We Can Explain...

We Can Explain...Chapter Twenty Four (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE (tm), Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta...surviving? InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena...*glomp * for archving/Hosting. ProPhile: Just wait a little longer for the WWC! Readers/Reviewers: Sooooooooooo sleepy... *sigh * But...*twirly dance of thanks! *



Jean was barely prepared for the Professor's entry. She was just organizing her version of the story, trying to remember each and every minute detail and growing more and more irritated with herself when she could not recall just how dirty the floor was or how fast Scott was driving.
"We'll begin now," the Professor intoned as he entered. He did not even look at her as he took his place behind the desk. In fact, he seemed outwardly preoccupied as well was inwardly frustrated, judging by the lines furrowing his brow. "And please," he added, "no embellishments."
Jean opened her mouth in momentary surprise, then shut it with a snap. "But...don't you want to know..."
"Right now," he cut her off with a tense smile, "I am afraid I only have time for the bare bones of it. I have an urgent meeting this afternoon off the grounds and I am running a bit late." He did not so much as glance at Kurt and Kitty but they wilted a little anyway. "Now, please, Jean...unless you'd rather one of the others tell this part."
Scshrushrugged. "I'm game. If it'll get us done faster, I'll talk."
Jean frowned. "Scott! It's not like I'm going to screw around and go off on tangents or anything!" She was faintly embarrassed, two spots of color highlighting her complexion as she turned narrowed eyes to Scott. "And we wouldn't have such a convoluted story in the first place if you'd just listened to me!"
"If I had listened to YOU?" He shifted in his chair and fixed her with an incredulous expression. "You're the one with the no, turn right! The other right! Why are you going here? and all the complaining!"
"I wasn't complaining!" she insisted. "I was helping!"
"Professor?" Jubilee piped up, waving her hands comically. "I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"You'll tell it wrong," Amara muttered, just loud enough to be heard. "You'll make us look bad..." She sank in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "Like always."
Jubilee stood, overriding Jean's insistent protests and Scott's attempts to prod his wife into an argument. "Look, this is what happened..."

"Come ON, Amara!" Jubilee could feel the other girl's skin heating beneath her palm and gritted her teeth, prepared to bear a great deal of pain before this was all over with. "Remy and Lance are already there! We can't stay!" Her neck throbbed as if someone were gripping it and she was fairly certain she might be ill relatively soon, but she would be damned if she did it in front of Amara. "Move now or I shove sparklies up your Princessy nose!" She gave Amara's wrist a good, hard yank and was surprised when the other girl moved this time. She staggered backwards, her weight overbalanced by the Nova Roman's sudden compliance, smacking into the tiled wall behind her and rattling her teeth with the impact. "Shit! What'd you go and do that for?"
Amara was transfixed. She had been prepared to let the fire come, if only for a moment, just to make Jubilee let go. She was scared, lost, embarrassed and angry and above all, wanted to be alone. Jubilee was scotching the plans to High Hell, as she heard Logan refer to a situation once. But just at the moment when she would have become the flames, she saw something disturbing. Something that should not have been. "Jubilee," she murmured, ignoring the girl's question, "stand still..." She wrenched her wrist free of Jubilee's grasp, the heat fading as quickly as it had arisen, leaving Amara feeling slightly chilled as she reached a tentative finger to touch Jubilee's neck. "How are you doing that?" The lump under her finger pulsed like a heart but the skin over it was what caught Amara's attention. It was changing color. It shimmered silver for a moment, then seemed to become her normal golden tone, then back to silver. It felt like skin under Amara's touch but it was hot, hotter than normal skin should be.
"Doing what?" Jubilee snapped, twisting away and darting to the mirror. "Holy Hell...what the fuck?" She clawed at her neck as if trying to pull the lump free. "Amara!" Her voice cracked with fear. "Amara, that guy did this!"
"What guy?" she asked, raising a brow. "Remy? Lance?She She eased closer, peering over Jubilee's shoulder and into the mirror. "That looks like a zit gone terribly wrong."
"And she decides to get a sense of humor now. Fanfuckingtastic," Jubilee growled. "Damn it!" Her hand over the discoloring lump, she spun to face Amara. "We're going across the street. Now. If I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you, we're BOTH going."
"Okay," Amara shrugged. "We'll go." She turned and headed towards the door, seemingly oblivious to Jubilee's stare. "You coming or not?"
"I'm right behind you," she replied, shaking herself free of her surprised stupor. Her neck burned now, and her awareness of the object heightened her sensitivity it seemed. She felt like it was choking her slowly, pressing on her windpipe with each step she took to follow Amara closely.
Amara walked quickly, her mind whirling. Whatever had happened to Jubilee, she thought, had happened in the short time between their spat and her entry into the bathroom. Whatever happened, she thought, was not normal or even familiarly sinister. It was new, andry ary and just plain weird. And she wanted to be as far from it as possible. "Why across the street?" she finally asked as they reached the glass doors to the station. "Why not wait here?"
Jubilee shook her head, frowning. Now, on top of the suspicious watcher and Amara's temper, she had an alien substance to worry about. "I'll tell you when we get there."
"But..."
"But nothing. Move!" One hand still on her neck, she pushed Amara through the doors and onto the sidewalk. "Cross the street!"
"It's six lanes!" Amara protested.
"Then run!"