xavier guided his hoverchair to float a few feet before the boy. "It's about William and Gailyn, isn't it ?" Xavier said softly. Frank looked away, then met Xavier's gaze with a tearful nod. "I'm supposed to be a co-leader of the Mutants, and I couldn't even keep Bill and Gail from - Bill lived in the same DORM as me, I should've KNOWN !" the boy cried. "Franklin ... you are still just a boy. A remarkably mature, caring and thoughtful boy, but a boy nonetheless," Xavier said softly. "You are a student - if anyone were to blame, it would be Ms. Frost and the Cassidys. But I do NOT blame them." Frank looked up and listened as Xavier continued, frowning slightly, "William was able to fool even Emma Frost, Franklin - a trained telepath. The forces of darkness are often subtle - it takes much experience to be able to ferret them out sometimes." He sighed and added, "As a leader, you will be called upon to make choices. Sometimes those choices will involve others' lives. All you can do is make that choice based upon the matter at hand, and your instincts ... and hope what you have decided is the right decision." "Does it get any easier, sir ? Burying your friends ?" Frank asked, standing. "No," Xavier said, floating out beside Frank. "Especially when you bury children - whether of your flesh or of your heart." -------------------------------------------------------- Medlab: -------------------------------------------------------- "Oh my stars and garters ..." Hank and Cecilia smiled as Sarah showed off her fine bone control, reverting to a nearly-human-appearing form save for her pink hair. "How'd I do ?" Beast's foster daughter asked. "My dear little girl," Hank smiled, wiping a tear from his eye as he hugged his daughter, "you were magnificent. All the moreso for the tragedies the Mutants have had to bear these past few weeks ..." "Thanks, Daddy," Sarah said. "How's ... ?" "She's still out of it," Cecilia said softly, turning to where Rogue remained comatose. "Near as the Professor can tell, she's in a state of mnemonic shock - having Zaladane torn out of her psyche by Emma's psi-bolt (SEE SA Chapter 11 for details) left her mind damaged." "It was a combat situation !" Emma yelled, storming in with a glare. "Would you rather that Mystique had gotten ahold of her, or that Zaladane had captured the children ?" "Forgive me, Your Worship," Cecilia sneered. "'First do no harm' is MY motto, not 'let's wear leather and allow our students to sacrifice themselves - '" Emma cursed violently and slugged Cecilia, crying out when her fist bounced off the other woman's psionoplasmic field and erupted in blood. "CECILIA !" Hank cried. "That was - er, Emma, are you all right ... ?" "I ... forgot about that ... little trick," Emma huffed, sitting down on a nearby exam table. Cecilia donned gloves and examined Emma's left hand, wincing. "Madre de - OK, my bad," Cecilia muttered. "It's broken ... sorry, Queenie. But it could've been Sarah instead of Bill and Gail -" "No ... you're right, in some ways," Emma whispered. She looked away as Cecilia bound her hand, and met Sarah's tearful gaze. The girl mouthed, "I know you care." ~Thank you, Sarah,~ Emma sent, a tiny smile playing around her lips. ~And thank you for caring back ...~ -------------------------------------------------------- Kitchen: 11:12 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- " ... so I guess we're not all RIGHT, but we're dealing with it," Ray nodded as she helped Jean, Luna, Ororo, Betsy and Alison prepare lunch. "It's never easy," Jean agreed. "I remember when Thunderbird died ... the entire team was stunned. Especially we older X-Men - we thought we were blessed ..." "You were," Ororo smiled faintly. "It was a more innocent time, despite being the 1980's." Her face darkened, and for a moment, the light snow falling outside whipped at the mansion. "If anyone led the X-Men to -" "Ororo, STOP IT," Betsy demanded. "You made your choice in Dallas, and we followed you. Besides, we are all still alive, are we not ?" "It was not just Dallas, Elizabeth," Ororo sighed, commanding the storm to revert to a gentle snow shower. "I was thinking more of -" "Aunt 'Roro ?" Ororo turned, smiling, as Deanna entered and hugged her. "Don't tell me you're still angsting over what Dad did to Mom," Dee said. "Colossus was a jerk, and he's STILL a jerk. Mom told me -" "I know, Kitling," Ororo interrupted, using the nickname she'd given her foster daughter's daughter. "Piotr was very wrong. He remains very wrong - but YOU are a blessing, and I want you to remember that." "Well, I'm not a mistake, at least," Dee winked. "Now, NO MORE ANGST ! We've had enough of that - today should be a day of thanks, remember ?" "Oi think we c'ld agree, ye little Manx Minx," a merrily obnoxious voice called from midair. Deanna's face lit up immensely as Excalibur appeared, and she ran to tackle-hug Kitty and Pete Wisdom. "MOM !!!" Deanna squealed. "Oh my GOD - I thought you wouldn't make it !!!" "Hey, me miss Thanksgiving with my little girl ?" Kitty grinned. Lockheed curled around Dee's shoulders, licking her face and making the teen giggle, while the X-Men and Mutants present greeted the rest of Excalibur. "Where's my - Alexa !" Kurt grinned, seeing his daughter teleport in. "Mein Gott, you've grown !" "Mom ! Daddy !" Alexa cheered, hugging her parents. "Come ON - we are gonna REALLY celebrate THIS !" "She's got your appetite," Amanda grinned as they headed into the dining room. -------------------------------------------------------- Noon: -------------------------------------------------------- The tink-tink-tink of a fork against a glass made the crowd of mutants (and one Inhuman and synthezoid) turn to look at the head of the table. "My students - past and present - and friends," Xavier nodded, smiling faintly. "Before we eat, I want to ask that we take a few moments to remember the blessings - and the losses - we have faced this year. The New Mutants, in particular, have faced both, and bravely." His face tightened, and Xavier continued, "There have been losses, true. William Shade and Gailyn Bailey gave their lives that the world might continue - and we must never forget that sacrifice. "The X-Men, Generation X, and X-Factor, also, have faced darkness, although, thankfully, not deaths - the genegang problem is growing, even with the breaking of the Warhost in Detroit and the execution of Trevor Fitzroy. We must continue to strive for a more peaceful solution to the problems which pervade the mutant community. "But there have been some victories, even as the world around us grows darker," Xavier added, allowing himself a smile. "The New Mutants have returned the real X-Force to us, and exonerated them of the wrongful accusation of mass murder in Genosha. And despite the deaths of William and Gailyn, you young people have remained at the school - you have refused to allow tragedy to break your ranks. Our hearts, and hopes, are with you all." "Hear here," Sam smiled from mid-table, and the rest of the adults nodded or mumbled approvingly. "Sir ... ?" Frank said, rising. Xavier nodded, and Frank continued, "I ... just wanted to thank everyone for supporting us. It hasn't been an easy first quarter - no one promised it would be - but I wanted to say, thank you all. We'll continue to try to be worthy of your praise." "Amen," Erik nodded as Frank sat back down beside Ray. "Now, can we PLEASE EAT !?" A cheer went up from the gathered partiers, and Xavier carved the first of several turkeys. #No,# he thought, smiling, #things can only get better ...# -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Dream on, baldy. THE BEGINNING OF THE END IS HERE ... -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com